A/N: I am still not sure if I am going to rewrite 'The Savior's Savior' or not. If you have read it, please let me know if you think I should rewrite it. Thanks! This is going to start off as a short story, but I may make it longer. Not sure yet. Also, this was inspired by 'The Wrong Royal' by Girlsrule2424.

Prejudiced Choices

Summary: AU In 1971, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore of Hogwarts received a letter from the King and Queen of magical Italy informing him that their only child would be attending Hogwarts in September along with his servant. They asked Dumbledore to watch over their son while he was attending, and Dumbledore readily agreed. They sent two names to Dumbledore: Severus Snape and James Potter, without mention of who their heir was. After James was Sorted into Gryffindor, Dumbledore decided he was the heir. That mistake cost him everything...

Pairing(s): Lily/Severus

Warning(s): Dumbledore!Bashing, OOC Characters, AU

Words: 2,704

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. I am merely messing around with the characters.

Chapter I: Off to Hogwarts

July 1971 - Headmasters' Office, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Scotland

Headmaster Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore sat in his office going over the list of new students coming to Hogwarts in September. Among them were Sirius Black, who was from a very Dark family and would most likely be in Slytherin, Peter Pettigew, whose mother was a former Hufflepuff, and Remus Lupin, a werewolf. Dumbledore scowled as he saw how many Dark students there would be this year. He felt slightly better knowing that he had a chance to change them and take them under his wing, but he was firm in his belief that Dark wizards should not be allowed to do magic. It was just too dangerous! They could end up killing someone! Tom Riddle is a good example of why Dark wizards should be exterminated.

As Dumbledore sat contemplating ways to bring the Dark wizards under his control, an Eurasian eagle-owl came soaring into his open window. The owl had a letter tied to it with silk red ribbon and perched on Dumbledore's desk, holding out its leg impatiently. Dumbledore took the letter from it, and it flew away. Apparently, it didn't need a reply. The letter bore no outer markings, and Dumbledore cast a few spells to ensure it was safe before opening it. The letter read:

Headmaster Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards:

Greetings, Headmaster. We are writing to inform you that our son and heir will be attending Hogwarts in the fall for his first year. If all goes well, he shall continue attending until his graduation. Attending with him is his servant who is the same age. We ask that you watch over our son to ensure things go smoothly. As Crown Prince of Magical Italy, there are many threats to his life; having heard many good things about Hogwarts and the safety of its students, we decided to give you a chance. Keep in mind that if anything happens to our son while he is there, you will be the one to suffer the consequences.

The name of our son and his servant are Severus Snape and James Potter. Do keep an eye on both of them, but keep their statuses a secret; they wish to attend as normal students. They shall see you in the fall, Headmaster.

Sincerely,

King Arcangelo I and Queen Elisabetta of Magical Italy

Dumbledore's eyes widened as he read the letter; this was great news for him. His prestige and respect will grow in wizarding Britain when they hear of how he guided the Italian prince. But which boy was it? There were two names on the letter and neither the King nor Queen had a surname. Dumbledore figured that it was the first name on the list, Severus Snape, but he wouldn't be sure of it until the Sorting. Dumbledore sat back and began to come up with a plan to make this all work in his favor. Soon, all wizards and witches would respect him. He'd make sure of it.

1 September 1971 - Summer home of King Arcangelo I, Queen Elisabetta, and Crown Prince Severus of Magical Italy

Crown Prince Severus of Magical Italy woke up to a bucket of ice cold water being splashed on him. He sat up quickly, glaring at his servant who stood by the bed holding an empty bucket and laughing.

"What was that for?" Severus asked irritably. James took a moment to compose himself before answering his master, who he could sense was in a bad mood.

"Scuse, Sua Altezza," James answered. (Trans: Apologies, Your Highness) "But it is seven o'clock and the re and regina requested that you join them for breakfast at eight o'clock before we have to leave." (Trans: king; queen)

"That is another hour, James," Severus responded with a raised eyebrow.

"I know, Sua Altezza," James replied. "But you need to wash up, and I was not sure how long it would take to wake you." Severus groaned and grumbled, but followed his servant to the adjourning bathroom. James started the water for a bath before turning to his master to help him undress.

James and Severus were about five foot and both had black hair. James' hair, however, was short and unruly, sticking out the sides of his head unless he gelled it down; the only times he did so were special occasions. Severus' hair was long, past his shoulders, and he generally kept it tied back with a ribbon. James' skin was tanner than Severus', but they were both pale; they were lean, slender, and muscular, and many girls would say they were handsome. James had hazel eyes while Severus had black, but they both had the features of aristocrats. They were pranksters and were constantly in a prank war, but they could be be serious when required. James had been Severus' servant since his fifth birthday, and they had been best friends since.

Severus slipped into the tub, and James let the water run for a little longer before turning it off. He lathered his hands with shampoo before gently scrubbing at Severus' head and washing his master's hair.

"James?" Severus spoke up.

"Sì, Sua Altezza?" James replied as he rinsed Severus' hair.

"What do you think Hogwarts will be like?"

"Cold and wet," was James' immediate response. "And boring. It is a school; I highly doubt pranks and mischief will be tolerated."

"Maybe," Severus said thoughtfully. "But I am sure we can get away with some mischief."

"Probably," James' eyes sparkled with delight. "We are masters at sneaking around."

"What do you think the Headmaster is like?" Severus inquired. "Mamma and Papà said they wrote him to inform him that we are attending. Do you think he will do everything in his power to keep us, or at least me, content? Or do you think he will not give us any special privileges." James thought for a moment before responding.

"It depends on the type of person he is," James finally said. "I would not put it past him to do anything to get on your good side, even turn a blind eye on pranks." Both boys sat in silence as Severus finished his bath. When he was done, James helped him dry off, dress, pull his hair back and tie it with an emerald green ribbon, and then escorted him to the dining room.

"Ciao, Severus," Queen Elisabetta greeted him (Trans: Hello). She stood up and gave him a hug, and he kissed both her cheeks.

"Buongiorno, Mamma," Severus responded. (Trans: Good morning) "Where is Papà?"

"He will join us in a moment," Queen Elisabetta replied as they sat down. "He got a call from the Muggle Prime Minister concerning some accidental magic in Venice; apparently, a young wizard was not allowed to ride a gondola and flooded a store in retaliation. For now, we will talk. James, this will concern you as well."

"What is it, Mamma?" Severus inquired worriedly.

"It is nothing bad, Severus," Queen Elisabetta reassured her son. "I have already told you that Headmaster Dumbledore will look after you, but I want you both to promise to not abuse that. Pranks are acceptable, I know that you cannot live without them, but nothing too dangerous. There are four houses at Hogwarts, and it is obvious from the Headmaster's letters that he favors Gryffindor. I have done more research and the Slytherin House is considered evil. In truth, Slytherin is for the cunning, Hufflepuff for the loyal, Ravenclaw for the wise, and Gryffindor for the brave. Your papà and I do not care which house you find yourselves in, but we do wish you would make friends."

"Can we not hang out?" James spoke up.

"That is not what I meant," Elisabetta's eyes softened. "You are best friends and I do not wish that to change; however, it would be nice if you would make other friends. Try to change Hogwarts for the better, boys. It sounds as if it is a school full of prejudice and stereotypes. Do not conform to the social norm and, above all, trust each other."

"Sì, Mamma," Severus said as James softly said "Sì, Vostra Maestà." (Trans: Your Majesty)

King Arcangelo walked in a couple minutes later and joined his wife and son. They ate breakfast in silence before Severus and James retreated to Severus' room to finish packing.

At ten forty-five, the royal family and James Apparated to Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Severus frowned at the bright red train as James and his parents looked around.

"Off you go, tesoro," Queen Elisabetta pulled Severus into a hug and fussed over him worriedly. (Trans: Darling) "James, please look after him; Severus, please look after James. I want you boys to stick together and support each other. Remember-"

"Famiglia essere al primo," the boys chorused (Trans: Family comes first). Severus kissed his mother's cheek, hugged his father, and then followed James onto the train.

"I expect letters from both of you," Arcangelo told the boys when they leaned out a window to say goodbye again.

"Weekly letters," Elisabetta added. "And we will send you care packages. We will send the packages to James, so he can sort through them and moderate the amount of candy you eat."

"Mamma!" Severus cried, exasperated.

"Nothing you say will change my mind," Elisabetta declared. "Ti amo molto, Severus. Take care of yourself, James. We will see you boys over winter holiday." (Trans: I love you) The steam engine whistled, warning the family that they had to go. On the platform, students rushed to get onto the train and tell their families a last goodbye. Elisabetta held in her tears as her husband held her close while they both waved goodbye.

"Addio," James called as both boys waved frantically. (Trans: Farewell)

"Arrivederci!" Elisabetta called back. "Ciao, Severus! Ti vogliamo bene bambinos!" (Trans: Goodbye; goodbye; I love you boys)

"Addio," Arcangelo yelled. "We will see you over break!" The boys waved until they couldn't see the royal couple anymore before settling into the compartment. Severus laid stretched out on one bench while James sat across from him in another.

"What would you like to do, padrone?" James asked. (Trans: Master)

"You should not call me that," Severus replied. "If we want to be equals, then you should call me by my name."

"Do you want us to be equals?" James wondered.

"James," Severus said exasperatedly, "We have talked about this. We are going to pretend we are two normal boys. Therefore, we call each other by our given names. Anyone could know Italian, and then, the secret would be out."

"Scuse, Padrone," James apologized. "I will not do it again."

"It's fine James," Severus smiled softly. "I'm just worried I will not be allowed to enjoy this school year as a normal boy."

"I understand, padrone," James replied. "It's going to be hard, but I will do my best to treat you as an equal."

"That's all I ask," Severus whispered. The boys rode in silence for the first hour of the trip; it was not an awkward silence, though. Severus was filling out reports that his parents had given him, reports about schooling and funds. James was reading Quidditch Through the Ages and keeping one eye on his master.

"Excuse me," a tall boy with fair skin, long, lustrous black hair, and grey eyes stepped into the compartment followed by another tall boy with light brown hair and green eyes and a short boy with mousy brown hair and blue eyes. It was the black haired boy who spoke.

"Yes?" James replied, seeing that his master wasn't paying attention.

"May we sit here?" the boy questioned. "I'm trying to hide from my cousins, and Remus and Peter got kicked out of their former compartment."

"Of course," James smiled brightly. He moved his stuff off his seat and gestured for the boys to sit.

"Is he going to move?" the black haired boy asked rudely, pointing at Severus. "Or are we going to have to share a seat?" James frowned and prepared to defend his prince, but Severus spoke up first.

"I apologize," he stated, smoothly sitting up. "I was preoccupied with a report that I had to finish. I would have moved sooner had I been able to stop reading the document. There is plenty of room for you." The black haired boy scowled and next to James; the short boy sat next to the black haired boy, and the brown haired boy sat next to Severus.

"What are your names?" James inquired politely.

"Black," the black haired boy answered shortly. "Sirius Black."

"I am Remus Lupin," the other tall boy said softly. "That is our friend, Peter Pettigrew."

"Black," Severus hummed softly. "Are your parents Orion and Walburga Black?" Black frowned and glared at Severus.

"Are you a pureblood?" he demanded.

"Are they your parents?" Severus retaliated.

"They are," Black scowled. "Are you a pureblood?"

"I am," Severus replied. "My name is Snape, Severus Snape."

"Snape isn't a pureblood name I recognize," Lupin spoke up. "Are you from another country?"

"I am from Italy," Severus confirmed. "My family is very powerful and has a lot of enemies; because of that, I changed my surname for my stay at Hogwarts."

"What is your name?" Black asked, turning to James and ignoring Severus completely.

"James Potter," James answered shortly, not pleased with Black's treatment of his master.

"My great-aunt is your mother," Black grinned. "I always wondered what happened to them."

"We moved to Italy," James informed him. "Mother and Father died when I was five." Black's grin faltered.

"I didn't know that," he said solemnly. "Were you living with relatives?"

"Yes," James lied. There was no reason for Black, Pettigrew, and Lupin to find out he didn't go to relatives; instead, he was hired by the Magical Royal Family of Italy. Most of the rest of the ride was spent in silence; all the boys were reading their textbooks or other books. However, when the ride was almost over, Black asked a question that changed everything.

"So, what houses do you think you'll be Sorted in?" James and Severus exchanged looks as Lupin answered first.

"I expect to be in Ravenclaw," he replied. "I'm not really brave or loyal."

"Hufflepuff," Pettigrew said. "Though I would love to go to Gryffindor."

"Black?" James asked. "Where do you want to go?"

"I hope Gryffindor," Black said. "But my whole family's been Sorted into Slytherin, so I might go there. And you?"

"I really do not know," James admitted. "Hufflepuff or Gryffindor, I suspect."

"I think I will go to Slytherin or Ravenclaw," Severus told them.

"You want to be a slimy snake?" Black sneered. "That's the evil house."

Before Severus could reply, the boys were told to change and get ready to depart. They had arrived. During the Sorting Ceremony, Pettigrew, Black, Lupin, and Severus were Sorted into Gryffindor and Severus into Slytherin. At the Staff Table, Dumbledore made a decision that changed everything...