The Serpent that Devours Us

Chapter 1

When Harry heard the rumours of a basilisk living in the magical part of the forest in Van Vihar National Park in India, he knew he had to go and find it.

“Have you gone insane?” Hermione asked him once he confessed the destination of his next journey. He hadn’t meant to tell her but Hermione had a way of pulling the truth from him even when he was determined to hide it.

“Listen,” Harry said and gestured up and down his own body. “I’m the first parselmouth in Britain in centuries. Maybe even the world. I’ll just have a chat with it, nothing more.”

Ron was a little more reasonable than his fuming wife, but not much. “Mate, going to India to have a chat with a basilisk is a bit much, even for you.”

Harry shrugged, which infuriated Hermione even more. “I’m telling your mother.”

Harry’s eyes widened. “Please don’t,” he pleaded.

She did.

“Harry, dear,” his mum said later that day after she and his dad had invited themselves over for tea. Lily sat on the sofa, cup balanced in her hands while his dad paced in front of the fireplace. “We respect your choices, but going to hunt a basilisk is not a good idea.”

Harry gasped, insulted. “I’m not going to hunt it, Mum. I just want to meet it.”

Sighing, his dad stopped and pushed his glasses up his nose. “Just because you can do...this thing, doesn’t mean you should, Harry.”

“You mean parseltongue, Dad,” Harry said, beyond tired of his dad’s rejection of Harry’s magical talents. “I’m a parselmouth that speaks parseltongue.”

His dad waved his comment away as though it was irrelevant which only infuriated Harry more. “You’ve been gallivanting around the globe for a decade now,” his dad said in his most annoyingly lecturing tone.

“Because I am a magical zoologist,” Harry said loudly, but James fucking Potter, Auror extraordinaire, ignored him completely. Story of his life.

“It’s time you think about your future, Harry,” his dad went on. “Look at your sister –“

“Enough.” Harry jumped up from the couch, glaring between his mum and his dad. “I’m a grown man of 33 years old with a successful career that I love. That’s it. No need for your input. Thanks for stopping by. See you in a few weeks.” And he marched to the fireplace, threw in a hand of floo-powder, called out Potter Mansion and waited with tightly crossed arms until his parents got the right idea and left.

He loved his mum and dad but they drove him up the wall more often than not.

The next afternoon his sister stopped by. “If you get eaten by a big fat snake I inherit everything, just so you realize,” Hyacinth told him with a grin.

Harry snorted but let Hyacinth pull him into a hug. “Seriously, Harry, be careful please. Your niece or nephew wants you to stick around long enough for them to meet you.” She gestured at her baby bump and Harry gave her a genuine smile.

“I promise I’ll do my best not to get eaten. I have plans for your kid.” Harry winked at her.

“As long as those plans don’t involve basilisks I’m fine with it.” She accepted a kiss on the cheek from him. “See you in a few weeks. Send us a postcard.”