Last time:

Harry, who had been standing still with fright, relaxed. His heart stopped beating like a scared rabbit's. Perhaps, just perhaps, this would work. It would be difficult, and he had no clue as to how he was going to get back to the main castle afterwards. But the least he could do to help this ancient royal was to save her life. He hoped that the words he had memorized worked. All would show in the following hours.

The mighty baskilisk lowered her head to gaze at Harry. Though his eyes were still closed, he would have sensed this even without his magic. The creature was just so big, it was hard not to know where she was. She spoke "Why did Sssalzar sssend you, young sssspeaker? He mussst have had a reassson, for he hasss refusssed many passsage. Why one as young as you?" Harry swallowed quietly, to wet his mouth. It had gone quite dry when the Queen had approached. Speaking, he did his best to keep his words from stuttering "He asssked me to try and sssave you, that your life wasss in great danger."

The snake reared her head back, and she hissed in distress. She then spoke softly "Sssso he remembered. Yess child, my life isss in danger, for I mussst lissten to any who know the words to 'tame' me. The lassst ssspeaker wass quite evil, and forced me to try and clenssse the sssschool of Muggle-born sssstudents. My eyesss finally met one sssstudent, and sssshe wasss killed. That wasss the lassst victim, and he ssssent me back down here to ssssleep until he could return. I never want to be helplessss to ressssissst again. Sssso, if you have a way to sssstop that, I sssshall lisssten."

Harry listened with wonder. Though she was killer, she had never wanted to be. No wonder her voice was so sad. He would do his best, but first he had to present her with the idea. Which he did, and she was not disgusted by the idea. She agreed to try, so he began to speak the ancient words of bonding:

"O, Regina of Sssserpentsss, Ego quessso vosss.

Ego, per vox of meus Genussss, prex a vinculum vobissss."

She responded in plain Parseltongue, as was proper. Also, it is rather difficult for a serpent to pronounce the right Latin words. Her responding line was "I, as Queen, accept your requessst. From herewith I sssshall follow your insssstructionsss as familiar." Harry sighed with relief, and steadied himself quickly. The bonding, spoken in Latin, had the same effect as a spell would on his energy. So, too, would his next passage. This would forever free her from her Geis, and ultimately save her life.

"Per vox donatusss mihi per nosssstrum vinculum,

Ego ssssolvo vosss ex totusss coactum obessssquium.

Ex iam in, vosss insssisssto ordo vosss votum insssequor."

He had pronounced the lines as well as he could, but as the final syllable was spoken, Harry felt his world sway. He would have fallen over had it not been the baskilisk's quick action, catching him just as he began to tilt. Positioning him on her head, she said softly "Thank you, ssspeaker and friend. I felt the bondsss being releasssed as you finisssshed. Come, I sssshall take you to an alternate exit that will bring you to the corridor where the Hosssspital Wing isss." With that she slid along the chamber, Harry perched precariously on the top of her large head. He was glad she had decided to give him this ride, for he was sure that he wouldn't have been able to walk very far as tired as he was.

***

Severus glowered at the three, his black eyes blazing. The Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff would not stop lying, and the Gryffindor had kept quiet after saying that they would never believe him. He turned to Albus, saying in a tight voice "May I now use it? We'll be here all night if I don't." Albus sighed, and nodded consent. He hated to use Veritiserum on children, but even he could tell that they were lying. And while he had no patience with liars, Severus absolutely despised them, and punishment was usually harsher if he caught a miscreant in a lie.

The Potions Master nodded, and took out a clear vial from one of his pockets. Turning on the three, he said "Now, one at a time you are going to be given a drop of Veritiserum. Then you will be questioned. You first." He pointed at the Gryffindor, who came forward willingly. They were all old enough to know what the potion did, so the professor didn't have to tell them. The Lion took his drop without complaint, and soon fell into the half-stupor of potion-induced truth telling.

The questions began with his name. He simply replied "BoB." When they tried to get a last name, they found he didn't have one. It was simply BoB, which is a rather cruel name for someone to give their child. They continue questioning him, and soon found that though he had helped to steal and beat on the young snake, he had been blackmailed into it. As he had been forced into it, he was merely given a semester's worth of detentions. He was then dismissed with the orders to wait outside. Then they turned to the Ravenclaw. He said his name was Gully, and he had wanted to torment a Firstie Slytherin, as they were always in the wrong territory. This one was expelled, for he had been the one to put the powder on Harry's eyes. The powder was a rare and dangerous one, the magical version of eye-bright. When it was mixed into a potion, it could be used to cure blindness. But the pure powder could cause it, and permanently if the dosage was wrong. The Ravenclaw was told that he had gotten off lucky, and if he had caused the blindness of another student he could have face five years at Azkaban.

The Hufflepuff had been truly guilty. His name, he said, was Tierant. He had stated that he would have bullied Harry no matter what House he had landed in. After all, the little brat had some nerve surviving when his father had been tortured and killed by the Death Eaters. As it was obvious that his final intent had been to murder the boy, they called the Aurors. They took him away, their eyes hard. Albus looked very sad, for though they boy was seventeen and thus would be tried as an adult, at heart he was still a child. Severus didn't view it that way.

"The brat would have ended up killing someone eventually. Minerva, escort BoB back to his house. I must find my lost snakling. Hopefully he has found his way back to the main part of the castle." With that he walked away, his cloak billowing outwards. The Gryffindor who had been sent outside to wait, watched him go, wondering how he managed that with his cloak. Indeed, no one had ever been able to figure it out in the ten years that Snape had been Potion Master and Head of Slytherin for Hogwarts.

***

Harry slipped down the long back of the Serpent as she stopped. He thanked her, and headed up the tunnel she had brought him to. He heard her hiss behind him "Good bye young sssspeaker, come and talk again ssssome time won't you?" He agreed, then soon got out of sight. Opening his eyes, he walked up the narrow passage. The end, as promised, came out just on the floor and corridor where the Hospital Wing was located. When he looked back, the tunnel was gone, to be opened at a later date by a Parseltongue.

Sighing, he put his hand on the wall, heading towards the Hospital Wing. He was exhausted, physically, mentally and magically. He hoped that Madame Pomfrey didn't yell at him, for he didn't think he would be able to take it. He had completely forgotten that he had missed a detention with Professor Snape, and would likely be in trouble with his Head of House. Just then he merely wanted to lay down and take a rest. It had been a night's good work.