It was obviously a young Basilisk, with only a grasp of instincts rather than any true knowledge. He kept referring to Harry as "Mommy." Any attempt to change that was just met with confusion and a resolute but happy "mommy is mommy!". He couldn't get the damn snake to call him anything else no matter what he tried.
When Harry had pointed out that he was a human, the young basilisk sounded confused and said he smelled just like a snake. Harry wondered if the basilisk was just a young one and therefore relatively ignorant and naive, or if the snake was just dumb.
Harry gave it 50/50 odds.
When Draco had asked what they were saying to one another, he had burst out into helpless laughter when Harry told him that he was trying to convince the basilisk not to call him Mommy.
That laughter had ended abruptly when Harry added that he was also trying to make sure that the basilisk knew that Draco wasn't food.
Harry had asked several questions of the Basilisk but was frustrated by the corresponding answers. The basilisk knew nothing about the Chamber or even Hogwarts as a whole, nor did it know anything about the dead basilisk that even now lay in the Chamber. Moreover it didn't seem to care about the dead snake.
Draco, however, was examining the dead snake from multiple angles and muttering about harvesting it and making a killing.
Harry had gotten caught up in the frustratingly slow conversation before Draco hesitantly reminded him that they had missed lunch and needed to go if they were going to make Herbology. Harry almost dismissed the idea but realized that if he ended up with detention it would take up more time in the evening.
Harry had sighed and ordered the snake back into the statue, and it obeyed, despite complaints that it was hungry. Harry promised it that he would bring it food in the near future before retracing their steps to the entrance. He had intended to explore the Chamber of Secrets, and though he had found a baby basilisk, they hadn't had time to explore farther. Harry had been hoping to find any other entrances or exits to the Chamber. He point blank refused to believe that there was only one.
Unfortunately this time when Harry and Draco went to exit, they didn't have Fawkes to show up and carry them out. Instead, after a few moments of consideration Harry made Draco climb back in the pipe they came down in, over Draco's objections. Then, when Draco's view of Harry was obstructed, Harry flamed back to Myrtle's bathroom, and simply summoned Draco back up the pipe.
Draco's girlish scream was every bit as satisfying to Harry when it came in reverse.
Herbology was completely unremarkable, Harry payed just enough attention to make sure that none of the plants they were working with were going to try and bite his face off, or drench him in toxic goo. Which they didn't. Draco had been sure that they both had used scourgify on themselves after exiting the Chamber, all the wall grumbling about Harry's sense of humor.
Harry mentioned how much he disliked someone whining like a little baby and the grumbling had stopped.
They had Herbology with the Hufflepuff's and he noted that familiar faces such as Susan Bones, Hannah Abbot, Justin Finn Fletchley and Ernie Macmillan were all in Hufflepuff in this world. Though they very much seemed to refrain from interacting with the Slytherin's for any length of time. Not that Harry really blamed them overly much.
He was however distracted by two things. First, Daphne Greengrass, the girl who had shared the carriage with him from Hogsmeade Station to the school had sidled up next to him very briefly, and asked to speak to him aloneafter Herbology and before dinner.
Draco had narrowed his eyes suspiciously but hadn't said anything. Harry allowed his curiosity to get the better of him, and had nodded in agreement. Daphne had merely nodded and then strode away and proceeded to completely ignore him for the rest of class, partnering with Tracey Davis who seemed to murmur nearly non-stop at Daphne. She only seemed to pause when Professor Sprout was close enough to overhear anything said.
Secondly, Blaise Zabini had asked where they were during history. Harry had replied that he had heard stories of how bad the ghost teaching history was and had no interest in subjecting himself to Binns. Draco had just nodded, with a bit of a grin on his face.
Harry reminded himself to get a letter from the Flamel's to make it clear that he wasn't required to attend such a useless history course.
After class, Harry and Draco had left with the class, though this time they were bookended by Crabbe and Goyle who seemed to have gotten past the confusion that set in when Malfoy suddenly befriended someone else. Their solution was simple. They merely continued to stand around and look intimidating. They could do that nearly as easily around two people as they could around one.
The pair didn't talk as they headed inside and made their way to the dungeons. They passed a few other years of Slytherins headed towards the Great Hall for dinner. Harry saw Daphne glance back at him and catch his eye. She inclined her head slightly as she broke off and headed into a room he hadn't payed attention to before when he had last attended Hogwarts.
Harry raised an eyebrow when he noted that while others saw her break off, no one said anything. Harry shrugged and began to break off to follow, only to stop when Draco grabbed his arm. Harry paused to look at him with a raised eyebrow.
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