I bolt straight up in my bed, tears wet on my cheeks from the detail in the memory. Sadly, yes, it is a memory. It happened nearly five years ago, on my sixth birthday. I'm ten now, and I haven't called Professor Slytherin 'father' since. My adder Nyx is currently my only friend.

Yes, she is, in fact, the same snake that Salazar Slytherin introduced to all the babies to see whether they were Parselmouths. I named her Nyx because she is a black adder, rather than a tan one with brown markings. I like reading, and I found out that Nyx was the Greek goddess of night. I couldn't think of anything else at the age, so I named her that. She follows me everywhere, and I can speak to her just like I would to any other human.

Nyx uncoils herself from the foot of my large, green four-poster bed and slithers up to me.

Did you have the nightmare again, Addie? Nyx asks me, seeing my wet eyes.

Yes, I did. Thank you for reminding me. I need to look up some wandlore, I hiss back in Parseltongue. I throw back my blankets, careful not to cover Nyx, and plant my feet on the floor. I'm barefoot and wearing only a pale green nightgown, so I quickly scurry over the carpeted floor into the bathing area, where I change. Even though there are no humans in the Black Lake, that doesn't mean I'm comfortable with changing in a room with four glass walls and a glass ceiling.

My closet is in the bathroom. It only holds a few extra robes and nightgowns, all very similar to each other. I quickly pull my nightgown off and tug one of my bright green robes over my head. Then I face my reflection.

The only thing I actually like about my appearance is my eyes. They glint like emeralds, lighting up my otherwise plain face. I'm short even for my age, so I couldn't be mistaken for a Hogwarts student even if I wanted to. I have a small nose and a stubborn chin, my brows are arched. My lower lip is slightly fuller than my upper. My dark brown hair falls in waves halfway down my back, the many flyaways looking red in the light. I hardly ever try to tie it because it breaks the ties.

I quickly run a brush through my hair before walking back into my bedroom. I offer my arm to Nyx, who coils herself around it. I wrap the Invisibility Cloak around us, then open the door into the Slytherin Common room.

The first impression anyone gets of the Slytherin Common Room is green. Green sofas, green carpets, green wall hangings, green everything. Of course, the only people allowed to enter this common room are the Slytherin students, Professor Slytherin, and me.

The students here are stuck up, with noses turned up to the ceiling and constant scowls etched across their features. I guess it never occurred to Slytherin that maybe I don't like it here, that maybe I want to join another Hogwarts house. He's practically raised me to be ambitious, but I'm not. Most kids have a preference like Ravenclaw or something. My only wish for my time at Hogwarts is a house other than Slytherin.

I quickly tiptoe through the common room and run to the wall. Slytherin Common Room resides in the Hogwarts dungeon. Before I knew what actually happened to my parents, I liked being away from the other Hogwarts students. Now there's nothing I'd love more than to sleep in one of Gryffindor Tower's secret nooks.

My stockinged feet pad silently on the stone floor, my soft footsteps the only sound in the dungeon. I find my way through the maze of corridors until I reach the Hogwarts Library, where I take off my cloak.

"Where are the books on wandlore?" I ask the librarian politely.

"Right over there, sweetie," she answers, not bothering to take her hooked nose out of her book.

I meander over to the nonfiction section and find the book about wandlore, the one by Ollivander. I flip to the index, scanning the C section for 'Cherry Wood.' I turn to the page number indicated, and read the superstition

*Cherry wood often makes a wand that possesses truly lethal power, whatever the core—

"Though if paired with dragon heartstring, the wand ought never to be teamed with a wizard without exceptional self-control and strength of mind," I read aloud, finishing the short passage. "I doubt Professor Slytherin has the 'exceptional self-control' that is required for the user of a cherry and dragon-heartstring wand, what do you think Nyx?"

Me neither, she replied. What do you say to a little expedition to the kitchens? This wandlore stuff makes me hungry.

"Can't you just catch mice or something?" I retort.

Yes, but I'll bet you're getting hungry too.

I realize that my stomach is growling; I hadn't had breakfast this morning.

"Oh all right. I wanted to visit the house-elves today anyway."

*This is from the Harry Potter Wiki, from Pottermore. I didn't make up this wand statistic.

A/N: Thanks for reading! I'm super sorry it took so long to update, I just had a lot of schoolwork and fandom-related things to catch up on. I hope you liked it and please feel free to R&R!

~Rebecca