The Huge Magical Snake Problem

Horcrux

Like before, he summoned his potions book and started reading.

HPHPHPHPHPHP

Harry just couldn't believe the audacity of that guy! He was just starting to wrap his head around the idea of Malfoy rescuing him, and then the man himself has to just show up and make him so irritated he felt like storming up to him and smacking his face off!

What was he even doing, coming up to the infirmary? Was he sick or something?

Serves him right, his subconscious growled.

Cut him some slack, okay? You were the one that attacked him in the first place, another voice responded.

Harry truly was going insane.

Nagini sighed, taking in Harry's silence. "He truly wasss conccccerned for you when you got delivered to the infirmary a few dayssss ago," she commented.

"I jussssst find that very hard to believe, Nagini," he said. Harry truly was conflicted. On one hand, Malfoy had been slightly agreeable before the comment about his cousin. On the other hand, though, it was hard to get over the years upon years of abuse he'd taken from the blond.

Harry honestly didn't know what to think.

HPHPHPHPHP

Later that night, Severus Snape could be seen pacing his quarters anxiously. The Dark Lord hadn't called any meetings since the last night Harry had been tortured gave him an ominous sense of dread, as if the Dark Lord already knew of the Malfoys' betrayal, and was biding his time until he could strike.

He took slight comfort in the fact that Harry had learned how to occlude his mind from outside attacks from the Dark Lord. It was astonishing how the young man had learned how to do that so quickly. One might think it a bit... unnatural, how fast he learned. And with such an unusual shield!

He made his mind up to make a quick trip up to the infirmary. It might settle his mind on the matter, seeing Harry safe and sound. Goodness Severus, he thought. How opinions have changed!

How indeed.

HPHPHPHPHPHP

Nagini curled up around Army-Leader just a bit tighter. She would never let her little hatchling get hurt again, under her watch. Her yellow eyes observed Army-Leader's serene, sleeping face. While awake, the human-adolescent's face was tense and drawn, at great juxtaposition to what she was seeing now.

She didn't blame him for his weariness.

The doors to the infirmary creeeeeaked open slowly, and Nagini whipped up from her spot on Army-leader's chest. Who would walk through those doors? An enemy? A friend? She couldn't be sure, so she coiled up for attack anyways.

Her muscles immediately relaxed as she saw the being come into the moonlight streaming from one of the enormous windows.

Severe-Stern.

The human-man regarded her with a stiff expression, obviously expecting an attack of some sort.

When the snake showed no more signs of outward aggression, the human-man silently levitated a big, plush chair to the side of the bed.

He elegantly sat down on it, showing no weakness even to a serpent.

Nagini lay her head back down on Army-Leader's chest, still watching the Magic-Liquid-Making human.

After a few hours of Severe-Stern standing vigil (or sitting vigil) over Army-Leader, the human-man eventually slipped into the land of the slumbering. He made quite an amusing figure, mouth slightly open and head slumped over on his shoulder.