The Anti-Heroine || A Harry Potter Fanfiction

Chapter XIV

Chapter XIV:

Hermione's POV:

"Why didn't you tell us you were a Parselmouth?" Was the first thing Draco demanded when they entered the Common Room. All other conversations went silent as the other Slytherins waited to hear what Harry would say.

"I didn't want word getting back to Dumbledore," Harry replied and Hermione felt a stab of pride– Harry's grasp of Slytherin politics and cunning had improved so much since the start of last year and she hadn't had to coach him at all for his answer.

"So are you the Heir?" One of the sixth years, Adrian Pucey, asked.

"I'm not," Harry said, shaking his head, "honest. I'd never even heard of the Chamber of Secrets until Hermione and I found Mrs. Norris and that writing."

"Can you say something in Parselmouth?" This was Blaise, the Italian's jewel-bright eyes gleaming with interest. Harry looked towards her and she shrugged.

"Why not?" She said and Harry's lips tugged into a smile.

::Wonder what they'd think if they knew a Muggleborn could speak Parseltongue?:: he hissed to her and Hermione had to bite back a snort of laughter.

"That's awesome!" Breathed Theo, looking truly awed, "what did you say?"

"That Dumbledore's a moron." Harry shrugged, a grin spreading across his mouth. Theo laughed and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I've got homework to do. Don't you dare leave the common room at any time unless there are at least two others with you," She reminded, before squeezing Harry's hand in a farewell gesture and making her way up to her dormitory. Sitting down on her bed, she closed the hangings and cast a quick silencing charm before copying Weasley's spell from earlier. "Serpensortia!"

Like Weasley's had, the tip of her wand appeared to explode and a heavy black snake fell onto her bed. It raised its head and tilted it to the side, fixing its wide, unblinking stare on her as its tongue flickering out to taste the air. ::Where is the enemy?:: it hissed, sounding confused.

::There is no enemy:: Hermione hissed back. ::I wanted to test something::

::A Speaker?:: the snake sounded surprised. ::I thought they were things of legend::

::Do you have a name?::

::I am Sssthssa:: the snake told her and Hermione nodded before realising the snake– Sssthsaa– wouldn't be able to appreciate the gesture.

::I was wondering what you could do, Sssthssa?:: she asked the snake.

::Anything Mistress wants:: answered Sssthssa and Hermione smiled, somewhat wickedly. She believed the saying went something along the lines of 'an ace up her sleeve'. This spell had the potential to be very convenient. 

::It was nice to meet you, Sssthssa:: she told the snake before gently tapping the large black serpent with her wand, causing it to disappear in a small cloud of black smoke.

The next step was researching how to conjure up smaller, more discrete, breeds of snakes– preferably venomous ones. 

-

By the next morning the snow that had begun in the night had turned into a blizzard so thick that the last Herbology lesson of the term was cancelled. Hermione took the time to with Harry to revise the defensive and offensive magic they'd taught themselves the year before, as well as some nasty curses that Tracey had suggested that would take down anyone who tried attacking with great prejudice.