A Harry Potter Fanfiction:
*SUMMARY: A new girl attends Hogwarts during Harry Potter's sixth year. The union she chooses sets her to become an important figure in the war between light and dark. Ultimately, she will learn the simple truths about those who are children of Slytherin: whether his blood flows through their veins, or whether they have been bathed in it.
This story was formerly called "The Unfathomable Passion 1". This is the same story, but revised and expanded for your enjoyment.
*RATING: Mature for violent and sexual scenes.
*DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything Harry Potter, only any original characters and this storyline.
Children of Slytherin:
Book 1: The Call of the Serpent
By
Princess Angelita
Chapter 1: The New Student
It was the beginning of a new year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The students were back in their dormitories, greeting each other without the cheerfulness usually existent after not seeing one another for two months. Everyone now knew that Lord Voldemort had reappeared. The students' usual home routines were now altered by terror, death, and anxiety.
Many wished for the vacation to be over early, to escape the horror invading their homes. Others clung to their parents in their fear and had to be forced onto the Hogwarts Express. Some of the students usually present at Hogwarts hadn't returned at all. Of these, many were kept at home by their terrified families who believed it was safer for their children to stay where they were than go off to school. A few went with their families into hiding. Some would never see Hogwarts or anything else ever again. These were the unfortunate ones who slept an everlasting sleep, the last memory of their final, tortured moments etched onto their poor decomposing faces.
On this particular night, the Sorting Feast had ended; the students and most of the teachers were in their beds. The headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, however, was fully dressed and seated in his office, glancing through a small pile of parchment. Across from him sat a middle-aged man, tall and sickly-looking, with limp, shoulder length dark hair and dull black eyes set in a face that looked much older than the fifty he had actually lived. The man sat slumped in the chair, twitching his thin white fingers nervously in his lap.
They sat for several minutes in silence, the only noise coming from the rustling of the papers Dumbledore held and the creaking of the chair the man sat in as he gave Dumbledore quick, anxious glances, fidgeting all the while. He grew more and more intensely uncomfortable-looking until finally, as if he couldn't take the silence any more, sat up straight and cleared his throat.
"Is all in order then, Albus?" he asked in a dry and raspy voice.
The headmaster looked up, his half-moon spectacles dropping to the end of his nose. "She has received top marks in all her classes since she began her formal education," Dumbledore said quietly. He pushed his glasses further up on his nose with a hand that was blackened and shriveled, like it had been decomposing for years. The sight drew the other man's gaze, making his eyes widen in horror. Dumbledore continued as if he didn't notice.
"It is highly irregular to accept a new student at this point, Deverent," he said, smiling, "but in the circumstances I believe I can make an exception."
"Albus, you must realize . . ." the man named Deverent explained, his tone anxious and fearful, ". . . you must realize that Amarana cannot travel with me. Not during these troubled times."
Dumbledore nodded, his glasses slipping down to the tip of his nose yet again. "I understand, Deverent. And I do understand your concerns about a bit more security for Amarana than what was offered at her previous school. Therefore I will accept her as a student here at Hogwarts." He straightened the pile of parchment and dropped them into a drawer. "Where is Miss Ravinike now?"
"Sitting out in the hallway, Albus," Deverent said a relieved expression on his face. He stood up, legs wobbling unsteadily under his black robes. "Shall I call her in?" Dumbledore nodded his assent, and Deverent opened the office door, hurriedly ushering in a tall, slim, black-hooded figure whose face was completely hidden.
"Please sit, Miss Ravinike," Dumbledore said kindly, motioning towards the chintz armchair in front of his desk. The girl turned to her father, as if she was waiting for his consent.
"I must go now, Amarana," Deverent whispered quickly, patting her on the shoulder. "Take care of yourself, daughter." He nodded to Dumbledore. "Keep her safe."
Dumbledore inclined his head as Deverent took one last look at the girl and limped out the door.
Amarana watched him go in silence before turning to Dumbledore. He waved a hand toward the chair.
"You should sit, my dear. We have a few things to discuss."
She sat down gracefully, keeping her back perfectly upright, crossing her ankles daintily. Reaching up with white, long-fingered hands, she lowered her hood to reveal her face. A sheet of thick, shiny, blue-black hair tumbled down in waves to her waist. Her face was oval-shaped and pale, with prominent cheekbones, a long yet handsome nose, full pink lips, and a pointed chin. Thin, arched black eyebrows framed two overlarge, almond-shaped dark blue eyes that were rimmed with long, thick black lashes.
Dumbledore scrutinized her for a moment before drawing his wand and conjuring up a fat pink teapot, along with two pink cups garishly decorated with huge yellow daffodils.
"Tea, my dear?" he asked, picking up the teapot.
She drew in a long breath before answering. "Please," she said quietly. Her voice was low and pleasing, with a hint of an Italian accent.
"Would you like cream, sugar, or lemon?"
"I will take it black, sir," Amarana answered, watching as Dumbledore poured the amber liquid into the cup.
After handing it to her, Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, straightening his glasses as he did so. "It is quite unfortunate that you could not accompany your father," he began, "but I do believe you will not find Hogwarts an uncomfortable place to reside."
Amarana said nothing in reply, taking a sip of tea, keeping her eyes on Dumbledore's injured arm.
"It is very late in the evening, Miss Ravinike, but we still must decide where you are to sleep." He blinked before continuing. "You must be Sorted into a House . . . there are four, you know . . . and we can go from there." Dumbledore stood up and went to a cupboard, bringing out a very old and very tattered black hat.
Amarana looked at it with interest. "Father told me about the Sorting Hat," she said.
Dumbledore beamed at her. "Yes. It was created by the four Hogwarts founders to sort the students so they wouldn't have to do it themselves. I am sure their time was already considerably encroached upon, and the hat would have made their jobs easier, wouldn't you think?"
She nodded vaguely, still staring at the hat. Dumbledore flicked a speck of dust from the brim before glancing back at the girl.
"I understand you previously attended Rabinia Academy of Magic, as your father did when he was in his schooling years. It is much smaller than Hogwarts, is it not?"
"Yes. The school numbered only about sixty students in all. The girls all slept in the same hall."
Dumbledore nodded. "Yes. Here at Hogwarts, students of the same gender sleep in the same room as those in their specific year." Amarana said nothing. "This is your sixth school year, correct?" he asked.
"Yes, sir."
"Well then, Miss Ravinike, just sit still and we shall see which House you are in." He leaned over and placed the hat on her head.
"Slytherin!" the hat shouted almost instantaneously.
Amarana looked up at Dumbledore expectantly, but her expression changed from eager to apprehensive when she saw the distinctly disappointed look on his face. It was there only a moment, for when she blinked it was gone and he was smiling broadly.
"Well, I suppose I must call up your Head of House," Dumbledore said cheerfully, replacing the Sorting Hat back into its cupboard. "We must decide whether it would be best to go ahead and place you in the dormitory tonight, or if we should let you stay with Professor McGonagall, our Deputy Headmistress and Head of Gryffindor House, in her quarters until tomorrow night." He pulled on a velvet string hanging from the ceiling just behind him. "I'll just call in Mr. Filch, our caretaker, and have him fetch Professor Snape," Dumbledore told her.
"Professor Severus Snape is the Slytherin Head of House, sir?" Amarana asked a bit hesitantly.
A flicker of a memory crossed her mind, something her father had said about Death Eaters who lied about their true feelings, keeping their loyalty to Voldemort's cause hidden under a pretense of the Imperius Curse.
"Yes. Professor Snape has been teaching here for sixteen years, and has been the Head of Slytherin House for five . . . ah here is Mr. Filch." A loud knock shook the office door. "Come in, Dumbledore said pleasantly.
Amarana watched as a stocky, grumpy-looking old man entered the room, followed closely by an ugly, dust-colored cat with enormous yellow eyes.
"Mr. Filch," Dumbledore began, "this is Miss Amarana Ravinike, one of our new students. Miss Ravinike, this is Mr. Filch."
"How do you do, Mr. Filch," Amarana asked politely.
Filch looked taken aback at her courteous tone. He stared at her for several long moments before giving her a curt nod in reply.
"Mr. Filch," Dumbledore said, "I wonder if you would be so kind as to fetch Severus for me?"
Filch drew his eyes from Amarana to Dumbledore and nodded. "Right away, Headmaster," he grumbled tersely, turning and stomping out the door.
Dumbledore turned his attention back to Amarana. "As it was a last-minute decision to bring you here, my dear, I don't suppose you have what you'll need for classes?"
Amarana shook her head. "No, sir," she replied, staring down at her hands. "My clothes trunk will arrive tomorrow, but we didn't have time to get books or other supplies. We wouldn't have known what was required, even if we had."
Dumbledore nodded sympathetically. "I will supply you with what you will need until you get your own things," he told her. "Your father left money for your use . . . shall I send for your supplies myself?"
She nodded her assent.
"Good. Tomorrow, you will go over what classes you'll be taking with Professor Snape, and then you can send or bring me a copy of your schedule so I can order the proper supplies. You have your wand with you, I presume?"
Amarana nodded and drew a wand from the front of her robes. "Here, sir."
"May I?" Dumbledore asked, reaching out for the cream-colored wand, intricately carved with rosebuds entwined with honeysuckle vines. She handed it over to him without hesitation. "This is an excellent wand . . . absolutely lovely." He smiled. "Made in Italy, correct? It is one of Taglioni's?"
Amarana nodded sadly. "Yes sir. It was my mother's wand. Ivory and fairy wing, eleven inches, flexible. One of the only wands in the world not made from wood."
Dumbledore nodded and handed the wand back to her. "Yes . . . I knew your mother," he said solemnly. "Evelina Nigellus. She went to Hogwarts and was in Ravenclaw House, as I'm sure you already know. A wonderful woman, and a powerful witch . . . ah, that must be Professor Snape." A tapping came from outside the oak door. "Enter," he said with a smile.
A tall, sallow-faced, dark-haired, dark-eyed man strode into the room, black robes billowing around him like a storm cloud. "You wanted to see me?" Snape asked curtly, ignoring Amarana completely.
"I sent for you, Severus, because you have a new student," Dumbledore said calmly, motioning towards Amarana.
Snape glanced at her briefly before sitting down. "Indeed?" he asked.
"This is Amarana Ravinike," Dumbledore continued. "She will be admitted into the sixth year."
Snape's eyes flickered over Amarana with interest when he heard her name, then he turned to Dumbledore with a slight frown. "I assume she is ready for sixth year classes?" Dumbledore passed over Amarana's school records without comment. Snape looked through them for a few moments, and then handed them back to Dumbledore.
"I assume you will want to test her yourself?" Dumbledore asked, putting the papers away.
"I will," Snape said coldly. "But it is a bit late for that tonight. Where is she to sleep? Those in the dormitories will be asleep by now. I do not think it would be wise to put her there tonight."
Dumbledore nodded. "I thought so too, however, I thought it would be a matter for you to decide as her Head of House. Shall I place her with Minerva for the night?"
Snape's lip curled slightly at the mention of the other teacher's name, but he nodded anyway. "It will have to do." For the first time, Snape addressed Amarana. "Miss Ravinike, you will meet me for testing before breakfast tomorrow morning, where we shall decide what classes you will take. Six o'clock, in my office. Do not be late."
"Of course not, sir," Amarana said respectfully, raising her gaze to meet his.
Their eyes locked.
For a second, Amarana felt as if a jolt of electricity shot through her body. Snape's eyes furrowed for a moment, and then he pulled his eyes from hers and faced Dumbledore, standing as he did so. "If there is nothing else, Albus. I will take my leave."
"No, Severus that will do. Good night," Dumbledore said as his bushy eyebrows twitched in amusement. Snape turned and strode from the room without a backward glance. Amarana watched him go, struggling to understand what had happened. Dumbledore's voice pulled her from her thoughts. "I shall call Professor McGonagall . . ."