Basilisk Eyes

Chapter 143: Woven Demiguise

Harry followed the whirring sound of Besel's chair down the corridor with Little Friend wrapped around his wrist.

"How did Hedwig carry you?"

"She let me hold onto her legs. I've never been so high in my life. It was even higher than when you put the water on the house."

"Oh, when we climbed the ladder to wash the windows?"

"Yes. First, I was as high as your neck... that was new. Then the ladder."

"You are brave."

"Well, other snakes could have talked to you, but I wanted it to be me. I missed you, Sthei cherio kisa."

"I missed you, too, Nio hus cherio kisa." Harry brought the snake up to his cheek to rub his silky skin. "How long can you stay?"

"Until the end of my life?"

"Oh, wow. Really?"

"Yes. I bade farewell to my family."

"That's a big step."

"Well, I wasn't sure I'd survive the flight."

"True. I'm glad you did."

"Me, too."

"Harry," Besel said as her chair came to a stop in front of him. "I think this is as far as we can go. I think beyond this, we'll be in the null zone."

"How can you tell?" Harry asked, wondering if there were visual cues.

"I can feel it."

Harry reached out with his hand holding his staff and shivered, realizing that he could feel it, too.

"Oi! That's creepy."

"I'll let Healer Jordan know that we're here," Besel said as she sent her Patronus off to deliver a message.

"Should we go around to the other kitchen entrance?" Harry asked.

"No, she wanted to meet us here."

"What about everyone else?"

"Most everyone is locked in their rooms and have communicated with us that they are safe... our security measures worked. Those who were in corridors at the time are helping us figure this out, like you are."

"Huh? I wasn't late to class, though. There should have been more people in the corridor. And why wasn't the kitchen locked when all the other rooms were locked?"

"It's just the classrooms and dormitories that lock... oh and the toilets. I'll explain later... here comes Healer Jordan now."

Harry turned toward the sounds of the approaching footsteps, but it sounded like more than one person, and Nio tightened his coils around Harry's wrist, his head bobbing up and down as his tongue wisped out of his mouth.

"Ah. One of these leg walkers smells like a burrow," Nio hus cherio kisa confided. Harry responded quietly in Parseltongue that it was likely Figora and that she was part Goblin. Little Friend made appreciative hisses and Harry gathered that the little snake liked goblins.

"Harry, is this your little snake friend that you told me about?" Healer Jordan asked as she drew closer.

"Yes, Healer, this is Little Friend," Harry said and translated the exchange for Nio. Harry heard someone draw in a quick breath and mutter, "Parselmouth!"

He turned toward the voice he didn't recognize, his brows knitted together.

"Oh, Harry, Auror Gawain Robards is here from the Ministry of Magic to investigate," Healer Jordan said.