CHAPTER ONE
Collette Candelle stared out into the swirling patterns of the snowflakes that were dancing around outside of the slytherin girl's dorms. Her jet-black hair hung loose, hanging between her shoulder blades, and her amber eyes were wet with tears. Her pale skin glowed almost white, besides the marks on each of her arms. One was a dark green, ugly skull, with a snake protruding out of it's mouth. She could remember the day she got it- that Dark Mark that had changed her life forever. At only five, her grandfather had dragged her and Alicia into Diagon Alley and givin them that mark. The other was a snake. Quite a beautiful snake, to tell the truth. Green and silver. It was her way to getting to the world of the snakes.
She shook her head and shivered. The Chosen One. It was the worst title anyone could ever have. And it was hers. And her best friend and cousin, Ali Spinnet, was her back-up. Collette shuddered again. She hated that-how there was someone there, in case she died.
Her head snapped back around as she heard something. In the darkness, she could just see Hazle Alexander, one of her best friends, had rolled over. Collette sighed and tripped back to her bed. The covers were pulled up to her chin, but still, she couldn't keep warm. She couldn't have been more releived when her crup, Ebony, jumped up onto the bed, her tongue hanging out of the side of her mouth. Collette smiled and pulled the crup close. "Are you having a bad night, too?" She softly whispered as she scratched behind Ebony's floppy ears.
She glanced down at the two other cages in her corner of the room. One held her pet snake, Salaazar. Thogh she didn't need one, seeing as she was a snake herself. But sometimes it was nice just to think of him as a pet instead of a follower. The other was empty. It was supposed to hold Liara, her little owl, but she was off somewhere in Azkaban, waiting for Collette's parents to get a pen and paper.
Collette waited for an hour before rising again and taking another peek out the window. There below the oak tree was a small figure, sitting under it wrapped in a small blanket. That black hair and small body.....Collette snapped her fingers quietly, so as not to wake the other girls, and her ruby-red cloak was around her in a flash. She whipped out the door, and down the spiral staircase until she was at the huge wooden door of the entrance. This would be hard to get past without making a bang.
Then the idea came to her. Slowly, she pushed up the right sleeve of her sweater to reveal the snake on her arm. She lightly touched her arm with her shaking finger. Her body curled right up, her flesh turning green and silver, scales taking the place of her pale skin. She hissed and slithered under the door. Outside, the snow fell in blinding whirls, making Collette feel lost. But she knew the grounds by heart, and without another thought, she was over to the tree.
Ali peered down at the snake, and then looked back out at the forest. "Hello, Cole." She said somewhat dully, not even looking at her cousin who sat beside her, suddenly again human. Collette pulled her knees up to her chin and looked at Ali sideways.
"So....what's up?" She asked, glancing at the huge, leather-bound book in Ali's hands. The gold, peeling, faded lettering out the words "Necromancers Use Your Powers."
Cole stuck her tongue into one cheek. Ali didn't answer. The huge book held Ali's secret. She was a necromancer, meaning she had no use of a wand, could raise the dead and was a True Seer.
Collette just listened to the sounds of the trees rustling and blowing in the wind, and the grass all around them shivering in delight. She swallowed as her attention turned to Ali.
"So......." She asked watching Ali blink and turn to her in surprise.
"Oh.............my mark just hurts again." She replied.
"Yeah, mine too." Collette told her.
She glanced at Ali, who was staring down at the cover of her book. Sighing, Collette stood up and trailed back to the castle. Some things just weren't fair.
Collette Candelle stared out into the swirling patterns of the snowflakes that were dancing around outside of the slytherin girl's dorms. Her jet-black hair hung loose, hanging between her shoulder blades, and her amber eyes were wet with tears. Her pale skin glowed almost white, besides the marks on each of her arms. One was a dark green, ugly skull, with a snake protruding out of it's mouth. She could remember the day she got it- that Dark Mark that had changed her life forever. At only five, her grandfather had dragged her and Alicia into Diagon Alley and givin them that mark. The other was a snake. Quite a beautiful snake, to tell the truth. Green and silver. It was her way to getting to the world of the snakes.
She shook her head and shivered. The Chosen One. It was the worst title anyone could ever have. And it was hers. And her best friend and cousin, Ali Spinnet, was her back-up. Collette shuddered again. She hated that-how there was someone there, in case she died.
Her head snapped back around as she heard something. In the darkness, she could just see Hazle Alexander, one of her best friends, had rolled over. Collette sighed and tripped back to her bed. The covers were pulled up to her chin, but still, she couldn't keep warm. She couldn't have been more releived when her crup, Ebony, jumped up onto the bed, her tongue hanging out of the side of her mouth. Collette smiled and pulled the crup close. "Are you having a bad night, too?" She softly whispered as she scratched behind Ebony's floppy ears.
She glanced down at the two other cages in her corner of the room. One held her pet snake, Salaazar. Thogh she didn't need one, seeing as she was a snake herself. But sometimes it was nice just to think of him as a pet instead of a follower. The other was empty. It was supposed to hold Liara, her little owl, but she was off somewhere in Azkaban, waiting for Collette's parents to get a pen and paper.
Collette waited for an hour before rising again and taking another peek out the window. There below the oak tree was a small figure, sitting under it wrapped in a small blanket. That black hair and small body.....Collette snapped her fingers quietly, so as not to wake the other girls, and her ruby-red cloak was around her in a flash. She whipped out the door, and down the spiral staircase until she was at the huge wooden door of the entrance. This would be hard to get past without making a bang.
Then the idea came to her. Slowly, she pushed up the right sleeve of her sweater to reveal the snake on her arm. She lightly touched her arm with her shaking finger. Her body curled right up, her flesh turning green and silver, scales taking the place of her pale skin. She hissed and slithered under the door. Outside, the snow fell in blinding whirls, making Collette feel lost. But she knew the grounds by heart, and without another thought, she was over to the tree.
Ali peered down at the snake, and then looked back out at the forest. "Hello, Cole." She said somewhat dully, not even looking at her cousin who sat beside her, suddenly again human. Collette pulled her knees up to her chin and looked at Ali sideways.
"So....what's up?" She asked, glancing at the huge, leather-bound book in Ali's hands. The gold, peeling, faded lettering out the words "Necromancers Use Your Powers."
Cole stuck her tongue into one cheek. Ali didn't answer. The huge book held Ali's secret. She was a necromancer, meaning she had no use of a wand, could raise the dead and was a True Seer.
Collette just listened to the sounds of the trees rustling and blowing in the wind, and the grass all around them shivering in delight. She swallowed as her attention turned to Ali.
"So......." She asked watching Ali blink and turn to her in surprise.
"Oh.............my mark just hurts again." She replied.
"Yeah, mine too." Collette told her.
She glanced at Ali, who was staring down at the cover of her book. Sighing, Collette stood up and trailed back to the castle. Some things just weren't fair.