Here is chapter 2 in the reworked version. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: JKR's world, but my special twist.
Chapter 2: A Strange Childhood
August 19, 1981
The little black-haired girl bounced up and down in front of the window, looking out on the crowded street. Her bright green eyes shined as she searched among the faces. "Dada!" she suddenly exclaimed, pointing at a man walking past the house. Her caretaker Will Morrison rushed over to the window and squinted into the bright sunlight.
"That's not him, Nagini," he said patiently, turning to the little girl. "He's not going to be here until after dinner." Her eyes widened, and she looked at him sadly.
"I want Dada!" she complained.
"I know, I know," he said soothingly, pulling her into a hug. "He'll be here. I promise. Just not until later. How about until then you and I play a game?"
She thought about it for a moment then nodded. "Okay."
"That's the spirit," he said tugging on one of her curls with a grin. "We'll have lots of fun together until he gets here. What do you want to—?" But she had already scampered away towards the opposite corner of the room. Will smiled to himself. She was a sweet kid. It was just too bad that her dad couldn't come around more often. Nagini really loved him and could hardly contain her excitement when he was coming. Her first word, naturally, had been "Dada," and her favorite sentences were "Where Dada" and "I want Dada."
"Willie!" called Nagini running back toward him. She was holding the toy wand he had given her for her birthday that very morning. "Magic! We play magic!"
He laughed. "All right, Nagini, we'll play magic." He watched as the little girl spun around in place, waving the wand in elaborate swirls about her. As she twirled, gold sparks erupted from the wand and showered the room in gold dust. He took out his own wand and shot silver bubbles into the air. Nagini stopped spinning and stared up in awe. She slowly reached out a finger toward a bubble floating toward her and touched it. The bubble exploded, splattering her, and she giggled, delighted. She began spinning around again, wand still in hand, trying to pop all the bubbles that Will created.
Will smiled again. She really was a sweet girl. He knew she would grow up to be a beautiful, intelligent, and incredibly talented witch. He only hoped that her father would spend more time with her when she was older than he did now.
Will was reading Nagini a book before dinner when there was a knock at the door. With a puzzled look on his face, he got up to answer it. Before he could reach the door, however, it swung open to reveal Nagini's father. "You're early," Will said in surprise.
Lord Voldemort looked at him coldly. "Am I not allowed to visit my daughter whenever I wish?"
"Well, n-no, of c-course not," stammered Will, but Voldemort ignored him. He strode into the room, removing his cloak and flinging it at Will who caught it and stood there uncertainly. Meanwhile, Nagini, hearing the commotion at the door, looked up from her book, and a grin broke out across her face.
"Dada!" she cried, scrambling to her feet and rushing toward her father. She skidded to a stop just before crashing into his legs and looked up at him with her bright green eyes. "Dada," she said again. "What we doing today, Dada?"
Voldemort bent over and picked her up, holding her at arm's length. She really was developing nicely, he thought. She was growing as expected, and her speech was greatly improved since his last visit. He looked into her green eyes, exactly like his own used to be. "What would you like to do today, Nagini?" he asked quietly.
"Magic!" she declared happily. Voldemort smiled to himself. She really was her father's daughter. Even at one year's old, she was already fascinated by magic, which meant she would learn whatever he would teach her and more. Only then, as a powerful young witch would she be a valuable asset to him.
"Very well," he agreed, setting her back down. As soon as her feet touched the ground, Nagini scampered off to the other side of the room. She came rushing back with her toy wand.
"Watch!" she cried. She couldn't wait to show her daddy her wand because now she could do magic just like him. She waved her wand above her head and showered herself in gold sparks.
Voldemort smiled approvingly. "That's wonderful, Nagini," he said. If she could produce sparks from the toy wand, she was obviously a witch and not a Squib. He shuddered. If that improbable event had happened, it would have ruined all his plans. She would have been worth less than nothing to him. But the fact that she could work a toy wand at age one, he mused, was a good sign. It meant she would grow up to be a very powerful young witch. As she grew older and her power became more potent and more controlled, she would be able to do much more than produce gold sparks out of her wand. He couldn't wait until she was older when she would be able to talk and perform magic. Then she would be valuable to him.
Clearing his head of these thoughts, Voldemort looked down at his daughter who was staring up at him. He smiled at her and led over to the couch across the room. He sat down, and Nagini clambered up next to him. Voldemort glanced up. Will Morrison was still standing by the door, but at Voldemort's glance, he hurriedly left the room. Voldemort looked back down at Nagini kneeling on the couch beside him. He stroked one of her curls and asked, "Would you like to see more magic?"
Her eyes shone. "Yes, yes, yes!" she cried.
Voldemort smiled in satisfaction. She was inquisitive; that was very good. It meant that she would constantly seek out new and deeper knowledge. "Very well," he replied to her, pulling out his wand. He pointed it at her and gave it a swish and flick. Nagini began to slowly rise off the couch. She gasped in surprise, eyes widening. She stretched out her arms, and Voldemort directed her flight with his wand, making her soar throughout the room, swerving and diving, dipping and swooping. She giggled in delight as she zoomed right past her father, making his robes ripple in her wake. After a few minutes, Voldemort guided her down, letting her land on her feet in the middle of the room.
"That was fun!" she declared. "Again, again!"
Voldemort obliged, raising his wand again and making her soar throughout the room. After a while, Will Morrison appeared at the door leading from the kitchen. "Dinner is ready, sir," he said hesitantly. Voldemort slowly turned toward him, and Nagini froze in the air, looking between the two of them. Will shivered. For some reason he could not explain, Nagini's father scared him, but Nagini adored him, and he seemed fond of Nagini as well. Nagini could hardly wait for his visits; however, Will was always uncomfortable whenever the man came to visit.
"Very well," Voldemort said slowly. He waved his wand, and Nagini gracefully fell to the ground. "It is time for dinner, Nagini," he said bending down to look into her face. "But after dinner, you and I will go to the park. I have a surprise for your birthday."
Nagini stared back at him. "Surprise?" she asked. He nodded, and she mirrored his action enthusiastically. "Now?" she pleaded. He shook his head, and her enthusiasm deflated.
"After dinner," he promised.
Nagini brightened considerably, and she rushed into the kitchen crying, "Hurry, hurry."
Nagini had rushed through dinner so that she and her father could leave sooner. Her antics amused Voldemort to no end, but he slowly ate his meal, wanting to make her wait a little longer. Will, for his part, hovered by the counter, anxiously waiting for them to finish and leave. Finally, Voldemort set down his fork, and Nagini bounded from her sea, ready to go.
"Ready?" he asked dryly.
"Yup!" she replied cheerily.
Voldemort rolled his eyes but smiled as he retrieved his cloak. He was growing quite fond of his daughter. He had missed her squalling infant years, thank Merlin. He didn't think he would even be fond of her if he had to endure that torture. But as she grew older, he would visit her more often and begin teaching her about the world, and before she went to Hogwarts, he would take her to live with him, instead of with an Imperiused half-blood.
"Would you like to fly again?" he asked turning back to Nagini. She nodded vigorously. "Come here, then," he said beckoning toward her. She ran over to him, and he scooped her up. Holding her tight to his chest, he walked to the door and opened it. Once they were outside, he gave himself into the growing shadows of the night, and they shot into the sky like an arrow. As they sped through the sky above London, Voldemort looked down at the little girl in his arms. She was staring down at the city below, reaching out a hand as if she could grab it in her fist.
After a few minutes, they descended, landing in a deserted park. Voldemort released Nagini, and she stumbled before regaining her balance. She ran around a bit before coming back him. "Are you ready for your surprise?" he asked.
She nodded. "Yes."
Voldemort reached into his robes and withdrew something as he sat down on a bench. Nagini clambered up beside him, tilting her head as she contemplated his hand. Slowly, Voldemort opened his hand to reveal a shining silver locket. Nagini reached out her hand in fascination, and when Voldemort didn't snatch it away from her, she picked up the locket. Gleaming, it reflected the remaining sunlight, and Nagini had to squint to see it. Etched on its surface, was a silver snake in the shape of an "S." Voldemort silently took the locket from her and place its chain over her head, letting the locket fall onto her chest. "It is to remind you of whom you are and the great line from which you descend."
Nagini was silent. She picked up the locket and turned it over in her hand, entranced by the gleaming bauble. Voldemort watched her examine the locket. It was an exact replica of his mother's locket, the one that now held a piece of his soul. They were both silent for a moment until Nagini turned to him.
"More magic?" she asked pleadingly.
"Hmm," he said, pretending to consider it. He would always show her magic. He wanted to stoke the flame of her curiosity and drive for knowledge, after all.
"Please?" she begged. "It's my birthday."
"Yes, it is," he agreed standing up. He pulled out his wand, and Nagini squealed in excitement. Voldemort proceeded to create a show for her. He made the leaves on the trees change colors and bird song to come from nowhere. He made rose petals and glitter fall on Nagini's head. He brought forth the animals of the park, and they bowed to Nagini.
Nagini laughed and clapped her hands throughout it all. Her father had never done this much magic for her before. She wished it was her birthday everyday just so she could see him and the magic he did just for her.
Finally, Voldemort lowered his wand. Nagini watched him, breathless. "Are you ready for the grand finale?" he asked her quietly. She nodded, and he raised his wand, pointing it straight at her. "Mutarsi." Nagini shrank inside herself, becoming much thinner and elongating, her skin darkening to a bluish black. Her smooth pale skin transformed into tiny scales that covered her entire body. Her green eyes shrank and darkened to black. She lay coiled up on the bench, disconcerted.
"What happened?" she asked.
"You are a snake, Nagini," her father replied.
"Whoa," she murmured, looking around. The colors of the park were much more vibrant even though the sky had darkened considerably. She flicked her tongue and tasted the air. She could taste the grass, the rain that was coming, the animals that had been there earlier, and her father. "Wow," she murmured again. She slowly slithered onto the ground and over to her father.
He was watching her, a satisfied smile on his face. When Nagini was a foot away from him, he pointed his wand at her. "Mutarsi." The little snake at his feet transformed back into a black-haired, green-eyed human girl, who now knelt before him. Nagini slowly got to her feet, and Voldemort reached out to her. "Come," he said. "It's getting late. Time to leave."
Again, he picked up his daughter and held her tightly to his chest. They took to the air, surrounded by shadows. As they flew through the sky with the lights of London glowing below them, Voldemort looked down at Nagini. She was fast asleep, her head burrowed in his chest. He smiled. He had big plans for her; she just needed to grow older for them to begin.
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