Coutl

Harry stared out over the darkened landscape as he flew. He could feel his feathered wings pumping in the cooling night air. He had been searching for a month now, a month of fruitless hunting. He was 16 now and only had a month left before school started again. A soft annoyed hiss escaped his lips as he went to land near what appeared to be a rundown muggle mansion.

Harry began to slither along the ground. The feathers on his back laid tightly against his body. His large wings folded up to also press against his body. He had decided this rundown mansion would be a good place to scare up a meal. Normally he would have been revolted at the thought of eating rats and mice, but since finding his animagus form and while in it; was a different matter.

Harry didn’t notice the large green snake coming up behind him as he moved along flicking out his tongue to hunt. In fact he never even suspected there was another snake near till he heard the hissing from it and turned to face it his feathered crest rising in a defense display. The large green snake backed off quickly at the feathered display from Harry.

‘Why are you here? This is my territory granted to me by my master.’ The snake hissed angrily at Harry. Harry tilted his head to the side as he lowered the feathered crest on his head.

‘I apologize I did not know you had rights on the territory. I have been seeking the dark speaker for a month and thought this would be a good place to rest and hunt.’ Harry explained lowering himself to her. The female snake obviously had the right of this territory and Harry didn’t want to force a battle between them.

‘You seek my master? Come I will take you too him.’ She hissed causing Harry to rear up a foot in surprise. The snake before him was Nagini and he had had no idea.

‘Thank you.’ Harry replied then started to follow the large green snake towards the entrance into the old mansion she used. Once they were inside Harry noticed that the building wasn’t as rundown as it appeared outside. Inside it looked majestic and well appointed in creature comforts. Outside it looked like an abandoned old building even to those that could see magic. He glanced at the way Nagini had lead him in by, then began to follow her once more. His crest rising again as a shivering fat man scurried down the stairs. He hissed at the man menacingly causing Nagini to glance and hiss as well.

‘We can not harm him. He is one of Masters Servants but he is more prey than anything else.’ Nagini said softly. Harry continued to glare and hiss at the man as he ran off, Harry’s crest staying up till he was out of sight.

‘He smells like prey that was killed weeks ago. Stuff no respecting predator would eat.’ Harry hissed. Wormtail as the fat man had been deserved contempt and that was all. Nagini stared at Harry in surprise at Harry’s description of Wormtail’s smell.

‘Are you sure young Coutl?’ Nagini asked. Harry glanced back at Nagini then nodded slowly.

‘Positive it is the most unappetizing smell I have ever smelt.’ Harry stated softly as they finally entered a large open room with only one heavy oak chair on a small daze. In the chair resided a man covered in a black cloak.

‘Nagini, who is your feathered friend and what are the two of you talking about?’ the black cloaked figure asked in parseltongue. Harry glanced towards him now knowing that it was Voldemort.

‘He is a coutl that was seeking you master and we were talking of the rat in human form.’ Nagini explained to Voldemort. Harry moved forward his crest staying down as he reared up to 5’ and then almost seemed to bow by lowering the upper 2 ½ feet of his raised section.

‘Dark speaker it is an honor to be in your presence. I am sorry for intruding on your domain but I wished to learn the truth of this war I had been hearing about. Since you speak in the serpent tongue I figured I could learn from you first.’ Harry hissed trying to be polite yet not give too much away too quickly.

‘I see but first why were you talking about my servant Wormtail?’ Voldemort asked looking at Harry.

‘He smells of carrion. It is an awful smell and I do not like him at all.’ Harry replied calmly as he began to curl up his length in front of Voldemort keeping 2’ of his length raised as they talked.

‘I see, thank you for telling me this. May I know your name Coutl?’ Voldemort asked wondering why Harry hadn’t just straight out told him Wormtail was a traitor and instead explained the smell a Coutl would get from one.

‘Please Dark speaker call me Cassein.’ Harry said having planned the fake name already. Voldemort nodded then looked over the feathers along Harry’s back and nodded.

‘Well Cassein would you be willing to hide behind my throne while I summon all my servants to me. I would like to see what you think of them all.’ Voldemort hissed. Harry tilted his head to one side then dipped it slowly.

‘I would like that a lot Dark Speaker. It might give me a sense of what is what more than just hearing what you might say.’ Harry said then uncurled and slithered up behind Voldemort’s throne. He hid within the shadows of it making sure he could see the entire area that the Death Eaters would appear in. Voldemort himself hid his frown with Cassein’s words. The Coutl did not seem to know of the abilities of Coutls which meant Cassein might not be what he appeared.

“WORMTAIL!” Voldemort screamed. The fat man quickly appeared running into the room shivering in fear. His beady rat like eyes looking all over the room as he quickly kneeled before Voldemort.

“Y-yes M-master?” Wormtail stuttered. Voldemort sneered at the shivering lump of a man and waited a few moments. When Wormtail didn’t move from his kneeling position Voldemort snarled.

“Your arm now Wormtail.” Voldemort growled. Wormtail stiffened in shock then lifted his left arm to Voldemort revealing the dark mark on it. Voldemort placed his wand against the mark and Wormtail whimpered as pain flared through him. Harry watched silently as people in white masks began to arrive and kneel for a moment to Voldemort before moving into their places in the slowly forming crowd.

“Severus I want you up here now.” Voldemort growled. Severus stiffened a bit but slowly stepped forward from the group. He could tell that Voldemort was in a bad mood but not why or what might of caused it. He just hoped whatever had caused it would be cleared up and soon.

“My lord what is it you wish of me?” Severus asked softly as he knelt once he was within reach of Voldemort. Harry was still listening; the tip of his tail flicking slightly with impatience as he studied what was going on. He noticed Wormtail slipping towards the exit and slithered over there silently ready to rear up should Wormtail attempt to leave.

“Severus do you have any Veriatiserum on you. I wish to question one of my followers.” Voldemort stated. Severus nodded slowly and reached into his robe to draw out the small vial he was carrying. It was at this point a scream from Wormtail pulled everyone’s attention over to him.

Harry was reared up his crest flared out hissing angrily at Wormtail who had curled up in a scared little ball before him. All the death eaters stared at Harry seeing his animagus form only then looked at Voldemort. Voldemort stood obviously angry as he glared from Harry to Wormtail.

‘Cassein I thought I told you to stay in the shadows behind my throne!’ Voldemort hissed angrily at Harry. Harry looked over to Voldemort his crest lowering.

‘I am sorry Dark Speaker but this thing was trying to slip away. I did not think you wanted it to leave.’ Harry replied calmly as he slowly slithered away from Wormtail and moved towards Voldemort calmly. None of the other men and women that stood around the hall smelt as vile as Wormtail.

‘I did not notice thank you Cassein I did want him to stay here.’ Voldemort replied then looked over at his followers.

“Wormtail I did not give you permission to leave. Get over here now.” Voldemort snarled. The fat man gulped and quickly moved back to Voldemort’s side. Harry stopped and curled up next to Voldemort’s throne. He hadn’t noticed Severus looking at him or how closely he was studying his head.

“M-Ma-Master d-did I d-do s-s-something w-w-wrong? Y-you almost n-n-never w-want m-me at t-these m-meetings.” Wormtail stuttered his eyes wide. Harry glared at Wormtail as he stuttered. The man was a fool a worthless fool at that almost as bad as Dumbledore.

“I want you to stay there Wormtail. Severus dose him with the serum.” Voldemort snapped. Wormtail stiffened hearing Voldemort’s words as Severus looked at the man in surprise but bowed.

“As you wish my lord.” Severus stated before turning towards Wormtail. Harry tensed up expecting something more to happen as he watched the events unfold. Wormtail looked around the room then spun and began to run. The death eaters around the room stared in surprise and shock as the believed coward sprinted for the only exit. Harry though leapt as soon as Wormtail began running and got in front of the fat man. He began to hiss threateningly causing the man to back up towards Voldemort and Severus once more.

“So Wormtail what are you hiding that you would run rather than be dosed with Veratiserum?” Voldemort asked as Harry continued to hiss threateningly at Wormtail. Severus moved over to the man and forced the dose of serum into his mouth and into his body. Harry curled up calming once Wormtail had been dosed. They all waited for the serum to take affect then did a few test questions.

“Why were you trying to leave the meeting before dismissal?” Voldemort asked finally. Harry continued to watch flicking the tip of his tail once in awhile not noticing as Severus began to examine him again.

“Albus needed to know about the Coutl.” Wormtail said simply. Every one of the death eaters stared at Wormtail in shock as he said this.

“Why would you let Albus know about the Coutl?” Voldemort asked rage lighting up his eyes as Harry hissed angrily at Albus’ name.

“He told me to tell him of any odd happenings here.” Wormtail stated, his eyes appearing vague and unfocused.

“Do you work for Albus Dumbledore?” Voldemort snapped feeling true rage. Harry could feel the urge to bite the man building within his serpentine body, but he kept control of himself.

“Yes.” Wormtail replied causing all the Death eaters to stare at him in shock. Voldemort snarled and raised his wand to AK the fat man only to notice Harry rear up his mouth opened wide and a viscous liquid dripping from his fangs. Harry bit Wormtail on the shoulder and watched as the man began to scream in pain.

‘I am sorry if you wished to kill him yourself. I could not resist the urge to punish him.’ Harry hissed as he moved back over to the chair and watched as Wormtail thrashed and screamed where he collapsed on the ground.

‘No that is fine. Though I believe we need to speak in private.’ Voldemort hissed then looked around the crowd of death eaters.

“You are all dismissed!” Voldemort cried out. Quickly with the dismissal the hall cleared of all but Severus who still stared at the Coutl before Voldemort.

“Severus I did dismiss everyone.” Voldemort pointed out. Severus glanced up at his lord then knelt a moment.

“I’m sorry my lord it’s something about this Coutl.” Severus said then stood and moved next to Voldemort’s ear to whisper to him. “Look at the forehead area of the Coutl. There is a very familiar mark there.”

“Thank you Severus. I will deal with the rest. Now go.” Voldemort said as he looked more closely at the head of the Coutl.

“As you wish my lord.” Severus said softly and turned to leave quickly. Voldemort waited till Severus was out of the hall then turned to Harry again.