Basilisk Eyes

Chapter 14: Snake in the grass

Harry awoke the next morning to a warmer day; the birds were lively, filling him with the hope that today he'd be released or at least have a reprieve from the monotony. He lay in bed for a while listening to Privet Drive's noises of car doors slamming, rubbish bins being hauled to corners, and lawn mowers humming, his ears straining to hear signs of Hedwig's return.

Surely, I'll get a message today, Harry reassured himself.

It felt like an eternity since he'd been with his friends. How easily he'd left them that Monday morning, thinking that he was headed to St. Mungo's to have his eyesight restored, and taking it for granted that he'd be back again at Hogwarts to savor the time with Ron and Hermione before he had to return to Privet Drive.

Why am I so stupid?

After Uncle Vernon was on his way and breakfast was cleaned up, Harry was out in the garden potting petunias for Aunt Petunia, who liked to place her namesake in neat rows throughout the garden. He was really glad to be outside, even though he had to keep his eyes closed against the bright sun.

He loved the dirt in his hands, the warmth of the sun, and the trilling of the birds that darted from tree to tree, bush to bush. He hadn't ventured too far out beyond the potting table. He had to concentrate to remember the sequence of colors—Petunia's description and orders had been short and brief.

Who knows what kind of price I'll have to pay if I put the purple petunias in with the red!

As he was sweeping the table off with a small hand broom, he heard a rustling in the grass, and then a little voice, Yes, a nice juicy grasshopper is just what I was hoping for... Harry crouched down by the grass and cocked his head.

"Hello, little guy," he said in Parseltongue. He held his hand out, not really sure what he was expecting. He felt a little tongue whisp against his outstretched fingers and smiled—it tickled.

"Hello, big guy," said the garden snake.

"How are things out here?" Harry asked, not really sure what to talk about with a snake.

"Lovely since the Owl flew away," replied the snake.

"Oh, does she bother you?" Harry asked.

"She eats us," was the snake's casual reply.

"I'll tell her not to, then," replied Harry.

"That would be lovely. Thank you. Uh oh. Here comes that horrid big one. I'll be going." And the snake slipped away.

Harry stood up slowly and worked on lining up the pots of flowers as Aunt Petunia came near. He was glad for the warning. She was always in a mood when it was a day to work in the garden. She didn't like how unruly nature was, even her clipped, weeded, and carefully managed corner of it.

Harry supposed that's why he liked it so much: even Aunt Petunia couldn't make it bend to her will and sense of order completely.

He wondered how he was going to manage weeding this summer. Get to know all the weeds by what they feel like? That sounds like fun...

"Bring the pots to the front porch, boy!" Aunt Petunia shouted.

Ugh, thought Harry, this isn't going to be easy. He picked up one pot that was loaded with petunias and started walking to the back door.

"Not through the house, you moron!" she exclaimed, and the back door slammed as she went back inside.

Harry paused. He had to really think about this. How was he going to navigate through the backyard to the front yard while carrying a heavy pot of flowers and not trip? Just the thought of it made him feel defeated. There was no way he could do this without dropping a pot of flowers. Even if he had his staff to check for obstacles in his path, he'd have a hard time carrying the pot and poking around with the staff.

He took in a deep breath, turned, and started walking toward the edge of the patio, letting his elbow skim against the potting table as a guide. He thought he must be close to the edge, and slid his foot forward to find the drop-off.

"Your eyes don't see, Big One," his snake friend said quietly, not far from his exploring foot.

"No, I had a run-in with a Basilisk," Harry explained.

"Oh, a most ancient serpent. You are fortunate to still be living," replied the little snake. "Tell me where you want to go. I will guide you."

"Thank you. That is very kind. I need to put this on the front porch," Harry said.

"What is a front porch?" the snake asked.

It took Harry a moment to come up with words to describe the front porch for the little snake, but finally, they understood each other and the snake set off.

Harry heard the snake moving quietly through the grass and followed the sound and the hissed directions. The first trip was a little harrowing as the little snake whispered through the grass and told Harry to move toward the house or toward the fence, at first tentatively guiding Harry around stones, flower beds, and ornamental garden orbs. However, the little snake, with his belly on the ground, didn't notice the tree branches. Harry found one with his forehead and miraculously managed not to drop the flower pot despite the shock.

The little snake had kept going, Harry could hear his directions moving on ahead of him.

"Hold on, little friend!" The rustling of the grass told Harry that he had whipped right around and came back.

Now Harry was afraid of stepping on him.

"If it is possible, do you think you can you also warn me when there are things around my face? I just got whacked in the forehead with a tree branch. I would really appreciate it."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't think to look that high up. Yes, I will do a better job. You are bleeding, Big Friend."

"It's nothing to worry about," Harry consoled.

One by one, Harry, with the help of his little guide, moved the pots from the potting table to the front porch. Exhausted and a little triumphant, Harry laid down in the grass when he was done and the little snake moved over his outstretched hands.

"Thank you, little friend," Harry said wearily. "What do I call you?"

"You can call me Little Friend," and Harry detected a smile in his hissing noises.

"Oh, here comes the Owl!" Little Friend slid under Harry's belly, making him squirm.

"Hedwig!" Harry called with both joy and reprimand in his voice; he was so glad that she was back and her arrival in broad daylight to the front porch was nearly the worst possible thing. It would have been worse if Uncle Vernon had been standing in the driveway.

Harry stood up carefully, not wanting to scare Little Friend.

"Hedwig, go up to my window. I'll meet you up there... and don't eat any snakes, please. I've made a friend."

Harry turned to the snake, "Little Friend, I'll talk to you later. Thank you for your help today. I will make sure Hedwig—the owl—doesn't harm you"

"Yes, Big Friend. Thank you for your help with Owl."

Harry started edging toward the front porch, then remembered that he was probably dirty and that Aunt Petunia would whack him with a wooden spoon if he tracked dirt through the front of the house.

Little Friend was there to guide him back to the back patio where he could knock the dirt off his trainers before going inside.

He was giddy with anticipation. He hoped that Hermione had some good spells for him to use.