To An Unexpected End

CHAPTER 1 - Welcome to Hogwarts!

"Hey! Is this compartment still free for another person?"

September 1, 1991.

Apophis positioned himself near the compartment where the two boys were seated. One he recognized from earlier, a face that seemed oddly familiar, while the other was a newcomer, someone he would be more than happy to strike up a friendship with. He wasn't inclined to judge people or be overly selective. He embraced everyone into his life with open arms, a trait he shared with his mother. As for his father, well, that remained a mystery. While others claimed he inherited traits from his father, he couldn't quite see it himself.

"It's free."

The boy with the shattered glasses replied, gesturing to the vacant seat beside him, as the red-haired boy nodded in concurrence. Apophis smiled before settling into the seat, leaning back against it, and releasing a contented sigh of relaxation. His body felt a bit sore from standing outside the train all day - well, perhaps he was being a tad overdramatic about just a few minutes of standing. But he didn't pay much attention to it; he was just relieved to be sitting down at last. He had even managed to dispel some of his nervousness, at least for the time being.

He turned his gaze back to the two boys, offering them a smile. "I'm Apophis. Apophis Snape, sorry for intruding out of nowhere - lots of the compartments are occupied and full." Maybe that was a fib. He hadn't really bothered to explore much of the train and had simply settled for the first compartment he came across. And this happened to be the one he chose. He didn't see the point in wasting more time searching for an empty compartment, especially considering how crowded it was outside.

"Oh, ah, it's fine. I'm Harry!"

"I'm Ron- Wait- Snape?"

"What's wrong with that?" Questioned Harry at the sudden shift of emotions from Ron.

Apophis had nearly forgotten his own lineage as the son of Severus Snape. Those who attended Hogwarts would likely be taken aback by the revelation. However, what truly piqued his interest was the familiar name - Harry. Was it Harry Potter? While Harry was a common name, it seemed to be swirling around in the headlines of the Daily Prophet, all about the infamous The Boy Who Lived. His reputation paled in comparison; he was only known within the confines of Hogwarts, largely due to his parents. He found solace in this anonymity; being in the spotlight would have been unbearable. Harry chose not to dwell on his feelings about the situation, opting instead to refrain from questioning it further, fearing he might encroach on the others' personal boundaries.

"Snape- My brother told me about two professors at school that are under the name Snape, one of them are apparently really scary-"

"Huh?"

"He means my parents," Apophis chuckled, casually waving his hand. "My parents are both professors in Hogwarts, people aren't too fond of my fathers strictness, you know? But he can be nice, trust me." He tried to reassure them, or so he hoped. While he could admit that his father tended to keep to himself, he always treated him and his mother kindly.

"Argh... I'm with both Harry Potter and Apophis Snape... I can't believe this!"

Apophis' suspicion proved correct. The Harry in their compartment was none other than Harry Potter himself, the boy who had famously survived one of the darkest wizards of their time. But naturally, he kept his lips sealed. He was well aware of what had supposedly occurred. His parents perished, leaving him alone. It seemed somewhat callous for others to simply push him around about it, but he understood the fervor. Apparently, You-Know-Who was finally gone! Finally... He had a bad feeling about it. "No need to get so worked up about it," he chuckled. "We're just the same as others with a complicated history, right Harry?"