Chapter Fourteen: Truth

A week after the Horcrux was removed from Harry, Dumbledore visited Grimmauld Place again.

Harry had recovered from the ordeal and had been spending the last couple of days with Nym at the Weasley's residence, learning how to play Quidditch with the massive family—amongst other things. Fred and George had been experimenting with new pranks (much to Molly's chagrin) and turned the place into their own private war zone.

The good news was Harry had found a spot in the orchards to hide when it all got to be too much. He'd grab his suitcase, snatch one of the brooms, and fly a distance away from the warring Weasleys to seek out some peace and quiet.

He didn't mind the chaos, but it was still something he needed to get used to. Between Selena, Aurelion, and his little clan of grass and ground snakes, he had plenty to distract him when it all got to be too much.

But today, before they could Floo over to the Burrow, Dumbledore stopped by.

Nym pouted at the sight of their Headmaster. "Honestly, Professor! It's supposed to be our Summer holiday!"

"Nymphadora Tonks!" Andromeda chastised.

"Mum!"

The old man chortled with laughter. "Forgive me, Miss Tonks. I promise this isn't as urgent as my previous visits. I should be able to send Mister Potter onward to join you and the Weasleys within an hour or two."

"I'll stay behind for a bit," Ted volunteered, winking at Harry. "Just to make sure the good Professor doesn't try to give Harry more homework."

Nym still looked dissatisfied, but she crossed her arms and sighed. "Fine. See you in a bit, Potter."

"See you, Nym," he answered back, after which the Hufflepuff girl and Andromeda Floo'd away to join the Weasleys.

The three of them retreated to the dining room, where they sat down and Ted set about making them all a cup of tea. Dumbledore clasped his hands together and fiddled with his fingers for a minute in silence, as though debating where to begin.

"You are recovering well?"

"Never better," Harry replied. "I didn't realize it before, but it's like some weight was taken off of me. I guess I was so used to it growing up that I forgot it existed at all."

"I see," Dumbledore smiled, then frowned again in concern. "Your Parseltongue hasn't been affected, has it?"

Harry blinked and cocked his head to one side. "No? Should it have been?"

The old man sighed in relief. "I worried it might. When I learned about the Horcrux, I feared that your ability to speak Parseltongue might have been an echo of Voldemort's power. He was a Parselmouth as well, you see. It is a relief for me to hear that you still possess the ability—I would have felt terrible had you been left unable to speak with Selena and the other snakes in your care."

Harry's eyes widened. "Do you think maybe there's still some piece of him—"

"No," Dumbledore cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Croaker and the Unspeakables were quite thorough. There isn't the slightest fragment of the Horcrux left attached to you, and it was destroyed totally—I cast the Fiendfyre myself."

The Headmaster paused for a moment. "Which leads me to one of two theories; you either learned Parseltongue to such an extent growing up with the Horcrux present that you've retained it naturally, or you were born with the talent by chance. The odds would be slim, and the chance always exists that somewhere in your family lineage there is a distant relation to a known Parselmouth, but there is no way to know for certain."

Harry nodded absently. "I'm glad I can still speak it."

"So am I," Dumbledore agreed. "Now then…on to the subject for which I have visited. As you might have guessed, this regards Voldemort."

Ted passed them their cups of tea and managed not to spill any when he flinched from the name. The Headmaster shot him an apologetic look. "Forgive me—the Dark Lord, then."

"No," Ted sighed, shaking his head. "Do not censor yourself on my account. That man frightens me, but his name is…just a name."

"If you are sure," Dumbledore said slowly, then turned his gaze back to Harry. "Now that you've recovered from the removal of the Horcrux, I thought now would be a good time to tell you the reason why Voldemort hunted you specifically all those years ago."

Harry's frown deepened. "I thought it was just chance?"

"I'm afraid not. I know you aren't able to take Divination classes until your third year at Hogwarts, but you understand the crux of the subject, yes?" At Dumbledore's prompting, Harry nodded, causing the old man to continue. "As Voldemort climbed to power, a prophecy was foretold regarding him and another—an individual who would match him and could ultimately destroy him. It went as thus:

"'The one with he power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…and either must die by the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other survives… the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies.'"

Dumbledore paused and took a drink of his tea, appearing to be deep in thought. "Voldemort learned of the prophecy and sought to destroy this child before it could grow into a true threat. Ultimately, he believed the child was you—and so he hunted your family even before you were born. Lily and James managed to evade him for a time after your birth, but he eventually caught up with them in Godric's Hollow."

Harry felt numb—frozen in place as he stared into his drink. "And he killed them."

"Yes," Dumbledore murmured. "And he killed them."

"But not me."

"No. For a time, I did not know how you managed to survive his wrath, but the discovery of the Horcrux has finally drawn together a conclusion that makes sense to me."

Dumbledore's eyes gleamed. "Your mother was the brightest witch of her generation. Clever Lily—she set a trap!"

Harry's gaze jerked up to the Headmaster as Dumbledore went on. "For all their skill, neither Lily nor James were able to defeat Voldemort, even together. But Lily was a genius; once she knew Voldemort was coming for your family, she sought a spell to guard you against anything he could throw at you. A counter-charm. When Voldemort tried to kill you, I suspect she chose to die in your defense and enact a type of sacrificial protection.

"As Voldemort killed her, he unknowingly stepped foot into Lily's trap—a magical contract created by Lily so that, by slaying her, he would be unable to touch you. His Killing Curse backfired when he tried to destroy you and her magic ripped him asunder. As a result, a piece of his soul latched onto the only living thing it could find. You."

The Headmaster paused again. "Whether this is the only role you had to play in the demise of the Dark Lord, I do not know. It is possible that now, with our knowledge of his Horcruxes, we can hunt them down and destroy his wraith form permanently."

Harry swallowed. "But he might be able to come back."

"Perhaps," Albus admitted. "Which is why now that you know the truth, it will be my responsibility to ensure you are capable of defending yourself from him should that time ever come to pass."

The boy blinked, startled. Albus went on. "I'm sure you've already realized it, but your capacity for magic has grown with the Horcrux no longer leeching your power. Voldemort marked you as his equal for good reason, Harry—your latent power is as great as his own. Perhaps greater. It is on a scale few witches and wizards in history can match. That is why when you return to Hogwarts for your second year, I will teach you to harness that power."

He held up a hand before Harry could protest. "I assure you, you will continue your regular classes. I will not take you from your friends or interests. I myself will also be busy trying to hunt Voldemort down. But we'll set aside time for you to have infrequent lessons with me. Does that sound fair?"

Harry's mouth closed and he nodded. For a moment there, he was afraid he'd be separated from the rest of his friends to prepare for something that might not even happen. It was a relief to hear that wasn't what Dumbledore had in mind.

"Do you have any questions for me, Harry?"

"Maybe later," Harry admitted. "Right now…"

"You need time to absorb?"

"…Yes."

The Headmaster stood up. "Then I will take my leave."

Before he left he kitchen, he glanced at the child once more. "Harry? I want you to know that I will do everything in my power to ensure he does not return. But should the worst happen, I believe you will be capable of defeating him one day."

Harry felt a lump rise into his throat and he just nodded again.

With that, Dumbledore offered him a smile and a wink, then returned to the Floo, where he disappeared in a blaze of green fire.

Ted carefully set a hand on Harry's shoulder and slowly rubbed the tense muscles. "Would you like some time to yourself? We don't have to go to the Burrow if you're not up to it."

The boy took a breath and shook his head. "I…just give me a minute? I want to go. I do—I just—"

"I know," Ted murmured. "I know."

That night, after a busy day at the Burrow spending time with Nym, Ron, and Ginny, (and watching the Twins get up to all manner of trouble) Harry returned to Grimmauld Place with a lot still on his mind. Andromeda and Ted had asked if he wanted one of them to stay, but he declined; he just needed some space. Some time to think. He was grateful when they went back home with a curious and concerned Nym, leaving Harry be in the protected quiet of the old house.

He'd filled in Selena and Aurelion of course. The pair of magical serpents were lingering closer to him than ever as a result, doing what they could to comfort their master, but understandably, he was still rather disturbed.

"At least we know now that Dumbledore was serious about putting your well-being first," Selena hissed from her spot in Harry's lap. She was almost too big to remain on his shoulders now. "His mistake leaving you with the brutes was a big one, but he clearly took that to heart. He's hiding nothing from you."

"I know," Harry sighed, holding Selena's head in his hands. When had she gotten so big that she filled up his palm? It seemed like just yesterday she could curl up around his wrist.

Aurelion was still small enough to curl up on Harry's shoulders, and his tongue flicked against the boy's cheek. "He'll be hunting this…Voldemort, then? Or what's left of him?"

"Yes. I don't really understand what he is at this point," the boy frowned. "I need to read into that more. He's not quite alive, but he's not dead, either. I'm not sure how Dumbledore is going to destroy him if he finds the wraith again."

"I suspect," Selena began. "That he will attempt to trap or imprison the wraith until he finds and destroys any more Horcruxes the enemy may have created."

"Probably. What should I do?"

"Do what you've been doing. Learn more magic. Master yourself. Should the worst happen, you must be prepared to fight such a foul thing. And, of course, we shall be joining you."

Harry looked at the Basilisk sharply. "No."

"It is not a decision for you to make," she snapped back. "Do you truly believe you could stop me from fighting at your side?"

"I could lock you in the suitcase."

She stared at him. A minute later, he was squirming under the heat of her gaze. "Fine. I won't lock you up. But—"

"There is nothing to debate. I live for you and I will fight for you. That is my choice."

Harry sighed and watched the Basilisk lift her head so she could press her snout to his forehead. "We will survive."

Aurelion hummed his agreement and wrapped his tail around Harry's neck in a gesture of comfort. The warm, smooth scales calmed him.

As the night bore on, Selena began to sing, sending Harry into a deep sleep.

Despair filled her every cell.

The dark cave she'd claimed for cover from foul weather was itself foul, but she could not bring herself to care. Her failure was too much for her to concern herself with such a paltry matter.

She had failed her master totally with this.

How long ago had it been when she heard of a Parselmouth in distress? How long had it been since the whispers of many snakes had reached her, asking if she had discovered an answer to the plight of this unknown wizard?

The snakes who brought the message to her had not known the identity of the Parselmouth, but she was sure she'd known who it was. There had only been one Parselmouth in her life, only one who it could possibly be—they were so rare! In all her life, she'd only ever known him. She'd known he'd found a way to cheat death, so even after his defeat, who else could it have been?

She'd longed to find him, but it was difficult to travel and hide her presence without being at her master's side. She'd sent the whispers back with a secret she'd discovered a long, long time ago. Perhaps her master was unable to act and required assistance to revive himself? With that thought, she'd not hesitated to send the spell back to the source of the plea.

In hindsight, she had been too eager.

Her master knew how to create a Basilisk—he'd just never bothered to do so. He'd always been sure and dominant in his own power. She'd been so hung up on the news that a Parselmouth was in distress that she'd never considered the possibility that there might have been one besides her old master.

But it was worse than a useless message to a useless witch or wizard.

For the first time in decades, Nagini wished for her human lungs to return. She wanted to scream, but all she could manage was a ragged hiss.

She hadn't just sent the means to create a Basilisk to some lesser Parselmouth—she'd sent it to the Boy Who Lived! The very child that had ripped her master away from the physical plane!

That child was a Parselmouth, the same as her master! She'd empowered his greatest enemy!

Her master must have still been out there—did he know? Was he aware that Nagini had betrayed him, even unknowingly? She would lose his confidence if she did not rectify her mistake immediately, and there truly was no time to lose. Potter was growing fast, and his Basilisk was already closing in on Nagini's full size. It was undoubtedly more dangerous than any other snake she'd encountered during her servitude under her master.

Was it already too late for her to destroy the monster she'd unknowingly created? No, it couldn't be. She had to find and ruin the creature before her master learned of her mistake.

Nagini regarded the downpour outside disdainfully—it would be cold. Her serpentine body would suffer greatly if she traveled now.

But there was no time to waste. The longer she waited, the more impossible her task would become. The journey would be extensive enough as it was.

Nagini breathed and slithered out into the cold and wet, and set her sights on Hogwarts.

Summer passed them by all-too quickly.

Harry had only needed to dedicate a few days to his schoolwork before he was done with this holiday assignments, and after that, when he wasn't spending time with the Weasley or Tonks families, he was reading for his own interest. Selena and Aurelion had developed an interest in learning the English language when they were feeling lazy—usually after they had a big meal and chose to remain immobile so they could digest.

Neither of them would be speaking anything but Parseltongue, but they were young and intelligent and they picked up reading quickly once they set their minds to it. They were still working out how to turn pages with their tails, though.

That had brought some amusement for Harry every now and again.

All of them were growing. Harry had put a few inches on over the Summer, and the snakes were, of course, growing like weeds in the warm months. He'd come to the conclusion that their growth rates would accelerate wildly during these times, when their internal clocks told them they didn't need to hibernate away in the cold months and their metabolisms spiked drastically.

He'd written Newt for more information on their growth patterns (there wasn't much to read about Basilisk and Horned Serpent husbandry), and the Magizoologist had responded with multiple letters on the topic. Newt was too busy over the Summer to visit Harry, but he'd promised to drop by Hogwarts when the year started and check on Aurelion's progress, as well as discuss their rapid growth spurts.

Harry had a feeling they'd also be discussing the changes in feedings. Both were still eating rats, but he knew it wouldn't be long before they'd need larger food. Rabbits, most likely.

Past that? He wasn't sure. Hopefully Newt would be able to help him with that.

At least feeding the grass and ground snakes now living in Harry's suitcase just required frogs and mice. Easy to obtain.

Before Harry knew it, they were visiting Diagon Alley to acquire the supplies he'd need for his second year at Hogwarts, and Nym's third year. Unfortunately, there was a bit of a problem.

"Gilderoy Lockheart?" Harry echoed.

Andromeda nodded, looking somewhat disgusted. "He's a celebrity of sorts, but the man really…milks his fame. Word on the Alley is he's currently doing a book signing at Flourish and Blotts, and given your own status in the wizarding world…"

"He'll probably jump you for a news article or something," Ted finished.

Harry scrunched his face up in disgust. "Um, no."

Nym snorted. "Shall I get you an autograph?"

"Also no," he rolled his eyes in response. "I'll just…um…"

Andromeda patted the boy's arm. "How about you and I take a trip to buy potion supplies while Ted and Dora get your books?"

"That sounds good."

Nym shot him a wink. "See you in a bit, Potter."

Harry reddened. "Yeah. See you."

Andromeda guided him away from her mischievous offspring and further into the alley, away from the book store currently hosting the problematic narcissist. In some ways, he felt more and less secure in Diagon this time year. He knew more magic and could probably defend himself if need be, but on the other hand, Selena and Aurelion were both too large and attracted too much attention for him to carry around.

Well, Aurelion could probably turn invisible and hang around, but there was always the risk that someone would bump into Harry and injure the young Horned Serpent by accident.

Andromeda was good company.

"Nym hasn't been driving you too mad, has she?"

Harry looked up at the Tonks matriarch, shaking his head. "No. She's fun, just…erm…"

"A little much at times?" She prompted. Harry nodded and Andromeda sighed in fond exasperation. "She gets it from her father. Girl doesn't have an—"

She suddenly stopped in her tracks and Harry froze alongside her, immediately wary. He was suddenly aware that in their path was Draco Malfoy and a woman with the same bleach-blonde hair, who could only be his mother.

Andromeda and the Lady Malfoy stared at one another for several moments before Andromeda's face grew hard and cold in a way Harry had never seen before. "Narcissa. You're in my way."

Narcissa raised an eyebrow imperiously. "I could say the same."

Draco shot a look at his mother and then stared back at Harry, seemingly as confused as he was. He shrugged, but wisely did not intervene with…whatever was going on between them.

It was enough that the rest of the shoppers traveling through Diagon Alley opted to give both women a wide berth. Harry could feel the tension permeating in the air between them.

"I do not have time for you," Andromeda scowled. "Let us pass."

"I'm not stopping you. The sooner our paths diverge, the happier I'll be."

Narcissa's gaze fell onto Harry and the ice of her eyes vanished into the shock of recognition. "Aren't you—"

"Do not turn your eyes on him!" Andromeda hissed, and this time Harry and Draco flinched at the unmistakable flux of magic roiling off of the witch. Harry's hand slipped into his cloak to grasp his wand tightly in case…

In case what?

Narcissa's attention returned to the Tonks matriarch. "Go find your husband, sister, and stay away from us."

Narcissa's eyes blazed with a mix of incredulous fury and disbelief. "You're keeping him with you!?"

Andromeda exposed her wand. Harry's blood turned to ice. Draco's eyes got huge.

Narcissa fell silent and some unspoken communication was exchanged between the two—sisters? Were they really sisters, Harry wondered—before she backed down at last. "Very well. We will leave."

"Do not tell Lucius," Andromeda snarled, as fierce as a lioness.

"Those times are behind us," Narcissa snapped, but looked at the wand in her sisters hand for a moment more before shaking her head. "But this is no concern of mine."

The standoff did not end until Narcissa and Draco passed them by, then hurried away. Andromeda returned her wand to the inside of her cloak and she looked down at Harry, her fury disintegrating into ashes before his eyes.

Her face had gained lines he was sure hadn't been there a moment before. The witch appeared to have aged in a matter of seconds.

Andromeda sighed and rested a reassuring hand on his arm. "How about we get a drink at the Leaky Cauldron? Potion supplies can wait, I think."

Harry nodded silently and let her lead him away from the site of the confrontation.

There were two things Harry was certain of as he and Andromeda sat at a table in the Leaky Cauldron.

One, the drink she'd ordered for him, a butterbeer, was a new favorite of his. Second, the drink she'd ordered for herself probably had something stronger than sugar mixed into it.

Andromeda rubbed her brow stressfully sipped at her drink. "I suppose you're wondering about what just happened."

"I didn't want to say anything," he admitted. "But kind of. Was that woman really your…?"

"My sister," Andromeda confirmed dryly. "Yes, Narcissa is my younger sister. I have an older one as well, but for the sake of my sanity, we are not talking about her."

Harry's eyebrows rose high. If Narcissa was enough to almost bring Andromeda to a fight in the middle of Diagon Alley, what was her older sister like?

He decided he didn't want to know almost immediately after he thought that particular question.

"I'm not going to regale you with the exceedingly unpleasant history between Narcissa and I," Andromeda told him. "But what I will tell you is that she lost my trust entirely when she chose to marry Lucius Malfoy."

"Why?"

She bit her lip and looked around for a moment, then leaned across the table to murmur quietly. "Lucius was involved with You-Know-Who long before you were born. He's managed to weasel his way out of being accused, but I know well that he was one of You-Know-Who's fervent supporters—a Death Eater."

She let that sink in and regarded Harry. "I know you and Dora have mentioned Draco Malfoy being tolerable at Hogwarts, but please be careful about what you tell him, Harry. I don't believe blood is everything, but my sisters always have—and so does Lucius. There's a possibility Lucius is asking Draco questions about you at school."

"You think he might come after me?"

"Lucius? Almost certainly not," she scowled. "He's a coward at heart and he'd sooner set a pack of rabid dogs on you before he lifted a finger to do anything that might involve him in a crime he can't cover up. No, I don't think he'll come after you, but I don't know if he's in contact with any of his old Death Eater friends who escaped incarceration. So just…be careful. Don't tell Draco about your living arrangements or traveling plans. It's safer that way."

Harry took a draught of his butterbeer and processed that for a few moments. "Don't suppose they'll all just bugger off, will they?"

Andromeda smiled at him tiredly. "If only, Harry. If only."

A/N: Right, my body hurts, so I'm not doing anything besides writing when I'm not at my new job. And right now, I want to write Harry Potter. Probably best so I don't burn out writing MHA.

Will there be another Serpentine chapter soon? Maybe. Probably. Almost definitely.

As ever, please review and thanks for reading!