Heiress

Chapter 1: New Life

I woke up with a start. It was the same nightmare I had every day. I groaned knowing that once I woke up I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep. I stepped out of bed and yawned while stretching my arms. My white nightdress gave me the appearance of a ghost as I walked toward the  window and yanked the peach colored cloth curtains back. Not that it made much of a difference anyway. The curtains were really thin and allowed light to filter through them easily.

I grabbed my clothes and went toward the bathroom I shared with the other girls. I locked myself in a stall and began to change. Five minutes later, I walked out of the bathroom with my face washed, tooth brushed, and clothes changed.

I wore a forest green hoodie and black leggings. I sat on my bed, put on my socks, and slid my feet into my sneakers. They were getting a bit tight. I'll have to ask Ms. Rudmer, our keeper, for a new pair of shoes. I cautiously opened the window. 

I smiled in excitement and anticipation. I was going to the library, as I did every morning. Of course Ms. Rudmer would have a fit if she knew I was sneaking out of the orphanage every morning to go read. Luckily, she wouldn't have believed it because there were hall monitors and there was no way to get out of the building. Except for the window. 

There was a tree that grew just outside the window that provided a way to the library. But there were some risks. I slept on the 3rd (and highest) floor, so if I fell (Ouch! I really don't want to think about that...) Ms Rudmer would kill me, bring me back alive and kill me again (the woman was really stingy and greedy, she took most of the charity donations for herself). Another risk was that someone would spot me and then that would be the end to my library visits.

I got onto the window sill and then, the roof. I left the window open so I could get back into the orphanage. Hopping onto a nearby branch provided some challenge, but I managed to do it without any injuries (as always, *smirk*). As I climbed down the tree, I smiled. My name, Viper, really suited me because 1) I always get out of sticky situations, 2) my physical appearance gave the impression "Don't mess with me," due to my emerald eyes and raven colored hair, and 3) I climbed trees really well. As soon as my feet touched the ground, I set off for the library at a brisk pace, pulling my hoodie to cover my face.

As I started up the library steps I heard a small hiss. I looked down and saw a green snake with red stripes along its side. It looked as big as my arm.

"Hello, my name is Nagina," hissed the snake.

"Um, hello Nagina, my name is Viper," I said cautiously.

"Do you have any food? I am hungry, the food here is ssssssscarce," replied the snake.

"Um, no but if you come with me I can try and feed you my portion of food from the orphanage," I said. 

"Okay," hissed Nagina as I put my hand down on the ground. She slid onto my arm. I put her into my hoodie's pocket, and started walking back to the orphanage. But not before I saw Ms. Rumire, the librarian, talking to another woman who waved a stick and conjured something up from thin air.

When we arrived at the orphanage, I quickly climbed up the tree to my bedroom. I tied my hair into a pony tail and let Nagina slither under the bed. I started to pick some leaves off of me as Nagina hissed "You climb very well Viper, you climb jussssst like me,"

I smiled "Surely you climb faster and better than me Nagina,"

"No, you climb jusssst like your name," Nagina insisted.

"That reminds me, what type of snake are you?" I asked curiously.

"I'm a trimeresurus salazar," replied Nagina.

"Well here's some bread, I know you probably don't eat it, but I save the bread from my food for whenever I get hungry," I said "Eat all you want,"

"I think I can stomach the bread,"  answered Nagina.

 I was just about to reply when my bedroom door opened. Standing in the doorway was a man with silver hair and Ms. Rudmer. Nagina grabbed the bread and dove under my bed.

"I'll leave you to talk then," said Ms. Rudmer as she exited the room. The man closed the door  and pointed something at the door.

"There, now no one will hear our conversation or burst in on us. On to buisiness, Ms. Raven, you are a witch. I am Headmaster Dumbledore. You will be attending Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry tomorrow. Hogwarts is a boarding school and I am headmaster there. You will get there by going to King's Cross and getting onto Platform Nine and Three Quarters since school begins tomorrow. I will take you to get supplies in Diagon Alley today. You may return back to the orphanage during breaks and you will return for the summer." said the professor as he sat down on a chair.

"Hogwarts? Nine and Three Quarters? Diagon Alley? You're joking right? And if you aren't why are you coming to tell me the day before school starts? And what is the stick thing you are holding? And magic isn't real right? And are you a figment of my imagination? Are you sure you shouldn't be in a asylum for mental people? Are you sure you're talking to the right person? Am I dreaming?" I questioned him.

"I am not joking, the uh, letter must have gotten lost, the 'stick' is a wand, magic is real, I'm not a figment of your imagination, yes I am sure I shouldn't be in an asylum, I am sure I'm talking to the right person, and you are not dreaming." said Professor Dumbledore.

"Okay," I said slowly "so I am a witch and I am going to Hogwarts to learn magic. You will bring me to Diagon Alley to get my supplies for Hogwarts, the stick is a wand, magic is 100% real, and I'm not dreaming,"

"Yes, I believe I have a spare supply list somewhere," muttered the Professor as he started to search his pockets. "Ah ha! Found it! Now please come with me to Diagon Alley to get your supplies." replied the professor standing up.

"Now?" I cried "What about breakfast? And how do I know you're not a lunatic? What if you're a serial killer or an assassin?"

 Professor Dumbledore looked at me through his half-moon glasses "I will buy you breakfast, I'm pretty sure I'm not a lunatic, a serial killer, or a assassin."

"Okay then Professor although this is a weird dream" I remarked as I opened the door and walked through the hallways. 

"It's not a dream," said Dumbledore sounding exasperated.

We walked out of the orphanage and went to take the London Underground to get to Diagon Alley. When we arrived at our stop, we got out, and walked up the stairs. When we got out we walked for quite a bit until we arrived in front of a place called the Leaky Cauldron. 

When we entered the building a man came bustling over "The usual Albus?"

"Sorry Tom not today, I'm helping a new student get her supplies. Her owl got lost. But could you get us some breakfast? Ms. Raven here didn't eat breakfast yet," said Professor Dumbledore.

"An owl getting lost? That's a first, but what do you want for your breakfast,?" said Tom.

"Can I have some pancakes?" I asked timidly.

"Absolutely!" said Tom and he walked away.

He soon returned with a plate of three fluffy buttermilk pancakes, crisp bacon and link sausage with butter croissant. 

Wow, I thought This breakfast looks delicious!

"Sit anywhere you want," said Tom and Dumbledore quickly paid him with some silver coins.

When I was finished with breakfast, we walked to a rear courtyard and Professor Dumbledore tapped a brick in the wall with his wand. "Remember, three bricks above the trash can and two across, tap the brick three times to get into Diagon Alley Ms. Raven," said Professor Dumbledore as an archway started to appear. 

Author's Note

I just want to clarify Viper doesn't know if she is speaking Parseltongue or not.