Hello, everyone,

I know it's been a while since I last updated. And unfortunately, as I've said before, I will be updating irregularly. I thank you for your patience.

Please read the previous chapter, chapter 15, before this one. I've replaced the author's note with it.

CHAPTER 16

Of Bludgers, Cups and Snakes

As Harry's match approached, Blaire noticed her brother getting distracted. He wasn't as aware of his surroundings as he used to and he spent most of his time in deep thought. And everytime he was free, he'd sit at the library with either History of Magic or Charms texts open before him.

When she asked him what he was upto, he said, "Oh, I'm trying to get back at Lockhart."

"With History and Charms?"

"Oh, yes. Just wait till I piece up all the information together. I just need the glue though, and no matter what I do, this stuff doesn't stick. But it will."

"What exactly is this information?"

"You'll see." Harry said mysteriously as he bent his head and write something in a notebook.

Blaire sighed and left him to it. She was aware that Harry used Dobby's help whenever the elf was free, but what exactly could someone as stupid as Lockhart even do? Was he one of those people who had the brains to do something that could get him in trouble?

From Blaire's point of view, the man was stupid and nothing else...but then popped up the question - how was he able to write all those books if he really was stupid - but then there would pop up another question - if he was able to write those books, why couldn't he teach properly? Why couldn't he perform magic as wonderfully as his books portrayed? - Was the man very stupid or really very clever?

Her head began to hurt with the contemplation for this only gave rise to more questions. Maybe, Lockhart wasn't all that he seemed... But she'd leave Harry to carry on with the speculation. She only hoped he wouldn't get into trouble. It wasn't a secret that Lockhart was least liked by the other Professors, but going too far could possibly be bad, if Harry got caught...

Blaire shook her head and opened a book on Charms, after all she had a competition to live up to. While she didn't hate Hermione Granger, she didn't like her either, but if the girl ever succeeded in doing better than Blaire, even just once, Blaire knew she wouldn't be able to tolerate her smug attitude. But luckily for Blaire, their gap between their grades, seemed to widen. Whether Hermione was simply slacking or if Blaire was getting better at magic, noone knew.

The day arrived and Blaire, Ethan, Neville and Draco were sitting together in the stands, wringing their hands with nervousness. Harry had shown no outward signs of anxiety whatsoever and Blaire certainly did not envy him.

Soon the Slytherin and Gryffindor teams arrived into the pitch and Blaire wasn't sure if she was imagining it, but her brother looked quite pale. She and Ethan had sat in the stands late into the evening watching the Slytherin team practice (much to the consternation of Marcus Flint so much so he asked - or rather threatened - them to refrain from telling anyone what they saw during the practice if they wanted their brother to win) and she was certain he'd beat quiet little Tilly. Blaire may have been very fond of the girl, but she was fonder of her little brother...

The match began and Lee Jordan, the friend of Fred and George Weasley showed his bias in the commentary, and when he referred to Harry as the 'midgety mite,' neither Blaire not Ethan were very sure if they liked him anymore.

The match steadily kept getting dirtier by the minute and the Weasley twins who played as beaters didn't seem to be having any mercy on any of the Slytherin players. The Gryffindor chasers, all girls, seemed to have a very good formulation that allowed them to get a head start in the scores.

Then the Slytherin beater had to go and bang his bat into the Gryffindor captain and keeper's nose. Another penalty declared by Madam Hooch, the referee, lead to another goal for Gryffindor.

The match went on and the score was eighty-thirty, Gryffindor still in the lead. That was when Ethan spotted Harry and Tilly rushing towards the opposite end of the pitch, probably to get the snitch they'd spotted. The crowd waited with baited breaths to see who would surface with the golden ball.

And as they dove down, Tilly a little further away from Harry, a stupid Slytherin beater, the same boy who hit the Gryffindor skipper, hit a bludger aimed for Tilly. Luckily for Tilly, it missed her by a mere inch, but hurried on and hit the person just next to her straight in the shoulder... Harry fell off his broom and onto the hard floor around four meters below...the struggling snitch grasped tightly in his hand!

All Ethan could hear were ringing in his ears and almost automatically, he lept off his seat and rushed down below straight onto the pitch, vaguely aware of Blaire, Neville and Draco at his heels.

He noticed, as he ran, how Tilly accepted defeat with grace and jumped off her broom to help Harry up. Harry staggard slightly as he stood, leaning on her, eyeing at his injured shoulder ruefully. And just as he reached Harry, he was roughly pushed aside by none other than Lockhart.

The idiot brandished his wand under Harry's nose and spoke a soothing tone, "Not to worry, my dearest boy! I will fix that arm of yours with a flick of my wrist. Just hang on there!"

"No." Harry said weakly. "Not you! And it isn't my arm that's hurt. Ethan, get me to Madam Pomfrey, before-"

"None of that now." Lockhart chided. "Just stay still."

Ethan subtly aimed his wand at Lockhart's feet and just as he whispered the leg-locker jinx, he heard someone whisper another spell and the idiot's wand flew out of his wand and landed on the floor besides Draco. The man turned around in surprise, but lost his balance and toppled over.

"Potter, Malfoy!" They heard McGonagall's voice call out from behind them and Ethan jumped around to see her towering over them. "Ten points each for attacking a teacher... and twenty points, each, for preventing a big disaster. Escort the injured Potter to the infirmary." She turned around and walked away briskly, leviating a blubbering Lockhart behind her.

"Whatever's that spell you used, Draco?" Ethan asked his blonde friend.

"Expeliarmus." Draco said simply. "It's a disarming spell... Ollivander, hand him over." (Harry's indignant squawk at being referred to as something that could simply be passed around was blissfully ignored.) "I'll get him to Pomfrey before the other team members join us."

She nodded and supported a very annoyed Harry till Draco was able to support him.

"Hope you get well soon, Harry." Tilly said. "You really are a challenge to play against!" And the transformation in Harry's face was quite amusing. Ethan and Blaire could barely hold in a laugh when Harry beamed at her.

"Thanks, Tilly." Harry said still smiling.

"Cheers, Harry." she said with a small smile...not as shy as she once was, Blaire noticed. "Good game, by the way."

"Good game." Harry repeated and walked away with Draco's help.

By evening, Harry was enjoying a hot mug of chocolate in Prof's quarters with the rest of his 'Swarm' as Prof liked to call them, while Lockhart was chased around the castle by a couple of suits of armour. The suits had taken it upon themselves to keep Lockhart on his toes for the rest of the day.

Professor Flitwick who was passing by with Professor Sprout, said to her with undisguised enthusiasm that he could stop the suits if he wanted to but he was sure that if the great Gilderoy Lockhart hadn't stopped them yet, it was because he most undoubtedly had a more magnificent plan in mind.

Neville just barely controlled the snigger that threatened to spill from his lips at the desperate look on Lockhart's face when he heard those words.

However, it was at around six o'clock the next morning that the armours stopped chasing Lockhart and turned around to jauntily skip to their original positions, leaving a very pleased Blaire hiding behind a rather large statue to admire her handiwork on those two suits for the last time.

While at the other end of the castle, Lee Jordan was carefully dusting all his clothes wondering exactly how they got so infested with mites...

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By now, Severus had completed searching through every Black vault, leaving only the Lestrange ones. Everyday, before he set out to meet with Narcissa - who'd preferred to live at Privet Drive rather than with her sister who she preferred visiting twice a week - he would go through the pictures of the cup and locket that Dumbledore had provided him with.

Dumbledore had found Severus frantically and fruitlessly searching for a picture of the founder's artifacts and that was when he called him to his office and handed him a charmed photograph of the cup and the locket that permitted only Severus to see it.

Today, he would start on Bellatrix's Lestrange vault. He and Narcissa showed up at Gringotts and the goblins implied their annoyance and displeasure at their consistent appearance by refusing to greet them.

Severus rolled his eyes and escorted Narcissa to the front desk.

She showed them Bellatrix's wand that Bellatrix had given her for safekeeping before she was arrested and said, "I would like to access my sister's vault."

"We cannot allow it." the goblin, Rootfang, said.

"I'm here on her behalf, to settle her affairs. Her exact request, if you must know, was to check and see if everything was in order if she wasn't released in ten years."

"Why did you nose around in the other vaults then?"

"I had other vaults to look into. And if you keep bothering me with your questions, I will be having a few words with your manager!" she said coldly.

"Very well," the goblin sneered, "I will give you just fifteen minutes."

Arguing proved fruitless and the goblin personally decided to take them to the vault. Severus was now worried. He simply hoped the nosy creature didn't try to peek into the vault they visited, their time was already limited as it was. While the goblin was too curious for its kind, Narcissa's reply had been true. Bellatrix had actually asked her to see through her affairs.

Turned out his worried were needless.

As soon as the goblin got the cart ready, another goblin called out to him on entering the room and spoke out a long statement in Gobbledegook.

Rootfang looked mildly abashed.

He indicated the cart to the other Goblin and said to Severus and Narcissa, "Garbok shall escort to to your vaults."

Severus nodded and helped Narcissa into the cart before climbing in. And they travelled down into the depths of England and arrived at the vault. The goblin used his finger to open it and Severus used the distraction to take a little risk and show Narcissa a picture of the locket just to save time, in case this goblin too stuck to the fifteen minute time limit.

So as Narcissa began to jostle things around in search of the locket, while carefully remaining in the goblin's line of sight. Severus moved further inside and scanned the area for the both the locket and the cup.

Having wasted ten minutes and yet failing to find either artifact among the piles of gold that littered the floor, his eyes desperately moved to the walls...and there it was, sitting on on of the shelves right in front of his nose, gleaming as though it was recently made...the Hufflepuff cup.

Severus breathed a sigh of relief and indicated it to Narcissa.

"That's the one." he mouthed.

She looked at him in confusion, but nodded without asking for an explanation and leviated it off the shelf and placed it in her purse. Then he put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a goblet he'd conjured to look just like the one in the picture that Dumbledore showed him. He placed the conjured cup in the original one's place and he and Narcissa scanned the place for the locket. Three minutes later, he knew his search was futile.

Hopefully, Voldemort didn't trust Bellatrix too much to give her both his horcruxes.

By the time they made their way up again, Rootfang, the nosy goblin at the desk was scowling at them with such vigour, Severus saw Narcissa turn pale by his side.

"Let's leave." he said, and together they thanked their escort, nodded at Rootfang, put on their glamours and hurried out of Gringotts, no one the wiser.

Once they reached back to Number four, Privet Drive, Narcissa turned to Severus and said, "Mind telling the what the cup was for?"

Severus cleared his throat and said choosing his words carefully, "The cup, Narcissa contains something valuable to Lord Voldemort...I can't tell you anymore, but I'm sure you wouldn't want him to get his hands on this artifact."

"Of course not!...What are you going to do with it?" she said as she handed him the cup.

"I can't tell you, Narcissa." he said seriously.

She simply nodded in understanding and with a flick of her wand, she set a kettle with water to boil. Soon after a lot of persuasion from Petunia who arrived ten minutes later, Severus had lunch with the two women and left for Hogwarts, to hand the cup over to Dumbledore and prepare himself for his next task.

However, Severus procrastinated his job for the next morning in the hope of keeping Harry from suffering from nightmares. The next morning happened to be a Sunday and Severus crossed Harry alone in the dungeons before the boy could leave for breakfast.

He said, "You wanted to know why you could hear those voices...to whom they belonged to?"

Harry nodded at once.

Severus said slowly, "I found the answer and it isn't very delightful."

"I'd still like to know, Professor." the boy said immediately.

"Alone?"

Harry stopped to think for a few seconds. Then he said, "Professor, I think I'll hear it with the rest, Nev and Draco included... it's only because if the answer is that bad, I may not have the guts to tell them later."

Severus nodded approvingly.

"Then, I'll let the five of you meet me in my quarters after breakfast."

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Harry could practically feel himself humming with a mix of enthusiasm and anxiety as he whispered to Draco, Prof's message. He then sent a mental message to Ethan, Blaire and Neville once Draco nodded. No matter how hard they tried, the triplets and Neville couldn't connect their minds with Draco's and it was getting incredibly frustrating.

In the end, it was Draco himself who demanded that they stop and that he didn't want to communicate with them in such a manner. Instead, he provided them each with a small rectangular slab of stone that was invisible to anybody's eyes but theirs and fit snuggly in their hands. It wouldn't get lost nor would anyone succeed in stealing it.

All that the speaker had to do was take out the stone from their left pocket and tap on it twice with their left index finger and speak whatever they wanted to, their words would etch itself on the stone. Another tap of the same finger would erase the message from the slab and send the words to those of the others, whose own slabs would vibrate in their left pockets.

Prof was waiting for them in his living room, his posture tense. Harry felt a terrible sense of foreboding wash through him as the Professor absently told them to sit on the couch. They obeyed without any hesitation.

Then he began pacing the length of the room, the eyes of the Swarm as well as those of Venn on him. He seemed to be getting tenser with each step. It was after his third round that he stopped infront of the couch and spoke to them.

"How much do you value one other?"

They stared at him blankly and Harry felt a fresh wave of worry wash through him. However, he wasn't going to send the others from the room...they were his family. They had to know whatever the problem with him was

The professor shook his head at their confusion and said, "If I told you that Harry carried a trait that the rest of the Wizarding World considered evil, because the trait happened to be used by an evil person... would you abandon him just because he could do something magnificent that just happened to be considered dark?"

"Of course not!" Blaire and Ethan said immediately and Draco and Neville nodded vigorously. Harry felt mildly relieved, but still very unsettled.

"What if I told you he had become a follower of Voldemort?... what would you do?"

Harry opened his eyes wide in his confusion and turned to look at the rest.

"I'd still love him." Blaire said fondly. "I'd give him a talking to, and then maybe try my best to turn him back."

The Professor looked mildly intrigued. He said, "What would you do if there was no way of turning him back to the light."

"I'd lock him up with me and Blaire." Ethan said with conviction. "I would never abandon him. He isn't following Voldemort, is he, Prof?"

"No, no. I'm just trying to ease away my doubts...what would you do if Harry decided to be the next Dark Lord?"

"I'd nag him until he gave up on the idea." Neville said.

"What would you do if Harry committed murder...and landed himself in the prison of Azkaban? Would you stop loving him in any of the scenarios?"

The four shook their heads and Harry looked on in confusion, feeling better all of a sudden...well, whatever was wrong with him couldn't be that extreme.

"Good, good." Prof said as he paced the room one more time and then approached them again. "I am going to conjure an animal in this room. Ethan hold on to Venn's collar and see to it she doesn't pounce. I want the rest of you not to be too alarmed."

He moved his wand, just a bit and there, infront of them, appeared a small garden snake that stuck it's tongue into the air and said, "Where am I?"

Since no one seemed to reply, Harry said, "You are in Professor Snape's quarters at Hogwarts."

Halfway through his statement, Harry had heard a yelp. After he finished speaking he turned to look at the rest only to see them look back at him in shock. Ethan was the only one whose face only showed genuine surprise.

"Oh no." whispered Blaire as she reached out across Draco and squeezed Harry's hand.

"What?" said Harry in confusion, wondering what he had done wrong... only too late he realised that he answered the snake...it looked like, now, that he was the only one to...

"Didn't you hear it?" Harry said, his heart sinking. "It wanted to know where it was!"

They shook their heads and Harry turned to look at Prof who had just banished the snake. "Understanding snake-ish is bad?"

"It isn't." Prof said. "Understanding and speaking snake-ish, which is referred to as Parseltongue, making the speaker a Parselmouth, is a very special and rare trait that Salazar Slytherin possessed. However, it is now considered dark, simply because it's last living descendent can speak it...Lord Voldemort."

Harry couldn't comprehend what Prof was saying. It didn't make sense.

"It's not that bad." Draco whispered to him. "Just imagine all that you could get snakes to do for you!"

Harry sent him a confused look and turned back to Professor Snape, "But, Prof, I was speaking to it in English!"

"It may have sounded like English to you, Harry." Prof said solemnly. "But to us all, it was all hissing."

"Oh no!" Harry groaned in panic. "And I couldn't even notice the difference!"

"There's no need to panic, Harry." Neville said from Harry's other side, putting an arm on his shoulder. "It is an amazing trait... and you are an amazing person. You're secret is safe with us and as long as you don't speak when you're around a snake, no one else will know."

"Thanks, Nev." Harry said turning back to Prof. "But Prof, how did you guess?"

"Apparently, the voices you heard coming from the walls of Hogwarts, belonged to a snake, a rather massive one that still lives in the castle, but now that the entrace to its residence has been closed permanently, it will not be able to roam the walls again...and apparently, no one will be able to set it free. It will be happy and well-fed where it is and the rest of the castle will be safe."

"Prof, why am I the only one to speak to snakes?"

"Blame your scar, Harry."

"My scar?" Harry said running his finger across his forehead.

"Yes, Harry. Dumbledore's theory is that Voldemort didn't only leave his body behind, but a bit of his magic as well that gave you not only the scar, but some of his traits too."

"W-what traits?"

"Well," the Professor said lightly, "Parselmouth...your inability to trust easily... you're quick thinking...and many more..."

"But, I trust you, Prof." Harry stated quietly.

Prof smiled kindly at him and said, "I know, child. I know...and remember, these abilities are a part of you and I wouldn't prefer you any other way."

"And you will always be as precious to me and James as Blaire and Ethan."

Harry turned to the wall to see Lily beaming down at him and suddenly, he was submerged in a group hug, from his siblings and friends. Prof stood where he was with a small smile.

Harry grinned happily.

...

It was nearing Christmas and as the swarm began assembling their presents for each other, the weather kept getting colder so much so a majority of the staff and students were down with flu and poor Madam Pomfrey and Prof were on their toes. And while she made her way bustling to and fro between the potions stock and her patients and while Prof strode to and fro between his laboratory and the potions stock, they were accompanied by Lockhart trying to enlighten them with his expertise.

This kept them both very short tempered and both students and staff alike kept out of their way, until one day Prof approached the five as they sat in the library and demanded that they lock the wool headed idiot somewhere for a day atleast. He offered fifteen points each if they succeeded and five points for trying in case they failed.

Who were they to pass up such a juicy offer?

Prof's request set Blaire searching through some charms, while Draco began scouring the shelves in search of the right potion books. Neville began searching for ideal spot to put up the trap, while Ethan began keeping an eye out for the blonde idiot, studying his routine at the same time and Harry began searching for a lure.

Seeing Harry involving himself in something other than studying and spending his time in deep thoughts made the others sigh in relief. Ever since his Parselmouth revelation, he had often preferred to be on his own.

And who would have known that the Swarm could hold so much of anger and hatred against one man. Well, it was his fault after all, but Blaire could swear he never learnt his lesson, for it looked like the fool simply couldn't stand it when Harry spoke to a crowd bigger than five...he hated it when Harry laughed with a group of people and it always parked himself right in the middle of any sort of attention-grabbing fun Harry had with his friends, all of which hardly ever occurred!

So, that happened to be the bait the Swarm agreed upon and after classes, two days later, Harry marched right ahead of Lockhart in the corridor and pretended not to see him and then turned to Colin Creevy a Gryffindor from first year photograph enthusiast who had been unknowingly pushed into his position by Neville.

"Colin!" Harry said aloud, surprising the boy, for usually Harry would simply brush him off when he approached him with his camera and large excited eyes. "Would you like to come to the Astronomy Tower with me tonight, after dinner? I want you to take a good picture of me...one that is perfect for handing over to my friends."

Colin nodded happily.

"Anything for you, Harry!"

"Wait a minute!" Lockhart opened his mouth. "What's this I hear?"

But Harry, Neville and an excited Colin heard no more as they made haste to the Great Hall and hurried to their respective tables in the Great Hall. After dinner, Neville made sure to drag Colin down to the Black lake.

"But this isn't the Astronomy Tower." the little fellow said, confused.

"I know," Neville said with a wink. "But Harry will come in search for you."

"Really?" he asked wide-eyed.

"Sure!" Neville said confidently. "In fact, there he is!"

Colin turned around to see Harry hurrying down the slope and in no time, Colin had taken around twenty shots! He opened his camera and as he replaced his film, Blaire, Ethan and Draco came rushing down with mirthful eyes. Lockhart had probably fallen for their plan and Neville couldn't care less.

Once Colin was ready again, he took a picture of all five of them and when they were heading back in, Harry demanded a copy of that last picture he took of them. The boy happily agreed.

The next day both, Prof and Madam Pomfrey as well as all the other teachers were able to go about doing their jobs without any hindrance, for Lockhart was busy trying to free himself from the sticky muck he walked into while not looking where he was stepping as he began to climb the stairs leading to the Astronomy Tower.

Keynote: No one missed him. It was only after lunch the next day that good old Professor Dumbledore went up and brought a very untidy Gilderoy Lockhart down to the infirmary.

tbc...