Percy Jackson and the Heir of Slytherin [Book 2]

29) Duel Gone Wrong

"I think I'd better teach you how to block unfriendly spells," Lockhart said. He was flustered, and glanced back at Professor Snape for a moment. "Let's have a volunteer pair — Longbottom and Finch-Fletchy, how about you?"

"A bad idea, Professor Lockhart," Snape said, gliding over. "Longbottom causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending what's left of Finch-Fletchley up to the hospital wing in a matchbox." Neville turned pink. "How about Malfoy and Potter?" Snape wore a twisted smile.

"Excellent idea!" Lockhart said, gesturing the two to the middle of the hall and moving everyone else back.

"Now, Harry," Lockhart said, "when Draco points his wand at you, do this." He did a squiggle in the air, and immediately dropped his wand. I snickered.

"Draco is going to destroy Harry," I spoke in Greek, earning laughs from all of the demigods. Draco grinned and nodded at me as Snape whispered something in his ear.

"Three — two — one — go!" Lockhart shouted.

Draco raised his wand and shouted, "Serpensortia!"

A long, black snake exploded out of the end of Draco's wand. It raised, ready to strike. Some kids in the crowd screamed.

"Don't move, Potter," Snape said lazily, enjoying the sight. "I'll get rid of it..."

"Allow me!" Lockhart shouted. He swung his wand at the snake and there was a loud bang. Instead of the snake disappearing, it flew 10 feet into the air and landed in front of me and Justin. It raised itself, ready to strike. Justin and I didn't move. We just stood there with wide eyes while everyone else backed away.

Suddenly, Harry hissed, sounding exactly like the snake in front of us. I paled immediately, looking up in fear at Harry for a moment. I worried he could have connected with the snake. Would have felt like the snake. Thankfully, my friend hadn't, and the snake flopped on the ground.

Harry looked up at Justin and I, grinning, but the smile immediately dropped off of his face. I was pale, and Justin looked fearful and angry.

"What do you think you're playing at?!?" Justin shouted, quickly rushing out of the hall.

Snape stepped forwards and waved his wand, sending the snake into a black smoke. He was looking at Harry with calculating eyes, just like many of the others here. The rest looked almost fearful.

I saw Ron grab Harry from behind and start pulling him away. Hermione and I both followed.

Demigods can all talk to animals. We've got a connection with them. We can feel their emotions. If the emotions are strong enough, they can overcome us. A snake created from magic, talking to someone who wasn't a demigod... that had worried me.

But the fear on everyone's faces told me that this must have been different.

We made it to the Gryffindor common room before Ron finally let Harry go. He pushed Harry into an armchair and said, "You're a Parselmouth. Why didn't you tell us?"

"I'm a what?" Harry asked. I figured it was someone who could talk to snakes.

"A Parselmouth!" Ron said. "You can talk to snakes!"

"I know," Harry said. "I mean, that's only the second time I've ever done it. I accidentally set a boa constrictor on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once — long story — but it was telling me it had never seen Brazil and I sort of set it free without meaning to. That was before I knew I was a wizard..."

"A boa constrictor told you it had never seen Brazil?" I whispered.

"So?" Harry said. "I bet loads of people here can do it."

"Oh, no they can't," Ron said. "It's not a very common gift. Harry, this is bad."

"What's bad?" Harry said, an angry expression on his face. "What's wrong with everyone? Listen, if I hadn't told the snake not to attack Justin—"

"Oh, that's what you said to it?"

"What d'you mean? You were there. You heard me."

"I heard you speaking Parseltongue," Ron said, "snake language. You could have been saying anything. No wonder Justin panicked, you sounded like you were egging the snake on or something. It was creepy, you know."

I nodded and said quietly, "When talking to an animal, you can minorly feel their emotions. If their emotions are strong enough, they can become your emotions. If the snake really wanted to kill Justin... you would have let it."

Harry gaped at us.

"I spoke a different language? But — I didn't realize — how can I speak a language without knowing I can speak it?"

Ron shook his head. Him and Hermione looked as if the world was about to end. I had a pretty bad feeling about this whole parselmouth thing.

"D'you want to tell me what's wrong with stopping a dirty great snake biting Justin's head off?" Harry questioned. "What does it matter how I did it as long as Justin doesn't have to join the Headless Hunt?"

"It matters," Hermione whispered, "because being able to talk to snakes was what Salazar Slytherin was famous for. That's why the symbol of Slytherin house is a serpent."

I watched Harry's mouth fall open. Mine did the same as it hit me why this was much more of a problem than I had originally thought.

"Exactly," Ron said. "And now the whole school's going to think you're his great-great-great-great-grandson or something..."

"But I'm not," Harry said, panic settling across his features.

"You'll find that hard to prove," Hermione said. "He lived about a thousand years ago; for all we know, you could be."

This will be the only chapter with a message published in the past. Normally, I just type the bottom message just before I publish the chapter. Yesterday I published the chapter "Socks and the Doors". That's before Percy and Harry ever even made it to Hogwarts. Before they even got their wands. But I was bored, so I'm doing this. Just finished this chapter.

See you in the future guys, gals, and non-binary pals. Hope you had a happy February 20. I know I did.