Chapter 4
“My godfather?” Harry asks, like he didn’t already know.
“Sirius! My boy, please just-” an older voice says, along with two pairs of footsteps up the stairs.
“No, Dumbledore, you can’t keep me from my godson,” Sirius almost growls.
“He has been cleared to see him,” a female voice adds with barely concealed annoyance.
“Of course, I will stay aside while you… talk.”
There’s silence for a few seconds before Sirius speaks again, “Harry I’d like you to come live with me, I can understand if you want to stay with your relatives-”
“He should stay here! They are his family and-”
“You have no place to choose Headmaster or to even be here. If you would kindly leave,” the female voice from earlier demands.
Kit likes her.
“Amelia-”
“That’s Madam Bones to you, now leave.”
There’s a sigh.
“I hope you will make the right choice my boy,” he says before there’s a swish, footsteps and finally the door closing downstairs.
Sirius sighs.
“I’ll be outside,” she says and there’s more retreating footsteps and the door opening and closing again.
“So… would you like to stay with me Harry?” he asks hopefully.
“I…” What’s he waiting for? Say yes! “...would.” Yes! “on one condition.” What?
“Of course Harry, what is it?”
“I want to bring my friend, Kit.”
What’s he doing?! I’m a snake!
“Your friend?”
“Yes, Kit.”
Then Harry turns to lift them from their hiding place bringing them into sight, so they see Sirius gasp and grab his wand. Harry pulls them to his chest at that.
“They’re my friend and I won’t go anywhere without them. They won’t hurt you, right?” Harry says, purposefully slipping into parseltongue at the end, making Sirius gasp again.
“I would never!” I hiss, pretending to be offended.
“I- ok Harry.”
“Yeah?”
“You can talk to… him so you can keep him out of trouble, right?”
“I don’t really need to, they’re super friendly and even feel bad killing small animals to eat.”
They droop at that, dropping their head at the reminder and hiss sadly.
“it- he understands english?”
“Yeah! I taught them!”
“Oh, well, it’s nice to meet you?” he says awkwardly.
Kit should really get him used to them before this becomes a problem.
“Harry,” they hiss.
“Yeah?”
“Let him hold me.”
“Really?”
“Trust me.”
Harry nods, holding them out to Sirius.
“Wha-”
“They want you to hold them,” he explains.
Sirius looks reluctant but takes them, watching them warily as he does. They let out an annoyed hiss as they wrap around his arm.
“Kit?”
“He is far to thin and cold, I’ll warm him up!”
Harry chuckles at that.
“What did he say?”
“They said you’re too cold and they’re trying to warm you up.”
“He’s… mother henning me?”
Harry snorts.
“They do that.”
&&&
“I can’t believe that worked,” Harry whispers as they both sit in his new room at Black manor after Sirius had given them a quick tour.
Kit makes an agreeing noise from their place around his neck.
“Just wait until he finds out I’m actually a basilisk.”
Harry pales as they snicker.
“Harry! Dinner!” Sirius calls.
“You think he’s going to feed me?” Kit asks as he makes his way down the stairs.
“I will if he doesn’t,” he whispers to them as they enter the dining room to Sirius and… a man.
Is that Remus Lupin? They narrow their eyes at him as he stares, wide eyed, back. He looks like Remus, or at least, what Kit thought Remus would look like since neither Sirius or Harry look like the actors who played them in the movie.
“Harry! This is Remus, he was friends with James and I in school. Remus, this is Harry,” Sirius introduces, confirming my theory.
Remus snaps out of the stare off and turns to Harry after one last weary glance at Kit.
“Hello Harry.”
“Hi.”
“Maybe introducing me to people as your familiar will calm them down.” Harry blinks at them. “You said they have a special bond that helps keep more dangerous creatures from attacking anyone, right?”
“This is my familiar,” Harry starts, turning back to Remus. “Kit.”
Kit gives him a nod once his eyes land back on them making them widen and snap back to Harry.
“He can understand us?” he asks incredulously.
“Yup! I taught them,” Harry replies cheerfully.
“That’s incredible,” he replies, seeming to relax a little.
Harry gives a bright smile.
“Yeah! They’re the best.” They can’t help but preen a little at that and the others chuckle. “Right! Do you have any food I could give them? If not I could probably go find something…”
“We have plenty! Does he like chicken?”
&&&
“You know,” they start once they’re back in Harrys new room. “I used to hate chicken, when I was human.”
“If you didn’t like it-” Harry tries.
“No, that’s what I mean. I hated it before but I like it now. Weird right?” they say, cutting him off.
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Sorry, that was… I’m gonna get some sleep,” they quickly say, moving to Harrys bed. “Good night.”
“… night.”
&&&
Kit wakes first after a restless sleep.
Harry probably won’t wake anytime soon and if they stay in this bed much longer they’ll go crazy! They slip off the bed and shrink to get under the door getting big again on the other side.
Time to explore!
&&&
They end up in the kitchen with a startled Remus. He settles a little once he recognises them but stays a little stiff.
“Hello, you’re… Kit, right?” he asks.
Kit lifts their head to nod.
“Are you hungry?”
They shake their head.
“Thirsty?”
They pause in thought before they nod.
“Would you like some water?”
They look around before pointing their head towards his mug.
“You want tea?” he asks incredulously.
They nod. He chuckles.
“Tea it is.”