My widespread story lovers, you have returned! Thank you for coming back for another chapter of Silver Tongue and thank you so much for getting to 100 reviews. 155 favorite the story so I guess that means you all like what you are reading. Again, thank you my story lovers.
I do not own Harry Potter, do not sue me.
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"Talk"
'Think'
"Parseltongue"
Chapter 9 – The New King
Harry woke to the soft cries of Nightshade who wanted food. Her eyes were still on the changing stage. Today they looked to be silver with small flecks of black. Harry grabbed her milk off his night stand with a quick glance at his alarm clock. It was 6:30, he had half an hour before he was to meet his friends at the entrance of the Great hall for breakfast at the Gryffindor table. Harry gave a silent chuckle. This morning will be interesting.
"Master?" Amara slithered up the bedpost to lie beside Harry who was feeding Nightshade.
"Yes, my Amara." Harry fell back so his head was next to his beauty. She rubbed her head on his cheek in greeting before pulling away.
"Master, a group of your nestmates are downstairs talking about how to show you your place. They do not have good intentions. May I bite them?" Harry placed Nightshade down on the bed to play. He contemplated his options.
The hat told him he would be out of the ploys but he knew that Ravenclaw had their own hierarchy just like the Slytherins. They kept it quiet, so he could still keep his head down in that way. He knew that since the twins called him their leader and Draco let him lead there would be some trouble. There was no way around it. He needed to take control of the situation. He was going to have to accept the challenges and win. He didn't want to have to do this so early in the game but it also had its merits. He would have at least one whole house on his side and he saw many advantages to that.
"Amara, you told me that our bond can make it so I can see through your eyes and hear what you do yes?" Harry waited for her to confirm his question before continuing, "Go back downstairs and find a place they can't see you. I want to know how they are planning to 'put me in my place' alright Amara?'
Amara gave her answer by getting off the bed and leaving to do as he asked. He slowly got dressed when images and sound invaded his mind. He watched and listened to a large group talk around the older boy Harry remembered sitting in 'his' chair about what they were going to do. The boy, Samuel, wanted to challenge him to a duel. Harry liked that idea. Harry smirked at the current king's stupidity. He should make his best man dual him, that way 'if' he lost he would still be in power. When Harry wins against Samuel he will take Samuel's place as 'King' to Ravenclaw. He listened more as the group was reminded by Kindra County that he was a first year, and as such, they needed to go easy. Harry didn't feel offended by the statement. It just meant that she took her position in the house, as a perfect, seriously. Her job was to watch and take care of the first years. Harry knew she was one who comforted a few of his first-year mates the night before. Harry pulled his mask up, showing nothing of his thoughts. He cradled Nightshade in his hand against his chest, making his way to the door.
Amara sent one last image of the group split up when they heard a door open. They spread out among the common room. Harry closed the link, continuing down the stairway. He stepped off the last step when Samuel stood up from the corner chair. "Harrison Evans Potter. My name is Samuel Carter. I am the King of Ravenclaw and you have been causing waves these past few days. There is an order here and I think it's time you find your place in that order."
Harry raised an eye brown unimpressed. "Really? Should I be feeling intimidated or feel fear, because that little speech only made me get the impression of a spoiled child not getting his way." His cool expression and words infuriated Samuel. Harry kept his mask firmly in place despite the smirk that wanted to spread across his lips.
"We will dual, here, now, and you will learn your place." Samuel pulled his wand out. The others around the room enlarged the room, adding a dueling platform.
"Very well." Harry walked over to Amara, who was curled up on the back of a chair by the fire, to set Nightshade in her coils to keep her safe. "Amara watch her and keep the other out of the duel if they try to jump in."
"Yes, master. Permission to bite?" Amara really wanted to bite them for plotting against her master.
Harry chuckled, turning away from her to walk onto the platform. "Only if they pose a threat to Nightshade or yourself can you bite them, Amara. I can take care of them if they wish to intervene in this duel." He spoke over his shoulder in English so everyone could understand the implication. A couple of the students shuffled away from the chair holding the snake and ferret.
"Shall we king Samuel?" Harry gave the boy a mock bow, his wand in his left hand and his right on his waist where he kept his dagger hidden by an invisibility charms he found the day before.
Samuel gave his own bow. Both boys turned their back to the other, walking seven steps before turning to face each other. Samuel cast the first spell. Harry sidestepped the fast moving yellow light, sending out a tripping hex from his wand and bone fracturing hex wandless and nonverbal. He could feel his powers flowing through his veins, making his body quicker, smoother, and his eyesight clearer. Samuel blocked the tripping spell with a shield but got hit with the hex he never knew Harry cast in his right thigh. He cried out in pain, looking at Harry in shock.
Harry let a grin form on his lips that he knew looked dark and cruel. He sent two disarming spells out his wand in concession while sending a nonverbal and wandless summoning charm. Samuel was too busy trying to stop the disarming spells while on one knee to even think about any spell he couldn't see or hear. His wand flew from his hand into Harry's. Samuel looked at Harry and his wand in shock. He lost.
"Looks like I found my place after all. Do you know where yours is?" Harry twirled Samuel's oak wand in his left hand, slowly walking toward his fallen opponent. Samuel bowed his head in defeat and acknowledgment. "Good."
Harry turned to the rest of the students. Most of the house was in attendance, the younger years coming in during the duel. "I will make this simple. I am Harrison Evans. I don't care who your family is, what blood runs through your veins, or your magic affinity. You can practice and learn what you want but you will follow some simple rules. Rule one: what goes on in our house, stays in our house. If there is a problem it stays here. Do not bring it out in the open to the other houses. Rule two: do not betray our own. We were put in this house for a reason and this is the house we will stay in for seven years. House loyalty is important. The last rule is simple: acceptance. As I said I don't care about family name, blood, or affinity. This house will not segregate or bully our nest mates like other houses do to their own. Follow those rules and all will be good."
Harry held out a hand for Samuel to take. He helped the older boy up and over to a seat by the fire. He stepped away as Kindra started to cast what Harry expected to be healing charms. He left them at that, only pausing to get his girls. Amara was happy to wrap around Harry's neck as Harry tucked Nightshade into his inside pocket. Harry left the tower to hurry down to breakfast, he was late meeting his friends.
Neville was the first to spot Harry walking down the hall toward them. "Harry! We were starting to think you were going to miss breakfast." The others turned to look at Harry.
"Na. I just got caught up with a few housemates wanting to show the new students the ropes." Harry flashed them an innocent grin. They weren't fooled.
Draco snorted in amusement. "Someone challenged you. What rank are you?" Harry just sent him another innocent look. "Don't give me that look. In Slytherin, we were all challenged the first night. I got prince. When the upper year, who is king, leaves I become king. Now, what rank are you?"
"The king challenged me himself," Harry answered nonchalantly. He offered Hermione his arm. They walked into the Hall ignoring the looks. He led them to the Gryffindor table.
"What does that mean for you then? If you won you are crowned prince? Gryffindor doesn't have a hierarchy like that." Hermione smiled as Harry sat and poured her some juice.
Draco gave a hum of thought, "In Slytherin if you won you are king. If you lose the king gives you the rank he thinks you are worth. I just fought the king while all the others had to fight their way up the ranks."
Hermione looked at Draco with a confused expression. "Why did you get special treatment?"
Fred decided to explain from across from the table in front of Hermione, "It's because his father was king the seven years he went to school."
George saw the looks of surprise his brother got so he clarified where they got the information. "Father had a friend in Hufflepuff who was dating a Slytherin, so he was kept in the loop."
"Yeah, so as his son I get the privilege to duel the king." Draco turned back to Harry. "So what rank did you get?"
"I beat the king." Harry drank the potion, ignoring his group's shocked looks.
"Beat the king? What year was he? How did you beat him? You're a first year!" Neville's eyes were wide. His grandmother was a Ravenclaw. She told him stories of when she was Queen and how many challenged her. She was always researching new spells to use to keep the crown.
Harry shrugged, "Seventh I guess, and it wasn't hard to beat him."
"He underestimated you because you were a first year," Draco observed, piling his plate full of food.
"But still, Harry, to beat a seventh year is a big thing. How powerful are you?" Neville for the first time took a closer look at his new friend.
Harry rolled his eyes playfully. It was fun to have friends he decided. "I'm better at wandless and wordless magic. I need to get used to verbal wand spells. I actually have to know words and movement to get the desired effect of my magic."
Hermione dropped the fork she was holding while the others sent Harry disbelieving looks. "Harry?" Harry turned from his biscuits and gravy to look at his only female friend. "Do you understand how hard wandless and nonverbal magic is? Just how much it takes out of a person?"
"I have no idea why people make it sound hard. It's not." Harry reached across the table to close Fred's mouth. "The effect is all will. You will it to happen and it does."
Draco closed his eyes, shaking his head. "Harry it's not that easy. You have to be perfectly in sync with your magic."
It was Harry's turn to look confused. "What are you talking about? Magic is already apart of you. It is inside of you, pulsing in your blood. You feel it with every beat of your heart. You are always in sync with it; it's not possible to be out of sync with it." Their looks said otherwise. "Right?"
"Harry," Neville shook his head, "It's not that simple. A child is born with their magic coiled in their core. The core slowly unwinds with each burst of accidental magic. It takes until magical majority for someone to have all their magic unwound before the magic settles enough for the person to become sync with it."
Harry turned back to his meal in thought. The others left him to them and started a debate with each other to give him the time he needed to think through this new piece of information. Halfway through the meal, Harry joined into their debate leaving the topic of magic structure behind for another day.
"Hey, Harry and I tried to find a room we could all claim as our own but couldn't. We should all look for one between classes. It will be our secret room, just our group." Hermione remembered that they still didn't have a room. "It needs to be big enough for all of us."
"Yeah okay, Fred and I will look around. I'm sure we will find something." George nodded.
"Before we all go to class, we are eating at Ravenclaw for lunch?" Fred asked, getting a nod from everyone.
The twins bid them fair-wells before grabbing their bags and leaving. Neville and Hermione left for Herbology after a quick bye to Harry and Draco. Harry finished his eggs before leaving with Draco at his side. They got to History of Magic with time to spare. Draco tugged Harry to point to the back of the classroom. Harry nodded in agreement and made his way to the far seats in the shadowed corner. It didn't take Harry long to decide that the time he spends in History would be better used to read. He could do all his history on his own. Harry spent the class reading one of his magic classification books. It fascinated him how magic was put into categories such as light and dark. He found that he didn't agree (something he knew for a time already but the book only reinforced it) but it helped him get into the heads of those who make the laws.
Harry glanced from time to time at Draco, who was splitting his time napping, doodling, and staring off into space. Harry didn't even try to withhold his eye rolls. Draco could be doing a number of things in this class but he chose to do nothing. Harry made a mental note to keep Draco busy in this class for now on. He finished his book on magic and had started a new one on combat weapons while the class continued on. Class ended and Harry could not be happier to get out. He led Draco out of the classroom, intent on looking for a room like Hermione wanted. Draco joked and whined about the ghost teacher as they went room to room on the first floor.
Draco looked down the stairway to the dungeons with a sigh, "It wouldn't be smart to find a room down there. The twins and Hermione would be uncomfortable in snake territory."
"They would not be welcome either." Draco whipped around, hand already on his want. The boy, a fifth year if Harry was to guess, just stood still. Harry ignored him. "My apologies for coming up on you both. Yatin Bhagat wants to speak to Potter."
"It's Evans." He corrected automatically. Draco turned to Harry, who was still ignoring the boy.
Draco rolled his eyes. "Harrison, it is rude to ignore someone speaking to you even if you didn't know they were there in the beginning."
"It would be yes, but seeing as how he was speaking to you about me I saw no need to be respectful. I also knew he was there even before he spoke." Harry turned to Draco with a slight smirk. "You were the only one who didn't know and jumped."
"I did not jump." Draco ignored Harry's smirk, brushed past him to lead down to the dungeons. Harry followed with the unnamed boy bringing up the rear.
The walk to the Slytherin entrance was quiet. Draco stopped in front of a bare wall. "Pure-Blood." He didn't even try to whisper the password. Harry chuckled hearing the boy behind him mutter about outsiders knowing their password. The Slytherin common room was nice. It was shadowed but the chairs and couches looked comfortable. The green and silver mixed together in such a way it lightens up a room that would otherwise be dark and lifeless. Harry let his eyes run over the common room, noting the five students scattered around the room. Only one person ignored their entrance. A seventh-year boy sat in the chair beside the fire reading a book. Harry gave him all his attention. The boy had tan skin and looked of Indian descent. His black hair was slicked back like Draco did his. He sat straight-backed, left leg crossed at the knee over his right with the book he was reading set on his lap. Yatin Bhagat, Harry could only presume. This must be the King of Slytherin.
"Harry Potter, The-boy-who-lived. Welcome to Slytherin." Yatin finally looked up from his book. His brown eyes looked Harry over looking for flaws.
Harry let Yatin, knowing his mask was perfect. He saw a flash of irritation cross Yatin's face. "My name, as you heard Bhagat, is Harrison Evans. I was under the impression that Slytherins had more manners than Gryffindors."
Yatin smirked standing up. His book was forgotten on the chair as he moved to stand before Harry. "So you are the new King of Ravenclaw." Yatin made a show of looking him up and down again. "You do not look like much, but as the saying goes, looks can be misleading. Do you agree Draco?"
Draco stepped up beside Harry holding his head held high. "I believe there is much more to Harrison than many can see, yes."
Harry noted that Draco looked to him out of the corner of his eye before he spoke. He didn't want to make Harry mad at him for answering his king's question. Harry gave approval through his eyes only. He couldn't let his mask down, not here in the snake den. Yatin took another step toward Harry.
Amara had enough. "You foolish boy. Do not treat my master like he is under you. Be gone boy, before I bite you!" She raised her head and tightened her coils around Harry's shoulder and neck. The boy took a quick step back but Amara wasn't satisfied. "Begone! He is my master. You will not touch him or even look at him you-"
"My beauty," Harry cut her off mid-rant. Draco hesitantly reached out to stroke her scales. Amara allowed it, liking the blond. "This is going to be like this morning. Go to Draco. You are to protect him and Nightshade. Will you do this?"
The students in the common room gave each other looks, surprised that Harry could speak Parseltongue. Amara slithered over onto Draco's shoulders. Harry pulled Nightshade out of her special pocket in the inside of his robe and handed her to Draco. Draco, without question, took the ferret and stepped away from the two. Harry turned to Yatin. "Challenge me and let's get this over with. The imitation doesn't work on me; Amara doesn't approve of it and wants to bite you for it. Seeing as I like her with me, I have no choice but to prove that I am deserving of my new title. Save us all the time and hurry up."
Harry slid his robe off, setting it down on the chair beside Draco. His black button-down shirt and black uniform pants were perfect to move in. Yatin flicked his wrist, making his wand fall into his hand from its holster. "Harry Potter, I challenge you to a King's duel. I win, you never speak to Draco Malfoy again and Ravenclaw falls under Slytherin's rule."
Draco stiffened. Harry nodded, "I accept. I win, Slytherin falls under Ravenclaw's rule and Draco takes over Slytherin as my second in command."
The room went silent in shock. Draco openly stared at Harry. 'Second in command? What does he want to do that he needs a second in command?'
"I accept." Yatin didn't look happy but he couldn't back down now. He waited a moment before firing off a spell. It was off target. Harry pushed Draco out of the way, barely getting out of the way himself. The boy behind them took the hit. He dropped to the floor with a cry of pain.
Harry jumped into action. He put a shield up and started throwing spells out with his wand without pause. They danced around the common room. Spells flew everywhere. Harry was careful to use spells that wouldn't really hurt any of the observers. Yatin had no such problem. He used any and all spells, hitting people left and right. Harry didn't try to help the fallen students. Draco stood in the corner with a chair two feet in front of him and a shield of his own up so Harry concentrated on his opponent.
Harry watched and dodged as Yatin started to tire. He finally started to really fight back. He fired spells from his wand to distract him while he used his talent of wandless/wordless magic to take him down. A bone breaking hex hit Yatin in his arm causing him to drop his wand. Harry summoned it. Yatin held his arm, blood dripped from where the bone broke through the skin. Harry stood in the middle of the room, head held high, holding both his and Yatin's wand.
"Submit." Harry's voice was like ice. Yatin grudgingly bowed his head. "Good. Now everyone listen and listen well. My name is Harrison Evans. Slytherin is now under my control. I will tell you the same I told my Ravens. I don't care who your family is, what blood runs through your veins, or what your magic affinity is. As you are now tied to Ravenclaw you will follow my rules. Rule one: Anything in house better stay in house. Problems will not be advertised to the Gryffindors or the Hufflepuffs. The Ravens are now part of your house just as you are a part of theirs so I don't care if they know but don't let it go any further. Rule two: do not betray our own. We are all part of two houses now and your loyalty is not just to your fellow Snakes. You do not betray any fellow Snake and you do not betray a Raven. Loyalty is important. The last rule is simple: acceptance. As I said I don't care about family name, blood, or affinity. You will not segregate or bully each other. You do not have to like everyone but you are expected to be civil. You break one of these rules and I will use you as human practice dummies." Harry gave a long look around the room. They were just watching him with their own masks on, though Harry did see the apprehension and amazement in their eyes. Harry turned to Draco. Draco walked quickly to his side. "Draco you are my second command. You are to make sure that the rules are followed. When they are not you are to tell me. You will also be the one to spread the word to the rest of the Snakes. No one will have the excuse of not knowing the rules."
Draco nodded, "Understood. I'll ask Snape to call a house meeting tonight. I'll inform everyone then."
Harry grabbed his robe off the chair. He flipped it over his left shoulder and just held it there by the collar with his left hand. He bumped shoulders with Draco so Amara could have a bridge to his shoulders. When Amara was comfortable he took Nightshade in his free arm. He gave Draco a nod before turning around to leave. "Make sure you take everyone who was hurt to the med wing. When asked what happened you are to say a training duel between Yatin and another got out of hand. Snape will know the truth so do not worry about him calling you out on your lie."
Harry left with the destination of the potion room in mind. He needed to speak with his godfather and sort some things out. Harry favored his side as he walked. He was hit with a powerful stinging hex. He could feel the bruise under the irritated skin. He'd take a look at it when he got to the classroom. Harry felt that luck was on his side. The classroom was empty of all students and the man he was looking for sat at his desk flipping through a book.
Snape looked up when his classroom door opened. Harry stood like he didn't have a care in the world. Snape pointed to a table closest to his desk. He closed his book. It was time he spoke to the boy who was one of his godchildren. "Mr. Evans, what can I do for you?"
"Snape, a number of your snakes have been hurt. They are on their way to the med wing was we speak. Draco will tell Madam Pomfrey that a practice duel between Yatin Bhagat and one other got out of hand." Snape nodded to tell Harry to continue. "The truth is that Bhagat challenged me in a king's duel. He wins, he would get control of Ravenclaw and I would never speak to Draco again. I win, Slytherin is under my control and Draco becomes my second in command. I won. I have set my rules, Draco will make sure they are followed. As the Head of Slytherin, I thought it would only be fair for you to know what is going on with your snakes."
Snape felt pride well up. Harrison now had two houses under him and he was only a first year. He nodded in acceptance. "Very well. Are you hurt?"
Harry lifted his shirt without a fuss. The bruise Harry knew was there looked worse then he imagined. It was deep purple and covered most of his side. Snape summoned a container from the cabinet from across the room and handed it to Harry, who took it with a nod. The next few minutes were passed in silence while Harry spread the cream on his side. He put the container away and pulled his shirt back down over the healing bruise that had faded to an ugly yellow and red color.
Snape took the container back from Harry before asking his next question. "What are the rules?"
"There are just three. One: Anything in house better stay in house. Problems will not be advertised to the Gryffindors or the Hufflepuffs. Two: Do not betray our own. Do not betray any fellow Snake and do not betray a Raven. Loyalty is important. Three: Acceptance. I don't care about family name, blood, or affinity. I will not have my houses split." Harry moved so he was sitting on the edge of the table.
Snape sat in silence. Harry might not care but he had the two most influential houses under his control. His rules were beyond fair. He put a Slytherin as his second so he will have more of the Slytherin house with him than against. Harry was just steps away from being Hogwarts' King. Snape pulled him from his thoughts when he heard Harry clear his throat.
"Snape, we got off on the wrong foot when we met. Aunty has told me in her letters that my mother and she were friends with you growing up. She won't give me a reason why she doesn't like you now but she is encouraging me to get to know the godparents I have while at school. What would you like to do?" Harry got straight to the point. He still needed to talk to McGonagall, his godmother.
"I apologize for my words and behavior. The friendship the three of us had deteriorated when we were in our late teens. I was unaware you were even my godson." Snape hated saying he was wrong but he wanted a chance to get to know the boy who was his second godson. "I would like to get to know you, Harrison."
Harry let a smile break his mask. "Good. I need to go but if you are open to the idea we can meet on Sundays and free times. Make Draco come with so he doesn't feel left out."
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Harry was surprised how much he liked Snape. Under his snarky and uncaringness, he was quite relaxing. He had a dark humor, wit, and a sharp tongue. Harry could picture himself getting along with Snape greatly. Now he was on his way to properly meet his Godmother before lunchtime. He knocked on the door of the Transfiguration classroom Hermione pointed out the day before.
"Enter," McGonagall called out. Harry entered the empty class. McGonagall sat at her desk just like Snape had. She was writing in a book. She set her quill down as Harry made himself comfortable on the table to the right and front of her desk. "What can I do for you today Harrison?"
"I wanted to know if my godmother would like to spend time with me so I may get to know her." Harry gave her a shy hesitant smile. He wanted the chance to get to know her. He wanted to know all his godparents, starting with the two teaching at his school.
McGonagall smiled at the young boy. Even with a black ferret with silver eyes cuddled to his chest and a very rare and dangerous snake around his shoulders Harry looked so sweet and innocent. "Harrison, did you know I held you the day you were born?"
Harry froze hearing that. He never knew that. He didn't know anything much about before he went to live with his aunt. He slowly pulled himself up on the desk so he was sitting cross-legged. "Really? Will you tell me about that day?"
McGonagall smiled as she viewed the memory in her head. "Yes. You were a welcome surprise in that time of war. Your mother always wanted children and your father was shocked but happy. I think he never thought he would live long enough to have a child. You father spent the first six months reading everything he could about parenting and being a father. I know your grandfather's portrait had a grand laugh every time he saw your father freaking out. Your mother though, she wasn't worried. In her fifth month of pregnancy, she told Pomfrey that she didn't need her to tell her what you would be. She point blank told the room you were going to be a boy. No one argued.
"Both your mother and Neville's went into labor at the same time on July 30th at 4 pm. Neville was born at 11 pm. Your mother wasn't so lucky as to have a 7-hour labor. Something complicated your birth. Your mother went through 32 hours to bring you into this world. Your mother kept saying that it was okay. She knew she was going to take long. Pomfrey was afraid we were going to lose both of you before we could bring you into this world. Your mother turned out to be right. You were born healthy." McGonagall pulled a picture out of her desk and handed it to him. His mother was lying in a hospital bed holding a bundled child in a light green and blue blanket. McGonagall was beside his mother with her arm around her. A man, Harry knew to be his father from wedding pictures his aunt had, was out cold on the floor. Madam Pomfrey was kneeling beside him looking him over and laughing.
"You father wanted to hold you, so Pomfrey handed you to him. He cuddled you for a good five minutes before your mother took you. Your father was so overwhelmed he fainted the moment you left his arms. Your mother, Pomfrey, and I couldn't stop laughing." Harry went to hand the picture back. She only shook her head. "You keep it, sweetheart. I had doubles made of most of the pictures I have of you and your family. I'll make you an album or two if you would like."
Harry smiled and nodded his head quickly. "Yes, please. Aunty only has a few pictures of my mother and she only has two from before I went to live with her. One of them is when I was born and the other was my first birthday."
McGonagall nodded looking at her watch piece sitting on her desk. "I will make you up one or two then. It's almost lunch. You should head down there so you and your friends can cause a scene together with where you will be sitting again."
Harry hopped off the desk. "Ravenclaw didn't care the first time so I don't think they will care today."
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