Chapter 173: Serpent Speaker
“Zoe is more than happy to bring Wade Gray the mischievous house-elf Dobby—once Zoe spots him, she’ll catch him for sure.” Zoe whispered, her round eyes sparkling with enthusiasm, as if being needed was the greatest joy in the world.
“Thank you, Zoe,” Wade smiled. “If he resists, please tell him that if he wants freedom, I can help.”
Zoe studied Wade carefully with her large, bright eyes, then tilted her head in confusion. “How could a house-elf even want to leave his master? He must be a very bad elf.”
“That’s not fair,” Wade shook his head. “Hogwarts is a wonderful place for a little sprite. As long as he does his job, he cannot be punished.”
“But, Zoe,” Wade continued, “some house-elves suffer terribly at home—treated worse than slaves, beaten and abused at will… wanting to leave is completely natural.”
Zoe shook her big head firmly. “Zoe doesn’t understand… but Zoe will still help. Zoe can never refuse a request from Wade Gray.”
Wade smiled. “Thank you, Zoe. Knowing you is truly a blessing.”
…
In the morning, Wade, as usual, first checked the mirror to examine Barry’s Mandragora leaf.
Intact. As before.
He poured a cup of tea and rinsed his mouth, then popped a few gum drops into his mouth.
After getting used to it, the leaf no longer affected his speech or movement. As long as he used a Sticking Charm before bed, he no longer had to worry about biting it in his sleep or accidentally swallowing it.
The only real downside now was that he couldn’t brush his teeth.
Though he could use the Scourgify Spell, or rinse with saltwater or tea, the lack of brushing left him feeling uneasy.
He was also increasingly reluctant to talk to others.
Among his classmates, only Michael knew that Wade had recently been studying to become an Animagus. The rest just thought Wade had grown quieter lately.
But since he’d never been very talkative to begin with, no one noticed a dramatic change.
Hermione, meanwhile, had been spending more time buried in books. During their gathering in the Umbrella Room, she asked everyone to help her read some volumes she hadn’t finished yet.
“Hermione, how are we supposed to get through all this?” Neville groaned, clutching the stack of books she’d handed him.
“You don’t have to read every word,” Hermione said, handing the last few books to Wade and turning to face the group. “We just need to find anything about the Chamber of Secrets.”
“The Chamber of Secrets?” The others exchanged glances.
“The house-elf said it’s going to be opened,” Hermione declared. “This isn’t just idle gossip—it has to mean something!”
“I remember reading something about it before,” she added, “but I can’t recall exactly where.”
“But… why are we even looking into this?” Padma raised her hand, her tone cautious, almost like she was speaking to a teacher. “Nothing dangerous has happened at school.”
“Danger?” Fred suddenly cut in, drawing everyone’s attention. He adopted a grave, dark expression and glared at the group. “I have a vial of poison here. After class, one of you will drink it. I’ll be judging your antidote. If it fails… well, let’s just say the consequences won’t be pretty.”
He didn’t finish. Instead, he smirked coldly, his lips twisting sideways.
“Oh, Snape…” Harry groaned, and Neville mirrored the grimace beside him.
“Professor Snape!” Hermione snapped, then slammed her hand hard on the table. “Listen! We can’t wait until something happens to panic, can we? If we prepare now, even if nothing goes wrong, we’ll be ready!”
“What if nothing happens?” Harry raised his hand.
“Then you’ll still have gained valuable knowledge,” Hermione said seriously.
The group groaned in unison—those who disliked reading were especially miserable. But under Hermione’s firm, Professor McGonagall–like authority, they all eventually opened their books.
And thankfully, their efforts bore fruit. The next day, Liam unearthed a clue in an old, yellowed notebook.
“…After fierce arguments with Gryffindor, Slytherin ultimately departed from the school.
Before leaving, he built a secret chamber, hiding something terrifying within the Chamber of Secrets.
Only when his true heir arrives at Hogwarts can the Chamber be opened…
Terror will purify the school, erasing all unworthy of learning magic.”
“What kind of terrifying thing?” Theo asked, unable to resist.
Liam turned the page, shaking his head. “No one knows. But the author suspects it’s some kind of creature only Slytherin could control.”
“That’s not right,” Michael pointed out sharply. “Slytherin’s heir should be able to control it too.”
He paused, then added thoughtfully, “Maybe it’s some kind of magical covenant passed down through bloodline?”
“Serpent,” Wade said simply.
“What?” The others blinked, stunned. No one quite understood.
Wade turned to Harry, whose expression was already clouded with confusion. “Slytherin was the Serpent Tongue. Salazar Slytherin could speak with serpents—he had that gift.”
Harry froze.
Michael snapped his fingers. “Right! If Serpent Tongue is inherited through blood, then Slytherin’s descendants would naturally be able to speak to serpents—maybe even command them!”
“So the creature in the Chamber of Secrets… could be a serpent?” Padma asked. “What kind of serpent would be that powerful?”
Wade said nothing further.
The group began brainstorming—ranging from runes-inscribed serpents, bird-serpents, and strange serpents, to more dangerous varieties like the裂须海 Serpent, the Belcher Serpent, the Taipan, and the Black Mamba. They agreed to split up and research further.
“Harry, are you okay?” Michael suddenly noticed Harry’s pale face and asked.
“I… I don’t know,” Harry murmured, staring at the group, unsure whether to speak.
“Stomachache?” Neville guessed.
“Didn’t finish your assignment?” Hermione offered. “Or you’re copying someone’s work?”
“Is your scar hurting again?” Theo asked.
Under the weight of their concerned gazes, Harry finally stammered, “I just… I don’t know. It’s just… talking to serpents—doesn’t that seem strange? I mean, shouldn’t a lot of wizards be able to do that?”
“No,” Theo shook his head. “Serpent Tongue is incredibly rare. The most famous example is Salazar Slytherin himself.”
Michael let out a short laugh. “You really think that’s common? You’re not even fluent in Serpentese yourself. Have you ever heard anyone else speak it?”
His voice trailed off. He stared at Harry, eyes widening slightly.
Harry remained silent.
After a long pause, Hermione finally spoke, her voice soft, watching Harry’s pale face. “You’re not a Serpent speaker, are you, Harry? You’re not, are you?”
Harry looked at her, then slowly nodded.
“I am.”
(End of Chapter)
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