Everyday Life of a Top Student at Hogwarts

Chapter 269 Preliminary Agreement and Analysis of the Snake Language

Chapter 269 Preliminary Agreement and Analysis of the Snake Language

They moved to an empty classroom nearby. Karen casually cast a few simple anti-eavesdropping and anti-interference spells, not because she didn't trust Ron and Hermione, but out of habitual caution.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione watched Cullen's practiced movements and once again felt how different he was from ordinary Hogwarts students.

"Alright, it'll be quieter here now." Karen pulled over a few chairs, gesturing for everyone to sit down. "First of all, thank you again for your trust, Harry."

Harry sat across from him, still a little nervous: "I just—really want to figure out what's going on. You said you could help me understand it?"

"Yes, from a magical theory perspective," Karen said confidently. "First, regarding the origins of Parseltongue. The mainstream view in the magical world is that it is primarily a talent inherited through bloodlines, especially closely related to the descendants of Salazar Slytherin."

Harry's expression changed slightly.

Cullen noticed this. He knew Harry's Parseltongue voice most likely came from the Voldemort fragment within him, but Cullen couldn't be certain there wasn't a blood relation. After all, the wizarding world was so small; who knew if Harry just happened to have Parseltongue blood in him? Therefore, Cullen continued, "Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean you're a Slytherin descendant. You could be a descendant of some unknown Parseltongue wizard. And historically, there might be very few cases where there's no blood relation, possibly due to some rare magical mutation or a powerful magical event. To determine which category it falls into, more information is needed."

Hearing Cullen's explanation, Harry seemed relieved; he clearly didn't want to directly associate himself with Slytherin or Voldemort.

"As for its magical principles," Karen continued, trying to use simple language, "based on my research, I speculate that it might not be as simple as a language. More likely, it's an innate ability to emit specific magical frequencies. These frequencies resonate deeply with the neural perception systems of snake-like creatures or their own faint magical fields, thus enabling the direct transmission of intentions, information, and even commands. It's more like an instinctive form of mental communication than simply learning grammar and vocabulary."

Hermione's eyes lit up as she listened, and she couldn't help but interject, "Just like some magical creatures are born with the ability to sense a wizard's emotions?"

"Similar, but more proactive, more precise, and dominated by human wizards." Karen nodded. "This also explains why Parseltongue is rarely learned; it may involve resonance within a deep magical structure rather than superficial pronunciation techniques."

Harry struggled to understand: "So—I wasn't actually speaking a language, but rather—using magic to influence a snake?"

"You could say that. The sound you emit is the vehicle; the core is your will and magic being transmitted through that unique frequency," Karen said approvingly. "So, the key to controlling this ability might lie in better understanding and controlling your own will, clearly defining the intention you want to convey, rather than being passively driven by emotions. Your Parsleyan voice is most effective when you strongly want the snake to 'leave' or 'stop,' right?"

Harry recalled the scenes at the club and the zoo, and nodded: "It seems so—"

"That's where control begins," Karen said. "Realizing the role your will plays in it."

Ron was confused, but it sounded really impressive.

"So—what do you need me to do?" Harry asked the crucial question.

"At this stage, I mainly need some basic voice samples." Karen took out a small, silver-cased alchemical device from her seamless stretch bag. It looked like an exquisite snail shell, with fine runes engraved on its surface. "This is a simple magic resonance recorder. It can capture and record magical sound fluctuations at specific frequencies. There will be other equipment for later testing, but that will have to wait until I have everything ready. This is just to make an agreement with you first."

He handed the device to Harry: "It's not offensive or harmful at all; it's just a simple, portable recording tool. You can take it and use it when you feel comfortable. If you don't have the chance, that's okay too. I'll invite you over later when I'm ready to do a more detailed test."

Harry took the cold little device, turning it over and over to examine it. It felt light and delicate, and didn't seem dangerous at all.

"And then what?" Hermione asked cautiously.

"I will analyze the recorded fluctuations, trying to interpret their frequency characteristics, magical composition, and so on," Karen replied. "This will help me verify some theories about the nature of Parseltongue magic. Perhaps in the future, I can even design some simple gadgets to help you perceive and control this ability. Of course, that's still a long way off, and it requires your complete consent."

He looked at Harry: "Besides the voice samples, we might need you to cooperate with some extremely simple tests, such as testing your peak magic output while making Parsleyan sounds and observing subtle changes in your magic flow. Again, it's absolutely harmless, just for data collection."

Harry looked at the recorder in his hand, then at Cullen, and finally nodded: "I understand. I'll try, when it's safe to."

"Very good." Karen smiled. "If you have any questions, feel free to come to me anytime. Once I've set a time, we can contact each other by owl, or you can find me wherever you know."

A preliminary agreement was reached. Harry felt he had gained a preliminary, rational understanding of the power that had been troubling him, and was no longer completely lost and fearful; he felt much more at ease. Although the future remained uncertain, at least he had a direction to seek help and answers from.

As Harry left the empty classroom, he was noticeably more relaxed than before, and Ron chatted with him, discussing Cullen's impressive performance at the Dueling Club. Hermione, though still somewhat worried, was inclined to believe that this collaboration might be beneficial to Harry, thanks to Cullen's professionalism and reasonable explanations.

Karen watched Harry's departing figure, lost in thought. Parseltongue would be a crucial step in unlocking the secrets of Slytherin, and through this encounter with Harry, perhaps he could also observe more closely the relationship between Harry's Parseltongue and the part of his soul within him.

The following afternoon, the weather was overcast, and a light rain tapped against the windows of Hogwarts. Inside the Eagle's Nest, however, it was warm and bright, with various alchemical artifacts emitting a soft luster and a low hum.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione arrived as promised. Harry looked a little nervous, his fingers unconsciously fidgeting with the cuffs of his robes.

Ron looked around curiously at the strange devices, especially the heavily guarded miniature alchemy workshop in the corner, his eyes filled with amazement. Hermione, on the other hand, seemed to be conducting an academic investigation, her sharp gaze sweeping over the notes on the bookshelves and the drawings on the table, as if trying to understand everything immediately.

"Thank you for coming." Karen's voice drew their attention back. He was standing in front of a large stone workbench, on which several alchemy devices were already set up. This time, he hadn't prepared in the alchemy workshop, but had specifically brought out the necessary equipment.

"Is this what you called—the recording device?" Harry asked, pointing to the silver disc on the table, trying to keep his voice calm.

"That's one of them." Karen nodded, picking up the small, snail-shell-shaped silver device he had given Harry before. "This is the portable one I gave you last time, suitable for rough fieldwork. The ones on the platform are more sophisticated, capable of capturing and analyzing magical fluctuations in multiple dimensions. Don't worry, they're all safe, without any aggression or mental influence."

He gestured for Harry to come to the worktable. "Let's begin. First, I need to establish a baseline. Harry, please speak as you normally would, saying a few simple sentences, like 'Hello' or 'The weather's bad today.'"

Harry did as he was told, his voice a little hoarse. Cullen activated a device; the runes on the disc glowed faintly, and regular but gentle magical ripples appeared on the photosensitive crystal at the end of the crystal conduit, like ripples left by a breeze on a lake.

"Very good." Karen recorded the data. "This is the magical fluctuation pattern of your normal speech. It is mainly through the vibration of the air by the vocal cords, with extremely weak and unconscious magical dissipation. It is a phenomenon that all wizards exhibit when they speak, only the intensity varies."

Next, he took out a clear box containing a docile, emerald-green grass snake, which he had specifically captured near the greenhouse of the Magical Creatures class. "Now, try talking to it, in your special way, and say something. Anything will do, like 'hello,' or just make a hissing sound to get its attention."

Harry took a deep breath and watched the slowly wriggling snake, a feeling both familiar and strange welling up inside him. He focused his mind, trying to convey the thought of "hello" to the snake.

A low, strange hissing sound came from his throat.

Almost simultaneously, Cullen stared intently at Harry. In his vision, the way energy gathered in Harry's throat instantly changed. It was no longer the relatively scattered magical aids of normal vocalization, but rather formed an extremely subtle, highly compressed energy structure. Moreover, the formation process was incredibly natural and fluid; as the hissing sound emanated, an invisible...

But the strange magical fluctuations that were crystal clear to him, like a precisely tuned beam of sound, were projected directly at the grass snake.

The precision instruments on the worktable hummed. The central groove of the silver-white disc lit up, the crystal conduit vibrated violently, and the originally gentle ripples on the photosensitive crystal at its end instantly became sharp and complex, presenting a unique, multi-frequency, jagged pattern, accompanied by some shimmering bright spots. The silver powder inside the glass jar danced wildly, forming a tiny but distinct whirlwind.

The grass snake suddenly raised its head, its small black eyes turning towards Harry, its nostrils flicking rapidly as if in response.

"Merlin's beard—" Ron exclaimed softly. Although he knew Harry's abilities, witnessing the instrument's reaction and Harry commanding the grass snake still shocked him.

"This is incredible—" Hermione leaned closer to the photosensitive crystals, her eyes wide open.

Karen ignored their astonishment, focusing all his attention on the observations of the "Eye of Truth." He quickly scribbled on the parchment, drawing complex waveforms and sketches of energy structures, muttering to himself: "Highly concentrated magic at the sound source—extremely specific frequency—the wave structure contains clear information." The carrier—resonating directly with the spiritual or magical core of the target being—is more like—a directional infusion of a mental energy field, mediated by specific sound waves—

He gestured for Harry to stop, then said to him, "Very good. Next, try expressing different emotions or intentions. For example, try expressing 'friendliness' or 'calmness' first."

Harry focused again, hissing softly at the snake. The waveform on the instrument became relatively flat, and the frequency decreased.

"Now, try to be vigilant" or "threaten."

Harry's hiss became short and sharp. The waveform on the instrument immediately became high-pitched, dense, and full of aggressive peaks. The grass snake visibly flinched, trying to coil up.

Finally, try a specific command, such as "move" to a corner of the box.

Harry did as instructed. This time, the hiss carried an undeniable force. A strong, distinctive pulse signal appeared on the waveform. The snake hesitated slightly, seemingly trying to decipher the somewhat complex command, but ultimately slithered slowly toward the corner of the box.

"It worked!" Harry was pleasantly surprised. This was the first time he had consciously and proactively used this ability to issue a specific command and receive a response.

"Amazing control over the transmission of power—" Karen jotted down notes rapidly, "The strength of will directly affects the effectiveness of commands—intention is indeed incorporated into the fluctuations—this is not merely language, but a coercive magical contract, albeit a relatively simple one, targeting low-intelligence magical beings—"

All afternoon, they repeated various tests. Cullen had Harry try different syllables, different tones, different emotions, and commands. He not only recorded with instruments, but also used the "Eye of Truth" to meticulously observe the subtle interactions between Harry's throat, magical core, and even mental power when he spoke, as well as every detail of the interaction between the special sound waves and the faint magical field within the grass snake's body.

Harry went from being awkward and nervous at first, but gradually relaxed and even began to take an interest in Cullen's profound questions: "Do you feel the magic is concentrated in your throat when you speak? Or do you feel it's more driven by your will?" "When giving a command, do you need to imagine the snake carrying it out?"

Ron and Hermione initially observed from the sidelines, occasionally interjecting with their own words.

"This sounds much better than Snape's voice—" Ron commented after one of Harry's sharper pronouncements.

"Karen, what do those spikes on the waveform represent? Is it information density?" Hermione continued trying to understand the complex charts.

Karen would answer their questions briefly, but he spent most of his time immersed in his observations and notes. His parchment was already covered with various symbols, formulas, and conjectures.

As the test drew to a close, Karen shut down most of the equipment. He rubbed his temples, looking somewhat tired, but his eyes were bright and filled with the joy of his accomplishment.

"The preliminary conclusion is," he concluded, his tone purely academic, "that Parsleyanism, rather than being a language, is more of a highly specialized magical talent. Through its unique vocalization, it modulates the caster's will and magic into an extremely special complex vibration. This vibration can bypass conventional perception and resonate strongly with the neural magical system or soul imprint of serpentine creatures, thereby achieving information transmission and even forced commands."

He pointed to the recorded waveforms: "You see, different intentions and emotions correspond to significantly different wave patterns. It has certain 'vocabulary' and 'grammatical' characteristics, but at its core is the infusion of will and magic. This explains why it's rarely learned later in life—it requires a specific bloodline or soul structure as a foundation to generate and bear this special wave. Of course, if an individual has strong control over their magic and can observe and imitate this magical wave frequency, they can also achieve Parsleyan pronunciation. Modern spell pronunciation is more about guiding and shaping magic, while Parsleyan pronunciation itself is a special manifestation of magic."

Harry only half understood, but Cullen's calm and objective analysis completely reassured him. This was no longer a mysterious curse that might lead to darkness, but a magical phenomenon that could be studied and understood.

"So—it's actually part of my magic?" Harry tried to understand.

"You could say that. It's a very unique, innate quality," Karen affirmed. "Like some people are born with a talent for Transfiguration, or some have a strong affinity for magic. It's just that your talent manifests in a rather—rare—form. Understanding its principles is the first step to controlling it. You did very well today; your will was clear, which is crucial for controlling it."

Harry nodded vigorously, a relieved smile spreading across his face. His trust in Cullen increased even more, although he had always trusted her. Cullen held a place in his heart second only to the Weasleys, Hermione, and Hagrid, even a level above Dumbledore (Harry's relationship with Dumbledore wasn't as good as in the original story, because Cullen had basically ruined any interactions Harry might have had with Dumbledore).

"Today's data is invaluable." Karen tidied her thick notebook. "Thank you for your cooperation, Harry. This will greatly help me understand this ancient talent."

"Thank you too, Karen," Harry said sincerely. "I feel—much better."

1

Harry's steps were much lighter as he left the Eagle's Nest. Ron and Hermione followed beside him, discussing their amazing discovery. Although challenges still lay ahead, their fear of Parseltongue had greatly diminished, replaced by a growing curiosity and a sense of understanding.