*I do not own Harry Potter (JK Rowling) or Doctor Who (BBC)

**I know I said that I would update once a day over my break...BUT I need to keep you guys on your toes. I want you to feel SOME suspense. Anyway, enjoy the chapter and make sure to 'review' if you have anything to say. Next update should be by Wednesday.

It had been a week and a bit since Colin Creevey was announced to be in the hospital wing. Many students were gossiping, spreading rumors, and just being a nuisance about the whole situation. John found it quite aggravating.

Ginny was having a difficult time coping with the news. Ginny would often tell her friends that she was having nightmares, though John didn't think much of it. Though, John had to admit, his dreams were becoming less frequent. He was able to remember each one perfectly, but the strange ones seemed to be fading away.

Everybody knew that whatever caused Colin to be in this state, had something to do with the Chamber of Secrets. Many muggle-students became very anxious, and they tried to stay away from the Slytherins. The green-silver students were enjoying having extra leverage against the muggles.

While John was walking to lunch, he found a nervous-looking Neville Longbottom, with all sorts of charms, talismans, and a green onion. John attempted to reassure Neville, saying that he wouldn't be attacked since he was a pureblood, but it didn't help.

Finally, the Christmas season rolled around. John wasn't one for religious holidays, but Christmas seemed to lighten up everybody's mood. This meant that people would calm down, and give John some much needed peace.

Both John and Clara had received permission to stay at Hogwarts over the holidays. Clara didn't have a choice since her father was too busy working at the Ministry, while John had a choice, but staying at Hogwarts seemed more appealing.

John had noticed that the Golden Trio was acting much more out of the ordinary. They were sneaking off, John suspected to the girls' bathroom, and being very suspicious. John was surprised only he had caught on. Percy always boasted about his keen prefect senses.

John proved his point during potions class. John had been working intently on his potion, when suddenly, Goyle's potion exploded. To John's horrible luck, they were working on the Swelling Solution. John's arm bulged where it had been splattered with the concoction.

Snape was very annoyed with this situation, and John could tell that he knew that Harry was at fault. However, John was not as blind as Snape was, and he had seen Harry slip a firework into Goyle's potion.

A week after the potions class incident, everybody walked up to a notice on the board right outside the Great Hall. John read the notice, and turned to Clara and Ginny.

"So, they've started a dueling club.." John said.

"Yeah, I know," Clara said, "I can read."

"The first session is at eight o'clock, tonight." John replied.

"I think we should go," Ginny said, though she looked tired.

John shrugged, but Clara just turned and smiled. "That means 'yes'!" She clarified.

And so, at eight o'clock, the trio hurried to the Great Hall to find a gold stage, and a mass of students. Everybody seemed very excited. John noticed Harry, Hermione, and Ron, though that wasn't a surprise.

John tapped his leg with his wand, "I wonder who's going to run the clu-" John let out a groan when he saw Lockhart stride up onto the stage. Lockhart flashed a smile.

"Gather round, gather round!" Lockhart exclaimed, "Now, can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!"

Lockhart began to delve into what the dueling club was, and how Lockhart's skill was unimaginable. (It was, it was literally below zero.) He even went as far as advertising for his books. This guy was seriously annoying John.

"Let me introduce my assistant, professor Snape," Lockhart declared. John was suddenly much more interested, since he knew Snape could beat Lockhart any day.

Once Lockhart was done exaggerating about his skill, he and Snape faced each other and bowed. They raised their wands like swords in front of their faces.

"As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position," Lockhart explained.

John leaned into Clara's ear and murmured, "The only thing he's gotten right." Clara smirked.

"On the count of three!" Lockhart said smoothly. "One...Two...Three!"

Snape waved his wand immediately yelled, "Expelliarmus!" Which then caused a jet of red light to hit Lockhart square in the chest, and sent him flying.

All the students snickered. It was probably the only thing all the houses agreed on, Lockhart being beaten was amazing.

Lockhart regained his composure, and tried for his wand. "Ah, the disarming charm. Thank you miss Brown," he said when a girl handed him his wand.

Snape was looking lethal, and Lockhart sped things up. He announced that all the students would put in pairs.

Snape reached where Harry and Ron were standing, and sneered. He obviously didn't approve of them being partners. Snape ended up pairing Ron with Seamus, and Harry with Malfoy. John didn't really care who he ended up with, since he knew he could probably best them.

Snape walked over to John and Clara, who were standing shoulder-to-shoulder. The professor took one look at them, and sneered. "I believe this is an adequate pairing." Snape had said it coldly, but with less mal intention to when he was speaking to Harry.

Once everyone had been paired, Lockhart cried, "Face your partners! And wands at the ready. When I count to three, you will attempt to disarm your opponent. Only to disarm. One… Two… Three!"

John waved his wand, and cried, "Expelliarmus!" He was able to send Clara stumbling backward, and her wand to fly out of her hand. John smirked, and turned to where Harry was. Apparently, he shot the tickling curse at Malfoy, who was sprawled on the floor, red-faced with laughter.

"I said disarm only!" Lockhart scolded.

But, by now, it had become a heated duel between Potter and Malfoy. They were shouting curses and hexes at each other, but Snape stopped it.

"Finite Incantatem!"

The two rivals immediately stopped. Lockhart took a long look at the students. Granger and the Slytherin-Bulstrode, had forgotten their wands. Bulstrode had Hermione in a headlock, and Harry was barely able to remove Hermione from the Slytherin's grasp.

"I think I'd better teach how to block unfriendly spells," said Lockhart.

"You think?" John said incredulously.

Lockhart cocked his head in John's direction, but waved it off. "Let's have a volunteer pair, Longbottom and Finch-Fletchey, how 'bout you?"

Snape strode over to where Lockhart was standing, "A bad idea, professor Lockhart. Longbottom causes devastation with the simplest of spells. We'll be sending Finch-Fletchey to the hospital wing in a matchbox. How about Malfoy and Potter?"

Lockhart grinned, while Harry groaned. "Excellent idea!"

Harry and Malfoy made their way to the golden stage. Lockhart pulled Harry over, and made a swishing movement with his wand, and he dropped it. Snape smirked, while Lockhart gave a sheepish smile. Snape pulled Malfoy over as well, and Malfoy smiled maliciously.

"One… Two… Three!" Lockhart cried out, which was bad for Harry since he obviously wasn't prepared.

Malfoy raised his wand, "Serpensortia!" A long, black snake exploded from Malfoy's wand. Many students screamed, and stumbled backward.

Snape walked forward, pointing his wand at the snake, "Don't move, Potter. I'll get rid of it."

"Allow me!" Lockhart yelled. He aimed his wand at the black snake, and in a large 'pop' it flew into the air, and landed on the floor with a crack. The snake slithered up to Justin Finch-Fletchey, and stood up to his height, ready to strike.

"Leave him!" Harry cried. All the students seemed taken aback. The snake slumped back to the ground, which left a very scared and angry looking Justin.

"What are you playing at?" Justin shouted. He then turned, and left the Great Hall. Snape muttered a spell, and the snake disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

Ron and Hermione pulled Harry out of the Great Hall as well. "Come one," John told Clara under his breath, "Let's go. I have a feeling they know something."

John dragged Clara to the common room, and left a confused-looking Ginny in the Great Hall. John caught Ron having a hissy-fit with Harry.

"You're a Parselmouth! Why didn't you tell us?" Ron shrieked.

"Excuse me," Clara interrupted, "But what is a Parselmouth?"

John turned at her in shock, "A Parselmouth is a person who can talk, and understand snakes."

Both Clara and Harry nodded in understanding.

"Oh, ok," Harry responded. "I mean this is only the second time I've ever done it-talk to snakes. I accidently set a boa constrictor on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once. Don't ask, it was a long story, but the snake told me it had never seen Brazil. Apparently, I sort of set it free. That was before I knew I was a wizard1"

"You talked to a snake and didn't think that was very much out of the ordinary?" John asked.

Harry shrugged. "Well, I bet loads of people here can do it."

"Harry, this is bad! It's not a very common gift." Ron said.

"What's so bad? What's wrong with everyone? Listen, if I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin-"

"That's what you said?"

John raised an eyebrow, "Come on Ron, even I heard it."

All the kids looked at John with crazed looks on their faces.

"You-you heard Harry talk to the snake?" Hermione asked, wide-eyed.

"No, I heard him say 'Leave him!'" John said quickly. He knew where this was going…

Clara elbowed him. "That means you are a Parselmouth too! Did you not know?"

"No…"

"Ughhh, you are so stupid sometimes!"

John shook his head, "Back to the point, this is even worse than we thought. If I am a Parselmouth-"

"Than we have two house placement mistakes to deal with," Hermione finished.

"What do you mean, mistakes?"

"Harry, there's a reason the Slytherin house symbol is a snake. Salazar Slytherin was a Parselmouth," Hermione whispered.

"Yeah, and now the whole school is going to think you're his great-great-great-great-great grandson or something," Ron said.

John snorted. "Um, if Salazar Slytherin lived more than a thousand years ago, that would mean that most pureblood wizard, and many muggles, were related to him. It's a statistical fact."

Hermione raised an eyebrow, "Technically, John's right. But, most people don't know that."

"Sooo, basically what you're saying is that people are going to think that Harry is the heir of Slytherin, and should not have been sorted into Gryffindor, even though it doesn't really matter since we're pretty much all related to him," Clara said with a sigh.

John crossed his arms, "Well, we can't have all of Hogwarts think that I could be the heir. That would really ruin my day."

Hermione nodded in agreement, "Yeah, this stays between us, ok?"

John thought of a lonely Ginny, but shrugged in response. "That means yes," Clara clarified for them.

"Very well, I guess we should tell them about our plan too..." Harry said quietly.