Chapter 173: The Serpent's Tongue
Chapter 173: The Serpent's Tongue
"Zoey would be delighted to help capture Dobby for Mr. Goyle. If I find that little pest, I'll be sure to grab him," Zoey said in a soft, enthusiastic voice, as if she were pleased to be of assistance.
"Thank you, Zoey," Goyle replied with a smile. "And if he resists, please tell him that if he wants to be free, I can help make it happen."
Zoey's round eyes studied Goyle curiously. "Why would a house-elf want to leave its master? He must be a naughty elf."
"Not necessarily," Goyle shook his head. "Hogwarts is a great place for house-elves. As long as they do their jobs, they aren't scolded."
"But, Zoey, some private house-elves are treated worse than slaves in their homes. They are beaten and abused... It's only natural that they would want to leave," Zoey argued, shaking her large head. "I can't understand why, but I'll definitely help. I would never refuse a request from Mr. Goyle."
Goyle laughed. "Thank you, Zoey. It's wonderful to have met you."
...
In the morning, as usual, Goyle checked the Mandrake leaf in his mouth by looking in the mirror.
It remained intact.
He gargled with a cup of tea and then popped a few sticks of gum into his mouth.
Over time, he had gotten used to the leaf, and it no longer interfered with his speech or activities. At night, a sticking charm ensured he wouldn't bite or swallow it in his sleep.
However, the biggest inconvenience for Goyle now was not being able to brush his teeth. Even though he could use cleaning charms, salt water, or tea as a mouthwash, the lack of toothbrushing still made him feel uncomfortable.
He had also become more reluctant to talk to others.
Among his classmates, only Michael knew that Goyle was learning to become an Animagus, while the others just thought he had become more silent lately.
But since he had never been much of a talker, his peers didn't notice a significant difference.
Hermione had been spending more time reading lately, and during the D.A. meetings, she asked everyone to help her go through some of the books she hadn't been able to finish.
"Hermione, there's no way we can get through all of this!" Neville exclaimed in despair as he hugged the pile of books assigned to him.
"You don't have to read every single word," Hermione said as she handed the last few books to Goyle. She turned to face the group and said, "We're just looking for information about the Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts."
"The Chamber of Secrets?" Everyone looked at each other.
"That house-elf mentioned it was going to be opened. I don't think it's just idle chatter; there must be some meaning behind it!" Hermione explained, hands on her hips.
"I remember reading something about the Chamber of Secrets before, but I can't quite recall the details!" Hermione exclaimed, frustrated.
"But..." Padma raised her hand, as if asking a teacher a question, and voiced her doubt. "Why are we looking into this? Nothing dangerous has happened at school."
"Speaking of danger, there is one particular thing..." Fred's comment caught everyone's attention. He put on a serious and gloomy expression and said menacingly, "I have a bottle of poison here, and after class, I'll have one of you drink it. I hope the antidote you brew passes the test! Otherwise..."
He left the sentence hanging, opting for a cold, lopsided smile instead.
"Oh, Snape..." Harry groaned, and Neville beside him mirrored his pained expression.
"Professor Snape!" Hermione corrected, then banged her hand on the table for emphasis. "Listen, everyone! We can't afford to wait until something happens before we start worrying, right?
"If we look up the information in advance, even if something does happen, we won't be caught completely unprepared!"
"But what if nothing happens?" Harry asked, raising his hand.
"Then you've gained valuable knowledge!" Hermione said seriously.
The group, who were not avid readers, sighed in resignation. But under Hermione's forceful and intimidating presence, reminiscent of Professor McGonagall, they eventually opened their books.
Fortunately, their efforts bore fruit, and the following day, Ryan discovered a clue related to the Chamber of Secrets in a yellowing notebook.
"...After a fierce argument with Gryffindor, Slytherin eventually left the school."
"Before he left, he built a secret room and left a terrifying thing in the Chamber... Only when his true heir arrives at the school will the Chamber be opened... "
"Terror will cleanse the school, removing all those unworthy of learning magic..."
"What is this terrifying thing...?" Theo couldn't help but ask.
Ryan flipped to the last page of the notebook and shook his head. "No one knows, but the author speculates that it's some kind of monster that only Slytherin can control."
"No, it's something that Slytherin's heir can control as well." Michael keenly pointed out the problem and guessed, "Maybe it's some sort of magical contract that's passed down through the bloodline?"
"It's a snake," said Ved.
"What?" Almost everyone was baffled and didn't understand immediately.
"Slytherin spoke Parseltongue," Ved explained, seeing the confused look on Harry's face. "Salazar Slytherin could speak to snakes; it was his gift."
Harry was stunned.
Michael clapped his hands. "Exactly! If Parseltongue is also passed down through the bloodline, then Slytherin's descendants must also be able to speak to snakes and even control their actions."
"So the monster in the Chamber of Secrets might be a snake?" Padma asked. "What kind of snake could be so powerful?"
Ved didn't offer any further hints. The group began to discuss various types of snakes, from Runyons to Bird Serpents, Serpentine Beasts, Fanged Sea Snakes, Belcher's, Taipans, and Black Mambas, and they agreed to research them individually.
"Harry, what's wrong?" Michael suddenly noticed that Harry's face had turned rather pale, and he asked with concern.
"I..." Harry looked at the group, unsure if he should tell the truth.
"Do you have a stomachache?" Neville guessed.
"Didn't finish your homework? Want to copy someone else's?" Hermione added, "Or didn't have time to look up the information?"
"Is your scar hurting again?" Theo asked.
Facing their concerned gazes, Harry finally stammered, "I just think... Is speaking to snakes really that unusual? I would assume many witches and wizards can do that, right?"
"No, most people can't." Theo shook his head. "Parseltongue is extremely rare; the most famous example is Salazar Slytherin."
"Why would you think it's commonplace?" Michael couldn't help but laugh. "Are you a Parselmouth yourself? Or have you heard someone else speak it...?"
Michael's words trailed off as he looked at Harry with a mixture of surprise and realization.
Harry remained silent.
After a long while, seeing the slight paleness on Harry's face, Hermione softly asked, "You're a Parselmouth, aren't you, Harry? You can speak to snakes, can't you?"
Harry looked at her and slowly nodded.
"I am," he said.
(End of Chapter)
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