Chapter 82: Parseltongue
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The Forbidden Forest was always quieter than an ordinary forest. The deeper they ventured among the trees, the more the sunlight faded behind them. Gradually, apart from the faint chirping of distant birds and the rustling of leaves in the wind, the only sounds were the soft brushing of their shoes against the grass.
Harry and the others kept their heads down, carefully inspecting every green object they passed. But before long, their eyes began to blur, their minds wandered, and their backs and legs ached.
When Ron began complaining for the second time, Orli glanced around at their surroundings and discreetly uncorked a vial hidden in her robe sleeve. A few drops of reddish-brown liquid dripped onto the hem of her robe and quickly evaporated into the air. It was the juice of snakefruit vines, known for its ability to attract snakes.
Before long, Hermione straightened up, looking around.
# Hermione
"Did you hear something?"
# Harry
"Shh! Don't make a sound!"
Harry had also sensed something unusual and pressed his index finger to his lips.
A soft rustling sound... rustle... rustle... began to gather around them. Ron squinted at the base of a bush not far away and suddenly cried out in alarm:
# Ron
"Snakes! There are several of them!"
Unnoticed by the group, several snakes of various colors had slithered closer, surrounding them. There were black ones, striped ones, and even some with mottled patterns all over their bodies.
Orli and the others stood back-to-back, encircled by the snakes. She gripped her wand tightly but refrained from casting any spells. She was waiting for Harry's reaction.
# Hermione
"Don't move!"
Hermione reached for her wand.
# Hermione
"Petrificus Totalus!"
Her spell hit one of the snakes, which stiffened and fell to the ground. But the other snakes clearly sensed the threat. They raised their heads, their upper bodies lifting off the ground as they hissed.
# Harry
"Stop, Hermione."
Harry reached out to lower her wand. Then, he began to speak in a strange, low, rasping hiss, like the sound of wind whistling through a narrow crack. One of the snakes even began responding to him.
Everything was unfolding as Orli had anticipated, but witnessing it firsthand was far more eerie than she had imagined.
As Harry's lips moved, Orli watched in astonishment as the remaining snakes lowered their bodies and slowly retreated into the underbrush, eventually disappearing from sight. It was as if Harry could command and summon them.
# Harry
"Alright, they're gone now. They just thought there were some berries here."
Harry exhaled and turned to face the others. But none of them looked as relaxed as he did.
# Hermione
"Harry... you're a... Parselmouth?"
Hermione's expression was grave.
# Ron
"Why didn't you tell us?"
Ron asked.
# Harry
"I'm a what?"
Harry looked puzzled.
## Orli
"Parselmouth."
Orli repeated the word.
## Orli
"It means you can talk to snakes."
# Harry
"What's so strange about that? We're wizards. I'd bet plenty of people at school can do it."
Harry dismissed it lightly.
# Hermione
"Harry, this isn't just some ordinary skill."
Hermione said.
# Hermione
"In fact, Harry, it's quite bad. Speaking to snakes is a famous trait of Salazar Slytherin. That's why the Slytherin crest features a serpent."
# Ron
"Maybe you're his great-great-great-grandson or something?"
Ron suggested tentatively.
# Harry
"But I'm not!"
Harry's voice carried a hint of panic.
# Hermione
"You'll find that hard to prove. He lived over a thousand years ago—anything could have happened in that time."
Hermione sighed.
# Hermione
"If you don't want to cause a stir, you'd better not tell anyone about being a Parselmouth. It's seen as a talent only Dark wizards possess."
## Orli
"Harry, you're a Parselmouth. Who else knows about this?"
Orli's tone was extremely serious. She urgently needed an answer.
# Harry
"The Dursleys might know,"
Harry said hurriedly.
# Harry
"Once, at the zoo, I accidentally set a boa constrictor free. It told me it had never been to Brazil, and that the zoo was a fraud..."
# Ron
"A boa constrictor shared its life story with you..."
Ron muttered faintly.
## Orli
"No one else?"
Orli pressed.
Harry racked his brain, his breath catching for a moment:
# Harry
"A few weeks ago, Dumbledore asked me if I'd ever shown any unusual talents before knowing I was a wizard... I thought he was just making conversation, so I told him about talking to the boa constrictor..."