The Marauder's Heir (Harry Potter FF)

Chapter 20

Sorry this took so long to get out...I've been having a rouch couple months, but I'm back and should be updating at least once a week. =)

Chapter 20

Deathday Party

The month of October came with a damp chill, which caused a small outbreak of colds among the Hogwarts staff and students. It was noting that Madam Pomfrey couldn’t handle with a small dose of a Pepperup of potion, though the potion would make steam come out of the ears of the drinker till hours later. Ginny, who had been looking under the weather for over a week, was bullied by her brother Percy into taking some of the potion. Sadly, the potion made it look like her hair was on fire.

Harri had been avoiding talking to her friends about her ability to talk to snakes for two weeks and all of them could tell that she was stressing out over it. She would sit a little farther away from them and wouldn’t talk to them during class. Instead, she’d pay attention to the teacher or doodle on her parchment.

Draco and Hermione managed to convince Harri to come to the library to study with them when she was cornered by the twins, Luna, Hermione and Draco. They had staged an intervention.

“Harri, what’s wrong? You’ve been acting jumpy all week,” Hermione asked concerned. Harri had never shut her out before.

“It’s nothing, just something that I heard during detention with Snape,” she replied, avoiding eye contact.

“Harri, we know that’s not true, you might as well tell us or I’m going to write to Sirius soon,” Draco told her, hoping that would get an answer out of her.

“Fine, but I just don’t want your opinion of me to change when I tell you,” Harri whispered. She knew speaking to snakes was nothing to be ashamed of, but it was considered to be a ‘Dark Art’. She was the first Potter to be able to speak to snakes in over two centuries. No one is exactly sure where the Slytherin blood is from, but there were some hazy marriages during the Hogwarts Founder’s era…so she figured the blood came from there.

“Harri, just tell us, it’s nothing we can’t handle,” Luna said with a smile, trying to comfort her friend.

“Well, when I was five I learned that I had the ability to talk to snakes,” Harri began to explain when no one said anything she continued. “Since no Potter in over two centuries has been able to talk to snakes, Sirius and I were surprised when I had the gift. When I had detention with Snape I heard one and it didn’t sound happy. It was talking about killing someone. I know that being a Parselmouth is considered a dark art, but it’s just talking to a serpent…”

“So, that’s what you’ve been worried about? Harri, we know you aren’t a dark wizard…talking to snakes wouldn’t change our mind either,” George told her as he grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. Soon enough the others joined them and then they almost got kicked out of the library.

During the week, Harri had officially classified Oliver Wood as completely crazy. He had the Gryffindor team practicing in the rain for days on end. Harri figured that she hadn’t been properly dry in over a week. Even with the rain she and the Weasley twins had been spying on the Slytherin team. The new brooms made them fast, but that’s really only helpful for a seeker. The other positions need a broom that would stop easier. Either way, Harri figured that the Slytherin team was hindered by their team manager more than helped.

Even better than spying on the enemy team was pranking Lockhart, which every grade seemed to participate in. The pranks ranged from flying papers, which was blamed on the breeze outside even when the windows were closed, to spontaneously combusting books, compliments of Harri’s temper. Lockhart called werewolves monstrous beasts.