(A/N; Note that the quote- There is no good and evil, only power and those too weak to seek it' - is JKR's, and not mine...though I used it)

Disclaimer: I own only the plot. I do not own the characters, their names, their relationships, some of the background information, or anything else that is in the Harry Potter books that appears very familiar in here. I have just used J.K. Rowling's genius as a basis for the storyline; which is the only thing here that I crafted.

The Amulets

It was a clear, dark night. Not a thing was stirring, and not a sound was to be heard. A bird soared over a huge castle. How odd, it thought. Not a light was to be seen. It was as if the night itself had wrapped around the great castle and suffocated the living out of its land. As the bird got closer to completely passing the castle, a light caught its eyes. It was the only light around for miles and it was merely a very faint twinkle. The bird was curious to investigate, but it could feel a sense of apprehension all throughout the air. It was a feeling that something very unpleasant was going to happen. Involuntarily shuddering, the bird put on a spurt of speed and left the castle behind entirely.

The faint light was coming from a roaring fire within a great scarlet room that was tucked inside the castle. Across the fireplace in the room, there was a huge wooden desk with a strange crest engraved on it. Behind the desk an old man of great stature was sitting and staring into the fire. His hair was long and drawn back into a loose ponytail and, although it was turning white, hinted of a great golden color. He wore a scarlet and golden robe that stretched across his great chest, which was still very muscular even in his old age. The old man sat, his eyes glazed over in thought, and fiddled with something in his hands. Something that was on a chain and glittered in the semi-darkness. Something that was small in size, but great in power.

It was the late 1040's and the old man sitting behind the desk was none other than Godric Gryffindor, and the castle was none other than Hogwarts. It had been some time, a very long time even, since Salazaar Slytherin had left Hogwarts in a great feud with the others. And now, in his old age, it was bothering Gryffindor more than ever before.

Gryffindor sighed and looked down at the tiny glimmer in his hands. It was a small amulet, no bigger than a walnut, in the shape of a great diamond. It felt as smooth as a pearl as it rested against his palm and it glittered wildly in the darkness. As Gryffindor held the amulet up to the firelight, it seemed as if it was snowing small scarlet and golden sparkles inside the room. He sighed and put it down. Suddenly he felt a rustling on his shoulder and looked up to see a beautiful scarlet bird.

The bird was as red as blood and had a very tall, regal posture. It's beak was sharp and claws were rough and worn out. It's overall beauty held a musty power, which would hold you in awe. However, it was the eyes that really caught your attention. The eyes were as blue as the ocean, black as the midnight sky, and as bright as the stars. The colors made them stunning to look within, yet that was not what was so enrapturing about them. What was breathtaking about the eyes was the greatness that flickered inside. The flicker was like a blazing fire that refused to be diminished. If you held that flicker in your gaze long enough, you knew that all of your secrets would be revealed. Nothing would be yours to say anymore. Your identity would be taken and stored into their huge vessels of wisdom and knowledge and you would simply be lost, staring into the depth of those eyes.

The bird was a phoenix; a great creature of power and knowledge. Gryffindor was not surprised to see her at all.

"Hello Fawkes. I see you're back," Gryffindor smiled gently, stroking the great creature's soft feathers. "Did you retrieve the amulets from Helga and Rowena?"

Two small crystals, almost identical to Gryffindor's own, were dropped into his lap in response. He stood up and examined them, then carefully laid them on his desk. He remembered the day when they first received the amulets.

.....

They were young then, the four- Godric Gryffindor, Salaazar Slytherin, Helga Hufflepuff, and Rowena Ravenclaw. They had all gathered together, as they usually did in the summer, and they were thinking of projects that they could do to get their minds off of the terrible witch-hunts that had been taking place. Witch-hunts were of no harm to

witches and wizards, of course, but they were very stressful and quite tiring. That is when Gryffindor and Slytherin announced an idea they had been toying with for a few months. They wanted to build a school. A school that taught magically gifted children the ways of magic. Helga and Rowena were thrilled with the idea, thinking it to be splendid. It would take a long time and a lot of hard work, but they all decided to devote their energies to it.

The four used all of their powers, strengths, and contacts to build a castle of enormous splendor. It took years of determination, hard work, and organization, but when Slytherin and Gryffindor finally lifted the great crest onto the side of the main tower and when Helga and Rowena put the last charm on, the immense castle was something remarkable to look at. It was vast and the very walls emanated of power and a great future. It was a castle that was made through the friendship of four and the dream to teach young witches and wizards their own heritage and power. It was a castle to which the four decided to give a name that would command respect, dignity, and security in the future; Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

A year after the building was complete, the four had together a complete curriculum, staff, and list of attending children. The four founders were very excited and realized how much they had grown together. It was then that Salaazar Slytherin, who was especially good with combining charms and transfiguration, went and made four tiny crystal amulets. Each one had two colors in them; blue and bronze, scarlet and gold, yellow and black, and green and silver. Each of the four took an amulet and said that these were the sign of their friendship. These amulets would protect each of them and as their knowledge and power grew, so the amulets' powers would too.

.....

Now, Gryffindor looked sadly at the three amulets on his desk. He slowly got up and walked to a huge picture of a fair lady with beautiful golden curls spilling all over her shoulders. He stood still for a few minutes, looking at the picture.

"Julia..." he whispered softly, as he touched the picture of his wife, long gone. He briskly wiped away a few tears that had come and took his wand out. He tapped the picture of his wife and quietly said an incantation:

"Moncachecher."

The picture swung forward slowly, revealing am undersized vault behind it. Gryffindor reached inside and pulled out a small, soft package. It was wrapped in a soft, white cloth and was dusty, as though it hadn't seen any light for quite a while.

Gryffindor went back to his desk and opened the package. Inside was the fourth amulet, sparkling in the darkness, wrapped in a smoky green and silver color. He laid it with the other three and stood for a moment, looking at them.

"After all we had been through, Salaazar,' Gryffindor said softly, 'You still left us. And you forgot your amulet. The one thing that held us all together. But now we're all scattered. Rowena is in the Ministry, Helga in another school. They couldn't bear to see you and me at each other's throats, and they left. Now...only I remain here. At the place we started together, and ended apart.'

'All over a stupid argument. Why should it matter what kind of blood a person has? If they have talent, it should be enough! ...but it wasn't enough for you. Now, these amulets are the only sign that we were ever friends. And you were the one...the one that gave them to us." Gryffindor's voice broke, and he picked up the amulets before looking up at Fawkes.

"You know, even now, as hatred courses through my veins, I still feel remorse that I didn't try and talk to him. But talking never worked with Salaazar. Never...' He sighed and took one last look at the amulets.

'You know what I must do, Fawkes. It's the only way to make sure that no one will ever throw the world into darkness. I just cannot believe that Salazaar was the one who started to. He will have an heir and so will I. And you know as well as I do that as soon as they discover each other, it will cause dangerous conflict. It will be the continuation of an old battle, you might say. I just hope that it will be the concluding battle,' Gryffindor looked weary, 'And, sadly, if Salaazar's blood is in his heir, you can be sure that it will not be he that is in danger. This is all my fault. This burden should have never fallen to the innocent. Yet, against all hopes, it has. Therefore, I have a duty. I must protect the future. I must make sure that one day, my heir will be alive to finish my battle."

Gryffindor slowly backed away from Fawkes, a glint of determination in his eyes. He held the four amulets together and threw them at Fawkes, as she engulfed herself in fire, and shouted,

"Light will prevail! Lumos Abent Blanchet! Evil shall fall!"

The room was filled with a blinding light of many colors, as the amulets were surrounded by the phoenix's fire. The door behind Fawkes slammed open and there stood Salaazar Slytherin looking out of breath and horrified.

"NO! Uni Luagto Labenturay Lembornas!" He shouted as he tried to undo the spell, but it was too late. The amulets and their powers had melted into the phoenix, and even then were circulating through her bloodstream.

"Salaazar?" Gryffindor gasped in shock. He covered his eyes as the blinding light began to pierce through the whole room.

"You-You will pay! Light? LIGHT?! What darkness have I brought on? What darkness is there in ridding the world of the filth that infests it?" Salaazar Slytherin shrieked as the light began to swallow his body.

"Think about what you're saying, Salaazar! What good can come of killing of muggleborns and half bloods? If you divide purebloods from the rest, then it can only result in death and violence! How is this not evil?"

"If that is the evil of which you speak, then I say let it run rampant! The world is dirty enough without such filthy vermin polluting it! If killing off mudbloods is evil, then I support it! Darkness shall cover the earth and my line shall rule! If this is evil, then evil will dominate!"

The floor began to shake violently and the two men were thrown from here to there, still seeing nothing but the bright, burning light. The floor began to crumble and the office began to detach from the rest of the building.

Suddenly the two could feel nothing. They were floating in a white light, which had a center that was burning bright red. Salaazar squinted at the red, trying to discern what it was. It was Fawkes. He twisted himself until he came to his feet, and lunged at her. Fawkes swiftly flew out of reach and the white light vanished. Slytherin and Gryffindor could see the shattered office once more and observed that it was floating far away from the castle itself.

Salaazar looked at Gryffindor with such hatred and venom that if looks could kill, Gryffindor would have died right there and then. He slowly got to his feet and drew out his wand.

"You...Gryffindor—protector of all mudbloods and vermin—you will pay. You shall be sorry that you ever tried to defy the great Salaazar Slytherin!" Suddenly the fire and all remaining light extinguished from the room, leaving the two bathed in darkness. All that could be seen was the terrible shape of Slytherin illuminated in a pale green flame.

Gryffindor quickly got to his feet and looked in shock at Slytherin.

"Salaazar...think! Stop and think about what you are doing! Why are you wishing to destroy everything we have worked for? Has ambition and greed completely devoured your heart?"

Slytherin looked at Gryffindor and said, quite coldly,

"I am much more then you, a common man, Godric. I have no heart and need no heart. I have only one thing left to say to you. It is what I have lived by all of these years, and I will not be the only person to live by it. You fool. There is no good and evil. Only power... and those too weak to seek it." Slytherin was slowly advancing with his wand pointed at a helpless Gryffindor, when Fawkes flew by in increasing speed and swept the wand from his hand.

"Dratted bird. You shall pay too, cretin. You can be sure of

that!" Slytherin yelled as he looked at the phoenix. He then noticed Gryffindor, who had been steadily sneaking up from behind him, as to knock him unconscious and bind him. He whirled around and knocked Gryffindor to the ground.

"You thought you could just overcome me? By putting our amulets into that dratted bird? You are in denial Gryffindor! Evil shall dominate and I, The Great Salaazar Slytherin, shall rule it!" Slytherin was screaming at the top of his lungs; an evil gleam had come into his eyes. He stood in front of the fireplace, wheezing and trying to catch his breath.

"Salaazar....what has gotten into you? What are you doing?" Gryffindor looked in fear at Slytherin's hand, which was curled around his wand again, and was pointed at him.

"You old fool. I told you many years ago. Mudbloods and mudblood lovers do not deserve to live. As you are the number one mudblood lover, you do not either." Slytherin said in a soft and evil voice, as his eyes glinted maliciously. Suddenly he could take speech no longer,

"CRUCIO!"

An enormous green light erupted from the end of his wand and shattered a glass mirror as Gryffindor leaped out of the way, just in time. Gryffindor quickly drew his own wand out of his robes and dodged another curse aimed by Slytherin.

"Salaazar, you have gone too far! What is this treachery? I know you hate muggleborns, but now you are aiming to kill one of your oldest friends!"

"You...a friend?" Slytherin said. He threw back his head and laughed; his laugh was high and cold and made the hair stand on the back of Gryffindor's neck. "Since when have you stuck up for me, or supported my ideas and ways? No...you are not a friend, Gryffindor, you are an enemy. And enemies do not live. Expelliarmus!"

Gryffindor's wand flew out of his hand and landed at Slytherin's feet. Slytherin slowly bent over and picked it up, his face completely devoured in greed.

"And now...the great Salaazar Slytherin faces his former friend...the traitor. He tried to cast Slytherin down, but to no avail. Now Slytherin will cast him down! Crucio!"

Once more a great green light emitted from the end of Slytherin's wand, but this time the aim was true. The curse hit Gryffindor right in the chest and Slytherin laughed cruelly as Gryffindor crumpled to his knees and screamed in pain.

"You have won Salaazar," Gryffindor gasped, as the curse slowly wore down. "For now. I hope that your ambition and power proves you well and grants you all that you worked for. I hope that all of your dreams come true, as you had to kill...murder...one of your oldest and truest friends to get it. I trusted you Salaazar. You were my friend. I would have listened and done anything to help you, if they were in good intentions. But you never listened, Salaazar...never...until..."

And even as Gryffindor uttered his last words, Slytherin raised his wand again, a cold smile on his face.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Gryffindor fell to the floor with a thud as a blinding green light pierced through his body, tears streaming down his face. His bright blue eyes lost their twinkle and his hair lost its golden gleam. His face and hands became as pale as the waning moon, and the warmth from his body dissipated into the icy depths death. As he lay there, a golden light surrounded his body and swept upwards. It glittered and sparkled in midair for a moment and then, like a feather, floated over to Fawkes and went within her flames.

Slytherin stood there, looking horrified for the moment. There was truth in what Gryffindor had said. He hadn't listened...until that instant. He reached down and touched his old friend's hands, cold as ice and frighteningly pale, and for a moment his old innocence came back.

"What have I done? Godric, Godric...wake up! How could I have done this?" Slytherin said softly into the heavy silence. But his mind, so rotten with greed and ambition, could not be pure again, and in a few minutes the moment passed and his mind returned to its former evil.

"So...The Courageous Godric Gryffindor is dead at last. Fool. You should have known that you could never defeat me; The Great Salaazar Slytherin!" He looked venomously at Gryffindor and spat at his feet. Then Slytherin slowly drew his gaze upwards and saw Fawkes.

"So....has the traitor put all of our powers into his little birdy? Awww...if that isn't the sweetest thing I have ever heard. Come here little one, come here," Slytherin called to Fawkes nastily. But Fawkes had a mind of her own, even though she was a phoenix, and could sense that there was evil surrounding this man. She swiftly flew out of Slytherin's reach and perched on the windowsill.

Slytherin picked up his wand and aimed it at Fawkes. As his eyes became clouded in hatred and hunger for power he overlooked the fact that nothing could kill her, now that she had the amulets inside. Any spell cast on her would be bounced right back to the conjurer, and it was this blindness that became his undoing.

"So you, like your master, wish to defy Salaazar Slytherin too? That is all well, you too, then, shall have a death most earned! Avada Kedavra!"

A blinding green light filled the room, as the spell hit Fawkes. Her flames turned a dazzling white and exploded into the room. The glass shattered, the wood burst, and everything was engulfed in fire. The white flames flickered viciously and quickly ate across the entire room. It shot through the walls and destroyed everything within a mile of the burning office. A deafening roar filled the dead silence of the night. The castle and its surroundings blazed in a piercing white glow. Finally all the flames relinquished their grips of the room and gathered near Fawkes again. The flames gathered into a brightly glowing orb, gaining power. Just as the intensity of the light reached a painful level, the orb shot powerfully towards a shocked and fatally weak Slytherin. It ate through his body, devouring his heart and mind. As the light of the orb gradually began to ebb away, Salaazar Slytherin collapsed by the friend that he had murdered. He lay there, never to awaken again.

The flames of the diminishing orb slowly released Slytherin and retreated back to Fawkes, flowing inside of her once more. Fawkes stood still on the windowsill and, as if she had a spirit within her that was more human than phoenix, she turned her head, after looking for a few minutes at the sprawled figures of the two dead friends, and looked out into the dawning sky, tears flowing down her ruffled, scarlet feathers.