mid fifth year, spoilers around then, just a one shot with twisted adult themes, so be careful, potential for a follow-up depending on the reaction this gets, and btw the punctuation is gonna be jacked because this will be partly from the point of view of an animal with no respect for the laws of grammar whatsoever

§

master is angry

every year he has always been angry in the cold times § this time it is my fault § i have failed my master

§

master has been better now that he is bigger § he can feed himself § he can take care of me § he has many men to do as he says

i remember when it was just master and i § those times were hard § that cold was bad

i remember when there was only one man § the manrat § so strange § i had never seen one before § a rat that became a man § master says it is the manrats magic that makes him change

which does the manrat taste like man or rat § rat or man i want to know § i want to eat him § master says not to but it makes him happy when i ask

so strange

§

it was a good day when master gave me some of his magic

master was still weak that day but he was strong enough to kill the woman § master says he did not have all of his magic but he gave some to me § master trusts me § he says i will keep him safe

i will

master is good § master is smart § i love him and i will protect him and the magic he gave me

it was a good day § i got to eat that woman

§

there is not much that i can do for master any more

in the forest i would catch food § he has elves to make food for him now

when he was small my venom would go in his potion to make master better § master is strong and tall now

i could scare away the muggle scum § i would kill them when they got too close to the nest where master was § now master has all his men to do these things for him

in cold times i would stay close to master and we would be warm together § now master brings in women to stay close to

master gave me a task § i could not get what he wanted

i have failed my master but i will make it better

§

the manrat uses magic to change his shape § i watch him do it often § i watch closer now

before i had masters magic i watched because it was so strange § i have magic now

he grows § he stretches § no tail § no fur § long arms § longer legs § tall but a short body

so strange

i watch him very closely when i see him change § the magic i have watches the way he changes

i watch the women master has too § a different shape § so strange

it is hard to change § it takes a long time § it hurts

now master has all his men to keep him busy § there is more time to practice

there is nothing else to do

§

tonight i will make things better for my master

he will like me again § i will never fail master again § i will be able to do things for master again

master will never let those women into his nest after i show him § i can make him happy during the cold time

it is not good when master is angry

i am done with practicing § master will like what i have done

§

Why is it that in this generation I am surrounded by incompetence? They are wizards for Christ's sake! Why the hell can't they get me what I want? They shouldn't need me to tell them how to do everything. A little autonomy is all I ask for. If I had asked one of their parents to blackmail someone in the Magical Records Department it would be done by now. These idiots can't even make a simple threat on their own. 'Blackmail him with what, Sire?' Morons, all of them.

Lord Voldemort cursed that so many of his original generals were dead, in Azkaban or to old to be of use as he traversed the long corridor to his chambers. His servants had obviously declined in quality as well as number during his… hiatus. Even the snakes he had kept back then had been more useful, always volunteering to go out on assassination missions. These days his Death Eaters carried fear in their hearts, not just of him, but fear of the Ministry and Dumbledore and that God damned scar-headed brat.

He threw open the doors to his room with a wave of his wand and slammed them shut again just because he could, the boom echoing in his ears, breaking the deafening silence left by his simpering followers.

Being Dark Lord was turning out more troublesome this time around.

As if it wasn't enough that they had to question the reasoning behind his plans to infiltrate the government, his Death Eaters then had the gall to make stupid suggestions, that were not only unproductive, but completely counter productive at this juncture! Did they know nothing of how to manipulate public opinion?

Voldemort flopped on his bed and rolled underneath his covers, robes and all, feeling no need to exercise dignity when he was alone and frustrated. He groaned loudly to break to quiet again, his mind still churning out fantasy punishments for idiot servants. What he should be doing now was double checking his finances, or restoring his potion supply, or even going back to finish writing the new laws he would impose during his reign. But let it never be said that the Immortal Dark Lord Voldemort was above dramatics. He had earned this sulk.

This was not to be apparently, almost as soon as the simmering Dark Lord settled new movement disturbed his bed covers. Nagini.

"§ I am in no mood for your company, snake.§ Leave me.§"

"§ i have a gift for you master§"

Suspicious, Nagini didn't usually try to get back into his good graces so overtly. Perhaps she was just sick of sleeping in the cold.

"§ If this 'gift' is another dead animal -"

"§ please master§"

There was silence as Voldemort mulled over his options. He didn't have the patience just now for reptilian shenanigans, and this was more than likely a disappointing surprise. On the other hand, Nagini had never begged for anything that wasn't food before. He hissed out acquiescence in a put upon manner and remained in his cocoon of bed linens.

After another long pause Nagini cajoled, "§ master§ you have to watch§"

How tedious. Voldemort raised his artificial body into sitting position and glared at his snake, knowing that this was probably how parents of young children felt when their vile offspring climbed up on their beds with a scribbled page and calling it art after the parent had been at work all day. Murderous, in a word.

Nagini lay still for a moment before pulling her tail into a line and changing. Her body expanded and her skin split. This was no fluid transfiguration that Voldemort could do with his wand. It barely resembled the quick transformation Wormtail could make between his forms.

This was slow, and so uneven it was agonizing to watch. Flesh bulged up over scales shapelessly, then bones grew within and filled the forms out into a semblance of humanity, and everything twisted as fresh muscles slithered out from the torso to the tendons at each joint. With one last twitch as nerves reconnected Nagini lay panting, face down on the bed and in human form.

Mostly human, Voldemort mentally amended as he leaned in to more closely examine his former snake pet. Despite the detailed attention paid to the skeletal formation and musculature, there were a number of superficial details he could already pick out that deviated from mammalian characteristics. Thin fingers traced the distinct colored markings that remained from Nagini's scale pattern, from the tail bone, up along the spine and over her bald head where they probably spilled forward onto her face. Next most obvious oddity would be the complete lack of not only hair, but hair follicles as well. Nagini's new skin was completely smooth and flawless and noticeably cooler than one would expect.

Voldemort rolled her limp body over to get a look at the face. Nagini apparently had very little idea of how to move in a bipedal body because she lent no help to the effort and made no resistance. That, or his pet was completely exhausted by the shift from one form to the next. She ought to have at least a little experience in this shape given the amount of practice this maneuver must have taken. It was a difficult job rolling over her dead weight in any case because it turned out that Nagini was a bit full-figured as a humanoid. Clearly he had been overindulging the lazy snake.

He had been correct about her markings it turned out, dark delicate markings spun out around her eyes and down the bridge of a small flat nose. The one feature that Voldemort had been unable to perfection himself, and this animal had made it spot on. He scowled, her eyes were snake's, her teeth were snake's, she didn't even have a God damned belly button but she had a perfect little nose. How was that fair?

On the other hand, Nagini now sported a tremendous rack. Perfect round breasts with perfect pink little nipples. And her bottom had looked very… very. This was definitely an improvement.

Voldemort grinned wide. Nagini gazed up at him, gold eyes wide and expectant, forked tongue flickering out to wet her new lips. She raised a shaky hand to grab at his sleeve and whispered. "§ master§"

Exultant laughter burst forth from the Dark Lord and no further time passed before he began thoroughly enjoying the gift from his pet.

§

Miles away in a dark London house, Harry Potter shot awake from the strangest dream of his life.