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Serpent of the World	By : TheLadyMiya Category: Harry Potter > General > General Views: 9486 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I make no money writing this story.

Chapter List
- 11
- 12
- 13
Here we are, new chapter for all my wonderful readers!
First and foremost, I want to thank Ozzy for taking the time to beta this story oh so faithfully. She is awesome. Then, I also want to thank everyone who has read, reviewed and rated this story. It really makes me happy, and I could use all the happy I can get right now because of stupid health. If you have left a review, you can find the response here: tomioneconvention.forumotion.com/t1011-review-reply-serpent-of-the-world#49192
Enjoy!

Chapter 12
Riddle picked her up just after seven, and by that time, she was famished. He Apparated them to a small town and to her surprise, they went into a Muggle restaurant. It was only half-full, and at Tom's request, they were seated at the back, away from anyone else.
Without even looking at the menus, he ordered a moose stew and a bottle of wine for both of them.
"I never thought you would go to a Muggle restaurant," Hermione remarked, once the waiter had disappeared.
"The closest wizarding neighbourhood didn't have any good restaurants," Riddle said. "And I saw that they were serving moose here tonight. I like moose."
"But they are Muggles."
"So?"
"You hate Muggles," she said carefully. She didn't want this night to turn into a blood bath.
"I'm not allowed to like food made by them?" he asked.
"I just find it strange."
"And if Hermione Granger finds something strange, the rest of the world must rush to give her an explanation, or else she will pester them with questions all night long," Riddle said with a hint of irritation in his voice.
Hermione sighed. "Fine, I don't care."
Riddle snorted. "I find that unlikely."
Hermione was about to respond, but the waiter came back with the wine. She poured it for Riddle first, who tasted it and then gave a nod. The waiter bowed and poured out more for both Tom and Hermione, before leaving the bottle at the table.
"How did the training go today?" Riddle asked.
"Excellent. I got it to show me its eggs."
"About time," Riddle said, taking another sip of his wine. "I'll find a Basilisk for you next. But it will have to be a young one, the older they are, the harder they are to control."
Hermione felt a shiver go down her spine. She remembered the last time she had met a Basilisk and it was not something she looked forward to again.
Riddle detected her shudder. "It won't work if you are scared of it. The first thing you have to do is order it not to kill you."
"And how to do I that?"
"Same way you got the snake to show you its eggs. You have to take control."
So she would just have to make sure she was pissed off again. Well, being with Riddle would probably take care of that.
The food arrived, and Riddle started to eat without another word. Hermione followed. She hadn't wanted to take Gabriel up on his offer of going into the house again. Even though she hoped she could use Gabriel, she would still be cautious around him.
"How long will you rent me out to Gabriel," Hermione asked, not having to fake her bitterness. However, she wanted to know how long she had, to convince Gabriel to help her.
"As long as it takes," Riddle said. "I've decided to live here for a while. There are a few things I want to do."
Hermione frowned. "What things?"
Riddle put down his fork and looked up at her. "Salazar was born around here. We are going to find out as much as we can about his background."
"We?" Hermione asked.
"Well, he is your ancestor too; I thought you would be interested."
"Yes, but — oh, you intend to have me do the work and then force me to tell you," Hermione spoke, as the realisation dawned on her.
Riddle smiled. "I do like that you catch on so quickly, Granger, it is one of your good qualities. And I'm sure your connection with Gabriel will help."
"That's why you sold me? So I can convince Gabriel to tell me what he knows? I'm assuming you want to know more about the Norse gods."
"Obviously. Do whatever it takes to make him talk," Riddle ordered, and picked up his fork again.
Hermione regarded him, weighing her options. "Gabriel said he wanted to take me away from you so your plans for me will take longer to achieve."
"Did he now? Well, that's nice of you to tell me. Don't tell him that he is in fact helping me by taking you in," Riddle said, focusing on his stew.
Hermione's eyes narrowed. "How will you know if I tell him?"
"Because you'll come back in the morning looking pleased and guilty at the same time," Riddle remarked. "Acting is not one of your abilities."
Hermione resumed eating as well, while watching him. What was he planning?
"When do you think you'll get a hold of a Basilisk, then?" Hermione asked.
"I have no idea, they are hard to come by. I may have to breed one myself, but that will take a few months."
"Months?" Hermione asked, shocked. "Why haven't you started already, then? You knew I would need one."
"Because I have more important things to do."
"The possibility of the world as we know it coming to an end doesn't seem important to you?"
"Important, yes, but not as urgent," Riddle said calmly. "Don't worry, this will give you time to train more with the snakes. Just because you succeeded once it doesn't mean you are a professional. You should try to control more of them at the same time."
Hermione didn't know what to say, so she continued to eat the stew. Once they were both finished, Riddle paid and they left the restaurant.
"You don't seem nervous at all at the prospect of spending the night with Gabriel," Riddle remarked, when they were out on the street again.
"No, he said he wouldn't hurt me," Hermione answered.
Riddle shrugged. "It will be interesting to see if he will. But I think it would be for the best if you stayed on his good side. Especially since that will no doubt make him talkative."
"I will do my best," Hermione said with a sigh. "Do I go now or later?"
"We may as well go now; I have no further use of you for the moment. Although, it's not technically night yet, since the sun is up for so long at this time of the year. Perhaps we should clarify what 'night' means. I doubt he thinks I'll come and pick you up at five o'clock tomorrow morning when the sun rises…"
"So is that a yes?" Hermione asked dryly, once Riddle finally stopped, looking thoughtful.
Riddle looked down at her and huffed. "Yes. Let's go."
They Apparated right outside the wards of the farm. Riddle walked swiftly up the driveway and Hermione followed.
"Here you are," Riddle said, when Gabriel opened the door. "Enjoy your night, and I'll pick her up in the morning, around nine."
Gabriel nodded. Hermione noted that he had changed his clothes again. This time, he was wearing blue-and-red-splattered bathing trunks. Only bathing trunks. His chest was tanned and just as hairless as his legs. Hermione wouldn't have been surprised if he were off to shoot a commercial for swimwear.
Riddle, however, remained impassive, and just turned around and left. Once he was out of view, Gabriel asked her inside.
"I was just going down to the lake to take a bath. The water is lovely at this time of the year. Do you want to come?" he asked.
Hermione hesitated. She did like bathing, but she rarely had a chance to do it. However, she wasn't sure if she wanted him to see her half-naked. He was very good-looking and she was average at most.
Then she scowled at herself. She wasn't here to compare looks. She wanted his help, and to do that, she had to spend time with him.
"Sure, I'll just change, I think I have a bikini in my purse," she said.
He showed her to the bathroom and five minutes later, she came out, dressed in her monochrome green bikini, with a towel wrapped around her.
"Let's go then, once the sun sets, the mosquitoes will be a horror," he told her.
The lake, it turned out, was just down the road from his house. There was no actual beach to speak of, just a clearing in the forest. The lake was covered with trees on all sides, disappearing from view to her far right.
Gabriel threw his towel on the grass and walked out into the water, diving under when he was about a yard out. Hermione carefully followed. To her happiness, the water was warm, and she dived into it as well.
She swam back and forth for a few yards, just enjoying the water. The only other sound came from Gabriel moving in the water, otherwise it was quiet. Peaceful. Hermione took a deep breath. This was probably the first time she had ever been in a peaceful environment since the war started. Even though it had been quiet at Hogwarts after the war was over, it hadn't been peaceful, and that was not just Riddle's doing. War changed a place.
After about fifteen minutes, she saw Gabriel move ashore, wrap his towel around himself and sit down. She watched as he turned his face towards the sun and closed his eyes, smiling softly. It surprised her, in a way. She could never picture Riddle or any Dark Wizard she knew about doing something as mundane as enjoying the sun. Gabriel was a very strange man indeed.
Swimming back to the shore again, she got out and sat down next to him. It was a bit chilly, so she wrapped her towel around herself as well.
"I do enjoy the summers here," Gabriel said, after they had been sitting in silence for a while. "Long days, warm nights and almost no people."
"Yes, I'm surprised there aren't more people in the lake," Hermione commented. "It's a beautiful evening."
"There aren't many people living out here," Gabriel said. "And there are plenty of lakes to go around. I try to come out here every evening during the summers."
"I can imagine. But don't you have to work?"
"Not unless I want to," Gabriel answered, leaning back.
"What do you do, then? I mean, when you are not making deals with Riddle or training dragons."
Gabriel smiled. "At the moment? Nothing."
"You are rich, then," she concluded.
"Very much."
"By illegal means, like dragon training?" she asked, not bothering to hide the disapproval in her voice.
He chuckled. "Both. But I think doing illegal things is to be expected by someone who makes a deal with the former Lord Voldemort. We should go back to the house."
"Did you ever support Voldemort when he was in power?" Hermione asked, rising as he did.
"Nope," Gabriel replied, starting to walk up the path from the lake.
"How come?" Even though he clearly wasn't very informative, she didn't get the feeling he wanted to drop the subject.
"Well, there are two types of Dark wizards. Those who are in it for the power, and those who are in it for the knowledge. I'm not interested in the power aspect. Well, to a certain degree, of course, but not in the same way as Tom."
"But the Dark Arts corrupt," Granger pointed out. Every textbook she had read wrote that, and she had seen enough Dark wizards to support the claim.
"So?"
"So it would be impossible to be in it just for the knowledge, the power is too seducing."
"You are a Dark Arts expert then?" he asked with a smile.
"No, but I know enough."
"Well, I think we have to redefine power," Gabriel stated. "Knowledge is a type of power, and yes, that is very seducing. Magical power is also power, and it's seducing too. But having power over other people and being a powerful person politically, that is another type of power which I don't find seducing. Some Dark wizards do, however, but they are the types that die fast. Or well, die often, as is the case with Tom."
They reached the house and Gabriel opened the door for her.
"Do you want a glass of wine? I have a glassed-in balcony upstairs. It's nice to sit up there and talk."
"Well, I would rather have something without alcohol," Hermione said. The wine she had drunk at the restaurant was all she needed for a nice buzz, anymore and she would lose sight of what she was supposed to do.
"Tea or soda?"
"Soda will be fine."
Gabriel made a quick detour to the kitchen and came back out with two glasses, nodding at her to indicate that she follow him upstairs. They walked through what must be the master bedroom and out onto the balcony. The sun had just disappeared, leaving the sky red and orange.
Hermione sat down in a garden chair with green, flower-patterned cushions. She then used her wand to dry both herself and the towel that she was still wrapped in, before accepting the drink.
Gabriel sat down on the garden sofa, spreading out. "Tell me if you feel cold. I have simple enchantments on this room that just need to be activated."
"I will," she promised.
"How long have you been together with Tom, then?" Gabriel asked and took a sip of his drink.
"We are not together!" she exclaimed, the mere thought making her shudder.
He laughed. "I didn't mean romantically, just … travelling together."
"Oh. Just for a few weeks."
"How long have you known who he was?"
"Longer," Hermione said, but didn't want to go too deep into the subject. Not yet, at least. She still had to find out where she and Gabriel stood.
Gabriel, however, didn't seem to have any problems with continuing to question her. "What does he teach you?"
"That's between the two of us," Hermione said, a hint of warning in her tone.
Gabriel smiled. "I'm just wondering if I can help. You are clever and powerful from what I can tell. You could become a very powerful Dark Arts—"
"I'm not learning the Dark Arts," Hermione interrupted him coldly.
Gabriel looked very surprised. "Then what do you need Tom Riddle for? I know he is talented in many areas, but you could easily find less dangerous experts for any other subject he may know."
"Well, turns out he knows some other things that no one else can teach me," Hermione responded. "But I would rather not talk about him tonight. Can't we talk about something else?"
He shrugged. "Sure. What do you have in mind?"
Hermione hesitated, before making up her mind to get straight to one of her missions. "You were talking about the Norse gods earlier. I'd like to hear more about those."
"Really? Why?"
"My grandmother used to read stories about them to me when I was younger. I'd like to hear more about how they really were. My grandmother only knew the Muggle myths, and I'm sure her versions were altered for children," Hermione said, with a smile.
"Most likely. Grandmothers usually don't want their grandchildren hearing about violence and decadence," he commented. "What do you want to hear about? Some special person?"
Hermione hesitated. She would have liked to ask about Loki at once, but that might have seemed a bit transparent, like Tom had asked her to inquire about it. "I'd like to know more about the goddesses. Or, witches, I guess they were. There is always so much focus on the men."
"Well, there were a lot of witches on Asgard. Oh, did you know that Asgard was on an island?"
Hermione nodded.
"It was actually a woman who found it first, Ran, her name was. She was a sailor and lived off the ocean. She would only allow women on her ship, which could hold up to nine other sailors. The myths say they are her daughters, but as far as I know, they were just her crewmembers. Ran and most of her crewmembers came from a small village in what's now called Norway. They sailed around the known lands, but it's said that one day, during a storm, they drifted far away from their course. Once the storm had passed, they found themselves on a beautiful island.
"Some of the crew decided that they wanted to move their base of operations to that island, and so they did. However, once they had settled down, they discovered that the island was inhabited by giants."
Gabriel dramatically paused. "By then, Ran had decided that the island would make a great home. It was good for farming, had lots of fruits and the weather was pleasant. Thus, she called her old village for help. Odin and some others responded and came to help. A war between the wizards and giants started.
"Together with Odin, Ran managed to drive the giants away, but every night, the giants would try to take their island back. This went on for months. By then, Odin had also seen the benefits of the island. He had started having trouble with Muggles at home, and so, he decided to move the rest of his people over to the island, where Muggles wouldn't be able to reach them. He was a chief of sorts, you see, and his people were spread out, in many villages. But before he could bring them over safely, he needed to make peace with the giants.
"He offered the leader of the group of giants a treaty. The king of the giants, Ägir, said that he would only give up the claim to the island if he could have Ran for his wife. Odin then went to Ran, to talk her into marrying the giant. Ran, who was quite greedy, said that she would only agree to it if she would be declared a goddess over the seas. Every sailor who wished to sail across them had to pay a fee of gold.
"Odin said he couldn't promise that every sailor would do it, but he agreed to give her a healthy sum of gold, and thus Ran left with Ägir. However, before she left, she cast a curse over the sea around Asgard, declaring that whoever failed to pay the fee would be buried at sea."
Hermione blinked. "How can someone cast a curse over the seas?"
"The wizards of Asgard used magic quite different from us. More like the druids, if you remember them from history class. A lot is forgotten, but we do know that they were more in tune with the magic of nature and could wield it in ways other than what we can today."
"What happened then? Did Odin invite more people to Asgard?"
"He didn't have to. Once the rumour started to spread, a lot of wizards and witches from all around the North started to come. Some only visited, but some brought their families and friends. They wanted to get away from the Muggles and Odin had managed to hide the island from Muggles. But you wanted to hear more about the witches."
Hermione nodded.
Gabriel sat in silence for a few seconds, looking thoughtful. "Well, a few years after Odin had got the island, a prophet came with an urgent matter. Her name was Frigg. She had witnessed a terrible disaster happen to her people and begged for Odin's help. He joined her to visit what's now called Germany. A group of wizards wanted Frigg for her powers. They thought that drinking her blood would make them prophets as well. They had kidnapped everyone in her family in an attempt to draw her out and make her come to them willingly.
"Because of her prophecy, she and Odin managed to intercept them and save her family. But just as they were on their way out, into the sea, the wizards casted a hex after them. It struck Odin, giving him a mortal wound. Frigg saved his life on that boat, and once they returned to Asgard, he asked her to be his wife. That was probably the wisest decision Odin ever made. Without Frigg, Asgard would have gone under much quicker."
"How?" Hermione asked.
"Odin was reckless and hot-tempered. Only Frigg could calm him down and be diplomatic. She was the one that resolved most issues that arose in Asgard. Thanks to her powers, she was also able to avert many big disasters."
"I thought Odin could see into the future," Hermione said, recalling what her grandmother had told her about Odin.
"Yes, but only after he had performed a blood ritual with Frigg, which shared their powers," Gabriel explained. "The child they got after that ritual became very powerful. Balder, his name was. Their youngest son. Or well, the youngest son they both had together, Odin had several other children with other women, but Balder was the apple of his eye, so to speak."
"How many more children did he have?" Hermione asked.
Gabriel chuckled. "No one really knows. There is a reason why he was called the Allfather. But I think his most famous child, beside Balder, was Thor, his eldest son."
"You seem to know a lot about all of this. Where have you found your sources?" Hermione asked, curious and a bit sceptical of what he told her, and whether was really the truth, or just good storytelling.
"A lifetime of research has given me a lot of different sources, which is what I've agreed to show Tom. But I think that is enough history for one night."
Hermione realised it was already pitch black outside. While they were talking, lamps had started lighting up around them, so she hadn't noticed.
"What time is it?" she asked.
"A bit after eleven. Are you tired?"
"Not really."
"I have the guest room prepared for you, so just let me know when you are. I often lose track of time when I'm engaged in something interesting and I forget to sleep and eat," Gabriel said, with a flirtatious smile.
Against her will, she felt a blush creeping up, and was glad it was so dark outside that he wouldn't notice. She wondered if now would be a good time to take him up on his suggestion. Or was he just pretending to be interested to get her into bed? Hm. Perhaps she had to sleep with him to find out if he was just interested in a one night thing, or if she could count on him.
Her blush deepened when she realised just how appealing that "test" sounded to her. Maybe she was a bit too taken by his handsomeness to make a good decision right now. Yes, it was better to wait.
"So … what sorts of books do you like to read?" she asked, realising she had been quiet for a bit too long.
Gabriel smiled knowingly, but didn't comment on her blush or on how she wouldn't meet his eyes. For a Dark wizard he surely was the most gentlemanly she had met.
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- 13
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Serpent of the World