The Chamber of Secrets (Hermione Granger x Male Reader)

Christmas Time

"A Parselmouth!" said Ron. "You can talk to snakes!"

"I know," said Harry. "I mean, that's only the second time I've ever done it. I accidentally set a boa constrictor on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once — long story — but it was telling me it had never seen Brazil and I sort of set it free without meaning to that was before I knew I was a wizard —"

"A boa constrictor told you it had never seen Brazil?" Ron repeated faintly.

"So?" said Harry. "I bet loads of people here can do it."

"No they can't, Harry, it's not very common." Y/N said. "This screws everything up!"

"What does?" said Harry angrily. "What's wrong with everyone? Listen, if I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin —"

"Oh, that's what you said to it?" said Ron.

"What d'you mean? You were there — you heard me —"

"I heard you speaking Parseltongue," said Ron. "Snake language. You could have been saying anything — no wonder Justin panicked, you sounded like you were egging the snake on or something — it was creepy, you know —"

"I spoke a different language? But — I didn't realize — how can I speak a language without knowing I can speak it?" said Harry. "D'you want to tell me what's wrong with stopping a massive snake biting off Justin's head? What does it matter how I did it as long as Justin doesn't have to join the Headless Hunt?"

"Salazar Slytherin was a Parselmouth, that's why Slytherin house's symbol is a snake!" 

"And now the whole school's going to think you're his great-great-great-great-grandson or something —"

"But I'm not," said Harry, panicked.

"You'll find that hard to prove," said Hermione. "He lived about a thousand years ago; for all we know, you could be."

~~~

By next morning, the snow that had begun in the night had turned into a blizzard so thick that the last Herbology lesson of the term was canceled: Professor Sprout wanted to fit socks and scarves on the Mandrakes, a tricky operation she would entrust to no one else, now that it was so important for the Mandrakes to grow quickly and revive Mrs. Norris and Colin Creevey.

Harry fretted about Justin Finch-Fletchley next to the fire in the Gryffindor common room, while Ron and Y/N used their time off to play a game of wizard chess and Hermione was nose deep in a book. 

"For heaven's sake, Harry," said Hermione, snapping her book shut, exasperated. "Go and find Justin if it's so important to you."

~~~

The double attack on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick turned what had hitherto been nervousness into real panic. Curiously, it was Nearly Headless Nick's fate that seemed to worry people most. What could possibly do that to a ghost? people asked each other; what terrible power could harm someone who was already dead? There was almost a stampede to book seats on the Hogwarts Express so that students could go home for Christmas. 

"At this rate, we'll be the only ones left," Ron told Harry, Y/N, and Hermione. "Us, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. What a jolly holiday it's going to be."

Fred and George, however, found all this very funny. They went out of their way to march ahead of Harry down the corridors, shouting, "Make way for the Heir of Slytherin, seriously evil wizard coming through..."

 Percy was deeply disapproving of this behavior.  

"It is not a laughing matter," he said coldly.