A Brother To Basilisks (a Drarry fanfic)

Chapter 36: The Opposite of Clamor

Lucius gave a small, pleased smile at the letter he had received back from Potter. If he hadn't known better, he would have said that an adult had dictated it, but since the boy had so few adults he could trust, it was much likelier to have been the boy's native intelligence flavored with some promptings from his basilisk.

Mr. Malfoy,

Thank you for the word of warning about snakes. Yes, Dash can fight and control any snake that comes onto Hogwarts grounds. If Draco doesn't know how to control Conflagration and needs my help, then I can do that. I'm sending him a letter with some Parseltongue words written down the best I can, so he should be able to communicate with Conflagration soon.

Yours respectfully,
Harry Potter.

Indeed, Lucius thought as he cast the letter into the fire, the only thing he would have changed in the whole of it was the basilisk's unfortunate name.

*

Harry gave a gasp as he woke with his scar burning. This time, when he reached up to it, there was blood from it inching down his face.

Let me see.

Harry gratefully removed his hand so Dash could make his way up to the scar. Dash studied it with a silent intensity that Harry didn't think was criticism of him, but the only way he knew for sure was the reassurance he got from Dash wrapping his tail gently around his waist.

No, said Dash abruptly. There is no broken skin there, no fear that some level of contamination might have come through. But I can taste the scent of a snake.

Harry froze in surprise. His dream had had a snake in it, as usual, and sometimes two snakes. He didn't know if Voldemort was trying to summon and control an army of them, or if Harry just dreamed a lot about his snake familiar, or what. Why would you be able to do that?

That is what I am trying to figure out, said Dash, with a chiding tone in his voice that reminded Harry of the way Snape sometimes talked, and he held obediently still while Dash seemed to run through a bunch of facts in his head. Then Dash spoke again, and his voice was startlingly cold. I think Voldemort is trying to control you the way he would a snake.

Harry shivered. Can he do that? The things he dreamed about Voldemort commanding his crazy-eyed follower to do, and his snake familiar, were horrible. Sometimes they ate people, sometimes they cast Dark magic, sometimes they collected ingredients for potions that left people bleeding on the ground or plants torn and shredded.

I don't know, said Dash, and his voice was low and still cold. He should not be able to. We have our bond. His tail tightened on Harry's waist again, and Harry grabbed it and hugged it. But the bond that you and Voldemort have is like no other I have studied or seen or heard of.

Harry would have asked, most of the time, what Dash meant about studying, and when he'd had the time to read a book. But now, he only swallowed and said, I don't want to be bonded to Voldemort.

I know, said Dash soothingly, and for a moment, his tail rose and brushed the last of the blood away from Harry's scar. It's nothing that you did, though, and it's not something you can help. I think we need to look at this more closely. Will you let me into your mind?

You're already there, said Harry, confused.

No, the way you did when I adjusted things in your mind when you were trying to use wandless magic.

Harry hesitated once, because he hadn't given Dash permission for that and he had wondered ever since exactly what had happened, what he had given Dash permission for. But it probably had to do with Dash being his familiar. Professor Snape had said that familiars could do things like that for their wizards. You can.