Ch. 7 Parseltongue

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The first few weeks of Hermione's second year past by with little excitement. Hermione managed to keep her position as seeker, by a long shot of course, and Malfoy was stuck as beater, which did help him take out his anger on the Golden Duo, as those in Slytherin house had taken to calling them, otherwise known as Potter and Weasel. Lockhart, as Hermione expected, hasn't taught them anything yet, but he kept promising something good, so Hermione was at least somewhat hopeful something interesting would happen soon. And something sure happened.

Hermione blew her bangs out of her face as she walked to Lockhart's classroom, her books and wand in her hands. She had previously seen Professor Snape walk into the same room she was venturing to and she was excited to see what would happen. As she entered, she saw a long, slightly narrow stage in the center of the room. Professor Snape and Lockhart stood on opposite ends of the stage.

Soon, everyone had gathered and Lockhart addressed them. "Hello, students. Today, Professor Snape and I will be demonstrating a duel. Then, you will be paired with another and you will duel. I, of course, will go easy on your dear old professor," he said. Hermione scoffed. He was such a fake, she thought.

The professors faced each other and bowed. Then, in a blur of movement, Snape had his wand out. He flicked his wrist and Lockhart flew back, not a single spell uttered from his mouth.

"See? I went easy," Lockhart mumbled. When he regained his sense of balance, he paired them up. Hermione smirked when she was paired with Malfoy. Potter was against Blaise, who hated his guts more than pure bloods hate mud bloods. Hermione faced Draco and bowed. Then, she drew her wand.

"Stupify!" Draco yelled, swinging his wand. Hermione deflected it and fired her own spell, which he narrowly dodged. Malfoy fired spell after spell at the girl in front of him, each spell easily being deflected or dodged. His fury growing, he shouted one final spell, summoning a snake nearly identical to Nagini, the pet of Voldemort.

Hermione disarmed Draco immediately after the snake was summoned. Yet, the damage was done. The snake slithered toward the other students. It hissed. Hermione heard three voices. One was confused, one was demanding the death of mud bloods, and one was desperately trying to get the snake away. She glanced into the ground and saw Potter yelling at the snake. Yet he was speaking a language none of the other students understood. Hermione, however, understood perfectly and she knew what to do.

Calmly, she called the snake to her. It hissed and slithered to her, away from the students. Snape went to cast a spell and destroy the serpent, but Hermione waved her hand and he froze, immobilized. Hermione reached out her arm and the snake rose to her hand, curling around the appendage and slithered around her wrist, resting its head on the back of her hand. Then, it disappeared. All the students gasped, pointing at her and exclaiming, all raising their voices and trying to talk above one another.

"Silence!" Snape demanded. Everyone shut their mouths. "All of you are dismissed. Miss Zabini, my office, now." Hermione nodded, grabbing her things and making her way to Snape's office. As she walked, she placed her hand lightly on her wrist. She could feel the snake there, now only a tattoo. She knew it would come to life when she called upon it. Hermione felt the need to name the snake. Nevertheless, she made her way to Snape's office, running her fingers over her wrist, where the tattoo of the snake's slender body lay in wait.

Hermione finally reached Snape's office and sat down on one of the chairs there for guests, propping her feet up on his desk and began to toss one of his potion vials from hand to hand. Not long after, Professor Snape walked in.

"Where is the snake?" He demanded.

"Good evening, professor. How are you?" She said.

"Never mind that," he said. "Where is the snake?"

"Wonderful weather we're having, don't you think?" She continued. Snape growled and Hermione held her hands up in surrender. "Geez, no manners."

"Would you please just tell me where the snake is, Miss Zabini?" He asked slightly more gently this time.

Hermione shrugged, putting the vial down again and removing her feet from the professor's desk. "On my arm," she said simply.

"Pardon?" Snape asked. "On your arm?"

Hermione nodded, rolling up the sleeve of her robes to show him the serpent tattoo. Snape's mouth gaped open.

"Where did you learn parseltongue?" He asked next.

"I've always known. It's in my blood," Hermione explained.

"What do you mean, in your blood?" He asked. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I'm a direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin. The dark lord is my cousin," she explained. Snape stared at her incredulously. "Is that all?" He nodded his head meekly and Hermione walked out the door. Of course, as always, trouble was waiting for her outside.

A crowd of students was gathered around a wall on the way to the Slytherin common room. A few gasped and pointed at her. "It's her! It's the heir! Muggle borns, beware, she's going to kill you!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and looked at the wall. Words had been inscribed in blood. The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware.

Hermione simply walked away. Accusations were thrown at her from all angles and she just kept walking, on her way to the dungeons to get some sleep. She knew it had not been her to open the chamber, nor was it she who wrote on the wall, but, in fact, it was the Weasley girl, one of the new Gryffindorks.

And sleep she did. Her homework long ago complete, she lay down on the couch in the common room, falling asleep not moments later. She was oblivious to the boy who picked her up and carried her to the boys' dorms, carried her through the secret passage linking her room to her brother's. She was unaware of the strong, dark hands that lay her down on her bed and placed a delicate kiss on her forehead. She was oblivious to his loving words as he left her to her sleep, knowing of the hardships of the year before her. For it was he whom had cast the spell that sent them back in time, he knew what would happen this year. He was the only one who remembered the timeline in which his sister wasn't his sister. And with that depressing thought, Blaise went to bed, trying to prepare himself mentally for the inescapable feeling of deja vú that he was sure to feel as this year's troubles took place.

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