Chapter #5-- A Parselmouth
Still completely confused about his experience with the wand, Eric noticed it was getting late. He thought to himself that he'd better get his pet, than find some place to stay for the night. Tomorrow he was supposed to find Platform 9 ¾ and he was unsure how long it might take. Finally locating the proper shop, Eric had hoped it was open.
"Hello?" Eric called from outside, but than realizing the door was unlocked he let himself in. Never before had Eric seen such strange creatures. There was a large purple baboon making squelching noises, a blue rabbit and a tiny glass gage which read, "World's smartest flea. Jumps, plays the piano and sings the national anthem". Eric giggled at this, but than remembering he had still to find shelter for the night, stopped and wandered over to another animal. This one was a small cat which hissed at him in distain and irritation; clearly this was not to be his pet. Besides, he didn't like the idea of being scratched and he supposed he might have been allergic, as he let out a large sneeze the moment he touched it.
"Eric..." A sinister voice called; the origin seeming to have come from the back wall. Just than a young woman barged into him; her hair was bright red and curled around her slender shoulders.
"We're closing sir. You'll have to come back later." She growled, than gazed at Eric.
"Please, I've got to go to school tomorrow and I need a pet... I won't take long." Eric pleaded.
Seeing his honesty, the woman allowed Eric half an hour. Pleased with his luck, Eric noticed something slimy and gurgling in the woman's arms.
"Disgusting" Eric whispered to himself.
"What... oh go and find your pet!" The woman commanded as she carried the slimy thing into another room; presumably to groom it of something just as awful.
"Eric..." The voice repeated, this time clearly emitting from the back wall. Eric approached the back walls, but all he found were small, ugly fish-like creatures swimming in what looked like green slime. Suddenly, the woman came bursting out of the other room, her expression clearly one of utmost terror.
"Excuse me?" Eric questioned, the woman halting in front of him.
"What is it now... can't you see I'm busy!" She remarked, a tone of ice in her voice.
"Well, I heard something call my name. Is Argen back there by any chance?" Eric asked, ignoring the woman's angry expression.
"I don't know anyone by that name. I only know there's a giant python which somehow broke out of its cage. You said someone calling your name?" She questioned, though her face was still angry.
"Yes, someone called me, or... something." Eric responded grimly.
"Well, if you want to go and see what's behind that wall you can be my guest. Only, if you don't come back out alive, I better not get sued." She replied, than stepped aside to let Eric through.
Weighing his chances against a python, Eric decided it was just too important not to find out what called him. He might be able to help someone.
"Eric... can you hear me?" The voice called out again, its tone giving Eric the sensation of spiders crawling up and into his skin.
"Whoever you are, I'm here and I will help you if you need it. Where are you?" Eric asked, than walked closer to where the voice was coming from. Looking around the small room, Eric found the python which was slithering ever closer to him; its yellow- red eyes glowing.
"Don't hurt me!" Eric screamed, but he did not hear words. What he heard was a loud hiss. Understanding, the snake stopped in mid track and gazed at Eric.
"Parssselmouth" it responded with a hiss, than bowed its head. Curious and afraid all at the same time, Eric looked at the snake cautiously.
"You can hear me?" Eric questioned, hissing himself.
"Of courssss I can hear you." The snake responded, his large eyes staring at Eric. Eric blinked, trying to make sure he was still awake and not in some strange dream.
"You really can hear me!" Eric hollered in several different hisses.
Just than, the woman returned holding a large white net, "stand back boy!" She ordered, her eyes glaring at the snake angrily.
"Take me home..." The snake pleaded to Eric.
"Wait!" Eric shouted at the woman. "I'll take him!"
"Are you insane, this snake will eat you alive" she growled at the boy, her hands spread out ready to throw the net and catch the snake inside. Who knows what she would do with it after that, but Eric had some idea.
"Pleassssse." The snake hissed, and what looked like small tears formed in its enormous eyes.
"Here!" Eric pulled out several galleons from the velvet pouch and handed them to her.
"I don't want your money boy; I'm only looking out for your safety." She pushed his hand away and continued to eye the snake. Just than, Eric had an idea; he would show her his control over the snake. A strange plan, but he knew it was his only choice and the snake's only hope.
"Come with me python!" He commanded, but the snake didn't need telling twice. It quickly slithered around his legs and up to his shoulders.
"What the!?" the woman gasped. "You just hissed!" She screamed.
Petting the snake's head, Eric shot a cold glance at the woman.
"May I take him now?" Eric growled, his eyes flickering crimson just as the snake's had. Shivering, than eying Eric worryingly, she nodded.
"You sure you know how to take care of that monster?" She questioned. The snake which had been on Eric's shoulder hissed a very nasty word at the woman, but she didn't flinch. Eric laughed quietly at the word, than smiled at the woman.
"I believe so... how much do I owe you?" he said with a grim expression.
"Nothing, just go." The woman demanded and Eric left the shop; now with a particularly large python weighted on his shoulder.
"Well my friend, you're lucky I was there to save you... but how did you know my name, and what's a Parselmouth?" Eric questioned in a hiss to the snake.
The snake just curled up around his neck, closed his eyes and said that he would tell Eric everything in the morning. Eric sighed at the somewhat rude behavior of the snake and walked back to the Leaky Cauldron, hoping there might be some place for him to sleep the night.
Still completely confused about his experience with the wand, Eric noticed it was getting late. He thought to himself that he'd better get his pet, than find some place to stay for the night. Tomorrow he was supposed to find Platform 9 ¾ and he was unsure how long it might take. Finally locating the proper shop, Eric had hoped it was open.
"Hello?" Eric called from outside, but than realizing the door was unlocked he let himself in. Never before had Eric seen such strange creatures. There was a large purple baboon making squelching noises, a blue rabbit and a tiny glass gage which read, "World's smartest flea. Jumps, plays the piano and sings the national anthem". Eric giggled at this, but than remembering he had still to find shelter for the night, stopped and wandered over to another animal. This one was a small cat which hissed at him in distain and irritation; clearly this was not to be his pet. Besides, he didn't like the idea of being scratched and he supposed he might have been allergic, as he let out a large sneeze the moment he touched it.
"Eric..." A sinister voice called; the origin seeming to have come from the back wall. Just than a young woman barged into him; her hair was bright red and curled around her slender shoulders.
"We're closing sir. You'll have to come back later." She growled, than gazed at Eric.
"Please, I've got to go to school tomorrow and I need a pet... I won't take long." Eric pleaded.
Seeing his honesty, the woman allowed Eric half an hour. Pleased with his luck, Eric noticed something slimy and gurgling in the woman's arms.
"Disgusting" Eric whispered to himself.
"What... oh go and find your pet!" The woman commanded as she carried the slimy thing into another room; presumably to groom it of something just as awful.
"Eric..." The voice repeated, this time clearly emitting from the back wall. Eric approached the back walls, but all he found were small, ugly fish-like creatures swimming in what looked like green slime. Suddenly, the woman came bursting out of the other room, her expression clearly one of utmost terror.
"Excuse me?" Eric questioned, the woman halting in front of him.
"What is it now... can't you see I'm busy!" She remarked, a tone of ice in her voice.
"Well, I heard something call my name. Is Argen back there by any chance?" Eric asked, ignoring the woman's angry expression.
"I don't know anyone by that name. I only know there's a giant python which somehow broke out of its cage. You said someone calling your name?" She questioned, though her face was still angry.
"Yes, someone called me, or... something." Eric responded grimly.
"Well, if you want to go and see what's behind that wall you can be my guest. Only, if you don't come back out alive, I better not get sued." She replied, than stepped aside to let Eric through.
Weighing his chances against a python, Eric decided it was just too important not to find out what called him. He might be able to help someone.
"Eric... can you hear me?" The voice called out again, its tone giving Eric the sensation of spiders crawling up and into his skin.
"Whoever you are, I'm here and I will help you if you need it. Where are you?" Eric asked, than walked closer to where the voice was coming from. Looking around the small room, Eric found the python which was slithering ever closer to him; its yellow- red eyes glowing.
"Don't hurt me!" Eric screamed, but he did not hear words. What he heard was a loud hiss. Understanding, the snake stopped in mid track and gazed at Eric.
"Parssselmouth" it responded with a hiss, than bowed its head. Curious and afraid all at the same time, Eric looked at the snake cautiously.
"You can hear me?" Eric questioned, hissing himself.
"Of courssss I can hear you." The snake responded, his large eyes staring at Eric. Eric blinked, trying to make sure he was still awake and not in some strange dream.
"You really can hear me!" Eric hollered in several different hisses.
Just than, the woman returned holding a large white net, "stand back boy!" She ordered, her eyes glaring at the snake angrily.
"Take me home..." The snake pleaded to Eric.
"Wait!" Eric shouted at the woman. "I'll take him!"
"Are you insane, this snake will eat you alive" she growled at the boy, her hands spread out ready to throw the net and catch the snake inside. Who knows what she would do with it after that, but Eric had some idea.
"Pleassssse." The snake hissed, and what looked like small tears formed in its enormous eyes.
"Here!" Eric pulled out several galleons from the velvet pouch and handed them to her.
"I don't want your money boy; I'm only looking out for your safety." She pushed his hand away and continued to eye the snake. Just than, Eric had an idea; he would show her his control over the snake. A strange plan, but he knew it was his only choice and the snake's only hope.
"Come with me python!" He commanded, but the snake didn't need telling twice. It quickly slithered around his legs and up to his shoulders.
"What the!?" the woman gasped. "You just hissed!" She screamed.
Petting the snake's head, Eric shot a cold glance at the woman.
"May I take him now?" Eric growled, his eyes flickering crimson just as the snake's had. Shivering, than eying Eric worryingly, she nodded.
"You sure you know how to take care of that monster?" She questioned. The snake which had been on Eric's shoulder hissed a very nasty word at the woman, but she didn't flinch. Eric laughed quietly at the word, than smiled at the woman.
"I believe so... how much do I owe you?" he said with a grim expression.
"Nothing, just go." The woman demanded and Eric left the shop; now with a particularly large python weighted on his shoulder.
"Well my friend, you're lucky I was there to save you... but how did you know my name, and what's a Parselmouth?" Eric questioned in a hiss to the snake.
The snake just curled up around his neck, closed his eyes and said that he would tell Eric everything in the morning. Eric sighed at the somewhat rude behavior of the snake and walked back to the Leaky Cauldron, hoping there might be some place for him to sleep the night.
