Harry Potter The Serpent

"Ah, you know of house elves?" Dumbledore asked, raising an eyebrow.

"One of the older Slytherin's told me about them, sir." Harry nodded.

"Mr Potter," Professor Sprout spoke. "how long have you been able to speak to snakes?"

"For as long as I can remember, Professor Sprout." Harry replied.

"Do you speak with any other snakes?" She asked.

"Once during a trip to a zoo, and I've also spoken to any snakes near where I live." Harry answered.

"What do you talk about with them? If you don't mind my asking."

"Pretty much just anything I want," Harry said with a small shrug. "apart from Jet they don't really initiate conversation."

"How fascinating," Professor Flitwick commented. "have you ever tried speaking to any other animals?" He asked.

"Yes, I've tried dogs and cats along with spiders, insects, mice and rats. They couldn't understand me and I couldn't understand them, all I know is I can understand snakes." Harry said before turning to Dumbledore. "So Professor, I take it that I can keep Jet?" Harry asked just as Jet climbed up his arm and perched himself on Harry's shoulders.

"I dare say that you can," Dumbledore nodded. "before you go Mr Potter, I'd like to ask you one last question. It's about your scar."

"My scar sir?" Harry asked, his hand rose slightly, almost about to rise up to touch the scar but he was able to stop himself from doing so.

"Nothing to worry about, I simply want to ask if it causes you any pain?" Dumbledore asked, leaning forward slightly.

"Not really sir." Harry replied, wondering why Dumbledore looked so interested in his scar.

"May I ask how your scar got so big?" Dumbledore said, still looking very interested.

"I don't know sir," Harry answered honestly. "it just ended up like that one day."

"Hmm," Dumbledore leaned back slightly. "well if it causes you any pain then please visit the hospital wing."

"I will sir," Harry nodded. "is there anything else?" Harry asked.

"No, you may leave." Dumbledore replied.

"I have to go back to my office, I can escort Mr Potter back, unless you need me for anything else sir?." Professor Babbling said in a questioning tone to Dumbledore as Harrys stood up.

"No, you may go Professor." Dumbledore smiled.

"I'll take my leave then Professor Dumbledore," Professor Babbling nodded before walking out of the office with Harry following.

"Well, he is certainly a polite young man." Professor Sprout smiled.

"Indeed he is," Professor Flitwick agreed. "he takes after his mother. He is a natural in charms."

"The boy's an arrogant little brat." Snape harshly disagreed.

"Severus, you barely spoke to him." Professor McGonagall scowled at him.

"I've seen enough, unlike you I am not blinded by his fame." Snape said, glaring at her.

"No, merely blinded by who his father is." Professor McGonagall glared back.

"That is enough," Dumbledore said before anyone could say anything. "we have better things to do than fight amongst ourselves. Mr Potter will be allowed to keep his familiar, I don't believe that there will be any problems but I ask that you all keep an eye out in case anything should happen."

...

"So Harry," Professor Babbling said as she walked Harry back to the Slytherin common room. "you don't mind if I call you Harry, do you?"

"Not really," Harry shook his head. "I guess I can't call you by your first name."

"Well, you can if it's just us, though I'd prefer it if you call me 'Beth' instead of 'Bathsheda'." Bathsheda shrugged. "I mean if there are other people around then I'll call you Mr Potter and you can call me Professor Babbling."

"Beth?" Harry repeated.

"It's what I went by when I was at school, simpler than Bathsheda. Anyway, I wanted to ask, what do you think about your experience at Hogwarts so far?" She asked.

"I like it for the most part," Harry answered. "there have been a few things I didn't like."

"Like what?" Bathsheda frowned.

"Like this one redheaded idiot who thinks that snakes and everything associated with them is evil." Harry rolled his eyes, Jet hissed and Harry nodded in agreement.

"What did he say?" Bathsheda asked.

"Are you still a teacher?" Harry asked her.

"Uh...yeah."

"In that case I probably shouldn't tell you."

...

Harry entered the potions classroom, it would be his first time in Professor Snape's classroom. Harry knew that the Professor didn't like him, likely because of something to do with Harry's father, but according to the other Slytherin's Snape hated Gryffindor's, Harry felt like the best thing for him would be if Snape's hatred of Gryffindor outweighed his hatred of all thing Harry Potter.

Harry had taken a desk along with Blaise and the two began getting all of their ingredients out and setting up their equipment. Jet was also attending the class but remained hidden under Harry's robes.

When the bell rang the class door was shoved open just as Professor Snape entered the room and walked to the front.

"There will be no foolish wand waving in this class, nor will there be any silly incantations or other such nonsense that you children appear to enjoy." Professor Snape said as he stopped at the front and turned around to look at everyone, he sneered at the Gryffindor's before continuing to speak. "I don't expect many of you to truly grasp the beautiful and magical process of potions making, I can teach you to bewitch the mind, ensnare the senses, bottle glory and even put a stopper on death."

The class all payed attention, Snape had many faults but the inability to keep the interest of a room was not one of them. Harry, though he didn't act like it, was actually rather amused by Snape's speech.

Not because he found the speech funny but simply because Angela had already told him the speech, nearly word for word, apparently Snape used the same speech every year. Snape began doing the roll call, he almost sneered on reflex when he came on to Harry's name.

"Pop quiz time. Weasley," Snape said suddenly, his black eyes locked onto Ron. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" The other Gryffindor's looked confused, apart from Hermione Granger who had raised her hand. Ron's ears turned red as he looked down and mumbled something. "Speak up boy!" Snape ordered.

"I don't know, sir." Ron said in a quiet voice.

"You don't know?" Professor Snape asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. "how disappointing, five points from Gryffindor. Let's try again, where would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?" Hermione began waving her hand to try and catch Professor Snape's attention, it was clear she hadn't realized yet that he was ignoring her. "You don't know?" Professor Snape asked when Ron didn't respond, Draco and his friends sniggered, Snape either didn't notice or didn't care. "One last question Weasley, try to not totally embarrass yourself, what is the difference between Monkshood and Wolfsbane?" Snape asked.

"Hermione knows, why don't you ask her?" Ron growled while gesturing to Hermione who had actually stood up and was wildly waving her hand as if trying to guide a plane down.

"Sit down you foolish girl!" Snape snapped at Hermione, Hermione quickly dropped her hand an dropped into her seat, her cheeks was now bright red. "Mr Weasley," Snape said as he turned his attention back to Ron. "that is twenty points you have lost for Gryffindor and a detention for your disrespect, along with a further five points for not being prepared enough to read a book. I would have thought that your parents or perhaps even those embarrassments you call brothers would have taught you something, but perhaps they simply realized it was better to not waste their breath on you. Potter!" Snape said suddenly as he turned to Harry. "Perhaps you can answer the questions." He said, it was not a suggestion.

The other Slytherin's were mildly surprised that Snape would suddenly put one of his own Slytherin's on the spot, after all it was known that he favored all Slytherin's. Though they didn't act too surprised, all he was really doing was asking a few questions that members of Slytherin house would be expected to know. Thankfully though Harry knew the answers due to reading ahead as advised by the other Slytherin's, also because Snape's speech was not the only thing that he liked to repeat year after year.

"Well sir, the first answer is a powerful sleeping potion." Harry answered. "The second would be either your potions cabinet, an apothecary or the stomach of a goat. And the answer to your final question, if I remember right, is that there is no difference, they are the same plant." Snape's face twisted into an odd shape, looking like he was both pleased and displeased that Harry was able to answer correctly.

"Five points to Slytherin." Snape said before he began the class and began lecturing them on the potion they were going to make.

After a short while Snape had the class start making a potion to cure boils, a short while into the class an accident happened and the chubby Gryffindor boy who had tried to rush away from Jet in transfiguration class - apparently his name was Neville Longbottom, poor lad - ended up covered in his unfinished potion when his cauldron erupted.

Snape had immediately been on scene and ordered an Irish Gryffindor boy to take Neville to the hospital wing when he started having boils grow on his face, that was right before he blamed Weasley for it.

At the end of the class Harry gladly left and was happy to gain some distance between himself and Snape, that man had issues.

.....

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