(Y/n)'s POV
After Hermione nicked the ingredients we missed, and told us all, alongside Harry, that it'd be ready in a fortnight, time passed without much to say. She still wasn't talking to me, and I wasn't either, but I can't say it wasn't hard.
I was used to chatting with her, she was my best friend for god's sake. But I couldn't just talk to her as if it was nothing, it may be nothing for her, but for me? My whole world shattered when those words left her mouth.
The worst part of it was the extra lessons of Charms that we had together. Obviously, she still wanted to keep going to them this year, and I loved Charms, so of course I stayed, but as of late, they were painfully awkward.
Professor Flitwick would try his usual way of being, telling silly tiny jokes and trying to get us to talk, and to say it was awkward would be an understatement.
I would rather Peeves teasing me with Moaning Myrtle again than this.
But it wasn't like I could just skip them, he started teaching duelling lessons, and I have to say, they were one of the most interesting things I've learned here. Professor Flitwick told stories about how he won his tournament of duelling, and to be honest, I was jealous.
I've heard there used to be a duelling club a few years before we started our first year, but it was disbanded for unknown reasons, or, well, unknown to the students. Professor Flitwick didn't seem to like talking about that club.
Still, it was a shame. At least what he's teaching us will work if we have to duel other wizards.
"What did you say Seamus?"
"Are you deaf? They're opening a Duelling club! The first meeting's tonight!" And the rest was blurred.
Oh my god, this was the best day EVER! So that's why Professor Flitwick has been insisting on those basic duelling lessons and tips all week.
"Guys, please- PLEASE come with me to the club tonight!," They all seemed excited, and Harry and Ron nodded.
The meeting was at eight o'clock, the whole afternoon was just me waiting for the hours to pass, which felt like years. It's so weird how slow time passes when you actually want it to pass faster.
The Great Hall looked pretty different to what it usually did, with all of its tables gone, replaced by a single long golden stage in one of the walls. The whole place was packed, but thankfully, after my incident with Snape, I've been practicing keeping my windows shut a bit more.
"I wonder who'll be teaching us?" Asked Hermione, I answered by reflex.
"Probably Professor Flitwick, he did get more into duelling lessons as of late, and he used to be a Duelling Champion. Can't wait to-." Before I finished my sentence, Harry groaned.
I looked at him, and then at what he was looking at. In the new golden stage, we could see Gilderoy Lockhart in his usual flashy clothes, accompanied by Snape, and thankfully, Professor Flitwick.
"Now! Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little Duelling Club," Oh, for the love of god, please tell me that Professor Flitwick will be the one teaching us.
"Let me introduce my assistants, Professor Snape, who told me knows a tiny little bit about duelling himself, and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. And Professor Flitwick, who, like myself, is a former Duelling Champion."
"Professor Flitwick will act as referee for our duel, just so I don't over do it, of course. Don't worry! You will have your Potions Master when I'm through with him, never fear!" All the girls let out shrieks in the room, and I wished for a bit that I stayed in my room tonight.
No, wait, this could still be fun if Professor Flitwick's here, he's a really good teacher, and even if I don't like saying it, Professor Snape is really good, too, when he's not bullying us...
Professor Snape lip's was curling, that was never a good sign, the only times he'd do that was when he was either really mad, like when Neville messes up his Potions, or planning something.
Lockhart and Snape looked at each other, and Lockhart bowed and did all kinds of gestures, Snape just jerked his head as if he was annoyed doing it and then, they raised his wands, as if they were weapons.
According to Professor Flitwick, that's what one usually does before a duel starts, but I can't help but wonder, would anyone actually respect that in a real fight?
"Professor Flitwick will count, and on the count of three, we will cast our spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course." Something tells me Professor Snape didn't have that in mind.
"One!" Professor Flitwick started, "Two!" As much as I don't like Lockhart, I have to say, this is really exciting, I've never really seen two grown wizards duel or sling spells at each other.
"Three!"
Both of them slingered spells, or at least, Lockhart tried, Snape was much faster than him, and yelled,
"EXPELLIARMUS!"
A scarlet light came out of his wand in a really fast manner, and Lockhart was blown away, literally, he flew from where he was onto the wall, and then slid down to the floor like a squashed bug.
I was a bit surprised with the speed his spell came out, but Professor Flitwick talked about this in class, every spell depends heavily on the will and intent the caster has, that's why my Incendio failed last year on the forest, I wasn't confident enough in me, and I didn't put enough intent in it.
Basically, the more intent and will on the spell, the stronger it comes out, which must mean that Professor Snape must have really wanted to send him flying off, even without a spell that did that specifically.
For a moment, as Lockhart was standing up, he seemed to be in pain, and in a way, it made me feel... happy. I think I should've felt bad about it, but I didn't, and that in itself made me feel bad about myself.
"Do you think he's all right?" Asked Hermione, who looked really nervous, that made all the uneasiness I was feeling about myself disappeared, and I remembered why I didn't like Lockhart.
"Who cares?" Harry, Ron and I said at the same time, each with a different kind of tone.
Lockhart's balance was all over the place, but somehow managed to stand up, with his legs wobbly.
"Well, there you have it! That was the Disarming Charm, as you see, I've lost my wand - Ah, thank you, Miss Brown. Yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind me saying so, it was very obvious what you were trying to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been too easy."
I really doubt it. I doubt he even knows how the charm works, even Professor Flitwick, who usually explains things very well, had a hard time explaining how its magical theory worked.
"Enough demonstrations! I'm going to come amongst you now and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape, Professor Flitwick, if you'd like to help me..."
They all helped to pair up everyone and Ron got Seamus, which was okay, Harry got Malfoy, in a really dirty play by Snape, and Hermione got Millicent, who, not to be mean, was twice her size.
Me? I didn't get anyone, or well, I got paired with a first year kid, and before we even did anything, he turned white and ran away. Why? Well, probably because of those stupid rumours, it's like Ginny said, someone spread them all around the first years.
...Brilliant.
It made me sad, but it was fine. In a way, Professor Flitwick came to where I was, probably seeing how I was, and started to chat with me, discussing everything the others did as we watched. It made what I was feeling go away for a bit, even though I wanted to try duelling.
It's like if we were commentators like those my dad hears when he watches football, I suppose in a way it helped me see things in another perspective, but I still wanted to try it.
Among all the chaos everyone was making, with lots of flashes and smokes of different colours, I saw Hermione, whimpering in pain as Millicent had her in a headlock, before I could even start moving towards it, forgetting about the distance that was between us, I saw Harry running to help her.
Still, I asked the Professor about it, and he congratulated me for noticing it, and quickly strolled to where they were. I couldn't hear anything else, though, so who knows what he said. At least she stopped headlocking her.
"I think I'd better teach you how to block unfriendly spells." Said Lockhart, standing on the golden stage, "Let's have a volunteer pair. Longbottom and Finch-Fletchley, how about you?"
I looked over to where they were, and they both looked tired, like, sweating a lot and all of that. They didn't exactly look all that happy to be chosen.
"A bad idea, Professor Lockhart," Snape interrupted, and for a moment, I had a really bad feeling, as he got into the golden stage, "Longbottom causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending what's left of Finch-Fletchley up to the hospital wing in a matchbox. How about Malfoy and (L/n)?"
As soon as he said my name, my heart started pounding. Was it excitement? Fear? Embarrassment? Probably a mix of all of them. Professor Flitwick palmed my back.
"Show them why you're my favorite student!" With giggles. I couldn't disappoint him, so I approached to walk in the stairs to get on the other end of the long golden stage, when Professor Snape stopped me.
"Some valuable ingredients have mysteriously gone missing from my private cupboard... You wouldn't have any idea about its whereabouts, would you, (L/n)?" I jerked my head quickly to him.
"N-No, Professor, w-why would you-"
"Quit playing dumb with me, boy. I could sense something was wrong ever since I couldn't see what was inside that window you kept shut." I gulped, "As soon as I find evidence about what you did, this duel and the failure you're going to show will be the least of your problems,"
"I-I was just... applying what you taught me, Professor." I tried saying it quickly, but he didn't look too convinced, and he left it at that and left. Okay, he- he doesn't have any evidence, that's good, that's good...
I shook my head, and looked back, I saw Harry and Ron, I petted Blaze, who got out of her usual spot, and gave her to them to hold onto.
I climbed the stairs, and Lockhart started to say something to me, which, honestly, I didn't hear, I've started to numb out whatever he says to me, so Defence against the Dark Arts are kind of boring now.
I stared Malfoy down while I approached him, as I remembered the tips Professor Flitwick told us in those extra Charms lessons.
'In duelling, bravado is half the battle! Never let your opponent see you hesitate. Never let them see you afraid!'
I took a big breath, as I tried to do what he said, with a small smile. Although it didn't seem to work that well, I probably looked pretty nervous, I don't think my bravado would help me sweat less...
I looked over to Professor Flitwick, and he gave a thumbs up. That must mean something.
"Scared, coward?" Muttered Malfoy, as we were closer now. I didn't say anything, trying to keep my face calm, as I frowned. We got into position, bowed, and as I pointed my wand to him, all my nervousness faded away.
It's like, we were the only two people right now, aside from Professor Flitwick, who would referee alongside Snape, but still. I didn't feel my heart pounding like last year, I didn't feel myself trembling, at least, not from nervousness or fear, all I could feel... was excitement.
"One!" The count started, and I was looking at my opponent's arms, specifically, his wand, to see what kind of wand movement he would use, "Two-"
I saw it, he moved his wand, cheating before the count even finished, but I didn't think of that, all I could think, was how familiar that movement was. It was a spell I knew, 'Everte Statum', the throwing charm.
I knew it, I used it against the troll last year, and so, I quickly mimicked what he was doing, thankfully, Malfoy wasn't as fast as me. As I finished mimicking what he did, I once again remembered what Professor Flitwick said about duelling.
'The Countering Charm is tricky. It's not just saying the word - oh no. You must mimic the wand movement exactly - and pour all your intent into cancelling the spell!
But beware! If you guess the wrong spell, if the movement doesn't match - the Countering Charm will simply fail and you'll be left wide open for attacks.'
We both finished the wand movement at the exact same time, and Malfoy shouted.
"EVERTE-"
"FINITE!"
A red light took flight from my wand towards Malfoy's wand, and when he finished chanting the spell, nothing came out, it was like all the motion in the wand stopped, as if the spell was just deleted.
I took this chance and kept going, my body in a state of strange comfort which filled every part of me. I wasn't afraid, I wasn't nervous, I didn't feel out of place.
Ever since I was a kid, I always felt odd. I could feel it even if I didn't interact with anyone except my parents, like something was missing from me. This changed a bit when I was told I was a wizard, and that there was this whole other world being kept away from me all my life up till that moment.
I felt like I belonged, at least a little. But ever since this year, even before classes begin, I was starting to lose that feeling. With all the rumours, with first years running before they even talked to me, and the fight with Hermione, all I felt was like I didn't belong.
I don't really know how to properly explain it. Like something that was a part of me was missing.
But now, for the first time in months of feeling out, of thinking I was different from other kids, it all finally went away.
All I could feel right now, was that I belonged here, that this was what I was supposed to be doing.
I felt competent. And I didn't stop.
I kept moving my wand, my body moving even before my mind could even think of a spell. But I didn't need to, I repeated them before, in Professor Flitwick's classes, I looked at my Dad everyday. And now, for this small moment, there was no doubt in my mind.
I didn't worry about not doing it pixel perfect, I didn't worry about feeling ashamed of myself for doing this in front of others. All I could feel was that this was mine. My moment, what I was born for.
It was exhilarating.
My wand moved down and then did a spiraling motion, as from my mouth the words were already leaving, as if it was something automatic.
"EXPELLIARMUS!"
Malfoy was still looking at his wand, until I shouted, that's when he looked at me, and seemed to be in shock, so much so that he didn't get to dodge it, and it hit him, though, he wasn't sent flying like Professor Lockhart.
Professor Snape must've really wanted to throw him off. No, I focused all my intent on the spell's designed effect. Disarm.
His wand went flying behind him, and as he turned around to go pick it up, people started to clap and cheer. I looked towards my friends, and they seemed happy- Probably because I defeated Malfoy, and for the first time... I didn't mind the attention, it felt amazing.
I looked to the right of where Harry was, and saw Hermione, she wasn't clapping, of course, but still, our eyes met, and I could see the faintest smile on her right side of her lips, she quickly looked away, though.
Professor Flitwick, who was referring alongside Snape, started to talk, so I turned towards him.
"All right, that was fantastic from both parts! Congrats to both of you for displaying such an interesting match- No, Mr Malfoy, the duel's over-!" I looked over to Malfoy, and saw him with his wand, doing some wand movements that I didn't recognize, that sent my brain into panic mode.
Is it some kind of curse? I don't know this spell- I- Not even Dad showed me this kind of spell- As a million thoughts ran through my head, he shouted.
"SERPENSORTIA!"
A blast was heard, and from the tip of his wand, a long black snake came out- It looked really intimidating, as the snake raised itself, and it looked like it wanted to bite me.
"Don't move, (L/n)... I'll get rid of it..." Oh thank god, I can think whatever I want about Snape, but he is a very strong wiz-
"Allow me!" Oh no! Lockhart took out his wand as he shouted,
"ALARTE ASCENDARE!" Another bang was heard, and the poor snake was thrown away in the air, my stomach sunk. I didn't want the snake to be hurt, either.
The snake landed heavily in the other corner of the long golden stage, right in front of Justin, the Hufflepuff that kind of ignored me in our first Herbology class.
I focused on the snake, and I could feel it. It was enraged and would attack anyone, it didn't care for its original target, and it started to hiss towards him.
No! I thought, as I ran towards the snake.
As I was running, I remembered about the snake that I met last year, the one who wanted to go to Brazil, I hope he got there... If I was able to talk to that one, maybe- just maybe I could- No, I had to, I had to do something!
Without thinking if anyone would mock me for trying to speak to a snake, I had to, if the one last year listened to me, then that meant they were smart, they weren't mindless!
"Wait! You don't have to do this, no one has to be hurt, not even you! Just... come to me, we'll send you back from where you came," I spoke to the snake, and just like the one from last year. It listened to me and was slowly turning around, still hissing towards him, but slightly looking away, so I smiled.
I was going to keep talking to it, to convince it more so that it turned fully, but I didn't get to, I looked to where Justin was, and he looked angry. I saw the people that were around him, and they looked odd.
This caught me off guard, and immediately, my closed up mind opened as if a strong wind forced it to. And I felt it all at the same time, they all were scared, and that fear infected my mind and body, and made me stop in my tracks.
I turned to see where Harry and Ron were, and they were close, too, but Ron had his hand on Harry's mouth, as if stopping him from saying anything.
"What do you think you're playing at?!" Shouted Justin, I was paralyzed, fear made my mouth get stuck as if it was frozen, and I couldn't say a thing as he turned around and ran out of the Great Hall.
Snape quickly stepped forward, and took out his wand, as he made some wand movement. And I knew that he was going to kill the snake.
"No!" My words landed on deaf ears. Snape finished his wand motions.
"VIPERA EVANESCA!" I looked at the snake, as the spell landed on it and my mind was still feeling it's. I watched it disappear, as if it was burned away, and nothing more than ashes were left.
All I could feel from the snake was pure unriddled fear, and it filled me too, as I watched the ashes fly away. I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe properly. I was stunned, but I could see Professor Snape looking at me, his face like he was calculating or figuring something out.
I started to walk back, not turning, but my movements were stiff, odd, I didn't know what I felt. until I noticed a tugging on my robes, I looked back, and Harry and Ron climbed onto the golden stage, and they both steered me out of the hall, which was now in complete silence.
I could see Hermione hurriedly coming to us, but I didn't think much of it, I was numbed out. Today in the afternoon, I felt time go as slow as I ever felt it go. Now, it was the contrary, before I even realised it, we were in the Gryffindor common room.
They dragged me- and Harry, now that I was finally aware of my surroundings. And they pushed me into an armchair, as Ron started to talk.
"You're a Parselmouth- Both of you! Why didn't you tell us?" I was left with no words, parsel-what?
"A what?" Asked Harry, more connected to the conversation than I was.
"You're both Parselmouths! You can talk to snakes!" Both? My senses came back to me fully by then, but my voice felt off, so I spoke in a soft, low voice.
"Both? What do you mean by that?"
"Harry was saying something after you talked, let's just hope I was the only one who heard anything before I shut him up,"
"I mean, that's only the second time I've done it" Said Harry, "I accidentally set a boa constrictor on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once - long story - but it was telling me it had never seen Brazil and I sort of set her free without meaning to, before I knew I was a wizard,"
"So that's why there was a boa constrictor on the loose?" I asked, "Mate, my parents and I found that snake, and I barely convinced them and we left it at an airport, hopefully it got to where he wanted to,"
"Really-"
"I don't care about that bloody snake!" Said Ron, pretty upset about something, "Oh no... this is bad..."
"What 's bad? I bet loads of people can do it," said Harry, I nodded to what he was saying. Hermione, for once, was being awfully quiet, but looked to be deep in thinking.
"No, they can't, it's not a very common gift, this is really bad."
"Why is it so bad?" I said, "I just told the snake to come to me and that no one had to get hurt, if I hadn't-"
"Oh, that's what you said to it?" Asked Ron, Harry looked at him puzzled,
"What d'you mean? I heard him too... you were there with me, you should've heard it." Said Harry.
"I heard you speaking Parseltongue, snake language, I didn't get a bloody thing. You could've said anything, no wonder Justin panicked, it sounded like you were egging the snake on, the smile you made didn't help."
"He spoke in a different language? But- I didn't realise it, I heard it as if it was just English, how can we know a language without knowing we can speak it?" Harry took the words out of my mind, my mouth was dry, and my hands were sweaty, really sweating.
Ron and Hermione both looked like they were at a funeral, and Harry and I were as lost as we were last year in the forest. Blaze came out of Harry's robes, and jumped to my lap, and it started to bump her head onto me, as if she felt I was feeling bad.
"W-Why does it matter so much?! Just- Stop poking around the bush and get on with it already!" I said, nervousness growing with each passing second of silence.
"It matters," Said Hermione, in a whisper between the four of us, it was the first time she directed a word to me in this whole time, it made me feel... I don't like to admit it, but it made me feel a bit better.
"It matters because being able to talk to snakes was what Salazar Slytherin was famous for. That's why the symbol of Slytherin house is a serpent." Whatever better I felt after Hermione directed a word to me, it faded away as soon as those words left her mouth.
"W-W-What...?" I managed to let out.
"Exactly, and now the whole school's going to think you're his great-great-great-great grandson or something... Thank Merlin's beard I managed to stop you from blabbering, Harry."
"B-But I'm not- Harry isn't either, right?" I asked nervously, looking at Harry, he quickly shook his head.
"You'll find that hard to prove, he lived a thousand years ago; for all we know, you two are related,"
After that, we spoke a little more, or well, Hermione and Ron did, alongside Harry, but I couldn't muster the energy nor the courage to even talk about anything else. I spent the day in the boy's dormitory, and lay awake at night.
Why did it have to happen at that moment? Why couldn't something go right for me? I just wanted to enjoy that feeling a little longer, but everything was ruined, all because I might be the descendant of stupid Slytherin?
How come my parents never told me about it or even mentioned how strange it was to speak Parseltongue? I had finally found something I liked... Finally felt like myself, and now I'll only remember the fear they all felt. God, I- I wish-
...I miss mom.
We talk everyday through letters, Dad sends me one every time he can, but he's busy at work, that should make me happy, but it seems... harder to talk to him more and more, now that I don't see him when he comes home, I can't help but feel like something's keeping us apart.
Maybe... maybe it's time to just ask Mom about it, I'll have to be subtle, though. She's a worrywart, and if I tell her more than I should, she's just going to lose it. But right now I have no other choice. I can't keep lying awake at night wondering just what my Dad's family is.
I had a hard time falling asleep. Every time I got close to it, I remembered the faces Justin and the other students had, and also was reminded of what the poor snake felt as it was being disintegrated.
The worst part was that because of those reminders, I dreaded what the next day had for me. I dreaded all the looks and whispers I was going to hear.
After hours that felt like an eternity, I was finally able to fall asleep, but one last thought lingered in my mind.
'I wish this had all been just a nightmare, and that I could wake up tomorrow and it would all be just a bad dream.'