We Met In The Shadows.

Finally, A Hint

“Right, that makes sense.” He nodded. “But that's not the end, because that Elf then said he'd even get me expelled from Hogwarts if that's what it took. He ended up using magic and the Ministry folk thought it was me doing it. I even got a letter for it.”

“That's very … determined of it-?”

“I know! And then when Ron and I were going to board the Hogwarts train, something blocked our passage! We weren't able to pass through the barrier no matter what. That's why we took the car and the whole Whomping Willow incident occurred. And you remember that Quidditch match right? The day when Lockhart actually magicked away the bones in my arm? Dobby visited. He told me that he was the one who enchanted that Bludger specifically to target me. I didn't even know he could do stuff like that!”

She shrugged, mimicking him. “It's possible. Elf magic is very different from our magic. If it really was that desperate to stop you, it could very well have done it.”

He paused, taking a breath. “Now here's the weird part. I had detention with Lockhart because of that whole flying-a-car-into-the-Whomping-Willow thing, yeah?”

With growing amusement, she watched the glare on his face deepen. “With Lockhart? What did he make you do?”

“He made me sign and box fan letters! But that's not the point, don't sidetrack me. On the last day of my detention with him, I heard this voice. It said things like ‘rip … tear … kill…’ It was really ominous.”

Shuddering, she agreed. That is nightmare fuel.

“And then, surprise surprise, I heard it again on Halloween. I was with Ron and Hermione, we were returning from Nearly Headless Nick’s Deathday Party and it just began whispering out of nowhere. We followed it and that's when we saw the writing on the wall and Mrs. Norris.”

“Why would you ever follow a disembodied voice?! Are you daft?!”

Potter winced at the sudden volume before offering a vaguely guilty smile. “It wasn't my brightest moment.”

“You're damn right it wasn't. Have you heard that voice since?”

“No, and that's what's worrying me. I mean, why would it suddenly disappear like that?”

Daphne bit her lip, contemplating. “Well there's no use fretting over it needlessly. It'll either show up or it won't. We'll find out sooner and later.”

She sighed at the still dejected look on his face.

“Tell you what,” she began. “Why don't you talk to Basil for a while? I'm sure it'll help relax you.”

Watching him brighten up near instantly, she brought her snake out from where she had been nestled against her wrist and handed her over, listening to her hiss a greeting to Potter. Humming, she made herself comfortable on a nearby chair before turning back around at the continued silence. With slight concern, she noticed that Potter had gone extremely pale and his hands were shaking slightly even while holding onto Basil.

“Potter? You alright?”

“Greengrass, I think…” Frowning at the waver in his own voice, he cleared his throat before continuing with clear excitedness. “Greengrass, that voice might be a snake!”

“What?” She was so incredibly lost.

“The voice! The one I was hearing? It must be a snake! I didn't notice before but it sounds almost exactly like Basil! Of course I didn't realise it back then, because I didn't even know I could speak Parseltongue! And it makes sense, it's Slytherin’s monster … and what better monster for Slytherin than a snake?! It also explains why neither Ron nor Hermione could hear the monster even though I could hear it perfectly well.”