Disclaimer's in the prologue.
"Who do you think is going head this?" Draco asked as they looked at the posters that was given to the school. It was a flyer about a duelling club to be held on Saturday; everybody is welcome to join. Interesting, Harry thought.
They weren't allowed to hit each other with jinxes, hexes and curses without repercussions from the teachers so a duelling club might be good.
"Five galleons on Lockhart." Theo said while eating some chocolate that he had gotten from the kitchens. How his friend found it, Harry didn't bother to ask.
"Of all the people..." Draco muttered. "Alright, five on Flitwick, he's a Dueling master." The two then looked at him expectantly. He thought of declining for he frankly thought it ridiculous but decided to be on a random teacher anyway, which was Professor McGonagall.
"Are you two going to stay for the holidays?" he asked them.
Draco replied affirmatively. The blonde informed them that Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy will be going to Spain for the holidays. While, to Harry's surprise, Theo responded negatively. It was quite odd actually, as Nott Sr. had practically kicked Theo out of the Nott household last summer for days and yet Theo still planned on going home for the holidays.
"Is Macnair going to stay here?" Draco and Theo looked at him as if he'd grown two heads in a matter of second when he asked the question.
Scowling a little, he asked tersely "Is he, yes or no?"
"We have no idea, and we don't care. Why do you ask?" Draco replied with a sneer.
Harry then relayed the plan to bug Macnair's room. He was extremely relieved that the Golden Trio wouldn't have to brew a Polyjuice Potion. He was also at the same time proud of himself. It took quite some time after all to convince two-thirds of the golden trio to agree to this less insane and risky plan of his.
"Bug it?" Theo asked excitedly. "Like those muggle things...you know when spying on people?"
"Yes, but mind you we can't use the wireless ones here, as they wouldn't work. We're going to have to use a lower tech tape recorder." Theo seemed to be a bit disappointed by that. Harry, as much as he wants to use the wireless ones because it was of higher technology, knew he couldn't because the magic surrounding the castle would interfere with the signals.
"Well, I think we should bug it now." Theo suggested. "We don't know if he's stayin' so we might as well do it before he leaves. There's barely three weeks left before the hols." Harry thought that the only reason Theo suggested it because he wouldn't be at Hogwarts for the holidays and therefore didn't want to miss an opportunity like this.
"No." he disagreed, making his friend deflate a little. "If Macnair stays for the Christmas holidays then the plan will go through but Porthos will be the one who'll place it inside Macnair's room." Theo frowned at that. "That is if Macnair stays."
Theo huffed. "If."
When Saturday came, many students from first to fourth years were looking forward to the duelling club. The higher years, not so much because apparently majority of them are convinced that Lockhart is nothing but a bumbling fool. And they are, of course, correct.
Harry went to the Great Hall where the duelling club is going to be held with Theo, Draco, and Crabbe and Goyle, as expected those two would stick around Draco. A pity that they just let Draco boss them around, the two didn't even protest when they stayed where most of the Gryffindors were staying, near Lars of course.
"Hello," he turned to his right where a Hufflepuff boy greeted him.
"Justin Finch–Fletchley...muggleborn." The Hufflepuff boy introduced.
Harry was going to introduce himself when Finch–Fletchley interrupted him "Oh, I know who you are, Evandrus, you're Potter's brother." his eye twitched at that. Even with a different Surname, those fools from other houses mostly know him as 'Potter's brother'.
"That Lockhart's something isn't he?" said Finch–Fletchley happily.
"Yes..." he drawled."If you meant something of an idiot and incompetent twit then yes he is something, as you put it." Finch–Fletchley didn't seem to mind him though and just spoke incessantly.
"My name was down for Eton, you know. I can't tell you how glad I am I came here instead. Of course, Mother was slightly disappointed, but since I made her read Lockhart's books I think she's begun to see how useful it'll be to have a fully trained wizard in the family. . . ." Eton, Harry mentally repeated. Well Finch –Fletchley must be from an elite family in the muggle world, having a double-barrelled surname, and calling his mother in a formal way also suggests that.
"Gather round!" Lockhart's voice slightly startled him. "Gather round, can everybody see me?" Unfortunately, Harry thought as he heard Draco curse and give Theo five galleons. Harry would just give his later on.
"In lights of the recent events, " Lockhart began, "Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little Duelling Club, to train you all up, in case you ever need to defend yourselves, as I, myself, have done on countless occasions, for full details, see my public work." After that little tirade, Lockhart took of his cloak and threw it to some group of girls who giggled like a bunch of idiots.
"Now, let me introduce, my assistant, Professor Snape."
Harry can't believe what he was hearing. His Head of House actually agreed to help that bumbling idiot with the duelling club. Maybe the good part of it is it might be a good show with Lockhart falling on his arse while duelling with Professor Snape.
"Ok another bet, Lockhart will be on his arse..." Theo said cheerfully as the Potions Master and Defence idiot were going to start the duel with the formalities, the raising of the wands, the bowing, and then stepping away until they're ten paces from each other.
"That wouldn't be much of a bet, Nott," Finch–Fletchley said confidently. "Lockhart's going to win."
Theo raised an eyebrow at Finch–Fletchley "Well then Puff, how 'bout...never mind." Theo didn't finish what he had to say when they heard their Head of House bellowed "Expelliarmus!" and the result was, as predicted, Lockhart on his arse. Theo smirked at Finch–Fletchley and the Hufflepuff boy looked embarrassed at his favourite Professor being knocked on his arse by the dungeon bat.
"See...even the dungeon bat's more than qualified to be our defence teacher..." Harry heard Lars mutter. When Lockhart got up on his feet he immediately regained his composure and made claims that if he would have wanted to stop Professor Snape's spell, it would have been too easy.
"Let's have a volunteer pair...ehm...Potter, Weasley...how 'bout you." Harry noticed his brother frown before looking at him with Slytherin-worthy smirk that looked positively unnatural on Lars' face.
"Sir, Evandrus' top in our year, he'll duel." Lars said cheekily. Harry glared at his brother, and if he had laser beams coming out from his eyes, his brother would be sporting an eye-shaped hole this very instance.
Lockhart looked like he wanted to insist that Lars be the one to duel, but instead the man smiled and said "Very well come up Mr. Evandrus and...uhm..." Lockhart seemed to be unsure as to who to call until someone's hand rose to volunteer from the other side of the Great Hall.
"Ah...Mr. Macnair..." acknowledged Lockhart before turning to the head of Slytherin house. "Professor Snape do you approve of your two students to duel?"
Harry inwardly smirked. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all, he thought amusedly whilst other thoughts on how to publicly humiliate Macnair danced in his mind.
"Of course," Professor Snape answered tonelessly, stepping aside to give Macnair some space for the duel.
Both of them walked until they can see each other eye to eye.
"Scared?" Macnair taunted him with a smirk.
"I know you are." he retorted flippantly, fuelling the other boy's ire at him.
"Wands at the ready!" shouted Lockhart. "When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponents — only to disarm them — we don't want any accidents — one . . . two . . . three —"
Harry had already anticipated that that good for nothing blockhead, Macnair, would try to hex him before Lockhart stops counting.
"Petrificus" As soon as Macnair said the first word of the body bind curse, Harry casted his spell "Expelliarmus."
Everyone watched as Macnair's wand rose up through the air and when he caught Macnair's wand, he immediately casted "Petrificus Totalus." And Macnair fell on the ground like a very hard stone.
That was quick, Harry thought. He had already known that Macnair is not a match to him but this is truly disappointing. Macnair, as it stands, is an even more inept wizard than he had previously thought.
"Very well done, Mr. Evandrus!" Lockhart exclaimed, patting his shoulder. Harry made a mental note to have that part of his robe thoroughly washed.
"Now, if you would bring him back."
"Does he have to!?" One person from the student body yelled, a bit from the left side of the Hall that sounded suspiciously like Draco.
Harry walked over to Macnair and just stared at the limp form first.
"It would have been quite an achievement if he was a competent third year, Sir." he remarked to his Professor before he pointed his wand at Macnair and consequently revived him.
Macnair jumped up hastily, but he looked like his legs have gone soft. Harry handed the older boy's wand back even if he wants to snap it in front of Macnair just for the kicks of seeing the older boy's face.
"That was brilliant!" Lars said to him when he went back to their places. As a reply, Harry slapped the back of his brother's head for having the Defence idiot pick him for the demonstration.
Lockhart then instructed all of them to pair up. Lars was going to partner with Weasley until Professor Snape separated them and had Lars paired with Draco. Honestly, Harry thought that Professor Snape likes ruining Lars' style every time.
"Look on the bright side, mate." Theo, whom he partnered with, said. "They're good now, so hopefully they won't kill each other."
"Hopefully." he drawled before casting "Expelliarmus!" And there goes Theo's wand flying to his hand.
"Mate, so not fair, I wasn't ready yet!" Theo whined. Harry rolled his eyes and threw back his friend's wand.
They cast a few more spells until Theo casted "Impedimenta!" Harry managed to dodge that spell, unfortunately the second one was sent directly to where he stepped after he dodged the first and had him stumbling back.
"Your foot was positioned to step on your right after my first spell." Theo said, helping him up on the floor. Powers of observation are always useful. It won't matter if you're as powerful as five powerful wizards combined when you're dumb enough to make your moves highly predictable.
On their other side they saw Parkinson who was easily defeated by Granger and; on the other side he saw that Greengrass have disarmed the Ravenclaw Patil.
"I said disarm only!" They suddenly heard Lockhart bellow and both of them walked swiftly to the other side of the Hall where Lars and Draco where duelling. There were a few spells heard such as Everte Statum, Rictusempra, Expelliarmus,Tarantellagra, etc. Least to say the two idiots were just exchanging spells without even dodging or blocking each one of it.
The other students present halted their respective duels to watch the duel between Lars and Draco like some very amusing circus show. Harry felt the urge to stop them but decided against it because 1) it was really amusing, 2) they're not trying to kill each other, and 3) somebody's bound to stop it anyway.
And apparently, Professor Snape was the one to stop it.
"STOP!" The Potions Master bellowed and suddenly Lars and Draco stopped casting their spells at each other. They didn't even attempt to stop when Lockhart was the one telling them to stop; but then again, Severus Snape wasn't the Head of Slytherin for nothing.
"Perhaps it would be prudent to first teach them how to block unfriendly spells, Professor." Professor Snape suggested tersely to Lockhart.
"An excellent idea Professor Snape." Lockhart agreed, rounding on Lars, probably teaching something not very worthwhile because his brother looks like he wants to stab Lockhart with his wand.
Draco and Lars positioned themselves again for duelling.
"Three – two – one – Go!" Lockhart shouted.
Draco was the first to cast a spell; Serpensortia. With that,a nine foot long King Cobra sprung from the tip of Draco's wand and started hissing and slithering on the ground. Harry can hear the snake hissing angrily about stupid humans, but he just ignored it. Theo looked at him and he responded by giving his friend a look that clearly says 'not one word'. Theo just shrugged.
"Don't move Potter, I'll get rid of it for you." They heard their head of house said.
"Allow me Professor Snape," Lockhart volunteered, approaching the King Cobra with his wand drawn. The man casted "Alarte Ascendere." The snake got propelled up high on to the air once the spell was cast. Harry was starting to wonder what it is with the man and impromptu spell-making.
Least to say that truly irked the snake too much and has now decided to bite someone in the room. If it's going to bite, it would be preferable if it bites Lockhart. It would have done the wizarding world a huge favour.
"Hey stop!" Harry blinked upon hearing the order. That wasn't the snake's hissing voice that was Lars' hissing voice, kind and not very authoritative in sound.
Harry fought the urge to slap his brother in front of everybody. So much for keeping it a secret, he thought sourly.
"Hey, I told you to stop!" he heard Lars once more when the snake kept on hissing and slithering. Harry wanted very much to yell at his brother something along the lines of 'you're exposing the secret you daft cat' but it would do neither of them good.
The snake was slithering towards the other students, it was actually hissing at Finch-Fletchley. The muggleborn boy looked petrified on the spot at the snake hissing at him.
"Please don't bite, Lockhart was just an idiot, don't bite my classmate!" Lars said to the snake in a pleading voice, adding more to Harry's growing exasperation at his brother's rather vacuous course of action.
The snake stopped to turn its head to Lars. "Fine." The serpent conceded. It was about to say something but before it had a chance to it disappeared in a puff of smoke when a spell that came from none other than Professor Snape hit it.
"Hey!" his brother exclaimed. "It wasn't going to bite anyone!" Harry fought the urge magically silence his brother. He so very much wanted to yell at his brother to take a hint, in a manner of speaking.
"What are you playing at!?" Finch-Fletchley said angrily at Lars. Lars looked at Harry and then to Flinch-Flenchley and then bolted out of the Hall with Weasley and Granger following suit. There was a minute of awkward silence after Lars departure when their head of house finally bellowed that everyone is dismissed.
"Your brother's a parselmouth!" Draco exclaimed as they got back in their common room. Even the blonde boy wasn't expecting that; nobody was expecting it. Harry bet that Lars didn't noticed that he was speaking in a different language, again.
"Yes," he drawled. "And thanks to you, his secret is out."
"And thanks to Draco as well that everybody is going to start thinking that Lawrence is the one who petrified Mrs. Norris and the Creevey kid." Theo added.
"Well, that would be the obvious reaction." he said drily, slightly glaring at Draco.
"Are you a parselmouth?" Draco asked bluntly.
"Have you ever heard me speak in parseltongue?" Draco shook his head, "then I don't think I am." Harry strode up to their room where Theo and Draco followed him.
"Are you or are you not?" Draco prodded.
Harry raised an eyebrow at the blond aristocrat. "Am I or am I not, what?" he questioned. Draco let out a sound of what Harry presumed to be annoyance before enunciation the question as to whether he's a parselmouth or not."Are you a parselmouth or not?"
Harry slightly smirked in amusement at Draco's interest. "What do you think?" he asked Draco. "If I'm also a parselmouth then that would mean that my brother and I are heirs of Slytherin, the ones who is- are going to evict all the other mudbloods in this glorious school." The two looked at him in surprise when he said the word in such a casual way. It's just a word so he doesn't care. The only thing he doesn't like is when people add other demeaning adjectives to it, or when they use it to insult his mother.
"Harry," said Draco in exasperation, "alright I think you're also a parselmouth, but then- Merlin's pants!" Harry's smirk turned into a small scowl as he smacked the back of Draco's head.
"Sorry." Draco said apologetically. "But you are, then...you're the one -"
Harry gave Draco a sharp look basically saying, 'Don't even say it.'
Draco's hands rose in an 'I surrender' kind of way. "Sorry I was just surprised that's all." the blonde explained. "You don't seem to be the raging megalomaniac type anyway and neither is your brother...but are you really the heirs of Slytherin?"
"Yes." he answered curtly.
"Never would have thought that Potter Sr. is a descendant of both Slytherin and Gryffindor." Draco mused out loud.
Harry scowled again. "My father is not of Slytherin line." he said crisply, slightly appalled at the prospect of his father being an heir of Slytherin as well like him and Lawrence.
"But..."
"Draco," Theo interrupted Blondie Jr. "We've been over this, it's more likely than unlikely that all wizarding families..."
"You mean...no way..."
Harry tugged his eyeglasses in an 'I'm smarter than you' way before speaking. "As Theodore have stated, it's more likely than unlikely." he says to the blonde. "Now I suggest you never mention it again."
"But you, and Lars..." Draco stammered incoherently for a bit, "you two are the heirs of Slytherin, how could you not know where the chamber is?"
"Draco, you sound utterly daft." Harry remarked dourly, crossing his arms. "Firstly, I was overseas, how on earth could I possibly have any time looking for it when I didn't even believe it existed but in legends? And secondly, Lars wasn't even aware of it until I enlightened him. Satisfied with the explanation Goldilocks?"
Draco scowled. "Lockhart's Goldilocks, I'm not. Yes, satisfied, thanks for asking."
"No problem." Harry said to his friend. "You'd do well to keep this to yourself Draco, otherwise I'll-"
"Hear, hear, hunt me down and give me a most painful death," Draco interjected mockingly in a good-natured way. "Question, how long have you known Theo before he knew you're a parselmouth?"
"And that interests you why?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.
Draco shrugged. "Just curious on how long it took before you showed him you're a parselmouth."
"Since the first night in school he knew of it." Harry said, surprising Draco.
"It just took you a few hours to tell it to oddball?" Draco asked incredulously. "What about the cynical maniac, and I-don't-like-the-idea-of-friendship Evandrus?"
Harry gave his friend a glare at the 'cynical maniac' comment. Draco just grinned at him before exclaiming a good night and running out of the room so crudely.
It wasn't a surprise that following morning when Lars got called to the Headmaster's office. Before Lars was called, Harry was with his brother. Harry nearly smacked his brother's head due the said brother's continuous chant of 'They're going to hate me' for it was annoying.
Harry reminded his brother not to mention anything about him being a parselmouth as well before leaving for the Headmaster's office. If ever Lars petulantly disobeys what Harry said, he was prepared to bring out an ace, mainly blackmailing his twin brother, telling him that he owes him a life debt due to the jinxed broom incident the previous year. Of course, Harry was relieved when his twin just went to be a conformist about it for even he is not fond of his own idea.
Lars was just gone for at least an hour and Harry kept himself preoccupied by studying or reading, as usual. But while reading, Harry can't help but think how their godfathers would react to that certain revelation, bar the part that Harry is a parselmouth as well. Will their godfathers hate Lars? Will they scorn him for having that kind of ability? Harry thought wishfully and naively that they wouldn't. Sirius and Remus aren't as narrow-minded as their father after all. He is quite sure that if their father was alive, he will spurn Lars. Of course those were just ifs even if he's quite sure.
When Lars returned, Harry noticed that his brother had been crying but looked relieved. Harry guessed that the confrontation scene probably went well. Lars told him what happened from the beginning and the summary was 1) Sirius is perfectly fine with it, 2) Sirius and Remus are not aware that Harry has the same ability and 3) Sirius will talk to the parents of other students to back off Lars.
Harry thought that that should be enough of a reassurance for Lars but he thought wrong because after Lars' talk with Sirius and a day after that he had observed that his brother was looking extremely worried about everything. The other Gryffindors, the ones who didn't turn their back on Lars, were trying their best to cheer him up but to no avail.
"You should stop moping about, Lawrence." Harry said austerely to his brother when they were sitting in one of the stands of the Quiditch field one afternoon, partly out of concern and partly out of annoyance.
Lars pulled out his wand and Harry instinctively stepped backwards, but Lars just waved it around them.
"I imitated the way you make privacy charms, with just a wave of your hand," Lars said to him, seemingly ignoring what he had said earlier. "Just intent right?" That was impressive, Harry thought.
"Oh, sweet Merlin," Lars said with a sigh of evident frustration. "I know I can't deny that we're both heirs of Slytherin but...come on...the whole school thinks that I'm the one who petrified Filch's cat and Creevey."
"You didn't do it, Lawrence." he said with a matter-of-fact tone. "What have you to fear?"
Seriously, Harry thought in annoyance. What is it with this people feeling bad about things that they know they didn't do, or have no control over?
"I know that...but Harry...we're still heirs, I mean just...knowing that, it makes me feel guilty...guilty that I can't even do a thing when...possibly another heir is starting to wreak havoc here...I'm confused...what if...what if it has something to do with the voice that I'm hearing...what if...just without me knowing...I was the one doing it? Even in the wizarding world, you know that hearing voices is not a good sign."
"Yes, it's a sign of insanity when you hear it and no one else does." he said dryly. That sure didn't lighten up Lars' mood because his brother scowled at him.
"But brother," he continued, "believe me when I say this, -you're not the type of person who can be easily controlled, other than you are one stubborn lion, you're also strong willed."
"I'm not invincible."
Harry raised an eyebrow at his twin. "I neither implied nor said that Lawrence but keep in mind that a person who does not wish to be controlled cannot be controlled or rather will not be controlled very easily. And besides, Sirius had reassured you and promised you that he'll have a talk with those dimwit's parents, correct?" Lars nodded.
"I suggest that you just think about what he said. He won't ever hate you so just don't dwell on it too much, now what did you tell your little friends?"
Lars frowned. "What?"
"Surely there was a confrontation scene between you and your friends after that disastrous duelling club event." he said drily.
"Oh...yeah...told them I didn't know that I can...then told them to drop the subject."
"And they bought it?" The Slytherin enquired, surprised.
"I think so, they said I seemed upset about it...I know you're going to ask so I'll just say it...I didn't tell them I'm an heir, even if you said I could." Lars sighed heavily. "This is just brilliant, now I have another one on my list of things that I'm not even sure I did but people says otherwise, the very first one being the vanquisher of Voldemort."
"Father's words, adding on that you prevented Voldemort from rising last June." Harry stated to his twin. "This doesn't assure you that you defeated him as an infant?"
Lars was shaking his head. "I learned not to believe in everything he had said before...as for last June...you were there Harry...you know...frankly I think you're the one, not me."
Harry was stunned as his brother said those words. For years he had never doubted that his younger twin is the 'boy-who-lived'. He may be smarter, in terms of grades and schoolwork, and he has quite a special ability that Lars doesn't have, or at least doesn't have as a whole, but it doesn't guarantee that he is more powerful than his brother. He thought the idea ridiculous, being the boy-who-lived means that you're also the hero, and he is many things but a hero. He's willing to do anything for his family and friends, but not for other people.
"And where, may I ask, did you get that ridiculous idea?"
"When Mr. Ollivander told me that I didn't get the brother wand of Voldemort." Lars answered outright.
Harry impulsively stopped playing with his fingers the moment his brother said that. Of course Lars didn't get the brother wand. Before Lars bumped into him in Diagon Alley, he had just bought his wand, and that wand is the brother wand of Voldemort's.
"And you being an alchemist." added Lars.
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Where," he drawled "did you hear that?"
"Ethan," Lars replied. Of course, who else would tell that to Lars? But nevertheless he couldn't fault the boy. He never did say anything about keeping it a secret from Lars anyway.
"He told me that Flamel was your teacher, but he said he wasn't sure if the man taught you Alchemy."
"I see...keep it to yourself, I have no intention of letting it be known that I'm an Alchemist."
"You mean you really are?" Lars asked, wide eyed.
"Not completely..." he replied, shrugging. "In my opinion, I'll only be a master Alchemist the moment I create the Magnum Opus of that field."
"Magnum Opus?"
"The Philosopher's stone,"
"But..."
"Why am I not trying to do it?" his brother nodded. "Simple, I have no use for it. I am not in need of gold at the moment and I'm not fond of the idea of myself living forever. For me that is a disruption of the natural cycle of life." Yes that's what he believes in even if he is quite terrified at the prospect of dying.
"But...that could mean that you're the..." Harry interrupted his brother again.
"Alchemy is just another discipline nothing more nothing less, it does not support any of your claims..." He reproached.
"And the brother wand of Voldemort?" Lars questioned, seeming to have gotten the idea that he has the brother wand. Harry swore internally. He shouldn't have reacted the way that he did when Lars mentioned the brother wand of Lord Voldemort's. But what's done is done.
Harry looked at his brother with a superior air. "I don't think so." he said confidently to his brother. "It's just a wand, nothing more."
"Well, I say it means you and Voldemort are connected." Lars insisted stubbornly.
"Don't be daft." he reprimanded his brother. "Can't you remember what our elders witnessed that night? You were still standing, so to speak, when they arrived. You also had your magical core still intact whilst for me…well, I was apparently out cold and my magical core was next to nothing hence our father's misconception that I am a squib."
Harry abruptly stood up and motioned for his twin to speak no longer of the matter.
"I'm going back to the dungeons." he announced to his brother before suggesting to do likewise by going back to Gryffindor tower.
Lars just hummed before looking distantly. "I think I'll stay for a while..."
"If you say so," Harry said, but before leaving he had to say one more thing to Lars.
"With regards to your friends," he began awkwardly, unsurely and hesitantly before finally settling on what to say.
"Listen Lawrence, I may not be the 'kindest buddy, buddy', as Theo put it, but I do know I do know that it's important to trust your friends even with secrets you are highly reluctant to share for the fear that they will think differently of you. You may deny it in front of me, but I think, or rather Theo thinks, that the reason why you are reluctant to tell it to them is because you don't want to lose them as your friends, especially Weasley. Granger may be more reasonable, but Weasley is not most of the time, so that's what you're worried about. You told me once that Theo did it because he's a friend, now I'm telling you that if Weasley really is your friend, he won't mind in the long run."
"Remember," he added, "Elbert Hubbard said that 'A friend is the one who knows all about you and still likes you'." He left after that, without bothering to know if Lars had something to say.
The same day, or rather night that Harry had talked with his brother, he was heading to the Slytherin Dungeons when he suddenly heard a voice saying "Feed...been hungry for so long." he contemplated whether he should continue to walk, or follow the voice. Stupidly enough, he picked the latter. He followed the voice until he reached a hallway where Nearly Headless Nick was floating, petrified, and there was also a student a few feet away from him. He didn't think twice before turning around and hurriedly heading back to the Slytherin Dungeons.
Harry paced back and forth the moment he got in his bedroom. It's confirmed, the monster is a snake, but what kind of snake? If it were a basilisk, it would kill the victims outright. A very quick death like you had been hit by a killing curse. Only other creature that is banned in their country that can turn people into stone, in other words petrify them, is a cockatrice, but if that's the case, they shouldn't be able to hear it through the walls, so the cockatrice is out of the choice.
Theo entered the room as Harry was still pacing. "Hey Harry you alright?" he asked.
Of course Harry wasn't alright, there's a psychotic heir on the loose inside Hogwarts, a barmy elf playing hero for his brother, and what else? A voice inside the walls!
"Harry -"
"Harry-"
"I'm fine," he said abruptly. "I really am. I really, truly am. Why wouldn't I be? Speaking of which, where have you been?"
"Draco's room." Theo answered with a drawl. "I was helping him with his charms homework."
"What's happening inside this castle has been bothering you, hasn't it?" It sounded more like a statement than an actual question coming out of Theo's mouth.
"Anybody would be bothered by it Theodore." he replied to his friend.
"Yeah, but not as much as you or Lars." Theo pointed out. "You, because you're bothered that you don't know this cousin of yours who's eviscerating all muggleborns, and Lars because everyone thought that he's the one behind it all."
"Well," Harry began as he calmed down and took a seat, "I'd say you're wrong, but then I'd be lying."