Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ Realism: Breaking Clichés ❯ Parsletongue ( Chapter 6 )

A/N: This chapter was particularly fun to write, mainly because it addresses an over-used plot that has never quite made sense to me. Oh, and I should also mention that while I have a bunch of ideas for chapters if anyone has any ideas/clichés that they'd like to see addressed, please let me know! Please review!

 

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Realism: Breaking Clichés

 

Chapter 6

Parsletongue

 

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Harry dropped heavily into a seat in the library, exhaustion clear on his features. Surprised, Hermione glanced up from the book that she'd been buried in. Her expression quickly changed to concern once she saw her friend's state.

 

"Harry? Are you alright? And...Why are you covered in dust?"

 

Harry groaned and dropped his head into his arms. "I spent all afternoon in the Chamber of Secrets," he said, his words slightly muffled. "I was looking to see if I could find a secret library belonging to Salazar Slytherin. It's supposed to be the Chamber of Secrets after all, right?"

 

Hermione stared at him. "And why exactly are you looking for a 'secret library' that belonged to an evil dark wizard?"

 

"Written Parsletongue."

 

"...Written Parsletongue?"

 

"Written Parsletongue."

 

"...What?"

 

"Well, I figure that since Parsletongue is a langue it's got to have a written form too," Harry elaborated. "I'm sure that Slytherin has a whole collection of books written in Parsletongue so that no one else can read them. There are probably a bunch of spells that can only be spoken in Parsletongue too! This could be the edge that I need to defeat Voldemort!"

 

Hermione couldn't help: She just continued to stare blankly. When Harry started to fidget uncomfortably she finally let out an exasperated sigh.

 

"Harry," she began patiently, "Where did hear about written Parsletongue?"

 

"Um...Nowhere? It just makes perfect sense!"

 

"...No, Harry, it doesn't. It fact, it's entirely impossible. Think about it, how--and why, for that matter--could snakes have a written language if they can't write?"

 

"Well wizards--"

 

"If a wizard had created a written form of Parsletongue," Hermione interrupted, "Then it would just be a secret code for them. It wouldn't be passed along through genetics like spoken Parsletongue is. And besides, if it really did exist then you'd already know it instinctively; you wouldn't have to go searching for it in some 'secret library'--which, by the way, is also something that you just randomly came up with."

 

"But--"

 

"No, Harry. Just no."