Disclaimer: All that is not JKR's is mine-and that mainly consists in the human character of Nagini and the influence she exerts on the magical world.

Chapter 16: The Serpent

Nagini set her bag down on the floor and sat across from Theo and Blaise at the table in the library. "Where's Tracey?"" asked Theo, looking up.

"She's coming," replied Nagini. "She had to stop in the bathroom and told me to go on ahead of her."

Theo nodded and returned to his Potions book, looking up the ingredients of common pain relievers for the essay he was writing. Blaise hadn't even looked up; he was staring at the blank parchment in front of him as if he hoped his essay would magically write itself.

"You're going to have to start that eventually," pointed out Nagini, sitting down. "It is due tomorrow, you know." She herself had already finished the Potions essay.

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered. "I still have time."

"And you're wasting it staring at your paper," pointed out Nagini. "Your essay's not going to write itself." Blaise laid his head on the desk, groaning, and Theo smirked.

"You're not done yet, either," grumbled Blaise to him.

"Yeah, but at least I've started it," countered Theo, grinning.

Did he ever lose that good mood of his? Nagini wondered. She had half a mind to ask him. But not tonight. Instead, she reached into her bag and pulled out her Transfiguration textbook and notebook. She flipped a few pages in each of them and set to work finishing the essay she'd started the previous night. She, Tracey, and the two boys often studied together in the library after dinner. The common room was too distracting. Lately, however, Tracey hadn't been joining them, and she didn't explain why. Nagini pushed these thoughts out of her head; she had a Transfiguration essay to finish. She set to work and didn't look up from her parchment, ignoring the groans and sighs of frustration coming from the opposite end of the table. Finally, putting down her quill, she looked up at the two boys.

"Honestly?" she asked. "You can't work silently?""

"Apparently not," commented Blaise dryly while Theo grinned.

"Nope!" he responded cheerfully.

Nagini sighed and rolled up her parchment. She paused as she was putting it back in her bag. "Did Tracey ever show up?" she asked. She should have noticed, but then again she was focusing on tuning out everything except her Transfiguration essay.

"No," said Theo, a look of concern on his face. "She never came. That's what—three times in a row?" he asked.

"Four," corrected Blaise looking up from his parchment, which miraculously had some writing on it at this point.

"I wonder why she's avoiding us," Nagini murmured out loud, but she had the sinking suspicion she knew why.

As the days passed, Pansy Parkinson grew nastier. It seemed she knew it was Nagini who had made of fool of her in Charms, or suspected it was Nagini. At the very least, Pansy knew Nagini didn't like her and wouldn't follow her meekly like Daphne, Millicent, and possibly Tracey.

In the corridors, Pansy had Millicent slam Nagini and Tracey into walls as she passed by. Their arms would smart for hours, and Nagini rubbed her right arm just thinking about it. In class, she would knock over their books 'on accident' and spill their ink bottles. Once Nagini had walked into the dorm to find hers and Tracey's things trashed: curtains were pulled from the beds, pillows were slashed open, and books and clothes were pulled from their trunks and thrown to the floor. It had taken hours to clean up, and even then, they had to sleep in the damaged beds for a few days before Nagini learned a spell to repair the damage.

Nagini brushed it off; she knew Pansy couldn't last forever and would eventually give up, but she worried about Tracey. The smaller girl seemed to be greatly affected by Pansy's bullying. Unfortunately, there was only so much Nagini could do when she was there, and absolutely nothing she could do when she wasn't. And to top it off, she'd seen Pansy and her gang cornering Tracey into the corridors and in class, whispering things to her. When Nagini joined them, the other girls simply melted away. No matter how many times Nagini asked, demanded, or pleaded to know what they were saying, Tracey wouldn't tell her. She worried about what they were doing the times she wasn't around, but there wasn't much she could do if she wasn''t there and Tracey wouldn't tell her anything.

That morning at breakfast had been a breaking point for Tracey, Nagini thought. The day had begun so nice. It was sunny, and Nagini and Tracey were both looking forward to breakfast. They sat down in their usual spots across from Theo and Blaise, and the four began to chat easily about classes and homework. All too soon, however, Pansy and her gang joined the table just as the mail arrived.

Nagini continued eating her breakfast. After all, she didn't expect anything, something that had not escaped Pansy's notice. "No mail again, Nagini?"" she asking, trying to sound sympathetic. "Have you ever gotten a letter?" she continued. "Oh wait, I forgot. Of course, you haven't. You live in an muggle orphanage. You have no family that will write to you."

Nagini ignored her, glaring down at her plate. That was a lie, she thought fiercely. I do have a family. I have my father. Her hand unconsciously went to the locket around her neck and held it tight, but of course, she couldn't tell Pansy that she was wrong, so Nagini kept her mouth shut tight and didn't look at the other girl. Theo gave her a sympathetic smile and rolled his eyes as Tracey shook in her seat beside Nagini.

"Orphans don't belong in Slytherin," Pansy told Nagini. "Slytherin is the house of ancient and pureblood families, and you obviously don't belong. You—"

That was the last straw. Nagini turned to Pansy, seething with rage and gripping her locket even tighter against her chest. "You know nothing about my heritage, Parkinson. I come from a magical lineage far greater than you could even dream of."

Pansy smirked, delighted to have gotten a reaction from Nagini. She then turned to the other three. "How can you even bear to be seen with her?" Pansy asked them. "You two,"" she pointed at Theo and Blaise, "come from pureblood families. Why do you disgrace yourselves by even talking to her?"

Blaise raised his eyebrows at her, but Theo opened his mouth. "Just shut up, Pansy. Do you really think that any of us what to hear what you have to say?"

That wiped the smirk off Pansy's face, but then she turned to Tracey, and a crafty smile played upon her lips. "And Tracey, the half-breed, a disgrace yourself, but you can redeem yourself by hanging out the right people. Remember that. If you do, everything will be forgiven, and no one will ever hurt you."

Nagini glanced over. Tracey was hunched over in her seat, trying to pretend she couldn't hear what Pansy was saying, but Nagini noticed the shudders that wracked her body. Nagini turned back to Pansy.

"Are you done here?" she asked, and then without waiting for a response she continued. "Just leave now, Parkinson, before one of us is forced to hurt you.""

Pansy smirked but stood up. Looking at Tracey, she said meaningfully, "Don't forget, half-breed." And with that, she left, followed by Daphne and Millicent.

Nagini watched them go, a look of disgust on her face. She turned to Tracey, who was now quietly sobbing, the tears streaming down her cheeks. She tried to brush them away unobtrusively, but to no avail.

"Tracey?" asked Theo surprised. "What's wrong?""

Nagini placed her hand on Tracey's arm. "C'mon, Trace," she said. ""Tell us, and we'll be able to help you. What did Pansy mean when she said 'Don't forget''?"

Tracey shook her head, and then still crying, she stood up and ran out of the Hall. "Tracey," called Nagini exasperated. She turned back to the two boys. "I''m going to look for her. I'll see you two later."

They nodded, and Theo called, "Good luck!"

When Nagini reached the entryway, Tracey had disappeared, and there was no sign of where she might have gone. Instead, she found Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle facing Weasley and Potter, who was holding a wrapped package in the shape of a broomstick.

Just then Draco grabbed the package from Potter and felt it. "That's a broomstick," he declared throwing it back. "You'll be in for it this time, Potter, first years aren't allowed them."

The Weasley boy spoke up boastfully. "It's not just any broomstick. It's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy, a Comet Two Sixty?" He grinned. "Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus.""

Draco was seething, and Nagini herself felt a bit annoyed. If first years weren't allowed to have broomsticks, what was Potter doing with one? "What would you know about it, Weasley, you couldn't afford half the handle," snapped Draco, offended. "I suppose you and your brothers have to save up twig by twig."

Before either boy could respond, someone brushed by Nagini, and Professor Flitwick appeared between the boys. "Not arguing, I hope, boys?" he squeaked.

"Potter's been sent a broomstick, Professor," said Draco quickly, before anyone else could answer. He seemed determined to get Potter in trouble.

"Yes, yes, that's right," said Flitwick, beaming. "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. And what model is it?" Nagini's mouth dropped. Special circumstances? Would they do this for any other first year, she wondered. No, probably not, so what made the Potter boy so special—he hadn't done anything! The wizarding world viewed him as a hero for defeating her father when, in fact, her father only intended to save witches and wizards from themselves and from the muggles.

"A Nimbus Two Thousand, sir" replied Potter, dragging Nagini out of her thoughts. "And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that I've got it." The two Gryffindors left, and Nagini walked up to Draco, who was staring after them, shock etched plainly on his face.

Nagini laughed at the mixture of rage and confusion on the blonde's face. "Ironic that," said Nagini quietly from beside him. ""After everything you've done to get him in trouble, all he gets is a broomstick and a pat on the back."

"They all think he's so special," snarled Draco, glaring at the retreating boys, "just because he's the Boy Who Lived. They don't even stop to think about how he did it. My father said that only an extremely powerful Dark wizard would be able to defeat the Dark Lord. But instead of watching him, the teachers all adore him. They think he''s perfect!"

Nagini looked after the two boys still heading up the stairs. An extremely powerful Dark wizard, she wondered. She doubted that was it. The Potter boy didn't seem either extremely powerful or the type to practice Dark magic. There had to be another reason.

Nagini glanced down. She was still gripping her locket. Wincing, she detached her fingers from its surface, and the locket fell down against her chest. She turned her palm over: the outline of a snake had been pressed into her palm.

Nagini sat beside her father on a fallen tree at the edge of the clearing. "How was your first week of school? Have you been doing all I ask?"

Nagini contemplated the trees on the other side of the clearing before answering. "It went well I suppose," she answered. ""I've been studying hard, and I'm most certainly the best of the Slytherins."

"Not the school?" Voldemort asked, raising his eyebrows in amusement.

"Probably the school as well," Nagini answered honestly after a moment. "There's a girl in Gryffindor that everyone thinks is the smartest in our year, but she's an obnoxious know-it-all. She has to draw attention to herself by answering every question the teachers ask."

"And you don't?" he asked.

She shook her head. "It's better that they underestimate what I can do," she repeated.

Voldemort smiled. His daughter had listened to him and followed his advice. "Good," he said. "You don't want to draw unwanted attention to yourself, for when you're in the spotlight, people tend to start asking questions, and we do not want them to ask questions about your origins."

Nagini nodded, looking up at him.

"How is your dorm?" he asked her then. Nagini made a face, and he raised his eyebrows at her.

"It's alright, I suppose," she said. "There''s a girl, Pansy Parkinson, who likes to walk all over everyone. I refuse to let her walk all over me, and so she decided to make my life a living hell." She smirked then. "But it''s not working."

"Good," said Voldemort. "Don't ever give in to her, my daughter. You come from a much greater line than do the Parkinsons. Never forget that."

Nagini smiled up at him. "I won't."

He stood up then. "On the matter of the ancient line of Slytherin, I have something to show you."

Curious, Nagini also stood up. "What is it?" she asked.

"You know that the symbol of Slytherin is a snake?" he asked, and Nagini nodded, brushing her hand against the snake on her locket. "And that, all of Slytherin''s line can speak to snakes?" She nodded again. He had told her that.

"Well," he continued, "you, my daughter, can also turn into a snake. I made you into an Animagus when you were a baby.""

Nagini's eyes widened. She could turn into a snake?"Really?" she asked, breathless.

He nodded. "Would you like me to show you?" he asked.

Nagini nodded eagerly. Voldemort smiled, and taking his wand out of his robes, he pointed it at her. "Mutarsi," he said.

Nagini felt her skin ripple. She looked down. Her pale skin grew darker and became textured. She felt herself sinking to the ground, and her body elongated. After a moment, the change was complete. Before Voldemort, lay a beautiful blue-black serpent. The snake's tongue darted out, and Nagini tasted the air around her—wood, grass, her father, and the unmistakable electrical tingle of magic.

Voldemort smiled triumphantly as his daughter slithered through the ground. "Wow," she murmured.

"I take it you are pleased, Nagini?" he asked, hissing in Parseltongue.

"Yes," replied Nagini, a hint of laughter in her voice. She slithered toward her father and wound herself around his legs. She glided upward until her neck was draped around his shoulders and her tail wound around his waist. Her father gently stroked her head as her tongue darted in and out of her mouth.

"Let no one know you are an Animagus, Nagini," he told her. "If someone knew, you would be in great danger.""

"No one will know," she repeated. "No one."

~Kasyntra