I'm back again, and I'll be updating sporadically. I really do enjoy this story, and I love the character of Nagini, so I will never give up completely on this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter—Nagini's first day consists of intriguing conversations, pleasant views, an argument over spilled perfume, and, of course, a few classes.
Disclaimer: The series belongs to JKR, but I am the one who dreamed of Nagini as a human with a secretive heritage. . . .
Chapter 13: The First Day
Nagini slowly approached the clearing where she knew her father would be waiting. She walked around trees and ducked under low-hanging branches. Pushing aside some leaves, Nagini entered the clearing. Her father, a tall cloaked figure, stood waiting for her in the center. Nagini approached him, stopping just a few feet away. They looked at each other silently.
"Today was your first night at Hogwarts, was it not?" he asked quietly.
"Yes, father," Nagini replied.
"And?" Nagini knew exactly what he was asking.
"I was placed in Slytherin," she said not able to conceal the smile breaking out across her face.
He smiled then. "Good, good." He turned away and began walking toward the other side of the clearing. Nagini remained where she was, biting her lower lip. Did she dare ask the questions that had been tormenting her throughout dinner?
Nagini bit her lip. She had to know why her father would try to kill a baby. What purpose could it possibly serve? Just then, Voldemort turned back to face her. Some of her thoughts must have been apparent on her face, for he asked, "What is it, Nagini. Tell me."
He stared at her intently, and Nagini looked down at the ground to avoid his gaze. "Tell me, Nagini," he repeated quietly. Nagini looked up and took a deep breath.
"Harry Potter," she said looking her father directly in the eyes.
Voldemort took a slight step backward. The boy was at Hogwarts? But of course, he was about the same age as Nagini, after all. He examined Nagini carefully. Her green eyes stared intently back at him. "What do you know about Harry Potter?" he asked her slowly.
"Ten years ago this Halloween," she replied immediately, "someone tried to kill the boy. He survived; the curse rebounded." Nagini paused, looking at her father, who was staring impassively back at her. "That someone was you, father," she continued, her voice slowly increasing in volume. "But why? You said you were on a mission the night you left. Was that your mission?"
Voldemort waited patiently for her to finish, and when Nagini paused to draw breath he raised his hand to forestall more questions. "Yes, that was the mission I was on. I had learned from a reliable source that the boy would grow up to oppose me. I couldn't take the risk, for what is one life in comparison to that of all the witches and wizards in the country, in the world even?" He paused to look at her, but Nagini was staring at the trees, mulling over what he said.
"What I was doing," he continued, "was too important. I couldn't let anything stand in my way. I only want to change this world for the better for all witches and wizards. Remember that, my daughter. I can be our people's savior. There are some who don't believe in my vision, and we must either make them see reason or dispose of them, so they don't compromise our goals. Can you understand that, Nagini? Will you stand by me no matter what, my daughter?"
Nagini turned toward him slowly, thinking. She knew she would stand by him. He was her father, after all. She loved him, and she believed him. She knew he only did what he did to change the world for witches and wizards, to better their lives. All visionaries had enemies, those who were afraid of change, right? But no matter what they did, the lies they spread, they could never make her doubt her own father, she thought.
She walked over to him and smiled up at him. "Of course, father," she said. "I will follow you anywhere."
He returned her smile briefly, looking down at the girl by his side. "Thank you, Nagini. You cannot possibly know how it feels to hear you say that."
Nagini leaned against him, and he stroked her hair absentmindedly. "Before you go, I have a few things to say to you," he said.
Nagini looked up, curious. "What is it, father?"
"First, take care. Do not give anyone any reason to suspect that you are not who you say you are. Remember, no one must know that you are my daughter. If they do, they will hurt you in order to hurt me; I do not want that to happen."
Nagini nodded furiously. "Of course, father. I won't let you down."
He nodded. "I know you will not. Second, you must study, Nagini, and learn all you can. Remember that knowledge is your greatest weapon, but do not draw attention to yourself and your capabilities. It is much better if others underestimate you."
Nagini stared up at him with wide eyes, nodding. "And finally," he continued, "I will be contacting you throughout the year. I have much to tell you and much to teach you."
Nagini smiled in relief. It was good to know that she would be hearing from him often. "I will do everything you ask, father," she said. "I will never let you down."
"Good, I would expect nothing less."
He stepped back from her, and Nagini watched as the forest began to fade away before her eyes. She stretched out her arm, trying to reach Voldemort, willing herself to stay within the dream for just a few minutes more, but she was drifting farther and further away and could not reach him. As the dreamscape turned to gray, her father looked at her and said, "Make me proud, my daughter." Nagini opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, he was gone.
Nagini woke up with a start. Sitting up, she pulled the curtains back from around her bed and looked around. Light was streaming into the room through the large window on the back wall. Nagini walked over to the window, quietly so as to not wake the other girls. She pressed her face up to the glass and stared out. She appeared to be looking at an aquarium. A group of silver fish swam by, and bubbles drifted up from below. Nagini squinted, trying to make out the other side of the aquarium, but then she jumped back, knocking into a table. A giant squid propelled itself lazily in the distance.
"Nagini?" asked voice groggily from behind her. It was Tracey. "What time is it? Is it time to get up?"
"Come and look at this, Tracey," Nagini said, choosing to ignore the other girl's questions for the time being. Tracey stumbled out of bed and over to the window, still half-asleep. She looked out through bleary eyes.
"What is it?" she asked sleepily.
"The Black Lake," Nagini replied, for she was sure that was what they were looking at. "Can you believe it, Tracey? I bet none of the other houses have a view like this in their dormitories."
Tracey's eyes widened as Nagini's words reached her. She put a hand up against the glass as she looked out. "Wow," she murmured. Nagini smiled in excitement, staring out the window as well.
Just then, Nagini heard noises coming from behind them, and she turned around. The other girls were getting up. "Stop making such a racket," moaned Daphne. "It's too early for that." Nagini rolled her eyes. They weren't even making that much noise! Daphne was obviously not a morning person.
Pansy Parkinson rolled out of bed, groaning, and headed straight for the bathroom. Nagini watched her with a small smirk. Pug-girl was obviously not much of a morning person either, she thought. Nagini turned back to Tracey and tugged on her arm. "Come on, Trace," she said. "Time to get ready. Classes start today, you know." Tracey allowed herself to be pulled away from the window and back to her bed.
Nagini and the other girls dressed silently. Nagini pulled on her uniform and braided her hair before gathering up her bag and books. She was just about to head out the door when the sound of splintering glass made her stop.
"You useless piece of dragon dung!" shouted Parkinson. Nagini dropped her bag and hurried to the bathroom. She pushed past Millicent Bulstrode, who was staring stupidly at the scene before her. Tracey was kneeling on the tile floor beside the remnants of blue glass bottle. Lilac-colored liquid seeped across the floor. Nagini wrinkled her nose; the entire room smelled sickly sweet. It was beginning to make her nauseous. She quickly looked away from the mess on the floor. Pansy was standing above Tracey, glaring down at her. Daphne stood in the corner, hairbrush in hand, watching the scene with wide eyes.
"What happened?" demanded Nagini looking between Pansy and Tracey.
"I—" began Tracey, but Pansy interrupted her.
"She knocked over my perfume bottle on purpose, and it broke!" cried Pansy pointing at Tracey.
Tracey cowered before her. "It was an accident!" she wailed, tears streaming down her face. "I didn't mean to, I swear."
"Liar," snarled Pansy, raising her hand to strike Tracey, but Nagini stepped between the two.
"No," she said, glaring at Pansy. The other girl had some serious issues, thought Nagini, and she obviously realized that Tracey was an easy target for her intimidation. Looking over her shoulder, Nagini said, "Tracey, go. I'll see you at breakfast." Without another word, Tracey scampered out of the bathroom, ducking past Millicent. Nagini turned back to Pansy and Daphne. "I'm sure you have other perfume you can use, Parkinson. If not, you can always get more." With a hard look in her eyes, Nagini stepped forward until her face was only inches from Pansy's. "Leave Tracey alone," she said in a low voice. "She doesn't need to deal with you."
With that, Nagini turned and left, pushing past Millicent, who was still blocking the doorway. She didn't turn around, but she could feel the glares Pansy was shooting at her. If looks could kill. . ., Nagini thought with a smirk.
Why did she do that, Nagini wondered as she walked down the corridors leading to the Great Hall. After all, Tracey needs to be able to take care of herself. But deep in her heart, Nagini knew that Tracey wouldn't be able to stand up for herself for a long time. As she had thought before, the girl was like a mouse—incredibly sweet but very timid and scared of every sound. Maybe, Nagini thought, it's because I wish that someone would have stood up for me over the years. That was why I acted the way I did. Nagini hurriedly brushed those thoughts away. They would lead nowhere good.
She entered the Great Hall and made her way over to the Slytherin table, looking for Tracey. She was sitting across from the black boy who was the last to be Sorted. Nagini wracked her mind, but she couldn't remember his name. Nagini sat down beside Tracey with a smile. "Hey Tracey," she said cheerfully, trying to make it clear that they didn't have to talk about what just happened if Tracey didn't want to. "How are you?"
Tracey looked up at her with a small smile, her eyes still bright with tears. "I'm fine," she said, her voice quavering. The boy looked up from his plate but didn't say anything, for which Nagini was grateful.
Just then, a blur of black and green zoomed across the Hall, and Theo stopped before them. "Hey, guys," he announced, sitting down across from Nagini. "Blaise, this is Nagini Ferestael and Tracey Davis," he said pointing at them. "Girls, this is Blaise Zabini."
Nagini nodded her head at him. "Lovely to meet you, Blaise," she said politely. Tracey nodded in agreement.
"Likewise," Blaise muttered. Nagini had to stifle a laugh. Blaise Zabini was quite possibly the most anti-social person she had met.
Theo began to serve himself some eggs and bacon. "Everyone excited for their first day at Hogwarts?" he asked. Nagini smiled at his enthusiasm. Blaise just shrugged, and Tracey stirred her oatmeal, not looking at anyone.
"Of course," replied Nagini. "Who wouldn't be?"
Theo glanced up from his food. "Exactly," he said, grinning. He caught sight of Tracey, and his smile faded. A tear had slipped from Tracey's eye and dropped into her bowl. Theo glanced at Nagini and opened his mouth to say something. Nagini shook her head slightly and shot him a look that clearly said, "Don't."
He closed his mouth and nodded, looking down at his food. A moment later, he looked up again, his smile once again plastered to his face. "Well I, for one, am very excited for the first day. I don't know about you guys, but I can't wait." Theo continued chatting about the food, classes, what their teachers would be like, what to do on the weekends. His good mood was infectious, and pretty soon Tracey had looked up from her bowl, smiling, and was taking part in the conversation. Nagini was thankful for Theo's enthusiasm, but she knew that one day (one day very soon, a part of her whispered), his obnoxiously good mood would be quite irritating.
Presently, McGonagall came down the table, passing out course schedules. Nagini quickly scanned hers: Herbology before lunch, Charms and History of Magic after lunch. "Aaah," complained Theo.
"What?" asked Nagini glancing up at him.
"History of Magic. I've heard it's the most boring class ever."
"It can't be that bad," answered Nagini.
"It is," interrupted Blaise, joining the conversation at last. "It's taught by a ghost, Professor Binns. He apparently fell asleep by the fire one night, and when he woke up to go to class, he left his body behind."
Nagini raised her eyebrows. "It can't be that bad," she repeated.
"It's the most excruciating hour you'll ever endure," finished Blaise, leaning back and crossing his arms, almost daring her to continue arguing.
"Well," spoke up Tracey, "if the mere mention of History of Magic can get Blaise to finally say something, it probably is that bad."
Nagini and Theo laughed, and even Blaise cracked a smile at Tracey's comment.
Nagini enjoyed her first day of classes. Mostly. Herbology with the Ravenclaws was nice. The teacher, Professor Sprout, was a short woman with frizzy hair and an extremely patched hat covered in dirt. She was very enthusiastic about her subject and had the first years potting Kalysian ferns (apparently the fronds were used as mild pain relievers). Sprout had said she wanted them to get the feel of working with plants and the tools they'd be using. She was extremely cheerful, and Nagini found herself wishing the class wouldn't end. She didn't particularly like working with dirt and dragon dung, Professor Sprout's preferred brand of fertilizer, but she didn't hate it either. She knew there was a lot to learn from the witch. The plants they would work with could both heal and poison, cause pain and relief, induce memory and forgetfulness. The Ravenclaws were a nice group to work with, as well. They focused on the task at hand, not causing any trouble. Nagini was slightly surprised by this. Slytherins seemed to be hated by the rest of the school, and she figured the attitude would show through in their classes with the other houses. Fortunately, the Ravenclaws appeared to have their priorities straight, for now at least.
Charms, by far, was her favorite class of the day. Professor Flitwick was a tiny wizard (even at eleven, Nagini was just as tall as him) and spoke in a squeaky voice. Nagini had to struggle to contain her laughter every time he opened his mouth. He began class by taking attendance, matching each name on his list to a face before him. He gave them a syllabus of what they would study that year then set them to taking notes about charms and magical theory in general, but he promised that they would be practicing the charms very soon. Nagini could tell that this class would be an easy one. She had already mastered most of what they would be covering when she was flipping through her books in the maple tree throughout the summer. She didn't mind, though. Charms seemed like a class where one could do pretty much anything, and even if Flitwick noticed she wasn't working, he would only ask her to demonstrate the spell she was supposed to be practicing. If she could perform it successfully, he would leave her alone for the rest of the hour. Yes, thought Nagini, Charms will be a lovely class. Either I will learn something, or I'll have time to myself, to do with as I wish.
Her final class that day was History of Magic. Unfortunately, Blaise was right: it was the most excruciating hour she had ever endured. At the beginning of class, Professor Binns drifted through the blackboard, something most of the class thought was very impressive (though they limited themselves to raised eyebrows and slight nods), but then he began to read from his notes. His voice droned on and on, drilling into Nagini's skull. She wanted to sleep, but she couldn't. She glanced over at the others. They were all lying with their heads on their desks, zoned out. Blaise noticed her look and raised his eyebrows as if to say, "What did I tell you?" Nagini rolled her eyes and looked back at her desk. She began flipping through the pages of A History of Magic, the required text for the class. The material seemed rather interesting, thought Nagini, but Binns's voice made it simply unbearable. She resolved then that she would not listen to another one of his lectures. If all he did was read his notes, she would just take her chances with the textbook and find something better to do in his class. She glanced up at the clock: only fifteen minutes had gone by. She groaned and felt like banging her head on the desk. How could students be expected to sit through this class for five years?
All in all, thought Nagini as she headed to dinner with the rest of the Slytherin first-years, her first day went pretty well. It wasn't the best, but that was to be expected. She could already tell that life at Hogwarts would not be boring, far from it. Between dreams with her father, the developing animosity between her and Parkinson, and the classes themselves, Nagini knew she was in for an interesting year.
So what did you think? I'm especially interested to hear your reactions to the conversation Nagini had with her father? What do you think his feelings toward her are? And hers toward him?
Also, what do you think of this growing animosity between Nagini and Pansy? And, do we have any favorites between Blaise, Theo, and Tracey?
Please leave a comment in a review box. If you have any constructive criticism about the characters, their development, and the relationships between characters, I would love to hear it
Thanks—Kaysntra