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Chapter Three: Which is full of Confusion

Severus Snape woke up in the infirmary, he looked around and groaned as he remembered what happened, "Bloody Potter."

"Ah Severus you're awake, good," Poppy Pomfrey bustled over to look at him, "No strange pains or any other ill effects?"

"No Poppy I'm fine, where's Potter? Is he awake?" Snape asked irritably.

"He hasn't woken up yet but he should be fine," she smiled going to check on her other charge.

"Good. I'm going to murder him."

ooooo

Harry could hear voices. They sounded familiar but he couldn't understand a word they were saying. He tried to remember exactly what it was that had rendered him in the hospital wing once more.

He remembered eating dinner, then attacking Malfoy and then… oh the potion. How could he possibly have forgotten that horrified look in Snape's eyes as the man ran at him. What had gone wrong? It couldn't possibly have been Snape's potion making skills, the man was legendary. And he had pronounced every word exactly the same as he had in the practice runs and Snape hadn't picked up anything any of the other times. Unless it was something in the parseltongue?

He sat up in bed suddenly, maybe he had somehow managed to screw up the parseltongue incantations. Of course Snape couldn't have told him he was doing it wrong, the man didn't know.

He groaned.

It was all his fault, as usual.

The voices got closer, they were arguing but still Harry couldn't make out the words. He opened his eyes to see Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape standing on either side of his bed.

Madam Pomfrey seemed to be asking him a question in some strange language. Harry raised an eyebrow at her and shook his head uncomprehendingly.

She had a look at his ears and then repeated her question again more slowly.

Harry laughed, "Try repeating it in English m'am."

The two teachers looked surprised.

Snape said something in the strange language and Harry got frustrated.

He'd get them speaking in English, "Why don't you say that so I can understand it you greasy old bat?"

They stared at him, "Look this is getting really annoying can't you guys just talk normally?"

ooooo

To say they were shocked was an understatement.

When Poppy heard the groan she moved over to Harry's bedside to talk to him while Snape stood and walked to the other side. Poppy glared at him but said nothing.

"Are you alright Harry? No strange aches or pains?" she asked gently.

Harry raised an eyebrow at her and shook his head as if he didn't understand. She had a quick look at his ears but nothing seemed damaged, no doubt his head was a little shaken from the impact. God knows he had enough reason to be, the whole castle had shaken from the blast, luckily the centre of the explosion had an almost eye of the storm calm to it.

"Are. You. Alright. Harry?" she asked slowly, exaggerating each word.

He laughed sibilantly and hissed at them.

Poppy and Snape exchanged confused looks, why had he felt the need to reply in parseltongue?

"Alright Potter you've had your fun now be serious, are you alright?" Snape said carefully.

Harry said something again in the hissing language and looked at Snape expectantly, what was he supposed to say? Come on Potter, you, me and the dungeons right now? Hardly. So he settled for just staring.

The hissing got more frustrated.

"Poppy? I think you'd better send for the headmaster," Snape said slowly.

Harry was beginning to look scared now.

"Alright, why are you guys doing this? Why won't you talk normally? You're kinda starting to scare me," Harry said almost desperately.

"Potter what have you done?" Snape breathed.

It was another few moments before Dumbledore arrived, eyes twinkling.

"Alright now Severus what seems to be the problem?"

Snape looked at him, "I was hoping you might know."

"Oh no not you too sir!" Harry looked horrified, "Professor Dumbledore sir can't you get them to speak normally? I can't understand a word they're saying."

"Oh my," the headmaster said looking a little surprised, "Has he been doing this long?"

"He hasn't spoken a word in English since he woke up," Poppy confirmed worriedly.

"I think it is fairly safe to assume he doesn't understand us either," Dumbledore said watching the boy almost in tears as he tried to communicate with them.

"Albus, he doesn't even realise when he is speaking parseltongue, it is quite possible he doesn't realise he is even doing it," Snape informed him.

"Oh my, this is serious," the old man's brows furrowed, "If he has any visions not only will he not be able to understand them but he won't be able to tell us either, and that's just the beginning."

"How are we going to reverse it?" Poppy asked in a businesslike tone.

Snape shrugged helplessly, "I don't know, he was helping me with an experimental potion, I don't know how to even begin to counter it."

"I think the safest course for the moment might be to wait and see if it wears off. If after a month he shows no sign of improvement then we shall try working on something to reverse it," Dumbledore said decisively.

"But what is he going to do until then?" Snape asked raising an eyebrow at the boy hissing angrily at them.

"Attend his classes, play quidditch, all the sorts of things teenage boys do I assume," the old headmaster's eyes twinkled madly.

"But he won't understand a thing," Snape protested.

"Maybe if he is immersed in an English speaking environment it might start to come back to him," Poppy suggested hesitantly.

"Perhaps, anyway Mr Potter, I think it is best you stay here for one more night under observation and then you can return to your friends in the tower," Dumbledore told him pleasantly.

"Uh Albus? He can't understand you," Snape reminded him rolling his eyes.

"Ah yes, of course, well good luck Poppy, I shall come check on him tomorrow before you let him go if you don't mind," she nodded at him, "Oh and Severus I think you had better come up to my office and we can come up with a story."

"Fine you bastards! Be like that see if I care! I don't! I'll talk to Hermione and Ron when they get here!" Harry fumed.

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