The World Without Me
Chapter 21: Ssssnake
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Darkness.
Suffocating.
Pain.
Solitude.
Fear.
Anger.
Pure…
RAGE.
Harry woke up, gasping and drenched in sweat, sitting in the bed. He immediately regretted his actions when he found out how much his body protested against any small movements he made and he leaned back onto the bed reluctantly.
'What a killer headache!' he mentally groaned and put a hand on his forehead, only to find it heavily bandaged. 'I'm in the Hospital Wing,' he deducted since his vision was hazy, and the remaining taste of healing potions left in his mouth didn't help his already sour mood.
He blinked a couple of times to get his vision back, thanking the Alastor from his world for bringing him muggle contacts and charming them so he could always wear them. "Sirius? Remus?" he slurred questioningly when both men came into his line of view.
The Marauders quickly forgot their uncertainty and hugged him tightly. "You're all right! Merlin Harry, you scared us half to death yesterday!" Sirius breathed out.
Harry looked around him and noticed that the Infirmary was rather crowded. Madam Pomfrey was shaking her head at Sirius' and Remus' demeanor and was probably itching to do a complete check-up on Harry, Dumbledore looked contemplative but stayed silent and Amos Diggory looked as traumatized as yesterday when Harry fell into his arms; most of the Order was here, plus Rosmerta and Hooch, who were still glaring at Kingsley Shacklebolt and Moody.
McGonagall was as tight lipped as always but kept sending Harry worried glances while Snape, awake a last, was standing in a corner and looking rather subdued and thoughtful, sending the green eyed boy some odd looks.
Harry stiffened in the Marauders' arms. "What are they doing here?" He nodded his head in the direction of the members of the Order.
Remus sighed and sat back in his chair and Harry saw how tired the Werewolf really was. He quickly forgot his animosity towards the Order of the Phoenix's members and gave Sirius and Remus all his attention. "I'm sorry Remus. You must be so tired and I'm only making you worry more. Tonight's the full moon, right?" the boy asked, suddenly afraid that they would say it had already passed.
Remus put a hand on Harry's. "Yeah, it is. But don't blame yourself Harry; I'm always tired on the day of the full moon. Actually, I think the Wolfsbane potion helped already. Normally I would've been beside you in a hospital bed."
Harry smiled slightly and exhaled. "That's good to hear. I didn't want to miss it."
Molly Weasley looked downright alarmed. "You don't have the intention on going in the Forbidden Forest with Black and Lupin, do you! Or the Shrieking Shack? It's way too dangerous!"
Harry didn't look at her. "I know the danger, that's why we'll stay in Hogwarts tonight."
Remus' eyes widened while cries of objection echoed in the Infirmary. Harry shut them up with a fierce glare.
Dumbledore stepped in front of his complaining teachers and they backed away. "First, it's not that I mind, you said that the potion Remus is taking would make him keep his mind during the transformation, but how do you intend on hiding a Werewolf in a school full of wandering children and adults? There is a curfew but it's still very dangerous to hide such an animal in any classroom."
Harry rolled his eyes. Remus was still very worried, as was Sirius. "Honestly, Dumbledore, do you really think I'd let Moony, even with all of his mental faculties intact, roam in the castle or simply be locked away in a small classroom? I know of a place where we'll be perfectly safe and we'll have all the place we'll need."
Albus still didn't get it so Harry sighed exasperatingly.
"The Room of Requirements, Dumbledore."
The old man's eyes widened in remembrance and he nodded while the teachers gave him curious gazes; none dared to voice their question, though. "I had forgotten about this place. Since you and I are the only ones who know about it I will keep it secret. Now, about that incident yesterday…" Albus let his phrase trail once he found himself pinned by Harry's glare.
The green eyed boy took the bandage on his forehead off, much to Pomfrey's protests, and he traced the scar, which was still red but no longer bleeding. "I don't see how that's any of your business. Have you already forgotten our talk from yesterday?"
"Please, Harry!" Albus pleaded but Sirius stepped in front of his Godson protectively. The Animagus couldn't help but be equally concerned about his scar, though, and he glanced at Harry.
The boy sighed, acknowledging Sirius' silent question. "Voldemort knows who I am." Gasps of fear rang through the room but Harry ignored them. "It's Wormtail. He was there when I faced the Dementors and he saw my Patronuses. He reported it to Tom and Tom put two and two together. He wasn't happy, let me tell you. He's still fuming but I'm able to handle his anger now with a stronger Occlumency wall."
Sirius and Remus nodded while the others looked at him suspiciously. "How is it you know all of this information, Harry?" Rosmerta asked for the others' sake.
Harry shrugged carelessly and got up, intent on leaving the crowded Infirmary. "Voldemort, my Voldemort, gave me that scar when I was one year of age and since that time our minds are linked whenever we feel deep emotions or simply when we want to bug each other. The Voldemort here doesn't know that and I'd like to keep it that way; it's grave enough that I feel every damn curse he puts his victims under. I don't want him to forcefully try to enter my mind. Some of my memories are…yeah, you catch my drift."
Nobody really knew how to apprehend the new information so Harry used the stunned silence to make his getaway, his Godfather and Remus running after him.
………
"Where are we going again?"
Harry smiled at his curious Godfather who watched him walk back and forth three times in front of a bare wall. "The Marauders knew a lot of shortcuts and hidden passageways but they didn't discover everything. This-" Harry opened a door which magically appeared "-is the Room of Requirements."
He entered and let his friends take a look. "Wow! I never thought there was a room like this one in Hogwarts!" Sirius exclaimed while Remus silently took in his entourage. It didn't appear to be a room but rather a small forest within a lengthened room. There was still a stone wall near the door with a couple of chains if need be against the Werewolf, but the area was a replica of a part of the Forbidden Forest, enchanted night sky included.
Harry chuckled at their childish awe. "It doesn't stay that way, Sirius. This is why it's called the Room of Requirements. All you have to do is walk three times in front of the wall while thinking about what kind of room you need and it'll appear, whether it is just a place to relax, a dueling arena, a potions classroom, a library…basically, it can become anything to the finest detail you want it to be."
Sirius whistled. "That's bloody awesome! Too bad we never discovered it in our school days."
Remus sat down in tiredness; just two more hours and the moon would be fully up in the night sky. They also had had to run away from a couple of inquiring Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs on their way here so the Werewolf was exhausted. "Are you sure no one will come in while I'm transformed? I don't want to hurt anyone," Remus said worriedly.
Harry and Sirius sat beside him. "Don't worry. I've cast a soundproof and Notice-Me-Not spell on the door."
Remus calmed down and dozed off. Harry got up, motioning at Sirius to stay seated. "I'll be back, I just remembered something. Watch Remus?"
Sirius nodded and understood when a window appeared where Harry stopped; its view landed right on the security tower. Harry opened it and jumped out as if it was an everyday occurrence.
Seconds later the Animagus could hear powerful flaps of wings and see a black body flying toward the castle's highest tower.
Harry almost snorted when he landed silently and transformed back. Mundungus Fletcher, alias Dung, was "guarding" the prisoner…meaning he was sleeping against the cell's bars with his mouth wide open, sometimes snorting about a deal or a cauldron. Harry rolled his eyes; Dung was still Dung and nothing was going to change that.
"Stupefy," he whispered, pointing his wand towards the sleeping man. Mundungus just froze with his mouth wide opened and didn't even wake up.
Now that he was certain no one would bother him he leaned on the bars and smirked at the current prisoner: Magnus Manx. "So you finally woke up? Firenze did quite a number on you."
Manx sneered from his place but didn't get up; he knew the boy couldn't be underestimated. "What do you want from me? I told those bastards that I wouldn't say anything that could compromise my Master! He'll come for me!"
Harry laughed at the man. "I don't think so! It's been a while so you're out of date; the Dark Lord has new priorities than setting you free. If they're not in his Inner Circle, Death Eaters are expendable. I don't think you know any new information anyway."
Manx sneered at Harry but the expression appeared to be more scared than angry. "He'll- he'll come for me!" Now the man didn't quite sound so confident.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Sure."
Manx's eyes narrowed. "Why did you come here? Surely not only to spite me!"
Harry grinned menacingly, his eyes glowing in the quiet night. "Actually, I came here just to make sure that you would not try to escape."
"And how do you plan on doing that?" the man asked unsurely.
Harry had all the advantages over him at the moment and Manx knew it. The boy searched the still frozen Mundungus and he grinned when he got his hands on what he was searching for. Manx' eyes widened when Harry fingered his wand. "No…no…"
"You see, Manx, I am not as nice and lenient as the 'bastards', as you so fondly call them. For instance I learned, in my old world, to be as merciless toward my enemies as they would be towards me." Harry gripped both extremities of the piece of wood and applied some pressure, just enough to make the traitor sweat.
"I've learned that if I don't do that, which is considered to be one of the worst offenses in the Wizarding world, my enemies can one day re-take it and come after me." Harry snapped the man's wand in two and Manx moaned a long miserable note as his broken wand fell on the floor with a clatter, both extremities rolling away from the cell's bars.
Harry took his cue and petrified Manx after he obliviated his memories of the last few minutes; all the spy would remember is that his wand is no longer usable but he wouldn't remember who broke it.
Harry lifted the spell off of Dung –the man still slept on- and when he looked up, the moon was starting to shine in the sky. 'I better go now.' He transformed and flew back to the Room of Requirements just in time to see Remus starting to convulse, but less than usual.
Sirius had already transformed into Padfoot and the black dog barked a welcome before his attention fell on the Werewolf once again. Harry transformed back into his human self and waited patiently.
Padfoot whined, as if it wanted Harry to stay as an animal just to be on the safe side, but Harry shushed him and walked calmly in the direction of the now transformed, but confused, Werewolf. "Hi Moony," the boy said softly while he offered his hand for the canine to sniff. "Don't fight the potion. You can hear me and understand me, can you?"
Moony first growled in confusion and took a few menacing steps towards Harry but once he got a whiff of the boy's scent he calmed down and licked the hand. Harry petted the Werewolf's head and grinned while Padfoot barked enthusiastically and sauntered around the now gamboling Werewolf.
Harry chuckled and transformed back into his Animagus counterpart under the excited gaze of golden and blue eyes. The three animals swiftly ran into the forest and didn't get out until the moon gave its place to the sun.
………
The teachers all knew what the Wolfsbane was supposed to do due to Harry's explanation; still, it was still a shock to see Remus up and about the following morning, looking barely tired at all. "Good morning everyone!" the Werewolf greeted joyously while he sat down at the Head table.
Sirius had the same happy grin on his face which made Harry quirk his lips upward.
"I guess the potion worked?" Albus inquired, his blue eyes twinkling madly.
Remus and Sirius glanced at each other before they chuckled. "It worked like a charm. I barely feel the after effects and I kept my mind all the while! All thanks to Harry here!" The golden eyed man ruffled Harry's hair even more until the boy swatted the hand away playfully.
A chair scrapped the floor as it was pushed backward and the teachers just stared as Severus Snape walked out of the room wearing an expression bordering thoughtfulness and frustration.
Once the Potions Master was out of sight, Madam Pomfrey turned to Harry. "Can I ask what you did to Severus the other day, Mister Potter? He hasn't been the same since the incident."
Harry shrugged. "I did a forced, reverse Legilimency attack on him. I guess it overwhelmed him. As for his present behavior, maybe he's just jealous that he isn't the one who invented the Wolfsbane." There was an odd glint in Harry's eyes when he said that, which made Remus really ponder on whom had first come up with the potion. Harry only said that he had ameliorated the original version of the Wolfsbane, not created it.
"What's reversed Legilimency?" Hooch asked curiously while Albus frowned at Harry for using a dark art on one of his teachers in the first place, even if said teacher acted like a prick most of the time.
Harry blinked. "Just something I came up with to make Snape shut up and maybe even realize how foolish he's been acting since I revealed who I am. Legilimency allows the caster to penetrate someone's mind and invade the memories. I just did the contrary: I just jumbled my memories into one big ball and shoved them into his mind. The onslaught must have been too much for him. He must be really confused right now because none of the memories I sent him were complete and completely discernable. All he must hear and see are bits and pieces of thoughts and images of my past."
"Then he's in for a ride," Sirius muttered under his breath. Nobody heard him.
"Is there something I can do for you Miss Granger? Mister Weasley?" Minerva asked as both students approached the table unsurely.
"Um…We only wanted to know if Harry felt better. We heard that he was sick from the other students…" Hermione started shyly and she elbowed Ron sharply when he muttered "More like screamed his throat raw and collapsed in Mr. Diggory's arms… OW! 'Mione!"
"Ronald Weasley, you are completely tactless," the girl rolled her eyes in hopelessness, which made Harry laugh.
"I assure you I'm perfectly fine Ron, Hermione. Thanks for your concern, though. It's just like old times. No, Voldemort gained some information that made him cranky and I couldn't block my mind against this particular mood swing."
When he saw the clueless expressions of their faces Harry knew he had to elaborate. "You see this scar?" He pushed a forelock away to reveal the famous lightning bolt scar. "It was given to me by Voldemort when I was one because a… very dark curse he wanted to throw at me backfired quite spectacularly. That night, he gave me some of his heritage and powers, but a connection as well. Before I learned how to properly Occlude my mind in my sixth year, I felt every deep emotion Voldemort felt and I had uncontrollable visions about him. I had to learn Occlumency when he finally noticed the connection we shared and started to send me false visions and even…possess me."
Sirius and Remus who where seated on either side of him scuttled closer to Harry automatically. Albus, the teachers and the Order members were all pondering on what Harry said with grave and calculating faces.
Ron blanched and looked sick while Hermione just put the pieces of the puzzle together and gulped in fear. "What…kind of…heritage and powers?" she asked nervously.
Ron looked equally nervous. "Don't ask stupid questions, Hermione. Harry's a Potter so he's a Gryffindor through and through! No Potter could ever be a dark wizard."
Both students and a couple of teachers chuckled uneasily but stopped immediately when Harry didn't give any impression of laughing any time soon.
"Unfortunately, dear Ron, I AM a dark wizard. Evil like Tom? No. Dark? Yes. I fight for the side of light but my extensive knowledge of the dark arts places me in the dark category. I have learned to accept this fact when I realized that between white and black there was another shade: grey."
Ron didn't quite know how to take this news and took a step back; he didn't say anything, though. Harry knew that Ron would react like this so he didn't feel insulted at all.
"B-but!" Ron started to protest weakly and Harry lifted an eyebrow and sent the redhead a wistful and accepting smile.
"I won't feel offended or think less of you if you think this is unacceptable, Ron. I know that your family is entirely rooted in the side of light and I also know that Gryffindors are really strong on house prejudices. They really think and react too hastily without analyzing the situation, which is only a Ravenclaw trait, analyzing the situation, I mean."
Hermione blushed a tad while Minerva looked thoroughly insulted and mortified by what Harry just said. "You cannot be serious!" A few teachers were probably thinking the same thing because they were also eyeing him apprehensively.
Sirius was about to open his mouth but Remus elbowed him in the ribs and sent him a warning glance; 'It's not time to blurt out some old joke about your name!' He meant to say.
"You speak as if you weren't a Gryffindor at all!" McGonagall continued in outrage. She was probably thinking that Harry was trying to defile the name of one of her favorite past student: James Potter.
"I never said I wasn't a Gryffindor." Harry frowned but his expression turned back into a calm one. "However, I never told you that the Sorting Hat wanted to put me in Slytherin in my first year, no? That's something I even kept for myself in my world."
Minerva sucked in a breath, as did most of the people around him and she slumped in her seat, to Harry's visible amusement. "Great Merlin!" she breathed out in consternation and blinked when Harry had the balls to chuckle at her expense.
"But, being young and easily influenced, I believed, when people told me this, that all the Slytherins were evil and on Voldemort's side. I had to actually argue with the hat for a good couple of minutes until it grudgingly accepted to put me in Gryffindor…"
Harry stopped and a dark look crossed his face. "Maybe things would have been different if I had accepted the first choice…but I can't go back on it now, can't I?" A great sadness and bitterness flew out of Harry's mouth with each word he said. "Anyway, in my sixth year I put the hat on again just for the heck of it while Dumbledore was out of his office. I remember clearly that I didn't want to have anything to do with him at the time…"
"I wonder why," Sirius muttered darkly, sending a crossed look at Albus who didn't quite know what to say. He didn't know how Sirius had died there or what the other Dumbledore had done to make Harry hate him so much.
"Anyhow, the hat told me that he stood by his first decision but that Gryffindor was also a prominent trait in me. It said 'Your heart will always belong in Gryffindor, but your mind belongs in Slytherin.'" Harry let out a snort. "Isn't it ironic? The heir of Gryffindor in Slytherin."
Albus' head snapped towards Harry and Ron gaped. "You- you're the heir of Godric Gryffindor!"
"So you knew?" the Headmaster asked, ignoring Ron's outburst.
Harry nodded and retrieved something from his pocket, muttering the enlarging charm on the minuscule object. Albus' eyes widened. "How did you get this? Nobody knows where it was hidden all these centuries!"
Minerva strained to look at the object, which proved to be a sword. "Albus? What is that sword?"
"That sword belonged to Godric Gryffindor himself; his name is engraved on it. But we've never been able to discover where Godric hid it."
Harry chuckled and spelled the sword again. "Gryffindor and Slytherin both left things behind. You normally use one of Godric's things each year. With Salazar though, it's a little bit more complicated."
"Each year? We see something of Godric Gryffindor each year?" Ron asked, wide eyed.
Hermione hit her fist in the palm of her hand. "Of course! The Sorting Hat!"
"Leave it to Hermione to be the first one to get it." Harry said and Hermione blushed.
"I will forget the fact that you probably entered my office while I was gone-" Albus let out a pointed look at Harry, who merely smirked in satisfaction, "-to get that sword and I will ask you what you meant by the mind of a Slytherin."
Harry opened his mouth to tell him that it wasn't any of his damn business when he felt a warm sensation on his hidden left forearm. He smiled as he rubbed said forearm.
Albus narrowed his eyes considerably; this gesture was rather familiar but only coming from Severus Snape. "Are you hiding something, Harry?" he asked suspiciously.
Sirius' fist hit the table and Remus glowered. "What are you insinuating, Dumbledore!"
"Sirius Black, calm down!" Minerva snapped.
The Animagus growled. They were starting to cause a commotion and the noise in the Great Hall was starting to diminish. Ron and Hermione were backing away, not wanting to be a part of the wrangle with the easily angered Professor Black.
Parvati Patil watched all the fuss in the front like everyone else, until she noticed something moving near the doors of the Great Hall. She looked behind her but there wasn't anything…until she looked on the floor. "AHHHHHHHHH!"
Everyone jumped and turned around just in time to see her leap on a table and point at the floor. "A SNAKE! A SNAKE! MAKE IT GO AWAY!"
The children all started to scream and run away from the reptile and a few courageous people pointed their wand at it. "VIPERA EVANESCA!"
But, to everyone's surprise, the spell bounced back off the angrily hissing snake without even harming it. Harry narrowed his eyes as he heard Nagini spit angry comments and insults at the humans.
"Disgusssting humansss! I'll bite you! I'll poissson you! I'll kill you all! All thossse eatable mudbloodssss but no! Masster wantsss me to find and ssspy on a missserable little human! But maybe I could take a bite? Or paralyze him with my venom until he sslowly diesss in agony?" Nagini let out a long hiss as she raised her body to get a shot at anyone who came too near.
That's when Harry understood that he had almost been fooled: this was Voldemort's Nagini.
Harry took his wand out and pointed it at the Cobra, slowly but surely approaching it with a wary expression.
"Harry? What are you doing?" Sirius asked curiously. 'Why is he pointing his wand on his own familiar?' he was asking himselfbut he quickly realized that something was very wrong with Nagini as the snake recoiled menacingly with each step Harry took.
"Nobody makes a move!" Harry said softly as he gazed in the snake's treacherous eyes. "She belongs to Voldemort and she's ready to attack at any wrong shift."
Seamus gulped. "But we're meters away…It wouldn't be able to get to us!" he said shakily.
"I'm sorry to burst your bubbles Seamus but just look at Nagini's size and length. If she wants to give herself a push she can reach you in mere seconds; you won't even see it coming."
"How is it you know the snake's name, Harry? What do you plan to do? This snake isn't magical so it cannot be banished. The Dark Lord probably also put strong shielding charms on it."
The Headmaster walked slowly to Harry but was stopped by Rosmerta when the woman noticed that with each step the old man took, the snake hissed louder and swayed from left to right.
Harry frowned but didn't detach his gaze from the snake's. "I've encountered Nagini before."
'But why did the mark on my arm warmed up? This Nagini isn't connected to me…Unless mine is coming and this is just a misunderstanding. Albeit an unlucky one.' Harry though grimly.
Said Cobra started to advance slowly and Harry reacted immediately, swishing his wand lightly as to not surprise his enemy's pet. "Finite Incantatum!" The spell zoomed in the reptile's direction and hit its head. Harry waited.
"What doess he think he'sss doing, the pathetic human?"
Harry sighed in frustration. "This'll get ugly. She's not under the Imperius…" But he had the misfortune to release his attention for a second and the hissing snake lunged at him. Harry swore as Nagini coiled tightly around his body and started to choke him while preparing to take a bite.
Another scream shook the room but this time nobody dared to move when another snake slithered quickly between the tables, hissing equally menacingly…for different reasons.
"Headmaster! Another snake! Is the Dark Lord attacking! They're identical!" Hagrid yelped with his loud voice. He loved dangerous animals but snakes coming from Voldemort…
"Repulsssive follower! Evil plotter! Bad blood! Get off! GET OFF! My human! MY HUMAN! I'll kill you!" The good Nagini hissed so loudly that she surprised the evil one who loosened her grip on Harry and slid on the ground in front of the other.
"What magic isss thisss! Thiss cannot be!" the bad Nagini spat out dangerously while she eyed her twin carefully.
Harry panted and tried to regain his breath, and then he sneered.
No pity for the evil side.
"NAGINI! KILL HER! Kill the one who attacked me so maliciousssly! Ssshe hass to die before sshe tellss anything to her masster!"
Sirius wished he had a camera right now when the people's faces changed when his Godson spoke in Parseltongue.
It was ranging from disbelief to fear and to pure horror. Dumbledore's mouth could have hit the ground but no one would have seen it but the Animagus who, even being aware of the seriousness of the situation, was snickering under his breath at the old man's expense. "A gift from Voldemort…" the old man whispered in awe.
When Nagini heard Harry's command she didn't waste any time and launched herself against her evil twin, who retaliated just as strongly. Both Cobras coiled around each other and attempted to bite and choke the other.
Harry kept his familiar in eyesight to make sure she was winning and not the other way around. After a good couple of minutes of spitting and hissing –foul language to Harry's ears- the green eyed boy saw his chance and stepped rather heartily on the bad one's tail.
The evil Nagini hissed an obscene blaspheme and when she turned towards Harry it was already too late: the good Nagini had used this moment of inattention and had coiled around the Dark Lord's servant. She bit the other's head harshly and suffocated the servant to death.
Harry exhaled loudly and sat down on the floor when everything was over. "I never want to do that again."
"Masster? Masster are you alright? I knew I sshould have sstayed with you! I sssensssed it!" Nagini coiled around Harry's arms and flicked her tongue on his cheek to reassure him.
Harry petted her on the head and got up. "You did a good job Nagini. How come it took you sso much time to come back? Wass Ssalazar difficult to find?"
"No, but humanss were in the foresst. Massked humanss, bad onesss. Fiery one had to sset bussshess on fire. The horssse beasstss were mad. The massked oness kept attacking. I had troubless finding my way back. Ssalazar had already gone too far to hunt, ssaid he would be back in two sunrissess utmosst."
Harry completely ignored the shudders of fear that ran through the room and concentrated on his familiar. His body had become so tense Sirius and Remus were afraid that the news, whatever they were, were bad.
"The Death Eaterss were attacking the Centaurss? Iss Fiery one alright? Who won the battle?"
"Fiery one iss okay, if only sslightly ruffled. The horsse beasstss were able to drive the bad humanss away but I think they will be back."
Harry sighed and nodded. Nagini hissed and flicked her tongue before she slid down Harry's shoulders. Harry took the gauntlets off –he wouldn't need them any longer- and, to everyone's bewilderment, the snake slithered under his skin until her entire body was no longer touchable.
The green eyed boy smiled when Nagini stopped moving altogether and dozed off; she deserved it.
"That's amazing!" Albus whispered as Harry walked to the dead snake still left on the floor as if the thing on his arm didn't bother him in the least. The kids and adults gave Harry a wide berth as he picked the lifeless Nagini up and looked at her with disdain.
"Hum, Harry dear, what are you planning to do with the snake?" Mrs. Weasley asked while she grimaced at the dead reptile.
The boy shrugged. "I'll give her to Snape. He'll be able to use her venom and skin for his potions. That's about the only thing Nagini is good for anyway." Harry felt a prickle on his arm and added quickly: "Of course, I'm talking about the evil one, not my Nagini."
He shot an annoyed glare at his familiar whom, through his arm, was looking at him in a scolding manner. "Don't look at me like that, Nagini! You were evil once too, you know! Don't forget you made my life hell at one time!"
"But I wasss under a sspell, ssnake-boy!"
Harry chuckled at her comeback and looked at Remus and his Godfather. "Padfoot, Moony, can you explain my relationship with Nagini to everyone? I wouldn't want anyone to be confused about who the enemy is and who isn't," Harry muttered darkly.
The Marauders nodded. "Sure thing Emeralds. You going to see Snape?" The Animagus asked curiously.
Harry nodded and walked away.
Sirius turned to Remus. "I wish I could've come with him. Snape's face will be hilarious when he sees Harry's tattoo and even more when he sees his lifeless ex-master's reptilian servant."
Remus rolled his eyes.
Albus rasped his throat. "Now gentlemen, could we have an explanation as to why or how in Merlin's name the heir of Godric Gryffindor is a Parselmouth and has the Dark Lord's snake as a servant?"
Remus shrugged. "Nagini isn't his servant, per say. She's more like his second familiar, his owl Hedwig being the first one. As for being Gryffindor's heir…yeah, but he's not only the heir of Godric anymore…"
………
"So you failed to conquer the Forbidden Forest? How utterly weak you all are. CRUCIO!"
The Death Eaters screamed in agony until Riddle saw fit to stop the curse. "M-Master! For a reason we cannot comprehend, the Centaurs were all rallied at the same place! Our surprise attack did some damage but we weren't nearly numerous enough to stop them! And there was an Ashwinder, Master! It kept setting the bushes on fire, thus making us retreat! We could not do anything!" Nott babbled, trying to save his hide from another curse.
Voldemort growled and sent them away. "Pathetic, incompetent fools! But this is disconcerting…A snake, against the servants of Lord Voldemort? Why do I feel like the boy has something to do with this? Wormtail!"
Pettigrew squeaked and jumped before he groveled in front of his master. "Master?"
"Wormtail, you will tell the group to attack again. Let them rally anyone they see fit to help. Then, I want you to transform and go to Hogwarts. Spy on them."
"He, he, hi, hi, ha, ha! Yes my Lord!" was the only insane reply.