Chapter Ten: The Hunt is On:
Severus Snape ignored Sirius Black who was watching his class. The board of governors came down and watched classes throughout the year. This was a NEWT level class, and the students were advanced enough that Snape could offer pointers here and there as needed but rarely did he have to take points. The students one by one finished the potion and turned it in then they turned to cleaning their cauldrons before taking them to the back to dry. The bell rang and they gathered up their things to leave. Sirius was clad in robes of blue wool, and he had his master's robes on overall.
"You are not here just for the class." Snape said.
"No, I had Angelica Johnson talk to Moaning Myrtle." Sirius said, "she refused to talk to me, but she did talk to her."
"Oh?" Snape said.
"There is a basilisk in Hogwarts." Sirius said, "that is what killed Myrtle."
"Oh, and Salazar put it here?" Snape asked.
"I doubt he would have been that stupid." Sirius said, "that creature is well, unnatural and all. Harry, Mr. Potter can speak to snakes."
"Oh, can he now?" Snape asked, "gained that from his father?"
"No, probably his mother, she probably is not pure muggleborn, no muggleborn really is." Sirius replied, "I still need your help."
"I see, what of the other heads of house?" Snape asked.
"I want you to have this, Harry will open to the chamber, and we will go down, he will open the chamber and we will do the rest." Sirius replied.
"No, no Mr. Potter is a child, he is not going down there, I forbid it." Snape said, "I can speak Parseltongue, most potions masters learn enough, as do curse-breakers."
"Very well, this your last class of the day?" Sirius asked. "And since when did you care about Harry?"
"It is, let's go." Snape said. "I care because he was kept in a boot cupboard, the rest of you seem to think that is okay."
"We don't, but Harry does not want to talk about it." Sirius said, "I know I should have raised him."
"That you should have, just glad that Petunia kept the abuse to what she did and not worse." Snape said at a look from Sirius, "I have different ideas on abuse than you do. "
"Yea, I am not the best for that, given how I was raised, hexes and other things." Sirius replied.
"Yes, explains a few things about you." Snape replied.
"When do you find time to grade?" Sirius asked, "I never see any of you grading."
"House elves." Snape replied.
"Oh, oooooh I thought you lot used time turners." Sirius replied.
"No, house elves, very smart ones at that." Snape replied.
They came to the second-floor girls' toilet and Snape called out to see if anyone was in there. He scanned the room with his wand and, on not finding anyone, closed the toilet. They entered and he scanned the sinks, soon he found one with a snake on it. He spoke to it the sound coming out as hissing. He saw the tunnel and from his robes pulled out a broom shoving it at Sirius. Then he jumped, but he did not slide, he floated down the pipe and landed. He was brushing his robes down when Sirius landed. They strode to a set of doors and once more Snape hissed, and they were in.
"Call it." Sirius said taking out a box and enlarging it, "let's get this over with."
"Very well." Snape hissed again, "it is coming now."
"Oh joy." Sirius replied.
They looked down and felt the large snake before they saw it, Sirius opened the box and took out three roosters and had them crow with all their might. There was a scream and then nothing. He opened his eyes and found a very dead snake, the eyes, once so deadly were now as grey as the floor. He watched as Snape walked up and looked at this large beast, taking in the massive size of it.
"As I thought, only five hundred years old." Snape said, "one a thousand years would be far bigger."
"Oh, that is nice to know." Sirius said," how does it live so long?"
"It doesn't, it is an abomination, and should not exist at all." Snape said, "it is good you found this, Nagini was telling me that there was something evil here."
"Nagini?" Sirius asked.
"Yes, she was found by Mr. Weasley at the edge of their property, he was going to kill her but called me in. She is a maledictus, quite safe, and she will never get to the dark lord, she was trying to find him. She ended up with me instead and is quite happy."
"D-does the headmaster know?" Sirius asked.
"I do, and this is quite the creature. Dumbledore said calmly walking up. "Nagini is my friend, but she likes Severus here best."
"I claim right of conquest." Sirius said, "and will share the proceeds with Severus here."
"Good, good, well that is one danger gone." Dumbledore said, "now to get the curse off the defense post."
"A very good idea." Snape said, "we need a competent professor there, already history is now a favored subject. Molly knows her subject."
"Yes, she does." Dumbledore replied. "I just wish she could have been here for the lovely show her sons' put on, delightful, delightful to cheer up so many."
"He is mad." Snape said to Sirius.
"But brilliant." Sirius replied.
They would have house elves harvest the basilisk, unnatural or not they could use the parts of this creature for many things. Sirius took out a small knife and stuck it into a venom sack, he let the venom drip into a container he carried. Snape did not want to know what he was going to do with that, he really did not. They had Mr. Flitch come down here and take in the snake and the headmaster found another exit very close to Snape's office. Flitch was to come up with a schedule for the house elves on harvesting the snake.
"Eh who was the dunderhead who thought it a grand idea t' breed this?" Flitch asked, "if ye had done this Severus, well by the thumbs I would hang ye."
"No, you would not, thrash me good yes…"
"Wait a minute, you can't let him talk to you…"
"I will talk to Severus how I like!" Mr. Flitch said, "and what is it t' ye?"
"This goes no further." Dumbledore said, "Mr. Flitch died."
"I don't understand, so Mr. Flitch is a vampire now?" Sirius asked.
"No wonder ye never liked 'im, inbred he can't think." Mr. Flitch said.
"So, if Mr. Flitch died, and you are here, who are you then?" Sirius asked.
"Meet my father, Tobias Snape." Severus replied. "What better way to keep a squib safe, my mother did not marry a muggle, she married a squib, my father was adopted by the Snape family."
"Who are you related to?" Sirius asked then it dawn on him, "no, really? Malfoy? But Malfoys are blond and beautiful."
"Not all, you wondered why I am Draco's godfather?" Snape asked, "that is how."
"Oh, well that is, Malfoy?"
"He was supposed to be killed but he was charmed, blood adopted to the Snape family, they never knew. But my mother was attracted to him, she was supposed to marry a Malfoy and somewhat did." Snape said.
"Interesting, so we are cousins then?" Sirius said.
"Unfortunately." Snape said.
"If this gets out, I will be most displeased." Dumbledore said as warning.
Sirius was trying to wrap his head around how Severus Snape and Flitch could be related to Malfoys of all people. What he was not aware of is the ritual done to some of the children at birth, if they did not fit what a Malfoy should look like it was quickly taken care of. Though rumor had it, Lucius had not dared do that as Draco was a metamorphmagus. Or something close to that, he probably was bound and did not know himself.
They headed back up and to the teacher's lounge. Here, Snape called for Nagini, she came in and the other teachers were not phased at all. Quirrell for some reason never did come to the teachers' lounge as he had become quite the loner as it were. Snape made sure Nagini had a spot by the fire before he made a cup of tea for her and put it before her. She hissed and he hissed back smirking. McGonagall came in and with a flick of her wand a biscuit on a plate was right by Nagini, Nagini hissed to her.
"You are welcome." McGonagall said, "I should get a lion, that would go nicely here."
"That would be so Gryffindor of you." Snape said.
"Why thank you Severus, I am aware you did not mean it as a compliment, but I am going to take it as such." McGonagall said preparing a cup of tea and giving it to him, "it is poisoned."
"Good, I like poison." Snape retorted.
"You two still trying to kill each other?" Sprout said coming into the lounge. Hello Nagini."
"We found a basilisk, too young to be Salazar's." Snape said.
"Did you really?" Sprout said, "dead now I hope?"
"Yes, Black here helped." Snape said.
"Always glad to help." Sirius said, "so, I never was able to get into here. Lily did though, but she was head girl."
"Ah, well let us hope that young Harry Potter is more like his mother." Dumbledore said with a smile.
"He is, very much so, temper and all." Sprout said.
"Oh dear." Sirius said.
"Oh, well that is interesting." Was all Snape could say.
He knew full well how bad a temper that Lily had, and he wanted nothing to do with it. Not if it was directed at him. If Harry had her temper, then he would expect Sirius to face that temper sooner than later. He nearly smirked but then realized what that could mean for them all. If Draco Malfoy continued the way he was, Harry was going to knock him down, then hex and curse him. Godfather to the spoiled blond brat or not, Draco had to learn that he was not always going to get his way and bullying was not going to pay. He spoke to Nagini having a very good conversation with her. He gave her a small vial he had kept curing for the past six months and waited, she shivered and nearly turned human before going back to her snake form.
"Well, that was disappointing." She said, in English.
"You spoke English, does that mean the curse can be lifted?" Sirius asked knowing of her condition.
"I believe so." Snape said, "can you still speak to us?"
"I can, oh this is amazing!" Nagini said smiling as much as a snake could, "so I can speak, it worked partly try using basilisk venom."
"That could kill you." Snape countered.
"Not of Fawkes is there to help." Nagini said.
Sirius was impressed to watch these two talk together. It was clear they were friends, but he had no idea how Severus Snape of all people ended up with Nagini. He was not aware that Nagini had ended up finding the Burrow all those years ago, and not knowing what to do with her, Arthur contacted Dumbledore. The rest was history as Nagini was here, now and living with the potions master. Sirius wanted to make a joke but knew he would get hexed, and the headmaster would not see it being busy doing something else.
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This went AU with Molly Weasley ending up in Hufflepuff instead of Gryffindor. From there things went different, and that is where we are now. I am going to have adults deal with adult things, Harry is going to have fun being a student and that is it. So yes, I made Flitch Snape's father and yes, he is a squib of the Malfoy family. It would make sense with how close Lucius and Snape are as friends.
Anyway, do review please!