Disclaimer: i don't think the readers are stupid. so after this chapter I wont post a disclaimer with every chapter. If somebody knows of a rule that says otherwise please tell me in a rewiew. I don't own Harry Potter.

His magic exploded in the room and everything turned white around him. Keeping his eyes tightly shut he felt how the magic raged around him. Then it calmed. He opened his eyes slightly and when the white light around him didn't sting them he fully opened them. Looking around he noticed that there was nothing else than whiteness around him.

"Harry…"

At once his head shot up and he looked around himself again, but more wildly this time.

"Who's there?!" He yelled and shakily rose to his knees.

"Don't fear, young Harry… there's nothing to be afraid of…"

The mysterious voice came from behind him and when he swirled around wand outstretched and curse on his lips, he came face to face with a black-haired man in his twenties, whose eyes was like molten silver. Then he realized that he had his wand in his hand, despite clearly remembering placing it under the loose floorboard. 'How the… did I just use wandless magic?' He stared down at his innocent-looking wand with wide eyes.

"Yes you could say that… it was the magic in the room who gave it to you because you unconsciously thought of having it in your hand…" the black haired man said with a small smile on his lips.

"How do you know that and who are you?!" Harry growled and snapped out of the shock he had been in.

The man's smile widened and when he took a step closer, the flutter of his dark green robes caught Harry's eyes, he knew the answer of his own question. When the man answered it confirmed Harry's guess.

"Well, I'm much older than you, despite my youthful appearance and as for my name… I'm Salazar Slytherin… but you already knew that didn't you Harry?"

Harry bent his head and shuffled his feet. Yes. Somehow he had known all the time, but he hadn't wanted to accept it. Because it meant that since Slytherin had come, he would have to go. Tears began to run down his cheeks when he thought of what he would loose. Flashes of his friends passed before his eyes and sobs started to escape him. His arm, holding the wand dropped and he felt how the wand slipped through his fingers.

Suddenly a pair of strong arms enclosed him and then he was washed over by a feeling of warmth. A feeling of safeness, which made him somewhat drowsy.

"Don't cry Harry. Don't be sad. You won't loose them or disappear. You see, you were a part of me from the beginning and now we'll just melt together again and become one. You'll live in me…" Salazar whispered and hugged the crying teenager closer to himself.

Even though grief tore at him, Harry felt some peace at the words. Opening his eyes he raised his head and met Salazar's gaze.

"You promise to protect my friends and those I love?" Harry asked softly.

"Yes, you have my word. I promise" Salazar whispered and closed his eyes.

Then Harry closed his eyes and the white light exploded again.

At the same time in the Headmaster of Hogwarts office and at Grimauld Place a lot of alarms went off creating havoc at both destinations. At Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore swore and then grabbed Fawkes tail feathers, urging the phoenix to teleport them as fast as possible and at Grimauld place several order members apparated to Private Drive 4, Little Whinging, Surrey.

When Sirius and Remus appeared at the Dursleys house with a crack, the sight in front of them left them speechless and standing there with their mouths open. In front of them a pillar of white pulsing magic rose towards the star-filled sky and in the middle of the huge pillar was the Dursleys house.

"Oh my god… Harry!" Sirius screamed and then ran at the house with Remus following him.

A shout from behind stopped them and they whirled around with their wands in their hands coming face to face with Dumbledore with Fawkes sitting on his shoulder.

"I wouldn't do that, my boys. I've already tried and my beard almost went up in flames when the magic rejected me" the headmaster said, and he surprisingly looked as if his age had caught up with him.

Gone was the twinkle in his eyes and his face was ashen. Fawkes's once so vibrant plumage had lost its brightness and he seemed tired and somewhat ill. Suddenly he gave up a loud squawk, jumped into the air and then burst into flames. Then he rose again from the ashes on the ground as an ugly featherless chicken-look-alike.

"As you see Fawkes took the brunt of the magic's rage. It seems as it have forced him into an early burning day which is unfortunate for us" Dumbledore said and gently lifted up the newborn phoenix.

"What should we do Albus? Harry could be in there!" Sirius yelled while flailing his arms around.

"We just have to wait it out, my boys. Wait for the magic to calm down and stabilize" the headmaster said.

Before Remus could answer many cracks filled the air and then they had Minerva McGonagall coming running at them followed by Severus Snape and almost the rest of the order. But when they saw the sight of the floating house in front of them they stopped and blanched. Well, almost everyone except Snape, who paled and then sank to the ground in a dead faint.

Sirius stared at his archenemy and then said:

"Well I have to admit that this was a new one… never seen the greasy bat faint before"

Then he yelled ouch and ducked under Remus vehement gaze and raised hand. With a snort Remus then sank down beside the potions master and gently whispered "enervate".

When Snape opened his eyes he quickly closed them again. He hadn't… no he couldn't have… He had and he knew it. He felt how his cheeks heated up and trying to cover it he lashed out with his sharp tongue.

"Lupin, get your flea-bitten hide away from me and get your mutt out of my sight!" he snarled and sat up.

Almost immediately he regretted his action, when his head swam and bile rose in his throat. Bending over he fought the nausea. 'I'll be damned if I embarrass myself even further. I'm not going to throw up in front of Black!' taking deep breaths Severus fought for control keeping his eyes closed. He more felt the presence of someone beside him than saw the person.

"Easy Severus, don't overdo it. Why didn't you tell us that you were ill?"

Of course it had to be her. Opening his eyes he saw the frowning face of Hogwarts own resident nurse, Poppy Pomfrey.

"I'm not ill! I'm totally fine!" Severus growled and then tried to rise.

Finally having himself under control he managed to stand. Straightening his back he slowly turned around towards the pillar of magic. This time he was prepared for the surge of his own darkness, rising trying to surface, awakened by the presence of pure raw magic. But he forced it down, unconsciously biting his lip. 'What magic! So strong! Well the blasted Potter-boy certainly has done it this time…' Shaking his head he strode closer to the magic, his cloak fluttering behind him. Never had he thought that Potter would have this much power… a power strong enough to awaken his darker self. Yes, his darkness had recognised and accepted the presence of a wizard with a power in league with his own and it was overjoyed, urging him to hurry to the owners side and bask in the power of a finally worthy master.

Wait… master? Severus stopped and his black eyes widened. Had he really thought of the Potter brat as… no… it couldn't be… but deep inside he knew that the time had come.