CHAPTER 3

In the Snake's Den

The mansion was quite remarkable. Harry had passed through many rooms, trying to distract himself until his mysterious host's return, and maybe find a way to escape, should Voldemort prove not to be as friendly as he claimed. Among the rooms were a large kitchen where animated appliances were already preparing dinner, a library so rich in forgotten mythical books that Hermione Granger would have fainted upon seeing it, what he could only describe as a greenhouse even though the walls were perfectly opaque (the sunlight necessary to the plants' growth flowed from a diffuse, unseen source), and a large living room that included a dining table with two chairs, a set of armchairs, a fireplace where a green fire was burning, and a carved throne. On the throne, he noted with disgust, a large sleeping snake was curled up. There were also other doors in that room, through which Harry could not walk: one of them, from the sound and smell of it, led to a potions laboratory, and another, secured by many locks, led in all likelihood to a collection of precious artifacts.

Having pushed his explorations as far as he could, he sat down in one of the armchairs and waited. He tried to review his situation, and also that of his friends. Dumbledore's stunning him at least demonstrated that Hermione had succeeded in sending him a message; Ron was probably okay, too. What exactly he was doing in the luxurious mansion of the most feared wizard in the world was more puzzling.

"Ah, thththere you are!" said a voice. Harry looked around him, but the only thing that had moved was the snake on the throne.

"Don't look ssso sssuprisssed."

…It was definitely the snake speaking.

"It isss I, Voldemort."

"…How is that comforting, exactly?" asked Harry.

Instead of answering the question, the snake crawled down the throne and climbed onto the dinner table before asking another question itself:

"You mussst be wondering what isss happening, yesss?"

"Well… yes?"

"Perhapsss you think I'm an Animagusss? That isss not ssso."

"Hold on, I don't even know what an Animagus is."

"…of course."

"Through a processs you cannot yet underssstand, I am posssesssing thisss sssnake."

"I see… But how do you speak through its mouth? I mean, I'm not that good at science, but I don't think snakes even have vocal chords to begin with."

"I could anssswer "magic" and that would account for it, boy; it is ssstill obvious that you were raisssed by Mugglesss and are not usssed to sssuch everyday wondersss. But thisss is more complicated. I am ssspeaking the Tongue of Sssnakesss, which you and I have the gift to underssstand."

This was a very satisfying answer to a little anecdote that had been puzzling him for more than a year: what exactly had happened the day that snake in the zoo had seemed to thank him for freeing it. He had mostly believed that he had just hallucinated. Then he'd come to Hogwarts, and the reveal of magic had made him reconsider and think that it was probably an ability of wizards to speak to animals, as was said in countless storybooks. A few pointless attempts to speak to cats, dogs and rats later, he had reverted back to the "hallucination" hypothesis. Now he'd learnt that he could speak to snakes, in a way that left little doubt as to the veracity of the assertion. Rather more concerning was the fact that snakes could speak in the first place, if only in their own tongue.

"Snakes are sentient?!" Harry asked, baffled.

"Not exxxactly, answered the snake-Voldemort. They are cleverer than mugglesss thththink, and you can hold a decccent conversssation withthth more highly evolved ssserpentssss that Mugglesss don't even know off, such as Basssilisssksss. However, none of them are truly on thththe sssame level as humansss. They can talk about factsss, about their preysss, for instanccce; thththey can be ordered; but you cannot bring thththem to underssstand human conccceptsss like technology, writing… politenesss…" Voldemort trailed off, looking at Harry intently. It struck the boy that the emphasis on "politeness" had been intended.

"Wait, you know about…? But how would you… And if snakes can't be polite… Then how…"

"Ha! Ha! Ha! My poor innocccent friend… Do you not sssee the obviousss? That sssnake was me."

"WHAT?"

"Thththat's right, boy. However, asss interesssting as thththisss little dissscusssion might be, thththere isss, actually, a reassson for my appearing to you thththrough thththe sssnake. My new body isss ssstuck at the other ssside of the Floo becaussse you let the fire on thisss end burn down. Pleassse add firewood."

"The fl-what?"

The snake shook its head in a manner that Harry understood as a sign of annoyance.

"You muggle-raisssed are exxxhaussstingly ignorant. Just add firewood and you'll sssee what I'm talking about."

Harry obeyed, and as soon as the green fire reappeared, Lord Voldemort burst out of the fireplace, an angry look on his ghoulish snake-like face.

"It certainly took you some time, boy, he said. Still, I am glad to see you on your feet. How do you like my home?"

At this question, Harry snapped:

"Why have you brought me here?!"

"As I said earlier, we have things to talk about; you still know next to nothing about me and the lies spread about me, or even about how I escaped death. And I still don't quite know what you think you know."

"That's no reason for keeping me-"

"Discussing this things will not take long; after that, it will be your choice to go back to Hogwarts or not. Until then, I do suggest you do not try to leave. I may not be the villain everyone says I am, but I am still a battle warlock and I would defend myself without a moment's hesitation should you try to harm me or escape."

Harry was quite frightened; he lowered his wand and sat down, ready to listen.

"Now, how shall we go about it, I wonder? the wizard mused. I suppose the best thing would still be for you to ask me questions, boy; and I shall answer them truthfully."