17 Serpent's Whisper

All through dinner the adults bickered with each other over everything from politics to the best recipe for Christmas pudding, their voices growing louder and their arguments more vehement as the fine wine flowed. One particularly nasty spat erupted just before dessert.

'I was stunned, simply stunned the other night at the Ministry ball,' Druella drawled. 'Hortensia Selwyn was wearing robes that were really the most horrid shade of purple—and with a green hat, too! She's so plump, she was strutting about the ball looking for all the world like an overgrown aubergine.'

Cassiopeia raised an eyebrow. 'I was at the ball myself, dear, and I didn't see anything wrong with Hortensia's taste.' She raised her goblet to her lips and sipped. 'After all, she wasn't the one wearing a fuchsia gown.'

Druella narrowed her eyes. 'It was a delicate shade of rose, Cassiopeia, as you well know.'

Cassipeia smirked. 'If that was a delicate shade, I should shudder to imagine what an intense shade might look like. You stood out more that that Umbridge woman.'

Druella drew her wand and shot a Stinging Hex at Cassiopeia, which the latter witch easily deflected. Cassiopeia cackled and twirled her own wand.

'Serpensortia!' she intoned, and a vicious-looking cobra flew out the end of her wand and landed on the table directly in front of Druella, who panicked. She jumped back from the table, knocking over her chair. The snake ignored her and turned towards Draco, who was sitting right next to his grandmother.

Harry was sitting across from Draco, and saw the look of terror that appeared on his cousin's face. The cobra raised its head and spread its hood. Without hesitation, Harry grabbed the snake by the tail and yanked it away from Draco. It began to hiss angrily and turned to strike Harry.

'Foolish boy,' it hissed. 'Now you will die instead of the other.'

For some odd reason, it did not immediately surprise Harry that he was able to understand the snake. Perhaps it had something to do with the sheer number of amazing things that had happened in his life over the previous few weeks. In any event, Harry did not stop to wonder, but reacted immediately.

'Leave me alone,' he hissed back.

The snake froze and stared at Harry warily. 'You speak the noble language of the serpents,' he observed.

Harry shrugged, realising for the first time the strange ability he had discovered. 'I suppose so.'

The snake inclined its head. 'Forgive me, my lord, for preparing to strike you. I did not know who you were.'

'Fine, but promise not to attack anyone else.'

'My lord is merciful,' the cobra replied. 'I shall obey your commands with gratitude.'

Harry let go of the snake's tail, and the cobra slithered over to his elbow and curled up.

'I am hungry, my lord,' it said. 'I should be honoured if you would be so kind as to provide me with nourishment.'

Harry took a juicy slice of turkey, set it on his bread plate, and placed it on the floor beside his chair.

'Thank you, my lord,' the snake said, and then slithered down the table leg to the floor, where it eagerly commenced devouring the turkey. Harry smiled at the snake despite himself, and then looked back up at the table. Everyone was staring at him, speechless.

'Did I do something wrong?' he asked nervously.

Pollux laughed in glee and wiped a tear from his eye. 'Wrong? You're a Parselmouth, Aries. Nothing could make me more delighted.'

Arcturus sniffed. 'I'm hardly surprised,' he said smugly, though his broad, almost child-like grin made Harry rather doubt his truthfulness. 'You do spring from two pureblood lines more exalted than any in Britain.'

'That was wicked, Aries!' Draco exclaimed. 'It was just like in the stories, like Slytherin himself, or...' He trailed off.

'The Dark Lord,' Lucius finished, an impenetrable expression on his face.

Abraxas chuckled. 'Indeed, indeed. How long have you known that you spoke Parseltongue, my boy?'

'Is Parseltongue snake language?' Harry asked. His grandfather nodded. 'I only just found out, sir.'

Cassiopeia was incredulous. 'Just now, when you were talking to the snake? Why did you grab its tail then, if you didn't know you could control it?'

Harry shrugged. 'It was going to attack Draco.'

Narcissa gave him a small smile. 'That was very brave, Aries.'

'Ordinarily I would say foolhardy,' Abraxas observed, 'but I suppose you know what you're up to around snakes far better than I.' He sat back in his chair. 'Great Merlin, a Parselmouth in the family.' He laughed aloud. 'What a Christmas present! I say we celebrate.' He called out to the house elf. 'Dobby, bring in the dessert.'

Late that night, Arcturus, Pollux and Abraxas sat up in Abraxas's study, smoking their pipes and nursing glasses of firewhisky.

'I think Aries should come stay with me,' Abraxas said. 'We have plenty of room for a young boy to romp about, and it would benefit both him and Draco to grow up together.'

Arcturus chuckled darkly. 'If you think I shall permit the future head of my House to grow up in Malfoy Manor, you are gravely mistaken.'

'Shut up, the both of you,' Pollux snapped. 'This isn't about our petty interests any more. None of us can afford to let the others control the boy, especially not now that we've learnt the truth about his power and heritage.'

Abraxas chuckled. 'A Parselmouth! There's no doubt Aries will grow up to be a very powerful wizard one day.'

'He could well be the next Dark Lord,' Pollux said, his voice trembling from a combination of pride and terror. 'The true Heir of Slytherin.'

'He could call himself the Black Lord,' Arcturus said dreamily. 'For a thousand generations wizards would tremble at the sound of our family name.'

'If you don't intend him to grow up with any one of us, what do you suggest, Pollux?' Abraxas asked, and took a long draw on his pipe.

'A compromise, of course,' Pollux said. 'The boy will continue to live with the Squibs. He's used to them, and that way he is equally bound to both our families. Cassie will go live with them. She can begin to tutor the boy.'

'I want Draco to join Aries for these tutoring sessions,' Abraxas insisted.

'Fair enough,' Pollux conceded. 'Irma and I shall go ahead with our plans to move into number twelve, Grimmauld Place, and the boys can spend plenty of time there, as well as here at Malfoy Manor.'

'Aries must spend summers with me and Melania in France,' Arcturus added.

'That's fine,' Abraxas said. 'We might even send Draco along for part of the summer. France will do the boys some good.'

'It's settled, then.' Pollux said, and the others both nodded. Abraxas filled up their glasses with a flick of his wand and the three wizards joined in a toast.

'To Aries Sirius Black, the true Heir of Slytherin.'

.....

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