Harry makes a friend
Harry had since been banned from playing outside due to his newly acquired wandless magic, due to the worry of Harry hurting himself. In time, Regulus decided that maybe he was a little too strict, so he let Harry play outside, with Regulus watching ofc.
Harry had been rather joyed about the idea of going back outside and had been impatient for the rest of the day until he had been let outside.
“Harry, c’mon, let’s go outside.” Regulus called out to the small green-eyed toddler, who came running up to Regulus the second the word outside had came out of his mouth. “Outside?” Harry huffed out. Regulus nodded in reply, “yep, outside.” A wide grin appeared on Harry’s face, one that appeared when harry got his way or when he was happy, Regulus couldn’t tell which one it was this time.
As Harry and Regulus walked outside, Harry ran over to his swings, waving over Regulus as soon and he sat down. Harry and Regulus played on the swings for a while until Regulus had to check something with Kreacher. Harry sat there on the swings looking at Regulus and Kreacher speaking nearby, until he got bored and started to walk around the small garden.
Harry spotted some movement in a bush, and debated whether he should get Regulus or if he should investigate himself. Spoiler, he chooses the second.
“Hello? Someone in there?” Harry approached the bush, peeking his head in. Looking through the branches, he found a small black snake, that spoke next. “Back off human!” the snake coiled. Harry looked down curiously at the snake, “I’m not human, I’m Harry.” The snake paused for a second, “you speak?” Harry looked baffled, “of course I speak, I’m talking now.” The snake slithered up to harry. “No, I mean you speak parseltongue,” “what’s parseltongue?” The snake looked annoyed, well, as annoyed as a snake could look. The snake slithered closer, “it’s fine, I’ll tell you later, what matters now is that you can understand me,” Harry looked down at the snake, wondering if the small snake wanted to play with his blocks.
Regulus, who had just finished talking with Kreacher about secret stuff. Has since seen harry poking his head into the bush. Curious, Regulus walked over and tapped Harry on the shoulder, “Harry? Whatcha doing?” Harry pulled his head out of the bush, a snake wrapped his shoulders. Regulus did a double take. Taking a moment to look at the black inland taipan wrapped around the toddler’s shoulders. Regulus quickly pushed the snake off Harry’s shoulder’s and picked up Harry, backing away from the highly venomous snake. “Wait! Nooo, Reggg, my Snakkeeee” Harry whined, making grabby hands at the snake, “Harry, that’s a venomous snake... it is dangerous,” Harry looked up at Reg, “he said he won’t hurt me, he’s nice,” Regulus backed up more, looking down at harry confused, he could talk to snakes, could he? “Harry, snakes can’t talk in English,” Harry looked at Regulus with a look of bewilderment, “he said, I talked in parseltongue,” Regulus paused, thinking about what Harry just said. “Parseltongue?” Harry just nodded, “you spoke it?” Harry nodded, “you sure?” harry nodded again and pointed at the snake, “he told me I did.” Regulus nodded, taking in the information, “completely sure?” Harry just rolled his eyes, well, as much as a toddler could, (How could a 4-year-old be so sassy? Regulus would never know) “yes, I’m very sure.” Regulus nodded, looking down at the small black snake, it was venomous, clearly. It was a taipan for merlin’s sake! “Right…” Regulus was still unsure, Harry was supposedly a parseltongue now, either that or he had been one for ages, only now having the chance to talk to a snake. Regulus, still with his eyes on the snake, spoke. “Can you talk to him now?” in reply, Harry spoke in a series of hisses, the snake, both surprisingly and unsurprisingly hissed back. Harry smiled at that, obviously happy with the snake’s reply. Regulus spoke again. “He won’t hurt you, will he?” Harry shook his head and looked up at Regulus. The snake was now silently inching closer. “He said that he won’t hurt me, he said it was rare to meet a speaker,” Harry looked down at the snake, who was still inching closer to the tip of Regulus’ shoe. Harry continued speaking. “He didn’t want to get rid of the chance to speak to humans.” Harry pouted up at Regulus, “can I play with him noowww???” Regulus was hesitant, why would he let his toddler play with a dangerous and venomous snake? But then again, he was a parseltongue, and there wasn’t a reason for the snake to attack Harry. Regulus sighed. “You can play with him, BUT I have to watch at all times, okay?” Harry stopped pouting and smiled up at Regulus. “Thanks Reg!!” Harry climbed down from Regulus’ arms and sat on the ground with the snake, hissing away.
Regulus stayed close to the pair, keeping an eye on both the snake and Harry. The snake didn’t seem to want to hurt Harry and seemed much more happy playing with him instead. Regulus watched as they played with Harry’s blocks and toys, also watching in amusement as the young 4-year-old dressed the snake in a sock. (Don’t ask, just play along with it.) The snake seemed to be much younger then Harry, probably around 1-2 months. According to Regulus’ books on young snakes anyway.
Harry himself was happy with playing with the snake while also being able to play outside, it was nice having another friend apart from Reg and Kreacher. “So, what’s your name?” Harry spoke to the little black snake, while also adding a block to the block castle they were building. (they’re speaking in parseltongue) The snake poked his head out of one of the castle’s many square windows “I don’t have a name.” Harry paused. he didn’t have a name? I’ve never met anyone without a name before… “didn’t your parents give you a name?” The snake shook its head, slithering back into the block castle. “My parents left before I met them.” Harry frowned, he was kinda like the snake, his parents also left before he could actually get to know them. (In this case, ‘left’ is a synonym or replacement for ‘died’.) just then, harry got an idea, “I can give you a name!” Harry smiled, his previous frown replaced. The snake peeked his head out of one of the side towers of the small castle.
“You give me a name?” Harry nodded, still smiling down at the small snake. “I like that idea” Harry’s smile widened into a grin, “Do you like the name, Midnight?” The snake shook its head, clearly not liking the name, “overused. You have any others?”
As the moments passed and Harry had started to run out of names, Harry finally found a name that appealed to both parseltongues. “Okay, okay, you don’t like hades, I get it.” Harry sighed “ooo! How about Apep?” The snake looked at Harry from behind the castle’s walls. Obviously curious about the name. getting Harry’s hopes up that he had found a name “Apep? Where’d that come from?” The snake asked. “Well I remember Reg reading me a story about a giant snake named Apep.” Harry had recalled a story Regulus had read to him on their nightly bedtime stories. The snake and Harry paused, both thinking about the name, the snake think about how the name had sounded nice, and Harry trying to recall the full story on Apep, and what it had been about. Harry’s thoughts were interrupted when the snake had spoken up. “Apep. I like that name.” Harry smiled, relief of not having to think of more names coming to him. “So, your name is now Apep?” Harry asked, wanting to be sure the snake wanted the name. The snake, fortunately for Harry, nodded. “Yes, my name is Apep.” More relief of both, not having to think of more names, and Apep being able to be addressed at something other then ‘the snake’. Harry smiled, “Hi Apep, I’m Harry.” Apep, now happier then before replied (or hissed) back to Harry. “Hi Harry, I’m Apep.”
Regulus just sat there, watching the 4-year-old and Apep hiss (talk) back and forth. Not being able to understand a single word (or hiss) this would be a long day for regulus and an even longer talk with Kreacher about how Harry had been able to talk and make friends with a black taipan snake.