I am doing some minor editing in preparation for the new update. I started this fic a long time ago, and have every intention of completing it. I fixed some errors and a new chapter will be out by next week.
To any new viewer, I hope you enjoy, I will be continuing this. Feel free to follow and review.
Disclaimer. I do not own Harry Potter, I simply enjoy the places my !mind takes me.
"The world of men is dreaming, it has gone mad in its sleep, and a snake is strangling it, but it can't wake up."
David Herbert Lawrence
"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing."
Helen Keller
"Having a gifted child is like being given the most powerful computer but no manual. You are afraid that you might break it..."
Anonymous
A year had passed since young Harry learned of his ability as a parstlemouth. The snake Harry first encountered turned out to be a young Boa Constrictor, it decided to stick around the manor after finding out that a speaker lived their. Harry decided to name the snake, who turned out to be male, Tartarus. The raven often helped the snake catch mice, he also gave Tartarus food from the kitchens to keep him happy. Harry and the snake grew to be quite close. He watched the boy as he leaned knew spells, and put in his own input for Harry. It helped that the snake was quite used to the magical world and it's settings, for a snake, Tartarus knew an awful lot about magic. Harry smartly kept Tartarus, and his ability to talk to the snake, a secret. know one need ever know of his most precious gift, or anything else for that matter.
It was mid-December and Christmas was soon approaching. Harry was now seven years old, everyone still believed him to be nothing more than ordinary, and he still masterfully acted out the part. The raven hated having to pretend, but he knew it was for the best. It was hard to pretend, however, when his parents were going to make him go to the up-coming Ministry Yule Ball. Harry learned over the years that he did not like large crowds, and he absolutely loathed Ministry parties. Harry had no choice in the matter, though. Being the head auror, James Potter was required to attend, and it was only natural that his wife and son attend with him. If they did not, it would raise questions.
Harry was currently with his parents visiting Madam Malkin's, Lily insisted that they all needed a new outfit for the Yule Ball. This only succeeded in annoying Harry further, for he knew that there was no way in hell that he was going to escape having to go. He hated it! He was happy to be getting new robes, for he always did like looking his best, but he just didn't want to go.
"Do I have to go~!?" Whined Harry in an awfully childish manner, he hated acting such a way, but he had to.
"For the hundredth time Harry, yes we have to go. Now I am tired of this whining, I know you don't want to go, but you have no choice in the matter." Said Lily in exasperation, she sounded the way the young raven felt. Honestly, all of this acting could not be good for him, it was tiring. The seven-year old could normally get what he wanted by putting a pout on is face, and whining childishly with puppy-dog-eyes. It didn't seem to be working to well today, though. He decided to give up, it was important that his family intend the stupid ball, so he would just have to put up with it.
Harry only wore the best of clothes, neither he nor his parents would have it any other way, so it was not surprising that Harry picked out the most elegantly beautiful dress robes. They were made of the riches silk, which was colored a deep ebony black with a beautiful, emerald green, patterned trimming. The emerald green brought out Harry's eye's perfectly. They were expensive, highly so, but price didn't matter. Lily and James Potter were not the type to just throw around, or flaunt, their money, but that did not mean that the bought anything less than the best of clothing and items. Lily and James both chose their outfits, and when they had all that they needed, they paid for all three of the outfits.
After a little extra shopping in Diagon Alley, they returned to Potter Manor. Lily had one of their house elf's', Tiffy, put their purchased item away. Harry headed out to the snow filled grounds surrounding Potter Manor with one of the many books that he took from the library. When Harry was far enough away from the house, he began his search for Tartarus.
"Tar! Where are you?" The raven shouted out in parstlemouth. "Tartarusss! I know you are out here, ssstop hiding." Called the boy again after getting no reply the first time he called out for the snake.
"Sssstupid boy! You ssscared off the miccce I wassss about to eat for lunch!" Hissed the snake as he crawled out from some bushes, he had his fangs bared into what Harry thought to be a sneer.
"I apologizzze Tar, I wasss not aware that you were in the middle of a hunt. I will find you more micccce to eat later." Harry looked rather amused at the disgruntle snake.
"Yesss you will. Are the humansss ssstil trying to make you go to the Yule Ball?" The seven-year old nodded solemnly to the snake as an answer to his question. Tartarus hissed out is ditaste at Harry's answer. "You ssshhould not allow them to tell you what to do. You, my little ssspeaker, are above them. If you do not wish to go, you ssshhould not have to."
Harry Sighed. "I know Tar, I know. I will ssshow them one day, when it issss time, I will reveal my true powersss. For now, though, let usss practiccce. In a few yearsss I will begin Hogwartsss, that isss when I will gain more freedom to do asss I pleassse."
The snake wanted to press on, he wanted to tell Harry that he need not wait, but Tartarus knew that it was for the best that his master wait. "Yesss...let usss practiccce for now..."
Harry simply nodded and opened the book he had brought out with him, the book was a book on defensive and offensive curses written in Latin. This did not pose as a problem for Harry, since the seven-year old had long ago learned the ancient language.
He was mid-way through the book, and had been- with the help of Tartarus- practicing the difficult curses within wandlessly and wordlessly. These curses were almost as old as the language that they were written in, and were not commonly known or practiced in today's society. The curses within were light, dark, and grey spells. Most of them leaned more towards grey and dark so, even though they were mostly unknown spells, may of them were considered illegal. There was no way that Harry could cast most of these spells with a wand without ending up in Azkaban. Meaning, Harry was incredibly lucky to have such special and rare magical gifts as being able to do magic wandlessly and wordlessly.
Mid-December quickly turned into Christmas Eve, the day of the Yule Ball at the Ministry. This day brought nothing but agonizing misery to Harry, every second would bring him closer to the time that he would have to be stuck in a crowd of Ministry snobs. Of course his parents would send him off to Play with some of the other children that would be there. The though sickened him, he would probably have to spend the whole night entertaining the younger Weasley children and Neville Longbottom, his supposed friends. He was not looking forward to this, because simply put, he hated them.
Neville was still pretty stupid, but he had managed to some how see through Harry's act. He kept quiet about the power he knew Harry wielded, but the stupid immature boy acted terrified of Harry. Ron and his sister Ginny annoyed him to no end, they were so obsessed with Neville. This made them villainies Harry due to Neville's fear of the supposedly ordinary boy. They were all so immature and stupid, they called him a bully because of The-Boy-Who-lived' s irrational fear. Neville told them to leave him alone, so they always backed down, but they were just so stupid. Harry could not stand them. It was amazing that, for the most part, his act of "playing nice" stayed up around them. They played right back, but just because Neville told them, too. Luckily, Ron and Ginny could not see through his act. Only Neville could, and he would stay quiet.
A knock to his bedroom door made the seven-year old realize that it was time for the Ministry Yule Ball. He was not looking forward to this at all.
