The looks I received as I fled from the paddock weren’t kind, and even those who didn’t look angry looked petrified and stepped back as I ran up towards the lake. Sthyss was busy saying sorry all the way and I found it in me to forgive him, I understood why he had wanted to kill her because for a second so had I, finally I stopped running at a heavily overhanging tree that provided enough shade for a whole class to sit under, Willow if I wasn’t mistaken.
“I’m sorry, I’m going to get you in trouble.”
“If I’m not already. I bet Pansy went straight to Snape and bitched all about it.”
“Don't you find it intriguing; what she said about him telling them about you coming from an orphanage. Why wouldn't he tell them the truth? Why did he tell them anything at all? ”
“I don't know Sthyss, and frankly right now I don't care.” I replied, leaning my bag against the tree so he could slide out of my bag and curl up into a neat pile of scales.
“How come you didn’t mention you were from an orphanage?” I looked up sharply because I hadn’t said it and neither had Sthyss; instead it was Harry.
“I haven’t exactly known you for that long.” I said in English, it just seemed unnatural to speak in parseltongue to a human. .
“Good point, do you mind if I-?” he gestured next to me and I shrugged.
“Go for it,” I said, it had been bad enough today as it was, it couldn’t get worse.
“That was a good Defence against the Dark Arts lesson wasn’t it?” Harry asked me, I couldn’t help but notice that he seemed awkward.
“Yeah it was brilliant; I wish I’d been able to have a go though.” I smiled and he laughed.
“Yeah me too, what do you think it would have turned into for you?” he asked innocently, I frowned and pushed my eyebrows together.
“I’m not exactly sure; I don't really know what I’m afraid of.” I lied easily, he nodded, “You?” I asked quietly.
“I wasn’t sure; at first I thought of Voldemort and well then-”
“Harry, what do you know about Voldemort?” I asked, looking into his eyes and he looked down at his hands, his eyes changed and became distanced.
“Well he killed my parents.”
“I knew that, I meant is he what you would call a classic Slytherin?”
“Yes, well except for you- Imogene what happened to your face?” he looked horrified.
“I was wondering the same thing earlier Harry.” Hermione had just peered under the long string-like branches with Ron behind her.
“I-” I paused sighing, who was I kidding I couldn’t tell them the truth. “It was my snake, Sthyss, when he was moulting I irritated him and then he lashed out with the tip of his tail.”
“Really?” Ron asked, he sounded startled and eyed my bag suspiciously.
“A snake’s fangs are not the only weapon one has.” I explained, looking up into the tree where Sthyss had slithered at Harry’s appearance, they followed where I was looking and they all jumped back a few steps.
“What the-?!” Ron looked like he was going to swear violently.
“Just chill!” I shouted, trying to get him to calm down, “He won’t hurt you.”
“But you were telling it to hurt Pansy!” He said confused.
“I didn’t-”
“She didn’t-” I was surprised when Harry stood up for me at the same time, I smiled thankfully at him and stood, getting a glittering Sthyss to slide down off the limb onto my arm, Hermione was quiet, and Ron seemed to be a little calmer.
“I was trying to stop him from hurting her, he got kinda angry when she said all that stuff.”
“Is it because of what she said about you not being a Slytherin?” Hermione asked, I looked at her and then down.
“He’s like that sometimes-.” I looked up and saw a shadowy figure come skulking towards the tree with black hair whipping around his face. “Oh bugger.”
I stepped out from between the leaves and walked towards the professor.
“Imogene, what do you think you are doing?” I opened my mouth but he held up his hand. “No I don't want to hear it. If I hear of you threatening or using that thing-” He pointed to my shoulder where Sthyss’ head was peering up at him, hissing almost silently, but still threatening.
“To threaten other students, I will have you expelled, Heir or not, I will see you in detention on Thursday, at six.” He turned sharply on his heel and I just stood numbly on the grass, “He disgusts me, yet he seems different from your other teachers.”
“No he’s just the same as all the other Slytherin’s I’ve met so far, cruel, harsh and close-minded.” I turned and pushed through the grass-like leaves.
I sighed when the three friends looked up at me and picked up my bag, claiming that I needed to go back to the commons.
On my way back up to the castle I couldn’t help but feel sorry for myself, my first day had gone horrendously and I was relishing the feeling of scales rubbing against my flesh. “Sthyss, why aren’t I like the other Slytherins?” I was glad I wasn’t but I felt like an outsider more than ever.
“Because you are better than them; my old master had a sister, you remind me of her more than Salazar, and do you really envy their behaviour?” He was comforting me, well at least he was trying, but as we stepped over the threshold of the school he became quiet and ducked into my robes, not that it made a difference it seemed that even though it had been an hour since the incident with Pansy most of the school seemed to be looking at me. Sighing greatly I tried to go to the library but there were a group of third year girls, most from Slytherin; that were peering through the bookshelves suspiciously, to scare them more than anything, Sthyss slid down my trouser leg and around onto their table, I heard a scream and they ran as fast as they could. The librarian came and asked me disapprovingly what was happening, and I made a brief excuse that they’d seen a spider or something, and looked back to my book.
It was a book on dementors, and I was interested on just how little actual information there was, from what I was reading it appeared obvious that almost everything was merely ‘theorized’ or ‘believed’.
More people looked at me as they passed and I got fed up of it. Standing I pushed the chair out and stormed out, frustrated and angry and hating school.
“Imogene?” I reached the doors when someone stopped me, I didn’t look up but I knew it was Professor Lupin.
“My last name’s Hydrus professor.” Sthyss tightened around me suddenly and I shifted uncomfortably.
“Alright Miss Hydrus is everything alright there?” I looked up and he was smiling.
“Not really, professor I’m really tired, could I please…” I ran my hand through my hair and gestured to the door behind him. He sighed and pursed his lips, “Go on then.” I walked past him and felt Sthyss loosen, “He’s still watching you.”
XXXX
I’d been dreading Thursday after hearing Harry and Ron tell me about how awful it was having to take inventory of all the ingredients and sorting them into new jars. I knocked on the door at three minutes to six and waited for a second before there was; not an answer but a person in the doorway.
“Well at least you seem to have developed some manners.” Classes had been gruelling since Tuesday but at least I hadn’t been subjected to the relentless bullying that Snape exerted on other students that somehow were always Gryffindor’s.
“Don't stand there, get in.” He strode into the room and I followed the cold circular chamber shimmering green and the sick light of the lake coming through the windows.
“I want you to prepare these roots for tomorrows class,” he pointed towards a three foot mass of partially rotting vegetation in the corner and a knife that lay next to it. I brought myself to the table and placed the bag on my back next to the leg, I could have sworn I’d returned my books to the commons but I must’ve forgot because it was still quite heavy.
“What shall I do with them once I’ve cut them professor?” I asked and looked more closely at the vine-like roots, the strong odour coming from the slime covered tips making bile rise to the back of my throat.
“Put them in the tub, now if you don't mind I'm busy.” He turned from me and I saw him walk to the large pewter cauldron in the corner, he appeared to be watching the smoking potion intently. I turned back to the task at hand and started on the roots. Once I’d washed the thick slime from the valerian roots I got to cutting them finely into slices no thicker than one centimetre. My hands shook slightly as the smell became sickening and I began to get a headache, except upon closer sniffing I concluded that the sulphurous smell might not have been coming from the roots but the cauldron in the corner. Professor Snape turned and looked at me, lifting an eyebrow as he caught me watching what he was doing. I turned around quickly and continued my work with the small silver knife. It took me three hours to get through the massive pile and the bat-like professor hardly moved the entire time. He was still standing over the potion that was now boiling and releasing the smell I had ben gagging on in the opposite corner.
“Professor I’ve finished,” He turned and scowled, looking at the clock and then walked over to the roots in the large steel tub and closely inspected them. “These are well done; the precise size of each piece will make using the roots easier.” He turned back to me and smiled slightly; I thanked him and picked up my bag. About to leave he stopped me.
“Miss Hydrus.” I wasn’t expecting him to call me that as I’d only told Professor Lupin a few days ago and I didn’t think that he and Professor Snape would have spoken about me.
“Yes professor?” I asked and he looked sternly at me.
“Don't let it happen again, keep Sthyss under control.” He turned and I felt dismissed, but I couldn’t help but wonder what was in the cauldron.
“Professor what is that?” I asked and he turned sharply.
“None of your business; go on.” I frowned and caught a last look at the cauldron taking a quick look at the dark liquid, but I couldn’t ascertain any traits of the brew to identify it by, so I left.
It was a short walk to return to the commons and only took me a few minutes, but as it had been for the last three days when I returned to the commons after storming out of the library everyone looked darkly at me or didn’t look at me at all, I was now the outcast, and only Harry and Hermione spoke to me, Ron was scared that I was going to make Sthyss bite him.
I hurried up to the top of the stairs and into the dorms where a few of the girls already sat on their beds chatting, but as usual once I stepped through the door they all shut up and walked out of the room.
I huffed to myself about them being unreasonable but it was pointless I couldn’t change what how they behaved towards me so I was merely being whiney and that annoyed Sthyss, who it turned out had been the additional weight in my school bag. My hands were shaking a little and I decided it must be because I was so tired, it was half nine and as I climbed into bed I fell asleep almost instantly.
I woke up, and it was still dark, there was almost no light coming through the windows but I needed no light to hear. Someone screamed again and there was a sharp hiss from the floor, I didn’t want to know what had happened but the sound of Sthyss coming from the floor worried me. “What happened?” I asked, and a light turned on as I pointed my wand at the torch.
“Your snake bit her!” Alice Dooley shouted hysterically. I sat straight away just in time for one of the house prefects to come crashing into the dorm.
“What’s happening in here- Oh my God what has happened?” She saw Pansy lying on the floor, Sthyss hacking and spitting at a girl called Laura as she tried to grab him. “Sthyss don't do it! Get here now!” I commanded.
“She tried to take me away from you! She was going to kill me!” he spat.
“I don't care if- She wouldn't dare-” I stopped, I was going to have to save Pansy, and as I stood no-one stopped me from kneeling beside her.
“Imogene! What have you done!?” Professor Snape was at the door and glaring down at me as I knelt beside Pansy’s twitching body. Sthyss had only just bitten her and that was good it meant- “Imogene what type of snake-”
“Professor you won’t have a cure for his venom, he’s the only one of his kind that there is,” I answered on prompt from Sthyss, I knew what to do I just didn’t want to do it only a few days into the term. I grabbed her wrist and held her hand up to the light where my snake had bitten her. “Imogene, what are you doing?” Snape asked frowning.
It had barely been half a minute since I had woken when I pressed the bite to my mouth and sucked, drawing the poison filled blood out of her hand, I knew I had gotten it all when my lips began to tingle and her blood tasted more like iron than the bitter clove like taste of Sthyss’ venom. It was still deadly even when digested and so I began to feel light headed as I dropped the hand of the now deeply breathing unconscious girl.
I tried to spit out most of the poisonous material; but if I’d built enough of a resistance to his venom over the six years he’d been with me then it wouldn't do much more than give me a few minor symptoms, but I could be sure that it wouldn't kill me.
I fell back and leant my head against the post and felt sick as the venom travelled through me, my head blazed and I tried to remain conscious but it just became too much and I fell into the dark.
“You little fool.”