Thank you to Goldhawk for reviewing. And yes, Voldemort being around Harry and no one knowing IS a bad thing... A very bad thing now that Voldemort remembers how he died... but don't worry he has nothing so base as murdering a child as it sleeps planned. No, The Dark Lord had much more supple plans for the Boy-Who-Lived... muahahahahaha!

A Change of Fate

Of Snakes and Muggles

The Dursleys had been on "vacation" the week of Harry's birthday. In other words, Sirius and Krista kicked them out of the house for the week so that Harry's birthday wouldn't be ruined by the rotten muggles. Thus Marvolo didn't get to meet the Dursley family until he had been in the house a full three days.

Marvolo had been making general scandalous comments about every member of the household with the distinct exception of Harry. However, the small boy, whom was the only one able to hear the snake, was quickly losing any innocence he still had intact. Marvolo ended up being worse in the things he said than the portrait of Sirius' mother had been. Kreacher luckily wasn't around to aid the snake because he had finally died of old age two years before.

With him had gone the last remnant in the old house of the family that had occupied it for many generations. Everything was bright and clean and properly warded to keep Harry and Dudley, and the other Dursleys for that matter, from anything potentially dangerous.

Severus had come over for tea the day the Dursleys were to come back from their enforced vacation. He was sitting at the kitchen table when Harry came in with Marvolo wrapped very loosely around his thin shoulders.

"Isn't that a Python?" Severus asked Krista in disdainful tones. "Yes it is." She sipped her tea. "Aren't you the least bit concerned for the boy being strangled to death?" "No," came the reply. "Apparently Harry is a parseltongue. He made the snake promise to maintain loose coils when he rides on Harry's shoulders. At least that is what Harry told me." Krista looked questioningly at Harry, who nodded viciously.

"Yes, Aunt Krista. He promised to stay loose and relaxed whenever I let him out of the cage to ride around with me. Really he is very nice to me. He tells me all about stuff that he knows of." Harry climbed into the chair between Krista and Severus. Severus looked down his long nose at the boy. "Parseltongue?" He muttered. Harry looked up at him with eyes that shined with admiration.

Here was a man that had always meant something to his Aunt and therefore to Harry. Here was a man to please whenever possible and to never anger. Over the years Snape had gotten over his sever dislike for Harry due to the boy's parentage. However this was mostly thanks to Krista and Severus' intense love for her. Severus was indeed flattered that the Boy-Who-Lived not only looked up to him, but seemed to be genuinely happy in his company. Severus smiled his rarely seen, and only non-frightening or sneering smile. This won a huge grin from the six-year old, who latched himself to Snape's arm and clung there.

Marvolo slipped from around the boy's shoulders onto the table. He thought the new man looked familiar, but couldn't place him. However, just as he thought him might figure out his connection to the man, the door to the kitchen flew open. Vernon Dursley stomped in, only pausing a moment when he saw the greasy-haired wizard in the room. He completely ignored the snake and continued through the kitchen to bring the family's bags upstairs.

"Vernon, why don't you just leave those down here and let Sirius and Remus get them when they come back from the market?" Mr. Dursley grunted and dropped the heavy bags before sitting down with closed eyes as far from Severus as he could get. Meanwhile, Petunia and a very plump six-year old Dudley came and sat down at the table. Petunia got herself and Vernon some coffee before sitting down between her husband and son.

Thus far the snake sitting before Severus hadn't dawned on any of them.

Marvolo eyed the three muggles with obvious disgust. He, being a 'magical' snake, could tell immediately they were not possessed of magical talent. Well the boy had some potential, but the parents were as unmagical as a rock. In fact, certain rocks, such as dolmens for example, actually had much more of a magical nature than those two lummoxes.

He turned to look at his 'master'. "Harry," he hissed. "What are those three doing here?" Harry looked at Marvolo long and hard. "Those are the Dursleys. Remember? I told you about them." Came the hushed hissing reply. Now all three Dursleys noticed Harry hissing like a snake and looked up at him and the snake on the kitchen table.

"Wow!" Dudley shouted, jumping from his seat and rushing to grab up the long slick creature. "A real snake! Mom, how come I didn't get one?" He reached out to steal the snake from Harry, whom was much smaller and had been roughly shoved from his seat. Petunia was screaming, "Don't go near it! Don't know what it might have! It might be very dangerous! Don't touch it Dudley!" Vernon was sitting like a statue just watching the scene play out before his eyes.

As soon as Harry hit the floor Krista was on her feet, yelling at Dudley, who conveniently ignored her. Severus was on the floor with Harry, helping him and telling how strong he was that he wasn't crying, despite the tears shimmering in the boy's eyes. "Don't let him touch you, Marvolo!" Harry shouted in parseltongue as Severus held him until he stopped shaking.

The snake responded to Harry's demand immediately. In a flash, Marvolo went from disdainful and sneering to tense and threatening. Dudley however only backed off after an initial warning strike. Vernon was out of his daze. He stormed up to where Severus was still holding Harry. "You told that thing to attack my son! You little snip! I'll have your little scarred face stuffed like those weird house-elf things that use to be around here!" He was an alarming shade of fuchsia.

Severus serenely imposed himself between the terrified six-year old and the furious muggle. "I believe you will do no such thing." Even though Severus never raised his voice above his own hissing whisper, he was by far the more threatening of the two. Instantly Marvolo remembered how he knew the wizard and more memories of his past life came flooding back.

"Harry," He said timidly slithering across the table to get as near the boy as he could. "Please put me back on your shoulders. I don't feel save with these muggles around." The boy of course obliged, which gave Marvolo the perfect opportunity to look up Severus' left sleeve at his forearm. Severus, still holding Harry and threatening Vernon, never noticed.

Upon Severus' left forearm, just as Marvolo remembered, was the black Dark Mark he, Voldemort himself, had put there. The skull with a snake slithering from the mouth was still plain to see for any that knew how to look, and thanks to Severus, Marvolo know remembered how to look. The snake sat quiet and content on Harry's shoulders as more memories of his past came back to him.

AN: Well I hope you're all happy... If anyone has any ideas, please hand them over! Thanks! Also I'm thinking of having Harry see Remus transform in the next chapter... Likes? Dislikes? Please voice your opinion! If you don't want to, or can't review, please email me at dragonmaiden85@hotmail.com Thanks again all!