You're just like me Ha...I mean Snape

Accepting a student meant I had more things to worry about. I was no longer just using ingredients for my own research and use. Now I needed to provide ingredients so Petunia could actually learn to be something more than what she was.

Sure, I had a rather large stockpile of regents but with my flippant use of ingredients and her wasting them, it was only a matter of time before restocking. It was not a really big issue, I had more than enough gold to buy whatever the fuck I wanted. It just meant that I was going to have to go shopping more often.

So I found myself in the same shop I visited so long ago. The shelves were not as full as they were previously but the shopkeeper was able to restock rather quickly all things considered. As I walked through the door the owner's eyes widened as he took me in.

"Merlin, what happened to you lad!?" The shopkeep questioned as I made my way to him. The last time I saw him I was gathering ingredients for all of my enhancing potions so the changes between then and now were rather large. I was surprised that he was able to nail my identity so quickly.

Then again this is a man who was more than familiar with me. Long hours spent bargaining and selling to him must have had my image burned into his head.

"With those ingredients, my research has picked up massively," I spoke out with a small smile on my face. I did not need to explain anything to him but I liked the guy a fair bit. 

"With results like this, I expect you're going to hit it big lad." The shopkeeper spoke out with enthusiasm. He was clearly happy for me which was surprising. I guess dumping thousands of galleons onto his counter really warmed up our relationship.

"At the rate I'm going everyone will know my name," I spoke out with a cocky grin on my face. I may be releasing a variant of Phoenix Tears on the market soon. That little fact will have people praising the ground I walk on.

"Good for you lad." He spoke out in a happy tone. Again the sincerity behind it was odd but it was nice to have.

"So what brings you here lad? I can't imagine you are already out of ingredients." The shopkeeper questioned lightly. 

I chuckled awkwardly at him. His entire stock might have been a lot but I was burning through it incredibly quickly. Seeing my reaction the shopkeeper examined me with a disbelieving look on his face.

"Really lad? It hasn't even been a week." The shopkeeper questioned with the same amount of disbelief dyeing his tone. I winced at the tone but there was nothing to do about it. I was running low on ingredients and that was a fact.

"Well, I'm not the only one using the ingredients." I let out lightly. Sure, I was the main reason my ingredients were running low but Petunina played her part. I was also implying that I had a team researching with me which was a fairly common practice.

The shopkeeper looked over at me for a moment. He was coming to terms with all the facts but even then he was confused. The changes I brought up were too much for him to bear.

"So can you help me out?" I asked sheepishly, I needed more ingredients and he was the only person I knew to ask. Sure, I had to pay for his services but I was more than fine with that. 

If I went to Dumbledore about my lack of ingredients I would have to deal with his long-winded speeches. Lucius was not an option either, talking to him about acquiring ingredients would have the Dark Lord trying to put his nonexistent nose in my business. The goblins might have been helpful but I kind of robbed them, if I came to them with a massive amount of wealth they would be rather touchy. The fact is that I did not have any real connections that would be helpful in acquiring a large amount of ingredients.

My best shot was literally buying them from one fucking store. It was not a good state of affairs. Well, there was one more person I could have gone to. Narcissa would certainly have the connections I needed to buy a large amount of ingredients. I even thought about asking her for help as she was clearly someone who cared about me.

That was the issue. She cared about me and I did not want to drag her into my mess for something so simple. She would be taking a stance on my side by providing those connections. Her family had heavy ties to the Dark Lord's faction so she would be risking a lot by standing by my side. I was going to make a rather vocal neutral stance after all, her family would certainly not like that.

It was not just about the danger. I did not want to drive that wedge between her and her family. She was my friend and I did not want to harm her relationships for something so simple.

"Look, I appreciate the business lad but I can't keep dumping my inventory on you. My other clients would throw a fit." The shopkeeper spoke out with a sad smile on his face. He wanted to help me but it was just not feasible. He could not rely on the fact that I would constantly buy out his stock. 

I got his position but it did not help me all that much.

"I get it, I really do but I need those ingredients," I spoke out seriously. Well, it was not that urgent but I really wanted those ingredients right now. He looked over at me with his brow furrowed. He then let out a sigh.

"Alright, just one more time lad. You can buy whatever I managed to restock." He let out quietly as he looked around his store as if cataloging everything. I looked around at his store with my own brow furrowed. He managed to restock quite well but it was not really enough.

I sighed internally, I should have expected this outcome when I first saw how little he had. I could not ask him to introduce me to his supplier. Something like that was not done with a customer of all people. I was not close enough to even bring up the question. It would be threatening his livelihood after all.

"Everything in the store should round out to two thousand Galleons." He let out quietly as he finished his internal catalog. Again I let out an internal sigh but I started to dump Galleons on his desk. He did not even flinch as the large amount of coins suddenly appeared on his desk. 

"Same deal as last time?" I questioned lightly as I looked around at his shelves. If he was gone I could pack rather quickly after all. Now that I was thinking about it why would I care if he knew I had some sort of spatial storage? Magical shit was the root of our society it would not be that shocking. Nor would it be some grand secret I wanted to hide.

"That works for me lad." The shopkeeper let out before I could change my stance. He was already bagging his newfound wealth into a sack. He may not have been willing to dump his entire stock on me again but he was clearly prepared for me to come back.

He finished packing his coins and started to leave the shop. He paused before he left it fully. He turned around to look at me with a serious look on his face.

"I don't know where you got these Galleons lad but be careful." He let out softly before he left the store. I took in his words and increased my opinion of him. He clearly had some thoughts about where they came from but he was keeping his mouth shut. I was prepared to face the consequences of my actions but it was nice to see someone on my side. Even if their only support was their silence.

I silently started to pack everything inside of my inventory. It went rather quickly but it was not a task that was meant to take a long time. I was not satisfied with the amount of ingredients that I got but what could I do about it? I could only hope that my increased fame would bring about those connections.

Beyond that, I needed to figure out how to farm these ingredients myself. I was planning on exploring the vast multiverse so my best option was to farm these ingredients myself. The problem with that was I sucked at Herbology, you would think with the vast amount of knowledge I knew about potions it would be helpful but you would be wrong.

I knew how to use those plants to their fullest but I had no clue on how to get them to grow to their fullest extent. To be fair to myself if I did take the Herbology classes seriously it would still not be enough. The knowledge to grow those ingredients to their peak was something that would be hoarded. That knowledge would bring in a lot of wealth after all. Our society was perfectly fine with creating monopolies so that knowledge would be out of my hands.

I was certain with Fortuna on my side I would be able to acquire that knowledge but I still sucked at taking care of plants. I would also have to rear magical animals for the variety of ingredients they could provide.

I would figure out a way to farm those ingredients it was only a matter of time. I had access to the Dimensional Chats Group. Nothing could hold me back.

That was for the future. I knew I was going to burn through ingredients and I needed connections urgently. I was going to be putting up a rather neutral stance. That would bring the neutral faction into my orbit. With the amount of fame I would gather I should be able to use that.

The Greengrass family was a rather prominent potions supplier after all. They were strictly neutral and that meant I could buy from them rather easily. I might have to release even more potions to really get my fame out there but it should work.

This was great, I killed two birds with one stone and I was not even aiming for that to happen.

With that load off of my mind for now I left the shop and entered into Diagon again. The streets were just as busy as it was the last time I was here. The goblins were no longer patrolling the streets but that was always going to fade. There was no way they could search for me endlessly. The ministry might be cowards but they would not let those lesser beings trample on them for so long.

God, my people were just filled with racist bigots. Superiority complexes were just a part of magical society. I was not beyond that either, I was a terrible person and I could recognize that. I considered everyone lesser than me even my own people. The things I brought to this world proved that thought. 

I took a deep breath and tried to banish that thought. I did not need to be thinking like that. I was still in the realm of being smited by beings beyond my comprehension. I was not a god and it would do me no good to think like one.

The streets might not be filled with patrolling goblins but there was a curtain of unease lingering in the air. The people chatted in worry, the movement of the crowd saying that they were getting what they needed and tried not to linger. The goblins might have spooked the crowd but it was more likely that the war was showing itself in the feelings of the general populace.

I took that in, these people would have their world basked in fear and worry and I would allow it to come. Not because I feared the person that would hurt them but because I did not care. In fact the war was for my benefit. Truly I was not a good person and that fact tasted bitter in my mouth.

No one wants to be the bad guy even when they know they are one. I looked away from the fearful crowd and walked towards my destination.

I had more planned for this shopping trip. There was plenty I could learn from this place. Items enchanted and sold to hundreds would teach me so much at a single glance. The spells that weaved their existence would be clear as day to me. It would save me a lot of time trying to learn those spells myself. 

Those items were not my real destination for today. It was just a nice benefit as I navigated the street.

No, I wanted unique abilities that no one else but me could learn. That meant I needed to find rare and unique beings that were capable of magic.

The easiest way to see that was magical creatures. Diagon had a pet store but it would not be all that helpful to me. The magical creatures in that store were meant to be pets, they would not carry any animal that would really catch my eye. Generally, they had a variety of birds and cats, in rare cases there were snakes and toads. Nothing that would change the game for me. 

To see rare magical creatures I would need to venture out of Diagon. The creatures I wanted to see were not exactly safe which meant they were going to be in Knockturn. 

Some of those animals were not illegal to own but there was no way in hell they would be kept in Diagon. Those creatures would frighten the general populace too much. A Cerburues would maul the frightened populace and it was not even all that impressive.

I did not know where those creatures would be held at. That knowledge was not something I was interested in before. I could use some spells, those shops may be warded against the common variety of those spells. My version of those spells was obviously different, they could not be stopped by some common ward.

If I did show up to those shops I would have to deal with the owner throwing spells at me. The shops that would contain those creatures tended to be invite only. Which meant if someone barged into the store they would freak out. 

It was easier to get an invite, I wanted to study as many creatures as I could after all. It would be easier to do so if the owner was not throwing every single spell they knew at me. 

I knew where I could get an invite even if it would cost me a fair bit of coin. It was of course the place where everyone went when you needed to get things no questions asked. Borgin and Burkes, I was going to see that slimeball again. Even worse I was going to pay him to get me an invite. The things we do in the name of progress.

I was once more in that dark cramped store filled with a variety of odd things. Borgins eyes locked onto me the very moment I stepped into his shop. I was used to him looking at me like I was a cut of meat but there was an intensity in his eyes that was unfamiliar. I gave him a questioning look as I was not sure what his sudden interest was about.

"It's good to see you again Mr. Snape." Borgin let out darkly. The intensity in his eyes increased and it was confusing the fuck out of me. The fact that he called me Mr. Snape did not help my opinion of him. Sure, he would have no way of knowing I denounced that name but it still rubbed me the wrong way.

"Can't say the same about you Borgin," I spoke out with a tight smile on my face. I did not like him and he should know exactly why that was. 

"That's a shame Mr. Snape." Borgin spoke out with an overly dramatic hurt look on his face. I gave him an unimpressed look that he took in stride.

"If you are not here to play nice why are you here Mr. Snape?" Borgin questioned with that same odd glint in his eyes. I gave him a measured look as I was still not sure what was going on with him.

"I need an invite to visit one of those stores selling exotic creatures," I spoke out blandly, I was going to give up on figuring out what was going on with him. I was going to get what I needed and leave the slimeball. Borgins eyes lit up at my proclamation.

"You're in luck Mr. Snape, I can get you that invite easily," Borgin spoke out in glee. Again this was odd he would usually treat anything I asked him as some sort of grand quest that was going to cost him an arm and a leg.

As if reading my reaction the glee faded from his face as he coughed awkwardly.

"I'll go get you that invite, feel free to browse around while you wait," Borgin spoke out hastily as he ducked into the back of his shop. Something was definitely going on with him and it involved me. There was no question about that as he was acting really fucking odd.

I could leave right now thwarting whatever nonsense he was planning. I considered it for a moment before deciding against it. I did not really care about what he was plotting. Nothing he could do could possibly affect me. I could take this opportunity to get revenge on the slime ball. It should teach him to take me seriously.

So I waited around for whatever surprise he was going to spring on me. I was able to examine some rather scary enchanted items so it was not a complete waste of time. Some of the things that were stored in this shop were fucking scary. Why you would need a spoon that was enchanted to break a skull like an egg? I was probably better off not knowing the answer to that question.

I was examining another horribly enchanted item when I heard someone enter the store. I looked over with a bored look on my face as I was expecting something to pop up.

The man who entered into the shop was stunning and that was coming from me. He clearly took the time to make sure his beauty could be appreciated by anyone. Soft brown hair that was perfectly styled and he was dressed to the fucking nines. He wore an easy smile that would convince anyone he had your best interests at heart.

His eyes on the other hand were eye-grabbing for me. They were a soft red which I never expected to see from anyone but a fucking vampire. The man was trying to convey a warm look in his eyes but I could see behind the easy smile and warm eyes. There was a layer of coldness that lay beneath everything the man was trying to portray. An empty hungry coldness that told me exactly who was standing before me.

I was not expecting him to look like this but the timeline was still fairly early. So he was no longer Mr. No Nose.

I smiled blandly at the Dark Lord himself. I should have expected that my actions would have him barking at my door one of these days. That fucking slimeball sold me out and fucked off. He would pay for this but for now I was going to have to deal with this ass hole.

I was being rather blatant about my position so I was the only one to blame for this situation. Sure, Borgin effectively sold me out but I knew he was up to something. I was the one who decided that his actions were meaningless. To be fair to myself this trap was not something that could confine me.

The Dark Lord may have people quivering in their boots but that was not something I needed to worry about. His red eyes examined me and I felt a shiver run up my spine. He may be good at hiding his true self but I could not mistake the look that dwelled in the depths of his eyes.

A pulse of magical energy traveled from him at break neck speeds. I may have made a mistake by looking him in the eyes. He was almost quick enough to enter my mind, it was a ridiculous feat that not even Dumbledore could do. I suppose the method in which they acted was different enough to make up the difference.

Dumbledore's Legilimency probe was a subtle thing. It was meant to delicately slip past any and all defenses without anyone knowing what happened. His method fit his character rather well as he did not want to be known as a man who read other's minds frequently.

Tom's probe on the other hand was a completely different beast. His was designed to tear down any and all obstacles with extreme prejudice. A tactical missile that nothing should be capable of stopping. He gave up any form of subtlety and tried to enter my mind with all the force he was capable of. He wanted to know what I knew and he did not care what state I would be in after he knew.

The way the both of them operated was eye opening for me. I never expected to get a clear read from someone with how they casted. Granted I already knew a fair bit about each of them but I could have inferred their personalities just from this. It was a neat little trick to have in my bag for the future.

Tom may have been faster using his method but I had magically enhanced reflexes. So I dissipated his probe with no difficulty. I could see the moment Tom figured out I was not a naive defenseless student. 

The easy smile on his face faded instantly. His expression was the cold calculating thing that I expected from someone like him. He knew that after what he did fooling me with a charming personality was out of the question.

"Well, this is certainly unexpected." Tom let out coldly and he examined me. He may have stepped into this conversation poorly but he was not going to give up easily. The wards surrounding the shop instantly switched to locking everyone in here.

I let out a dry chuckle as it happened. Figures Borgin would hand over the control of the Wards to the Dark Lord as soon as he showed up. The coward did not care what happened to this store. The Dark Lord commanded and he had to obey no questions asked.

Tom gave me another calculating look as he took in my reaction. He was intelligent enough to connect the dots. Which meant he knew that I knew the wards were locking me in. Which made him wary as I was clearly not bothered by said fact.

"What? You did not expect me to be able to defend myself?" I questioned dryly. Tom's eyes narrowed as I brought up the elephant in the room. He entered into this situation severely underestimating me. 

He could not threaten me in any way that would be meaningful. The wards might as well be a joke to me, they were not capable of holding me. I could take them down in a moment and nothing he could do would stop that.

Not to mention the wards were not capable of stopping me from leaving in the first place. Oddly enough Borgins' shop was warded against house elves entering willy nilly but I was not as unrefined as a house elf would be. Not to mention I could leave in a flash of phoenix fire.

"Well, I would not use those particular words but they are accurate." Tom let out playfully with a smile full of teeth. He was looking at me like a hunter examining its prey. I simply let out a scoff at the act. Although I would give him credit for not faltering in the face of unexpected situations.

"Look I have been through enough speeches from Dumbledore. I don't need this right now." I let out tiredly as I rubbed the bridge of my nose. I just wanted to improve my abilities even further why did I have to deal with this mad man right now?

I couldn't even harm him in any way that mattered as I still needed him to stall Dumbledore. Although that particular plan was getting closer and closer to being called off. Not because I had a better one but because the figure heads of both sides were being annoying. 

Tom let out a dark chuckle of his own at my comments. His eyes were no longer as cold as they were before.

"He loves the sound of his voice doesn't he?" Tom questioned with that charming display backup. I let out a genuine laugh at him. Anyone could make the same comment but he could not be the one to say that about someone else. The amount of time Tom wasted preaching to Harry was ridiculous. To be fair to Tom that was in the future when he split his soul far too many times.

I suppose I should not throw stones either I was rather long-winded myself. At least I kept all of my monologs internally so no one could say I loved the sound of my own voice.

I looked over at Tom who was smiling politely at me. I was amazed that he was capable of switching from hostile to someone's best friend at the drop of a hat. I suppose you don't get into a leadership position without knowing how to charm the opposition.

"I hate him big whoop." I let out dryly as I examined the Dark Lord. This conversation was going rather well all things considered. Sure, Tom tried to crack open my skull the moment he could but he was being rather polite. I suppose the knowledge I held in my head was far more important to Tom than I thought. The question is why it was so important to him.

"I think hate would be an understatement, Severus." Tom let out as his eyes glinted. He walked towards me breaking the distance between us. His stride was poised and prepared for anything but trying to display friendliness.

He saw something in my responses that made him a lot more comfortable in his position. Then again I was rather blatant with my dislike of Dumbledore.

"He can be rather condescending, can't he? Always preaching about having your best interests at heart but never being in your corner. He could not recognize the suffering you went through if it was staring him right in the face." Tom let out darkly as his eyes focused in on me. I took a step back as I was not prepared for that.

I was used to being the calm collected one who read his opponent for all they were worth. Tom might as well be spelling out my own thoughts right in front of me. 

"He is not one to listen to reason. He is a simpleton who would grant favor to anyone but you." Tom spoke out again with that glint rising sharply. I felt a small amount of panic swirl in me as I was not expecting Tom to hit the nail on the head so quickly.

"He has failed you one too many times hasn't he?" Tom questioned with a small sharp smile on his face.

"What does it matter?" I questioned sharply. I may want Dumbledore dead for all that he brought about but it did not matter in the end. I was willing to let him play his little games as long as they did not involve me.

"I think it matters a lot Severus. I see myself in you. You are a half-blood who hates his muggle father who failed you. You despise your weak mother for being weak. You are a part of a noble family that refuses to acknowledge you because of your sullied blood. But the most important thing about you is you are brilliant and none of the rest of it matters to you in the face of your own talent." Tom hammered in point after point with a charming smile blooming on his face.

Oh god, I was getting the speech. He was treating me like Harry. Fuck, he was actually right for once. Harry and him shared some things but I might as well be exactly like him. That sudden moment of clarity snapped me out of the panic I was experiencing. Ironically the fact that we were so similar stopped me from worrying. It made sense to me that someone like me would be capable of reading me like an open book.

"I'm staying out of it. Tear each other apart but leave me out of it." I spat out stiffly. I was not going to let him charm me into standing by him. He may be right but I still did not like him all that much. He was all of the worst traits of myself which meant he was incredibly dangerous.

"Is that so?" Tom spoke out darkly. The charm that was emitting from him faded as he took in my statement. The cold calculating eyes back in full focus. I knew that he was in more danger being this close to me but I did not feel that way. 

"I don't feel like you are being particularly neutral Severus." The Dark Lord spoke out coldly as he let go of all the warmth he was displaying. It felt like he wanted to open me up and examine everything that made me tick.

"What's that supposed to mean? I'm telling you right now I want nothing to do with your war." Again I spoke out stiffly as I did not like the way this conversation was going. I was moments away from attacking him or leaving altogether.

"Do you take me for a fool Severus?" Tom spat out as he emitted his Mana trying to lord over me with his overwhelming might. The sight caused me to narrow my eyes at him as I projected my own Mana back at him. This I could handle, needless posturing was my bread and butter.

As our Mana coiled and collided with each other causing the room to shake Tom narrowed his eyes at me. He probably had a lot of information about me from multiple channels but he was testing the waters. He would not rely on anyone but himself for information. Trust was not a word that existed to Tom.

He stopped his posturing and I did the same hesitantly. The posturing would not really solve anything between us but I would rather deal with that. His pointed statements were shaking me up too much.

"Stop your actions against me and I'll leave you alone as you wish," Tom spoke out darkly with his eyes shining in barely contained rage. He was not happy about the compromise but he saw something in me that had him pausing. The problem was I had no idea what the fuck he was talking about.

He must have read the confusion from me as he opened his mouth again.

"The failed raids. The sudden misfortune that is falling on my followers. The misfortune that is falling on me. You expect me to treat this blatant threat as something from a neutral party." Tom spat out as his eyes glowed in rage. Ah, shit. Fortuna was fucking with them and I fucking forgot. That kind of went against my neutral stance. It has been two years so cut me some slack.

Before I could reply Tom's expression morphed into that cold calculating look.

"You did not know," Tom spoke out as if he discovered something amazing. The calculating look in his eyes intensified as that one fact turned everything on its head. I should have left when I had my chance. I let Tom needle enough information from me to discover something he should not have.

He knew I was behind his misfortune but now he knew I was not targeting him. It was an automatic thing and that made all the difference in the world.

Fuck, how hard would it be to Obliviate a Dark Lord?

The Dark Lord's eyes shined as he realized something he really should not have. He did not know the most important truth but he knew enough that I wanted to wipe his mind of the last ten minutes. An automatic defense that does not need the user to be aware of problems is incredibly powerful. 

There would be war in magical society and it would not even be because of any long held beliefs. No, it would be much more simpler. Greed would be the reason thousands would fight tooth and nail. They would hound me for the rest of time and they would not even be aware of how valuable the prize was in the end.

I bit my lip in indecision. The Dark Lord clearly had doubts about how I was affecting him. It was only a matter of time before he found out something. Perhaps it would not be the whole truth but he would find something to hound me over.

Was it worth showing my hand to get me temporary peace? I might as well just kill him and get it over with. It would save me further problems and honestly be for the better of everyone. I hate having to make a split second decision but sometimes it has to happen.

Fuck it, I don't have an eternity to ponder. I had to act now and figure shit out as I go. 

I sent a barrage of stunning spells at Tom. The red bolts of magic were numerous and powerful. They sped through the air like bullets leaving a Gatling gun. Dumbledore taught me how to incapacitate perfectly so I was going to use that knowledge. Having the Dark Lord unconscious at my feet would help me in making a decision here.

Tom's eyes morphed from gleeful exhilaration to narrow slits as he took in my barrage. Tom may not have expected the sudden barrage but he was a Dark Lord for a reason. He sprang into action at a lightning pace. His wand spewed out a dark orange bolt that seemed to turn into a black hole that swallowed my barrage of spells.

Before that effect became clear he sent his own barrage of spells. While Dumbledore would not risk killing me for the secrets I held Tom apparently did not have the same qualms. The glowing bolts of magic that traveled through the air promised pain and gruesome wounds.

A curse that would have my insides become my outsides. Another spell that would have my stomach acid boiling. So many vile and dark curses that would almost instantly kill me in the right context. Still, I was sure if he hit me with one of them I would go down fairly easily. So maybe that was his strategy in incapacitating me.

He was not throwing around the killing curse after all. I used the principles behind his first spell to have a black hole absorb the hundreds of curses traveling toward me.

Tom was in the middle of casting another barrage when he dodged to the right with serpentine grace. A shelf that was holding some of the ridiculous enchanted items fell right where he was standing moments before.

The look he sent me told me he knew exactly why that was happening. The glee returned in his eyes as if he suddenly found out he won the lottery.

"Fascinating, It takes effect rather quickly. It does not even look like it took any effort from you!" Tom shouted out in manic glee. I hated fighting someone who could understand what was actually happening. Fortuna did not have to take action before because Dumbledore was using kid gloves. Tom was not playing the same game.

I tried to mix principles to incapacitate him. The magic that formed the stunning spell mixed with the concussive force House Elves used for fucking cooking. Waves of bright red Mana emitted from me as it tore through the store trying to both harm him and knock him the fuck out.

The room blasted apart as the concussive force acted like a makeshift bomb. The Wards that tried to lock me in here falling apart like butter with another snap of my fingers. The wards were capable of doing more than contain so I should shut them down before anything drastic happened.

Tom's eyes shined with fascination again as he took in the force of energy I was sending against him. He sent a wave of force from his own wand that tore his side of the store apart, it was not designed to stun but it delayed the force I sent.

With that delay, he ran out of the now wrecked and ruined door leading towards the street. A playful smile lit up on his face as he left.

I furrowed my brows and chased him as fast as I could. As I was leaving the store I slipped slightly which had my body tumbling forward awkwardly. That little accident saved me from sudden decapitation as a severing curse flew over my head.

Tom was standing in the street with the same playful smile on his face. He almost decapitated a teenager and he was standing there without a care in the world. Another gleam appeared in his eyes as he looked at me awkwardly tumbling.

"That was not an attack on me," Tom spoke out with his mind running at the speed of sound. Mother fucker was still learning new shit from me. Killing him was sounding better the more he pried into my secrets.

I growled at him, I did not want to give him even more information that he could infer with.

Before I could do anything the street seemed to come alive as the pavement at my feet started to rise like a snake trying to coil around me. I snarled out and reverted the spell and looked back at the smug prick.

The sudden explosions and waves of magical spells had the street filled with screaming and panicking magicals. Sure, Knockturn was filled with the less desirable but they were not battle hardened veterans. They could panic just like anyone else would be doing. At least they kept their distance from Borgin's as that was where the explosions were coming from.

I turned the street that Tom fucked with into several chains that were enchanted to send terrible shocks to anyone who even touched it. Then I animated them to act by themselves as I sent more and more stunning waves at Tom.

He must have gotten a read on what I was doing with those concussive waves as he threw up a shield that absorbed the energy. He then summoned Fiendfyre in the streets.

The hungry flames screamed their displeasure at even existing. The massive flames morphed into giant snakes that hissed as they swallowed the chains I sent at him. I could see that the flames wanted to devour everything even their own caster. It was only Tom's immense will that was holding it back from spreading out and devouring the rest of the alley. The amount of control he had over something that by its nature was uncontrollable was remarkable.

He sent the flaming beast at me likely wanting to swallow me whole. I used the soft flames I learned from Fawkes to infect the beast before me. The flames turned the towering hungry flames into something far more docile. I then produced that water dragon once more to take care of the flame.

The street filled with a massive amount of mist as my dragon took care of the flaming snake. That was what I wanted, as I needed the cover of the mist to surprise Tom. I flashed in a bout of flames to appear behind Tom.

Using the elve's popping would not be fast enough so I had to use another trick in Fawke's bag. Even with the enhanced speed Tom still turned around quickly his mouth already in the action of casting another spell. Then he bit his own tongue and his hand managed to cramp the exact moment he needed to cast his spell.

I used that small window and finally stunned the Dark Lord. The first spell was not even enough to fully knock him as it only slightly dazed him. It was a good thing that I sent another full barrage at him. With that many stunning spells, I managed to knock him out.

As his body hit the street I let out a sigh of relief. Fortuna had to take a far more active role in this fight but the one between me and Dumbledore was an entirely different situation. I was not looking for new spells with Tom I wanted to deal with him and I wanted to deal with him now.

I now had the Dark Lord lying at my feet. I opened his eyelids and erased our encounter. He would obviously know something was up but there was no hiding that. He came here with the expectation of confronting me and too many people knew that fact. Our battle in the middle of Knockturn was also going to be fairly obvious as well.

Even if he did know that something was up he could not do anything about it. With a regular Obliviate spell the target might be capable of recovering their memories but mine was not so ordinary. I truly and utterly erased our encounter from his mind.

Again I let out a sigh of relief. Now I just had to decide if this was all I was going to do. Tom was not someone I could joke around with. His mentality and abilities were a real threat to me if he uncovered what was happening. Was it really worth keeping this threat alive? I did not want to deal with these fuckers but that was not that viable. Not after something like this.

Was he really all that much of a threat? I took him out with the help of Fortuna but I could certainly do it again. I also did not use all of my cards when fighting him. I still had Star Burster Star Blaster up my sleeve. That particular item would make dealing with Tom much easier later. So he was not that much of a threat now that I was thinking calmly.

It was just his dissecting of my thoughts that had me on edge. He had a read on me that no one else could possibly have. The similarities between us were also bothering me. The only difference between us was that I wanted to love and trust others. I was alone far too much for me to be comfortable by myself any longer.

Before I could reach a definite conclusion I heard several pops around me. Two groups appeared suddenly without any warning. The Aurors were expected me and Tom did fight in a fairly public area. It was only a matter of time before someone called the cops on us. The Death Eaters were not something I expected to show up. Then again I did have their leader currently napping at my feet.

I looked over at the tense crowd that was waiting for the other party to make a move. I just realized that Tom was probably not even wanted right now. He has not played his hand just yet so he was still that upstanding citizen as far as the law was concerned. Even if everyone knew that he was the leader of the Dark Faction.

Well, now they could pin fighting in a public area on him. That had to be illegal. Then again the Purebloods could probably have those charges waved with enough bribes. 

There was still a small amount of mist hanging in the air, so they had not gotten a good look at me just yet. I'm sure it would get out eventually but I did not want to deal with this right now. So I popped away. Tom's life was saved for now. If he managed to push my buttons again it was unlikely to stay that way.

Now I had more places I could teleport to but there was something I wanted to do. The magical animals could wait. It had been long enough, it was time to see my mother.

Tom's words were effecting me and I wanted to prove I was not like him.