kbinnz - Harry's New Home

"Hey, Da," Harry looked over to the entrance to the Chamber, where muffled noises were emerging. "I think Voldemold's snake is getting into an argument with someone."

Snape forced himself not to gape. "You think there is someone alive down there?"

Harry shrugged. "I dunno if it's someone or something." He cocked his head. "It sounds like the voice."

"What voice?" Snape demanded.

"Y'know. The funny voice I was telling you about before. The one that I can hear if I don't do the exercises right. Ooooh!" Harry's attention swiveled sharply to the Chamber. "That had to hurt!"

Snape gaped at him. The voice was real? The boy wasn't having hallucinations but was merely hearing an actual Dark creature hidden deep within the castle?

"What is it, Harry?" Hermione asked. "All I can hear is some hissing."

The realization struck Snape like a bucket of cold water. "That voice you talked about hearing?" he demanded furiously of Harry. "Why did you never mention that it was speaking in Parseltongue?"

Harry looked thoughtful. "Hey, I think you're right, Da. I never realized it before."

Snape fought back the desire to strangle the child. All the sleepless nights he had had over the boy's "hallucinations"!

"Uncle Sev, is Harry really a parselmouth?" Ron gulped, looking sick.

Snape gave the boy a sharp glance. "Yes, and I expect you to keep that knowledge to yourself, Mr Weasley."

Ron gulped again and nodded.

"Oh wow! Da! I think they're really fighting! They started out insultin' each other and the funny voice called Nagooni a worm, an' she got really mad, an' then they started arguin' about who was ol' Voldesnort's real familiar, an' somebody else is down there trying to get them to calm down by sayin' they can both be his familiars, but I don't think he's havin' much luck. Oh! The weird voice just called her a really bad name and Nagooni said тАУ oooh!" Harry looked impressed. "I'm not even sure what that word means, but the other voice is really - Uh oh!" A blood-curdling scream echoed up from the Chamber below, and all present jumped in shock. "Um, I think Nagooni might have just gotten eaten," Harry reported, a little green.

"Severus, what is тАУ " Dumbeldore hurried through the lavatory door and stopped abruptly, staring at the opening. "The Chamber of Secrets! I had heard rumorsтАж"

"Headmaster!" Four voices began to speak simultaneously, while Hagrid just shrugged and kept guard with his crossbow.

"Quiet!" Snape's classroom bellow silenced the children, and they shrank back at his furious tone. "You will be still," he ordered them in a voice that would brook no insubordination, and they hastily nodded. "A short time ago, I was attacked in my quarters by Voldemort's familiar, Nagini," he explained succinctly. "She was interrupted by Mr Potter, who managed to drive her away, and she fled here. These foolish children saw fit to follow her, and we have just heard her apparently engage in a fight with another creature who is currently residing in the so-called Chamber, while yet a third entity attempted to intervene." Snape carefully glossed over Harry's parselmouth abilities. Hagrid gave him a look of surprise, but Snape hoped that the half-giant would keep his mouth shut unless Dumbledore quizzed him directly. Then, as everyone knew, the giant would instantly reveal all, whether or not he intended to do so.

Dumbledore was silent, but it was clear that he was thinking furiously. "I have long had my suspicionsтАж" he said, more to himself than to those listening. Then he nodded once, decisively. "Severus, while I would like more than anything to close up the Chamber, I suspect that we must first find out what lies below. Children, I need you to summon the other Heads of House for me. You must tell them that under no circumstance are they to enter this room without taking proper precautions. Mr Potter, explain to Professor McGonagall that she must use the special spectacles of which we once spoke. She will understand." Harry and the others nodded and ran off. "Hagrid, you and I will go below тАУ if you are willing?"

"Right, y'are, Pr'fessor!" Hagrid said stoutly, hoisting his crossbow.

"Albus, surely I should accompany you! тАУ" Snape protested.

"No, my boy. I need you up here, in case the creature I expect to find gets past me and threatens the school."

"And just what do you expect to find?" Snape pressed.

Dumbledore looked grim. "Salazar Slytherin's familiar."

Hagrid's eyes widened. "His familiar! Slytherin's familiar was a basilisk!"

"Yes." Dumbledore nodded. "We both know that Aragog was not responsible for Myrtle's death, Hagrid. Are you prepared to face the creature I believe was?"

Hagrid nodded fiercely.

Dumbledore waved his wand and two strange-looking pairs of spectacles appeared in his hand. "Here. Wear these, or one look and you will be killed. Severus," he turned to the Potion Master. "I do not have a spare pair. Please use the mirrors along the wall to keep watch. If you see any movement in the reflection and do not hear Hagrid or myself call to you, leave immediately and ward the door as strongly as you can. Hopefully the other teachers will soon be here to help you, and Minerva has her own pair of protective glasses."

Snape nodded once, clutching his wand tightly.

Hagrid and Dumbledore donned their spectacles and stepped forward into the Chamber. Snape watched them in the mirror, waiting tensely.

There was silence for several long moments, and then everything seemed to happen at once. Snape heard muffled voices, then shouting and inhuman screams. A few moments later, he heard Hagrid shouting from far below. "Sev'rus, help me up! Sev'rus! Hurry - I've got a student here wi' me!"

Snape instantly abandoned his post by the mirrors and ran to the opening. He could see the giant, with a small girl cradled in his arms, and brought them both up with a rapid levitation spell.

"C'n you summon Poppy?" Hagrid panted as soon as he'd stepped back into the lavatory. "She's not lookin' good an' I don't know much 'bout doctorin' humans."

Snape barely registered that the pinched white face belonged to Pansy Parkinson before sending his Patronus off to bring Poppy. "What happened?" he demanded.

Hagrid shuddered. "Dark magic. Ver' Dark," he muttered.

"Severus, I could use your assistance, my boy!" Dumbledore's words were calm, but there was an undercurrent of strain in his voice and Snape ran back to the opening and helped the elderly wizard out of the Chamber. "It would be best if we made a quick exit, gentlemen." The Headmaster was directing powerful bolts of magic down into the Chamber as he spoke, and Snape and Hagrid wasted no time in sprinting for the door. Even Myrtle fled with them.

No sooner had they crossed the threshold than Albus cast an intensely powerful locking and shielding charm over the door to the lavatory. Mere seconds later a powerful roaring noise was heard in the room, and the wizards тАУ and ghost тАУ took an involuntary step backwards.

"What was that?" Snape demanded.

"Fiendfyre," Albus answered briefly. "Now if you'll give me just a moment, I need to make a brief alterationтАж" He closed his eyes, and a moment later, a solid wall existed where the door had been previously.

Snape blinked. "Headmaster, youтАж"

"The fiendfyre will soon burn itself out, my boy, but I see no reason to take any chances."

"What happened down there?" Snape demanded. "Why did you cast a fiendfyre spell? Was Nagini down there?"

Dumbledore abruptly looked his age. "Worse, Severus. Much worse."

Poppy rushed up then and began casting diagnostic spells even before she got a good look at the unconscious child. "To the infirmary, quickly!" she ordered Hagrid.

"Go see to your student," Dumbledore told Snape with a brief smile and the hint of a twinkle. "I will reassure the other Heads when they arrive momentarily, then I will explain everything to all of you later this evening."