The Lion and the Serpent

by highpockets

It was never said when or how Godric Gryffindor or Salazar Slytherin died. What if they never did? And what if Salazar Slytherin never left the school and lived on in the Chamber of Secrets as a basilisk? And is Fawkes far more than he seems? Come in and find out what secrets the founders left behind. Diverges slightly from the end of COS. GG/SS

Author's Note: This story was an idea I had rolling around in my head for awhile and my plot bunny made me write this. So please read and enjoy! Your feedback will be much appreciated.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or any characters or places you recognize, I am simply borrowing them from J. K. Rowling.

Chapter One

Fall of the Founders

Albus Dumbledore came back to his office from the End-of-Term Feast and awarding Gryffindor the house cup the second year running. His office was just as he left it, with the new addition of Godric Gryffindor's sword hanging on the mantle. Fawkes sat on his perch glumly, staring at the sword hauntingly. Dumbledore stroked the top of Fawkes head affectionately. "Care to tell me what is bothering you, old friend?"

Fawkes took off from his perch and before Dumbledore's twinkling eyes he transformed into a lion-like man with a long thick mane of strawberry blonde hair. His emerald eyes shone with unshed tears. "Albus, all this time it was him. That monster in the Chamber of Secrets was my old friend... or at least what was left of him. To think that this whole time he had lived in such monstrous state."

Dumbledore put a hand on the other man's shoulders. "At least now he can rest in peace, take comfort in that if nothing else, Fawkes."

There was a knock on the office door and the familiar drawl of Severus Snape's voice came from the other side. "Headmaster, I wish to speak to you about putting the Chamber of Secrets to use as a secure storeroom, particularly for my more expensive potion ingredients."

Dumbledore looked to the other man expecting him to transform back into a phoenix instead stood up. "Albus, let him in. I want Severus to know the truth of the founder of his house. I am so weary of keeping secrets."

Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled. "Severus will be very surprised meeting you. Come in, Severus!"

The heavy oak door swung open and the potions master swept in, whatever Snape was about ask Dumbledore was forgotten at the sight of the unfamiliar strawberry-blonde man. "I did not know you were entertaining company, Headmaster. I shall speak to you later."

Dumbledore stopped Snape. "Wait Severus, you already know him. This is Fawkes."

Snape raised an eyebrow, wondering if the headmaster had finally lost all his marbles. "Pardon me, but as I last recall Fawkes was your pet bird not a man."

The man held out a hand to a puzzled Snape. "Fawkes is a nickname Dumbledore gave me. My name is Godric Gryffindor."

Snape looked at the man claiming to be one of Hogwarts' legendary founders, wondering if he should contact St. Mungo's. "You'll have to forgive me if I don't believe in such an outlandish claim. Albus, who is this man really?"

The man claiming to be Godric Gryffindor transformed into a familiar phoenix and back again before a stunned Snape. Dumbledore had a wispy smile on his face. "I can assure you Severus, that this is indeed Godric Gryffindor himself. If you still do not believe me than by all means ask the sorting hat."

Snape did an impressive impersonation of a fish and looked at Godric Gryffindor in shock. "You're Godric Gryffindor? One of the founders? But how? Why reveal yourself to me?"

Albus Dumbledore took out a bottle from one of his cupboards along with three crystal snifters. "This will be a very long story, Godric and I think something a little stronger than tea is in order. Hold on, I have a bottle of Firewhiskey that I have saved for occasions such as this."

Godric and Snape gratefully took the snifters of the amber liquid, which both men promptly slugged back. Dumbledore sat down with them, calmly sipping his firewhiskey. "Where to start?" Godric asked.

"I find that the beginning is always a good place to start." Dumbledore replied breezily.

Godric moved to one of Dumbledore's cabinets and pulled something out; a shallow stone basin with runes carved into it and a silvery substance floating in it. He beckoned Snape and Dumbledore over to the pensieve. Godric looked at Snape with an appraising expression and then approval. "I revealed myself to you because you can help break the cycle of hate that has long since plagued the house of Slytherin. You, like Albus and myself, have known love only to lose it to foolish mistakes and anti-muggle prejudices. I want you to know the truth of myself and your house's founder, Salazar Slytherin."

The other two men's head drooped down, and their eyes became haunted. Severus Snape thought of Lily, while Dumbledore thought his sister Ariana and Gellert Grindelwald. Godric gently prodded the surface of the pensieve with his fingers and the silvery thought-stuff took on the transparent quality of glass. The three men lowered their heads toward the basin and Dumbledore's office disappeared.

They were somewhere in the fens in the eastern country. From the bushes came a small boy of about ten with a mane of strawberry-blonde hair. He was hacking away at the vegetation with a sword that was obviously too big for him. His fine clothes that looked like they belonged to someone of noble birth were torn and dirty. In a clearing he saw what looked like a girl his age. Her dress was plain and she had long wavy black hair. Behind the girl, reared a large snake big enough to eat both of them. Without thinking the boy dropped the sword and took out a wand. He charged forward shouting, "I save you, my fair damsel! Alarte Ascendare!"

The spell rebounded on the boy causing him to launch in the air and fall on top of the girl who shouted at him, "Get off of me you dunderhead! I don't need saving! And who're you calling a 'fair damsel?!" The girl hissed something to the snake making it slither away. The boy looked at her sheepishly.

Godric chuckled at the memory before him. "This is the day I met Salazar Slytherin. I had run away from home, you see. I was born to noble family, my father was the second son of a king and a talented witch. My mother, also a talented witch unfortunately died bringing me into this world. It made my father overprotective of me and all my life I felt smothered, always dreaming of having my own adventures and having brave deeds to my name. One day I got fed up and ran away, taking my father's wand with."

A dawning realization came to Snape as he looked at the girl in Godric's memory. "Is that little girl, Salazar Slytherin?"

The three men watched as the boy scrambled off of the girl. "Sorry, I saw the ferocious creature and I thought you were in danger. I'm a brave knight after all!"

The girl looked at the boy in wearing all the garb of a knight of noble birth, though it seemed a little too big for him especially the steel sword. The boy puffed out his chest doing his best to look the part of a brave knight. "That 'ferocious creature' was nothing more than the family pet. Besides 'brave knight' aren't knights supposed be taller and spout poetry?"

The boy went down on bended knee in front of the girl, mimicking a scene from his one of his many fairytales. "I am Godric Gryffindor the brave and the bold! O' fair lady of beauty greater than gold, I beseech thee to give me thy name, so that thy hand and thy heart I might claim!"

The other child's face turned scarlet mumbling, "Salazar Slytherin."

The boy looked up at the girl confused. "Salazar? That's an odd name for a girl..."

The young Salazar Slytherin, shouted indignantly at the boy playing knight. "Maybe it's because I'm a boy, you dunderhead!"

The young Godric Gryffindor looked at the other child strangely. "Wait if you're boy then what are you doing dressed like a girl?"

Salazar's face turned an even deeper shade of scarlet. "My clothes got ruined so I had to borrow some from one of my sisters until my mums can make more for me."

The young would-be knight took his tunic off and gave it to the other boy. "Here, you can have this. It's a bit dirty but it's boy's clothing at least."

Salazar took it gingerly awing at the fine quality of the silk and the elaborate gold embroidery. He gave the other boy a wide smile that reached his eyes. "Thank you! Godric, right? Do you want to come meet my family? It's almost dark and these fens are dangerous, my friend Hissy was telling me of the trolls that moved into the area. That is before he slithered away..."

The young Godric nodded eagerly and followed his new friend to his home. The scene faded and changed. The three men were inside a crowded home that belonged to a large wizarding family with little gold but were happy. Three identical women crowded over a cauldron bubbling with a strange brownish liquid and singing merrily in parseltongue. The young Salazar and Godric sat with eight girls of varying ages in front of a man with black hair that was showing them how to turn a snake different colors with his wand. Dumbledore smiled warmly at the scene of the happy family. "I always do like watching this scene, Godric. It disproves the popular belief that all parselmouths are evil."

Godric smiled at the warm memory before him. "Many of them are misunderstood. Though Salazar's family was poor, they were very happy despite their hardships. Those three women are Salazar's mothers. They're identical sisters that have always shared everything including children and a husband. Salazar once told me that they had led a solitary existence because most were frightened of them, all except that man over there. Salazar's father was a muggleborn wizard from Italy, his family tried to drown him when his magical powers were discovered. He too could talk to snakes, when he met the three sisters it was love at first sight. He worked really hard to provide for his family. Salazar's family became like a second family to me. Me and Salazar were the best of friends and we were like brothers to on another."

Snape looked at Salazar's father with shock. "Salazar Slytherin's father was a muggleborn?! But I thought he hated muggleborns!"

Godric looked sadly at the memory of a young Salazar Slytherin smiling proudly at his father. "He didn't always hate them, in fact when we first started on our dream to create a school he was the muggleborns most staunch supporter. The reason for his prejudice against them, for the prejudices against muggleborns to this day is partly my fault. Keep watching and you will understand."

The scene shifted again to a familiar lake, one that laid beside Hogwarts. The castle the men knew to be Hogwarts was still under construction, with scaffolding outside brand new stone walls. The great stone castle that it will be in the future was right now a simpler wooden fort. There were two young men and women that looked to be in their early twenties, walking by the lake. They were laughing and smiling. One man was a strawberry blonde lion like man wearing gold and scarlet. The other man was slender with pale skin and long curly black hair, he was wearing robes of green and silver. One of the young women was cheerful plump woman with ginger hair wearing robes of sunshine yellow. The other was a raven haired woman wearing robes of blue, who was beautiful but austere and intimidating.

Godric smiled at the sight of all of his old friends together and happy. "This is a few years after we met the girls, Rowena and Helga. Rowena and Helga like myself and Salazar had been best friends since childhood. The four of us had been through a lot, especially Salazar. A mad muggle king had started a witch hunt that claimed the lives of many decent witches and wizards. Salazar's father was one of them, he was never really fond of muggles because how they treated his father. After his father's death, he hated them. The four of us banded together and brought down the mad muggle king and ended his reign of terror, when were still children. The mad muggle king's death is where we got Hogwart's motto."

Dumbledore smiled. "Ah yes, 'Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus', translated it means, 'Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon'."

Snape "Yes, I know, I've read Hogwarts, A History. I believe the only student to ever bother reading the book is Miss Granger, a shame as it is a rather exciting adventure."

Godric laughed. "The book did get it right! 'The founders' bonds of friendship was a strong one forged with fire that day.' After that madman's death we came up with the idea of starting a school to teach children magic away from the muggles that would want us dead. Salazar Slytherin's ambition and cunning made a mere daydream reality. Rowena Ravenclaw, the most intelligent of us, planned the entire place. Helga Hufflepuff ever the hard worker helped build Hogwarts brick by brick. And I gave them all the courage to do something that was in it's time dangerous. I went all over the country braving magic hating muggles to distrustful wizarding families and convincing them all to send their children to our school. In our time witches and wizards learned magic only from family members or find a master willing to teach them. The idea of a school was an outlandish one, but you two know that is was a good one."

Snape looked on at the memory of the founders when they were young and happy. Puzzled he asked Godric, "So what happened?"

Godric silenced Snape and pointed to the memory of the four founders. They watched as the two founders of the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw houses walk back toward the castle, leaving Gryffindor and Slytherin by themselves. When the two women were out of sight Salazar pounced on Godric, fiercely embracing him. "I love you, my brave knight..."

Godric's eyes shone with happiness. "And I love you too, my fair damsel, always and forever..."

The two crushed their lips together passionately. Snape's jaw dropped at the sight. "You and Salazar Slytherin were lovers?!"

Godric looked at the memory of himself and Salazar with sadness and longing. "Yes we were and more. As we grew so did our love, going as far as to magically bond ourselves to one another. We tried to keep our love secret and secret it was for many years. In this era the kind of love we shared was one that would be met with open hostility. So for the sake of our dream of Hogwarts we kept it secret for as long as we could. At night we would sneak into each other's bedchambers and only behind locked doors could we love each other with out restraint."

The memory shifted showing Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin through the years. When among their students and their friends they would give each other secretive glances and knowing smiles. They would steal kisses in empty hallways and empty classrooms. Snape was beginning to understand. "You and Slytherin were eventually discovered."

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes they were and Godric made a decision that has haunted ever since."

Godric's clenched fists trembled with anger. "A decision I never should have made! I acted like a coward! Because of me so many have suffered!"

The memory shifted. Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin were alone on top of the astronomy tower. Salazar was yelling at Godric, tears flowing down his cheeks. "Godric! Just because that girl saw us you decide to break my heart?! We have been lovers for close to twenty years! You can't just throw that all away! Just because that one trollop reacted to us so negatively does not mean the whole magical community will! She was raised by muggles after all and you know how bigoted and prejudiced they can be to anything that's a little different!"

Godric tried to put a hand on Salazar's shoulders only to have him recoil from his touch like a hissing snake. "Please, Sal, my love. I'm doing this to protect you and our school. Parents will not want two deviants teaching their children. My heart will always belong to you and you alone, but please understand why I must do this. Rowena and Helga are married and have children. We have not, and people are starting to wonder why. I marrying the 'trollop' as you call her so that people will stop looking at us with inconvenient questions in their eyes. I suggest you do the same, and when people are less suspicious we can-"

Salazar slapped him and backed away from Godric. A maddening glint appeared in his eyes. "I think I finally understand now. That trollop has corrupted you. Her muggle parents have instilled their hatred in her from birth and now through her those muggles are destroying everything that I love! I won't have it! I won't have those damn muggles or their corrupted children in my school!"

Salazar Slytherin ran away from Godric Gryffindor, not looking back to see that he sank to his knees and wept. Snape took in the scene before him. "So this is where his hatred of muggleborns began. When you broke his heart."

Godric nodded sadly. "Yes, Godric Gryffindor the brave, the bold and courageous was a coward when it mattered the most. My cowardice cost me greatly."

The world shifted and they were once more by the lake. Above a storm brewed in the sky pouring rain on two figures that stood facing one another with wands in hands. It was Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin, they were old men now with their hair going grey. They looked at each other with none of the love that the three men had seen earlier in Godric's memory. Two more figures approached, it was Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw. Both of the witches watched their two friends dueling another, horrified. Helga, ever the loyal and kind shouted at the dueling wizards, her pleas for peace had fallen on deaf ears. Rowena held Helga back, knowing that their two friends were beyond reason now. They were beyond the bickering and childish rivalry they have endured for years. Now they fought, blind with rage.

The storm raging in the sky above did not match the raw fury in Salazar Slytherin's eyes nor Godric Gryffindor's wordless roars of rage. The two once lovers and now bitter enemies duel one another while the storm raged. The sky seemed to weep at the tragedy that took place below. Lightning cracked across the sky the very moment the duel came to a permanent end. Salazar Slytherin in one swift motion took Godric Gryffindor's sword and thrust it through it's owner's heart. The rage disappeared from both their eyes. Godric looked up into Salazar's eyes once last time, but no hatred only love. Blood sputtered from his mouth as he choked out, "I forgive you, my love..."

Godric Gryffindor the brave and the bold had collapsed dead on the ground at the feet of Salazar Slytherin. Neither of the three men were certain if the droplets of water running down Salazar's cheeks were tears or simply the rain. Nor were they certain if the wordless scream he let out was of one of victory or grief. What they were certain of was that this was that Salazar Slytherin disappeared into the rain, never to be heard from again.

Helga cradled the dead body of Godric Gryffindor and Rowena took his sword out of his chest and laid it beside him. Suddenly without warning Godric's body burst into flame, making the two witches back away. In the ashes a newborn phoenix chick writhed in the ashes, cooing softly. Helga carefully cupped the chick in the palms of her hands. "Look Rowena! Godric actually managed it!"

Rowena looked at the phoenix chick in awe, "I wonder if it's permanent? We all know the risks of becoming creatures, but magical creatures? Oh Godric, what have you done to yourself?"

The memory faded into and they were jaunted back into Dumbledore's office. Godric's gazed traveled from the pensieve to the ruby encrusted sword hanging on the mantle. "I never knew what happened to Salazar. I flew all over the world looking for him. I spent countless years on that fruitless search. Eventually I forgot almost entirely that I was ever human. It was until I met Dumbledore as a young man that I started to remember something of that old life. All along Salazar was right here at Hogwarts. He never left."

Snape's face went pale. "The basilisk?"

"Yes. Or at least what was left of him." Godric fell silent for a moment, his next words were hard for him to say. Dumbledore knew what his friend was trying to say and stepped in. "Severus, what I think Godric is trying to say is if you can help us give Salazar Slytherin a proper burial."

Snape nodded, "Of course. It is the least I can do. Whenever you are ready we can go down into the Chamber of Secrets, Potter forgot to close it."

The trip into the Chamber of Secrets was a quiet one. The three men went when most everyone else was asleep. When they went to the girls bathroom on the second floor even Moaning Myrtle wasn't stirring from her toilet. Since Harry's triumphant return from the Chamber of Secrets, the whole bathroom had been barred from any students entering the bathroom and the chamber below. The dark gaping hole greeted the three men. Godric clasped Dumbledore and Snape's shoulders. "Hang on to me tightly."

Godric changed back into a phoenix and flew the two other men down into the Chamber of Secrets. Snape hated the ride down into the Chamber of Secrets and more so the crunch of bones that waited at the bottom. "Perhaps an elevator can be installed, Albus..."

Dumbledore smiled, showing the enthusiasm of someone a hundred years younger. "I don't know Severus, I found it to be rather bracing!"

Godric Gryffindor changed back into a man and led Dumbledore and Snape into the inner chamber. As they passed a basilisk skin, Snape thought of the uses for it, but wisely kept his silence in favor of the solemn deed they had to do. The light from Dumbledore and Snape's wand tips cast eerie shadows all around them. In front of them a great heavy door hung ajar with serpents carved on it that looked like they could spring alive. They heard the sounds of someone softly sobbing. "Probably Moaning Myrtle in the u-bend again." Snape commented dryly.

Their footsteps echoed as the walked down the hall with statues of rearing serpents that seemed to follow the trespasser's movements. As they got closer to the giant statue of a monkey-faced old man the sobbing got louder. In front of the statue's mouth they saw a long serpentine shape lying still in the puddle of water. As they approached the shape turned out to be "Another basilisk skin! Where is the rest, I wonder?" Dumbledore mused, both fear and hope laced his voice at the prospect that Salazar Slytherin could still be alive.

Snape followed the sound of sobbing into the statue's mouth and called the other two men over. Godric let go of the empty basilisk skin that scars where it had been wounded, the eyes that he had pecked out and the head where his sword was impaled. He went into the mouth of the giant statue where Dumbledore and Snape were standing over something, the source of the sobbing. That something was a thin stark naked person with wavy dark hair and pale skin. They were curled in the fetal position and sobbing with their head between their legs. Godric froze and stared at the figure with bated breath. His heart pounded with excitement at the prospect of his love still being alive. They were crying incoherently in a hoarse hissing language, that all the men recognized as parseltongue.

Snape was the first to approach the figure and hesitantly placed a hand on the naked shivering figure, unused to comforting anyone. Unsure he asked, "Salazar Slytherin? Is that you?"

The figure jumped and scuttled away into a shadowy corner away from the light. Dumbledore slowly approached the figure with a gentle smile like one would approach a frightened hare. "We won't hurt you. I'm Albus Dumbledore, the current headmaster of Hogwarts. We only wish to help you."

The figure spoke in english this time. Their words were hoarse and choked with sobs. "There is no help for me now, save for the mercy of death! Please I beg of you, kill me before I kill anyone else!" The figure broke down crying harder. "Oh Godric, I'm so sorry! What have I done?"

The figure went back to muttering incoherently in parseltongue. Tears welled up in Godric's eyes. The one he loved was alive and no longer the mindless monster he battled along side Harry Potter. He feet moved forward toward the figure he knew without a doubt was the Salazar Slytherin he fell in love with. "Don't you remember? I said 'I forgive you, my love.' Will you forgive me, my fair damsel?"

Salazar Slytherin suddenly stopped crying and staggered to his feet. Though Godric could not see into the shadows beyond the wands' light, he could feel Salazar's gaze solely on him. "Godric?" Salazar's voice was scratchy from crying but it now had a touch of hope that made his voice more delicate then Godric remembered it being. Godric beamed, overwhelmed with happiness. "Yes, it really is me! And I am never going to let you go!"

They heard Salazar slowly shuffle toward them, every step taking a titanic effort. From the shadows Salazar Slytherin emerged into the wand light and the men gasped at the full sight before them. Godric was the only who didn't take his eyes off of Salazar Slytherin, how could he. What stood before them was indeed Salazar Slytherin, of that Godric was certain of. What Godric was not certain of was how his best friend, lover, and powerful wizard became the slender young woman that stood naked before him.

Author's Comments: Well what do you think? Shall I keep going with this or let this story rot on my hard drive? If you like it I will continue it after I'm done with my other fic Curse of the Goblin King.