uChapter VII: Serpensortia!br
"So, are you going to join the duelling club?" Ron asked Cindra at lunch a few weeks after Halloween.br
Cindra shrugged. "I don't know, I can't stand Professor Lockhart!"br
Hermoine looked disgusted. "And why not? He's a very brave and accomplished wizard!"br
"He's an arrogant fool if you ask me," Cindra muttered to Ron and Harry.br
They laughed, and Hermoine just scowled. "You should atleast come to learn something," Hermoine said bluntly.br
That afternoon, about two or three hundred Hogwarts student were gathered around a playform for the first Duelling Club meeting. br
"Good afternoon students," Professor Lockhart said proudly. He proceeded to introduce his "assistant", Professor Snape. They began to demonstrate a duel, which Lockhart poorly lost. He then asked for the students to pair up and try to duel. It ended up that Harry and Malfoy were stuck together.br
This didn't go too well, and Lockhart decided to teach the students how to block unfriendly spells first. However, he picked Harry and Malfoy as his volunteer pair.br
"Three--two--one--go!" he shouted.br
Malfoy raised his wand quickly and bellowed, "Serpensortia!"br
The end of his hand exploded. Harry watched, agast, as a long black snake shout out of it, fell heavily onto the floor between them, and raised itself, ready to strike. There were screams as the crowd backed swiftly away, clearing thef loor.br
"Don't move, Potter," said Snape lazily, clearly enjoying the sight of Harry standing motionless, eye to eye with the angry snake. "I'll get rid of it..."br
"Allow me!" shouted Lockhart. He brandished his wand at the snake and there was a loud bang; the snake, instead of vanishing, flew ten feet into the air and fell back to the floor with a loud smack. Enraged, hissing furiously, it slithered straight toward Justin Finch-Fletchley and raised itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike.br
Harry wasn't sure what made him do it. He wasn't even aware of deciding to do it. All he knew was that his legs were carrying him forward as though he was on casters and that he had shouted stupidly at the snake, "Leave him alone!" And miraculously--inexplicably--the snake slimped tot he floor, docile as a thick, black garden hose, its eyes now on Harry. Harry felt the fear drain out of him. He knew the snake wouldn't attack anyone now, though how he knew it, he couldn't have explained.br
He looked up at Justing, grinning, expecting to see Justin looking relieved, or puzzled, or even grateful -- but certainly not angry or scared.br
"What do you think you're playing at?" he shouted and before Harry could say anything, Justin had turned and stormed out of the hall.br
Snape stepped forward, waved his wand, and the snake vanished in a small puff of black smoke. Snape, too, was looking at Harry in an unexpected way: It was a shrewd and clculating look, and Harry didn't like it. He was also dimly aware of an ominous muttering all around the walls. br
"I don't understand, what did I do?!" Harry asked as they ran back to the common room.br
"You never told /u you were a Parselmouth!" Ron said in amazement.br
"A Parsel-what?" Cindra and Harry said in unison.br
"You can talk to snakes, Harry!" Hermoine said.br
"Well, I know that--I accidently set one on my cousin at the zoo once," Harry said. He noticed the concern on Hermoine and Ron's faces. "You heard me--I told the snake to back off of Justin."br
"We heard you speaking Parseltounge, Harry!" Ron said.br
"What? How can I speak another language without knowing I can?" Harry asked in condusion.br
"I don't know...But it sounded like you were egging the snake on or something," Ron said vaugely.br
"And now everyone's going to think /u the heir of Slytherin!" Hermoine cried.br
"But--" Harry protested.br
"Hermoine interrupted him. "Salazar Slytherin could speak Parsel touge too, Harry, that's why Slytherin's symbol is a serpent."br
"But I cant--I'm no."br
"We know that," Cindra said suddenly. "But the rest of the school doesn't.br
Harry was sudeenly dreading seeing the faces of his peers again.br
In the library that evening, Harry was having trouble concentrating. He and Cindra were having their usual study session, but Hary seemed extremely distracted. Linda noticed that students from the surrounding tables kept looking over at them and then turning away quickly, as if they were frightened.br
After a few more minutes, harry stood up. "I can't take this," he whispered to Cindra, Hermoine, and Ron. "I'll see you back in the common room."br
They all nodded at Harry, and then went back to work. It was then that Cindra noticed Ginny. She was sitting a ways down the long table, separated from her peets, and was avidly writing in something. Cindra continued to watch her, and she appeared to be crying softly.br
Cindra rose and walked over the where Ginny was sitting. "Would you like some company?" she asked kindly.br
Ginny was surprised and quickly wiped away her tears. "Now thanks, Cindra," she said bluntly. "I'm fine."br
"Oh," Cindra said dissappointedly. "Are you sure?"br
Ginny nodded and looked back down at the book she was writing in. It appeared to be blank. Cindra shrugged and rejoined Ron and Hermoine at the other end of the table.br
The days went on, and the first Quiddich match of the season come closer. Oliver Wood, Gryffindor's Quiddich captain was convinced they would win. Although the match was against Slytherin, half the school was afraid Harry would petrify them if they came anywhere near him.br
The day of the match, Gryffindor house was abuzz. At breakfast Harry hardly ate anything no matter how much Cindra pleaded with him. Within an hour, the whole school was seating in the stands of the Quiddich field.br
The game was going well until one of the blugers began chasing after Harry. "Looks like we've gota rouge bluger out there!" Lee yelled. He was doing the commentary as usual.br
As Harry was trying to dodge the bluger, he saw a glint of gold just below him. He dove after the Snitch, Malfoy, Slytherin's new seeker, at his tail. The Snitch flew under the stands and the seekers flew in after it. The rest of the platers stopped to try and catch a glimpse of Harry or Draco.br
After what felt like hours of suspense, Harry come flying out onto the field, holding the snitch between his fingers. An angry and hurt Malfoy was lying down on the grass of the field. In all his glory, harry didn't notice the rouge bluger racing at him. Cindra cried out, but the bluger had already hit Harry's arm with a loud crunching nocie, sending Hary to the ground. Several teachers as well as Ron, Cindra, and Hermoine rushed onto the field. "Ow..." Harry winced, holding up his arm. "I think it's broken."br
"Not to worry," the flamboyant Lockhart said. "We'll fix that arm in a jiffy."br
With much protest from Harry, Lockhart tapped his wand against Harry's arm and spoke a charm Cindra had never heard before.br
Sudeenlt Harry's arm went limp. Everyone gasped. "Well, sometiems that can happen," Lockhart said nervously. "But let's put it this way," he bent Harry's arm in half. "Atleast you won't feel any pain."br
At that, Madame Pomfrey came rushing over. "He should have been brought straigt the me," she said, lifting him to his feet and rushing him back to the castle.br
"So, are you going to join the duelling club?" Ron asked Cindra at lunch a few weeks after Halloween.br
Cindra shrugged. "I don't know, I can't stand Professor Lockhart!"br
Hermoine looked disgusted. "And why not? He's a very brave and accomplished wizard!"br
"He's an arrogant fool if you ask me," Cindra muttered to Ron and Harry.br
They laughed, and Hermoine just scowled. "You should atleast come to learn something," Hermoine said bluntly.br
That afternoon, about two or three hundred Hogwarts student were gathered around a playform for the first Duelling Club meeting. br
"Good afternoon students," Professor Lockhart said proudly. He proceeded to introduce his "assistant", Professor Snape. They began to demonstrate a duel, which Lockhart poorly lost. He then asked for the students to pair up and try to duel. It ended up that Harry and Malfoy were stuck together.br
This didn't go too well, and Lockhart decided to teach the students how to block unfriendly spells first. However, he picked Harry and Malfoy as his volunteer pair.br
"Three--two--one--go!" he shouted.br
Malfoy raised his wand quickly and bellowed, "Serpensortia!"br
The end of his hand exploded. Harry watched, agast, as a long black snake shout out of it, fell heavily onto the floor between them, and raised itself, ready to strike. There were screams as the crowd backed swiftly away, clearing thef loor.br
"Don't move, Potter," said Snape lazily, clearly enjoying the sight of Harry standing motionless, eye to eye with the angry snake. "I'll get rid of it..."br
"Allow me!" shouted Lockhart. He brandished his wand at the snake and there was a loud bang; the snake, instead of vanishing, flew ten feet into the air and fell back to the floor with a loud smack. Enraged, hissing furiously, it slithered straight toward Justin Finch-Fletchley and raised itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike.br
Harry wasn't sure what made him do it. He wasn't even aware of deciding to do it. All he knew was that his legs were carrying him forward as though he was on casters and that he had shouted stupidly at the snake, "Leave him alone!" And miraculously--inexplicably--the snake slimped tot he floor, docile as a thick, black garden hose, its eyes now on Harry. Harry felt the fear drain out of him. He knew the snake wouldn't attack anyone now, though how he knew it, he couldn't have explained.br
He looked up at Justing, grinning, expecting to see Justin looking relieved, or puzzled, or even grateful -- but certainly not angry or scared.br
"What do you think you're playing at?" he shouted and before Harry could say anything, Justin had turned and stormed out of the hall.br
Snape stepped forward, waved his wand, and the snake vanished in a small puff of black smoke. Snape, too, was looking at Harry in an unexpected way: It was a shrewd and clculating look, and Harry didn't like it. He was also dimly aware of an ominous muttering all around the walls. br
"I don't understand, what did I do?!" Harry asked as they ran back to the common room.br
"You never told /u you were a Parselmouth!" Ron said in amazement.br
"A Parsel-what?" Cindra and Harry said in unison.br
"You can talk to snakes, Harry!" Hermoine said.br
"Well, I know that--I accidently set one on my cousin at the zoo once," Harry said. He noticed the concern on Hermoine and Ron's faces. "You heard me--I told the snake to back off of Justin."br
"We heard you speaking Parseltounge, Harry!" Ron said.br
"What? How can I speak another language without knowing I can?" Harry asked in condusion.br
"I don't know...But it sounded like you were egging the snake on or something," Ron said vaugely.br
"And now everyone's going to think /u the heir of Slytherin!" Hermoine cried.br
"But--" Harry protested.br
"Hermoine interrupted him. "Salazar Slytherin could speak Parsel touge too, Harry, that's why Slytherin's symbol is a serpent."br
"But I cant--I'm no."br
"We know that," Cindra said suddenly. "But the rest of the school doesn't.br
Harry was sudeenly dreading seeing the faces of his peers again.br
In the library that evening, Harry was having trouble concentrating. He and Cindra were having their usual study session, but Hary seemed extremely distracted. Linda noticed that students from the surrounding tables kept looking over at them and then turning away quickly, as if they were frightened.br
After a few more minutes, harry stood up. "I can't take this," he whispered to Cindra, Hermoine, and Ron. "I'll see you back in the common room."br
They all nodded at Harry, and then went back to work. It was then that Cindra noticed Ginny. She was sitting a ways down the long table, separated from her peets, and was avidly writing in something. Cindra continued to watch her, and she appeared to be crying softly.br
Cindra rose and walked over the where Ginny was sitting. "Would you like some company?" she asked kindly.br
Ginny was surprised and quickly wiped away her tears. "Now thanks, Cindra," she said bluntly. "I'm fine."br
"Oh," Cindra said dissappointedly. "Are you sure?"br
Ginny nodded and looked back down at the book she was writing in. It appeared to be blank. Cindra shrugged and rejoined Ron and Hermoine at the other end of the table.br
The days went on, and the first Quiddich match of the season come closer. Oliver Wood, Gryffindor's Quiddich captain was convinced they would win. Although the match was against Slytherin, half the school was afraid Harry would petrify them if they came anywhere near him.br
The day of the match, Gryffindor house was abuzz. At breakfast Harry hardly ate anything no matter how much Cindra pleaded with him. Within an hour, the whole school was seating in the stands of the Quiddich field.br
The game was going well until one of the blugers began chasing after Harry. "Looks like we've gota rouge bluger out there!" Lee yelled. He was doing the commentary as usual.br
As Harry was trying to dodge the bluger, he saw a glint of gold just below him. He dove after the Snitch, Malfoy, Slytherin's new seeker, at his tail. The Snitch flew under the stands and the seekers flew in after it. The rest of the platers stopped to try and catch a glimpse of Harry or Draco.br
After what felt like hours of suspense, Harry come flying out onto the field, holding the snitch between his fingers. An angry and hurt Malfoy was lying down on the grass of the field. In all his glory, harry didn't notice the rouge bluger racing at him. Cindra cried out, but the bluger had already hit Harry's arm with a loud crunching nocie, sending Hary to the ground. Several teachers as well as Ron, Cindra, and Hermoine rushed onto the field. "Ow..." Harry winced, holding up his arm. "I think it's broken."br
"Not to worry," the flamboyant Lockhart said. "We'll fix that arm in a jiffy."br
With much protest from Harry, Lockhart tapped his wand against Harry's arm and spoke a charm Cindra had never heard before.br
Sudeenlt Harry's arm went limp. Everyone gasped. "Well, sometiems that can happen," Lockhart said nervously. "But let's put it this way," he bent Harry's arm in half. "Atleast you won't feel any pain."br
At that, Madame Pomfrey came rushing over. "He should have been brought straigt the me," she said, lifting him to his feet and rushing him back to the castle.br