A/N: I don't own Harry Potter. Never have. Never will. This chapter is set 8 years after the prolouge. I have tweaked things like Hogsmeade and Hogwarts a little bit, but I think it fits with the story. If you don't like it, then just say 'serious renovations'. Sorry it has taken so long, but I go to school, and the fanfiction deleted all of what I wrote, so I had to re-write. All parseltongue has triple quotes instead of double quotes. Some charcter's personality has cahnged, so sorry about that. But, then again, the title of the story has 'AU' in it, so... Anyway, I'll shut up so you can enjoy the first real chapter of the story!

Chapter Rating: T

Chapter 1

Returning hisses of our past

Lily sat in the living room of the main house in the Potter Estate. It was a beatiful spring day, and her living room, being on the top floor of the estate, was lit up beautifully by the sunrise. In the middle of the room, there was a large compass. Poining north was a red bolt with a lion at the base of it. South, a eagle, trimmed in blue. East, a green snake who's head was smiling, reminding Lily of her childhood crush, Serverus Snape. To to the west, there was a black, yellow, and marble white badger curled round the point. North, over the crest of a heather-covered hill, was Hogwarts. Although mostly out of sight, Lily could just see the tip of the tower where she lived for seven years. To the south, along the main lakeside road going down the western side of the estate, nestled in a shallow valley, was the villiage of Hogsmead. Faintly visible in the distance was the post office, the sweet shop, and the mysterious shrieking shack. James had once gone in there. He never told anyone what he found. To the west, being cut off by the road, was the 'neat' garden. A small stream began near the door of the house, in a large pond with a bridge and island on it. The stream then flowed through small ponds, under the road, and into the main lake. On the island, was the 'Harry Potter Memorial Garden', among other things, had a small carved stone phoenix, and model of Godric's Hollow. This was enchanted so it changed what ever went on there. If a new house was built, then a new house appeared. To the east, was the moor. A large, open space, with the only thing differentiating it from the rest of the terain being that it was owned. Lily noticed James trying, and failing, to use a muggle lawnmower to cut the grass. Sighing, Lily left the house to help him.


Even though it was tough, Lily got the lawnmower going. Being a muggle-born had advantages. After an hours work, the two truged back inside to the sound of Sirius Black using the floo network to enter. After saying hi, asking how James and Lily were, he told the couple some interesting news.

"Well, the order has reason to believe they have found your son," Sirius stated. He was met with silence, so he continued "a boy, aged 9, or around that has arrived in St. Mungo's. The moment I saw a picture in the paper, I saw the resemblence. He looked like you, James, although he definitely has his mothers eyes. What's more, the moment I saw, I rushed there. Although it was difficult to understand him, he seemed to recognise me."

"What do you mean, difficult to understand him?" James and Lily both said, almost in unison.

"Well, while he understands english, it seems he can only speak parseltongue. I reccomend that you, Lily," Sirius said, pointing at Lily as he said her name,"ask Serverus very nicely if he can translate until we can teach him english."

"I'll floo now." Lily said, and she moved over to the fireplace. As she got there, she noticed the burnt remains of today's rolled-up daily prophet, and wondered why it was burnt. Why?


-A few hours earlier-

Slowly, Insolitam slithered on the floor. He'd never known his real name, but that was what all the other snakes called him. Insolitam. Latin for unusual. Fitting really. If he wanted, he could change the shape of his body, and become a two-legged creature. He was weird, in that he generally hunted differently than the others. Insted of persuing prey, whatever came first, Insolitam scanned the world, looking for the optimal prey. The bigger and slower, the better. A large sloth? He'd come across one once, and it fed him for a week. A small snail? An snack, not a meal. Insolitam was different visually, too. Instead of being a browny-green, he was the most vibrant dark green you've ever seen. He had bright yellow and beigy brown rings around his body, and was around 2-and-a-half feet long. He had red markngs around his jet black orbs he had for eyes, and his tail section was a white that lasted for about 4 inches, before taking another 3 to fade into the green of his body. Today, he was out hunting. Suddenly, he heard a rustle in the bushes behind him.


Lily sat at St. Mungo's, looking at her son. He stared at her, as if she was an alien creature. He hissed, a long and bold hiss, as if to say 'Go away or I will start swearing. Loud.' Snape flooed into the room, saying "Good morning Lily,", pausing, and then hissing "'Hello harry. How are you today? Are you okay?'"

"'Ssssssstop it. There is no Harry here.'" Harry hissed, followed by Snape translating.

"'What sssshhhhould we call you then, Harry?'" Snape asked, and was about to say 'And this is your mother, Lily', when James burst in.

"Why is that hog with my son?" James demanded, drawing his wand.

"We agreed, remember. He would translate Harry's parseltongue, and then we could ask Harry questions. Do you not recall?" Lily calmly pointed out. Honestly, sometimes, she worried. She loved James dearly, but he definitely could be impulsive.

"Ohhhhhhhh. Well, um, how is harry doing, Serverus?" James said, considerably embarrassed. This made Snape smile thinly, but he said nothing.

"Well, I had asked him a question, and he might've answered if you hadn't interrupted." Snape growled, stressing the 'you'.

"Boys, stop argui-" Lily started, attempting to calm the nerves. Stopping a full-blown argument between the two was critical to her. She was cut off by a low, long hisssssssss from Harry.

"What did he say, Serverus?" Lily asked expectantly. To her surprise, James nodded.

"He said that he was the called Insolitam," Snape stated, before hissing "'What happened Insolitam? Why did you show your face after all these years. And then, with Snape translating, Harry explained.


Insolitam turned, frightened. He knew he had been careless, showing his human form to the two-leggers. He'd seen them once, when he was younger. They had brandished weird twigs that fired red bolts out of them. Red-lighters, he'd called them. They had recognised him, and as he got away, they had said that they'd find him again. He'd been in his two-legged form himself that day, which he wanted to do now. He was faster that way, and he could get away. He ran. He tripped, and fell to the floor. He got his way back up, panicking in the torment. At a cry of incend-ino, or something similar, the trees in front of him burst into flames. He turned around, heard something intelligible, and saw a blue bolt of light. He regististered what had been said. Something like 'petrify-cuss total-us'. Insolitam couldn't move. And then, the last thing he remembered was a cry of 'Stupify!', and then, the world went black.


"We are so sorry Har- Insolitam. That sounds horrible." Lily said, comfortingly. That did sound minorly traumatic, especially if you didn't know magic. To Lily's surprise, Harry, sitting on the bed, turned into a snake and curled up, almost content, next to Lily.

"'Harry, would you like to go with your mum, back to your home?'" Snape asked.

"'Home? I have a home?'" Harry asked, so happy he didn't even notice how Serverus said 'Harry'.

"Yes, you have a home, would you like to go there?" James and Lily asked, in complete unison. Snape was amazed at this double act they did. Then Harry said something no-one was expecting.

"Yesssssssssss."


The next few years passed, mostly without incident, until Harry turned 11. He had stopped wanting to be called Insolitam, and was as good at english as he was at parseltongue, apart from hissing his 'ssssss' sound, that is. He had learnt the quirkyness of wizards and muggles, and was gifted and intelligent. For the past he had gone to a muggle school, and was the best, academically at least, in the school. Then, along with his other presents for his birthday, Harry got a letter. Hmmm. Who would post letters to me? He thought, and opened it. Before he pulled out the contents, he had another look at the torn seal. Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry it said. His mum had mentioned that once. But why were they interested in him? He read the letter inside.

"Mum, dad, there's a school that really wants to have me. It's called Hogwarts." Harry shouted through the house. Lily and James immediately stopped what they were doing, and ran to Harry. They were really happy. Their son was going to Hogwarts!


A few days after James and Lily took Harry to a place called 'Diagon Alley', James, Lily, Uncle Sirius and Uncle Remus were standing on platform 9 and 3/4 at Kings Cross. James and Lily had stayed in London, and were going to disapperate back to the house. As Harry boarded the train, he waved to them. As the train entered a tunnel, which would take it under London, Harry found a compartment with two people in it.

"Hello. I'm Harry Potter. Who are you?" Harry said, trying to break the ice. Hermionie Granger, a brunnette-haired witch said "I'm Hermionie Granger, and this is Ron Weasley." The ginger boy, Ron, hadn't even looked up from his work he was doing, and looked minorly annoyed at the disruption. He looked up, and changed completely. He had realised who Harry was. Feeling like he was having his hand yanked off, Harry was minorly annoyed. He sat down, and wondered if he would enjoy Hogwarts.


Needing the loo, Harry had left the compartment. On his way back, he saw a blond boy whom he had met at Diagon Alley. Harry had said that he seemed to austere and unkind, which had really worked the other boy up. What was his name? Was it... Draco Malfoy? Yes, that was it. To Harry's surprise, Malfoy stopped as he passed.

"What'cha doing, idiot?" Malfoy asked, in a bully tone.

"Ingoring you." Harry responded, and tried to push past. Draco blocked him. Harry found himself pulled into an unused compartment. Harry then heard it before he registered what he'd seen. Crack! And then the pain! Oh, the pain! Had Malfoy given him a broken nose? As Harry contemplated this, he let his guard down. And then, he was met with a "Petrificus Totalis!" from the Malfoy Bugger. He fell to the floor, and watched as Malfoy stamped his foot on Harry's chest, possibly breaking a few ribs. Harry passed out from the pain, and the last thing he heard was a muttered "Obliviate."


Harry woke up with Hermionie worriedly looking over him. What on earth had happened? Why did his nose ache? And... Where was he? The train had stopped moving, and it was in a station. Hermionie helped him up gave him his bags, and the two left the train. Ron was waiting on the platform. Harry took a moment to take in the station. This was where he was! He recognised the bridge, because James and Lily had taken him here the day before they went to London. Did that mean they were near now? That road bridge at the end of the platform? Was that the road that led from Hogwarts, past the house, and into Hogsmeade? Harry smiled. He was in a lovely familiar place, and was just contemplating walking along the road, popping in to say hi to James and Lily, when he heard a voice he recognised as belonging to gamekeeper, Hagrid, calling "Firs' years, over 'ere!" As Harry walked to him, he was put in a boat with Hermionie, Ron, and Neville. Harry realised, this very night, that for all that she was clever and bossy, Hermionie Granger was beautiful. As the boat passed the house, Harry thought about this, and nicknamed the boat 'The Love Boat'.


A giant hall presented itself to Harry. Lit cangles hung on fireproof ropes from the mesmorising ceiling. Why mesmorising? It actually looked like the night sky above, with the stars re-arranged slightly, to form words. Over one table, which had green snake banners, the stars said 'Salazar Slytherin', while a table draped in blue had the stars align to form the words 'Roweena Ravenclaw'. A third table, beautifully decorated with pale yellow gold, jet ink black obsidian, and crystal-like marble, had the words 'Helena Hufflepuff' over it, and the last table, which was the second most impressive (after Hufflepuff, of course) was decorated with huggets of carnelian embeddn into the edge of the table, and a blood red table cloth stretching the length of the table. As red, lion-covered banners dropped from the starry ceiling, over the table, he noticed the words in the stars. 'Godric Gryffindor'. Godric. Godric's. Godric's Hollow. And in that moment, Harry felt a sense of meaning other than being a snake or being an academic genius. He felt like he had another family.


Harry walked nervously up to the podium. After Hermionie, the bookworm, and Ron, the academic rival for Harry, had been sorted into Ravenclaw house, who's table had the words 'Wisdom, Intelligence, Ravenclaw' engraved upon it in beauiful amethyst crystals, Harry felt anxious. Would he be with his friends. As he sat on the chair, the hat was pulled over Harry's eyes, and then he heard a voice.

"Hmmm. You are interesting. Very interesting. The raw intelligence of a Ravenclaw, but yet, you are so much like a Slytherin." Teh hat said. Harry shuddered. Draco Malfoy was a Slytherin. Harry didn't like Draco Malfoy.

"Your Gryffindor-style bravery in unrivalled, but you also have what Hufflepuff values. You are hard-working and loyal. I cannot put you." The hat said. And then, to the entire hall, the sorting hat bellowed "HARRY POTTER CAN CHOOSE WHICH HOUSE HE WANTS TO GO IN. HE WOULD DO GREAT IN ALL FOUR." There was a deathly silence. Harry murmured something that turned out to be a 'Ravenclaw'. As Harry sat with his friends, and then later went to bed, he thought about Hogwarts. How amazing was. And how much of a fantastic year he was going to have.

How wrong he was.

A/N-You hate me. I know you do.