The following year

a little snake

The sun is leaving orange and violett traces upon the evening sky as Ominis is deep in thoughts while he gets shaken from side to side in the karriage.The path goes on between the surrounding trees, which mend into an unit while he passes them. The fight whith his father a few days ago is still present inside his mind.

He had spent the past summers with his best friend Sebastian, but after the last schoolyear he wanted to not stay in the way of  Sebastian and his sister, to give them room to make up. This was the reason for him to stay with his own family throughout the holidays, while he hated every moment of his stay. The hatred and abhor which he held vor his relatives grew bigger by each passing day and around a week ago he got into an big argument with his father. Annoyed by the behavior of his son , he wrote to the headmaster (a good, old frend of his) and begged to send his son to Hogwarts a few days bevor the new term began. After the owl with his consent arrived, he emediatly got send on the way to the school.

Ominis, still drowned in thoughts, straight on the way to the old and massive stonewalls of the castle, pulled by two thestrals. As the karriage gets to a hold, he gets out and takes his wand from under his jacket. A cool breeze blows over the forecourt and takes the heat of the summerday away. He percieves a tiny creature a few steps in front of him, tiny and daintily. >Mr. Gaunt, Sir. Welcome back, Sir.<, it's one of the houseelfes. >The headmaster, Mr. Black, announced your arrival. He wanted me to deliver a message to you, he said you can make yourself at home, Sir. You can eat the meals in the grat hall as usual, but he wants to point out to you, that until the teachers are back again you are not permitted to leave the schoolgrounds. The caretaker Mr. Moon, will be there for you if there are any emergencies.< With a snip of his fingers the houselfe vanished, together with the trunks on the back of the karriage. 

While Ominis is on his way to the inside of the castle, the karriage moves again and the sound of the weels vanishes in the distance. The massive doors grouan as he opens them, the dusty smell of the old stones encases him instantly and it is pleasant for him. It is a strange feeling for Ominis, the halls and corridors completly deserted, acompanied  by an unbelievable silence. He steers with his wand towards the dungeons. In front of the Slytherin-commonroom he gets to a hold. The past year was not only for his frends but for him too, very significant. He always avoided his gift of the language of snakes, pasel. But because of his new acquaintance in 5th year, he had to deal with it again a few months ago. It has always been a part of him, that he could no longer close up to. He was taught by Kiri, that the language itself has a beautiful sound and has nothing to do with the dark he got to know throughout his lifetime. That is what he admits now. Wrapped in silence he reaches the door to the common room, to open it with his paseltoung for the first time ever and it opens abruptly. A liberating feeling is crawling through his entire body as he takes the first step of the staircase.

'I am alone and can't run into anyone', he thinks to himself and stores his wand inside the jacket. He nows every corner of the castle by memory, he memorised each increace and stumble throughout the past schoolyears. He only uses his wand so that he wouldn't step on the feet of his classmates and teachers. He gets on his way to his room with a freed expression on his face and lays down on his bed, the only words on his mind: 'finally peace'.

Ominis spent the following day at the frontcourt, layed in the shadow of one of the big trees and awaited the arrival of his friends Sebastian an Kiri. To distract himself from the loneliness he walked to the astronomytower to visit Kiris rescured animals. He didn't know if the room of requirements would open himself up to him, but he welcomed the gesture of the jinxed room as it opend its doors for him.

The last week of the holydays begins and Ominis spends his day with Deek (a houseelf who cares for the animals while Kiri is absent) and the grapphorns, whom he gets along with very good, despite of their impressive size they are sensitive giants.

Late on the evening he walkes inside the common room again on his way to his bedroom and freezes on the spot. The silence of wich he was surrounded by the past days (except for his meetings with Peeves the poltergeist) was interrupted by a quiet voice, way too quiet to understand it instantly. Without hesistation he draws his wand from his inner pocket and turns to the direction of the seating set in front of the big windows. The fright wich had flown though his body just a second ago gives now way to absolut amazement.

>You understand me, I heared you speak at the entrance.<, speaks the voice again with a soft, quiet hiss. He immediatly understands that it spoke in pasel. But it wasn't the person on the sofa as he can hear its soft breathing. He gets a few steps closer to make sure as he feels weight on the tip of his wand, now he can feel the dainty, tiny creature on the back of the sofa. It wraps itself fast around his wand and now it lays also on a part of his hand. It is a little snake, probably a cub.

>Please stay quiet, otherways you will wake my friend<, speaks the tiny snake, >She's tired and needs some rest.< Ominis is as confused as before.

>Who are you?< he asks, considering if he should stun the figures and get the caretaker. >My freind calls me Chi<, the little snake anseres ans crawls back on the sofa. >We traveld for a long time and Mr. Moon told her we should rest in here, where we would have company.<