HP - Shadow Monarch - Chapter 150 - Return to England.

[Chapter Size: 1900 Words.]
Third Person POV

Romania.

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All the vampires were surprised by the force emerging through the portal, instinctively tensing up. Even Dracula himself looked stunned as he narrowed his eyes at the scene unfolding before his group.

‘Am I feeling fear…?’ He couldn’t help but murmur as he witnessed the death energy more powerful than ever before.

The shadows from the portal began to spread across the area, and a figure started to step out. Wrapped in shadows, they were the core of that dark energy as they took the final step out of the portal.

“He…” Rosaria stared in shock, immediately recognizing Snape. He looked nothing like when he had first entered the painting. He was physically stronger, and his magic had more than doubled to a level that few humans could reach even after decades of training.

“Are you the boy?” Count Dracula asked cautiously, trying to remain composed as he observed Snape. The boy stood there, his eyes glowing blue, his body still cloaked in shadows as the portal behind him vanished.

All the vampires exchanged cautious glances, wondering if the figure before them was truly human. Even Rosaria’s sister was staring in disbelief.

“...”
Snape simply stared back at them without saying a word, the tension between them growing heavier with each passing moment. Before him, a countdown appeared.

[You will be teleported in 3, 2, 1… 0!]

All the vampires stood on edge, waiting for any movement from the mysterious human. Suddenly, he began to glow even brighter, leaving everyone wondering what was happening.

Before anyone could react, he exploded into pure energy and shot upward, breaking through all the ceilings of the castle. The energy burst through the sky and disappeared entirely in a flash of light.

“He disappeared?!”
The vampires rushed to the rooftop, scanning the skies for any trace of him.

“He disappeared… he’s no longer here…” Dracula commented, his voice filled with confusion.

“He’s gone…” Rosaria murmured from a distance, still searching for any sign of Snape.

They remained there for some time, questioning if everything had truly ended just like that, with no further sign of the mysterious human. Meanwhile, in England, the same dark energy appeared in the sky before descending over a small house.

Snape landed in front of his home, the dark energy still radiating from his body.

“This is still so hard to control…” he murmured, trying to calm the power surging within him. Slowly, he began to suppress the energy until there was no trace left.

“It seems I’m back home again.”
Snape sighed, glancing down at his bag, a frown forming on his face.

Atlas wasn’t there… The creature hadn’t followed him into the painting. Realizing this, Snape immediately grew concerned, but he knew he couldn’t let himself be distracted. He had to focus on the dungeon first. If any of those vampires had harmed Atlas, Snape would make sure to take revenge later. He owed that much to his loyal companion, who had accompanied him through the swamp, even if only for a brief time as they fled from those malevolent creatures.

“I’ll deal with it later. Stay safe, Atlas.”
Snape resolved to push the thought aside for now and approached his front door, finally returning home after achieving his goal.

As he stepped inside, his gaze dropped to the floor. Letters were scattered everywhere. He stood there for a few moments, deep in thought. After all, besides two people and the staff at Gringotts Bank, no one else should have been able to send him mail there.

But as he inspected the letters, he realized they were from those three individuals. The majority, however, came from Hogwarts.

He picked up one of the letters and opened it.

[Mr. Snape,
I am concerned that you have not appeared since the start of term. Please return to Hogwarts as soon as possible. We are all eagerly awaiting your return, and your colleagues and friends are worried about your absence.]

Snape raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the news that the school term had already begun. He wasn’t exactly sure how much time had passed, but he was certain it had been about twenty days since he started absorbing all the power the dungeon could offer. The letter made him wonder just how much time had truly passed.

Anyway, he ignored the letter for now and moved on to another piece of correspondence. This one was from Steve Vujin.

Upon opening the letter, he read that England's greatest investigator was requesting a visit from him.

"The classes have already started… another delay will be inevitable," he murmured to himself.

But first, he needed to sort some things out. He had to understand the current state of affairs after being away for so long, including checking on his shop.

At that moment, his owl finally appeared, flying through the door and letting out a sharp screech before landing near him. The bird looked directly at Snape as he approached it, gently touching its feathers.

"Shadow! You’ve arrived at a good time. I’m heading out for a bit. Want to come along?"

The owl tilted its head and screeched again, as if understanding the invitation and saying something like, ‘I don’t want to stay out in the forest like a wild beast.’ Snape observed the owl with a faint smile.

"You’re a proud owl, aren’t you?" he remarked.

With a gesture, he opened a nearby cage, and Shadow entered without hesitation. Snape placed the cage inside his bag and then proceeded to leave the house, closing the door behind him. He noticed there were also some letters from Gringotts Bank. Picking them up, he frowned while reading, then headed out.

After using teleportation to reach a location with a Floo Powder fireplace, he appeared in Diagon Alley. Wearing a cloak that covered his body, Snape began walking through the streets discreetly. Even so, his presence was felt by those around him.

People paused for a moment, uncomfortable. All types of people were staring at him with a mix of curiosity and fear. In a short time, Snape realized his presence was sending chills through those passing by.

"Why is everyone so tense? Is my magic really that strong?" he murmured to himself as he walked through the crowd.

Trying to ignore it, he thought that he would have to figure out a way to suppress it. Continuing forward, he finally spotted what he was looking for—his own shop.

Upon entering, he found his house-elf sitting on the floor, head bowed, with a worried and depressed expression.

"Hello, Genini. Is everything all right here?" Snape asked, looking for answers.

The elf quickly lifted her head, surprised to see him. Her eyes sparkled with joy.

"Master Snape! You’ve finally returned!" she exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "We’ve been out of stock for weeks! We had to close the shop for a while. I was desperate!"

Snape raised an eyebrow at her reaction, even in her usual state. But Genini couldn’t see how terrifying Snape appeared at that moment due to her worry about the shop.

"Out of stock? What happened?" he asked, after all, there were thousands of potions available.

"We had to sell all the potions, sir. At first, it was slow. But suddenly, more and more people started coming. They bought everything! Potions for themselves and for their children. I’ve never seen anything like it before!" the elf explained.

"Well… it seems like it was an unexpected success. In any case, I need to sort this out urgently in the next few days…" Snape said, still a bit surprised by the situation.

"The deliveries from Gringotts arrived correctly?" he asked after a moment of thought.

"Yes, sir. Everything is in stock. But the shop is empty now."

"I see. I’ll take care of that next week. Don’t worry for now, Genini. I have other priorities at the moment," he said.

Snape took one last look around before preparing to leave again.

"Keep the shop closed. As soon as I can, I’ll return with a large stock. Understood?" Snape instructed.

Genini nodded quickly. "Yes, Master Snape!"

"The money was deposited in the bank, right?" Snape asked.

"Yes. The goblins came by and said they had a contract with Master Snape. They said they would handle everything as if you were present and assured that they’d take care of the finances," Genini replied.

"Excellent. Now, I’ll be on my way. I need to visit the bank," Snape said as he left the shop.

"How strange... Master Snape seemed much more terrifying, but I didn’t even notice," Genini murmured, though relieved that someone would restock the shop.

He arrived at the bank and was attended to quickly, discussing his store’s profits with the manager.

"I must say, your shop is a success, Mr. Snape. I hope it becomes the treasure you envisioned when you decided to open it," the manager said as Snape left the bank.

"Thank you. See you later," Snape replied.

Walking through the streets of London, Snape headed toward the more bureaucratic area of the city. However, instead of going to the Ministry of Magic, he entered a discreet building next door, going directly to speak with Steve Vujin.

Meanwhile, at Dracula’s castle, the atmosphere was tense. Vampires roamed the corridors in silence, still cautious after what they had recently witnessed.

"Attention, everyone. He’s no longer here. You may leave now," Dracula said, dismissing the gathering of vampires.

The crowd of vampires began to disperse slowly, still restless and wary.

"Father?" Milicia’s voice, Dracula’s eldest daughter, echoed through the hall as she remained hidden in a corner.

Dracula turned toward her and raised a hand, signaling her to step forward.

"You may go, dear. There’s nothing more to be done."

"What do you mean, Father? Are you just going to let him go?" Rosaria asked, indignant, her eyes glowing a deep red.

Dracula remained calm, shaking his head slowly. "There’s nothing more we can do for now. Go home and rest. I will handle this."

Milicia hesitated, clearly dissatisfied, but she didn’t argue. Without another word, she turned and left, her boots echoing down the stone corridor until she transformed into a bat and flew off to meet her husband.

Once his eldest daughter had left, Dracula turned to his younger daughter, who was still lingering in a corner with a cautious expression.

"What are you planning, Father? What will you do?" Rosaria asked cautiously, watching his every move.

Dracula sighed, gazing out the castle window. "I don’t know..." he murmured. "That human is far from ordinary. We must be careful with whatever he’s become."

The young vampire frowned. "Do you have a plan?" she asked, suspicious.

Dracula raised an eyebrow before responding. "We’ve gathered some information on him. Over the past month, we’ve been able to learn a few things about this Severus Snape. He was an ordinary man, but something changed within the past year. Now... I want you to get close to him."

"Father... you want me to get close? How?" she asked, surprised.

"Do you still have his animal? I want you to go to Hogwarts," Dracula asked before speaking with a serious tone.

"Yes, I still have it, and I’ve been taking care of it. But, Father... I’m 200 years old. I’m not a teenager to infiltrate as a student!" she murmured, irritated by the idea, though still eager to find Snape.

Dracula smiled slightly. "Don’t worry. You won’t be going as a student. I’ll speak with Dumbledore. He owes me a few favors."