Disclaimer: I don't own any of JK Rowling's characters.

Immortality

Parseltongue. The language of snakes. I lived for many years in constant fear of my curse. I was afraid of the evil I was born with. Well, that was before Godric opened my eyes to the great gift I was given.

No human, muggle or magic, is born evil. I am what I am. Godric taught me that along with embracing myself and my destiny.

And it all started with the simple display of friendship in the damn amulet. Godric I was soon to learn was fascinated with a strand of magic known as the protective magics.

Protective magics were an obscure branch and were considerably dangerous. Over the years little had been known about them, that was before Godric Gryffindor. If poor Sir Elric knew what his remaining son was tinkering with this strand of magic… well let us just say that the Gryffindor temper is famous for a reason.

Enough of that! Where was I? Ah the amulet…

Godric was not satisfied in giving me such an expensive gift – no he had burrowed it on many occasions to improve it. Over the years my dear friend added several of his invented spells.

The first spell dear Godric added was to give the possessor, namely myself, unnatural calm and courage. Of course Godric was obsessed with courage along with chivalry, honour and nobility.

The second spell he used was to strike fear into the hearts of any who meant the possessor ill. Godric said this was necessary seeing as I was hopeless with weapons. HECK! I did have a wand and I most certainly was not hopeless with that. If I wasn't I wouldn't be a renowned wizard now would I? And of course he never did consider that I am a healer after all… Maybe Godric should have invented a spell that would prevent him from having serious injuries…

All the while these developments was done behind Sir Elric's back. But I was certain he knew that dear, dear Godric was up to something. Deception did not become Godric.

You must by now have the concept of Godric's unnatural curiosity with the protective magics.

In fact it was Godric's infatuation for danger that fuelled my own desire to learn more about my 'gift.' Needless to say Godric was thrilled about this as there was a certain amount of danger involved.

It started simple with a few garden snakes conjured out of bandages I had borrowed from the healer's quarters. And it finished with a basilisk and the ending of my bachelorhood.

I had grown in confidence over the years I had Godric as a friend. His companionship was priceless, although I still refuse to get on the back of a horse.

I would like to maintain that it was all Godric's fault. It was his idea and his plan.

What many people do not realise is that poison can take life and it can give life. Many people do not think about this when they consider the lowly serpent.

On this day Godric came bursting into the healers' quarters shouting my name at the top of his lungs…

"I hope it's not another broken limb master Gryffindor," Briona commented softly so none but I could hear. I chuckled – Godric had a reputation in the healers' circle.

Godric raced in and skidded to a halt before me. "You won't believe what I've got!" Godric cried as discreetly as his excitement would allow him.

I looked up expectantly and Godric placed a small box on the table. "Go on take a look."

I opened the box gingerly; with Godric I am never quite sure what to expect.

Inside was a long green serpent small curled up with a large red feathered crest and its eyes bandaged over. I slammed the box shut violently.

"A baslisk!" I hissed angrily, "Godric are you nuts."

Godric was looking bemused and still somewhat proud of himself. It was like watching the cat that had the cream.

"Godric they're dangerous," Briona said frantically inching away from the box. Unfortunately that was the wrong thing to say to Godric Gryffindor.

"Don't you think, Silus, is beautiful?" Godric asked feigning hurt.

Briona did not look amused. On the occasion she had been enlisted to help with our serpent experiments and usually was thrilled to help out. But Godric had gone too far.

"I don't think you call that thing beautiful," I answer wearily edging closer towards Briona.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," Godric announced picking up the box and glancing over me regally. "Tarrance d'Malfred thinks Odelle is beautiful but I think I would rather dance with one of Father's pigs in a frilly dress."

Both Briona and I snort back our laughter. Godric had said this with an air of complete boredom and nobility one would have thought he was commenting on the weather. It was common knowledge that Briona and Odelle's mother tried to force Godric into a betrothal with Odelle… There was some bad blood between them since the gold digging plan back fired.

"Seriously," Godric said tilting his head so that his large brown eyes looked pleadingly at me, "think of all the fantastic discoveries in the basilisks' venom. And Salazar you could learn to control it with your 'gift'…"

I scratched my chin to allow myself some think time. "I wonder what it does," I thought aloud.

Godric was beaming and pushed the box with a surprising quickness into my arms. "Silus will love you I can tell." And it the next moment Godric scampered away before I could refuse.

I was sitting cross legged on the floor, Briona slumped before me. Every so often she would mutter warnings about opening the tempting box that I held out in front.

I admit I was afraid of the potential in the box and yet I was very curious to see what I could create from the venom. There was no doubts in my mind that I could. Like my mother before me I was creative or rather unorthodox in remedies.

Without looking at my faithful sidekick I slipped the box open a crack. Silus our slippery slithery friend was curled up sleeping, his eyes were still bandaged over. Of course for those ignorant need to know that to see into the basilisks' eyes was to see ones demise. There stare is fatal.

But Silus was asleep and his eye bounded over. Where was the danger in him? Foolish me forgot to think clearly.

The lid slid to the floor and I made a low hissing noise awakening my friend. He lifted his diamond shaped head from the floor swaying from side to side before I picked him up in my nervous clammy hands. Briona was shifting away in revulsion.

Silus was not happy being woken up but I ignored his indigent hissing and nodded for Briona to hand me a vial. She looked uncertainly at the baby basilisk to my face and with shaking pearl white hands handed me the vial.

I would never forget the next seconds in my life. Briona's silken white wrists exposed and Silus' long neck and quick dart as he bit into my assistants' naked flesh. Briona's yelp of pain and the shattering of the glass vial.

I think I screamed at Silus as I dumped in undignified into his box and rammed the lid closed.

Briona fainted and I knew I had very little time. The basilisk's poison works extremely quickly and there was no known cure – I doubt there ever would be.

Ever since the fateful day that Hearne attacked me in the forest I have carried a small hunting knife in my boots; just in case.

In those panicking seconds I whipped my knife out and pressed it to Briona's wound. I sucked the poison out with my lips and spat it aside. The poison tasted foul – even fouler that one's own ear wax. It was the taste of death.

I worked frantically and by the time I was finished and Briona was still breathing I knew the danger was over. She was pale as a ghost. I lifted her up and lay her on my own bed her long blonde hair covering my pillows. Her blonde lashes touched her pale cheeks… she was strangely beautiful in those moments.

I was furious. With both myself and Godric. How could I have let this happen? How could Godric talk me into such foolishness?

After the incident with the basilisk I did not willingly speak to Godric for days. This would be our first major disagreement in our long friendship. And it would not be the last.

Godric was deeply hurt by my avoidance of him. I really didn't wish to make him feel bad but every time I saw him I felt a twinge of guilt and shame.

The only time I spoke to him was to hand him his precious Silus back and told him to get rid of the ruddy snake. He was not pleased.

Briona on the other hand – I found myself fawning over her. Wanting to make it up to her. She was furious but she never let it show and I only admired her more for it. If I was wise I would have realised what was happening to me. But I was never known for my wisdom. Saving a women's life… well that's something special.

Godric's apology came a fortnight later in the form of a little vial on my bed. It was tied with the Gryffindor colours and that is how I knew it was him.

It was a vial of basilisk venom.

Godric had retrieved the venom for me… it would be the first of many an odd apology in our friendship. A fitting end to our first argument. Sealed with one simple word.

'Sorry.'