Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. However, I do own non-canon, fictional magic, and OC.
A/N: I can't believe it's been since January when I posted. I'm so sorry. I've had a lot of "life happens" lately and I hope y'all will continue to support this story. Y'all's reviewers are amazing and keep me going.
Ch. XLII: Hermione, Hogwarts, and Serpentine Allies
Harry decided he did not care if he was late to their History of Magic class. He would wait for Hermione all day if necessary.
No way am I going into the dorms…she might think I've sided with Ron or something. The young wizard thought, grimacing.
Meanwhile, the young witch finally cleaned herself up after a particularly stressful ugly cry. Glaring at her reflection in the girls' bathroom, she sighed.
You couldn't even hug Harry after all this time! Hermione scowled. And Séraphine! She took your advice on what to look like!
Hermione splashed her face, picked up her satchel before looking down at her feet, and made her way downstairs. She would be late. But she could not bring herself to care.
She went headfirst into another person.
"Oh!" Hermione squeaked. "I'm so sorry, I….Harry?" She gulped.
"Hello Hermione." Harry said softly, eying her carefully.
The boy had no idea how to handle tears.
I'd rather face a Basilisk. He thought soberly.
"W…would you like to walk to History?" Harry asked awkwardly.
"Sure." Hermione whispered, blushing.
Together, they walked in silence. Each casting furtive looks at one another before making their way to class.
Everyone stared at them and Harry's ears burned at all the attention and voices.
It made him straighten once he realized the snickering was directed at Hermione. He immediately stood closer and glowered at everyone as he led them to their seats they usually shared with Ron.
It set his teeth on edge and he took out his quill and parchment as he ignored what Professor Binns said about Goblins.
What's going on? Harry scribbled in his parchment to Hermione.
Her lips thinned slightly at the apparent rule-breaking. Shrugging, she decided she memorized the History of Magic Year 2 textbook and wrote back.
It's nothing serious. How're you feeling?
Harry's eyes narrowed at her.
Never better. But this is serious. What has that prat done this time?
Hermione barely choked back her laughter.
I'll tell you later. I don't want to get caught.
Harry raised his eyebrows at her. His eyes sparking at her indignantly.
So green and beautiful. Hermione blushed before quickly writing: Promise.
The boy nodded and faced the classroom as he took notes legitimately and frowned.
Maybe Sirius knows the truth. He thought perplexed. Something tells me I'm being lied to by this stupid ghost.
After all, Sirius and Séraphine told him repeatedly to contact them about his studies and Harry was slowly believing them.
It was strange.
His entire life the Dursleys did not care about his grades or whether he lived or died. Now, he did not know what to do with guardians who did.
Sparkles hissed irritably as she smelled the air with her forked tongue.
Thisss isss magic. She thought, frustrated. But it not my Youngling Ssspeakersss. It'sss old and powerful.
The Smooth snake slithered her way into Harry's former cupboard. Her hatchlings remained behind with her mate.
I mussst get to my Youngling Ssspeaker…but how? She hid and spied on the Dursleys hoping to catch a snippet of information.
"I hope that freak stays where he belongs." Petunia announced to her husband over tea.
"Humph," Vernon added. "As long as we're paid by that bearded freak in a timely manner than I don't care where he stays."
"Indeed." the horse-faced woman cheered. "I want a mink coat this Christmas, Vernon."
"And so you'll have it, Pet." He simpered back.
Sparkles bared her fangs.
Mindful of the young wizard's command on no biting the Undeserving Ones, she slithered through the hidden hole in the side of the staircase which led to the pipes. From there, she forced herself through a smaller hole and back to her nest in the Dursley backyard.
«Hatchlings,» Sparkles hissed. «I must leave you. Remain with your sire*. » she commanded.
«But…!» hissed the triplets: Silk, Satin, and Silver at once. «What if Our Ssspeaker needsss usss, too? We can fight!»
Sparkles shook her head and eyed her darker mate.
«We will be here to bite the Undessserving Onesss and to assssist that Basssilisssk.» Sneakers cajoled. «Unlesss we practice in our Ssscaled forms we are ussselesss to Our Ssspeaker in our Two-Legger formsss.»
It was true. They would be of no use to their Speaker as they were nearly a decade before when he was given to Madame Jocelyne by that harpy of an aunt. It was only through a sequence of lucky magical protections instinctively caused by Harry that allowed them to escape, trapped as they were in their Scaled forms, until they healed and siphoned enough magic from their Speaker. Ever since, Sparkles and Sneakers kept silent vigil over their Speaker and scared several schoolyard children that dared harm him.
The Basilisk reeked of Black Magic. They scouted him while the Black House-Elf garnered memories from the House of Dursley. It displayed them prominently protecting Harry the best they could. Oftentimes, it meant simply curling up and comforting him with a scaled embrace or nipping at Dudley's heels when he pushed Harry inside a grave or any number of bullying tactics the schoolyard chums did. Unlike any Speaker before him, Harry named them and treated them with kindness. He did not expect them to do his bidding.
Moreover, that alone safeguarded him and grounded their loyalty.
For Sneakers, he was nearly split in two and watched his mate be attacked in a ritualistic sacrifice by the Dark Witch. Harry took pity on them and he protected them when he ran away from her and her Scorpion and Spider guards.
Sparkles unintentionally shared blood with Harry. As a result, she could always find him. Her hatchlings, by extension could find her, but her mate remained behind to do reconnaissance.
Sparkles hissed blessings over her family and huddled together for a moment. She turned and slithered back to Harry's cupboard, realizing the elder Dursleys prepared for dinner with their oaf of son.
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, the silvery snake curled around an old toy of Harry's. It still had his scent despite the musty, bleach-infested air.
«Find him. Guard him. Avenge him.» She hissed in High Latin. «For she ssseeksss to ruin him. Let it be known, for the Ssscaled Warriorsss are his Army at his disposal. Ssso mote it be.»
Within the Dursley walls, the powerful magic would not be sensed by anyone outside.
But it would be sensed by the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.
Sparkles knew she could not muster enough magical capability to get to Hogwarts.
But thisss ssshould do the trick. The Smooth snake thought triumphantly.
Kreacher stilled. His sharp, pale eyes narrowing as he slowly pulled steel.
The Basilisk hissed beside him, appearing in an impressive display of black-and-silver shadows.
«Allow me firssst.» He commanded in the Servants' Tongue. The House had made it possible for them to communicate in High Latin within the Her Walls since Séraphine had lost the capability once she became Human. Outside, they would need either His Lordship as Padfoot or Their Heir using Parseltongue to communicate properly.
«We ssshare the sssame goals,» Sparkles hissed respectfully. «Our Youngling Ssspeaker is in danger from the Dark Witch. I humbly asssk entry into the Noble and Mossst Ancient Houssse of Black and ssseek an Alliance and Asssylum.»
Kreacher's eyes widened.
Before him, transposed over her unassuming Smooth snake form, was a kneeling Serpentine Warrior of legend. Her platinum hair had the Smooth black markings down the center, her bangs covered a broad forehead and her protruding eyes held wisdom and ferocity Kreacher immediately respected. Her armor was silvery-white and her angular features belied strength. Scales pocketed her skin, a few shades paler than her armor.
Lord Sirius and Lady Serena will know of this.
References:
Sire: father/ Dam: mother. Typically heard it with horses but since I can't find a reference between mated snakes. Unless, I wanted to follow Amelia Atwater-Rhodes' tradition in her Hawksong and Snakecharm books but I thought this would pan out just fine. Please review or PM me if you are knowledgable on the subject. The last thing I want to be is willfully incorrect.
So, I completely made up the Serpentine Warriors. I always thought Salazar Slytherin would have had them and overtaken Muggles during the medieval wars which seemed like the quickest way to be feared and respected. Until he mysteriously died from Harry Potter Wikia. I mean, he was pretty epic with Parseltongue, paranoid, power-hungry, and a Legilimens so it makes sense that he would've experimented on snakes to be his own personal bodyguard.