Sharp pain in the toe of his left foot woke Harry from his light sleep. Rather than looking at the toe, his right hand reached for the place beside his pillow in a practised motion. Panic was evident in his emerald eyes. Wards he placed around his bed every night before going to sleep have never fallen so fast. He gripped the handle of his holy and phoenix feather wand; its comforting warmth ebbed away his fears for a moment, but before he could do anything, wards have fallen and curtains parted revealing pale face of Severus Snape.
Shocked by the appearance of his head of house, Harry was yanked forcefully from the comfort of his bed.
"What... professor..." Harry started, but he was too confused to make a coherent thought. Before he could gather his wits, Snape cut him off with a withering glare.
"You will follow me to headmaster's office, quietly." Snape hissed and started dragging still confused Harry with himself.
"Why?" Harry asked.
"Isn't that obvious you dimwit." Snape snapped. "You have been summoned."
Harry looked at the large magical clock on the wall just above the entrance to Slytherin house. It was 11:24 pm.
"...at this time?" Harry asked.
"Yes." Snape released his arm just before the entrance and turned to him, his hate for Harry evident in charcoal black eyes. "And if I hear another word from your trap, you will be serving detention with me, for the next whole week and I assure you it will not be pleasant. Just follow me."
Harry's blood boiled seeing the satisfied smirk on Snape's face. He squashed his rising temper at Snape before he got himself in trouble. It was not hard for him to do. He had enough practise of controlling his emotions and tongue while living with Dursleys before he turned 11 and came to Hogwarts.
Harry shivered when cool air hit him as soon as he stepped out of the comfort of Slytherin common room. He mentally cursed Snape for dragging him away before he could even take his jacket. He tapped his wand over his head and muttered underneath his breath. Comfortable warmth the charm provided washed over him taking away the cold of the winter night.
"Thank your lucky stars Potter that you are Slytherin otherwise you would have lost a lot of house points for using magic in Hogwarts corridor." Snape snapped at him without looking back.
Harry bit his tongue to stop himself from the replying and continued following briskly walking Snape. For the millionth time Harry wondered how easy his life would have been if he was in any house other than Slytherin. He wondered if he should have gone with his instinct and pleaded with Sorting hat to not to sort him in Slytherin rather than giving into his temptation to become great.
Moments later after the sorting, he had regretted his momentary lapse when he saw withering glares of Slytherins. Next few days were worse; if not worst he had in his short 11 years life. On his first night in his house he was physically reminded that Potter was worst hated name in the house. In a twisted way he had expected their anger, but not such a violent expression of it. As soon he had entered the common room, he was being hexed left and right by elder Slytherins while the rest laughed at his predicament. In few minutes he felt the pain he had never suffered before. His screams rang in common room. Robes he wore were soaked with blood from various cuts in his body. Bruises were all over his body from kicks and punches. His glasses had broken and lying somewhere and without them all he could see was blurry images. He lost consciousness and had no idea how long he was tortured. It was after midnight when he woke up and found himself in comfortable bed that he assumed, belonged to him. Someone has brought him to his bed after he had lost his consciousness. In dim light of lanterns, he noticed that cuts from his body were gone. Few broken bones he was sure he had were now healed like always even though he was still in a lot of pain. It has been like this his whole life, and he knew he would have died many times at the hands of his uncle if not for this ability.
He was no stranger to waking up with his whole body in pain due to cuts and bruise. His uncle had made sure of that. But it was strange to be lying on a comfortable bed instead of hard, old and torn mattress in his cupboard. Despite pain he was in, he had chuckled a bit. It seemed some things in his life were not going to change. He had just hoped that teachers, especially his head of house would be more understanding and would help him. Tiredness he had felt let him drift into sleep again despite the pain he was in.
All his illusions had vanished as soon as he entered his head's house to complain. He had felt so fool even for entertaining the thought. Memories of that encounter were still vivid in his mind.
"I am neither your personal attendant Potter nor am I a healer." Snape sneered. "You should have thought before you dared to dirty this noble house with your filthy presence."
He stood from the chair and moved to stand before Harry, boring into his eyes and Harry felt bare. "Let me make something clear to you dimwit. My snakes hate you and so do I, just because you are an arrogant spoiled Potter brat just like your father." Harry has never felt so much venom in words, not even his relatives had uttered a sentence to him with so much hatred.
"There will be no permanent damage done to you in any way, that much I have made it clear to my snakes but I am not going to interfere anymore than that. You are so weak and whining brat. I wonder if that was the reason your parents abandoned you."
Fire burned in Harry's emerald eyes. He was seething with anger. Windows and furniture of the office rattled. He took a deep breath and forcefully squashed down the anger. Snape has made his hatred for him clear and he has no desire to get in trouble with the person... not when he was at disadvantage.
"That's right. Learn your place Potter... It might save you from a lot of pain. And if you want to protect yourself, do it yourself." Snape said. "One last thing... Anything that happens in my house does not get outside. I do not like outside interference and if I am forced to deal with it... I will personally deal with you and I assure you... it would be worse. Am I clear?"
"Yes sir." Harry replied with a blank mask on his face.
"Now get out of my sight."
He had run out of the office confused, terrified sad and angry at the situation he found himself. Food was the only thing that kept him at Hogwarts rather than request to leave. He was sure he would not starve here. Apart from food lodging and medical attention, nothing had changed in his life. In a way it had been a remarkable improvement in his life. And so he had endured and struggled for his survival.
There was only one way for him... to learn to protect himself in any possible way and until then avoid those who have any reason to curse him. First task, while hard was manageable. From the first day of the school, his most of his waking time away from the classes had been spend in the library. Not only he was safe from being cursed, it was treasure trove of knowledge. But in the end he had to return to his common room at night. This is where he learnt to be hardcore Slytherin. He learnt when he should escape, avoid and whom he should avoid. It was harder to control his emotions than it was with his relatives but he learnt. He was accepting everything just as it came to him; he was taming his anger and waiting for the right time when he could return the favour. He was determined to get his revenge.
Slytherin can help you become great.
It seemed Slytherin was not helping him in becoming great, but pushing him towards it and he liked the thrill of it.
None at Hogwarts liked that he was Slytherin, but within a month they started considering him as first year prodigy. He was easily at top of his batch both in theory and practical.
He pulled out of his musing when he saw Snape stop before the gargoyle guarding the entrance to headmaster's office. Snape muttered something under his breath and gargoyle moved, revealing a spiral staircase. This was the first time Harry was climbing the staircase to headmaster's office. In fact this was the first time in his one and half years of Hogwarts. At the top of stairs, Snape opened the door and pushed Harry inside.
"Wait here. Headmaster will be here soon." Snape said. "I hope you know better than to touch anything here while headmaster is absent."
Harry nodded mutely. He watched Snape glare at him one last time before he walked out of the office leaving Harry alone. He looked around the office. It was a large circular room with many windows. A lot of portraits, he assumed to be of old headmasters and headmistresses were hanging on the walls. Most of them appeared to be sleeping, but few of them were observing him from their frames. A large portrait of Headmaster Armando Dippet was hanging just behind the head's desk. It was the largest portrait in the room. On closer scrutiny Harry noticed the difference in the size of the portraits was related to their tenure as headmaster. He concluded that paintings shrank once it was no longer the portrait of the immediate predecessor of the current headmaster. Apart from them, there were many spindly tables with intricate silvery devices upon them. Sorting hat was perched on one shelf apparently asleep, though it intrigued him how an animate object could sleep.
But the magnificent bird sleeping on its perch behind the door caught Harry's attention most. Bird has crimson feathers on his body and a golden tail as long as a peacock's. His claws and beak are gleaming gold and his eyes are black. The scarlet body feathers were glowing faintly. He felt a strange desire to pat it, but Snape's warning rang in his ears. As it was... he was on a thin line. He had an inkling why he was called here at this time. Portraits were watching him and could report to Snape and he had no desire to attract more trouble. So he just watched the beautiful bird from a distance. As if it has sensed him, bird lifted his head and looked at him directly as if scrutinising him.
"Beautiful, isn't he?" Harry heard Dumbledore's gentle voice and he emerged from behind, walked around his desk and casually sat down on his chair.
"Have a seat Harry." Dumbledore said. Harry nodded and sat down on a chair across from headmaster.
"Lemon drop..."
Harry frowned at Dumbledore offering him muggle sweet. "No sir, but thanks for the offer."
Dumbledore smiled and put the box back after picking up one sweet for himself.
"I am quite fond of these sweets." He said. "Fwakes is a phoenix. I am sure you know about them."
"Yes sir. I read about them, but this is first time I got the opportunity to see one. He is more magnificent than I ever envisioned." Harry replied looking at the bird. It has gone back to sleep.
A tray with biscuits and two cups of tea appeared on the table.
"Ah here it is." Dumbledore said clapping his hand. "I am sorry for the inconvenience I caused you Harry by calling you at this hour but we will discuss the topic once we have tea."
Harry was about to decline tea but changed his mind. Having tea seemed to be a good idea. It would sooth his anxiousness. He nodded and accepted the cup Dumbledore had floated in front of him. Dumbledore picked up the other cup for himself.
Sipping tea with biscuits with Dumbledore in his office, Harry felt more calm and comfortable than he has felt in his life. He felt all his worries ebb away under the security the company of this aged headmaster provided. All his carefully placed walls, all inhabitations melted away.
He watched the headmaster put the cup back in the tray and settled back in his chair, looking at Harry with intense gaze. Harry felt small in front of the legendary wizard but strangely he was at ease under the twinkling gaze of Albus Dumbledore.
"There has been another attack tonight." Dumbledore spoke. All jovial expression on his face was replaced by graveness. "An hour ago, a first year muggle born student, Mr. Creevy's body was found petrified. Do you know anything about it?"
"No sir." Harry replied immediately. He remembered the mousy first year Gryffindor annoying Chris Potter at several occasions but apart from that he knew nothing about it. He saw relief flicker on Dumbledore's face but then it was gone.
"Have you opened Chamber of Secrets?"
It was a straight question from Dumbledore and Harry had a straight answer to it... except for the strange tugging on his mind as if he was searching for the answer deeply before answering.
He admired the snake engraved faucet in the sink. It was pinnacle of Salazar Slytherin's cunning. Entrance of chamber was hidden in front of everyone, but can only be opened by descendent of Slytherin. Pride surged through his veins.
"Open" he hissed to the tap. Faint sound of stones grinding together came from the depth of Hogwarts and then stones of the sink parted to reveal the entrance of fabled chamber.
He faced the large stone statue of Salazar Slytherin and spoke in noble language of serpents.
"Speak to me Salazar Slytherin, greatest of Hogwarts four..."
The basilisk, Slytherin's pet, raised above him, powerful and beautiful, its eyes lidded behind a membrane that protects him from its terrible gaze. It bowed its massive head to him, tasting his scent with a forked tongue almost as large as he is, ready to complete Salazar Slytherin's noble work under the command of his heir who was finally back at his home.
One year had passed since he had to close the chamber to stop fool Dippet from closing the school. And fool had given him award for catching the culprit he had framed. But today he needed the comfort of the chamber.
Filthy muggle name was a shame to his heritage. As hard it was to believe, he couldn't deny the fact after witnessing them this summer. His father was a filthy muggle whom his mother, a direct descendent of Slytherin, ensnared using love potion. But that is to be expected from filthy squib... disgrace to the noble line, brought the shame to the name of Slytherin.
All his quest for the search of his parents had led to disgust for them. At least his weakling mother was dead and he removed the trace of the filthy blood from the earth by killing all three Riddles.
Sitting in comfortable chair in the study of Chamber, he looked at the floating fiery letters.
TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE
With a casual flick of his wand, letters rearranged themselves to a worthy name of his heritage.
I AM LORD VOLDEMORT
Name was fit for the greatest wizard since Salazar. Proof of it was lying in front of him in the form of black diary. He has already surpassed genius Herpo the foul. The diary was more than what Herpo created. He opened the diary and tilted his head over it. Shining silvery matter started flowing from his eyes and disappeared into the pages of diary. After several minute, flow stopped and he closed the diary with a satisfied smile and looked at the cover. This addition of his 17 years of memories would ensure that it has all knowledge to finish the noble work. He just needed to put his modified version of imperious curse to force the victim to write in diary.
"Have you opened the chamber of secrets, Harry?" Dumbledore's voice pierced through the fog he was in. He opened his eyes and rubbed them.
"Sorry." Harry was a little confused what he had witnessed just now.
"No problem." Dumbledore said. "I know it is very bad hour for a child to be awake and understand that you fell asleep."
"Yes." Harry replied. Was it a dream? It seemed so real, just like he had lived through it in another life. And he knew he had not fallen asleep. The sensation in his head he felt while memory played was gone.
The thing that worried him was that he had seen the trophy of the award for special services to school, engraved with the name Tom Marvolo Riddle. It certainly was not a dream.
"I was asking..." Dumbledore spoke again. "Have you opened the chamber of secrets?"
These memories were not his, he was sure of it.
"No Sir." He replied immediately.
"Have you in anyway, willingly on unwillingly aided in opening of chamber?"
"No Sir."
Dumbledore sagged back in his chair and took a deep breath. It could be illusion, but he saw a flicker of relief wash over old headmaster's face. He accepted the offered glass of water. As soon as cool water went into his system, all the previous anxiety returned with full force as if a cloud has been lifted from his mind.
"Tea was laced with truth serum." He blurted out. As soon as Dumbledore had brought the topic of Chamber of Secrets, he knew he was a suspect in Dumbledore's books and was called here for questioning. But lacing the tea with truth potion seemed a bit extreme, after all he was a minor.
Dumbledore sighed. "I regret for my actions today, but after today's attack I had to. Whole student body is at risk at this moment and one person's privacy is nothing compared to the security of the whole school. I am truly sorry for the inconvenience I caused you today."
There was nothing he could do that might affect the man sitting before him. It was the feeling of helplessness he didn't like. He repressed all he was feeling. His face became usual blank mask.
"May I know why I was suspect?" Harry asked.
"I guess, if nothing you deserve the explanation." Dumbledore looked at him for a minute before speaking again. "Your fault was that you were at wrong place at wrong time. On Halloween you did not attend the feast and were one of the first at the sight of first attack."
"I was in library. You can verify from Madam Pince." Harry clarified.
"But you were out at least 20 minutes before you met with Chris, Ronald and Hermione and found petrified cat." Dumbledore countered. "Though it is clear now that you are not the culprit. You may think that I was trying to clarify my doubts."
"It cannot be the only reason Prof." Harry said. "After all you didn't question those three with truth serum."
"One of them is muggleborn." The argument shut Harry up. When Dumbledore did not say anything else, he resigned that old man would not tell more.
"I think we should stop now." Dumbledore said. He picked up an old quill and pointed his wand to it. Quill glowed in blue colour for few seconds. "This portkey will take you back to Slytherin common room. You can take it now if there is nothing you want to tell me or ask me."
There were many things he wanted to ask Dumbledore but he knew the old man would side step the questions giving the vague and half answers. But he wanted just a hint, not the whole answer.
"Sir, do you know Tom Riddle?" Loss of colour on old headmaster's face gave him the much needed answer. It was not a dream but a real memory that truth serum was able to dig from his mind. Time to think how it happened would come later.
"Tom was a student here about 50 years ago." Dumbledore replied after the shock wore off. "Why do you ask Harry?"
"In trophy room, I saw the award he was given for apprehending the culprit who opened the chamber last time." Harry replied looking directly in Dumbledore's eyes. "If you can take his help, you might solve the mystery quickly."
"Alas, if it was that easy, Harry." Dumbledore spoke. "Truth can be very different from our perception. Being such a bright Slytherin, you of all should know this. Whoever knows Hagrid, knows that he is most unlikely person to hurt others much less kill a fellow student."
"Well, I don't know him well. He may be the one to reintroduce me to magical world and take me for my school shopping, but that's it." Harry said. "If that is all, professor, may I go back to my dorm?"
"Of course..." Dumbledore smiled and handed Harry the old quill. "Sleep well Harry."
Harry resisted the urge to respond that he would sleep well if Snape and others, including him would let him. Instead just nodded to headmaster and vanished with portkey.
For several minutes Dumbledore sat still in his chair, looking at the spot, the 12 year boy had occupied. It was a relief that Harry Potter was not in any way responsible for the attacks, but it has opened plethora of questions he has no answer.
Dumbledore walked around the table and leaned on a cabinet which held his pensive, a large shallow bowl filled with transparent liquid. He put tip of his wand on his temple. When he pulled it away, a large silvery strand attached to the tip of wand came out of his head, which he dropped in the bowl.
Voldemort, according to his sources, was hiding deep into forests in Albania and he completely trusted them. There was no heir of Voldemort, he was sure of it. There was no other known Slytherin line. There was little possibility of some muggle born being from the Slytherin line through some squib, but such a student should be 6th or 7th year considering Riddle took 5 years to find the chamber. None of them can even match shade of Riddle. In fact there was only one capable of matching Riddle, both in intelligence and power, and he has interrogated the student just a few minutes ago.
Harry's ease with all forms of magic was not unexpected after all there was not a single spell or theory in magic that Voldemort has not mastered. Even if Harry doesn't know, his soul has instinctive feel of magic. That is why he had wanted him in Gryffindor to distract him enough to achieve his full potential, but Chris was required in the house and he could not afford them in close proximity, so didn't try to influence Harry and Harry got himself sorted in Slytherin.
With his plans to create controlled encounter between Chris Potter and Voldemort, ensuring that Chris come out victorious and unharmed, along with his other duties, he had forgotten Harry Potter, a vital piece in the chess board.
He bent forward to touched the surface of liquid in pensive and was sucked into it. After few minutes, he was back in his office. Carefully he extracted the memory from pensive and filled it into a small crystal vial. With a tap of his wand, the front of the cabinet opened to reveal a revolving self with thousands of crystal vials lined. Another tap from wand, part of the shelf named Harry Potter came in front. He placed the vial along with three other vials in the shelf.
Harry's question about Tom Riddle bothered him, more so after his review of the memory. It appeared that Harry has tricked him and his momentary lapse has given Harry the information he wanted. How much Harry knew about Tom and why was he after seeking the information? For the millionth time he wished he could peak into Harry's mind. But he feared the aftermath.
Dumbledore sighed. Finding out how Voldemort was able to open chamber of secrets and stopping the attacks was his priority now.