The next memory starts with a strange darkness surrounding it. The zoo was bright and happy until they got to the reptile room. Before they reached there, Diana had broken various glasses in the gorilla gift shop, scared the otters so much that they refused to leave the water and had complained so much about her knickerbocker glory not having enough whipped cream on it that uncle Vernon had ordered a new one. Mal wasn't going to complain, she got to finish the old one whist the other two girls ran off to the snakes.
Aladdin looks sadly at Mals memories, remembering the times that he fed on scraps and things that people had discarded.
The reptile enclosures where large and strange, covered in moss and barks. The snakes slither around as Diana and Patty run around, pressing their faces against the glass. Mal trails after them with a sad look on her face. Her aunt and uncle storm ahead, their loud voices making the other visitors look at them in disgust. Mal's eyes turn to the latest snake in the place, after Diana looks at it in disgust for not waking up. She places her hands on the glass and smiles softly.
"Sorry about her. She has no idea what it's like, being trapped in a small place like this, people looking at you weird and thinking that you're a freak" she says softly.
Belle looks on, clearly upset. How this young girl could feel this way was so awful and she couldn't do anything about it. It goes against everything she stands for.
The snake wakes up and looks at Mal curiously. It tilts its head and almost smiles.
"Can you hear me?" Mal asks in utter astonishment.
Everyone in the room gasps. Parseltounges where practically unheard of and to have one so close to the royal family, it was nearly impossible.
"So… do you miss your home, your family?" She asks nervously.
The snake motions over to the sign next to the cage. The sign reads: bred in captivity.
"Oh. That's me too" Mal smiles and the snake edges closes, glad to talk to someone for once.
That peace for short lived as Diana runs over and pushes Mal to the ground roughly.
"Mum! Dad! Look what this snake is doing!" She screams and the parents run over, Vernon taking extra care to tread on Mal's fingers.
Suddenly, Mal's eyes flash green and the glass disappears and both Diana and Vernon fall into the snake pit. Everyone begins to scream and Mal begins to laugh. The snake slithers out and looks at Mal happily.
"Thanksssss" he hisses.
"No problem" Mal says back and scoots out of the snake's way.
Chad snorts at the snake, thinking about manners. Who knew that snakes could be grateful or have any sort of communication with humans at all? Parseltounges where frowned soon in Auradon, many claiming it to be dark magic. Maybe it wasn't after all.
Mal's bravo was short lived as her uncle emerges (with great difficulty) from the snake tank, coated in dirty water and half eaten mice. The punishment was going to be bad.
The family get back to the house with Mal being dragged into the house by her hair. After Diana had been dragged upstairs, Vernon pinned Mal against the wall and hisses at her.
"What did you do?"
"Nothing I swear. One minute the glass was there and the next it wasn't! It was just like magic" she cries out.
"There is no such thing as magic!" He roars. He ripped her off the wall and throws her into the cupboard under the stairs and lock it, closing the shutters and blocking out all light.
Ben had had enough. He stormed out of the room and ran all the way to the hospital room in the school. Dodging guards and nurses was easy but going into the room was hard. That man had abused his girlfriend for nearly a decade and no one had even done anything about it. How could she not tell her? Why sign anyone helping? Why didn't he help?
He walks over to Mal, gently sitting on the side of her bed. The scars on her body are bright and harsh, the pain all too real for the both of them. He kisses the top of her head softly and runs his hands through her soft purple hair. Choked sobs unleash and when they do, Ben can't stop them.
Meanwhile, the other royals continue to watch through the rest Mal's memory.
After four long days in the cupboard, only being allowed out for water or to use the toilet, Mal was finally free. The Dursley's had been scuttling around Mal's birthday for years but this year was different. They were constantly looking at her more, checking if Diana was hurt in any way, even if she was out of their sight for two seconds. It was almost over on the day before Mal's birthday, the day that the letter arrived.
It had been a long day for the family yet Uncle Vernon seemed to be very happy with himself. He had recently received a new company car, which Aunt petunia and Diana had spent gawking over loudly to make the neighbours jealous.
The entire room rolled their eyes and Lonnie full out glared at at the man on the screen. Dirty rat man.
As the family sits down for breakfast, Mal goes to collect the mail. Diana was standing in her new school uniform. A bulging bright purple pinafore paired with a garnish yellow shirt and a green tie.
Audrey gags at the sight of the uniform. She was a large fan of fashion and knew what went with what. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the uniform was hideous.
Mal walks to the front door and picks up the mail, carelessly shifting through it. A few bills, a letter for Aunt Marge and a letter for mal.
Miss Mallory Potter
4 Privet drive
Cupboard under the stairs
Little whinging, Isle of the lost
She frown slightly but returns to the living room and hands the letters (apart from her own) to her uncle. The two adults fail to notice but Diana notices.
"Dad! Dad look! Mal has something! Dad!" she screams whilst pointing to Mal.
"Didn't anyone teach her that pointing is rude" Hercules grumbles. His father would have killed him for doing that. His adopted father not his biological father.
"Who would be writing to you?" he laughs and grabs the letter. Mal tries to grab it back but fails. She sees her chance though as her uncle falls back into his chair, clutching his throat.
"Petunia. Petunia look. Get her out of here" he growls.
"It's my letter. I have the right to read it!" Mal yells and Diana laughs.
"Shut up weirdo. I want to read it dad. Give it to me" she screams, stomping her foot.
Petunia grabs both girls' hands and takes them into the hall and goes back into the living room, closing the door behind her. Diana pushes mal out of the way, forgetting about the snake incident. Mal however, had not forgotten. She began to whisper under her breath and Diana takes a step back.
"What are you doing weirdo. Stop making those noises. There aren't any snakes here" she whimpers and runs upstairs and Mal retreats into the cupboard, a sole place of mild comfort in this house of horrors.
Chad gets up carefully and leaves the room, going yo look for Ben. He didn't expect to see his best friend curled up next to his unconscious girlfriend sobbing his eyes out on her shoulder. He takes a few steps back and goes to collect some coffee. Getting ben to come back would be hard but he needed to be there. It was a matter of life or death.