Wow, oh wow oh wow. 21 favs and 50 followers? I've only just now posted the second chapter, and the first has only been up for a few days! Holy cow! I LOVE YOU GUYS! It's because of the reviews, mainly, that have prompted me to write this now. I was going to put it off, since I view my other Harry Potter fic as more of a priority, but since this is getting more attention, I think I might change that. Reviews are important to me! I get sad when no one says anything, *sniff sniff* please tell me what you think!

NatNicole: It'd be totally cool if you borrowed my idea! I love inspiring people! Just be sure to tell me what the title is so I can read it! I'm not going to be skipping to when he travels back (forward) in time right away, there's too much to only put in with flashbacks, though I will definitely have some of those later on.

Hwyla and SlytherinHawkins105: I am leaning more towards Snarry, thank you for your reviews, you made my decision a lot easier. Though I'm hoping more people will give their opinion. I mean, Sirius is still alive at this point, maybe it can be a Sirius/Harry fic. Or even Lucius/Harry. Wouldn't that be epic? Anyway, leave reviews!

To the other lovelies: Thank you so much! I'm glad you like it!

May the gods be ever in your favor

-James

Freak was sure that Vernon had finally killed him. He was surrounded by so much white, but it wasn't blinding, it was comforting. Plus, he was laying on what he was sure must have been a cloud, with a smaller cloud under his head. A fluffy white comforter made out of what must be angel feathers covered him. This must be heaven, he realized. He smiled. Maybe his mommy and daddy was here? If he wasn't so comfy where he was, he'd have jumped right up and gone running in search of them. But as it was, he felt better than he ever had.

He must be dead, because he didn't hurt anywhere. In fact, he hadn't not hurt like this in a long time. He was a little hungry, but he'd heard the Dursley's talking about eating in heaven, so Freak wasn't overly worried about that. But, he could SEE! His eyes were fixed! Further evidence that he was dead. After all, surly you didn't have to deal with stupid things like broken eyes in heaven. He was so warm, he snuggled up under his blankets. Maybe he'd ask a nice angel for some ice cream later. He'd never had any, but he'd seen Dudley eat some. He was certain that they had something that yummy in heaven.

"Are you well now, young one? Is there pain anywhere?" asked a kind voice. Freak froze, an irrational fear coming over him. What if they kicked him out! Then Freak decided he'd be as polite as possible, so they wouldn't even THINK about it. Freak sat up at once, sending a smile at the man who was walking closer. The man was handsome. He was tall, with long black hair tied back in a long braid that swished back and forth as he walked. His face was long and slightly gaunt, but not unpleasantly so. His skin looked like it might once have been tan, but was pale from many long hours indoors. His eyes were large and deep set, the color was a startling dark blue, almost violet. He wasn't smiling, but he wasn't frowning either. Freak straightened, thinking that this was a man who respected well-behaved "proper people" as Petunia would say.

"No, sir," he said. "I'm fine."

***1047***

(Several minutes before)

Helga was bustling about the medward, organizing potions that the child would need upon waking. Salazar was watching the boy as he slept. Godric had cooed over how "adorable" the boy was, before dragging Rowena out of the medward to show her a new trick he'd learned on that infernal broom of his. Salazar shook his head, remembering his best friend's antics. At first, he'd been upset that Godric had brushed off the babe's injuries so quickly, but had soon realized that Godric only meant that he had absolute faith in Helga and Salazar's abilities. He had no doubt the babe would soon be up and running about with him soon.

If only Salazar was that certain. It had been nearly three days, and the little one was yet to wake up. The reason for it made Salazar's blood boil. Helga had burst into tears at her revelations after scanning the child—who he'd secretly taken to calling Little Snake in the privacy of his own mind—and it had taken a good while to calm her down enough for her to even tell Salazar what was wrong.

And once she did, he wanted to find whoever had harmed this beautiful child, and turn their filthy Mundane bodies inside out. The boy had been starved, possibly since he was very, very young. An infant, even. He had been beaten horribly, and there was no chance that it was simply an accident. There was damage to the eyes, his internal organs, his windpipe. The boy was dehydrated as well as malnourished. Many, many bones were either fractured or shattered—no clean breaks. There was bruising and bleeding inside and out. And to make matters even worse…there were magical blocks on the boy's core.

"It wasn't just the Mundanes," Helga has whispered, horrified. "A wizard had a hand in the babe's torture. If it weren't for his own magical proficiency, despite the blocks, he'd have died a long, long time ago. It seems like he'd tried to heal his eyes, but they didn't correct themselves fully. Attached themselves in the wrong areas, but at least he didn't fully lose his sight. Same for old wounds and breaks, almost fully healed, but not done quite right. Not that you can blame the boy, just that he can manage what he has with the blocks and, no doubt, without any education or instruction…He'll be a force to be reckoned with one day."

His poor Little Snake. Helga had fixed him best he could, but some of the scarring would never fully fade, and Helga said she feared the boy would never be as tall as he should have been, had he been raised in a loving home. It was as soon as Helga had said that, that Salazar had vowed that, perhaps his Little Snake hadn't been cared for, but he would be from here on out. He would take Godric's advice, and raise him as his own. After all, so much magical potential in one so young. Not to mention, Salazar had respect for the boy, having survived the Mundanes for as long as he had. Slytherin knew from experience that it wasn't an easy feat.

Helga had gone down to the greenhouses to find herbs for a potion she was brewing to help with nightmares the Little Snake was sure to have, after going through such trauma. Salazar was certain the boy had accidently apparated, no small amount of magic involved there, while escaping from his tormentors. Salazar heard a crash in the hallway, thinking that Helga had dropped something, he hurried out to help her.

Of course, it wasn't her, though. It was Godric, the insufferable idiot. Salazar bit back a grin, choosing instead to scowl deeply. Gryffindor had been flying his broom—through the hall no less—and had managed to hang himself from a chandelier while his broom crashed through one of the windows. "Hullo Sally!" Godric smiled brightly. "A little help, brother?"

"You need far more than a 'little help', brother," Salazar rolled his eyes, ignoring the nickname. "Accio idiot's broom," Godric looked a little miffed when the broom actually sailed back through the window and landed neatly in Salazar's hand. Slytherin than waved his wand, vanishing the broom back to Godric's quarters, then cleaning up the mess his brother had made, repairing the windows, before levitating Godric back to the (relative) safety of the floor.

"Many thanks" said Godric cheerily.

"Imbecile" Salazar sneered, he was about to say something else, when a ward being triggered made his wand buzz warm in his grip. Little Snake was waking up. "Stay out of trouble, Godric," he said in parting before turning and quietly opening the door.

The little boy was looking around in awe, a look of supreme contentment and happiness on his face. It made Salazar's heart (which Godric would be glad to inform anyone was nonexistent) melt a little. His eyes, which Salazar had gotten a brief glance of when Helga was healing them, took his breath away. The most stunning shade of vivid, yet ghostly, green he had ever seen. They seemed to just crackle with energy unspoken. His long, raven locks, which had been cleaned and groomed by a loving Helga, were silky and falling in thick strands nearly to his shoulders. His skin was pale, his face thin and heart-shaped. He truly was a beautiful boy.

Little Snake smiled to himself, then sank back down onto his pillow, closing his eyes, letting out a soft sigh. "Are you well now, young one? Is there pain anywhere?" Salazar found himself asking before it even registered.

The boy froze, and for a moment, fear slid into his large eyes. Then he relaxed and sat up without a sigh of pain, which Salazar was glad for. "No, sir." Little Snake said, his voice soft, almost musical in an innocent, childish way "I'm fine." Salazar drew nearer, then shrugging of any awkwardness, he sat at the edge of the boy's bed.

"Do you know how you came to be at this school?" Salazar asked. He was confused as the boy seemed to look disappointed at this.

"School?" The boy was frowning. Was he going to cry. Salazar put a hand on the child's head, stroking his fingers through the soft hair.

"Yes," Salazar said kindly. "Hogwarts. I and my family built it for children just like you." This brought a smile back to the boy's face. "You are aware that you are a wizard? Of magic?"

The boy frowned once more. "Uncle said I'm not supposed to say that word. He said it's evil." Salazar bristled at this, but quickly relaxed when he saw Little Snake was fearful of him.

"It's alright," Salazar said. "Your uncle is the evil one. Magic is wonderful, one of the most pure things on this earth." Salazar held his wand out to the boy, tapping the sheets that covered the small lap. The boy's eyes grew wide as Salazar conjured up a tiny, white rabbit. "Your uncle is no doubt a horrid mundane. And Mundanes fear what they cannot understand."

"You don't?" Little Snake asked. Salazar looked sternly, but gently at the innocent little face.

"No, Little Snake," Salazar said. "That is the difference between wizards and Mundanes: Mundanes seek to destroy the unknown, wizards seek to understand and embrace it." The child grew quiet, and Salazar was pleased to find he was deeply thinking this over, rather than just accepting it.

"I can do magic? I can learn at school?" Salazar nodded firmly.

"And I shall teach you," he said firmly. "But first, I shall need your name."

"Freak"

Salazar blinked. "What?"

"My name, they've always called me Freak."

Salazar fought to keep his expression neutral, but on the inside, he was raging. "Well, that's not a proper name for such a boy as you." Oooooh, just wait until he got his hands on those Mundanes! They didn't deserve death by magic, if they wanted to be so crass and primitive, he'd be more than willing to sink to their level and beat them to death with a tree branch! "We shall need to give you a new one."

"You can do that." Despite his anger at the Mundanes, Salazar found himself chuckling. "What's your name?"

"Salazar Antonio de Oliveira Slytherin," he said, "And I shall give you a name fitting for the most powerful wizard in all the lands." Salazar paused smugly. "My name."

That evening, Sammael Astarot Nathrach Slytherin was introduced to the other three founders of Hogwarts. "Uncle God" was more than happy to promise to teach "Baby Snake" how to fly a broom. Salazar rolled his eyes as he watched the two of them interact. He'd be lying if he'd said that he wasn't pleased the others were treating him so kindly. Rowena asked him what he thought about building his own wand the next day. And Helga, here Salazar sighed, Helga was going to spoil him rotten, he thought as he watched the sweet little witch hand his soon-to-be son yet another pointless sweet.

But when Sammael cast a happy look his way, he couldn't bring himself to grow angry.

PLease Review!

A/n "Harry's" new name is "Venom of God" then "snake" in two different languages. I thought it was fitting xD.