Chapter 1 The Slithering Spy

Petrificus Totalus!

Nagini froze mid-slither, her eyes still locked on her prey and her long tongue protruding from her mouth. The triumphant hiss that had been forthcoming lost with the resulting paralyzation of the non-spoken spell of an unseen attacker.

Safirwyn, still under the protection of her invisibility cloak, approached the paralyzed snake. Getting Nagini away from Voldemort was no easy task. Even spoken to in Parseltongue, Nagini was hard to command, unless, of course, your name was Voldemort, and Safirwyn wasn't exactly fluent. However, the promise of a meal got Nagini's attention. As Nagini left the house, Safirwyn transfigured a rock into a mouse and carefully controlled its movements, enticing the snake into the cover of the trees.

Safirwyn heaved the enormous snake onto her shoulders, checked the coverage of the invisibility cloak, and headed back to the house, now lying in ruins; the house once occupied by Lily, James, and Harry. She found an old closet that had a lock to store the snake in. She studied Nagini's markings, length, and width carefully, it was vital that she made herself an exact copy.

Safirwyn had been spying on Voldemort's meetings for some time now and usual disguises and concealments were dangerous. Every time she used polyjuice potion she first had to use Legilimency to get information she needed to believably become that person. Then, once transformed, it was very difficult to take more of the potion during the meetings (they always lasted longer than an hour) without being detected. She had to memorize everything being said and after the meetings were over, she had to do extensive memory alteration on whoever she had impersonated. Disillusionment and invisibility cloaks were helpful assets, but were not fool proof. She couldn't stop now though, the meetings were getting tense; she had to know what was being planned before she could put a stop to it. That's where Nagini came in. Safirwyn needed a new way to disguise herself. Who would ever suspect the snake? It was convenient enough, she was an Animagus and a snake was her animal. All she had to do was modify what her snake-self looked like.

Safirwyn locked Nagini in the closet and transformed. She slithered into the room across from the closet and found a mirror. She gazed at herself; she had been able to adjust her usual markings to look exactly like Nagini. She was now the perfect doppelganger of Voldemort's prized pet. She found Voldemort waiting in the dining room; she wrapped herself around the chair and rested her head upon Voldemort's shoulder. Safirwyn had seen Nagini do this many times and counted it a safe move. Voldemort began to stroke her head, the way one would pet a kitten, and whispered softly to her in Parseltongue. She desperately hoped she wasn't missing any commands for she only understood about half of what he was saying. When Voldemort didn't grow angry and kept stroking her she was greatly relieved, but more than a little disgusted. Hopefully he would ignore her the way he usually ignored Nagini during the meetings.

Safirwyn watched as the Death Eaters began to arrive one by one and enter the house: Yaxley, Dolohov, Snape, Crabe, Goyle, the Malfoys, Bellatrix, Wormtail, Alecto, Amycus, and finally the one Safirwyn despised most, her twin sister Alhana. They seated themselves, and the meeting began.

Safirwyn listened, as always, with horror at what she heard. Plans for murder and destruction; even after all this time, she was shocked at the things discussed and planned at these meetings. That anyone could be so evil was nigh on incomprehensible to her. She hated to listen, but she must; if she did not, she could help no one. With the information she provided Dumbledore, many had escaped the atrocities planned for them.

Suspicions were growing among the Death Eaters and Voldemort too was becoming suspicious of his closest servants. Someone had to be leaking information to the side of good, there was no other way Dumbledore could get the vital details and constantly foil his plans. Safirwyn easily used this to her advantage and through using Legilimency, she was easily able to play up their suspicions, even to the point of making each one think they were the one most suspected; with three exceptions Snape, Bellatrix, and Alhana. Snape was far to experienced with both Legilimency and Occlumency; Bellatrix was far too close to Voldemort; and Alhana would find her out immediately. The bond between twins is strong, even in two that hated each other as much as Safirwyn and Alhana, and if Safirwyn used Legilimency on Alhana, she would know it was Safirwyn.

The Death Eaters were finding it hard to trust each other and were growing more frightened of Voldemort than ever before; Safirwyn and Snape weren't the only ones highly accomplished at Legilimency, and although none were giving up his plans, none could afford to have their minds viewed by Voldemort. What he would see there would earn hard punishment, and for some, even death.

Safirwyn came out of these satisfying thoughts, to a scene that pleased her even more. The meeting had fallen into disorder. The Death Eaters were all openly "discussing" who the traitor was and a few began to draw their wands. Alecto and Amycus were having a particularly noisy row.

"Be silent!" All except brother and sister instantly quieted at Voldemort's command. Amycus had jumped from his seat, crashing the chair to the floor, and was poised over Alecto, wand raised.

"Nagini," Voldemort whispered in Parseltongue, "get Amycus's attention will you."

Luckily this was a command Safirwyn had been able to understand. She also understood how to "get Amycus's attention" and as much as she hated herself for it, she was only too eager to follow Voldemort's command. She slid from his shoulders down to the floor. She reappeared seconds later at Amycus's feet and struck, sinking her long fangs into his leg. She pulled back as he fell with a scream and took her place on Voldemort's shoulders. She was awarded with more stroking; she had done exactly as he wanted.

"Get up and be silent!" Voldemort ordered. Amycus obeyed, burring several whimpers and moans that would only bring worse retribution.

"Now," Voldemort started, utterly calm, "it is time to find where your true loyalties lie." Safirwyn was pleased with what she saw; the affect was immediate, fear, desperate, feral fear glimmered in their eyes, but none spoke. "I called you here to swear anew your oaths to me." The Death Eaters relaxed and let out the breaths they had all been holding. "You will come forward, state your name and your oath, and have my mark set with new life. Who wants to be first?" The question was met with silence. "How about you, Draco? You look very excited." If Draco looked anything it certainly wasn't excited; his face had turned visibly green, and it was all Safirwyn could do to suppress a laugh.

Draco stepped forward and bowed low to Voldemort. "State your name and your oath, if you are loyal."

"I, Draco Malfoy, do swear my loyalty and service to you, Lord Voldemort. I will do all as you command and will not be guilty of betrayal."

"Draco Malfoy, hold out your arm." Draco obeyed without hesitation. Voldemort set his wand to Draco's flesh and the black mark became emerald green. "You may be seated Draco," Voldemort said with something almost akin to kindness in his voice.

Draco took his place and the others began to come freely forward to pronounce their oath of loyalty and servitude, and to have their marks turned green then took their places at the table once more.

When all had finished Voldemort took his seat again. "I am sure you are wondering at the fact that your marks are now emerald." He was answered with nods. "They are emerald now because you are all here and are at the moment loyal. I will soon learn who the traitor is. Let anything slip to Dumbledore or his allies, and your mark will turn scarlet."

This worried Safirwyn. If no marks turned red, and she knew none would, Voldemort would know someone had been spying and to do so would be a death sentence. In Parseltongue she asked, "If the guilty one does not let anything slip, will you still know who the guilty one is?"

Voldemort was not angered with this question, but pleased. "My Nagini has a quick mind and has voiced what the guilty one among you is thinking. If you don't tell Dumbledore anything else, will you be caught? Yes. I am not worried about that, the guilty one among you will not be able to resist repeating what you hear tonight. To do so, would be to greatly betray Dumbledore and all those who oppose me. It is time you learn of my newest plans for Harry Potter."

Safirwyn's mind was reeling from those last words. After all this time would she truly find the information she sought most? Could it really be this easy? But a sudden dread filled her. No matter what Voldemort planned for Harry, she was the only one who would tell Dumbledore. She was caught! But she wouldn't give up without a fight and certainly not without one final blow to Voldemort by foiling his plans one last time, the most vital time.

The talk had died down and so Voldemort continued. "Potter needs to suffer before I seal his fate forever. Severus has been developing a potion that will gain Potter's complete cooperation. He will join us, do anything we bid him and to anyone. Unlike those under Imperious, he will be painfully aware of everything he is doing and will be powerless to stop it. I will break him and then he will die!"

Safirwyn listened to how the plan was to be carried out. Snape was to slip Harry the potion and bring him to Voldemort. He would then have to commit evils unimaginable and know what he was doing. Then he was to be killed. This was so awful! She hoped Dumbledore would know what to do, because she was at a loss. The meeting ended and the Death Eaters left, all in excellent moods.

"You may go hunting now if you wish, Nagini, my pet." Voldemort said in Parseltongue.

Safirwyn slid once again to the floor and left Voldemort in the dining room and headed to the closet. Alohomora. She silently whispered from her hiding place across the hall. The real Nagini slithered out, apparently disoriented, and started off down the hall, but Safirwyn was quicker. Stupefy! Nagini froze once again. Safirwyn quickly crossed to the closet and slithered under her invisibility cloak. She turned back into herself and retrieved her wand. She drug Nagini into the room and set to modifying her memory. Obliviate. With the snakes memory erased, it was easy to fill in the gap using Legilimency. She left Nagini to recover. Safirwyn crept out the back door and headed for Dumbledore.