‘And so with the death of Fangrot IV, the second goblin war came to an end, and there was peace between goblins and wizards for 75 years.’ Harry put down his quill and capped his ink. History of magic was his last class before Christmas break, and he had just finished his exam. He had three weeks to enjoy before classes started up again. And his father, Severus Snape, was taking him on vacation.

At least he called it a vacation. Harry wasn’t so sure that trekking around in the jungles of South America qualified as a vacation, but with Sirius Black still on the loose, it would take 5000 miles of distance for his dad to feel that he was safe outside Hogwarts.

Hermione had been so jealous when she heard about the trip.

“Really Harry,” she said, “the chance to go with your dad collecting samples of plants and animals for potions is such an opportunity! Maybe you’ll meet local potions masters and learn how their methods differ from our own. I wish I could go.”

At this point Ron piped up, “Maybe if you ask, Snape’ll take you and leave Harry at my house.”

“Sorry Ron, but I’m pretty sure my dad won’t go for that. Besides, Hagrid was really hoping I could bring him back a new pet. I’m thinking monkey of some kind., or maybe an exotic parrot.”

Early the next morning Severus and Harry stepped out of the international floo terminal in Quito, Ecuador. Harry thought it was funny that even with security checks and lines, because of the time zone changes they arrived four hours before they left.

Exiting through the muggle side of the airport, they caught a taxi to their hotel.

“Tomorrow,” began Severus, “our guide will meet us at breakfast to take us to our camp site. Remember, from this point on, bottled water only. I’ll not have you being sick all over the countryside.”

“Yes, Dad. How far out into the jungle are we going?”

“There is a group of potions researchers living about 30 miles from here just outside of Mindo. We will be staying there four nights before moving on to our next location. The dark lord has never shown any interest in wizards descended from the local indigenous peoples, so likely no one here will know anything about you. They will also be more intrigued than frightened by your parseltongue abilities. If you choose to reveal them, expect to be asked to help collect venom from some of the local fauna.”

“That’s cool. As long as nobody wants to hurt them, I’d love to talk to the local snakes.”

They spent the day looking at maps, talking about the research that Severus wanted to do, and enjoying the local cuisine. Then they had an early night, because they were still on UK time.

The next morning came very early for Harry, but he was excited to get going. Severus gave him a potion that would allow him to understand Spanish, as well as the local dialects. As they got to the camp site, and he saw the beauty of the surrounding area, he started to think Hermione had been right about this trip.

Their guide was named Matias, and he had lived in the area all his life. He dropped them off at the camp, and promised to return for them in four days. The researchers were from all over the world, and were led by Sofia who came from Mexico. She and Severus had met at a potions symposium some years back. She was a grandmotherly woman with a warm smile.

“Hola Severus. Welcome to Mindo. And this must be Harry. Welcome child. Your tents are over there.

Would you like coffee or tea?”

“Thank-you Sofia,” Severus said. “We are very glad to be here. Thank-you for inviting us. Tea would be very nice. I am anxious to see what you have collected, and your data analysis.”

Over their tea, Severus explained the direction of his own research, and the particular plants he wanted to collect. Harry was impressed with his father’s passion and expansive knowledge. He hoped to be able to help with the harvesting.

Turning to Harry Sofia asked, “What do you think of our little paradise so far, Harry?”

“It’s beautiful, ma’am. And the climate has Scotland in December beat by a mile.”

Severus spoke quietly to Sofia. “You told me one of your team is studying reptiles. I think he and Harry would enjoy working together.”

Sofia seemed happily surprised. “Tom here just joined us a month ago, from the University of Brisbane. He is studying using some of the rare snake venoms in healing potions.”

Tom asked Harry, “Are you interested in herpetology?”

“Well, I don’t know about my life’s work or anything yet, sir. But I’m a parselmouth, so snakes are interested in me.”

“What?! First of all, call me Tom. We are going to be best mates. Are you done with your tea? There

are some animals we’ve collected that I’d like you to meet.”

“Can I go, Dad?”

“All right, Harry. Stay close to Tom, and within sight of the camp at all times. Do not wander off. Tom, I expect my son to be returned in one piece.”

“I understand, sir. I’ll treat him like my own kid brother.”

As the two younger wizards bounded off into the jungle, Sofia smiled at Severus.

“Fatherhood seems to agree with you, Severus. Since you arrived, I’ve seen three facial expressions besides your trademarked glare. Come with me, and we will start to look at my data.”

“In truth, that child will be the death of me, Sofia. He is the biggest magnet for trouble I have ever seen. But his heart is huge, and he loves fiercely.”

After hours of inspecting plants and their properties, and dinner on the fly, Severus met up with Harry just in time for Harry to go to bed. It filled his heart to hear Harry talk about his day speaking with every snake he saw. And it seemed that Harry was starting to love the idea of what could be done with snake venom and skins in potions. Scavenging the basilisk with Severus had sparked his interest, and now he had found fun in research. Severus lay in his own sleeping bag more glad than ever that he had brought Harry on this trip.

Two days later, Harry and Severus celebrated Christmas with Sofia and her team. Severus gave the team some samples of English plants and insects he had brought with them for the purpose. The scientists in turn, presented Severus with a detailed list of where to look for the items he was seeking.

Tom gave Harry a book on the care and feeding of equatorial reptiles. Harry reciprocated with a tiny snake that he convinced to join the scientific team. She would allow her venom to be collected, and would live with Tom when he retuned to Australia.

Harry gave Severus his translation of Salazar Slytherin’s personal diary. He had managed to hide it when they went into the chamber, so Severus was completely surprised. Severus gave Harry a complete set of top quality safety gear for quiditch, and gift certificates to some of his favorite muggle and wizarding shops. Their gifts from their friends at home would be waiting for them when they retuned.

By the end of two weeks, Severus and Harry had visited four other research sites in search of the ingredients Severus wanted. Following tips from Sofia and the local wizards, they visited Columbia and Venezuela, and Harry had found a parrot egg to send to Hagrid. Harry had never seen so many kinds of the same plant. His father was looking for something, but was very mysterious about what.

Each night they would call for Dobby and Severus’ elf, Listi, to take their collections back to Hogwarts under a stasis charm. The egg, of course was sent directly to Hagrid with instructions for its care.

One particular morning, Severus emerged from his tent, and looked around for Harry. What he saw brought his heart into his mouth, and dropped his stomach to his feet. On the river bank he found his son lying on his back on the back of an enormous crocodile, chatting in parseltongue.

{So just as I was about to grab the snitch, the bludger came flying out of nowhere and broke my arm. I caught it though. Then I fell off my broom and the idiot DADA teacher made all the bones in my arm disappear.}

{You are a great hunter, little one. Is this snitch tasty?}

Shaking slightly and approaching carefully, Severus quietly asked, “Harry, what are you and your new friend doing?”

“I’m telling Jasmine about quiditch, Dad. She is telling me about her life. Near as I can figure, she is the same age as me. She is really good at fishing, and once she caught a bird. She’s not fond of feathers, though.”

“As fascinating as that is, we should be packing up to leave. I have a lead on the flower I seek in Panama. Say goodbye to …Jasmine… and carefully walk away from her, please.”

“Sure, Dad. But you don’t have to worry, Jasmine likes me. She wouldn’t hurt me.”

“All animals balance intelligence and instinct. Many reptiles have small brains and therefore lean more toward instinct. It is not a good idea to push your luck with creatures you have just met. And tell her not to approach any other humans. Losing their fear of man is what gets animals killed.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll remember.”

{I have to go now, my dad wants us to get ready to leave. I’ve had a really nice time talking to you. Remember that all humans aren’t good, and you should avoid most of us.}

{I will remember, child.} And she slipped soundlessly into the murky water.

As they packed up the tents, Harry thought about all the samples they were collecting.

“So Dad, are we looking for something in particular, or are you just grabbing everything we can’t get back home?”

“A little bit of both, Harry. One of the texts you translated for me from the Chamber of Secrets hinted at an actual cure for lycanthrope. And Professor Sprout is always excited to get new seeds. If I collect things for her, she will let me use some space in one of the greenhouses to grow ingredients I can’t grow outside. I’m always experimenting, of course, and new combinations yield new results. Do you remember that large yellow flower we gathered in Columbia?”

“The one you harvested a huge bag full of ?”

“Yes, that’s the one. It is a tropical relative of the honeysuckle plant. I’m hoping that with the increased amount of sun it gets here, it will be more potent in the itch relief paste. And, the orchids I gathered when we were with Sofia will help smooth out the harshness of the memory recovery draught. Except for the soft purple one. That I’m going to grow for Professor McGonagall. She is partial to purple flowers.”

“Uhm, Dad, isn’t she a little old for you? OW! Hey, not in the head! I’m just kidding.”

“Make a suggestion like that to her, and a slap to the back of your head will be the least of your worries. My mother died during my 6th year, and Minerva became a mother figure to me. When I joined the Dark Lord I broke her heart, and when I came back she was the first to forgive me.”

“So, can I call her Grandma Minnie?”

“If you don’t mind spending time as a porcelain cat on one of her office shelves, by all means. Be aware that I will take points if you can’t change yourself back and you miss my class. Hold on to my arm, and we will be off to our next location.”

CRACK

One bit of tropical jungle was starting to look much like another to Harry, but he had checked their plan and knew that they were in Panama. He and Severus set up their tents, and he started to prepare their lunch.

“Dad, you mentioned lycanthrope. Is that werewolves? They’re real?”

“Yes Harry, quite real. Those bitten suffer quite terribly during the full moon. There is a potion that allows them to keep their mind during the change, but not being forced to change at all would be preferable. There is a pack living in the forbidden forest, that being one of the reasons it is forbidden.” He was not prepared to out Remus Lupin as Harry looked to the DADA teacher as a link to his dead parents.

They spent the rest of that day and most of the next gathering samples of plants and insects.

“There’s one thing I don’t understand, Dad”

“Just one?”

“Ha, ha. Salazar Slytherin lived in Britain, right? So if he had a cure for lycanthrope, or anything else for that matter, wouldn’t it use ingredients available back home?”

“In theory, yes. But plants have gone extinct in different areas over the centuries, and again, a tropical variety may be more potent.”

“So, what does the plant you want look like?”

“Hmm? Oh, it looks like…that. See that blood red flower over there? We are going to collect a few of the flowers, and all of the leaves we can fit in the stasis bag.”

As the day turned to evening, they completed their work, and sent the samples off with the elves. Harry knew his father would take the opportunity while they were here to gather everything he could, both plant insect, so they wouldn’t go home until the last possible day. Which meant he had another few days to find a souvenir for himself.

The Souvenir Chapter 3

Harry was ready to go home. The jungle had lost its allure, and he couldn’t wait to get back to school, and his friends, and his dorm bed, and regular showers, and he was sick of harvesting plants and catching bugs. Just two days to go.

“Harry,” began Severus, “This is our last stop, and there is a plant here that needs to be harvested by the light of the full moon. So please ask the local populace if they know anything about local werewolves. If there are any, we can’t stay.”

Harry walked a few feet into the trees and started to call out in parseltongue. {Is anybody here? Can I talk to you?}

Suddenly the jungle shook with the influx of reptiles. {A speaker! We have never known one. What can we speak of youngling?}

When Harry emerged into the clearing he was draped with snakes, and dozens followed behind him like puppies.

{Uhm, I’m not sure what the words are, but I need to know if there are any moon wolves around here.}

Most of the snakes didn’t know what he was talking about, and he wasn’t sure if that was good or bad.

Then the large bushmaster snake that was hanging on his shoulders spoke up. {I know of what you speak, hatchling. The creature is a two-leg except when the moon shines full. There are none of those in this place. You must not seek them out. Stay here with us and be safe.}

{Oh, I’m not looking for them. My father wants to gather flowers tomorrow night, and we need to know if it’s safe. Do you have a name friend? I’m Harry.}

{I am Ssanass, Harry. Tell us of your home. Have you many nest mates?}

{No, just me. My parents were killed by an evil man, and eventually I was adopted by the tall dark one over there. He teaches where I go to school.}

{You need nest mates. We will come with you back to your home.}

{I don’t think that is going to work out. It is pretty cold there most of the time. I don’t think you’d like it. Maybe I can work it out for one of you.}

“Harry, do they understand what we need to know? I want to get on with this one way or the other.”

“Oh, sorry, Dad. This big guy here is Ssanass. He understands, and he says there are no werewolves around here. Uhm, he is really nice, and he thinks I need a brother, so I was wondering…”

“NO. You are not carting an eight foot long, poisonous snake back to Hogwarts. I knew you were spending too much time with Hagrid. Now, thank him, put him down, and help me with the tents please. And tell him that puppy dog eyes don’t work on me and look ridiculous on a snake.”

{Sorry, no deal. Thanks for the information though.}

{Goodbye little one. Just call for us if you change your mind.}

The rest of their time was spent on planning the moonlight excursion. Just because there were no werewolves didn’t mean that the jungle was safe, especially at night. Harry tried many ways to ask Severus to let him take something home. After all, Severus got hundreds of specimens, Hagrid got a parrot, Professor Sprout got plants, and even Professor McGonagall got an orchid. He shouldn’t be the only one who came out of this trip without a souvenir. It just wasn’t fair.

Finally it was time to gather up the last flower Severus wanted. The jungle was both beautiful and frightening by moonlight. They found the patch they were looking for just as the flowers opened fully to the moonlight. It made them glow with an unearthly luminescence. In the end, Harry was glad he got to see it. The harvesting didn’t take long as the flowers were very easy to find, and soon, the two were back in their clearing crawling into their tents to sleep.

The next morning was rainy and dreary, but Harry didn’t care. They were finally going home. Severus put the flowers they gathered the previous night into the stasis bag, and they broke down the tents in preparation to leave.

“Harry, I have thought about what you asked, and although you may not take Ssanass, you have been very helpful this trip and you do deserve a souvenir. Here is an animal stasis box. You may pick ONE, SMALL, NONPOISONOUS pet to bring back with us. It may live in your room in my quarters.”

Harry’s eyes lit up. This was the best news he had heard the whole vacation. Yelping a quick “Thanks, Dad” he scampered off into the trees. Nearly half an hour later, he walked out holding the box carefully, grinning from ear to ear.

“Do you want to check what I got, Dad?”

“I believe my instructions were clear about what you may, and may not adopt, right?”

“Sure, Dad.”

“And you know what I will do if you willfully disobey me, correct?”

“Roast my bum.”

“Unnecessarily picturesque, but essentially correct, and I am sure I can trust you to have made a wise choice. Besides, I gave you a very small box.”

The trip home was quite uneventful, and the duo arrived at Hogwarts gates in the middle of the same afternoon that the other students were returning. Harry was quite happy to unpack his bags and still have time to meet the train. With Sirius Black still not caught, all the students had gone home for the holidays allowing for the wards to be strengthened.

For the first time, Harry had better stories from his vacation than Hermione and Ron. All the way back in the carriage, he retold the tale of meeting Jasmine, and Ssanass, and also the researchers. Hermione was so happy for him. His adoption by professor Snape had worked out really well, he looked healthy, and happy.

He promised to get her a copy of the paper that his friend Tom was writing on the snake venoms and healing potions.

Ron was relieved that Harry was doing so well. He loved the crocodile tooth that Harry had brought back for him. He couldn’t wait to compare it to Charlie’s dragon tooth.

After the start of term feast, Harry took Ron and Hermione down to the dungeons to look at his souvenir. It was an egg the size of a larger goose egg. It was buried in a pot of sand with a warming charm keeping it nice and toasty. Hermione looked dubious.

“It’s nice, Harry, but what is it? I mean what will it be when it hatches?”

“Well, I’m not entirely sure. I know it is going to be a reptile, and the snakes in the area, who showed me the nest, promise that it won’t be poisonous, but beyond that, your guess is as good as mine. I guess we’ll all find out in 2 to 4 weeks.”

At this, even Ron was unsure. “Mate, is this really a good idea? Suppose it turns out to be dangerous. Remember Hagrid and Norbert.”

“Don’t worry guys”, Harry scoffed, “I know it isn’t a dragon because there weren’t any in the area where I found it. And remember, I speak parseltongue. I’ve already been talking to it, and I’m sure it will be fine. I promised Dad he can have the shell, and really, what could come out of a little egg like that?”

As Harry cooed happily at his future pet, Hermione just shook her head. “Harry, the basilisk hatched out of a chicken egg, and it grew to what, 60 feet?”

“Come on Hermione, it took hundreds of years to grow that long. I graduate in four and a half. You just wait. This is going to be great.”

“Well, I hope so Harry. Oh, gosh, it’s getting late. We’d better be getting back to the tower.”

Harry started to spend part of every day in his dungeon room talking to his egg, and waiting patiently for it to hatch. On one Saturday, he went to see Hagrid, and found him trying to coax his baby parrot onto his shoulder. Come summer, he was going to look like a gigantic pirate.

With Professor Sprout’s help, Severus had forced the orchid to grow very quickly, and it would be blooming any day now, much to Minerva’s delight. Severus even made some extra strength lemon drops for the headmaster using fresh lemons they had picked on their trip. Everyone had their memento of the trip and Harry continued to wait.

Chapter 4

Twenty-three days had passed since Harry and Severus came home. In between quiditch practice and studying, Harry was spending as much time as possible with his egg. “Just like an expectant father,” said Hagrid. It was Friday night, Severus was with Dumbledore, and as Harry sat reading, he heard a tiny crack. His head snapped up, and again, a tiny crack. He was at the desk in a moment. Cooing in both English and Parseltongue, he encouraged his new pet to emerge. He brushed away some on the sand, so the egg was exposed, and waited with baited breath.

After a few minutes a snout emerged from the egg, and Harry cheered. {Hello little one. I have waited so long for you to hatch. Can I help you?}

He was greeted with a very indignant reply {I can do it myself! I am glad you’re here though. Is there anything to eat?} As the creature spoke, it was also breaking more and more free of the shell. With a final lunge, it flopped out onto the sand, a sticky mess.

Harry studied the creature closely. Not a snake, more of a lizard, but with what looked like flippers instead of legs. Carefully Harry lifted the little creature and put it on the edge of a large shallow tank of sea water. It slipped into the water and swam happily around, washing off the slime and sand.

{I wasn’t sure what you’d like to eat, so I brought spinach and some small worms.} Laying the shreds of the offerings at the edge of the water, Harry was pleased to see his new friend eating both kinds of food. An omnivore would be easier to keep than a straight carnivore. {I don’t suppose you know how big you are going to be do you?} {Oh, I am going to be HUGE. I am going to be the most powerfulest, biggest creature in the world. Who are you?} {Oh, I’m Harry. I’m your human guardian, and you are my new pet. I’ll need to think of a name for you unless you have any thoughts on that.} {I don’t care what you call me as long as you keep bringing food like a good servant.} {Well, here is a cricket. When you get a little bigger, I’ll bring you some fish. I think I’ll call you … wait, are you a boy or a girl?} {I am female.} {Oh good. The Inca goddess of the sea was Mama Cocha. So, I’ll call you Cocha.} {A goddess. Yes, that is acceptable. I am going to sleep now. I’ll want more food when I wake up.}

Harry chuckled to himself, and did a basic sketch of Cocha to take to the library. He was going to need to do some research to figure out what kind of creature she was. Maybe Hermione would help. He called for Dobby and asked him to take a message to Hermione and Ron.

A bit later, there was a knock on the outer door to the quarters. Ron looked very excited to see Harry’s new pet, and even Hermione seemed interested. Cocha was sleeping peacefully on the sand when Harry brought his friends into his room. “Wow, Harry. What is it?” Ron asked. “It looks a little like a water dragon.”

“I don’t know yet. I’m going to look her up in the library. So far, I know she will eat either plants or meat. I’ve named her Cocha, after the goddess of the sea. She seems to like it. What do you think ‘Mione?”

Hermione looked thoughtful. “I’ve never seen anything quite like her, Harry. She sort of looks like the drawings of the Loch Ness monster. Honestly, Harry, only you could go on a plant gathering trip and come home with something like this! Leave Dobby in charge of feeding if she wakes up, and let’s go to the library.”

Before they left, Harry put a pile of greens and earthworms where Cocha would find them.

His quarters were dark when Severus returned from his meeting, so he assumed Harry had returned to Gryffindor tower. The light in Harry’s room was dim, but the door was open and Severus noted with satisfaction the state of the room. Clothes off the floor, books arranged neatly on the desk, shards of egg shell in a small dish for Severus to take, and a miniature plesiosaur munching on some green leaves. A plesiosaur having a snack…a plesiosaur…a PLESIOSAUR!

Lady Hogwarts smiled to herself as the dungeons shook with the sound of parental frustration.

“HARRY JAMES POTTER-SNAPE!!!!!!!!!!!”