Anastasio arrived the third week of April. He entered the Great Hall in a swirl of dark blue robes. Anastasio Zabini was a handsome man. Tall and dark like most Italians, he had long black hair pulled into loose ponytail. His eyes were dark but sparkled with an obvious merriment. Blaise smiled as he ran to greet his favorite uncle. "Uncle Anastasio!" The younger Italian didn't have any trouble with hugging his uncle in front of the school and most of Slytherin welcomed him. Harry stood back and listened the rapid Italian firing back and forth between the two men.

When they finally parted Anastasio turned to the group and he immediately turned right to Neville who stood a behind him. "Little Neville... You are the sight of your mother!" Reaching out he drew Neville to him for a close hug.

Neville was bright red by the time Anastasio let him go. "I've brought something for you. Let's retire to the Slytherin common room so I can let you have your gift."

"What nothing for your beloved nephew?" Blaise pouted as he and the rest of Slytherin followed them to the dungeons.

In the common room Anastasio took a good look around and laughed. "I understand about showing house loyalty... but why would everyone here have a snake?"

Most of the younger years laughed and held up the now six month old snakes for him to see better, while the older ones smirked as their familiars rested around their necks.

"They were Christmas gifts from Harry." Blaise explained eager to see what his uncle had brought for Neville.

Anastasio smiled to Harry and looked him over. "You look like your father. I had the pleasure to work with him for a short time while we were in training together."

Harry nodded a little before stepping back beside Severus, as if asserting his submissiveness to the potion's master and no one else. Anastasio looked at Severus as he held out a hand.

Severus took the hand and gripped it before withdrawing to stand with Harry in the shadows.

Laughing to himself, Anastasio turned to Neville and snapped his fingers. At the snap, Miffy the house elf popped in with five other house elves. They had three large trunks between then. Setting them down they opened them before disappearing.

Neville was on the trunks immediately, looking at all of the plant carrying jars. "Wow, this is a cutting from a Blood Thief... and this is Demon's Foot!... I've never seen a Gambler's Luck this red before!" Neville's excited babblings had the others smiling and Anastasio laughed before stepping forward to point out of others, happy to share his love of plants with a younger male.

After they had gone through them all Severus showed them to the greenhouse, Neville and Anastasio immediately began sorting the plants to where they needed to be. Blaise stepped forward and asked "Would you like me to help?"

Both of the herbologists looked up with wide eyes. "No!" At this Neville blushed and continued. "That's okay... Maybe you can strengthen the sun spells and start transfiguring pots..."

"My nephew... you were not blessed with a green thumb, but rather a black one." Anastasio said as he rolled his nose at him before going back to gently unpotting one of the plants.

Blaise sniffed before going to arrange some of the others to either working on the charms for sunshine or transfiguring pots.

Harry stood back and rested against Severus looking at the greenhouse that was now a part of the library. "I've been thinking, Severus..."

"Oh... now that is a dangerous prospect." Severus laughed into Harry's hair.

The shorter glared up at him for a moment before smiling. "As I was saying, I've been thinking about having Neville offer some lessons in herbology. I've noticed that most of the Slytherins aren't very good at it... In fact most of them are really bad at herbology."

Severus looked slightly affronted before shrugging. "I suppose it has to do with being in the dungeons all of the time. Maybe if we could get them some kind that grows in the dark..." He left off thinking about various plants he knew that lived in the dark.

"I don't think that'll be necessary. Neville's about to come into his own... I have a feeling I know why he isn't any good at potions." Harry pointed to where Neville was showing something to Blaise and Anastasio. The plant he was petting was obviously moving into his palm.

"The plants..." Severus watched closely and realized that all of the plants were slowly turning towards Neville.

Right then Anastasio turned and came over. "I see you are starting to understand why he has so much trouble with potions... Would you be able to throw something you felt was your friend into a bubbling pot. He is the first loreist to come through Hogwarts since myself... And to be honest, he is so much more powerful than I ever thought about being. I have always been able to hear the plants... It's like a quiet hum when ever I go near plants... For young Neville... I would say that he can hear them individually... that he can hear more than a hum of life, as I do. He probably can hear them as easily as he would you or I speaking to him. If I were to guess he's probably the most powerful loreist to walk these grounds since Helga herself."

Severus looked amaze that little unassuming Neville could be something so powerful. "If you're correct then I'll never be able to teach him potions."

Harry looked between them. "What's a loreist?"

"A loreist is a person who can manipulate and if powerful enough they can also speak with plants. I myself am considered an intermediate level loreist, ranking about a 65 on a 100-scale. I'm certain if Neville were to be tested he would probably test out about a 95 to a 98. The only person to ever have a perfect 100 was Helga Hufflepuff. Your own Herbology professor is only about a 40." Anastasio said as he watched Neville and his nephew.

"Is it a one way communication? Or will the plants do things Neville asks them?" Harry was amazed that such a being could exist.

"No one really knows... But there are legends that say that Lady Helga could command the trees and plants of the Forbidden Forest as a general might command an army." Anastasio leaned back and listened to the happy songs of the plants about the love of the loreist who was paying them so much attention.

"Could that be true? I mean could someone really use plants in that way?" Harry demanded thinking about how handy that would be.

"All we have to go off of are the legends." Anastasio said as though it was obvious in his tone that he believed that it was true.

Harry was laughing as he watched some of the little first and second year girls playing at jumping rope. It was a nice Saturday and he'd lead all of the Slytherins and their familiars out for a day of play around the grounds of the school. He was sitting back, for once giving the children a day from their studies. With the war so close at hand he wanted to give them every chance to be children before they had to become soldiers and orphans.

Turning, he spoke to Neville who'd been sitting beside him enjoying the sunshine. "I never would have thought that Wizard would jump rope for fun... I mean we have so many magical things. Jump rope just seems so... muggle."

Neville shrugged. "I think it's our way of learning rhythmic speaking... you know preparing us for the tonal way we need to speak our spells."

Harry turned and actually listened to the rhymes the little girls were chanting while they jumped the magically turning rope.

/They were here, they were here they who were the beginnings of our school came together to make a haven for us all

Lady Ravenclaw, so high up in her tower reading scrolls and studying the skies they were here, they were here

Sir Gryffindor, so close by in the waters awaiting time and honoring the past they were here, they were here

Lady Hufflepuff, so far out in her wood harvesting buds and planting the seeds they were here, they were here

Sir Slytherin, so deep down in the earth mixing potions and watching the fires they were here, they were here

The ones who made our school the ones who taught us all the ones who are with us always

They are here, they are here they who were the beginnings of our school came together to make a haven for us all/
Harry smiled and was about to put it out of his mind when he actually thought about it. "Neville, how old would you say that chant was?"

Neville thought about it before shrugging. "I know my Gram taught it to me... and I think she said her grandmother taught it to her. Why?"

Standing, Harry began walking over to Severus who was watching everyone to make sure no one gets hurt. "Severus?"

The potion's professor turned and looked at him with almost a glare. "Yes?"

"That chant the girls are singing with their jump rope... How old would you say that is?"

Severus' expression was almost shocked before he shook his head. "I would guess that it dates back 900 years or so. May I inquire why you have so much interest in a child's play song?"

"Have you ever actually listened to it? The only part that caught my attention was the one that spoke about 'Slytherin so deep down in the earth'... It made me think about the Chamber of Secrets. What are the chances that the other Founders had private places of their own?" Harry said as he looked out at the waters of the lake.

For a short time Severus thought about it before nodding. "Possibly... There are rumors about those things. I would, however, doubt their validity."

"Most people didn't believe the Chamber was real until I reopened it in my second year... Maybe it's true. I know I would like to see if maybe it's true. I'd also like to go back down into the Chamber and see if there was anything of interest... Last time I was there I wasn't really able to look too close." Harry said as he thought about it all.

Neville, who'd been listening stepped forward. "I think you might have something, Harry. I've heard legends about the private garden of Hufflepuff somewhere out in the Forbidden Forest. It suppose to have the rarest plants in the whole world."

With a set expression Harry began to plan, at this time Severus cleared his throat. "If you are planning on going back into the Chamber I will be going with you."

"Severus..." Harry whined at his bondmate with a glaring pout.

"You yourself said that you left the corpse of a fully grown basilisk. I would like the chance to harvest any bones or venom sacks that might still be viable." Severus looked at Harry with a full glare.

"Okay... but only because I know how expensive those parts are." Harry agreed as he and Neville went off to speak with Draco and Blaise.

Severus watched them go, almost afraid of what they were planning.