Naga Inheritance

Yay my new chapter's ready. I hope you like it, and kudos to my Beta Slythindor.
XXXHPDMXXX Chapter Fourteen XXXHPDMXXX

Harry screamed as the belt descended again and again on the already scared and bleeding flesh on his back.

“No screaming boy. You don't deserve to scream. You only deserve this. This is your punishment. This is all your fault.” Each statement was punctuated with another blow.

'What is? What's my fault?' thought Harry desperately to himself. 'What have I done? What have I ever done? What ever it is I'll fix it! I'll never do it again! I'll behave, I promise I will! I'll behave! I'll behave!' “I'll behave.” gasped out Harry as he sat up, woken suddenly from his dream,. He looked around franticly for a moment. He was in his room at the Marauder's Den. He took a quick inventory of himself. His clothes were drenched with sweat and he was having trouble breathing normally.

'Was it a nightmare or a memory?' thought Harry idly. 'I can never tell. At some point all the beatings blur into one, I can't tell them apart anymore.'

“Harry? Harry are you alright?” Sirius had gotten pissed and taken to sleeping outside his room when he found out Harry always put silencing charms on his room before going to sleep. Sirius had grown more protective since Remus had disappeared. Too protective. It had only been a few days and Harry was already annoyed. He would have to find Remus soon or risk insanity. They had been searching for the past couple of days and had come to a certain conclusion.

“I'm fine Sirius.”

“You're sure?”

“Yes Siri.”

“Oh good... Acerberus finally woke up.”

“Really?” Harry pulled on clean clothes and flung open the door.

“Yeah.” said Sirius smiling as he held out the sleepy dragon. “He woke up just before you did.”

“Poor thing. It slept for days.” said Harry. “I was beginning to think it wouldn't wake up at all.”

$Accerberusss. Accerberusss will be your name dear dragon.$ Harry realized he had lapsed into parseltounge only because of the look on Sirius' face. Harry's godfather did not like to serpent tongue. 'Can dragons understand parseltongue?'

$Fine sssnake ssspeaker.$ hissed the dragon sleepily.

'Well I guess that answers my question..'

$Name me what you will and I sshall name you. You shall be Sssacaran. It meansss sssmall dragon.$

$Sssmall! I'm a lot bigger than you are!$

$Yesss, but I sshall grow larger in time and you never will.$

Harry pouted as he glared at the willful creature.

“Not to interrupt what I'm sure is a fascinating conversation, but we do have plans today.” said Sirius, more than a little jealous of the dragon. He had come to expect it of the snakes and could even tolerate it, but why should a dragon be able to understand Harry when Sirius could not?

“Of course Sirius. If Krissy will fetch Alexander-”

“Krissy, who would not, ender any circumstances admit to ease dropping, complied before Harry could say another word. She popped in noisily, depositing Alexander on Harry's lap before popping back out as quickly as she came.

“He can show Acerberus around the house.”

$Alexxander, would you care to sshow Acerberus around the house?”

$Yesss Ssspeaker.$

$Are you angry with me? Why do you call me Ssspeaker and not Harry asss ussual?$

$Propriety is important when meeting new people. You can only make a firssst impersssion once.$

$And you've made a fine one my friend.” interjected Acerberus.

$Unlike me obviousssly. Naming me Sssacaran, really.$

An amazing on obviousssly, for he has named you for the firssst basssilisssk. The king of all sssnakesss and the humansss named him little dragon.$

If a dragon could grin than Acerberus was grinning. His lips were stretched back and his every tooth gleamed prettily in the firelight. Sirius, who could not understand the conversation, assumed the worst. He made no effort to hide his enthusiasm for leaving and leaving now.

“Come on Harry, we're leaving. I don't like the way that dragon is looking at you.” said Sirius, secure in the knowledge that the dragon did not speak English.

$Gotta go. My dog father- I mean my godfather$ said Harry mischievously, knowing that Sirius could not understand him. $is getting antsssy.$

The dragon and snake nodded their acceptance and left to explore the house.

Harry and Sirius stepped into the fireplace and spoke simultaneously. “Gryffindor Common Room, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Gryffindor Bravery.”

XXXHPDMXXX

Ron sat brooding on the widows' walk of Grimmauld Place.'Why do we have a widows' walk anyways? We aren't anywhere near the sea. Aren't they for women whose husbands have gone to sea?' This stray thought was of course not the most serious matter he was thinking about.

Ron looked down again at the sheet of parchment in his hands

King,

Ron smiled at the codename Harry had chosen for him. It could have been an insult based on the original Slytherin song, but Ron preferred to think otherwise.

Remember fifth year? Feathers is fine but...
How's the wife?
The floo's still broken but I think it could be fixed with a little effort on both our parts.
See you at the zoo, I'll be waiting in the reptile exhibit.
Gilderoy

'Why does it have to be so cryptic?' thought Ron. 'King refers to me and Gilderoy to harry. Weird name he chose though, he hated Lockhart. Wife probably refers to Hermione, I wonder if he knows she's.... Well about the floo, it's being fixed, so maybe it's our friendship and he's saying we can make up? The reptile exhibit though, that's hard. Let's see, what's in a reptile exhibit... Snakes and alligators and lizards and stuff. Most of that stuff doesn't make sense, but maybe snakes does? Snakes could mean Slytherins, but why would Harry be hanging out with Slytherins? Okay, now all that's left is that bit about fifth year... Wait didn't Hedwig get attacked when she was delivering a letter? So maybe he means the mail's not safe? I already knew that though. Maybe he's telling me not to reply. That's fine. I'll see him at Hogwarts anyways.'

“Ron? Ronald Weasley! Where are you?”

“Mum?” called Ron, wanting to avoid trouble, as he stuffed the letter in his pocket.

“Hurry up and get down here. Dumbledore has come to see us.”

“Yes Mum, I'm coming.” Ron wondered what Dumbledore would have to say.

XXXHPDMXXX

Harry and Sirius stepped warily into Gryffindor tower. No one was waiting there for them...

“The old fool knows I have the password for the Gryffindor Tower fireplace. Why didn't he change it?

“There are two possible explanations.” said Harry. “The first one is that maybe this is a trap. But as no one has jumped out of the shadows yet, they're probably not aware that we're here, or even that we could be. The other more likely conclusion is that the old codger has forgotten you know the password, he may not even be able to change it. The castle decides who can do things like that would the castle really give control to such a corrupt man?”

“No, no it wouldn't” Sirius grinned. “The castle is much to smart to do something like that.”

Harry nodded and looked out toward the center of the common room. “Dobby/” he called.

Before the word was all the way out of his mouth there was a loud pop and Harry had an armful of one very happy house-elf. “Harry! Harry has come back to Dobby! Dobby has been very worried. Dobby is hearing his Harry is missing.”

“I'm fine Dobby, I've been with Sirius, but I need help. I need your help Dobby.” said Harry, holding the house-elf up so he could get a good look at it. He did not look good. He was pale, skinny and covered in welts and bruises. Had Dobby been punishing himself again?

“What is it? Dobby will do anything for his Harry.”

Harry knew his questions would have to wait another minute. He had to do what he could to help Remus as soon as possible. “Dobby, Moony is here in this castle. Someone has stolen and hidden him from me. Dobby, you must find Remus and help me save him.”

“Dobby will help Harry. Dobby knows what to do. Salazar will help. Salazar will know. Salazar will help Dobby help Harry.”

Harry could see that Dobby was just about to leave and he knew he had to stop him. He had to find out. “Dobby, before you go you must tell me, why are you cut and bruised? Why are you hurt like this?”

“Dobby is not obeying. Dobby is not listening to Lord Dumbledore. Lord Dumbledore is telling Dobby to go and find his Harry and Dobby is saying no. Dobby is saying his Harry is not wanting to be found so Dobby is not finding him. Lord Dumbledore is being mad at Dobby for this and is punishing Dobby, but Dobby is not minding. Dobby's Harry is happy, so Dobby is happy.”

“Dobby, will you come with us?” Harry asked with compassion in his voice, Dobby had suffered to help him.

“Yes!” Dobby sobbed. “Dobby is not meaning to, but Dobby is wishing his Harry will come save him again and Harry is.”

“Go on then, hurry. We must save Remus this trip. We will not have someone we can trust in the castle after this.”

“We can trust Salazar!”

“Salazar? You mentioned him earlier, didn't you? That's the name of the founder of the Slytherin house. Is he named after him?”

“Harry is being unknowing of Salazar?”

Harry blinked twice, trying to decode the question so he could answer.

“Salazar is being Dobby's favorite founder. Salazar and Dobby is talking whenever Dobby is cleaning his painting.”

Harry nodded. “So Salazar Slytherin is going to help us?” asked Harry doubtfully.

Obviously Dobby did not hear the doubt because he nodded enthusiastically and popped away.

Sirius stared at where Dobby had been, more than a little distracted. “So that's Dobby. And here I thought Ron had to be exaggerating. I didn't know a house-elf could be that crazy.”

“Hey! Dobby is a good friend, don't call him crazy!”

“If you say so.”

“Watch what you say, he is the one getting us information on Remus.” said Harry, his Slytherin side coming out.

“And that truly scares me.” said Sirius, half serious.

Harry just glared, he'd run out of excuses for the very odd house-elf.

XXXHPDMXXX

The Order of the Phoenix was sitting around the kitchen table at Grimmauld Place. They all sat in wooden chairs of an equal size and distance apart. They were all equal, all but one.

Dumbledore sat at the head of the long wood table in a huge cozy purple armchair. He wore a tall pointy hat and elaborate robes and he sat with the posture of a king. Dumbledore lover order meetings.

“Quiet now, quiet everyone.” he said to the chatting people sitting around the table. “As you have undoubtedly noticed, we have one le4ss person at this order meeting than we've had in the past. I regret to inform you that Hermione Granger died recently, but before you get upset you must know, Hermione Granger died while performing a dark ritual!”

There were gasps around the room.

“It's been suggested that the could have been as supported of the Dark Arts and perhaps even working for Voldemort!”

As the people gasped again Dumbledore smiled internally.

“W-what spell did she use?” asked some anonymous order member Dumbledore didn't bother to even look at. He was a new recruit, below Dumbledore's notice.

“We were unable to identify the spell from the remains of her wand.”

“Than what do you base your accusations on. How can you say she practiced Dark Arts if her wand's to destroyed to tell you?”

“She had Dark Arts artifacts in her trunk.”

“In the headquarters of the order of the phoenix? That's reassuring. Besides, if she was a spy she wouldn't have kept it in her trunk, that would be to obvious.” The boy was gaining confidence and the order members had begun taking a great deal of interest in the conversation. “However, if she were framed then some one could have planted the evidence. She might not even have done the ritual.”

“Nonsense, Molly went in the room right after that, there would have been no time to plant evidence.”

“Really? She went in right after? Doesn't she have several children? I would have thought she would check on them first, or the other order members more likely to attack or be attacked. Are you saying you suspected her and he was still able to preform a dark ritual right under your nose? Maybe she went there because she did it. How do you know she didn't?”

“I wouldn't do that.” burst in Molly. “Besides I did check the other rooms first, her wards are always to strong to get through anyways.”

“So you admit! There was enough time to sneak into her room and plant evidence!”

“What's your name? “ asked Dumbledore, his kind voice not betraying his anger.

“My name is Kyle, Headmaster.”

“A Hogwarts student are you then?” Dumbledore smiled cheerily. With smarts like that you must be a Ravenclaw. Well Kyle, I assure you we'll launch an investigation on the matter right away.

“Thank you sir.”

“Now if you don't mind Kyle, would you please go and get me the book from the table in the other room?”

“Yes sir.” The boy left.

“I don't mean to alarm you all, but it may be best if we do not let that boy in on Order secrets, 45% of Ravenclaws join Voldemort after they finish Hogwarts. They tend to study some form of the Dark Arts too, I have to wonder how he knows so much about Dark Rituals. Maybe he's been sent here by Voldemort to replace Miss Granger.”

“Is this the book sir?”

“Yes Kyle, come back in now. That's a good lad... ”
XXXXXXXXXXXXHPDMXXXXXXXXXXX
So, how was it, I'm always glad for input (except when its flames). Thank you for reading, I hope your happy and well whoever and wherever you are.
Tenari Rose^^