JKR owns the people and places, I own Karista, Julia, Amaia, Vanessa, some chick named Jolene, Callidus and the dream...

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Chapter 22: Metus el Serpentium

Karista ran until she hit the library door. After thrusting herself inside and running towards the Latin reference section, she plopped to the ground and began grabbing at random books, all of them old and dust covered. After toting the load over to the tables, she began frantically flipping through the pages.

"Karista, what are you doing?"

Karista looked up from the largest volume of them all to see Harry, a large smile on his face and hands in his pockets.

"Looking up something," she mumbled hastily before burying her head back inside the book.

"Maybe I can help," Harry said, pulling out a chair.

"NO! I mean…no, I don't need any help," she yelped, sliding the chair back into its position and flipping the pages harder than before. "I need to do this myself."

"Okay. I'm going to the great hall for breakfast then. You want anything?"

Karista shook her head and shifted the books on the table before resuming her frantic search. Before long, she came across a picture of the Slytherin Serpent encircling a silver dagger with the words 'Metus el Serpentium' across the handle. Startling a scream, she frantically read the passage below it:


"Salazar Slytherin, one of the four founders of Hogwarts, created a special seal for any heirs to his thrown. Any of his bloodline that could open up the 'Chamber of Secrets' would inherit this symbol at the age of sixteen, symbolizing the cross into power and darkness. The last known 'Heir of Slytherin', as the person who inherits the tattoo is called, was Voldemort, the last dark wizard defeated by Harry Potter.

It is not clear exactly what happens when the person gains this symbol. All is known is that it relates to the Dark Arts and is something to be feared. Metus el Serpentium- Fear the Serpent."


Karista sank back into her chair while carefully rolling up her left sleeve. Emblazoned on her forearm was a copy of the picture she had just looked at, except it was in green ink and carried with her a sense of power. She let the sleeve roll down before closing the books and unconsciously placing them back on their original shelves.

So this is evil, right? Karista thought to herself as she exited the library and approached Gryffindor tower. She realized that the snake was still hanging around, draped on her neck. Luckily her hair had hidden it from Harry's view and the snake hadn't spoken, otherwise trouble would have ensued. She was eternally grateful when she noticed Gryffindor tower was practically empty. Flopping down on her bed, she uncoiled the snake from around her neck and looked into its golden eyes.

"Who are you?" Karista asked, flopping back on her pillow.

"I've told you this already, yet I suppose you need names," the snake said almost ruefully. "Callidus. My name is Callidus."

"Callidus. Very impressive," Karista cooed sarcastically, glancing up at the sky.

"Yes, very. I still find it hard to understand why you would talk to your uncle," Callidus said slowly, coiling his body around itself and raising his head to stare straight at Karista.

"Well, I kind of don't have a choice, and being as my sixteenth birthday is coming up next week…let's just say that he probably wants me to turn sides."

The snake nodded his head.

"And you must also know he can here probably everything you say."

Karista's insides turned to jelly as she realized she was having a decent conversation with a spy.

"What curse is it?" she asked, knowing that she wasn't bound to get an answer.

"Latito Serpentosa…you heard him," Callidus hissed with amusement.

"Yeah, well as soon as I got to University to study Latin, I am screwed, right?"

The snake nodded its head before returning to its post around her neck. She sat thinking about everything the snake had just told her, including its name as well as the spell Voldemort cast. She knew that she wouldn't be able to get rid of the tattoo, yet what if she could remove the spell from the snake?

***

She had been avoiding him all day, and for that matter, everyone else. He knew she was probably sore or just tired from last night, yet she seemed even more withdrawn with usual, including whenever Harry touched her. He sat waiting in the common room on the last day of Christmas break with bated breath. He was going to confront her. Not in a mean way, and he wasn't going to corner her…unless she let something slip that he was sure she probably wouldn't want to happen. At last the common room door opened and Karista sauntered in yet stopped as Harry arose from his seat and stood in front of her.

"First off, you didn't go and see Pomfrey this morning. Secondly, you were practically hysterical in the library and finally, you haven't spoken to anyone all day, including me."

Karista bowed her head at these words, almost as if she was ashamed of herself. Harry, after feeling his heart melt for the fourth time in two days, walked over to her and hugged her. Her reaction was a surprise, if anything else. He half expected her to hug him back, maybe even tell him what was wrong. Yet he felt the full force of her hands against his chest, followed by the splitting pain of himself being shoved against the back of the couch.

"Karista, tell me what is wrong," Harry seethed, grimacing from the pain inflicted upon himself.

"No. I just want to be left alone," she said quietly without a tinge of remorse or sorrow. It was almost…bitter. He grabbed her left arm, causing her to flinch as well as draw back, which he unfortunately noticed.

Brow furrowed in concern, he loosened his grip on her arm. She was trembling now, her violet eyes flashing dangerously in the light of the fire. She seemed different, almost detached from herself, which he concluded to be because of the past night. Yet upon further inspection of her reaction, pieces of a puzzle were slowly clicking into place.

She flinched when I grabbed her left arm, he thought, tracing over her hysterical body language earlier in the day. She refused to let me help her with her research, too. Taking a chance on bravery, and her moment of vulnerability, he tightened his grip once more and flew back the sleeve of her shirt. Her forearm was slightly pale, yet a deep, bottle green tattoo stood out against it terribly. It was of a dagger with a large serpent winding its way around it. On the handle, in odd silvery writing were the words 'Metus el Serpentium'.

His first reaction was of pure shock. He knew immediately it wasn't the dark mark, let alone some random drawing. Then he saw it. The small garden snake sifting through her hair.

"Pity you don't know, Potter," it hissed, a trace of sarcasm and humor edging each word with unpronounced clarity.

Harry released her arm, still glaring at the snake. Karista was shaking like mad now, her almond-shaped eyes brimming with tears. A cold, tense silence seemed to radiate through the room.

"What is it?" he asked, his voice taking on a dangerous coldness unlike he had ever used on anyone.

"I…I am…not positive, Harry," she whimpered. He could tell that she was lying. Not only was she not looking into his eyes, but she was also trying to tuck away a piece of parchment sticking out from her pocket.

"I think you are," he said, sounding crueler than he had intended. Karista, face contorted with fear, stared into Harry's eyes, making him immediately wish he hadn't seen her arm.

"Harry…I don't know what it means," she whispered in the same voice she had used previously. Harry, his patience now slipping, snatched the parchment out of her pocket. It looked as if it had been copied out of a book from the library in a sloppy scribble with an amateur picture of the tattoo on Karista's arm drawn in the middle. He read and re-read the entry over and over, an odd ringing in his ears.

"So you decide to hide this from me? You choose to not tell me about something that can effect everyone around you?"

The bitterness in his words did not compare with what he felt. It wasn't just fear, but sadness and agony. Also surprisingly enough, betrayal.

"N-no…H-Harry…I don't know what to d-do," she stuttered, the tears flowing unlike he had ever see before. "I…can't get rid of it."

Harry began shaking his head before he heard the same hissing voice.

"You don't even know the whole story, Potter."

The red and yellow snake danced from Karista's shoulder, almost threateningly. What didn't he know? Karista and him kept no secrets from each other. But he felt an odd feeling he was missing something.

"Where did the snake come from?"

Harry stood, clenching and unclenching his fists.

"I…don't…know…"

"Don't tell me you don't!"

Karista, if at all possible, was shaking violently before him. The firelight created eerie shadows on the walls and seemed to make Karista's weariness more noticeable.

"I can't tell you," Karista said harshly, jerking Harry out of his reverie. "I can't, Harry."

"Who is the snake from?"

"Harry…you wouldn't understand."

The pleading in her voice took the upper hand as she gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I wouldn't UNDERSTAND?" Harry's voice rose unexpectedly from his throat. He couldn't understand why she wouldn't tell him, even if he knew there was more to this than met the eye. "Try me."

Karista simply shook her head and ran out of the common room towards her dormitory, leaving Harry to stare at the spot that she once stood. He pushed his untidy hair out of his face and let out a ragged breath. She was hiding something, and Harry knew it was something important, if not dangerous.

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Coming next:

Harry vs. Karista in a battle to the death during breakfast...

What does Callidus mean? Can he become a good little snake?

Harry doesn't know all of Karista's secrets...yet...

Arthur Weasley, Minister of Magic?

Raw=War

Julia P. Black...

and Kryssy gets up and starts dancing around the room in her pajamas! *Whoa...only joking folks...I wouldn't scare you like that*