Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and make no profit from the writing of this story. The characters that are not OFC or OMC belong to J.K. Rowling. The movies are the property of Warner Bros. Pictures and Heyday Films.

Harriet Potter: What it is like to be a witch

Chapter Twenty One: There is a Basilisk With gorged out Eyes

Harry grimaced in distaste for the subject, and said, "Anyhow enough about that, no one least of all me likes to discuss his disgusting black aura."

She added, "There was an actual reason for mentioning the chamber and its content. The snake is in excellent condition I am assuming, after all it has been almost five years since I or anyone else went down there."

She paused to drink from her mug before saying, "I admit there is some damage, which could not be helped considering it was my life or the snakes."

She continued, "Fawkes gorged out its eyes to stop it killing me, so the eyes are a lost cause. There is teeth missing as well, oh and I shoved a sword up through the roof of its mouth and into its skull, so there is damage there to."

She concluded, "Barring all of that it should hopefully still be preserved and is waiting to be cut up and have its parts harvested for auction."

Harry asked "What?' as she suddenly noticed the almost deafening silence and the degrees of horror and awe everyone seem to be caught in, unable to decide which emotion would win.

Severus before he could stifle it let loose with a purely incredulous sounding snort. As cut up as he still felt in regards to his godson, he could not help or prevented his reaction to what he had just heard.

He shook his head and drawled, "You just mentioned in a tone as if discussing the weather, that there is a dead snake with its eyes gorged out, missing teeth, and that you shoved a sword up through the roof of its mouth out through its skull. Then all you can add and say is what."

Harry shook her head and said, "What, I was twelve and I am now seventeen. That whole thing happened five years go, I've had time to come to terms with it, and has lost lot of its impact. Besides a lot worse has happened and been done since then, it over shadowed that experience for me."

Robert actually let out a loud laugh, while Severus let out a truly exasperated sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. Cedric moaned and covered his eyes, all but face palming. Harry exclaimed, "No, really what!?"

Hermione eyed her friend in horror, her tone matched perfectly as she said, "Harry you do realise right, that most people cannot talk so causally as if discussing the weather about coming to terms with something has traumatic as killing a sixty foot snake when they were only twelve."

She shook her head as she added, "Then you are able to say that it no longer has the same impact as before, and is overshadowed by worse things happening."

Harry was less than amused as she hissed in pure sarcasm, "Well, if you all feel that way, and is any sort of consolation I have still not come to terms properly and have nightmares of the tournament and my nasty little trip to a graveyard for that psychopaths resurrection."

She added from between clenched teeth, "Or perhaps you will think it normal that I still gets night terrors of Voldie casting the Cruciatus repeatedly after Pettigrew tied me down over a open grave and used a knife to slash my chest and arms and my blood allowed to drip down onto the skeleton of Riddle senior."

That did it, that more than had the desired result of sucking all the amusement out of the room, leaving behind a deafening silence. It was also at that moment Severus realised he and everyone else had just witnessed Harry's less than healthy method of coping with everything done to her.

Harry saw Robert open his mouth to no doubt ask about the tournament and graveyard encounter. She shut that down immediately realising for the first time just what and how much had been said in front of her very young cousins.

She said firmly, "No Robert, do not ask for any more detail about the tournament or graveyard in front of your sons. In fact, I have said more and in too much graphic detail in front of them than I should have as it is."

Clara closed her eyes and inwardly moaned as she realised just how right the younger witch was. She appreciated that the younger witch seemed to have realised this and respected that somethings should not be discussed in such graphic detail in front of those as young as Joel and Alex.

Robert scowled at how stubborn his cousin was, but also as he realised what had just be discussed in front of his very young and impressionable sons. He said, "Fine fair point made."

He added, "However speaking of that Merlin forsaken tournament, I will mention that I am furious that you were made to compete in the first place. What was that blasted Headmaster playing at letting that happen?"

He tried to hold his temper in check as best as he was able in front of his sons not want to frighten them as he continued, "Why was I not called into the school as a blood relative and especially as your potential solicitor?"

He continued to add, "Granted your Muggle relatives would have been of no use, there was still your aunt Estella, and he could have contacted her, she being your closest Potter relative. She could have given permission for you to be questioned under Veritaserum."

He gritted, "Oh and Sirius your godfather, regardless of being on the run and falsely accused of that crime he did not commit, he at the time was still your magical guardian and the Headmaster could have also gotten written permission from him to have you questioned under Veritaserum."

He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He continued after a brief pause and said, "You were fourteen competing in a tournament with other competitors with three years worth of education and knowledge over you."

He added in pure frustration, "For Merlins sake, people have been killed in that stupid tournament, witches and wizards older and more experienced than you, and all of them killed."

He concluded, "It is pure and utter maddening that you were forced to complete. That contract should have not been legal and binding due to one you being underage and two you not personally entering your name of your own accord."

Severus adds, "As much as I lacked any sort of fondness for her back then, I had been far from happy with her competing. It meant she was in constant danger, more so than usual. It meant more work for me trying to keep an extra eye on Her and her remain safe, all whilst trying to avoid causing any suspicion with the Karkaroff the Durmstrang headmaster."

He continued around an annoyed grimace, "Regardless of he no longer wanting to be a Death Eater, and turning against the Dark Lord, he still believed me to be loyal to the cause. The last thing I needed was for it to get back to any loyal Death Eater that I was protecting the enemy."

He paused before saying to Harry, "If you remember correctly, I did threaten to put Vertiserum in your pumpkin juice. Though I was trying to discover how you got your hands on that Gillyweed, it would have also revealed how you had not entered your name into that goblet if the right questions had been asked."

Harry smirked wryly as she said, "I wish at the time I had not been so immature and blinded by my dislike for you, so that I could have realised in your own way you were trying to help me and clear my name."

She shrugged as she continued. "Unfortunately all I saw at the time was an evil git and few other choice terms, terms I won't mention in front of young, innocent and impressionable ears."

This comment caused a scatter of sniggers and snorts from those who had him him as a professor and those who still would for another year.

Robert and Clara shot her an amused yet grateful glance, as they realised she had held back for the sake of Alex and Joel, who indeed did of have very young and impressionable ears. They knew had it just been the adult present then she would have named each and every choice term.

Severus drawled in reply, "Oh I do not doubt the choice terms, however would you have the balls to have said those choice terms to face?" He placed extra emphasis on the words, 'Would you have had the balls?'

This caused laughter or snorts among those in the room who caught and knew what he was getting at. Most in the room, especially Sirius and Remus wondered what Harry's reaction would be.

James scowled at what Snape and implied, while Lily hoped her daughter would not become too offended and fuel the ridiculous grudge James already had with Severus.

She need not have worried, as Harry merely smirked knowingly, knowing exactly what he was implying, and the harmless fun h as making of the fact she literally no longer had the balls.

She replied, "Had you said that to be over a year ago my reaction would have been far less amused. However now as you full well know I literally no longer have the balls, and can honestly say I do not miss them."

This caused amused sniggers and tittering around the table. Once it quieted she added, "As for having the balls to say those choice terms to your face, not likely. Even I know there are kinds of danger you should stay clear of. I imagine it would have been like poking a really big stick at a poisonous Viper or Cobra."

Severus smirked and drawled over the sound of laughter, his son and Cornelia included in that laughter. "It would seem you're smarter than you appear and I gave you credit for."

Harry shook her head and rolled her eyes, somethings just never changed. She then called out over the laughter, "Alright enough of the distractions and topic changes. I really do have a valid reason for mentioning that snake and the chamber."

She added when the laughter calmed, "I was hoping that Severus, Robert, Cedric, Hermione, Ron, Remus, Fred and George, would join me down in the chamber to help harvest the parts for potion ingredients and to be sold or auctioned off. I am more than willing to share a percentage of whatever it is worth with all of you."

She paused before adding, "Though I and Severus will take a slightly larger cut, I because I killed the damned thing, and Severus being the potions Master, and of course payback for looking out for my hind over the years."

She paused once again before saying, "Whatever is left after everyone has had their cut will be equally shared between my future children as a extra Potter inheritance from me."

She continued to add, "I will require both Severus and Robert to help set up the auction process. Robert due to being my solicitor, while Severus being the Potions Master will have contacts and know which part of that community to concentrate on."

Severus let out a deep sigh as he asked, "Why me, why give me the larger percentage, why not Lupin or one of your friends, it would make more sense?"

Harry replied, "Because I would be dead many times over without you. You have put up with so much, many would have crumbled under the pressure."

She continued, "I want you to have this, not out of pity or charity, but because as a potions Master you could use those ingredients and the money to later on concentrate on research and creating new potions and even poisons and antidotes."

She shook her head as she said, "I mean seriously you are the wizard who created the truth serum and wolfsbane potion. Imagine with the correct ingredients and funds what you could accomplish, the advancements you could bring to that profession and community?"

Remus asked next, "But why are you giving me a percentage, Severus I understand, but me I wonder about that?" He really did wonder why him?

Harry told him, "You really have no clue do you, have no clue that if anyone deserves a break and able to live better and more securely, its you Remus." She added nodding to Tonks, "Besides, you are married now and it's not just you that you have to think of. What if you have children after the war is over. I mean Tonks wages will only stretch so far."

She quickly adds when she sees his frown, "This is not pity or charity as I told Severus. I will not bother insulting either one of you by even attempting to treat either one of you like charity cases."

She continued, "This is me wanting better for you, security both financially and personally. Though Remus, sadly in less the disgusting and ridiculous laws change in regards to werewolves that is not going to happen."

She concluded, "Finally, the wolfsbane, I know you would be unable to bare not being in control of Moony if given the choice. Though say Severus for some reason or other is unable to brew the potion for you, I wager that finding an alternative method to getting that potion will not come cheap."

Sirius pleaded with Remus, "Take the offer Moony, if not for you, then to provide for my cousin and any future children you might have."

James added from his portrait, "Moony offers do not come like this everyday. Plus she is not wrong, you deserve the peace of mind to live comfortably and be financially secure."

Lily added her own opinion, "I could not think of anyone who deserves the opportunity more Remus, anyone I would honestly want to have it more."

She added, "Besides Severus is not the only one who has looked out for my daughter. No, you were the one who taught her how to cast a Patronus in order to keep those foul soul sucking creatures away."

Sirius continues, "Besides, I wager you will earn every single Knut considering cutting up and harvesting a sixty foot snake sounds like beyond back breaking work, even with the aid of nine others."

Remus closed his eyes, as he came to reluctant terms with the fact Harry and the others were correct. In less there was a sudden and miraculous change in the werewolf laws, employment would continue to be beyond scarce, ridiculously so.

He knew as much as he hated to admit, that this was his only real chance to provide for Tonks and any future Lupins, in order to not struggle to make ends meet. Harry was not wrong when she said that Tonks wages only went so far.

Remus nodded and said with evident reluctance, "Fine I will do it, but not for me, but for Tonks and any possible future children." Tonks comfortingly squeezed his hand and gave him a loving look.

Harry exchanged a look of pure relief with her parents and Sirius. They shot her looks of gratitude and pure pride at her selfless generosity and kindness.

Harry drank from her mug before sighing and shaking her head. She asks tiredly, "Are all of you going to make me give you my reasons for doing this?"

She bit her lower lip and sighs even more deeply when Severus spoke up and said, "Yes, as the kind of galleons you will be giving them will run to more than one hundred million each. Especially if that snake sells or is auctioned off for what I strongly suspect it will, which will be billions."

He added, "Harry seriously, this is no ordinary run of the mill snake. You can definitely not go into a pet store and buy one. This breed is said to be extinct, and whose to say it now is not, seeing as that Basilisk would have been over a thousand years old that you slain."

He continued, "Potions Masters and Mistresses all over the world and even a fare amount of purebloods will want in on a piece of that. Those in mine and Cornelia's field will want it for the obscure potions, poisons and antidotes we could brew."

He sneered slightly as he mentioned the purebloods that would want the bragging rights to say they were in possession of some of the most rare ingredients in the entire world.

The potions Master in Severus beyond hated that, hated the thought of those ingredients not being used for the good of advancements in the potions community. He knew the potions Mistress in Cornelia undoubtedly felt the same.

He finally concluded, "If I was to guess an rough estimate range, you are talking possibly billions in total. That is the reason they need to know why you want to give them a percentage of nothing short of an astounding payout."

Hermione let out a choked sounding gasp, while Ron and the twins were stunned into silence. Remus had positively paled, even as Cedric and Robert stared incredulously.

The shock left Harry rather quickly as something occurred to her. Her expression morphed from shock into pure unholy delight. She barely stopped herself from cackling like a manic, the realisation was beyond that perfect. It filled her with pure vindictiveness she honestly had not known herself to be capable of.

She reveals in a tone of undisguised glee, "You know what just occurred to me, that manipulative old goat has been sitting on a multi billion galleon corpse for the past five years."

The silence of the room was replaced with exclamations of shock and disbelief. In fact, Mrs. Weasley went and made the mistake of asking what she did next. "Do you not plan to inform Albus he after all his the school's Headmaster?"

She added, "It sounds to me as if that chamber is apart of the school, so as Headmaster he should be informed of what is in there."

AN: Ok The next part of this is coming up then there will be another chapter before I move the timeline along.