Disclaimer: Do us Authors really have to write this over and over and over again? Of course we do! Why? So we could tell u of the characters we do own! I don't own ANY of the HP characters (well duh! They all belong to JKR) But I DO own Simon!
A/N: Now, this chapter is even longer but it's worth it! Please don't give up on the story because of length! This is still no big rush but stuff r coming up I promise! And I would be very grateful to hear ur opinions!
CHAPTER TWO
SIMON, SANKE ON A MISSION
The next couple of days were probably the worst days of that holiday (which is very bad considering that Dudley brought his friends over a lot more often than usual). Harry had never felt so bored and so worried at the same time. He knew that everything was happening in the wizarding world, yet he couldn't do anything about it. In four days he was suppose to go to stay with the Weasleys until school starts. Instead, Harry would wake up, eat breakfast and go outside where he spent most of the day, pondering. It was warm and nice outside that time of year and Harry just sat there for hours. One day when he was sitting on the grass by the roses, he saw something move on the ground. It was a snake, about 50-cm long. A python, Harry thought. He watched it pave its way through the fresh grass. Then a weird idea occurred to him,
'Why don't I try to talk to it? After all, I do speak Parseltongue.'
Harry looked at the snake and concentrated.
"Er… excuse me?" He tried to say but instead of words, a weird hiss came out of his mouth.
"Ei Yess?" said the snake and turned around to face Harry. "SISHKABOB! You're a human!" the snake jumped back and opened his mouth, showing Harry his razor sharp teeth. Harry backed away as well.
"Calm down, calm down, I won't hurt you. I just speak Parseltongue."
"You too?" he said and gave Harry an astonished look. "And I thought it was rare… and I thought he was the only one in the area… Well anyway, if I've already met someone friendly, maybe you could help me: I'm looking for a Harry Potter. I asssume you know who he is. I was looking for him for about an hour now, I had directions but I kind o' got lost…"
Harry's eyes opened wide. Harry Potter?! Snakes didn't seem so good to trust… after all, most snakes are controlled or friends with Voldemort.
"Why are you looking for him?" he asked.
"Oh, I get it. You're afraid to tell me where he is because you think sssomeone ssent me to do sssomething to him, right? Say… what's that on your forehead? You're Harry Potter!"
Harry froze.
"Don't worry, I'm not sssent by Voldemort. Dumbledore must have mentioned me…"
"Dumbledore?" Asked Harry in suspicion. Dumbledore did mention a snake in his letter…
"What's your name again?"
"Oh, I didn't introduce myssself? Simon's da name and hissing 's my game. A royal python to your service." He said and bowed.
That was the name Dumbledore mentioned: "Simon"
"So Simon, what'd you want?"
"Well, actually, and don't be offended ha? I wasn't looking particularly for you, but I was told you're the only wizard around. You sssee, I need to get to Hogwarts as sssoon as possible, and you're the only one around who's going there soon so… Anyway, is it okay if I crash here for the rest of the holiday, until you go to Hogwarts?"
"Well… there is a problem—"
"Oh, right, it's okay, I sssee. Yeah fine. I'll just crawl there…"
"No, wait, that's not what I meant at all! It's just that I have a barn owl and I wasn't sure if you two would get along all that well…"
"Oh, that's all? Nooo, no need to worry about that! No, no, no! I actually get along quite well with 'em owls. It will be all right, I promise!"
"Okay then, I guess you can stay… you are a friend of Dumbledore's… "
"Great! Put it there pall." Simon hissed and handed his tail to Harry, as if it were a small hand. Harry shook it with his finger as if he were shaking his hand. Then Simon rose up so he would be in Harry's eye range.
"Now listen Harry, I gotta level with 'yah. Level, get it? Haa, er, yeah so anyway, I do have a problem with owls. Kinda scared of 'em. So, at night, could you put me somewhere safe or something?"
"Aaah, sure Simon." Harry smiled. Just as he finished the sentence though, he heard footsteps approaching him. "Oh no! Someone's coming. Quick! Hide!" Simon crawled off the grass and hid in the rose garden.
" Hey!" it was Dudley. He looked even bigger now that he was standing up and Harry was sitting down. "Who are you talking to?" He teased. "An imaginary friend?"
"Actually I'm sending a mental message to my godfather, you know, the famous murderer Sirius Black…" Said Harry in a mean smile.
Dudley's little pig-like eyes opened wide. "Yeah," Said Harry, his smile growing into a grin, seeing the frightened look on Dudley's face. "I was thinking of telling him how you peaked on me the whole summer."
"But you can't do magic while you're here." Smiled Dudley in panic.
"I'm not using magic, you could just talk to him and he hears, he can do magic you know…" Smiled Harry back.
Dudley stared at Harry with fear.
"He can even hear you right now." Harry gave Dudley a freaky glare. Dudley stared at him for a second, then ran off as fast as his enormous body could take him into the house.
"Who'sss the chubby one?" Asked Simon as he crawled back onto the grass.
"Dudley." Sighed Harry. "My cousin."
"Argh…"
Harry nodded.
"Well, thank you ssso much for letting me stay with you for a while. Aaah listen, I've got sssome things to take care of, so could you pick me up here at about… lets say 7:00pm?"
"Er, sure. Why not."
"So, sssee yah then." Said Simon and crawled away.
Harry got up and returned to the house. He went back to his room and sat by the open window, somehow he felt much safer knowing he's going to be with a friend of Dumbledore's for a while, even if it's a snake. It was almost lunchtime and Harry was getting hungry, he was kind of glad he didn't have to be at school after all because there's always so much homework and stress there. Not to mention that this year they're going to have their O.W.L tests but he was missing the big meals they had there, especially now that they were eating small meals because of Dudley's diet in the Dursley home. He missed being in the magic world, where he belonged but most of all he missed Ron and Hermione… his two best friends in the whole world…
"Hey you! Get downstairs, lunch's ready!" Yelled Petunia from the kitchen. Harry got up and slowly walked to the kitchen. There was a splendid smell in the kitchen, Aunt Petunia was baking a cake… for most people the fact that their aunt is backing a cake would be great but Harry wasn't most people… for Harry it meant bad news. If Petunia was baking a cake, especially now that Dudley can't have any, it means that they'll have visitors today. And that meant horrible news. Whenever the Dursleys would have someone over, Harry had to either hide in his room or to sit downstairs with the guests while Vernon and Petunia tell everyone that he is going to a youth criminal school.
Sadly Harry sat down in his chair. Aunt Petunia threw him some chicken-soup and green-peas. No one spoke for a long while; each person was focussed in his plate. Then Uncle Vernon shortly coughed and spoke in a dry voice.
"You," he bellowed to Harry. "I have guests from work coming, they don't know about you and I would like it to stay that way, understood?!"
"Fine." Murmured Harry.
"They'll arrive here at six thirty. Find something to do in your room." 'Oh no!' Harry was supposed to pick Simon up at that time! Maybe he could sneak downstairs when they're not watching? Maybe Simon will come early…
This was NOT good.
As soon as lunch was over (and after he finished washing the dishes) Harry went out to the garden to look for Simon.
"Simon, SIMON, are you there?" He hissed again and again.
But Simon wasn't there.
'What am I going to do?' Harry glanced at his new watch, it was 2:00pm, and there was no chance Simon would show up this early if he said he'd come at 7:00.
Harry returned inside, went up to his room and sat by the window.
'Maybe I'll write him a note… right, I'll juswrite him in Parseltongue- a language that does not have letters, has words… Damn!'
He banged his hand on the table.
'Come on, think, THINK!'
But his mind was a complete blur. How can he tell a snake without speaking that he'll be late? The more he thought about it he found no solution and got more tired. After a long while of wondering Harry finally decided to take a nap, hoping it would help. He took his glasses off and lay in bed. Apparently he was more tired than he thought, because in a minute he was already fast asleep.
He woke up some two hours later in a start. He thought it was already 7:00 but then he looked at his watch and realized it was only 4:20. Harry rubbed his eyes, the room was blurred since he didn't have his glasses on, but he didn't want to see clearly. He just wanted to lie there with no worries…But that wasn't exactly possible because Harry wasn't a worry-free person. He was a fifteen-year-old boy who learned in a boarding school for Witchcraft and Wizardry with every teenager's problems (Cho)… Plus he lived with his uncle and aunt who hated him and treated him like a dangerous monster… And if that wasn't enough there is a strong evil wizard who is craving to kill him… But the nap did help Harry and he made up his mind. He will try to sneak downstairs and get Simon, not only for Simon but more for Dumbledore. Dumbledore had saved his life pretty much every year, since the first time he had met him, or with all the surprises lately maybe even before… And besides, Harry didn't know exactly why Simon needed to get to Hogwarts; he could have a very important message to report to Dumbledore…
'Wait a minute! Dumbledore? How would Dumbledore understand what Simon has to say? Is it possible? Is he a Parseltongue too?' Harry sat up and put his glasses on. 'I don't have time for these thoughts now!' He said to himself and got up.
Harry spent the rest of the day in his room. He was finally calm enough to finish his homework in charms but every two minutes he glanced out the window to see if Hedwig arrived yet; she's been away for a long time now. And every three minutes he glanced at his watch, counting the time before he should snick downstairs to get Simon.
At six thirty sharp Harry heard a knock on the door.
"Half an hour to go…" He sighed. He sat by the windowsill, looking for a movement in the ground. Maybe he'll show up early and Harry could get his attention… 'Come on Harry, it's just like looking for a golden snitch…'
But Simon didn't show up early and so Harry had to wait.
From downstairs he heard Vernon and Petunia sucking up to their visitors. He looked out the window again, but there was still no sign of Simon. Harry sighed once more and got up. Just then he heard a hiss.
"Simon? Is that you?" Hissed Harry.
"No, it's the little mermaid, 'course it'sss me!"
"All right look, my uncle and aunt are having visitors over so I can't come down to get you."
"No sweat, I'll climb." Said Simon and crawled towards the wall. At first Harry thought he was kidding but then Simon climbed up the drainpipe right to his room. Amazed, Harry reached his hand forward to help Simon in.
"Thanks," He said and climbed on to Harry, his scales making him shiver.
"Harry…" Said Simon with a hint of panic. "Your, your owl is coming!"
"Really?" Said Harry gladly, and then realized Simon was afraid of her. "Don't worry, she won't hurt you." Said Harry, but Simon got his body wrapped around Harry in fear.
"Come on, Simon, stop it!" Said Harry trying to separate Simon from his body as Hedwig got closer to the window they stood by.
"Look, she's angry!"
"Maybe because she thinks you're trying to strangle me!" Hissed Harry angrily trying not to make too much noise.
"We need to move or she'll crash into us!" Called Simon in panic.
Harry glanced through the window at Hedwig. She did look mad and quite frightening…
"I can't move if you don't get off me!"
Hedwig was flying very fast, drawing closer and closer to the widow and she didn't seem to slow down. While trying to get Simon off of him Harry drew away from the window. Hedwig was now only about 4 feet from the window and was still moving very fast.
"She does think you're attacking me! Get off Simon!" Harry hissed, trying to make as little voice as possible while backing up towards the door.
SMASH! Hedwig crashed into them and started pecking both Simon and Harry, while Simon wrapped himself tighter around Harry, hissing in fear. Gasping for air Harry leaned on the door, which was open ajar and slipped open by the weight of the three.
"Come on! Stop it!" Harry hissed half in English half in Parseltongue, pushing Hedwig away from him, thinking he must be making way too much noise. Only out in the hall did he finally managed to push both Hedwig and Simon away from him, but at a great price. Harry fell back and tripped, rolling, very nosily down the stairs, unable to stop himself until the table in which he banged into stopped him. Deadly silence fell on the room. Uncle Vernon stopped his fake laughter.
"Petunia," Said the woman, next to Dudley who was wearing a black evening dress "there is a stranger in your kitchen." She exclaimed as if no one noticed Harry's noisy entrance.
Harry sat frozen on the floor, scratched from Hedwig, with a red sign on his stomach from Simon, and bruised from the fall, breathing hard. Vernon shivered from behind the couch.
"Oops." Whispered Simon who was just above him, hidden from the guests' eye in the stairway.
"Shhh, stop it!" Whispered Harry back, trying not to move his lips.
"Busted."
"Shut up!"
Petunia smiled and spoke quietly as if she was trying to keep Harry from hearing yet she looked straight at him the whole time and noting him to listen.
"This is not a stranger Veronica, it's my beloved sister's son, she and her husband died in a car accident when he was one… We decided take him to live with us. We would have introduced you to him but unfortunately," She gave Harry a sad look and then said: "He was brain damaged by that accident, he can not speak…"
"Oh no." said the woman and glanced at Harry in sympathy.
"Oh yes, I'm afraid so."
"I'll just walk him upstairs." Said Vernon softly.
'Uh No, Uh No, Uh No, Uh No, Uh No, Uh No, Uh No, Uh No, Uh No!' Vernon got up and walked over to Harry.
"Come- on- Harry." He said very slowly and took Harry's hand, Harry hurried to note Simon to crawl up the stairs before Vernon sees him but fortunately, or rather unfortunately he was too mad to notice anything at that moment.
"I'll be right back." He said to Veronica and her husband. When he got behind the stairway with Harry, Vernon muttered angrily: "When they're gone-- you're DEAD! Now up to your room, now!" He hissed very sharply and pushed Harry up the stairs. When he walked into the bedroom, Hedwig was sitting very offended on her cage, eyeing Simon suspiciously. But when Harry entered she lowered her head in apologize, realizing she caused him trouble.
"Gee, thanks Simon!" Exclaimed Harry angrily.
Simon gave a weird sorry squeak but remained rather silent.
"Well at least Ron knows I'm not making it other to the Burrow. Vernon will kill me so…"
"Come again?" Called Simon. Harry accidentally spoke in English.
"I said Vernon's gonna kill me."
"Oh."
"Yup. I'm totally dead." Sighed Harry.
Harry closed the window; it was getting cold outside. He wasn't sure what Vernon would do to him but he knew Vernon wasn't joking. If he could, he probably would have killed him.
"Ssso…" Hissed Simon, probably to break the awkward silence.
"Nice room."
Harry waited until he heard the front door close which meant the guests were gone.
"Well, you might want to find another way to get to Hogwarts, I'm not sure I'll live until then." He smiled viciously.
"Don't sssay that Harry, he won't kill you… RIGHT?"
"When he's that mad, don't count on it."
"YOU!" They heard Vernon yelling from downstairs.
"That's my cue." Said Harry and got up. "If I'm not back, I'm probably dead." He smiled once again.
"You're kidding right?" Asked Simon again and gave Harry a worlook.
"That's up to Vernon." Harry said as he left the room.
Although he knew Vernon wasn't actually going to kill him he was worried of what Vernon would do. He could lock Harry in his room annot let him get to Hogwarts and Harry will probably get kicked out anyway if he uses magic again, considering his past.
"You…" Whispered Vernon, his face turning purple by the second. "Do you have any idea how much you embarrassed me? DO YOU?!" He suddenly roared hysterically. "WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?! HOW DARE—" There was a sudden knock on the door. Uncle Vernon turned around wildly, then back to Harry.
"I'm not done with you yet!" He snarled and went in heavy steps away from the kitchen.
Harry stood there and waited. He heard the front door open and someone speak, though he couldn't exactly hear what they said, it was a voice of a rather old woman, but before she hardly said a word Uncle Vernon interrupted her in a very mad voice. The woman, whose voice seemed a little old, spoke calmly and quietly; it reminded Harry of the tone Dumbledore used when people were yelling at him like with Fudge last year. Harry couldn't hear what they were saying but it was clear that Uncle Vernon wasn't too happy about it, and for some reason the woman's voice seemed very familiar. The only word Harry really heard out of the conversation was when Uncle Vernon said loudly: "Fine! And slammed the door shut. Vernon reappeared in the kitchen, his face in a shade of sick green.
"UP TO YOUR ROOM! AND YOU'RE NOT GETTING DINNER TONIGHT!!! NOW GO!!!" He shouted.
'That's all, no dinner?' He was surprised at his good luck. He expected something much worst than missing dinner. The dinners in Dursleys house weren't so big anyway with Dudley's diet and all. He wondered if it had something to do with the woman Uncle Vernon talked to. 'What did she want? Who is she?' Harry didn't think Vernon and Petunia had any friends who were as old as that woman sounded. When he got into the room Simon squeaked in relief.
"You're alive!"
"Guess I am." Said Harry and sat at his desk facing Simon, who was now on the pile of last year's schoolbooks.
"How did you make it? I heard him screaming, I think." Simon asked worried.
"I'm not sure, it started off very bad, I thought he was going to lock me in this room until I starve to death or something, but then someone knocked on the door… He talked to her, at least I think it sounded like a woman, then, he just told me to go up to my room and that was it."
Simon smiled a smile that had a hidden meaning in it, or at least that's how it made Harry feel.
"What?"
"Nothing." Said Simon and rolled his catlike eyes.
"What?! Why were you smiling like that?"
"No reason."
"You're lying. Come on, what is it?"
"It'sss nothing!"
"Fine! So, is there something you want to talk about?"
"Sure, ssso, how old are you?"
"Fifteen." Harry said in a bored voice, still looking closely at Simon trying to understand what just happened with Vernon.
"Ssso you're going to be in what year?"
"Fifth."
"Oh right, right…"
"Oh wait, I just remembered, what will you eat?" Asked Harry, giving up.
"Well, can you go outside? Not right now, I mean tomorrow?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"Then it'sss okay. I only eat about once in two days."
"Really?"
"Really, I eat mice and stuff, but us snakes don't eat very often… a mouse every two days and some water will be just fine."
"Okay. Listen, where should you sleep? Do you need a bed or something?"
"Well, could you leave one of the drawers half open? I could sleep in there."
"All right," said Harry and opened one of the drawers in the desk. "Here you go."
"Oh, would you look at all these letters!"
"These are from Ron and --"
"Ron?"
"Oh, my friends from school."
"Oh… Well, good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed snakes bite!" Said Simon with a vicious smile. Seeing the look on Harry's face, he said: "I'm joking!"
"Good night Simon." Smiled Harry and sat on his bed. He picked up the book Ron sent him and read until he fell asleep.
Hedwig returned after a few days with two letters tied to her legs. Harry untied the letters and sat on the floor, Simon around his neck like a scarf. Hedwig didn't attack him again but she kept staring at him viciously. Harry opened one of the letters and read, first in English, to himself, then he read it in Parseltongue to Simon.
Dear Harry,
Hi, What's going on? First you say you can come, then a few days later… is everything the matter? Are you enjoying the book? There was no news about You-Know-Who lately. The Ministry is a big mess; they're more or less trying to deny the whole thing. Dad is totally buried in work. However Bill and Charlie are at home a lot, in fact it seems a bit suspicious. Things seem calm, but there is something going on, I can feel it! My parents talk in symbols so Ginny and me wouldn't understand but it seems like George, Fred, Percy, Bill and Charlie all know. It's too bad you can't come right away but I hope you can make it soon.
Percy is doing well, sort of. Things are so busy there they didn't have time to hire someone instead of Crouch, so Percy's replacing him for now as head of the department. And he doesn't stop bragging about it, but I think he is a little too busy, he hardly gets any sleep. Dad too. Anyway, write me back and tell me what's going on.
Ron
"And so the Ministry is in trouble, ha?" Simon gave a pleased grin when Harry finished reading the letter.
"How do you know about the ministry?"
"Ssso what does the other letter say? Go on, read it."
Harry gave Simon a look he had to give him many times. He was always very mysterious about these things. "Fine, don't tell me!"
He opened the second letter that was written in the familiar handwriting, Sirius's.
Dear Harry,
Boy, am I glad I caught Hedwig on the way back to you! I know it's been kind of crazy lately and things change every second, sorry about that but you can't be too careful nowadays, especially with Voldemort heading north and all, Dumbledore told you hadn't he? Anyway, I just talked to Molly Weasley. You will be staying at their house after all. I know this plan got changed again and again but as I said things are really crazy around here. I saw Hedwig had a letter with her, if it's from Ron he didn't know when he wrote it so don't be surprised if he says exactly the opposite of me. Arthur will come to pick you up on Tuesday, at 3:00 p.m. sorry for the mix-up.
I'm not sure but I might be able to see you quite soon.
Well, have fun with Ron.
Snuffles
"Who's Snuffles?" Asked Simon in interest.
"Oh, so you don't have to tell me but I have to tell you!?" Harry laughed, but then, looking back at the letter he sighed. "What the hell's going on here?" he muttered
"You're speaking English again."
"Oh, sorry Simon. I said I wonder what's going on."
Harry wrote Sirius back and put the letter on the desk. "I'll send it tomorrow." He thought.
As if in order to repay Harry for those horrible days before he met Simon these days, just before it was time to go to the Weasleys, were probably the best days Harry had at the Dursleys home ever.
Harry and Simon, although Harry was a person and Simon a snake, had many things to talk about. Simon told him about all sorts of adventures in the search of him, like a bigger snake he met on the way, which almost killed him, and Harry told him about the life in Hogwarts. There was however one thing that was a mystery to Harry: He would never tell Harry anything about his distant past or how he knows Dumbledore or why he needs to see him. But Harry had such a great time with him he didn't really care.
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End of chapter two! Hoped you liked it! Much more to come!
A/N: All the ppl who reviewed: THANK U! And about some questions etc: 1st: since both me and my beta reader don't speak English as a 1st language be easy on me if it's grammar problems ok?
I was very flattered you think I write well! Someone said that my writing's American, wel, it's because the English I learned is American so… oh well. And Helen: I will defiantly write a story on my own but only after I finish my "Potter Project".
Thanks again and please review!
