London. Charing Cross Road.
Right in front of a very ordinary bar on a fairly crowded street, a three-story bus appeared out of nowhere, accompanied by a powerful gust of wind, almost crashing into a lamppost, but managed to stop in time.
"We're here, young man!" the bus driver joyfully announced to the pale-faced Alan, opening the door. "Don't worry, you'll be let out quickly, as is the case with everyone using the Knight Bus for the first time."
"Yeah… thank you…" Swaying slightly, Snape left the transport and vowed never to use such a masochistic invention again, at least while his body was so weak.
As soon as he was in the fresh air, he took a deep breath, no longer paying attention to his previous dissatisfaction with the dirty air. Turning back to the bus, he heard only the old man's wild laughter, and the vehicle sped straight toward the building at incredible speed. Then, at an incredible angle, slamming into it, it turned and disappeared around the bend.
The Minister of Magic is definitely a psycho.
"Don't even think about coming up with such a monstrosity, especially using Muggle technology," someone's contemptuous voice sounded next to him.
Of course, Alan had long noticed the young man next to him, but he didn't attach any importance to him, though he still didn't lose sight of him.
"Who are you?" Snape asked, turning to him in confusion, but after a few seconds, looking closely at the stranger's face, he frowned.
"Actually, I'm already in my fifth year at Hogwarts, in the same house as you," the stranger said, raising his chin proudly and looking at him with displeasure. "I'm a Black, Regulus Black."
Ah, I see, so he's the younger brother of that idiot, Sirius, and I was wondering why you two looked so much alike...
"Don't call him my brother! This traitor!"
"Oh... so that's how it is. I have a feeling we'll get along," he grinned, placing his hand on the surprised Slytherin's shoulder and pulling him towards the bar. "Come on, tell me."
"W-what should I tell you?" he asked, his eyes wide in surprise at his interlocutor's frivolous behavior.
"All of Sirius's faults, of course!" Snape replied with a bright smile, ignoring the bar full of wizards who looked more like a cross between homeless people and freaks.
The bar itself was called the Leaky Cauldron. It was rather small and nondescript, very much reminding the Archmage of the typical taverns from his world, where you could grab a bite to eat and drink after a long journey, and then rent a room and stay the night.
Damn it, it really is like I'm back in my own world. A dark, shabby bar, beer stains ingrained in the floor, a faint smell of alcohol, drunken wizards dressed in shabby outfits... peace and quiet. If only there had been some kind of fight, I wouldn't have noticed at all. I'd have thought I'd returned, Alan thought with a smile, leading the young Black, who was already beginning to come to his senses. As soon as they passed through the next door, the young wizard finally managed to break free from Snape's grip. "Sorry, I just needed to get here quietly, without being bothered, and with you around, it was easiest." Approaching a brick wall, he poked a few bricks from memory, and the next moment they suddenly moved and the wall began to slide apart. "By the way, why are you alone? I thought all the nobility with a ton of guards would be wandering around at such a turbulent time."
"None of your business!" Black snapped.
Did you really run away from home? And by the way, you still haven't told me about your brother... hey! Where are you going?!
"Leave me alone!"
Regulus quickly broke away from the "annoying" Alan and, turning the corner, disappeared into the crowd standing in front of a small shop.
...the way to make someone leave you alone is to pester them yourself... the Archmage recalled his teacher's words with a smile, then headed in the opposite direction himself. But it's still quite deserted here. The vast number of bright signs and crowds of wizards scurrying through the streets, as they had the first time Severus and Eileen had visited this place, had vanished without a trace.
At most, only a couple dozen shops were open, and there were ten times fewer magicians, and everyone walked in groups of two or three people, wrapped in dark robes that hid their faces.
War... and why did it start right now, when I was just reborn? They couldn't have organized it in five years, when I had accumulated enough strength and left the country?
A few minutes later, he reached a small pastry shop, where a silver-haired man was already waiting for him, dressed in a rather flashy outfit consisting of a black knee-length coat, under which were a white shirt, dark pants, and shoes to match.
Lucius Malfoy was a rather self-confident and arrogant man, easily capable of walking over heads for the sake of his goal, and also one of the few people whom Severus considered his friend. He also deeply respected and considered him a role model, because it was with his encouragement that the young wizard began to study the "dark arts" and also became friends with some students from Slytherin.
"I hope I'm not late," he greeted the man with a smile, sitting down opposite him. "Lucius, I didn't know you had a sweet tooth."
"They told me you've changed, but… I have this feeling that there's a completely different person standing in front of me," the dark mage said suspiciously, narrowing his gaze and clutching his cane.
"Eh... you were always like this..." Taking out a needle and turning it into a wand, he said, "I swear by my magic that I am Severus Snape and no one else." A light flared above the wand, making Malfoy relax slightly. "There was a reason for these changes, but I won't reveal it. Let's just say I woke up from a long sleep and decided to start all over again."
"I see... have you thought about my proposal?"
"About joining 'you'?"
"Yes."
"I think I'll refuse. It's too dangerous."
Alan's answer made the man in front of him frown again.
"Why? We talked for a long time before, and you were almost ready. Maybe you…?"