Last Night I Dreamt I Went in Slytherin Again

Last Night I Dreamt I Went in Slytherin Again - Last chapter

Luna and I ran with all our might to the Slytherin common room. Stopping, panting outside the stone door, we were presented with a little problem. Draco Malfoy came out of the door, stopping dead in his tracks when he saw us.

I quickly turned to Luna and whispered, "Go get that dog of yours and I'll try to deal with Malfoy." She looked surprised, but when I pointed at the recipe in my hand, those snappy cogs in her brain clicked in place and she ran off.

"What are you doing here, Weasel girl?" Malfoy asked in his usual drawling voice. I was feeling frantic and pumped up with adrenalin thinking about the head start Rebecca de Winter was getting on the other side of the Slytherin common room. I had to get into the common room and get rid of Malfoy. The situation didn't look too good and even without Malfoy I didn't know the password. I had to calm down and think.

"You look scared, Weasel girl. Why don't you run along now over to the brave Gryffindors, they can't protect you here."

Hearing this from Malfoy I was seized by a rage and cold determination like I had never felt before. I was getting by Malfoy and through that door or I would die trying, and if Malfoy called me a silly little girl, he would die first.

"I have come to join Slytherin," I said shrewdly, staring at Malfoy.

"Join Slytherin?" He laughed, looking perplexed. "A Weasley wants to join Slytherin. That'll be the day."

"Anguis in herba Draco. I'm a Parselmouth. I have every right to be in Slytherin. More so than you!"

"You, a Parselmouth? You believe I'll buy that, little girl?" Draco smirked. That was it. He is getting it, I thought. I felt cold hatred thinking about what his family had tried to do to me, and here he was standing smirking, calling me a little girl. "You were sorted into Gryffindor. You don't belong here Weasel girl. You can't just change house like that," Malfoy continued, looking like I was very entertaining.

"Well, things have changed," I said. "I'm from a pure blood family and I'm very ambitious. I don't want to stand in the shadow of my brothers and the Potter dream team all my life."

"Are you serious?" Malfoy looked surprised.

"I have never been more serious in my life, Malfoy. I'm in Snape's special potions class and I'm becoming his favourite student. Tom Riddle showed me what power is really like and I'm getting a taste for it. I want it. Can't you see the ambition burning in my eyes Draco? The desire." I was staring him down, looking into his eyes without blinking.

"I heard you gave that Anderson girl a blobby nose the other day," Malfoy said uncertainly, "You put on one hell of a fight, they say."

"You see what I mean, they don't even want me there anymore. I might as well join Slytherin. I'm sick of trying to convince Sandy and her clique I'm just like them when in fact I'm not. I don't care if my hair is not blond or my clothes expensive and cool enough to win the heart of some shallow Quidditch captain. I want to be the Quidditch captain, and knock any boy who tries to stop me off his broom. I'm sick of trying to convince everybody I'm the nice girl I can never be and I'm sick of making excuses for being the girl I am. I don't care for their love any more; I want them to fear me. I want to make a dent in the world, starting with Sandy Andersons head."

"Really, Weasel girl," Malfoy whispered, looking in my eyes fascinated.

I lowered my voice as I continued, "And I also happen to find a certain blonde pure blood wizard rather attractive." Well, he wasn't exactly ugly; far from it I'd say. I hadn't given it much thought before and in my current state I wouldn't have touched him with anything short of a sledge hammer, but still. "Very attractive, tall blond witty and un-yielding, unblinking and rich. Very attractive grey Slytherin eyes." I was staring so hard my eyes were burning. Draco's smile had faltered. He was staring back, his eyes never leaving mine. "Aren't you going to invite me in Draco? We could at least discuss the matter. I'd love to see the Slytherin common room. I bet it is very cosy in there, in the warmth and fire. Have you ever tasted Parseltongue, Draco?"

"You already know the password," Malfoy whispered. His voice sounded hoarse. "Angius in herba," he said and the stone door swung open. He backed into the common room, never taking his eyes off mine.

The snake on his Slytherin badge seemed to dance in the flames from the common room fire, and reptile madness was seizing my mind.

"Hasn't your little mummy told you never to look straight into the eyes of the sun, Draco," I wheezed, staring into his steely grey eyes. I was talking Parseltongue now. He looked at me, totally mesmerized, seemingly in a trance. "But Mum, that's where all the fun is," I taunted in a mock childish voice, cocking my head. My face was only an inch from his. "I can wrap my serpent tongue around your little shallow soul and squeeze you to death. You would like that wouldn't you, Draco? Don't you love that mounting flame burning in your eyes? What does it taste like, blood, fire, water?" My voice sounded cruel and inhuman. "A soulless moth, and all you want is to be closer and closer to the fire, closer, closer, and yet closer. But, Mum I'm hurting, what is happening to me? It is so hot in here. Mum, I want to go home now!" I taunted Malfoy. Little beads of sweat were dripping off his forehead. His eyes stared feverishly, unseeing. "That reptile father of yours who runs around striking deals with serpent kings, as if he thinks he can command sand and fire. I could strangle him easier than you can say Ra." We were now so close our noses almost touched. Draco Malfoy's staring blank eyes took up my entire field of vision. He was not much taller than I. This was a little surprising; he had always seemed to be very tall.

"ANGUICULUS MORDEO!!" I screamed, whipping out my wand. Draco Malfoy lifted from the ground by the force of the curse and flew backwards across the room crashing into the opposite wall. Several paintings flapped to the ground, and he landed on a small table with some books and a lamp. The lamp fell from the table and shattered, pieces of glass sprayed across the room, and the books landed on the floor with a loud smack. Draco must have hit his head on the wall. He was out cold.

"Tom Riddle sends his love!" I screamed and raised my wand again, stepping a cross the room towards Malfoy. I would teach him not to call me a little girl.

"Wow!" I heard behind me. It was Luna who had come back with the dog. I snapped out of my anger and back to reality. What was it I had been about to do to Malfoy? There wasn't time for this anyway.

"Come on," I said to Luna and motioned her to follow as I walked over to the curtain I remembered from Snape's detention. I turned back to Malfoy and raised my wand again.

"Obliviate!" I said. I knew a memory charm wasn't exactly ethical, but I could ill afford having Malfoy remember this. Especially that I had called him attractive, I thought, smiling a thin smile. I reached down, and unpinned his Slytherin badge. I'm not sure why I did this, but perhaps I would never believe that I had done what I had just done if I didn't have it. I pocketed it in my robes and stepped through the door behind the curtain.

"Wow!" Luna said again, looking at Malfoy.

Luna, the large black dog, and I ran through the corridor and down the stairs to the cellar room where Snape and I had gone to store the pickled frog liver.

When we came into the room, we saw the door I remembered. It was standing open. Clearly, Miss de Winter had found it. A pile of something black was lying on the floor. It was Snape and he was unconscious. I pushed him gently with my foot but he didn't wake up.

"We don't have time for him. We'll just have to hope he's all right," I said coldly.

I looked at the back of the open door to make sure this was the right one. The picture of the cobra and the crab was still there. This was indeed the right door. We hurried through and found a dark and damp tunnel on the other side. It smelled of earth and as if someone had stored apples in there and they had begun to rot. Some sort of weak light made it possible to see inside, but barely. We hurried forward. It was narrow so we had to run in a line. The tunnel sloped slightly downwards.

After a minute, the tunnel started to widen. We came to a little room that looked like a tiny square in a small village. In the middle of the room stood something that looked like a dried up fountain. Light was coming from somewhere, shining on the fountain, making the white marble glimmer oddly ghostlike. It was not apparent where the source of the light was. After a second, when our eyes had adjusted, we saw tunnels running off in many different directions from the room. What now? How did Miss de Winter know were to go? Luna took the note from my hand and let the dog sniff it.

"Now Ian," she said while patting his back. "We would like you to play a little game with us. Can you find the person who wrote this note?" The dog sniffed the note thoroughly and then looked thoughtful for a while, if such a thing is possible for a dog. His sweet sad eyes lingered on Luna. Then it turned and took off into the middle tunnel. We followed him, running to keep up. The tunnel once more narrowed and then we came to a stop. The tunnel had caved in. The dog sniffed around for a while seeming confused. I groaned. We still didn't know what we were looking for, but it felt as if every second was crucial and we had wasted so much time already. The dog took off into a tunnel on the right. We ran after it. The tunnel was getting increasingly narrow and we had to duck in places to get through. Fresh hand marks in the dirt revealed a person had been here just minutes ago. We seemed to be on the right track.

Then we burst out in the strangely lit room with the fountain again.

"Crap!" Luna exclaimed. I just nodded, panting heavily leaning forward with my hands on my knees.

"We are going in circles," I said.

"Or Rebecca is, to be more exact," Luna said.

"What is that fountain thing over there? Isn't it a little strange to have such a thing underground like this?"

"Yes, this room looks a little like a village square or a small park," said Luna.

I took a closer look at the fountain. It featured a statue of Salazar Slytherin's head. Not surprisingly, a large snake slithered around him. Under the face of Salazar Slytherin was the hand of the ancient wizard, and in the hand, a small plaque with his name engraved in capital letters. It looked like the head and the snake were both supposed to sprinkle water through their mouths into the fountain, but there was no water.

"I wonder how old this is." I said to Luna.

"Whatever it is for, old Salazar himself put it here, so it's a thousand years old at least."

"It is like the chamber," I said thoughtfully. "There are things written on this stone base here. It looks like Latin, a bunch of proverbs, or something. "

"Felix qui potuit rerum cognescere causas - Happy is the one who can learn the causes of things.

Occasio aegre offertur, facile amittitur - Opportunity is offered with difficulty, lost with ease.

Omnia mea mecum porto - All that is mine, I carry with me.

Sine sole sileo - Without the sun I'm silent.

Festina lente! - Rush slowly!

Nomen est omen - The name is the sign " I read slowly as I walked around the fountain. "Is this some sort of riddle, or is it just some nice proverbs put here by the late Salazar to enlighten anyone who happens to wander by?"

"Them Romans always had time to say strange things," Luna said thoughtfully. "You got to wonder where that light is coming from." She stood deep in thought staring at the statue. I looked at it too, trying to concentrate to make sense of the writing. The statue was made in bronze and was dark red. The only shiny part was the small plaque with Salazar Slytherin's name on it. It looked like it was made of silver and it was remarkably well preserved, not grey, and decayed, like old silver used to be.

"Do you have a mirror or something?" Luna asked.

"You look okay, Luna. You needn't fix your makeup," I joked while I patted my robes for something. "Here, Draco's Slytherin badge."

She took the badge and kneeling before the statue she held it up as a mirror, letting the light that fell on the plaque reflect off the badge onto the walls around the room. She slowly rotated the little fleck of light around the wall, up and down for a long time. I stood tensely watching, wondering if this was really right. I dared not say anything to disturb Luna's thinking, so I stayed silent.

"There is something," Luna said excitedly. "Hold this exactly like that!" I did as she instructed and saw that the light had fallen on something that glittered a little on the wall. Luna ran over and climbed up on the slope that caved in dirt had created. She started to remove dirt from the glittering spot, revealing a mirror. Immediately the little light fleck from Draco's badge reflected back and fell on the face of Salazar Slytherin. Without the mirror, it was impossible to make the light fall in Salazar's face as the light was shining directly at the back of his head. This was very clever of Luna, but the mirror must have been put there for a purpose. It was surely not meant to be covered in dirt.

"Direct it so that it falls into his eye. That would be my first guess, " said Luna. I did as she instructed and we waited.

"What do you expect to happen?" I asked.

"I don't know, something, anything. Try the other eye."

I did as she said. I let the light fall into the pupil of Salazar Slytherin. A magical sound filled the room and then a little melody started to play. It sounded like a music box. After a while, a low rumble was heard, and the face of Salazar began to rise. Something golden and shiny was hidden in there. It was a small golden statue of a Cobra, about a foot high. The eyes of the Cobra were made of red rubies and it stood on an ornamented silver foot engraved with hieroglyphs. There was no doubt this was an Egyptian object. This must be what we were looking for.

"That was excellent, Luna!" I threw my arms around her and we did a little wild dance in the strange room, laughing happily.

Then Luna turned back to the statue and grinned, very pleased with herself. She leaned down and prodded that name plaque in Salazar's hand and it tilted backwards. "Look, this is how you were supposed to direct the light in to the eye of the statue. The name is the sign and without the sun, I'm silent. I guess the mirror was not supposed to be covered in dirt. Lucky Draco lent us his badge so we could work it out." She grinned again and stood up looking at the cobra statue. I was staring at it too, unsure what we should do next.

"Oh what a delightful display of nauseating Gryffindor bravery and wasted Ravenclaw wit," came a cold and dangerously hateful snarl, "It seems the Gryffindor taste for meddling in other peoples business has not changed one bit since I went to this school. Especially when it comes to standing in the way of the Slytherin rightful pureblood glory. Shouldn't you two be in potions?" It was Rebecca de Winter, who had walked up on us from behind very quietly. She was holding us at wand point with a satisfied grin on her face. "Thank you for helping me with this. I did think you two showed a lot of promise. That thing you did with the rat-tails was very clever, almost as clever as figuring out this thing with the light and the statue. Severus didn't think you should be in my class. The old sod seemed strangely prejudiced against Weasleys. Perhaps a bit nosy for my taste, but I know I have very good intuition for choosing the most clever people. And if you do not think I would Avada Kedavra you, I can assure you I haven't forgotten how to do it. I have done it to people who meant a great deal more to me than you two, so you had better stand still. I'll take that if you don't mind." She reached down and picked up the statue from underneath Salazar Slytherin's head while pointing her wand carefully at us. There was no way we could reach our own wands in time before she could curse us. Moreover, this was not like duelling with Draco. This woman was a Death Eater and we were only second year students.

Suddenly the dog, affectionately called Ian Anderson by Luna, came jumping out of nowhere aiming at Rebecca's wand. She was quick though and managed to snatch it away.

"What the hell!" she exclaimed. The dog barked madly and launched himself against her wand again.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" she shouted. However, her balance had been off so the spell didn't hit the dog. Instead, it hit the ceiling and a large piece of dirt and plaster came down on top of Rebecca and the dog, they lay sprawled on the ground.

"The Statue!" she shouted, and snatched it up. It was unharmed and she looked relieved. She stuck it under her arm. She raised her wand again, then shrugged, turned around and ran off into one of the tunnels.

"Phew, that was close!" Luna said, when she had disappeared.

"Qui me amat, amet et canem meum," I said.

"What?" said Luna.

"Who loves me, loves my dog too."

"Yeah, definitely," Luna said, kneeling down to examine the dog. "Are you alright, Ian?" she asked. He looked fine. He probably didn't understand that he had nearly been cursed to death. He was an awfully clever dog though, going for the wand like that. "What now?" said Luna.

"Let us wait a minute. Then we let Ian follow her scent, so we can keep a safe distance. That woman is clearly murderous."

We followed the trace of Rebecca de Winter through the tunnel for a long time. Where was she going, I wondered? Would she be standing at the end with her wand drawn to curse us? I took out my own wand and held it ready. Eventually, it became lighter in the tunnel, and it went uphill. I suspected we must be heading somewhere outside the castle.

"The light at the end of the tunnel is the headlights of a fast approaching train," Luna sang nervously.

"Metaphorically speaking, I'm sure you're right," I mumbled.

We came out of the tunnel near the lake. We looked out across the hill. It was completely dark apart from the moon's reflection, and very cold. Our breath came out in clouds. The weather, which had been getting increasingly windy and cold all week, now seemed worse than ever. A black figure was standing, like a silhouette, against the silvery lake with something in his hand, his robes flapping in the wind. The thing in his hands seemed to be a long shiny sword. It looked deadly sharp.

"Shouldn't we go get Dumbledore?" Luna asked.

"Yes, I think so. I'll stay here and try to see where Rebecca went while you get him."

"Okay," Luna said uncertainly. She didn't sound like she wanted to leave me. "Be careful. Don't try to fight her, please!"

"What do you think I'm stupid? I'm only going to watch, okay?"

"Promise?"

"Promise! Now get going Luna!" She ran off without further discussion. The dog followed her. I could have used his help, but I guess he wanted to be with Luna.

I started up the hill towards the black figure. I recognised the silhouette. Normally I would have turned and walked in a circle just to avoid running across Snape on the grounds, but now, seeing him was a bit of a relief.

"Are you all right, professor?" I asked.

"Ah, it is you, Miss Weasley. I was expecting you, although I thought you would have brought Potter." Snape said as I came up to him. Apparently, he had woken up after whatever Rebecca had hit him with. I wondered how he had known to come here. He sounded hateful beyond anything in Potions class. I was so winded and pumped up with adrenalin myself that politeness and tact was the last thing on my mind.

"What were you going to do? Chop his head off with that heinous thing?" I asked.

"You do not bring wands when you do battle with Egyptian wizards," Snape said. Right, why hadn't I thought about bringing a sword, I thought sarcastically to myself. Or a lawnmower or something else I didn't know how to use.

"They don't even seem to use wands," I said thoughtfully.

"They are not exactly at O.W.L level," said Snape through his teeth.

"Your girlfriend is an impostor," I said heartlessly to Snape.

"Of course she is," Snape snarled. "Riddle girl and Flight of Death. Why do you think I marked her with moonstone so that Isis could know her whereabouts?"

"I thought you were in love with her," I said.

"So did she," snarled Snape. "We used to be very good friends, mind you, but that was before she became a Death Eater," he spat out the words as if they were poison. His anger made him seem almost crazy.

"How did you know to mark her for Isis. Do you know her?"

"No one knows Isis!" Snape snapped. "I received an owl with a very cryptic message about the Dark Lord sending an agent to Hogwarts. Supposedly to help an Egyptian wizard find a magical object. She was very diffuse about wanting to find a missing body part. It wasn't too hard to figure out who she was. We happen to know about the Dark Lord's admiration for Isis and the way she had fooled her father to make herself immortal. He was obsessed with that story. Trying to fool her would be just the thing for him to prove he is now the greatest." It was scary hearing Snape talk like that. He sounded almost like he was a Death Eater himself. He turned to look at me, still holding the long sharp sword in front of him. "I immediately talked to Dumbledore about it, of course, as you yourself should have done, Miss Weasley. Unless your loyalties lie elsewhere than with Albus and Hogwarts, now that you have become friends with the most powerful witch of your kind." He looked at me intently.

"I'm loyal to Dumbledore! I'm loyal to Gryffindor too! I hate snakes and never wanted to be a Parselmouth!" I shouted. Normally I would be in detention for a year if I ever shouted at the Potions Master like that, but the situation was so crazy that I wasn't thinking clearly, and it was a terrible thing to say, to accuse me of betraying Hogwarts when he himself sounded like a Death Eater. But if he had really talked to Dumbledore I guess he must be ok, unless he was lying. "At least my friend is not a Death Eater, " I said more calmly. " It is Set you should look out for. He is the one helping Miss de Winter and You-Know-Who."

"Well, when we politely refused to help Isis she mentioned she had other means to search the castle. She mentioned a friend, someone of her kind she had once helped find her way. Someone she still wanted to help. What did she do for you, enchant a pretty boy, or help you with History of Magic?" Snape said, his eyes gleaming maliciously.

"Actually it was a little more serious than that," I said coldly. I looked straight in his eyes without turning away.

" Well, we naturally suspected Potter at first. What better way to gain entry than through the mind of a snake wizard? Someone arrogant enough to think he can take on the Dark Lord himself, someone for whom ordinary rules do not apply. Keeping the company of Egyptian snake wizards would be just the thing to boost his ever inflated ego."

"He did face the Dark Lord himself, didn't he?" I growled. I was really angry. I really hated Snape. How could he say such mean things about Harry and me?

"So did I!" Snape spat. "At least you are loyal to your own kind aren't you?" I looked at him in astonishment. "Yes, it took a while before Dumbledore realised there might be another Parselmouth in the castle. Your father put him on to it actually. That and the necklace you wore. Then the headmaster caught you spying in the library reading Linear B. What second year student reads Linear B, if she is not a Parselmouth? Besides Potter didn't travel to Egypt over the summer like you did. It seems you have been helping Isis all along, haven't you?" Snape sneered and looked out over the hill again.

"I didn't know," I said softly.

"Yes, that is why maybe a twelve year old witch should seek the advice of those older than her. Unless you are just as arrogant as Potter. Just as arrogant as all snake wizards!"

"I'm not arrogant! You didn't turn Rebecca away even though you suspected her!"

"Naturally we wanted to find out what she was up to. I tried to tell you before Weasley, you should be suspicious of sudden friendship."

"I was suspicious," I said through my teeth.

"When Rebecca started to insist you should be in her special potions class even Dumbledore worried a little. He was dead sure you were loyal though. That man seems to trust everyone blindly."

"No he doesn't, he knows who he can trust and who are loyal to him!" I barked. "Besides, maybe she wanted me in the class because I really do have a talent for potions!"

"I'll give you that," Snape said, with a grimace that might have been half a smile. "I think that was actually her only reason, and she seemed to like you." He glanced at me as if trying to see how such a thing could be possible. Then his eyes caught a movement on the hill. "Please calm down, Miss Weasley, something is about to happen. I'm quite sure you will be in my N.E.W.T class eventually, we both trust Dumbledore, and he trusts both of us and we agree we trust his judgement. Now do we agree?"

"All right," I muttered.

Suddenly a blue light flashed. Snape and I both turned to look. It was a large blue fire. Beside it Rebecca was standing with her wand in one hand, grinning, holding the figure of the Cobra in the other. The fire didn't look like any normal fire. It was very intense white in the centre and the flames were blue. Although it was burning furiously, it gave off no sound. It made the landscape light up with a flickering blue that gave it an unreal and intense look. Like a never-ending bolt of lightening had chased away the night silently.

"You can come out now Isis, all is lost," she called, holding the Cobra figure over the fire. Nothing happened. The night remained still and the blue fire burned on without sound for another minute.

"I will destroy what you want!" Rebecca shouted. "This is a plasma fire. Not even you can save your precious brothers body if I let go." Another minute passed. Then the large black owl that had delivered the necklace, fluttered down out of the dark windy night. It sat on the ground blinking in its owlish calm for another minute. Then a loud pop was heard as Isis Apparated in front of us. She was dressed in her black mantle with golden scorpions and her face looked very angry. She stared at Rebecca.

"What do you want," Isis said in perfect English.

"The secret name of Ra," said Rebecca.

Isis smiled. "So your pathetic master can have immortality at last. How touching! And where is my equally pathetic brother? Why, you chose to conspire with these insects, against their own people, just to prevent me from bringing back Osiris." Isis looked around. Her eyes were light blue, without pupils as they had been in my dreams, but it didn't scare me any more, maybe because she was fighting You-Know-Who.

"I'm here, little sister." The man with the red hair and red eyes stepped out of thin air. "Tell me sister, wouldn't Osiris proceed to hunt me down and torture me to death if you were successful in bringing him back," he said.

"Quite possibly," Isis said. "I shall be most delighted to watch."

I shuddered. I would do well to remember not to get on the bad side of Isis; she didn't seem to be one for compromise.

"What is this?" Set said to Rebecca. "The deal was that you would hand over the fourteenth body part to me when you had found it."

"Well," Rebecca said, "we didn't inform you of the whole plan. You see the thing the Dark Lord really wants Isis has. Now, thanks to your help, my dear snake wizard, it seems we have something to trade for it. Isis gets her Osiris back and the Dark Lord gets Europe and eternal life. You can think of how you told us about that door and the symbol we had to look for. Not to mention all your helpful hints about the labyrinth. Gives you something to think of when Osiris is torturing you. You weren't very helpful with the location of that body part, but luckily my handpicked students helped me with that. Makes me think all those boring tutorials weren't a complete waste after all." She laughed.

"Or why don't I just chop your head off so you drop that last piece of Osiris in the plasma fire you so cleverly conjured up. That would sort of solve all my problems you see," Set said. He drew out a long deadly sword and advanced on Rebecca, who looked terrified. Clearly there was a logical flaw in her plan.

From all directions came the tall black bodyguards of Isis.

"The scorpions!" Set called. He turned around and amazingly took on all five bodyguards at once. The fight was tremendous. This was swordplay like no one had seen in these parts for many hundreds of years. I danced on my toes trying to make out what was happening in the fight. They were so fast it was like a blur. Set took a blow to his arm and two trees exploded in the night on the hill. Big burning branches and pieces of wood came flying like torches through the wind. I couldn't hear anything for several seconds.

Isis watched the fight, all while she cautiously walked closer to the fire where Rebecca still stood, holding the Cobra figure. Set looked up and grinned. Then he flew over to where I was standing and raised his sword above my head.

"Or maybe!" he shouted turning to Isis. "I should chop the head off your little friend. I dare say you don't want her to loose that Parselmouth head of hers that she has used so cleverly." Isis raised her hand and the five scorpions stood back. "Surely this is not how you want to repay your young proselytes, Isis. Is it? Why don't you send your scorpions away and Miss de Winter can hand me that statue with poor Osiris in it. I shall keep it for whenever you and I need to negotiate about something. I should be able to enjoy a quite nice retirement for the next couple of thousand years or so, with you as my servant."

I stood there trembling. My mind raced for something to do. "I'm going to die. I don't want to die!" my mind screamed over and over while my legs felt like they turned to led. I wondered if I had helped Isis enough to count on her loyalty. Would she sacrifice my life for her beloved husband? I wasn't sure exactly if Egyptian snake wizards cared about things like friendship, and we had only ever met in person once.

"Euurgh," Set said suddenly. A large blade was sticking out from his stomach and blood started to gush out. Snape had come up from behind and thrust his sword into the snake wizards back. Set spun around angrily screaming a curse in snake language. Snape flew backwards and landed on the ground in a heap, not moving. Is there no stopping these wizards, I thought wildly?

"You bring steel to the fight, Potions Master," Set said, blood pouring out of his mouth and between his hand as he grabbed the blade protruding from his stomach. "Very clever," he sunk to his knees. Then he toppled forward and fell on his face, lying motionless on the ground.

Isis looked at her brother for a while, "Osiris will be disappointed," she said.

"Ehem," Rebecca cleared her throat. "You seem to forget that regardless of the commotion you have all managed to create, I still have the upper hand here."

Isis stood silent watching her. Rebecca was still holding the statue over the white and blue intense but silent fire.

"Isis?" I asked.

"Yes, Virginia."

"What is this secret name?"

"It is the key to a snake wizards power. That is why Voldemort wants it. When a Parselmouth knows another Parselmouth secret name, he can take that wizard's powers. That is how I became immortal. I got my fathers secret name with a little clever trick," she smiled to herself, "and now your Voldemort wants to do the same to me."

"I know Tom Riddle's secret name," I said. Isis turned her face completely away from the statue over the fire for the first time, and a grin spread on her face.

"You are bluffing," Rebecca shouted.

"I'm not bluffing," I screamed back. "I know the secret name of Tom Riddle! He possessed me and I know it. His mind was in my mind and his memories mixed with mine. You know it is true, Rebecca!"

"You are bluffing!" Rebecca shouted even louder, but she lowered her arms a little. "You heard her," came the deep and powerful voice of Albus Dumbledore. "I think you just lost your upper hand, Rebecca."

I looked at Dumbledore. He looked fierce and powerful, like I had never seen him before. He seemed to radiate as much power as Isis. Rebecca would have been mad to fight the two of them. Then again, she was mad, wasn't she? "You know how easily and swiftly Isis would destroy Voldemort if she knew his secret name. Your master wouldn't stand a chance."

Rebecca had lowered her hands completely. She stood there thoughtfully.

"You let Isis have the statue and she will promise not to bother Ginny or me or anyone else around here anymore, nor will she ask for the secret name of your master," Dumbledore said.

"You mean she will let me go," Rebecca asked.

"Will you?" Dumbledore asked Isis.

"I have no interest in this woman or any of you as long as I get what is rightly mine," Isis said evenly.

"Will she keep her word," Rebecca asked Dumbledore.

"How dare you," Isis hissed.

"Of course," Dumbledore said.

Rebecca lowered the Cobra figure and handed it over to Isis. With a flick of her wand, she turned out the plasma fire. She then started to walk down the hill towards the Dark Forest, without a word.

"I don't think you want to go out there," Dumbledore said calmly to Rebecca's back. "The Dementors are standing guard around the castle and they have not fed in a long time."

Rebecca stopped. She spun around with the desperate look in her eyes of someone trapped, and drew out her wand, pointing it at Isis, Dumbledore, and me.

"Oh for the Eye of Ra!" Isis said, looking very annoyed. "Detergo!" she said rising her hand lazily. Rebecca flipped backwards rotating in the air before she hit the ground with a sickening thud.

"That is not how I would have chosen to deal with it," Dumbledore said.

"I know. You are almost as annoying as that Goodrich Gryffindor fellow, always everything has to be dealt with in a clean and pedantic manner. Snake people are more concentrated on results, regardless if one or two rules should suffer."

"Obviously," Dumbledore said, but he was smiling at Isis who smiled back.

Isis looked at the Cobra figure and then at me.

"Thank you, Virginia! Thank you, Dumbledore! You helped me in the end, although you didn't have to. You could have let her destroy Osiris."

"This is a time for building alliances," said Dumbledore.

"You will need them to fight that devious Parselmouth," Isis said. " He is not strong yet, but he is very clever and resourceful. Clearly smarter than my pathetic brother, and he was never stupid. I think he underestimated the Europeans perhaps."

"Many do," said Dumbledore.

"I shall be gone," Isis said and without warning she Disapparated with a loud popping sound.

"They aren't much for small talk, those Egyptian wizards," said Dumbledore, amused. The last thing I saw of Isis was the magnificent owl that took flight and disappeared soundlessly into the darkness.

The night was silent again. It felt like time had stopped. Pieces of the exploded trees lay burning. Apart from the fires, there was no light. Only Dumbledore and I remained, along with Snape, Set and Rebecca on the ground.

"Miss Weasley," Dumbledore said looking at me. His long white beard fluttered in the wind. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," I said. "Although I'm freezing and deaf in one ear, I think."

"Yes, that was a bit of impressive magic. I wonder what he blew up when he was a kid. Now, could you be so kind and get Madam Pomfrey for me. We need to tend to our Potions Master."

"Where is Luna?" I asked.

"I forbade her to come, although she was quite insistent that she wanted to. If it was up to me you wouldn't be out here either Miss Weasley, but it seems I have not had a say in this matter until now." His eyes twinkled a little. "Now please get Madam Pomfrey, Miss Weasley."

I ran off towards the castle.

Dumbledore had conjured up stretchers when we returned to put Snape, Rebecca and Set on.

"Are they dead?" I asked Madam Pomfrey anxiously as she examined the patients quickly.

"Severus and Miss de Winter will be fine," she said. "He has only suffered a concussion and Miss de Winter has been stunned by some spell I'm not quite familiar with. I expect she will recover soon though. This one is dead," she said pointing to Set with a grim look on her face. I felt relief when she said that, then I felt a little guilty for feeling relief that someone was dead, but he had threatened to kill me hadn't he? My body was still shaking from the threat, or was it the cold.

When we came into the castle Dumbledore asked me to wait outside his office for a minute while he spoke to Madam Pomfrey. There were a few questions he needed to have answered before he could send me off to bed, he said. As I stood outside the stone gargoyle it started to dawn on me how much trouble I was in. I had not told Dumbledore about the things I knew, even though he had asked me to do so, and I had yet again managed to bring dangerous dark wizards to the castle. Isis seemed to be friendly enough perhaps, but I sure wasn't allowed to help her dig out treasures from under the castle. I wondered how many school rules I had broken. I had sneaked out a book from the Restricted Section and I had cursed Draco Malfoy. I hoped he was well. I was beginning to feel a little ashamed for hitting him so hard. What if he was seriously wounded? Actually, he had been in his full right to be in the Slytherin common room, and to refuse me entry. I had finished the whole thing off by shouting and screaming at Professor Snape, who had turned around and saved my life a minute later. Next time I met him I should volunteer to do his frog livers for the rest of the year.

Dumbledore arrived and we went up the rotating stairs and through the door to his office. Inside, the paintings of all the previous headmasters were pretending to sleep while peering curiously at me. I stood in the middle of the floor looking down at my shoes.

"Could you perhaps be so kind to leave your frames for a while?" Dumbledore said to the portraits on the walls. "I think your presence bothers Miss Weasley a bit, and it is essential that she should feel at ease, for this may be difficult." The wizards and witches disappeared one after another from the portraits, some muttering grumpily. They did not appear happy to be left out when something unusual was taking place in the Headmasters office. I supposed being a portrait could be boring sometimes.

"Please sit down, Miss Weasley."

I walked over to the visitor chair in front of the table and sat down, not looking at Dumbledore.

"Sherbet lemon?" he asked, offering me a bowl. I shook my head.

"Now, Miss Weasley. I will ask you to tell me the whole story about how you came in contact with Isis, and please do not leave out any details this time."

"Yes, Headmaster. Where should I begin?" I asked in a low and defeated voice.

"Why don't you start from the beginning," Dumbledore said, "I always find that to be a very good place to start."

So I told him everything, starting with the episode in Egypt where I met Isis, and the nightmares during the holiday, how I met Snape in London and the thing with the Dementor on the train. I also told him about potions classes with Rebecca de Winter, and how Luna and I had seen her talking to Set. I even told him about the book in the Restricted Section, although I made it sound like I had sneaked it out myself so Hermione would not get in trouble. I then told him about the labyrinth and what had happened before he arrived at the lake. I also told a slightly modified version of how Draco Malfoy had become unconscious. In my version to Dumbledore, Luna and I had found the common room door open, and both Draco and Snape unconscious. The assumption being that Rebecca had knocked them both out.

"Ehem," said a painting behind me.

"Not now, Phineas," said Dumbledore, ushering the portrait away with his hand.

When I had finally finished, I fell silent and Dumbledore sat thoughtful for a moment. He then said, "As you know Miss Weasley, the snake wizards and witches are most loathed and feared among our people in Britain. Even the Slytherins are afraid of them, though most of them admire Salazar Slytherin, and some even subscribe to his close-minded and authoritarian ideas about pure blood and the pure blood families. Considering this, and how Tom Riddle turned out it is not surprising that you have been feeling ashamed and frightened to have to count yourself among these wizards. Am I wrong in saying that there was one other person who understood what Harry was saying at that duelling club last year?"

"No," I whispered, staring at the tip of my shoes without meeting his eyes.

"And, Miss Weasley, do you know where the most powerful Parselmouths of all time came from?"

"From Egypt," I whispered, barely audible this time.

"Yes indeed, the Parselmouth originally came from Egypt and the great kingdom of the Pharaoh. They were the powerful wizards that protected the King. Some Kings were wise and ruled with justice, others were terrible tyrants. The reign of Osiris and Isis were peaceful and happy days by the standards of those times. The Kingdom of Egypt is truly ancient. In fact, so ancient that by the time Hogwarts was founded, the Kingdom of the Nile had been gone for many thousands of years. It did still exist, was taken over by the Romans etc., but the era of the great Parselmouth wizards was in the past. It was only kept alive in legend and the ancient wizards and witches were regarded as gods, both worshipped and feared. Several of these wizards became so powerful that they attained immortality. Under a myriad of names, they travel all around the planet, but they rarely meddle in the petty business of European wizards. They regard themselves as supreme rulers of the wizard world and can intervene whenever they like, which happens so seldom most wizards are unaware they are still around. To them a millennium is like a generation. However, they do not pay heed to modern concepts such as democracy, they will change the cause of history if it suits them, without seeking permission, because they can.

If someone tries to do something, they may perceive as a threat to their hegemony they will intervene. Achieving immortality would be one such thing and as you might know that is Lord Voldemort's ultimate goal."

Dumbledore shifted in his chair and looked at me again as if he had forgotten I was there for a moment. "Are you sure you don't want a lemon sherbet?" he asked again, offering me the small bowl. I took one in silence and put it in my mouth.

"Yes, Salazar Slytherin might have been a descendant of one of the great Egyptian wizards, no one knows. Tom Riddle is a descendant of Salazar Slytherin, so he inherited the gift. This has always been one of the keys to his great powers. He was one of the most talented students ever to attend this school. He was able to quickly master all the dark arts, a lot more than the teachers wanted him to know, in fact. The special talent for languages that you yourself have discovered enabled him to prowl the library for knowledge the teachers had thought was kept safely behind the language barrier. He was also cunning enough to keep his Parselmouth abilities a secret, as you have kept your secret. Given the reputation of the snake wizards in the wizard world this is no wonder. I do not think the Weasleys or the Potters are related to any of the Egyptian Parselmouth though." He got up and started to pace the room. "Because there is one very peculiar thing about the Parselmouth," he said after a while. "They must be very careful with how they use their most powerful charms and curses only they know, because they risk transferring their power to the victim."

I gasped and looked at him. This explained a great deal of what had happened to Harry and me.

"Yes, Miss Weasley. I think Tom Riddle transferred some of his powers to you when he possessed you. If he knew, he didn't think it would matter because he didn't intend to let you survive. As was the case with Harry his plan thankfully backfired and now you have the powers you have learned to detest. This is the major weakness of the great snake wizards, one that also makes them prone to work their magic in secret. However, we are not sure if Tom fully understands how this works."

I felt tired and confused. Did this mean I would be a Parselmouth forever? I didn't want to be a Parselmouth, I wanted desperately to be just little Ginny again.

"You must understand Miss Weasley that having those powers do not make you a bad person. You have chosen to use them to fight evil, to fight Lord Voldemort. You have acted in the spirit of Goodrich Gryffindor, just as Harry did last year. I am very proud of you, Virginia!" he peered down at me over his half-moon spectacles and a warm smile painted his face. "And contrary to what you might all think in Gryffindor, not all Slytherins are automatically evil Death Eaters. In fact, Professor Snape works quite hard to make sure they never will be."

"He saved my life," I said, fingering Draco's badge in my robe pocket.

"Depending on what Isis would have chosen to do. I do not think she would have sacrificed you. However, it was a brave and unselfish thing Professor Snape did. Very dangerous."

"I hope he is well," I said.

"Madam Pomfrey will see to that," Dumbledore said kindly.

"But what is the inner mounting flame?" I asked.

"The flame is the symbol of the cobra, the most powerful of snakes. The Egyptian Kings always used to wear it in their crowns. The inner mounting flame refers to the power of the snake wizard. I think in this case it referred to you actually, and Harry."

"But how come Professor Snape could kill Set?" I asked. "I thought he was immortal."

"He was immortal but not invincible. Being immortal means, he didn't age, but his body could still be destroyed by violence, especially something as crude as a metal sword. Professor Snape knew this. Had he chosen to fight Set with magic he would have stood very little chance of victory."

"I see," I said thoughtfully." After a moment of silence another question occurred to me. "But how did Salazar Slytherin get the fourteenth body part and why did he hide it in the castle?"

"I really don't know," said Dumbledore. "He might have inherited it through some ancestor if he was really related to the Egyptians, or maybe it came into his possession by some other means. I should be quite interested to learn more about that. It is something hidden in the past history of this castle. Many interesting things happened so long ago, and it is often hard to know what is legend and what really happened, as with the Chamber of Secrets."

Dumbledore scratched his crooked nose for a moment as he looked over at the fire in his office. It was dwindling. It occurred to me we had talked for quite some time.

"Finally there is one thing I must ask of you, Miss Weasley," the Headmaster said. "I must ask you to never reveal what has happened tonight in this castle to Harry. I think it is best if you kept it from Ronald and Miss Granger as well. You might find this request strange and hard to comply with." He looked at me questionably.

As if that would be hard I thought. I had no desire what so ever to tell anyone I was a great bloody Parselmouth. I felt enough like an outsider as it was already. If I told anyone in Gryffindor, I might as well just take my stuff and head over to the Slytherin dungeon straight away. I smiled to myself. I already had the badge, but I had to convince Malfoy once more I wanted to be in Slytherin. Maybe I shouldn't have wiped his memory.

"As you have experienced, the Parselmouth can also communicate with each other in ways that no other wizards can. Some of us have mastered the art of Legilimency and Occlumency to a degree, like Professor Snape and myself. However, compared to the snake wizards our abilities are really rather limited. They can enter each other's dreams with ease and gain control of the mind when it is otherwise relaxed. By transferring some of his powers to you, Tom Riddle managed to do this with the diary. It was a very delicate and dangerous game for him. We do not currently know exactly the form of Lord Voldemort, how strong he is or what he is plotting to get back to power. "

"He is not coming back is he?" I said.

"It does not have to happen, but it will not be for lack of trying. Lord Voldemort could be using Harry's mind for surveillance, now or in the future. If he learned what you told Isis today you could be in very grave danger indeed."

"That I know Tom Riddle's secret name," I said.

"Yes. This is a very powerful weapon and it may prove useful in the future."

"But what if he finds out that he transferred his memory to me?"

"As of now, I don't think Lord Voldemort is fully aware of how the powers are transferred, but if he knew about your experiences he might quickly understand the pattern. That is why it is best if you do not reveal to anyone that you are a Parselmouth for now."

"Luna knows," I said.

"Yes, I trust that she can keep quiet too, if you explain the consequences should Lord Voldemort find out."

"But what about Rebecca. Will she not run off to You-Know-Who and tell the whole story now."

"I fear we will have to use a memory charm on her. However, it is also quite possible she has no desire to return to her master with the bad news that she failed in her mission. The conversation you overheard between Lucius Malfoy and her seems to suggest this."

I shuddered at the mention of Malfoy's horrid threats. "But how can You-Know-Who not know about this? He is one of the most powerful dark wizards of all time."

Dumbledore chuckled to himself, "Believe me, Miss Weasley, he usually puts on a very impressive display, but he is not as powerful and all knowing as he would let his Death Eaters believe. Sadly, it does not take a lot of great magic to cause terrible loss and suffering. The Avada Kedavra spell is not at all difficult to do. Compared to some of the things your friend Isis can do Tom Riddle would look like a first year from Hufflepuff trying to do Wingardium Leviosa on a feather."

I was even more astonished.

"Not that there is anything wrong with Hufflepuff," Dumbledore added quickly.

"Are you sure Voldemort," I drew in breath as I said the name, but determined I plunged on, "does not know about how the transfer of power thing works?"

"Yes," Dumbledore said, looking at me gently, "because you are still alive."

We were both silent for a moment while I pondered this.

"So you understand why, when I want you to promise never to tell anyone about this, not until we know what Voldemort knows at least."

"Yes sir," I whispered. "I promise."

Dumbledore sat down at his table again and some of the seriousness on his face disappeared.

"Your father informs me that you are very brave, Miss Weasley. The things that happened in this castle tonight certainly prove him right, but I think it sometimes has him worried. He says he worries that you keep everything to yourself and that you may be hurting and lonely inside."

"Did he say that?" I said. My eyes felt prickly when I thought about Dad.

"Yes, as a matter of fact he did. I have made you promise not to tell anyone about certain things, and we all have secrets, but I wonder if perhaps you shouldn't sometimes try to tell your friends and family more about how you feel. They may understand you better that way. You will also feel less lonely. "

"You don't know how difficult it can be with six brothers," I said.

"Really?" he said rising an eyebrow. "You do not know how many brothers I had. Actually, I have only one, but he was difficult enough for seven, however I shall not bore you with an old man's tales. I think it is time for you to be off to Madam Pomfrey to make sure you are all right in every way. Then you could do with a good nights sleep or maybe two. Just think about what I said. I know it can be difficult. You know the bravery is inside you, maybe you can use some of it for more every day difficulties."

"Yes sir." I said, slowly getting up from the chair. "Thank you, sir," I said, as I opened the door.

"Thank you, Ginny Weasley!" said Dumbledore.

After Madam Pomfrey had fussed over me for a long time without finding any physical damage, she finally let me back to the Gryffindor tower and my warm bed. I felt completely exhausted and was barely capable of undressing before I slipped quietly between the sheets, careful not to wake the other sleeping girls around me. My body was finally caught up on all the sleepless nights that had kept me awake with worries about Rebecca, Set, and Sirius Black. I slept like a ton of rocks.

I didn't wake until the middle of the day next day and then it was only because someone was screaming with a terrified and heartbreaking shrilling plea.

"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!"

"Stand aside you silly girl, stand aside now!"

"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead..."

Who was killing Harry? I was laying in the floor beside my bed my heart racing madly. That voice, where had it come from? Had I been dreaming? I knew better by now. I was sure something terrible had happened to Harry. I got dressed in a hurry throwing on my clothes as quickly as I could. I didn't dare think what I couldn't help thinking, that Sirius Black had finally managed to enter the castle and do the terrible deed he had planned in his lonely cell in the Azkaban prison.

The common room was deserted and when I came out in the hall, it too was completely empty. Ah, the Quidditch game was today. Gryffindor was playing Hufflepuff instead of Slytherin but the game was still on despite the horrible weather.

I ran out on the pitch in the furious wind and rain. A crowd was standing on the field and it was clear the game had stopped.

"What's happened to Harry? Is he alright?" I shouted and jerked Ron's arm frantically to make him leave me room so I could see. Dumbledore was putting Harry on a stretcher just like he had done with Set, Snape, and Rebecca.

"Where have you been?" Ron asked. He looked white in the face.

"What happened? Is he dead?"

"No, he's not dead Ginny, calm down!"

"But I heard screaming, someone trying to kill him!"

"He fell off his broom," Ron said. "The Dementors came onto the field and Harry fell off. Lucky Dumbledore managed to slow him down or he might have broken his neck."

"He only fell off the broom?" I said. I was feeling great relief washing over me.

"Isn't that bad enough? He'll live though, and Madam Pomfrey have fixed up worse injuries."

"Thank God he only fell off his broom! I thought Sirius Black had murdered him." I looked down and saw I was still holding on to Ron's arm. My knuckles were white; I was probably pinching him painfully hard. I let go. As I watched Dumbledore and the stretcher move across the field towards the castle, I felt dizzy with relief.

Later that evening I stood outside the infirmary with a stupid card in my hand. The card wasn't exactly super, but it was all I had managed in a hurry. The song was a bit shrill. Not even pleasant, actually. I was never any good with such things as cards. Hermione and Ron had been sitting by Harry's bed all day. It had been impossible to get a minute alone with him. Now that the two guard dogs had finally gone down for supper, I wasn't quite sure what I had wanted to say to him. I only knew that having Ron and Hermione in the room would prevent me from saying anything. I stood outside the door hesitating for a moment. Stepping inside the room, I realised he was a sleep. A weak autumn light fell on his face making him look pale and vulnerable. Something had happened with the boy in the bed, or rather, something had happened to me. I didn't understand it at first. I thought for a second as I stood watching the black unruly hair and the white face resting on the pillow that I didn't love him any more. The fluttery butterflies and shrill excitement were gone. It had been replaced with something calmer, warmer, but stronger. I didn't know if I knew what it was or if it had a name. I knew we were two of a kind and we somehow belonged together, but how I didn't know. Just like the other night in the common room, it felt like it didn't matter if the whole school feared Parselmouth or if they all wanted us to be in Slytherin. We were together in the mounting flame and one day we would be a force to reckon with; a wizard who had defeated him twice by the age of twelve and a witch who knew his secret name, should Voldemort ever decide to come back, he would learn we were snakebite.

I sat down beside Harry on the bed and smoothed down his untameable fringe. It immediately stood up again. "I'm not giving up on you, Harry," I whispered. "It's just that perhaps I'm saying goodbye to Harry, the Boy-Who-Lived and saying hello to Harry, the friend." I patted down his fringe again. "Gryffindor or Slytherin I'm a girl who lived too, you know." Smiling, I kissed him very lightly on the cheek.

"Hello, Ginny! What are you doing?" Harry was awake.

"Eh, I was just giving you this card," I said, blushing furiously.

"Thank you," he said opening it. He didn't look like he liked it very much, but he smiled anyway.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Oh, there is nothing wrong with me. Madam Pomfrey is just keeping me here for no good reason. You know what she is like." He looked around to make sure she couldn't hear us. "My broom is all smashed up though," he continued with a mournful look on his face.

"It's really a shame," I said. "Such a fine broom, what I wouldn't give to own one of those."

"You play Quidditch?"

"Only when my obnoxious brothers let me. It is easier at school. I can practise with the people in my year and no one can stop us. What, you didn't think Ron's little sister could handle a broom?" I smiled.

"No, I didn't mean it like that," Harry said quickly.

We were silent for a moment. There was something I was wondering but I didn't know how to put it. It was all very strange.

"Who was that woman pleading, Harry?"

"It was my mother pleading for her life," Harry said in a very low voice. "Before Voldemort killed her."

"Oh, Harry!" I whispered. "Oh, Harry..." The pain in his eyes was terrible to see. He sat in silence as if he was listening to his mothers voice inside his head. I remembered it too. It felt as if the temperature in the room had suddenly dropped and it had become freezing cold.

"How did you know about that?" Harry whispered after a moment, snapping out of his thoughts. "I didn't tell anyone."

"I thought Sirius Black was murdering you," I whispered back.

I wanted desperately to tell him all that had happened, but I knew I couldn't.

Next morning at breakfast, the handsome black owl came again, this time bearing only a simple note, no gifts. I untied it from the owl's leg and stroked its brilliant black shroud. It hoed softly and took off without a sound. I read the note:

Thank you Virginia for your help!

I will now let you be as your Headmaster requested, unless you need help in the future. Please forgive me for interfering in your life for my own selfish purposes. I saw in your mind a chance to bring back my beloved husband, Osiris, and it was too good to pass up. He sends his love and thanks you. I must confess I took a liking to you when we first met. I saw the bars on your window and your fear of the qualities in your heart that you associated with Slytherin and snakes. I wanted you to be at peace and come to terms with yourself. Believe me Virginia; the snake wizards are capable of doing good things and using their powers wisely. If I did nudge you slightly at times, it was only to help you out and show you what you might be missing by denying your powers.

Your sister.

The note made me feel all warm inside. I was happy for Isis and her husband. To me the things she had done for love was proof enough that all snake wizards couldn't be bad, being a Parselmouth was perhaps not the end of the world after all. I looked around the great hall. At the Slytherin table, Draco Malfoy quickly looked away. He had been watching me. I fingered his badge in my pocket. Why was I still holding on to that stupid thing, I thought with a smile.