A Black and a Weasley

Chapter 18

The four of us are in the girls lavatory huddleing over a bubbling culdron and me and Hermione are adding all the ingredients to it."Again? You mean, the Chamber of Secrets has been opened before?" Hermione asks Harry

"Of course! Don't you see? Lucius Malfoy must've opened it when he was at school here, and now he's told Draco how to do it" Ron says to us

"Maybe. We'll have to wait for the Polyjuice Potion to know for sure" I tell him as I add some more ingredients in

"Enlighten me. Why are we brewing this potion in broad daylight, in the middle of a girls' lavatory? Don't you think we'll get caught?" Ron asks

"Never. No one over comes in here" Hermione tells him

"Why?" Harry asks

"Moaning Myrtle" I tell him

"Who's Moaning Myrtle?" Ron asks as a ghost of a young girl with glasses comes racing out of a toilet and is face to face with Ron while making a loud screech.

"I'm Moaning Myrtle. I wouldn't expect you to know me. Who would ever talk about fat, ugly, miserable, moping, moaning Myrtle?" Myrtle sons and she loudly dives head first into the toilet.

"She's a little sensitive" I tell them

After the attacks Dumbledore is letting Lockhart have a duelling club which all of us students can tend much to my disappointment. There is now a long golden stage going through the center of the Great Hall which Lockhart is strutting about on."Gather round! Gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent. In light of the dark events of recent weeks, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little Dueling Club, to train you all up in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions  for full details, see my published works" Lockhart says to everyone

"That Lockhart's something, isn't he? Awfully brave chap. Justin Finch-Fletchley. Hufflepuff" Justin says to Harry who is standing beside me

"Nice to meet you. I'm--" Harry begins to introduce

"I know who you are. We all do. Even us Muggle-borns."Justin  says as he grins agreeably and  looks back to the stage, where Professor Snape has joined Lockhart.

"Let me introduce my assistant Professor Snape. He has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration. Now I don't want any of you youngsters to worry. You'll still have your Potions Master when I'm through with him, never fear" Lockhart says

"What's the fun in that" Ron says as  Lockhart and Snape face each other and bow. They turn, walk ten paces, then spin with their wands poised like swords

"As you can see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position. On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course" Lockhart explains

"I wouldn't bet on that" Harry mutters to us as he watches Snape.

"One-two-three -" Lockhart counts  she gets his wand ready

"Expelliarmus!" Snaps says and a  flash of scarlet light,  bursts forth and blasts Lockhart off his feet and into the wall behind.

"Do you think he's all right?" Hermione asks is with a worried expression

"Who cares?" Me, Harry and Ron says as Lockhart gets up of the floor

"Well, there you have it. That was a Disarming Charm. Yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy" Lockhart says to everyone

"Perhaps it would be prudent to first teach the students to block unfriendly spells, Professor." Snape suggests

"An excellent suggestion, Professor Snape. Let's have a volunteer pair. Potter, Weasley, how about you?l" Lockhart says and Harry makes his way onto the stage

"Weasley's wand causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending Potter to the hospital wing in a matchbox. Might I suggest someone from my own house. Malfoy, perhaps." Snape says and  Draco joins Harry on the stage

"Scared, Potter?" Draco asks Harry

"You wish." Harry says and they turn, walk ten paces, then whirl with their  wands poised.

"Wands at the ready! When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponent -- only to disarm. We don't want any accidents. One, two --"Lockhart says but Draco fires early, knocking Harry off his feet with a blast of white light but he jumps up, pointing  his wand.

"Rictusempra!" Harry shouts and a  jet of silver light  hits Malfoy dead in the stomach.

"I said disarm only!" Lockhart tells them

"Serpensortia!" Draco says and a long black snake slithers from the tip of the wand and Snape smiles in amusement

"Don't worry Potter ,I'll get rid of it for you" Snape says walking forward

"Allow me!"Lockhart says and he flicks his wand and the snake flies into the airand slithers straight towards Justin Finch. Harry, approaches the snake which rises, fangs exposed, poised to strike Justin. As Harry walks towards the snake, he begins to talk in a rather odd language but it looks as if the snake actually understands him. Snaps mutters a spell and the snake disappears but Harry just looks confused at what just happened

"What are you playing at?" Justin asks terrified, Justin backs away.

"Come on. Move. Now" I tell Harry as I get his arm and lead him from the hall.

"You're a Parselmouth! Why didn't you tell us" Ron asks as the four of us get inside the common room

"I'm a what?" Harry asks us confused

"You can talk to snakes" I say to him

"I know. I mean, I accidentally set a python on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once. But so what? I bet loads of people here can do it." Harry says to us

"No. They can't. It's not a very common gift, Harry. This is bad" Hermione tells him

"What's bad? If I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justinl Harry says

"Oh, that's what you said to it"Ron says

"You were there! You heard me!"Harry says to Ron

"I heard you speaking Parseltongue. Snake language." Ron tells Harry

"I spoke a different language? But I didn't realise how can I speak a language without knowing I can?l Jarry asks us confused

"I don't know, Harry. But it sounded like you were egging the snake on or something. It was creepy. Harry, listen out me. There's a reason the symbol of Slytherin house is a serpent. Salazar Slytherin was a Parselmouth. He could talk to snakes too" I explain to Harry

"Exactly. And now the whole school's going to think you're his great-great-great grandson or something" Hermione tells hi

"But I'm not. I... can't be" Harry  tells her

"He lived a thousand years ago. For all we know... you could be." I tell him