Chapter 8. The troubles of Cats and Snakes.

Morning came much too quickly for Sal's liking. It felt like he had only just gotten to sleep five minutes ago and already Theo was jumping on the end of his bed trying to rouse him. Out of all the boys in the Grims, Theo was the least mature, the kid was a terror. Sal was positive that it was only because he, Sal, was leading Slytherin House, if he wasn't sorted there or didn't have the pull he did, Theo wouldn't be acting his age. He would behave just as any pureblood boy should, proper and prim. But that just wasn't the case, Sal was in charge, basically, of the house and that meant that most of the things that the Grims got up to were overlooked.

And Sal knew that it wouldn't last.

For some reason he just knew that his fellow snakes were waiting for the right moment to test him, to see if they should take over or if he could handle it. Now as to what they really wanted, Sal didn't know. They may want a new Dark Lord or they may think him the chosen to bring the old one back. Whichever the case, Sal was in the middle of it and unfortunately, his good luck ran out at noon on Tuesday...today.

No classes were scheduled for that day and Sal had finished all of his homework, much to the dismay of a few of his comrades, who hadn't even started on theirs. Breakfast was a fast affair for Sal and Draco, the both of them were eager to explore more of the castle and no one was going to stop them from enjoying the one day they had free of class, homework, annoying Professors and irritating classmates. Plus, Draco wanted to find Hermione and ask her a few things about his work, cheating in Sal's opinion, but of course the blonde would do what he wanted.

"You know, if anyone found out that you were having Runs-With-Snakes check your work-"

"No one will know if you don't say anything about it Chantt. Besides, she is a Mudblood, we aren't even suppose to be looking at her, let alone talking to her...If you insist she be apart of this alliance and force us to accept her as being at least close to us if not equal, then we have the right to exploit this relationship" Draco spat, looking right at Sal with his piercing greyish eyes.

Today had not started off great for Sal and it seemed that it was only going to get worse. For example, everything he said offended his friends in one way or another and they were a hard bunch to offend normally, though he had only really known them for a grand total of two days so normally might not be the right word. Perhaps they were on their best behavior before so that they could befriend him and now their true colors were shining through. Or it was a test to see how far they could push him. Well, Draco was pushing Sal's buttons and today Sal felt like using one of his father's gifts to him instead of just bottling it up. Everyone who had known Tom at all knew he had a temper and knew he could hide it well, pretending to be fine and then just explode when they least expected it.

Sal was like that, and Sal was also one who didn't take to making true friends very quickly, it was hard to earn his trust and even harder to keep it. Draco was on the verge of damaging his relationship with Sal, who took his father's thoughts on loyalty way too seriously.

"And really, you should be more like a Slytherin instead of this Hufflepuff nonsense of being friends with people like her...I think you may have been sorted in the wrong house.."

"Really?" Sal's voice was like ice, yet it had a soft, almost alluring effect.

There was a short moment of silence between the friends, where Draco kept his mouth shut, thinking that perhaps he had gone too far this time, for he felt that strange suffocating sensation that his father had warned him about when he was in the presence of the Dark Lord. The one that stated the clear fact; you stepped over that fine line and now you will suffer the consequences. But there was also that little bit of Draco's brain that reminded him that Sal was just eleven and was probably used to getting his way or being coddled, so he would expect others to cave easily under pressure. Well Draco wasn't going to give up that quickly...and so he pressed on.

"Yes, really. You are much too weak, you keep making new friends and looking all hurt when people don't play nice with these new friends. You force others onto your true friends, the Grims, who are suppose to be an army in the making, not some fan club. You're also not cold enough, not sly enough, people can read you like a book. I think all that coddling you got back home has messed you up-"

"Oh and you would know all about my being coddled now wouldn't you?" he snapped, his tone was becoming hard and vicious. "How would you like to meet my coddling Aunt? How would you like to spend a day or two under her rule, being a house elf for her and her family? Working without food for days or trips to the loo for hours and hours on end?"

He kept his voice down, but the heat was rising on his face as he stood up from his seat. All eyes from Slytherin house were now focused on Sal's rant, some were amused that he cracked, other were terrified at how much he did look like his father when his top blew. Sal's words were coming out rushed now, in a whisper that only Draco, Neville and Theo could hear, but his words didn't lose their power even though Sal was close to actually losing it.

"You know nothing of where I come from Malfoy, you with your doting parents and tons of money, willing servants and lifelong friends. I come from the other side, the side where you are seen as filth, cared for very little or only have one ally who can only provide for you the basics in small amounts or else risk being exposed as the traitor to the rest of them that they are. True I have money now and at least an Uncle who will care for me, but my young life has always been full of wants and needs, wants and needs that I either didn't get or was too far gone when I finally got them to really enjoy it."

Neville shifted uncomfortably next to Draco, who was pale and was steadily sinking into his seat, shoulders slumping with each of Sal's well placed words. The rest of the house were leaning in, looking shocked at what they learned and one even sent a pleading look up at the Staff table to summon Snape down to deal with the angry young man before things got really ugly.

"Yes, my being coddled has messed me up, so please, do forgive me if I wish to make things work for me for once instead of working for others while I ssssuffer."

Sal suddenly stepped over the bench and whipped away from the table with that parting hiss. But stopped just short of the end of the table so that he could turn around and state to the whole of Slytherin, though anybody else could hear it too if they were listening instead of talking among themselves, like Potter and Weasley...Well, the whole of Gryffindor table really. Sal was looking calm again, his eyes were the only thing that gave away the fact that he was furious; they were red with slitted pupils.

"You really shouldn't judge a book by its cover, if you do, then you dismiss the knowledge it holds within. If you chose to read the pages, yet not really absorb what you read, then it would be the same as if you had chosen to ignore the book altogether"

His eyes started to roam the house tables slowly, as if imprinting his words into the minds of those who were listening and finally made it to the Staff table where all of the Professors were sitting, watching him intently like hawks waiting for their prey to start running, or in Sal's case, cursing anything that breathed into oblivion.

"One should never turn away those who seek them for guidance, a job or friendship, for you may not be friends with the one they turn to if you cast them aside, or like who they become if they have no one to go to. And if the one you cast aside holds skills and power...I'll let you figure out where that leaves you in the end."

His tone was still the same controlled coldness as it was when he started this little one way conversation, but his eyes had reverted to his normal teal-ish silver; which Hermione had said looked like teal tinted chrome. Sal turned toward the doors with a fluid motion and in a blink of an eye he was gone.

Before anyone could say a word he had left the hall in a flurry of shadows, an angry serpent following in his wake, casting looks behind her that the other humans couldn't understand. Sal's well controlled outburst had shaken most of the Great Hall's inhabitants. The Staff were worried that someone had finally pushed too hard and now they had Tom Riddle all over again, the Students were worried that this new Dark Lord was going to start killing people now instead of just staring at them and whispering.

The Slytherins all sat silently together, looking nowhere but ahead of them at their food. They didn't speak to one another for the rest of the meal; all minds were on one subject, was it wise to push him? Yes he had proven that he wasn't weak, he didn't really crack or brake down, no he had simply told them off as if unable to shed tears. Maybe he had cried them all out ages ago or maybe he was like Tom in that he couldn't cry, couldn't love...Couldn't care at all.

Albus sat next to Minerva and Severus, who were sharing a rare conversation between the two of them as they both stood up to leave. The Headmaster didn't hear their words nor notice that they were leaving early, for his mind was elsewhere.

'One should never turn away those who seek them for guidance, a job or friendship...'

Those words were directed at him mostly and he knew of whom the boy spoke of. Tom had come to Albus for a job as the Defense Professor once, but Dumbledore had said no and now look at where the man was today. Look at all he had done. Sal was heading that way and today he had asked for help in the only way he could without seeming weak. Now the question remained, should Albus help him?

"Sssstop! Ssspeaker pleassse ssstop!"

"Why?" he hissed back, continuing to stalk away from the Great Hall, not sure of his destination but wanting to get as far away as possible from prying eyes.

"Becaussse we need to talk...You have your father'sss perssonality, only just muted by your mother'sss. We need to get that temper of yoursss under control lesst it be the death of you."

Sal stopped and faced his snake, who was slithering up his leg to lock eyes with him. "The death of me?"

"Yess, the death of you, either before you make it out of ssschool or afterward iss not the issssue. The isssue iss that you will die if you continue down thiss path, you are being watched by the Sssparkling-Eyed-One, he was and ssstill is your father'sss enemy and will not hesssitate to kill what he believesss iss another Lord Voldemort. You have to learn how to hide your painss and anger, find a new way to vent."

Sal paused for a moment, looking up from Darkscale to focus on a figure that was leaving the Great Hall, it was Potter, followed closely by Weasley. Neither one looked happy and it was Weasley who had caused this from the whispering he was doing into Potter's ear. Sal locked eyes with the young man and was startled at how easily he could see into his mind; the kid was pathetic.

(Ron Weasley's Memory of the Great Hall incident)

Weasley stabbed a Banger violently with his fork, shooting glances at the rest of his table as he leaned over to where Potter was now staring at the fleeing form of Sal.

"I knew it! He is a Dark Lord in the making, just listen to him rant about power and skills. Obviously someone didn't want to play by his rules so he had a fit"

Potter frowned and shook his head while looking up at the Staff table to see who was going to chase after him, but no one save for Snape and McGonagall moved. "I thought it was a rather complicated way of telling someone to not think he is evil just because of where he came from or whatever"

Weasley rolled his eyes and then pointed his fork over at the Slytherin table with a grin.

"Right then, so why are the Slytherins all looking like death is upon them? The kid is evil! And now he is going to exact some kind of revenge! We have to get to him before someone gets hurt, didn't you see the way both he and Malfoy are watching Hermione? They know she is Muggleborn and now they are going to do something to her!"

Potter's eyes widened and he looked over at where Hermione was now sitting with some friends in Hufflepuff. The lot of them were a looking a little worried at Sal's display and kept their eyes averted from the Slytherin table.

"Alright then, what do you think we should do? We can't duel and there is no way any of the Professors will believe he is up to no good seeing as so far he is the top of the class and has most of the teachers eating out of his hands."

Weasley nodded over to where Dumbledore was sitting. "He will believe us...But we have to get more evidence first I reckon or he won't be able to do anything about it"

Potter nodded slowly in agreement and then put his fork down and stood up.

"Right, lets go catch him in the act then"

(End of memory)

"So, coming to cause some trouble while the Professors aren't looking?" Sal taunted, his eyes shifting from Potter to Weasley while his right hand clasped his wand tightly. Darkscale hissed in warning from his leg.

"No! You mussst not fight! It will only be you getting in trouble for it after what jusst happened in there!"

Sal shrugged her off and stood his ground, keeping his wand ready should he need it but not planning on responding to any spells unless they were life threatening. Taunts would be his weapon seeing as both Potter and Weasley were prone to act on them.

"Come on then, lets see what the hero and his sidekick can do against the Heir of Slytherin!"

Weasley was the first to throw a spell his way, and Sal stepped out of the way effortlessly. "A tickling charm? Really?" Sal smirked.

He kept his wand at his side and noticed that Potter was now lowering his, a look of fear and comprehension now dawning on his face; Chantt was luring them into a trap, baiting them and they were taking it. Weasley, however, was still focused on throwing spells at Sal and they were becoming more and more dangerous, even though they were only small cutting hexes.

"Ron! Wait! This is a trap, he is trying to get you to curse him, I mean, look!"

Weasley paused only for a second while Potter pointed out the obvious. "He isn't even fighting back, just taunting!"

"Well then that's his loss isn't it? Expelliarmus!"

Sal's wand flew out of his hand and landed a few feet away from him. He had not been expecting that from Weasley at all, maybe just more of those petty jinxes and perhaps a few hexes but actually disarming his opponent?

"I'll get your wand Ssspeaker!" Darkscale shouting with glee as she slithered toward the wand. But Sal didn't hear her, nor did anyone of the boys there even remember that the snake existed because the duel was still on.

Again yet another cutting hex from Weasley even though it wasn't necessary because Sal couldn't get to his wand, this time Sal wasn't fast enough to dodge it and a cut formed on his cheek. Not part of the plan, he didn't want to be hit by anything, just to keep it up long enough for a Professor to catch them. He stood there, shocked, looking over at where his wand now lay and then back over at Weasley as he cast another hex toward Sal.

Potter quickly grabbed his friend's wand and tried to yank it out of his hand, which made his poorly aimed hex hit Sal in the back as he dove toward his fallen wand. Potter let go and then froze, his wand also pointed now at Sal, who was facing them, now motionless, half sitting on the floor with a look of pure terror on his face. He was staring not at Potter or Weasley, but down at a black lump on the floor right where he had landed.

"Well now, what have we here? Two Gryffindors attacking an unarmed Slytherin...How typical"

Snape drawled from the entrance of the Great Hall, his lips curled into a sneer of triumph. He didn't notice the shocked and confused Slytherin sitting on the floor, poking at the limp form of his familiar. But Potter did and so did McGonagall when she arrived, having heard from Snape's own mouth that two of her Lions were involved in attacking one of his Snakes.

"Severus, I believe their punishments can wait...There is another matter you must deal with" she stated, pointing an angry and disbelieving Snape toward his injured and now panicking student.

Sal had Darkscale in his hands, holding her up to his dry, yet frightened looking face, hissing in Parseltongue to the limp form that was just hanging there with his wand in her mouth.

"She won't move...she isn't speaking to me" he said in a low voice, it was laced with accusation as he moved his eyes from the Professors onto Weasley and Potter.

"And we will fix her right now" Snape said suddenly, his voice taking on a tone that McGonagall hadn't heard from him before; fear. He strode over to where Sal was sitting and took the limp serpent from him, letting out a sigh as he realized she was still breathing, even though it was only just.

"Hagrid can deal with this I'm sure?" Snape asked while stroking the weak familiar.

"Of course" McGonagall quickly turned around and flew back into the Great Hall, returning only a few seconds later with a put out Hagrid at her side.

"Give her here Professor, I'll fix her up if I can dependin' on how bad it is"

Snape handed the snake over, removing the wand and giving it back to the still stunned Slytherin.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for you to get hurt, you are my friend" he hissed, but got no reply.

It was then that he noticed who had her and he quickly looked over at Snape, who he knew could do Legilimency and stared into his black eyes.

' Not him! He hates me and might kill her! He knew my father from school and my father did something to him I'm sure of it!'

He almost shouted mentally, though Snape showed no signs of having used his skill. Until he spoke. Snape motioned to McGonagall as Hagrid walked away with the snake in his hands, though he looked like it was a foul beast rather than just a pet.

"Perhaps you could look in on..." he trailed off as he waited for Sal to give her the name of the snake, but he didn't let his eyes leave the Head of Gryffindor.

"Darkscale" Sal whispered, watching Hagrid disappear out onto the grounds.

"Darkscale to make sure she is fine? We all know how Hagrid feels about...certain snakes"

Snape raised his eyebrows at her as he finished. And it appeared that McGonagall got the message. With a huff, she became what Sal called The Grey Ghost and trotted off after Hagrid. Normally she wouldn't do such things, but because Snape was going to deal with the three boys and Hagrid did hate Tom Riddle, McGonagall figured she would check on the snake for the young lad who didn't seem as much like his father as others said and seemed to want him to be.

"Right" Snape turned around to face the two Gryffindors, who were trying to sneak back into the Great Hall while Snape and McGonagall were busy. "Going somewhere?"

The boys froze in place and then shook their heads as they faced their angry Professor. "Another detention for the both of you and now fifty points from Gryffindor for dueling and attacking an unarmed fellow student. Not to mention the possible murder of said student's familiar...Though I'm sure she will be fine." he added, seeing the look of pure hatred that Sal sent him at thinking she would die.

"She is tough, Darkscale will survive" he stated firmly, before sending the same glare toward the two Gryffindors. "But if she should die...you both will pay for the rest of your lives-"

"And they will but properly" Snape cut Sal off, much to the relief of Weasley and Potter. "Detention starts in an hour, be in my office, ready for some hard labor" Snape sneered, then motioned for Sal to follow him.

"You are going to the infirmary where you will be patched up"

Sal just nodded, sighing as he spotted his fellow First Year snakes standing in the doorway of the Great Hall with what looked like the entire student body behind them. None of them seemed to show any pity or anger, nor did they seem to show that they had noticed his display of weakness by being disarmed. They just stood there silently, as if waiting for orders...Oh. Sal shook his head and nodded off toward the dungeons. All the snakes present started off there without a word; they would be waiting for him to return and fill them in when he was done in Hospital.

(Hagrid's hut about an hour later)

Minerva sat silently on the table in Hagrid's hut, watching over the half-giant as he worked to keep Sal's pet from dying. Five minutes ago the great serpent woke up and started to hiss at Hagrid and the cat on the table, whom she knew to be McGonagall after her stunt in the classroom. To say that Minerva was surprised to find that she could understand the snake in her Animagus form would be an understatement. The cat's eyes grew wide and her jaw hung open.

"I know you can underssstand me Head of the Lionsss, make thisss oaf ceassse what he isss doing. It hurtsss!"

Darkscale thrashed about wildly. "Hold still or I'll let yeh bleed out right here! I don' have time to waste on a dirty snake tha' don' want my help." she stilled after that outburst, but didn't stop trying to get Minerva to do something.

Minerva shook her head and answered. "I'm afraid not, you see, you have been gravely injured and he is the only one able to heal animals...how is it I can understand you but not other serpents?" she inquired, jumping off the table and landing on the pillow near the fire where the snake was laying.

"Becaussse, I am a magical ssserpent. All magical animalsss can underssstand each other ssso long asss they try. And you are an Animaguss, which iss magical...asss if you didn't know"

The snake seemed to sneer.

Minerva sighed and swished her tail back and forth quickly, she figured she would use this to her advantage and get some answers. "So, is your master, Mr. Chantt, really trying to become a Dark Lord? And do try not to lie to me" she scolded, knowing that the snake was loyal to her master.

Darkscale looked angry and reared up with a hiss, forcing both Minerva and Hagrid to recoil in fear of being struck. "Watch it! Yeh'll pull 'em stitches out!"

"No he issn't trying. My masster isss ssspecial and doessn't like hiss father...he takess after hiss mother that one, only hiss temper and lookss are hiss father. Partss of hisss perssonality I guessss, but he isss a perfect mix of hiss parentss, much how Potter iss obviously a perfect mix of hiss parentss."

She laid back down on the pillow, allowing Hagrid to return to repairing her while listening to McGonagall try and reply.

"I am sorry, but it just seems that he is so-"

"Dark and myssteriouss? Ssome timess quite sssnappish and dangerouss?" Darkscale supplied.

"Well yes" Minerva looked Nervous. She was not used to talking to a snake, let alone the pet snake of the son of Lord Voldemort.

Darkscale laughed, making Hagrid pause as he waited for the snake to stop shaking, perhaps thinking that he had hurt her. She then laid her head on one of his knees so that she had a view from above Minerva and the cat had to look up at her a little.

"Well so long as yeh don' try an' bite me again. Yeh can lay there, jus' don' move too much "

Hagrid mumbled, slowly poking and pulling at different areas on the injury that had been caused by a stray cutting hex and the hard landing that Sal made on her.

"Well he comess from a life that iss lesss than undersstanding, from people who hated hisss being different from othersss and sssuffered for it. Sso he will be sstrange and mean ssometimesss"

Minerva didn't need to ask what 'suffered for it' meant, she knew that it meant that poor boy was from a home that was full of abuse. Probably something close to what Severus came from.

"I see, well do try and keep him on a short leash, all Albus needs is to think he is becoming his father and that would be an excuse to have him expelled. And have him speak to Severus Snape, his Head of House. Severus is very good with these kinds of cases."

Again the serpent reared up but this time she didn't hiss nor was she high enough up that Hagrid had to stop his work. "I will sssee what can be done, the Sspeaker iss trying to fit in with hisss housse but right now they are presssing him to be like their parent'sss masster sso thingss will be out of hand for awhile I fear."

The cat waited for a bit, trying to think of other things to discuss with the snake now that she had the opportunity to speak with her. Then an idea hit her.

"He was inquiring about being an Animagus and I don't buy his story of just finding out about his form through meditation..." she trailed off, watching the snake for any sign of recognition but she remained just as neutral as before.

"Between you and I the planss I tell you?"

Minerva smirked, the Marauders had nothing on this kid if what she thought about him was true. Not only would Severus have the honor of having the Chantt boy in his house, but she would have a star pupil in Transfiguration.

"Of course, I did in fact tell no one of the Marauders and their plans when I found out, not even the marauders themselves knew, of course I don't know if they pulled it off or not- "

"There were three Animagi in that group, the Dark Lord knew about it after one told all on the othersss" Darkscale hissed suddenly.

"Then they did manage it...How soon? And I'm sure Black enjoyed every minute-"

Again the snake interrupted the cat. " Fourth or Fifth year, Potter a Sstag named Prongsss, Black the Grim named Padfoot and Pettigrew the Rat named Wormtail...The Rat was the ssnitch on the resst, not the Mutt"

Minerva stood up from her laying position suddenly. "What?" she barked, very un-cat like.

"It wass the Rat who told on them, he turned to the Dark Lord becausse he feared him and told him where to find the Potterss...They traded in their old Ssecret Keeper, the Mutt, for the Rat becausse the Mutt would be the firsst choice and who would ever think of poor Pettigrew being the Ssecret Keeper? Thiss I know becausse my mother knew it..."

Minerva frowned and hung her head. " You're sure? So Black went after Pettigrew that night because he knew he was the traitor and no one else knew of the switch...Who was your mother that she would get this kind of information?" Minerva asked, her frown becoming more pronounced.

"Yesss, he knew and that is why he killed the Rat...My mother wass Nagini...I know not if sshe sstill livess or how I came to be, only that I wass with her for awhile before her masster fell and that iss how I know thingsss about the Dark Lord."

Now Minerva was worried. Not only was Sirius Black innocent in the murder of the Potters, but the daughter of Nagini was roaming around and in the service of Lord Voldemort's son. It was in a way, humorous to have the offspring of Tom's snake serving Tom's offspring and now the question of how it was possible for Sal to acquire the snake had to be asked.

"How did Mr. Chantt come across you?"

"I wasss waiting for him of courssse, I had ssspotted and ssspoken to a ssserpent that he releassed from a zoo not too long ago and decided to place mysself ssomewhere sso that he could find me. All Ssspeakerss musst have a ssserpent and I'm the besst there isss to offer."

She stated smugly making Minerva snicker. "I never thought I would have this much fun talking to a snake and the pet of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's son at that"

"I am sspecial" Darkscale preened. "And Sssal iss a very ssskilled, already he can take on hisss Boa form and hiss mind doess as well...He hass yet to combine Ssshimmersscale and Sssal together...they are sseparate."

"That you are as is your master, who is probably worried sick about you right now...I should go and let him know you are fine...and what we have spoken about will remain a secret unless the boy wishes to tell others, though I implore you to send him to me so we can train, I don't want an amateur young Animagus slithering around the castle, especially since he can't remember that he is a wizard in that form.." Minerva started to leave, flicking her tail side to side while she walked.

"Indeed, that would be...dangerousss, goodbye and sstay well, Grey Ghosst of the Housse of the Lionsss, friend of the Ssserpent King'ss familiar"

McGonagall stopped walking away and turned to face the snake, before nodding and transforming into her human self. "You too" she said simply, much to Hagrid's confusion as she left with a smile on her lips. Today had been good indeed, she now had a deeper look into the boy that others feared and made a friend of his familiar that she could go to and get information should things become hard with Sal himself.

(The Hospital Wing)

"Now we know not to simply wait for reenforcements, if you are caught alone and are attacked, don't hesitate to fight back" Snape's smooth, yet reprimanding voice washed over Sal as he lay on his back in the bed. His mind was still roaming over the event and Snape wasn't helping because he kept bringing up the subject and asking why Sal didn't fight back and that his reason was foolish.

"Foolish maybe, but at least I'm still alive and in one piece, as are they. If I had dueled them they would either be here with me or under six or more feet of dirt...People would ask questions...Like where I learned most of the spells I have in my arsenal." Sal shrugged, irritated that Snape wouldn't drop it.

"And where, pray tell, did you learn these spells and which ones are you referring to?" He sat down now, looking his charge over, taking in the tall, yet skinny for his age boy.

"Learned em at home in some books and you know which ones...Seen you go off on Erics, that Seventh Year, when he went after Perfect-Percy in the hall yesterday."

"Ah" Snape leaned back in his chair and waited for Poppy to leave the room before he set his eyes on Sal again. He remembered the wounds that were on his back, not many but enough, and the arms and hands which were littered with marks when Poppy had done her examination of him the moment he arrived.

"You know Legilimency and some Occlumency. A strange feat for someone your age, not to mention the charms you have on yourself to cover some of these..." he reached over and pulled one of Sal's burn-scarred hands close to him. "Odd injuries and scars."

Sal thought he wasn't going to ask, just because too much time was passing in silence after the announcement. Snape was still looking the hand over, noticing the broken fingers that were on the mend.

"Where did you-"

"Drop it" he said flatly.

"Excuse me?" Snape's eyebrows shot up and his mouth started to curl on his previously expressionless face.

"I sssaid drop it" Sal snapped, rolling over to face the other way so that Snape was no longer in his view. A sigh sounded and Sal heard the chair groan as Snape obviously got up out of it. Footsteps went around the bed and the Potion's Professor came back into sight, looking both grim and angry. He took a seat in the chair on that side of the bed and tried to get Sal to look at him.

"Look at me" He said softly, totally opposite of the stern look on his face.

"No" Came the muffled reply.

"Why?" A little more demanding now.

"Because you're going to use Legilimency on me...I don't like it when people pry into my business" he didn't look at his Head of House, but could tell that Snape was disappointed in the his decision by the way he sat up straighter.

"It is my business now that I am your Head of House-" he started firmly.

"I don't live with them anymore so it doesn't matter..." He sounded confident which made Snape tilt his head and frown.

"How? Where do you live now?" his voice was softer than normal, almost hopeful, though for what reason Sal didn't know nor did he care.

"With someone else...Squib Uncle. That's all you need to know"

Again Sal rolled over so that Snape was to his back and this time Snape remained on that side, silent and still. He stayed there long after Sal had fallen asleep, for about three hours and even had a few minutes of hushed conversation with Minerva about how the snake was doing.

The two Professors left one after the other, knowing that the boy would be let out when he woke up in a few hours. They would tell him then how Darkscale was doing and Minerva would get a moment to speak with him about Shimmerscale when Severus wasn't around to over hear.