"Talking"

"Parseltongue"

Chapter 2: Explanations

Harry Potter was, to say the least, shocked! No one had every told him anything about his parents. In fact, the number one rule at the Dursley's house was NO QUESTIONS. When he was younger,he had tried to ask his relatives about his parents, but Uncle Vernon had yelled at him and then given him a sound lashing before throwing him into his cupboard without food for the rest of the weekend. He hadn't asked any questions since then. He had also learned to hide what he was really feeling, so quickly masking his shock,he asked, "what do you mean?"

Nagina looked at him for a minute, just studying him, before replying, "Iserve your father and he sent me to lookfor you. It has taken me four years to track down where the old fool placed you and find a hole in the wards."

Completely ignoring the part about the wards and 'old fool' since he hadn't heard a word after serve. "What do you mean, you SERVE my father, shouldn't it be you SERVED my father? Isn'the dead? Or does he just not want a freak like me?"

Nagini was disturbed by the way the little master referred to himself and was quick to assure the boy that "You are not a freak. You are a very special little boy and your father isn't dead, but loves you very much. Ah-ah,before you ask me hundreds of questions let me tell youhis story. You see, there was once a boy, named Thomas Marvalo Riddle, he was the bastard son of a wealthy heir. His father was well off, but his mother was a poor witch with a noble lineage, but when your grandfather learned of your grandmother's background, he left her. She later died giving birth to your father, living only long enough to name her baby boy. The baby was placed in an orphanage where he grew up much as you are, unloved, bullied, beaten, and neglected. Then, he learned something wonderful, magic was real andhe was a wizard."

"Wait! What? Magic isn't real! Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon have always said so and I'm not allowed to mention magic or anything like magic. If I do then they will send me to live in an orphanage."

"Ss#&&$#! Magic is very real! And you are a wizard...no don't interrupt, let me finish my story. Now at this point most normal five year olds wouldn't be able to sit still but Harry is very different and sat back down to listen to the old snake. Now that he knew magic was real, he went to a school for witches and wizards, the school was called Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At Hogwarts he learned that he could become very powerful and that he was a descendant of the great Salazaar Slytherin. Salazaar was one of the four founders of Hogwarts and one of the five greatest wizards of all time. Slytherin is the name of one of the four houses of Hogwarts. It is the house your father was in and it became much like the family he never had. While he was there he learned that any descendant of Slytherin who had inherited his gift of snake speech, could open "The Chamber of Secrets". This was a hidden room in deep under Hogwarts that Slytherin had built. He found where the entrance was located and let loose a monster on the school. A monster that only he knew of and only he could control, it was a giant snake. Then a girl died and your father had to lock the monster a way again or else he would be discovered and expelled. But the transfiguration teacher was suspicious and quickly became at odds with your father. The teacher, Albus Dumbledore, was, and is, a very cunning and manipulative man. When your father had been a first year, Dumbledore saw the potential your father had and tried to mold him into a usable tool. When your father pushed him away, he became upset and poisoned the headmaster's mind against your father. He made sure that your father had to go back to the orphanage every year, even after your father returned to school one year having been raped and beaten within an inch of his life.

Sssssh, don't interrupt me childe, I need to finish...Where was I? Oh, yes!"

"Your father became quite powerful and started to build a small following among his peers. Slytherinhouse iss home to both the cunning and the ambitious. It also houses most or the rich, old families who still follow the old traditions.Mudbloods, those of purely muggle descent, are almostnever sorted into Slytherin because it is too dangerous for them, as it stands, it is only safe for half-bloods, like your father, if the half of their family that is magical has a very strong lineage. Your father usedhis classmatesinbreed prejudices and ideals of blood purity to gain their respect, loyalty,and ultimately, their devotion. He started preaching against mudbloods, and muggles (those who are not magical). He called for their destruction and death, even though he himself held other views. He knows thatmuggles are anecessary evil his true goal is to segregrate the wizarding world and return it to its former glory."

"After he graduated, he disappeared. He traveled all over the world for years. He learned the languages, cultures, and ways of magic from others. Not only did he learn different ways to perform magic but he also learned much of the Dark Arts and Black Magicks. I'll explain them later childe. When he resurfaced as the Dark Lord Voldemort, he was unrecognizable as the young Tom Riddle who had disappeared years before. He called to his old friends and comrades and they became the Death Eaters, his followers and servants. Those who were from old, rich families and had gone to school with him became his inner circle, his trusted advisors."

"Finally, after he had bought, cajoled, threatened, and blackmailed enough followers he started his war with the wizarding world. He attacked guerrilla style and used fear, intimidation, and secrecy as his primary weaponsto defeat hope and divide his opposition. The 'light' was, and still is, led by Dumbledore, as the casulties grew the wizardingworld turned to Hogwarts newest headmaster, defeater of Grindewald, for guidance."

"In the midst of this war he had created your father fell in love with your mother. She was not one of his followers and while she didn't hate your father, she didn't agree with him either. At first your father wanted to kidnap her and force her to be his wife, but I persuaded him to try and woo her first.To convince her of his love and sincerity throughactionsinstead of threats andbribes. Luckily for you and for him, he listened and eventually won her to him. Soon afterthey were happily married. Not long after that, maybe about a year later, you were born and you were their life, they loved you like no other. The war suffered slightly in the weeks after you were born, your father was a little distracted."

"Alas,it was not to be. Dumbledore heard about your birth and he knew you would be powerful because both of your parents were and are very powerful. So one day, when your mother and you were walking the gardens at St. Mungo's prior to an early check-up, Dumbledore and a select group of members fromhis Order ambushed you. Your father was distracted by false information and waschasing after a dead endfarenough away that hewasn't able to return in timeto protect you. The staff was distracted by a sudden evacuation drill and the Orderkilled the small retainer of Death Eaters that were supposed to be guarding you. One of the Order members, James Potter, killed your mother, and then instead of killing you, he took you as his ownbecause his wife had just miscarried the night before and he decided you were a good replacement baby. Dumbledore performed a complicated spell in which he transformed a rock into an exact, living replica of you and then killed the replica and left some of you blood nearby so that it looked as if you were dead. Then to complete the charade he charmed you to look just like the Potter's until after your fifteenth birthday and masked your magical signiture so it properly reflected your new lineage. He then modified the memories of Lily Potter and allwho knew that Lily Potter had miscarried so that they believed her to have given birth to you rather than miscarried.He even modified the memory of James Potter at James's own request so that no one could know and they would not treat you any differently."

"A few months later, Dumbledore created a false prophecy which your father interpreted toimply that the Potter's baby would be one to kill your father. Hebegan to hunt forthe Potter's and they tried to hide under a charm called the Fidelas charm, but their secret keeper betrayed them to your father."

"On All Hollow's Eve he went to Godric's Hallow, where they were hiding. He killed James Potter hesitating only long enough to wish he had the time to give James a long and painful death in return for his wife's murder. Then, he went upstairs where you and Lily were. She was both beautiful and powerful,andhad not been apart of the attack on you and your mom since she had just miscarried so he would have spared her, but she refused to move out of his way so he could kill you..."

"What! Why, did he want to kill me? I though you said he loved me!"

"Ssssh! Haven't you been listening? He didn't know that you were his stolen son, he believed, just like everyone else, that you were the son of James Potter."

"Oh, Ok. Then what happened?"

"As I was saying, before you interrupted, Lily Potter refused to move out of the way so he killed her. Then he started to say the killing curse to kill you, but just before he finished, you hissed. With that smallhiss your father doubted himself and puttogether pieces of the puzzle that had subconsciously been nagging him. Instead of finishing the curse, he released the magic unfinished and hoped for the best. The results were...unexpected...it gave you your scar, cementedDumbledore's charm on you until you come of age, or your father returns, separated your father'ssould from his body,destroyed the house you were in, and then your father fled."

"So that's what my dream means."

"Your dream childe?"

"Yes, for as long as I can remember I have been having frequent dreams, apparently of that night. At the end though the voice, I assume it's my father's voice, appologizes. Why does he appologize?"

"Your father is probably appologizing because hedidn't want to leave and risk loosing you again."

"Then why did he leave?"

"He didn't want to, I can promise you that, but he had no choice, Dumbledore would have soon findhim if he had stayed and he needed time toregroup.He was weak andbodiless and as much as he hated to admit it he believed you would be better off raised by someone of Dumbledore's choosing rather than a spirit more dead than alive . He didn't know that you would be placed with these awful muggles. He believed you would be taken in by some muggle loving wizard family, but at least be raised in the wizarding world. He sent me to look after you, tell youyour history,andmake sure you weren't manipulated by that fool Dumbledore."

After her rather long explanation Nagina looked at Harry expectantly. It took Harry while to absorb all this new information.He was only five, a very smart five year old, but a five year old nonetheless. Finally after he finished processing all this new information he summerized, "so your saying that, my father is not really dead,but a half dead spirit thingtrying to gain enough strength to come back.He plans to take over the world, magic is real, I'm a wizard and most likely a bloody powerful one too. Oh, and your to be my protector and teacher. Did I miss anything?"

"No, I think that's everything in a nutshell."

"Oook...So now what do we do?"