Diagon Alley
Salazar walked down Diagon Alley, the black viper, Seraphina, wrapped around his forearm. After she had followed him around as he got ready for his trip into the Alley, he had offered her to become his familiar, since he had regretfully killed his last one, and she had been able to shrink herself so she could hide, since now wasn't the time to be walking around with a large snake around his shoulders.
Magical Viper, he had found out. Extremely poisonous.
He walked into the Apothecary, buying all of the potions ingredients that he needed. He made sure not to move too much because of his wounds, but they still reminded him they were there with every movement he made.
As much had he would have loved to go back to his manor to start brewing the potion he needed, he had to get a few other things in the Alley, as well as his school stuff, since he probably wasn't going to bother to come back. Besides, it was easier to just get the stuff now, since he was here anyway. And before he had really thought of what had happened the night before.
His final stop, after picking up everything else he needed was Flourish and Blotts. Madam Malkin's had been necessary, since he needed an entirely new wardrobe. He was not going to continue wearing Dudley's old hand-me-downs. He had decided to forgo Gringotts, he would deal with looking at his old vault later, when he wasn't in so much pain.
Inside the bookstore, after getting his school books, Salazar grabbed books on potions, spells, and history. He wanted to catch up on everything that he had missed in the last thousand years, and books would help more than his teachers at Hogwarts could.
Finally, everything he needed was paid for, shrunken, and in his pockets. He walked back to the Leaky Cauldron, and Apparated back to his manor.
-S-
How could had this happen? He hadn't thought that remembering a past life was even possible. Why would he be any different? Not that he was complaining, necessarily. He now knew that his supposed 'heir' really wasn't even one of his descendants. He had never had kids.
It was also slightly ironic, but perhaps showed his devotion for his lover, that Gryffindor's Golden Boy was the reincarnated Serpent Lord.
He had to wonder if he was the only one to have this happen to. Were the others reborn as well? Would he get his wish to see his lover again? He hoped so, he would love to see them all again. Maybe they could take their school back from the corrupt and selfish Headmaster that had taken over.
Salazar grinned to himself. Yes, he would look forward to that. Why would he have been reincarnated and the others wouldn't have? He looked at the vial in his hand, full of the potion he had just finished. Perfect.
He downed the potion, then went over to sit in a chair, stroking Seraphina, who had returned to full size and had coiled up in his lap. He wondered where Godric was. Who was he in this life? It wouldn't have surprised him if he had practically switched places with him, since Salazar seemed to have acted pretty Gryffindorish as Harry Potter, at least he had acted that way since he was in that house, even though the hat had wanted to put him his own house.
If they had switched places, who was Godric? One person came to mind, that looked almost exactly like him at the age they were now, but it couldn't be him … could it? But … they didn't get along! If the person he thought of was Godric Gryffindor, how come they didn't get along? Or maybe … maybe it was just because he had been confused when they met, and had had no friends before Ron and Hagrid, and hadn't wanted to lose them.
Salazar sighed. He wouldn't know for sure why they hadn't gotten along for the past five years, but in a month, he would know if this person really was his lover reincarnated. And he would see if he could find the girls too. But, he would only get the chance to start looking when he got on the train to go back to Hogwarts.
For now, he would just plan how to get revenge on his stupid muggle relatives.
-S-
Albus Dumbledore sat in his office, going over his plans. Harry was getting a little bit out of control. He would have to bring him back under control. He couldn't afford for the boy to start asking questions. He would also have to get his trio to forgive each other. Hermione and Ron would be easy, all he would have to do would be to tell them to continue being friends with Harry, and they would do it.
Harry would be a little harder. He had been rather angry the last time they had talked, but he was sure it was nothing that he couldn't fix. Perhaps he had only been in shock by seeing his godfather get killed. They hadn't been close, but Harry was so compassionate that perhaps he needed some time to come to terms with it.
Today was his birthday, so as a birthday present, to also help get him under control, he would take Harry out of his relative's house and take him to the Borrow to get reacquainted with his friends.
Using the floo, he contacted Severus, telling him to come to his office, then walked back to sit back behind his desk. When the dark man stepped through, Albus smiled at him, making sure that his eyes were twinkling.
"Severus, my boy, I'm afraid I need to ask a favor of you."
"What do you want, now, Albus?"
"I need you to go get Harry from his relatives' and take him to the Borrow. He deserves to spend time with his friends, especially after what happened."
Severus sighed. He didn't want to see Potter at all, and now he had to see him before school had even started. He didn't want to see him pampered by his relatives, but he supposed that there was nothing he could do about it, there was no arguing with Albus.
"Are you sure that I am the best person to do this, Albus?" Well, he still had a mask to keep up.
"You are the only one free, Severus. Minerva is still making sure all of the muggleborns are all informed and ready to come this year, and all of the other professors are still getting ready for the new school year, and they don't know Harry as well, anyway. So, yes, you are the best person to do this, Severus."
Severus sighed. "Yes, sir." With that, he flooed back to his rooms to get ready to face the brat.
-S-
Severus appeared in front of 4 Privet Drive, sneering at the sameness and muggleness of the houses. He walked up to his destination, and knocked on the door. A few minutes later, a horse-like woman opened the door, but almost immediately tried to shut it again. Severus put his hand on the door before she could.
"Hello, Tuney."
"YOU! Get out of here! We don't want your kind here."
He sneered. "My kind will be out of your hair as soon as you give me Harry Potter."
"He's not here, now go away!" She tried to shut the door again, but Severus pushed it back open, glaring at her.
"What do you mean, 'he's not here'?"
"He ran away last night, ungrateful brat! Vernon was only giving him what he deserved, and he decided to repay our kindness by disappearing! And good reddens, I say. Why we ever let him stay here is beyond me." This time, when she went to shut the door, Severus was too stunned to stop her.
What did that mean, 'giving him what he deserved'? It seemed that his opinion of Potter's home life was a bit off base. And now, the brat wasn't even here to prove him wrong. With a sinking feeling, Severus Apparated back to Hogwarts to tell Albus what he had found.
