Chapter 17: The Emperor's Nest

Harry Potter finally, finally finds a place to call his own.

The sun was setting again.

They had walked some and Harry had ridden Nagini's back, and they had climbed rocks and crossed a wide river. Three days had gone by. Together they passed out of the forest and across a wide wheat field. On the field's far side they had found another forest, far denser and full of life. They walked some and Harry rode Sahensha for a while. Here the trees grew close together and tall, Nagini guessed they were very far from humans now.

Harry wasn't satisfied. They pressed on.

Deeper into the thick forest they found a broad river that ran too deep and too rapidly for them to cross. Harry asked the snakes near the shallows if there were any way across. A water serpent with green eyes answered him.

"Follow the water, to the rocks, where land-snakes cross."

Harry thanked him by blessing the snake on the spot. The water serpent was so delighted it dove off in a splash and immediately tangled itself with another serpent under the rippling surface. Harry watched it swim away, coiled together with another snake.

He asked Indiis about it and the red snake turned an odd shade of pink.

"It's a special dance," he began.

Harry asked if any of them were going to dance that way. Indiis flushed a bright magenta and made an indecipherable noise.

Nagini hissed in delight.

"It will make sense when you're older, Harry Potter," she assured him as Indiis hissed loudly about the weather and the nice warm sunshine.

Harry sensed he was missing something.

"Is it about having a clutch?" he asked suspiciously.

Sahensha coughed, as much as a snake can cough.

"Yes, Emperor," he said, and Harry saw there was pink on his scales as well.

Harry whispered loudly to Nagini.

"Am I not supposed to ask about it? Is it embarrassing?"

"To some," Nagini snickered. "Let us go to the rocks. We will find a place to make our Emperor's Nest."

They continued deeper into the forest a day after making the river crossing. Harry found his clothes were getting uncomfortable, full of dirt and grim as they were. He made due by dunking them in the river and drying them by a fire. Here, the tree tops wove so tightly together that they almost trapped all the smoke from any flame.

Finally, during a half-moon and in the dead of night, they came upon the perfect place to make the Emperor's Nest.

The river ran through the heart of the forest. A steep cliff face stood tall and imposing, nearly breaching the tops of the tall trees. It was against this cliff face that they found their home. A low-hanging willow nearly obscured the entrance to a small cave. The cave was actually a tunnel leading through rock. It opened to a clearing that was small but perfect. There were trees to give them shade, and an assortment of flat rocks that lay in the perfect spot to catch the sun that did filter down through the leaves. Little holes littered the far side of the cave, little animals lived there, and would make excellent snacks. Harry loved it at once.

It was warm, it smelt nice, and best of all, it felt safe.

The others slithered around to inspect it at once. Indiis found several robin nests in the high branches in the trees. Nagini made a meal of a magical rabbit and coiled in content. Sahensha made delighted noises as he butted his crown scales against a rock; they were beginning to crack.

Harry watched as the tree tops filled with eyes. He thought of the hedges from Mrs. Dursley's garden, and how odd and straight they seemed. The many branches above seemed a perfect place for so many eyes. Snake after snake filtered down from the trees, sliding down trunks and over the mint-green grass, across the rocks and the sand and the small animal holes to come gather around Harry's feet.

He laughed and sat as he had before, legs folded under him and smiled to all who had come.

"Hello!" he said, "My name is Harry..."

End Chapter