Sorry about some of this chapter I think I have some repeated thoughts... I wrote it in a couple of sittings and lost my place a little bit hahaha please tell me if it makes sense :) But I hope none the less you enjoy it I am finally managing to start moving the plot forward

Chapter 9:

I missed two months of school, not that it matters for obvious reasons. It seems though that there have been attacks on the school by some unknown person or creature. Nobody wants to talk about it. Mrs Norris, that annoying cat that usually roams the hallways, was petrified. From what I could gather from the children's minds was that on Halloween night after the feast the cat was found and thought to be dead at first, but nobody could think of how this happened or what could have done it. I know though. I think back to Sarina the proud Basilisk and the Heir of Slytherin. How he managed to make it into the castle I'm not sure, but I know that his plans could prove useful for me. To discover my place here in this time maybe if I could manage to talk to the man while he is here then I could make my choice. I pay a visit to the beloved Queen of Snakes down in the chamber.

Many years ago even before I was a fledgling I was told by Secerus where the entrance to the chamber is. That kind of information is not something that is easy to forget even after all this time, but Hogwarts being as it is changes all the time so it goes without saying that I was surprised to find that the room containing the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets inside of a broken down girls bathroom would be a bit of an understatement. In my time it was inside of an old broom closet. Salazar was a strong believer in underestimation and hiding things right under your nose. After a small laugh at what Salazar's face would look like if he saw where the entrance is now I hurry about finding the snake emblem that guards the entrance. It's found easily enough as a metal statue on one of the taps and make my way inside of the tunnel. It's covered in grime and dirt, but it's clear that someone has been through before me.

The entrance way inside of the chamber is littered with the bones of small rodents and perhaps even a cat or two that strayed too far away from their owner. The cold down here is sharp and my nose burns with each breath, but I don't bother with a warming charm just yet. On my way I pass a shed skin lying among some of the rocks. Maybe I could ask Sarina if I could take it, I'm sure Severus would be able to use it in his potions. Finally the cave opens up to the hall and at the end of the end of the impressive walk way is the larger than life statue of Salazar Slytherin, though not a very good one which is surrounded on both sides by water. Once I reach the head of the stone figure, my footsteps echoing though the hall, I speak the Parsel phrase that Secerus taught me.

"Speak to me Salazar, Greatest of the Hogwarts Four."

I can feel the magic activate at the words spoken in a language of hisses and whispers. My hair stands up at the feel of it as the stone mouth opens and Sarina emerges. Exited at my first glance of the magnificent beast I watch silently as she uncoiled herself and moved towards me before lowering her head.

'Hello speaker.' I can feel the soft breaths blowing against my face.

"Hello Sarina of the Great ones, it is a pleasure to finally be able to meet you. I have heard tales about you from Secerus, but he never managed to describe you quite as well as you deserve." I charm, maybe going a bit over board with my complements, but the serpent doesn't seem to mind, she is a woman after all.

'Speaker you flatter me.'

"Call me Harold, or Harry; it's the name I am going by for this physical cycle. Until I have grown out of this body at least." she laughs softly a sort of wheezing noise before bowing lower and dripping venom onto my skin. It burns for a moment and when I look at her curious she tells me she has bonded to me.

'I am bound to serve the heir of my master, but I didn't want to harm the children at this school or those roaming wild. Your blood from Salazar is stronger than that of his heir. I will be able to ignore the call of the heir now.' she explained.

"Is that so... tell me of the heir?"

And so she did. It seems that when the boy was at school here he would rant to Sarina. She had at one stage liked their talks where she would tell him about her master and he would tell her anything he felt like. He was charming she mentioned, but in his sixth year he had returned disheartened. He spoke of his muggle father not wanting him, how he had been treated at the muggle orphanage and the hope he had felt when he had first discovered his father. That he could have had a family, only for that to have been destroyed most brutally. The more I hear about this the more I can understand. My family weren't too keen on me after I got sorted into Ravenclaw. Potters are supposed to be Gryffindor's through and through, they didn't appreciate that I broke from tradition or when the headmaster said I couldn't get resorted because the hat refused unless the student themselves asks for it to be done. They had taken to ignoring me in favour of my big brother who was their heir anyway, but after that it was like I didn't matter anymore.

I spent a lot of time talking to Sarina who was like a mother having tea talking about what she had heard from Tom. She may not have liked how he ordered her around, but from what she had heard the headmaster at the time Professor Dippet had been so blinded by the war against Grindelwald that he had neglected the boy being abused in a muggle orphanage. Sarina hissed and spat about that place and I also felt a twinge of sympathy for the boy. Though I am uncertain about the man at this point mainly due to his current state of dubious sanity.

After spending nearly two hours holed away within the chamber. Ton Riddle in whatever form he has used to enter the school did not turn up at this time so all I can do is wait again and again until I manage to catch him.

Neville and Draco are cross with me for making them worry about disappearing without saying anything, but they don't push me too hard, after their betrayal they seem to be tip toeing around me like they are waiting for me to blow up. I don't do anything to calm their fears, though most people would, they need to feel comfortable around me with the knowledge that they had let me down. It's not something I can help them with but in time it will become easier. Unfortunately because the pair dragged me to the library to pretend to catch me up on classes (so people won't get suspicious) and so I didn't manage to meet up with Severus that day. Or the next. Or the next.

After a week not being able to properly meet with my childe I took to sneaking out at night to his quarters, but whenever I turned up he was out on patrol or he was in a meeting with the headmaster. Had there been any other reason I may have stayed and waited, but the last thing that I need is for that foolish old man to know what I am, or to suspect that I am not who I appear to be. As long as he believes that I am his supposed saviour I am safe enough but if he suspects that I am not as good and light as he wants me to be I could be putting others in danger rather than myself. Me being a Slytherin is suspicious to Dumbledore already so I don't need to tip him off anymore. DAMNIT! The longer this takes the more chance it has for someone else to work out my intention mark and tell Severus.

During my second week back in classes I finally managed to catch Severus alone about an hour before dinner. He was grading or marking some papers with a malicious grin on his face and I could only guess that some Gryffindor first years are going to be thoroughly disappointed with their essay.

"Why are you here?" He said without looking up. His voice is cold but not accusing.

"You are my childe and a fledgling. Without the grounding of an elder Vampire you will slowly lose control of your urges. You are stronger than any fledgling I have seen before, but even you would succumb to the rage and need to drink."

"That still doesn't explain why you are here." He was still looking at the papers in front of him, but has stopped writing.

"I truly believed that Dumbledore would have been smart enough to make sure you had regular contact with someone strong enough to keep you grounded..." I trail off not exactly sure if this was as much an explanation as an apology.

He doesn't reply. We stay sitting in silence before he begins writing again. The scratching of the feather against the parchment is soft and I believe I could hear the man mutter about forgetting how he was wording a particularly good insult. Things are by no means settled between us but I hope that this is at least a beginning.

Thankyou everyone for putting up with me :D I am on Holidays for a couple of weeks so I hope I can put up some more chapters relatively quickly, I will certainly try