Part Four

DISCLAIMER:

This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

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It was at lunch that same day that a lightning bolt struck Ronald Weasley, not literally of course, but figuratively. The spoon dropped from his hand and his eyes lit up with that internal illumination only a truly brilliant idea could inspire.

"Harry?" He asked, "You can speak snake, can't you?"


"Oh no." Harry defensively hunched his shoulders looked about the table and whispered. "Ron I don't want the world to know."

Ron looked at him with a puzzled expression, "But… the world already knows. Come on Harry, you could-"


"No."

Ron paused, his eyes lowered and mouth closed – for a moment. "Harry?" He looked up, "Have you tried to speak to Snape?"

Harry looked at Ron in disbelief, "Ron, no."


"Harry? Not one little hiss?"

"Ron? The only time I've seen Snape was when he had Hermione in his mouth!"

"So he couldn't talk and you haven't tried? Brilliant!" Ron leaned forward in his seat and nodded, "We're going to the infirmary right after Flying class. He might know something."

"We know it all already!" Harry said, looking over at the Slytherin table where Draco Malfoy was quietly eating his dinner. "If Dumbledore can't force Draco to become a decent human being, we have no chance. Besides Snape won't help us, on a matter of principle."

Ron was becoming dismayed, it was looking like his truly brilliant idea was fizzling away, "But Harry?"


"No Ron." His friend repeated firmly, "I won't do it and no one can force me to!"

"Mr Potter?" Harry and Ron looked up from their conversation into the benign face of Albus Dumbledore. "A word please…"

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Ron almost skipped down the moving staircases on the way to the infirmary, Harry grumpily beside of him and Dumbledore regally behind. By the time the trio had reached the infirmary Harry's was irked. He stomped into the ward only to stop dead in his tracks at the sight that greeted him.

Professor Flitwick sat on a high stool at one of the workbenches, clasping a large wand in one hand and using the other to trace the ancient words on the aged parchment. His stumpy legs were stuck straight out in front of him as he read from the enormous book, whose size further emphasised his diminutive stature. Snape was twisted about Flitwick's neck like a black silk scarf, his head bobbing back and forth as he read the text while on top of Flitwick's feathered hat sat a small green frog chirping happily.

"Hermione?" Harry sputtered in astonishment. "Professor?"

"Ah Harry, good, good." Flitwick looked up and smiled, reaching bodily over the huge book to grasp a page and begin to turn it over. Snape slithered from his neck to his arm and stopped him with a quick tightening of his body. "Something of interest Severus?" The small professor noted, then looking up he frowned at the boys. "Where's the Head Master?"


"Right here Phineas." Dumbledore puffed. "I see Severus is assisting you. All for the good."

"Thank you Harry, for coming." Professor Flitwick said as the boys approached the workbench, Ron warily eyeing Snape and then the seemingly oblivious Hermione with concern. "I think Professor Snape has a few comments to make."


"I bet." Ron muttered and Harry shot him a meaningful look.

Dumbledore interceded before anything else could be said. "Harry as a parselmouth I ask you to please talk to Professor Snape."

Harry looked at the small black snake that had lifted its head and was staring at him with black multifaceted eyes. He gulped, cleared his throat and said. "Hello Professor."

"Potter."

Harry's eyes flicked to Hermione on Flitwick's hat and back to Snape. "We've just had lunch… and you?"

"I'm not going to discuss my appetites with you Mr Potter." Snape hissed. "Could you tell Flitwick to read the third paragraph down and note the reference to potions? In addition, there is a very important footnote three pages back about the spell."

Harry coolly repeated what Snape had said and watched as Flitwick struggled the pages back and forth, struggled through the Old English, stirred on his seat and became quite animated. "It could work. It just might do it."

"What is it?" Dumbledore asked, peering over his glasses at the text.

"Yeah." Ron said, his brow wrinkling. "What is it? I can't read it."


"Oh dear Circe in heaven." Snape replied. "It's in Urdu, you dunderhead, one of the languages of Persia. Why on earth the Weasley's were ever allowed to procreate-" Snape grumbled, adding fiercely. "Do not bring you infantile friends with you next time Potter, this is serious!"

"What did he say?" Ron asked.

"Umm? Urdu."

"What? Hairdo? But Snape's a snake? What's a snake got to worry about hairstyles for? Not that he did when he was normal, well normal for Snape anyway."

"U-r-d-u, you imbecilic illiterate dolt!"

"No. It's in Urdu. It's a language."

"Can Snape read Oddo?"

"No."

"Urdu, Ron. U-r-d-u."


"I wouldn't be surprised if he could." Flitwick puffed as he marked the pages with scraps of paper.

"No, I cannot read Urdu!"

"He can't." Dumbledore and Harry replied simultaneously.

"Oh." Flitwick and Ron said in unison.

"How does he know its Urdu then?" Ron asked.

Snape hissed something Harry could not translate before adding. "Get Pince to translate the referenced spell. It can be used in conjunction with a potion. Now go away. All of you, I have a headache."

Snape slid from Flitwick's arm across the workbench to a radiator beneath the window.

"Where's he going?" Ron asked.

"He said Pince could translate the spell."

They watched Snape curl up on the windowsill, the tip of his tail trembling as he pretended to fall asleep.

"Does this mean Hermione will be back to normal soon?" Ron asked.

Flitwick looked between the Head Master and the snake on the windowsill and shrugged. "It's hard to say, young Weasley. Depends on how quickly we can translate this incantation."

"And make the potion." Dumbledore mulled this over. "I used to be a dab hand at potions making in my day." He pulled on a strand of his beard, his voice wistful. "One of the best, if not the best in Britain."


Harry noticed that Snape's stopped moving his tail at this; instead it stiffened and eloquently slapped down in disgust.

Dumbledore and Harry shared a hidden smile.

"Very good, Harry." Dumbledore winked at him, putting a hand on his shoulder and leading him toward the door. "Thank you for your assistance with this matter. We may call on you later."

"Could we say hello to Hermione?" Ron asked before he could leave, pointing at Flitwick's hat.

"What?" Flitwick asked dismayed."

"Sorry Professor." Ron tentatively lifted the hat off his baldhead, Flitwick 's woolly eyebrows rising as he put the hat down.

They smiled as the little frog hopped off the hat and sat on the workbench looking up at them eagerly.

"Hello Hermione." Ron said, "Want to hear the latest from 'Quidditch World'?"

The little frog lowered her head; shook it twice, rolled onto her back and weakly kicked a leg in the air.

"I'll take that as a 'no'." Ron pouted.

"I would." Dumbledore chuckled. "Come along boys, you've got classes waiting. You may visit later if Madam Pomfrey allows it."

"Potter!" Harry stopped to see Snape's sinuous black body outlined against the glare of the window. "Ask Dumbledore to bring me my copy of 'Weorcen Pocion' volumes five to seventeen."

"' Weorcen Pocion?"

"What was that Harry?" The Head Master asked as they continue to stroll.

"He would like volumes four-"

"Five!"

"Five to seventeen."


Dumbledore waved at Snape with a benevolent hand. "A little light reading, Severus? Consider it done my friend."

"Better light reading." Ron quipped. "Than Hermione as a light snack!"

"Indeed my young wizards." Dumbledore reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of something. "Ah, bad taste I suppose, but chocolate frog anyone?"

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tbc