PARSELTONGUE!

NOVEMBER 1992

2nd Year

• • • •

Harry, Annabelle, Ron and Hermione were scattered around one of the girl's bathroom, as Annabelle let out a soft sigh, looking over the ingredients for the Polyjuice Potion, as Harry - who was sat leaning against the wall - recounted what they had heard from Dobby and the teachers the night before about the Chamber of Secrets.

"'Again'?" Hermione asked, sitting on the floor beside Annabelle in front of the cauldron, "You mean, the Chamber of Secrets has been opened before?"

"Of course," Ron said from where he stood, leaning against one of the stalls, arms crossed, "Don't you see? Lucius Malfoy must have opened it when he was at school here. And now he's taught Draco how to do it."

"Maybe." Annabelle hummed, pouring an ingredient into the potion.

"We'll have to wait for the Polyjuice Potion to know for sure." Hermione added.

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

Annabelle and Hermione shared a small laugh.

"No," Annabelle shook her head, "No one ever comes in here."

Ron creased his eyebrows, "Why?"

"Moaning Myrtle." The girls chorused.

"Who?" Ron asked, before a pigtailed ghost popped her head out of the stall behind the redhead.

"Moaning Myrtle." Annabelle and Hermione replied again, looking at the said ghost, Harry following the girl's eyelines, making the boy jump slightly, wide-eyed.

"Who's Moaning Myrtle?" Ron questioned.

"I'm Moaning Myrtle!" The ghost cried in Ron's face, making the boy, jump back into the stall, scared, "I wouldn't expect you to know me! Who would ever talk about ugly, miserable, moping Moaning Myrtle? Huh...aaaah!" She wailed, before flying away, down into a toilet.

Hermione and Annabelle shared a look, sighing, before the brunette turned to Ron.

"She's a little sensitive."

***

Annabelle licked her lips, as she stood in between Cora and Hermione in The Great Hall, a large duelling mat in the middle of the hall, students of all years crowded around it.

"Gather 'round, gather 'round!" Professor Lockhart exclaimed, as he pranced onto the mat, "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 little Duelling 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 said, pulling at the tie of his cape's string, taking it off in a flourish and throwing it into the crowd, the cape being caught by a small group of fourth year Gryffindors, "Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," Lockhart told the students, making the Potions Master slither up onto the mat, arms crossed, as a few students laughed, "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."

"Two galleons on Snape." Cora whispered to Annabelle, as the two professors bowed to each other.

"No bloody likely," The redhead scoffed, "That's one-hundred-percent a losing bet." She said, shaking her head, making the Hufflepuff chuckle.

"One, two, three." Lockhart counted.

"Expelliarmus!" Professor Snape exclaimed, casting the spell towards the man, sending him flying backwards with a yell, landing heavily on the mat, making most of the girls gasp, and fo the boys and Cora to let out some laughs.

"Do you think he's all right?" Annabelle and Hermione questioned as the man started to stand up.

"Who cares?" Ron and Cora chorused.

"An excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape," Lockhart said, letting out some grunts as he stood up, "But if you don't mind me saying, it was pretty obvious- ah- what you were about to do. And if I had wanted to stop you, it would have been only too easy." The blonde man pompously told Snape.

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

Professor Lockhart thought about a little, "An excellent suggestion, Professor Snape! Ah... Let's have a volunteer pair! Um, Potter, Weasley, how about you?" He chose, the Gryffindor students, moving towards the mat.

"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?" He proposed, making Ron stop and frown.

"This isn't going to go well." Annabelle whispered to Cora.

"Agreed."

"Wands at the ready." Lockhart instructed, making both boys whip there wands out in front of their faces.

"Scared, Potter?" Draco taunted.

"You wish." Harry glared, before they whipped their wands back to their sides and walked tot he opposite ends of the duelling mat, readying their stances.

"On the count of three, cast your charms to disarm your opponent- only to disarm. We don't want any accidents here," Lockhart, "One, two--"

Draco stepped forward, "Everte statium!" He casted, making a blast come out from his wand, which sent Harry flying backwards, flipping twice in the air, which caused Annabelle to grab Cora's hand, breath hitching in worry for her brother, whilst the other Gryffindors winced and most of the Slytherins laughed, and a small smirk formed on Professor Snape's lips, as Draco smiled, proud of himself.

Draco's smug smile fell as Harry scrambled onto his feet.

"Rictusempra!" Harry exclaimed, throwing Draco back, and making the boy land in front of Professor Snape - who grabbed the boy by his robes and pushed him back in the direction of the Potter boy.

"I said disarm only!" Professor Lockhart exclaimed, not doing anything to stop what was happening, as Draco was once again raising his wand.

"Serpensortia!" The Slytherin yelled, swishing his wand, firing a cobra out of it, which then slithered along the playing field, causing Harry to lower his wand, as Annabelle gripped onto Hermione's arm in worry, as the reptile started to slither towards her brother - who started to back away.

Snape then walked past Draco - who was looking at the man for approval - and towards the snake, "Don't move, Potter," The Professor instructed, "I'll get rid of it for you."

"Allow me, Professor Snape," Lockhart exclaimed, sauntering towards the snake, making Snape stop in his tracks, as the blonde man dramatically raised his wand, pointing it at the reptile, "Alarte ascendare!" He cried, making the snake jettison high into the air, then falls back down, before raising its head and turning towards Harry with a hiss.

"Leave them alone," Harry told the snake, making the students and teachers stare at the boy in shock, causing Annabelle to crease her eyebrows in confusion at their reactions, as the reptile turned towards Justin Finch-Fletchey and hissed, "Leave him alone."

Snake watched the boy suspiciously.

"Leave him alone." The Potter boy repeated, as the snake turned towards Harry again, and the boy shook his head slightly at the reptile.

Professor Snape cautiously watched the scene, before raising his wand at the snake, "Vipera. Evanesca." He casted, waving his wand, which emitted a blast at the snake, causing it to burst into flames and disappear.

A murmur swept through the audience, as Harry seemed to snap out of his stupor.

Everyone (besides Annabelle) stared at the boy, some also side-glancing his sister.

"What are you playing at?!" Justin exclaimed, leaving both of the Potters incredibly confused.

***

Annabelle trailed behind Ron and Hermione, as the pair ran to catch up to Harry as they entered the Gryffindor Common Room after their first (and most likely last) Duelling Club.

"You're a Parselmouth?" Ron questioned the boy, "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I'm a what?"

"He's a what?"

The Potters asked, as Annabelle moved to stand next to her older brother, as they looked at their friends, confused.

"You can talk to snakes." Hermione clarified.

"I know." Harry nodded, gaining raised eyebrows from Ron and Hermione.

"He's right," The youngest Potter told them, "I mean, we accidentally set a python on our cousin Dudley at the zoo once," She said, gaining more raised eyebrows, "Uh, once!" The girl defended both her and Harry.

"But, so what?" Harry added, I bet loads of people here can do it."

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

"What's bad?" Harry asked in frustration.

"Yeah, if he hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin-"

"Oh, that's what you said to it!" Ron realised.

"You were there! You heard him!" Annabelle exclaimed.

"I heard you speaking Parseltongue. Snake language?" Ron told the twins.

"Which means that you can speak it too, Annie." Hermione said to her best friend.

"I spoke a different language?" Harry gaped, astounded, "But- I didn't realize I- how can I speak a language without knowing I can?"

"I don't know, Harry, but it sounded like you were egging the snake on, or something," Hermione said, "Harry, Annie, 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." Annabelle nodded in realisation at what she and Ron were so worried about.

"Exactly! Now the whole school's gonna think you're his great- great-great grandchildren, or something." Ron cried.

"But we're not..." Harry trailer off.

"We can't be." Annabelle breathed out.

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

This chapter is dedicated to the amazing MsAngeliiWeasley , happy very belated birthday, go check out her books, she's brilliant!!! Xxx