Chapter 2
He doesn’t, but mostly because she now follows him around like a lost puppy. During the day now that his father locks the doors to keep his “freakishness" out of the house (Only letting him inside for sleep and food) he relaxes at the park or at least tries to. Evans seems to have it in her mind that since he answered her question he’ll answer all of her questions (He pointedly ignores the fact that he does). He could sneak back inside to escape her if he really wanted to, but then he would lose full reign over his time under his mother’s watchful eyes. So instead he indulges in her curiosity, lets her borrow his notes and they form a quiet sort of companionship.
He likes her much more than the children at his school at the very least. She’s smart and can catch onto some of his thought processes. In a way he imagines that this is what being a jounin sensei is like, right now she’s a small little genin and he’s guiding her towards the chunin exams (Hogwarts). So, he grows fond of her questions and tinkling laughs and allows himself to grow attached to someone for the first time in this unfamiliar world.
8.
It’s his 11th birthday, 2 months until his first year at Hogwarts begins. He slips into the house for the first time in months to snatch his letter from the owl’s beak before slipping into his mother's room.
The woman startles briefly before taking a look at his letter, giving him an understanding tilt of her head. His father is sleeping on the couch in the living room, the static-like sound of the television only heard briefly under his loud snores. The move from the hallway to the front door is quiet enough to make an ANBU approve and Obito can’t help but think that his mother would have made a decent shinobi.
Diagon alley is nothing and everything he imagined it would be. The streets are crowded and loud, making the killer inside of him disapprove. While he’s seen photos of what wizards look like, he can’t help but feel they are much more ridiculous in real life. Everyone is cloaked in heavy dark-colored robes and wearing large pointed hats. The dark colors make a large contrast to the vibrantly colored shops covered in bright lights. Everything about it makes him want to burst out cackling because what? It’s all just so weird and foreign that it makes him want to take a step back to avoid strain his eyes.
His mother tugs on his sleeve, pulling him towards the first shop. He buys second-hand robes that are much too movement restricting for him to be comfortable. His mother, thinking his discomfort was from the fact that the robes were already used gave him an apologetic smile that makes him want to scream because no, he doesn't care and she’s been saving up enough money for this for years. Unfortunately yelling in a store is not appropriate so he just gives her a small smile that doesn’t feel right on his face to try to convey his message.
Grabbing his textbooks was easy enough and he picked up an extra book on Runes. The familiar shop was weirdly the hardest. He didn’t want an owl, they were arrogant enough to rival Bakakashi and he didn't want to have to shower them with praise every time he wanted to send a letter. A toad reminds him too much of two blonde-haired, blue-eyed Hokages (Well, one Hokage, one a soon-to-be Hokage) to ever be comfortable, leaving the only option as cats. He skimmed through them until a flash of grey passed through his vision. Turning, he makes out a cat sitting on top of a structured scratching pole. Its fur is a dark gray with unique patches of black solely on his ears, her (Judging by the color of its collar) eyes were turquoise colored with a hint of hazel.
His mother, following his line of sight, lets out a small gasp, “She’s beautiful.”
The cat turns her attention towards her and preens as though it understood it was being complimented. Letting out an appreciative hum he agrees, “Yeah, she is.”
“She’s still a kitten, around 8 months old. Her mother was a stray when we found her. 12 Sickles if you want her.” Butts in the shop owner who has been watching their interaction.
His mother paid for her as he snatched the kitten into its carrier. He names her Tera, short for Amaterasu which she meows in response to. His last stop is the wand store, Ollivanders. The inside of the shop was filled with wands stacked on bookshelves, with only a desk and a lamp standing out. He stopped paying attention to the man and his mother who were quietly chattering with each other, instead, he tried to concentrate on all of the different magical signatures that filled the store. And truly, there were thousands of wands each with different magic flares he can't help but let their different magic soothe him.
The actual wand selection took what seemed like hours. Obito couldn’t help but get antsy, his father could be waking any moment now and while he can’t do anything to Obito himself, the same doesn’t apply to his mother. Each wand that reached his palm had disastrous results, a ‘boom’ explosion or the lights flickering out he was starting to regret not getting this over with first. Finally, the man who introduced himself as Olliver came out with a silk boxed wand.
“Hm… I think this will be the one! Yes, yes I’m certain this will be the one.” the wandmaker conceded. “Willow 11’ Dragon scale.” He presented the wand to Obito, who couldn’t help but twitch when he felt the familiar Chakra. “The wood of this wand was actually given to me by a visiting traveler, but the Dragon scale was donated by Grigonotts!”
It shouldn’t be possible... Unless he’s not the only one to have reincarnated? Maybe he’s just mistaken? Grasping the wand he holds his breath at the rush of power he feels. His chakra, no, his magic is resigning with the wood’s magic. He can’t deny it now, not with the way it feels like a missing limb has finally been returned to him, the wood of his wand is from Hasirama trees’. He thanks the man and quietly pays, not fully present as he runs the many possibilities through his mind. Letting out a sigh he decides that he needs more information to make a solid conclusion.
The next two months went by quickly. He studies the improved textbooks and research on Runes, but not before discovering that he could transfigure the worn-out robes to look nicer and weightless (He layered a subtle genjutsu on top of that to stay unnoticed). His mother hovers over him more often, most of the time with sad smiles and he begrudgingly decides that he’ll come back for her after graduation (he refuses to leave her with his father).
He and his fondly nicknamed minion still studied together, Obito tried to add in some etiquette tips but she still makes it all look very much the amateurish she is so let the studies drop much to Evans' delight. She seems to have decided that Hogwarts is going to be some magical fairytale land filled with princes and princesses and he can’t find it in his heart to tell her that it probably won’t be sunshine and rainbows.
Lily, who went to Diagon Alley a week after him, adores Tera and loves to make the kitten and her barn owl Quinn playfully chase after each other much to his amusement.
“Sev, are you ready to go?” The girl in question queried. The trip to King’s Cross station was long and awkward, at least in Obito’s opinion. The Evan family seems to disagree except for Lily’s elder sister Petunia who was too busy sulking (so much so that he was reminded of little Sasuke-chan) to pay attention. After the sister’s parents were delivered Lily’s Hogwarts letter, they ended up inquiring with his mother about the wizarding world. In thanks, they were driving him to the veil much to his mother’s relief.
“I'm coming, let me just grab my trunk!” Obito retorted, dragging the luggage out of the car. The veil, as he understands, works like a genjutsu and fuinjutsu mix. He was able to feel the old magic radiating off of it while he unsurely waited for Lily and her family to say their teary ‘goodbyes’.
“C’mon Sev we need to find an empty spot!” Lily bossily tugged him inside the train, dragging him around while she searched for a free train cart. He let out a bark of laughter as she worriedly darted down the walkway. He ended up taking the window seat, which led Lily to fume and give him the silent treatment before he reluctantly switched with her (“Thanks Sev!”).
Just before the train took off, a small group of boys hastily opened their compartment door. “Do you mind if we sit here?” The suspected leader questioned with a nod of his head towards the empty compartment seats disrupting his large head of messy hair. The boy wore a hauntingly expression that he can remember seeing on the Hyuuga clan’s faces, a subtle way of saying ‘I’m better than everyone here and I know it.
Lily, being the helpful (Oblivious) human being she is, didn't hesitate to agree and he gave a grunt worthy of the Uchiha name.
“Ah don’t worry, Sev agreed, he’s just being moody. I’m Lily Evans and that’s Severus Snape!” Lily prattle onwards, happy to entertain their guests.
“Muggleborns?” The black-haired with genes that the Uchiha would have waged war over questioned.
“And? What about it?” the girl defensively let out at the same time Obito replied with a neutral, “Half-blood.”
“Sorry about him, he doesn’t get out much. I’m James Potter and the one you were talking to was Sirius Black.” James sheepishly apologized, leading Sirius to grumble.
“It’s fine,” Lily muttered, but she gave Sirius one of her looks that Obito did not want to be on the receiving side of. The small brown-haired one with painful-looking scars that made Obito wonder seemed to take this as his cue to introduce himself.
“I’m Remus Lupin, half-blood, nice to meet you.” The boy seemed to shrink into himself so Obito took pity and shook his outstretched hand, startling the poor kid. The last boy, a blonde-haired blue-eyed combo that would probably make him reminisce if it were not for the fact that he was too overweight to give any resemblance to his sensei, only let out a muttered, “Peter Pettigrew”. Obito truly couldn’t blame him, if he was an 11-year-old boy named Peter he’d try and hide it too.
“So what house do you guys want to be in? I’m totally going into Gryffindor.” James smugly inserted.
“My whole family has been in Slytherin,” Sirius seemed hesitant to admit.
“Blimey,” James muttered, “and I thought you seemed alright!” The brown-haired boy dramatically huffed slumping onto his seat pulling a grin from the withdrawn Sirius.
“Maybe I’ll break the tradition. Where are you guys heading, if you’ve got the choice?” Sirius probed, turning to Lily and Obito, both he had been quietly watching their exchange.
“Hm... I really don’t know! You Sev?”
Obito really can’t have said he thought about it, though he probably should have. It all just seemed kinda childish, to section the kids in groups based on their personalities. Shit, he didn’t really think that most people have defining traits at 11 years old. Not to mention that children change a lot from 11 years old to 18. He would know, he turned from preaching about “comrades” and “loyalty” to becoming a cynical mass murderer. So no, it didn’t seem important.
From the Hogwarts handbook Gryffindors are seen as the brave sort of storybook heroes, which, unless it's an anti-hero, he really doesn’t fit. The Ravenclaws are the booksmart study worms, he’ll stop there. He might be able to fit the Hufflepuff mold. He spent around 15 years scheming an entire war just for Rin, but that's really all he’s got going for him there. They are also seen as friendly, which Obito is not. Slytherin (AKA the story tale antagonists), it seems, is the most likely house. It’s also the most political which he is not looking forward to. Obito knows politics, shit he damned an entire shinobi village with just politics and a genjutsu (Sorry Kirigakure), but that doesn’t mean he likes politics. He’s not a Gryffindor, probably never will be, but if there's something they agree on, they both like to go into things headfirst.
“I’m not very brave, so I’ll probably be Slytherin. So-”
“Slytherin?” Sirius cut him off with a disbelieving look. “Who would ever want to be a slimy snake?”
So this is the house rivalry thing the books talked about? He could tell the boy off, defend his probably soon-to-be house, maybe earn some points with his Slytherin housemates, but really this all just seems so immature. Is he actually going to have a pissing contest with 11-year-olds? No, he has way too much pride for that.
He should probably get on their good side. While he knows he no doubt can beat every person in this cart at once, right now he’s just a piss-poor half-blood without any political clout or allies and these are the Black and Potter heirs. If they don’t like him, they can probably turn his life in Slytherin into a living hell.
“It’s not really about what I want, my personality doesn’t really fit in Gryffindor.” He admits shamelessly. Lily, who was five seconds away from screaming at the black-haired boy, relaxed at his answer.
“Well then become braver-” Sirius was heatedly instructing before James slapped the back of his hand making him jump out of his skin.
The Potter heir gives him an apologetic smile before letting out an understanding hum. “Well it sucks that you're stuck in the snake house, you seem pretty okay.”
The rest of the train ride was spent with Obito taking rune notes and James and Sirius, who has been not so subtly glaring at him, prattling on about quidditch and the likes. The actual arrival at Hogwarts was more extravagant than he would have expected. The subtle layers of Charms (genjutsu he thinks) that Obito noticed all fell at once making the huge castle sitting on a lake become tangible. The towers themselves were made of stone bricks and the roofs were a blue that rivaled Kisame’s gills. He rode on the ferry boat with Lily and listened half-heartedly as she went on about wanting to see the giant squid.
“Imagine it Sev! A squid bigger than a bus, how cool!”
“Yes, yes, very cool.” Obito absently agrees.
The great hall was lined with tables where the second years and above who were already sorted took their seats. The ceiling was filled with floating candles and he curiously wondered how they kept the wax from falling onto the buffet that was spread on each surface. A resounding clap stopped any students who were chatting as the student’s gazes turned towards the front of the room. The staff table sat horizontally instead of the recurring vertical pattern. Obito skimmed through the teachers but paused the headmaster.
For all that the man bore resemblance to the spineless Hizuren, his eyes and the way he set off Obito’s instincts reminded him of a Sharingan-stealing ROOT commander. So this is Albus Dumbledore? Having read about the man, he doesn’t think there is a single wizarding history book that doesn’t somehow include him since Grindelward’s defeat. But, for all the man is seen as a hero, a fighter, he can’t hide the fact that the man is first and foremost a politician. Sometimes he has to awe at the idiocy of the magical community, to give such a manipulative man such power. From what Obito can see, if he wanted to with the title of Headmaster and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Dumbledore could destroy the entire wizarding world in one scoop.
Don’t get him started on his whole Light vs Dark magic faction. As a politician, he has to admit it’s a brilliant move the way he uses his allies to defeat his opponent, but as a person, he has to question what the everloving fuck he’s doing using people like they’re just chess pieces! He knows he’s being pretty hypocritical, but at least he has the excuse that he was being controlled, not to mention had a purpose. What Dumbledore is doing is just mindlessly chaotic unless he has some strategy Obito can’t see. Like what is the purpose of getting rid of “dark” magical animals? A summary is: Obito doesn't like Dumbledore, at all.
The headmaster, as if sensing his gaze, sent him a jolly smile before taking out a large hat from his robe. Here's where everything gets bizarre, it starts singing. Sprouting a mouth, the dark drown hat hovered over the headmaster and towards the gaping first years.
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats are sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've got a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"
Obito firmly decides that the sorting hat and Killer B would make great friends. So it looks inside the mindscape huh? He had made an Occlumency as soon as he read about legilimens. (which was so similar to the Yamanaka Jutsu that it was unnerving) He doesn’t need anyone to know about shinobis or jutsus.
The sorting went by quickly with Lily practically bouncing in her seat next to him. After around twenty minutes of listening to her assistant commentary, Lily was sorted into Gryffindor after what seemed to be a passionate debate with the sorting hat that left her fuming (but not before sending him a sad smile). She took a seat across the four boys that were in the train with them, all of which were sorted in Gryffindor also.
“John Simin!”
“Wendy Sealon!”
“Severus Snape!” Mrs. McGonagall finally called out, making him stand. Letting the hat drop onto his head, he couldn’t help his tense when a bellowing laugh echoed in his mind.
‘Kiddo, you gotta let down your shield if you want to get sorted!’ The hat made a snorting sound.
Can’t you just sort me based on my mindscape? He questioned trying to buy time.
‘That's not how it works. Look I can’t tell anyone what is in student’s minds if that's what you're worried about, Godric Gryffindor himself made the policy!’ He/she? Relayed, seemingly offended that he even considered that it would.
Letting out the mind equivalent of a sigh, he hesitantly let his occlumency down.
‘Huh, it seems you’ve lived quite the life, Obito Uchiha.’
He couldn’t help the sigh of half relief, half incredulous that came with hearing his given name spoken for the first time in years. Sweet Amaterasu, he didn’t know it was weighing on him that much until now.
‘You're right, definitely not a Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, maybe if you really were 11, but you’re not.’ The hat let out a sort of contemplative noise.
‘You’ve got the loyalty of a Hufflepuff! When you choose someone you’ll let the world burn for them, but honestly, if I were to sort you there you’d have all of them crying in a week..’ The hat honestly seemed disappointed about that and he had to let out a guffaw.
‘Fortunately, you’ve got the ambition for redemption in spades, and your slyness isn’t even a question! Yes, yes your very much a,’
“SLYTHERIN!”
The room was devoid of claps aside for a few polite Ravenclaws and Lily who was practically letting out whoops. The Slytherins, well, they gossiped. Obito can’t really blame them, there aren't many records of muggle-born or half-bloods in Slytherin history ever. Instead, he silently ate dinner with the grace of Mikoto Uchiha at her best. Some of the dumber Slytherin were quick to try to poke and prod at him trying to see how much they could get away with. The smart ones who saw how hard he was gripping my steak knife, decided they were better off ignoring him.
The common room looked uncomfortably similar to the cave he lived in with Madara, which both sets him off and makes him relax simultaneously. Their house head, Professor Slughorn, gave a welcoming speech that he tuned out as soon as it started. After the half-hour-long lecture, the prefects led them down the dungeons corridor towards their rooms.
Obito slipped into the room with “Snape” labeled on top of the doorway, dropping his trunk with a ‘thunk’ on the bed closest to the door. A brunette-haired boy with a bashful expression entered quietly and started unpacking right after, seemingly fine to work in comfortable silence together. The third boy, a blonde with a facial structure that practically screams ‘pureblood’, entered with a cocky smirk that reminds him so much of Deidara it hurts.
“It seems we’re roommates, names’ Evan Rosier, pureblood.” Rosier seemed content to wait for their replies.
“A-ah, Avery, p-pureblood.” The brunette seemed to be pained by his stutter, wincing each time he stumbled over his words.
Obito cleared his throat as a pair of eyes turned towards him, “Severus Snape, half-blood. I look forward to dorming with you.” He gave both of them a pureblood half-Uchiha bow with his hands folded together inwardly.
Rosier seemed startled at that clearly not expecting him, a muggle-raised, to know anything about manners. He pushes it back under his facade in an impressive amount of time and lets out a chorkle, “It seems, dear Severus, that we’re going to be great friends.”
He couldn’t help his widening gaze because what? Casual usage of his first name and adding ‘friends’ pretty much just declared an alliance, or at least an ally to call for help on. He had to send an incredulous glance at Avery who seemed just as surprised as him so he was sure he wasn’t just imagining it. What's the point of this? They literally just met! Hell, if making allies is this easy he won’t even have to worry about the Slytherin politics! Then again, Heirs usually aren’t as brazen with giving out alliances like cupcakes.
Reminded that he's been silent for moments too long he turns back to Rosier who is watching him with a smug sort of amusement shining in his eyes. He knows exactly what he’s doing, the bastard!
“Yes, it seems that we are Rosier.” Obito acknowledges, just barely keeping the disbelief out of his tone.
“Just call me Evan!” Fuck you!