Chapter 8: Dobby's Discovery
When Harry arrived back in the chamber he found Dobby sitting on the floor and reading a book like his life depended on it.
"Dobby," Harry called, causing the elf to realise he was here and jump to his feet. "What the fuck are you doing?"
"N...nothing Master Harry Potter." Dobby said before he tried to hide the book behind his back, this didn't really work as Harry had already seen the book and it was still visible due to being wider than the elf.
"Dobby, give us the book now." Harry ordered, he held his hand out and Dobby reluctantly opened it. "What the hell is this about anyway?" He said as he looked at the book which had a picture of a basilisk on the cover.
"Dobby doesn't know," Dobby admitted. "Dobby tried to read it but he could not understand it."
"Must be in parsletounge." Harry guessed before he opened it. "I can understand it just fine, it's information about basilisks, written by Salazar Slytherin himself. Nice, let's see," Harry said as he began flipping through pages. "it shows how long they can grow...I don't fucking need to be told that. Talks about their venom... I don't need to be told about that either. Their eyes, oh shit." Harry said as he caught one particularly interesting line.
"Master?" Dobby asked, a little worried about his master.
"I have actually learnt something, in normal schools that's probably not as exciting. But here it says that Basilisks have an eye lid to block their gaze, so you can have a basilisk and not worry twenty-four/seven about it killing you. Plus it says they don't even develop their death stare till they're a year old. Nice, makes me sort of wish I had a baby basilisk."
"Ah..." Dobby wringed his hands.
"Dobby," Harry frowned as he looked at him. "Why were you trying to read this?" Harry gestured to a book.
"Dobby...found...something." Dobby admitted, pulling on his ears.
"Show me." Harry ordered. Dobby looked reluctant but obeyed and guided Harry into his bedroom where Harry found a nest made of pillows on his bed with an egg in the middle.
"Dobby found this when cleaning Mr Potter's room." Dobby said, looking ready to punish himself. Harry was too busy to even think about that as he was more focused on the fact that the egg was cracked.
"Dobby, did you happen to drop it?" He asked.
"No master." Dobby shook his head as more cracks appeared on the egg.
"Dobby, get behind me." Harry said as he stepped forward, a few more cracks appeared and a few moments later something came out.
It was indeed a basilisk, a baby one but still a basilisk. It had the yellow eyes like the one Harry had fought before and Harry was glad to see that the book was right and that he was not dead from it's gaze. It was a dark green, it's teeth were more like toothpicks than the swords of it's bigger version. It pushed itself out of the shell, Dobby had immediately hid behind Harry's leg. The basilisk slithered out, it looked up at Harry.
Harry walked closer and stopped in front of it, he slowly and gingerly extended his hand out. The basilisk slithered towards his hand, Harry resisted the urge to snap his hand back and keep his distance.
The basilisk looked hesitant, but eventually it climbed up his hand, it slithered up his arm before it's head reached Harry's shoulder. At it's current size it was the same length between Harry's shoulder and elbow. It stopped on his shoulder before it nudged his face with it's head.
Harry slowly brought his other hand up and close towards it, he carefully touched the head of the basilisk and petted it. The basilisk leaned into his touch.
"Sweet Merlin," Harry couldn't help but let out a short laugh. "oh god this is brilliant."
........
Harry yawned as he woke up in his bed, he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes before he sat up and stretched.
"Dobby," Harry called and the elf popped into the room. "is my breakfast ready?" Harry asked.
"Yes great master Harry Potter, Dobby has..."
"Dobby," Harry cut him off. "as your master I order you to simply call me Harry or master Harry." Harry said, while the hero worship was appreciated it was also starting to get very tiring.
"Oh...master Harry is so kind to unworthy Dobby!" Dobby cried, looking like he was about to faint with happiness.
"Just go damn you." Harry sighed, he was too tired to deal with overactive hyper house elves in the morning.
"Oh yes gr...master Harry." Dobby nodded and corrected himelf before popping away.
"Dada." A voice hissed. Harry glanced to the side and found the baby basilisk on his bed, it slithered up his arm before resting itself on his shoulders, it nudged his head in a show of affection, one that caused a smile that Harry couldn't help.
Yesterday Harry had read up as much on basilisks as possible, he had learnt various things such as what they eat and how to care for them. This basilisk was growing on Harry even though he hadn't even known it for more than a day.
Unlike Hagrid, who thought that nearly all dangerous creatures were simply misunderstood, Harry had a healthy respect for how dangerous the basilisk is, he had fought a bigger version of it after all. In some ways he felt that the smaller one was deadlier.
Yes the big one would be helpful against a large amount of wizards, but with this small sized basilisk all he had to do is sneak it into somebody's room or have it sneak up on them. A simple bite or even a look and the person would be dead. Harry knew that if he told anyone about it the basilisk would be taken away from him and killed, after that it's body would probably be destroyed if not studied first then destroyed.
"I'm hungry." It hissed, thought to Harry it sounded childlike, it sounded like a baby's voice.
"Let's get you something to eat then." Harry hissed back as he stood up and walked to the other room.
To Harry's amazement the snake had an inborn ability to speak and understand parsletounge, it's first words upon seeing him was 'mama'. Harry took a brief moment of silence before deciding to just go with it. After a gentle correction it now referred to him as 'daddy' or 'dada', amusing but he didn't mind.
He did briefly worry but after checking books and confirming that the basilisk didn't grow big and eat it's parents he was much more calmer. Apparently from what he had read they are rather attached to family members.