Harry Potter and the Green Snake of Slytherin

7.

A Fair Game

Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting at the Gryffindor table for breakfast as usual. This morning there was a huge carrot cake, green tomato-flavoured yoghurts and... a big box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans - for their greatest pleasure. In the past few days, the atmosphere between the three of them had become tenser, especially since Harry's night in the castle, where he had learnt terrible news about his double lineage. His two friends still could not explain nor understand his recent attitude. He did not make it easy for them either, not disclosing anything about the Sorting Hat's revelation.

Furthermore, it seemed that Harry was enjoying more and more to spend time with the group of Slytherins around Avara and Draco Malfoy. The mysterious girl with jet-black hair and eyes the colour of her snake seemed to gain rapid popularity among Hogwarts students... Her unconventional views in the press about education had largely contributed to her good image...and she knew her topics well: first in Potions and Defense Against Dark Arts, and always willing to help other students...

Once breakfast was over, Dumbledore asked all students to stay in the great hall for a few more minutes. He had an important speech to do in the presence of the four Houses. All teachers were gathered around him, sitting at the professors' board. The Hogwarts Headmaster stood up, his purple robe adorned with golden stars, his elderly face looking solemn; one could almost sense a kind of sadness is his gesture.

"Ladies, Gentlemen, may I ask for a few moments of attention, please.

As some of you have already noticed, I have asked Professor Snape here - he waved at the raven-like, black-clad Potions Master on his left - to start experiencing mixed classes since two weeks. That means that students from two different Houses team up together during the class and for the homework. Well, the first results appear very encouraging: Professor Snape did not withdraw as many house points as usual from any of the four Houses...meaning...that you have been performing a better job. Congratulations!"

Avara glanced at Severus Snape with her glooming green eyes, smiling at him imperceptibly.

Dumbledore continued: "Thus, I have decided to extend this process to all Hogwarts classes before the end of term. Teachers willing to start now can begin immediately. If you are unsure on how to proceed, just ask Severus for advice.

This modus operandi will be mandatory after the Christmas holidays: the remaining teachers will have until the end of December to put mixed classes into practice; otherwise we will have to hire new teachers. I hope this is clear for all of you. That was all. Thank you for your interest".

Dumbledore and his court of professors exited the Great Hall, leaving the students' rumours fill the place.

At the Slytherin table, Avara von Argentum was delighted. Draco Malfoy blinked at her, although he was not completely pleased at the idea of sharing classes with Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs, or worse: Mudbloods. Avara touched his arm gently to appease him: "Draco, this situation has a major advantage for you: at least, you will be able to get closer to young Servana from Ravenclaw. I think she fancies you a lot..." she said, faking innocence.

"Aha...? Really?" said Malfoy, starting to sound interested.

"Really. And she's a pureblood too. Just open your eyes!" She paused for a few moments, as if she had entered a deep meditation...

"Dear cousin, isn't it remarkable that precisely Dumbledore opened the wound that would let the venom of Slytherin crawl into Hogwarts' veins?"

"Indeed, Avara. It's amazing. You are so bright"

"I shall find Harry now, Draco, he'd be much better by my side than with those pathetic Gryffindors...", she said. Her green and black Slytherin robe billowing gracefully, she stepped forwards to the other side of the Hall, where the students were still discussing Dumbledore's speech.

Hermione had a hard time swallowing the news, feeling more threatened than ever "Ron, Harry, really...Who would have thought that Slytherin pest could change the Hogwarts organization so quickly?"

"Please, Hermione, relax" said Ron, "The new system is pretty good, after all... We can now work with those clever Ravenclaws, or with the Hufflepuffs... There might be good elements in Slytherin too, but we'd waste too much time trying to find them - it's like finding a needle in a whole haystack!"

"Maybe, Ron..." replied Hermione, feeling misunderstood "Maybe I shouldn't be feeling so upset... But it could have been my idea, you know. Why didn't I think of it before her? Of course, Ms von Argentum is sooo clever and sooo mature that I cannot compete with her. I am completely out, Ron...out!" she said, sobbing.

"No, you're not" said a deep, crystalline voice behind her. "I'm so sorry that you feel this way, Hermione. You are bright, indeed...And I would like so much to know you better...but I fear it will not be possible as long as I can feel hate for Slytherin house in you... It's such a pity, I'm sure we could team up well" said Avara silkily. She turned to Harry and greeted him warmly "Good morning, Harry! Would you like to join me for a pumpkin juice this afternoon before the match? I'll bring Malachius so he can watch too"

Harry smiled...She talked of her snake in such a personal way, it was cute. "Great", he said "Why don't you pick me up in Gryffindor Tower for a change?"

"Great Harry, see you there at two!" replied Avara.

Hermione whispered into Ron's ear "This girl is pure poison, I tell you. Mild poison, yes...but poison anyway - I'm going to the library, catch up on the Potions stuff. See you later !"

***

The Quidditch season had been open for two weeks; both teams had been training very hard for today's match: Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. While Draco Malfoy was preparing his brand-new Thunderbolt XP, casting spells at it to manoeuvre it easier, Avara put on her most exquisite Slytherin robe on: it was a shimmering dark green which could change colour to silver in daylight. She opened Malachius' cage and let him crawl onto her arm.

"Are you ready, my dear serpent?" she asked in Parseltongue. The way she was hissing and spitting was so soft that she had managed to avoid the other Slytherins' dazed glare. They knew she descended from the great Salazar but also that she was unwilling to open the Chamber of Secrets - she didn't like basilisks anyway. Thus she had gained the respect of her fellow housemates who knew she would not use her powers for destruction.

After wishing her cousin good luck, Avara hid the snake under her cloak and headed towards Gryffindor Tower where she and Harry were to meet at two o'clock. Although she liked those sunny Gryffindor areas, she fancied rather the darker, more intimate, meditation-prone atmosphere of Slytherin headquarters in the dungeons...But Harry was right, a bit of change would do her some good.

Harry had told Ron about her pet snake, to his red-haired friend's greatest excitement: Ron decided to sneak out for the snake behind the door of the Common Room, while Harry and Avara would be talking on the other side.

Ron could easily understand why Harry liked her. She was beautiful and her aura seemed to keep growing since she had gained power at Hogwarts. He watched the tiny snake as it crawled out of Avara's sleeve and began to turn to Harry, as if talking to him. Avara did not want to run the risk of being seen as a Parselmouth by other students, so she avoided speaking to Malachius while she was out of her area.

Ron muttered to himself "Too bad Hermione dislikes her so much" If he did not fear losing his best female friend he would surely have a chat with her...

Avara offered Harry to take a glass of pumpkin juice at one of the stands near the Quidditch pitch. The best one was located near Professor Sprout's greenhouses; it was only open twice a month but today was exceptional because of today's match.

When they arrived outside, Avara waved her wand at the grass in a delicate flick of the wrist, letting a comfortable vegetal couch appear from the ground. After telling Harry to get himself easy on the couch, she took Malachius with her and fetched two bright orange Pumpkin juices. They enjoyed their drink in the couch, pulling on their straws and talking about the events of the morning.

Harry had a short chat with the snake. "Avara, I must admit Malachius is fantastic. We were just talking Quidditch and..."

"Oh...that!" she said, "Yes, he's a true fan. Of course, and for good reason, he's one of the most eager Slytherin supporters... Just like me!'

She took Harry's arm, he was feeling like enveloped in a soft cotton cloud, his senses almost drifting away "Harry, I feel so sad Slytherin has not won the house cup for so many years now...Actually, since you became the Gryffindor Seeker" He could almost feel her sorrow tear his heart apart "You are such a good Seeker, Harry! Too bad that you don't play in our team"

"Umm yes, Avara, I'm sorry." he replied, blushing.

"Hmm... Forget that, Harry! I'm being so selfish. Let's go, shall we... The match will begin soon"

They walked down the stairs hastily and while Avara headed for the Quidditch pitch and the stands, Harry joined the Gryffindor team in the changing room.

There, he put on his scarlet Quidditch robe. Andrew Bexley, the team's new Captain was a tall, good looking blonde guy who was overexcited and proud of his team's recent victories, and thus particularly good at motivating the others players. He asked them "Now, Gryffindors, what do we want?"

The rest of the team replied single-voiced "De - feat Sly - the - rin!"

"By how many points?" asked Bexley.

"One - hun - dred! Yeah!"

Harry thought "Sorry Avara, but these are the game's rules". When they got ready, they headed towards the corridor that would lead them to the pitch.

In the meantime, the Slytherin team was preparing for the match too. Draped in green robes, they looked still a bit more imposing than the Gryffindors. The team was led by Vincent Falke who had replaced Markus Flint after his graduation at the end of the past school year.

Falke's theory about Quidditch was very pragmatic: the purpose is to make Snitch-catching easier for Slytherin, and horribly difficult for the opponent team, whatever it takes.

He did not want the team to waste time on Chasing and other useless activities like handling the Quaffle and such. Draco Malfoy was his favourite player: swift, precise and sometimes ruthless, yes...

Both teams entered the field, greeted by waves of acclaim from the students-filled stands all around them. Turmoil was louder from the Gryffindor and Slytherin areas. Hermione had finally come back from the library to attend the match; she thought there was nothing better than a good Quidditch game to help her relax: she could easily picture Avara's face after Gryffindor's blatant victory.

Next to her Ron, Hagrid, Neville Longbottom and Gerald Ashford were waiting for the match to begin. They had brought a huge red and golden velvet banner where one could read "Go Gryffindor!" in magical characters.

In the box on their left side, Avara was chatting with Steven Packard and Professor Snape. She did not play Quidditch, having good reasons not to, but she enjoyed watching.

Watching Steven wave a large silver-and-green snake-decorated flag, Malachius whispered to his mistress in Parseltongue "Hmm... I could model for Slytherin if I wanted to"

"Why not, Malachius, I'm sure you'd become world famous" said Avara mockingly "but now enjoy the match, you need your strength back, young fellow"

They heard Madam Hooch's whistle, meaning the Quaffle had been released and the match had begun. Steve took Avara's arm and told her "Look! Draco seems in great condition today. I hope he helps us win the game!"

Draco Malfoy had indeed been training hard during the past weeks; he had waited a long time for this moment to come, to show his cousin that he had not 'bought' his Seeker position and that he knew what Slytherin Pride means. He was now moving fluidly in the air, avoiding the furious Bludgers with an incredible agility.

The voice of Servana Abbott from Ravenclaw now filled the pitch "Quaffle taken by Gryffindor, Angelina Johnson speeding off towards the goal posts, masterfully blocked by Slytherin Keeper and Captain Vincent Falke. Nice pass to Terence Higgs but Alicia Spinnet, Chaser for Gryffindor takes the Quaffle back...Goal posts ahead. Vincent Falke is taken by surprise. Gryffindor score!"

The pitch was now filled by Gryffindor cheers and applause. Meanwhile, Slytherin had gained possession again. Avara's pet snake was fascinated by the match; he was hissing something like "Go! Go! Slytherin" in Parseltongue. His mistress was stroking him gently.

Severus Snape, who was standing behind her, found the scene amusing. Although he could not speak it, he could easily understand Parseltongue. He came closer to her:

"Go Slytherin, eh? Looks like your snake enjoys the show, doesn't he?"

Avara tried to hide her surprise "Sure, he does. Oh by the way, thank you for your help, Severus. I appreciate it greatly"

"I always try to help students who know their Potions well...and you are definitely one of them"

He paused thoughtfully, waiting for her reaction. But she did not say a word.

"Speaking about Potions, it looks like your snake has been milked today", said Snape grinning. Avara was stunned: she respected Snape as a very good teacher, but she did not know he had also such a strong practical experience.

Gem snake eyes were usually plain silver or gold, but they turned more translucent and crystalline after they had been milked...The process lasted up to three days, and experienced wizards could also tell the exact time of the milking.

Avara blushed and whispered into the Potions Master's ear "The bond must be real thin, you know. The other Spell would have had disastrous consequences, it would have spoiled everything."

"Of course", replied Snape and they tried to get concentrated on the match again.

Gryffindor was now leading forty points to ten. Both teams had played a true fair game, which was rather unusual from Slytherin, although Vincent Falke seemed to like that new game play. He only bothered about the Snitch anyway, for it could bring instant victory.

Servana Abbott was trying to remain as neutral as possible, although she was naturally inclined towards Slytherin, house of her dream boy Draco Malfoy. She went on commenting "Alicia Spinnet dives for the Quaffle, Gryffindor in possession. Furious Bludger heading towards Spinnet, she dodges it, but drops the Quaffle into Adrian Pucey's hands. Pucey zigzagging in direction of the Gryffindor hoops. He successfully passes Johnson, gains speed, avoids the Bludgers thrown by the Weasley twins. Andrew Bexley can't do anything to block the Quaffle, ten points to Slytherin!" - Warm hoorays from the Slytherin positions.

"Oh wait a minute, was that the Snitch? Slytherin Seeker Draco Malfoy hurtles towards the golden ball, moving gracefully in his green robe on his brand new Thunderbolt XP, Harry Potter notices the Snitch too, dodges two Bludgers, follows Malfoy closely"

The students in their boxes were watching carefully as the two fifth years were coveting the Golden Snitch. Hermione and Ron were crossing their fingers for Harry to get it first.

Meanwhile, Abbott had a hard time hiding her crush on Malfoy. McGonagall behind her had sensed it and was throwing a dark glare at her, wondering whether she was not even worse than Jordan.

On the field, both Seekers were speeding towards the ground, avoiding the zooming Bludgers that hurtled onto them. They were both very close to catching the Snitch; Harry stood up on his Nimbus Two Thousand, trying to seize the golden, walnut-sized ball, but he felt weird. He was thinking of Avara and of her immense sadness if Slytherin lost the match again. She had been almost praying for her team to win the match. He just couldn't imagine seeing her crying.

Next to him, Malfoy was stretching his arm to catch the Snitch, but Harry was still a few inches ahead, almost holding the flash of gold in his fingers... He felt his thoughts swirling through his head, blurring his vision, ensnaring his mind... See Avara happy, that was what mattered most to him. He said "Take it, Draco! You deserve it!"

Malfoy could not believe his ears. He bowed to Potter, as to thank him, and caught the Golden Snitch in a strong feeling of victory.

The crowd in the pitch was roaring. Slytherin had won the match one hundred and seventy points to fifty.

Servana Abbott was commenting this unexpected result cheerily: "Slytherin is transfigured! After four years absolute Golden/Red supremacy, the house with the Snake wins a fair game against Gryffindor due to Seeker Draco Malfoy's exceptional performance" - she could feel McGonagall's elbow punching her ribs.

Steven Packard embraced Avara heartily while shaking his huge House flag like crazy. It was his first Quidditch match and his House had won!

In the Gryffindor box on their right, Hermione was worried about what had happened to Harry. Her friend was hovering randomly on his broomstick, eyes half-open...

He asked himself in a faint whisper "Are you happy, Avara?" and fell unconscious on the ground.