CHAPTER ELEVEN
“ So ?” said Harry . “ I bet loads of people here can do it .” “ Oh , no they can ’ t ,” said Ron . “ It ’ s not a very common gift .
Harry , this is bad .”
“ What ’ s bad ?” said Harry , starting to feel quite angry . “ 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 ?” “ 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 —” Harry gaped at him . “ I spoke a different language ? But — I didn ’ t realize — how can
I speak a language without knowing I can speak it ?” Ron shook his head . Both he and Hermione were looking as though someone had died . Harry couldn ’ t see what was so terrible .
“ D ’ you want to tell me what ’ s wrong with stopping a massive snake biting off Justin ’ s head ?” he said . “ What does it matter how I did it as long as Justin doesn ’ t have to join the Headless Hunt ?”
“ It matters ,” said Hermione , speaking at last in a hushed voice , “ because being able to talk to snakes was what Salazar Slytherin was famous for . That ’ s why the symbol of Slytherin House is a serpent .” Harry ’ s mouth fell open . “ Exactly ,” said Ron . “ 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 , with a panic he couldn ’ t quite explain . “ You ’ ll find that hard to prove ,” said Hermione . “ He lived about a thousand years ago ; for all we know , you could be .”
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