Chapter 17
A/N: It's another flashback chapter! Personally, I think the ghosts and house elves need more exposure.
More importantly, we have now reached more than 1,000 followers! I'm absolutely flabbergasted; I know there are some talented authors out there who amass more than a thousand in just a few months (or even weeks!), but seeing as I'm just someone who writes because I want to bring my selfish plot bunnies to life, getting to this point is something of a wonder. Truly, I am thankful.
"Look, I can explain."
The hair around Hermione's face began to curl and crackle with tiny sparks of lightning, magic reacting to her growing anger. Hari wisely chose not to comment on her spectacular similarity to Crookshanks when aggravated.
"Then explain." Hermione's voice was very nearly a growl.
They were in the Great Hall. Ron was busy decimating a plate of eggs beside her, unconcerned. "Better do it quickly mate, or we're going to end up late for Potions," he said in between bites.
Hari shot him a glare before turning back to Hermione. "Um, this wasn't my idea! I never asked Winky to become my house elf," she said, quickly. "I didn't even know house elves could change mas-uh, I mean employers!"
Winky was waiting by Hari's feet, face anxious as her large eyes darted between Hari and Hermione. "Please, Miss Herminees, Mistress Hari be doing no wrongs! Winky is wanting this of her own free will!" she squeaked, hands wringing on the white tea towel that acted as her toga, emblazoned with the Hogwarts crest in the corner.
There was a wrinkled piece of parchment on the table between Hermione and Hari. It read:
I, Winky the house elf, do heerby pledj meselfs as house elf to Lady Hari Lily Potter, for as long as I and my fameely lives.
Signed.
There was a messy stamp of a house-elf handprint at the bottom.
"It's alright, Winky. But...aren't you happy here at Hogwarts?" Hari turned to the house elf.
Winky bit her bottom lip. "Hogwarts is nice place to work in, yes. I gets lots of tasty food and I sleeps in my own cot. But Winky - Winky is wanting to work for Mistress Hari!" She looked up at the last part, face set determinedly.
Hermione blinked at her, surprised. Hari bit back the sigh that wanted to leave her lips, not wanting to hurt the house elf. "May I ask why?"
Winky nodded. "Mistress Hari...Mistress Hari is needing more house elves. Her magic is wonderful yes it is and so, so...big!" She jumped up, hands outstretched in emphasis. "Winky...Winky is wanting to serve a mistress with big magic," she said almost shyly. Her bare feet scuffed the floor.
Hari blinked several times. "What do you mean, Winky?"
"Winky and Dobby had talked about it before...before Dobby…" Winky pulled at a corner of her tea towel and dabbed at her eyes. Her lips wobbled. "I miss Dobby," she whimpered.
"Oh dear. There, there," Hermione patted her tentatively on the back, anger momentarily forgotten.
Movement overhead caused Hari to look up; flying towards them was Moaning Myrtle. The ghost hovered above the table, causing Ron to stop inhaling his breakfast and squinting up at the ghost.
"Myrtle? What are you doing outside the loo?"
Myrtle sniffed at him with her chin high. She looked at Hari, an excited smile on her face. "My lady - I mean, Hari! It's time."
"It's...time?"
Myrtle nodded. She hovered closer to Hari and lowered her head, whispering, "The egg, my lady."
A look of understanding dawned on Hari's face, and she stood. "Um, sorry Winky. But maybe we can - I don't know, talk about this later? I'm not rejecting you or anything!" she added when Winky's eyes shone with tears and even her ears started wobbling in distress.
"What are you doing, Hari?" Hermione hissed at her.
"The egg, Mione. The special one," Hari hissed right back. "It's hatching. Hatching!"
"Oh!"
"M-mistress Hari?" Winky warbled. "You is not...is not rejecting Winky's request?"
"No, of course not," Hari replied without thinking. She smiled in what she hoped was comforting to Winky and patted her on the shoulder. "We'll sort this out later, yeah? I mean, we need to tell the er, headmistress -" She shot Hermione a pleading look.
Hermione sighed in exasperation and shot Hari a look that clearly meant they would be having words. "Come on Winky," she leaned over the house elf and gave her a smile. "Hari needs to be someplace right now, but I'm sure she'll be happy to hear you out later. Now, how much do you expect to get paid for your services?"
Winky blinked up at Hermione. "Pay? Winky is not needing monies."
Something unpleasant crossed Hermione's face, but she schooled her expression quickly and smiled at Winky again. "Surely Hogwarts is giving you something for working here?"
Hari turned to Ron. "Please don't let your girlfriend start on S.P.E.W. again," she whispered, not wanting Hermione's ire focused on her again.
Ron snorted. "Not making any promises, mate. See you in class then?"
"I'll be there before Professor Slughorn gets to the classroom," Hari promised, leaving the table with a silent 'thank you' to Hermione, who shooed her with a rueful smile.
"The Baron is watching the egg," Myrtle said once they were out the Great Hall and speeding to the Chamber. "He said there were cracks on the surface this morning. Won't be long until it hatches."
It had already been almost a month after Hari started singing to the egg. It was slow progress; there had been times that Hari felt her songs were not doing anything. But the pull on her magic was still there, indicating that the basilisk inside was feeding off of it. It wanted to live. So Hari continued to keep up the Warming Charms and the songs. Incidentally, this made her so proficient at her Animagus transformation that it takes no more than a second for her to change between forms.
Once inside Slytherin's office, the Baron floated to Hari. "My lady. It's time."
Hari nodded. "Show me."
The Bloody Baron led her into the study, right by the fireplace where they kept the egg. It had grown to three times its original size; it was now almost as big as the golden egg Hari got during the Triwizard tournament. And it was rocking slightly in its place.
"It will hatch in just a few more moments," the Baron commented, peering down his nose at it. "You must be the first thing it sees, my lady."
"The imprinting," Hari responded with a nod. "Yes, I remember." She settled on the floor beside the egg. "It should be able to speak right away, yes?"
The Baron nodded. "It will be able to speak the snake language immediately."
Moaning Myrtle floated a little closer. "Will it need to be fed right away?" She frowned. "I'm not going to become a basilisk-sitter, am I?" she whined.
"If Lady Hari wants you to, then you will do it," the Baron told her with a narrow-eyed look. Myrtle looked like she wanted to protest, but only puffed out her cheeks and pouted.
"Quiet!" Hari hissed at them both. "It's coming out of the shell."
Both ghosts hovered behind Hari, making sure to stay at least a few paces away. The egg was now rocking back and forth with gusto, as if whatever inside was impatient to get out. There was a cracking noise, and a large piece of the shell fell away. In the gap it left behind, a forked-shaped tongue tasted the air.
Hari tilted her head, listening to the hisses from inside. "It's alright little one," she crooned, slipping into Parseltongue.
The egg lay still. A large crack began to spider across the whole egg. The tongue slithered out once, twice, and then with a loud snapping noise the egg split in two, unveiling the young basilisk inside.
It was covered in the egg's membrane, the scales a deep emerald shade, shining gold in the firelight. Its eyes were bright yellow, the pupil slitted. The basilisk's gaze would not be lethal yet; it will take at least another year for its power to manifest.
It slithered out from under the remains of the egg, eyes unblinking as it stared at Hari. It's ruby red tongue tasted the air in front of her.
"Mama?"
Hari grinned, nodding. From the voice alone, this was a female basilisk. More fierce than their male counterparts, but also very loyal and protective of their brood. "That's right, hatchling. My name is Hari. I am your mother."
The basilisk drew closer, until it was almost touching Hari's hand on the floor. "My name?"
Hari paused for a moment. "Your name is Renenutet," she replied, remembering the name from a book. "I shall call you Ren. Would you like that?"
The young basilisk, no more than two feet in length, nodded its head. "Yes, I would like that. I am Ren."
After the basilisk's proclamation, Hari gasped at the feeling of her magic reaching out and settling into the basilisk. She watched, amazed, as the dark green scales turned black the exact shade as Hari's phoenix form. What was most surprising were Ren's eyes: from yellow they quickly turned bright green, the same hue that Hari saw in the mirror everyday.
Inside of Hari, she could feel a connection with the basilisk staring at her, a flow of emotions not her own passing through it: curiosity, muted awe at the world surrounding her, and an unshakeable trust that this creature that towered over her was mother, one who will protect and nurture, and who will be teacher and guide as she grew older until at last she had hatchlings of her own.
Oh, Hari thought. So this is what it means to be a parent?
She raised her arm in front of the basilisk, and without hesitation Ren curled herself around Hari's arm, her head resting on the crook of Hari's elbow. "Mama, I am hungry. Is there something to eat?"
Hari smiled at her, one finger rubbing slow circles on top of Ren's head. "Of course, my dear. How does rabbit sound?"
"What is a rabbit?"
"It's food, for now. Once you get bigger we will see about eating something else. By the way, humans are not food."
"Why not?"
"I am human," Hari explained. She raised her arm so she could look eye to eye with Ren. "Do you want to eat me?"
"No!"
"Then you must not eat humans," Hari continued smoothly.
"Okay," Ren replied after a moment of thought. "I can eat everything else?"
"How about we take this one thing at a time," Hari answered. "I will teach you everything you need to know."
Ren bobbed her head in agreement, before settling down against Hari's warm skin. "Yes, mama. I would like that very much."#