giant snakes? in my magical boarding school? it's more likely than you think
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"Yeah. There's not a lot of snakes here..." Anathema says. "I don't think so?"

The snake raises his head. "It's warm enough most of the time, and none of you humans go very underground much anyways, especially when it's cold, so we live down there. But all the mice ran away and then everyone was really uneasy about staying down there this cold so we left but there's not a lot of nice dens outside so we had to fight over them. But also humans are big and dumb and noisy, so we avoid them. I've heard them chirp at each other but don't see them often."

Anathema frowns again. To Ellie (and kind of the snake), "Talking to snakes is supposed to be one of those weird magical talents people sometimes get. Like, muggles can be born as mages, and mages can end up born with extra magic like being a metamorphagus - or a parselmouth, which means you can talk to snakes. It runs in families after that. It's supposed to be that all the British parselmouths are descended from Salazar Slytherin, who was one, though there's other parselmouths elsewhere so probably anyone's ever moved in. Or just gotten it at random."

"The last known British parselmouth was Voldemort. Neither of my parents were parselmouths - they woulda bragged about it everywhere..." She bites her lip.

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"Oh."

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"...I guess we could just. Both randomly be - new talents..."

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"Not with our luck."

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"Yeah."

She seems pretty upset. 

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"You shouldn't let on about it to anyone. People can think it's just me."

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She nods.

"Thanks."

"...Though maybe we should tell Professor Reynolds."

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"I think it should be okay for her to know."

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"Yeah. She's been - good."

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"Better than most people."

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Firm nod. "I like her."

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"Me too."

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Anathema sighs. 

It's a bit of a walk to the lake, and a bit more of a walk to figure out which big pile of rocks the snake meant. He slithers into his den after thanking both girls. 

Anathema stares out over the water after. 

"...People are gonna be gossiping. I dunno I wanna go back to the dorm right now."

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"Could go to the dragon room for a bit."

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"Yeah. Or see Professor Reynolds."

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"Or that. Depends if you wanna talk to her now or later, I guess."

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"...I think now."

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"Okay." Off to see Professor Reynolds.

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It's her office hours right now, so she's in the room off her usual classroom. Fortunately, no one's taking advantage of those - she seems to be grading papers, which she sets down when the two girls appear in the open doorway. 

"Good morning," she says. "Come on in."

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"Good morning, Professor." Ellie takes a seat.

"So apparently I can talk to snakes."

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Anathema closes the door behind them, sitting by Ellie.

"... Me too."

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"Oh," she says, blinking a bit. "That has - implications."

"Are you two okay?"

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"For now. Someone was trying to play a prank in the Ravenclaw common room with a snake. We took it back outside."

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"Good for you both - five points to Ravenclaw for kindness to animals."

"But then I'm guessing people overheard you speaking to it?"

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"Practically everyone, yeah."

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