"~Parseltoungue~"


Eating my toast I stood in front of the castles west entrance hall. My book was in my arms along with my quill and some black ink.

Laying the book flat on the floor I turned to the middle of the book and started on the right page. I started on the bottom left corner where I drew the entrance hall, along with the marble staircase that led up to the first floor. To the left of the room there were two doors and in between them was a hallway. I did not know what the rooms were that the two doors led to, so I didn't label them. The hallway held two more rooms, by the looks of them they seemed to be storage rooms. The end of the hallway turned right and led up to a doorway. Beyond the door was a courtyard. I went back through the door and went back to the entrance hall.

In the hallway beyond the marble staircase were the large double doors that led into the Great Hall. Inside the Great Hall were the four house tables, along with the head table. But past the head table were two doors. One door revealed itself to be a staircase, presumably for the teachers use. The other door led down into a chamber filled with all sorts of different items. From the fourth Harry Potter movie I figured this to be the room Harry went to when his name was called. Outside of the Great Hall, across the hallway, were five large archways that revealed the courtyard I had seen about ten minutes ago.

Continuing down the hallway I found myself in another, smaller hallway. Across the hall was an opening that led to into the chamber with the moving staircases. Turning left in the hallway I traced how it went all the way down, past the courtyard, and revealed another doorway that led out to the courtyard. The right part of the hallway held a painting of a bowl of fruit. I smiled and knew that was where the kitchens were located. Branching out from the hallway was another hallway that led all the way down to the east entrance hall. I went through the entrance hall and looked outside to see the Quidditch pitch, along with the greenhouses, and the trail down to Hogsmead.

I looked down at the book in my hands and was happy with what I've drawn. Both pages of the book were filled with the drawings of the ground floor. There were sections of the map unfilled, but that was mostly because those areas were on different floors.

The kitchens were the only secret area I knew about on the ground floor. Later on I would look for secret passages I could add to the map once I had finished drawing out the castle floors.

As I was walking back towards the castles west entrance I pulled out my wand and cast a quick Tempus charm. I raised my eyebrows when I saw it had only taken about an hour to draw up the ground floor. It felt longer than that.

I was standing at the top of the marble staircase and allowed the ink on the pages to dry before turning to a new page and readying my quill to start drawing once again.

On the right side of the hallway was the girls bathroom, and the other side was the boys. I continued down and drew down two empty class rooms as I passed them by. The end of the hall opened up to the moving staircases. But to the right the hallway continued down where the History of Magic classroom was located.

I passed the moving stairs and found the doors of what looked to be the hospital wing. It couldn't have been anything else really, because looking inside I saw a row of hospital beds pushed up to each wall. I left the Hospital Wing and went down another hallway with a door at the end. I opened the door and looked at the room. It was a half-circle in shape with a large window looking out over the Quidditch pitch. And sitting at his desk in the middle of the room was professor Dumbledore.

"Miss Abby!" He seemed pretty surprised to see me. I don't blame him, I'm surprised too. "What brings you here?" His surprise was replaced with an inquiring smile.

I awkwardly cleared my throat, "Sorry professor. I was just walking around and I guess I stumbled upon…" I waved my hand at my surroundings, "your office?"

He nodded and I knew I was right that this was his office. I nodded and began backing out of the room, "I'm sorry I bothered you sir."

He waved me away, "Not at all my dear." I smiled at him and closed his door. I looked down at my book and labeled off where the transfiguration office was before returning to the marble staircase.

I made my way up another set of stairs and onto the second floor. Throughout the second floor was where the statue was protecting the headmasters office. Further down, was where I found the bathrooms. I entered the girls bathroom expecting to hear the wails of Moaning Myrtle, only to find that the bathroom was silent.

I went further into the bathroom and called out for Myrtle, but received no response. I knew it was in Riddles fifth year when he released the basilisk that killed Myrtle…my eyes widened with horror…unless he hasn't released the basilisk. I looked at the sink where I knew the entrance was before I fled the bathroom, and ran up to the third floor.

Of all the times I could have fallen into this universe, I fall in the year the basilisk is released. I walked around the third floor with these thoughts swirling in my head. Absentmindedly drawing the floor plan the details of the floor as I passed them by. There was another hospital wing on this floor, along with the trophy room. This floor was where the charms classroom was located. One hall led up to the room where fluffy was kept in the first Harry Potter.

The fourth floor held the library. The library took up most of the floor plan apparently. If you took a left turn out of the library that was the hallway that would bring you to the stairs that led up to the owlery. I could hear the hoots and screeches of the school owls. There was access to the Astronomy tower on this floor, as well as the stairs to the north tower. The base of these stairs was where the Divination classroom was located.

The fifth floor set up had the perfects bathroom east of the moving stairs, and north of the stairs was a statue. But behind the statue was a door, No knob or anything, just a door with an eagle knocker. I looked at the knocker inquisitively when it suddenly came to life. "Poor people have it. Rich people need it. If you eat it you die. What is it?" Getting over the shock that a knocker just spoke to me, I realized what it said was a riddle. And a rather simple one at that.

"Nothing." The door swung inward and further in was a wide round room with midnight blue carpet. There were arched windows with blue and bronze silk curtains. The ceiling was domed and painted with stars. Looking out the window there was an excellent view of the school grounds. Why didn't I become a Ravenclaw?

The only thing to be found on the sixth floor was empty classrooms. But the seventh floor was the one I was most familiar with. The entrance to the Gryffindor common rooms was on this floor. But north of the common room, there was a corridor where one Room of Requirement was placed.

The wall with the RoR was the last detail I needed before I was finally done. It had taken me all day, but I've finally finished drawing up the castle. I was filled with giddy excitement as I ran to the Gryffindor common room. I found the books I had gotten from the library before I left Gryffindor tower and stood in front of where the Room of Requirement would be.

I thought of what I needed before slowly pacing in front of the wall I need help finishing my map…I need help finishing my map…I need help finishing my map… I didn't think the room would appear, considering what I asked for wasn't really something a room could help me with. But the Room must have thought of something because a door appeared on the wall.

Walking through the door I examined the room. If I ever had a dream room then this would have been it, I thought it was perfect. The walls were a deep red color while the floors were a dark hard wood flooring. Designed into the floor was a black wolf sitting on its haunches and holding its head up with pride. I shook my head at the image. It seemed like that wolf was incorporating into my life since I found out I was a Morrickson.

On the left wall there was a roaring fireplace, the warmth and the crackling flames making me feel relaxed. In front of the fire was a black leather couch, along with a cherrywood table. The other side of the room had shelves filled to the brim with books.

I set my stuff down on the couch and walked up to the books. I brushed my fingers over the books before one title caught my eye "Hidden Ink". I plucked it off the shelf and opened it to the index. I sank into the couch and read through half of the index when my eyes flicked up to the table.

I narrowed my eyes at the object on the table and sat up, placing the book on the seat beside me. I leaned over the table and realized what I was seeing was actually underneath a pane of glass that had been stuck to the table. And under that glass was a full map of Hogwarts. By full map I mean even the secret rooms and passages were put on it.

All of the passages overlapped and intertwined. If I was going to copy them all down it would take me hours, maybe days. I flipped open my book to the ground floor and took out my wand. I tried using a copying spell, but nothing happened. I tried again but I got the same result.

"That isn't going to work."

I jumped from the couch so fast I went tumbling backwards and tripped over the table. I shook of my daze and scrambled to hide on the couch. I slowly raised my head and peaked over the back to see the person who had spoken.

It turned out it wasn't a person at all, but a ghost. The ghost was an intimidating 6'0, with a lean, but still muscular body. His black clothes would have made his muscles stand out more, except he had a deep green cloak, with silver fur lining, draped over his shoulders. His deep forest green eyes were shining with amusement as he stared at me. His thin lips were tugging into an amused smirk as well. Probably because he had seen, and caused, my trip over the table.

I narrowed my eyes at his amusement but said nothing about it. "Who are you?" My tone was cautious.

He sighed and rolled his eyes as if my ignorance of who he was irritated him. "I shall give you a hint ~you ignorant child~"

I straightened with offense at his words. Just because I didn't know who he was doesn't mean he had to insult me."~Just because I didn't realize who you were, doesn't give you the right to go about and insult me!~" I hadn't even realized I had slipped into parseltongue, so when he looked at me with wide eyes I didn't understand why.

I couldn't think on it any longer because the look was soon gone and replaced with an intrigued look. "~You speak?~"

I didn't understand his question at first. Why would he be so interested in my ability to talk? I looked at him like he was crazy and he rolled his eyes at me again. "~Think, child, what is it that we are doing?~"

"~Were talking~" I said it as if I was speaking to a small child.

He was obviously irritated by the way I had spoken to him and I forced myself not to smirk. "~And how are we speaking?~" His irritation showed in his voice.

"~What do you mean how?~" I felt Basil slither out from under my clothes and slither down to my hand where she promptly bit me.

I cried out with pain and shook her from my hand. She leveled her head with to look me in the eyes "~Master you are acting stupid. You are both speaking the language of the snakes.~" She flicked her tongue out at me and wrapped herself around my neck once again.

"~I like her~" I looked up at the ghost and blushed when I remembered how I had spoken to him.

I cleared my throat "~That's Basil, short for Basilisk. I've had her since I was about twelve~"

He hummed, "Now, child, do you know who I am?" I looked at the ghost and nodded my head once. There were only so many people out there known to be able to talk to snakes. And one of them, one of the most famous of them, was Salazar Slytherin.

"Good. Now tell me, how is it that you can speak the language of snakes?" I didn't like his commanding tone and as punishment I turned my back on him and sat on the couch, taking out a quill and ink to begin drawing the secret passageways for my map.

"You must be my heir." I sighed with exasperation.

"Yes I am an heir," I held up a finger, "but I am only a magical heir. Not a real heir."

"Oh I would think otherwise. If magic chose you to be an heir then that means you have the best qualities to be an heir to the line. These qualities are found in ones magic, and that's what makes them a magical heir."

I returned my attention to adding the secret passages and room to my map book. After I ignored any of Slytherins attempts at continued conversation he finally got the message that I wasn't in the mood to talk, and he disappeared.

I had finished drawing the passages for the ground floor, along with the first floor. I was halfway done with the second floor when my eyes started drifting shut. I tried to fight off the exhaustion but it seemed the Room could sense my need for sleep and the couch turned into a bed. I sunk into the fluffy bed and allowed myself to fall in a deep sleep.