The Heiress of Slytherin

Justice for my Girl Abigail

Harry looked hesitantly between her and the snake, then nodded, helped Ginny to her feet and led them both out of the Chamber, stooping to grab the journal on his way. With one last glance back at her, he left through the large stone door, leaving Ivy alone to rest her head upon the Basilisk's, her whole body wracked with exhaustion.

It seemed like hours before Ivy was finally joined again in the Chamber. She spent the time that passed between napping and talking to the Basilisk, who was desperate for a little conversation after so many years.

She learned that her name was Abigail, which made her laugh very hard and endeared Salazar to her a bit for picking such a name for such a creature.

Beyond that, she listened as the serpent told her of all of her pain throughout the past hundreds of years. Of losing Salazar, her only friend and companion when he left the school. Then of finding at last someone else who could talk to her, only to have him twist her beloved masters purpose for her. He never meant her to be a weapon of meaningless killing and destruction; he only wanted to ensure that his beloved students would always be safe.

She spoke of the stories that Salazar used to tell him. Of the people he'd loved who'd been caught and killed by muggles. Of the fires they'd set to houses, schools and whole towns, just under the suspicion of witches and wizards. Ivy of course explained the ways in which this was all different now. Muggles knew nothing of the world of Magic, and witches and wizards greatest threat was from those of their own, like Tom Riddle.

Abigail talked of when she was young, how when she hatched from her egg she was only the size of Ivy's leg, and Salazar used to take her for nighttime walks in the forest, teaching her about the stars and the planets. She spoke of the agony of being alone, with so little hope that anyone would ever find her again. Of her commitment to only eating animals, never touching a human or magical beast. She talked of the torment she felt after she killed the girl.

They talked for forever, so much so that Ivy was crushed to hear the sounds of voices and footsteps. She had prepared the Basilisk for what was to come, but fear still struck at her heart. What if they refused to understand? What if they could not see past the creatures face and into her heart, as Ivy had been able to.

Dumbledore lead the group, which included Harry, McGonagall, Flitwick, Madam Pomfrey and Severus Snape.

They all stood perfectly still when they walked in and saw the small 12 year old girl cuddled up to the 50 foot long snake. It truly was a sight to behold.

Once they accepted that it wasn't about to move towards them, ready to attack, the group slowly approached the pair.

"In the interest of not retreading ground, headmaster, would you tell me what Harry has told you so that I may fill in the missing bits?" Ivy asked as politely as she could, trying not to let her exhaustion sharpen her tone.

Harry stepped forward instead, and informed the group of his own story of reaching the chamber, the state he found Ginny in, the tales Tom Riddle had told him and of his time evading the basilisk in the sewers. "The rest I told them you would have to explain yourself, frankly, I still don't understand." He smiled gently at her, as if to tell her that not understanding was not the same as disagreeing or judging, which made her smile back.

"My story starts a but further back than Harry's, I'm afraid. Firstly, I think it's important you all know that I am a parselmouth. I have been from birth. Which leads me to the rest of my explanation..."