Essa the Basilisk

As they drew closer to the castle, while Slytherin was winding up his lecture on bird species and attributes, a large snake suddenly reared up in the grass before them. The Thestrals came to an easy halt, not disturbed in the least, even by Hermione's scream upon seeing the snake.

"Salsss, Essa isss hunting ahead," Harry heard it say.

"Who isss Essa?" he asked, curious. The other three all turned to stare at him. "What?"

"You spoke the snake language!" Neville croaked out. Hermione nodded fervently.

Harry turned to Slytherin for confirmation. "That was indeed the snake language, or parseltongue, lad," he said. "Solus here was just warning me that Essa, our largest snake, is hunting up ahead. Judging by your screams, Hermione, Essa is not someone you would like to meet?"

Hermione shook her head quickly, and Neville followed suit. "Very well," Slytherin sighed. He turned back to the snake, and Harry listened closely, trying to hear the difference in his words. "Solusss, pleassse take the two non-speakersss home. Away from Essa"

Other than a slightly elongated 's' sound at the end of some words, Harry couldn't tell the difference between the two languages.

"Hermione, Neville, follow Solus," Slytherin instructed them. "He will lead you the longer way, back towards the castle, without encountering Essa. Harry and I will meet you at the steps."

With that, Slytherin strode off in the direction they had been heading. Harry hurried to nudge his Thestral along in the same direction. "So can a lot of people talk to snakes?" he asked. He was wondering if his father or mother had been able to do it; Hagrid had not mentioned it if they had.

"Not many," Slytherin replied. "There are some countries where the talent is revered, and family dynasties that revolve around parselmouths have evolved. However, in this corner of the world it is relatively rare. Two of my children possess the gift, and three of their children so far, but my other three living children do not."

"So even within families it isn't a guarantee?" Harry asked. Perhaps his parents hadn't been able to speak to snakes after all.

"Correct. However, it does not seem to come about randomly. Every parselmouth I have met has been able to trace the ability back in their family. It might only be a great-grandparent, or merely family legend, but the power comes from somewhere. I do not believe that you can study it or have it without a family history."

"Do the Potters speak it?" Harry asked, before realizing that of course Slytherin would not know about the Potter family. The magical world was all so different to him, it was hard sometimes to remember that he was in the past!

"None of the Potters currently in the village speak it, but their grandmother did," Slytherin said, much to Harry's surprise. "Lyra Potter helped me gather and transport many of the snake species that live around the castle before her death a few years ago."

"The Potters are here?" Harry asked, immediately forgetting his remaining questions about snakes. "Now, in this time? My family goes that far back?"

"Of course they do!" Slytherin replied. "In fact, Lady Cathryn, Gryffindor's eldest daughter, is married to Sir Potter, Lord Potter's eldest son."

"Is that how I'm an heir of Gryffindor?" Harry wondered.

"It is certainly one reason, though I'm sure the lines intersected again somewhere between this time and yours. Now," Slytherin said, halting. "Would you like to meet Essa?"

"Oh, yes!" Harry said, looking around eagerly. Ever since the boa constrictor incident at the zoo earlier this summer, Harry had been looking forward to talking to another big snake.

"Very well," Slytherin stepped forward, out of the treeline, and Harry nudged his Thestral after. As soon as they were clear of the trees, Harry gaped.

There, before him, was the biggest snake he had ever seen! It's body was as tall as his knees; it was easily as long as a bus! "What is it?" he whispered.

"I am Essa," the snake replied, swinging her head around to look at Harry.

"She's a basilisk," Slytherin said proudly. "Bred her myself!"

Harry could see why he would be proud. It wasn't just her incredible size; her scales were irridescent, most of them glimmering a gorgeous emerald green color in the light. A dark green stripe ran down her back, and darker green crossbands led from it, wrapping around her sides. Her belly, where he could see it, was a pale yellowy cream color.

Her face was wide, compared to the snakes Harry had seen, with her head appearing almost heart-shaped. Her eyes were hard to see, and they appeared cloudy white, like Harry had once seen on a blind man. "What'sss wrong with her eyesss?"

"Would you like me to ssshow you?" Essa asked.

"No thank you, Essa," Slytherin said a little sharply. "Harry, do you know anything about Basilisks?"

"No."

"Basilisks have many deadly weapons. The venom in their fangs is lethal. They can constrict around their prey and crush it to death. Their teeth are sharp enough to kill most creatures even without the venom. However, they rarely need to use any of those methods. The gaze of a Basilisk is fatal."

"But she's looking at us right now!" Harry protested.

"That is because she has an extra eyelid. All snakes have a special eyelid called a brille that is clear and acts like a scale, to protect their eye. It sheds with their skin, just like every other scale. However, the basilisk has another eyelid, which is beneath her scale layer. This inner membrane is similar to the ones on Crocodiles and other creatures who must see beneath the water. It covers their eye to protect it. In the basilisk's case, it covers their eye to protect everyone else."

"With this membrane fully across, Essa can still see, though not as well. However, it negates her deadly gaze so that she can safely move around us. Essa always uses her membrane eyelid when leaving her den, except when she needs to unveil her eyes on the battlefield. In this way, she can hunt, and in battle get to where the enemies are, without hurting anyone on our side."

"Wow!" Was all Harry could think to say. Essa gave a series of rippling hisses, in what Harry could only assume was a snake laugh."So is this as big as she gets?"

This time both Essa and Slytherin laughed at him. "Harry, I bred Essa when I was just a student, only slightly older than you, and curious about snakes. She is over 80 years old, and yet, to her kind, she is but a toddler. She could live for tens of hundreds of years, if not killed!"

"Wow." Harry said again. Finally, his struggling brain asked the only thing he could think of. "Will the whole wizarding world be full of surprises like this?"

Slytherin snorted. "Feeling overwhelmed, young Harry?" he asked.

Harry nodded, still drinking in the sight of Essa, though he felt like his brain was shutting down.

"The heirs have usually had more magical education than you have had," Slytherin mused. "I apologize for throwing so much at you so quickly." He thought for a moment, then turned back to Essa. "Good hunting, Essa," he said.

Essa flicked her tail at him, laughed at Harry one last time, and then slid off in the grass.

"We should continue back to the castle, young Harry," Slytherin decided. "Perhaps some time with Hufflepuff or Bones would be better, until you and the others are more familiar with the magical world."

Harry wanted to protest - Slytherin had shown him such amazing things! But at the same time, he wasn't sure he could handle any more shocking things. He had only ever performed one spell - that very morning - and part of him still believed that not only the past but even the present world of magic and Hogwarts was all a dream! A dream that he would soon wake from back in his cupboard.

Harry just wasn't sure he could cope with being the magical heir of a mystical school that could kind of travel through time.

He was drawn out of his thoughts when his name was called, and Harry looked up to see Hermione and Neville waving at him. They were sitting on the castle steps, and Frally was beside them. Harry didn't remember dismounting his Thestral, but suddenly he was beside Hermione, and she was squeezing his hand.

"I think a private luncheon for these three, Frally," Slytherin said. "Perhaps with Lady Hufflepuff or Lady Helena."

"Yes, Lord Slytherin," Frally said, inclining his head in a slight bow. "Right this way, young guests," he said to the trio.

As Harry followed the Elf, Slytherin clapped him on the shoulder. "You'll get used to it all soon enough, young man!" he said.

Harry hoped he was right.