A/N: I do not to het! Repeat! I do NOT do het! I do Yaoi and Yuri. Het just doesn't appeal to me. So, for those whom are looking forward to Harry hooking up with some girl.don't count on it, 'cause it's a VERY slim chance. If anything, it's going to be Harry/Draco (in other 'books') and Ron/Hermione (even thought this has nothing to do with them.but I'm coming up with some ideas.) THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION! And I do apologize for those who had their hopes up.
-Maoi

I also want to thank: Deryyn, Namwolf, AOEDE!!!, Fallen Dragon, gem, The angelic vampire, Myst4Drgn, Eriee, Joe, HPIceAngel, Mystic10, Mystical Witch, and Temporal! I couldn't have done it without your wonderful reviews, so keep them up! They're extremely motivating!

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Chapter 14: Nagini

More than a month had passed and All Hollow's Eve was approaching. Classes were getting fairly easier, but the homework never stopped. Defense Against the Dark Arts was still Harry's favorite class and he was even beginning to favor Potions because Professor Riddle, or Tom rather, favored the Slytherins and Harry, in particular.

He was becoming a little closer to his uncle, and it was hard not to, but he didn't want to tie any knots in the string just yet, and risk a chance of getting in torn in half.just like before. Speaking of, he still hadn't heard a word from the git yet, and really wasn't planning on it either. He was glad Sirius was gone. It gave him a chance at being normal.well, as close to normal as you could get while you still had fellow Slytherins still calling you 'Lord' and 'Great Heir', but Harry knew that he wouldn't be getting through to them.so he let it be. As long as they didn't say the said titles in front of the whole school.he could handle it.

It was a regular weekend where Harry would visit some of his friends, and this week was his favorite visit to his Uncle Tom's dungeon rooms. The crimson-eyed man would always show him something new then next time around and was always full of surprises.

"Good afternoon, Harry. Doing well, I hope?" The man smiled.

"I am. And how are you?"

"Quite well. I'm glad you're here," said Tom, "I'm always happy to see my wonderful nephew.and I have a nice present for him if he's good today." The man smiled gleefully and Harry's eyes twinkled.

"Really? For me?" asked Harry excitedly.

"For you and only you, my dear Harry." Tom knelt down and picked up the eleven-year-old with utmost ease, as the boy was deadly skinny, no matter how old the man was, "But first, I think that I want to show you how to make a few useful potions. I bet that you'd like that." Harry smiled even more. The potions that his uncle taught him in private were much more advanced and useful then what he taught in class, "I know you'd enjoy getting back at the Gryffindors with some of these."

They entered the back room where Professor Riddle always did his experiments and he set Harry down. The boy practically ran to the tall table they always worked at and climbed upon one of the stools with a wide smile as his uncle closed the door and gathered several ingredients and a book before walking back to the table.

" I see that you're as eager as ever." He opened the thick book and started flipping pages, "I've noticed that you've become.distant from Lupin. Did something happen?"

Harry's smile instantly faded and he shrugged, "No.I just.like you better."

Tom smiled, "I'm glad you do, but I was just wondering. I never did like the ol' bloke myself, either."

"It's not that.well, sorta. It's confusing. He.fancies Sirius. I mean.I don't have a problem with him being a.a."

"Queer?"

Harry's nose wrinkled, "I don't like using that term.it's a little rude. He's homosexual.and I don't have a problem with that but the fact that he likes Sirius."

"Don't worry about it. Things will come along, if you want them to." Tom started the fire and asked Harry to set the cauldron on the stand above the fire. Harry complied.

"But.do I really care anymore? That's just it," said Harry, "I think that I would be better off without them really. It just feels.wrong."

"I don't mean to be rude, Harry, you know that, but I think that your right," said Harry's uncle as the man pulled out more ingredients and bottles, "It's just not a Slytherin's place to associate with another Gryffindor. We don't belong there. We can't walk along the same path as a lion, and we never will. You understand that, don't you?"

Harry nodded, "Yeah, I understand."

"Shall we get started?" Tom smiled.

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Harry learned how to make a fire-breathing potion, known as Pyrosnort Potion, Poxy Potion that created small embarrassing bumps to appear on skin that looked like a horrible case of acne, and even Upsi Brew that made the drinker horrendously clumsy and forgetful. Tom taught him several more prank drafts that could be used on the Gryffindors before they started to put away.

"I want to show you something.er.someone, Harry." Green eyes peered through glass as the boy looked up at his uncle, "She's really special to me, so you have to promise never to hurt her."

Harry nodded, noticing the 'she' in the sentence, "Promise."

Tom told him to wait as he left the room for a short moment before returning with something coiled around his neck. It was extraordinarily long with dark green and black scaly patterns. It's eyes held a yellowish glow to them.and that's when Harry stopped. A SNAKE!

"This here, Harry, is my wonderful friend, Nagini. She's been with me for a *very* long time, and unfortunately, I'm getting too old to take care of her." Said Tom as the snake crept easily down his chest and stretched out towards Harry, "Go on, Harry, pet her. She likes you."

Harry's eyebrows rose before his hand slowly did. His hand shook slightly with nervousness, hoping that the reptile wouldn't find his hand a warm meal. But surely, it.she didn't, and Harry sighed in relief as he pet her scaly body. The boy could have sworn, though, that the snake sighed a hum.

"Now that you're acquainted.let's see if you really are a Parselmouth." Tom said as they left to the living quarters of the dorm.

"A what?" Harry asked as they sat on the chairs.

"A Parselmouth, Harry. One who talks to snakes," said Tom as Nagini slithered over to the young Slytherin, "Parselmouths run in our family.and only ours, since we are the heirs of Salazar Slytherin."

Nagini coiled herself up in Harry's lap and looked up at him, "Hello, young Massster." Harry's eyes widened to the size of saucers. It spoke! She spoke.. What the bloody hell!

"Well, it's rude to keep her waiting. Say Hello." He obviously wasn't hearing things if Tom heard her say 'hello' also.

"H-h-hello." Harry could strangely feel a low hissing in the back of his throat.

"I knew it." Tom stood up triumphantly, "This is so wonderful, Harry. After so many centuries of the Slytherin family falling to Gryffindor.we're finally coming back. We're reawakening."

Harry fell silent as his uncle carried on happily. He looked down at Nagini and became solemn. She looked up at him, "Is there something amissss?" she hissed.

Harry shook his head, "Not at all. Just.thinking, is suppose."

"You lie." Nagini mused and Harry smiled.

"You already know me too well?"

"I can see it in your eyes."

"I thought that snakes couldn't see well." Harry questioned, yet wondered how she could see into his eyes so well after so many years of training to keep all emotion out of his eyes.

"Ah.young Massster.you underestimate me, for I'm not an ordinary snake. My kind can smell fear, taste rivalry, and peer into another's soul by just the shortest gaze into there eyes."

"You're very special to Uncle Tom, then, aren't you?" Harry neither smiled nor frowned. But merely stared transfixed at the snake in his lap. Tom watched from a distance as the two went on with their light conversation.

Nagini peered a little deeper into Harry's eyes, "Sssomething about me.irritates you."

Harry's eyebrows rose, but soon after furrowed in though, "Yes, in a way. But it's nothing personal. I still like you, if that's what you're worried about."

She slithered her way up Harry's arm and draped herself across his neck, "Care to share?"

Harry smiled and looked down, "It won't be pretty." but Nagini nudged him on, "It happened a long time ago."

***Flashback***

A six-year-old Harry Potter stood outside in the evening after a long day of chores. His hands were red and numb after being worked all day. Scrubbing the bathrooms and kitchen floors, and washing the dishes wasn't an easy thing to do.

He leaned against a tree between several bushes, hoping that no one would find him, especially his Uncle Vernon. He whipped the blood from him mouth and spit out the tooth that had been loose for decades. He guessed all he needed was a good punch in the face from his Uncle Vernon to get rid of the offensive piece of bone. The pain had really started to bother him.

"Excussse me, my good fellow." Harry nearly jumped at the sudden intrusion. Harry stood up quickly and whirled around, thinking that it was his uncle of someone he knew. But there was no one, "Down here, young man."

Harry looked down to his feet and saw a snake looking up at him. He jumped away, but not too far to where he could be seen from his aunt and uncle's house.

"I'm sorry that I frightened you," the snake spoke, "but I was a little concerned when I sssaw your battered appearance. Forgive me, but why?"

"My.un-uncle." Harry stuttered. His eyes still wide.

The snake slithered up to him carefully as Harry slid down another tree and leaned up against it, letting out a sigh of relief, "He hit me after I accidentally dropped a plate and broke it. I didn't mean to.but he hit me, and he said that later on I would get my belt beatings."

"Do you not have anywhere to run to? Any friends?"

Harry shook his head, "No. Everyone's afraid to be my friend for fear that my cousin would beat them up. There's no where to go."

"I could be your friend. Besides, winter is coming and there's nowhere for me to hibernate," said the snake, "Perhaps you could house me."

"I don't think that my aunt and uncle would be too pleased. They hate me, and much less, any abnormal pets." Harry said, "I don't know where I could put you where they wouldn't find you.unless under my bed."

"I don't mind at all, chap. I'd very much appreciate it."

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Harry had snuck the snake in, and put Stinir under his bed.

"BOY, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? YOU BETTER BE READY FOR THAT BEATING!" Uncle Vernon yelled from the other room, "I SWEAR, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO MOVE FOR A WEEK!"

Harry's heart leapt and his breath quickened. Uncle Vernon couldn't find Stinir, or else there would be hell to pay after he killed the snake. This was a bad idea.

"I'm in here." Harry's voice quivered, "I'm coming." What's a few more beatings to go along with my other scars, thought Harry.

"Get your bloody arse in here, you little twit!"

Harry entered the living room and was immediately pulled by the arm outside. He was thrown to a wooden pillar that held the porch ceiling up. Harry cringed as he collided with the post.

Harry's uncle pulled in close to the boy's ear, "I hope your mummy's watching, seeing how pathetic her little loser of a son is. Her and that *freak* of a husband, he spat in the 6-year-old's face, "I hope this hurt's."

Harry bared his back to the fat man, showing off his scars, and he heard the clinging of metal on the belt, "I'd say twenty will do it."

'If you can count that high.' Harry mused.

It wasn't that the belt hurt when it hit the skin, but it always stung after. When his back wasn't numb anymore. When he could feel again. When he wasn't worried about not crying in front of his uncle.

Tears stung his eyes as felt the whipping repeatedly cuff his back. It seemed like an eternity before his uncle finally got to ten, then it suddenly stopped. Harry gathered what strength he had left and turned.

Something had made his uncle stop. Something had bitten his uncle.. Stinir! And sure enough, the snake was there. His teeth sunk into Mr. Dursley's thick leg, as the large man hollered in pain. Harry was terrified at the idea of what Uncle Vernon would do if he got a hold of the snake.

"NO!" hissed Harry, "Get away!"

But it was too late. Uncle Vernon had already gotten a hold of the snake's neck and pulled it off, "Son of a.." Mr. Dursley started, but then smirked sadistically, "I'll put an end to you, and *you* little prat, will be dealt with later after I'm done taking care of this thing."

***End Flashback***

End of Chapter 14

A/N: Thank you all for the wonderful reviews. They're appreciated! So keep reviewing.