Though Hagrid, Ron, and Hermione had all heard Harry tell this story before, hearing it now—under these circumstances—felt entirely different. The three exchanged uneasy glances.
Douglas shrugged, giving Harry a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"Figuring out if you're a Parselmouth isn't hard. All we need is a snake to test it out!
Hagrid, aren't there still plenty of snakes near the edge of the Forbidden Forest? Nothing too big, of course..."
Hagrid gave Douglas a look of utter disbelief.
"Douglas, have you forgotten? We nearly cleared out all the snakes from the forest's edge ages ago. The rest slithered off deep into the woods. These days, you can't even find a snake egg out there—otherwise I'd never be comfortable keeping chickens so close to the forest..."
All three students turned to stare at Douglas.
Ron piped up, curiosity written all over his face.
"Professor, why were you catching snakes in the first place?"
Catching Douglas looking a bit sheepish, Hagrid burst out laughing.
"For eating, of course! Honestly, snake stew is delicious. But now, it's nearly impossible to catch any in the forest."
Even Harry, who'd been in a gloomy mood, couldn't help but laugh along.
Douglas drew his wand and pointed it at the unicorn-horn chopsticks on the table.
"Aurum Serpentis Congregare!"
One of the chopsticks shimmered and transformed into a sleek, golden snake, its tongue flicking curiously at Douglas.
Hermione gasped in delight.
"It's adorable!"
Douglas turned to Harry.
"This one's just a product of Transfiguration. Try talking to it—see if it reacts."
Harry swallowed hard, eyeing the golden snake.
"What should I say, Professor?"
Douglas gave him an encouraging nod.
"Just look into its eyes and tell it to do something. Anything. Don't worry—it won't bite."
Harry glanced at Ron and Hermione, who both nodded supportively.
He took a deep breath, fixed his gaze on the golden serpent, and said, "Turn around!"
The snake didn't budge. It just stared at Harry, tongue flicking in and out.
Relief flooded Harry's face. He grinned.
"See? It didn't do a thing!"
But when he turned back to his friends, he found them all staring at him as if he'd sprouted a second head.
Hermione was the first to break the silence, her voice barely above a whisper.
"You were speaking another language!"
Ron blinked, realization dawning.
"That was snake language—I mean, Parseltongue!"
Harry bristled, frustration rising.
"Another language? But... I didn't notice anything! How could I speak a language and not realize it? I just told it to turn around—you all heard me, didn't you? Clearly, the snake didn't listen, so I can't be a Parselmouth!"
He looked pleadingly at Hagrid.
Hagrid stood there, mouth agape. When Harry turned to him, he seemed at a loss for words and shifted his gaze to Douglas.
Seeing this, Harry's heart sank.
Douglas snapped his fingers, and the golden snake reverted back to a chopstick. He gathered up the utensils with deliberate calm, each slow movement only making Harry more anxious.
"Professor!"
Ron and Hermione tried to tug Harry back, but he shook them off.
Douglas regarded Harry's agitation with a cool, steady gaze.
"Why the rush? Haven't I always taught you—no matter what happens, keep your head."
Harry took a shaky breath, meeting Douglas's eyes.
"Professor, does that experiment really prove I'm a Parselmouth?"
Douglas nodded.
"It does. The snake couldn't obey you because it was conjured by my Transfiguration. But you definitely spoke Parseltongue."
All color drained from Harry's face, his strength seeming to evaporate.
He muttered, almost to himself,
"This can't be... I can't be a descendant of Slytherin... that's impossible!"
Hagrid meant to comfort him, but his massive hand landed on Harry's shoulder with such force that, had Ron not grabbed him in time, Harry might have ended up on the floor.
At that, Douglas chuckled.
"You're overthinking things, Harry. Salazar Slytherin's only living heir is a man named Tom Marvolo Riddle..."
BANG!
The teacup in Hagrid's hand exploded, sending scalding tea flying everywhere.
Douglas reacted instantly, dodging aside, but the trio yelped as hot tea splashed over them.
"Hagrid! What's gotten into you?"
Flustered, Hagrid apologized and grabbed a giant rag to mop them up, but the three quickly waved him off.
Still, their curiosity about Hagrid's reaction only grew.
Harry asked,
"Hagrid, do you know this Tom... Tom what was it?"
Hermione supplied helpfully,
"Tom Marvolo Riddle!"
Everyone turned their eyes to Hagrid.
He shook his head vigorously.
"I don't know any Tom. Not at all."
But his expression was anything but convincing.
So, everyone looked to Douglas.
Douglas stepped aside, continuing,
"Of course, he goes by another name everyone knows—Voldemort."
Hagrid visibly trembled, his eyes wide as saucers as he stammered,
"Tom... Tom is... that person? No, that can't be. Tom was brilliant, even Head Boy... I should've known something was off... it must've been him... he was so eager back then... Aragog... only Dumbledore believed me..."
His words dissolved into sobs.
For a moment, the trio had no idea how to comfort him.
Hearing Hagrid mention Aragog, Douglas rubbed his nose in embarrassment.
Aragog was the Acromantula Hagrid had raised in the Forbidden Forest. Back in Douglas's school days, the Acromantulas had already formed a thriving colony there.
Their venom was highly prized for potion-making, and Douglas had once teamed up with Bill and Charlie to try and strike it rich by harvesting it.
They'd wandered the forest for ages, searching for the Acromantulas' lair, only to stumble upon the centaurs' territory by accident. Thinking quickly, Douglas had lured away a young centaur to guide them.
While they did learn the location of the Acromantula colony, they were soon discovered by the centaur tribe. If Douglas hadn't prepared broomsticks in advance, the three of them might not have made it out.
After that, they killed quite a few of Aragog's offspring, collecting valuable venom.
(Acromantulas are enormous, highly aggressive spiders with eight eyes and the ability to speak human language. They are carnivorous, favoring large prey. Females are larger than males and can lay up to a hundred eggs at a time. Acromantula eggs are classified as Class A Non-Tradeable Goods by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.)
If Hagrid hadn't received a warning from the centaurs and noticed the odd behavior among the Acromantulas, stepping up patrols of the Forbidden Forest, and if they hadn't attracted the attention of dark wizards on the black market, the Acromantulas might have become their personal goldmine.
Seeing Hagrid so distraught, Douglas offered a gentle reassurance.
"Hagrid, Professor Dumbledore once told me you might finally clear your name soon."
Hagrid stopped crying, staring at Douglas in surprise.
"You know about all that?"
Douglas just shrugged.
"I know a bit. But now's the time to hold your head high."
The trio exchanged confused glances.
Hermione quickly asked,
"Professor, what are you two talking about? Weren't we discussing Harry's Parseltongue?"
Harry's mouth twitched—if Hermione hadn't brought it up, he might've forgotten about it entirely.
Wasn't the real headline here that Voldemort's real name was Tom Riddle?
Suddenly, Harry's eyes widened as he turned to Douglas in shock.
"Wait, Professor—are you saying Voldemort is a Parselmouth too?"
Douglas didn't answer, instead looking to Hagrid.
Hagrid seemed lost in thought, then shook his head, bewildered.
"I never knew Tom... that person was a Parselmouth!"
Douglas patted Hagrid's arm.
"If you can't bring yourself to say 'Voldemort,' just call him Tom. It's a perfectly ordinary name, isn't it?"
A smile finally broke through Hagrid's tears.
Ron stared at him, incredulous.
"Hagrid, you mean you were actually classmates with You-Know-Who?"
His tone was oddly uncomfortable, as if he couldn't believe Hagrid had gone to school with such a notorious figure.
Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron and shot back,
"And aren't you classmates with the famous Boy Who Lived?"
"Oi, Hermione!" Ron protested.
Harry stood awkwardly between them, at a complete loss.
Douglas and Hagrid exchanged glances—and burst out laughing at the trio's antics.
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