Chapter 3
Harry hears the Basilisk
*In the last Chapter*
"I'm serious, you two, if you want to open a shop for wizarding pranks, jokes and toys, then I suggest you get your heads down and study more."
-Line Break-
Harry had detention with Minerva Mcgonagall and he was writing his lines quite happily when he heard it.
~Kill them, rip them, feast on their blood~
"What was that?" Harry whispered "Harry, what's the matter?" Minerva asked quietly
"I just heard a voice, it sounded more like hissing, I don't know, I swear I heard the voice" Minerva felt the young man's forehead.
"You don't have a temperature, would you like me to go with you to Poppy, just in case."
"Yes, please, has my detention finished now?" Minerva took Harry's Parchment and filed it away
"You have been punished enough not that you did deserve a detention in the first place. I think that Severus has a coronary every time you find yourself in a life-threatening situation." Harry nodded "I do understand now, he is just a little overprotective." Minerva sighed "Oh Harry, you will find most people are this way when they become parents."
"Shall we make our way there, then?" Harry nodded and picked up his book bag and his school robes before following his head of house to the Hogwarts infirmary.
As they walked through the corridor, Harry heard it again. ~Let me kill, let me rip~ "It's moving!" Harry shouted as he ran off "I think it's going to kill!" Harry ran off and followed the voice along the walls. "Harry, young man, no running" Minerva called after him and followed swiftly "It's stopped!" Minerva came to a halt when she spotted what Harry was staring at with utter horror. "It's Filches' cat, Mrs Norris, oh no!" Mrs Norris was hanging upside down on a wall-mounted candelabra and next to her was a message in blood *The Chamber of secrets has been opened, enemies of the heir beware!" Harry was crying as he buried his head in Minerva's robes
The Headmaster came around the corner and was already looking at the seemingly dead cat and the bloody message on the wall in shock. Then Argus filch turned the other corner where he spied his cat hanging upside down, he wailed, shocked at his seemingly dead cat. "Mrs Norris" he whispered, and he stared straight at Harry "You" he spat "murdered my cat." Filch went towards Harry in a threatening manner "I'll kill you, I'll kill ya!"
Severus appeared at that moment and moved quickly in front of Harry "If you ever threaten my son again, I will have you sacked so fast, your head will spin!" Severus hissed and then he clocked movement "And where were you, Lockhart, when this was happening?"
"I was signing my fan mail" the blonde fraudulent said in an arrogant manner. "Daddy!" Harry wailed in tears, and Severus picked up Harry in his arms. "It's okay, my boy, s' okay, shush now" Harry curled his fingers into his father's robes.
"You take Harry back to his bedroom, actually, it might be better to take him to Poppy first for a calming draught."
Minerva said gently.
"Thank you for not being too harsh on him, Minerva" The Deputy Headmistress faintly smiled in appreciation.
"Come on, Harry, I believe that is enough excitement for one night."
"Goodnight, Headmaster" Severus said quickly and Albus bid his potions master goodnight in return. Severus gave a warning look at Filch when he would not move aside. Filch saw the furious look and moved aside swiftly.
As Poppy did a medical scan with her wand over Harry, Lena rushed into the infirmary. "Albus told me what Harry saw in the dungeon, this evening, is he alright?"
"I think, with a little dreamless sleep and a calming draught, he'll be right as rain in the morning."
"That's good, I hear you gave Filch a look that would make milk curdle!" Lena chuckled. "Hmm, well that is my signature look." Severus drawled as the corners of his mouth lifted.
"Well, I'm glad to hear that Harry will be alright. Would you both like to join me for breakfast in my quarters this Saturday coming, I have a gift for Harry that will help his travelling"
"I would be delighted, Ms Rosario" Lena kept hold of Severus' hand and squeezed gently, then she brushed a light kiss on his cheek and virtually ran out of the hospital wing. Severus touched his cheek and faintly smiled.
"Severus, you can take Harry back to your quarters now. I doubt he will wake up and have horrid nightmares."
Severus lifted Harry into his arms and thanked Poppy quietly as he made his way down to his quarters where Dante was waiting for him. "What's wrong, Uncle Severus, is harry okay?" Severus shook his head as he put Harry into bed and flicked his wand, transfiguring his school robes into his pyjamas. As he kissed Harry's forehead, he felt his dark mark burn. "Ouch!" he cried out and gripped his left arm.
"Dante, would you be a good lad and watch Harry? I have to inform the headmaster of something important."
"No problem, Uncle Severus, but be quick, it's already past curfew."
"I will be as quick as I can" Dante settled in a chair and read his book as Severus made his way back to the Headmaster's office.
"Sherbet Lemon" he intoned at the Gargoyle who leapt aside for him and he took the stairs two at a time.
"Headmaster!" he shouted
"Severus! What's wrong"
"My dark mark is burning, this is impossible!" Albus grabbed his potion's master' left arm and pushed the sleeve up. "I can put a blocking spell on it." Albus retrieved the elder wand and waved his wand intricately
"Clipeum-Obscuras!" Albus intoned as he watched the mark became lighter and a blue shielding formed itself over the mark, the burning pain in Severus' arm ceased immediately
"I thought that the revenant of Voldemort was destroyed by Harry in the 'tween'" Severus said as he sat down heavily.
Albus was pacing again, clearly his thoughts were terribly troubled. "I suspect that was just a piece of Voldemort, a piece of his soul" Severus drew in a breath
"Headmaster. Are you saying what I think you are?" Albus spoke quietly. "I suspected it, that very night in 1981 when I saw the mark on Harry's forehead. I stopped the bleeding out of Harry's scar before I left him with the Dursley's"
Severus wanted to vomit and then he wanted to murder his employer in the bloodiest fashion. But Albus held his hand up to stall Severus' murderous thoughts. "However, I don't believe that Harry is a living Horcrux. I think he only has a fraction of Voldemort's soul within him that is very weak, it is only just clinging to Harry and can be removed by Gringotts magical chambers. Bill Weasley is a curse-breaker there and this must be achieved sooner or later. Can you make an appointment with Rag-nor, the bank's president?" Severus nodded sharply but he was still worried sick.
"I will do so, tomorrow, I will ask Sinistra to cover my classes"
"Yes, Severus and I will inform your other young man of your absence"
"Thank you, Headmaster" Severus stormed from the office
"Damned manipulative old codger!" Severus muttered and Albus smiled faintly "Don't I know it, too?"
-Line Break-
Harry woke up the next day and felt more awake after a good night's sleep but the smile on his face fell as he remembered what he heard and saw. He quickly schooled his face into something resembling a smile and decided to fake it till he made it. Severus knocked on Harry's bedroom door and Skull flew onto Severus' shoulder. "I heard it on the grapevine that bran-boy can hear Parcel-tongue"
"And where did you hear this, my pesky feather duster?" Severus asked with his usual snarky manner.
"Minerva was talking to the headmaster about Harry hearing the voice in the walls up until the caretaker's cat was found."
"Harry was very traumatised and distressed last night."
"He would be, does the headmaster have a theory?" Skull asked
"Yes, but until I speak to Curse-breaker Weasley, I am not at liberty to mention this."
Harry came out rubbing his eyes. "Hello, bran-boy" Skull crooned as he groomed Harry's hair. "Morning, Skull, morning, dad" Harry hugged Severus and sat down at their table as Severus prepared Harry's porridge and fruit. "Sit down, have some tea and your nutrient potion." Harry made a face "Ugh!" he hated that his dad couldn't make the nutrient potion taste nicer.
"Now, I have to go to Gringotts today to sort out a small weekly stipend for you to spend on activities days and the like. It's only a small amount but it's about time we sorted out an allowance. I will sort you out a special junior wizarding debit card that will have a 50 Galleon a week limit. And that depends heavily on our agreement that you don't put yourself into life-threatening situations, no stupid stunts on that broom, keeping your room reasonably tidy and picking up your laundry and disposing of it properly. Your homework is to be completed just before dinner time each night and you must eat properly." Severus looked at Harry and smiled slightly. "Now eat up and do well in your lessons." Harry nodded and came around the table to hug his dad who reciprocated quite happily.
"I will do my best, dad, I promise"
"Good, Minerva and Albus are keeping an eye on you in my stead, so behave yourself."
Harry left the table to have a wash in their adjoining bathroom and Severus smiled. "Keep an eye on my son, will you?"
"Two eyes, Severus, as often as I can"
Severus gathered his woollen cloak around him and kissed Harry's forehead as his adopted son brushed his teeth
-Line Break-
Severus arrived at Gringotts and immediately asked to speak to Curse-breaker Weasley.
"Severus, what are you doing here, good to see you, how is Harry doing?" The two men shook hands fondly.
"He's settling in and I think Dante is finding his way through things slowly."
"That's good, that's good, now, how can I help you?"
"May we go into your office, Bill, it is vital that this subject should not be spoken about in public" Severus said quietly.
"Yes, this way, would you like some coffee?"
The two men were in Bill Weasley's office for over an hour, by the time Severus had run out of steam and had vented his anger, Bill was pale and wanted to throw up "A living Horcrux, that poor little chap."
"Is there anyway we can remove that disgusting thing from my son's body without killing him?"
Severus asked seriously, and he held himself together even though he wanted to cry.
"There is a goblin ritual that can be performed, or the Department of mysteries may be able to expel the thing from Harry, everything is worth trying, Severus, I have a feeling you would give your last drop of blood to see that Harry was safe." Severus found himself agreeing with that immediate assessment.
"Can I meet with Harry and do a complete assessment?" Bill Weasley asked
"You should know that" Severus almost wondered whether to tell Bill "Harry is a natural Parcel-mouth?" Bill jumped up. "You are kidding me?"
"Unfortunately, not. He can hear snake language and he can speak it. Bill, what if the monster is a snake and the chamber of secrets is real? I'm frozen with terror for my son's life, health and wellbeing and that is not just because he has such a curious nature. There have been times when I have wanted to quit Hogwarts altogether."
A/N What if Severus is petrified by the basilisk?