His Mark
[Knowledge is Power]

2nd September 2016
Friday

Aileen

I open my eyes, just to quickly close them again, as the sunlight almost robbed me off my sight.

My head feels like it's been split in two, and I have no idea where I am..., I thought to myself, trying to reach the mind link I shared with Momo without success.

I slowly opened my eyes again, shielding them from the sun's' rays of death, and looked around confused.

''Hospital wing.'' I groaned annoyed.

I remember a girl with gold flecked hazel eyes, telling me to get changed into my robes because we were about to arrive at Hogwarts.

''Cordelia...Cordelia...'' I muttered.
She didn't tell me her surname...

By know half of Hogwarts must know who I am, that girl wouldn't shut up.

I remember glancing at her from the corner of my eye whilst she was mumbling some nonsense, she could be really cute if she learnt when to keep her mouth shut.

Let's just hope that I don't end up in the same house as little-miss-talk-a-lot. I remember having mumbled to Momo, who for some reason seemed really interested in her bracelet.

I went to the bathroom to get changed after that, and started to feel a stabbing sensation where my chain rested upon my chest.
The pain seemed to be growing stronger the closer we got to Hogwarts, then all of a sudden I felt as if someone had pierced my heart with a knife and everything went black.

I wonder how long I've been out for.
And what about the sorting?

''Lets just hope that nobody saw me faint.'' I sighed annoyed and sat up on the bed.

''Should I check if you're under any sort of spell, seeing as you have started talking to yourself Mr. Vauxhall?'' Said a female voice entering the Hospital Wing, carrying a tray with coloured flasks on it.

Well, I had been wondering where the nurse was...

''I've given you a potion since you were somewhat dehydrated, although that doesn't really explain why you fainted all of a sudden..." The nurse said whilst looking intently at me.

"The Headmaster has arranged a separate sorting for you, seeing as you have been unconscious for the sorting and half of today's classes, he did tell me to send you to his office as soon as you wake up- but I wouldn't want to send you away without figuring out what's wrong with you first... I already sent word to the Headmaster that you'll see him once the sleeping potion that I'm giving you now wears off, which should be sometime after dinner.''

I missed the sorting, yesterday's dinner, all of this mornings classes, and this woman is telling me that I won't be taking part in the afternoons classes as well?!
This just keeps getting better and better.

''My grades... Are my grades going to suffer from this?'' I muttered to myself, and downed the potion the nurse had just placed on the bedside table which sent me right back into dream land.

****

Cordelia

I downed my goblet of pumpkin juice with as much vigor as a depressed drunk.

Eager to escape the rabble of my table, I quickly swallowed my last mouthful of mince pie before moving myself out from the seats. I didn't enjoy luncheon-being in solitude was beneficial when one was in class, but in lunch and interval it was walking into the territory of lions without a herd to back you up.

To my surprise, no one tried to devour me for being a Yaxley.
I guess because most Slytherins had Death Eater connections too, and the fact that my brother was a Prefect helped as well.
Still, no one paid attention to the shy, awkward girl who refused to participate in any social activities, which was both a blessing and a curse.

For the millionth time, my mind was cast over to my heroic moment, where I dragged the unconscious Aileen from the moving train, jumping off just five seconds after the train left like a muggle action movie.
I had to drag him up to the castle too...my arms started to throb painfully at the memory.
I had almost wept in relief when the Deputy Headmaster had taken Aileen from my arms and sent him to the hospital wing, wherever that was.

You would of thought that that act of kindness and bravery would get me into Hufflepuff or even Gryffindor, but nooo I was placed...in Slytherin.

How I could be classified as a Slytherin was beyond my comprehension.
I wasn't overly ambitious or cunning (the thought of me making evil plans was laughable,they'll catch me planning out my first evil thought because I was as easy to read as a picture book). Maybe the Sorting Hat was feeling a little tipsy when it sorted me. Or he confused me with another kid.

I pushed away my plate and began my lonely journey to the library, wanting to start on my Transfiguration homework.
I already know most of theory behind the spell, it was only the matter of projecting the magic using a wand.
Class was easy for me...thanks to my mother, who taught me as much magic as she could without me using a wand.
I guess she wanted me to do extremely well in my studies, so my results could overcome my employers prejudice against my father's name.

I cast my eyes at the direction of the hospital wing.
Aileen must still be in there, seeing that I haven't seen him in any of my classes. Since I wasn't planning to do anything apart from homework after classes, I guess it would be prudent to visit Aileen.

****

After lessons had finished, I found myself asking three ghosts and a prefect to direct me to the hospital wing.
I stood outside the door, panting to catch my breath as I probably ran half a mile to get here.

And why is that?, asked the snide, Sorting Hat-like voice.

I ignored the voice and pushed the door open, timidly peeking my head out.

I walked cautiously across the room, my eyes darting for an occupied bed or the nurse.
My eyes lit up at the glint of scarlet among the white sheets.

Curiosity began to reel me in towards him, and as I walked towards him in a trance-like state, I noticed a thin scratch marring his left cheek,probably from when he fell.
That wasn't what baited me in, rather the faint, green apparition that took the form of a skull with a snake protruding from it's mouth.
It glowed from inside him, like a skull-shaped glow worm was lighting it's bulb inside him.

I blinked, and when I looked again, the skull was gone like the glow worm had lost it's bulb.

I gaped at him, reason, logic and complete shock grappling with each other in a whirling tornado.
As my eyes ran over his face, trying to find some evidence of the skull and serpent, I realised that something was amiss.

His scratch was gone. Poof.

"Excuse me, are you alright?"A kind voice startled me from my buzzing sea of thoughts.
"Oh...yes! I'm just visiting Aileen here.." My voice trailed off like an awkward turtle digging it's trail of shame.
"I, um found him unconscious on the train."
"Oh! Thank you very much for that, Miss..."
"Cordelia"
"Cordelia? Miss Cordelia?"
"My surname is Yaxley. Cordelia Yaxley."

I waited for the standard look of horror and disgust, but fortunately the name didn't connect any rusty wires in her head.

"Well, Miss Yaxley, Aileen is stable, though we don't know why he fainted. Could you give me any details?"
"I found him lying on the bathroom floor,passed out. Ummm.."
I considered telling her about the scratch but since it disappeared...

"And I guess you know the rest..."
"Oh, alright. Please be gentle with him, Miss Yaxley."

I muttered an assurance to her and waited for her to turn her back before I pulled a chair over to sit by the sleeping Aileen.

I let my eyes wander around his face, searching for any anomaly. How could a scratch just....disappear like that?
Why couldn't my pimples do that?
Disappear when a skull and snake flashed green on my face?

A green skull and snake...

Suddenly an image flashed into my mind.
A faded, blackened mark on my father's forearm in the shape of a skull and a serpent, forever branded like a slave mark.

The many and new history books depicting the symbol of the death, of murder, of a group that stood for power hungry and proud...

The Death Eaters.

No.. that's impossible!
How can it be?

I stared down at him with (what I imagine) an intensity that could burn holes into walls.

He looks so innocent and he's only eleven or so... how could someone so young be related to the personification of absolute destruction and evil?

Well, there is me with my father... but there was something unearthly about how it healed him, as if he was under its protection.... like a mother bandaging her son...

Crud.... he couldn't possibly be working for the Death Eaters?
My logic side was slapping me with a more-than-healthy dose of common sense- I mean, the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord are nothing more than a blot of darkness and despair in the history books.

He's only eleven for God's sake!
No, I must be wrong.

But...the Dark Mark flashed over his face. He obviously had a connection with the Dark Lord that was more perverse than mine, stranger and deeper...

With a nasty start I took notice of my finger playing with a curly, red strand of hair.
"Oh Merlin! S-sorry...I didn't mean it..oh god".
I'm sure the act of staring at someone while they're sleeping while playing with their hair was listed under the creepy vampire section.

As I scrambled to the door with flaming cheeks, I prayed to the high heavens that the nurse wasn't watching.

_________________________

A/N:

Hillo (:

Don't forget to check out lady_nyx (my co-writer's) stories on her profile!(:

Also, in case some of you haven't noticed I've added The Serpent's Desires the story of Haylee Rosier and Tom Riddle to The Serpent's Teeth. The story takes place seconds after Hazel goes back to her time and contains a few scenes in Toms PoV, so you might want to check it out(:

Much love
Jamz