(A/n this chapter gave me a bit of struggle. my brain has been fried. I hope it's ok! enjoy.)
Harry and Hermione decided to walk the grounds after another hour of looking for anything else useful. They had walked through the family grave plot. It was in a beautiful area of trees and well manicured brush. Most of the stones were in excellent shape, some could use a good cleaning and a few were badly damaged. Harry scammed ever tombstone he could read. He sees to grow more agitated as he went. Each stone only made him upset. There were entire Potter families buried together. He froze for a moment and Hermione stopped walking and turned to him. "Harry?"
"Mione read that stone there. Tell me what you see." Hermione came closer and crouched down looking at the the faded carvings there. Quickly with a wave of her wand she cleaned the stone and looked closer. "Dagworth-Granger?" She looked up to Harry who was standing over her. "Hermione have you ever done an ancestry search on yourself?"
"My father did a long time ago."
"Did he ever tell you anything?" Hermione shook her head. "And I can't exactly go and ask him." Harry let his face take on sorrow and guilt before he was slapped softly on the shoulder. "I could have just sent them away Harry. I felt it was best. I will find them again after all this is over." She gave him a strained smile. Harry had a deep suspicion it wasn't as easy as Hermione was making it sound, or if it was even possible. "Well when you have the ability to ask. I would mention that name. Hermione if you are related to this person…"
"It would mean my line went squib or I have family somewhere that is magical. Oh wouldn't that just put a bee in Draco's bonnet?" She gave a softer smile to him now and Harry returned it.
They came up on three unmarked stones, but given exactly where they were, with Harry's grandparents being the stones before he fell to his knees. "Mione…this is where they were supposed to be." Hermione slowly crouched down and gave him a hug and with a wave of her wand, names began to form on the stone. It didn't have dates, she didn't know them but their names proudly stood out now. "Thank you mione." He sniffled. The last stone she looked at and back to Harry before another flick of her wand and Sirius's name appeared. "You never properly mourned him either Harry. Now you can."
Harry took some time, introduced Hermione to his parents and told Sirius about their plight. "I should have brought you in sooner. I should have gotten your help. Maybe…maybe if I had you'd still be here." He touched Sirius's name and sighed heavily. Choking back his sniffles. "It's ok Harry. If you could speak with him I know he'd be proud of you." Harry cleared his throat and stood swiftly, wiping his eyes aggressively. He took her hand and they began to walk once again. The trees began to grow thicker together, and they had to stick to a deer path as they walked. Harry didn't know where he was going but he pulled Hermione with him as the storm inside him raged.
Suddenly he stopped. Hermione panting as she began to look around. There was nothing but an old shack. "Harry?" She looked up to his face but it was blank. His eyes were glossed over, his mind nowhere close to earth. Almost robotically he took a step forward. His grip loosening and eventually slipping out of Hermione's hand. "Harry?" She asked again but he kept taking staggered steps forward. Hermione tried to pull him back by his arm closest to her but he still staggered entranced forward. His body kept moving, begining to drag her forward, heels doing their best to dig into the dirt to stop him. "Harry James!" She cried out but was pulled forward again. With that last pull she felt like a water balloon popped over her head. She looked up her eyes catching the now magnificent structure before her. She felt the pull and allowed it to lead her. It was carved out of black marble, grey swirled this way and that. It was as tall as the trees and shinned with the little sun in the sky. As they got closer they could see the intricate designes carved into the marble, of snakes and dragons. "Harry…is this?"
Harry didn't say anything as they continued to get closer to the building. Before the door sat a large metal bowl with loose gems, flowers and gallions around it. The door itself looked to be sealed, a large serpent head faced out to them. Mouth open with deadly looking teeth sharp and imposing. "It looks just like the basilisk." Harry spoke softly. He reached a hand out and touched the cold stone. Hissing could be heard as dozens of small snakes slithered out of the mouth and falling to the ground around them. "Harry…" Hermione spoke alarmed. He put a comforting hand on hers and began to speak. Stop, we are friends Harry said simply and the serpents all turned their attention to him. A Potter… one a speaker once again. Why have you come to this holy place? Hermione gave him a curious look and he did his best to translate to her. It was easy to speak one or the other but his mind didn't want to correspond the two languages. "I wish I could understand. That would make it so much easier." Harry gave her a sad smile. "If I could teach you I would." He turned to the snake he had been speaking with once again. What is this place?
It is a place of the speaker long ago. The one serpents friend Salazar.We know not what a tomb is. But it is where he rests. Are you here to speak to him?
Speak? He lives?
No foolish speaker. He rests here. Harry understood at once. "His ghost is here. A founder has a ghost! Hermione this could change everything!" The snakes sniffed the air and the one he spoke too began to coil around his leg, climbing him. Another climbing Hermione's leg and she gasped. "H-harry I don't know if I like this." Your mate shall not be harmed by us. A Dagworth will never be harmed by us. Why does she not speak to us herself his tongue flicked out again. I don't think she can. Her name is Hermione Granger. If she is a Dagworth it was unknown until just now. The snakes flicked his tongue again, looking the girl up and down, causing a shiver to course her body. "W-what is it saying Harry" "He says you are a Dagworth, and wants to know why you don't talk to him yourself."
Hermione gave a hesitant chuckle. "Well I think this is news to both of us Harry. We only just saw the tombstone, and now I'm a Dagworth? And what does that have to do with talking to snakes?" Harry hissed to the snake who turned his head to Harry then back to Hermione before hissing back. "He said your bloodline almost died but the Dagworth line were speakers. That all in the family could, which is why they were hunted down." Harry hissed again and nodded. "Hunted down and made to look evil for being able to talk like Salazar could. Some must have escaped because you are here."
"Oh that's just lovely. How exactly am I suppose to speak a language I only hear as hissing Harry? You yourself said it was hard to translate and all the hissing sounds the same to me. I could never learn it that way." Her voice was exasperated and tired, her fear easing slightly as the snake only seemed to sniff her cheek then relax and not move, head resting by her collarbone. Harry hissed again and the snake looked between the two once more. "He says Salazar can rebestow the gift to you, but only if you want it." Hermione hesitated looking at all the snakes around them and sweat forming on her forehead. "I'm not sure…after the basilisk snakes kind of freak me out." Hissing that almost sounded like laughter came from the snake on her neck. "Your friend is laughing at you. A speaker afraid of snakes. It's comical." Hermione scowled at the little snake who did a slow blink in her direction.
Harry suddenly nodded and gave a grin. "Hermione even if you don't accept your friend os well a friend. learning to speak could be an advantage. Yes Tom can speak but none of his followers can. We can cast in parseltongue and they'd never know how to block it." Hermione gruffled and looked to the small snake. His green scales a dark shadow of color. But she had to admit, as small as he was he was cute. "I'll think about it. Now what about this tomb?"
"All we need to do is speak with some of my blood and the door will open." Harry gave a two finger stroke to the top of the snakes head and he turned to Harry, quickly coiling around him a little tighter, his head lifting to set atop of Harry's.
With hands clasped Harry touched the snake on the door once again. He took a deep breath and cut his hand on one of the sharp teeth per the instructions of the snake on his head. I wish for entry he spoke simply and a grinding sound caused them both to wince. The door began to slowly open inward, inside the door was pitch black until the light from outside pierced the Vail.
A whoosh of stale air both teens and Hermione quickly cast a fresh air charm. A large rumble came from within and both teens took steps closer together until their shoulders touched. With a quick lumos from Harry they had light as they entered. The rumbled came quicker and deeper, the further they entered.
A cry of anguish echoed around them. Hermione clutching Harry's arm now. "Harry…I think maybe we should go…" the tomb door closed behind them leaving Harry's light the only source to see. "Nevermind then…" soft echoes of their shoes on the marble floor caused a surprising loud sound of them walking further in. The two snakes didn't seem betrubed in anyway, enjoying the ride, tongues flicking every so often. Harry gave her hand a gentile squeeze as a bright lit room came into focus.
The wail of a cry ce once again and Hermione did her best to not freeze in the spot. "I don't like this…" she whispered but Harry pulled them forward and into the light. Casting a quick nox now that the light was no longer needed. Who dares interrupt internal solitude? a voice cried out and a large spectral form came from the wall and floated I'm front of them.
Harry shook softly and looked back at Hermione who in turned gasped. The being floating before them looked a lot like the statue from the chamber but had a hint of mischief and power. "I am Harry James Potter… and this is." The spectrum floated closer to Hermione, eyes looking deep at her. A Dagworth. Thine eyes never thought one would ever return. The lions mane is notable for even thyself to know. Hermione took deep breaths as Salazar looked her up and down. And a Potter has once again graced thyne exile. "Sir…" Hermione spoke softly gaining the forms attention. "An heir of your line is the reason." The form seemed to pause and look between the two and gave a look as if to say 'go on.' Harry cleared his throat and took a cautious breath. "His name is Tom morvolo riddle. And he is currently the worst dark lord of our time."
