So Severus is a Parselmouth? Then why didn't the snakes at the Manor understand him? Or does he?
Yes to the first question and as for the second…It'll be explained. Later.
Is Serphenia the basilisk? Then why does Sal not believe she is alive, when she is killed twenty years later?
Serphenia is the basilisk, Ser for short. A small miscalculation on my part that actually fits into the story. So maybe I didn't forget, I just forgot that I didn't forget. Maybe I actually sort of knew that when I wrote it.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything! (burst into tears)
:Mindspeech:
-Parseltongue-
Chapter Fourteen: Lord Voldemort's Trap
Harry glided through the passageways, quiet and intangible as one of the faded ghosts that haunted the long-forgotten towers and passageways of Hogwarts. There. The entrance to the Chamber. But he had forgotten one thing. He did not know what made him assume that the snake he saw was of Harry's time. He didn't know why it reminded him so much of Serphenia, despite the completely different appearance; even magical signatures weren't completely unique. However, assuming that this snake wasn't the basilisk of this time, he had a large basilisk of questionable mental stability that he couldn't contact, lest he say something that would cause a paradox.
Though he could try and be quiet, the basilisk (it was easier to refer to her as that while she was under Tom Riddle's control) would undoubtedly know when someone entered their Chamber; he had built it that way. Even if she was asleep, a conversation is Parseltongue would wake her up. So what could he do? He couldn't enter the chamber but he had said he would meet the snake in the Chamber; a challenging test though not a well thought-out one.
Then, rolling his eyes at his own stupidity, he took out his wand, casting a strong sleeping spell on the whole chamber. Even if the basilisk was out and about in the pipes at the far end of the castle (he didn't know how she had managed to get in there, they were meant only as a means for him to get down and a reason for the empty space in an area that was only questionable Slytherin territory) he was confident that the spell would be able to get to her before she noticed him without touching any of the students.
-Open,- he hissed and a section of the stone wall, no different from the other hundreds that lined the dungeons besides a tiny snake etched into the stone wall, disappeared. He winced at the cold air that escaped the Chamber; all heating charms had failed many years ago. The Chamber was not meant to hold a fully-grown basilisk, let alone for so long.
He entered cautiously, he didn't know for sure that the basilisk was fully asleep (if at all) and Slytherins didn't get anywhere by being careless. There was nothing good that came of being overcautious and most Slytherins were overly paranoid by nature. If not, they soon learned the hard way.
But there was no need to worry; the basilisk lay asleep at the end of the chamber. The other snake was much harder to find; he was almost ready to give up and go back to the dorms when he spotted it, pitch black and lying in the shadow of one of the large snake statues. He frowned, picking it up cautiously. For some reason that Harry could not fully explain, he felt that this was the same snake, though as far as he knew no Ophidia Argenteus had any appearance-changing abilities.
Now, what to do with her? The Chamber was made unsafe by the basilisk and in other places he was likely to be found by the Marauders or Severus. Again, the answer came to him, so glaringly obvious. Salazar's quarters! He was sure that nobody would be able to find him there, with all his passwords and wards.
He touched the walls and hissed a password,
-Open; Personal Chambers.- A doorway opened in the wall, leading directly into his old rooms. Salazar had connected most major rooms and different areas of the dungeons to the whole castle, so he could get anywhere in times of emergency or if he was just being lazy (though since Salazar being a Parselmouth wasn't well known until near the end of his life, he had to be extremely cautious).
Harry went through the doorway (letting it close behind him) and looked around. The rooms seemed mostly as he remembered them, though dust coated everything. He said a spell to get rid of it all; forced to do it without hand-movement or wand, as his arms were full of the large snake. He needed to be using more magic without props; he was getting lazy and he was sure that his magic wasn't recovered from all his time as Harry using only his wand with some occasional accidental magic.
He lay the snake down on a table and randomly pulled a book off of one of the shelves. Harry flipped through it; some nasty bloodmagicks…Ooh, it had pictures! He settled down to read it; the snake wouldn't wake up for a while and he didn't quite feel ready for the conversation yet.
Roughly an hour later he began to notice faint stirrings from where he had put down the snake. Harry continued to read, it would be easier to just let her start the conversation. It also had the bonus of often annoying the person he had to talk to.
-Sal?- There, the conversation had started.
-Yes?- He asked neutrally.
-Where…You're chambers?-
-Yes.-
-I…You're alive?-
-Yes, I am.-
-How?-
-I thought I brought you here to ask you questions.-
The snake gave a resigned sigh,
-Well, then, ask.-
-How are you alive, if you really are Serphenia?-
-I…don't really know. I think it has something to do with the fact that you died…but still lived. You raised me from an egg and that was enough to merit a bonding, but we never bonded. And yet a bond formed; a crude one, but a bond nonetheless. I should have died when you died but you didn't quite die properly and so I did not. I was only half alive…And then you were born again. I woke up from my stupor but only a little, only partially. I regained a little strength every year but then She came, She who smelled of Him. He commanded me through her and I was too weak to fight. He whispered revenge…had me attack students…But I didn't kill one, didn't take a life that wasn't mine to take…Not since the last time He commanded me. And then you came, though I didn't recognize you at first. And He had me attack you…I tried not to but He was too strong. You killed me but one of my fangs went deep in you're arm. I know what is and what is not a killing blow; you should be dead. I myself woke up just a month or two ago. I tried to find you but I didn't know where I was and the distance was too vast for the small snake I woke up as. It was then that I realized that I could change my shape. I flew as a bird to Hogwarts but you were not there. I stayed in the forbidden forest to wait for you, for I didn't know where your manor was. Then one night I could feel you close by but before I could get to you the magic twisted oddly. Then I appeared here but it is odd, different. I could feel you nearby but I couldn't get to you. I allowed myself to be seen in hopes that they could bring me to you and they did.-
Harry studied the snake in front of him. She was so much like Serphenia that he had no problem believing her story. It made sense. And it was not in a snake's nature to lie; he didn't know if it was even possible. But Slytherins didn't trust easily; he'd need more than just a story.
-Change your shape,- he commanded, -Something different.-
She appeared to be thinking. And then she changed slowly, scales melting into fur. It was not pretty to watch but fascinating and fluid. A few minutes later a black cat (young, only a kitten) appeared with large ears and emerald eyes to match his own. Her claws were also silver and she had two white stripes running down her sides; she looked almost exactly like a somewhat cuter and smaller version of the panther that he had once turned into, minus the wings and transferring the wing stripes onto the sides.
The kitten seemed puzzled, almost frowning,
-The coloring is off. I should be an orange tabby with hazel eyes, not like this. This draws far too much attention.-
Harry put his hand on her back and concentrated. Slowly the white disappeared into the midnight black but it was hard work. Finally she no longer appeared to be some sort of weird badger, though the Hufflepuff connection wouldn't be that bad. He was now convinced; he could not alter anyone's appearance except his own without a spell and familiars and other bonded creatures shared magic and magical talents.
-I have acquired some shapeshifting abilities. I'll explain it later. For now we need an excuse. As a snake you might be kicked out but as you are you are not against the rules. Can you hold this form?-
-Easily; once I have a new shape it will stay that way unless I wish it otherwise. I believe that's why it takes so long.-
-A name?- Harry asked, -I think Serphenia or Ser would work but steering away from anything snake-like would be best.-
-How about Bast? And you still haven't explained how you survived by bite.-
-Egyptian goddess symbolized as a cat. Not snake-like; cat-like. Sounds good. Bast it is, then. And as for surviving the bite…Godric's blasted phoenix happened to be there and she healed me. I think you'd remember…She ruined your eyes. That must have been painful.-
-Now that you mention it, I think I do remember seeing that annoying bird flying around before I lost my vision. I don't remember her actually doing it, it was very quick. What reason would she have to cure you?-
-Some other time I'll tell you the story of some kid named Harry Potter with too much luck for his own good. Not now, though.-
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Lily glanced across the Great Hall and sighed. As usual, Evan was missing from both the Slytherin and Gryffindor tables. She had barely seen her friend for over a week; ever since the school had found out he was a Parselmouth. Oh, he had attended all his classes, hadn't given anyone a reason to kick him out of the school. As it was, several parents were arguing against letting their child stay in school with a Parselmouth. Evan had been summoned to the headmaster's office a couple days ago, presumably to talk about this, but had walked out with no sign of emotion.
Evan had shown the school a side of him that nobody knew existed and, quite frankly, it scared her. It wasn't his knowledge of Parseltongue but his harsh coldness towards his friends and the rest of the school. He ignored everybody else and wouldn't talk to anybody except his cat, which had just appeared one day. The cat acted in the same manor towards the school as Evan did, haughty but vicious when anybody came too close to her, though she seemed almost accepting in the presence of Evan's friends. Evan, however, was not and Lily was fed up with it. Why wouldn't he just talk to them? Why did he lock himself up in his own world, not allowing anyone else to reach him? Weren't they friends?
Remus didn't know how to act. He was shunned by the rest of the Marauders and had taken to sitting with Lily at mealtimes but it was obvious that he was hurt by Evan's behavior. Severus was acting with a cold neutrality that rivaled Evan's own, though without the hostile air that shimmered under Evan's cool exterior.
Well, she would do something about it. Lily narrowed her eyes at Evan's usual seat, starting to plan. There must be some way to heal the rift that had caused between so many friends. There must be some way to talk to Evan, to make him hear them…
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
-Why do you treat your friends this way?- Asked Serphenia, the hisses sounding a bit odd coming from the black cat that sat on Salazar's bed.
-What do you mean?- Harry asked, looking up from the book he was reading. He had taken to avoiding the Slytherin and Gryffindor common rooms and instead slept in Salazar's rooms.
-You know what I mean,- Serphenia said, twitching her tail in annoyance, -Why don't you speak to them at all? Why do you hide emotion around others and hide yourself around friends? Why do you smell of blood when you go to bed? Why do you let nightmares haunt your dreams?-
Harry's face became guarded,
-I…-
-Don't you hide yourself from me, too! Don't answer me with untruths if you don't plan to tell! Don't hide…please…I don't want to loose you again,- She sounded miserable.
-Ser, I…I won't lie to you. Just…I don't…I don't know what to say to anybody. I don't want them to get into trouble being associated with me. I don't want them to hate me.-
-They are you're friends! They wouldn't hate you!-
-How would you know? You've never met them?-
-You wouldn't let those unworthy near you! How can you think your friends would turn on you?-
-Well, maybe I don't trust my judgment.- He got up, grabbed a cloak, -I'm going for a walk.-
-I won't pry. I'm sorry. Just come back, okay?-
-Of course I will. Even if it takes another thousand years, I won't abandon you. Though, by all means, you don't have to wait that long. I've made you wait enough.- And he left.
There it was again! That same little box, green with a silver bow, again in that same spot by the lake. So why did he keep passing it? He was going into the forest, had walked towards it in a strait line and, after all, it wasn't that hard to miss. For some reason, however, he kept passing this same part of the lake, where the little box sat waiting for him. There was a spell at work here and a powerful one; it would take him a while to break it. He reached into his pocket and paused. Of all the nights to leave his wand in Salazar's chambers! It didn't matter; he could break the spell, though it would take a bit more work.
Harry assumed that it worked similarly to the Muggle Repelling charms that made Muggles simply walk the other direction, except that it kept him in the same area instead of repelling him from it. So, that was how it went, then? Well, now he knew, he should be able to get away.
A few minutes later, he sat down and frowned. A strong spell, one that he was sure few people in Hogwarts could cast. Who would go to all the trouble to make sure that someone (him specifically?) was here, perhaps made to touch the box? Well, of course he wouldn't go and touch the box. He sat down, willing to let the spell wear off or wait until help came. Doing so, he accidentally brushed a rock nearby, the size of his fist. Except, he didn't just brush it, his hand stuck to it. It was a Portkey!
Of course! Now he was angry at himself; the box hadn't been the trap, it had kept his attention away from his surroundings. Whoever had set the trap had waited for him to touch the rock eventually; there was, after all, only limited space to wonder around. And the trapped person could try to throw the rock in frustration, sit on it, or do something else with it that involved touching. It wasn't improbable.
He landed with a sudden thump and fell backwards. Poorly made Portkeys yanked his magic around nauseously and this one had not been made as carefully as the rest of the trap. Besides, it would be in his advantage to appear harmless as possible. It was an appearance he would probably quickly lose, as he was annoyed at being taken so suddenly and his anger that had been simmering all week was begging to be let out.
He looked around, trying not to lose focus of what he needed to be doing, which was try and find out where he was and how to leave as quickly as possible. It wasn't that difficult, Harry was surrounded by a bunch of black-robed, white-masked people who were bowing to a snake-like, red-eyed man.
"I take it this isn't the Gobstone's Club?" he asked the closest Death Eater politely. The Death Eater's eyes, visible through the mask, looked confused at his presence, causing Harry to internally smirk. They weren't even prepared for his visit. This should be easy.
He darted towards the door quickly but someone came up behind him, snapping onto his wrists a pair of thick manacles,
"Quiet," she hissed and Harry had to contain his new anger at the sound of his godfather's murderer's voice, "You are in the presence of the Dark Lord. You'd do best to not show any disrespect." But Harry smirked internally, putting for show a worried look. He had expected the room to be warded but he had managed to grab his attacker's wand without her realizing it. The manacles were anti-magic but he would be able to get out of them eventually.
"But…" He said with tearfully, his lower lip trembling, "I'll be late to the Gobstones Club and I promised I wouldn't be late again. They'll kick me out if I don't show up."
"Gobstones are the least of your worry, boy!" Bellatrix snarled, "Now quiet…Or would you like me to rip your tongue out? I hear you can speak Parseltongue…I'm sure any potions master would give anything to have even a small portion of it."
"Ew, gross!" Harry said, wrinkling his nose in disgust.
Bellatrix raised her hand to strikehim but Voldemort stilled her arm with a touch,
"And I would pay even more. For him intact, including his tongue."
"Forgive me, my lord," and now she groveled at his feet and even Harry couldn't completely hide his disdainful sneer, "I overstepped. Please, my lord, I meant no offense or harm to the plan."
-Now,- he hissed to Evan, -I heard you could speak the language, boy. What can I offer you in return for your allegiance?- Apart from my life? Harry wondered idly, but he supposed Voldemort didn't want to appear threatening, -I am Lord Vol…-
"Oh, there's no need to introduce yourself, my lord," Harry made his voice sound eager, imitating the Death Eater's way of speaking to Voldemort, "I've heard all about you. I've spent my whole life aspiring to be just like you, my lord."
Voldemort smirked a bit,
"Well then, will you join me?"
"Join you?" and now he made his voice confused, "Why would you need anyone's help? Gobstones is a one-on-one game…"
"Gobstones?" Voldemort's tone was angry, "Why do you speak to me about Gobstones?"
"Well, my lord, you're the champ, aren't you? You've beat everyone else out there! I heard you've never lost a game of Gobstones in your life!"
"I do not play Gobstones!" Voldemort snarled.
Harry wilted, looking disappointed,
"Well, then, what do you do?"
"I rule!" Voldemort snapped, "I command great armies. I will soon be in control of the whole wizarding world! Muggles will cower at my…"
But Harry cut off Voldemort's rant,
"No."
Voldemort blinked and narrowed his eyes. Obviously he wasn't used to being told "no".
"Excuse me?" He snarled.
"No!" Harry shouted, putting on his best Gryffindor mask, "I'll never join you!" He collapsed into a fit of giggles, "Sorry, I've been wanting to say that for the longest time. Anyways, the answer's still no." Vaguely he decided that he'd had way too much desert when he had visited the house-elves for dinner. Sugar did funny things to a person. But he wanted to get Voldemort angry and careless and it helped with his anger so why not?
"You'll change your mind soon. You'd be surprised what a little bit of torture would do to a person. Welcome to the real world, Gryffindor." He ordered the nearest Death Eatersto put Harry in a cage reinforced with anti-magic spells.
Harry soon got into the pattern of the way things were done at Voldemort's base. He was fed little and taken out of the cage only to be tortured and they were careful to leave the anti-magic manacles on. The torture itself wasn't bad; Voldemort forbid any visible damage to his new toy; he seemed certain that Evan would join him any day now. The anti-magic spells on the cage and manacles prevented him from channeling magic into spells but not defenses, so any damage from spells and potions he could block without them realizing. Of course, he played the slowly-going-insane prisoner and, it seemed, played his part to perfection, for the Death Eaters who often tortured Muggles and defiant wizards and witches didn't notice a thing.
So he sat now, huddled in a corner a couple days later, waiting for the opportunity to free himself. It annoyed him immensely that he couldn't kill Voldemort or many of the Death Eaters when he left but he really didn't want to cause a paradox, especially after coming this far, so he had to be careful.
Oops, he had lost himself in thought a little there. Someone had entered his cage when he wasn't paying attention. Harry leapt to his feat and then into a defensive crouch, baring his teeth, growling, and hissing at the intruder. He found it quite entertaining to play the feral animal. The Death Eaters though his mind had been reduced to almost nothing, though he made a big show of acting quite human some of the time. It had only been a couple days, after all.
"Food," the Death Eater grunted, "Eat up, it's entertaining when they throw up whatever they managed to stuff down."
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Severus certainly felt like throwing up. Evan's cat sat next to him, looking at him forlornly.
"I'll get him back," he promised the cat, "No matter what. But not in a Gryffindor way; I'll do what I can when I can." And he had. Earlier that week he had offered his services to Dumbledore as a spy. It's not that he hadn't been wanting to do it for a while but he didn't trust the old man, not like the Gryffindors did. But neither did he trust the Dark Lord. He would be the perfect Slytherin, not quite on one side but not quite on the other. But he needed to learn to shield his mind. Right now it was considered disrespectful to look directly into the Dark Lord's eyes but he would have to crawl up the ladder of power. And what of Dumbledore?
The Dark Mark gave the expected burning and he grabbed the potions. He looked at the clear vials sadly but he had to do it. The Dark Lord had ordered them all to. He could only hope that he wouldn't hurt his friend badly or give himself away, unable to do it at all.
He apparated away.
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(Frowns) Okie; that might have been a little bit of a cliffhanger. But I had to end it 'cause I have to get dinner and to my homework. Motivation well paused and sprung back up again so I don't know when the next update will be. Hopefully soon. And I have no idea what type of metaphor that was supposed to be about the well.
Ack! Too much humor in this chapter…It's the fault of my muses, not me. Me 'n Sal wanted this to be all angsty and stuff. A little too much Tainted Betrayal sinking in here. That was supposed to be where I channel all the humor…But I don't feel like writing it…
Another quick update; I really have to go. Errors will be fixed tomorrow (maybe) and all that stuff.