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Chapter 67- Parselhead.
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Why was this happening? That's all that Harry Potter could think to himself as he stood there in the middle of class with everybody looking at him with their judging glares. Life hadn't been going so well for Harry lately, but that was pretty much par for the course. Actually, you could say life was resuming as normal as his life was normally bad. Going up with the Dursleys was normal for him. His first year at Hogwarts was honestly the outlier as he actually had friends, had fun and actually enjoyed his life.
So his life since the second year wasn't actually his life taking a turn for the worse; it was just life returning to normal. He always got the same judging glares when in class or out in the neighbourhood due to all the lies Aunt Petunia and Dudley told about him. If there was one thing that was good about his Uncle Vernon, it was that he didn't like to air his business and would much rather pretend Harry didn't exist than go out of his way to make Harry's life worse. After all, that would mean he would have to acknowledge him and pay more attention to him than the customary shouts and sneers he afforded him.
Still, the glares Harry usually received were because he was a supposed delinquent and thug, not because he was a murder suspect. People thought he was the Heri of Slytherin and was going around petrifying people because they weren't murders; they were petrifications. Still, the entire school was acting like Harry had personally slit every single throat himself. The holidays proved to be a brief respite, and the fact that there were no more attacks actually led Harry to believe things were dying down. But here he was, with those judging stares pinning him down where he stood behind his desk.
"Anything to say for yourself, Mr Potter?" Professor Lockhart asked, looking at him with a hard stare, imperiously looking down on him. If only Harry knew what he was talking about. "I'm not sure I know what you are talking about, Professor," Harry replies, knowing what the Professor is inquiring about but not understanding why Lockhart was asking him. After all, he had nothing to do with what had just happened.
"Oh, so it wasn't you that just transfigured the chair Mr Malfoy just sat on into a toilet, which he promptly fell bottom first into the middle of, wetting his behind with toilet water?" Harry had to suppress a smile at that, finding the situation and the suddenness of it very funny. They had just entered class and taken their seats, and in came Malfoy, swaggering about like always with that annoying smug look on his face. Just when he took his seat, it turned into a toilet, and he fell in bottom first and got himself stuck. It took Crabbe and Goyle pulling on him together to get him out. Needless to say, he laughed, which he quickly stopped when no one else did, and then realised that Professor Lockhart was at the front of the class, not looking very happy. Which brings us to now
"Oh, so you find it funny, do you?" Lockhart asks, clueing Harry into the fact that he could not suppress his smile at all. Still feeling a bit targeted and knowing he didn't do it, Harry couldn't help but be a bit rebellious. "Yes, while it was not me that did it, I would very much like to extend my appreciation to whoever did this feat of magic." Harry shot back, looking back unrepentantly at his Professor, who had singled him out for no other reason than being the only one laughing.
"Bloody brilliant is what it was." He hears Ron whisper from his seat beside him, though everybody heard it in the silence of the classroom. Malfoy, in particular, was bristling with his pants and lower back still wet with toilet water, only the presence of their Professor stopping him from becoming volatile. Harry could always rely on Ron to be on his side, even if it was on accident sometimes. At least he wouldn't be punished alone. "I suggest you be quiet, Mr Weasely, unless you want to join Mr Potters's detention with me tonight." Harry's brain pauses as he hears that, and even more anger fills him. So much was being blamed on him this year, and he had nothing to do with it.
"He didn't even do anything, though!" Ron yells out beside him, stopping Harry himself from erupting and giving the Professor some choice words of his own. This whole year had been stressful, and he had nearly reached the melting point; only Ron being angry on his behalf calmed him down. It also meant Ron would be joining him for his detention so Harry could take some solace in the companionship he would have.
Ron would usually end up doing dumb stuff and not really think things through, but he would stick with you if you stuck with him. Harry couldn't ask for a better friend. Hermione was sitting somewhere behind him with some girl from Hufflepuff, but though he felt a little angry at her for not speaking up for him, he also knew she would have helped him already if she could have.
"Take your seat, Mr Potter, you too, Mr Weasley. I will have no more interruptions, and we shall carry on with class. I will be by to collect you from your house dormitory at ten sharp, so be ready." And with that, Professor Lockhart turned around, his robes billowing behind him, and walked to the board at the front and began to write instructions on it. Harry took his seat, dragging Ron down beside him to stop the boy from continuing to defend him. There was no point.
Harry, while thinking his Professor was a bit of an idiot, didn't hate the man. After all, he never actually had malicious intentions or was purposefully making Harry's life difficult. Even his arm getting all floppy was his own fault, so he couldn't blame the man. However, Harry definitely felt angry at the man for singling him out and punishing him for something he didn't even do without any evidence except a chuckle.
Well, at least Ron would be with him at tonight's detention.
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"Why are you here, Mr Weasley." It was ten sharp at night, and Harry was waiting just outside of the Gryffindor House entrance, the fat lady in the portrait watching over him and Ron until Professor Lockhart came to take them for their detention. At least, that was what was supposed to happen, but as soon as Professor Lockhart showed up, he said that, making both Harry and Ron stare dumbly at their Professor, not understanding the detention.
"uh, I'm here for my... detention?" Ron ends up saying, but it sounds more like a question; both he and Ron look at each other awkwardly and then at their Professor, not sure what is happening. "And when did I give you a detention, Mr Weasely?" Lockhart replies, and Harry begins to think back on the classroom incident, trying to pinpoint the exact moment.
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"You gave me detention when... when I spoke and... you gave me detention..." Ron mumbles out dumbly, making Professor Lockhart look at him like an idiot. Meanwhile, Harry searches back through his memories and recalls that while Lockhart threatened to give Ron a detention, he didn't actually. He said if he spoke again, he would give him a detention, and while Ron did speak again, the Professor didn't actually do it and just told the both of them to take their seats. Ron was here for no reason.
"...Perhaps this will teach you to listen better whilst in class, Mr Weasely. Now, go back into your dormitory. I will be taking Mr Potter here for his detention. Come along." And with that, Lockhart turned around and walked off, not looking back and expecting Harry to follow. Harry quickly shot an apologetic look at Ron as he whispered the password and went back inside. Harry hurried up and ran after his Professor, who was taking very long strides. Harry was at least glad that Lockheart had come to collect him; he would rather not walk around at night on his own since it had been dangerous lately. Well, it's more dangerous than usual.
They walked in silence, and as they did, Harry had time to reflect and think. Professor Lockhart had been acting very oddly lately. First of all, he had stopped doing the outside activities and sports so much, only doing it a few times a week. Now, he had them sit in class and read his books and do the actual coursework, occasionally teaching a spell. The thing that struck Harry the most was that he had stopped calling him Harry and used his last name. Harry preferred it that way, but it was a sudden change. Lockhart had also become less over the top and fancy and had been quite normal recently.
Harry stopped his train of thought as he entered the Professor's office and closed the door behind him. He took a seat in front of the desk while Lockhart was already in his seat. Harry looked around for the stacks of fanmail that he would no doubt have to spend time going over and writing a reply to each one, but he couldn't find anything of the sort. He just sat there and stared at Lockheart as his Professor stared back with a pensive look on his face.
"Harry, I know you are not the heir of Slytherin or the one who is going around attacking people in the castle." Harry can't stop his mouth from dropping open in shock, unable to believe the words of support and belief that just left the mouth of his most unreliable and foppish Professor. "I-uh... Thank you?" Harry says, closing his mouth before any flies get in. He doesn't know what else to say, the words being so unexpected. It seemed until just then that Lockheart was targeting him, but he was not?
"You are welcome. Now, I have been trying to track this mysterious heir, and I have reached a point where I can't do so alone. I need your help, Harry." Again, his Professor surprises him, not only claiming to be working to stop the attacks but now asking Harry for his help. "Y-You need my help for this?" He can't help but question, unsure of how he could help. While Lockheart did seem to be an idiot sometimes, he had a big reputation and lots of people looking up to him. Dumbledore himself could act quite loony sometimes, but he was still the most powerful wizard around. Harry couldn't discount the man in front of him.
"Yes. That is why I played the prank on Malfoy and blamed you for it so I could give you detention and get your help tonight. You certainly helped me out by laughing. It is also the reason I didn't give your friend Ron detention, as he would not be able to help in this endeavour." Harry ignored the fact that his Professor had set him up; at least Lockheart had actually framed him instead of Snape, who just gives him punishments for the slightest things. Harry was more interested in tracking down the true culprit and clearing his name. For that, Harry didn't mind if Lockheart told everybody Harry was a bed-wetter as long as he could find the true heir.
"And how can I help? I doubt there is anything I can do that another Professor couldn't help you with. What could I possibly do?" Harry questions, not entirely sure why Lockheart had brought him along. While Harry was lorded throughout the Wizarding World and quite famous, he didn't actually think himself special. He was and would always be just Harry. He didn't see what he could possibly do. "Hm, are you sure about that? In fact, are you sure there isn't something you can do that nobody else can? Something everybody just found out this year." Lockheart says with an amused smile, waiting for Harry to come to his own conclusion. And then it dawns on the boy.
"I'm a Parselmouth... I can talk to snakes. Just like Voldemort." Harry says, realising exactly why his Professor needs his help. Only Harry had this ability in the entire school and Britain, apart from Voldemort, but obviously, he wasn't going to help. "Just like Salazar Slytherin." Professor Lockheart adds with a grin, pointing a finger at Harry as if they had just achieved something great.
"You see, Harry, I have been trying to find the true heir, and I have come across a barrier that I just can't get past, and I believe a clue lies behind it. The only problem is, only a Parselmouth can open the way to get through, which is where you come through." Gilderoy says excitedly, now shooting finger guns at Harry. He wasn't acting foppish anymore, but he was definitely acting weird, but Harry chose to ignore that. The man was just too much overall.
"Why don't you tell Dumbledore? He could help a lot; he knows more about Hogwarts than anybody else. Plus, he is probably the closest to finding the heir, so if you give him what you know, he can definitely get the guy." Harry finishes, expecting that the Professor would agree, Dumbledore would solve everything, and he could go back to having a normal school year. However, the exuberance leaves Lockheart's face, and he stares calmly at Harry.
"Well, that wouldn't work, would it, Harry? Dumbledore is a busy man, after all, and I am sure it would be better to handle this ourselves and go to him with the results than to bug him and make more work for him. Wouldn't you say, Harry?" The boy begins to think over his Professor's words, and the more he thinks it over, the more it makes sense in his head.
"You are right. Professor Dumbledore is very busy, and we shouldn't waste his time with this. Especially if it ends up being nothing. We should investigate ourselves and find out more before we bring it to him." Harry agrees after a moment, fully on board with whatever the Professor is planning. Anything to get the true heir of Slytherin and clear his name.
"Good. No time to waste then. Come with me." Lockheart gets up and walks to the door, and Harry joins him. Just before they leave, Lockheart taps his wand on Harry's head before doing it to himself, and Harry watches as his Professor shimmers out of existence. "Invisibility?" He questions, familiar with it, though only through the use of his cloak.
"Near invisibility. We don't want the heir to find us before we find them, after all. Now follow me." Lockheart grabs Harry by the shoulder and drags him out of the room before moving him through the castle towards an unknown destination. Neither one speaks, and Harry lets himself be dragged along all the way into the Slytherin dungeons. Fitting he supposed for the heir of Slytherin to be hiding away down here.
Lockheart led Harry to a lone corridor, where he stopped before lighting three different pillars nearby, which resulted in a doorway appearing in a nearby wall and sliding out of the way to reveal a staircase. Lockheart produced a Lumos charm and led Harry down the steps, removing the disillusionment as they were no longer necessary. He led Harry through a hallway, past some kind of stone artwork on the wall that he didn't get a good look at and to a pitch-black door covered in snakes.
Harry could hear it, an ancient, sinister voice whispering on the edge of his senses. He couldn't quite make out what it was saying, but it was definitely there. If anything, this confirmed they were on the right track. He told his Professor as much, and Lockheart seemed very pleased. "Alright, Harry, try to listen to what they are saying if possible. If not, then just try and speak to the door and Parselmouth and command it to open." Lockheart asked, and Harry skipped straight to the second thing, not willing to try and listen to whatever, no doubt, evil things the sinister voice was saying.
"~Open~" He whispered in the harsh, breathy tone he always used when he spoke snake, and the door surprisingly listened with no further action needed. The snakes began to crawl over one another, slithering against the pitch-black door, and they squirmed and riggled every which way, some receding and some travelling even further along the door. And then, they all assembled to make some kind of symbol on the door, which looked very magical, like some kind of rune or something. And then, the snakes made a circle which began to spin around on the door.
And then the double doors flung open, revealing the inside of whatever this place was. Harry had no clue.