FINALLY, A HINT
Daphne was severely confused. Their last meeting had been fine, brilliant, even. So why was Potter avoiding her all of a sudden? He was pale-faced and fidgety whenever she did see him and he looked as though he was half a second away from a meltdown.
Despite his fondness for Basil, he had now neglected showing up for two of their meetings and she was, needless to say, a little concerned. She sighed to herself, reckoning that she was evidently going to have to seek him out again. She only hoped it would be easier this time.
Seeing Potter duck out of the Great Hall after dinner, she quickly sped off after him, ignoring Tracey's confused call. As she dashed into the corridor, she saw him turn a corner. She swore, picking up some speed.
Finally, she caught up to him. She grabbed his wrist and dragged him into one of the nearby classrooms, brushing off his protests.
"So?" She raised an eyebrow.
"So what?" He retorted, scowling.
"Are you going to tell me why you've been avoiding me or do I have to force it out of you?" Never let it be known that she was patient.
"Force-?!" He sputtered. "You don't need to force anything out of me. I've … just had a lot on my mind lately … what with all the attacks, you know …."
"What else?"
He shuffled his feet, looking to the side. "What do you mean, what else? That's, er, it."
She sighed heavily, watching him wince at the audible sound. "Clearly not. You look like you've gotten into more shit," she said, watching with slight fondness as he gawked at the casual cussing.
"Well, erm, I don't know how to say- Y'know what, as long as you promise not to tell anyone, I will tell you all I know."
"I'm almost hurt that you think I'd betray your trust. Don't you know me a bit better by now?" She said, clutching a hand to her chest in mock hurt.
He grinned at her sheepishly. "Well, this is crazy stuff, after all."
Daphne sighed, a little exasperated. "If this is any similar to what you pulled last year, then I'd say it's a little more than just crazy."
Looking unfairly adorable, Potter pouted. "You haven't even heard what I have to say!"
She suppressed a smile, and gestured for him to go on.
"Okay, so, erm, I don't know where to start … Right! First of all, during the summer holidays-"
"Do you really have to go that far back?"
"- Don't interrupt me! And yes I do, a lot has happened since then! Like I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted-" he shot a glare at her smirk "- this random creature showed up? He told me that he was a House Elf called Dobby and he told me I had better not go back to Hogwarts again this year or I would be in big trouble!"
"A House Elf? Those are rare. How'd one even know what would happen this year?"
"I have no clue. It all felt like a load of bollocks except that elf kept bashing its head against my closet for 'disobeying orders' whatever that means-"
"It means that the Elf was likely there without its Master's knowledge! But why would an Elf just seek you out for no reason? And I'm still concerned about how it got that information."
He shrugged helplessly before furrowing his brow. "How do you know so much about House Elves? We aren't taught about them, are we?"
"No, it's because most Pureblood families have at least one or two House Elves. We, the Greengrasses, have three."
"Right, that makes sense." He nodded. "But that's not the end, because that Elf then said he'd even get me expelled from Hogwarts if that's what it took. He ended up using magic and the Ministry folk thought it was me doing it. I even got a letter for it."
"That's very … determined of it-?"
"I know! And then when Ron and I were going to board the Hogwarts train, something blocked our passage! We weren't able to pass through the barrier no matter what. That's why we took the car and the whole Whomping Willow incident occurred. And you remember that Quidditch match right? The day when Lockhart actually magicked away the bones in my arm? Dobby visited. He told me that he was the one who enchanted that Bludger to specifically target me. I didn't even know he could do stuff like that!"
She shrugged, mimicking him. "It's possible. Elf magic is very different from our magic. If it really was that desperate to stop you, it could very well have done it."
He paused, taking a breath. "Now here's the weird part. I had detention with Lockhart because of that whole flying-a-car-into-the-Whomping-Willow thing, yeah?"
With growing amusement, she watched the glare on his face deepen. "With Lockhart? What did he make you do?"
"He made me sign and box fan letters! But that's not the point, don't sidetrack me. On the last day of my detention with him, I heard this voice. It said things like 'rip … tear … kill…' It was really ominous."
Shuddering, she agreed. That is nightmare fuel.
"And then, surprise surprise, I heard it again on Halloween. I was with Ron and Hermione, we were returning from Nearly Headless Nick's Deathday Party and it just began whispering out of nowhere. We followed it and that's when we saw the writing on the wall and Mrs. Norris."
"Why would you ever follow a disembodied voice?! Are you daft?!"
Potter winced at the sudden volume before offering a vaguely guilty smile. "It wasn't my brightest moment."
"You're damn right it wasn't. Have you heard that voice since?"
"No, and that's what's worrying me. I mean, why would it suddenly disappear like that?"
Daphne bit her lip, contemplating. "Well there's no use fretting over it needlessly. It'll either show up or it won't. We'll find out sooner and later."
She sighed at the still dejected look on his face.
"Tell you what," she began. "Why don't you talk to Basil for a while? I'm sure it'll help relax you."
Watching him brighten up near instantly, she brought her snake out from where she had been nestled against her wrist and handed her over, listening to her hiss a greeting to Potter. Humming, she made herself comfortable on a nearby chair before turning back around at the continued silence. With slight concern, she noticed that Potter had gone extremely pale and his hands were shaking slightly even while holding onto Basil.
"Potter? You alright?"
"Greengrass, I think…" Frowning at the waver in his own voice, he cleared his throat before continuing with clear excitedness. "Greengrass, that voice might be a snake!"
"What?" She was so incredibly lost.
"The voice! The one I was hearing? It must be a snake! I didn't notice before but it sounds almost exactly like Basil! Of course I didn't realise it back then, because I didn't even know I could speak Parseltongue! And it makes sense, it's Slytherin's monster … and what better monster for Slytherin than a snake?! It also explains why neither Ron nor Hermione could hear the monster even though I could hear it perfectly well."
Slowly, she nodded. "It … does make sense. After all, Slytherin was well-known as a Parseltongue speaker. He would've been able to converse with the monster too. Why don't you confirm it once?"
"And how do I do that?"
"Just ask Basil to say 'rip… tear … kill…', idiot. Won't that help you figure out if it really is a snake's hissing you're hearing?"
"Oh yes, that's a good idea!" He grinned before abruptly turning to Basil, hissing rapidly. Daphne watched in fascination as Basil responded in kind. Although she's heard it a few times before, their conversations always felt strangely … enjoyable? Even though I have no idea what they're saying, she thought. She was interrupted from her musings due to a whoop of joy from Potter.
"A confirmation then?"
"Yeah! The only difference is that the voice I heard was much much deeper and … raspier?"
Daphne hummed in consideration. "That could be a hint."
"Yes!" The boy was nearly bouncing with excitement. "I have to tell Ron and Hermione about this! Thanks, Daphne! I owe you one!"
Quickly, he leaned forward, draping Basil over her shoulders carefully and placing a hesitant kiss on her cheek before speeding off, leaving Daphne flushed pink till the roots of her hair. Basil coiled tighter around her and flicked her tongue out at the same spot showing clear amusement, earning a choked off "Shut up, Basil."
Well, she'd clearly helped him out a bit. He was just thanking her, right? Right?
Harry was panting by the time he reached the Fat Lady's portrait. His heart was racing, partially from running across the castle as fast as he could, and partially from kissing Greengrass on the cheek. That impromptu kiss lingered in his mind, making him wonder where he'd gotten the courage to do it. He hadn't waited to see the girl's reaction, as he'd sprinted out the very next second. The soft touch of her cheek beneath his lips filled him with warmth, as he thought of her again. She has kissed my cheek twice earlier, Harry thought, Greengrass won't get mad at me for this, it's only fair.
Quickly emptying his head of all thoughts related to the kiss, Harry stepped towards the portrait and said, "Wattlebird." The portrait swung open to reveal the warm and comforting Gryffindor Common Room. He looked for Ron and Hermione.
Ron was seated near the fireplace, playing wizard's chess with Seamus. And Hermione was sitting in an armchair nearby, seemingly lost in a rather large tome.
"Ron, Hermione, come here for a moment." said Harry, approaching the two.
"What's up, mate? Can it wait? I'm about to beat Sea-"
"No. It's important. Come on, both of you!" said Harry, as he grabbed both Ron and Hermione by their arms. He dragged them outside the Common Room and into an empty classroom.
"This had better be important, Harry. I was doing some research on the monster-" began Hermione, but she was interrupted by Harry.
"Exactly! This is about the monster. I think that Slytherin's monster is a snake of some kind." exclaimedHarry.
Hermione furrowed her brow, "Harry, why do you think it's a snake?"
"Isn't it obvious? I keep hearing these disembodied voices that only I can hear. And I'm the only one of us who is a Parselmouth. So, the words being spoken are spoken in Parseltongue, which you guys can't understand, but I can! So, logically speaking, the monster would be a snake!" replied Harry, animatedly.
"And who told you this?" asked Hermione, staring at Harry with a frown on her face.
"Err, nobody. I figured it out after thinking for a while." said Harry, looking away from the girl.
"Listen, Harry. It's great you've taken an initiative. But we shouldn't limit our search based on a simple hunch." Hermione stated matter-of-factly.
"But it's not a hunch! This is the most logical explanation - Ron, help me out here!" exclaimed Harry, looking at the redhead.
"Yeah, mate, I was thinking you should listen to Hermione. She's the smartest of us, after all." said Ron, sheepishly. Hermione looked pleased at that.
"But… but…"
"Come now, Harry. Let's read this tome on magical creatures, which I was reading before you interrupted." announced Hermione, dragging away Harry and Ron back towards the Gryffindor Common Room.
Hurt was a word that suited Harry's feelings. His friends had both assumed he was wrong and didn't even bother listening. No, how could he be right when Hermione had already asserted that he was wrong? Nobody could be right in front of Hermione, she was the smartest of them all, Harry thought sarcastically. Pangs of hurt rang within him, at the thought of his friends not trusting his judgement at all.
It had been two days since he last mentioned the possibility of the monster being a snake. However, that day, the trio were in the library. It was mostly empty, spare for a few seniors who were catching up on their assignments. Ron was sitting and looking through a large and dusty book as Hermione had instructed him, and Harry was with Hermione looking for another book.
"Why don't we look for a book about snakes?" asked Harry, hopefully.
"Harry! We can't focus on one specific thing! Stop being so narrow-minded and rigid." scolded Hermione.
Harry felt dejected. He had been rejected by Hermione yet again. Why did she feel the need to be right all the time? Harry went to a different section of the shelves and began looking for a book on snakes by himself. In the far end of the library, he found an old book titled, Vipers and Virtuosos: A Handbook of Serpent Magic.
He picked the book and flipped through the pages. There were pages about gorgons, hydras, the Nidhogg, Quetzalcoatl and more. The one that caught Harry's attention, however, was the Basilisk.
"Often bred by dark mages, Basilisks are large snakes capable of growing up to 50 feet or longer and have incredibly long lifespans, nearing immortality. These creatures produce venom through their fangs, a venom so deadly it can kill a person within minutes of injection." read Harry.
He froze after he read, "Their eyes have the capability of killing someone upon direct contact, or petrifying them upon indirect contact…"
That's it. That's it! That's what the monster is, thought Harry, triumphantly. He quickly ran over to Ron and Hermione, who seemed to be arguing about something yet again. He slammed the book down on the table and opened the page of the Basilisk and showed them.
"There. The monster is the Basilisk. Read it." he voiced.
Hermione and Ron took a moment to look over the information. Ron seemed impressed and excited. He said, "That's brilliant, mate! What do you think, Hermione?!"
"No, not yet," interjected Hermione, "We have to think of this further. What if it's something else we haven't researched about yet? Don't jump to conclusions, Harry."
Harry was seething. Hermione had been nothing but dismissive of his efforts the entire time. And now that he had evidence to back up his claims, she was still not believing him? He saw no point in talking to either of them right now, so he grabbed the book and stormed off.
Hermione and Ron tried calling out to him, but Harry didn't hang back. He said he wanted to go and sleep, as it was almost curfew, and left them alone in the library.
Harry bolted towards the Great Hall, looking for a particular person. The tables were mostly empty, except for a few students eating slowly. He checked the time, and noticed it was still 15 minutes till the Great Hall closed and curfew commenced. Harry gazed at the Slytherin table and to his joy, he saw Greengrass drinking something out of a cup.
She was seated next to another girl from Slytherin. However, that girl wasn't as sharply dressed as Greengrass. She had short messy brown hair, wore glasses and her tie was loose. Harry didn't know her name. He looked over to Greengrass and waved slightly, just subtly enough to get her attention. The other girl, thankfully, didn't see her.
When Greengrass finally looked, he gestured towards the door and left the Hall. He knew she had seen him, he just hoped she'd come and find him. He waited for about five minutes, reading the book again when the door to the classroom he was in, opened softly.
"Hey, Potter." said Daphne, softly.
"They don't believe me."
"Who doesn't believe what?"
"Ron and Hermione. Especially Hermione! She thinks I can't ever be right without her help, and Ron just follows whatever she says blindly! I even figured out what the monster is and they still don't believe me. It hurts when the people you call best friends refuse to trust your gut." said Harry, hurt apparent in his voice.
"Hold on, you figured out what the monster is?" asked Greengrass, intrigued.
Harry simply nodded, and handed her the open book in his lap. She read the page and a look of astonishment crossed her face.
"Potter, you did it! The description perfectly matches what's happening! Petrification of students and only you being able to hear it? It has to be a Basilisk!" Greengrass was practically jumping with joy.
"Yeah." sighed Harry, he still sounded sad.
"Hey, you figured it out, right? Why do you need someone else's approval?" asked Greengrass, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder.
"They're my friends. Do you know how it feels when your friends don't think you can be right? It hurts."
"I'm sorry. But if it's any consolation, I believe you. I know you're right." said Greengrass. She leaned in and gave Harry a small hug, before letting him go. When she let him go, however, Harry was smiling at her.
"What's with the goofy smile?" asked an amused Greengrass.
"Oh, nothing. Basil says you talk a lot about me." replied Harry, his grin widening.
"Basil said that? Where-" Greengrass stopped mid-sentence, when she noticed Basil coiled up in Harry's hair.
"She slipped out when you hugged me." Harry laughed, as he handed her back.
"Oh very funny of you, Basil." said Greengrass, lightly shoving the snake in her robes.
"And for the record," Greengrass leaned close to Harry, "You do occupy a significant part of my day." Her whisper sent chills down Harry's spine.
She quickly got up from the chair and dusted her robes, before casting a quick Tempus.
"Oh, it's late. I won't get caught at this time, however, I'll say I was going back from the Great Hall after dinner. Goodnight, Potter. See you around." said Greengrass, waving a quick goodbye to Potter. Basil hissed a farewell, too.
Harry didn't get up for the next few minutes, however. His heart was still racing from Greengrass' comment. He didn't understand what kind of joy she got from making him uncomfortable. Damn that girl, he thought, as he finally made his way back to the Gryffindor Common Room.
Author's Note-
Harry: Hey look, I figured out the monster! It's a Basilisk!
Hermione: Splish splash, your opinion is trash.
Harry: It's literally in the book-
Hermione: Splish splash, your opinion is trash.
Harry: I HAVE EVIDEN-
Hermione: *pulls out gun* Splish. Splash.