The Huge Magical Snake Problem

Diagon Alley

"Sir, she doesn't like being called that. She hates remembering what her previous master did."

Snape rolled his eyes and said, "I am not going to start calling it Potter's snake."

"Just call her Nagini."

Snape snorted. "First we will attempt to stop at Hogwarts with... Nagini. Then we will go to Diagon Alley to get you some decent attire. Grab onto my arm," he repeated.

"Okay, okay," Harry said. He put a hand on his arm and looked down at Nagini, who was looking puzzled. "Professor, would it be okay if Nagini coiled around me? I mean, I wouldn't be able to stand up straight, but it might be easier on all of us instead of just touching her."

"Very well."

"Nagini, I need you to do your besssst to wrap around me so we can sssside-along apparate." The snake nodded and started climbing up his leg, around his torso. It wasn't long before he couldn't sustain the weight of the enormous snake, and his knees buckled. Snape, upon seeing that, stepped forward and caught him awkwardly under the arms. Snape and Harry were having an extremely hard time holding both of them up along with the serpent, and once Nagini had settled herself completely against the two wizards, they apparated to the front gates of Hogwarts.

Harry immediately decided that he preferred a broom to get to places. Apparition made it feel like he was being squeezed through a small tube, and he had a feeling that Nagini being wrapped around Harry was making it worse. When they appeared with a crack at the gates, they both stumbled and fell. Harry had a difficult time keeping the bacon in his stomach down, but after a few swallows, he lost the feeling that he needed to gag. He was pretty adept at doing that, all thanks to his more violent visions from Voldemort.

He felt Snape's muscles tense, and Harry realized that his potions professor had fallen on top of him. Snape moved off of him and stood, brushing his robes off. Nagini uncoiled herself from Harry, and he took the offered hand and stood up. They silently walked, or in Nagini's case, slithered through the gates (which were open, thankfully). Harry stopped, wondering where he should go next. Snape pushed past him and started towards Hagrid's hut. Harry and Nagini trailed behind him, wondering where he was going with this.

Snape knocked on the door and Hagrid opened it. "Profes'r?" he said, sounding confused. "What'r you doin' here?"

"I need you to take care of a snake while I go off to Diagon Alley," he said in a superior tone of voice.

"Of course, profes'r. I c'n do that. Now, where's the little beauty?" the huge man asked, looking closely at his hands.

Snape raised an eyebrow. "I sincerely doubt that you will find the snake little once you have seen it." He stepped aside, revealing Nagini and Harry.

"Harry!" Hagrid exclaimed, seeing him first. Then, his eyes rested upon the serpent next to him, and he made a small "eep" sound. He blinked twice, and turned back to Snape. "Ye... ye'r lettin' me take care of 'im?"

"It's a her, Rubeus. Also, I'm not letting you take care of her, she is Potter's snake." Snape glanced down at Harry, who was tapping his feet on the floor nervously.

Hagrid looked stunned. "Harry? See... how... she's beautif'l! It's an honour! Where'd ye get 'er?"

"Well, about that," Harry stopped when Snape gave him a warning look that Harry could translate easily. Obviously, he didn't want the identity of the snake to be known, so Harry tried for a half-truth. "She just sort of came to me, you know?"

Hagrid nodded, brushing a tear out of his eye. "Yeah, yeah, of course. Just like with me and-" he broke off, his eyes glancing at Snape. Harry supposed he was going to say Norbert, but stopped himself just in time. "Say, Harry? Why'r you here? It's still a few weeks 'till school starts again!"