Chapter 18: Breakfast Etiquette
"What can I say? I just got into the moment." Harry returned his grin.
"Mr Potter," A voice said as Professor McGonagall walked up to him. "is this your familiar?" She asked, looking wary of the snake.
"Yes Professor." Harry nodded.
"Mr Potter, Professor Babbling has informed me and the rest of the staff that this snake..."
"Jet." Harry supplied.
"I beg your pardon?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"His name is 'Jet', Professor." Harry added.
"Very well, if 'Jet' is to stay around then he will need to be kept under control." Professor McGonagall continued. "We hardly need him biting anyone."
"Professor I can promise you that he will only ever bite someone in self defense or to protect me." Harry replied, Jet hissed softly at Harry who hissed back before talking to Professor McGonagall. "He says he promises to not bite someone unless necessary."
"You can speak to him?" Breathed Professor McGonagall, her face going through several emotions, including disbelief.
"Yes, didn't Professor Babbling tell you?" Harry asked.
"She did," Professor McGonagall admitted softly. "but hearing and believing are often too different things. You will be allowed to bring your snake to classes today, though your teachers will be keeping a close eye on you both. At the end of the day I will escort you to meet the headmaster. He wishes to discuss your..." The Professor trailed off, as if trying to think up the right word. "...'friend' with you."
"Ok Professor." Harry nodded. Professor McGonagall nodded in return before walking off. Harry looked back at Jet and blinked when he saw Daphne happily rubbing her finger up and down on the top of Jet's head.
"Jet?" Harry asked.
"I like this human," Jet responded. "I'm keeping her." Jet declared.
"You can't keep a human." Harry objected.
"Why not? You keep me and that owl, why can't I have two humans?"
"...Fair point."
"What did he say?" Daphne asked Harry.
"He wants to keep you." Harry said simply before returning to his food.
"Wait what?"
.....
Harry and the other Slytherin first years made their way to the transfigurations class, where they would start their first transfiguration lesson of the year and at school. Harry was looking forward to it as transfiguration sounded interesting, plus according to Olivander the thunderbird tail in Harry's wand would really help in this subject.
"So," Draco Malfoy spoke as he began walking alongside Harry. "you are going to bring him everywhere, are you?" He asked while gesturing to Jet who was calmly resting on Harry's shoulders.
"Yep." Harry nodded simply. "He liked to stay with me, I like it when he stays with me, just makes sense for him to stay with me, doesn't it?" Harry said with a small smirk.
"What about the teachers?" Draco asked in an interested voice.
"He's my familiar," Harry replied. "they can't take him away and I've already made it clear that I am leaving this school if they do."
"You'd leave this school for a snake?" Draco raised an eyebrow. "And here I thought it was Hufflepuff's that were loyal."
"Are there any rules or laws that state Slytherin's can't be brave, intelligent or loyal?" Harry asked.
"No."
"Then I hardly see what the problem is." Harry said as they arrived at the classroom, they entered and saw a tabby cat sitting perfectly still on a desk but no other person.
"Where is the Professor?" Theodore Nott, a brown haired Slytherin first year, asked. "She should be here by now."
"I suppose we'll just have to wait until she gets here." Daphne said as she took a seat at a desk near the back, the other Slytherin's through an unspoken agreement also sat at the back.
"The class syllabus is on the board." Blaise noted as he gestured to the chalkboard.
"Well I guess we know what we need to do until she get's here." Tracy commented as she pulled out her book, with the Slytherin's joining her. Eventually the Gryffindor's began piling in, most took a single look at Harry's snake before quickly moving away from him. One chubby boy - whose name currently escaped Harry at the moment - nearly tripped in his haste to get away from Harry, something the Slytherin's found amusing.
"Where is she?" An Irish sounding Gryffindor asked a few minutes later when the Professor had not yet arrived. Before anyone could respond the class door had suddenly swung open and Ronald Weasley rushed in, clearly out of breath, he stopped once he was inside and took several moments to catch his breath.
"Made it." He grinned before he looked around for an empty seat, though his eyes stopped when he saw Harry who was casually sitting with Jet still resting on his shoulders.
"Can I help you?" Harry asked after Ron stared at him for several moments.
"I can't believe that they let you bring that snake in." Ron growled as he glared at Harry.
"Believe what you want, hopefully you'll end up believing something that might match with our reality." Harry replied in a calm voice.
"You shouldn't be allowed to bring that evil creature in here!"
"Do you think that cat is evil?" Harry asked as he pointed to the cat on the desk.
"What?" Ron asked, sounding very confused. "No."
"Why not?" Harry asked, sounding just as confused as Ron.
"Because it's a cat, they're not evil at all!"
"Not evil?" Harry scoffed. "They might not be, but they're more evil than snakes."
"What? No they're not!" Ron protested.
"Really? Because snakes only ever bite in self defense or to catch food, cat's on the other hand can kill for food and fun." Harry replied in a calm voice. "Do you know how many time's I've walked down a street only to have to sidestep a dead rat or mouse left by a cat?"
"But...but they're cats! Everyone knows that snakes are evil!"
"And why are snakes evil?" Harry asked. "My snake has been my one and only friend for years and has never tried to harm me, and he's never done anything evil."
"Why does this red colored baboon think I'm evil?" Jet hissed in an irritated voice.
"Beats me." Harry replied. He was about to say more when Ron gasped and jumped back as if Harry had a contagious disease.
"You're a parslemouth?!" Ron breathed out in a shocked voice.
"If that means that I can speak to snakes, then yes." Harry said just as Jet slithered off of his shoulder's and onto the desk.
"You can't be a parslemouth!" Ron protested.
"Why not?" Harry asked, he was quickly losing patience with the red head.
"You're the boy-who-lived!" Ron said as if that explained everything. "I can't believe it! Your parents would hate the fact that they..."
"Weasley..." Harry interrupted, his voice colder than ice. Harry stood up and stepped in front of Ron, Ron was taller than Harry but that didn't matter to Harry at that moment. "let me make something clear, you don't get to mention my parents."
"But I..."
"My parents," Harry cut him off once more. "died trying to save me, that's what everyone says. They did not die just so people like you could use their names as a weapon every time I do something you don't like. I didn't chose the ability to speak to snakes, I've always had it. Don't ever mention my parents again or I will show you that I don't need a snake to be dangerous." Harry gave him one final glare, he was about to sit back in his seat when he heard the sound of someone clearing their throat.
.....
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