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Hair of Emerald, Heart of Jade
by Sybarite C. Turpitude
Prologue
It's fitting, I think, that I was born on a dark and stormy night. It's also a bit of a cliché, but you can hold the gods responsible for that much.
The story has been told to me so many times, it is as if I really remember the night myself. The wind was howling furiously, the thunder booming. My mother's contractions started at six o'clock that evening. She was in labour for six hours, then, on the stroke of twelve, a bolt of lightning struck our front yard. At that very same moment, out I popped. Me, Sybarite Charlotte Turpitude, the green-haired, second daughter of Athena Turpitude, a pureblood witch.
My parents weren't married, and my father was rarely around. The memories I have of him, though, are fond ones. I was always "Daddy's Girl." He taught me to read from a Necromancy book of his and occasionally let me help stir his potions, which I always enjoyed.
My mother neglected me until I was about eight or nine. She has never liked babies. Mostly it was my half-sister who took care of me. Clio was only two years older than me, but acted much more mature. She was cooking dinner for the entire household when she was only five.
In general, Clio was an extremely sweet girl, but she had a temper like nobody's business. Once, when she was eight, I had stolen a doll of hers and ripped off its head. (It was just an accident, I swear!) She flew into a mad rage and actually shot tiny lightning bolts from her fingers. Needless to say, my six-year-old self was scared half to death. The doll was never the same though, to my secret delight, even when she had sewn the head back on.
Around the time of my ninth birthday, when Clio left for Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, my mother suddenly started acting differently towards me. She became more open, more interested in my doings. We started to share intimate conversations about life, the universe, and everything. Then, when I was barely ten, she introduced me to the shady world of Lord Voldemort. I found out that she was secretly a Death Eater, part of his inner circle. I cannot say I was surprised.
Sometimes, she would even drag me along to their little meetings. One such meeting particularly sticks out in my mind. The Dark Lord himself came over to me, looked me in the eyes, and said, 'She has potential.' My mother was never so proud as then. Myself, I was a little embarrassed. But if it made Mother happy, then it was fine with me. Mother was always most likable when satisfied.
