Itoshii Sune-ku

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.


Itoshii Sune-ku.

Chapter 12:Takuan (Takuan basically means 'pickled beet.' Blame my friend, Ashley. She threatened me with it. The name will probably have no bearing on the following chapter. Sorry. Or maybe it will...)

The noise. Harry couldn't take the noise. Standing with Rhapsody and Tremaine in a huge shop with different animals. All cooing, hooting, or meowing in varying volumes. But it wasn't those sounds that was hurting his ears. It was arguing coming from the back of the store. The other two didn't seem to hear the arguing voices, but Harry certainly did, and it was giving him a headache.

"I'll be right back." Harry said, distractedly to the two black haired seven year olds, and walked off toward the back. Rhapsody looked after him, wondering what had him so distracted.

"Go after him. You don't want the shop owner to hear him." Amaryssein's voice stated behind them. Rhapsody looked to her younger sister, who had just walked in, nodded, and walked off in Harry's direction.

Harry was walking closer to the back, resisting the urge to cover his ears and run away. Harry turned a corner and came face to face with a wall full of cages filled with angrily hissing snakes.

'Oh, that's what it was. No wonder...I'll have to ask Rhapsody about this. I'm not a snake, I shouldn't be able to hear them.' Harry thought to himself, walking closer. The arguing having died down when the snakes had caught sight of him.

~Hmm...Do you figure he's going to use one us?~ One of the snakes closest to Harry hissed to the one next to it.

~He is too young, isn't he? He may not even know the basics of potions. Stupid potion humans.~ The snake said, with a certain lisp. Now Harry knew where Rhapsody's slight lisp came from. She was a snake, after all. Harry knew the basics of potions.

Tremaine, whom Harry hadn't talked to all that much; he was fairly nervous around him, had taught Harry the basics, and a little more about potions, just to put him at ease. Tremaine knew Harry would probably never be comfortable around too many people. Harry focused back on the snakes in front of him.

He leaned close to one of the cages and looked in at the black and gold snake within.

~Does he have to look at me like that? I don't think I like it.~ The snake said to another, shifting just slightly.

~He likes you. If you look closely, it doesn't look like he has any intention of hacking you up and using you in potions. Plus, he's only a hatchling.~ Harry looked over toward the hissing voice, and saw an older looking snake, blood red, and silver patterned, just a little more than 2 feet long. The snake stared at him with fairly glowing eyes.

~Shhhh...It's all right, hatchling. Come here. It's all right. Come, hatchling.~ Harry took a few steps toward the older snake, reaching a hand up to the latch at the top of the cage. He flicked it, and the cage door slid downward. Harry looked around, looking for anyone around, and, seeing no one, held his hand out. The red and silver snake shifted, moving out onto the door of the cage, and then onto Harry's hand and up his arm.

Surprisingly, the snake wasn't that heavy. Well, not so heavy that Harry couldn't lift the snake with ease.

~Oh, be careful, Mother! He might drop you. He is so small!~ Another snake, this one an odd blue and silver colored one stated rather anxiously. Harry carefully shifted around so that he could safely take hold of the snake crawling up his arm. The snake settled its slightly triangular shaped head on his shoulder. Darting it's split tongue out, the snake tasted Harry's jaw, said Harry giggling at the feeling.

~You see. He is no harm. He is only a hatchling. A child. And human child, though he may be, he is still just a hatchling. There is no reason to fear him. He will not harm us snakes.~ It said, rubbing its head against Harry's cheek.

~How do you know? He could grow up to brew potions and--~

~And what if he does? He will buy his ingredients at a building like this one. One that sells those ingredients. He would not be so cruel as to use live serpents. I know he would not.~

~You don't know that! He could very well--~

~Be silent! Do not question my mother! She has never led any of you astray before. Why question her now?~ The snake's daughter snapped at another. Harry decided to speak up, he didn't want them to get into another argument.

~I won't hurt any of you. I promise. From what I've heard of potions, it seems interesting, but I wouldn't go around killing things for ingredients.~ Harry said quietly, hoping not to draw the attention of anyone else in the shop. All the snakes fell silent, staring at Harry incredulously.

~There. You see. Spoken from the mouth of the child himself. Now, tell me, hatchling, how do you understand us? We haven't had one come that could talk in many years.~ Harry tilted his head at the red and silver snake. Then smiled excitedly.

~Do you have a name? I can't exactly keep calling you 'the red and silver snake' all the time. And I have absolutely no idea how I can talk to you. I mean, I know Rhapsody can talk to snakes and stuff, but I'm not like her. I'm not a snake like her. Then again, it would be pretty cool to be one. But she can talk to snakes. I thought you'd have to be like herto be able to talk to snakes. But it's really cool. It's like I'm not even talking in a different language. Then again, I probably am, aren' I?~ Harry rambled, quietly, still wary of being overheard. The snake at his neck seemed to smile at him with her odd pale glowy eyes.

~I do not have a name. Mother, or Elder, but no other name.~ The snake moved downward, wrapping herself across Harry's chest. Harry grinned wider.

~Would you mind if I named you? Then again, would you mind if I took a few of you home with me? I'd have to ask Rhapsody first. And the others most likely. I'm not sure who can tolerate snakes and who can't. Ohh, I hope Rhapsody says yes.~ Harry rambled on excitedly, only to spin around in panic when a lisping voice whispered ~Yes~ in his ear.

Standing behind him was Rhapsody, smiling at all the snakes' chatter. She walked over to one of the cages, and placed her finger through the bars, rubbing the underside of the green and, oddly enough, lavender colored snake. Said snake hissed its pleasure. Rhapsody straightened and looked to Harry.

"You may buy five snakes, or less. At the moment. You may come back after you get used to having how ever many you buy around. Snakes are very good conversationalists. And make very good protectors, especially if they like you. Which the one wrapped around you seems to. Pick some out. It's your choice." She turned back to the green and lavender snake, stroking its head. Harry looked down at the snake wrapped around his chest, and quietly asked.

~Would you mind coming home with me? I get to take home at the most, five of you guys. Would any of you like to go home with me?~ The snakes all looked at him, but they didn't say anything. Then, when Harry was about ready to give up, the blue and silver snake spoke up.

~I'll go with you...If you'll have me.~ Harry thought the snake was beautiful. Only half as long as its mother, it was still a beautiful creature.

~I shall go home with you, too, hatchling.~ The one now hanging from his neck hissed softly in his ear.

~Maybe...I could go, too...? If you want...That is...~ Harry looked over and saw the green and lavender snake looking at him shyly. He smiled at her, then walked over next to Rhapsody, freeing the snake from its cage. Then, reaching over and freeing the blue and silver snake. No other snake spoke up after that. They were all still too wary of being used as potion ingredients.

Rhapsody smiled as she watched Harry giggled and laugh as the three serpents slithered all over Harry. She tugged his sleeve and pulled him over to the front desk.

"Can I help you, children?" The man behind the counter, asked. Rhapsody smiled, and reached for both of Harry's hands and placed them on the counter. All three snakes crawled out and lay quietly in front of the man. The man's eyes widened, and he looked up quickly.

"You realize these snakes don't like anyone? That's the first time they've ever been in contact with someone and not bitten them. How'd you manage it?" He asked incredulously. Rhapsody smiled guardedly, and was about to answer when Harry spoke.

"They don't like being man-handled. They're very delicate creatures, these ones are, anyway. They are used to rough handling, nor are they particularly fond of being picked up against their will. Then again, it might just be because they really don't like you people. No offense." Harry giggled. The man looked shocked for a moment, then smiled.

"Well, if they get a good home, then I'm all for it. Can you take care of them? You know the responsibility that comes with caring for snakes like these." He questioned.

"Yes, sir. Before our mother died, our home was filled with snakes. She had an affinity for them. I guess we sort of inherited it from her." Rhapsody replied, sweetly. He beamed at them.

"Well, do you want a cage for them? No? Oh, well, probably don't like being caged anyway. All right, then, for all three of them it will be eight galleons, fourteen sickles and a knut. That's not including the food for them. But you can have three months' worth for free, just this once, all right?" As soon as the man finished Harry was reaching inside his pocket for the pouch of money that Rhapsody had him get from his vault.

But before he could get out the required amount, Rhapsody had already handed the man the correct sum. He looked at her questioningly, opening his mouth to protest, but she cut him off.

"Think of this as your birthday present. I'll get you a snake for your birthday, every year. A rarer, or maybe bigger snake than the last. How's that? But you have to promise me to take care of them. But don't smother them." Harry was shocked. A birthday present? Wow. The only birthday present he had ever gotten was a light bulb when he was four. He had figured out how to make the bulb light up with a battery. It was cool.

He smiled brilliantly at her. She smiled back. The snakes were paid for, and everything was packed away, the snakes crawling back inside Harry's clothes again. Once outside, everyone agreed that it was time to head back to the Leaky Cauldron. Once there, though, and in their assigned rooms, Harry was nervous. He was yelling at himself that he was getting so nervous over nothing. It was Tremaine, for crying out loud! Harry knew he wouldn't hurt him or anything.

Tremaine, for his own part, was keeping a fair enough distance from Harry. He knew the boy was nervous around. Heck, the boy was nervous around everyone of the male species. The boy didn't have any good experiences with guys. But all good experiences with girls. That's why he was so comfortable around Rhapsody and the other girls. Finally, though, Harry got so jittery that neither could fall asleep, and Tremaine had to speak up.

"Harry, please, relax. It's not like I'm going to jump over there and strangle you or something. Well, not unless you want me to. But then again, I'd still be rather reluctant to do so. You need sleep. So sleep, kid. Plus, you still have your serpents. They're all three highly poisonous. And they're fond of you. They'll bite anyone who tries to harm you. So go to sleep. And stop worrying. I'll never hurt you." Tremaine said, and Harry was rather shocked. Tremaine had said more just than, then he had in all the time that he had met him. Well, sure he had taught him about potions, but he always explained in the simple and basic terms. Short terms, at that.

But none the less, Harry was reassured for the moment, and was finally able to fall asleep ten minutes later.
________________________________________

'M sorry it's been so long. Didn't mean to do that. Um...Thanks for the suggestions. I got a really good idea from 'The Dark Child [am a girl' and Jess. So.....Yeah....Thank you...^^