Chapter 2: Visitor
A/N: Pat-reon: HelloDarkness07
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Two days, that's how long I kept on with the soft interrogation of Sly, the newly named snake that I picked up after finding out I could understand it.
I asked him a lot of questions about this new world I'm in, and also looked up for what type of snake he is. Sly is a South Asian Black Cobra, and three guesses as to how he came to Britain?
If you guessed smuggled or stolen, then you're only partly correct. His mother was brought here some 10 years ago. Sly however, was born in London itself a couple months ago.
As for the questions, he did answer a lot of them. Some, he didn't know the answer to, while some, he didn't even understand the question. To be fair, though, Sly is barely a couple months old.
This just makes me appreciate his intelligence even more. He can speak way more than I'd expected of a snake.
Back to the questions, again, I asked him about Magic. He didn't know much, but he knew a snake, the Fiery One, who knew much more about Magic.
I really need to meet this Fiery snake.
The rest of the questions were useless when asking a two month old snake, so I was just content with waiting until I meet this Fiery One.
I did ask Sly where he met this Fiery One, and he had said that there was a bush somewhere near my Orphanage, where snakes gathered. The smarter snakes would share gossips, and general information there.
This Fiery snake was sort of the unofficial leader of the group of snakes, as he was the smartest, and he was the only source of information on Wizards. He would bring whatever news he listened, to the other snakes. So this Fiery One also probably understands common English.
So, I asked more questions. Turns out, there is a Magical community, just like I expected, centred around London, and hiding all over the world.
One of these Magical humans, I think, had smuggled Sly's mother from South Asia, and used her eggs, or baby snakes, in potions. Sly didn't exactly tell me that, but I gathered it from the things he did tell me.
Don't ask.
Sly himself only survived by hiding away in the owner's coat, on his mother's advice. After which, when the human left the house, Sly escaped. That was a few weeks ago, and Sly has been living in that bush ever since, surviving off the rats.
~~Well, that ends now. You're living with me now.~~ I say, picking up Sly gently, and looking him straight in his golden eyes. Damn it's still creepy. At least he's cute.
Sly just stares at me, tilting his head, and says, ~~You don't even look big enough to feed yourself, how will you feed me, human?~~
I wave my hand, and say, ~~Plenty of rats in the Orphanage, Sly. Don't worry. You'll have free reign to travel through the walls. Although, I'd appreciate if you don't appear in front of any other humans. They'll kill you, and then they'll burn me. Probably.~~
I should research when Witch Burnings stopped, if they did. Priority should be that, to be frank.
~~I still don't trust you, human. I will return to my burrow, and think before coming to live with you.~~ Sly says, after a moment of thinking. What did I say? He's smart, unnaturally so. It's probably something related to Magic.
~~Of course. My home is open to you, should you agree.~~ I consent, with a nod of my head.
There were more questions, burning in my mind, but they'll have to wait until I actually meet this Fiery One.
Speaking of, ~~Could you bring this Fiery Snake here? Directly to my room is preferable. I have some questions that I need to ask of him.~~
Sly shrugs,- how does he do that?- and says, ~~I will ask. But the Fiery One is a busy snake. He comes to us only once every few days. The last time he came, I was smaller!~~
Nodding, I say, ~~Fine.~~ Pausing, I sniffle a bit, sad at having to let Sly go, and say, ~~I'll miss you, Sly. Be careful of humans~~
~~Goodbye, human.~~ Sly says, slithering down my hand.
~~Goodbye, Sly. Don't forget, if any other Magical snake wants to talk to a Speaker, you can bring them here, but only if I'm alone. And one by one! Don't bring them all at once! I won't speak if someone is in front of me, and that can get you killed.~~ I say, repeating it after having told him this yesterday too. Seriously, I did not want any snake dying, simply because it came to meet me at the wrong time.
The snake waves his tail to me, and starts climbing down. He says, ~~Yes, yes. I know, human. I'm going now. I'll be back. You humans are really weird. And be careful of perverts.~~
Chuckling, I wipe my eyes, I let Sly slide off my hands, only to see him disappear under the wall. Hiding him was a chore for these two days. Thankfully, he was small. But the Sisters are really too vigilant for being caretakers of an Orphanage.
I simply watch it go, with a sad face, and start crying. I'm 6, alright, give me a break. My mind, while having adult memories, has hormones of a child's. And I just lost my first pet.
I'll miss you, Sly.
Wizard! I'm a wizard! Hopefully.
Point in favour being that I can talk to snakes, as proved by Sly, even if I cannot distinguish between the snake language and the human one. It all sounds English to me, which is really weird, considering that I could speak to two more languages just as fluently. Hindi and Marathi, for those curious.
Point against it, is that I distinctly remember that Merope Gaunt, who was either a Squib, or close to a Squib, could also speak to snakes. So I still could be a squib.
Speaking of Gaunts, I realized something when I spoke to Sly. My parseltongue has to come from somewhere. Either my mother's family, or my.. father's. My mother's father was fairly rich, from what Sister Agnes told me, so it can't be the Gaunts. Which leaves my father.
Two Gaunts. Tommy boy's uncle, and grandfather. And one of them raped my mum. Uncle's more likely than grandpa, considering that the grandpa must be old now. But can't dismiss him completely, even if Morfin(I think) Gaunt is the more likely rapist.
Well, he's dead. He just doesn't know it yet. Even if I find myself to be a Squib, I will find them, and kill them. Using muggle methods, like guns, just to spite them even more.
And what is it with the Gaunts and raping? Tommy's mother potioned his father and raped him. Or will do it in the future. My father raped my mother. And I don't know who the grandpa raped, but I'm thinking she was related to him. Bloody gits.
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9 days later, as I'm on my way to bed after a long day, I see something that makes me, a Hindu, almost scream out for Jesus Christ.
There, curled up in the corner behind my cot, was Sly, accompanied by what could only be the Fiery Snake. It was hidden well enough, under my cot, but unfortunately for the snake, it gave out a small amount of red light.
The snake was 3 feet long, and about 2 inches wide. However, its skin wasn't normal. Its skin looked like it was burning, thankfully without harming the wooden floor underneath it. There were a few reddish embers showing through the skin, along with the fire orange eyes that were staring at me, creepily.
~~Hello.~~ I say, shutting my door and locking it, automatically switching to parseltongue as soon as my eyes land on the two snakes. I still couldn't consciously distinguish between the normal tongue, and the snake tongue, not could I switch without the snakes present.
Sly comes forward, and I bend down to pick him up. As he rests on my shoulder, he says, ~~Hello, human. We meet again. I brought the Fiery Snake to you, as you asked.~~
~~Greetings, wizard.~~ the burning snake says, lifting its head up to my knee level.
That's enough of a confirmation for me. I'M A WIZARD! WOOHOOO!!
Dropping down, I sit down in front of it, legs folded, too excited to think it through, and say, ~~It's wonderful to meet you, Fiery One! I am so excited to meet you, and I didn't think you'd actually come.~~
I didn't even think Sly was going to return, when he was absent for a week. That was a tearful week.
~~The little one told me that he met a speaker, and I did not believe it. I wanted to see you for myself.~~ the Fiery One says, and then crawls closer to me.
Caution thrown away as soon as I'd seen the burning snake, I allow it to approach me, and hence do not react when it climbs on my knee.
Thankfully, somehow, the snakes burning skin does not harm me either.
Now at me eye level, the Fiery One says, ~~The little one was correct. You are a speaker, and a wizard. Now, why did you want to meet with me?~~
Giddily, I ask, ~~I have so many questions. Are there more wizards? Where can I find them? Do they have apprentice-masters or schools? Do I really have magic? Do you think you can teach me any magic?~~
I do not necessarily need answers to any of these questions, but I do need confirmations. Is this actually the Harry Potter Universe? Or am I just in another Magical world that just has Snake Tongue and Magic, but is nothing like the HPU?
~~Quiet!~~ the Fiery One hisses, making me snap my mouth shut. Nodding, seeing me become silent, the snake says, ~~One by one, wizard. Yes, there are more wizards. They live in communities, or alone, it changes from wizard to wizard. But there are places, like our Bush, where different Wizards gather to share stories, or meet.~~
Pausing, to make sure I'm listening, which I am, it continues, ~~There are something called schools, which you can only get into by invitation, other than that, I do not know. Yes, you have magic just like the wizard who created me. Why else do I call you Wizard? And lastly, I'm a snake, an impressive snake, but snake all the same. I cannot teach you anything the human wizards know of. Idiotic Wizards.~~
Well no need to be so rude about it. I'm just making sure. At least I got the second additional confirmation from this snake, that I'm a wizard!
Nodding, I say, ~~Can you lead me to the place where the Wizards meet?~~
I might not go there yet, but it's better to get at least some information about a world before entering it at eleven.
~~Not yet. Soon, I will lead you there, or have the little one lead you once I show him the place, but there is no guarantee that we will.~~ the Fiery One says, nodding his head towards Sly.
Sly, who was silent throughout our conversation nods, still on my shoulder, and says, ~~Sure. If I decide to live with the human, I will do it.~~
I open my mouth, but immediately close it, hearing the sound of footsteps. Panicking, I immediately say, ~~Quickly! Leave. My caretakers are coming for their rounds! I'll speak whenever you return.~~
Nodding, the Fiery Snake coils around itself, and hisses at Sly to come to it. Once Sly touches the Fiery snake on its burning scales, the two get covered in bright red flames. Even before I can panic again, the fire goes away, showing an unblemished wooden floor, and the two snakes nowhere to be seen.
"Wicked!" I whisper, looking wide eyed at the place the snake disappeared from. Magic, definitely magic.
Hearing the sounds of opening doors around my room, I silently unlock the door, and go to sleep on my bed. My door opens, as I pretend to be asleep, and wait until Sister Mary's gone. She was annoying, and the only one that was like that.
Once she leaves, closing my door, I open my eyes back again, and think over all the things I need to do. My mind is weak, currently. I cannot remember much of the Books related to this world, but I do know one thing. Occlumency. It'll definitely help.
And what does all Mind Magic start with? Meditation. Closing my eyes, I lay still, and breathe in. Then out.
In. Out.
I'm gonna be a super powerful wizard in a few years! FOCUS, MASON! MEDITATE!
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