Chapter Text
For Harry, talking to snakes was just another of his many oddities stemming from the event that scarred his forehead.
The first time had been in the London Zoo, to a Boa Constrictor that ended up escaping from its confines, inadvertently because of himself. At the time, it hadn’t crossed his mind that the event was anything significant. He was used to oddities constantly coming his way. It had bothered him even less when he’d learned he had magical abilities. Weirdness was his normal. Though talking to snakes was weird in muggle society, it was normal in magical society. He had assumed, at the least.
Apparently even for wizards, talking to snakes was different . And decidedly not in a good way.
At least that was how he’d been made to feel when Malfoy had conjured a snake in what was supposed to be a fair duel. Malfoy wasn’t a fair person, it wasn’t in his nature. Why he agreed to duel him wasn’t a question Harry could answer. Staring down at the cobra had cemented his unfavorable opinion of the boy.
On just instinct he had called out to the snake, yelling for it to stop. It was like he already knew of his abilities. Some innate knowledge that had been burned into him in the same flash that had tried to kill him.
That didn’t mean he had expected it to respond.
It had seemingly been a mistake to ever even try to speak to the snake, with the reaction of his peers. Terror and rumors had spread of him being the foretold Heir of Slytherin. He couldn’t walk anywhere without hushed whispers following in his wake. It had all died down after the writing on the walls had suddenly stopped, chalked up to be the work of some mischievous student, even petrified Mrs. Norris, leading to a largely uneventful second year for himself. He had hoped it might stay that way for him, but the scar on his forehead had prevented normality from ever being his reality.
After that whole debacle, he’d talked to countless other snakes, accepting the ability as just another of his quirks. To grass snakes generally, who were normally very well-tempered but utterly dull. Ron always found it entertaining when he conversed with them. Harry never went out of his way to find serpents, but they seemed to have a liking for him. He couldn’t say it was reciprocated.
He’d met many snakes in his time at Hogwarts.
But somehow, he could tell that this snake was different.
“Hello.”
He whipped his head up at the greeting, dropping the branches to the ground in surprise.
Right in front of him lay a terrifying image. Coiled up, head raised is a giant snake. A huge green serpent, just like the one he had set free in the zoo. The main difference however was in the serpent's eyes. They were less animal and more human than anything, the glint in their eyes held perspicacity. A cold intellect that seemed to be wiser than its years.
The serpent held its head high with a flamed confidence. It glared at Harry as if it had found something long forgotten deep in his eyes. His stance tensed as he staggered backward, tripping over the disregarded branches Hagrid had sent him to collect. Falling back onto the ground, his body freezes up. He can’t do anything more than stare as the snake coils around his body. Harry can’t help thinking how ironic it would be if the Boy Who Lived died to something as mundane as a snake. Though a snake of this one's stature is hardly mundane , he supposed.
The snake had just reached his neck as he felt the warm breath, a soothing voice in his ear.
“My name is Nagini”, her serpentine drawl hissing especially on ‘is’.
“What?”
Harry’s shock became utter confusion as he locked eyes with the snake once again.
“My name is Nagini. Have you not spoken to a serpent before?” She asked him. A shiver traveled down his spine as he glanced at her, his eyes level with her brilliant fangs. He didn’t answer, still paralyzed as if she had bitten him.
She seemed to pause as if waiting for a response. When he failed to speak, still eyeing her mouth, she coiled further around him, leaning into his other ear.
“I’ve heard them speak of you, the others. You speak our tongue. They call you an Ophedon, a bridge that connects you humans and us.” She turned her head so one eye was boring into one of his own. “I cannot say I trust you. But you may be the last we have before all falls.”
“Falls?” He gained his voice rapidly and loudly. “What are you talking about?”
He’d never met a snake that spoke like her. Usually, the creatures could hardly be called intelligent. He could understand what they attempted to convey, but they spoke akin to a young child in their one-word sentences. The contrast was stark in the polished way Nagini spoke to him, and it seemed more and more ominous as the seconds passed. Not aided by the paranoia he already held from Umbridge's developing reign of terror.
“In time,” she replied serenely, not bothered by the coarseness he spoke to her with. It was unsettling. She spoke as if she was certain he would see her again, certain he would help. “He does not know yet. I must plant the seed in his mind, and soon it will prosper into salvation.”
He shook his head in disbelief. He half thought he was hallucinating, the cryptic way the snake was speaking to him was entirely unearthly. If he hadn't already seen unicorns and centaurs in the very same forest he would have been convinced he’d been slipped Confusing Draught earlier.
Nagini slowly began to unfurl herself from him, and he managed to breathe slightly more evenly as she moved farther away.
“... What are you?” He asked warily, his eyes narrowing as his hand slowly descended to where his wand was snugly on his hip. “You aren’t exactly like any snake I’ve met before.”
“Yes, well, if I appear to be one why would what's internal ever differ?”
Her reply did not make any sense to Harry, who was still attempting to unravel her earlier words. “Stop with the vagueness. What do you want? You keep talking about salvation but I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re going on about.”
“These grounds are ancient. Much older than even I. Mystery is always imbued in even the smallest of places; why is my existence much more abnormal?”
“You’re avoiding my questions.”
“And yet I’m sure you’ll find an answer one day. Keep patient, we will meet again soon.” She turned her head, staring him down. It was the first time he’d seen hints of hostility in her as she hissed, “I will know if you tell those whom you believe you can trust. I’d like to keep my presence quiet, as I have for so long. Simply being an Ophedon does not make you exempt from respecting those who ask for secrecy.”
He glared at her, and pulled out his wand, aiming it threateningly at the snake's head.
“You’re crazy if you’d think I’d listen to you, a random snake that lives in the forest. I don’t know what you are really or who sent you but tell them I’m not stupid enough to listen to some magic-made snake. Malfoy should try harder, I still remember 2nd year.”
She raised her head defiantly. It was like she was giving him a knowing smile. He was uncertain how she managed to give off the feeling without having lips, but it was clear nonetheless. It didn’t help the hot anger he felt deep inside, threatening to bubble to the surface.
He opened his mouth to continue his tirade when he suddenly heard a familiar voice coming from the school's direction.
”Harry! Where are you? It’s getting late!” A stern and urgent shout echoed through the woods. He turned his head, pausing his thoughts.
Nagini tensed at the voice. It was Hermione, looking for Harry who had been gone for some time. Before he had left to collect the firewood, Hermione had pulled him aside.
“I’m not going to come and get you from the forest again. You need to learn how to navigate on your own. I’m not in charge of you, you're not a toddler and I won’t be blamed if you go missing,” she had said to him, her arms crossed and her tone exasperated. It was so close to dinner at that time, that she had been worried about potentially getting in trouble for arriving late. He had assured her he wouldn’t get lost or waste time in his head, and he had truly meant it.
Of course, he hadn’t expected a twelve-foot snake to suddenly appear before him.
Hermione’s march was as stern as her face was red as she made her way over to Harry. He turned his attention back to Nagini, but she was already gone in the few seconds his back had been to her. The only thing left was a faint path, presumably made by her as she had pushed through the brush in her escape. Something about the path was odd though. It suddenly ended right in the middle where no bushes or trees lay.
Hermione crossed her arms in front of him, a frown on her face. “Harry, what did I say about getting lost in the woods? Stop messing around and pick up the wood you dropped. I know Hagrid asked you to get firewood for his hut, but we need to get back to school before dinner.”
“Sorry, I- there was a snake,” he replied sheepishly, bending over to collect the wood he had dropped in surprise. Hermione raised an eyebrow at him when she caught his eye, clearly unimpressed with his response.
“A snake? Did it try to bite you?”
He shook his head quickly. “No, I just got startled, that’s all.”
She didn’t seem to quite believe him, but for once didn't attempt to pry. He was grateful for the respite as she walked with him back in silence. He doesn’t know why he hadn’t been truthful, he had been so intent on telling her before. But something about Nagini's words had given him pause. She hadn’t seemed to have ill intentions, though the nonsense she had spouted about salvation and other obscure ideas had done nothing more than cause him to grow more suspicious.
When they reached Hagrid’s hut, Ron was waiting for them with a displeased expression.
“Took you two long enough! Hagrid started showing me his new crop of flobberworms,” he whined with an exaggerated shudder. “I thought he’d start making me hug the blasted things before you two came back.”
“Sorry, Harry was busy with a snake,” Hermione replied, eyeing Harry slightly as she spoke, seemingly attempting to gauge his reaction.
“A snake? What about a snake?”
“Nothing, Ron. I was trying to pick up some firewood and a snake was right by hand as I reached over. I dropped the branches in surprise and had to pick them up.” He stared back defiantly at Hermione. “It wasn’t anything that mattered, really.”
Hermione and Ron glanced at each other, seemingly having a silent agreement to not bother him more about his time in the forest. He felt slightly guilty for being so defensive in his response, but it wasn’t pleasant being questioned so much.
“C’mon, let’s leave. I already told Hagrid we were going now anyway, mainly to get away from his stupid worms mind you, so we can go back. Dinner’s in ten,” Ron said while motioning for the two to follow. Harry tossed the firewood into the pile by Hagrid’s house as Hermione and Ron walked ahead. He glanced back to the forest, questions still lingering in his mind.
He knew he’d have to return. Never mind because of Hagrid’s class, but the pull he felt to figure out Nagini, the snake in the forest.
And the ‘he’ that she had spoken of. Whoever they were, they had to be close by. A student most likely, though a teacher might have owned the beast as well. It didn’t matter too much, either way, he would find out. And do what, he was less certain. Discover their motives he supposed, or their connections in the first place. If Nagini truly was a magical snake then the need for Parseltongue was obsolete. Or being an ‘Ophedon’ as Nagini had called him.
He was still uncertain what she had meant.
The walk back up to Hogwarts felt longer than usual; the winding path through the hills dizzied him with its twists and turns, movements blurring in the darkening of the sky. Harry couldn’t shake the strange interaction he had just experienced with Nagini. He pondered the reasons why Malfoy might send Nagini to him, her piercing yellow eyes etched into his mind as he weaved his way to the Great Hall. He let himself drift farther and farther from Hermione and Ron, his steps slowing as he turned more and more into his mind.
He was shaken from his thoughts as he laid eyes on the teacher by the doorway. Umbridge’s mouth was curved into an unpleasant frown, her beady eyes giving especially the image of a large toad. The woman was always a terrible sight, but even worse when his mood was already foul. He kept his head down, attempting to avoid her attention, knowing he’d likely be short with her if they spoke.
Unfortunately, he was never so lucky.
“Dinner is at 6 o’clock sharp, nothing later will do. I hope this doesn’t continue to be a problem for us, or there will have to be disciplinary action and house points taken. We wouldn’t want that, would we?” She asked condescendingly, a Cheshire smile creeping up her face.
“Never, Professor,” he mumbled dryly. She narrows her eyes slightly as he passes, her distaste clear. It was mutual, of course, but he couldn't help but feel a professor shouldn’t be so obvious.
He made his way through the doors and entered the hall. The aroma of sweet glazes and meat filled the room as he walked to the Gryffindor table. As he passed by the Slytherin table and met eyes with Malfoy, the hate-filled glare he gave him seemed to confirm Harry’s thought of his hypothetical conjuring of Nagimi.
He plops down heavily onto his spot, quickly loading his plate up with purpose.
“What's the matter, Harry? You don’t look too good,” Ron asked with a mouth full of food. The question broke Harry’s trance as he glanced up to see Ron’s mouth full of buns, rice cakes, and beans. Ron usually wasn’t so ill-mannered, but on that particular night, he was seemingly famished. Harry could hardly blame him, the days classes had been tiring, from Transfiguration to Care for Magical Creatures (which had run longer on account of Hagrid pulling them over after class to help him with preparing especially for next week's lessons).
Ron continued, having finally swallowed his food this time. “I mean you’ve been all odd since before dinner.”
“I’ve just been thinking,” Harry paused, uncertain how to word his next sentence. “I mean the snake. It was really… large. Unnaturally. I’ve been wondering, what if someone conjured it?”
“... You think the snake you saw in the forest was made by someone and not, you know, just a forest snake?” Ron clearly was skeptical, as he even slowed down his eating to give Harry his full attention. “I mean no offense but, are you hearing yourself?”
“It didn’t speak like a normal snake. It spoke like… a professor, or something.”
Ron made a face. “It’s a snake. Maybe they’re smarter than you thought, or you hallucinated.”
“No, I didn’t. And I think Malfoy had something to do with it,” he finished firmly.
“You really think he made a… talking snake? To what? Mess with you? That seems like a waste of time.”
“I know, I know. It's just… it wasn’t a normal snake. Its eyes, they were… human. Or at least partly, anyway…” He trailed off. “It's stupid, you're right. I thought that Malfoy might’ve done it, but…”
“Yeah, I dunno mate. Seems unlikely.” Ron took another large bite of his drumstick when Seamus and Dean’s argument over quidditch caught his attention. Soon, the three were having a heated debate over who will win the tournament this season. Normally, he’d join in happily, but this time he kept quiet, pensive as he mulled over Nagini’s strange appearance.
Whatever she was, snake or not, she wasn’t natural. That much he could tell.
And this mysterious owner she spoke of, likely even less so.
Nagini slithered over rocks in the chamber, the cooling sensation pleasant under her scales as she approached the main chamber. The dripping water echoed through the pipes and rattled on the broken and decayed bones of a long-dead beast. A lone figure stood in the center of the impressive room. He was facing away from her, eerily still.
She moved further into the room, making her way to the person. She stopped at his feet, coiling around him slightly. Her scales glisten a dark olive in the dim lighting.
“I talked to the boy today. He’s… not quite as I had thought. Nonetheless-.” She ceased speaking. The boy had finally moved, his hand in the air like a blockade for her words, “ I already know. Your conversations are meaningless to me.” His hand lay still for a moment longer as he thought.
“If I may, he’s a nice boy. Potential practically flows off of his spirit.” Nagini tilted her head slightly as she studied his face, his pensive expression fixated on the pool's reflection by his feet.
“I have been watching him for some time now. But there is no possibility, so end this pointless interaction.” His face seemed to darken with the mention of Harry as if the boy was some forbidden artifact.
“Why don’t you talk to him?” Nagini persisted, coiling further around him.
“How would I do that exactly?” His voice rose with anger, a fury that had been simmering for decades. Decades of loneliness, with Nagini as his only companion. She tried to keep him in good spirits, but the boy had spent too long away from real humans.
“Don’t attack me, I’m only trying to help. We both know he is our only chance of escape before he returns and destroys us.” She uncurled herself from around him, slithering away, putting distance between the two.
His presence both relaxed and unnerved Nagini. While he gave her a sense of security and confidence when together, he also kept her on the tip of her tail. His emotions ruled him more than his mind. Nagini knew not to grow too comfortable around him. Even though they were a part of the same creation, they always seemed so different. The link between them was brittle. She knew he cared somewhat about her existence, but he was so disconnected that she could no longer read him. Too many years had passed.
At least she was able to leave the chamber, sliding through the walls to watch the hubbub of the student's daily activities. She’d learned many things from her time in Hogwarts, almost all of which she reported back to him.
If this time, she held back for a bit, then maybe there would be a chance.
And they could travel further together than the dark chambers under the school, long forgotten by normal society.
Nagini sometimes felt that he would use her if he had the chance. To escape, or whatever he deemed necessary for his well-being. As much as he claimed to be a different part of their creator, she knew that while he had the small vestiges of love that had lived in the corners of the man's soul, the boy was not so dissimilar. They both knew Nagini would continue her contact. That much was obvious.
How much she told him was, however, a much more uncertain question. He couldn’t prevent her from going as she pleased. Before the darkness came for them both, Harry Potter would save them.
How and when was a more fickle answer.
One she hoped to convince the boy in the chambers of.
