The whole Hall was in stupor. Everyone was looking at Harry and Elizabeth as if they had two heads. The students were all so scared. They knew it was dumb to be scared, they had known Liz and Harry for two years and knew that they were nice people, but they couldn't help it. The young Slytherin and Gryffindor, as they were being stared at, were dragged away by Hermione and Ron all the way to Gryffindor tower. Upon entering, everyone quickly went up to their dormitories and sent Elizabeth dirty looks, for both what just happened and the fact she was a snake. News travelled fast.

"What's wrong with them?" Liz asked snidely
"What's wrong with them? What's wrong with you?" Ron asked
"What are you talking about, Ron?" Harry questioned, looking between the ginger and Hermione
"You didn't tell us you were a Parselmouth, Harry!" the girl shouted "And Liz... How?"
"A what?" the raven haired boy asked
"A Parselmouth..." Elizabeth said contemplatively "We can talk to snakes..."
"I know. I mean, I accidentally set a python on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once. But so what? I bet loads of people here can do it."
"No Harry, they can't." Ellie added "It's not a common gift. This is bad... Very bad."

Frozen in place as if determined to make the least noise as possible, the girl's eyes darted everywhere unable to focus on one thing. Her eyes were large and watery. Elizabeth couldn't breath, it felt as if someone was choking her. Her heart was racing and all she wanted to do was curl up into a ball and wait for someone to save her. But no one could. A Parselmouth? She couldn't be. The only one who was ever able to talk to snakes was Salazar Slytherin and... Maybe she was a true Slytherin, after all...

A choked cry forced itself up her throat, and she felt a drop run down her cheek. Hermione Ron and Harry kept talking, but stopped at that moment. They'd never seen Elizabeth so scared, so vulnerable. She was always that girl who'd laugh when people would insult her and sass them back into submission. She was that girl who'd always appear unbreakable, who always seemed happy. Even when she was scared, like the previous year in the Forbidden Forest, she always made sure to seem calm and collected. Not this time.

"Liz?" a soft voice said, pulling her out of her distressing thoughts
"Yeah?" her voice cracked
"We'll be okay..." she recognized Harry's voice
"I don't know, Harry..."

Elizabeth then felt two hands place themselves upon her shoulders. She looked up and was met with Harry's bright green eyes. Liz wiped her tears away and let her head fall onto his shoulder. After barely a second, Harry wrapped his arms around her in a comforting hug. Tears continued to freely fall from her eyes and soak Harry's shirt.

"Listen you two, there's a reason why the symbol of Slytherin House is a serpent." Hermione said "Salazar Slytherin was a Parselmouth. He could talk to snakes too."
"Exactly. And now the whole school's going to think you're his great-great-great-grandson or something, Harry." Ron added
"But I'm not - I can't be." the glasses-clad boy replied, his hold still tight on Elizabeth
"He lived a thousand years ago. For all we know... you could be."
"What about me?" Elizabeth said, her voice shaky
"I don't know, Liz..." her sister sighed "I don't know..."

Elizabeth held the strap of her bag tightly as she walked through the halls of Hogwarts Castle. Dozens of stares pierced through her, accusing her of the attacks on the school, accusing her of being the Heir of Slytherin. The brunette avoided the glares and kept her head down, immediately heading for the abandoned girls' bathroom to continue brewing the Polyjuice potion. Careful not to get any of her tears in the cauldron, she gently heated the bubbling brew and added Lacewing Flies to the potion, before heading out and ignoring Myrtle for the first time in months.

The time allotted for homework and studying with her House wasn't easy either. You would think that being a Slytherin who could speak to snakes was a good thing... but it wasn't. Especially if you were a Muggle-born, and you were suspected of attacking people. The only one who seemed to feel bad about Elizabeth's predicament, was Draco Malfoy, but he'd never admit to it, nor would he be seen talking to her since she was public enemy number one, alongside "Saint Potter". Even Millicent Bulstrode, her only true friend in Slytherin, didn't want to be seen with her.

The youngest Granger sat apart from all the others in the study hall, furiously scribbling on a foot-long piece of parchment about the Swelling Solution, and writing down her modifications in her potions book. Feeling dozens of pairs of eyes on her, she slowly glanced up. Almost everybody was staring at her, and as soon as Liz saw them, they all went back to their homework, whispering amongst each other. Elizabeth rolled her eyes, not wanting her fellow Slytherins to see her vulnerability, and went back to her parchment. But the feeling of being watched soon came back, and Liz had had enough. She quickly gathered up her things and shoved them into her bag, handing in her textbook to professor Snape. He nodded curtly at her, and she turned around to face everyone.

"What are you all looking at!?" she snapped, causing everyone to silently panic "I know I'm amazing, but this is getting seriously disturbing!"

All students immediately ducked their heads, afraid that if they didn't, one among them would be her next target. With her head held high, the young Slytherin stormed out of the study hall and down to her dormitory, where she changed out of her robes and grabbed her guitar. Aslan tried to curl up to her, sensing she was upset, but she only picked him up and placed him on her bed before walking out of the Common Room and out to her beech tree, which was lightly covered in snow. Liz began strumming her guitar absent-minded, trying to forget what was happening, but all she could do was think about it. Why could she talk to snakes? She was a Muggle for Christ's sake! Hermione couldn't talk to snakes, but Harry could. Did this have anything to do with Harry? It shouldn't. Elizabeth was smart. She thought that maybe, Harry talking to snakes had something to do with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and the boy's scar. But did He have anything to do with her talking to serpents? She hoped not, and she thought not. She was born a Muggle, surely You-Know-Who didn't care for an insignificant muggle...

Suddenly, Ellie heard two voices she didn't recognize approach. The brunette shrunk her guitar and climbed the tree, so she could listen in on the conversation without being seen. The two Ravenclaws, Cho Chang and Marcus Belby, that were approaching were definitely talking about her and Harry.

"So, anyway, I told Alexis to hide up in our dormitory. I mean to say, if Granger's marked her down as her next victim, it's best she keep a low profile for a while." Cho, said
"But why would she want to attack Alexis?" Marcus, asked
"Alexis obviously hates Slytherins, especially Elizabeth Granger."
"Why?"
"Everyone knows the sorting hat wanted to put her in Ravenclaw, but she asked to be put in Slytherin."
"And you think that makes her the Heir of Slytherin?"
"Marcus, she's a Parselmouth. Everyone knows that's the mark of a dark wizard. Have you ever heard of a decent one who could talk to snakes? They called Salazar Slytherin himself Serpent-tongue." Cho said, then began to whisper darkly "Remember what was written on the wall: 'Enemies of the Heir Beware'. Granger had some sort of run-in with Filch. Next thing we know, Filch's cat's attacked. That first-year Creevey's been annoying her and Harry Potter. Then he gets attacked."
"She always seemed so nice though, for a Slytherin." Marcus sighed "I mean, she did punch Malfoy in the face after he called her sister a - a you know..."
"That's what makes it so believable! She-"

Elizabeth had heard enough. Muttering, she climbed down the tree and hugged her coat closer, her feet crunching the little bit of snow on the ground. Then suddenly, she bumped into a large figure. It was Hagrid holding a dead rooster, and Harry who was looking at it oddly as well.

"All righ' Harry, Elizabeth?" the half-giant said
"Hagrid... What are you doing here?" the two friends asked simultaneously
"Second one killed this term." Hagrid announced, holding up the dead rooster "Reckon it's either foxes or a Blood-Suckin' Bugbear. Need Dumbledore's permission ter put a charm round the hen-coop... Yeh sure yeh're all righ', you two? Yeh look all hot an' bothered."
"It's nothing, Hagrid." Elizabeth smiled meekly
"We've just got a lot of studying to do..." Harry lied, catching on to what Liz was thinking

The two bid goodbye to Hagrid and sauntered off into the courtyard, then entered the castle. Harry and Elizabeth walked silently side by side, no need for expressing what they were feeling. They both knew. Upon entering the castle, dusk had come and the two students slowly came into a dark hall. Up ahead, in the light of a flickering torch, something dark lied on the stone floor. Suddenly, a window pane rattled open and the wind from outside made the torch go out. Harry and Elizabeth glanced at each other then stepped closer. On the floor, lying there motionless, was Justin Finch-Fletchley, the Hufflepuff that the snake wanted to attack during the dueling club a few weeks back. Elizabeth looked up and gasped, causing Harry to look at the same thing Liz just saw. The ghost of Nearly Headless Nick was floating, his head barely hanging onto his body, and teeming with black smoke. Harry nudged his friend and pointed to the ground, where dozens of spiders were scurrying away from the scene. Both Harry and Elizabeth then looked back at each other and spotted something in the corner of their eyes: McGonagall.

"Professor, I swear we-"
"This is out of my hands, Potter." McGonagall said, cutting Harry off "Mr. Filch, take care of this, please."

The two sets of green eyes shifted towards the shadows behind Minerva McGonagall. Filch was lurking in said shadows, an evil smile on his gaunt face. The Squib stepped forward and hissed quietly.

"Caught in the act. I'll have you out this time, Potter, Granger. Mark my words..."

As McGonagall lead Harry and Elizabeth away, the boy looked down and grasped the girl's hand. A small forced smile drew itself on Liz's face as she tightened her grip.

"Dark magic. That's what you've got, Potter and Granger." Filch muttered from behind "Even the air you breathe comes out poison. You're evil. Evil as they come..."

Turning a few corners, and keeping up with a fast-paced McGonagall, the two friends were eventually lead into a hallway with a tall gargoyle at the end. It was fitted into an illuminated arch and stood at least eight feet tall. Minerva stopped in front of it and clearly spoke Sherbert Lemon, a kind of Muggle sweet, and with a loud shudder, the gargoyle sprung to life as it opened its wings and twisted, revealing a stone spiral staircase. McGonagall ushered the two inside, their hands still tightly clasped together, and told them to go all the way up.

"Professor Dumbledore will be waiting for you." the woman spoke

Harry and Elizabeth climbed the steps then walked out of the Gargoyle's embrace and entered a large, circular room. Strange silver and gold instruments whirred and spun quietly, multiple strange trinkets were laid out on a large desk and, on a nearby shelf, sat the sorting hat that put Elizabeth and Harry in Slytherin and Gryffindor, respectively. Harry cast a wary eye at it, whereas Liz observed the past headmasters snoozing in the portraits around them. In the last portrait, the Headmaster was awake and reading a book; professor Dippet. Suddenly, a voice cleared its throat and roughly began talking.

"Bee in your bonnet, Potter?"
"Well, you see, I was wondering..." Harry began, making Liz turn around and notice he was talking to the sorting hat
"If I put you in the right house? Yes... you were particularly difficult to place. But I stand by what I said last year... you would have done well in Slytherin. And you Miss Granger... you really are the perfect Slytherin."

Both students stayed quiet as the hat went back to sleep. Elizabeth's ears then picked up a quiet sound. She turned her head and was met with an old, decrepit bird sitting upon a golden perch. The girl nudged Harry who turned to look just as the bird wobbled and burst into flame. Just then, professor Dumbledore entered and saw Harry's horror-stricken face.

"Professor, your bird... I couldn't do anything, he just... caught fire."
"About time too. Fawkes has been looking dreadful for days." the Headmaster said softly "Pity you had to see him on a Burning Day. He's really very handsome most of the time."
"He's a Phoenix, Harry." Elizabeth said, seeing Harry's confused look "Phoenixes burst into flame when it's time for them to die and are reborn from the ashes. See?"

Harry looked to the plate underneath the perch, where a pile of steel coloured ashes sat. Suddenly, the ashes swirled and a tiny bird's head poked out its head, blinking through the dust. Elizabeth smiled.

"Fascinating creatures, phoenixes." Dumbledore continued, sitting down at his desk "They can carry immensely heavy loads, their tears have healing powers, and they make highly faithful pets."

Just then, a panting Hagrid burst through the door, holding another dead rooster.

"It wasn't Harry an' Elizabeth, professor Dumbledore!"
"Hagrid-"
"I was talkin' to 'em just before that kid was found. It can't've been 'em!"
"Hagrid-"
"I'll swear ter it in fronf o' the Minister o' Magic-"
"HAGRID!" Dumbledore interrupted "I do not think that either Harry or Elizabeth has attacked anyone."
"Oh... right. I'll wait outside then."

As Hagrid exited the office, both kids looked hopefully towards their Headmaster.

"You don't think it was us, Professor?" Liz asked
"No, Elizabeth. But I must ask you two... Is there anything you'd like to tell me? Anything at all?"

Both Harry and Elizabeth debated whether to say anything. Finally, Harry declined and exited, sending Elizabeth a half smile. She, on the other hand, stayed behind hoping to get some answers out of the old man.

"Yes, Miss Granger?"
"Sir... How is it I can speak Parseltongue?"
"Curious and inquisitive... No wonder the sorting hat almost put you in Ravenclaw." the Headmaster said contemplatively
"Yes, well... I was the one who asked not to put me in there which-"
"Which is why you were put in Slytherin."
"Clearly, but what I don't understand is why a Muggle-born can speak Parseltongue." Elizabeth questioned, sitting on a chair in front of Albus Dumbledore's desk "I mean, my sister can't do it... Yet I can..."

Ellie could have sworn something glint in the man's eyes. A glint she only saw in the Weasley twins' eyes when they thought of a new prank, something mischievous. Which made sense since his reply was very cryptic.

"It matters not what you can do now, Elizabeth. What matters is how and why it came to be..."