“All right! Everyone, stop!” Lockhart shouted from the center of the stage. “Let’s have a pair of students give a proper demonstration. No more brawling, please…”
Hermione tugged Anne over to a spot closer to the stage, and Fanny, having cald Millicent down, quickly returned to Anne’s side.
Snape picked up where Lockhart left off, his tone rather too gleeful. “Let Potter and Malfoy do the demonstration. I believe Mr. Malfoy won’t mind, am I right?”
Malfoy leapt up onto the stage at once, chin raised, eyes locked on Harry. “Of course. The question is whether Harry Potter dares.”
Naturally, Harry was fuming. He jumped onto the stage without a word, glaring daggers at Malfoy.
“All right, both duelists are on stage. Bow to each other, please. Etiquette is important,” Lockhart said, flashing his signature smile. But Harry and Malfoy rely stared at each other, neither bowed.
Lockhart laughed awkwardly, trying to play it off. “Looks like they’re eager to start! Very well then, clear the stage!”
He leapt down and shouted from below, “One... two... three, begin!”
Malfoy raised his wand in a flash. “Serpensortia!” he bellowed. There was a loud bang from the tip of his wand, and to everyone’s horror, a long, black snake burst forth, landing heavily on the floor between the two boys. It reared its head, hissing, ready to strike.
Screams erupted across the Great Hall as students scrambled away. Fanny and Hermione didn’t scream, they simply grabbed Anne and pulled her back with them.
“Don’t move, Potter,” Snape said lazily, stepping forward. “I’ll handle this, ”
“I’ll do it!” Lockhart interrupted, raising his wand dramatically. He waved it at the snake, but there was another loud bang, and instead of disappearing, the snake shot a ter into the air and landed again, more furious than ever. It hissed viciously and slithered straight toward Justin Finch-Fletchley, rearing up with fangs bared.
Harry didn’t know why he did it, he wasn’t even aware of making the decision. His legs simply moved on their own, and before he knew it, he was shouting at the snake, “Leave him alone!”
Miraculously, the snake froze. It flopped onto the floor, eyes fixed on Harry.
The fear began to fade from Harry’s chest. He didn’t know how he knew, but he was sure now, the snake wouldn’t hurt anyone.
He looked up at Justin, smiling, expecting confusion or maybe gratitude.
Instead, Justin looked terrified, and furious.
“What kind of sick joke is this?” he yelled, then turned and bolted from the Hall before Harry could say a word.
Snape stepped in and waved his wand, vanishing the snake in a puff of black smoke. He stared at Harry with an expression that Harry didn’t like one bit, calculating and oddly satisfied.
Around them, hushed whispers rippled through the crowd like an ominous tide.
Then Harry felt a tug at his robes.
“Let’s go,” Ron whispered in his ear. “Co on, now.”
Hermione and Fanny had both been frozen in place. Anne leaned toward Hermione and said softly, “I think Harry might need your help right about now~”
Hermione blinked, then nodded quickly and rushed after Harry.
Fanny only snapped out of her daze when Anne gently pulled her toward the Slytherin dorms. Her voice trembled slightly, “Anne, did I hear that right? Harry… he’s a Parselmouth?”
“You heard correctly,” Anne replied calmly. “He was speaking to the snake.”
“But... Parseltongue is the mark of Salazar Slytherin, our house founder. If he built the Chamber of Secrets, then doesn’t that an Harry, ” Fanny’s voice trailed off, filled with unease.
As they walked through a drafty corridor, Anne pulled up her hood and tugged her scarf higher over her face. Her voice ca muffled through the wool. “If you’re worried Harry might be the Heir, then I can tell you, there’s no need.”
“Huh? Why not?” Fanny mimicked Anne’s actions and found it much warr that way.
Anne gave a light chuckle. “Because the Gryffindor trio are the salt of the earth…”
They’re the heroes of this world, after all.
Fanny’s muffled voice betrayed her delight. “Anne, you’ve read the Bible? That’s such a high complint, if they heard you say that, I’m sure they’d be thrilled!”
“I don’t plan on telling them,” Anne replied with a grin as she broke into a run. “Co on, it’s freezing!”
Ever since the incident, students stopped whispering about Slytherin House and instead began avoiding Harry, Ron, and Hermione as if they carried a contagious curse. And just when things had barely settled, another rumor exploded across the school.
“Did you hear? Justin Finch-Fletchley and Nearly Headless Nick were both petrified! And Harry was the one who found them! Peeves even made up a song about it...”
“Of course I heard. McGonagall marched him straight to Dumbledore’s office!”
“Oh my gosh, that’s terrifying. But… he didn’t look like soone who’d do sothing like that…”
Anne and Fanny were walking to Herbology class, and they couldn’t help overhearing the gossip. Fanny was furious at first and argued with a few students, but after a couple of heated debates, she settled for angrily pretending not to hear them.
After a while, the frustration got to her again. She turned to Anne and snapped, “Why didn’t you help just now? You were just praising Harry the other day! If you’d backed up, I would’ve shut them down!”
“Fanny, people will say whatever they want. You can’t stop them. And even if I did back you up, that’s just one voice, what about everyone else?” Anne shrugged. “Besides, it’s all rumors. There’s no evidence. Once the truth cos out, all this nonsense will disappear on its own.”
Thinking of what they were about to do tomorrow night, Fanny cald down and nodded seriously. “You’re right. Let’s wait for the truth to speak for itself!”
Anne didn’t think much of her words, her mind was on sothing else entirely: she needed to check if that tree's fruit had ripened. Christmas was only two days away. If the fruit was ready, tomorrow night would be the perfect ti to harvest it.
Later that evening at dinner, Fanny pushed her steak around on her plate, barely eating. The plan was set for tonight, and now that the mont had co, nerves were kicking in.
What if Anne wouldn’t let her leave the dorm? What if Malfoy and Pansy didn’t go to the Astronomy Tower?
She glanced at the two across the table. Had they read the note she slipped them?
It had been Hermione’s idea. The note read: Tonight at 8 p.m. Astronomy Tower. You’ve always wanted Harry out of Hogwarts, right? This ti, I’ve got undeniable proof that’ll get him expelled.
Fanny reassured herself. Hermione is reliable. It’ll work out.
Lost in thought, she jumped slightly when Anne suddenly spoke. “Hey, Fanny, go back to the dorm ahead of later, okay? I need to check sothing in the greenhouse.”
Startled, Fanny dropped her fork and quickly wiped her mouth, trying to hide her nerves. “Right. You just surprised , that’s all. You’re going to the greenhouse again tonight?”
“Yeah, there’s sothing important I need to do,” Anne said, reaching for a piece of chocolate pudding.
After dinner, Anne waved goodbye to Fanny at the entrance and ran off toward the Hogwarts gates.
Fanny watched her disappear, then checked her watch, 7:40. She quietly slipped back into the Great Hall just in ti to see Malfoy and Pansy whispering to each other, glancing around, and then hurrying off together.
Pretending to look for sothing, Fanny followed them a few steps and confird they were heading toward the Astronomy Tower. Perfect. She spun on her heel and sprinted to Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom on the third floor.
The mont she burst in, Harry and Ron looked at her anxiously. Fanny broke into a grin, her voice tinged with excitent. “They’re gone, headed to the tower! And even better, Anne went to the greenhouse!”
“Brilliant!” Ron exclaid, practically bouncing in place.
Harry was relieved. Things were going their way tonight.
Hermione’s voice ca from inside the stall, “Bad news though, the potion still needs ten more minutes.”
Fanny checked her watch. “That’s fine. It’s only just past 7:50. Even if Malfoy and Pansy are there, they’ll definitely wait half an hour. They won’t risk leaving before they're sure Harry gets expelled. And when they try to co back, heehee, Filch has been hanging around the Astronomy Tower a lot lately!”
Ron chuckled darkly. “That’s karma. Ever since Mrs. Norris got petrified, Filch has been all over us. Maybe Malfoy will get a taste of it now.”
They all laughed. Then Fanny turned serious. “All right, here’s the password to Slytherin’s common room: Pureblood.”
Harry frowned. “Seriously? That’s the password?” Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on nοvelfire
Before anyone could comnt further, Hermione erged from the stall with a cauldron. “Polyjuice Potion’s ready. I think we should drink it outside the stall and then change inside. Harry?”
“I’ve got the clothes,” Harry said, holding up a bag. “Ron and I nicked them from the laundry room.”
“And here’s the hair.” Fanny pulled three tiny glass vials from her pocket, each labeled carefully with a na.
Hermione poured the potion into three cups and added the hairs. Hers turned inky black, Harry’s beca a muddy yellow, and Ron’s a deep brown.
Fanny wrinkled her nose. “Ugh, those look disgusting. I bet they taste worse.”
The three of them grimaced at the bubbling mixtures, but no one backed out. With one final breath, they drank the potions in one gulp and rushed into separate stalls with their robes.
Outside, Fanny paced nervously.
The first door opened, it was Harry, tugging awkwardly at his oversized clothes.
Fanny rushed over, eyes wide. “Oh wow! Harry, you look exactly like Goyle!”
Harry frowned. “But I feel weird.”
“Your voice is different too! Honestly, if I hadn’t seen you go in myself, I’d swear you were Goyle. Oh, wait, your glasses! Take them off!”
Harry did as she said. Fanny nodded, satisfied.
Next, Ron and Hermione stepped out at the sa ti. Ron burst out laughing. “Hermione, you really look like Pansy!”
Fanny ran over, scanning her up and down. “Perfect! Okay, enough chatter, we need to go. It’s 8:06, and it takes ten minutes to get to our common room from here!”
The four of them dashed out of Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom, ready for their mission.
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A/N: The phrase “Salt of the Earth” cos from the Bible, specifically Matthew 5:13. It’s a high praise used by Jesus to describe his disciples. I really like this phrase, so I used it here.
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