Serpent's Mouth

Chapter One

Blonde hair, green eyes, sickly skin. Her hair snaked down her back to her small waist. Her black coat contrasted with her pale skin. Phoeni sat in the corner of the boat quietly, her arms and legs crossed. To all around her, she looked cold and distant. And she was cold. But she was soaking up all around her. There was Conner Longbottom. Callisto Weasley. And there, laughing, was him. She knew that the moment she laid eyes on him. He was a duplicate of his grandfather, just like she looked like hers. He looked up. For a moment, their green eyes met. His vivid emerald with her pallid jade. He looked away. She didn't.

Harry Potter. She knew the stories as well as the next wizard. Maybe better. He lived. Married. Had children. His son had one son. Shawn.

They landed. Callisto's brown eyes were focused on Shawn.

"Callisto...the granddaughter of Ron," said Parnassus. Phoeni nodded. She knew. Could tell by the red hair, the freckles, the lankiness of the girl.

She rubbed her snake to her cheek. This snake had been hers for her entire life. It was a thin, sleek snake, with green diamonds running on its gray back. Its eyes were red. Flaming eyes that burned all day and night.

When she had been younger, Phoeni talked to her snake. People thought her crazy. So she noticed how the snake seemed to read her thoughts, and she read its. They talked telepathically. But she wasn't crazy. This snake was her friend. It was her friend. She called it Parnassus, which is the name of the caves the mighty snake Python lived in. Phoeni had an obsession of Greek myths.

As they seated themselves, Phoeni sat at the edge of the table closest to the Slytherins. She slouched. First day at school in a new school. She hated this.

She was hearing the names, but not listening to them. This was another problem with her. She didn't listen to people. She didn't do what people said. Her eyes were vacant. She saw right through everyone. She was looking, but not seeing. Hearing, but not listening.

"Conner Longbottom!"

She looked up when the clumsy little boy stumbled into the stool, and rolled her eyes when she heard, "GRYFFINDOR!"

"Phineas Malfoy!"

Her name. How she hated her name. Her family had had a history with embarrassing names, she had the worst. She hated it so much. Her name was Phoeni. No one called her otherwise. Her grandfather was Draco, which reminded her of Dragon. Her nickname, Phoeni, sounds like Phoenix. Her name was actually a guy's names. From a Greek legend. An evil Greek. But one thing she loved about it. The meaning. A wonderful meaning.

Serpent's mouth.

As she got up, sat there on the stool, she looked out. Shaun's eyes were looking right at her. She gave an evil smile.

The hat was too big for her. It drooped don, past her nose, leaving her in darkness.

Hello, Phineas, the Hat said.

Phoeni, she immediately thought. It was an instant reaction. It happened whenever someone called her Phineas.

Yes, Phoeni, it continued. From the Malfoy line. A Slytherin you want to be, I suppose?

Yes. Phoeni inwardly sighed. It shouldn't take this long. Malfoy, Slytherin. That's not so hard.

Can't you be different? Can't you be different?

Phoeni got worried. Never had it taken so long. She pleaded with the Hat, Please.

"SLYTHERIN!"

Phoeni smiled contentedly after she heard it and the following applause. As she pulled the hat from her head she head it whisper, Your folly.

She looked at the hat confusedly, wondering what it meant. Never had a Malfoy ever had to worry about belonging into another house. Never. Her family was evil. She was a master of the Dark Arts. She had practiced the Unforgivable Curses on insects when she was smaller. Her snake gave her a look. The look said, Stop worrying.

Yeah, Phoeni thought. It's over with, anyway.

As she sat, a bunch of Slytherins ran over and crowded her; a Malfoy was very important in that house. She looked above the heads of everyone, because she knew who was coming up next.

"Shawn Potter!"

He ran up excited. His jet black hair moved with his movement. His eyes were brilliant and vibrant, the color of Parnassus' back diamonds.

He sat on the stool, and put the hat firmly on his head.

Phoeni waited.

The sorting seemed to take forever. Phoeni glared at the hat. Why was it taking so long? Isn't that hard; all of the Potter line was Gryffindor, just like the Malfoys were Slytherin.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Phoeni relaxed. Shawn ran off to the House, which was cheering loudly. Phoeni crossed her arms. She knew where Callisto was going to go.

She was right. Callisto's sorting took very little time. Callisto blushed, walking to the table and sitting next to Shawn. He patted her on the back.

Phoeni's eyes blazed.

"Jealous?" asked Parnassus.

She glared at her talisman. Yeah, right.