AN : I had planned a longer chapter, but as it took me too much time to think about how to continue I decided to post what's ready instead. The next part it already in process. I'll probably delete what's already done, or maybe not.

Chapter 1 - Happiness

For all he ever knew, Harry Potter had never been Happy. Happiness as a state of mind, an emotion, was unheard of for him. He saw it, in the eyes of his relatives, in his school's classmates. But Harry never experienced it himself.

Happiness was a foreign knowledge he had no business in.

The closest feeling he had was the calm and peace reading brings him. Forgetting and losing oneself for a new world in which reality had no claims was Harry's Heaven, for all he knew about it in the first place.

Harry's life was not a happy one, what he had to do to stay afloat was not to be discussed. Death will come for him, but not today. As on that fateful June day, Harry had plans.

Plans which got destroyed by a single event in the form of a mundane phone call. Petunia Dursley née Evans was not one to hide her disdain for her nephew. The filth that got dumped on her porch on that fateful day of November was a constant reminder of the biggest and shameful secret of her life. Petunia naturally disliked the kid and always made sure he would remember it. And as what Harry was, a secret to be hidden, he was not allowed around the perfect family she made for herself. Those were Petunia Dursley's Convictions. However, life as an ironic way to change people's plans.

Bad news Vernon. With an apron on to avoid any stains on her stiff dress, Petunia Dursley was standing on all of her height right next to the cell phone, her hands on her hips with a frown on her face. Mrs Figgs broke her leg. She won't be able to take him.

Dudley, the couple 'son, had a shocked expression on his whale-like face. Harry however, was conflicted. Outwardly, the raven-haired boy kept an indifferent face, as he learned long ago that showing his emotions were a vulnerability and a weakness. Inside, conflict was raging his world. Mrs Figgs was an old lady living in Privet Drive. She was known for the shear amount of cat she had. Harry disliked going at her house for good reasons : it was uncomfortable. Not only was the smell awful for his nose, Mrs Figgs was an avid talker as she didn't have anyone to talk to. And Harry disliked hearing her talk about her cats. The only good point at staying there was the relative calm. No Dursley and mostly available food for him.

Should he go out with his relatives on Dudley's birthday, then he knew that they would be obliged to feed him as they will be in public. Dudley's and his friends presence was the bad point of this situation. In such circumstances, Harry would have preferred going at Figgs's place. Not that he had a say in the matter anyways.

Introspecting the situation, Harry had missed parts of the conversation between the two adults and their son.

I don't want him ! Dudley was close to crying, whether this was real or not was not Harry's problem.

Harry had not planned on going out with the Dursley that day. No, he had plans. Plans that involved fire, a very large fire. Plans that had to be changed to a prior date, unfortunately. How sad.

A tiresome car ride and a conversation, where Vernon was outwardly threatening him, later and Harry was inside the zoo following the party of loud and normal peoples.

" They're not so different form the monkeys" After a quick look between his relatives and the animals inside the enclose, Harry had a thought that would get him a long punition should he said it.

The first part of the visit was uneventful, has expected Harry was fed by the Dursley and was even allowed to finish Dudley's ice cream after the obese kid didn't want it anymore.

But if Harry's life was a story written by a sadist, then it was bound to be an important event that would probably gain him some unwanted consequences. At this point, Harry started to have his doubts.

The snake's room was cool. A shiver went down his spine at the temperature inside. More interested in snakes than lions, Harry still stuck to his relatives but stayed as far as possible. Aside from Dudley's behavior towards a Boa Constrictor to make it move, Harry focused on a little enclosure in the shadows. Harry knew that Zoos where nothing more than business, and animals where the products displayed for visitor's entertainment. It was then weird for the staff to try as hard to shift the focus of their clients from a product.

The snake was small. Tiny, with black scales that were shimmering with rainbows under the light. It looked like a fantasy, something that didn't exist in real life. It was beautiful.

"Xenopeltis unicolor – Indonesia" was written on a plaque in from of the glass.

The snake in question was lazily laying on the soil of the cage. It didn't seem particularly happy on Harry's opinion. Sticking close to the cage, enough to observe the snake's scales turn into a beautiful rainbow shade under the dim light of this side of the room, Harry laid an hand on the cool glass. Soon his forehead was following.

You're beautiful. It was nothing but a whisper, too low for any of the visitors around to hear, no one was paying attention to this side nor to Harry.

Thanksssss

His eyes, previously closed, flew open to the sound. Turning his head around to find out who answered, Harry found no one. He was still ignored. Feeling a little weird out by this, he decided to put a distance between the snake and him, afraid to get caught doing something suspicious by his uncle. Turning his attention back to the snake, Harry realized that he hadn't seen it move. Now, the tiny thing was up from at least half its length, with it's head turned toward Harry.

Sssspeaker. The sound came back, but this time Harry heard it coming from the snake, which was impossible right ? Care to give me a favor ? The snake's fourchy tongue went out a few seconds to feel the air.

"The snake talked to me". Harry had quite the number of mysterious events that had happened to him over the years. He still remembered how he appeared out of nowhere at the top of the cafeteria after he was chased by Dudley and his friends, or the day Aunt Petunia got sick of his untamable hair and decided to shave him, except for the fringe, only for him to wake up the next day with his haircut back to normal. But all those situations had something in common : he was either afraid or angry. Emotions were always at the start of those inexplicable events.

This time was different, Harry was not afraid of the snake, nor was he angry for whatever reason. He was as calm as usual.

You can talk ?! It sounded stupid to ask a snake if it could talk, and once in years Harry's face held an emotion.

Yessssss, however they cannot undersssstand. The snake slid towards him as it was talking until it stopped in front of the glass. Only a sssspeaker can.

If a speaker could understand snakes and Harry could then it wasn't hard to assume that he was one. But a fundamental question was hanging in Harry's mind.

Why – no . Harry took some time to formulate his question. You need a favor, what is it ?

Out. No hesitation was to be heard in the snake's voice. Get me out of there and I'll owe you a favor sssspeaker.

What good could a snake help him achieve ? A venomous one could be of use, but this one was not and that was without thinking about the favor itself. And getting the snake out, should he get caught – Harry just knew that he would get caught –, will be a one way ticket to earn a punition so bad that it'll be engraved in him for years.

While Harry knew that this was very stupid – and with no advantages for him except pissing his relatives – and probably one of the worst decisions of his live, he just knew that he couldn't let an innocent – as much as the snake was – being caged like this, not while he could try and prevent it.

Whatever blessing that kept him unnoticed by the visitors around seems to get worn out as Dudley, who got bored of traumatizing the boa next to Harry, launched at him.

You! Freak! The blond boy stupidly and impolitely pointed at him with his big and short finger. Are you talking with that snake?!

Dudley got close to him, his friend Piers was close behind looking at Harry with a devilish grin as if he knew that the raven-haired boy would get punished. Vernon, close to the boys, heard it all; that was the start of a disaster. His face went to multiples shades of red before settling to purple. Harry could almost feel his anger from there, Vernon was only keeping shut because of the spectators around. Petunia had a horrified expression on her face. But none of the adults took action, Dudley for once was quicker.

The blond kid rushed himself at Harry and pushed him. The room while not crowned had it's fair share of visitors, and Harry during his fall bragged down a few of them with him. The wave of emotions that rushed through him at his moment were so confusing that he didn't know how to process most of them. Only one, the most potent, was clear : pure anger. Anger toward Dudley, who only saw him as a toy to push and hit, toward Vernon, an abusive man who turned his violences tendencies towards Harry instead of dealing with it as an adult, towards Petunia, who knew everything and only closed her eyes or looked at his with disdain and horrified expressions.

Lights flashed. On and out. Explosions like small fireworks went out. Phosphor particles sprinkling the floor like some fairy powder. Fire everywhere. Like hell on earth. Screams. Cries. People on fire running around. Snakes, running free on the ground. All the cage door's disappeared. Horror so thick on the air that one could taste it. Fear. Death.

Among it were the whispers of the oppressed. Those which got free.

Thankssss friend

Sssspeaker got ussss free

Sssspeaker

A sharp pain shot through his wrist as Vernon grabbed him. Behind, Dudley was screaming. His clothes burning. The skin under melting.

PUT IT OUT! IT'S HOT! MOM! DAD! DO SOMETHING! Pride filled Harry's heart as he watched his cousin on fire and Petunia trying to help him.

Vernon was more than furious, the look on his eye was murderous. But Harry did not care for a second, the chaos, fear and horror of the situation were all his.

You! Monster! Vernon spit atrocities at his face. Put this out this instant or else-

The man did not have the chance to finish his sentence as aide rushed into the place. The firefighters were there and in moments the fire got put out under their experienced hands. Everyone got out of the place and out in safety.