Chapter 2: No name
Harry and Ron were back in the common room. It was morning, and the unconscious snake boy was safely installed in the hospital wing. News of the new creature had spread fast, and rumours were thick in the air.
"I heard it's got no legs and only a tail!"
"They had to fight it to bring it in!"
"It can spit poison!"
Pure fabrication, the lot of it. Ron and Harry had simply picked up the creature and taken it to Madame Pomfrey, calling Professor Dumbledor as they did so.
After lunch, Harry, Ron and Hermione, keen to see the new arrival, went to go visit the snake boy. Madame Pomfrey met them at the door.
"I'm sorry," She said, "But no new students can be admitted to see the anomaly. Only Harry and Ron may enter. If the creature wakes, we do not wish to shock it."
"I'm in no hurry," said Ron, "I'll go back with Hermione."
So it was only Harry who entered.
The snake creature lay in one of the beds, crisp white sheets pulled up to its chest, arms resting over the top. The scales were greenish grey, but looked as though they should be brighter. Its eyes were closed now, but Harry could still see the sharp fangs in its partly open mouth.
Harry stepped closer, wondering what he should do. He sat on the chair and Madam Pomfrey left him. Harry watched the rise and fall of the snake boy's chest. He felt some connection with it, somehow.
Just then the creatures eyes flickered open, a pair of pupil-less round jade disc's focused on Harry.
"Where am I?" came the snake like hiss.
"Safe," Harry hissed in reply.
"Safe," hissed the creature as it's eyes closed again.
* The creature's eyes flicked open. It focused on the face of the boy who had rescued it.
"Where is this safe?" it asked.
"Hogwarts. It's a school"
"You are wizard?"
"Yes"
"You wizard teacher?"
The human laughed.
"No, wizard student."
The creature closed its eyes again for another few days sleep.
*
Both Harry and Ron were there when the snake boy re-opened its jade eyes.
"Hello, student wizard." It hissed.
"What'd it say?" asked Ron.
"He speaks parcel tongue like me. Hello"
"What is your name?" asked the snake boy.
"I am Harry Potter."
"Thank you Harry Potter, student wizard."
"Come on, let's get back to Griffindor tower" Ron said. He was nervous of the hissing beast, memories of the basilisk to clear in his mind.
"What is your name?" Asked Harry, but the creature had already closed its eyes.
*
Harry was sitting in the common room when it happened. It was close to 7 o'clock and there were plenty of people sitting chatting and doing homework. Suddenly a 4th year student burst through the portrait hole yelling.
"There's a monster trying to get in!"
Several people screamed.
"It's a huge thing like a snake, it keeps yelling and hissing."
Harry sat bolt upright. Snake boy.
Harry got up and went over to the portrait hole, it opened for him and suddenly the snake boy came bounding through, knocking Harry over and ending up pinning him to the floor.
"Harry!"
"What the-? Get off!" Yelled Harry.
The snake boy let him up, then hung his head.
"Sorry"
"What are you doing out of the hospital wing?"
"Bad lady hurt. Horrid stinging liquid!"
Harry looked at him, aware that everyone was staring at the half naked snake creature.
"Come on, let's get you back."
Harry, helped by Ron, got the creature out of the portrait hole and down to the hospital wing. When they got there it transpired that all Madam Pomfrey had tried to do was get him to hold still while she healed the long wound on his back.
The half inch wide slit ran from his left shoulder to his right hip, and he had no idea how he got it, and it didn't seem to hurt him.
"I've tried everything I could think of, his body just doesn't take to our healing methods. We could try muggle stitches, but they are a little crude, and I've never done them."
"I have." The speaker was a young woman, about 20 with long brown hair tied back. "Melany." Madam Pomfrey sighed. "Melany is an ex student, she was in Ravenclaw. She's been working in St. Mungo's and has come back here for some work experience."
Melany smiled.
"I'll stitch up your friend if he'll stay still for me."
Harry turned to the snake boy.
"Now-...What is your name?"
The other stared blankly at him.
"Never mind!" Harry shook his head, "Will you hold still while Melany heals your wound?"
"No stinging liquid?"
"None."
"Okay!"
*
Snake boy sat on a high steel table while Melany stitched his back. Harry held the boy's wrists to stop him jerking them too much. Every insert of the needle into the un-sedated patients scaly skin caused him to jerk and wince in pain, but he didn't make a sound. Melany spoke constantly to the both of them, telling her about her patients in St' Mungo's and some of the funny stories she had heard there.
"You know," she said, "You're much braver than any of them. I've never seen a patient so quiet. Most of them rant and rave constantly. It's rather nice to have a quiet one for a change."
It took 2 hours and 33 stitches to sew up the wound in the snake boy's back. Then he was given a warm drink and settled down on his side in a bed.
"Hey," said Harry, "What's your name?"
The snake boy stared at him as though he didn't understand the question.
"What are you called?" asked Harry.
The snake boy sighed.
"We are called Vox." Then he fell asleep once more.
Harry and Ron were back in the common room. It was morning, and the unconscious snake boy was safely installed in the hospital wing. News of the new creature had spread fast, and rumours were thick in the air.
"I heard it's got no legs and only a tail!"
"They had to fight it to bring it in!"
"It can spit poison!"
Pure fabrication, the lot of it. Ron and Harry had simply picked up the creature and taken it to Madame Pomfrey, calling Professor Dumbledor as they did so.
After lunch, Harry, Ron and Hermione, keen to see the new arrival, went to go visit the snake boy. Madame Pomfrey met them at the door.
"I'm sorry," She said, "But no new students can be admitted to see the anomaly. Only Harry and Ron may enter. If the creature wakes, we do not wish to shock it."
"I'm in no hurry," said Ron, "I'll go back with Hermione."
So it was only Harry who entered.
The snake creature lay in one of the beds, crisp white sheets pulled up to its chest, arms resting over the top. The scales were greenish grey, but looked as though they should be brighter. Its eyes were closed now, but Harry could still see the sharp fangs in its partly open mouth.
Harry stepped closer, wondering what he should do. He sat on the chair and Madam Pomfrey left him. Harry watched the rise and fall of the snake boy's chest. He felt some connection with it, somehow.
Just then the creatures eyes flickered open, a pair of pupil-less round jade disc's focused on Harry.
"Where am I?" came the snake like hiss.
"Safe," Harry hissed in reply.
"Safe," hissed the creature as it's eyes closed again.
* The creature's eyes flicked open. It focused on the face of the boy who had rescued it.
"Where is this safe?" it asked.
"Hogwarts. It's a school"
"You are wizard?"
"Yes"
"You wizard teacher?"
The human laughed.
"No, wizard student."
The creature closed its eyes again for another few days sleep.
*
Both Harry and Ron were there when the snake boy re-opened its jade eyes.
"Hello, student wizard." It hissed.
"What'd it say?" asked Ron.
"He speaks parcel tongue like me. Hello"
"What is your name?" asked the snake boy.
"I am Harry Potter."
"Thank you Harry Potter, student wizard."
"Come on, let's get back to Griffindor tower" Ron said. He was nervous of the hissing beast, memories of the basilisk to clear in his mind.
"What is your name?" Asked Harry, but the creature had already closed its eyes.
*
Harry was sitting in the common room when it happened. It was close to 7 o'clock and there were plenty of people sitting chatting and doing homework. Suddenly a 4th year student burst through the portrait hole yelling.
"There's a monster trying to get in!"
Several people screamed.
"It's a huge thing like a snake, it keeps yelling and hissing."
Harry sat bolt upright. Snake boy.
Harry got up and went over to the portrait hole, it opened for him and suddenly the snake boy came bounding through, knocking Harry over and ending up pinning him to the floor.
"Harry!"
"What the-? Get off!" Yelled Harry.
The snake boy let him up, then hung his head.
"Sorry"
"What are you doing out of the hospital wing?"
"Bad lady hurt. Horrid stinging liquid!"
Harry looked at him, aware that everyone was staring at the half naked snake creature.
"Come on, let's get you back."
Harry, helped by Ron, got the creature out of the portrait hole and down to the hospital wing. When they got there it transpired that all Madam Pomfrey had tried to do was get him to hold still while she healed the long wound on his back.
The half inch wide slit ran from his left shoulder to his right hip, and he had no idea how he got it, and it didn't seem to hurt him.
"I've tried everything I could think of, his body just doesn't take to our healing methods. We could try muggle stitches, but they are a little crude, and I've never done them."
"I have." The speaker was a young woman, about 20 with long brown hair tied back. "Melany." Madam Pomfrey sighed. "Melany is an ex student, she was in Ravenclaw. She's been working in St. Mungo's and has come back here for some work experience."
Melany smiled.
"I'll stitch up your friend if he'll stay still for me."
Harry turned to the snake boy.
"Now-...What is your name?"
The other stared blankly at him.
"Never mind!" Harry shook his head, "Will you hold still while Melany heals your wound?"
"No stinging liquid?"
"None."
"Okay!"
*
Snake boy sat on a high steel table while Melany stitched his back. Harry held the boy's wrists to stop him jerking them too much. Every insert of the needle into the un-sedated patients scaly skin caused him to jerk and wince in pain, but he didn't make a sound. Melany spoke constantly to the both of them, telling her about her patients in St' Mungo's and some of the funny stories she had heard there.
"You know," she said, "You're much braver than any of them. I've never seen a patient so quiet. Most of them rant and rave constantly. It's rather nice to have a quiet one for a change."
It took 2 hours and 33 stitches to sew up the wound in the snake boy's back. Then he was given a warm drink and settled down on his side in a bed.
"Hey," said Harry, "What's your name?"
The snake boy stared at him as though he didn't understand the question.
"What are you called?" asked Harry.
The snake boy sighed.
"We are called Vox." Then he fell asleep once more.