The Hiss of Darkness Within a Heart of Gold

by Tubbataha

Disclaimer: I don't claim any of these characters, just borrowing them to save my sanity for a little while longer.

Summary: Harry leaves the Dursley's in the summer after 5th year after Hedwig is killed by Vernon. Harry life is changed after a shopping trip to get a new owl. Not HBP complaint. Salazar will make an appearance (sort of).

AN: This one is for my friend Becks whom I miss very much at the moment and who told me to sit down and type this.

What possessed him to do it Harry could not fathom, however as he stroked the smooth scales to his ultimate surprise and horror he felt the snake twitch. His fingers froze where they were just above the green head.

Had he just imagined that? If he hadn't how could he now get his hand out safely? As Harry was in little doubt that a snake with kind of that colouring, would indeed be poisonous. The aforementioned snake then let out a low hiss and slowly began to uncoil itself.

Harry quickly with drew his hand form the glass tank and stared at the now clearly conscious snake.

"How d'you do that?" the shop keeper shocked voice came out as not more then a harsh whisper.

"Do! I didn't do anything" Harry stammered his voice held a slight edge of hysteria. It was like second year all over again, why these things kept happening to him. Well at least the glass is still in place this time he thought remembering his previous encounter with a snake in captivity. That would of course be the boa constrictor at the zoo that they had visited for Dudley's birthday.

"Where could I be?" Harry heard the snake hissing softly. It was alert now and seemed to be keenly observing its surroundings.

"A cage!" it hissed angrily, "How did I come to be in a cage?"

Not wanting to anger the creature further, however Harry felt that since he could speak to it he should at least try to help the poor thing. After all who knows how long the thing had been asleep, from the sounds of things though it was probably a rather long time. Therefore it was not surprising really that it was a bit disorientated.

"Well…You are in the pet shop 'Magical Menagerie' in Diagon Alley" Harry informed the snake. Harry wasn't sure why he described it that way, after all its not like the snake was going to know where Diagon Alley was or possibly even what a pet shop was. Those kinds of concepts did really translate well into Parsletonge.

"A pet shop" The snake some how managed to sound affronted despite the fact its emotional tone range was limited hissing.

"Yes Harry simply confirmed unsure of what else to say. The snake eyed him suspiciously before it continuing the dialog, It seemed to have regain its composure some what and now appeared to be carefully assessing Harry.

"I don't suppose you would know how I came to be here do you?" The snake asked, though from the way it spoke Harry gathered that it wasn't really expecting him to answer the question.

"Well I am not sure, the owner here told me you were here when he bought the and that you have been asleep the entire time. In fact no one could wake you up before, not for the want of trying though." Harry answered as best as he could, but he was getting rather irritated with the snakes constant scrutinising of him.

"hm… I suppose I shall have to settle for that at the moment, though there is evidently more to it then that, but I doubt it can be discerned at this moment." The snake cocked its head and looked at Harry in a manner Harry could only describe as questioning.

"How is it that you can speak to me at all, you are not of Slytherin blood are you?"

"No" Harry said sharply blanching, "I am a parslemouth by accident."

"Accident?" The snake queried.

"Yes," Harry nodded "I am only a parslemouth due to a bad reaction to a powerful curse" well that's one way of putting it Harry thought to himself briefly, "a dark curse that was cast by Voldermort who incidentally is a true parslemouth. However due to the complications it left me not only with a scar but a little bit of his magics and talents within me."

"I see" the snake nodded sagely. At this point their conversation was interrupted by the shop keeper who both had forgotten about. The shop keeper was making a funny chocking noise and gaping at Harry.

"What did it say" he whispered to Harry, not taking his eyes off the reptile. Why the man was whispering Harry didn't know, it wasn't like the snake could understand what he was saying.

"Umm…he was asking where he was" replied Harry carefully.

"Huh" The man was obviously disappointed that it hadn't been some thing more exciting. "I suppose I should be ringing that up for you and getting the rest of the stuff you will need for it" The shop keeper was edging his way back to the counter, he was not comfortable at all with this situation.

"What? Why?" Harry Spluttered.

"Well clearly you'll be taking that thing with you; it is clearly yours after all."

"What do you mean?" Harry interrupted the shop keeper's speech.

Said shop keeper went on to argue about how Harry was the one it had finally decided to awaken for, he also informed Harry that there was non way eh was going to continue to keep the 'freaky thing' now that it was awake.

"No he is yours" he told Harry firmly "In fact I'll give him to you for free, you only have to pay for the extras." Some how he manages to make it sound like he was actually giving Harry the better deal. How he had managed to twist that round so quickly Harry wasn't sure, but he did know enough to realise he was most certainly getting the raw end of the deal.

Yet would having a snake be really so bad, at least he would have some one to talk to, it also looked as mentioned earlier fairly poisonous so it could end up working out as good protection. The real selling point however had been that he could stand the old man calling it a freak, after hearing such things so often as a child from the Dursley's he immediately sympathised with the creature.

This snake also seemed pretty intelligent too and of course there was the small matter of Harry being the one who had woken it from it however many year slumber. That had to mean something didn't it? Of course it did he was the bloody 'boy-who-lived' nothing was ever normal for him.

"Alright" Harry sighed "I'll take him."

This statement was rather redundant as the shop keeper had already prepared and shrunk most of the necessary items. So Harry turned back to his newest acquisition to explain the situation. He found the snake watching him alertly.

"You will be coming with me, is that alright with you?" Harry asked.

"Well it is better than staying here I suppose" the snake said imperiously. Harry rolled his eyes and moved his hand up towards to opening of the tank, pausing at the lip.

"Let's get one thing straight first. No biting, not me nor anyone else unless I say so" Harry addressed the snake firmly staring straight into irs eye to make sure it got the message.

"Fine" the snake hissed irritably, "just get us out of this place."

Harry nodded in agreement and lowered his arm so that the bright green snake could get on. It slithered up his arm and coiled itself loosely around his neck so that its head rested on his left collar bone. Thank Merlin it's a small snake Harry thought to himself as he went to pay for his purchases.

"Try to stay out of sight" Harry whispered to the snake before stepping out of the shop and back into the hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley.

AN: Thank you to those of you who reviewed before I hope you like this one too. Please review any comments welcome! I will try to update soon.