The Seduction Of Doubt

Chapter 4 – Release

Ron and Hermione had been waiting for about twenty minutes before Harry finally arrived, wearing the invisibility cloak. “It’s me. Come outside for a second, like you’re looking around for something, then go back in. I didn’t want anyone to see me and Ron in the same place.” Hermione nodded, stepping down the stone stairs and looking on the ground for a random object. Eventually she grabbed a tankard that was sitting outside, filled it with water for Fang, and walked back into the cabin.

“Good idea, Harry… Malfoy’s behind this, so he’ll want to be watching us. Do you think you need to keep that on?” Ron was saying. Hermione filled Fang’s water dish, then walked to the windows. As she checked outside casually, she pulled the blind down, and then did the same for the rest of them.

“You should be fine now, Harry. Just keep your voice down.” She added, and sat in one of Hagrid’s huge armchairs. Harry pulled the cloak off and sat on the chair by the table, while Ron perched himself on a ledge near the wall. They both looked at Hermione expectantly. She sighed. “The first thing we need to do is determine exactly what happened. What made you start hating each other so much?” The two boys started speaking in unison, but then paused and looked somewhat awkwardly at the ground. “What?”

“Well,” Harry began, “now that I start to say it, it sounds pretty stupid.”

“Yeah. It really does.” Ron added. “I had… this dream.”

“A dream.” Hermione said. It wasn’t a question. “You were fighting because of a DREAM.”

“Well, a really persuasive one…” Ron said in his defence. “I didn’t… I mean, what was in the dream felt like I was seeing something true, like…” he paused.

“Like your worst fears were coming true.” Harry finished. “I felt that too.” Ron nodded, but still looked pensive.

“Not just my worst fears… my biggest doubts, I suppose. About myself, but reflected on you. If that makes sense.”

“It makes more sense then you think, Ron.” Harry stared at the wall. “I saw you… telling me that everyone I loved would never love me back… that everyone I loved died because of me… and that you and Hermione and all of my friends would leave me because they didn’t want to die.” Hermione jumped to speak, but Ron stopped her and let him continue. “I know you never would… logically… but it seemed so real. And there was something in it that didn’t let me believe it was a dream. It felt –”

“Like a message. A vision of some kind.” Ron continued. “I saw you. You told me that I was far weaker than you, that I would never be as good as you. You said I was a burden.” Harry looked ill. “It’s the same way… as soon as that necklace came off me, I knew for sure you would never say that, that you’d never THINK that, but… I don’t know why. It seemed possible.”

“And that,” Hermione put in, “is why we need to find out what the necklaces do.” She opened the box. “Each of you take one. Try not to touch the stone part, but it should be okay. They’ve only affected you while sleeping.” Hermione mused. “That probably why Malfoy’s not suspicious that I’m still friends with you. Ron, you obviously had the first dream two nights ago. Last night, it was Harry. Tonight, I suspect it would have been my turn.”

“And then it would have been hopeless.” Harry said grimly, and they all fell into silence as they examined the necklaces.

* * * * *

They had been examining the necklaces in silence for almost an hour. Hermione kept fiddling with the silver rim, as though trying to dislodge something. Ron had nearly stepped on his in exasperation before Harry caught him by the arm and stopped him. Finally, they heard Harry give a shout.

“There’s…” Harry stammered, his eyes entranced on what seemed like flickering light captured within the stone. Hermione and Ron moved closer.

“It looks like some sort of firestone.” Hermione said, examining it. Harry still didn’t take his eyes off the charm.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t make any sense, they’re cool to the touch. Firestones are warm.” Ron said. “You never really touched yours, it makes sense you wouldn’t have noticed that.” Hermione looked somewhat affronted, but nodded.

“Then what…”

“There’s something alive in there.” Harry said. Both Ron and Hermione stared at him. “There’s something MOVING in there.”

“I thought that was just the light.” Ron said.

“So did I, but if you look really closely… it’s some sort of animal. A worm. No, not a worm…” He paused and looked a lot closer, remembering something Professor Trelawney had said… messenger of Slytherin… venom… “It’s a SNAKE!”

“W-what?” Hermione stammered. Ron, however, was focusing deep inside his necklace before dropping it with a start.

“He’s right, Hermione. There’s a small snake in there. It looks…”

“Trapped.” Harry finished. “This explains everything, Hermione, don’t you see?”

“No, funnily enough, I don’t, Harry.” She said, eyeing him. He sighed and went on.

“Ron, second year. That diary. Tom Riddle’s diary – VOLDEMORT’S diary. Who gave it to Ginny, do you remember?” Ron’s face filled with a sense of recognition. “Lucius Malfoy, exactly. This is a Slytherin creation; I know it, which means Voldemort…”

“V-Voldemort would have had access to it! I can’t even imagine the kinds of treasure there was left there by Salazar Slytherin for the Heir.” Ron said.

“And we know Voldemort gave Lucius Malfoy that diary…” Hermione followed.

“It figures that he would have left Lucius all his little toys.” Harry finished. “That’s what this is. This isn’t some petty prank. This is real, full on magic. This is why Malfoy gave them to us. It’s not for fun. It’s for his father.” Harry paused. “It’s for Lord Voldemort.” There was a long, pregnant silence among the three of them. Finally, Hermione spoke.

“Harry…”

“Yes?”

“I’ve had a thought.” She grinned at him. “Do you reckon… perhaps… you could open these?” Harry looked confused for a second before recognition dawned on him. Ron looked between the two of them.

“What?”

“Ron… d’you remember that pipe in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom?” Harry grinned at Ron, who had swapped his look of misunderstanding for one of fear.

“So you’re going to…”

“I’m going to speak Parseltongue. I’m going to try to open this.”

“I get it, Harry, but are you sure that’s wise? I mean… these are Slytherin creations, I don’t know if it’s a good idea to let them go.” Ron stammered. Harry paused, then shook his head.

“We have to try. Maybe… maybe I can talk to them. Maybe they can explain it all.” With that, Harry took his own necklace and dangled it in front of him by the dragon-hide strap. He could see the snake writhing and dancing inside it. He didn’t even have to pretend it was real. “Open up,” he said in a deep, hissing voice, and the silver casing made a clicking noise. He placed the charm on his hand just as the top of the stone cracked and a miniscule, silver snake slid into his palm. It immediately began chattering in a voice that put Harry strongly in mind of Dobby the house-elf.

“I’m free! Am I free? Sir, have you come to give me orders, or to release me? I will do orders, of course, I am to serve the Slytherin master, but oh, to release me, such divine torture then to put me back in, I will do your bidding of course, but please, sir, do not…” and it went on. Harry wanted to roll his eyes to commiserate with Hermione and Ron, but then remembered that they couldn’t understand a word the snake was saying.

“It’s okay, uh… snake. I don’t want to put you back in. I just want some answers.” The snake looked unaccustomed to this sort of politeness, and stayed quiet. “What do you do?” The snake eyed him curiously.

“Sir, Slytherin Master, I am to invade the mind, sir.”

“You are to… sorry, how’s that again?”

“I am (and here the snake spoke as though reciting from a text) to invade the mind and distort the soul. I access the subject’s deepest fears and use them to the advantage of the great Slytherin master. Is that not your bidding, sir, then?”

“Look, I… no! No, it’s not my bidding!” Harry exclaimed. “You were hurting my friends! You were hurting me!” The snake assumed an extremely contrite expression (for a snake).

“Most Revered Slytherin Master, I meant not to harm you. I would never harm such a benevolent Slytherin as yourself, sir.”

“Okay, first things first. I am not a ‘Slytherin Master’. I’m not even a Slytherin!!!” Harry couldn’t help but shout. The snake, however, was confused.

“But you… sir, you speak Parseltongue. You are a Parselmouth. Only the greatest of Slytherin descendants can speak to me and my brothers.” Harry sighed.

“It’s an incredibly long story. Something of a transfer of power between me and Voldemort. Yes, I’m a Parselmouth. But I’m not your master. I just want your help.” Harry paused and turned to his friends, who were somewhat in awe of the conversation transpiring in front of them.

“That’s bloody creepy, Harry, you know that?” Ron said. Hermione nodded.

“Sorry. Anyway, this guy’s a slave, something created by Slytherin. We were right about what it does, though. I’m trying to convince him I’m not a Slytherin. Yech.” He turned back to the snake in his hand, who was eyeing him warily.

“Have my brothers harmed these two as well, Master?” It said, causing Harry to nod. “They are your friends, sir?” Harry nodded again. “Then my humblest apologies to the both of you. Sir… no disrespect meant, of course, most excellent of Masters…”

“You needn’t call me Master, just so you know.” Harry put in. “My name is Harry. What’s yours?” The snake stopped dead on his hand, staring up at him.

“I… I have not been named, sir. I am but a tool of the Slytherin Master for centuries now. Tools are not named, Sir Harry.” Harry sighed.

“Well, you’re not a tool for me. Do you want to name yourself?”

“I would not know where to begin, Sir Harry. You are my mas-”

“Don’t call me your master. You’re not a slave anymore.”

“Very well… you, who freed me, shall name me, please?” Harry looked aghast. He had no idea where to begin. “Ron,” he said, “think of a name.”

“What?”

“Harry, we don’t have time for this…” Hermione said, her eyes casting to the dwindling light through the shaded windows.

“He deserves a name. They all do… listen, come up with a good name. I’ll open yours. They’re nice… they’ve been enslaved for centuries. This is the first time anyone’s ever treated them right. House-elves, Hermione?” Harry said, and Hermione sighed.

Ron sat, contemplating, before finally piping up and saying “Percy. I wouldn’t mind seeing a snake named Percy.”

Hermione said “Godric. For Gryffindor. He doesn’t have to be Slytherin anymore then.”

“Perfect, both of you. I’ve got a good idea for this one, though…” Harry grinned and turned back to the snake. “Your name is Dobby.”

“Dobby… I shall treasure it for always, kind Sir Harry. I was wondering… perhaps my brothers could be freed as well?” Harry nodded, having already made that decision. “Oh, Sir Harry, you are wise and kind and…”

“Enough, Dobby.” Harry said, amused by the fitting name. He put his hand down by the table and Dobby slithered off it. “Stay there, if you would. I’m going to free your brothers. I’ll leave it up to you to explain the situation once I name them, though. All this Parseltongue is giving me a headache, and it’s unnerving my friends.” He then lifted Ron’s necklace from the floor, opened it, and immediately told it that its name was Percy and to join his brother. After freeing and naming Godric as well, he sat with his friends and rubbed his temples.

“Harry, that was the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen a twenty-foot snakeskin.” Ron said.

“Remind me never to do that again.” From the table, he could hear snippets of Dobby explaining to the others their new situation. “Now what do we do? I mean, do we just let them go?”

“Well, yes, of course!” Hermione said indignantly.

“Yeah… eventually.” Ron added, a gleam in his eye. Both Harry and Hermione stared at him. “Well, come on now, we have the perfect opportunity here. Tell me you’re both considering it.” They looked at him blankly. “Imagine turning this spell on Malfoy.”

“Ron, no, that’s despicable.” Hermione said. “It’s cruel!”

“It’s exactly what he deserves.” Ron responded. “Hermione… you know better than anyone what Malfoy’s done to us. To all of us. This is the straw the broke the camel’s back and we all know it!”

“To be fair, Ron, he wasn’t doing it just to get to us… I mean, his father orchestrated it.” Harry said softly.

“Harry, please… look, we won’t actually hurt him. We just need to show him how it feels. He’s the most overconfident bloody bastard I know and if I can shake that even a little… besides, those snakes have been trapped in there for hundreds of years! They deserve a little revenge before we set them off.” Ron’s voice had a pleading tone in it as he explained his idea, and Harry couldn’t help but admit it would be sweet justice to see Draco’s confidence shattered. He nodded. Hermione looked extremely concerned, but nodded as well.

“Just… don’t get us into trouble, will you?” She said, her voice shaking. “I really do think we should go straight to Dumbledore with all this.” Harry thought about this, and then nodded.

“We will. After.” And with that, he stood to tell Dobby, Percy and Godric the plan.