Clutching his wand a little tighter, he ran through all the spells he knew wondering which ones would be effective on a snake that huge.

"I am Harry Potter" he answered to the Snakes surprise

'You ssspeak'

"I do"

'What are you doing here?

"I don't know?"

'How can you not know?

"Are you going to eat me?"

'No, should I?'

"No"

'Where will you go?'

"I don't know"

'Why not?'

"Don't tell Malfoy"

'Why?'

"He hates me."

'No he does not, you are his Potter. Come with me' she slithered away with Harry trailing behind her slowly, careful to crouch in her shadow in case Malfoy suddenly came back. They ended up going through a small passageway, that he might have just about fit through when he was normal sized in to a rather large room that seemed to be split into two parts, one was foliage and the other was sand. Malfoy Manor, full of surprises.

'You stay here' she hissed indicating the sand with her tail, 'I will bring food' she said slithering away in to the greenery. Harry couldn't help but wonder if food meant rats or mice or whatever it was snakes ate. Laying back on the sand he let his eyes close as fatigue washed over him, absently wondering where the dim light was coming from, before he fell into the open arms of darkness.

-----

Harry slowly opened his eyes when he felt the sun beginning to warm his skin, looking around he realised he was still in the same position as yesterday and consequently… whatever it was that was lighting and heating him could not be the sun. However, looking up it really did appear to be a sun in the sky but he was in a wizarding house/mansion and seeing as it was the Malfoys, he figured

anything was possible.

'You are awake little one'

He looked towards the noise to see the snake slithering out of the shrubbery into the sand with something hovering in the air besides her.

'Eat' she hissed winding herself around him in a large loop that made his heart beat faster as he wondered how trusting he could be to be eating what Malfoy's snake was feeding him, as she coiled around him, easily able to squeeze him to death.

'Eat' she insisted floating what he could now see was a rather large piece of bread with a splattering of butter towards him. He marvelled at the fact that he would probably be full up on what would be ridiculously insubstantial at full size. Breaking a piece off, he ate it quickly relishing in the taste of food. He hadn't eaten since breakfast the day before with the Dursley's; a slice of grapefruit… Dudley was dieting again.

"Malfoy hates me" he said suddenly looking up at the snake.

'Indeed'

"Indeed? What does that mean?"

'It matters not. You will save them all will you not?'

"Well I… I… it's my birthday today," He said suddenly remembering he was now of age and he should be somewhere safe with his friends celebrating. Maybe preparing for his apparition test. He didn't want to be here. Not at all. In a strange house, with no way out, smaller than a HB pencil and completely defenceless with only a snake for company.

'What is a birthday?' he was broken out of his reverie by the question and he sighed heavily realising his birthday was the least of his priorities.

"Nothing… doesn't matter"

'You smell,' she hissed her forked tongue flitting out and apparently tasting the air.

"Thanks"