While the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws chattered amongst themselves, happily anticipating the summer before them, the Slytherin table was rather more sombre; although all were proud of their House’s triumph in winning the Quidditch Cup, the First Years were very quiet, almost afraid of seeming too joyful, too easy, when they felt that their thoughts and hearts should be with their absent friend. And, although the upper years only thought about Hermione when they realised that there was a bushy, brown head of hair missing from the crowd, in noticing the childrens’ cheerlessness, many students subconsciously lowered their voices and subdued their smiles. House unity is not a rule, it is a state of mind.

Fortuitously, before the mood could become too serious, Professor Dumbledore swept in, brightly garbed in robes the exact shade of young beech leaves. Pansy snorted, smirked and whispered to Tracy that the tall, white bearded professor looked like a dandelion clock, earning her a reproving glance from Professor Snape, who (she hadn’t realised) was within hearing distance

“Another year gone” beamed the elderly Headmaster “A year in which friendships have been forged, lessons learnt and accomplishments achieved. I must, now, congratulate Slytherin, who have, again, won the Quidditch Cup. Well done Slytherin.” Dumbledore smiled and, reaching around, picked up the large, silver House Cup and placed it on the table in front of him.

“Now, as eager as you must be to sample our delicious feast, I must detain you for a moment longer, for the time has come for our House Cup, here, to be awarded." Dumbledore smiled "The points stand thus; in fourth place, Hufflepuff, with three-hundred-and-fifty-two points, in third place, Ravenclaw, with four-hundred-and-twenty-six. In second place, Slytherin” the serpent’s faces fell table and there were a few groans amongst the first years; they had hoped in vain “with five-hundred-and-thirty points and, in first place, Gryffindor, with five-hundred-and-sixty-one.”

Dumbledore smiled “However, I find that recent events must be taken into account”

Severus looked up sharply, his eyes burning with suspicion; if he was any judge, Dumbledore was about to do what he had expressly promised not to.

“Firstly, to Mr Theodore Nott, for the best played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Slytherin five points.”

Amid the clapping, Theodore blushed scarlet. Draco, however, looked slightly put out “I helped win the game too, you know” the blond complained truculently.

“Secondly, to Miss Hermione Granger, for cool logic in the face of fire, and Mr Blaize Zabini, for his ability to think outside the box, I award Slytherin ten points.”

The Slytherin table clapped furiously, excited, expectant expressions on their faces; they had almost equalised.

Thirdly, to Mr Draco Malfoy, the second Slytherin to wield the sword of Gryffindor, and to Mr Harry Potter, for sheer nerve and courage, I award Slytherin ten points”

Heavy silence filled the hall as people frantically added up the scores; at the Gryffindor table, the students were triumphant- Slytherin were still two points away from winning the House Cup and all the first years involved in the defence of the Third Floor had already been rewarded.

Dumbledore smiled indulgently “And, finally, to Heidi Granger, for her spirited defence of the Slytherin Dorms against invisible intruders, I award Slytherin five points.”

As Slytherin resounded with cries of joy, laughter and spirited congratulations, the bunting turned green and, behind the teachers table, the banner darkened, the boarder deepening to black while the inside ceased at viridian, against which the stately, silver Slytherin serpent reclined, with his elegant head held high.

“Congratulations, Slytherin.” Dumbledore grinned like a naughty schoolboy, and sitting down, tucked into his duck a la Orange, pretending not to notice Severus fuming.

“Oh! Come on, Severus” Minerva said, shaking her head “You’ve won for the seventh year in a row, you should be pleased”

“The children should not be rewarded for their heroics, Minerva” he replied, shaking her proffered hand “It will just encourage them- not to mention others, who will seek to follow their example- to take matters into their own hands.”

Minerva, smiled into Severus’ concerned eyes “Bairns will always seek to act older than their years, Severus, and, if your House really is having a renaissance, if the next generation of Slytherins have become disciples of Salazar, rather than Phineas Nigellus, well, it’s all to the good, isn’t it?”

Severus smiled wryly and poured Minerva a goblet of wine “Well, here’s to House Unity. Although, I think your little lions might be rather less disposed” he indicated to the Gryffindor table, at which the students were sullenly picking at their food.

“They’ll get over it, Severus.” Minerva smiled, holding up her glass “Slàinte!”

“Skal!” Severus replied, chinking glasses. He caught Harry’s half-gleeful, half-anxious gaze and smiled, nodding his approval.

Harry grinned at his beloved father and, helping himself to a pasty and some chips, turned back to his friends’ animated discussion over who the first Slytherin to wield Gryffindor’s Sword might have been.

oOoOo

The eagerly awaited exam results brought yet more good news: Harry, to his delight, found that he had passed every exam with flying colours and, beside his ‘Defence Against the Dark Arts’ score were the mysterious words ‘Summa Cum Laude’, which, as Severus was pleased to inform his son, meant that Harry had passed with over ninety-five percent.

Every first year had passed and Blaise, Theo and Draco’s marks were almost as high as Harry’s, save that Draco’s was awarded one ‘E’, for History of Magic. However, to Draco, for whom dates went in one ear and out the other, that ‘E’ was as precious as any ‘summa cum laude’ and he proudly wrote to his parents, boasting of his success.

oOoOo

Tomorrow, the Hogwarts Express was to take Harry to London, from whence Severus would drive them to Winchester, a beautiful city where they were going to stay overnight, and, thence, to Cornwall. Admittedly, it would be faster to simply floo but both Severus and Harry knew that the journey would be an enjoyable experience, especially as Winchester, like London, has a hidden Wizarding settlement to explore.

Tonight, however, Harry was visiting Hissy for the first time since that fateful night. The eleven year old felt slightly guilty for neglecting the basilisk, he owed Hissy his life, yet every time he considered going down to the Chamber of Secrets, Harry had made an excuse: he knew that he had procrastinated because, that night, the basilisk had scared him but it was shameful to admit that as a reason. Tonight, he would make amends.

The Chamber was delightfully cool and airy, a sharp contrast from the humid summer heat, and Harry found himself glad to be here, in the catacombs. Something about this place was welcoming, secure. It felt like a second home.

*“Hello Harry, I hope you are safe in your scales”* Hissy psshed solicitously as Harry entered the Basilisk’s living quarters. The obsidian and sapphire snake was coiled up comfortably around Slytherin’s statue.

*“Hello Hissy”* Harry replied, smiling at the huge, sleepy, obsidian and sapphire snake. Relaxed like this, the basilisk looked much less threatening. “I’m fine, I was jusssst really tired, I guessssss.”*

Hissy nodded *“Ssssso you were, sssssilly hatchling. Why did you not asssssssk me? I would have given venom onto the evil one before he could take the life-giving-ssstone.”*

Harry blushed beetroot red *“I didn’t think!”*

The basilisk flicked his tongue resignedly *“Ever the sssssame, hatchingsssss biting big prey without their hatchersss’ eyesssesss: bruisssed ssscalesssss and broken fangssssss. Ssssssstill, no harm done thisss time.”*

Harry smiled and stroked Hissy’s silky snout. *“What happened, after I clossssssed my eyessss?”*

*“Bitten Two-legs woke and checked your heart and breath. He picked you up and ssssstarted lifting you to the door. I hissssed to him that you had dropped your falsssse fang and that I knew a better way out but he jussst ran away.”* Hissy fssed, irritated *“I think he thought I would bite him.”*

*“My falssse fa..?”* Harry gasped in horror *“Ssssssslitherin’ssss metal. I losssst it!”*

*“Do not scccchh, Harry.”* Hissy psshed comfortingly *“Nothing iss ever losssst in thissss nessst. The small-false-fang, the big-false-fang, they go ssssomewhere, they come again at need. Pigssspotsssss, Sssssssnakebitingtail, Firsssssstgarden, all are joined, all are one and the fangssss passss between them. You will find Ssssssslytherin’sss false-fang again.”*

Harry smiled at the kindly, old snake *“Why issss Sssslytherin’ss little-false-fang ssssunmetal and Gryffindor’s big-false-fang moonmetal?”*

Hissy pssshed *“They are both sssssssunmetal, hatchling: gold sun-metal and white sun-metal, like the summer and winter sun. Sssalazar’ssss basilisk, Ayumu, liked the sssummer, so he took gold-sssun-metal and leaf-ssstones ass hissssss.”* the basilisk explained. *“And Godric’s hatchers’ prey wassss white-sun-metal and they liked red ssssssstonesss, the colour of blood.”* Hissy flicked his tongue *“But Sssssalazar, hissss human blood liked the cool of winter and his ssscales were pale, whereasss Godric was hot-blooded, with golden scales like ssssssummer-sun. They decided to sssswap sun-metal in friendsssssship; Godric took gold, Ssssalazar took white.”* Hissy’s jaws opened in a serpentine smile *“They kept their ssssstonessss, however, ssso green mated with white, red with gold.”*

Harry grinned *“Ssso they changed ssssun-metalsss becausssse white-sun-metal looked better of Sssssslytherin and gold-sun-metal looked better on Godric?”* he said with a laugh.

*“Jusssst ssssso.”* Hissy pssshed *“Asssssss powerful asss a bassssssilissssk may be, he alwaysss wisssshesss to appear to hissss bessssst advantage.”*

Harry nodded, still tickled by the idea that Slytherin swapped yellow gold with white gold purely for the sake of vanity.

oOoOo

“Wake up Harry! We’ll be late!” cried Draco, shaking Harry’s arm.

“Hmm?” the raven haired boy sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “What time is it?”

“Ten to nine!” Draco cried, still in his white and blue striped pyjamas. The blond boy grabbed an armful of clothing from his wardrobe and rushing over to dump it in his trunk.

“Damn! Why didn’t the others wake us!” moaned Harry, crawling out of bed and padding over to his own wardrobe. He threw the hanger which held his uniform onto the bed and scooped up an armful of jumpers and trousers, before tottering, still half asleep, to his trunk. Balancing the bulky bundle in one hand, Harry wrenched the trunk open…

To find Slytherin’s dagger: clean, shining and lying neatly on a note which read “Just in case.”

oOoOo

After a hurried breakfast of eggs, beans and sausages, Harry, Theo, Blaise and Draco traipsed down to the river bank, from whence Hagrid was going to sail them to the train-station.

“It’s kind of funny to think that this is the last time we’ll take these boats” sighed Blaise, looking across the beautiful, green grounds, dotted with daisies, to the smooth, navy lake, which shimmered in the summer sun.

Harry nodded sadly, as much as he loved the wild beauty of Uroborus, he knew that he would miss Hogwarts. A thought suddenly struck him “How to all the other kids get to the Hogwarts Express?”

“Threstral-drawn carriages” Theo said with a shudder “They give me the creeps.”

“They’re nice, threstrals!” Harry retorted, in defence of Nightshade, the beautiful filly he had flown throughout the summer.

“So they are, Harry” grinned Hagrid, catching their conversation. “Sweeter natured beasties yeh’ll not find anywhere. Like my Fluffy, heh?” he winked “Beats me how yeh knew that music were the trick, I’ve never told it to nobody else!”

“We found a book in the library” Draco grinned “Written by Heracles!”

“Ah, that’d do it!” Hagrid replied cheerfully. “Now, would yeh four like to come in me boat? I’ve got room enough.”

As Harry carefully stepped into the boat, it dawned on him that it was rather strange that, despite the rarity and value of his egg, the dragon-breeder allowed Hagrid to win it. Hagrid, who could not maintain a ‘poker face’ for love or money, Hagrid, who occasionally forgot the rules of snap, Hagrid who enthuse at length about magical creatures if anyone showed even a modicum of interest…

Harry shook his head. No point in even finishing that thought; Hagrid was happier not knowing. Ignorance is bliss.

oOoOo

After collecting their pets from the Menagerie-Carriage, a journey which took two trips for Blaise, whose owl, Hermes, regarded Balthazar with suspicion and mistrust, and a little careful organisation, Draco, Harry, Theo and Blaise settled into their seats, ready for the long journey to London.

“How do you think it’s going to be, seeing Hermione again?” Theo asked, resting his socked feet on Balthazar’s broad back. The large, lazy serpent hissed in contentment, his dark tongue almost as thick as Sal, who was coiled contentedly on top of his large head.

“I don’t know” Harry replied, smiling as Reggie, on noticing the nervousness in his boy’s voice, pressed his warm under-jaw against Harry’s cheek. “It’ll be okay, though, Hermione’s really easy to talk to and I kind of know what she’s going through.”

“And that Dudley boy is arriving the next week” Draco grimaced, looking as if he had a nasty taste in his mouth “You’re welcome to escape to ours, Harry.”

“Hey!” Theo exclaimed, glaring at Draco. “That’s mean!”

“I didn’t mean escape from Hermione” Draco sighed “She can come too. Mother’s very good with girls. They can, I don’t know, look over sample fabrics for dress robes if Hermione doesn’t feel up to joining in with us.”

Harry laughed “Hermione’s not that sort of girl. She’d prefer a book.”

“I know that but, well, reading isn’t good if you’re feeling down!” Draco retorted “Is it, Blaise?”

“I wouldn’t know” Blaise replied, turning over a page of the Daily Prophet “I scarcely ever get to read under any circumstances.”

Draco rolled his eyes and skimmed his hand over Isis’s back, smiling indulgently as she moved to follow his fingers. “Next year we can enter the Quidditch tryouts. Recon we’ll make the team, Harry?”

oOoOo

As the children chattered and laughed, consuming copious quantities of cakes, jelly beans and popping-cauldrons, the Hogwarts Express snaked through the countryside, glimmering like a ruby serpent as the landscape faded and softened; the slate rock of the mountains crumbling into rich, brown loam, dark, sharp evergreens tapering into to tender-leaved deciduous trees and hardy thistles and gorse brightening into poppies, cornflowers and ox-eye daisies.

Speeding the young serpents within it's carnelian scales ever onward, into a brighter, happier future.