Harry was bored, but trying desperately not to show it. If the Dursleys saw that be was bored, they might think that he would decide to blow up one of the zoo animals, just for fun, or something. However, Dudley seemed to be just as bored with the snail exhibit as he was and Harry had to follow along as Dudley started dragging Uncle Vernon to the reptile house. Honestly, though Harry was tired of following the Dursleys around the zoo, he was still very glad to just be out of Privet Drive, besides going to school. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia never allowed him to go with them when they went somewhere fun. The last time he could remember them doing so, the simple trip to a theme park had turned disastrous when a man wearing dark clothes and sunglasses offered Harry a ride in his van. Harry knew now that the man was trying to kidnap him, but he sometimes wondered what would have happened if he had gone with the man, especially since Aunt Petunia had a sour look on her face when the nice security guard brought him to her. She probably had wanted him to go. Then again, that might be a point against going.
Harry was able to get away from Dudley's presence once they entered the reptile house and still be within sight. Dudley was with his friend Piers over by the chameleons, so Harry headed over to the snakes. One in particular fascinated him. The snake was quite large and some malicious part of his mind wondered if the snake could be ordered to eat people, specifically certain obese relatives of Harry's. The snake was basking in the glow of his heat lamp and looked very relaxed at the moment. Harry found himself becoming increasingly jealous of the snake's lazy lifestyle.
"I kind of wish I was a snake right now." Harry muttered, partially to himself and partially to the elegant creature before him. "It's so much work trying to fit in with humans." The snake slowly raised his head and faced Harry.
"Huh. I thought you were asleep."
"Well, it's kind of rude to sleep when people are talking to you."
Anyone else might have run away screaming, but Harry was used to strange and "freakish" things happening around him.
"Do you talk to people often?"
"No. You're the first human I've met who speaks my language."
"What do you mean?"
"Most humans speak their own language with sounds only they can make. I've never heard a human make snake sounds, though."
"Really? I didn't know I'm speaking in your language. It sounds like English to me." Harry pondered this for a moment before deciding it wasn't important and just added it to his ever increasing mental list of freakish things he has done.
"You're from Brazil, aren't you? Was it nice there? Do you miss your family?"
The snake looked mildly amused at all the questions, at least, as amused as a snake can look. He shook his head in response and pointed to the sign by the side of the cage with his tail.
Bred In Captivity. Harry deflated slightly.
"Oh. I'm sorry. That's the same for me as well. I never knew my family either."
Harry was about to continue talking with his new friend, but he unfortunately didn't notice his cousin coming behind him. Dudley had looked over at him to see if he could tease him a bit, but rushed over with Piers when he saw that Harry was with the biggest snake he ever seen and they were looking at each other. He pushed Harry aside in order to get a better look at the huge animal.
Harry hit the ground with a wince and rolled onto his side to try to get up. He heard the snake hiss indignantly and looked up to see Dudley press his ugly face against the glass of the cage. Harry felt hot with anger and humiliation. Every time he made a friend or actually showed interest in something, Dudley had to ruin it. He glared with as much malice as his eleven-year-old self could manage and wished that Dudley could be the one overpowered and frightened, just once.
To Harry's shock, and no small amount of glee, the glass wall Dudley was pressed against vanished, leaving him unbalanced enough to topple forward. Dudley fell into the cage and immediately started thrashing about. Piers stood, looking on in increasing horror. The other tourists started to take notice and one woman screamed when the giant snake slithered out and onto the floor of the exhibit.
Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia shoved their way past the frantic tourists in order to reach their sobbing son. Petunia dropped her purse and clawed at the re-appeared glass as if to break it while Vernon searched for a door to the cage. Harry took his chance to escape and ran through the open door his reptilian friend had left by.
Harry was frantic. It had happened again. He had done something freakish and Uncle Vernon would punish him, as usual. If he found out, that was. There were times that Harry had been able to hide such accidents from his relatives, usually if they were asleep or not there. But, this time, there was no way of hiding it. The only thing he could do was... hide himself.
"Wait for me!" Harry panted as he crashed into the cluster of trees and bushes outside. He saw the snake pause and look back.
"I want to go with you."
To Be Continued?
AN: Honestly, I don't have a plan for this story and I don't know where it's going. I thought of the whole "Harry runs away with the snake from the zoo" idea, which I am genuinely surprised that I haven't seen before, but I have no real ideas of what would happen next. My first thought was that they would end up in Brazil, but then I found out that the snake actually becomes what we know as Nagini, and that both complicates thing and makes it so much cooler. There are a lot of possibilities with it, but I don't think I'm going to write more. If anyone wants to continue it or write there own version, they are welcome to do so. Just credit me where credit is due and send me a link.