Parseltongue

Harry told no one about Cyberlina that night because he did not know how to explain it. After all, he had not been harmed in any way, and his headache had disappeared before he even reached the dormitory. He could hardly go around saying that he found Senior Sekerei's eyes frightening.

He had considered asking Snape, but after getting sprayed in the face with venom during Potions and watching Gryffindor's hourglass drop, Harry abandoned the fantasy that Snape had deliberately helped him that night—the Old Bat had definitely just happened to pass by!

It did not matter. Slytherin fifth-year classes had nothing to do with Gryffindor second-year classes. There was no way he would run into Senior Sekerei!

—That was how Harry comforted himself whenever the thought of Cyberlina made him shudder.

Yet not long afterward, after one Quidditch practice, Harry was smoothly hauled off by the Weasley twins and delivered right in front of Cyberlina.

In a shabby old classroom that the twins had somehow found, the senior who frightened Harry was sitting at a broad desk by the window. The plants outside blocked out the last fading light of dusk, leaving the dim candles in the classroom as the only source of illumination.

Hearing the commotion, Cyberlina looked up and smiled at Harry. The warm golden light made her look incredibly gentle, and Harry suddenly felt that perhaps everything that night truly had been his imagination—brought on by noisy Lockhart and that irritating voice.

"Oh! Our beloved Senior Cyberlina."

"Harry Potter—delivered safely to you."

Fred and George stood on either side of Harry. One hand swept back their robes while the other held a wand across their chests, and they bowed to Cyberlina. Their strange, drawn-out tones made Harry feel inexplicably familiar.

Clearly, their antics amused Cyberlina. She laughed softly. "You two really aren't afraid that young Mr. Malfoy will tell his father?"

Oh, Senior Sekerei already knew Malfoy's "ultimate move"—Harry thought. So Fred and George were imitating the way Malfoy spoke.

"May I ask whether the two young gentlemen of the Weasley family could leave Mr. Potter and me some space to speak in private?"

"Why, of course we can."

Harry widened his eyes and stared at Fred.

"We'll take our leave at once."

Harry turned and stared wide-eyed at George.

Ignoring the plea in those large eyes, Fred and George winked at Harry as they backed out of the old classroom.

Harry watched them with wide eyes, completely unable to understand why they had suddenly become so familiar with this Slytherin senior—and why they obeyed her every word. At least, that was how it seemed to Harry.

"My apologies, Mr. Potter. Fifth-year coursework is simply too demanding, so I could only take up your dinner time." Cyberlina tapped the surface of the desk before her. "But please rest assured, I will not let you go hungry."

The scent of food instantly filled the classroom. Starving after practice, Harry swallowed and stepped forward, only to find that the broad desk was already covered in dishes he had never seen in the Great Hall. He pulled out a chair, but just as he was about to sit, he noticed how filthy he was. He immediately let go of the chair and hid his hands behind his back, his face full of embarrassment.

"Scourgify."

As Cyberlina spoke the spell with a smile, Harry suddenly felt lighter. When he looked down again, he found himself completely clean. Yet that only made him feel more embarrassed, and he sat down with his head lowered and his face flushed.

Harry watched Cyberlina across from him tuck her wand back into her sleeve, then calmly and elegantly pick up the knife and fork before her. Pressing his lips together and puffing out his cheeks as though facing a formidable enemy, he carefully copied her movements and picked up the spoon in front of him. Then he slowly scooped up some onion soup and put it into his mouth.

Cyberlina paused while cutting her bread, then sighed helplessly with a smile. "Mr. Potter, just do whatever makes you comfortable. I invited you here today to apologize. If I make you suffer through an uncomfortable dinner, then would that not make this all pointless?"

"Apologize?" Harry looked at Cyberlina in confusion.

Cyberlina raised an eyebrow slightly. "Did the young Weasley gentlemen not tell you why I asked you here?"

"No." Harry shook his head. "They dragged me here without saying anything."

Cyberlina shook her head helplessly. "Then I truly must thank you for not turning around and running the moment you saw me."

"H-how could I...?" Harry, who had in fact considered exactly that, felt guilty. "But why do you want to apologize to me?"

"Because I used an improper spell on you." Cyberlina looked apologetic as she answered honestly.

But Harry was still utterly confused. "For giving me a headache for a few minutes?"

Cyberlina froze for a moment, then smiled and pushed Harry's plate of beef bourguignon toward him. "Eat first, little Potter. I am afraid that once I have finished explaining, you will not want to eat."

"Oh... all right."

At first, Harry did not quite relax, still trying to mind his manners. But by the end, he was wolfing everything down. A teenage boy who had just exhausted himself had an astonishing appetite. Cyberlina ate at an unhurried pace while watching the empty plates pile up beside him, clicking her tongue in amazement.

"I am glad you liked the food." Once Harry was full, Cyberlina smiled and spoke. "The house-elves made this after learning European and Eastern dishes."

Harry watched the empty plates before him vanish as they did from the Great Hall tables, leaving the desk neat once more. He could not help asking, "So the house-elves in the kitchen will listen to the Sekerei Family—" Harry immediately realized that perhaps this was not an appropriate question. He scratched his head awkwardly, making his hair look even messier. "I-I don't mean anything by it. I was just curious..."

"It is all right." Cyberlina used Scourgify again to clean the remaining grease from the tabletop. "But I did not expect you to ask that. Have you never been to the kitchen? As a Gryffindor, shouldn't you—well, I mean, it seems that aside from Hufflepuff, Gryffindor students visit the kitchen most often."

Harry guessed that what Cyberlina had actually wanted to say was, "Don't Gryffindors often sneak out at night?" Feeling a little embarrassed, he said, "I've never been to the kitchen, but Fred and George have brought food back from there before. I only heard them mention house-elves..."

"I see." Cyberlina explained, "House-elves are very fond of young wizards, and they are quite willing to provide them with extra meals. That has nothing to do with me. It is just that—having them deliver the food here did require some of the Sekerei Family's influence."

Cyberlina gave Harry a mysterious smile, then changed the subject. "Now then, we should discuss the real matter of today."

Harry straightened in his chair.

"First, please accept my sincere apology." Cyberlina folded her hands in her lap, her gaze toward Harry once again full of remorse. "I was rash that day. I impulsively used Legilimency on you... It allowed me to see some of your memories... I am very sorry for unintentionally invading your privacy."

"W-what?" Harry cried out in shock. He instantly realized that Cyberlina was referring to the things he had inexplicably remembered at the time. His face immediately turned red, with both anger and embarrassment.

"I am truly sorry." Cyberlina looked at him sincerely. "It was genuinely unintentional. I was simply too shocked after learning that you were a Parselmouth, and before thinking it through, I committed such an unreasonable act. You may ask me for compensation."

"Wait, what did you say I am?"

"A Parselmouth."

"Th-then what is that?"

"You do not know?" Cyberlina's expression turned surprised. "It means you can communicate with snakes."

"Oh, so there's a specific term for that." Harry nodded in understanding.

Cyberlina was momentarily speechless, then she understood—the young Savior had never realized what speaking to snakes meant in the wizarding world.

"Potter, speaking to snakes is not something ordinary in the wizarding world."

"It isn't?" Harry froze.

"No. It is an ability that belonged solely to Salazar Slytherin. Only his descendants can speak Parseltongue."

Harry's eyes widened.

"S-so I'm Slytherin's... descendant?" His voice rose as he clearly struggled to accept it, yet at the same time, he recalled that the Sorting Hat had indeed wanted to place him in Slytherin.

"Actually, if we're only talking about bloodlines, more than half the wizarding world has Slytherin blood." Cyberlina shrugged. "After all, they only married pure-bloods, and there are only so many pure-blood families. If you trace it back, the Potter family probably does have Slytherin blood."

"Then... then I..." Harry's voice trembled.

"Oh, relax, Potter." Cyberlina raised a hand and reassuringly patted the arm Harry had resting on the table. "The Slytherin blood in you is negligible. You don't need to worry about having too much connection to Slytherin. Believe me, you belong in Gryffindor."

Albus would only want to see you in Gryffindor, too.

After she said that, both of them fell silent. Harry's silence came from relief, but Cyberlina's seemed somewhat heavy. Harry noticed it and asked nervously, "Then why did I become... that..."

"A Parselmouth," Cyberlina supplied. "I've actually hesitated over whether I should tell you, because the Headmaster seems not to want you to know too much."

"Why?"

Cyberlina did not answer. She merely gave him a helpless, bitter smile and raised a hand to point at her forehead.

Harry understood what Cyberlina meant almost instantly—

"Because of Voldemort?" He abruptly pushed himself to his feet against the table and covered his scar. "He... his scar left behind dark magic, so I—"

Cyberlina noticed that Harry seemed to have directly equated the evil Voldemort with Slytherin, but she did not correct him at that moment—or perhaps she had no intention of correcting him at all.

She stood as well, gently taking Harry's hand away from the scar he had been clutching. "Don't worry, don't worry... Harry."

Harry looked up at Cyberlina, his green eyes filled with anger and disbelief.

"Harry, don't be like this. Perhaps things aren't as serious as you think." Cyberlina placed his hand in her palm and gently patted the back of it with her other hand, her tone becoming even softer. "Look at it from another angle—this is actually an incredible skill, isn't it? Slytherin's direct line has almost died out. You might be the only Parselmouth left. How amazing is that?"

Harry calmed down under her reassurance.

After Cyberlina praised him a few more times, his terror gradually turned into embarrassment, and his mind finally began to recover from the shock.

"So, are you a direct descendant of Slytherin, then, Senior?"

"?" Cyberlina was sincerely surprised. "Why would you think that?"

"If you aren't, then how did you know I'm a Parselmouth?" Harry realized Cyberlina was denying it and voiced his confusion.

Cyberlina smiled and sighed.

"Harry, do you remember the question you wanted to ask me that night?"

"What question—ah, that voice!" Harry realized. "What I heard was actually snake language?"

"Yes, that voice was snake language." Cyberlina nodded. "My hearing has been better than other people's since I was little, and I can hear very faint sounds. On my way back to the dormitory that night, I heard something that sounded like a snake. I thought a little snake from outside had wandered into Hogwarts by accident, so I followed the sound, intending to take the lost snake back outside."

But... I never expected to run into you. When I heard you asking me about it, I was so startled that I instinctively... used Legilimency on you... I'm sorry. I have to apologize to you once again."

"It's alright." Harry shook his head. Now that he knew how important it was, he completely understood Cyberlina. Though he still felt somewhat embarrassed and annoyed that she had seen his memories, "There weren't many things that suddenly came to mind then... You probably didn't see much of my memory... right?"

"Yes." Cyberlina's expression was serious. "Slytherins have always valued privacy. I would not deliberately pry into other people's affairs. I merely followed your memories of speaking with snakes and saw what happened at the zoo, as well as what I accidentally saw... at the end of last year."

"Then it's fine." Harry let out a breath of relief. The moment he unconsciously lowered his head, he noticed that his hand was still clasped with Cyberlina's. Heat rushed straight to his head, and he immediately pulled his hand back, stiffly placing it at his sides.

"I'm glad you forgave me. You can still ask for whatever compensation you want at any time." Cyberlina seemed not to mind his movement. She simply lowered her hand along with his, then solemnly warned, "But remember, Harry—you must never, ever tell anyone that you're a Parselmouth."

"I understand." Harry clasped his hands behind his back and nodded firmly.

"What I said just now came from the heart as well. I believe that in your hands, Parseltongue will be used properly. In the future, when you encounter some difficult situation involving snakes, that will be the time for you to display your talent, great Mr. Savior."

"Senior Sekerei!"

"I mean it." Cyberlina laughed, raising a hand to pat Harry's messy, fluffy hair. "No matter what kind of magic or skill it is, its purpose and the results of its use depend on the user. You're a good child, Harry. No matter how much wizards fear Parseltongue, it will only bring good results in your hands. I believe that."

Cyberlina's encouraging gaze stirred Harry so deeply that he immediately wanted to find a snake and practice speaking Parseltongue, so that this ability of his could prove useful in the future.

"But please be careful, Mr. Savior." Cyberlina patted his head. "Do not try to speak to snakes of your own accord. They are all cunning."

"Huh?"

"Whether they have gained intelligence or not, I advise you not to approach them lightly. They are naturally deceitful, meticulous in their schemes, and love to beguile people with their words. Perhaps that is why wizards gradually discarded the ability to communicate with snakes in order not to be bewitched by them, making Parseltongue—an ability separate from all others—something terrifying."

Cyberlina smiled, her loving gaze resting on Harry's face as her fingers brushed aside the messy hair over his forehead.

"So, Harry. Remember this well: never trust the words of any snake—no matter how friendly they may appear.

—Remember it well."

It was not late when Harry returned to the dormitory, and quite a few people were still gathered in the Gryffindor common room. With the Weasley twins around, everyone knew he had received an invitation from Sekerei, so the moment he returned, they all crowded around him and bombarded him with questions about Cyberlina.

Harry felt as though his head was spinning. He sat straight down on a sofa in the common room, and all he could think about was those smiling eyes. He felt as though he had seen those eyes many times before—on an elderly face—no, perhaps several faces.

But whose were they—

Ah!

Harry abruptly sat bolt upright, startling everyone around him.

"Harry!" Ron slapped his shoulder in annoyance.

Harry remembered the way Senior Sekerei had looked at him! It was exactly the same as the way Headmaster Dumbledore looked at him!

Perhaps—also the way Professor McGonagall looked at him whenever he finished his homework properly.

"Kindly," Harry suddenly declared with conviction.

"..."

Silence fell all around. Everyone looked at one another, unable to understand what he was talking about.

Ron, who knew him best, realized something. He lowered his head and sniffed at him, then exclaimed in shock, "You've been drinking!? Harry! You've been drinking!?"

A chorus of shocked cries rose around them. The Weasley twins began whistling, and Harry found them unbearably noisy.

"Harry, explain yourself—Harry? Don't fall asleep!"

"..."

[Warm reminder: Beef stew with red wine is really delicious. The alcohol content is actually not high, but people who have never drunk alcohol before or aren't used to it should still eat less. Those who get drunk after drinking and being exposed to the wind should be especially careful and eat less to avoid getting drunk.

Those who like drinking and add extra alcohol should pay attention to when they add it and how much they use, so as not to affect the overall flavor.]