Castle Walls

Chapter Eleven: Of Plotting and Predictions

If you want anything done well, do it yourself. This is why most people laugh at their own jokes.
Bob Edwards

Gohan awoke the next morning to Keith's obnoxious laughter and small bits of half-hearted laughter from Clyde and Davyn. Geoffrey had gone down to breakfast early, from the looks of things. Gohan groggily stood up and sighed. His back was slightly stiff but there was no real worry about that. It was Sunday, and he was going to be doing some important training and experimenting with his ki and the house-elf type of magic. Last night's dreams had been rather relaxing, the Grand Kai was silent as ever.

Gohan couldn't get used to the fact he was only there to answer his questions and that he had none of his own. Not that it wasn't logical that the Grand Kai had no questions. After all, the Grand Kai was a very important God and Gohan was an eleven year old kid. Gohan probably have found it odd that the God would question the Mortal. But still having full control over a conversation, it was odd for the kid. Even now as he and Keith were glaring at one another, he shared the control of the conversation, but with the God of four universes Gohan was in total control of what the God told him and what the God kept hidden.

Moira was just as non-controlling of the conversations, the Goddess of Fate had come to him last night and let him rant and rave about how unfair it was that he couldn't just solve the whole problem. Then when he asked he why the situation was to be, she answered in very plain and simple terms, "That's the way the book has been written, young fighter." She and the Grand Kai only told him the answers to his questions, no more, no less. It was almost frustrating to the boy. what right did he have to question the Gods?

Keith won the verbal spar, it was no contest. The other boy had been up a lot longer, and was used to bashing people using his words. Not only that but Gohan just wasn't in Keith's league as far as throwing a flurry of creative insults went. Sure, he could dodge a death blow from Freeza, but to dodge a simple insult to his pride was a task best left to Bulma or Vegeta. Or maybe Piccolo, who really had not yet lost to anyone in a shouting match. It's kind of hard to lose when you can just stand at your full height of seven or eight feet and death glare at the fool who challenged you.

Gohan was very inept at the word battles for two reasons; one, he simply couldn't work out what to say quickly. It took time to translate all the insults from what ever language his poor confused head used. Japanese, English, Sayajin, Namekian, and the varied Lizpatois* were all tossed in there, all had their own unique and very fun and easy to use insults. To translate them he sometimes had to go from one of the non-human languages to Japanese to English just to get an idea across. The other disadvantage he had was his up bringing, he was raised to be respectful and silent. His mother had inadvertently taught him 'Children are meant to be seen and not heard.' Now Chichi didn't mean to do so, but after watching his father and grandfather for years and comparing how she acted, he assumed his roll was to be silent and submissive to his mother, and after meeting Bulma, he extended that to all females who had very strong personalities.

Now he was learning new ways at Hogwarts, but he was still struggling not to bow to every girl's command.  Alesia, the kind hearted second year, was trying to help him out. She would help coach him through the bad habits and then she and Aster would shield him from those who would take advantage of him. It was a very hard and very time consuming task the two girls had voluntarily taken on.

Pansy Parkinson, that annoyingly bratty blond second year, was the biggest offender of the unspoken rules that Alesia and Aster had put up. As soon as she found out about Gohan's weakness she exploited him shamelessly. Keith had put all sorts of nefarious plans into the stereotypical blonde's head just to cause Gohan no end of trouble and shame.

In return, Gohan had put the Medusa Serum into Keith's shampoo. That was fun, Gohan made a mental note to find another fun potion to try like that again, one without an antidote or at least with an antidote not so easily made. He wanted the rest of the school to see his roommate with a fun new hairstyle. He'd go to the library after dinner tonight, especially since Keith was so sure he had won this round.

As the owl post arrived at breakfast, Gohan was chugging his milk after he had just inhaled a platter of ham, eggs, and sausage. Aster was passing him a platter of pancakes and Belgium waffles drenched in sugary sweet and very sticky brown syrup and lots of powdered sugar on top of the mountain of the sweet hot breakfast foods. On top of the plate as it was set down in front of the hungry Sayajin, landed a small roll of parchment. To his amusement, he realized that if Aster hadn't of been there he wouldn't have noticed it until he was more than half done eating the platter's contents. Aster scowled at him as he just continued to eat when she plucked the scroll off his food.

"Idiot boys." She muttered as she used her napkin to open it. Then her eyes widened. "Gohan, listen up." He continued to eat but focused his eyes on her. Sighing at the ridiculous behavior of the boy, she started to read the scroll, "Professor Snape wants to see you after breakfast in the library. You can't get out of it. What are you going to be in trouble for now?" she asked him as he finished the platter off. Gohan gingerly cleaned off the mess he had made and sighed.

"I am not in trouble. I don't get into trouble, it's impossible for me to cause trouble." He said.

"Funny, I thought getting into this stupid prank war with Mr. Perfection counts as getting into trouble." Said the dark haired girl slyly. Kazu swooped into the room and landed on her shoulder. She petted the winged serpent's head and nodded at him. The serpent then glared at Gohan.

"I don't get it why doesn't he like me?" asked Gohan, clearly he was puzzled. Aster sighed at the first year.

"He just doesn't like your scent. I've told him time after time that you are truly naïve and immature, but he insists you are hiding a lot. Not lying, but covering things up. He doesn't trust those who hide things." She explained. Gohan growled in a very reptilian way at the serpent, and the creature in question angrily hissed at him. This all left Aster was confused, because Kazu was actually blocking his thoughts from her and had just Gohan left the table with a regretful look upon his face. Kazu curled up around her shoulders, and sent her a warm impulse of comfort.

"What did you do to that poor boy?" she questioned her friend. She got a snake's version of a snore and a sleeping winged serpent in answer.

Gohan was immersed in a very large potions book when Snape entered. The potions master walked up behind the boy, and Gohan, without looking up, started to speak.

"I need something with this effect, but with the duration and time-last of this one." Said the boy. Snape looked over the pages Gohan was looking at. One potion turned the user's body into a Naga with legs for an hour, the other lasted for twenty-four hours and had no antidote other than time. Snape quickly understood the why of Gohan's question.

"I will not help you turn Keith into a monster. That would be very irresponsible of me." Said the teacher, "But, page one thousand eighty-eight has handy potion additions. You'll be studying them soon you know." Said the Slytherin teacher with a sly smirk. Gohan nodded and in a flash the book was on the mentioned page and the boy was taking careful notes and planning out what he would need.

"Thank you sir. He will get his competence soon! I can't wait." Said the gleeful predator. Snape had to smile, he knew exactly how it felt to create the potions that would torment those who dared to make him angry. Sure his prank war with the Marauders hadn't started until his third year, but the light in Gohan's eyes was the same. Maybe the war within the Slytherin House wasn't a bad idea.

"Anyhow, do you know why I asked you down here?" asked the Head of the Slytherin House. Gohan's expression reviled that the boy had no clue why he was to speak with his teacher. Snape decided to plunge into it, "I told the headmaster about your need to train regularly, and he has decided to give you, and you alone, the right to leave the castle and grounds unsupervised each weekend. Both he and I wish that you follow several basic rules outside of the school, and there are a few conditions. I trust you won't abuse this privilege?" asked Snape. Gohan was stunned, they were really allowing him to leave?

"Wow, I really get to leave on the weekends?" asked the boy.

"Yes. You do get to leave on the weekends. You will be responsible for your own meals, shelter, clothing, safety and other needs you may have outside of the castle. Do you understand this?" he asked.

"Yeah, I've lived on my own before. I lived in the middle of nowhere alone when I was four. I know what I have to do." Said Gohan with a smile.

"If you do not make it back to the castle before eleven thirty at night on Sunday you will get an automatic two week long detention and will not get to leave for a month after that. Upon your return you must report to my office first." Said the professor, he stopped waiting for Gohan to acknowledge his words.

"Okay, that shouldn't be any trouble. I will need a way to tell time, a map or atlas to tell me where I am, a compass, and a hunting knife or sword. Will that be any trouble, Professor?" asked the boy eagerly.

"No, in fact I have a list of items you will be required to take with you here along with the rules. Your request is somewhat less than the list here." Snape handed the boy a large scroll of parchment. "Read this over and come and see me after your last class on Thursday." Said the teacher. "Now did you want anything else, non-prank related, of course."   Gohan gave a small bit of laughter and then got serious.

"Sir, I was wondering, do a lot of people speak like snakes? I mean do they use a language that the majority of snakes use?" asked Gohan. Snape raised an eyebrow.

"Parseltongue? The ability to speak with snakes?" asked Snape in surprise. "It is a very rare and not welcome gift. Most of the known and feared dark wizards had this gift. Why do you ask?"

"Um, you know how I told you about my dreams? Well, in my dreams I was told of two guys who speak like snakes fight in this really wild looking room decorated in statues of a wizard that are extremely tall, and snakes. I'm sure that it is important to this school's future, but when it will happen, I'm not too sure on that detail." Said the boy. He was fiddling around with the hem of his sweater vest nervously.

Snape was silent for a while, thinking over the prophecy. Like his contemporary, McGonagall, Snape had very little trust in Seers and the predictions that they made. But unlike the Gryffindor, he did pay attention to the predictions, after all it wasn't all that uncommon for a Seer to be correct about the big picture. In Snape's analytical mind, details were considered to be overrated in the long run. Snape bid Gohan a cold good bye and left.

Gohan was almost shocked by this, but soon recalled that anytime that the teacher was in deep thought about something serious he would be unsociable and most likely in his office thinking about the problem until a solution appeared. Quickly, the boy rebounded when he recalled his plans to train.  Gathering his notes and the copies if the potion directions he made earlier, he left. Soon he was hovering high above the school seeing how far he could power up without causing an earthquake.

Notes: Lizpatois- The root language of most reptiles like the dinosaurs and dragons in the Grey Star Universe and maybe in the Brown Star Universe as well. Gohan, having grown up around them knows a great many of the dialects and can speak a very rudimentary version, as he is restrained by his human/Sayajin vocal cords. That is what he growls at Kazu and the serpent understands it. It is not an in-born talent like Parseltongue, anyone who has enough patience and intelligence can learn it.

Okay, that's it for now. Sorry about the shortness and stuff. As you can see this was hastily put together and yet I love it. It is the product of a random spurt of  the will to write, and you know how rare those are! Thanks to all of you who review, Lord knows I wouldn't work at all if you folks didn't read this poor excuse for a fiction.

By the way, do you want quality? Read the Red Dragons Order Sagas by The Red Dragons Order- author page -   

The Saga starts with this story-    The whole thing ends up covering elves, elementals, espionage, dragons, phoenixes, griffins, vampires, and tons of fun stuff! Read it! It starts with a very unusual way for Draco Malfoy to come over to the light, half dead in a park near Harry's summer work place, the local library.

Well, go have fun and drop me a review. It's not hard I do it all the time.