A/N: Thank you so much to my wonderful, amazing, marvelous, reviewers. When I checked my email about an hour after posting the last chapter, my inbox was almost full of emails telling me I had a review or someone had added a story of mine to their favorites. So thank you sephiesport, mercurywriter, Haleylynnr1, HPluvsGW4eva, and OttoIsMyDog. And also thanks to WillowingEnds for reviewing chapter 12. Sorry for forgetting about you!

Disclaimer: Does anyone actually read these? If it's really that important just check the last 13 chapters!

This chapter is dedicated to Imperatrix Nyx.

#14. Join in Voldemort's "top-secret" conversation with his pet snake.

Tom Riddle was not the only descendant of Salazar Slytherin.

He was Slytherin's only heir to be sure, but there were other, less direct descendants. Indeed, pure-blooded wizards were so inbred, there were few pure-bloods who did not have any relation to Salazar Slytherin. These others, they too had inherited a few key traits from their infamous ancestor. One, was Slytherin's absolute insanity. The other important trait was, yes, the ability to speak in Parseltongue.

The two descendants who had Riddle most worried were, of course, Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange.

The Lestrange brothers would never have know they bore any relation to Slytherin, if they had not once overheard a conversation with Voldemort and Nagini, one that none of their fellows could hear.

The blood of the brothers would have been of no importance, if not for the fact that the "Dark Lord" made a habit of conversing with his snake during Death Eater gatherings.

There was one evening, that the brothers' ability caused a disturbance.

Th Dark Lord had been speaking to his followers, when he abruptly interrupted himself to say, what sounded like hissssssss.

Except to Rodolphus, Rabastan, and Nagini, who heard: I have thought of another one.

The brothers looked between each other, confused, and then returned to listening.

V: Knock-Knock

N: Who is there?

V: Boo.

N: Boo who?

V: Do not cry. I loathe crying.

N: Very clever, my Lord.

The Lestranges stared at their master, not believing what they heard. Had Lord Voldemort really just told his pet snake a knock-knock joke?

Both brothers were too shocked to pay attention to the subsequent conversation, but Voldemort's soft chuckle snapped them out of their stupor. The brothers listened as their Lord and his snake exchanged knock-knock jokes.

Finally, Rabastan spoke up, in Parseltounge that is. What do you get when you cross a hippogriff and a blast-ended skrewt?

All members, even those who didn't understand what he was saying turned to stare at him. After an extremely awkward silence, Voldemort said, "We will meet here again when I send the signal. Lestrange, stay a moment. The rest of you are dismissed."

One by one, the Death Eaters disappeared, until only Rabastan was sitting at the cold stone table, across from his master.

"Lestrange, I am sure you know, that I wish to know why you chose to interrupt my private conversation with Nagini."

"I apologize, My Lord."

"I did not ask for an apology Lestrange, I asked for the reason."

"My... My Lord I... I thought..."

"What did you think Lestrange? Did you think you were my equal, or perhaps above myself? Did you think that you had higher social status which gave you the right to say whatever you wished? Is that, what you thought Lestrange?"

"No My Lord, I am far below you. I could never hope to be your equal."

"And why is that Lestrange? I'm sure you know that your bloodline is as pure as mine, if not purer? Or do you not think that blood is important?"

"My Lord, you are far cleverer and far more skilled than I. You are supreme."

"If that is true Lestrange, why won't you answer my question?"

"I... I thought you might enjoy the joke My Lord."

"I see. Very well, finish it then."

"What do you get when you cross a hippogriff and a blast-ended skrewt?"

"I do not know?"

"Some very burnt feathers."

To this day, Rabastan is the only person to have heard Lord Voldemort roar with laughter.