It was the few days had passed, I'd spent the time looking through mythological books, for reptilian creatures, mostly at snakes, it made sense that the beast would be a serpent of sorts, it had to be. Salazar making a serpent represent the Slytherin house. He -and Tom Riddle- Must've been able to tame the beast with Parselmouth, tame it to do his -their- bidding. It had to have been able to either, be able to live forever, or reproduce alone.
In the commons, I had a book of fable beasts open. Capone was on my lap munching on an apple. Quietly in the corner of the room, close to the glass window that showed the lake. When I looked up from where I sat I saw some of the other Slytherins gathering, going out the door. Must be time for the the dueling club. Looking at Capone, I got up, holding him, I took both him and the book up to my room.
"Stay" I muttered softly, before I placed him in his little home above my bed. Then I left to follow the group of Slytherins to the great hall, where there were students from other houses there already. The tables we would eat at were moved to the side of the room, in the middle was a long golden stage that had the phases of the moon on it. I managed to push my way through the crowd, to get closer to it. It seemed like I had pushed through the entire school. Once I was in the front, I saw Lockhart waltzing up onto the stage, while Snape following him.
"Gather around, gather around!" Lockhart called, waving his arm to get the attention, "Can you see me? Can you all hear me?" The room then quieted, "Excellent! Now, Headmaster Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little dueling club, to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions - for full details see my published works" I rolled my eyes, what a pretentious fool. "Let me introduce you to my assistant, Professor Snape" He said with a wide smile motioning to Snape, who looked at Lockhart with daggers. I couldn't hide a smirk, I couldn't help but hop that Snape would kick Lockharts ass. I'm sure the bat professor would love to do so.
"He tells me he knows a tiny bit about dueling himself..." More then you I bet "... and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry- You'll still have your potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!" Lockhart insured us.
"I wounder if he'll be alright when Snapes done with him" Draco muttered from behind me, I presume to his fat friends. Hmp, no kidding.
Lockhart and Snape then turned to face each other, on opposite sides of the table, when they looked to each other they bowed, then raised their wands as they stood up straight.
"As you see, we're holding our wands in the accepted combative position" Lockhart stated, in a proud tone, then turned his attention to Snape, "On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course..." Would it be so bad if you died though? "... One, two, three-"
Snape was quicker, as expected, crying out "Expelliarmus!" throwing Lockhart across the stage and to the floor. I smiled happy to see the sight, while I heard others, -mostly Slytherins- laughing.
"Lockhart then got back on the platform straightining up his hair, "Well there you have it!" he pants, "That was a disarming charm- as you see, I've lost my wand..." In that moment a student had given him back his wand, "Yes, thank you, , - Yes excellent idea to show them that, professor Snape, but if you don't mind me saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do." Liar "If I had wanted to stop you it would've been only to easy - However, I felt it would be instructive to let them see..."
Snape seemed to get more annoyed, furious even, as the professor rolled his eyes.
"Now! Enough demonstrating!" Lockhart called, obviously he didn't want to get his butt thrown again, so he wanted us all to get into pairs.
Harry was paired with Malfoy, Ron with Seamus, "ah, , how about-" Lockhart started only to be interrupted as Snape walked over.
"I'll be partnered with her" he stated, I raised an eyebrow, "unlike most students, has already dueled and I'm sure she'd like to be challenged" He means with Quirrell and Voldemort...
"Ah, of course. I'll watch everyone from up here. " Lockhart stated, making a hasty retreat to the table.
I then looked at Snape, "Basic dueling I'd presume, just disarming?" I questioned, him as we took our paces away from each other, being a decent length away.
"Indeed, but keep in mind, I won't be going easy on you, I'm curious as to see, what you know and how quick you are." He stated, then we bowed at eachother, as I rose back up I saw pointing his wand at me while I pointed mine at him. I was ignoring Lockhart as he gave instructions, it'd seem Snape was also ignoring him, as the potions master made the first move. "Expelliarmus!" He yelled.
It hit, but not before I could use my own spell, "Flipendo!" Causing Snape to slide backwards, enough time for me to scrambled for my wand and add another spell, as he gained his balance, "Expelliarmus!" He seemed to avoid the spell causing it to hit, Flint, whom was behind Snape, I ignored him, looking at Snape, whom sent another disarming spell at me, I waved my wand in the way, not saying the name of the defensive spell, that protected me from it, "Avis!" My wand going into a bird shape, then shooting birds from the tip of it.
Snape then used a spell to make the birds disappear, before they went wild. When he did I took the time to look at the other dueling. Harry and Malfoy seemed to be equal with their attacks on each other. While Hermione was dominated Milicent Bulstrode, I nodded, glad she was beating up my roommate. I then looked to Snape, as he finished with the last bird, he then looked towards me, "Expelliarmus" I whispered, not pointing my wand, just looking at him. Then his wand flew behind him, out of his hand, earning a strange look from Snape as it happened.
When Snape went to get his wand Lockhart had called for a stop of the dueling, as everything was just getting out of hand it'd seem.
"I think I'd better teach you how to block unfriendly spells," Lock hart stated, once the chaos of flying wands, spells and people had stopped, "Let's have a volunteer pait - Longbottom and Finch-Fletchley, how about you-"
Snape smacked his lips together intrupting the other professor, "A bad idea, Professor Lockhart" he stated, walking up to the dueling stage, "Longbottom causes devistations with the simplest of spells. We'll be sending what's left of FinchFletchley up to the hospital wing in a matchbox" He drawled. He wasn't wrong, Longbottom was terrible, worse then Ron was at spell casting. Snape then looked over the crowd, "How about Potter and Malfoy" he sneered.
"Excellent idea!" Lockhart beamed. I shook my head, its not excellent, it's just an idea, not having a student die due to Longbottom!
The two boys both ended up on the stage, Draco on the side Snape was on, while Harry was on the side next to Lockhart.
"face each other, bow" Lockhart instructed, the boys did as told, then pointed their wands at one another, "Remember disarming only! Start"
Draco then called a spell, that I didn't think he knew, "Serpentsortia!" Draco yelled, a long black snake flying out of his wand, landing on the ground. It raised its head, showing its fangs, looking ready to strike. Some people scream and backed away, while I made my closer, this could be a chance to use Parseltongue, put what I've been learning to the test.
"Don't move, Potter" Drawls Snape from the stage, "I'll get rid of it..."
"Allow me!" Lockhart says loudly, pointing his wand at the snake, not making it vanish, but flipping it high into the air, pissing it off more, once it landed. It was now hissing and writhing around, a scared Justin FinchFletchlet. It poises its fangs looking ready to strike.
"Don't!" I hissed at it, recalling the reading of the guide. It then looked in my direction, hissing at me now.
"Leave him alone" Harry yelled a hissing tone, at the snake then looked at him. He, he was a Parseltongue? Since when did he learn it? The snake studied Harry swaying back and forth, then whipped around to the crowd, making a girl scream, the snake looked ready to strike forward.
I gracefully went in front of it, pushing Justin out of the way, "You don't want to do that, they mean you no harm." The snake stopped, looking at me intently, slithering slowly half of its body leaning forward, as it's tongue flickered, smelling the air between us, inspecting, sensing the air for an emotion, I then whispered a hiss at it again, "we mean you no harm, love" In that moment the snake was then coated in a black smoke and gone. I blinked what? I looked to see Professor Snape had his wand pointed in the direction, his gaze was unreadable. I then noticed everyone seemed to be staring, looking scared.
I was then grabbed by my shoulders led out of the great hall, by Snape, till we were away, he turned me to face him, his eyes were narrowed, sharp, "You speak Parselmouth?" He demanded, "Do you have any idea how stupid that was?
Was he mad at me for stopping the snake? "I learned the language just recently, found a book actually, and stupid how? Would it be better that I allow the snake to strike, besides, when did Harry learn it?" I questioned a bit annoyed, "seriously, I don't think he has the ability to sit down and learn an entire language, I didn't even think he or anyone else knew it" I stated, annoyed with how Harry just knew Parseltongue, while I actually had to study it, I had to think be fore I said, or hissed anything at the snake, Harry just flowed with it, was he born with the ability? Was he related to Salazar some how? To Voldemort? Could he be the heir of Slytherin?
Snape pinched the bridge of his nose, in annoyance, "What do you mean you learned it recently? It's an ability, not just something to learn from a book."
"Wrong. The ability is to understand the snakes fully, I just spoke it, I understood what Harry said, as for the snake, I had no idea, I went off of it's body language." I snapped at him, causing him to glare, "Besides, I was telling the bloody thing not to attack, so was Harry"
"It's not what it sounded to everyone else. It sounded serious, a series of aggressive, hissing noises, . No one knew what either of you were saying. For how aggressive it sounded, for all any one knew you were telling it to attack" He replied.
I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, nothing says attack, like getting in front of a snake, if people are thinking that, I was ordering it to attack, they deserve to be attacked for being so bloody daft"
"That isn't helping your case -"
"Isn't it? Was it unnoticed that the snake stopped, attacking when it was spoke to? It only reacted when people started to freak out!" I snapped, interrupting him.
He glared, "Do you have any idea, how bad this is, Salazar Slytherin was a famous Parselmouth, it being a rare gift as it is, and considering the problem with the school currently-"
"Oh" I whispered, realizing how this was a bad idea, "They'll think either of us are the heir of Slytherin, that one or both of us opened the Chamber of Secrets."
"Yes, but you seem lucky enough for being the heir of Ravenclaw, but fear tends to cloud common sense" He says soothingly. I nodded, looking away, Harry isn't that lucky... "As it is, there are a few morons that'll think you found a way to release the monster, as you're as cunning and knowledgeable as you are. My best advise is to ignore it"
I nodded, walking away, to the dorms, to the Slytherin commons, digesting the stupidity of myself. I just put myself out as a target, - no as a suspect for opening the chambers, releasing the beast. I seriously needed to figure out what it was, and find the chamber.