Chapter Nine: Eyes of Lapis

Albus Dumbledore dropped by two hours after Harry received Newt's gift on Christmas morning.

With Andromeda's permission, he floo'ed to Grimmauld Place and joined Harry and the Tonks family for breakfast. Harry would admit to being startled by the Headmaster's arrival, but it seemed he was there on Newt's behalf.

As they tucked into breakfast, the old man smiled at Harry, who was holding now two snakes—Selena and the new serpent. Selena was curled around his shoulders, and the new snake was in his lap, coiled up tight to keep warm. It seemed the new serpent was yet too young to speak, but he understood Harry's Parseltongue and quickly accepted that Harry was not a threat and rather a guardian.

"I see he's already taken with you," Albus began as Harry absently stroked the small, black snake gently with one hand. Harry grinned back and nodded.

"He can't speak yet, but I think he knows I'm not dangerous to him," Harry agreed, glancing down to admire the beautiful blue eyes. The little snake, barely two feet long, was curled up in a ball and had most of his head hidden save his eyes and snout so he could peer up at Harry and taste the air with quick flickers of his tongue.

"Did you already read up on him?"

"I checked the reference page Mr. Scamander gave me," the boy replied hesitantly. "Is he really a Horned Serpent?"

"Yes," Albus confirmed, nodding. "He is."

Harry almost couldn't believe it. Horned Serpents were XXXXX Class Magical Creatures, in the same tier as Basilisks, but known for being significantly more benign. They didn't have the same, bloody history as Selena's species, and yet there was no denying that they were intelligent, powerful, and could be dangerous. The jewel on their foreheads stored up a tremendous amount of magical energy, granting Horned Serpents the ability to not only fly, but even to turn invisible—amongst other things. They could grow to massive size as well, with the biggest adult females recorded at fifty feet, the same as a Basilisk. A fully grown male could reach forty feet, sometimes even bigger.

Andromeda raised an eyebrow from across the table. "As delighted as I am that you and Newt managed to find a companion for Harry and Selena, I must admit I was not expecting another XXXXX Class Magical Creature. How did you even get the legalities of that sorted out?"

"A good question, to which there are three answers," Dumbledore replied, holding up three fingers. "Firstly, Harry's bond with Selena. Newt has been keeping the rest of the Magizoologist community updated on the matter since Selena is a rare exception in regards to the Basilisk Laws. There hasn't been a live Basilisk in over a century, and never one that has been handled like this, so those interested in her existence are hanging on every word Harry tells Newt. I must say, you've already gained the respect of some very prestigious people in that particular field, Harry. Selena."

Harry blushed and ducked his head, while Selena puffed up in pride. "But of course we did."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with amusement at the Basilisk's obvious enjoyment and carried on. "The second is entirely to do with Harry—his ability to speak Parseltongue makes him unique in regards to magical serpents. Being able to actually speak with snakes is a boon that only a minuscule number of wizards have possessed. Frankly, I can count the number of Parselmouths I know of on both hands.

"The third and final reason is actually because of him," Albus gestured to the Horned Serpent curled up in Harry's lap. "Horned Serpents were once native to Britain and Western Europe, but unfortunately they were hunted to extinction in the dark ages for potion ingredients. They only live in the lakes of America nowadays, but it's been in the interest of Newt and the International Magizoologist community to attempt to re-introduce the species to Britain. Of course, they have to be careful about it since Horned Serpents are notoriously elusive, so having a wizard who can directly communicate and monitor at least one member of the species is something they eagerly accepted."

Albus looked from the Horned Serpent to Harry. "He is yours, my boy, if you will have him. But I must tell you, Newt and the Magizoologist community are hoping that you might eventually help them breed Horned Serpents here in Britain. Of course, that is years away, but it was one of the reasons they granted you ownership of this precious creature."

The idea was exciting to Harry, and he was nodding as soon has Dumbledore had finished. "I'd love to help."

"Well, that's settled then!" Ted said cheerfully.

Nym gestured to the serpent with her spoon. "Whatcha gonna name him?"

"I think we'll wait until he can speak before we think up a name for him," Harry decided, scratching below the snake's chin as it leaned into Harry's touch. "Selena wanted to choose her own name, so we'll do the same for him."

"An excellent suggestion," Dumbledore agreed happily.

"It is the only suggestion," Selena corrected, leaning down over Harry's shoulder to regard her new companion, whose blue eyes gleamed as he stared back at her. She and the Horned Serpent were still testing the waters, neither of them quite yet willing to allow the other too close, but not feeling aggressive, either. They were curious of each other, but it was in their instincts to be wary of possible dangers. Harry would keep an eye on them.

Perching on Harry was a wonderful way for them to observe each other without feeling threatened. He had a feeling they'd warm up to one another before too long, especially once they started to share the cave in the suitcase.

It was fortunate that both Basilisks and Horned Serpents were semi-aquatic. Both species spent a lot of time in the water, partially due to their massive weight. Granted, that was only when they neared adult size, but both species like to swim, anyways. In that sense, the cavernous lake was a perfect home for them.

Once the family was done eating breakfast, Nym threw a glance at Harry. "Hey, how about we get your new friend and Selena set up in the suitcase? They probably need to warm up a bit."

"That sounds good," Harry agreed, taking one last drink before he stood up, carefully holding the Horned Serpent in his arms. "We'll be back in a minute."

He and Nym returned to the living room, where they entered the suitcase and got to show the Horned Serpent his new home. The little snake emerged from his curled-up position to regard the massive space with great interest. His tongue was flicking in and out of his mouth at a mile a minute, intrigued by everything around him. Harry thought, with some amusement, that he was probably in a state of sensory overload.

Harry knelt down carefully by the lake and let the little serpent slither from his arms and onto one of the basking rocks. He was quick and attentive, taking it all in with quick jerks of his head. Selena snorted and left Harry's shoulder to join the other snake.

"I will show him the best spots," she told Harry.

"Okay," he agreed, finding that he liked the idea of Selena bonding with the Horned Serpent. "Be good."

"I am always good," she retorted.

Harry raised an eyebrow and Selena leered in offense until she realized he was just joking, his eyes gleaming with laughter. The Basilisk huffed and ignored her immature master in favor of hissing to the younger serpent, who regarded her carefully. She ordered him to follow her and he did after a moment, keeping his distance for safety. Harry watched them go with a smile.

"They're going to hit it off, I think," Nym told him cheerfully.

"I hope so," he agreed.

Nym thought for a second before nudging his arm. "Hey, Harry? Since Dumbledore is here, maybe we should ask him about your scar?"

Harry paused and became slightly wary. "I…I'm not sure if I'm ok with that."

Helping Newt grant Harry the Horned Serpent and apologizing at Hogwarts for giving Harry to the Dursley's had certainly improved Dumbledore's standing with Harry, but he still found it difficult to fully trust the man with something like this. Andromeda yes, Ted yes. Harry might've even trusted McGonagall with the matter. But Dumbledore…

Nym reached out to lightly grasp the sleeve of his wrist. "If you don't want it to be him, that's okay. I mean, I think Dumbledore might be the best idea because he knows so much about magic, but I get it if it makes you uncomfortable. I just don't want you to be hurting."

Harry flushed a bit. He appreciated the sincerity and concern, he just wasn't sure what to do with it.

…Maybe he could give Dumbledore the benefit of the doubt in regards to his scar. Selena believed that he'd been sincere when he apologized to Harry before, and Harry trusted her more than anyone. The man was the greatest wizard in the world—if anyone might have an idea about what caused Harry's scar to cause him pain, it'd probably be him.

Even so…

"Harry?" Nym's voice pulled him out of his internal debate. She sounded a little uncertain since he hadn't replied yet.

He bit his lip for a moment. "I don't know if I trust him."

"Why not?"

Harry took a breath and then tersely explained to Nym how Dumbledore had been the one to leave him with his muggle relatives—how he hadn't checked on Harry until the boy had created Selena and fled to Ms. Figg. How Dumbledore had apologized to Harry for his blindness and negligence, had promised him that he would never again have to return to the Dursley's.

He did not tell her the details of his time with the Dursley's—he wasn't ready for that. But he had a feeling Nym had realized that perhaps his life with the muggles had not been quite as benign as she'd previously believed.

Her mother hadn't told her why Harry was suddenly living at Grimmauld Place, or why they spent so much time with him (though she really didn't mind the latter at all). She'd simply told Nym that Harry would be staying at her cousin's home (of which Andromeda was the only one permitted to bring people to and from the location) from now on, and they'd be spending time with him to keep him company and make sure he was doing well.

Frankly, Nym hadn't questioned it because it was Harry flipping Potter and he turned out to be an interesting, if shy and quiet boy that she quickly got along with.

Now though, she was getting suspicious that perhaps there was more to the story of how Harry had come to be here than Andromeda had let on.

But that was neither here nor there. For now…

"Harry, I don't know what your life was like with the muggles," Nym began slowly. "And I'm not going to pretend I really know what's going on with you and Dumbledore, but if he didn't care about you, I don't think he would've promised you wouldn't have to go back to the muggles, would he?"

"I'm not sure," he said, feeling stressed. "I don't really know Dumbledore."

Nym shifted her hold on his sleeve to carefully take his wrist. "You don't have to talk to him, Harry. You can ask my mum instead if you really don't want it to be him."

He knew she'd let him do that—wouldn't push him to do something that made him uncomfortable, even if it was probably in his better interest to speak to Dumbledore rather than Andromeda. But Harry also knew that Dumbledore could almost certainly figure out why his scar caused him pain.

"Can you help me?" He pleaded.

"Of course."


"Yes, Harry?" Dumbledore prompted as the boy approached him at the table with Nym right beside him. Harry hesitated a moment before he explained to the old wizard what was going on with his scar. Nym occasionally interjected to help him keep going until he'd told Dumbledore all he could.

Andromeda and Ted had been silent throughout it all, and now glanced at Dumbledore just as the children did. The Headmaster frowned slightly. "Let me check a few things. Could you sit down?"

Harry took a seat beside him as Dumbledore removed his wand. Carefully, the old wizard held his wand a few inches away from the bolt-shaped scar and murmured softly, speaking some incantation that Harry couldn't quite catch with his ears. He felt magic gently probe at the scar, not quite making contact, but feeling it out to see what was going on.

As the seconds ticked by, Dumbledore's brow furrowed deeper. He eventually pulled the wand away and slowly pressed a single finger to Harry's scar, his eyes closing in concentration.

The moment he did, it flared with heat that had Harry gasping, but cool magical energy quickly flowed over and settled the pain, which caused Dumbledore to back off immediately.

"Are you okay?" Nym asked anxiously from her place beside Harry's seat.

"I think so," he swallowed, watching Dumbledore as the man's eyes opened. The Headmaster's frown was deep in thought.

"Professor?" Andromeda queried when he failed to say anything.

"…" Dumbledore's eyes narrowed and they could practically see the gears whirling in his head. "I've seen this kind of magic before. I know I have, but when…?"

"What is it?" Harry asked, practically pleading.

"The name of it escapes me," Dumbledore muttered, a brief scowl appearing on his face. He stood up and began to pace in the kitchen. "And I cannot recall if it is…I'm going to have to go through my Pensieve, Harry. That will allow me to sort through my memory since it's currently failing me on the details."

"Is there anything we should be concerned about?" Ted questioned.

Dumbledore was quiet for a few moments before he turned to face them all. "It's something I'm not at liberty to talk about openly. I can speak to Harry about this since he's the…subject of this magic, but you have to understand this is a secret kept by the Unspeakables."

Andromeda blanched at that and Ted looked distinctly uncomfortable. Nym looked as confused as Harry did, and Dumbledore elaborated. "The Unspeakables are wizards in the Ministry who study magics that are either too dangerous or forbidden for the public. One of these spells has, somehow, wound up latched onto Harry's scar."

Harry felt the blood drain from his face. "Wh-what? How?!"

"I'm not completely sure, and I will not stress you further with theories until I get some concrete answers," Dumbledore told him firmly. He came forward to kneel before Harry, taking the boy's hands in his and looking him in the eyes. "Listen to me, Harry. I am going to find out what this is immediately and we will figure out how to approach this. I know this magic can be removed from you, but it's going to take time and delicacy. Just be patient with me, tell myself or Andromeda anything else you experience, and I'll sort out what can be done about it the moment I know more. Can you trust me with that?"

"Will the Unspeakables need to see him?" Andromeda asked warily.

"Perhaps not. Not yet, in any case," Dumbledore shook his head. "I'm going to identify exactly which variation of magic this is before we decide on how to approach it."

"How long will that take?" Harry's voice trembled. He didn't want this…thing in his head to stay there any longer if it was really as dangerous as Dumbledore thought.

"I'm not sure, but I'll be making haste," the Headmaster assured him. "If all else fails, I'll bring an Unspeakable to meet with you, but I can't call one until I at least figure out which specialization this falls under. It's not dangerous to you, but it is something I would much rather us remove safely.

"And Harry," he continued. "Please refrain from telling your friends about this. The fewer people know about this type of magic, the better. Can you do that for me?"

Harry nodded, still afraid. "Yes, sir."

"Good," Dumbledore smiled at him before letting his hands go and standing abruptly. "I apologize for my sudden leave, Andromeda, but I have something far more urgent to investigate now."

"Go," she told him, shaking her head. "We'll keep him safe."

Dumbledore nodded and then strode purposefully to the floo, where he disappeared in a blaze of green fire.


Harry spent the rest of the day sitting in the cave, unable to bring himself to visit the Weasley's. Ted had gone ahead on Andromeda's request to at least tell them that Harry wasn't feeling well, but she was staying in Grimmauld Place to ensure the boy had someone to turn to in case he needed help.

Nym had joined Harry in the cave, watching as Selena and the Horned Serpent curled up on him. Selena took her rightful place on Harry's shoulders, while the new snake coiled himself in his new master's arms so he could stare over the lake.

He'd told Selena and the Horned Serpent everything Dumbledore had told them as soon as he returned to the cave. The snakes had sensed his distress swiftly and were quick to reassure him as best they could. Well, Selena was quick to reassure Harry—the Horned Serpent didn't quite know Harry well enough to comfort him, but it recognized that the boy was unsettled.

Plus he was warm.

Selena had bristled at the mention of a dark or forbidden spell attached to Harry's scar, but she was at a loss as to how they should deal with it the same as the others.

"The old wizard did not say what it was?" She demanded.

"He said he recognized it, but couldn't remember exactly what it was," Harry said quietly. "It disturbed him a lot."

"In which case, I doubt he is exaggerating the danger," Selena hissed, her tail flicking with agitation. "Dumbledore may have made mistakes, but he is not a fool."

"But what do I do?"

"We have no choice but to be patient, Harry," she told him gravely. "If he truly cares for you, then he will do as he said. I think you made the right decision, going to him about this. If nothing else, this will prove beyond any doubt whether he has been truthful to you."

Harry nodded, still afraid of the magic that was contained just below his skin. He jumped as a hand placed itself over his own and he jerked his head up sharply to look at Nym. She smiled at him apologetically.

"It's going to be ok," she told him gently.

He hoped beyond hope she was right.


A couple of days passed and Harry managed to settle down enough to actually enjoy his holiday—more specifically, he spent a lot of that time with the Horned Serpent and Selena.

It had a habit of turning invisible for brief moments, no doubt struggling to master the magic in the gem on its head. Harry found it amusing, but he also had to be careful where he moved when the serpent became invisible—it was still so small, he was afraid he might hurt it if he leaned his weight the wrong direction.

As of yet, it could not fly, and he was grateful for that. He would prefer the serpent get a bit more experienced with its magic before trying to join him in the air. That would be a fun day.

Currently, he was just waiting for the day when the Horned Serpent would speak.

"You must be patient," Selena told him, nosing at his cheek from her perch on Harry's shoulder. "He will speak when he is ready, just as I did."

"I know," he replied, lifting his hand to scratch her chin.

The Horned Serpent was swimming at the moment, his small, but lithe body making a fluid s-shaped pattern to propel him through the water towards the shore. Upon reaching land, he slithered over to Harry and stopped in front of him to lift his head up. Harry watched as the serpent opened his mouth and held it like that for a few moments.

"Hungry?" Harry asked, to which the snake nodded. Its growing intelligence and understanding of Harry only made him more certain that the serpent would speak sooner rather than later. "Kreacher!"

The house elf appeared with a crack, scowling as he always did. "What does Harry Potter want?"

"Can we get a mouse for him?" Harry gestured to the Horned Serpent, who looked back at Kreacher curiously.

"Kreacher will find a mouse," the elf grunted, then snapped his fingers and vanished again.

A few seconds was all it took before a mouse popped into the space where Kreacher had been, and then the Horned Serpent was throwing himself at the rodent. The mouse squealed and made a run for it with the snake in hot pursuit.

Selena watched the chase with bemusement. "He has a lot to learn."

"I trust you to teach him," Harry replied, to which the Basilisk merely hissed.

They watched as the mouse attempted to turn and gave the Horned Serpent a chance to cut it off, snapping his jaws into the rodent and then throwing his sinewy body around his prey. Like Selena, the serpent was venomous, but its toxin wasn't nearly as potent as hers. That wasn't to say it was weak, just that the venom of a Basilisk was horrifyingly overpowered.

It made Harry frown slightly as he remembered how little was known about Basilisks. Anti-venom was something he knew nothing about, but he had thought about maybe keeping some just in case an accident occurred. He would write to Newt about what potion was needed to cure the venom of a Horned Serpent, but he'd asked some time ago about Basilisk venom and the old Magizoologist had bluntly told him that there was no cure at all.

The best he'd been able to do in regards to working on safety precautions for Selena was finding out that Mandrake Root could be used to heal her Petrification Magic. He'd have to ask Professor Sprout about making a garden for Mandrakes, but it was the only thing he had to work with.

Harry had an idea thanks to Newt as to how he could go about trying to find an antidote for Basilisk venom, but he wasn't sure if he'd like it. That would have to wait until he returned to Hogwarts, though.

For now…

The Horned Serpent finished his meal quickly enough and then slithered over to Harry, who offered his hand to the youngling. It climbed into his hands and then plopped itself into his lap, settling down with a big yawn before the call of sleep chased the serpent into his dream world.

Harry stroked the soft, black scales, further lulling the serpent into a deep slumber. Selena studied the Horned Serpent curiously from Harry's shoulder.

"You said his species became extinct in these lands?" Selena asked curiously.

"Yes. A long time ago."

"And he's been allowed to join us so he might breed in the future," she said before falling silent in contemplation.

Harry blinked and turned his head to look at her. "Do you want a mate?"

"The thought has occurred to me," she admitted. "But that is a matter for the distant future."

That was certainly true. Even if Harry eventually got permission to create another Basilisk, it would be years before that snake would be mature enough to mate. And that wasn't even a sure thing to begin with.

"I'll try my best to help you," he promised Selena.

"It is not something that I must have, Harry," she told him simply. "I am not ruled by my instincts. Besides, let us wait until I am fully grown before we consider finding myself a mate. There is much time to pass until then."

Yes, there certainly was.


Albus Dumbledore worked his way slowly through the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts Library, his brow furrowed as he tried to recall the type of magic book he was looking for. His search through the Pensieve had been obscure at best and fruitless at worst, but he knew the magic he was looking for was in one of these books.

Harry's scar paining him hadn't honestly caused the wizard much alarm until he probed the old injury and realized there was something much, much darker latched onto the child's soul. He'd had to force himself to calm down when he understood the sheer gravity of the magic he was dealing with.

He was kicking himself even more for leaving Harry with the Dursley's—he could've identified this dark magic ages ago! Logic told him that Harry would have been too young for the magic to be removed until now anyways, but still!

Taking a breath, Dumbledore forced himself once more to relax. He would not help Harry by losing his temper—especially, the wizard mused grimly, since it seemed that some old evils never died.

Tom clearly hadn't let the destruction of his body end his quest to claim Harry's life.


A/N: Good grief, another Serpentine chapter? Perish the thought!

Idk why, I'm just in a Harry Potter mood right now. Granted, it's always important to change things up now and again to keep things fresh, plus I want to get this series moving past the Philosopher's Stone asap.

So woohoo, more Harry Potter stuff! As always, please review and thanks for reading!