Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. It and any characters from the franchise that may appear in this fanfiction are the intellectual property of J.K. Rowling. This story was written for entertainment purposes only and no profit is made from this story.

Author's note: Eternal thanks to my beta, GeekandProud (AO3) a.k.a. AnimeIsMyCrack (FF) who also made the cover image for this story.

Anything in Italics surrounded by $ $ is Basilisk speech

- The Department of Mysteries, 29th of December 1992 –

The Unspeakables had been more than a little surprised when Madam Bones showed up on Level 9 a few days after Yule, her fiancé and four second-year Hogwarts students in tow.

The head of the D.M.L.E. slid over a small piece of parchment to the Unspeakable who greeted them, the parchment combusting into flame as soon they had read it.

"Only Mr. Po-"

"For Merlin's sake, did you even read the note? It clearly said to not pronounce his name," Amelia hissed. "No one should know we are here. All of us will come in, and you will be obliviated once this is over, Croaker. That is an order ."

"Certainly, Madam," the unspeakable agreed, leading them deeper into the Department of Mysteries.

Draco had always been curious about what was studied in this part of the Ministry. When they stood still for a few seconds in front of twelve black handle-less doors, a part of him wished he could learn what was behind every single one of them. Alas, he had no ambition to become an unspeakable and curiosity alone would not give him a glimpse at any of the secrets which lay beyond. Croaker took them through one of the doors, and soon they were standing in the famed Time Room.

"Time-turners," Hermione whispered to Harry and Neville, the three of them huddled closely together. "The Ministry keeps a tight leash on wizards and witches who try to meddle with time. These time-turners are extremely rare and powerful. I've read about them in the library, and I've heard that they should never be used to go back in time for more than a few hours."

"You've been studying up on time-turners?" Draco asked, surprised.

Hermione hummed at him, lost in thought as she took in the Time Room. He could see her mind working, but before he could ask more, the unspeakable interrupted him.

"Quite correct, young lady. They are also extremely dangerous," Croaker supplied. "Time is not to be meddled with. The consequences of time travel could be catastrophic indeed."

Draco just nodded and kept silent, Deandra lending her strength to his occlumency walls. Just in case . It would do well for him not to be found out. If only they knew an actual time-traveller was in their midst.

The group made a sharp left, and the Unspeakable opened another door for them. "A portkey, Madam," Croaker said, handing Amelia a small key. "It will activate in about five minutes. I suggest you and your associates make your way to the corner on the far left of the room, where you will find what you are looking for."

The Director of the D.M.L.E. nodded and whispered an obliviating spell before closing the door in the man's face. "Let's go, children." she said.

"Hey!" Sirius said, feigning being upset. "I'm not a child!"

"No, you're serious." She smirked at him as she led the group to where Croaker had told them to go.

" This is why I love Amelia Bones," Sirius whispered to the group of four. "Always keeps me on my toes, that one."

Draco smiled. He'd felt much the same when he and his Hermione had started dating in secret during their fifth year. She had completed him and challenged him at the same time. She defied him and agreed with him. Hermione had always done what was right by him, not what was easy.

Suddenly, a twinkle of magic caught his eye, and he stopped in his tracks looking into the corridor to his right. What was that? He scanned the shelves again, but nothing seemed to be out of place so he just shrugged and continued onwards, joining his friends as they had finally reached the prophecy.

Hermione gasped when she read the inscription.

Harry J. Potter and Tom M. Riddle .

"I told you," Neville said sadly. "Grandmother was sure it was about you, Harry. Seems she was right all along."

"Well, let's find out why," Harry said, shrugging, and reaching out his arm to the small globe.

As soon as he touched it, they all heard Trelawney's voice around them, a magical wind circling around the six of them.

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."

Harry staggered backwards, nearly dropping the prophecy.

Sirius grabbed him by his shoulders, steadying him as Amelia looked sadly at the pair of them.

"It's true," the raven-haired Slytherin said desperately. "It will be me or him, Sirius… He killed mum and dad because of me ."

Sirius sighed deeply and took the Prophecy from his godson before putting it back on the shelf. He crouched down in front of Harry and said: "Harry, listen to me, son. What happened to your mum and dad, was never your fault. The day James told me that Lily was pregnant, he claimed it was the happiest day of his life. And the day you were born, he said he'd been wrong. Finally holding you in his arms, that's when he was the happiest he'd ever been. He was so proud to be your dad. So proud when you first got on that broom when you were just a year old. Your mum almost whacked me over the head with it when she'd realised what I had gotten you for your first birthday. She told me you were chasing that damned half-kneazle of hers all around the house on your broom, making it hiss at you in disdain. James and Lily loved you, Harry. And wherever they are now, behind the veil, they are watching you. They love you still. They are proud. No matter what anyone says. They gave their life, so you could live. They wouldn't have wanted it any other way."

Even Draco had to blink away the tears after that emotional speech.

Harry and his godfather hugged, with Amelia also crouching down and hugging the two of them closer to her.

Hermione and Neville stood off to the side awkwardly, but clearly happy for their friend that he'd found himself a loving family in Sirius and Amelia.

Their distraction provided the perfect opportunity for the blonde wizard, however. Since everyone was focused on Harry, he silently summoned the Prophecy into his hand, duplicated it, and hovered the duplication back into place.

"Let's see what Father and his band of baboons will do about that ." He mentally smirked to Deandra before Amelia wiped away her tears and told all of them to hold onto her before the portkey was activated.

Deandra grinned. " Lucius will be in for a treat ."

- The Hogwarts Halls, 14th of February 1993 –

Harry was already in a foul mood. Unbeknownst to his friends, his Uncle Remus, who was a werewolf, had fallen victim to Dolores Umbitch's new anti-werewolf legislation. Remus Lupin was currently living with the Black-Bones family, after it had become nearly impossible for him to find a job in the wizarding world. Draco's cousin Tonks had been trying to lift the werewolf's spirits by being her overly cheerful self whenever she visited, but to no avail.

The Boy Who Lived's mood had definitely not improved when Lockhart had announced that in order to celebrate Valentine's Day he would have dwarfs delivering valentines all around the castle.

At the moment, Draco looked down at his best friend, and was trying to help him up after one of Lockharts' card-carrying cupid dwarfs had tackled Harry to the ground wanting to sing him his Valentine's message. The future Lord Potter was doing his best not to cringe as Draco, Theo, and Blaise started snickering when the dwarf had finished his song, running off to bother someone else.

"Oh, Lord Slytherin, your eyes are so green as a fresh pickled toad !" Blaise sang, taking Harry by the hands and twirling him around. Theo, Draco, Hermione, and Daphne burst out laughing as Blaise puckered his lips towards Harry, leaning in for a kiss.

"Sod off, Blaise!" Harry grumbled as he pushed his friend away, dusting off his clothes after he'd been pulled to the ground. "I swear if I see Lockhart one more time today-"

Harry's head suddenly whirled around, and he started crazily looking in all directions. Seeing the confused expression on his friends' faces, he said to his fellow Slytherins: "You guys head on up. I, ehm, I have to go to the bathroom."

Of course! The Basilisk! Harry must've heard it.

"Me too." Draco quickly said, catching Harry's hint. "Didn't you need to use the loo, 'Mione?"

Clearly torn between being late for class and following her best friends, she eventually nodded, still biting her bottom lip. "Yeah, I actually did."

"I'm not even going to ask what you three are up to now," Daphne said as she rolled her eyes at them and pulled the two other boys with her towards the Charms classroom. "If you ask me for notes afterwards, I'll tell Flitwick you three decided to spend Valentine's Day canoodling in the bathroom!" She threatened, making Theo and Blaise laugh.

"You wouldn't! Or I will tell everyone who you sent a dwarf with a song to today!" Hermione yelled back before following her two boys towards Myrtle's Bathroom.

Ever since they came back to school, the three of them had tried to get Harry to actively start speaking Parseltongue. They quickly figured out it only felt natural for him to speak the snake language when he could actually see a snake, so Hermione had taken to carrying around the picture of a snake. She said she'd asked her mother to photocopy it for her from an encyclopaedia in their home.

When they rounded the corner, Harry spreading his arms and hands on the walls as he followed the hissing, looking like a complete lunatic, Draco finally decided to cast a Muffliato and a Notice-Me-Not around them. Bloody hell that would be embarrassing if any of the Gryffindors saw him behave like that.

Hermione started rummaging in her bookbag and took out the picture from between a book she was reading and shoved it in Harry's hands.

"What do I say to it ?" He mouthed at his best friends.

Draco shrugged. How was he supposed to know how to address a snake?

"You could try not referring to the Basilisk as it but ask its name instead?" Hermione suggested. "You know. Be polite." She urged him on, waving her hands at him to do something.

Harry nodded, looked at the picture and started hissing. Unbeknownst to Harry, Deandra translated everything he was saying to both Draco and Hermione.

$ Who are you? $

Harry came to a stop, his ear basically glued to the wall as all three waited in anticipation for the Basilisk's answer. As Deandra wasn't as powerful at Hogwarts due to her being so far removed from her original leyline, she could only hear what Draco was hearing and had to wait for Harry to speak up again in order to translate.

$ My name is Harry. And these are my friends, Draco and Hermione. $

Draco was getting impatient. All he was currently interested in was who had actually been controlling the Basilisk. He still couldn't believe that wimp Weasley had the authority over a beast as powerful as that. Not bloody likely.

Harry suddenly blinked and stood up, staring nearly in shock at his friends.

Hermione looked nervous and was holding her book bag in front of her protectively.

Draco nonchalantly looked at him, his hands in his pockets and his bookbag swung over his left shoulder. "So?" the blonde inquired.

"She said she knows you," Harry answered, quite confused himself. "She has been following you around the castle because you know her master, Lord Slytherin. Because you know me."

Draco was baffled. She?

Hermione seemed to contemplate his words and suddenly smiled, nearly jumping in excitement. "Of course! After my birthday, me and Draco got stuck on one of the staircases when we were on our way down to the dungeons. He joked to the castle that he would get Lord Slytherin to come and tell it to move."

"What would that help?" Harry asked dumbfounded. "It's not as if I own the place."

Both Draco and Hermione looked at one another.

"You should really start reading Hogwarts a History ," Hermione rolled her eyes. "Do you see what I have to put up with when you're not around?" She joked as she looked at Draco and waved dismissively at Harry.

Draco grinned. "Mate, you are the current owner of Hogwarts. You're the only living heir of the four founders. Didn't Director Ragnok tell you when you and Sirius visited the bank during Yule?"

"Well, I didn't tag along last time Sirius went to the bank, and I tend to doze off and start dreaming when Sirius starts talking politics." Harry sheepishly said, rubbing the back of his head. "Anyway, Sirona wants to meet us in the bathroom. She said to keep your eyes closed, just in case."

" Sirona ," Deandra wondered, a feeling of nostalgia hitting Draco. "How did she end up here? As Slytherin's familiar even. "

" Please don't tell me this is another one of your friends ," Draco sighed mentally. " Seriously, one day you will have to write down a list of all the spirits currently residing in Britain . 'Mione will probably help you if you want . She's a sucker for anything to do with history and mythology. "

A feeling of cosiness went through Draco as Deandra imagined her and Hermione working together in the Malfoy Manor Library, writing their first book. His heart clenched as he realised that Deandra had imagined it when they would be done with Hogwarts, and how much his best friend would soon start to look like his wife again. Luckily, he had a few years to prepare for that. This Hermione was her own person, and it would be unfair of him to replace the memories they made as friends, with the ones he had shared with his 'Mione.

Shaking his head, he followed his two friends as they ran off towards the bathrooms. Luckily for them, Moaning Myrtle was nowhere in sight when they came in.

Who was there, however, was Luna bloody Lovegood. She was standing barefoot next to one of the faucets in the middle of the room, water pooling around her. Somehow, she didn't seem to mind and was instead staring intently at the faucets next to her.

Draco saw the snakes engraved on the taps right at the same time as Harry did.

Harry cleared his throat. "Ehm, Luna, love, what are you doing here?" He asked as he slowly approached her, wanting to guide his friend away from the faucets as he looked at Hermione and Draco in a panic. The three of them were at least somewhat prepared to meet a Basilisk. Luna, obviously, was not .

"Oh. I wanted to come and say hello to Myrtle, but she wasn't here when I came in. She sometimes helps me find my shoes, you see. Personally, I think it's the nargles, hiding them. But Myrtle argues it is our fellow Ravenclaws instead." The blonde said as she took Harry's hand in hers and let him lead her towards his other friends. She had a dreamy smile on her face as she took in Hermione and Draco.

Draco's frown at her words matched the one currently on Harry's face. He remembered that Luna was bullied in her past lifetime as almost the whole of Ravenclaw house was hiding her things from her all year, just because they couldn't deal with her strangeness. Perhaps he should have influenced her more to be in Slytherin? Or would she have seen what would have been the best outcome for her? Still, he didn't want her to have to grow up like this again.

"Are you still waiting for Myrtle?" The raven-haired boy asked as he was now trying to guide all of his friends closer to the door when they heard the faucets turning on, even more water pooling on the floor around them. Oh fuck. It also didn't help that Draco had a slight déjà vu of the last time he ended up in a flooded bathroom… That Sectumsempra he took to the chest still hurt just thinking about it.

"No. I'm not waiting for Myrtle anymore." The blonde airily replied. "I just felt like I should be here, waiting for someone. For a friend. But not you three though." She tilted her head to the side. "Not that you aren't my friends, there's just… another. " She smiled encouragingly.

Luna opened her book bag as Harry turned around to the Basilisk, trying to shield his friends in a protective stance as Draco and Hermione closed their eyes shut, hiding the younger girl behind the both of them.

"Oh, hello," he heard Luna say. "I knew I was waiting for someone special. It's such a pleasure to meet you."

$ Welcome, Master and friends. $

Wait a second, that wasn't Deandra's voice. It sounded as ethereal as her, but the slight hissing at the edge of her voice. That must mean that… Oh dear Merlin. Did the Basilisk possess some magic to communicate with them in their minds? He supposed so, since it was so easy to understand her now.

"Luna what are those ?" He heard Harry ask incredulously.

"Oh, these are Spectrespecs, Harry," the tiny witch answered. "They help see Wrackspurts, but they also protect one from getting stunned by Basilisks. They came for free in the last issue of the Quibbler, but no one at Hogwarts seems to be using them even though your friend sometimes wanders the halls. Here, I have some more."

She'd known?

Draco felt her tiny hand touch his as she shoved what felt like glasses in his hand. What was Luna on about?

"You need some too, Harry?" She happily asked.

$ Master is safe from me. $

"Lovely," Luna answered. "Now, put those on you two, it's bad manners not to properly greet a lady."

When Draco opened his eyes, he saw Hermione holding back a giggle as she took in the sight of him. Merlin. If his glasses looked as ridiculous, pink, glittery, and fluffy as Hermione's and Luna's did, this definitely must be a sight to see. He hoped no one would take a picture of him and plastered it on the Slytherin common room. It had taken Hermione about five days before she figured out how to unstick that picture of her and Lockhart. Draco was certain it would at least take him two weeks if 'Mione came up with a new spell to stick his picture to the wall.

"I wish Colin was here to take a picture." Harry whispered, almost reading his thoughts.

Draco just scowled back.

$ The boy with the camera was master's friend? $

The four of them now looked up at the giant Basilisk which had draped itself around the faucets, curling up like it was protecting something, her head lying lazily on her tail, showing that she was no threat to them. If Draco didn't know any better, she was acting like a giant kneazle, all curled up and cosy.

"Well, I wouldn't necessarily call him a friend," Harry admitted. "More of a fan, but still. Why have you been petrifying people in the hallways, Sirona?"

The snake flicked her tongue. $ I thought Master had come to visit, so I ventured out in the hallways looking for you. $

Hermione looked at Draco, worry in her eyes. She must've thought the same as him. Did the Basilisk sound sad ?

$ In the beginning of the School Year, a boy visited me. He smelled like Master Salazar and like the one that lived in the castle around 50 years ago… The hateful boy that ordered me to kill. The Riddle that played me like a fiddle. But after a while, I noticed the boy that visited me in September didn't smell right. He smelled like my master because he was cursed by his blood. He was not my Master. I had almost given up hope, but then I heard your friends talking about Lord Slytherin. I wanted to warn Master, about the boy and his cursed life, coming for Master and his friends. But whenever Master was near and I showed my face, I hurt people… $

"She is sad," Deandra sighed mentally at both Hermione and Draco. "Sirona is a Celtic spirit. A healer. I have no clue how she came to be trapped in this form, but it would not surprise me if Slytherin bound her to him this way. She used to live in current Hungary. He must have found her there, forced her here… I can't believe she would want to be trapped in a form like this willingly. Spirits should be free and boundless."

Well. Everyone knew that Salazar Slytherin wasn't exactly a humanitarian. Seemed like he didn't really respect spirits or magical creatures either, if he had used dark magic to bind one to him. To bind it in a form where it would kill anything that looked at it was just cruel.

"You mean Ron?" Harry asked eventually, taking in everything Sirona had said. "He's been coming to visit you?"

The Basilisk nodded at him and blinked slowly, flicking her tongue playfully at Harry as he had finally dared to go closer.

$ I do not want to kill, Master. When I was free, I used to take care of younglings. Watched them grow. Healed them when they hurt themselves. But the boy's curse… It forces me to listen. I do not understand why. $

"I did some research," Draco sighed. "I think it's my father's doing. I saw that he dropped a cursed family heirloom he'd found in Bulgaria in Ginny's cauldron at Flourish and Blotts. He had it with him the night he came home early. He and my mother had a fight… It's why you had to leave, so you would not be influenced by it. I kept watching Ginny, making sure she was alright, and I honestly thought she lost the book. I didn't consider Ron's behaviour… I'm sorry I've only realised it now." He admitted. He already knew the book was influencing Ron, but he had to let his friends know this piece of information somehow. This seemed to have been the perfect opportunity to do so.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner, Draco?" Harry asked angrily.

He was right to be angry. Draco had blamed Dumbledore so often for keeping secrets, but he was doing exactly the same. What excuse was he going to come up with now? Honestly, lying to his friends sucked. Life would be so much easier if he could just tell them the truth. If only that wouldn't jeopardise the outcome of the war… Or their friendship.

Not needing to come up with any explanation, a tiny hand found its way into his, Luna's magic filling him up with warmth as she supported him. "Because Draco loves his father," the Ravenclaw stated sadly. "Even after everything, all Draco wants is for his father to love him back. He's hoping that he will turn out to be a better man. Even though everything Lord Malfoy does, and will do, proves that he won't."

$ I thought my father loved me too. All fathers should love their younglings. But my father turned into my Master… Do you want me to kill, like he and the previous heir did, Master Harry? $

Harry stepped up towards the giant Basilisk, impressing Draco with his Gryffindor courage, and gently petted her head. "No, dear Sirona. If anything, I want you to protect the school. You think you can do that for us?"

The Basilisk nodded her giant head at him and flicked her tongue at him one more time, covering Harry in snake spit. $ Master and friends have nothing to fear from me. You can always come and visit me in the Chamber. $

After a small promise that they would, the snake slithered back into the giant opening between the faucets, the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets closing behind her, the pools of water magically being sucked in as well.

Once Sirona disappeared, Luna took off her glasses and smiled. "It always feels nice making new friends." She sighed happily.

She turned around to Hermione and rummaged in her book bag as Draco collected the glasses and wanted to give them back to Luna who just waved him off. Instead, the small blonde witch got what seemed like a tiny make-up mirror from her bag and handed it to Hermione. "Promise me that you will use this to walk around the halls if you ever find yourself leaving the library at the same time as Percy's girlfriend."

Hermione nodded, used to Luna's odd requests by now, and put the mirror in her own bookbag.

The Ravenclaw waved to the three of them and skipped out of the bathrooms, still barefoot.

Harry stared at his friends and broke the silence, making both Draco and Hermione laugh as he asked: "Did she just say that Percy has a girlfriend?"