John Constantine and The Useless Magic Rock

Pace

(Picture not owned by me and Latin Google Translated into English)

John turned the page of his current book.

Alright so he ended up skipping the whole sleeping part, adding deeper shades to the already apparent circles under his eyes, making the whole 'troubled kid look' really authentic.

He didn't get too much sleep back at home anyways, why should this be any different?

He sighed, just closing it entirely.
Nothing this silly little public place had to offer was useful to him!
He needed the 'good places'-the darker parts of the market, chalked-filled with information!

He wasn't talking about the 'sellage of organs' yet, but it was cutting it close.

John was sure he could find a place down there outskirts of London; a decent sized city with loads of troubled and polluted souls to offer up.
It shouldn't be a problem.

———————————————

Severus wanted nothing more than to either find the child and leave, or just consider it a lost cause and move on.

Did Dumbledore really expect them to search the entirety of London within a time span of a week?
Even with the three of them(the headmaster, McGonagall and himself(with the assistance of a dozen Aurors without important missions)) looking, the actual odds of discovery were slim to none!

Snape groaned internally, why couldn't the child just be at a family or friends house?
Hell even an orphanage would get the job over with sooner...

Striding down the sidewalk amongst muggles was a horrid experience; leave it to him to get the bloody muggle side of society.

Looking at the other street's side, he scowled, his coworkers nowhere near his area.

Granted, McGonagall is as well, but that doesn't mean he liked the suffering even while he's not suffering alone!

Snape turned his head back just in time to bump into something.

His head snapped into the direction with irritation.
Rushing off was a mop of dark blonde hair to child in a large beige rain coat.

"Sorry mate!" The younger didn't pause, nor did he seem to be truthful.

Snape shook his head in annoyance, turning back around to the way he was going.

Speeding around the corner, seemly just as fast as the last one, were three adult men, angry and bleeding?
"Stop that brat!"

Brat? We're they after the child?

The 'brat' in question increased his own pace, not evening looking over his shoulder as he shouted, "Is that what you come up with you sad old bloke?!Jesus I swear you barely contain enough brain cells to even breath much less come up with something creative!"

Snakes lip curled up slightly, amused by the child's sharp remark to the elder muggles as he grew farther and farther away.
And apparently those around him did too as some chuckled while others laughed outright at the mens' expense.

The men though, appeared quite angered, more then likely filled with ill-intent towards the child.

He shouldn't get involved.
The child seemed capable of caring for himself, fast, limber and seemingly smart enough to get himself out of whatever mess he got into....
But how smart could he truly be to be caught up in the situation in the first place?

After deciding that he'd be fine, he was about to turn away when it happened.

The movement was sudden, and small.

If he hadn't forced himself a keen eye for trouble with past students then maybe he wouldn't've noticed the hand of a child flick outwards and back-

-not moments later the crash cans that were definitely not in the way before suddenly changing that, knocking one of the charging men over.

He would've dismissed it being coincidence, but the child pointed his hand right at them!

Bloody-

The potions master sprang into action, he knew magic when he saw it and that he did.

It looked controlled though, perhaps the child took notice of the accidental magic and decided to practice it? Ideally not the worst decision for most beginners with dangerous instinctual magic.

He followed the remaining men after the child around a corner or two and into an alley.

He made sure to stay behind some, to observe the outcome of the child being cornered, readying himself to stop them from causing harm.
Or anymore harm by the looks of it.

"Oh come one fellas....just a game is all! You lost, I won, I got the book. Usually that's how it goes." The 'brat' gave a shit eating grin, something that would appear often on the faces of his snakes.

"Yeah?! Well we don't care kid! Give up the book and run back to your mum! Me and my boys have got a deadline to keep and cash to collect with that dusty old paper weight!"

The kid oddly looked relieved,
"And who, by pray tell, are you 'handing it too?' No really! I am curious!- cause do you really know what this book is?!"

Snape narrowed his eyes, was this just a show to buy himself time?
Or did he deliberately get himself in the middle of some deal?

The two mean shared a confused look before looking back determined, point one of those silly guns muggles used as a weapon at the boy.

But...he wasn't too surprised, nor did he care by the looks of it.

Don't get Snape wrong, he couldn't care for the things himself, but he knew the dangers of them. He could take of it easy with a simple flick of his wand, but the child didn't bat an eye at the opposing threat, even while he was defenseless.

"First off, rude, and second...you really don't get what it contains do you?" The boy chuckled and shook his head. "Well would you like to find out?"