Harry Potter and The House of The Snake

Farewell and Greetings

"Think about it one more time, Harry!" Sirius was pleading with him at this point: "We can hire all the best tutors and you'd be fit for even NEWTs, let alone OWLs."
Not listening, Harry double checked both the things in his pockets, wand in his right and the trunk in his left one.
"Look, Harry." Sirius pulled his shoulder and attention towards him: "You don't need to go."
He had been trying to make Harry change his mind all summer since when the order was issued: Harry James Potter (Slytherin) is to be awarded the Slytherin Seat in the Gamot only if he manages to complete the minimum necessary education.
Recognizing his worries, Harry took his hand in both of his and started:
"Sirius, I think we already went through this."
Lord Black lowered his gaze like a child as Harry continued: "I told you how important it is for me to get back there. You know it."
Harry's voice turned into a whisper: "My succession is incomplete."
Looking at it like this, it would be more efficient to continue his normal studies and join the wizarding court after his 5th year to buy more time in the Scriptorium but in order for Harry's plans to work, he needed to hurry up as much as possible.
Defeated, Sirius looked up at the crowd on the platform before him as he spotted a strange man looking at them suspiciously. As Sirius became aware of him, the man started looking elsewhere and rushed into the crowd.
Harry also spotted someone as he waved: "Hey, Hermione!"
-
On the Train:
"And how will you do that?" Hermione asked worriedly.
"Meh. I'll manage." Harry answered without looking up from his advanced potions textbook.
"It's impossible, Harry. How will you cover 4 years' syllabus in one?" Hermione begged for him to listen: "Dumbledore is mad if he gave that order in the wizengamot. It's not possible."
"I know he is being unfair. I have the practical magical ability to be worthy of the seat even now. But if he wants to delay, I'll wait." Harry turned a page and started reading: "Also, he did say that the school will be giving me 'special help'. So let's see what that is."
Hermione was still skeptical but she was glad Harry came back to school. And that he was safe. There had been rumors that the death eaters might target Harry since he killed their leader but looking at him all safe, maybe they did not target him... or did they?
Harry went through the textbook unbothered as something crashed with the door of their compartment.
Quickly taking her wand out, Hermione looked at the door's glass. It was the blonde boy, Draco.
"Open the door. I've been looking for you everywhere. Also, I've got news."
-
"Our new head of house and the potions professor is now Professor Horace Slughorn. Old fellow went into hiding as Voldemort rose to power but now that he's gone, the guy's back. Mother says he's very competent."
Draco didn't seem the least bothered by his father being in custody.
"And secondly, some new ministry employees have formed a secret group which is gaining attention. Mother couldn't get any info, even the name of the group is top secret."
Hermione and Draco both eyed Harry as he got flustered: "What- I don't know anything about this."
Reluctant to accept, Hermione said: "Yeah... right. What else, Draco?"
"Yes, so; lastly, the ministry has sent a new DADA professor for us... which leads me to ask, how is your godfather doing?"
At this, he looked up from the book, closing it for a while: "He's better. The hand's all charred. But it's recovering, it doesn't hurt to move the arm now."
"I can't stop thinking about Professor Snape." Harry added.
Hermione turned gloomy as she remembered: "The last time Bellatrix turned someone mad by Crucio..."
She got the undivided attention of both the boys: "...she had done it to Neville's parents..."
"But he lives with his grandma." Draco had noticed.
"And that means..." That meant that Snape wouldn't be able to recover. Harry looked away to see through the window. The train started heading through a tunnel and all turned dark.
-
"Ah dear, you are here. Come, sit down." Dumbledore told the redhead girl to sit down on the chair he had conjured.
Harry's 2nd year was going to be uneventful or so he had thought, but there was someone keeping a close eye on him. His intentions, although good; were now going to turn a first year's life into hell.
-
As they sat down, the vibe of the Slytherin table was weird. Aside from Pansy Parkinson, no one talked to Harry. Maybe they had grown wary of him, even Theodore, who was usually very friendly, seemed quiet today. Zabini's usual cold stares were the same. Bulstrode never did jack shit other than eating anyways.
One girl was different. It was the girl from the Greengrass family. Draco noticed it as he whispered to Harry: 'Harry, hey. Pst.'
Harry looked at him through the corners of his eyes. 'What?' He mouthed.
'I think Daphne has a crush on you.' And then he started laughing silently like a child. Harry couldn't get what was funny: 'No, she doesn't.' He mouthed again.
'Oh what else can it be...' Draco retorted.
Harry looked at her and caught her catching a glimpse at him. She quickly looked away: 'The girl is just curious about the power of Slytherin.'
...
...
Clink
Only Dumbledore could grab the full attention of the hall without any sonorus charm: "Welcome back, my most cherished students." He looked sharply at Harry.
'Oh, here we go again.' Harry sighed inwardly.
-
"Vane. Bathilda." McGonagall read out the name from the scroll as the young girl came out of the crowd and headed for the chair nervously.
Just then, Ronald Weasley came upto Harry to greet him.
Harry met his hand halfway as he spoke: "Mum told me to say 'thank you' to you about scabbers again."
"You're welcome, again." Harry smiled. None of the Slytherins liked this development but no one said anything. Even Zabini just kept eating his meal as if it were a nuisance.
"Mum also told me to give you this." He handed him a box of chocolates that Harry accepted with an even bigger smile. Harry and Sirius had both grown to be very close to the Weasleys over the summer.
"Oh now that I remember, Ginny was going to enroll this year, wasn't she?" Harry asked as his eyes searched the few remaining students.
Just then, McGonagall called: "Weasley, Ginerva."
No one came out as she repeated: "Weasley, Ginerva."
Horror struck Ron's face as his eyes looked about the group.
Bang!
Hagrid came in with a lantern, banging the door fully open: "Basilisk!"
Harry's forehead got twisted as he stood up urgently. Ron stood up with him: "Ginny's missing."
"Basilisk. In the forest!" Hagrid shouted.
This was even more incomprehensible since Salazar himself had explicitly ordered it not to leave the chamber through the pipes.
An outburst of whispers and clamors turned the hall violent.
Wand in hand, Harry and Ron quickly made for the door as Dumbledore ordered them to: "Stop! No one is to leave the Hall! The faculty will be handling it!"
Both the boys looked back to see him in the eye as Harry answered: "With due respect, professor; try me."
He went out with lightning speed as Ron sat back down, head in both his hands: "Ginny. She's still out there."
The Weasley twins rushed up towards him.
-
Hovering above the lake, Harry looked around for any signs of the snake. But there were none. After a while, he commanded: *Come up, Bitsy. Your master calls you.*
...
Splash
The basilisk came up like an obedient water dragon, waiting for orders.
From within the castle, a party of professors seemed to be approaching.
Harry clicked his tongue: 'I have no choice.'
He faked to send a curse at the basilisk and told it to go back to the chamber and to never leave until further orders from him. It dived deep into the lake, never to return again.
For the teachers, it seemed like Harry had managed to scare the monster away.
And then, he dived into the lake himself.
-
In the Great Hall, Dumbledore had stayed back to protect the students in case the teachers lost him. He was agitated. Normally, Dumbledore almost never got angry and always thought rationally but this time was different. How dare he? How dare the child talk back to him like that?
But the anger soon subsided as he thought of how it was all going according to plan.
-
The girl opened her eyes wide to adjust to the dark room. And when she did, she saw a room all green in color. She was lying down in a large bed. Even the blanket was green. She slowly got off the bed and hesitantly approached the door. Opening it just enough to peek, she saw another room.
It was a small library which was also green and in the middle of that room, there was, hovering cross legged in the center of the magic circle, a shirtless Harry Potter.
"So, you're awake?" Harry asked the redhead without opening his eyes as he slowly let his toe touch the ground.