Harry's sister

chapter twenty-seven

I stepped back to the side and again handed my wand to Snape once I was confident harry understood the spell. it occurred to me that i didn't really need my wand to do magic anymore but it did slightly limit my magic use to be without it so i might as well just give it to snape.

"Three—two—one—go!" lockhart shouted. Malfoy raised his wand quickly and bellowed, "Serpensortia!" The end of his wand exploded. i watched as a long black snake shot out of it, fell heavily onto the floor between them, and raised itself, ready to strike. There were screams as the crowd backed swiftly away, clearing the floor. i however stayed still watching the beautiful creature, slightly transfixed by the black shine of its scales. 

"Don't move, mister Potter," said Snape lazily, clearly enjoying the sight of Harry standing motionless, eye to eye with the angry snake. i didn't really care at the moment about snape's hatred for my brother, too transfixed by the snake. "I'll get rid of it..." said snape. "Allow me!" shouted Lockhart. He brandished his wand at the snake and there was a loud bang before i could react to protect it; the snake, instead of vanishing, flew ten feet into the air and fell back to the floor with a loud smack. Enraged and hissing furiously, it slithered straight toward Justin Finch-Fletchley and raised itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike.

i watched still not quite able to react as harry walked towards it and shouted "leave him alone!" though his shout brought me to my senses as the snake slumped to the floor, docile as a thick, black garden hose, its eyes now on Harry. i stepped forward eyes still glued to the snake as i said "come here." the snakes attention turned towards me and it quickly slithered over to me, i bent down and picked it up letting it curl around my arm and come to rest on my shoulders.

 i knew Harry and I (even though I was sure Harry didn't know he was a parslemouth and what that meant) had just revealed that we were parselmouth and probably made ourselves public enemy number one and two but i didn't exactly care at that moment. i moved to leave the great hall leaving my wand with snape. i couldn't help smirking as the snake hissed towards lockhart i whispered "i don't like him either but we have to tolerate him." it didn't seem happy about that but nonetheless settled onto my shoulders. 

that night was a sleepless one i lay in bed my eyes burning and itching, screaming for sleep but it wouldn't come. so i decided to go on a walk with levi, which was the snake draco had conjured. id checked on my phoenix egg when i got back to my room and informed levi that if he ate it i would kill him, he seemed to understand. i let my mind wander as i walked through the chilly halls watching the snow fall outside the windows.

 Levi's serpentine voice sliced threw the silence of the halls as we neared a doorway, he said "human, i'm hungry." i sighed and said "i'll let you hunt, but i have to put a couple of spells on you for you to survive and you must come back to me as soon as you can, if you don't my spells will wear off and you will freeze to death." i listened expectantly and after a few seconds he said "do what you must human, i will come back quickly."

 i took him off of my shoulder and brushed my fingers over him casting a heating spell on him that would last for a little over two hours, id used it on harry multiple times and knew it well. i then cast a small invisibility spell so that he wouldn't be noticed so easily and lastly i cast a tracking spell on him so that i could make sure he stayed away from lockhart. not that i cared if the incompetent fool was attacked but i would no doubt be blamed if he showed up dead from a snake bite, plus i would feel slightly guilty for his death. 

i set him gently onto the ground and said "you have two hours before the spell wares off and you freeze, i will be here until morning." i watched as he slithered away down the hall. my eyes were itching and my vision was getting blurry from exhaustion and the cold but i ignored it enjoying the large flakes of snow that cascaded down from the sky. i sat down in the cold doorway and slowly fell into a light sleep as i watched the snow fall outside.