Till The End | h.p

parseltongue

"Gather round!" Lockhart announces.

Students gather around the makeshift stage that has been set up in the Great Hall. Lockhart steps up and walks the length of it.

"Gather round. Can everybody 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 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."

He gives a rather annoying laugh as he removes his cape and tosses it to a group of girls who gasp in delight.

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape."

Snape steps up onto the stage and walks forward.

"He has sportingly agreed to help 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." He winks at the front row where the girls swoon.

Ron leans over to Harry, "Do all the girls have a thing for him or something?" he asks looking around.

Harry's eyes only drift to one girl, Sam watches Lockhart travel the stage looking more annoyed than she has all year. He smirks, "Not all of them."

Lockhart and Snape walk up to each other and bring their wands up to their faces and then back down to their sides with a small bow. They then turn around and take steps back before turning back to each, taking their stances.

"One," Lockart counts, "Two, Three."

Snape is the first to cast, "Expelliarmus!"

A burst of white light erupts and slams into Lockhart throwing him backwards as he tumbles off the stage.

Hermione full of concern asks, "Do you think he's alright?"

Harry, Sam and Ron laugh while Ron retorts, "Who cares?"

"An excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind me saying, it was pretty obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you, it would have been only too easy," Lockhart exclaims while walking back onto the stage with a smug expression.

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

Lockhart looks slightly embarrassed as Snape gives a subtle close lipped smile.

"An excellent suggestion, Professor Snape. Let's have a volunteer pair. Potter, Weasley, how about you?"

Harry begins to walk onto stage while Snape announces, "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 turns to walk off as Malfoy eagerly steps on. Sam rolls her eyes. Harry and Draco step up to each other following the demonstration of Snape and Lockhart.

As they bow, Malfoy smirks, "Scared, Potter?"

"You wish."

Sam smirks in pride. They turn and walk back.

"On the count of three, cast your charms to disarm your opponent. Only to disarm," Lockhart states.

But before he finishes, Malfoy shouts, "Everte Statum!"

As the spell hits Harry, he is thrown back aggressively. Sam immediately pulls out her wand, but Hermione grabs her hand. Harry stands and shouts, "Rictusempra!"

Malfoy flies to the back of the stage and slams with a loud thud right in front of Snape. He pulls him up and pushes him back towards Harry.

"I said disarm only!"

Malfoy, with hatred in his eyes, exclaims, "Serpensortia!"

A snake flies out of his wand and lands between the two of them. It slithers towards Harry and hisses at the students. Harry lowers his wand.

"Don't move, Potter," Snape announces, "I'll get rid of it for you."

"Allow me, Professor Snape," Lockhart says smugly, "Alarte Ascendare!"

The snake is thrown into the air only to land back onto the stage and this time, more agitated.

Harry steps forward, his eyes narrowed, he begins speaking in a language no one understands. Sam grows concerned when his voice changes. The snake turns towards a student and begins to hiss menacingly. The snake turns back to Harry as if it understands what he's saying.

"Vipera Evanesca!" Snape says as the snake bursts into flames.

Everyone looks to Harry in concern and wonder, but the student shouts, "What are you playing at?"

Harry looks at him confused and then at Lockhart and Snape who look equally in judgment and confusion. They quickly dismiss the students.

When the four of them enter the common room, Ron turns Harry to face them, "You're a Parselmouth? Why didn't you tell us?"

"I'm a what?"

"You can talk to snakes," Sam informs.

"I know. I mean, I accidentally set a python on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once," as he sees the expressions on their faces, he clarifies, "Once. But so what? I bet loads of people here can do it."

"No, they can't," Hermione states, "It's not a very common gift, Harry. This is bad."

"What's bad? If I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin-"

"No, that's what you said to it!" Ron explains.

"You were there. You heard me," Harry implores.

"We heard you speaking Parseltongue. Snake Language," Sam insists.

"I spoke a different language?"

They nod, before he continues, "I didn't realize- How can I speak a different language without knowing I can?"

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

"Exactly," Ron says, "Now the whole school is gonna think you're his great-great-great grandson or something."

"But I'm not! I can't be."

"He lived a thousand years ago. For all we know, you could be," Hermione states.