Chapter 17: I'm Not Asking Out Trouble, I'm Just Strangely Attracted to It

Words: 3,646

Recap: So... apparently you can scare the legendary basilisk, the nightmare of all wizards, with just small chicken noises. Sev was found safely and found a piece of the key of the Lost Treasure.

In any other time, Severus would have been reserved to get into his own dorm room after going missing for three days. It was already a miracle he survived. While common sense dictates that he should have checked up with Madam Pomfrey, he was more concerned in getting food for his stomach before going to meet up with his bed and sleep the rest of his miserable life away.

His friends had helped with the former. With intimate knowledge of where Hogwarts' kitchen was, the house-elves were more than happy feeding a starved wizard. Severus was not ashamed admitting in shedding a few relief tears when confronted with the warm air from the stove fire, waft of baked food, the drool-inducing spices in the air, and the warm glow from the oven that was the total opposite of the tense cold cage where darkness seemed to enveloped his whole being. Severus was never one to shun away from the dark, even as a kid, he had always associated it with silence and peace where nothing and no one can harm him while he was in its embrace. But even there's a point for him when all the dark and dreary became too much.

After having his fill, Severus was not all keen to move from the floor, squished between his two green-eyed friends. He basked in the warmth of their presences, and for once, Severus didn't mind for the sounds surrounding him; of the pitter-patter steps of the little elves, the sharp whistle of boiling water, the sizzling oil on a hot pan, the crack of eggs breaking, and the timely tick of the grandfather clock.

The clock itself wasn't like any ordinary one. There was twice the amount of clock's hand, and instead of the time, it showed the list of work around the clock's face; cooking, making the bed, washing the plates, cleaning the halls. No breaks in between them.

Make sense, house-elves have no need for the concept of time or breaks, their only concern is whether they do their job promptly and properly.

It did do its job in showing a vague time and Severus was not surprised by how late it was. He felt the sag of his muscle and the heaviness of his eyelid. He knew he should get up and go back to his common room, ensuring his friends that he was safe. But the dungeon, for what it's worth, wasn't an ideal place for comfort and Severus needed it at that moment.

So the three of them stayed snuggled together on the kitchen floor, with only the eyes of the elves watching them before Morpheus came and knock their lights out. Never noticing one lone elf who covered them in a single blanket. None complained when they woke up that morning.

Severus reluctantly entangled himself from their grips (which was unfairly strong despite being unconscious). He considered waking them up since the sun had barely even risen but thought better of it and informed the elves that he has gone back ahead for when his friends are awake and ask about his whereabouts. After the save they made for him, they deserve the rest.

The first thing he did was getting a shower. Even if no one question where Severus was, they would certainly question the putrid smell of sewage and reptile all over him. He made sure to washed thrice. Once satisfied, he trudged his way back to his room until he paused when he heard the call of his name.

"Snape, you're not dead?"

Coming out from his room was his fellow roommates, Evan Rosier and Albert Wilkes. The two tweens gawk at his wet figure, looking nonchalantly out of the shower like he hadn't disappeared out of the blue from the rest of the Snakes.

Severus was not ready for this. He expected it but wasn't prepared to answer any of their inquisitive proddings. "Went out. Got lost. Just recently found my way back, though I ought to make it clear to the rest of the student body that I'm still breathing so I could disappoint them with my continued existent."

Rosier rolled his eyes. "Ceased your dramatics Severus, it's unbecoming of you," he said so, but none could mistake his amused smirk.

"I thought you said I was all about the dramatics."

Wilkes, on the other hand, was not amused by the humor milked in this situation. His shocking steel blue eyes glared accusingly at the Halfblood, "The rumours are clearly exaggerating if you still kept that sharp tongue of yours. Where were you anyway? Do you know the kind of scandal you almost cause for us with this stunt of yours? I hope it's worth playing along with that mudblood of yours."

'Oh, I'm fine. Thanks for asking. I was only literally close to being buried six feet under next to a twenty-foot long legendary beast that could make most adults wet themselves.'

He shoved those thoughts in the corner of his mind, reminding himself that his housemates aren't Lily or Percy so he found no use in comparing them.

Rosier took a hold on the crook of Wilkes' elbow, like an owner holding a leash to his barking dog, "Settle down Albert, let him say his piece before you could badger him. It's not completely his fault if his friend likes to involve him in their game–"

"It's not."

They both turned heads at him and Severus gulped, already regretting speaking out when he couldn't stop himself. "It's, it's not like that. I was experimenting with new curses out of school — I didn't want any nosy busybody to disturb me — but got lost on my way back. The two had nothing to do with my disappearance."

The silence felt strained and Severus was reluctant to meet their eyes. It was unusual for him to speak out, he knew it. He was one of the few Halfblood here, strictly speaking, he was the lowest in the hierarchy here. He learned quickly that there's no point in defending his choice of friends as being a muggle-born and a 'duffer. Not only because it wouldn't change any of their minds, but his own opinion doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. Severus might have gotten his dream house, but he is still far from being accepted as one of them.

And Severus is determined to prove himself as a true Slytherin despite his blood.

And talking back to a Pureblood is a definite no-no.

"Err... I mean, what I meant was…"

Rosier waved him off, "It's fine, we understand Snape. I must apologize for assuming your circumstance. It must be hard for every little action you take to be associated with them."

"Err…" Severus wasn't sure what to say.

"It's okay, I understand. The three of you are childhood friends, it's hard to break that sense of obligation to them. Can't blame your choice if you had to pick between them and the muggles around you. I can't imagine how hard that must have been living with those savages." Rosier closed his distance and tried to give a reassuring grip on his shoulder. It failed. "But you know you're not obligated to always follow them, right Snape? You're one of us now, remember what Malfoy said on our first day?"

How could he not? He remembered it word for word, not just because he is good at memorizing but because he took those words to heart. The words that stamped his day as a Slytherin.

"Slytherins are the seeds of greatness. The moment you were chosen in the majestic house of snake you are destined for greatness regardless of who you are. No one could tell us we deserve anything less of the highest respect, and in turn, you have the obligation to bring honor upon our name. In Slytherin, you are our own — you are the elites, and so we look after only our own."

Severus recited it immaculately, yet his tongue tasted bitter to his own. For some reason, the words felt it was beginning to ensnare in his very core. The comforting warmth of his chamber became that much chilling somehow.

Rosier became more and more pleased, "That's correct. We saw the potential of greatness in you Severus, anyone who could come up half the spells you made and humiliate those Gryffindors as you do couldn't be anything less than a Slytherin."

A hesitant smile crept on Severus's thin lips, "Thanks, Rosier."

"Please call me Evan, we're friends after all. Besides, You deserve to be in the right company."

. . .

In hindsight, we should have expected it wouldn't be that easy to slide away Sev's reappearance. I admit it was a bit funny seeing sleep-deprived Sev walking in for breakfast, oblivious at the gawking teacher looking straight at him.

Poor Sev had to be pulled away before he could take his first toast of the day. I made eye contact with a pair of emerald eyes from a different table as we both wait in trepidation of when we had to reveal our extracurricular activity. To our surprise, none of the professors gave us a lick of notice after they left Sev with his breakfast in peace.

"I told them I got lost in the plumbing and only just found the exit," he told us later that day.

"That's your excuse?" I pointed, disbelievingly, "Lost. And they believe you?"

"Why didn't you mention any of us?" asked Lily.

"It's not as if I was lying, I had conveniently not mentioned a hidden chamber that housed a very dangerous type of snake in the depth of Hogwarts. Besides, no need to drag you both in scrutiny and get in trouble. Merlin knows what they'll do once they found out you went out after curfew to find me without supervision. The Oath doesn't help make things easier explaining ourselves without complication."

"Did you tell them why you were lost inside the Hogwarts' plumbing in the first place?"

Sev couldn't help the exhausted sigh at this point, "I did. I only needed to think of what the type of stupid reason the pair of buffoons would come up with and I told them I had this inexplicable urge to search for the many secret rooms hidden within the castle walls."

"And they believe you? It's like you said, you're not James or Sirius. I doubt you'd do something incredibly idiotic as them."

Pale dark eyes narrowed at me, "As hard as this is to admit, you'd be surprised the trouble I cause from all my experiments in spells. The difference was I'm good at hiding the evidence despite the superficial proof."

"So... is that it? Did they just let you go?"

"They didn't take any points, thank Merlin for that, my house would never live it down if I manage to take more than 30 House Points in a single night. They did, however, make sure I have a month worth detention every night for my, and I quote, 'Foolishly reckless venture using the brain of a drowning otter.'"

"Let me guess, McGonagall?"

"McGonagall."

"Getting back to what we were talking," Lily cut in sharply, "Do we still have the key?"

Sev made a reached to his neck and pulled out a necklace tied to the item he found yesterday, "Can't go anywhere without me."

"Good, good, then we'll have to figure out what this means. I thought at first there were four keys being guarded apart. But it looks like it's just one key split apart."

Sev nodded in agreement, "I've thought the same, but by the looks of things; we've got the head of the key, James got the body, and if Heckler's obsession is founded then he might have the last part."

I was about to nod until I found something off, "Wait, wouldn't that mean only three of the founders would be guarding the key part, what would the last Founder be guarding?"

"I don't know... a keyhole perhaps?" He tilted his head, considering his next thought, "Or maybe they split one part of the key to two?"

"Either way, we need to find Ravenclaw's or Gryffindor's part next before jumping to conclusions."

"How though? We haven't solved Godric's riddle yet. We can't plan our next move until we know further information unless we want any repeat interview with Professor Heck-"

"Nope." I cut him off.

"Not a chance," Lily said at the same time.

"Then there's nothing we can do," he sighed dejectedly.

"What's that you can't do?" A Wild Marlene McKinnon suddenly appears behind us. We whirled around with identical too-innocent-faces. She didn't hide her dubious expression from our poorly hidden suspicious facade but shrugged, "Doesn't matter. Hope you two don't mind me borrowing Percy, because like it or not he's preoccupied for the rest of the day."

I blinked, not remembering any Quidditch practice or promises for today, "I am?"

Her face turned flat, her deadpanned eyes scrutinized me, "Didn't you remember my speech before the game and what I had in mind if we lose?"

I racked the memories in my brain and my jaw slackened when I remembered, "You were serious?"

"Of course I was, how else am I going to motivate my sweet hard-working team from slacking off?" Her voice was slick and sweet, and her grin was too big for it to be genuine. My legs started to inch back away from her, but McKinnon grabbed by the collar of my shirt, forcing me to stay in place. "I'm sure our star player would not want to escape a chance for some team bonding. Can't have you set a bad example for our teammates, wouldn't you say so, Percy?"

My eyes plead for help to my two friends, but they were made two steps back, their faces sent the clear message of You're on your own.

Traitors.

By the time the Team was dragged into the hut. Hagrid had been so pleased and touched by the number of people volunteering to help care for the beasts the school kept, he was dabbing his eyes from the tears he cries. I didn't have the heart to put on anything but a strained smile while giving an all too cheery voice in my words. "What are friends for, Hagrid?"

And that's how we ended up grooming a herd of carnivore bunnies. Think of a cat-size rabbit with wings and antlers. Oh! Don't forget the long fangs and you could picture them just fine. These jackalopes-wannabees are going to be used for the next Care of Magical Creatures lesson. They might fool anyone with their big wide eyes gleamed with innocent. Ha! We learned that lesson quickly when one of those beasts choke out a finger bone. Apparently, the Wolper-thingy has a nasty habit literally biting your thumb off. Thanks for the tip Hagrid.

"I'm out," Jeremiah turned his heel and walked back. I couldn't blame him, not when he was close to passing out from the scene. Not like the others had a better reaction; Gideon was trembling all over and Howey the-new-kid was dead on his feet. Only Chris seemed to be the one excited to touch the little beasts.

"Do that, and I will tell everyone about your Try Out Incident," Captain yelled over without looking back.

Jeremiah made a few strings of colorful swearing before I heard his footsteps coming back, "Where's the brush?" He drawled in the deadest tone he could muster.

Hagrid gave us a quick rundown of the dos and don'ts when dealing with killer rabbits. None of which involved with any holy hand grenade, to my great disappointment.

"If they weren't such a biting hazard, they would have made a good pet," Chris commented as he drew back his fingers from a rather nasty grey rabbit. That guy's sanity is in another level. I don't think I know anyone who would laugh at almost being maimed, being a beater must be an all-time high for him from the way he had manic laughs during matches.

"Why do Hogwarts even has so many Wolpertinger?" Gideon wailed, he had tears breaking out when one of them had settled over his strawberry blonde head. He tried desperately to keep still as the rabbit made itself comfortable, "They're not even a native species here."

"Not necessarily," Hagrid started explaining, "The Forbidden Forest here is as old as Hogwarts, maybe even older. They kept many kinds of beasts there you can't find them just anywhere, even ones that are currently endangered like these wolpertingers. These poor little fellas spent being hunted by both muggles and wizards. Anyway, there are a lot of secrets hidden in the forest that not even I know and I've been working here for decades."

That makes sense in a way. I was wondering why no one had ever encountered Helga Tree in the forest. My mind then went back to the last conversation of the Treasure and how little we know about it. If Hagrid's words were true then it's more than likely there are more clues within the forest.

"Hey Hagrid, do you have anyone who knows everything there is to know about the Forest, possibly even Hogwarts with all its secret hallways too?"

"What's this?" Chris light up from my question, "Is Percy Jackson planning another one of his mischiefs?".

"Percy, you can get 1000 detentions for all I care, but if you miss practice or a match, I will string you up and let the forest deal with you!" McKinnon warned me, her voice low and serious that I couldn't help but shiver from her threat.

"No, no! I promise nothing of the like," I lied, "I'm just honestly curious if there was anyone with any real knowledge to navigate the whole forest."

Hagrid brushed his shaggy beard in thought, "No, no one I can think of. Not even the forest's creatures are capable to do that with them being so territorial with one another, and you know what happened the last time someone toed that line." Here, he gave me a pointed look, remembering the fiasco we got caught up in.

"As if there's anyone alive who would know all of Hogwarts' secret," Jeremiah snorted, "Someone Like that would have to be as old the school itself."

A sudden euphoria tingles through my spine from his scathing remarks. My brows furrow as Jerry-boy had unexpectedly given me the answer. An answer that was at the tip of my tongue but was still too vague to put into words.

It never did come to me. Not when we had brushed every hair on the magic rabbit's fur. Not when the day went by with lessons and spells. Not when the exams came around and Sev pounded me to make sure my grades were up to standard while stopping him from defacing library books when he disagreed on it. Not when days turned to weeks then turn to months until season change into the chilly Christmas come and gone. Not when the first feast of the new year did my eyes glaze at the four banners proudly in the Great Hall as it stood for each house. Something kept niggling me at the sight, something connecting the four of them and bring the unanswered question forward.

"There is."

I could have sworn my words had been whispered so softly, it could have been mistaken as a trick of the ear. Yet, Lily and Sev stopped their talk (Something about pro and cons between potion and charms) in favor of my strange behavior.

"I figured it out."

"Figure what out?" Sev asked confusingly.

"The only one we could ask who knew the founders better than anyone alive in Hogwarts." I couldn't blame my friends for casting an incredulous demeanor they're giving me, I wouldn't have felt the same in their shoe and the person isn't going to be any less ludicrous to ask. "But first we need to sneak into Dumbledore's office."

The incredulous look they had dialed up when I gave no sign I was joking.

My fiery red friend groaned out all her exasperation at her hand, "Sometimes I asked myself how we got ourselves in this situation, but then you open your mouth and I rest my case."

"Oi!"

"Percy, in what way does sneaking into the Headmaster's office doesn't spell out trouble for you?"

"And whose idea it was to search for the Treasure in the first place?!"

Red opened her mouth but froze when she finally realized the pot calling the kettle black. Lily groaned louder than before. "I hate you."

I scoffed and flicked her nose, "No, you don't."

"There's a password to his office though," Sev pointed out, putting our conversation back on track, "how are we going to pass that?"

I tapped my chin in thought, "We could guard the entrance until someone finally says it, but to do that we'll have to be invisible to do it."

I turned my eyes on them, silently asking for a solution and witnessing emerald eyes glint in a sort of eureka moment before dimming just as fast. Looking away with a chewed lip.

"Lily?" I prodded.

She was silent for a moment before speaking out softly. Too softly. "I don't have a spell but I do know a guy with an Invisibility Cloak, but you're not going to like who it is."

In any other times, I would have been curious who it was and wondered if we had to resort to stealing. But the constant shifting of her eyes that wouldn't meet ours, and the distaste curl of her lips told us only one person we were 100% sure we weren't going to like.

"And you say I'm the one that likes to bring trouble."

AN: Okay, so I forgot to put up the Author Note for the last chapter since I was a bit of a hurry then. But I got to ask, was it any good? Because I honestly think it could have been better without using the chamber at all. I wanted it to be Harry's thing you know? Finding the chamber and fighting off the Basilisk. I thought about the Lake, but I couldn't think a good enough reason without challenging Percy since he could cheat his way through the merfolks or Greg. And I already have plans for the merfolk when they met Percy.

Then, there's the fact I thought Salazar was spite enough to put a Basilisk where he had hidden part of the key to Hogwarts' Treasure as his way of saying "F*** you" to Godric.

Also, since the crow of the chicken was fatal to the basilisk. Then I thought "There's no way no one ever made a prank spell to turn someone's voice into an animal" so I put two and two together and the result was Chicken Dance Percy vs Big Bad Basilisk. I have no regrets on that part. I doubt a fake chicken crow could have killed it, but its survival instinct should have kicked in enough to scare the giant snake back to its cage.

And what did you think Rosier and Wilkes? It's a bit of a struggle of making them as 12-year-old children but cunningly scouting and gathering allies for their future dark lord and saviour without making them too manipulative. After all, they're just children so they haven't learned much being subtle or controlled emotion so I hope that was realistic enough.

Also, I'm starting to cross-post QTTP in AO3 at the same time as I cleaned up the typos and grammar errors from the early chapters. I do hope I've been getting better.

Lastly, to those who celebrate it, MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope you had a jolly good year.

Don't forget to review. Nothing makes me happier than praise and critics for my work.