Edit: Hello all! I have kept the announcements at the top of the page here, as they were… but those who have read this story before, will definitely want to read this chapter again. I have done extensive updating and a few things have changed. I hope you all enjoy it!
Author's Note, please read: I know a bunch of you were a little disappointed with how choppy the previous chapter was. Also, a lot of you didn't like how there wasn't enough interaction between the founders and a lot of it was implied. Just bare with me! I wanted to set a foundation to build on. You will see a lot more interaction between the founders when there are flashbacks. After all, Salazar doesn't remember who he originally was (Harry Potter) so his home was in the past as a founder. And Hogwarts… well, a lot of it will remind him of the good times. To him, the betrayal is still very fresh so some of it will probably be bittersweet. But I'm rambling now so I'll stop and let you focus on the story. Just keep reading, there is a method to my madness!
New Edit: Okay, so having trouble with translating some things correctly. I'll try to still use translated words occasionally, but I'll write everything in English while making note of what is actually being spoken in another language. Make sense? Oh… and so I was doing some more in depth research and found out that the Founders probably would have spoken Pictish rather than Scottish Gaelic, though they would have known Scottish Gaelic. Oh, my goodness it's all so confusing. Oh, and written language probably would have been Latin. So:
"Old Norse is in italics."
"Pictish is in italics and bolded."
'Scottish Gaelic is bold and is quoted with apostrophes.'
"Written Latin is underlined and in italics."
"Parseltongue is underlined."
'Fawkes speaking is in italics and is quotes with apostrophes.'
If any other languages pop up over the course of the story, I will make note of it as well. I will also post this key at the beginning of following chapters to make it easier to remember.
Disclaimer: Same as the first chapter. I don't feel like typing it out again, haha.
Last time:
Salazar had been the teacher. Salazar had been the one with more knowledge at his disposal and had more years of learning. He had been hailed as one of the geniuses of the age. Cayden was powerful, but he was no match for Salazar. Cayden had never had a real duel before except for the mock ones during school, which were tightly controlled. He went down quickly and Salazar was left staring down in anguish at the body of his brother. But he was unprepared the spell that suddenly slammed into him mere moments after Cayden fell. The spell, mangled by the teen's dying lips, twisted and combined with the residual magic that lingered in the field. His back arching in pain, Salazar started to fall to the ground. There was a bright flash of light and when it disappeared, Salazar Slytherin was nowhere to be found.
Chapter Two
His head was pounding… who managed to catch the number on that speeding Hippogriff? Salazar groaned before pressing a hand against his forehead. Now that sentence made no sense at all. Slowly opening his eyes, he then pushed himself into a more upright position. At least it was night out or at least very early morning… he would have rather not have the sun assaulting his poor eyes. Pulling out his wand, he then flicked it wordlessly so a pale light appeared. It then detached from his wand tip and hovered in front of him with a small whistling sound. It gave him some light to see by. Standing up then, he pushed aside his cloak and opened up a small pouch against his hip. Reaching in, his fingers soon closed around a small vial. Pulling it out, he observed it before nodding his head. One small dose of a headache reliever… exactly what he needed. Salazar never went anywhere without the pouch that contained several different potions.
Downing the concoction, he shook his head slightly with a small look of disgust. Putting the vial away then, he looked around him now that his head was feeling better. He appeared to be in the same meadow that he had fought Cayden in, but he distinctly remembered that there had definitely not been an old oak tree just a few feet off. And the wide river had definitely been a little stream. Something had happened, he was sure of it. But he wasn't quite sure where to go. First off, he was not welcome at Hogwarts anymore. If he reappeared there, he could not be certain of what sort of welcome he would receive. He did not have any other home either. But after a few moments of thought, he decided he would travel to Diagon Alley. Ollivander's shop was there, if he remembered correctly. He had, of course, crafted his own wand so he had no need for the actual shop… but the small community that had started to grow around the little shop would be a good place to start in his quest to find a new home.
Summoning up his magic, Salazar frowned when he realized that his magical core was very low. Ignoring it for the moment as it would not take much energy, he silently apparated away. When he reappeared he found himself not in a muddy alleyway between low huts for houses, but in an alleyway that was filled with nasty smelling trash and towering buildings on either side of him. He was immediately confused, wondering if he had apparated himself into a castle rather than Diagon Alley. He did feel he had been a bit off course, though he had been lucky he had not splinched himself. As he stepped out of the alleyway he had found himself in, Salazar was almost immediately nearly run over by a man on a strange contraption. And the people… there were so many of them even given the time of night it must have been! He had never seen so many people in one spot before. Concerned, Salazar immediately backed into the alleyway again and pulled out his wand. "Tempus." He had a sneaking suspicion that something wasn't right. And it wasn't. When he cast his spell, smoky letters and numbers appeared in the air in front of him. Scowling, he quickly dismissed the spell. "August 13th of the year 2005." He growled out before leaning against the wall. He swore his headache was coming back now. He was over one thousand years in the future! What was he supposed to do now? He definitely did not belong in this time…
Salazar's next immediate thought was to go to Hogwarts. Was his precious school still standing? The other founders would not be there to stop him from returning, he realized obviously. If his school no longer existed, then the very least the castle itself should still be there. It would be a place to live until he could figure out what had gone wrong. And if Hogwarts was still a school, then he could see how things had changed over the course of the long years. Would it still be a place to be proud of? With that thought in mind, Salazar gathered his magic and apparated away to the Forbidden Forest to just outside the ward boundaries.
((Page Break))
Ever since Harry Potter had disappeared, he had been thought dead. Dumbledore had tried to keep this news quiet so that it wouldn't get around. He was afraid of what might happen if the wizarding world knew that their precious savior was gone. This was a difficult task as he had disappeared during an attack on the boy's home. Dumbledore had tried to convince the world that Harry had gotten out safely and that he had hidden away for training. However, it had gotten hard to keep up this story as Harry had been gone for nearly five years now. He didn't think that the boy would be coming back… he should have been almost twenty years old.
Sighing from his spot at the head table, Dumbledore picked up his goblet and took a sip of the pumpkin juice contained within. Voldemort had been picking up steam as of late as well. The first few years had been mild. With Harry out of the picture, Voldemort had spent time looking for the boy but otherwise building up his army. There had been raids by the deatheaters and many deaths, but everything had been otherwise frighteningly quiet. To Dumbledore, he knew this was the calm before the storm. At least, it had given them time to prepare as well. Harry's friends had all graduated and many of his class were now in the Order. Hermione was a professor now at Hogwarts while Ron was there to keep up security as he was now an auror.
That was one more thing that hadn't changed since Harry had disappeared. The school was still open, a place of sanctuary for the children. It kept a sense of normalcy while it made sure that the future of the wizarding world could be defended in case war broke out fully. And given the size of the castle, whole families could be housed just in case. No other place was safer than Hogwarts and Dumbledore firmly believed that.
And currently it was early in August and they were preparing for the first day of school while the Order members were also juggling trying to stop Voldemort's raids. It was very early in the morning, the sun was just rising. There had been a small raid in the earlier hours and Dumbledore was waiting for the Order members to come back. He didn't have to wait too much longer for it was a few minutes later that very weary witches and wizards trudged in. They looked tired and dirty, a few injured as well.
Standing, Dumbledore went to greet them and see how things had gone. Thankfully, it looked that all of them had returned. Snape was suddenly there as well and started handing out various potions to those who needed it. As this all was happening, suddenly the castle seemed to brighten. The torches and candles burned brighter. Grime and dust magically disappeared. The tables suddenly looked like they had been waxed and polished. The House banners fluttered and the faded colours were bright, as good as new. There was a clanking sound as the suits of armour suddenly straightened and stood taller. Through the small group of wizards there were whispers of confusion. "Is the castle preening itself?" One of the witches commented.
There was little time to ponder as moments later the doors to the Hall opened. Wands were drawn quickly, the Order on edge after such a bad raid the night before. They were prepared for anything, however, only a young man appeared and walked through the doors to the great hall. He had a bemused expression on his face at the action of the doors and the castle. Upon seeing the assembled group, the man looked momentarily surprised and then pleased. "Are you teachers here?" The man asked, but the Order shifted in confusion at the unknown words.
"I'm sorry… but we do not speak your language." Dumbledore stepped forward. He watched then as a flicker of surprise shot through the man's jaded almost black green eyes.
"How curious." The man suddenly spoke again. His words were slow and spoken with a heavy accent, as if he had not spoken English in a long time and had nearly forgotten how. "Are you teachers here?" He repeated his earlier words, looking over the others and taking in their dirty states.
Dumbledore looked surprised before he smiled. "I am the Headmaster here." He said before stepping closer again. "May I ask who you are and how you entered here?" Dumbledore asked with a curious tone and a kind smile on his face. But Salazar could see the wary gleam in the elderly man's eyes. Salazar knew he would have control over the wards, so he would have to be careful with his words.
"My name is Eolas… Evans, Headmaster," he pulled the name quickly out of his muddled head, his pause barely noticed. "As for how I entered, I simply walked through the entrance gate." The wards would not bar a Founder from Hogwarts' grounds. Not even the other Founders could permanently bar him from his home. Yes, they had exiled him and they could have put forth measures to try to keep him out, but it was their animosity that had turned him away. And he knew that Godric would have followed through on his threats. But here? They had no power. And, furthermore, he harboured no ill intent towards the school. The wards would not see him as a threat, he had helped to create them after all. It would not make the headmaster trust him, but it would at least show him in a more positive light.
Dumbledore gave him a smile, but Salazar could almost see the thoughts going through the man's mind. And the way his eyes twinkled… Salazar immediately tightened his mental shields. "Kindly stay out of my head, Headmaster," Salazar spoke icily. "I can understand the need to protect your school, but I do not take kindly to my privacy being violated. If you have a question for me, then simply ask it. I have no reason to hide."
The twinkle in the headmaster's eyes dimmed. "Ah, my apologies, good sir, but one cannot be too careful these days. So if I may ask why you are here? And if I may see your forearms, if you would."
Salazar was puzzled by the request, but pushed up the sleeves of his dusty robes to show his arms to the Headmaster. They were scarred from day to day life and he had twin bands of rune markings around his forearms, just beneath his elbows. He rarely showed them off and the way they were exposed made him uncomfortable. "While I cannot fathom why, are you satisfied?" He asked coldly, and as soon as he had a nod of approval, he yanked his sleeves down. "I am here to seek refuge at Hogwarts. For reasons that are painful to me to discuss, I find myself without a home and no other place to go. It is my hope that I am not wrong in my understanding that Hogwarts is a safe haven for those who request it."
"No. Absolutely not," a different voice spoke up, cutting off whatever it was that the Headmaster was about to say. "He may not have a Dark Mark, Albus, but I still do not trust him. I do not like the look of him." There was a strange gleam in the man's eyes that unsettled Salazar. There was a deep grief, but also resentment and a strange bitterness. For the life of him he could not figure out why it would be directed towards him. The man did not even know him!
"You distrust me so easily. I would like to inquire the name of the one who shows me such loathing," Salazar spoke almost sweetly, his cold emerald eyes glimmering with challenge.
The man stood up in response. "Sirius Black. You would so well to remember it since it will be the last thing you think if you try anything," Black spoke menacingly.
Black… where had he heard that name before? Oh yes, if had been the surname of one of Gryffindor's mundane born students. "Sirius Black, you say? Is that not the name of a star? How quaint. But I will not be thinking of a Black dog should my time come," Salazar replied sweetly. His words had Black whipping his wand out before anyone could react. Salazar had anticipated the move and so easily deflected the hex sent towards him. "You attack me just like a dog would," he taunted. "Do you not wish to challenge me to a proper duel, you plebian?" He taunted the man, but never once cast his own spell.
But Dumbledore had finally had enough, so it never came down to it anyways. "That is quite enough, Mr. Evans. And Sirius, I expected better of you!"
Salazar tucked his wand away and gave Dumbledore a formal bow. "I apologize for my actions, Headmaster. I am a guest in your school so it was wrong of me to goad Master Black when I understood the actions he might take against me."
"That is Lord Black to you, Mr. Evans," Black growled nastily as he shoved his wand into its holster and sat back into his seat.
Salazar barely spared him a glance, though he so wished to coolly reply back with a, "And you may call me Lord Slytherin, so spare me your pompous airs." But he refrained and instead straightened. His head hurt and his body trembled with magical exhaustion. It had felt good to anger the man, gave him the adrenaline he needed to keep on his feet. Godric would have said he was dangerously close to acting like a Gryffindor. Salazar ruthlessly destroyed that thought. He focused on Dumbledore instead. "Disregarding my previous actions, I would like to inquire if you have any teaching positions available so I may earn my keep here. I have a mastery in Potions and herbalism, and I am knowledgeable in several other subjects," he stated calmly.
He was quickly starting to lose his composure. The magical exhaustion was taking a toll on his body. He raised a hand briefly then, stopping any replies. "I do not expect you shall come to a decision tonight. Even if you decide to cast me from here, I implore that you at least give me a room for the night. I have travelled a long distance to be here. And I suspect you have many more questions for me, but I ask that you save them for the morn." He did not want to make a fool of himself more than he already had.
There were several protests at Salazar's words. Most of those gathered wanted to interrogate him further. But Dumbledore raised a hand. He could see the exhaustion that the stranger was hiding so well. "I will have a house elf prepare a room for you. In the meantime, I have one final question for you before you retire."
Salazar did not look too pleased, but acquiesced so gave his nod of consent. But when Dumbledore bluntly asked his opinion on the war, he could only shake his head in confusion. "Pardon me… but war? What war do you speak of? I have spent many years in seclusion while I earned my mastery so I am afraid that I am largely unaware of current affairs of our world." Perhaps he should have done his research beforehand. But then, hindsight really could not change the current moment.
He was aware of the suspicious looks that were sent his way, but this was not something he could pretend to know. He was an expert liar but even he knew when the truth would serve him better.
It was after a few moments of silence that a younger man with fiery red hair spoke up. Salazar rather wished he hadn't. A young man with a brazen sense of foolish courage. He seemed to think higher of himself then he likely was. "Voldemort is a madman that is trying to kill all the muggles and anyone else who has supposedly dirty blood. He has many purebloods on his side because he's finishing the shit that Slytherin started years ago. Says he's Slytherin's bloody Heir or something."
Blessed Magic, the boy was crass! But that was not what he focused on. Salazar could not stop himself from pinching the bridge of his nose. "You mean to tell me that this war is over blood supremacy?" Would the wizarding world never learn? But what upset him was that they thought he had started it all. And maybe it was the exhaustion talking, maybe the time travel had addled his brain, but he could not let that stand. "While I was traveling the world before I secluded myself to my studies, I stumbled upon a rare artifact in old wizarding ruins: one of the journals kept by Salazar Slytherin himself." He had written a few, so it was not a complete lie. "It took me some time to translate the dialect, but I was able to make sense of most of it. While most of it mentions obscure spells and rituals, there are a few personal notes. One of which is he laments the lack of a wife to bear him an Heir. He does also mention a brother." He continued to pinch the bridge of his nose as he tried to stave off a building headache. "So if this Voldemort is the Heir of Slytherin, he's got the wrong Slytherin."
There was stunned silence by the end of his little speech. Salazar ignored it. "And if these purebloods have delusions of magical supremacy, then they are complete buffoons who need a proper lesson in magic. Yes, certain magicks can be passed down through families, but it is not the purity of blood that determines how much power one has." He quickly cut himself short and closed his eyes warily. He had realized he had started to go off into his lecture mode, as Godric had liked to call it. "I apologize for that. I am in much need of rest, so I hoped my answer pleased you." Really though, magic had nothing to do with blood! Godric was mundane born and he was one of the most powerful wizards of the age. His own only grief against mundanes was that they feared what they did not understand. He had seen many children that had died at the hands of their parents because of this, parents believing their children to be devils or some other such nonsense. He only hated the mundane mindset, not the mundanes themselves! But maybe things had changed in this time; maybe the mundanes were more accepting. Even if they were not, it did not make wizards better than them.
Salazar scowled briefly before quickly clearing his expression. So this Voldemort character… even if he had been descended from him somehow, the man would have been no Heir of his. But speaking of… if the man was descended from the Slytherin line through Cayden, then he had some power over him as Head of the family. A little ritual and he could disown the man from the Slytherin family. That meant that if the man had the parseltongue trait, then he could take it away as it was a family gift. Magic was so very useful at times… And though Salazar wasn't particularly fond of wars, he was no stranger to them.
Dumbledore picked up his goblet and took a sip, unaware of Salazar's musings. He then let out a weary sigh, looking all of his years in that moment. "Yes, thank you. It gives a great deal to think about," he said before he sighed again. "As young Ronald said, we are battling against the one known as Lord Voldemort." He paused as several around them cringed as they had before when the redheaded man had said it. Salazar ignored them and focused on the information he was getting about the most current war of the Wizarding world. "Voldemort's real name is Tom Marvolo Riddle, but he has assumed the role of a Dark Lord. His followers are known as Death Eaters." Dumbledore paused, seemingly thinking about how he would continue.
He was interrupted though when a woman in a grey dress and white apron stood before she hurried over to Salazar. "Oh, no you don't! I know symptoms of magical exhaustion when I see them! And those robes may be pristine, but I can see the bruises just beneath that collar of yours. It is not my business to know the circumstances of what was obviously an intense duel, but what sort of Healer would I be if I stood by and did nothing?"
Salazar was struck by just how much like Helga this woman was. The scolding as she tutted about exhaustion, the way she hovered and mother henned him. But that brought back memories of her rejection, the way she refused to look at him. How disappointed she looked… He quickly yanked his arm out of the healer's hand. "Do not touch me again without my express permission, woman. I do not need your infernal coddling." He sent her a glare before he turned to the Headmaster. "The room, if you would." Salazar counted his blessings when the elderly man called a House elf to escort him to his room. He turned on his heel gracefully, his robes flaring out in the dramatic motion that came so naturally to him.
Once outside the doors to the Hall, he paused to listen. He wanted nothing more than to go to bed, but he could wait a moment to hear what they said of him. The House elf wrung his hands nervously, but obeyed Salazar's orders to stay quiet. As he stood outside the doors, he could hear the staff inside start to argue with the Headmaster. "We do not know where he comes from, Headmaster! And given this damn war, we bloody well can't just let him stay here! So what if the castle let him in? He could have tricked it somehow!" Salazar recognized the redhead's voice.
"I don't know, Headmaster. He obviously has many secrets, and he's a bit odd, but I think he's genuine. He has the look of a lonely man. I don't think he'll do any harm… but it wouldn't hurt to keep him under close watch, wouldn't it? Besides, you had said you were having trouble finding a replacement Defense professor or Potions professor," a young male spoke up.
"Yes, it is an excellent point, Mr. Zabini," Dumbledore's voice replied. Salazar turned on his heel then and let the House elf lead the way, never knowing he had missed a large part of the conversation.
"He reminds me of Harry…"
"How can you say that, Hermione? That man, Evans, is a git! Besides, he's far too old to be Harry. And Harry would never call Sirius a dog!"
"Ron is right, Hermione," Sirius' rough voice spoke up. "And as much as I love him, Harry was an awkward and tiny little teen. Scrawny… Evans, the bastard, is much taller and reminds me of a bloody arrogant Pureblood."
"He has the same eyes…" Hermione spoke again.
Ron snorted. "Harry had glasses… besides, Evans' eyes aren't warm like Harry's. They're not even the same colour eyes! Evans… his eyes are kinda scary actually. Like they don't fit in his young face."
There was a scrapping sound as a chair slid across cobblestone. "I don't want to talk about my godson any longer. Especially if you're going to start comparing him to that bastard of a stranger." That was the end of that conversation as soft apologies could barely be heard.
Unaware of the end of the conversation, Salazar stalked the familiar halls after the House elf. As he walked, he took in the paintings and the tapestries. During his time there had been many tapestries and a few statues. The sheer number of paintings made his lips curl in his disgust. What had they done to his poor school? The corridors were crowded with all of the paintings, and he could imagine that things did not stay secret in the school for long. He had seen how the paintings moved after all.
After some time he eventually ended up on the fifth floor where the house elf showed him to a room that was behind the painting of a withered tree. The house elf quickly bowed and then disappeared, leaving Salazar to wonder how he was supposed to get into his room.
"Do you have the password, sir?" A soft voice suddenly spoke up, startling Salazar from his thoughts. A young girl had hopped out of the tree and was staring at Salazar from the frame. She was dressed in a gown that was not unlike the ones that Helga had used to wear.
Frowning, Salazar tilted his head. "I was told that this was where my room was at. Was I misled by the house elf?" He asked tiredly. He was in no mood to be run around in circles!
The girl smiled then and shook her head. "So you are the one who will be staying here. If you wish, please state the password that you would like to use. I will then let you into your rooms." She settled herself against the tree and waited for Salazar to respond. "I am Marilyn, by the way." She spoke up suddenly before falling silent once more.
Salazar was quiet for a time before he nodded his head, deciding on a password. "Out of place," he spoke clearly before the girl nodded her head and then the painting swung forward to reveal a door. Opening it up, Salazar conceded that the paintings were useful for one thing at least. But it made him wonder how else the castle had changed. He was going to have to go exploring at some point. Especially to the dungeons, if he could escape inquisitive eyes. He wanted to go to his old chambers. They had likely been sealed at his departure so he was sure that all of his possessions were still there. He just hoped the preservation charms were still working.
Looking around the room that he was currently in, he found himself in an old guest bedroom. It looked like it hadn't been used in years, but it was clean and free of dust. Satisfied, he walked over to the window to take in the familiar view. It was calming… but he had need of sleep so he could not spend too much more time on his feet. So going over to the wardrobe then, he pulled off his cloak and set it inside. Going over to the bed then, Salazar sat down so he could pull of his boots. A good nap was in order before dinner was called and where his future here would be decided. However, he had one small thing to take care of. It should not take too much energy, so he did not have to worry about his magical exhaustion. Rolling up the sleeve of his tunic, he then drew one of his knives. Bringing it to his wrist, he clenched his jaw as he slid the sharp blade through his flesh. Once his blood started to drip down his hand and to his fingers, he coated the tip of his wand with the red substance. Tracing a quick rune into the air then, he intoned, "I, Salazar Slytherin, Head of the Family House of Slytherin, hereby disown Tom Marvolo Riddle."
There was a ripple and then Salazar cast a quick spell to close up his wound. Satisfied, he placed his wand aside. But he was blindsided by a sudden searing pain from his forehead. Letting out a shocked cry of pain, Salazar bent over and grabbed his forehead. He could feel a vague impression of someone being positively furious, the anger making the pain in his forehead spike to levels he had never felt before. After a few moments, Salazar slumped into blessed darkness against his bed. At least he would have his rest…
((Page Break))
When he woke again, it was nearly evening. He remembered doing a simple disownment ritual before there was a great pain in his forehead. He was pretty sure that he had passed out, though he could not fathom why the ritual had reacted the way it did. The spell should not have had any sort of side effects. He would have to look into it. Perhaps he could go to the library. There would still be some time before the evening meal.
Groaning softly, Salazar blinked slowly as he felt the warmth of the dying sun on his face. Feeling disoriented, he stood up slowly and stumbled into the adjourning room where he knew he would find a basin of water. Surprised by the sink, it took him some time to figure it out as he wasn't familiar with the plumbing that had been installed some time after he had originally disappeared from Hogwarts over a thousand years ago. Looking up at the mirror then, he noticed the blood that caked the side of his face. Scowling, he quickly washed his face in the water before hissing as his forehead stung. Moving his hair out of the way, Salazar took in the angry red scar on his forehead. He could have sworn that the scar, shaped like a lightning bolt, had nearly faded away. It was usually hidden by his hair anyways so he had forgotten about it. But now it looked freshly cut and the edges raw. Scowling, he finished cleaning up his face before going back into the bedroom. Grabbing his wand, he cast a few cleaning charms over himself before grabbing his potions pouch. Opening it up, he grabbed a small jar and set the pouch aside. Opening the jar he had grabbed, he rubbed a little bit of the ointment on the cut above his eye. Putting the cork back in, he then put the jar away. It should help the cut heal. If not, then it would be yet another thing to look into. When had life gotten so complicated?
Pinching the bridge of his nose then, he closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath. He had a horrible headache again…. He was going to have to brew more headache reliever when he had the chance. Standing up then, he made sure he had everything before he cast a quick charm that would keep his hair over his scar to hide it from view. He would rather not have attention drawn to it and have to explain what had happened since he did not know himself. After braiding the rest of his long hair to keep it out of the way, Salazar headed out of the room. His first stop would be the library. It took some navigating as a few things had changed over the years, but for the most part the layout was the same.
Stopping in front of the doors, Salazar took a moment as he traced his fingers over the designs carved into the heavy wood. It was worn now, but he could still remember the day they had put them in. Closing his eyes for a moment, he let himself sink into happy memories of a time that seemed so far away.
((Flashback))
"It seems so plain." Godric had his hands on his hips as he surveyed the large wooden door in front of them. They had recently picked the rooms that would serve as the library. Inside, Rowena was making sure the shelves were being installed properly. Helga was nowhere to be seen, though Salazar suspected that she was out tending to her gardens again.
Salazar let out a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Godric… You brought me all the way up here to tell me that you think the doors to the library are too plain?" He spoke slowly, clearly irritated. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he gave his friend an annoyed look. But the grin that Godric gave him had him letting out a sigh and deflating slightly. He could never stay mad at Godric for long… Shaking his head, he then turned to look at the two curved doors that had yet to be set on their hinges. "Alright, fine. They are plain. Most doors are, Godric." He told the man, a small smirk on his lips.
In response, Godric rolled his eyes and let out a huff. "So you say." He said, waving his hands. "But it is the library. It will be a place where students can read books on almost anything they can think of. It will be a quiet place they can study or look up information they cannot remember from their classes. The library is going to be special. The doors have to be special as well. They have to say: Look at me, I guard something wonderful behind me!" Godric waved his arms, making Salazar have to dodge an errant hand. "These doors need to stand out so the students will not ever miss it!" He then deflated slightly and gestured towards the doors. "But they are not. They are dull and… and boring."
Salazar didn't reply. When Godric looked over to his friend, he took in the man's posture. The tall black haired man had one arm wrapped around his waist and his other hand over his mouth. The man's entire body was trembling just visibly. And then suddenly, an amused snigger escaped Salazar's lips. Godric looked affronted, but before he could say anything else Salazar couldn't take it anymore and broke out into loud laughter. "You… You…" He tried to say, but only dissolved into more laughter.
After a good few minutes of laughter, Salazar finally calmed himself and was able to straighten. He found Godric pouting at him, a light blush across his cheeks because he had been the victim of Salazar's amusement. Chuckling again, Salazar placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "For all that the door is dull and boring… things are never boring with you around, my friend." He teased with his face completely straight as he said it. Smirking then, he looked towards the doors. "But I do concede your point. So what shall we carve into the doors?" He asked, pulling out his wand. He suddenly looked thoughtful before he gained a look of concentration. Lifting his wand, he cast a silent spell while focusing on the image he had in his mind. Wood started to curl away from the door near the top and around the curve of the wood. When Salazar finally stopped his spell, there were runes carved into the top. Panting, he lowered his wand. He looked pleased with himself.
Stepping closer, Godric craned his head slightly to read the words that had been carved in. Finally, he grinned. "What a splendid idea! Extra protection against fire and such. Rowena will be pleased," the man said as he drew out his own wand. He concentrated before casting his own spell. Again, wood chippings fell away from the door as Godric worked at it. When he finished, he lowered his wand as well. "That takes a lot more concentration than I thought," The man grumbled before smirking slightly in imitation of Salazar.
Said dark wizard ignored the imitation and instead eyed the doors before he sneered playfully. "Lions? How predictable… what is your obsession with those exotic creatures?" He said before casting the spell himself, carving in snakes that curled around the mirrored rearing lions that Godric had created.
Snorting then, Godric rolled his eyes. "I could say the same thing for you, my friend," he said as he eyed the carving in front of them. "We should probably add in eagles… you know, for Rowena. They are her favorite animal after all, and I am sure that she would want to be included." He cast the spell again, creating eagles in flight that hovered over the images of the lions. He looked satisfied.
Salazar then rolled his eyes. "You cannot forget Helga." He reprimanded playfully before casting the spell again, carving in the image of a badger on each door so the creature was resting beneath the paws of the lion, stretched out and waiting. He lowered his wand, panting slightly at the work it took to carve something so intricate. But he had to admit… the carving had turned out pretty well. And there was something of each of them that would be forever carved into the wood. He quickly cast a preserving charm, locking the images in place. Chuckling then, he turned to Godric. "We should get the doors hung into place before Rowena throws a fit," he said in a conspiratory whisper.
"Throw a fit, would I?" An amused voice said behind them, making the two young men spin around quickly at having been caught. Behind them, Rowena had her hands on her hips and had an eyebrow risen as she gave the two of them a stern look. Glancing over to the doors then, she appraised them before nodding her head. "I suppose they will do," she spoke in a haughty tone of voice, though she had a pleased glint in her eyes. "Get them put into place, will you? The both of you can then help me get the shelves up before you decide to create any more havoc on the poor doors of the castle."
The groans of the two men were drowned out by Rowena's laughter as she made her way back into the library. Helga suddenly brushed past, giggling softly as she had seen the whole thing. Going over to Rowena, she chatted happily with the other woman as the two of them waited for Godric and Salazar to join them. Outside, both of the males grumbled as they set the doors onto their hinges.
((End Flashback))
Pulling his hand back, Salazar sighed before pushing the doors open with just a light touch. He rubbed at his chest absently before looking around in surprise at just how many books there were. A greedy glint then entered his eyes and he headed over to the nearest bookshelf. There was so much to read… he could spend a very long time in here. Pulling his hand back suddenly though, he frowned briefly. He had to restrain himself. First, he needed to look up information about current events, anything he could get his hands on. Pulling out his wand then, he waved it in a sharp oval above his head. "History ranging from one hundred years to present," Salazar ordered, visualizing the spell that he wanted. It was a literary summoning spell that was really quite useful in libraries. It would summon every book that contained information outlined by the specified boundaries set.
After about a minute, several books came whizzing at him and then piled neatly on the table nearby. Pleased, Salazar walked over and then cast another spell over them to levitate them behind him. Heading towards the end of the library, he then looked around. Frowning, he noticed that many of the private reading rooms were sealed. Perhaps they had been forgotten about? Shaking his head, he decided to leave them be and sat down at a nearby table instead. Pulling the closest book to him then, he opened it up and started reading.
He didn't know how long he spent reading, but a house elf interrupted him as he was in the middle of reading about the Ministry and recent laws that it had made. "Master… Master Evans?" The poor creature squeaked, looking afraid to interrupt the man who was reading. Raising his head, Salazar looked over to it and raised an eyebrow in question. The house elf's ears lowered and he wrung his hands nervously. "Ah… Pippy was asked to tell Master Eolas that dinner is ready…"
Salazar nodded his head curtly and stood up. With a wave of his wand, he sent most of the books back to their proper shelves. Gathering up two books that were left, he shrunk them and tucked them into his pocket to look over more later. He then looked down to the house elf. "Alright, then. You may go now, Pippy." He spoke sternly, but not unkindly.
His features set in a light scowl; he swiftly made his way down to the Great Hall. Striding through the doors, his eyes took in the entirety of the hall before he made his way towards the staff table. There were a few individuals there, a few he recognized from earlier that morning. The one who had been introduced as Snape was sitting in his customary chair. Scowling deeply for a brief moment, Salazar then quickly cleared his expression before sitting down in a different seat. He had to remember that things were different here. It was still his Hogwarts, but it wasn't the same as the one he remembered from what was just days ago for him.
He came out of his thoughts as Dumbledore smiled from his seat. "Hello, Eolas. Wonderful for you to join us. You missed lunch… did you find your room comfortable enough?" The man asked, sipping at his juice. He could see the slight pain in the man's eyes, though he was otherwise hiding it very well. "Are you alright?" He asked curiously, setting down his goblet.
Salazar looked over with a frown. "My accommodations were fine. As your Healer so aptly saw, I am recovering from magical exhaustion. I slept most of the morning and midday away before spending the rest of the time in the library once I had found it. No place quite has a library like Hogwarts. You will have to excuse my rudeness for missing the midday meal." He said tightly before looking back over to his food. "I am fine, thank you. However, if you do not mind, I would rather like directions to the potions lab." He picked up a piece of meat before placing it in his mouth. The different food was going to take some time getting used to. Frowning, he chewed before swallowing. Resisting the urge to rub his temples, Salazar continued to eat while ignoring the conversation around him. Most ignored him in return, but there were a few that attempted to strike up a conversation. Salazar just was not in the mood to want to socialize.
Finishing up his meal then, Salazar was about to ask the Headmaster about his decision when the doors to the great hall flew open with a bang. A man he did not recognize stumbled in. "Dumbledore!" The man called out to the headmaster, swaying and then nearly falling over as he spoke. At seeing the man, Dumbledore immediately stood and rushed over to the man's side.
Back at the table, Salazar gave the individual an appraising look. "Cruciatus." He finally said, recognizing the signs. "He's been under the influence of the spell for quite some time." Standing up then, he pulled a vial from his pouch at his side and then walked at a more sedate pace to the man who was now on the floor. Uncorking the vial, he held it out. "Take this. It will help with the damage done by the spell." He told the man, watching sternly until the man finally caved in and took the potion. Immediately, his shaking started to calm and some colour returned to his cheeks.
"Who are you?" The man asked with a frown, still in his position on the ground. His eyes were wary and shadowed. Salazar noted many clues about the young man. He was likely raised in a wealthy household, but now things had turned. He had the vestiges of aristocracy, but was dirty and wore tattered robes.
Salazar looked him over with a critical eye. "Eolas." He replied shortly before narrowing his eyes slightly. "Deatheater? I recognize the robes from a picture in one of the books I read in the library. The mask too." He stepped back and looked over to Dumbledore for an explanation. He did not want to get into any wars… but he would not let his castle go undefended. That was the one thing he would protect since it was the only thing he had left in this time. He looked Dumbledore over then. "He is a spy for you and your little organization." He saw the surprise in Dumbledore's eyes and waved an unconcerned hand. "It mentioned your Order in one of the books, how it had fought against Voldemort in the first war. I assumed you would have reestablished it for the current affairs."
Dumbledore helped the young man up and shook his head. "Yes, he is. I trust that you can keep that to yourself?" His voice was light, but his eyes carefully calculating. There was no helping it now, but he was going to make sure that Eolas would not mention it to anyone outside the castle. It only cemented his idea of keeping Eolas here at the castle where he could keep a better eye on the young man, and any sort of communication he may do to the outside.
Said man rolled his eyes and gestured absently. "I swear on my magic to never speak of…" He paused, raising his eyebrow at the man in question as he didn't know the man's name. Once he received his reply, he nodded his head and continued. "..Draco Malfoy's duties unless allowed by the man in question." He felt the magic shift before he raised an eyebrow. "Does that satisfy you?" His words were sarcastic, a hidden spark in his eyes. Everything was about the wording, but it should placate the older man for now.
Dusting himself off, Draco frowned at the tall man that had given him the potion. He had never seen him before and the stranger looked to be a few years older than he. Shaking it off, he then turned to the headmaster. Normally, he would not speak in front of the others, but this was rather important. And he knew how binding Oaths were, so he immediately spoke once Dumbledore gave him a questioning look. "The Dark Lord…" He started out before shivering slightly. "He was very angry." He shook his head before allowing himself to be led to a seat by the old man. "He called a sudden meeting just after midday. There didn't seem to be any reason for the meeting and he was furious. Every single one of us was tortured. We were only just released. I came straight here. Something happened, but he won't tell us what it was. Whatever it was, it was important to him in some way." The young man quieted and closed his eyes.
To the side, Salazar narrowed his eyes and spoke up. "This dark lord of yours… he is deranged." He said finally, distaste coating his words. There was also a slight hissing undertone in his concealed anger. This man, this Voldemort, had been preaching in his name? He had been doing these despicable acts in his name? This was what he was most furious about. Then for the man to torture his followers, all just because he was angry? Something had to be done, or all would fail. Perhaps that was why he was here. Magic worked in strange ways after all. Perhaps he was meant to be here to put a stop to the madness.
Coming to a decision, Salazar turned on his heel. He had not wanted to get into this war, had wanted to find a way back home instead. But now he had no choice. Well, he had a choice but he knew what the better one was. He could try to go back to his own time to stop Cayden from ever having children, but who knew what that would do to the timeline? No, the best thing to do was to get involved in the war. His reputation was at stake as well, though it would be harder to change. Perhaps if he helped be rid of Voldemort, the others might be more inclined to listen to him when he told them that he was Salazar Slytherin, sent to the future through some sort of magical accident. That is, if he ever decided to actually tell them.
"Dumbledore." He spoke suddenly, looking over his shoulder at the man. "I would like to know if you would accept my more formal inquiry to become the potions professor in this establishment." He then tilted his head slightly, mentally speaking with the castle. As a founder, he had a few privileges that no one else had and he had a House to return to its former glory. And though he had yet to see just how badly the years had treated his House, he knew that he was in for a long journey. And to do that, he needed to be the Head of House. If Dumbledore accepted, then the duties of House Head would be transferred to him.
Not aware of Salazar's silent communication with his school, Dumbledore gave the young man a smile. "Yes, I have come to a decision. I would very much like it if you would take over the position of Potions professor, provided you can show proof of your potions mastery."
Salazar gave a smile. "Of course, Headmaster. That will not be a problem at all. I accept the position," he stated, knowing that it would trigger the school rules that had been set into place and then influenced by him in his prodding.
So when Snape suddenly made a surprised noise, Salazar felt pleased. He said nothing though and merely turned slightly to give the man a questioning look. Snape ignored him though and suddenly scowled. "Headmaster." He quickly went to Dumbledore's side and leaned in. Salazar could not hear what was being said, but he knew that the man was probably telling the Headmaster that he no longer felt the House wards that the Head would have control over. There were also a few privileges that only a Head could have, but he wouldn't have those any longer. Instead, Salazar felt the sudden hum in the back of his mind that alerted him to the fact that Hogwarts had transferred the Head magic. Ah, how he had missed the feel of it even for the few days for him it had been missing.
But as the wards transferred, Salazar made a small show of placing his hand against his head and giving a small grimace. It was painful to have the awareness snap into place, though he had been prepared for it. As he cradled his head, he watched as gold script scrawled its way through the air in front of them. They read: 'The duties of Head of Slytherin House are hereby transferred to Potion's Professor Eolas through his acceptance of the duties of Professor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.' The words shimmered in the air for a moment before fading away. Removing his hand from his head, Salazar sighed. "Head of Slytherin House? I had wondered why magic settled in my mind. Does this happen often?" He asked as he looked over to Dumbledore questioningly. "Can Hogwarts actually do that?" He knew it could of course, having written the spell himself. If a more suitable Head could be found, then the transference would take place. As founder of Slytherin House, there was no one better than he. He was just thankful that he could convince Hogwarts to use his chosen name instead of his actual name, hence the prodding he had done and to make sure the spell was still in place after all this time.
His thoughts were broken by the headmaster. "It is not impossible…" Dumbledore spoke slowly. "I have never seen such an occurrence before, but I have heard of such a thing happening in the past. I do remember the rule being written down in one of the rulebooks for the school." He had a calculating look in his eyes, but Salazar easily ignored it. Instead, the man nodded tightly with a thoughtful look on his face.
Salazar turned back around. "If you do not mind then… I would like a room closer to the Slytherin dormitories so I can better get to know my House. They are in the dungeons if the book I read was correct, yes?" He said without turning back around. "If there is a room for the Head, let Master Snape keep them. Even if Hogwarts has seen fit to transfer the responsibility of Headship onto me for whatever her reason, I will not turn him out of his rooms." He glanced over his shoulder. "You will find me in the library if you have need to speak with me. Master Snape, I would like to request the itinerary of your classes in the past." He would have to create quizzes for the students to see where their knowledge was at, but it would be a good idea to have a basic starting point based on what they had been taught. "Of course, I will give you proof of my mastery just as you wished."
But before he could leave, he was halted once more. "Dumbledore! You cannot just let him do this!" Snape suddenly burst out, the man's anger palpable. Salazar stopped in his retreat and turned once more to face them, an irritable sigh pacing his lips. He had barely managed to get out of the great hall yet. Was he ever going to be able to escape? Salazar thought this with annoyance as he raised an eyebrow at the previous Slytherin Head of House. "I cannot believe that you will let him just waltz in here and let him become a Head of all things! I was going to tolerate him being a professor, but this is going too far! We have no idea who he is, if he is lying, or what he is capable of! He should be kicked out of Hogwarts, not allowed to burrow in so deeply!"
The dour man's words struck a chord in Salazar and the man stiffened, his betrayal and banishment from Hogwarts still clear in his mind. Clenching his jaw, he then narrowed his eyes at the man. "You want to know who I am? Ask questions of me rather than gossiping behind my back! And what can I do about the castle deciding to choose me for the Head over you? From why I gather from the Headmaster's words, it is from ancient magic that was set in place long ago. Do you think that I chose this? I cannot say why the ancient castle sees me as a better Head." He easily entwined lies with truth, knowing the best lies were based on fact. "And if you want to know so badly what my abilities are, then why not challenge me to a duel or test me on my knowledge of potions?" He sneered at the bat like man, but Snape only silently bared his teeth in anger.
Salazar turned on his heel once more and quickly strode away, finally leaving the great hall. He was fuming, but managed to keep his emotions under wraps. He needed to blow of stream, angry and feeling a little hurt. Why was it that everyone wanted to kick him out of his one true home? Letting his feet lead him, he suddenly found himself standing outside of a familiar door. Quickly ducking inside, he found himself in a not so familiar room. There were sinks in the center of the room, similar to the ones that had been in the guest bedroom. Someone had since remodeled… Frowning, he quickly cast a privacy ward before hissing softly. He hoped that they had not found his entrance. Even with the remodeling, there were spells in place but perhaps those had faded with time.
He felt relief when a rumbling started and then one of the sinks lowered into the floor. Hissing softly again, more of the sinks lowered and stairs began to form. Pleased, Salazar quickly descended and closed the entrance behind him. Heading into the first chamber then, he frowned when he came upon the skeletons of various animals. It seemed his basilisk had not gone into hibernation. Although, if Voldemort had been a parselmouth, it was possible that he had managed to find his way into his secret chamber. Not at all pleased by this, Salazar walked further along the tunnel before coming to the cave in. Concerned, he wondered if his chamber was still intact. Ignoring the brief, and out of place, thought about how a memory spell gone wrong can create an explosion, Salazar waved his wand. He worked for a good amount of time clearing the passage and stabilizing the walls before finally moving forward. Coming to a door, he hissed softly for it to open before climbing into the main chamber. Almost immediately he was hit with a smell of lingering decay. Choking in surprise, his eyes widened as he took in the image of his beloved basilisk a mere carcass on the floor.
Hurrying forward, he took in the damage before scowling slightly. Who could have done such a thing? If it was Riddle… Salazar's thoughts broke off before he suddenly grabbed onto his forehead in pain as he was assaulted by the hazy vision of facing off against a lunging basilisk with only a sword. There was then a burning pain in his arm, exactly where he knew there to be a large round scar. When the image disappeared as quickly as it had come, Salazar was left a little dazed and very confused. What was that? Perhaps a latent memory contained in the walls of the chamber and it was merely replaying? No, that didn't explain the correlation with his scar. But he couldn't ever remember facing off against a basilisk before… right? It was yet another thing that he would have to look into.
Shaking off the lingering feeling, Salazar rubbed his forehead with a slight scowl. His headache was just getting worse and worse. Turning to the carcass then, he assessed the damage again. He was disappointed and a bit angry that the creature was dead, but he decided that he could not let it go to waste. With a few preservation charms he stopped the decay before he set to the task of harvesting parts. Many of them were invaluable in potion making. Basilisk hide was a good material to work with as well so perhaps he could make himself some armour if he was going to find himself in a war. What that would have to be for another time. The venom would best be harvested now.
Summoning some jars, Salazar carefully set himself to the arduous task of collecting the basilisk venom. It was a slow process as the venom didn't mix well with most magic. It was also very lethal and dangerous so he had to be careful about how he handled it. Once collected however, he sealed the jars with several charms. Feeling pleased, he placed the jars into his pouch before standing back. He could finish collecting parts later. The conditions of the chamber had helped slow the rate of decay, but it had started to set in. It would be a time consuming process to pick through the useable organs and he knew he couldn't disappear for too long, or they would begin to question him even further. It had been risky enough to come to his chamber. With that in thought, Salazar headed out of the chamber and sealed the entrance behind him. Making sure that no one saw him, though he could sense a ghost nearby, Salazar quickly left the room and headed towards the library once again. He needed its calming atmosphere before bed if he could not risk staying too long in his Chamber.
But he was only perhaps halfway there before he suddenly wavered and leaned against the nearby wall. His nap had done little for his magical exhaustion and the headache really wasn't helping either. He had tried to ignore it, but maybe it was time that he set aside his pride. Rubbing his eyes with his fingers, Salazar took a few deep breaths before he straightened. He needed to get some relief. And the only safe way he was going to get that was by a good potion. He knew a strong one that thankfully did not take long to make, having some up with the concoction himself. So turning on his heel, he headed down towards the dungeons. Though tempted to go to his private lab, Salazar entered the one that was kept open for the staff. He was sure it was mentioned in one of the books he had skimmed through, so it would not be a stretch to tell Dumbledore he had learned of the room that way if he was asked. He had asked about a potions lab earlier, but could also wave it off about asking for a more private place to brew.
Opening the door to the lab once he reached it, he gave the room a cursory glance as he headed over to grab a cauldron from a spot near the door. Not as good as his own cauldrons, but they would have to do. Luckily, only a standard cauldron was needed in the creation of the potion. Salazar brought the cauldron over to one of the desks and set it up. Once satisfied, he tapped it with his wand. Immediately, it was filled a fourth of the way up by purified water by drawing it from the air.
After creating a small fire beneath the cauldron, Salazar went over to the ingredients cupboard and opened it up. Skimming through the jars, he found himself pleased that at least the previous potions master had been able to keep the ingredients organized. Heading over to the table where he had set up, Salazar then immediately started to prepare ingredients as the water heated. He kept a close eye on the water as he worked so once it was at a temperature just before boiling, Salazar carefully sprinkled in the first powdered ingredient. Stirring it once counterclockwise, he pulled the spoon back out and set it aside before he returned to preparing the rest of the ingredients.
One by one he added the ingredients, instinctively knowing exactly when to go on to the next step. Godric had often teased him, saying that he could have made complex potions in his sleep. It had always irritated, and secretly pleased, Salazar. Breaking out of his thoughts then, Salazar added in the last ingredient before stirring in carefully an exact number of times. He quickly cast an immediate cooling charm while dousing the flame beneath the cauldron to set it. Bottling the potion, he placed three vials into his pouch before downing the fourth one. As he let the concoction work, Salazar leaned forward against the table. He closed his eyes and relaxed slightly, never once losing awareness of his surroundings. Once the pain faded away, he nearly allowed himself a sigh in relief. It was very late now… a good night's rest was in order that would banish the rest of his pain. The brewing process had helped calm him in place of the library.
"Was that to your approval?" He said suddenly though, brushing away thoughts of sleep for a few moments. Lifting his head, Salazar turned his gaze over to the door where Snape had entered some time near the beginning. "I knew you would come as soon as I felt I had tripped the wards you put in place." Salazar commented lightly before starting to clean up his work space. Once done, he turned to look at the other man again. Leaning against the long counter, he was the image of poised grace. "It is a relatively simple potion, but did it meet your approval?" He knew better than to admit to creating it as first off, Snape would likely not believe him.
Snape sneered softly and brushed past before going over to his desk. "It was adequate," he stated making Salazar resist the urge to roll his eyes. It was like conversing with one of his younger years. But he always got through to them in the end. It only took a bit of patience and stress relieving safely away from his students.
Snorting at his thoughts, a human emotion he allowed himself, Salazar pushed away from the counter and moved closer to Snape. "I would like your notes, Master Snape. I will then leave you be and you will not have to deal with me the rest of the night," he offered, going over to the man's desk. Snape tilted his head with a sneer before nearly shoving several notebooks into Salazar's direction. Taking them, the founder raised an eyebrow. "Touchy," he said shortly before turning and heading towards the door. He paused though and looked over his shoulder, a deceptive show of having his back to the man. Salazar was not as vulnerable as he pretended to be. "I am sure that you were a good House Head, Master Snape. And I know that it means your students will have trusted you. Especially since they have no one else to turn to. I would not mind it if they continue to go to you if they need it. I will not break that trust. However, I only ask that you defer to me if it threatens the well-being of any of our students. They are my responsibility after all," he said before slipping out the door and not even waiting for a response. But Snape said nothing else and didn't try to stop his departure.
Finally heading towards the bedroom that he had originally shown to, Salazar entered after speaking the password. He made his way over to the desk to drop off the journals first so he could go over them later. He had plenty of research ahead of him and much digging to do. He needed to see for himself the state of affairs in the wizarding world, beyond the research that he had already started on. He had learned some of the history after he had left, but now he needed to turn to more current affairs. Also, on a separate topic, it would also help if he could obtain some new clothes. That part would be more difficult as he had no money. He might have something of value in his old rooms, but that was if he could get to them later.
Sighing, Salazar pulled of his clothes until he was left only in the loose trousers he had been wearing. Making sure that everything else was neatly put away, he then headed into the adjourning room to wash his face in the sink. Inspecting his scar in the mirror, he then frowned and decided he needed to put more ointment on it. Pulling back then, he looked around for the chamber pot. Not finding one, he called for a house elf. "I order you, house elf, that you may not tell anyone in this castle, by any means, about what I am about to ask you."
Pippy nodded his head nervously, knowing he wouldn't be able to go against the wizard's orders. He was surprised then when the wizard asked him, in a tight and displeased voice, what the functions were of the objects in the bathroom. In a squeaky voice, Pippy hurried to explain what the toilet did and what the shower did. He had a blush on his cheeks, but was curious as to why the wizard didn't know how to use such a basic tool. The house elf knew better than to ask though, so quickly disappeared once the wizard sent him away. Salazar himself was not very happy about asking such things. During his time, no such things had existed. Water to wash was conjured into basins and chamber pots were used that house elves would empty. But he would admit that he enjoyed the remodeling. It certainly made things easier at the very least. Especially the item that the house elf had called a 'toilet'…
Washing up once everything was said and done, Salazar then headed back into the bedroom. Grabbing his wand, he cast a few enchantments and simple wards that would alert him to anything that might happen. He barely had enough magic left without falling to dangerously low levels, but Salazar felt that they were necessary. He was far too paranoid not to cast such spells. But once they were in place, Salazar gratefully sunk into the bed and pulled the covers over his body. Closing his eyes, it didn't take him long to drift off into dreams of stealing golden eggs from dragons and battling against large stone statues.
((End Chapter))
So? How was it? Please take the time to review! Edit: I took out the whole amnesia part for those who remember. I just don't think it flowed right and wasn't Salazar. So… is it any better?
