I watched, warily at Flitwick while the rest of the class murmured about me. Well, mostly the Gryffindor students. The Slytherin students who were all around me were congratulating me on blowing the ‘lower classes’ out of the water. I could feel Hermione glaring at me from the corner of my vision. She obviously didn’t like me, and I knew that was mostly my fault for how I acted. However I also knew it would be in everyone’s best interest for me to not talk to any other students. I didn’t agree with Slytherin beliefs, so befriending any would be impossible, and becoming friends with others that did hold my beliefs, like the Weasleys would paint a target on my back in Slytherin, along with my father.

‘She seems like a good student that wants to help others, and I respect that. However I must keep everyone at arms length to avoid any issues.’ I reaffirmed my stance, and readied my resolve before Flitwick finally spoke to me. “Mr. Peterson! It sounds like you have discovered the more powerful variant of this spell by accident! Very well done! 5 Points to Slytherin!” Many of the students gave me their respect and appreciation for more points, and I just nodded with appreciation. 

‘Why do we care so much about a certain cup? It does literally nothing, right? Father told me about the honor it is to be awarded this, but the whole Slytherin name is about thinking better of yourself than others. So if you think you already are better is this just validation?’ I was lost in my own thoughts about the cup I inadvertently pointed my class closer to, unaware of Pansy’s sidelong looks. 

‘Merlin’s beard was that!? He probably practiced Lumos to get that effect, but I could’ve sworn I saw his sleeve moving strangely while he casted the spell. But it was his other sleeve. What does he keep hidden under his robes? Is he even human down there?’ Pansy was still investigating, but her last thought froze her in her tracks. She paused, and the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. ‘He stashes food in his sleeves, his arms wriggle about under his sleeves sometimes, he has some connection to that monster in the lake, and he hisses… What kind of monster is he?’

Flitwick explained to me about the spell I inadvertently discovered. “The name of the spell you were using was Lumos Maxima! It was discovered in a very similar way to you when it came about! Very well done, but please try to keep the more dangerous charms we will learn about on a tighter leash alright?” He chuckled a bit while I nodded at him, and was forced to help other students learn about Lumos by my peers. 

Most of what I taught was what was written in the book. I wasn’t really breaking new ground here, but others said it was easier with my tutelage for some reason. Only throwing me further into the maw of others wanting to make progress. I only taught Slytherins, but I made sure to be loud enough in my descriptions and instructions to allow Gryffindor students to listen in. I couldn’t teach them personally, but I still believed in not withholding things from those who were in a different house.

“I got it!” I heard a cheer coming from behind me, and looked to see Hermione smiling happily at her shining wand. She glanced back at me, but her face turned into a sour expression soon as she saw my face. She snapped her head back to her desk while helping the Weasley, and chosen boy. ‘Why even look behind to scowl at me?’ I internally sighed as the class was coming to an end. Unfortunately when it did, my sleeve started to hiss in excitement. “Yay! Lunchtime! I want to see our friend!” 

I coughed loudly to drown him out, and with everybody else thanking me for the help on the charm, I felt like Val had been successfully drowned out. However, unknown to me, there were two that didn’t miss the familiar hissing that I sometimes emitted. Both girls’ squinted their eyes while watching me quickly rush out of the class while arranging my books under my right arm. 

I didn’t have much time for lunch, so I made sure to move quickly. ‘Maybe I should just ask the elves working here to make me lunch that I can eat outside.’ It didn’t take long to make it to the great hall along with most other first year Slytherin’s following my lead. I took my seat while internally sighing about how much I’ve been standing out  accidently. ‘Why can’t Potter, ‘The boy who lived’ take more of the spotlight! I’m being hailed as a prefect when I get old enough! I don’t want to run the house!’ I quickly pushed down my anxiety with the delicious food the elves made.

Pansy took her spot beside me, but I didn’t have time to stay. I got up after taking a small piece of chicken for Val, and an entire leg for my abyssal friend. “Where are you going?” I frowned while I looked down at Pansy eyeing me while I stretched my legs. “Walking. What’s it to you?” She frowned as well and continued to eat before I walked off. There were still a few more students inside the halls, but the further I went towards the back of the castle, the fewer I saw. ‘This looks good.’ I thought while finding an unoccupied part of the estate beside a forest with a small run down hut.

I moved around, and smiled when I saw that I was alone. ‘Probably only used that for storage, and it looks rundown enough to not have been used for a long while.’ I let out a sigh from having time away from everybody else, and smiled while letting Val slither beside me while we walked. “This place is cool! I like it here!” To be honest I think he just liked not having to be in my robes, but so was I. We both made our way down to the water’s edge, and Val quickly dove it. “Are you going to be ok?” I called out to him while he splashed in the shallows.

I knew that Val liked being in water, but I didn’t want something to try and eat him. “I’ll be fine! This is fun!” I smiled seeing him happy, and shook my head to stop worrying over him. “Can you call our friend again?” I asked, and Val froze for just a second. “Oops! I almost forgot!” I scoffed at him while he dove under the surface. A few seconds of waiting, and he came back out. “She’s coming!” He cheered, and just as I was about to talk, a tendril came out that I was beginning to know all too well, touched and prodded my body.

I chuckled and smiled while petting it, and the few others that she used to test me. I remembered the last time this happened, and didn’t want a repeat. I took out my wand and focused on making it ring, before placing it on a tendril I held, asking to keep me above water in parseltongue. Making sure that she could better understand me with another animalistic language. All of her arms squirmed while I spoke through this method, and they quickly used their suckers to take hold of me, before raising me up, and throwing me around in the air. 

I was ecstatic to see the sheer power of her, being able to lift me up, and twirl me around in the air with just four or five of her numerous arms was amazing. I relayed my happiness to her as she moved me further away from the land. “Wow! You are amazing!” “I wanna play too!” Val quickly yelled his jealousy before being tossed over to me by her. We continued to play around like that for a while, until I explained that we needed to be brought back to classes soon. I could tell she was a little sad, but brought us over to where we started and dropped us off on land.

Just as she was withdrawing her tendrils, I held one to stop her from leaving yet. “Hang on! I have some more food for you.” I said while giving her some more of my snacks. I already gave her the chicken leg first thing, but I still wanted her to have some of my cooking as well. ‘It’s nice to see her like this, but It’s too tiresome to just call her ‘her’.’ Nodding, I made sure to place my wand firmly on her tendril I was still holding before talking.

“Since we’re friends. I think you deserve a name…” I then thought about what name would suit her for a bit before it suddenly popped in my head. With a large smile I announced what I would call her while she sucked and released her suckers attached to my hand. “Your name is… Abarrane!”