Severus could not believe he had been talked into running a dueling club with Lockhart, of all professors. Why not Flitwick? He would have been an excellent professor to teach the children, a formidable opponent, but no. Since Lockhart had proposed the idea, he was given lead on running the class. And Severus had been forced to volunteer as second hand. Well, not forced. Politely asked by the headmaster in front of all the other professors to assist Lockhart in handling the students and making sure things did not get out of hand. It was hardly a question so much as a request.

               He assisted in vanishing the tables in the Great Hall and transfiguring a temporary stage for demonstrations. He sighed as he found a place in the back of the room to lean against the wall and watch as students flooded into the room, everyone holding their wands and excitedly looking around as they waited for the room to fill up. He spotted his son and watched Harry and his friends walk in, eagerly taking in the new sights.

               Then Lockhart walked on stage.

               Severus rolled his eyes.

               Lockhart was wearing extravagant deep plum robes and he waved his arms around, encouraging everyone to move closer.

               “Gather around, gather around!” Lockhart said. “Can everyone see me?”

               Everyone shuffled closer and nodded eagerly, clapping their hands, and waiting to see what Lockhart would say next.

               “Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little dueling club to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on many occasions.”

               Severus narrowed his eyes at Lockhart. What a self-righteous, piece of . . .

               “Now let me introduce my assistant, Severus Snape,” Lockhart said.

               Assistant? Severus nearly growled under his breath. He curled his upper lip in distaste as Lockhart’s next words.

               “He tells me he knows a bit about dueling himself,” Lockhart continued, “and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, don’t worry everyone. You’ll still have your potions master when I’m through with him.”

               Oh, I’m so terrified, Severus thought as he pushed off the wall and started walking up on the stage. He met Lockhart halfway on the stage. Lockhart bowed with flair and much twirling of his hands while Severus merely jerked his head irritably. Then, he raised his wand like a sword, mirroring Lockhart who did the same.

               “As you can see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position,” Lockhart said. “On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course.”

               “I wouldn’t bet on that,” Severus heard Harry mutter to his friends, and he couldn’t help the small smirk.

               Lockhart began counting, and when he got to three, Severus wasted no time in shouting, “Expelliarmus!” and in a dazzling flash of scarlet light, Lockhart was blasted off the stage and flew into a back wall, sliding in a sprawl on the floor.

               Severus crossed his arms and waited, trying to ignore the mix of cheers and cries of alarm from the students. He watched as Lockhart rose unsteadily to his feet, his wavy hair standing on end. He glared as the man began smiling and nodding at the students.

               “Well, there you have it!” he said, tottering back into the platform. “That was a Disarming Charm. As you can see, I’ve lost my wand—ah, thank you, Miss Brown—yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don’t mind me saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you, it would have been only too easy. However, I felt it would be instructive to let them see . . ..”

               Severus’s glare had deepened as Lockhart blathered on about the demonstration, and Severus used his Legilimency to send several images of Lockhart blasting off the stage again if he didn’t shut up and move on. Message was clearly received as Lockhart paled then changed the topic quickly.

               “Enough demonstrating!” Lockhart said. “Time to put you students in pairs to practice the Disarming Charm. Professor Snape, if you’d like to help me.”

               Most of the students began pairing themselves up and their group was merely approved by Lockhart or Severus as they moved through the crowd. Severus narrowed his eyes at the Golden Trio, quickly changing direction to stop their foolish pairing.

               “Fix your wand yet, Mr. Weasley?” Severus asked as he approached the students, startling all three of them.

               “N-no, sir,” Ron said softly, hiding his wand behind his back as if to conceal just how messed up his wand really was.

               “Perhaps it would be best if you sit this one out,” Severus suggested in a tone that was clearly a demand not a request.

               “Yes, sir,” Ron said glumly, stepping back.

               “It seems you need a partner, Mr. Potter,” Severus said.

               Harry glanced at Hermione, but Severus shook his head. A lesson like this needed full willingness to knock your opponent off their feet, not play tug of war with a friend’s wand.

               “I don’t think so,” Severus said. “Mr. Malfoy, come over here. Let’s see what you make of the famous Potter. Miss Granger, you can partner with Miss Bulstrode.”

               As the two Slytherins in question strutted over to Harry and Hermione, Harry gave Severus an annoyed look, which Severus ignored as he walked away, joining Lockhart on the stage once more so he had a clear view of all the students should anything happen. He had a feeling that all these kids were not going to follow the order of disarming only, and he kept his wand ready to put an end to any tomfoolery.

               “Wands at the ready!” Lockhart called. “When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponents—only to disarm them—we don’t want any accidents. One . . . two . . . three!”

               Naturally, no one did as they were told. Severus sighed as he watched chaos unfold all around the Great Hall, all sorts of jinxes and hexes flying all over the place, many students falling over or succumbing to tickling, dancing, and even inflating charms. Honestly, what had Albus been thinking approving Lockhart to run a dueling club? Flitwick would have been a far better instructor, and no one would have disobeyed his orders. Not that Severus would allow this either.

               “I said disarm only!” Lockhart yelled, but he seemed unsure what to do to cease the madness.

               “Finite Incantatem!” Severus shouted, waving his wand in a big circle at the room. All the charms cancelled, and the students turned their attention to the teachers once more, who both stepped down from the platform to assess the damage. Severus fixed up swollen noses, small cuts, and even bat-wing ears on a few students.

               “I think I better teach you how to block unfriendly spells,” he heard Lockhart say, and he glanced in the wizard’s direction.

               Who’s doing the blocking? Severus thought in his head, and he couldn’t help the smirk. Lockhart quickly looked away, and much to Severus’s disappointment, looked for students to demonstrate.

               “Let’s have a volunteer pair. Longbottom and Finch-Fletchley, how about you two?”

               “A bad idea, Professor Lockhart,” Severus said, stalking over toward Lockhart. “Longbottom causes devastation with the simplest spells. We’ll be sending what’s left of Finch-Fletchley up to the hospital wing in a matchbox.” Severus did not miss Neville’s blush at his words. “Might I suggest Malfoy and Potter?”

               “Excellent idea!” said Lockhart, gesturing Harry and Draco onto the platform.

               While Lockhart spoke with Harry, probably failing to properly perform a blocking charm, Severus decided his side was supposed to throw the hexes for Harry to block. Well, wouldn’t this be fun. He’d need something harmless, of course, something easy to clean up with minimal damage, it was his adopted son after all. As Draco came up to his side, he leaned close and whispered in Draco’s ear.

               “You know the snake summons spell, don’t you?” he asked.

               Draco smirked and that was all the answer Severus needed. It was a fairly useless spell for most wizards but could be startling and unexpected. And Severus could just as easily banish the snake should Harry fail to conjure a blocking charm. Of course, that was assuming Lockhart was teaching it correctly. And if Harry’s anxious face was anything to go by, Lockhart was not teaching it correctly at all.

               “Professor, could you show me that blocking thing again?” Harry asked.

               “Scared?” Draco muttered so Lockhart didn’t hear.

               “You wish,” said Harry out of the corner of his mouth.

               “Just do what I did, Harry,” Lockhart said merrily, cuffing Harry’s shoulder slightly.

               “What, drop my wand?” Harry asked.

               Severus snorted at that, then watched eagerly as Lockhart counted up to three.

Draco raised his wand quickly and bellowed, “Serpensortia!”

The end of his wand exploded. Harry watched, aghast, as a long black snake shot out of it, fell heavily on the floor between them, and raised itself, ready to strike. There were screams as everyone backed swiftly away. The snake seemed more confused than anything else as it swayed, looking around for any threats.

No blocking charm, Severus noted with little surprise. Although Draco had not managed to fling the snake far enough toward Harry anyway to need one, which he figured as much. Severus started walking forward.

“Don’t move, Potter,” he said. “I’ll get rid of it for you.”

“Allow me!” Lockhart shouted.

Oh no. Severus bared his teeth as Lockhart brandished his wand at the snake and there was a loud bang. Instead of vanishing, the snake flew ten feet into the air and fell back to the floor with a loud smack. Enraged, hissing furiously, it slithered straight for the students to its right, raising itself, poised to strike the nearest student—Justin Finch-Fletchley.

Before Severus could lift his wand and banish the snake, a familiar, haunting sound reached his ears, causing a shiver to run up his left arm and down his spine. He gasped slightly and snapped his head in the direction it came from. His eyes widened at the source—the very last person he expected to hear that sound from.

Harry was hissing at the snake, speaking its language, and the snake responded, turning to stare at Harry. Whatever Harry was saying to it, it obeyed, but what Harry was saying was unknown to him and the rest of the student body, though Harry did give an uneasy smile at his friends as if glad about something.

“What do you think you’re playing at?” Justin yelled at Harry.

Harry’s face turned confused.

How on earth was his son a parselmouth? The Boy-Who-Lived with the gifts of the Dark Lord himself. He would have to bring this matter up to Albus as quickly as he could. There was no way such a talent would have been passed down through the Potter line. So how had Harry acquired it? Remembering the snake now lying docile on the floor, Severus stepped closer and waved his wand, vanishing the snake. Harry’s eyes turned to meet his, and Severus involuntarily took a step back as he studied his son, lost in thoughts of what ifs and how’s.

The action did not go unnoticed by Harry, who seemed more alarmed and even hurt. He was motionless, taking in all the stares from the students when Ron tugged on his robe and directed him off the stage. The Golden Trio took off after that.

The Dueling Club was an absolute disaster, but even Dumbledore suggested that with time and practice, perhaps it would run smoother. This was during the next staff meeting later that night after the club had been dismissed, and Severus knew he would not be weaseling his way out of “assisting” Lockhart.  

He half listened to the meeting, his mind wandering to Harry. He wanted to speak to Dumbledore alone about his new findings on Harry’s growing list of gifts, but the meeting went on about new Ministry regulations for the school, new clubs’ students were proposing for the school, and more useless trivia Severus wouldn’t remember in the next hour. Then, Dumbledore mentioned the Chamber of Secrets.

               “We must continue to use caution and be vigilant for anything out of the ordinary,” Dumbledore said. “These threats will not be taken lightly, and we are still working on the cure for those who are petrified. Now, I know Harry Potter seems to be the center of student’s attentions with the chamber, and even some staff members, so we must make sure he is accounted for and where he was accounted for should another student become petrified again. I do not believe he is behind these, but his safety in the school from the other students and staff is of utmost importance. I ask everyone here that if you get wind of another attack and you find Harry, bring him to my office at once.”

               The professors all nodded and gave quiet affirmation before the meeting ended. Severus waited until all the other professors had left before he rose from his seat and spoke.

               “Harry is a Parselmouth, Albus,” he said. “During our dueling lesson, Mr. Malfoy conjured a snake while they practiced blocking, and Harry spoke to it. In Parseltongue.”

               “How peculiar this is,” Albus said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. “The snake reacted?”

               “It responded to him. I’m assuming it did exactly as Harry asked. One minute, it was ready to bite a student and the next, it was just lying there on the ground, completely docile.”

               “And you are sure you heard parseltongue?”

               “I will never forget what it sounds like,” Severus said through his teeth in an almost growling tone. He clenched the muscles of his left arm as a painful throb ran through them in memory of the Dark Lord’s conversations with his beloved, filthy snake.

               “I see.” Albus paced the large conference room. “I must think on this strange connection. As you know, it is very rare for anyone with no relation to Salazar Slytherin to possess the gift of parseltongue, less so those with muggle ancestry. I will look into this. Keep on eye on him, won’t you, Severus?”

               “Don’t I always?” Severus returned with an annoyed look. He left the headmaster to his thoughts and headed to his quarters. Candles were lit as he entered his rooms, as they were charmed to light up when anyone entered. That meant he wasn’t the only one in these rooms.

               “Harry?” Severus called out, stepping up to the boy’s room and knocking on the door. “May I come in?”

               Hearing a muffled “I guess,” Severus opened his son’s door and found Harry lying on his bed facing away from him. Severus sat on the edge of his son’s bed, hesitating for a moment as he considered what to do next.

               “I’m such a freak, aren’t I?” Harry asked miserably.

               “What makes you think that?” Severus asked, surprised at Harry’s statement.

               “I’m a Parselmouth,” Harry explained as if it was so obvious. “I talk to snakes and that’s not even normal in the wizarding world. I didn’t even know I was doing it and now everyone thinks I’m the Heir of Slytherin—”

               “Which is ludicrous,” Severus cut in as he rested a hand on Harry’s shoulder, applying pressure until Harry turned to face him. “You’ve no blood relation to Salazar Slytherin and no one in your family was a Parselmouth, Harry. It is exceptionally rare for someone with no family history to possess the gift you do, but that doesn’t make you a dark wizard by default or a freak.”

               “Even you looked at me like I had grown another head,” Harry said.

               “You caught me off-guard. Of all the ways I expected you to react to Draco’s charm, that wasn’t exactly one of them.”

               Harry was quiet for a moment, studying his father as if searching for honesty in his words.

               “You-Know-Who talked to snakes, too, right?”

               Severus took a deep breath before answering.

               “He did.”

               “Did I remind you of him?”

               Severus frowned as he brushed some hair out of Harry’s face, revealing the scar underneath his fringe. Many things about Harry did remind Severus of the Dark Lord, but the snake language had hit a little closer to home than the image of the scar ever did.

               “The Dark Lord spoke parseltongue on a regular basis,” Severus finally answered. “However, I don’t want you thinking that you will become the next Dark Lord or that you are the Heir of Slytherin. I, and the rest of the staff, can assure you that you are not. I do not know why you have this gift, but don’t be afraid of it. You are not a freak because of it. You did the right thing keeping the snake from attacking anyone. Any gift can be used for good or evil, it all depends on you.”

               Harry seemed a little more relaxed now, and he offered a small smile. Then he sighed and stared up at the ceiling.

               “Still,” he began, “everyone’s talking about me now. They’re all convinced I’ve gone dark.”

               “Let them believe what they want to believe,” Severus said. “You show them the real you, and they will come around again. This is all a matter of bad timing, what with the whole Chamber of Secrets problem and now this.”

               “Tell me about it,” Harry said.

               “Do you want to spend the night here?”

               “And let them all think I’m guilty? No way.”

               Severus chuckled at that, and he ruffled Harry’s hair.

               “Then you better head to your dormitory then, it’s getting late, and the curfew bell is expected to ring soon. Go on.”

               Severus walked Harry out of their quarters, bidding him goodnight before he thought on their conversation. Perhaps this all was really a case of bad timing. Nothing more. Harry couldn’t possibly be the Heir of Slytherin.

               The next day came quickly, and it was relatively quiet and dreary, but a normal day, nonetheless. So, it was a surprise when he saw Minerva marching Harry through the halls later that afternoon. He ran into them as he was on his way to his office, and Harry, looking rather frantic, quickly ran to Severus’s side.

               “Professor!” Harry called out as he quickly left Minerva’s side and jumped to his. He spoke fast and breathlessly. “Please, sir, I didn’t do, I promise. I don’t want to be expelled.”

               “What are you talking about?” Severus snapped. “What is going on?”

               “I am taking him to the headmaster,” Minerva said, frowning in surprise at Harry’s behavior. “As we were instructed at the last staff meeting.”

               Severus’s eyes widened.

               “It happened again,” Severus said, stating aloud more for confirmation.

               Minerva nodded.

               Severus looked down at Harry, who took a few steps back and glared at him.

               “You knew about this? Why didn’t you tell me?”

               “I haven’t had a chance to as I was just informed yesterday,” Severus said. “It’s for your own safety, Potter.”

               “I didn’t do anything!” Harry yelled. “I’m not getting expelled for this.”

               With that, Harry took off down the hall.

               “Mr. Potter!” Minerva called, starting off after him.

               “Allow me, Minerva,” Severus said, holding a hand up to stop her advancements. “I’ll take him to the headmaster when I find him. I know you have a class in five minutes.”

               “Thank you, Severus,” Minerva said. “He usually responds to you so well. I’m not sure what’s gotten into him.”

               An overdue bottom warming, that was what, Severus thought, but he kept those thoughts to himself and merely inclined his head at his colleague.

               “I am not sure, but I’ll get to the bottom of it.”

               The two professors parted ways and Severus followed in the direction Harry had run off in. He pulled out his wand and performed a locator spell, following it down the halls and up the stairs. He realized it was taking him to Gryffindor Tower, and figuring Harry was already inside behind a password protected portrait, Severus unlocked a door with his wand and stepped into an unused office. Most offices were floo connected, allowing faster travel throughout the school. Grabbing a handful of floo powder, he threw it down.

               “Gryffindor Tower common room,” he announced.

               Stepping out into the common room, his lip curled at all the red and gold decorations that littered the place. Repulsive. Surely Minerva had better taste than red upholstery and gold curtains.

               A few students gaped at his presence, but he glared them into minding their own business as he moved toward the boy’s dormitories. They were labeled by year, so he found the second years’ and opened the door without so much as a knock.

               Harry was lying on his bed fiddling with a snitch but sat up quickly when he realized who was entering.

               “How did you get in here?” Harry asked, shuffling on the bed so his back was to the headboard.

               “I’m a professor, not to mention a head of house,” Severus said as he marched up to Harry’s bed and dragged Harry off it. He quickly landed two hard swats to Harry’s bottom. Harry quickly covered his mouth with a hand to keep from crying out, and his eyes watered. “How dare you run away from two of your professors!”

               “Someone could hear,” Harry whispered through his teeth as he tried to pull away from Severus. His eyes scanned the room, but there were no other dormmates around.

               “Perhaps a little humiliation will do you some good,” Severus growled. “Do you know how humiliating it is for me to have to chase you through the halls, all the way to your dormitory, just to drag you out and finish the task you should have finished with Professor McGonagall?”

               “I didn’t do it,” Harry reiterated.

               “No one said you did. You still have to see the headmaster and explain to him where you were and what happened. This was arranged with your safety in mind. We are trying to see if there is any pattern to these attacks while also making sure you don’t end up attacked yourself. And if you know what’s good for you, you will come with me to the headmaster’s office this instant.”

               Harry rubbed at his bottom briefly as he sniffed and looked down, avoiding Severus’s stern face.

               “I’m not being expelled?” he asked.

               “No, that was never the intention.”

               “Oh.”

               “Oh, indeed. Now come. We’re late as it is.”

               Severus grabbed Harry’s upper arm and dragged him out of his dorm. Harry didn’t resist, but he kept his head lowered to avoid making eye contact with anyone in the common room. After this, Severus was sure he would never run off on him again. Sometimes, a little humility did wonders; whether others agreed with the tactic or not mattered little to him.

               Severus used the floo to deliver them to an office closer to the headmaster’s office. Severus pulled Harry up to the large gargoyle that guarded the entrance to the office.

               “Lemon drop,” Severus snarled bitterly, and the gargoyle smirked before hopping aside as the wall behind him split into two. Behind the wall was a spiral staircase that was moving smoothly upward, like an escalator. Harry gasped in awe. While Severus had floo’d him in and out of Albus’s rooms before, he had never used the staircase, and Harry found it very fascinating.

               “Well?” Severus encouraged, pushing Harry’s shoulder forward some. “Go on.”

               “You’re not coming with me?” Harry asked, his excitement about the staircase withered.

               “He just wants to see you for a moment,” Severus said. “You hardly need me to see you all the way through. Go talk to him, and I’ll be waiting right here when you come back down.”

               Harry swallowed dryly then took a brave step on to the stairway, glancing back as the walls closed behind him and the gargoyle jumped back to its original place. Severus let out a slow breath as he rubbed his temples. This school year was turning into a very long one. He wished he knew what was behind the Chamber of Secrets. He knew Lucius had something to do with it after his brief conversation with that delusional elf, but he had yet to make any connections yet. Perhaps Albus had a few ideas he would run by him if he asked. Severus leaned against the gargoyle. Perhaps he’d save those questions for another time.

               For now, he would wait for Harry to come back down.

               He did say he’d wait for him after all.