Of Lightning Bolts And Green Eyes

4 - A New Friend

Right in the corner of said tank, hiding under one of the biggest bushes, he could see one of the most beautiful snakes he'd ever set eyes on. It was majestic, not for it's size but for the color of it's scales. The snake was the color of obsidian, it's scales shiny and bright like the most beautiful gem.

Harry, wanting to get a better look at the reptile, walked forward and placed one of his hands on the tank, too awed to notice the faint jolt of magic that went through him. The snake, having felt the magic itself, turned around and looked at Harry with eyes that were the exact same shade of his. Emerald green met emerald green and, just like that, a bond deeper than any other was born.

The teen could feel it to his very core; that snake would come to mean more to him than any other creature, even more than his beloved Hedwig.

"And who might you be, young one?" came the now recognizable hiss of Parseltoungue.

Harry, who had been broken from his daze by the soft hissing, looked at the snake once more and replied. "My name is Harry, Harry Potter." the boy said. The snake froze for a second, looking as shocked as a snake could look, though the teen didn't know if it was for his name or for the fact that he had spoken Parseltongue. The creature slithered closer to the glass where Harry's hand rested, curious to know more about the boy. "You are beautiful." said the teen in an almost breathy voice. He could see the snake better in the faint light of the shop and, looking closely, he notice the midnight blue hue that covered the creature's entire body.

"You flatter me, young hatchling. What takes you here in this shop?" the snake, which Harry could now say was male, asked again. He seemed interested enough to come stand right behind the glass, close enough that, if there hadn't been a barrier between them, Harry could have easily stretched his arm to pet his scaly head.

"I felt a pull at my magical core. It took me inside this shop, and to your tank." Harry explained. He had the strange urge to open the tank's cover and take the beautiful snake in his hands.

The snake looked as if he was about to reply, but a voice from beind the teen stopped their conversation. "It's unusual to have costumbers in my shop at this hour." said the person behind him. The voice was gruff and low, almost like the person speaking hadn't talked in a long time.

Harry turned around sharply, looking at the man that stood behing him with this arms crossed. He was tall, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, had long red hair gathered in a ponytail that reached, from what the boy could see, the middle of his back, and piercing baby blue eyes that stared right back at him. He didn't look angry or annoyed, just surprised to see someone at that hour, which, Harry could guess, was pretty late into the night.

The boy froze at the sight of the man, before taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, nerves that were still on edge because of the new unnamed bond with the snake in the tank. "I uhm... I felt, like, a pull at my magical core and it took me here. To the snake, I mean." Harry stuttered slightly pointing at said creature. The man's eyes widened just a fraction and, before Harry could say anything more, he took the boy by his shoulders, spun him around to face the snake once more and pulled open the tank's cover.

"Take him." was all the man said.

"Uhm... sorry, what?" asked Harry confused. He looked at the snake again, seeing that he was looking back blankly, flicking his tongue out once every few seconds in an almost lazy motion.

"Take him out of the tank. Pick him up." the man said again, giving the boy a little push towards the said tank.

Reluctantly, Harry closed the distance between him and the snake, lifting him from inside the tank and letting him curl his body around his neck, basking in the warm feeling of the new connection between the two of them.