Chapter Thirteen

Missing: One Large Snake

Hermione was staring, mouth agape. "Ron, this thing has tried biting your hand off three times already! I think the venom has gone to your head."

"No it hasn't...ah..." Ron fell over in a daze.

"Harry!"

Harry looked up dumbly. "Huh?"

"Talk to the snake! Interrogate her!"

"You talk to it! I don't want to," complained Harry.

"Well I would, but I can't talk to snakes!"

"Oh yeah, ha ha ha..." Harry looked down at Nagini. "Um, where's Voldemort?"

Nagini shrugged in only the way a snake can. "Don't know. He could be anywhere this time of day...probably terrorizing some carolers."

"Oh, okay." Harry turned to Hermione. "If you want Voldemort, go find carolers."

Ron sat up groggily. "Wait...he's caroling?"

Nagini hissed. "You idiot! Follow the screams!"

At that moment there was several yelps from somewhere on the grounds. The trio (and Nagini) all looked out the window to see several people being pelted by enchanted snowballs.

"Could be just a coincidence," Harry hoped to himself.

"Probably," muttered Ron. "Why would You-Know-Who be wandering around Hogwarts?"

"Still, how did his snake get in here?" Hermione asked.

"What snake?" Harry asked.

Hermione turned to see Nagini had escaped. "Ah! Quickly!"

They bolted down the stairs into the common room to see Nagini pushing open the portal. Hermione cast a freezing spell, and they took the snake back upstairs.

"Well at least if we have her, maybe we can get some answers."

Voldemort was laughing as he made another large snowball splat into one of the nasty carolers. Oh how he hated Christmas singing. Finally after scaring them all into the lake, he decided to go check on his snake.

"She's probably waiting for me back at Slytherin. Better hurry too, before she eats Malfoy's present. I picked it out just for him!"

However, Voldemort was shocked to find she was nowhere to be found in the Slytherin common room.

"Nagini! Where are you?!"

Voldemort proceeded to search everyone's room; even the girl's (who weren't too happy to see a little pale blonde boy running around their room screaming for his precious snake). Voldemort still couldn't find her, he was almost to tears.

"Nagi?!" cried Voldemort. "This isn't funny! Come out right now!"

He ran up to the owlery. "Nagi!"

"I don't think she's here." said George as he and Fred entered the owlery.

"What do you two know about this?!" cried Voldemort.

"Nothing." said Fred.

"Yeah," said George. "nothing at all. But if you want to find your snake, just put up posters."

"Yeah!" said George. "You could even offer a reward."

"You guys are geniuses!' said Voldemort. "I'll go do it right now!"

"Aww! This is heart wrenching." said Ron as he looked at a poster taped to the bulletin board.

Hermione read the poster. "Missing: One large green, snake. Likes to eat small animals, and large animals. A bit mean when you first meet her, but she grows on you over time (That is, if she doesn't eat you first). Very playful, her favorite game is Wizard Chess. Reward: 10 Galleons. If you find her, give her to Martin Riddlen."

Under the words was a picture of Nagini.

"Hey!" said Harry. "That snake looks exactly like the one that attacked us."

"Oh my gosh!" cried Ron. "Do you know what this means?"

"Yes." said Hermione. "I have suspected him all along."

"What?" asked Ron. "I was going to say, that Voldemort must have stolen Martin's snake."

"That cruel person!" cried Harry. "Separating a boy from his snake! That's just mean!"

Hermione slapped her forehead.

"Well, we should give her back to Martin now that we know she doesn't know anything about Voldemort." said Harry

"Wait, I want to play a game of Chess with her first." Ron said