Chapter 02: No worries, Boyo. Just try to stay alive on the next full moon, alright?

[Part 01: I fucking hate mornings.]

I detest mornings. The sun annoys me, the birds with their incessant chirping annoy me, and encountering people I've managed to forget about is equally annoying.

'I need a spell to kill all these fucking birds, but the most annoying thing is that I know this is some magic bullshit!' I thought. I was inside the fucking dungeons; how were there supposed to be birds around? And unless I had lost my mind, I should not be hearing any birds chirping. But I was hearing them, and I am sane, at least mostly, so by conclusion, this is some magic fuckery.

Despite this, I roused myself from bed, dressed, and begrudgingly faced the mirror. I looked like shit, more like if said shit had vomited, and that vomit had been constipated, and taken a shit, and said shit was me. The old me had absolutely no clue about style or grooming. But then again, being a semi-orphan, poor, and a social outcast, how was I supposed to know?

"This is going to take a while," I muttered to myself as I assessed my appearance.

My hair was a greasy mess, my skin looked dreadful and coarse, and although my robes were somewhat clean, they were old and poor in quality.

*Sigh*

After a somewhat feeble attempt at grooming, I left the room, pondering my exhaustion and weakness. Yesterday, I felt amazing, but today, I felt drained. Why?

Making my way to the Great Hall for breakfast, I contemplated this change. I wasn't supposed to be weak by any measure. With the Mask of Balzac passively activated and having undergone the Werewolf ritual, I should be strong. Yet, I felt weak. Perhaps my strength fluctuated with the lunar cycle, like in those manga and movies I loved to waste my time on.

As I entered the Great Hall, I recalled similar cases to mine. One from a manga called "Wolf Guy" and another from the movie "Van Helsing," where the character's power was bound to the lunar cycle. I realized I might get stronger as the full moon approached, but would be weaker during the new moon phase.

'This needs some testing.Well, at least even in my base form, I'm better off than all the other assholes around here,' I mused, taking a seat at the Slytherin table.

Just as I sat down, a group of boys approached me, including luscious Lucius Malfoy, the platinum blonde boy.

"Hey Snape, how's it going?" Lucius inquired.

"Great, Malfoy. I feel for the first time in a long while that life is actually great," I replied, loading my plate with food.

"I heard you were sent to the hospital wing. What happened?" another boy asked.

"Oh, just the usual. Got goaded into one of the Gryffs' pranks gone a bit too far," I explained between bites without any fluctuation in my expression.

"You do know you can always come to us for help, right?" Lucius offered.

"I know, my friend, I know," I said, still focused on my food.

They, too, began eating and drinking, though for some reason, their tea kept changing colours.

"On another note, Lucius, can I ask you for a favour, or a few favours?" I inquired, a sudden idea popping into my head.

"Sure, what is it?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Actually, it's two things. First, I need information on all the British pure-blood families, their family trees and such. Second, do you happen to have any books on cosmetics?" I asked, noticing a faint blush on his cheeks.

"There's a book like that in the library; just ask at the reception. And sure, I do have one I can lend you," he replied, not looking up from his plate.

"Thanks a lot. I need to be on my way. I'll catch up with you later," I said as I stood and walked away.

"How did he finish that much before us?" I overheard someone ask behind me.

[Part 02: Bitches please.]

As soon as I left the great hall, I encountered another headache-inducing person named Lily Evans.

"Sev, wait up!" I heard her shouting as she ran towards me, but I executed a perfect 90-degree turn and went the other way.

'Bitch, leave me alone! You are the reason I have to fight a 1v5,' I cursed mentally.

I fight the Marauders on my own because my teammates are assholes who hate me and want to see me lose, and she is like Yuumi from League of Legends! Albeit I cannot target her because we are friends, but just her presence is working against me because she is favouring her own house and leeching off me for her education.

Despite my best attempt to get away from her, she caught up to me and started being annoyed. "Hey, I told you to wait up."

"Really? I did not hear you," I said as I kept walking.

"Where are you going? We have classes," she suddenly said when she saw me taking a turn left instead of right.

"The library," I said, continuing to move.

"You cannot do that!" she said, starting to pull at my arm, but I am way stronger than her and have no intention of following her lead.

"I can, and I will," I said to her.

"What is so important that you have to look it up now, and it cannot wait for later?" she asked me, a bit annoyed and curious.

"None of your business," I said, moving away, and I could literally feel her gaze piercing into my back.

"Look, there is Snivellus!" I heard a voice that I recognized all too well.

I turned around and looked at the group of assholes that had been following us ever since I left the great hall.

They think they're smart, but I can smell them; I could actually smell them from across the hall. A mutt, a rat, a beta wolf, and finally, a fucking prey.

I looked at them for a second and decided that I can visit the library a few minutes later, as it would not run away.

"Good morning, gents!" I said as I approached them.

"Snivellus, why are you so polite?" Black asked me, annoyed. Apparently, he thought that I am just putting up an act for Gandalf yesterday.

"Oh, Mr. Black, I have come to understand that in the great scheme of things, you are inconsequential in my life, well, besides financing my future endeavours." I said with glee, and I could see his eyes burning with indignant anger at the mention of financing.

Black is not poor by any measure; even when he is basically thrown out by his family, he is well off for the rest of his life, but the knowledge that he has to pay me is gnawing at him, and I love it.

"Haha, Snivellus, have you found your balls or what?" I heard the rat saying.

"Mr. Pettigrew, I've found out something very interesting recently while I was doing some reading up. Wanna know what I found out?" I asked the short fatso.

"Huh? Not really, but you are gonna tell us anyway?!" he said sarcastically.

"I have found out that the Animagus form of a wizard is a reflection of his personality and character. I do wonder what yours would be with that weak character you have?!" I asked with a knowing smile, and I saw them all blanching.

"How?" Potter asked.

"How do I know, you mean?" I asked, surprised.

"Snivellus, I warn you! Don't forget the Oath," Black threatened me.

"Haha, my my, Mr. Black. Please, I am feeling afraid. The Oath's content was just about the happenings of yesterday evening, and that I will not act against any of you for them. But not about my knowledge concerning other pieces of information that may or may not get you and your merry group of retards expelled and sent to Azkaban," I said with a happy and provoking smile.

*Grind*

I can literally hear their teeth grinding. Even Potter, who usually presents himself as someone calm and collected, is angry at me, and I can see it in his eyes.

"What are you guys talking about? What Oath? And what does Sev know?" Lily asks from the side.

"None of your business, Lily. Stop poking your nose in where it doesn't belong." I say to the red-headed annoyance.

"Rude." She says before pouting.

"So, anyway. I have got places to be. Too-da-loo!" I say happily as I turn around to finally get to the library. 

"Snape!" I hear someone saying.

'God gracious! What is wrong with this day?!' I think annoyed as I turn around.

Remus Lupin is looking awkwardly at me, but eventually he starts talking instead of wasting even more of my time.

"I am sorry and thank you." He says.

"No Worries, Boyo. Just Try To Stay Alive On The Next Full Moon, Alright?" I say as I turn around and head towards the library. Hell-bent on ignoring every single person who wishes to annoy me further today.

[Part 03: The better Black and my Family]

Well, as I enter the library, I can't help but notice just how immense the place is. Calling it big would be a massive understatement; it's a veritable labyrinth of books.

"Damn it," I mutter, feeling a tad overwhelmed.

I make my way slowly toward the center of the library. There, amidst the bustling shelves, sits the librarian, deftly orchestrating the chaos with waves of her wand. Books fly overhead, finding their rightful places on the shelves. Magic truly is fascinating.

"Excuse me, Sir," I say, waiting patiently for his attention.

"Ah, hello. How may I help you?" he responds, finally turning his attention to me once he's finished his task.

"I'm looking for a book that details information about pure-blood families and their general history. Do we have such books in the library?" I inquire.

"Ha-ha, this is the biggest library in all of Europe, my boy! We have books about anything and everyone," he chuckles, before pausing to think for a moment. Then, with a flick of his wand, a piece of parchment and a quill float over to him.

The quill begins scribbling something on the parchment, and then it glides over to me. On it is a list of around five books and the information about where I can locate them in the library.

"These are the ones I can recall off the top of my head, but I'm sure there are more. You'll have to seek them out yourself," he says with a smile.

"Thank you very much," I reply, setting off towards the first book on the list.

"That's my job. Good luck, and please remember to keep quiet while in the library," he calls after me as I depart.

Three hours later, after scouring through four out of the five books on the list, I finally uncover the information I've been searching for.

As I was wandering through the vast expanse of the library, I found myself trekking from one end to the other in search of the right shelf. 'What kind of system do they use to arrange these books?' I pondered to myself more than once.

------------------

**Prince Family Tree:**

**Children:**

- **Eileen Prince** (Deceased. Married a muggle.) (born 1939, died 1973)

**Parents:**

- **Father:** Edgar Prince (born 1903, alive)

- **Mother:** Beatrice Prince (née Evergreen) (born 1912, died 1940)

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My grandfather is still alive, but my grandmother has passed away shortly after my mother's birth, and that's what I was trying to confirm, to see if I still have family that is alive. My mother died when I was in my third year, and my father is a drunkard who's probably better off dead, but he's still my father, and the only reason I haven't yet ended up in an orphanage, and so I cannot kill him.

I pulled out a piece of parchment and my quill and started writing a letter to my grandfather. I'm not sure if he knows about my mother's death, maybe he does maybe he does not, and I'm also not sure if he hates me, but perhaps, or rather hopefully he doesn't.

Anyway, not reaching out to my family due to pride, a lack of courage, or because of the silly notion that I can handle everything on my own is just not smart. And even though I don't think I am smart at least I'm not foolish! I'll plead, I'll grovel, and I'll do whatever it takes to get ahead! Only those who have never hit rock bottom cling to pride. Pride is for the strong, and a weak person clinging to it only hampers their progress.

I finished writing the letter and tucked it into my bag. Just as I was about to leave, I noticed someone rather interesting.

Regulus Arcturus Black!

"Greetings, is this seat taken?" I asked as I approached him.

"Hello, no, it's free," he replied after giving me a once-over and noting my Slytherin affiliation.

I sat down and observed the boy, who looked to be around 14-15 years old, just a year or two younger than myself.

Interesting, how he'll fuck over Moldy at the cost of his own life. But sadly he is not competent enough to see the job done, or rather he is alone and has no one he can trust.

At some point, he couldn't resist and started talking, "Is there a reason why you're staring at me like that?"

"Regulus Arcturus Black! Younger brother to Sirius Black III," I say crptically, while still observing him.

"And?" he retorted.

"I'm Severus Snape, and I've had some dealings with your brother," I said with a smirk.

*Sigh*

"My brother's got a history with everyone! He's his own worst enemy," Regulus remarked before returning to his Potion book.

"Haha, sounds accurate. You seem to be the superior Black compared to that fake Black. Mr. Black, I'll catch you later. I have other places to be, but it's reassuring to see that you're nothing like your brother," I mentioned before rising from my seat and departing. All I aimed for was to gauge his character, and perhaps in the future, I'll have the opportunity to establish a genuine friendship with him.

I left the library and headed for the Owlery.

'Why is apparition inside Hogwarts forbidden?' I grumbled to myself. It took me an hour to get there! This castle is just too massive, and even with all the secret passages, they only cut the travel time in half at most, unless you're lucky enough to find one that leads straight down and has a slide. Otherwise, it's just more walking.

Owls. Clever flying creatures! I'm not fond of birds, or animals, or people, for that matter. But I do like Owls although, well, compared to what I dislike it is more like I tolerate Owls. I approached one of them and asked as politely as I could if it would deliver a letter for me to my grandfather.

The damn bird ignored me. I moved on to the next one, but it just flew away. Finally, the seventh bird took pity on me and agreed, but only after I promised it some treats upon its return.

"I'm reduced to begging birds to do their fucking job," I grumbled to myself, annoyed.