Percy Potter

Chapter Twenty-Four

I took a step forward and blinked my eyes. Wha........? I looked over at Percy with an awed and scared expression on my face. Don't worry Harry. They won't hurt me, and I'll make sure they won't hurt you. He smiled lightly at me and stepped forward. 'Hello, young ones.' He hissed at the baby Basilisks. They all quickly started hissing and glaring at us, freezing me on the spot. I cursed myself as Percy stepped in front of me. 'Go away! Intruders are not welcomed here! Take another step and we will kill you!' Percy chuckled and walked over to the basilisks. Each and every one quickly sprang forward, baring their fangs. They all latched onto Percy in different spots, but he didn't flinch at all. Actually, once they all had attacked, Percy grabbed them all in a hug, restraining them. I tried to move to help my twin, but I was still partially petrified, leaving my eyes to travel across the room we were now in. I felt my questions rise as I noticed lit torches on the walls for light, a huge dragonhide rug for the cavern ground, a worn lounge area off to the right next to a fireplace, a large pond-type thing off to the left, and a couple tunnels on the wall opposite me. Did someone live here once? Why was this hidden beneath the school? Does this have to do with Salazar Slytherin? The last question was an easy guess because all of the furniture was either green, silver, or black, a definite giveaway. I looked back over at Perce when he flopped onto the couch, squirming snakes still clutched against him. I could tell he was talking to them, but I couldn't tell what he was saying so I lightly dug into his mind in order to be in the conversation too. '-ot good places to bite people. You're lucky I am who I am or else you could have started something dangerous. You want to bite them in a place they cannot recover from, but it cannot be on the genitals.' I could feel a blush rising on my face, but then I was horrified. My twin was just bitten on the crotch! I was stuck between laughing and screaming. To think of how much that would hurt! I nearly fainted just at the thought. I quietly slipped back into his mind as the snakes finished their reply. 'Now, why are all of you young ones still here?' None of the snakes moved, all laying limp in Percy's arms. 'We live here, together. We were never taught by our mother how to survive in the world, so we stayed, keeping safe and warm. Just like you, could you stay? It gets rather cold in the winter.' Percy chuckled and lightly slid his hands on the snakes' heads in a sort of petting manor. 'I would love to, I actually came down here with my twin in order to start living here. You wouldn't mind if he stayed here as well?' The snakes looked to me in unison, and I felt my paralysis strengthen from its formerly weakening state. I groaned to myself, grumbling across the twin bond about stupid snakes and mean twins. Percy smirked at me, and I could tell he was having fun. It made any annoyance I had about being petrified vanish, I liked when Percy was happy, it helped him heal from his past. Percy was talking with the snakes again and I tuned in. '-if he does not take away our meals, hurt us, take our stuff, or damage our home.' Suddenly, I could smell a very strong scent of rain forest. I looked around, confused, until I heard Percy question the snakes. 'Did you just mark me as yours, young ones?' There was only amusement in Percy's tone, but I inwardly shivered at the implied warning. They snakes stared hard at Percy, but he looked back unblinkingly. I felt a huge sense of pride in calling him my twin come forward. He really is amazing. 'Yes, you are ours, as you agreed, and we said the boy over there could not take what was ours.' I felt dread hit me in a wave as the snakes turned and glared at me in unison. Percy laughed out loud, relaxing back into the couch, startling the snakes. 'You cunning little snakes, so much like your house. Alright, I agree to your terms, but it will not be that easy for you. I cannot just stay down here all the time, I have to go up into the castle for classes.' The snakes hissed in slight anger. 'We know of your classes silly speaker. We have already agreed to a set of terms within our group. You will have two of us on your person at all times when you leave this room.' A strong hissing filled the cavern as a furious Gizar slithered from out of Percy's robes pocket. 'How dare you all! I am Percy's familiar and the only one allowed to be with him at all times, other than his twin. I will not allow some snakes to take my human from me!' I slowly felt the partial paralysis fall off me, but I chose to stay where I was, unwilling to catch the attention of the ferocious animals in the room. It turns out Percy is a magnet for magical creatures. 'You are too late familiar, your human is ours. We will use him as we please.' Percy chuckled and pulled Gizar away from the snakes, closer to his face. I saw him push Gizar's face to look right at him and I could feel him flow calming emotions into Gizar so as to stop the fight. 'Gizar, you know better than this. You are my familiar, and I am your lucky master. Nothing can take that away, and I will always be here with you. Though the snakes have marked me, it was only out of survival instincts that they wish to keep something warm with them forever. You know how my temperature was raised by being blessed by Lady Hestia.' Gizar turned into a golden kitten and meowed lowly, planting himself on top of Percy's already messy hair, nuzzling into it in sorrow. Perce smiled lightly and pet Gizar, causing him to purr in delight. The snakes hissed angrily and they all started to try and slither up Percy's arms to get to Gizar before Perce forced them all off with his magic. 'No. I am sorry, but he will not be bothered by you all. He has just accepted you for what you have done to his familiar. Be glad he did not change into a snake-eating animal and dispose of you as such.' Every snake gave an irritated hiss before winding around Percy in any way possible. I giggled when Percy shot me a pleading look and I shrugged, smirking at him. This was his mess, he had to get out of it. Please Hazza, at least take our parents' pendant, I don't want the snake around my neck to crush it. At the mention of our parents' pendant, I immediately took it off of Percy's neck, careful to not look at the snake wrapped around it. Percy was laughing while I gave him the stink eye. "That is not something to laugh about Perce, it's our only connection to our parents." Percy sobered up and looked at me sadly. "Do you not think I know that Harry? I was just trying to make sure it did not get damaged, you jumped like Voldemort was breathing down your neck." I cracked a smile, by shivered at the thought. Percy was going to hug me, but instead pulled me down onto the couch beside him and made me lay my head on his chest. So, we're living here now? Yup. Hope you like it Hazza. Wait till you see it in the morning. I looked at Percy, skeptical, but he just smirked. I rolled my eyes as we walked over to one of the middle doors. He opened it and ushered me inside and I was surprised to see a bedroom. I went to lay down on the bed, but stopped myself when I saw all of the dust laying on it. Percy noticed my gaze and laughed. "Don't suppose anyone has been down here in a while huh? No matter. Scourgify!" Percy pointed his wand at the room and it was soon cleaned and I flopped onto the bed, praising the soft mattress. Before I could even take off my glasses, my mind succumbed to the darkness of sleep.