First Lessons
Callidora Nott woke with a sharp gasp.
For a moment she didn't know where she was.
Her heart pounded violently against her ribs and cold sweat clung to her skin. The nightmare still echoed in her mind; sometimes it was her mother's death replaying itself in cruel fragments, and sometimes it was something worse.
Her father standing over her.
His voice calm and proud.
You will serve the Dark Lord and bring honour to our family name, Callidora.
She sat up abruptly, pushing the damp strands of dark hair away from her face.
The dormitory around her was silent. Lucy and Stella were still asleep in their four-poster beds, their curtains drawn.
Calli slipped out of bed and pulled on her robe.
The stone floor of the Slytherin Common Room was cold beneath her feet as she stepped into the dim chamber.
The fire in the hearth had nearly died out, leaving only glowing embers.
Calli sank into a dark green armchair beside the tall windows that looked out into the depths of the Black Lake.
The water outside shimmered faintly in the early morning gloom.
The quiet was strangely comforting.
She listened to the lake water gently brushing against the enchanted glass.
After a few minutes, a huge shadow drifted past the window.
Calli leaned forward.
A massive tentacle floated lazily by.
"The Giant Squid." She murmured.
She wondered what other creatures lived in the dark water beyond the castle walls.
Merpeople.
Grindylows.
Perhaps things no one had ever seen.
The thought made her smile slightly.
By the time Calli returned to the dormitory, she felt calmer.
She showered quickly, dressed in her new Slytherin robes, and slipped quietly out before Lucy or Stella woke.
The corridors of Hogwarts Castle were still mostly empty when she reached the Great Hall.
Breakfast had just begun.
Only a few scattered students sat at the long house tables.
Calli walked to the far end of the Slytherin table and helped herself to toast and scrambled eggs.
She had almost finished when someone placed a piece of parchment directly in front of her face.
"Your schedule, Miss Nott."
Calli looked up.
Professor Severus Snape stood over her, his black robes hanging like shadows around him.
His expression, as usual, was unreadable.
"Thank you, Professor." Calli said politely, taking the parchment.
Snape lingered for a moment, his dark eyes studying her.
Then he swept away without another word.
Calli stared down at the schedule.
YOU ARE READING
Callidora ☆ Fred Weasley
FanfictionCallidora Nott has always known exactly what is expected of her. As the daughter of one of Britain's oldest pure-blood families, her future has already been carefully planned; alliances, power, and a life shaped by tradition she never chose. At home...
