CHAPTER EIGHT
If I was dying on my knees, you would be the one to rescue me. And if you were drowned at sea, I'd give you my lungs so you could breathe.
I do not own Harry Potter
-o0o0o0o-
Harry and friends clambered onto the train after saying goodbye to their families once more. Their second year at Hogwarts was going to be one for the books, they just knew it.
They piled into their compartment, the compartment magically expanding to accommodate the amount of children filling it.
"I'm excited for this year," Fred said, his eyes filling with apprehension, but a good form of it.
"Let's hope there's no Voldemort this year." Theo said with a snort. He winced imperceptibly, clutching at his side. Harry narrowed his eyes, but said nothing.
"I for one want a break," Daphne muttered. "Normalcy for this year."
Neville rolled his eyes. "Even if there is no Voldemort or his death eater followers, that does not mean this year will be normal."
"I've seen articles being published recently," Hermione said, changing the topic. "They're not British news outlets, they're from the Continent."
"Oh?" Draco asked, raising a brow. "About what?"
"Dumbledore. It seems the French and Italians are getting more vocal about his…incompetence as of late." Hermione answered.
Blaise smirked. "The Italians always call out people's bullshite."
"I'm sure," George said sarcastically. "Didn't the Italians side with Grindelwald?"
"We do not speak of that, Weasley." Blaise threatened jokingly. "One lapse in judgement does not equal Britain's bloody history."
"Point taken." Draco sighed, shrugging.
"But the Spanish have also been talking more about Dumbledore, the Potters and Blacks are influential even in America." Daphne added. "Dumbledore is making very powerful enemies."
"Bulgaria's been talking as well. Apparently Durmstrang is in outrage against their Headmaster, who is friends with Dumbledore." Theo supplied this particular tidbit to the conversation.
"Who's their headmaster?" Harry asked, furrowing his brows.
"Igor Karkaroff." Hermione said, having read about the different Wizarding Schools when she got her Hogwarts letter.
Harry tensed. "He's a death eater."
"What?" Theo asked with furrowed brows. "There's no way. Then why is he defending Dumbledore?"
"Who knows." Harry shrugged.
"But we do know for a fact he's a death eater. He was on trial with the then head of the DMLE, Barty Crouch." Neville said.
"He supplied information and names in exchange for his freedom. He sold out Barty's son. Barty Jr." Draco finished the story they all knew very well.
"That must have been awful!" Hermione empathised. "What happened?"
"Barty threw his son in Azkaban immediately. He died in Azkaban and Barty's wife died a few months later. People suspect it was from heartbreak." Harry said grimly.
"Enough of that," George said. "Let's just focus on having fun this year."
And so they did.
-o0o0o0o-
They settled into their routines once more. This year of Hogwarts was quite uneventful compared to the one they had before. The pickup inter house quidditch games continued every Saturday except for actual game days. Oliver Wood approached Harry Potter about a month into term.
"Hey there, Potter." Wood said with a grin. Harry raised a brow but responded in kind.
"What's up, Wood?" He asked the burly Gryffindor keeper and captain.
"I wanted to see if after tomorrow's pickup game, your team would like to join us in the common room for a..sleepover of sorts."
"A sleepover?" Harry parroted in confusion.
"Yeah, we can sneak up food from the kitchens and just..I dunno where I was going with this, honestly." Oliver said, chuckling awkwardly and rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.
"No no, it's alright." Harry said laughing. "Yeah, we'll be there."
"Great!" Oliver said, beaming brightly. "See you then, Potter."
"Yeah, see you, Wood." Harry repeated the sentiment and he watched Oliver walk away with furrowed brows.
"What was that about?" Daphne asked as she caught up to Harry.
"Wood wants the teams to have a sleepover in the Gryffindor common room." Harry surmised, bemusement in his tone.
"A slumber party?" Daphne asked, eyes bright as she looked at him. She was beginning to do her puppy-dog eyed pout that Harry could never say no to.
Harry groaned and looked away. "Yes yes, you can come, Daphne."
"Yay!" She said with a bright smile and launched herself at Harry who let out a low chuckle and held onto her waist. She pulled away, eyes bright and a smile still on her lips.
Harry couldn't help but smile back. "Thank you, Harry." She said, softly.
"Anything for you, Daphne." Harry's voice was teasing as he vaguely recognised how close she was to his face.
The two twelve year old friends continued on to their Potions class.
Harry lost track of what they were brewing exactly, his movements almost mechanical in the art of potions. Everything seemed like muscle memory to him. Dice. Chop. Slice. Clockwise three times. Counterclockwise four times. Let simmer.
Snape sneered at him but said nothing. Harry tried not to let it bother him, but this man had animosity towards him for no reason other than the fact that his father was James Potter.
It irked Harry beyond anything that Snape was acting like a petty schoolboy with a grudge the size of a dragon.
Harry and the others were simply buried in studies, pranks, and sports throughout the month of term they spent so far.
And so the day sped by and the day of the Gryfferin versus Slytherdor match arrived.
The captain of Slytherdor was Miles Bletchley, as he had been on the team longest other than Marcus Flint, who was Co-Captain with Oliver Wood on Gryfferin.
"Alright everyone! The aim is honestly to just have fun, alright? No dirty plays," he said, looking at Graham who acted oblivious.
"Yes captain!" The team said back, genuinely respecting Miles. Miles grinned.
"We also have a sleepover to attend after the match is over. Weasley!" He called toward George. George immediately straightened up and looked at Miles.
"Yes, Bletchley?"
"You're going to sneak in Firewhiskey into the common room, I heard."
George tensed. "I dunno where you heard tha–"
"Cut the crap," Miles said, amusement in his eyes. "I just wanted to let you know to get the good stuff, alright?"
"Yes sir!" George said with a smirk and a wink.
"Good. Now get off your arses everyone! We have a game to win." Miles said with a wink and a smirk as he mounted his broom and flew off.
-o0o0o0o-
The game was a tie, much to the chagrin of Oliver Wood.
Miles had no problem as he sat in the common room, sipping his firewhiskey.
The entire Gryfferin and Slytherdor teams, along with Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, Hermione Granger, Daphne Greengrass, and a few others of Gryffindor sat in the common room.
Pillows piled together to make beds, transfigured blankets and sleeping bags littered the floor, and the roaring fire provided warmth.
"So this is the Den of Lions." Adrian Pucey said with an appraising look.
"Not what you thought it was going to be?" Katie Bell asked with a smirk, taking a sip of her butterbeer.
"No, I thought it was going to look uncivilised and like Godric Gryffindor threw up in here."
Katie snorted, rolling her eyes. "And what do you think?"
"I like it," Adrian shrugged, taking a large gulp of his firewhiskey without losing eye contact with Katie. "It's warm."
"Alright everyone!" Fred called out. "Sit in a circle, we're playing a game."
Harry almost groaned, but complied anyway.
"What game are we playing, Messr. Weasley?" Draco asked.
"Glad you asked, Heir Malfoy," George said with a posh voice. "We're going to play truth or dare."
Excited whisperings spread through the common room as everyone settled themselves around the circle.
"Who goes first?" Blaise asked.
"Wood! This sleepover was his idea after all." Flint said with a devious smirk. Oliver rolled his eyes and spun the empty butterbeer bottle.
It landed on Katie. "Truth or dare?" He asked her.
"Dare." She said after a moment of deliberation. The Slytherins rolled their eyes, as it was typical of a bold Gryffindor to choose 'dare'.
"I dare you..to put us all out of our misery and bloody kiss Pucey." Oliver said, rolling his eyes. Everyone laughed as the two blushed. The freshly turned fourteen year old girl and soon-to-be fifteen year old boy had caught each other's eye.
The tension between the two of them had been a topic of conversation since the very first Inter-house Slytherdor-Gryfferin match.
She turned around, because he was next to her, and planted a kiss right on his lips. He grinned into the kiss and pulled her closer.
Harry faked vomiting to get them to stop and continue the game. They pulled away, grins on their lips, faces flushed, and lips swollen. She spun the bottle and it landed on Miles Bletchley.
"Truth or dare?" She asked with a devious smirk.
"Dare." He said, as if proving that he is just as daring and bold as she is.
"I dare you to…" She looked around the room for a moment before she spotted a broom leaning against the wall.
"I dare you to fly across the quidditch pitch–"
He snorted. "Easy."
"-Naked." She finished.
"Oh bloody hell," he groaned, walking over to the broom whilst everyone hooted and hollered. He walked out of the common room, everyone following him, careful not to be caught by Filch.
Harry grinned as he watched Miles fly across the pitch with all the boys cat calling him and whistling and the girls laughing at their antics.
This night, surrounded by all his friends, was one of the best he's ever had.
The rest of the night, none of them slept. Gryffindor common room was flooded with lewd jokes, infectious laughter, and complete happiness.
-o0o0o0o-
Weeks passed by once more. Winter holidays were almost upon them as the November chill turned into December snow. The cool, crisp air had a biting quality to it that was painful if one stayed out for long enough.
Harry's nose and cheeks were flushed red from the cold as small snowflakes settled themselves against his obsidian hair, providing stark contrast.
He smiled as he watched the sun rise over the horizon, enjoying waking up in the early mornings and wandering around the cold castle in winter.
The day continued the same as always, this year being much more routine than last year was at any rate. Harry revelled in the sense of normalcy that he felt became his life this term.
He met up with the rest in the library, and Daphne and Hermione came late, sopping wet and annoyance written all over their faces as they plopped down in the seats.
Daphne cringed at the 'slush' sound her robes made.
Harry snorted in amusement as he and Draco did respective drying spells over their female friends. Daphne sighed in relief.
"What happened to you two?" Theo asked, biting back a laugh.
"Moaning Myrtle, Theo." Hermione growled. "Moaning Myrtle happened."
"Who?" Harry asked, raising a brow.
"The ghost in the girls bathroom on the second floor," Daphne explained. "She just floats around crying and complaining about everything. That's why they call her Moaning Myrtle."
Blaise snorted. An innuendo begging to be made, is what he thought of 'Moaning Myrtle.'
"I always thought it was for a different reason," Fred snorted, waggling his brows at George who rolled his eyes.
"Disgusting." Harry exclaimed.
"Anyway," Hermione said harshly, glaring at the laughing Fred. "She floods the toilets all the time. And one of the faucets doesn't even work."
"Sounds like fun," Harry grinned. "Let's check it out, yeah?"
Daphne and Hermione groaned, but the group of friends left the library. They continued their trek down to the second floor girls' toilets.
"What are you doing here?" Myrtle sniffed and demanded. "This is the girls bathroom. Have you come to mock me?" She demanded.
"Why the bloody hell would we want to mock you?" Draco rolled his eyes. Her eyes started welling up with silver tears.
Harry walked over to the sink, almost transfixed. They were snakes.
"They don't work." Myrtle said petulantly.
Harry tried turning them, and sure enough, it did not work. Theo walked over next to him, eyebrows furrowed.
"It feels strange. Almost..ancient." He whispered. Harry agreed.
"Open." He commanded. He didn't realise he slipped into parseltongue as the snakes coiled and hissed, and the sinks turned into an entrance into a rather dark tunnel.
"Who's going first?" George joked.
"Not it." Everyone except Harry called simultaneously.
Harry rolled his eyes, and then, he jumped.
Down, down, down. He landed on something soft, which he realised was a pile of bones and effectively jumped out of his skin.
"You couldn't have asked for stairs or something?" Draco demanded as he jumped down with Neville.
The rest of them followed suit, and they lit their wands before continuing cautiously.
"This seems wrong." Daphne muttered.
"It seems like we're intruding on a burial ground or something." Hermione shivered.
A long..almost sixty feet long snake skin was in front of them, sliding along the way they were going. In front of them eventually, was a wall that had snakes engraved into it. Harry shivered. They looked and felt like they were alive.
"Open." He commanded once more as the snakes slithered and coiled around one another in a pattern, and the metal chamber door creaked open ever so slowly.
It was a chamber with a lake of sorts, poorly lit, and a statue of what seemed to be Salazar Slytherin.
"Woah," Harry muttered in awe, taking in the large chamber.
"Is this what I think it is?" Blaise breathed in shock.
"What is it?" George asked softly.
"The Chamber of Secrets." Draco whispered. "Legend has it that Salazar Slytherin built it before he left for good, and left a monster inside its walls."
"Shouldn't we go if there is a monster in here?" Daphne snapped.
Harry tensed. He felt as if he had a flash of a memory, but he had never been here before. He remembered a dream he once had, of a young, handsome man in this very chamber. Saying the words "Come to me Slytherin, Greatest of the Hogwarts Four."
He didn't know what came over him, if it was the magic or not, but he spoke those same words in a voice he barely recognized as his.
The mouth of the chamber opened, and out slithered the mother and queen of all snakes.
Everyone gasped and shut their eyes or looked away as she entered.
They were paralyzed with fear. Until she spoke.
"Who is it that summons me from my rest?"
Harry refused to open his eyes as he responded. "It was me, forgive me, my queen."
The basilisk made a noise that Harry could only think was a snort of amusement. "I choose who my gaze hurts and kills, hatchling. You and your companions may open your eyes. I will not hurt you."
And so he did. Slowly, he cracked his eyelids open to see the magnificent sight that she was.
"You guys can open your eyes," he breathed.
"Are you mental?" Neville snapped.
"No no, it's okay. Trust me." Harry repeated. And they did.
They opened their eyes and gaped at the magnificent, twenty-one metre long snake. Her scales shimmered in the dim light of the chamber, glittering shades that were emerald green to jade coloured.
Her eyes were a soft blue.
"What's your name?" Harry asked in shock, reaching out to touch her. She nuzzled his hand with her head, and he laughed a surprised laugh.
"My name is Nathaira. What is yours, Hatchling?"
"My name is Hadrian. Hadrian Potter."
"A Potter?" Nathaira sounded vaguely surprised. "My master tutored one of your ancestors. How long has it been since I have last been awakened?"
"You were woken before?" Harry asked in slight surprise.
"Yes, Hatchling. By one who claimed to be kin of my master. He was an evil youngling, who ordered me to hunt the children in this castle. It goes against the very nature of why I was put here. Salazar put me here to protect the castle and Her inhabitants."
"What's she saying?" Draco asked, annoyed at being left out of the conversation. Harry summed up what she said to his friends and Draco furrowed his brows.
"Nathaira?" He asked quizzically, and watched as she turned her head to look at him, understanding him. Her eyes looked inquisitive as she hissed in reply. "Was the boy..perhaps named Tom Riddle?"
She nodded her head in affirmation at Draco.
Draco watched as she looked at Harry and they began speaking to one another. Their friends looked at Harry quizzically as he explained what she said.
"She's asking permission to grant you guys the gift to be able to talk with and understand her. You won't be parselmouths, as you will only be able to communicate with her in the snake tongue." He explained.
They all nodded eagerly, and she nodded to Harry in thanks. She looked at each and every one of them and opened her jaw, incredibly wide. It took all of their willpower not to run away.
The venom dripped from her teeth as she exhaled onto the children, particles and golden wisps of magic reaching for them. The magical dust settled over them, sinking into their skin, their hair, and their clothes.
"Hello, younglings." She said, her voice soft and buttery to their ears.
They all excitedly looked at one another, and introduced themselves to the Queen of Snakes properly.
Harry broached a topic that he had not spoken of in a long time. "Do..do you know what horcruxes are, Nathaira?"
She hissed in disdain. "Yes, Hatchling. Horcruxes are the most vile type of magick known to the magical kind."
"He..He made horcruxes." Blaise said softly. "Tom Riddle, or more commonly known as Lord Voldemort."
"I always knew there was something wrong with that boy." Nathaira spoke softly. "But as is the curse with my kind, we must always listen to speakers. Many are kind, like young Hadrian. But others use us for evil deeds, and we cannot refuse." She lamented.
Harry frowned sadly. "I vow that I will never ever use my ability as a speaker to make you do something you do not want to do, Nathaira. That is just an insult to you."
She bowed her head in thanks and respect. "Hatchling, tell me what has happened since I was last awake from my slumber."
And so they did. They told the terrible tale of Lord Voldemort. How people are afraid to speak his name, how he has brought the stigma against Salazar Slytherin to new heights, how Harry is prophesied to defeat him.
She took it all in silently, and when they were done, she spoke. "In the antechamber where I sleep, there is a room. It was Salazar's Study. There are books of ancient magicks he practised, books of parselmagic, and his portrait with the founders. They will be awoken if you say the words 'The Heir of Slytherin beckons thee, Founders Four.' In Parseltongue, Hatchling. I will wait here for you to bring the portrait." She paused, then continued. "Take two people with you, the portrait is rather big."
Harry and the twins meandered their way into the tunnel where Nathaira first emerged from. The walls of the cavern seemed to look like granite stone, and there was a door of pure white marble. Harry pressed forward, opening the door that did not even creak.
The study was dark mahogany with accents of red, blue, and black. It was huge, with four different bookshelves behind four different desks.
"I don't think it was just Salazar who used this study," Harry breathed, taking in the last tangible evidence of the founders.
The large portrait stretched the length of the wall, depicting Rowena Ravenclaw, Salazar Slytherin, Godric Gryffindor, and Helga Hufflepuff.
They tried levitating it, but it seems the portrait was magic proof. The three of them settled for lifting it up and – with much effort – taking it back into the main chamber. They propped it up against the giant statue of Slytherin that Harry was sure was not put there by the man himself.
"The Heir of Slytherin beckons thee, Founders Four." Harry hissed.
For a moment, nothing happened. Daphne looked at the portrait quizzically before the founders began to stir and movement occurred.
"Who summoned us?" The young portrait version of Godric Gryffindor said gruffly, eyes narrowing in on Harry.
"My name is Hadrian James Potter," he said softly. "These are my friends, Daphne, Theo, Blaise, Fred and George, Hermione, Draco, and Neville." He introduced to them. He inhaled sharply. "And we need your help."
A/N: hiii guys. Writers block and lack of motivation really sucks actually. Anyways, I hope you do not mind the portraits, I just always loved reading fics where harry finds Slytherin's portrait or the founders' portrait. It's always so fun to see their contrasting ideas and personalities and way of handling things all while giving harry guidance. As for Katie Bell and Adrian Pucey. In this fic Katie is in third year and Adrian is in fourth. I see almost nothing about those characters and want to give them some screen time and romance and such. I want all the charaacters in this fic, no matter how minor, to have distinct personalities. To feel real. Pleeeaaasee review and tell me how you liked this chapter! Not much action, just some shenanigans and set ups.