I sit calmly in one of the smaller salons of the mansion, keeping my eyes on the snake who is currently resting curled up. Days have passed since I arrived here, and I was still alive. After our last conversation, Voldemort didn't visit me, he didn't even ask anything else, he just showed me my room. I can walk freely in the mansion, of course I couldn't leave, even if I wanted to. But now, I don't want to leave anyway. There were rooms I couldn't enter either, so there was no need for words for anyone to tell me where I could go, and where I could not. The snake, however, if she is not with her master, follows me, like some faithful, deadly shadow.
With a sigh, I pulled up one of my knees on the sofa where I was sitting and resting my chin on my knees. The reptile's eyes immediately opened up, as I made a little movement, and it's hissed quietly.
"I do not understand why the Lord holds the girl with him, instead of killing her." She spoke to herself, as usual. Nagini didn't really like my presence, and I had to admit she was not an average serpent. Her mind, her character seemed too human for that. I wonder, was she a human once, or some kind of shapeshifter, like an animagus? An animagus was a witch or wizard who could transform themselves into an animal and back again at will. It was a learned skill. Maybe I could ask Voldemort about it… I was too curious.
"Stupid snake…" I growled involuntarily under my nose, because the past few days she started to really annoy me. But the moment I spoke, I already regretted it. I didn't want her to find out, I can understand what she says the whole time.
"Do you understand what I'm saying?” She rose dangerously fast and slipped towards me. She was at eye level with me, when came in front of me. "Answer me!”
"Yes, I do understand you! I wish I couldn't! Then I wouldn't have to listen for days how you talk about how much you want me to be dead.”
"Would you be a descendant of Slytherin Salazar?” She completely ignored my comment, and both of my eyebrows ran higher. This situation began to become absurdly amusing. I didn't have the mood for arguing, so I just simply responded.
"No, as far as I know, he's not my ancestor. Ask your master about this." The serpent's gaze mustered me, but the voice that sounded didn't come from her.
"Nagini, that's enough." I suddenly picked up my head, and the snake hissed lowly as someone disturbed her. She obeyed Voldemort's command but didn't leave us there, while my gaze was fixed onto the mage. I didn't even notice when he came into the salon, he was too silent, or I paid too much attention to the snake. Maybe both. “How long have you been a Parselmouth?"
“Since my birth. I first noticed when I unleashed a snake onto my cousin at the zoo.” Because of the memory for a moment the edge of my lip curved up. That was when I learned I understand the snakes. My smile was fading, as I looked at the wizard again. “It is possible that you handed over the ability yourself when instead of my death, I became a Horcrux. Because of the curse, and my mother's protection.”
“So that's why the girl is still alive, because she is a Horcrux. That's why we keep her here.” Nagini spoke to herself again and leave us there, like she content with what she found out. I just hoped I hear less about my death from her after this.
“Interesting…” I turned my attention back to the man when he sat down easily in the armchair that was opposite me. He spoke English again instead of Parseltongue. It was surreal to be in the same room and chatting so easily. Especially after how little he showed up in my presence the past few days. “How did you find out?”
“I looked for information about my family tree, but I couldn't find a connection between Slytherin and my ancestors. And I had no knowledge of anyone else who would understand the language of serpents.”
“It seems Dumbledore underestimated you. It's really fascinating what magic can do…” He was quite impressed that I had such an ability, something he had not voluntarily given to me. I was sure we were thinking about the same thing. What else did he share with me that night so many years ago? I hesitated but in the end, I couldn’t hold back my own curiosity. I need answers.
“Dumbledore asked me to build a good relationship with Professor Slughorn. Albus needed that memory when you asked Slughorn about the Horcruxes. But he never mentioned I'm a Horcrux as well.”
“The old Horace... I should have killed him a long time ago." I shuddered for a moment as he spoke so lightly of someone else's death, but I didn't say anything. He didn't seem to be very bothered by the fact that Albus knew the secret of his immortality.
“You seem calm compared to that Dumbledore knows your secrets.”
“What can he do? Nothing. Now that I’ve learned about it, all I have to do is look for new places for my Horcruxes. And you, Potter, are no longer in his possession either.”
"Your arrogance is impressive." I said and snorted sarcastically when suddenly I got my hand to my throat. I had an uncomfortable, stifling feeling in my throat but I even couldn't cough. I just stared with fright at the dark wizard, whose gaze had now become just as cruel as I remembered.
“Watch your mouth when you talking to me! I don't have to kill you, but I can easily make you suffer. If I want.” The choking feeling finally disappeared, and I gasped for air. It was as the hand that had been clutching and holding me so far had suddenly let go of me, and I collapsed like a puppet. The scariest thing was how easily he did it without a wand, without words. Like if nothing had happened, and his mood was back the same again. Calm and stoic. None of us spoke until I finally found my voice again, a little hoarsely.
“The Horcruxes...really fragments of your soul? Split soul pieces?”
“Are we curious now? Yes, they are.” He answered so calmly… I was horrified, but at the same time, I wanted to know more about this. A piece of his soul was inside of me. “You know how to make a Horcrux, aren't you?”
“Yes, I wish I don't have to.” A Horcrux was an object in which a dark wizard or witch has hidden a fragment of his or her soul in order to become immortal. Horcruxes could only be created after committing murder. And he didn't have just one. I looked into his eye. “So this means that I'm immortal too? It's just so confusing, Dumbledore told me nothing.”
“Interesting thought. I don't know, at least not yet. But you got older over the years, your body aged. It seems you are a mortal. Creating a Horcrux you need a nonliving object. Putting your soul into a living thing is a stupid idea, because the living vessel can die. However, the soul fragment can go into another object if something happened to the original one.” He seemed collected and focused when he explaining to me how this works. That's surprised me.
“You are actually good about this. Explaining, like a professor.” He laughed, and he seemed amused by what I said.
“I asked Headmaster Dippet that I can get the post for the Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts class. But he refused because in his opinion I was too young. Years later Dumbledore does the same because he feard me”
“You. Wanted to become a professor?” I was shocked.
“I care about few things, but I have always been interested in magic. I created a curse, a jinx. A curse to the Defence Against the Dark Arts class to ensure that none of its applicants could hold their post for more than one year.”
“Oh. Be careful, or it turns out that you have humor.” If he becomes a professor, then maybe we not sitting here now. Maybe my parents would live and Tom not become Lord Voldemort. Or maybe not. It never turns out. A turned my gaze to the snake-like face when I asked quietly. “There are side-effects, does it? The more Horcruxes one creates, the less human they become, both emotionally and physically.”
“Vanity is a small price to pay to become immortal.” I didn't say anything more about that. Not only the outside could be distorted, but the soul itself. However, this was something I needless to prove to him and it would have made no sense to upset him again.
“The Sorting Hat wanted to assigned me into the Slytherin. When I found out that I was a witch so many people said to me that only dark mages come out Slytherin. I asked the Hat to put me in any other houses. Since then I often wonder if I really should have fit into Slytherin, or just because of the Horcrux?” I turned my gaze back to the man, who was now pulling his lips to an amused smile.
“Who knows... maybe none of it is true. Anyone can have the qualities of several houses at the same time. But isn't it a selfish and calculating thing to stand by my side, Alice Potter?” I shudder again when he said my name. It's not a bad feeling, he can say my name so differently, with a little hiss at the end of my name. Almost like a snake. I like it for some twisted reason. Then he got up with a sly smile on his face, and leave me alone in the salon. Instead of getting more answers, I had even more questions. With a sigh, I looked at the snake, which was still in the parlor.
“Nagini, do you want to talk with me?”
“Sss… fine, be it. But only because I have no better thing to do.” I rolled my eyes and put up with the fact that right now, even the company of the annoying snake was better than wandering in silence in the mansion again. Maybe she thinkt about the same thing because I only felt the urge twice in the next few hours to strangle her if she keeps talking. Apart from this, her company was quite bearable...