Chapter 11
Once Hagrid came back to the great hall, his eyes red rimmed, large feet thumping on the stone floor. Hagrid's head was bowed down as he tried to appear as small and invisible as he could.
Without saying a word, Harry stood up. Walked over to where he was sitting, and wrapped his arms around Hagrid as best he could. Hagrid's shoulders shook, as he squeezed his eyes close to stave off the on coming tears. Hagrid lightly wrapped his own arms around harry. They stayed like that for a few minutes, until Hagrid was able to calm down completely.
Chapter Eleven: The Dueling Club
…
As Harry passed the library, Percy Weasley strolled out of it, looking in far better spirits than last time they'd met.
"Oh, hello, Harry," he said. "Excellent flying yesterday, really excellent. Gryffindor has just taken the lead for the House Cup - you earned fifty points!"
"You haven't seen Ron or Hermione, have you?" said Harry.
"No, I haven't," said Percy, his smile fading. "I hope Ron's not in another girls' toilet…."
Percy turned to frown at the side of Ron's pink face, before it was buried in his arms.
…
Harry started to tell them about Colin, but Hermione interrupted.
"We already know - we heard Ms. McGonagall telling Mr. Flitwick this morning. That's why we decided we'd better get going -"
"The sooner we get a confession out of Malfoy, the better," snarled Ron. "D'you know what I think? He was in such a foul temper after the Quidditch match, he took it out on Colin."
"There's something else," said Harry, watching Hermione tearing bundles of knotgrass and throwing them into the potion. "Dobby came to visit me in the middle of the night."
Ron and Hermione looked up, amazed. Harry told them everything Dobby had told him - or hadn't told him. Hermione and Ron listened with their mouths open.
"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened before?" Hermione said.
"Dun. DUn. DUUUUN!" Came from one corner of the hall.
"This settles it," said Ron in a triumphant voice. "Lucius Malfoy must've opened the Chamber when he was at school here and now he's told dear old Draco how to do it. It's obvious."
Malfoy rolled his eyes in his goblet of pumpkin juice.
"Wish Dobby's told you what kind of monster's in there, though. I want to know how come nobody's noticed it sneaking around the school."
"Maybe it can make itself invisible," said Hermione, prodding leeches to the bottom of the cauldron. "Or maybe it can disguise itself - pretend to be a suit of armor of something - I've read about Chameleon Ghouls -"
"You read too much, Hermione," said Ron, pouring dead lacewings on top of the leeches. He crumpled up the empty lacewing bag and looked at Harry, who was looking at him with a raised eyebrow.
"You read too much too, Harry." Ron said, before clearing his throat, "So Dobby stopped us from getting on the train and broke your arm…." He shook his head. "You know what, Harry? If he doesn't stop trying to save your life he's going to kill you."
"What?" Ron looked around at the looks he was getting from around the hall. "I have dyslexia, remember? Reading isn't exactly my favorite pastime."
…
That night after dinner, after checking on the potion again, the three friends walked up to the Gryffindor common room. As the portrait swung open, they were bombarded with a catastrophe of noise. Hands reached through the portrait hole to pull Harry through, and into the common room where the entirety of Gryffindor House stood to congratulate him on his amazing win against Slytherin. Ron and Hermione clambering after him.
"Well done Harry!" Lee Jordan patted him on the back.
"Excellent catch Harry!" George pushed his way to the front.
"It really was." George said, grinning from where he sat. The rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team follow suit.
"Now that the guest of honor is finally here, let's get this party started, right!" Fred shouted over everyone else, before playing the music.
Harry wanted to smash his head against the nearest wall. "Hadn't they learned anything?" Harry bemoaned to himself.
Just as people were getting into the rhythm of one of the songs from The Weird Sisters, and began to dance. The music was turned off.
"Hey," Tonk said, frowning. "What's wrong with the Weird Sisters?"
"No offense, but," Harry said gently. "Have you heard their music?"
"Yes." Tonks said, offended that Harry would even ask that. "And I like it."
"Well you can like it all you want." Harry shrugged. "But, the 'Weird Sisters' have got nothing on some bands that I've found."
"For example?" Tonks said, wanting to know what band could possibly be better than the most famous wizarding band.
Many complaints arose, as they turned to look at who had turned off their tunes. Only to see Harry standing there, his cell phone and a speaker in hand, looking mildly frustrated.
Tonks side-eyed Harry, gesturing to the book. "See. Even they are offended."
"Humor me."
"Come on mate!" Seamus complained.
Harry raised his hand to quiet the room, "I am sorry. I really thought that all of the movie nights had taught you all. But I can not go through another year listening to this… music." Harry turned and placed the speaker and his phone on the mantle.
"Harry, we've heard the music from the movies that you've shown us so far, and… how do I put this?" Fred said.
"They're lacking?" George suggested.
Fred snapped his fingers. "Exactly. They're lacking."
"Humor me." Harry said, before pressing play on his phone, and the opening rifts of the first track played.
Dean immediately recognized it and crowed, "ACDC! YEAH!"
"ACDC!" Toni cheered along with Dean, and most of the muggle raised students.
"...Okay, I have to give you that one." Tonks smiled at Harry.
Harry jumped down and gave Dean a high five, as they and several others began to dance to ACDC's Back In Black. One by one, the drums bass worked its way into them all. By the time of the guitar's solo, the entire house was jumping and dancing. Even singing along to the song.
The book was put on hold, as the entire hall erupted into a wild party. ACDC's music began playing from seemingly nowhere and everywhere all at once. And while the muggle raised, and muggle influenced childhood people all jumped into the music. The rest of the hall was much slower to it.
For example, Steve stood in the middle of the makeshift dance floor where Toni had dragged him to, feeling extremely uncomfortable. This is not the kind of dancing that he had in mind.
"When did dancing become so…uh, sexual. Oh, good lord! Get a room, you two!" Steve thought, looking out over the dancing students and adults. However, he turned away quite quickly, blushing even harder than he was before - which was quite an accomplishment, seeing as he's got Toni doing something he's trying to ignore, hence why he's looking around (looking for an escape) - when he spied James and Lily Potter doing something that was just too much for his young virgin eyes. Something that, in his mind, is best left for the bedroom. Behind closed doors.
Steve managed to weave through the crowd, until he got to the safety of his bedroom. Locking the door behind him. He leaned up against it, taking deep breaths, trying to get his heart beat under control again. After a couple minutes, he decided to go take a cold shower.
Four hours later, the hall was back to some semblance of order, and they were able to return to the book.
Steve had decided to go sit by Harry and his friends…. If he was using them as a shield to hide from Toni, and everything else, until he got everything figured out, then that was no one's business.
One song after another, Gryffindor house partied. They would've gone all night long, if McGonagall hadn't shown up around midnight. She came in, in her nightgown and dressing robe tied tightly around her. With one sweep of her wand she silenced the whole room. Students and music.
"What is the meaning of this?! There are people who are trying to sleep! You all should be in bed as well! Off to bed all of you, this instant!" McGonagall said, her lips pinched, and her eyes slightly bloodshot.
"Never a good sign." Sirius winced.
"I do think that you might have pushed her a bit too far." Remus nodded.
They all started to wander off to their dormitories, Harry had taken down the speaker and his phone and he followed Ron and the others up to their dorm. Looking over his shoulder, he saw that McGonagall had left. Harry quickly passed the message on to the others, and soon enough the house was back down in the common room.
"Turn up the music!" Lee said.
"We really should be going to bed. We have school in the morning." Hermione scolded everyone.
"Parties over! Off to bed!" Percy ordered. "Oy! I'm a Prefect!"
Harry got back up onto the chair he was standing on before, whistling to get everyone's attention. "They're right! The party's over!"
"Thank you, Harry." Percy said.
"Aw, come on Harry!"
"Don't be like that!"
"Then again the party was over for me, like an hour ago." Harry said, shrugging.
"Seriously?"
Harry started to smile, "The after party starts, in fifteen minutes!"
Toni grinned, though it was tinged with a hint of bitter guilt and grief.
"Yeah!"
"But we need to get ready for it!" Harry shushed them. "We don't want McGonagall coming back."
Everyone got really quiet, wanting to know what Harry had in mind. "Now, would I be wrong in my assumption that there are spells to block out noise, or to keep noise in a certain area?"
Seeing the older students nod, Harry continued. "Would those of you who know these spells place them in the common room? To keep the noise in the common room? And if there are any who want to go to bed, they can."
"Very smart." Clint nodded.
"Of course it is! Harry is my kid, after all!" Toni said. Looking over to Harry, and seeing that he was looking back, Toni winked at him in solidarity.
The older students immediately got to work, Percy protesting the whole time. Many of the younger years who weren't already asleep, laying across chairs, couches, tables, and even the floor, went up to bed. Stumbling as they went. Those that were already asleep, were carefully picked up, and carried up to their beds. With in fifteen minutes the spells were cast, those who wanted to, were in bed, and they were ready to party.
…
The next morning many of the Gryffindor house walked into the Great Hall looking like zombies.
"You are all bastards." Percy groaned and glared at everyone. But, he saved his best glare for Harry.
"Sorry Percy." Harry said.
Percy pursed his lips for a moment, before nodding in his direction.
"No one said you had to stay up." Harry shrugged. The only sign that anyone could see on Harry that he had been up for most if not the whole night (though they didn't know that), was the slight darkening under his eyes.
"Harry's right." Hermione yawned, her jaw popping. "You could have gone to bed and slept at any time. Like I did."
"Someone had to look out for Ron." Percy said, pointing at the boy in question. Ron was using his porridge as a pillow, as he snored away.
Ron buried his head in his arms, moaning in embarrassed distress.
"Oh, come on." Fred sat down next to Percy.
"Like you could actually pass this sight up." George said from his other side.
Percy had to fight off a smirk, as Ron turned his head and rubbed his face into the porridge. He promptly lost that fight, when Ron began to lick porridge off his face. Making nom nom sounds.
The hall burst into uproarious laughter. Just the image in their minds was too much for them. But no one laughed harder than Ron's brothers.
For the first time after he found out about Colin being attacked, Harry really, truly missed him. But, that didn't stop him from taking several pictures and a video of the whole thing on his phone.
"I want those pictures!" Fred guffawed.
"And that video!" George gasped.
…
In the second week of December Ms McGonagall came around as usual, collecting names of those who would be staying at school for Christmas. Harry, Ron, and Hermione signed her list; they had heard that Malfoy was staying, which struck them as very sus. The holidays would be the perfect time to use the Polyjuice Potion and try to worm a confession out of him.
Unfortunately, the potion was only half finished. They still needed the bicorn horn and the boomslang skin, and the only place they were going to get them was from Snape's private stores. Harry privately felt he'd rather face Slytherin's legendary monster than let Snape catch himand his friends robbing his office.
Snape glared and growled at Harry, Ron and Hermione. However, Steve was sitting right there, so he glared right back.
"What we need," said Hermione briskly as Thursday afternoon's double Potions lesson loomed nearer, "is a diversion. Then one of us can sneak into Snape's office and take what we need."
Snape's eyes narrowed. And Steve raised an eyebrow.
Harry and Ron looked at her nervously. As if she was mad.
Hermione turned to Ron and Harry, her mouth falling open. Ron distracted himself by taking a long drink from his goblet. Harry used the fact that Steve was sitting between him and Hermione, to use him as a shield.
"I think I'd better do the actual stealing," Hermione continued in a matter-of-fact tone. "You two will be expelled if you get into any more trouble, and I've got a clean record. So all you need to do is cause enough mayhem to keep Snape busy for five minutes or so."
Harry smiled. Deliberately causing mayhem in Snape's Potions class was about as safe as poking a sleeping dragon in the eye. Should be fun.
"...Harry is definitely your kid, Steve." Bucky said. Staring at Steve from across the hall.
Steve just stared back at him, mouth slightly ajar. Before turning to Harry.
…
Draco Malfoy, who was Snape's favorite student, kept flicking puffer-fish eyes at Ron and Harry, who knew that if they retaliated they would get detention faster than you could say "Unfair."
Harry split his focus. A part of his mind was occupied with the Swelling Solution that he was making, and the other half was taken up with the current plan. He was waiting for Hermione's signal, and he hardly listened as Snape paused to sneer and glare at his perfect potion. Calling it subpar.
"How do you live with yourself, Snape?" James asked.
"To bully a child, that has done nothing to you. Except, exist." Remus said, forlornly, shaking his head.
Snape sneered at them, before turning away.
"They have a point, Severus." McGonagall said. "You won't be able to get away with your bullying, anymore. You don't have Albus here to support you."
Snape continued to ignore them.
When Snape turned and walked off to bully Neville, Hermione caught Harry's eye and nodded.
Harry ducked swiftly down behind his cauldron, pulled one of Fred's Filibuster fireworks out of his pocket, and gave it a quick prod with his wand. The firework began to fizz and sputter. Knowing he had only seconds, Harry straightened up, took aim, and lobbed it into the air; it landed right on target in Goyle's cauldron.
Snape's head swiveled around so fast, no one would be surprised if he got whiplash from it.
"Mr. Potter!" McGonagall said.
"Yes?" James looked over, "what did I do now? I know that tone of voice. I know, I know. Detention."
McGonagall breathed deeply through her nose. "No, not you, Mr Potter. Your son."
"Oh!" James turned to Harry, "good luck. You'll need it."
"Ma'am!" Harry jumped in, seeing McGonagall was about to go on a crusade. And not in his favor. "It hasn't happened yet! So my friends and I shouldn't get in trouble!"
McGonagall stared at him, her lips pinched. Finally, after what seemed like hours, she turned away, "very well."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione all breathed a big sigh of very much that they had just dodged a heat seeking missile.
"That would have been messy." Harry thought, breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the drop of sweat rolling down his back cool.
Goyle's potion exploded, showering the whole class. People shrieked as splashes of the Swelling Solution hit them. Malfoy got a faceful and his nose began to swell like a balloon; Goyle blundered around, his hands over his eyes, which had expanded to the size of dinner plates - Snape was trying to restore calm and find out what had happened. Through the confusion, Harry saw Hermione slip quietly into Snape's office.
Snape could be seen muttering to himself, and writing down notes. Some thought that he had finally snapped. While others assumed that he was planning better defenses for his potions, and ingredients.
The latter would be correct.
"Silence! SILENCE!" Snape roared. "Anyone who has been splashed, come here for a Deflation Draught - when I find out who did this -"
Harry tried not to laugh as he watched Malfoy hurry forward, his head drooping with the weight of his nose like a small melon.
Twelve year old Harry may have had to suppress his laughter, but eleven year old Harry had no such problems. So when Harry began laughing, the rest of the hall quickly gave in, and followed after.
He had his phone out, hidden, discreetly taking a video of everything.
"Release that video!" Shuri said, banging her hand on the table.
Harry was trying to get a hold of himself. He managed to get his laughter down to just giggling, but after Shuri's outburst, Harry fell over laughing. Luckily, Steve was there to catch him, and keep him from falling again.
Harry had every plan, on watching it every night before going to sleep. And sending it to his friends when he could.
"Thank you Harry!" Harry's friends chirped. Grins stretch almost painfully, across their faces.
As half the class lumbered up to Snape's desk, some weighted down with arms like clubs, others unable to talk through gigantic puffed up lips, Harry saw Hermione slide back into the dungeon, the front of her robes bulging.
Snape glowered at Hermione, grumbling under his breath.
When everyone had taken a swig of antidote and the various swellings had subsided, Snape swept over to Goyle's cauldron and scooped out the twisted black remains of the firework. There was a sudden hush.
"If I ever find out who threw this," Snape whispered, "I shall make sure that person is expelled."
Harry arranged his face into what he hoped was a puzzled expression. Snape was looking right at him, and the bell that rang ten minutes later could not have been more welcome.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione all looked at each other, worried.
"Let's just hope that we can avoid it." Harry said.
"If the adults actually do something, then we just might." Ron agreed.
"You mean, 'if they're actually useful.'?" Hermione commented.
Harry and Ron glanced at one another.
"You said it, not me." Ron said.
Steve sat in the middle of this conversation, becoming increasingly worried. For the first time since the party, Steve locked eyes with Toni. Doing his level best to communicate his worry to her.
…
"I wonder who'll be teaching us?" said Hermione as they edged into the chattering crowd. "Someone told me Flitwick was a dueling champion when he was young - maybe it'll be him."
"As long as it's not -" Harry began, but he ended on a groan: Gilderoy Lockhart was walking onto the stage, resplendent in robes of deep plum and accompanied by none other than Snape, wearing his usual black.
The male populace all groaned, while Harry went so far as to bang his head on the table a couple times. He would have done it a third time, but Steve grabbed and stopped him. Gently, but firmly, giving Harry a one armed hug.
Lockhart waved an arm for silence and called, "Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!
"Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little dueling club, to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions - for full details, see my published works.
"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," said Lockhart, flashing a wide smile. "He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about dueling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. 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!"
"Wouldn't it be good if they finished each other off?" Ron muttered in Harry's ear.
The two best friends grinned at each other. Steve cleared his throat, giving them his patented "Eyebrow of Disappointment". Sufficiently mollified, Steve turned away from them, to look out across the hall. Only to see that the vast majority of people were of the same minds as Harry and Ron.
Most disturbingly, however, was the almost evil, gleeful curl of Snape's lips. Mixed with the longing in his eyes, all those that looked at him in that moment, shuddered.
Snape's upper lip was curling. Harry wondered why Lockhart was still smiling; if Snape had been looking at him like that he'd have been running as fast as he could in the opposite direction.
Harry slowly nodded, as he looked at Snape. Harry took comfort in the fact that Steve was sitting next to him. So he leaned into his side. Steve, whose arm was already around his shoulders, gave it a comforting squeeze.
…
Both of them swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at their opponent; Snape cried: "Expelliarmus!" There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet: He flew backward off the stage, smashed into the wall, and slid down it to sprawl on the floor.
Malfoy and some of the other Slytherins cheered. Hermione was dancing on her tiptoes. "Do you think he's all right?" she squealed through her fingers.
"Who cares?" said Harry and Ron together.
"Yeah!" James and Sirius cheered.
…
Snape was looking murderous. Possibly Lockhart had noticed, because he said, "Enough demonstrating! I'm going to come amongst you now and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape, if you'd like to help me -"
Snape smirked.
They moved through the crowd, matching up partners. Lockhart teamed Neville with Justin Finch-Fletchley, but Snape reached Harry and Ron first.
"Time to split up the dream team, I think," he sneered. "Weasley, you can partner Finnigan. Potter -"
Harry moved automatically toward Hermione.
"He's going to partner me up with someone like Goyle, isn't he?" Harry sighed.
"I don't think so," said Snape, smiling coldly. "Mr. Malfoy, come over here. Let's see what you make of the famous Potter.
"It's worse." Harry said, shaking his head.
And you, Miss Granger - you can partner Miss Bulstrode."
"It's so much worse." Hermione nodded in agreement.
Malfoy strutted over, smirking.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Over stuffed peacock."
Behind him walked a Slytherin girl who reminded Harry of a picture he'd seen in Holidays with Hags. She was large and square and her heavy jaw jutted aggressively. Hermione gave her a weak smile that she did not return.
Ron and Harry both gave Hermione a small smile. Trying to make her feel better. Though they weren't sure just how effective it was, because she still looked a little green.
…
Harry swung his wand high, but Malfoy had already started on "two": His spell hit Harry so hard he felt as though he'd been hit over the head with a saucepan.
Harry rubbed the top of his head, frowning over at Malfoy, who was smirking at him. Steve, and all of Harry's friends and family, who were watching him, frowned. Steve pulled Harry back into his side. Where Harry all but melted into.
"Mm, warm." Harry thought, curling up.
He stumbled, but everything still seemed to be working, and wasting no more time, Harry pointed his wand straight at Malfoy and shouted, "Rictusempra!"
A jet of silver light hit Malfoy in the stomach and he doubled up, wheezing.
"Tickling spell, Potter?" Malfoy sneered. "That's the best you've got?"
Harry would have replied, but he was too busy snuggling into Steve's chest, where he had pulled Harry onto his lap. He might have said something, but it was muffled, and not even Steve could make it out. Steve just tightened his hold slightly around Harry, happy that Harry felt safe enough with him to cuddle.
"Ugh, I wish my phone worked!" Toni lamented quietly to herself, as she gazed at the absolutely adorable sight that Harry and Steve made. Not that she would ever admit that.
"I've got you covered." Shuri said, smiling at her.
"Thanks." Toni said, then stopped. "Wait. How would yo-"
Shuri held up her finger to her lips, mischief dancing in her eyes.
…
"I think I'd better teach you how to block unfriendly spells," said Lockhart, standing flustered in the midst of the hall. He glanced at Snape, whose black eyes glinted, and looked quickly away.
"Scaredy-cat." Harry mumbled into Steve's shirt.
"Okay, I heard that." Steve said, looking down at Harry.
Harry just looked at him with an innocent look. Steve chuckled, and shook his head, and pulled Harry back in for more snuggles.
"Let's have a volunteer pair - Longbottom and Finch-Fletchley, how about you -"
"A bad idea, Professor Lockhart," said Snape, gliding over like a large and malevolent bat. "Longbottom causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending what's left of Finch-Fletchley up to the hospital wing in a matchbox." Neville's round, pink face went pinker. "How about Malfoy and Potter?" said Snape with a twisted smile.
All of Harry's supporters frowned up at Snape. Though James and Sirius went so far as to glare and growl. Lily and Remus could see that their hands were twitching in their wands' direction, so as to avoid a fight, they grabbed their hands.
…
Malfoy raised his wand quickly and bellowed, "Serpensortia!"
The end of his wand exploded. Harry watched, aghast, as a long black snake shot out of it, fell heavily onto the floor between them, and raised itself, ready to strike. There were screams as the crowd backed swiftly away, clearly the floor.
"Don't move, Potter," said Snape lazily, clearly enjoying the sight of Harry standing motionless, eye to eye with the angry snake. "I'll get rid of it…."
"Allow me!" shouted Lockhart. He brandished his wand at the snake and there was a loud bang; the snake, instead of vanishing, flew ten feet into the air and fell back to the floor with a loud smack. Enraged, hissing furiously, it slithered straight toward Justin Finch-Fletchley and raised itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike.
Harry wasn't sure what made him do it. He wasn't even aware of deciding to do it. All he know was that his legs were carrying him forward as though he was on casters and that he had shouted stupidly at the snake, "Leave him alone!" and miraculously - inexplicably - the snake slumped to the floor, docile as a thick, black garden hose, its eyes now on Harry. Harry felt the fear drain out of him. He knew the snake wouldn't attack anyone now, though how he knew it, he couldn't have explained.
He looked up at Justin, grinning, expecting to see Justin looking relieved, or puzzled, or even grateful - but certainly not angry and scared.
"What do you think you're playing at?" he shouted, and before Harry could say anything, Justin had turned and stormed out of the hall.
…
Ron pushed Harry into an armchair and siad, "You're a Parclemouth. Why didn't you tell us?"
"I'm a what?" said Harry.
"A Parselmouth!" said Ron. "You can talk to snakes!"
"I know," said Harry. "I mean, that's only the second time I've ever done it. I accidentally set a boa constrictor on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once - long story - but it was telling me it had never seen Brazil and I sort of set it free without meaning to - that was before I knew I was a wizard -"
"A boa constrictor told you it had never seen Brazil?" Ron repeated faintly.
"So?" said Harry. "I bet loads of people here can do it."
"Oh, no they can't," said Ron. "It's not a very common gift. Harry, this is bad."
"What's bad?" said Harry, starting to feel quite angry. "What's wrong with everyone? Listen, if I hadn't told that snek not to attack Justin -"
"Uh, Harry." Toni said, frowning. "It's, snake not snek."
Harry lifted his head from Steve's chest, and turned to see that it wasn't just Toni that was looking at him in worry. Steve, his adopted parents, Remus, and Sirius, just to name a few. Were all staring at him.
"Snek." Harry said firmly.
"What a nice snek." Peter said.
"Smooth snek." Shuri nodded in agreement.
"Bity snek." Ron pointed out.
"Big snek." Hermione said, holding her hands as far apart as they would go.
Harry froze, slowly turning his head. "Hermione. Snek."
She looked at him confused for a moment, Harry jerked his slightly at the book that they were currently reading. Slowly it dawned on her what he was trying to say.
"Snek. Maybe." Hermione said, her mind already going a million miles a second.
"Magic snek." Harry said.
"Maybe." Hermione said, tapping her chin. "Ugh, but we need more!"
"Toni, do you understand what they're saying?" Clint asked.
Toni shrugged.
Shuri heaved a great sigh. "They're saying that, "Slytherin's Monster", could very well be a magical snek. Or Snake for those of you that don't speak current pop culture."
"Where would Slytherin even keep such a beast?" McGonagall asked, horrified.
"Oh, that's what you said to it?"
"What d'you mean? You were there - you heard me -"
"I heard you speaking Parseltongue," said Ron. "Snek language. You could have been saying anything - no wonder Justin panicked, you sounded like you were egging the snek on or something - it was creepy, you know -"
Harry gaped at him.
"I spoke- but - wait, how can I speak a language without knowing I can speak it?"
Ron shook his head. Both he and Hermione were looking as though someone had died. Harry couldn't see what was so terrible.
"D'you want to tell me what's wrong with stopping a massive snek biting off Justin's head?" he said. "What does it matter how I did it as long as Justin doesn't have to join the Headless Hunt?"
"Harry has a point." Dr. Strange said.
"Oh, no you don't." Wong muttered, before flicking Stephen on the nose.
Stephen turned to pout at Wong, rubbing his nose. Wong just stared back at him, deadpanned.
"It matters," said Hermione, speaking as last in a hushed voice, "because being able to talk to snakes was what Salazar Slytherin was famous for. That's why the symbol of Slytherin House is a serpent."
Harry's mouth fell open.
"Exactly," said Ron. "And now the whole school's going to think you're his great-great-great-great-grandson of something -"
"But I'm not," said Harry, with a panic he couldn't quite explain.
"You'll find that hard to prove," said Hermione. "He lived about a thousand years ago; for all we know, you could be."
"Harry, how come you didn't know what a Parselmouth was?" asked Hermione.
"Well, I tried doing some research in the library on the subject. But I had no idea what it was called, didn't really have a starting point other than it deals with sneks." Harry shrugged.
"Makes sense." Hermione nodded. "I only know about it because of my research into the Founders. And I had stumbled across it, really."
Harry curled up a little tighter, Steve responded by holding him a little tighter. Dropping a kiss on top of his messy hair.
…
"So anyway," a stout boy was saying, "I told Justin to hide up in our dormitory. I mean to say, if potter's marked him down as his next victim, it's best if he keeps a low profile for a while. Of course, Justin's been waiting for something like this to happen ever since he let slip to Potter he was a Muggle-born. Justin actually told him he'd been down for Eton. That's not the kind of thing you bandy about with Slytherin's heir on the loose, is it?"
"You definitely think it is Potter, then, Ernie?" said a girl with blonde pigtails anxiously.
"Hannah," said the tout boy solemnly, "he's a Parselmouth. Everyone knows that's the mark of a Dark wizard. Have you ever heard of a decent one who could talk to snakes?
"I can think of at least three people." Luna said, smiling into the distance.
"Who?" the students asked.
Luna's smile turned secretive.
"They called Slytherin himself Serpent-tongue."
…
"Hello," said Harry. "I'm looking for Justin Finch-Fletchley."
The Hufflepuffs' worst fears had clearly been confirmed. They all looked fearfully at Ernie.
"What do you want with him?" said Ernie in a quavering voice.
"I wanted to tell him what really happened with that snek at the Dueling Club," said Harry.
Ernie bit his white lips and then, taking a deep breath, said, "We were all there. We saw what happened."
"Then you noticed that after I spoke to it, the snek backed off?" said Harry.
"All I saw," said Ernie stubbornly, though he was trembling as he spoke, "was you speaking Parseltongue and chasing the snake toward Justin."
"I didn't even touch him!"
"It was a very near miss," said Ernie. "And in case you're getting ideas," he added hastily, "I might tell you that you can trace my family back through nine generations of witches and warlocks and my blood's as pure as anyone's, so -"
"I don't care what sort of blood you've got!" said Harry fiercely. "Why would I want to attack Muggle-borns? One of my best friends is a Muggle-born!"
"I've heard you hate those Muggles you live with," said Ernie swiftly.
"It's not possible to live with the Dursleys and not hate them," said Harry. "I'd like to see you try it."
The floor seemed to quake at the mention of the Dursleys.
He turned on his heel, and as he stormed out of the library he threw over his shoulder, "What are you smoking?!"
Madam Pince, hearing the shout, came storming over to the group of Hufflepuffs.
"Potter!" Ernie said, flabbergasted. Turning to the teachers. "Professors, I-I, I would never!"
Though they had a hard time hearing him, over James and Sirius' cackling.
…
"Oh, hello, Hagrid," Harry said, looking up.
Hagrid's face was entirely hidden by a wooly, snow-covered balaclava, but it couldn't possibly be anyone else, as he filled most of the corridor in his moleskin overcoat. A dead rooster was hanging from one of his massive, gloved hands.
"All righ', Harry?" he said, pulling up the balaclava so he could speak. "Why aren't yeh in class?"
"Canceled," said Harry, getting up. "What're you doing in here?"
Hagrid held up the limp rooster.
"Second one killed this term," he explained. "It's either foxes or a Blood-Suckin' Bugbear, an' I need the headmaster's permission ter put a charm around the hen coop."
Those that were trying to figure out what was behind all the students being petrified, took note of the dead rooster. It was too much of a coincidence to dismiss off hand. Felt too much like foreshadowing.
He peered more closely at Harry from under his thick, snow flecked eyebrows.
"Yeh sure yeh're all righ'? Yeh look all hot an' bothered -"
Harry couldn't bring himself to repeat what Ernie and the rest of the Hufflepuffs had been saying about him.
"It's nothing," he said. "I'd better ger going, Hagrid, it's Transfiguration next and I've got to pick up my books."
…
Justin Finch-Fletchley was lying on the floor, rigid and cold, a look of shook frozen on his face, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. And that wasn't all. Next to him was another figure, the strangest sight Harry had ever seen.
It was Nearly Headless Nick, no longer pearly-white and transparent, but black and smoky, floating immobile and horizontal, six inches off the floor. His head was half off his face wore an expression of shock identical to Justin's.
Harry thumped his forehead on Steve's sternum. "I'm going to get blamed for this too, aren't I."
Steve gently rubbed Harry's back, not knowing what to say, as he hasn't been able to predict what happens next in the book. Just trying to give him comfort.
…
As he stood there, panicking, a door right next to him opened with a bang. Peeves the Poltergeist came shooting out.
"Why, it's potty wee Potter!" cackled Peeves, knocking Harry's glasses askew as he bounced past him. "What's Potter up to? Why's Potter lurking -"
"Figures, Peeves." Harry mumbled.
Peeves stopped, halfway through a midair somersault. Upside down, he spotted Justin and Nearly Headless Nick. He flipped the right way up, filled his lungs and, before Harry could stop him, screamed, "ATTACK! ATTACK! ANOTHER ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! ATTAAAACK!"
…
"Caught in the act!" Ernie yelled, his face stark white, pointing his finger dramatically at Harry.
"That will do, Macmillan!" said Ms McGonagall sharply.
Peeves was bobbing overhead, now grinning wickedly, surveying the scene; Peeves always loved chaos. As the teachers bent over Justin and Nearly Headless Nick, examining them, Peeves broke into song:
"Oh, Potter, you rotter, oh, what have you done,
You're killing off students, you think it's good fun -"
"That's enough, Peeves!" barked Ms McGonagall, and Peeves zoomed away backward, with his tongue out at Harry.
Harry sighed, turning into Steve as though to hide from the rest of the world. Steve frowned unhappily at Harry. Holding onto Harry, he turned his attention to the great hall.
"Hey!" Steve shouted, gathering everyone's attention. "Didn't you all hear the previous book? How Harry, Ron, and Hermione had saved your asses?! I know that you all knew about what had happened with Quirrill before my friends and I ever showed up. Meaning that when this happens, in the book, you all knew that Harry had put his life on the line to save your ungrateful asses! You should all be ashamed of yourselves."
The great hall fell silent. Clint turned to Bucky, "Uh, aren't you going to do something?"
"Why?" Bucky shrugged. "Steve absolutely despises bullies. Just be glad that none of them took a swing at Harry. It could have been much worse."
Snape sneered, something that Bucky caught out of the corner of his eye.
"Don't think we've forgotten about you either." Bucky remarked, his Brooklyn accent thick.
"Give me one reason, you son of a bitch. I dare you." Steve growled, his glare boring into Snape sneer.
"Enough!" McGonagall said, cutting through the tension.
…
"This way, Potter," she said.
"Ma'am," said Harry at once, "I swear I didn't -"
"This is out of my hands, Potter," said Ms McGonagall curtly.
They marched in silence around a corner and she stopped before a large and extremely ugly stone gargoyle.
"Lemon drop!" she said. This was obviously the current password, because the gargoyle sprang and hopped to the side. Revealing the stone escalator type stairs behind it. Stepping onto the moving stairs with Ms McGonagall and it took them upward, until they came to Dumbeldore's office.
"Okay," Harry said, pulling away from Steve, and getting everyone's attention. "It's been bugging me for the past couple of days now."
Harry slid out of Steve's lap, to sit next to him again, though he did still lean on him, to look at Luna, staring at her long and hard, "You're not a student here are you?"
"No." Luna smiled, and shook her head.
"So you weren't already here at Hogwarts, when all this started?" Hermione asked, picking up on Harry's train of thought.
"Nope."
"Did our hosts bring you here?" Ron asked, thinking three steps ahead. Looking for all the angles. Just like chess.
Luna shook her head, giggling.
"Then how did you get here?" Harry said, his eyebrows creasing in the middle. "We know how you knew about this, but how did you get here?"
"It's not like you can aparate." Hermione said. "Everyone knows that you can't aparate in or out of Hogwarts. People have tried."
"Exactly." Luna's smile widened.
