Chapter Text
Severus Snape was furious. This was the last time, he swore to himself. The last time anyone – especially bloody Malfoy or that scoundrel Black – would shame him for his poverty. He would show them just how dangerous he was without riding on the coattails of a family name.
He ripped out his mother’s worn copy of Advanced Potion-Making. He would craft a new name for himself, and he’d use potions to do it. He flipped through the ageing pages lovingly, his last connection to his mother filled with his untidy scrawl. Closing it to the back cover, he grabbed his quill and began his transformation.
His robes may be tattered and too short, but from this day forward he would dedicate himself to the subtle craft of potions and would make anything for someone willing to pay. With a flourish, he created his new identity: the Half-Blood Prince.