Chapter 40 : Whispers of the Serpent

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The snake regarded Harry who in turn looked at it straight in the beads it had for eyes; it was a long snake, of brown colour and, as most of the snakes in Africa, apparently poisonous. Harry didn't even dare to blink. The snake seemed to make its decision and drew its head farther back, ready to strike.

"Stay away from my eggs!" Harry's eyes widened further at the whistling voice. Had the snake just talked to him? Never taking his eyes from the ready to strike snake, he moved his lips slowly. What did he have to lose anyway?

"Hello?" He asked softly. The snake snapped his fangs closed in a swift movement.

"You're a speaker, human?" The snake asked. Harry, half considering he had already been bitten and currently suffering the side effects of the poison, was somehow certain the snake was a female.

"I guess." He answered regarding the snake with some fear, now mixed with awe.

"Why are you threatening my eggs then?" The snake asked lowering her head ever so slightly.

"I am not." Harry defended himself. "My Dad and I are just here for the flowers. We hadn't realized there was a nest here."

"So you're not here for my eggs?" The snake persisted seeming however less agitated now.

"I swear we will do nothing to endanger your eggs." Harry stated solemnly. "If you show me where your nest is, I promise we won't even draw close."

"It's over there, behind those rocks." The snake said pointing at a pile of rocks away from the flowers.

"We're only here for the flowers; we won't go near your nest." Harry repeated.

"You seem honest speaker. And you are little older than a nestling yourself. If you promise to keep away from my nest, you can stay." The snake agreed.

"We might need to come back again the next few nights." Harry warned her. "The flowers only come out under the moonlight."

"I know, young speaker." The snake agreed. "Stay away from my nest and gather all the flowers you want."

"I promise we will."

"Good then." The snaked conceded and, just like that, turned her head and slithered away. Harry let out an audible sigh of relief and turned to look at Severus. Without Harry's knowledge, the potions master hadn't been able to remove his eyes from the boy while he conversed with the snake. After the initial shock faded and when he was assured that the snake wouldn't attack, his mind started working faster than a galloping unicorn, making the connection. Harry was talking to the snake, hissing and nodding, understanding exactly what it was saying. Harry was talking in Parseltongue. Harry was a Parselmouth.

"Sev?" The green eyed boy asked in fear. "Did I just talk to that snake?" A small grin spread on the potions master face.

"You know what, kid?" He asked as the grin turned into a full blown smile. "I think you just did."

Harry was talking to the snake, whistling and nodding, understanding exactly what it was saying. Harry was talking in Parseltongue. Harry was a Parseltongue.

"Sev?" The green eyed boy asked in fear. "Did I just talk to that snake?" A small grin spread on the potions' master face.

"You know what, kid?" He asked as the grin turned into a full blown smile. "I think you just did."

"I'm still not so sure about that." Harry stated over his green mint tea. They had ended up leaving the valley not long after the snake incident the night before; and 'not long after' of course meant they were gone the moment they had grabbed the linen sacks with the flowers and reached the horses. Severus had casted a tracing spell so they could find the valley easier next time just before ridding away.

The three hour ride back had been almost silent as Harry led his horse looking blankly ahead, following the path he had memorized over their search for the flowers. The potions master could tell his newfound ability had unnerved him and it was no wonder, what with all the stories about Parselmouths being evil. He had tried speaking to him a couple of times but he stood motionless as if he hadn't heard his name being called. Severus had simply sighed and waited patiently until they had arrived at the Kasbah.

The room was just as they had left it and he quickly placed the flowers in one corner before turning to face Harry; the flowers could wait. He had finally gotten through to the boy he had come to think as his son only to realize Harry wasn't unnerved; he was terrified. And it hadn't taken him long to uncover that the core of his fear didn't reside on the ability itself. Harry had known Voldemort was a Parselmouth -probably from a conversation he had caught from the Potters or Dumbledore since Severus had never mentioned that detail- and had developed the irrational fear that his ability made him similar to the Dark Lord somehow. His fear had only intensified when, while putting on his pajamas, he had noticed three new runes had appeared on his emblem; only this time the deep green symbols had appeared on one of the lines of the emblem and not around it. Harry had paled and stood shell-shocked for twenty minutes when Severus translated them as 'Parselmouth' before the potions master managed to make him talk.

Severus had stood frozen over the way Harry had chosen to regard his new ability and had, as decisively as he could, assured him he had nothing of that sort to fear from Perseltongue. He had explained how it was only an ability, a rare one at that, and he should make the best out of it. The boy had burst to tears then, silent and shaking, and had asked Severus if he hated him for being a Parselmouth. After some gentle probing he had uncovered his fears were rooted deep, their source being a conversation Aidan had had once with James; the older Potter had -probably joking to his defense- told Adrian that he would never forgive him if he showcased such a 'dark' ability.

Severus had felt like screaming; as gifted as Harry was, he was only eight and had been even younger when he had heard James's threat. It hadn't been easy to reassure him that hatred was completely opposite for how he felt for him. Harry had finally fallen asleep a little after dawn and not before Severus had made a list of a number of Parselmouths that had been a far cry from evil. He actually believed he had won the boy over at the mention of Merlin -the runes had been there when he had seen the great warlock's emblem after all- but had continued nonetheless.

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