“So you mean to tell me that you got an official Ministry warning for using a levitation spell but you didn’t, the barrier to get onto the platform was blocked to us and now you lost all the bones in your arm because of a house elf?” said Draco the next morning when he came to visit Hari in the hospital wing. Ron and Hermione were meeting with Pansy and Millicent in Myrtle’s toilet to avoid their plans being overheard, so only Draco came to visit and Hari gave the entire explanation of what happened the previous night after he saw the curtain.

“Pretty much, yeah. That’s what Dobby told—”

Draco cut him off. “Hold on. Dobby? Dobby the house elf?” he clarified, getting up from the seat he had been sitting on at Hari’s bedside.

“Yes? Didn’t I say that before?”

“No, no you did not,” said Draco. “Hari, Dobby is my family’s house elf!”

Hari sat bolt upright, eyes wide. “Your house elf?! Since when?”

“Since I was about 9 I think? He’s not exactly new,” replied Draco. “How did you not recognise him? You’ve been to my house! Surely you would have seen him!”

“Clearly I didn’t! Otherwise I would have known that it was your house elf that’s been trying to keep me from going to Hogwarts since the summer!” Hari exclaimed, frustration building in his veins. “Your family’s house elf has been messing with my life for months now!”

“Are you trying to suggest that it’s my fault that’s been happening to you? That I’ve been the one setting my family house elf on you? Because if it is, I seriously do not appreciate the insinuation, Hari Potter,” Draco snapped, drawing up to his full height, arms crossed and eyes dangerous. He had always had a few inches on Hari, but now, as Hari lay indisposed in a hospital bed, looking up into a pair of fierce grey eyes, he noticed just how much taller he was.

Hari stared back just as fiercely. “I wasn’t suggesting that at all, Draco. But it’s a pretty big coincidence that it’s been your own house elf that’s been doing all this crap for months,” he replied defiantly. For a moment, they stared at each other, neither of them backing down from a fight they both knew was pointless.

“Right, Potter. Let’s see this hand of yours and then we can send you on your merry way.”

Madam Pomfrey strided into the room then, breaking the tension like shattering a window with a hammer. Hari silently held out his hand and she turned it over, getting him to flex it and stretch it back and forwards, either oblivious or apathetic to the tension only moments ago between the two boys. “Very well. You may go.” And then she bustled back into her office, leaving them alone again.

Hari quickly got dressed out of his pyjamas and into a set of clothes Draco had brought with him to change into. He could feel Draco’s presence a few feet away, the air thicker between them than it had ever been. Hari finished doing the last button of his shirt and turned to face Draco again.

His face softened instantly. Draco had lost the previous fierceness and defence of a minute ago, now left standing there, shoulders hunched and guilt heavy in his sharp, porcelain features.

Hari took a deep breath and yanked Draco into a hug. Draco hugged back immediately, clutching the fabric of his shirt. For a long, lingering moment, they stood in the middle of the hospital wing, hugging each other fiercely, their anger dissipated entirely.

They pulled apart. “I’m sorry. I don’t think you were doing any of it. Dobby was trying to protect me, remember?” Hari said as they started walking out of the infirmary together.

Draco grabbed Hari’s hand, squeezing it firmly. “I’m sorry, too. I just got carried away by the shock of it,” he said, throwing Hari a sheepish smile, cheeks flushing slightly. Harry squeezed back.

“Let’s go find Ron and Hermione and update them on the situation.”

Draco let go of Hari’s hand to open the toilet door and they slowly crept inside. Pansy was sitting on the counter beside one of the sinks, swinging her legs back and forth while Hermione leaned against the counter beside her and Ron and Millicent both leaned against one of the closed stall doors. They looked up as Hari and Draco entered.

“Ah, so I see you survived, Potter,” remarked Millicent with a smirk. “Can’t say I’ve ever seen someone try to swallow the Snitch before.”

“I thought it was impressive. You broke your arm and still caught it before Blaise did!” Pansy laughed shrilly, dark black hair swishing as she laughed.

Hermione gestured to his arm. “I see you’ve regrown the bones, now,” she said casually. “I told you there was no harm done.”

Hari rolled his eyes and went over to lean against the stall next to Ron. Draco moved to sit against a sink. “Yeah, after an agonising night regrowing them all back.” He rolled his eyes. “Speaking of last night, did you guys hear about Co—?”

“Yeah, we heard about Colin. We overheard McGonagall telling one of the teachers while we were on our way to you,” said Ron. He gestured his head to Millicent and to Pansy. “Hence why we thought we should speak to Millicent and Pansy about the plan. We reckon the Bludger could be connected to—”

“It was Dobby,” Hari interrupted. And then he went into the explanation of waking up with Dobby on his chest and all the things he did to try to keep Hari “safe” and how he mentioned the Chamber of Secrets. Draco interrupted the last of his story to inform them that Dobby was his house elf, but that he wasn’t the one to send him.

Ron released a heavy sigh once they both finished. “So the Chamber of Secrets has been opened before?”

“And it’s been opened again,” added Millicent, eyes wide.

“So... Draco’s house elf has been trying to keep Hari safe from coming to Hogwarts because of the Chamber of Secrets and then the Chamber was opened and whatever’s inside attacked a cat and Hari was the one everyone tried to blame and then the one night Hari is stuck in the hospital wing, there’s another attack and we find out the Chamber of Secrets was opened before?” recounted Pansy, ticking off on her fingers. The others nodded, all looking rather grim. “Well, isn’t this a super fun situation?”

¤¤¤

The news of Colin Creevey’s attack spread across the school like Fiendfyre and by the end of that afternoon, everyone was discussing how little Colin Creevey was now lying, frozen stiff in the hospital wing. Tensions were running severely high now, first years constantly travelling in packs and a sudden surge of fake good luck charms going around the school. The teachers were all in horrible moods, talking in the corridors with their heads together and monitoring the hallways far more than usual. Rumours and lies travelled just as fast as the truth, everyone casting suspicion upon anyone and everyone.

Poor Ginny, apparently a good friend of Colin’s, was beside herself, looking sickly pale every day. Fred and George tried cheering her up, perhaps not in the best of way, by trying to jump out at her in an attempt to distract her. It did not seem to make much difference and they were finally forced to stop after Percy was almost hoarse from shouting them down one evening after dinner when tensions were particularly rampant in Gryffindor House.

A few weeks before term ended, Minerva went along the Gryffindor table during dinner with the list of people staying. She paused next to Harry and his friends. “Obviously I know you’re staying, Hari, but what about the rest of you?” she asked, patting Hari’s shoulder and glancing between Ron, Draco and Hermione.

“We’re all staying this time, Professor,” replied Ron.

“Minnie, who else is staying?” Hari asked before she could continue down the line.

She sighed, holding out the list for him to read. “Not many this term. Though, I wouldn’t say I’m surprised,” she said. Hari’s eyes widened as he read the short list of names. She pulled the list back. “Ah, Miss Brown. Are you staying this term?” She gave them a small smile and continued on down the table, collecting names.

Hari leaned across the table, careful not to get his tie in his vegetable stir fry and whispered to the others, “Did you see that list? Theodore Nott and his friends are staying. This is the perfect time for Pansy and Millicent to listen in and interrogate them since so few are staying.”

“We can speak to them during Potions class tomorrow,” whispered Hermione.

The next day, Hari, Ron, Hermione and Draco were walking out of the Great Hall after lunch to find a large huddle of students from all houses, talking and whispering next to the large notice board in the entrance hall. They walked up to where Seamus, Neville and Dean were talking excitedly.

“What’s this?” asked Draco, craning his neck to try to see over the crowd of people.

“Duelling Club! First lesson is after dinner this evening!” exclaimed Seamus, grinning broadly.

“Might come in handy these days…” said Neville slightly anxiously.

Draco put a hand on his shoulder. “Neville, you’re a pure-blood. Do I have to go over this again?” he said. Neville shrugged his hand off his shoulder and pouted. Draco laughed heartily and threw his arm around Neville. “I think it’d come in handy, though. Are you guys up for it?”

“I’m down,” said Ron, nodding. “I doubt Slytherin’s monster can duel, but it could still help later on.”

“Aye, let’s do it,” said Hari.

And so, at eight o’clock, they headed back to the Great Hall for Duelling Club. Pansy, Millicent and Blaise were coming up the stairs from the dungeons and hurried over to join them as they stepped inside. Instead of the four house tables that normally filled the hall, there was now one single long stage stretching across the room, decorated with gold and navy blue hanging down on the sides. Most of the school were all situated around the stage, chattering excitedly.

“Who do you think will be teaching the club?” asked Ron, peering around for any sign of the teachers. “McGonagall maybe? Or Flitwick, I heard he used to duel when he was young.”

“Knowing our luck, it’ll be the Defence Against the Arts teacher…” said Hari grimly.

And sure enough, a few moments later, Lockhart came striding up onto the stage, his golden hair styled perfectly and his bright red robes swishing as he walked. Hari, Ron and Draco drew a collective groan as he beamed at the students looking up at him. On the other side, Professor Snape entered the stage in his usual black robes, scowling in contrast. It was a pretty comical showcase of just how opposite the two men were to each other.

“Welcome, welcome, students,” sang Lockhart, winking at his audience. Draco pretended to throw up on the floor, earning snickers from Hari, Pansy and Ron and a scowl from Hermione and Millicent. “Allow me to introduce my lovely assistant, Professor Snape, who was delighted to join me in starting this duelling club to teach you all how to fend for yourselves!” Professor Snape looked anything but delighted, scowling menacingly at Lockhart over his sharp nose. Lockhart took no notice. “Now, have no fear that you will still have your lovely Potions teacher once I’m finished with him as he tells me he has a little duelling experience himself…”

“Yeah, I wonder why,” muttered Ron in Hari’s ear.

“Do you think Lockhart realises how murderous Snape looks right now or is he just that stupid?” Hari muttered back, “If he looked at me like that, I’d already be running a mile.”

“And now, a demonstration!” said Lockhart, pulling his wand out of his pocket. Professor Snape did the same, sneering. Lockhart bowed deeply, still grinning, while Professor Snape barely nodded his chin. “Have no fear, neither of us is aiming to kill.” Hari and Ron snickered. “On a count of three. One… two… three!”

Before Lockhart could even open his mouth, Professor Snape pointed his wand directly at Lockhart and called, “Expelliarmus!” With a bright flash of red, Lockhart’s wand flew out of his hand and he was thrown backwards across the stage, blasting into one of the stone walls. The whole crowd watching gasped in surprise. Professor Snape, picked up Lockhart’s wand with a cold smile as the now very ruffled Defence teacher got to his feet, straightening out his blond curls falling into his face.

“I, of course, meant for that to happen,” said Lockhart stiffly as he walked unsteadily back to the centre of the stage and took his wand from Professor Snape, wincing. “I simply wished for you all to see what happens when someone disarms you! Otherwise I would have easily stopped Professor Snape…” Perhaps finally recognising the sheer murder in Professor Snape’s dark eyes, Lockhart coughed uncomfortably and said, “Well, I suppose we should divide everyone into pairs then. Professor, if you could help me?”

They both hopped off the stage and began pairing off students here and there, matching them with people in their own year groups. Neville was paired off with Dean while Seamus was paired with Ron. Snape paired Hermione up with Millicent and sneered but stayed quiet when Hari and Draco ended up together.

“Face your partners, please!” called Lockhart through the crowd once they finished pairing everyone up. Hari and Draco stepped apart and faced each other, grinning determinedly at each other. “And bow!”

There was a series of intermittent bowing around the room.

“Wands at the ready! And one… two… three!”

Hari raised his wand high and pointed his wand at Draco, shouting, “Rictumsempra!” at the same exact time Draco shouted, “Tarantallegra!”

A flash of silver light hit Draco in the stomach and he doubled over laughing at the spell tickling his side. Meanwhile, Hari’s legs went out of control as they jerked and flailed in a strange sort of disordered dance.

Around them, the rest of the room fell into chaos as well. Neville’s wand burst out a large puff of green smoke which surrounded both him and Dean and ended up with Dean sprawled on the floor while Ron’s wand sparked from both ends, throwing Ron back and hitting Seamus right in the face. The colour drained from his face and he stumbled over, Ron reaching out to catch him before he could fall down. Pansy was cackling at Blaise, who was in a similar situation to Hari, though he looked far less amused at being unable to stop dancing. Daphne Greengrass and Padma Patil were both sending repeated jinxes back and forth, both too stubborn to stop, but too powerful to lose. Draco’s spell wore off Hari and they laughed at the others’ mishaps.

And then, the crowd jumped out of the way and several people screamed as a huge grey serpent burst out of someone’s wand, hidden by the crowd. Hermione stood frozen in fear, eyes wide and hands trembling as it began to slither its way towards her. Millicent dropped her wand with a clatter, looking horrified, hands slapped over her gaping mouth. Draco grabbed Hermione’s hand and yanked her out of the way, holding her behind himself defensively.

“Watch it, let me deal with this,” said Professor Snape, whipping his wand out of his pocket and starting towards the snake making its way to Hermione.

“No, let me!” interjected Lockhart, pulling out his own wand. He pointed his wand at the snake and a burst of light threw the snake high up into the air before dropping it down on the floor. More students shrieked and hurried away from the snake. Clearly angered by being tossed into the sky, the snake hissed loudly, fangs popping, and began advancing on Justin Finch-Fletchley instead of Hermione, now hidden behind Draco, Blaise and Pansy.

As if his feet had a mind of their own, Hari started towards the snake sliding across the floor towards the fearful Hufflepuff. “Hey! Get away from him!” Hari shouted at the snake. It turned its head towards him, tongue flicking in and out of its mouth. At Hari’s command, surprisingly, the snake moved away from Justin, back on the ground and no longer hissing violently. Hari had a strange feeling that he knew the snake wouldn’t try to bother Justin anymore.

Hari looked back at Justin, but was startled to see the horror written on his face instead. “What the hell are you doing?” he shouted, voice shaking. Before Hari could reply, he shoved his way through the surrounding crowd and out of the Great Hall. Hari saw one of the Hufflepuffs hurry after him.

Looking at Hari with narrowed eyes and a curious frown, Professor Snape Vanished the snake. Everyone in the Great Hall was staring at Hari now, a mixture of fear, disgust and confusion in their expressions. Hari felt a firm grip on his arm and Draco whispered in his ear, “We need to leave.” He allowed Draco to pull him out of the room, followed closely by Hermione and Ron. They passed their other friends, also looking at Hari strangely. The door slammed behind them as they left.

They made their way up to Gryffindor tower in complete silence, Draco’s grasp on Hari never wavering until they entered the common room and Draco pushed him into one of the arm chairs. They were all still looking at Hari weirdly, exchanging worried glances with each other.

“Can you all please tell me why everyone is looking at me so weirdly?” blurted Hari when the silence became too much for him, all three of his friends standing in front of him.

“Why the hell didn’t you tell us you were a Parselmouth?” burst out Draco, throwing his arms out dramatically, scowling.

Hari blinked. “Excuse me?”

“You can talk to snakes!” Ron exclaimed.

“So what? I’ve been talking to snakes since I was little! We used to get a few snakes on the grounds here or in our garden back home and I would occasionally talk to them if I was bored,” said Hari. “I think I’d know if I was an actual Parselmouth.”

“Sure looked pretty like Parseltongue to me!” said Ron, frowning. “What were you even saying to it?

Hari spluttered, “I just told that snake to leave Justin alone!”

“Oh, so that’s what you said?” replied Draco, frowning.

“Of course it is! You were all there! You saw me talking to the thing and telling it to leave Justin alone!”

Ron and Draco looked at each other. “No, we saw you speaking snake to it. It’s all hissing and stuff that we can’t understand,” said Ron. “It’s a creepy sound, honestly. I’d have panicked as well. It did sorta look like you were cheering it on…”

“But wouldn’t I know if I was speaking another language?” snapped Hari, getting to his feet. “And first of all, I’m a bit insulted you all seem to think I’d be trying to egg on a snake to attack my friends.” Hari scowled darkly at his friends, crossing his arms tightly over his chest.

“Hari, Salazar Slytherin was a famous Parselmouth. Which is why the Slytherin’s symbol is a snake,” explained Hermione.

“Which means, now it looks like you’re his ancestor and you got it from him!” said Ron.

“But how could I be? Wasn’t Slytherin… white?” Hari looked down at himself and Hermione sighed exasperatedly, while Draco and Ron snorted.

“That’s all quite difficult to prove, Hari. Hogwarts was founded centuries ago, so it’s perfectly plausible for you to be related to him somehow,” said Hermione seriously.

¤¤¤

The next morning, thankfully, was Saturday. Hari hardly slept, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep as he was plagued by thoughts of being related to Salazar Slytherin. He tried to remind himself that he was sorted into Gryffindor and not Slytherin, but the rude part of his mind insisted on reminding him of how close he had been to getting sorted into Slytherin only a year ago. The next morning, hair messier than ever and dark bags under his eyes, Hari made his way downstairs by himself.

He didn’t want to see the stares from the rest of his peers at breakfast, so instead he wandered the halls, still thinking about everything that happened yesterday.

“Hari?” He turned at the sound of his name and saw Minerva coming up the stairs, carrying a cup of coffee, clearly going to her office after breakfast. She looked odd as she peered down at Hari and he knew immediately that Professor Snape would have told her about the previous evening’s events. “Can we speak in my office, Hari?” she asked, already walking in that direction, giving Hari no choice but to follow.

Once inside, Hari sat down on the edge of his usual chair and Minerva sat down behind her desk, placing her mug on the table. They were silent for a few moments, neither daring to speak as Hari drummed his fingers nervously on the arm of his chair and Minerva idly blew on the steam over her coffee.

Finally, Minerva said, “So, it has come to my attention that… you can speak to snakes.”

Hari nodded, keeping his eyes on the floor to avoid looking at the disappointment no doubt on her face. “Did Severus tell you?” he asked.

“He did,” replied Minerva, pursing her lips.

Hari looked up at Minerva again, surprised to see not disappointment, but concern and worry, her grey eyebrows furrowed slightly. “I was just trying to get that snake to leave Justin alone, Minnie! It tried to attack Hermione as well but now everyone thinks I was trying to egg it on!” he exclaimed. “I was in the hospital wing when Colin Creevey got attacked, so how could I possibly have done it?”

“I know, Hari,” soothed Minerva, “but people will see what they want to see. People are afraid of the dangers of the Chamber of Secrets being opened and then when they see you, who was found at the first site of an attack and can talk to snakes, they are naturally assuming things. We have no idea what monster lies within the depths of the legendary Chamber and, so anything is possible. And unless the monster is a snake, which would be rather obvious roaming the school, I very much doubt you can control it.”

Hari sighed, still not very comforted by the conversation. “I just wish I could explain to Justin that I was actually trying to help him…”

“Then, why don’t you? I believe I saw a group of second year Hufflepuffs going towards the library before I made my way up here,” suggested Minerva, sipping her coffee thoughtfully. “And Hari?”

Hari turned back from where he was moving towards the door, tilting his head. “Try not to worry too much. It will be fine, I promise.” Her eyes glinted reassuringly, a soft smile on her face.

Hari thanked Minerva for her talk and made his way up the next flight of stairs, marching towards the library. It was far colder and darker in the castle now, snow piling high against the windows and blocking much of the light and a cool draught creeping between the miniscule cracks in the ancient stone walls. Holding his robes tighter around himself for warmth, he stepped inside the library.

He found a group of Hufflepuffs sitting at a nearby table, talking seriously among themselves. He hid behind a shelf in the Serpents and Secrets aisle, peering between the gaps in the shelves and listening to their conversation.

“So, I’ve told Justin to stay as far away as he can from that Potter,” said a stout boy with freckles all over his face. “Clearly Potter’s chosen him as his next victim, so it’s only a matter of time before Potter tries something. I told him it was stupid letting it slip to Potter that he’s a Muggleborn; it was practically a death wish.”

“And you really think Potter is Slytherin’s heir, Ernie?” said a fairly pretty girl with blond hair tied back into two braids.

The freckled boy, Ernie, rolled his eyes. “Of course he is, Hannah. He’s a Parselmouth and nobody knows of a Parselmouth that wasn’t into the Dark Arts. Slytherin himself was one and you know what he was like,” replied Ernie. “You saw what that message said. ‘Enemies of the heir, beware.’ It was a threat to those Slytherin and his heir wouldn’t want in this school. Like Squibs and Muggleborns. Potter got in trouble with Filch the very same evening his cat got hung up on a wall by its tail. Everyone knows that Creevey first year annoys Potter and has some sort of a crush on him, which I doubt he likes. And then, he’s suddenly attacked as well.”

“But Hari’s always been so nice. And he was the one that got rid of You-Know-Who.”

“Yeah? Well I bet that’s why he could defeat him. Surely only a powerful Dark wizard could defeat him, so that’s why You-Know-Who targeted him and Potter defeated him when he was only a baby. Imagine what other damage Potter could do when he’s older,” said Ernie darkly, lowering his voice even more.

Hari didn’t want to hear any more of their theories about him terrorising the school. Clearing his throat, Hari stepped out from his hiding place between the aisles. The Hufflepuffs all startled, looking up at Hari with wide eyes. Ernie looked as though he were about to vomit, face paling to almost grey.

“Enjoying your gossip?” asked Hari coolly. “I didn’t goad that snake, alright? Some of my best friends are muggleborns, so why would I go around attacking them?

“We were all there, Potter. We all saw you egging on that snake to kill him,” remarked Ernie, narrowing his eyes.

Hari scoffed. “Oh, come on. Didn’t any of you see that snake move away once I spoke to it?” he said irritably, fists tightening at his sides.

“All I saw was that snake moving towards Justin and you speaking Parseltongue,” said Ernie, looking flushed at being called an idiot. “And before you get any ideas about me, you can trace my family history back for centuries.”

“I don’t give a damn about your stupid blood status,” Hari snapped.

Hari spun on his heel and stormed out of the library, hands balled into tight fists at his sides. He was so angry about the conversation he just had to endure that he almost ran straight into Hagrid, stumbling back just in time. He was carrying a pair of dead roosters in his huge hands.

“Are you alright, Hari?” Hagrid asked, peering down at Hari through his bushy black beard. “Look a bit upset—”

“Just some idiots in the library. I’m fine,” said Hari, continuing on his way through the freezing cold halls. Hagrid followed him, still swinging the bloody roosters in his hands. “What are you doing here with dead chickens, anyway?” Hari asked, grimacing at the sight of them, blood dripping onto the floor.

“Someone’s been killing them this term. I was going to ask Dumbledore for permission to use my wand to—blimey!”

They both froze. Dread filled Hari’s entire body as he looked at the scene in front of him. Justin Finch-Fletchley was lying on the ground, stiff as a board, face frozen into horror. Hovering beside him, head hanging by a thread, was Nearly Headless Nick.

Hari released a breath, eyes wide and heart racing. “You have got to be kidding me,” he breathed.