Category: Book
Sub Category: Harry Potter
Series Title: Serpentine
Title: The Serpent Ascendant
Genres: General - cause I can't think what else it would go under, really
Language: English
Author: Zephyr5
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Challenge Response: Harry was abandoned by the Dursleys at the tender age of four, and a magical serpent took him in and brought him up. He grows up into a wild child who only understands Parseltongue, wants to be a real snake, and dislikes human beings in general. When he decides that a certain Dark Lord should be his mate, all hell breaks out.
Warnings: male/male relationship later, dark!Harry, confused!Snape, character death, mention of bestiality. Oh, and everyone's probably horribly OOC…
Spoiler Warnings: none - this is AU through and through (obviously, since he gets abandoned before the books really get started)
Disclaimers: I do not own the canon Harry Potter characters who make an appearance, I do, however, own the idea of Nye, shadow vipers, and the plot.
AN: This is my response to the 'Child of Serpent' set by PxW at thesilversnitch, and my first completed Harry Potter fic - please review :)
Challenge Instructions: 1.The magical serpent can be anything as long as it is part snake or takes snake form. 2. Harry has to learn to become an animagus and takes the form of a silver or black serpent. 3. Voldemort initially thinks Harry is just an unknown species of poisonous snake and takes him as a pet. 4. There must be a scene where Harry fiercely defends his mate.
The Serpent AscendantVoldemort had been much impressed by the white coatl who had paid him a visit the previous summer. The creature had put him in mind of a serpentine version of Lucius Malfoy: loyal only to itself; fully aware of - and prepared to capitalise on - its good looks; and with a silver tongue to rival his own. That and he had sensed all the power contained within its long, lithe body. Nagini, on the other hand, hadn't been at all impressed by what she viewed as an impingement on her territory. A dry chuckle left his throat at the memory of the coatl calmly dodging the cobra's venomous remarks with a dry wit that had passed completely over the poor snake's head. Really, he would never have imagined that such a creature had come from a forest in the middle of England. Where was it again? Ah, Clipstone forest, in Nottinghamshire…
Hmm… It might just be worth his while to see what other treasures lay waiting to be discovered there. After all, he had nothing that particularly needed his attention where he was. The search for Harry Potter still continued, as fruitlessly as it had done for all the ten years since the blasted boy had vanished. The only comfort he had was that Dumbledore didn't have a clue where the brat was either. Although…thinking about it…there had been a big search of Clipstone forest around that time - apparently the child of an important muggle had gone missing…was it possible that the child they had been searching for was actually Harry Potter? Was it possible that Dumbledore had finally made a critical error of judgement, and that the boy's relatives, supposed to be protecting him with ancient blood magic, had, instead, abandoned him in the forest? It sounded almost too good to be true…but the facts fit…
Yes, Voldemort decided. He would definitely be paying a visit to Clipstone forest in the near future. The very near future.
---
Harry was neither aware of Nye's plans to set him up with Voldemort, nor of Voldemort's plans to visit the forest. However, he sensed the change when the dark wizard arrived, and, as Hades, snuck out of the abandoned sett to investigate.
---
Hades had become a skilled hunter under Nye's tutelage, and whilst unable to fly, he did have the ability to become almost completely invisible. Nye had remarked, on discovering Hades' ability, that its efficiency would most likely increase with age. Still, he could become transparent enough that, if he remained still and in the shadows, he was as good as invisible to any prey that had to see danger coming.
He had also discovered that he was venomous - extremely so. His fangs had barely grazed the first rabbit he attempted to take, and it had died mid-leap, convulsing so hard that its spine snapped. The experience had fascinated him, and he had experimented on various prey - and predators - until he knew exactly how much venom each creature needed to be stunned or killed outright. Until he knew exactly how to strike so that the precise amount of venom was delivered. Until he knew exactly how long it would take for the creature to die, or to awaken from being stunned.
When he had insisted on experimenting on humans, Nye had insisted that he do so far away from the forest, and so he had travelled to the south, killing as Hades, and then arranging the bodies as Harry so that a serial killer stalked the South of England - never caught, and eventually vanishing as completely and suddenly as he had appeared.
He had gained quite the reputation throughout the forest, and throughout the serpent community too, so his arrival in Voldemort's 'court' was…impressive…
---
Voldemort hadn't really known what to expect of Clipstone forest, or rather, the magical inhabitants of the forest. As far south as it was, he was taking quite a risk, but none of his death eaters spoke Parseltongue, and even if they had, he trusted none of them enough to reveal his true reasons for the journey. He had reasoned that, if Harry Potter had been abandoned in the forest, and had subsequently neither been seen nor sensed, it meant one of two things. The boy had somehow learned to conceal himself - probably in self-defence - or he had left the forest not long after being abandoned, either by dying or perhaps muggles. In either case, it was most likely that he would have been, at some point, seen by one of the serpents in the forest - serpents who would gladly tell him everything if they had seen the boy.
One thing was certain though. Voldemort had not expected representatives of all the serpents in the forest to find and greet him, forming an impromptu serpent's 'court'. Of course, even without Nagini's prompting, Voldemort knew better than to act on his impatient desire to scour the forest for traces of his nemesis, and so he settled himself to the ground, and the talks commenced.
For the most part the conversations were nothing more than serpents seeking his reassurances that, as long as they refused to go against him, his forces would leave them in peace. Such reassurances were easily given, and wholeheartedly sincere. Others - mainly the younger set - were eager to know how they could help his crusade against the humans who routinely disturbed the forest's natural balance. Voldemort was now aware that he had a powerful guerrilla army - deep in the heart of his enemy's territories - in his reptilian supporters, although he was not so naïve as to believe that, should the tide of the war turn heavily against him, the snakes would look to anything other than saving their own skins. He didn't mind that - such was, after all, the very nature of a serpent, a nature he both prized and aspired to - when those with that nature were honest about it.
But none of the snakes could tell him anything about the boy he sought - the abandoned Harry Potter - and the white coatl was conspicuously absent. Voldemort was forced to conclude that either the boy had died, or he had not been abandoned in the first place. He could not believe that, had muggles taken him away, his death eaters - or, gods forbid, Dumbledore's lackeys - would have failed to find a trace for so long. All of which left him no closer to finding and neutralising the threat he had inadvertently created. Of course, Dumbledore wasn't either, scant consolation though that thought was.
A brief commotion towards the outside of the deep ring of serpents had Voldemort looking up sharply, and Nagini hastily slithering to her master's side from where she had been preening under the attention of those trying to curry favour.
"What iss it?" Voldemort hissed, both at his familiar and the serpents nearest to him. His sibilants were pronounced, but not quite so clearly as a true snake's.
"I do not know, massster." Nagini hissed in reply, baffled by her inability to isolate the newcomer's scent, drowned as it was by the fear-scent all the other serpents were suddenly giving off.
"Hadesss…" The whispered…name? Title? Curse?…Went up from the gathered serpents as they quickly moved apart, opening up a clear path between the clearing's edge and Voldemort. "Hadesss…" The sigh of awe and respect went up from the females of the group this time. Voldemort stared down the clearing, unable to see anything until, where the shadows of the treeline met the sunlit edge of the clearing, there was movement and, almost out of nowhere, a long, black serpent appeared.
---
Voldemort stared, not quite sure what he should - or did - feel. He had never seen a snake quite like the one he was now staring at, but he found himself quite fascinated. The creature was young - probably just starting to enter his prime - and incredibly beautiful, although it did not seem to be aware of quite how mesmerising it was. For a moment longer the tableau held, tall, black serpent poised regally at the edge of the forest, dark gaze locked with the crimson stare of the dark wizard Voldemort.
In that moment, both Hades and Voldemort realised several things.
Hades realised that he wanted the dark wizard as his mate - he could feel the other's magic calling to his own. He also realised that the king cobra poised protectively at the man's side would have to be…removed.
Voldemort, on his part, realised that, far from being completely black, the snake had silver, lightning-bolt markings down its spine. He also came to the decision that, whatever it took, he wanted this snake by his side - forever, which further led to the conclusion that he would have to…dispose…of Nagini. The cobra had been useful in the past, but she refused to share, and really, there was nothing…unique…about a king cobra as a familiar…
Nagini, on her part, seemed to sense her master's favour wavering, and boldly slid in front of him to confront the upstart young snake, who seemed to think he could take her master away from her. She wasn't scared - after all, hadn't she driven away that impertinent white coatl just the other year? So what that she didn't recognise what type of snake this was. How much more dangerous than a coatl could it be?
"He isss mine." She hissed, warningly, ignoring Voldemort's silent command to desist in her actions, or the fact that the snakes around him were urging him to let the situation sort itself out. She agreed with them of course - she would trounce the upstart and demonstrate once again to her master why she was his familiar.
---
Hades watched the king cobra's posturing with veiled contempt. It was clear the creature had no idea what she was facing - although he had his doubts as to her sanity anyway. The question was, did he want to demonstrate his power and cruelty to his mate by merely using enough venom to kill the cobra slowly and agonisingly - the other serpents already knew his reputation - or did he simply want to demonstrate his power and ruthlessness by using enough venom for an instant kill? He decided to let the stupid creature choose for herself…
"Only if you can keep him." He taunted, watching as rage suffused the other's movements, making them jerky and stiff. "If you asssk nicely I'll make your death quick and painless." He offered, knowing she would not take him up on the offer, just as she would not back down.
"Insssolent upssstart!" She hissed angrily, hood flaring as she slid closer towards him. The serpents either side of them wisely backed further away, not wishing to be caught in any crossfire.
"Ssso." He considered her, still poised at the edge of the clearing, appearing relaxed, but tensed in readiness. "Fat and ssslow. What makesss you think you ssstand a chance againssst me?" Nagini's eyes flashed, her tongue flickering out angrily in his direction. So she had some sense, Hades mused, realising that she was trying to learn more about him. Unfortunately for her, she wasn't going to learn much. Nye had taught him well when it came to disguising both his magic and his scent.
"No mannersss whatsssoever…" Nagini taunted him back. "What makesss you think that you are worthy to take my place? You who ssslithersss around in the dussst and dirt, feeding on vermin." A ripple passed up Hades' body - the closest he'd ever managed to come to a shrug in his serpent-form. Nagini seemed to take it as an indication that her barb had struck home, and quietly hissed a laugh.
"Well, there'sss the fact that I wouldn't ssstarve if my massster forgot to feed me. In fact, he wouldn't need to feed me, sssince I at leassst have the ssskill to catch my own food." The double slur - that she was a burden to her master and lacked any hunting ability - did not go unnoticed by Nagini. It drover her into a rage, as Hades had intended.
Abandoning any and all of her subtle attempts to draw closer to the black snake, Nagini launched herself towards him. 120 pounds of enraged female king cobra hurtled across the gap between them, mouth gaping and fangs extended, fully prepared to inject as much venom as she could into the insolent snake's body. Time slowed, and for a moment, as Hades opened his mouth and flicked his tongue across her nose, it seemed as though the collision would be a parody of a human kiss. Then, in a flicker of movement too fast to follow, Hades had moved, and Nagini, carried by her own momentum, crashed into the undergrowth.
Lazily, Hades wound his way towards Voldemort, the dark wizard and shadow viper sizing each other up. Half-way there, Nagini emerged from the bramble bush, spitting leaves and - though Hades hadn't thought it possible - even angrier than before.
"Ssstay away from him!" She hissed, the anger-scent rolling off her in thick waves. Hades paused, turning his head to regard her coolly.
"I ssshould make you sssuffer for your insssolence." He hissed warningly. "You are dead cobra. But I can end it ssswiftly if you ssstop tesssting my patience." A collective shiver ran through the watching serpents, but Nagini - unlike Voldemort - was oblivious.
"He isss mine." She hissed insistently. "You will take him over my dead body!" Hades seemed amused.
"Yesss." He agreed easily. "I alwaysss intended to. I don't tolerate rivalsss." Voldemort watched with interest as Nagini obviously gathered herself together. He had seen her fight off other rivals for his affections before, that was, after all, how she had come to be his current familiar - by killing off his previous familiar. But this time he could clearly see that she was hopelessly outclassed. What had him intrigued was the way the black snake was demonstrating an almost human capacity for calculated cruelty - he had no doubts that the earlier threat of a slow and painful death had been deliberate, not some sort of elaborate bluff - and he wouldn't have been surprised to learn that it was well acquainted with the white coatl that had also fascinated him.
Nagini was also, slowly, beginning to wonder if, this time, she had taken on more than she could handle. Her instinct for self-preservation was starting to scream at her, but still, she had chosen Voldemort as her mate, and she would not give him up without a fight. Besides which, she had a strong suspicion - confirmed by the last threat - that, even were she to renounce her position and flee, the black snake would hunt her down and kill her - just to make sure she didn't have a change of heart. She had already discovered that he was far, far faster than she, so she would simply have to be much more cunning…
---
Hades watched Nagini thinking, her thoughts almost embarrassingly clear. She had realised that she was trapped, with no way out, and facing an opponent much faster than she was. Now she would most likely try to be too cunning for her own good…
Suddenly tired of the whole debacle, Hades lunged backwards, striking slowly at the king cobra. Nagini hissed a laugh at his attack and twisted gracefully away - but not quite fast enough to avoid the fang that slipped between her scales to lightly scratch her skin. She paid the slight wound no mind, laughing at the other snake again.
"Ssso - not asss good asss you thought." She taunted, twitching slightly as a tremor of pain ran along her nerves. She must have pulled a scale in extracting herself from the undergrowth after her own, failed, attack.
"No." The other snake agreed, far too complacently, watching her intently as she shuddered again. "Better." Suddenly horrified, Nagini realised that the pain was not due to something as mundane as a pulled scale. Another shudder racked her body, this one feeling more intense, as though a hot coal had been applied to every nerve ending. She convulsed, feeling too ill to even contemplate striking out at the black snake again.
Voldemort's crimson eyes were shining as he extended a hand towards the black snake, completely ignoring the cries of his dying familiar.
"I am Lord Voldemort." He hissed, bowing his head politely. "I would be honoured to know who, and what, you are." Holding perfectly still, he allowed the black snake to circle him, testing the air and tasting his magic. Apparently satisfied with whatever it found after two circuits, the black snake took his invitation and sinuously wound its way up his arm to drape around his neck and shoulders.
"I am Hadesss." The snake whispered into his ear. "I am a ssshadow viper - and you are my mate."