This child was getting on his nerves.
Hell bent on pushing most buttons he had to spare.
"We will decide whether if you have 'magic' or not, now let's go."
The young bruised face before him frowned, a flash of an unknown emotion passed through the eyes of a blank face; before flipping like a switch for an annoying counterpart.
"Well stranger, if you say so!" He grinned, Severus strangely finding a slight edge to its tone. "But~ it the cops ask if I know you, imma say no! I can see it now: 'Mental Patient Escapee Attempts Abduction of Child!'"
He waved his hands dramatically as he trailed after him.
Snape withheld a sigh, slightly wishing for both outcomes of the child being the source or not.
It'd be great to have gotten the search over and done with.
But it'd be a pain to teach the sarcastic bundle of joy behind him as a student.
Dumbledore will certainly enjoy the pain he's currently enduring.
"So, who are you exactly? One of the ministry lot?"
"No." He sneered. "I am....a teacher at Hogwarts, somewhere you will mostly likely be going if you do indeed have magic."
The child blinked.
".....Hogwarts?"
Snape allowed himself to roll his eyes, "Hogwarts," his voice dripping with sarcasm of his own, "School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Now as so forth you will be using the respectful tone, addressing me as Professor Snape and Sir."
No room for discussion.
"Professor Snape?" The child inquires as they turned the block's corner.
He glowered at him.
"Yes. Now stated your name child."
The child smiled slyly, "John Constantine, at your service sir."
There weren't enough paychecks in his job to make him not regret his career choice.
—————————————
Albus Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall meet at the train station entrance staircase.
They were supposed to meet Severus there a half an hour ago-odd.
The potions Professor didn't make a habit out of being not on time, was never like that, not as a student and certainly not as an adult.
"-we will be there soon, now behave, you're going to give a migraine."
Oh?
McGonagall peered over to their left, seeing their colleague with a blonde haired child.
The two meet them halfway, moving off to the station's side.
"Mr. Constantine, these are Professor McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore."
The child raise a brow, seemingly somehow both annoyed and amused by this whole situation.
The the second emotion wasn't shown as clearly as the first, glittering in his brown eyes as he looked up at the two teachers.
"Constantine? A bit of a mouthful, no?"
Dumbledore baited.
John's lips quirked, willing to bite it.
"And Dumbledores easier mate?"
McGonagall and Snape shared a look, one out of surprise and one out of exhaustion (albeit exaggerated).
Albus smiled kindly, enjoying the slight banter with the new potential student.
McGonagall did frown at the child's appearance. Ruffled and wrinkled up clothing, an unfashionable loose red tie, a large book stuffed into his side, and a rather bruised face.
"Mr. Constantine, if I may, where did you inquire such injuries at your age?"
The light in his eyes dampened and his smile had a more fake look to it, which was an impressive feat as they didn't move at all, keeping the same height and length across his young face.
"Life happened luv; Now-" John turned to Snape, "-you said something about a ministry and rule breaking?"
They blinked at the dry reply and the switch in topics.
"Ah yes, the ministry, before we start, tell me Mr. Constantine-how much do you know of the wizarding community?"
Other than you're a bunch of weirdos so far, not a whole lot.
"Other then what Snape here informed? Zilch."
Albus nodded, "Let's get started then."