🐍 Whispers in the Walls
It all started when Aarav was chilling in the Gryffindor common room, lounging upside-down on a sofa, conjuring miniature floating diyas that danced to a beat only he could hear.
"Hey Aarav," Ron asked nervously, "do you hear that... weird hissing sound at night?"
"Hissing?" Aarav flipped upright and squinted at him. "Like 'sss' or like your stomach when you eat expired curry?"
Ron shrugged. "More like something slithering through the walls."
Hermione, as always, had a book in hand. "It's not just Ron. Half the first years in Hufflepuff heard it too. Some say it's the Chamber of Secrets again."
Aarav raised an eyebrow. "Been there, cleaned that. Parseltongue, huh?"
He grinned. "Time to make some new snake friends."
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🛕 Childhood Flashback
Back in India, Aarav had once rescued a naga stuck in an elevator in a temple. The naga had thanked him by giving him the ability to speak to serpents, but with a twist — Aarav's version of Parseltongue came with a Maharashtrian accent.
His snakes didn't just hiss — they said things like "Kya re, bhau?" and "Bite nahi karta, promise!"
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🐍 In the Dungeons
Late that night, Aarav strolled barefoot through the Hogwarts dungeons, sipping on masala chai that floated next to him in a thermos enchanted to stay hot forever.
He tapped a wall gently. "Kya re, koi hai kya? Hiss karne ka mann ho raha tha."
From the shadows, a voice slithered back:
"Who… daresss… sspeak?"
"Naam toh suna hoga — Aarav. Desi dude with too much power and too little motivation."
There was a pause.
Then from behind a pillar emerged a large snake — emerald green with golden eyes and attitude.
"I am Ssilinth, guardian of the lower pipes."
Aarav crouched and offered a tiny bowl of milk with haldi.
Ssilinth blinked. "No one's ever offered me thiss…"
"It's tradition," Aarav said. "Snakes get milk. Cats get fish. Wizards get drama."
The snake sipped and immediately became friendly. "You're not like the others. You smell like… mangoes and divinity."
"I shower in Gangajal." Aarav winked.
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🍲 Snake Snacks & Secrets
Over the next half hour, Aarav and Ssilinth shared gossip about Hogwarts.
Turns out, the snake had been trying to find a way out of the dungeons because it was sick of eating rats and missed pani puri.
"Wait... you've had pani puri?" Aarav blinked.
Ssilinth flicked his tongue. "Once. Fell through a portal in Jaipur. Life-changing."
That sealed it.
"We're going," Aarav said, snapping his fingers.
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✨ Room of Requirement: Pani Puri Edition
He led Ssilinth to the Room of Requirement, whispered something in Sanskrit, and the door appeared.
Inside?
A full-blown Desi street market, complete with fairy lights, dhol beats, and a pani puri stall run by a magical aunty wearing bangles that jingled with power.
A dozen enchanted plates floated in the air. Each puri burst into your mouth with a different flavor: tamarind, mint, mango, even spicy butterbeer.
Aarav sat cross-legged on a flying charpai.
Ssilinth slithered onto a giant banana leaf and began devouring puris with shocking grace.
"Bro," the snake said, eyes watering from the spice, "you've ruined all rats for me."
"You're welcome."
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🧙♂️ Interruption: Dumbledore & Drama
Suddenly, the door opened.
In walked Dumbledore, robes flowing, beard slightly glowing. He stopped mid-step when he saw Aarav sharing a pani puri buffet with a serpent the size of a motorcycle.
"Should I ask?" Dumbledore said.
"Nah," Aarav replied, handing him a floating puri. "Just taste."
Dumbledore popped it in his mouth. His eyes widened.
"…Carry on."
He floated out, already humming a bhajan.
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🐍 Peace Treaty
Before leaving, Aarav made Ssilinth an offer:
"Stay in the dungeons if you want, but no more creeping around. Come hang with us sometimes. I'll build you a cozy den behind the common room — charpai, incense, Netflix, all that."
Ssilinth agreed instantly.
Thus, the first Hogwarts-registered peace pact with a snake was formed. Aarav even got the snake a student ID with his photo and name:
"Ssilinth Nagdev Singh, Class Pet (Unofficial)."
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📜 Postscript: The Rumors Begin
The next morning, the school was buzzing.
> "Did you hear? Aarav tamed a basilisk!"
"No, it was a serpent god!"
"He bribed it with snacks!"
"I saw him riding it down the stairs!"
Aarav didn't confirm or deny anything. He just leaned back, munched on a pani puri, and said:
"Never underestimate the power of snacks, sass, and serpents."