"What do you want? "

 "It's been a long time sssssince I last sssspoke to your kind, I mean my old kind......."

"What do you mean...."

 "Let's go sssssomewhere private.... I don't want any other people eavesssssdropping."

 Skylar looked around to see if any one was watching. When she was sure no one was, she followed the snake into the forest. The snake slithered along the forest floor. The forest's trees were very young and it was not that large as the Forbidden Forest. But it was still quite dark on the forest ground. Up ahead, there was a clearing which had a small little cabin. It looked quite old. The snake slithered to the cabin and slithered into it under the door. Skylar opened the door and followed in. The floor had a thick layer of dust which would have been thicker if it was not for the snake slithering all over the place. The fireplace seemed as if it was not used for years.

 "You live here? "

 "Yesss and I'm Nagini."

 " I'm Skylar Tenebriser. Nagini, what did you mean when you said your old kind? "

 "I am what wizards call Maledictusssss. I'm ssssure you know what it issss? "

 "Er... no."

 "You do look young... I wasss a fine lady. Until I found out about this cursssse in my family... I am cursssed to live asss a sssnake forever. This cabin wassss not mine. I chassssed away the people who were living here. Then lived here ever sssince, eating the animalsss in the foressst to ssurvive. Never met or talked to any people ever ssssince then I met you and sssaw you sspeaking to me... in ssssnake language then I thought you might be OK to tell. You won't tell anyone will you? " she finished her sentence with a threatening hiss. Skylar knew that she was expected to keep the snake's words.

 "No I won't. Also, just so you know, I don't know if I can come and visit you."

 "It'ssss fine."

 "But I'll try to once in a while."

 "Thankssss."

 Skylar and Nagini stared at each other. Nagini's eyes were bright red with slits for pupils. She was green and almost as thick as Skylar's thigh. Nagini slithered onto Skylar's feet and up to her shoulders. Nagini's skin was hard and cold, making Skylar wince a little. But she would get used to this. It was an advantage to have these kind of friends. Nagini was looking at Skylar, scanning for something Skylar did not see.

 "You know Diana? "

 "Who? "

 "No, you look a lot like her but she wasss older..........."

 "Sorry, who are you talking about? "

 "Forget it."

 "If you say so."

 "You are different. Diana ussed to try and get everything out of me. Ssso I essscaped from her and before her, Mr Ssssskender with Credence."

 When she said that name Mr Skender, she did not try to hide her despise.

 Later, Skylar went out of the cabin. Now there was a thin smoke issuing from the chimney. Skylar had created fire for Nagini for the night. The sun was still hanging low so Aunt Bertha would not suspect anything.

 "Were you at the playground?" said Aunt Bertha when Skylar entered the house.

 "Yeah."

 "Come in, Skylar! The food's getting cold!" Marley said from the dining room.

 Skylar went in and ate with the rest of the family. She went to her room after that and laid down on her bed while the others were in the living room reading the Daily Prophet, the wizarding newspaper. Skylar spotted a picture on the floor. The picture had a woman who resembled Skylar very much except for the golden hair. Someone scribbled on the man with black hair. In between both of them was a little girl with elbow length wavy black hair which was made into two ponytails. They were all smiling. It could be told it was a Muggle photo because they were still, unlike the wizard photographs which were pretty much alive. Skylar suddenly ripped the part of the picture where there was the man and started ripping it into pieces. Elladora, who was sleeping in her cage under her wing, woke up, alarmed. Skylar then threw the pieces out of the window. She gave Elladora some owl nuts and said, "Should've done it years ago. I don't want a trace of that scum in my room. Unfortunately, his blood is flowing in my veins."

 The next day, Skylar set off towards the forest again. Waiting for her near the cabin was Nagini.

 "Been out to get a rat or sssomething," Nagini hissed.

 "Caught any? "

 "A big one."

 "Great. I wanna show you something."

 Skylar took out the photo she had ripped yesterday. Nagini looked at it curiously. Her big, unblinking eyes mostly on the little girl with ponytails.

 "You? "

 "And my mom. Yeah."

 "Where issss the other part? "

 "I don't want anything that has to do with that mistake of a father."

 Skylar looked at the picture. While Nagini was still looking at her younger self, Skylar looked at her mother. The young woman looked frail and weak and the smile had a sad feeling. It was like she had forced it for the picture. The older Skylar's wavy black hair barely made it to her shoulder. The younger Skylar looked like how any young girl would be like.

 "Ssssskylar, I sssaw thiss man at the houssse labelled number fourteen. He Tried to catch me yesterday. I think he wanted to kill me."

 "That little-!"

 "Be quiet, Ssskylar."

 Skylar had shouted out loud. Her face turned red with anger and fury. Smoke seemed to be issuing out of her ears. Her father lived in Number Fourteen. She wanted to get a hold of him but thought otherwise. She looked at the direction of Number Ten. Elladora had went to deliver a letter to Eileen. She looked up in the sky. The sky was cloudy as if it was going to rain with a few patches of sunlight. A slight breeze was there between the trees. Skylar liked these kind of days.