Chapter 9
"Look, it clearly states that you're supposed to slice the Bezoar into thin slices before crushing it into a powder." Harry says, aggressively shoving the book he's reading in Draco's face. They've been arguing about this for some time now, and it's really starting to get on both of the boy's nerves.
They were told in potions today to review the brewing instructions for the Antidote to Common Poisons Potion, and they've been stuck on the mechanics of the first step for about forty-five minutes.
"No; It says here-," Draco pauses to shove the book out of his face and pick up the tome he was reading, "-That you don't have to do that! You just put it in the mortar and crush it into a fine powder! Simple as that! You're adding an extra step that you just don't need!" Draco shouts, earning a glare from Madam Pince for his trouble. He shyly ducks his head to hide his embarrassment before turning back to Harry. "Besides, why would it matter if they're sliced or not? Either way, they're going to be crushed, so what we do before that shouldn't be a big deal!"
"If it's not a big deal, then why would-" Harry stops mid-sentence to rub his temples angrily. "You know what? Let's ask Professor Snape. I'm sure he'll know."
"Fantastic." Draco says, smirking. "And when he proves you wrong, I'll be expecting a written apology." Draco snaps his book shut and gathers his things, stalking from the library with Harry hot on his heels.
They make the trek down to the dungeons in ten minutes, stopping once to exchange pleasantries with the twins and reassure them that they still want to participate in their "ingenious pranks." After the last one, Draco had been begrudgingly dragged into their little group, though Harry suspects that he enjoys it more than he lets on.
Once they reach the Potions Master's Room, Draco knocks assertively, stepping back as they wait for the Professor to open the door. After a moment they hear muffled shuffling from the other side of the door, and a second later, the door opens to reveal a glowering Professor Snape. His expression softens slightly when he realizes who is at his door.
"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Severus drawls, stepping aside to allow the boys entrance into his office. There are many piles of parchment strewn around his desk, some marked up with red ink, meaning that the Professor was grading before Harry and Draco interrupted him. Snape closes the door softly and takes a seat at his desk, motioning for Harry and Draco to sit as well. He raises an eyebrow as he waits for their answer.
"Well, sir," Draco begins, taking a seat as prompted. "Harry and I seem to be having a bit of a disagreement about our Potions assignment and we thought that you may be able to clear something up for us."
"I see." Snape says dully, leaning forward in his chair to prop his elbows on his desk, steepling his fingers as he waits for them to continue.
"You see, the first step of Antidote to Common Poisons is to add one Bezoar to the mortar and crush it to a fine powder. Harry thinks that you have to slice the Bezoar before crushing it with the pestle, but I think that slicing the Bezoar would be adding an extra step to the brewing process for no reason."
Snape leans back in his chair when Draco finishes his explanation, thinking for a moment before answering. "You are correct when saying that slicing the Bezoar would be an extra step in the brewing process-"
"I knew it!" Draco exclaims, only to be silenced with a pointed look from Snape.
"However, slicing the Bezoar does have an effect on the brew. When you add this step, the potency of your potion is increased by a small factor, which, in some cases, could mean the difference between life and death. So, in actuality, you are both correct."
Draco's victorious expression shifts to one of disbelief as he looks back and forth between Harry and the Potions Master. "Wait, really?" Draco asks, confusion lacing his tone.
Severus hums in affirmation before speaking again. "If I had the time, I would explain the theory to you in-depth, however, it seems you both will be late to dinner as it is. But, if you inquire over break I will explain it to you." Snape stands, prompting Harry and Draco to follow, and begins to walk them to the door. Before they leave, Snape calls out to them. "You should know, a first-year Gryffindor was found petrified last night. Colin Creevey, I believe. Be wary of everything, and if you see something unusual, contact a teacher immediately." Snape's tone is dark and commanding, leaving no room for disobedience. After a moment, Harry and Draco nod dourly, finally turning and heading down the corridor.
"I think it's time to tell Snape about the voice I heard." Harry mutters solemnly, his expression tense and worried.
"I agree." Draco replies shortly, giving a small sigh.
The rest of the walk to the Great Hall is spent in contemplative silence as each boy ruminates over what Colin Creevey's petrification means for the future of Hogwarts.
~~~TIme Skip~~~
It's Sunday morning, and Harry is sitting in the common room reading and periodically glancing over the top of his book to watch his friends frantically attempt to complete their weekend homework. Blaise and Theo are speaking in hushed tones over a piece of parchment that Harry has gathered to be their group Charms essay on the pros and cons of using the Disarming Charm. They seem to be arguing, mostly with their eyes and facial expressions, which is honestly quite disconcerting now that Harry's seeing it with his own eyes. 'Is that what Draco and I look like when we do that?' Harry wonders, taking note to ask Blaise and Theo when they're less preoccupied. Draco, on the other hand, is sitting alone, cross-legged on the floor as he hurriedly draws his quill across the parchment in front of him, leaving behind a trail of frenzied scribbles, a far cry from his usual elegant handwriting. Harry can practically feel Draco's frustration as he watches the disgruntled blond furrow his brows and run a hand through his already disheveled hair. Harry chuckles and turns back to his book.
After about fifteen more minutes of this, Draco seems to be finished, either that or he's given up, and Harry hears him stuffing his parchment, quill, and ink into his satchel. Another minute passes before Draco takes a seat next to Harry on the couch, peering over his shoulder to get a better look at the text on the page Harry's on. Draco crinkles his nose in confusion and tilts his head slightly as he takes in what Harry's reading.
"What is this?" Draco inquires, his tone laced with curiosity as his eyes continue to skim the page.
"'Spellman's Syllabary' by Rosana Amorim." Harry states blandly, running his finger across the page as he rereads the previous paragraph in an attempt to find a specific line of text. When Draco doesn't respond, Harry chuckles and gives further explanation. "It's a textbook Professor Babbling uses in her Ancient Runes class."
Draco now looks more confused than he had before Harry's explanation. "Why are you reading it? We're not in that class. Actually, we're not even allowed to take that class until next year."
"I don't know. I think it's interesting." Harry replies offhandedly.
"I can't see how Ancient Runes could be interesting." Draco mutters, rolling his eyes and slumping on the couch.
"Here." Harry says, shoving the book in Draco's face in a silent command. Grudgingly, Draco begins to read.
ᚦ: Thurisaz
Proto-Germanic Meaning: Jötnar (Giants of Norse Mythology)
Maxim: Those who cannot learn from the past are condemned to repeat it.
Divinatory Interpretation:
Standard (upright): Propensity for change, conflict, and consequent emotional growth. Sometimes directed destruction or defense.
Merkstave (inverted): Danger, unresolved conflict, relentless and uncontrollable destruction.
Thurisaz was widely used by the early Norse to indicate regions inhabited by Giants on maps and signposting runestones. Because of this, and the violent nature of the relationship between Humans and Giants, Thurisaz will symbolize "danger" in some runic inscriptions. Thurisaz is one of the few runes not commonly utilized for its magical properties. Instead, it is usually used for linguistic purposes.
Because of Thurisaz's geometric properties, it specifically enhances destructive spells, such as the Reductor Curse (Reducto) and the Blasting Curse (Confringo), and is therefore utilized as such in runic magic.
As was described earlier in this text, there are two basic Runic positions that are formed by rotating a rune 180° each time, creating an upright and a merkstave (inverted or reversed) position. (Reminder: Many Runes have different meanings depending on which position they are in.)
Thurisaz is rarely used to enhance explosive spells for two reasons:
Destructive spells are rarely placed onto objects.
There is a great deal of danger involved when carving Runes onto a wand (i.e. upsetting the magical balance that has been crafted by the wandmaker, etc.)
Therefore, Thurisaz is rarely used in its upright position in spellwork. However, reversed Thurisaz can be seen in conjunction with defensive spells, such as an area-specific Shield Charm like Protego Totalum.
When he's finished, Draco sets the book in his lap. "Huh, I guess Ancient Runes can be interesting." He says, surprised by the realization.
"Told you." Harry grabs the book and continues reading, sending a side-glance at Draco to see that his friend is still staring at the wall in shock. Harry laughs internally at Draco's expression and turns his attention back to his book.
~~~Time Skip~~~
Draco and Harry are making their way to Professor Snape's office after dinner. They have decided that it's time to tell Snape about the voice Harry heard in the walls before the first message was found. Harry is a little nervous, having kept this from Snape for so long. He knows his guardian won't be angry, but he may be disappointed, and for whatever reason, that is way worse than any anger Severus may direct at him.
"Did you ever find that book my father mentioned?" Draco asks.
"Yeah," Harry answers with a nod. "If I'm right, it was parseltongue, the snake language. It's the only thing it could be. There are no other abilities that resemble the voice's hiss-like quality. I didn't even know I was a parselmouth until last year and that's only because of that book, and even then it was only a suspicion. When a snake talks to me, it sounds like accented English." Harry finishes with a nonchalant shrug.
Draco gives Harry a wide-eyed stare as he gapes slightly. 'He clearly has no idea how rare that ability is.' Draco concludes. "Harry, do you know how rare it is to be a parselmouth?"
"Um, no?" Harry says in a questioning note. "I know it can't be learned."
"Of course it can't. Parseltongue users have to be born with the ability and have a certain power level in order to develop the power fully. Otherwise, it's dormant." Draco explains. Sometimes he forgets Harry wasn't raised in the wizarding world, let alone without the traditional teachings of an ancient family.
"Oh, do you think I could talk to whatever is hurting everyone?" Harry wonders aloud.
"And why, Mr. Potter, do you believe you could talk to the creature that has been going around petrifying people?" Harry and Draco both freeze mid-step with a small wince. They turn around slowly and face the imposing form of Professor Snape.
"Heeeey, Professor. We were just looking for you" Harry greets his guardian, adopting an innocent look. Severus' eyebrow raises as he stares at his ward with an unimpressed look. Clearly, Harry's method is not working.
"And why, pray tell, were you looking for me?"
Harry quickly glances up and down the hallway, before turning back to the professor. He knows that parseltongue has a bad reputation and he doesn't want someone to overhear what he's about to say. "Could we go to your rooms first?" Harry makes sure to specify Snape's rooms because he knows that he can trust them to be secure. It is Snape, after all.
With a suspicious look and a sharp nod, Snape starts walking at a quick pace to his office, making the two boys jog in an attempt to keep up. When they make it to their destination, Severus grunts the password and ushers the boys in.
"Now, would you care to inform me as to why you believe you could talk to whatever is petrifying students?" Snape looks at Harry pointedly, demanding an immediate answer.
"When the original message was written on the wall, I heard a voice - Well, more like a hiss, really - and started to follow it. Draco found me in the hall before I heard it and he followed me. The voice led us to Mrs. Norris and the message on the wall. We left before anyone could see us, knowing we were likely to be blamed for the incident if we were found there. We wrote to Lucius and he told me to look in a book I got in Diagon last year about wizards and their abilities. Long story short, I think I'm a parselmouth, and whatever is causing this is some kind of snake." Harry spits out in one long breath.
Severus stares at Harry with an incredulous look on his face. When he sees the nervous look on Harry's face, he kneels down to Harry's level and speaks in soothing tones to reassure his ward, "Harry, you have an amazing ability and it should never be something you are ashamed of. While your ability does have a stigma, it is something you should be proud of." He then pulls the child in for a hug, feeling Harry's relief at his words. He pulls away and adopts a stern look. "Now, although you should be proud of your power, you will be looked down upon by anyone not a part of a traditional family. I also believe you may be right about whatever may be causing the petrifications around the school. You boys need to be careful while I look into this." Severus ushers the young Slytherins out of his rooms and walks with them to the common room. He intones the password to the common room, "Runespoor."
As their Head of House enters the room, everyone immediately gives him their attention. The Slytherins respect Severus because of the simple fact that he cares about every single one of them. The only expectation he has of the Slytherin students is for them to stand as a united front, to support and protect each other no matter the situation. He speaks to every Slytherin as an adult, no matter their age, and he is always willing to help in any way he can.
"Miss Farley, gather everyone in the Common Room; We will be having a house meeting." Severus requests, firmly, but not without warmth. The Prefect gives him small nods of understanding before walking briskly to the Slytherin dormitories to wake her housemates.
It takes no more than five minutes for the entirety of Slytherin House to gather in the Common Room, the younger years sitting cross-legged on the floor directly in front of Severus, while the upperclassmen stand behind them.
The Potions Master waits for a moment, observing his house before speaking. "I am here to inform you that there was another attack a few nights ago, this time it was a student. You need to be vigilant when out of the safety of the common room and now, more than ever, you must not travel alone. Why the Headmaster hasn't closed the school after the attack on the cat, I do not know." He then looks up to the group of older students, his eyes sweeping across them to ensure they understand that the next message is specifically for them. "I expect each and every one of you to keep the younger students protected. While most know how to protect themselves, you will know more." He says firmly.
The upperclassmen gain a look of determination in their eyes and, nodding in unison, almost as if they planned it, they silently vow to keep the younger Slytherins safe.
Severus feels proud of his snakes. Unlike the rest of the houses, Slytherins have a strong sense of unity, building relationships that last through their adult years.
After giving one more nod of approval, Severus turns on his heels, giving a brief "Goodnight" to his house as he stalks from the room.
~~~Time Skip~~~
Harry, Draco, Blaise, and Theo enter the Great Hall to find it completely transformed for today's Dueling Club meeting. The House tables have been pushed to the sides of the room, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff to the right and Slytherin and Ravenclaw to the left. There is a long, rectangular platform sitting on the right side of the room, which Harry suspects is where the dueling pairs will stand. The group of students who have decided to attend are standing to the left of it in a large group, chatting nervously about the upcoming meeting.
Harry spots Hermione at the front of the group, waving at the four Slytherins to get their attention. Harry smiles at her and waves back, nodding in affirmation when she cocks her head slightly, silently asking if they'll stand with her. Harry nudges Draco lightly and points in Hermione's direction. Draco nods at Harry, taking Blaise's wrist and pulling him over to the bushy-haired Gryffindor. Harry does the same to Theo, making sure to touch him lightly before fully grabbing his hand, understanding that sudden, heavy touches aren't comfortable for someone going through abuse. Theo smiles gratefully and allows himself to be pulled along, squeezing Harry's hand tightly to show his appreciation.
When they reach Hermione, the girl practically tackles Harry in a hug, forcing him to take a few steps back to stabilize himself. He eagerly hugs her back, getting a face full of bushy, brown hair. Hermione's immediate demand for physical contact worries Harry, making him wonder if she regularly interacts with her own Housemates. Come to think of it, he's never actually seen her with another Gryffindor outside of classes. The girl seems to prefer to hole herself up in the library instead of spending her free time in the Gryffindor common room, which only adds to Harry's concern. 'I should ask her about it soon; See if she needs to talk, or something.' Harry decides, also resolving to spend more time with her when he has the chance.
"Hello to you too, Hermione." Harry greets with an amused chuckle, tightening his hold briefly before he pulls away. Hermione's face flushes with embarrassment.
"Sorry." She murmurs, quickly looking down to hide her face behind a curtain of brown hair.
"It's fine; You know I'll never say no to a hug." Harry reassures, grinning as Hermione raises her head, her face lighting up. They hear someone clear their throat and they turn towards the noise, spotting Draco with his arms crossed, a mock expression of hurt on his face.
"Oh, so Harry gets a hug and I don't? I see how it is, Granger. You've been playing me all along, haven't you?" Draco is unable to hide the mischievous glint in his eye as he speaks.
"Have I?" Hermione responds teasingly before adding, "Besides, Harry gives better hugs." Draco gasps, bringing his hand to his chest in shock.
"Slander!" Draco shouts, drawing the momentary gaze of a few bystanders. Hermione laughs brightly, walking over to Draco and opening her arms. Draco grins and gladly accepts the invitation, wrapping his arms around the smaller girl for a few moments before stepping away.
"Well, now I feel left out." Blaise whines, pouting, drawing Hermione's attention. Hermione giggles and embraces him too.
"Oi! Get out of the way. It's my turn." Theo shoves Blaise out of Hermione's grasp and wraps his arms around her briefly, which is surprising due to his usual aversion to physical contact from people that he isn't close with. After a moment, he lets go, reaching out to muss up her already wild hair.
Hermione slaps his hand away with a grin, muttering, "You Slytherins are absolutely ridiculous," under her breath as she tries to smooth her hair down in an attempt to reverse the damage.
Harry watches the exchange fondly. After the DADA incident at the beginning of the year, Hermione had become fast friends with Blaise and Theo, which delighted Harry and Draco immensely. Harry looks away for a moment to find that Weasley is staring at the five of them with murderous intent, his face turning bright red. Harry grins and sends him a little wave, further enraging the hot-headed Gryffindor. Weasley begins stomping over to the group, but before he can get very far, Professor Lockhart begins speaking.
"Hey." Harry whispers, bending down slightly so Hermione can hear his hushed words. "Meet me in the library tonight. I want to talk to you about something." Hermione seems confused but nods nonetheless before returning her attention to Lockhart.
"Can everybody see me? Can you all hear me?" Lockhart says in a grandiose manner, flourishing his arms as he looks down at the gathered students from his place on the platform.
"Unfortunately." Harry mutters, earning muffled snickers from his companions.
"Excellent! In light of the dark events of recent weeks, Professor Dumbledore has given me permission to start this little Duelling Club to train you all up in case you ever need to defend yourselves, as I myself have done on countless occasions. For full details, see my published works." Lockhart pauses briefly before continuing his speech. "Now, let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape." Lockhart gestures to Snape, who is standing off to the side, looking less than pleased. Harry, on the other hand, feels immediately relieved by his guardian's presence, thanking whatever gods may be that Lockhart has a chaperone. He'd rather not have a repeat of The Incident of the Rampaging Pixies today, or any day, for that matter. "He has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry- you'll still have your Potions Master when I'm through with him, never fear." Lockhart walks to one side of the platform, turning to face Snape, who has done the same. As he begins counting down, Harry quietly makes a bet with his friends on whether or not Snape will put Lockhart in the hospital wing.
"One… Two… Three-"
"Expelliarmus."
With one word, Snape sends Lockhart flying through the air, shocking the gathered students, eliciting startled gasps and amused chuckles from the group. Lockhart's body hits the platform's floor with a resounding thud.
Silence falls over the room.
It is a well-known fact that Harry hates long, drawn-out silences. Silence is unpredictable, and it has never boded well for Harry's health. That being said, Harry's reaction is completely justified, despite what Draco may say, and therefore, Harry has done absolutely nothing wrong…
Harry begins cheering, loudly, clapping animatedly as he praises the performance. One by one, the gathered students join him, continuing to cheer as Lockhart shakily makes his way off the floor. Draco, however, is less than pleased and he refuses to join in, instead dropping his head down and muttering something along the lines of "why do I subject myself to this madness" before swatting Harry's arm, silently telling him to "shut up and behave". Of course, Harry ignores him, swatting Draco back and cheering louder in retaliation.
Lockhart clears his throat and the applause begins to slowly die down. Harry, ever the rebel, lets out one more shout of praise before falling silent and waiting for Lockhart to begin speaking.
"An excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind me saying, it was pretty obvious what you were about to do. And if I had wanted to stop you, it would have been only too easy." Lockhart stutters over his words, brushing the dust off his clothes as he speaks. Snape is not impressed, if his glare is anything to go by, and Harry is honestly surprised that the Potions Master hasn't hexed him yet. Harry secretly hopes that he does; Watching Lockhart fly across the room was quality entertainment that he would like to have recorded and played on repeat at breakfast tomorrow morning, and he's sure that anything else Snape has in mind will be just as entertaining.
"Perhaps it would be prudent to first teach the students to block unfriendly spells, Professor." Calling Lockhart a Professor seems physically painful to Snape, which is evident by the way his face twists into a sneer as the word leaves his lips.
"An excellent suggestion Professor Snape!" Lockhart pauses, surveying the crowd. "Ah… Let's have a volunteer pair. Um, Potter, Weasley, how about you?"
Harry immediately lights up at the suggestion, looking forward to humiliating his Gryffindor tormentor. Ron, however, groans loudly, trudging up to the platform, his feet scuffing against the floor.
Harry eagerly bounds up the steps, throwing a grin and a wink at his friends, who try valiantly to conceal their snickers. On top of the fact that he's about to engage in a school-sanctioned duel with his rival, Harry enjoys the symbolism of a duel between a Gryffindor and a Slytherin; The houses that have the most animosity between them.
Once Harry has made his way up the stairs, he gravitates toward Snape's side of the platform while Ron goes to stand in front of Lockhart, nervously tapping his fingers against his leg.
"Good luck, Harry. Remember, he may seem completely incompetent, but he comes from a magical family. It is likely that he knows spells that you do not; Be prepared." Snape leans down to Harry's level, whispering softly so only Harry will hear his warning.
"Yes, sir." Harry nods, taking up a confident, yet somehow relaxed stance, his posture and attitude a spectacular imitation of Draco's.
The two boys walk up to each other, standing face to face in the middle of the platform. "Wands at the ready!" Lockhart declares, prompting Harry and Ron to begin the dueling process. Luckily, Draco has already given Harry a lesson on proper dueling etiquette, so he knows the traditional steps to take before the duel truly begins.
"Scared, Potter?" Weasley taunts as he sinks into a messy bow, his attempt at intimidation feeble at best.
"Scared? Of you? You wish, Weasley. The day you start to frighten me is the day I'll have myself committed." Harry smirks as Ron's expression darkens with anger, just as Harry expected. Anger makes people reckless, which leaves them vulnerable. All Harry has to do now is wait for him to let his guard down.
Harry and Ron turn abruptly, walking in measured steps to opposite sides of the platform before facing each other and taking up a dueling stance, their knees bent and their wands raised.
"On the count of three, cast your charms to disarm your opponent - only to disarm." Lockhart stresses his last few words, sending a pointed look at both duellers. "We don't want any accidents here. One, two, thre-"
"Everte statium!" As Ron finishes the incantation, a wave orange of energy flies directly at Harry. Harry reacts immediately, silently thanking Lucius Malfoy for his tutelage over the summer.
"Protego!" Harry's shield deflects Ron's spell, sending it speeding back at its caster. The spell reaches Ron before he can react and he's sent flying as it strikes him squarely in the chest. Ron groans from the floor, obviously in pain. Harry doesn't know what that spell does, but it must have hurt quite a bit, and Harry finds himself thanking Draco's father once again for teaching him the Shield Charm.
As Ron stumbles to his feet, Harry makes a decision. If Weasley doesn't want to play fair, then why the bloody hell should he? With this in mind, Harry clearly shouts, "Rictusempra!", sending Ron into a fit of giggles that he tries, and fails to repress.
"I said disarm only!" Lockhart cries in an attempt to get the two boys back on track. It doesn't work, and the conflict instantly escalates.
Once Ron stops laughing, he straightens, his face contorting in rage. Harry can see the look in his eyes, and he immediately knows that the redhead's next spell is going to be even less friendly than the last. Harry steels himself for the oncoming disaster, his posture tensing in preparation for what's to come.
"Serpensortia!" Once the incantation is complete, a large serpent springs from Ron's wand, landing heavily on the platform, looking slightly disgruntled and extremely pissed off. The snake coils up, its upper body rising off the ground as it poises to strike at a Hufflepuff boy in Harry's year, Justin, if Harry remembers correctly.
Harry sees Snape and Lockhart begin to move forward and immediately decides to intervene. Lockhart is closer and a spell is already forming on his lips. If Harry doesn't do something, the idiot is likely to enrage the serpent further, or he'll end up accidentally killing the poor thing. If Harry really is a Parselmouth, then he can end this without hurting the snake, who is probably terrified and doesn't deserve to be harmed.
{Leave him alone.} Harry hisses while stepping forward, the serpent glances at him, but its attention quickly turns back to Justin. {Leave him. Leave him!} Harry shouts, more insistent this time. The intensity of his voice seems to get the serpent's attention because it turns to him and slowly backs away from Justin.
{You speak.} The serpent asks, flicking its tongue, testing Harry's scent. Now that Harry has heard the snake's voice, he can somehow feel that the serpent is a girl.
{Yes; You must not attack. They will hurt you if you do.} The serpent glances at Snape and Lockhart before looking back at Harry.
{You would protect me from them?}
{Yes. You do not deserve pain. You are scared, and I know what that is like.} Harry kneels down and beckons the serpent to approach him. She hesitates for a moment but quickly decides to trust Harry. She hasn't been spoken to for a very long time, and she is eager to trust the boy, hoping that she will no longer be alone. she slithers up to him, her tongue flicking onto his outstretched hand.
{I will trust you, master.}
{You do not need to call me that. My name is Harry. What is yours?}
{Adira, master} The serpent, Adira, says, her voice taking on a teasing tone when she calls him "master" again, despite his protests. Harry laughs and moves his hand so he can stroke Adira scales. Adira leans her upper body into the touch, enjoying the attention.
{You are beautiful.} Harry says in awe, noticing the way her scales shimmer in the light, every slight movement revealing different colors that seem to dance across her body.
{I know.} Adira states proudly, raising her head high in a manner that reminds Harry of Draco. He chuckles, pulling his hand away and standing up to face his shocked Professors, not daring to look out at the gathered crowd below him.
"I'm keeping her." Harry states firmly, he was not going to allow them to take the beautiful snake from him.
Lockhart completely ignores the child and motions to his wand. "Come now, Harry. A snake is a dangerous creature, we need to get rid of it."
"He can clearly control it, Lockhart. I don't see any reason he can't keep it." Severus protests after a moment of thought, observing the scene before him with dark, intelligent eyes. He turns to Harry, "I will speak with the Headmaster to see if he will allow it." Severus pauses. "Is it venomous?"
"She." Harry insists before looking down to Adira. {Are you venomous?} Adira nods her head before relaxing around Harry, resting her head on his shoulder.
"I see. If you receive permission from the Headmaster to keep her, I'll need to extract some of her venom for an anti-venom." Severus says slowly, looking away from the snake and locking eyes with Harry. Despite the coldness of the Professor's gaze, Harry finds himself filled with hope. He recognizes the approval that is hidden in his guardian's expression and he is certain that Snape will do everything he can to allow Harry to keep Adira as a companion.
Harry nods before turning to the gathered students, his gaze sliding across the crowd in an evaluating manner. He recognizes expressions of shock and fear on many of his schoolmate's faces, which doesn't really surprise him. However, Justin's expression, one of nervous accusation, is startling. After all, depending on the potency of Adira's venom, it is quite possible that Harry has just saved Justin's life. Shouldn't he be grateful? Why, then, is the Hufflepuff looking at Harry as if he's being held at wandpoint?
"What do you think you're getting at Potter?"
Harry reels back imperceptibly at Justin's sharp words and his face falls as he picks up on the boy's accusatory tone. "What do you mean?" Harry asks softly.
"The snake! Y-you told it to attack me!" Justin shouts, stuttering over his words, his voice shaky. Harry quickly shakes his head as he goes to defend himself, opening his mouth in an attempt to clarify his intentions. However, before he can, Justin starts again, "I bet you're the one behind the petrifications, too. What, with an ability like that?"
Harry finds himself speechless, staring open-mouthed at Justin, whose face is scrunched up in anger, his lips curled into a sneer. Harry glances around the room, noticing that the level of suspicion in his schoolmate's eyes has increased dramatically. He spares one more look at Justin before he begins searching the crowd frantically for his best friend's gaze, seeking the comfort that comes with Draco's steel grey eyes. They make eye-contact for a moment before Draco hurriedly makes his way up to the platform, sending a pleading look at Professor Snape, immediately receiving a sharp nod of permission. Without a moment's hesitation, Draco grabs Harry by the hand and drags him from the Great Hall. Neither boy looks back as the grand doors slam shut behind them.
~~~Time Skip~~~
Harry enters the library thirty minutes before students are required to be in their dorms for the night. He slowly makes his way to the back of the library, where he knows Hermione usually sits, and peruses the books in the nearby sections as he waits for her to arrive.
"Harry." Hermione whispers from beside him. Somehow, the Gryffindor has managed to sneak up next to him, which, granted, isn't exactly a difficult task when you take into account Harry's attention span. Don't judge him, alright? He's working on it… Probably…
Harry lets out an undignified squeak at Hermione's sudden arrival at his side, which he will deny for the rest of eternity, and he whips his head over to look at the girl with startled eyes.
"Merlin, Hermione, don't do that!" Harry exclaims, momentarily forgetting about the no yelling policy Madam Pince strictly enforces.
Hermione giggles at his reaction, her hand coming up to her mouth to cover her amused smile. "Sorry." She whispers, her insincere tone laced with amusement. Harry, who has finally managed to calm his heart rate and steady his breathing, shifts so he's standing in front of her, letting out a soft chuckle once they are facing each other. After a brief moment of comfortable silence, Hermione speaks. "So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"
"Oh, right." Harry says, remembering the reason why he asked Hermione to meet him here. "I noticed that you were standing by yourself earlier at Dueling Club. I guess I'm just wondering if you…" Harry pauses as he searches for the right words, trying to find a way to ask her without sounding offensive. A second passes before Hermione sighs, her entire body deflating.
"You want to know if I have any friends in Gryffindor." She mumbles sadly, hanging her head and hiding her bleak expression behind a curtain of brown hair.
"Um… Yeah." Harry confirms, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand as his cheeks flush red.
Hermione begins tapping her fingers at her side. Her head remains lowered to her chest as she collects her thoughts. "I…" She trails off, pausing and lifting her head, bringing her right hand up to rub at her forehead in frustration. Her face scrunches up and her eyebrows furrow. Finally, she replies. "No." She pauses, letting her simple answer sink in for a moment. "I mean, I talk to the other Gryffindor girls from time to time, and Neville really is quite sweet once he's comfortable around you, but I wouldn't call them my friends. Not really. I- I think it's Ron's fault, at least some of it is. He doesn't like me because I have Slytherin friends, especially since it's you and Draco, and I think he's made the other first years in Gryffindor dislike me. I know it's awful, but I'm used to it." By now, Hermione is crying, her shoulders shaking as she tries to hold back her sobs.
Harry immediately pulls her to his chest, rubbing her back comfortingly as she buries her face in his shoulder. "I thought it would be different here, but it's not. I never had friends back home. People thought I was annoying. They bullied me because of my hair and called me names when they thought I couldn't hear. I didn't want to be popular here, I just wanted to have friends. I wanted to be able to walk down the hallway without having to listen to people whisper about how horrible I am. But it's still happening. It's just as bad, if not worse than it was before and I'm starting to think that nothing is ever going to change." Hermione lets out a heart-wrenching sob and increases her grip on Harry, clinging onto his shirt as she lets go, finally allowing herself to feel the whirlwind of emotion that has been lurking in the shadows of her subconscious for far too long. "What's wrong with me, Harry. Please, just tell me what I'm doing wrong."
Harry's heart squeezes painfully at Hermione's words and tears threaten to spill from his eyes as he holds the small girl tighter to his chest. He understands. He knows what it feels like to be ostracized and criticized for simply being yourself. He knows the pain of loneliness all too well, the crushing rejection and a terrible question: What is wrong with me? Harry now realizes that he's lucky. He was sorted into the same house as his friend, and most of his housemates have been receptive to his attempts at friendship. He has a support system, people who he knows will always have his back, no matter the circumstance. It's obvious to Harry that Hermione doesn't have these things, and he hates himself for not noticing it earlier. He decides, here and now, that he will show Hermione that she's not alone, that there's nothing wrong with her and she deserves to be accepted.
"Hermione? Look at me, please." Hermione pulls away ever so slightly, tilting her head up so Harry can see the agony pooled in her eyes. "There is nothing wrong with you, you hear? This- this isn't your fault." Another sob tears it's way from Hermione's throat, pushing Harry over the edge as the tears that have been brewing in his eyes finally begin to fall. "Ron's an arse, and if your housemates are willing to blindly follow his lead like that, then they aren't worth your time anyway. You're amazing, Hermione. You're intelligent, quick witted, and kind-hearted. You are capable of doing anything you set your mind to. Don't let the idiots of the world keep you from living your life the way you want to live it. The best way to get back at them is to prove that they're wrong, show them how much you're worth and make them realize just how much they've missed out on." Harry pauses, a soft smile playing on his lips as he grips Hermione's shoulders firmly. "You weren't brought into this world to be society's pawn. Never conform, never take no for an answer, and most importantly, never lose sight of who you are. And if you ever start to forget how much you're worth, come to me, okay? I've been there, and I know that sometimes you just need to be reminded that you're not alone. You're my friend, Hermione, and I'm here for you, no matter what." Harry finishes his speech softly, making sure to meet Hermione's gaze with his own.
Hermione lets a soft smile show through her tears, nodding slightly as she sniffles. She inhales shakily, holds her breath for a few seconds, then exhales before pulling Harry into another embrace.
"Thank you, Harry," Hermione whispers, "For everything."
A/N: This is the website where we got the ancient rune information for this chapter. If you notice any errors, please feel free to let us know.
library/book/1863/chapter/5/
We are really sorry about the long wait. Things started to get really busy and we were having a hard time finishing this chapter on top of everything else that has been going on. We should be resuming our normal weekly posting schedule now that things have settled down a bit. Thank you for your patience.
This chapter is one of the longest we've written. We didn't really mean for it to be this long, but one thing led to another and suddenly we had almost 7,000 words written. We looked through the chapter to see if we could break it up into two parts, but ultimately decided that we needed these events to go together. However, we would love to hear any input you may have on the length of the chapters in this story. We understand that longer chapters can sometimes be hard to focus on because it just seems like you aren't making any progress. If you have a preference, please leave a comment or PM us.