Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anyone of its characters. However, any of the characters you don't recognize are of my creation.

Author's Notes: Hmm… What to say. Well for starters, thank you for your vote of confidence Grim! I'm not sure how constant my updatings are going to be (ha, I repeat myself) so yeah. Should be more constant than my updating for Little Things (is it wrong to advertise my other fic… thing? Hmm… maybe my next vignette can be a Tom-centric…) which is good. Yeah, moving on to the real reason you're here.

Durmstrang's Viper
By Van Arat

Chapter One: Viper

Six Years Later
Cole Orphanage,
German Branch

"Come on, Celence! It'll be fun!" Celence stared at her young master, annoyed that he felt the need to interrupt her sleep, which she claimed needed since it was cold, just for his little prank that he decided he need her help with. Apart of her felt warmed by her little master's request, she knew he just wanted company because of what this day was the anniversary of and she was happy that he had chosen her company over that of the other human children that ran amuck in this pathetic excuse of a place to grow up. The serpent knew her young master would need human companions eventually, but for now, she hoped that she was enough to quell any uncertainties leftover from the time before she met her little master. He claimed not to remember that time but she knew differently. If he didn't remember than he would be so uncomfortable with being touched, least of all by herself.

The small black snake sighed. She truly did hope that her young master would be ready for when he needed to find a more permanent companion. But he was still very young, even by her own serpentine standards; he had time to prepare for when he needed to find someone to have hatchlings with. Celence merely wished to live to see that day.

Damn, she was starting to sound old. At this rate she would start talking like her mother before she even mated! As much as Celence loved her mother, she didn't want to sound like her.

'After all, in the words of my mother's master "One Nagini is enough. We don't need another."' The snake chuckled to herself in the way snakes do. Her young master was going on and on about bits of his prank in hopes of convincing her to help him, even though he knew she would anyway. He would present an idea for a prank then ask for her help and she would agree under the context that she was only helping to keep him from getting caught. They both knew that was a load of shit. If there was one thing her little master was good at, it was not getting caught. 'A true Slytherin, just like mother's master.' A serpentine smiled crossed her face. Her young master blinked.

"Celence?"

"I shall help you, little master."

"One of these days you're going to have to stop calling me that. I won't be 'little' forever."

"I know, lit – Master Viper."

"Ugh, just call me Viper. Master Viper makes me sound old and wrinkly like some old man that sits in a tower and moves people around like pawns. It's creepy." Her young master laughed. She slithered onto his shoulders after he gave her something of a hug. Her warmed feeling from earlier increased. Yes, her young master would be ready and she would be there to take a chunk out of anyone who tried to force him into going back into the arms of his fears, whatever they were. Even if it meant going against her mother.

But for now, she was content with helping her master prank those around him.

Four Months Later
Third Floor, First Door on the Left,
Same Location

The clock ticked. It ticked and ticked and ticked till Viper was sure he was going to go insane. And then, it ticked some more. Normally, he would be fast asleep, free form the ticking of that infernal clock but not tonight. Because tonight, he would turn eight. Viper had never bothered to stay up for his other birthdays before, but this was different. Turning eight meant something more, even though is probably shouldn't have. He grinned to himself. Maybe instead of making him insane, the ticking of clock would drive him to sanity. He snickered loudly. No one woke up.

Turning eight was like… finding the road to infinity for him. After all, if you turn the number onto its side you get the symbol for infinity, so maybe the way he felt made sense. He was starting on his road to infinity. Viper bit back a laugh that was sure to be loud and more than a little insane in its nature.

'Eight and infinity. Infinity and eight. Sounds like fun…'

In the end, he slept through his first few hours of being eight despite his best efforts.