Upstairs in the castle after a long hot bath, Vaibhav Marwah carefully dries his long hair and rubs castor oil to keep his hair strong and smooth. Knowing he will have guests soon; he carefully wraps his hair back up in a loose pagri. A loud knock at the door is heard as he finishes.
Shesha snoozes in front of the fire and lays on her back showing a creamy-scaled belly.
Knowing that his familiar is exhausted after their day's adventures, Vaibhav Marwah gently calls out to the slumbering cobra. "Shesha, we have guests," he called out to the slumbering serpent, who only let out a sleepy snore in reply.
Shaking his head with a fond smile, Vaibhav Marwah opens the door and bows with his hands clasped together, "Namaste," he greeted Master Linnaeus.
"Namaste," Master (Headmaster) Emrys Linnaeus likewise greeted the parselmouth. "Might I come in?" He asked as he straightened up from his bow.
"You honor me with your presence, Master Linnaeus," Vaibhav Marwah stepped aside and gestured to his guest quarters.
"The honor is all mine, Master Marwah," Master Linnaeus sincerely responded before entering the quarters of the parselmouth. He paused at the doorway upon catching sight of the slumbering serpent in front of the fireplace. It is difficult not to smile at the sight cobra laying on its back.
Seeing Master Linaeus's gaze, Vaibhav Marwah shakes his head ruefully. "Forgive Shesha's most unbecoming appearance, she is tired."
The two wizards shared an amused glance before chuckles burst forth in genuine mirth. Shesha doesn't even notice except to wiggle a little to reposition herself in comfort. A loud pop is heard causing Shesha to burst wide awake, "Attack!" The cobra leaped high into the air and landed with her hood flared up and coiled ready to spring forth to attack.
"Shesha," Vaibhav Marwah warned as the serpent reoriented herself.
"Apologies for the intrusion," an outspoken house elf with pointed ears warily said. Habby's tea towel is spotless and his black buttoned-up jacket with gray best is sharp. He has shiny button cufflinks and a gleaming golden embroidered letter H on his white cuffs.
"Dinner is served," Habby squeaked as silver platters full of food appeared on the table along with a small cage full of plump rats.
"Tasty rats!" Shesha hungrily hissed darting like an arrow towards the small cage.
"Thank you," Vaibhav Marwah hastily said taking the cage and raising it out of Shesha's reach.
"No fair," Shesha hissed at her master trying to leap up to grab her rightful prey
"Is there anything else needed Headmaster?" Habby asked all the while warily watching the leaping sperent out of the corner of his eye.
"No that will be all, Habbey," Master Linnaeus thanked the house elf, who hurriedly excused himself with a hasty pop.
Vaibhav Marwah excused himself for a moment. "Shesha, you may eat the rats in the bathroom," he sternly instructed his familiar. "I don't want you to disturb our guest. You may join us once you are done."
"Fine," Shesha grumbled under her breath and permitted her master to release the rats into the bathroom for her to hunt and eat.
The scents of home fill the air as Vaibhav Marwah blinks in surprise to see the array of food on the table. There is bright orange Bhel Puri with puffed rice, papadi, sev, onions, potatoes, and sweet and sour chutney. There is Butter Chicken made of marinated chicken overnight in yogurt and a spice mix of ginger garlic paste and lime juice and later fried in a rich sauce made of butter, tomato puree, cumin, garam masala, and fresh cream. Lastly, the traditional naan is set on the side to enjoy, and a platter of appetizers consisting of samosa.
To cleanse the palette for dessert there are two goblets of Falooda, a rich drink made of vermicelli mixed with milk, almonds, pistachios, a touch of rose syrup, and sabza seeds topped with two scoops of ice cream.
"Well, let us speak as we eat," Master Linnaeus invited Master Marwah to sit down.
Vaibhav Marwah is slightly dubious as he serves himself only for his eyes to widen in surprise. The food tasted of home and not a fake intimation. He eagerly serves himself more as he listens to Master Linnaeus discuss the fact that the Hogwarts Board would be approving the suggestions made. In fact, they would immediately set out to find a master builder capable of completing the feat prior to the commencement of the new school year.
Scooping up an appetizing morsel of Butter Chicken with his naan, Vaibhav Marwah continues to listen with half an ear to Master Linnaeus. Between Master Linnaeus's chatter to himself, Vaibhav Marwah manages to give the food a good go. He clears over half of the food in the platters, before deciding to leave room for dessert, Falooda.
Using a spoon, Vaibhav Marwah scopes a large spoonful of the cool dessert. He enjoys the coolness of the dessert. It is sweet and rich just as he likes it.
Running out of steam, Master Linnaeus finally slows down to ask, "Master Marwah forgive me, I have not yet inquired if there were any concerns or findings regarding the Chamber of Secrets?"
"The Chamber of Secrets itself opens only in parseltongue," Vaibhav Marwah responded as he temporarily set the Falooda. "I will need to work in conjunction with a master builder to change the key to both doorways. The initial entry point in the girl's bathroom and the second entry point to the actual Chamber of Secrets."
"I feared as much," Master Linnaeus rubbed his face with one hand. "Well, at least we have you here Master Marwah to help. Is there anything else to report?"
"Numerous deadly traps were found," Vaibhav Marwah gravely admitted. "I will continue to sweep the entire premise again tomorrow to ensure nothing is missed. I have drawn a preliminary map of the Chamber of Secrets."
Summoning the map from his satchel, Vaibhav Marwah caught the rolled-up parchment and unfurled it. Extending the charcoal map on the wooden table, his gnarled tanned finger traces the pathway to and from the Chamber of Secrets. "I was able to find the mentioned underground lagoon," he pointed to the drawn pool on the map.
Tracing another path, Vaibhav Marwah showed the dead end. "This was no dead end but rather an alternate exit into the forest surrounding Hogwarts. I have sealed it off, but I would request that a master builder seal or cave that entire tunnel so that none may ever find it or ever even suspect it was initially there, to begin with."
"I see," Master Linnaeus made careful note of the location on the map and of the map itself to reproduce before the Board of Hogwarts.
"Master Marwah, I am truly indebted to you," Master Linnaeus sincerely expressed, "I cannot thank you enough for what you have done."
Vaibhav Marwah waved off the bout of gratitude. "My kind has a terrible reputation," he confessed, "if I can make the world accept a parselmouth that much easier, the world would be a less dark place."
A fair point, Master Marwah," Master Linnaeus thoughtfully acknowledged. "Many minds have slowly begun to change since the discovery that Rowan Prince is a parselmouth. The Prince's are the descendants of Salazar Slytherin and Rowan Prince is not the first among them to be born with the gift of their forefather. The Princes largely keep to their own and have never been a harbor for dark wizards." Well, that wasn't entirely true but precursors don't necessarily count in that regard.
"There is growing hope and belief among the general populace that parselmouths are capable of living peacefully in society," Master Linnaeus steadily said as he gazed at Master Marwah. "Perchance, you may be interested in meeting a fellow parselmouth?"
Vaibhav Marwah blinks in surprise and recalls the warm nest in the Chamber of Secrets, a sanctuary. He recalled his youngest daughter's Abacomancy, (the sacred art of sand divination) before his departure for the West. She had read that he would meet distant kin in the far north.
Vaibhav Marwah had never been one to scoff at the divination of his daughter, but he found it impossible to believe. His entire family was accounted for by the last ten generations (except for the parselmouth line). It was not impossible, but highly improbable as even illegitimate children were all accounted for.
Master Linnaeus grew restless upon fearing the worst until a rueful chuckle escaped from Master Marwah's mouth. Clear relief showed on Master Linnaeus's face. He had feared the worst when the silence had extended so terribly long without interruption.
"I would be delighted to," Vaibhav Marwah frankly confessed. "As I child, I met a fellow parselmouth, my teacher who taught me how to use my abilities and not fear them. I would not be the wizard that I am today without him."
A growing smile appears on Vaibhav Marwah's lips. "I would be pleased to meet another parselmouth in my lifetime." For his daughter's divination was proved true. Distant kin, indeed.
"None of your children are parselmouths?" Master Linnaeus curiously inquired.
"None," Vaibhav Marwah shook his head. "My children and grandchildren live freely without the gift of parseltongue. A blessing and a curse, I suppose. However, I expect that just as I was born a parselmouth, someday a descendant of mine will also be born with the gift."
"Yes, that does seem to be the case," Master Linnaeus furrowed his brow thinking of one example in particular, the Prince family.
After glancing at the time, Master Linnaeus rises to his feet. "It is late, and it has been a long day, Master Marwah. I fear I have overstayed my welcome and shall now permit you to seek your rest."
"Shubh raatri," Vaibhav Marwah said goodnight as Master Linnaeus slipped out the door.
The door closes gently but firmly after Master Linnaeus. After ensuring the door is shut, Vaibhav Marwah removes the loose pagri and allows for his long sleek hair to hang loose. His sleek silver hair cascades down his back past his waist.
The stone is cold against his bare toffee-colored feet. Peeking inside the facilities, he finds a very plump Shesha resting with a bulging belly on the stone floor. "Shesha, truly all of them?" He teasingly chided the stuffed cobra.
"I was hungry," Shesha hissed but was too full to move even a single inch.
"Oh, you, greedy little pig," Vaibhav Marwah sighed as he let out a grunt at picking the overly heavy serpent.
"Not a pig!" Shesha retorted in vain without any energy. She was stuffed to the scales! Ug!
Tenderly carrying the cobra in his arms, Vaibhav Marwah lay the plump cobra in front of the hearth to repose. Shesha sighs at the warmth and lays stretched out warming herself by the fire. She needed warmth to digest her food.
Sitting down at the table to finish the Falooda, Vaibhav Marwah says in parseltongue, "Master Linnaeus says there is another snake speaker in this land."
"A snake speaker?" Shesha opened her eyes and turned her head to look at her master. "In this cold land?" She exclaimed in disbelief.
"Yes," Vaibhav Marwah confirmed as he took another bite of his dessert. After swallowing, he adds, "The gift appears to run in her family every few generations, they are called the Prince's."
"It is good," Shesha closed her eyes. "A friend for my master to make," she sleepily murmured and dozed off.
"A friend?" Vaibhav Marwah muttered softly out loud in his own human tongue. Truth be told, he did not know about that. They are both from different lands and their age is vastly apart from one another. They did not have much in common at first sight beyond being a parselmouth.
After finishing his dessert, Vaibhav Marwah rose and retreated to his chambers. From his four-poster bed, he is able to see the grounds of Hogwarts in the moonlight. They are vast and green and so very foreign to the numerous populations of Mumbai, where it seems the City never sleeps for even the jungle is active awake at night.
Yet exhaustion seems to take over Vaibhav Marwah's limbs as his mind slowly succumbs to the whims of sleep. The last sensation he feels is that of Shesha sneaking into the coil up in his bed. "Don't lay down on top of me, you are heavy," he mumbled causing Shesha to snort indignantly, but obediently coil just next to him. All too soon the only sound in the room is their snoring.