As soon as the sword appeared in Harry's hand he heard a voice.
My armour lies in the secret Chamber. Harry sheathed the emerald sword. He made his way out of the Great Hall carefully testing the feel of the worn leather against his thigh. He slowly walked to the second floor girls bathroom and peered around the door. Myrtle was moping near her stall.
Harry entered the bathroom and greeted Myrtle. She shrieked at him for not visiting and the commented on the sword and Vulcan. Harry told her how he had acquired them and she looked genuinely impressed. Harry walked to the hidden entrance to the Chamber of Secrets and hissed;
Open
The sink slid away with a deafening screech. He unbuckled the belt and dropped it next to the side of the hole. Harry jumped off the edge, feeling Vulcan's exhilaration as well as his own. Several animal bones crunched as he landed, he shuddered.
"Accio sword!" He called. He caught it just before it hit him on the nose. Buckling it round his waist he looked around for Vulcan. He sighed and climbed through the hole in the rocks.
Vulcan was examining the basilisk skin, in the other side of the antechamber. Harry laughed at the dragon's amusement, much to Vulcan's indignation. He scooped the black hatchling into his arms and carried him to the snake door.
Open! He hissed. The snakes the five snakes that held the door shut moved as the sixth slithered around the edge. The door slid open and Vulcan flew ahead. Harry hurried after him.
The stench of the rotting Basilisk corpse hit Harry like a freight train. He gagged and drew his wand. He cast a quick vanishing spell and took a deep breath. Harry decided that he would clean the Chamber the muggle way because he didn't know any cleaning spells and whilst he was at it he would look for Slytherin's armour. He hung his robes, sweater and tie on a nearby snake and conjured a bucket. Vulcan snuggled up inside one of the snake's mouths and promptly fell asleep. Once the bucket was full with water Harry conjured a scrubbing brush, a bottle of bleach and a pair of rubber gloves. Sighing, he added a capful to the water and pulled the gloves onto his hands. He began the tedious task of scrubbing the floor clean.
=Ten Hours Later=
Harry collapsed in exhaustion, he had gotten halfway down the Chamber and was pleased with himself. He almost immediately fell asleep.
A large stone cauldron stood bubbling in the centre of a cemetery. A surge of white smoke billowed from the fuming basin. Through the smoke the skeletal silhouette of a man could be seen.
"Robe me," said a high ice-cold voice. A rodent like man scurried to the side of the cauldron holding a set of black robes. The skeletal figure snatched them from the awaiting servant and draped them around his emaciated form.
The boy tied to a gravestone looked on in pure horror.
Screams filled Harry's head as he struggled to sit up. When he realised he was the one bawling he tried to quell the sound coming from his mouth. Once he had done that he remembered he was on the stone floor of the Chamber of Secrets. Terror filled him as he realised what the dream meant. Voldemort, the Dark Lord and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, was going to return. Soon, by the look of things. Harry sighed to himself; he wasn't ready, he needed an army and support. Vulcan made a beeline for Harry, snuggling into his lap. Harry smiled. Vulcan would be a formidable match once he was full grown, hell, he'd be a formidable match in a few months.
"What I really need is an army, but how?" The dragon responded by sending a questioning thought. "Maybe I could form one, with students. Right under Dumbledore's nose. Yeah! I know, I'll make it like a proper army, a muggle one, not some shoddy mob the wizarding world thinks is acceptable. I think that armour would be useful too. I'll look for that now and finish cleaning up later." Harry began looking around the Chamber.
Several hours later Harry found a slight fissure in the wall on the right side of the statue. He ran his fingers over the crack and smiled.
Open, he hissed his excitement growing. The wall seemingly slid apart, revealing an alcove of treasures, armour and weapons. Harry looked at the armour, he was unsure of were most of it went.
Who on earth are you, young sir? Harry jumped out of his skin and whirled around. In a small, silver framed painting was Salazar Slytherin.
I am Harry Potter, sir, Slytherin nodded.
How is it you understand this tongue?
Pardon? Oh, are we speaking in the serpent tongue?
It would seem so, young man. Are you of the noble Slytherin House? Harry bit his lip.
No, I am a Gryffindor, however the Sorting Hat did say I would do well in Slytherin. I was permanently put off the House when someone insulted muggleborns. My mother was one, so I take it very personally. Slytherin looked somewhat amused.
Was?
She's dead.
Ah yes one can see how that would be a personal affront. I see you have a hatchling, are you a Rider?
It appears I am.
And did my sword guide you here?
Yes, it did. Oh, and before you ask; I, uh, killed your Basilisk. An evil man was controlling her, making her kill and petrify students.
Ah, I am lucky he never found this. He came close though. If you need instruction I am always here. If you are going to wear the armour you may wish to wear the appropriate padding. Chaffing caused by steal plate armour is not nice. Harry chuckled and looked to where he was pointing. A black, sleeveless, side button tunic was hanging next to a pair of black leather trousers. Harry nodded.
Are you a melee specialist or ranged?
I don't know what that means, sorry.
Melee is close combat; swords and battleaxes. Ranged is bows and arrows.
Ah well, I don't know how to use either.
Merlin's Beard, what do they teach at Hogwarts these days?
Apparently not fencing or archery.
Okay, well, the breastplate goes over your shoulders and buckles on either side. The fingerless glove with the buckles is a bracer, that one is for a right handed person, so it goes on the left hand. The other glove goes on the right hand. Boots, self explanatory. The rerebrace go on the upper arms and if you aren't wearing boots greaves go on the lower legs. The cuisses go on your thighs. Any questions?
No. Thank you for telling me that. I should probably put some of this on and go, I have no idea what the time is.
Good idea, Mister Potter. Harry smiled and changed into the tunic and trousers. He then donned the breastplate, bracer, gauntlet, and boots.
Oh, sorry one more thing; if you are going to wear the boots, wrap your ankles stiffly in linen. Trust me.
Why?
The boots have throwing knives in the sides. If you don't your ankles will be rubbed raw.
Thanks.
Also, take the thigh wand sheath and loop a Poignard in your belt. Harry nodded and quickly added the requested items. The wand sheath is charmed so that only you can remove it, manually or by spell. Harry nodded once more and strapped the sheath to his thigh and stuck his wand through it. He then looped a Poignard, after it being pointed out, through his belt. Two last things; One, you are a Shur'tugal, be proud to be bonded with a dragon. Two, your body will start changing, your ears will become slightly pointed, you will have a more athletic build, and your senses should get a lot better, especially your eyesight. Bye, now. May your sword stay sharp. Harry bowed to the portrait and scurried off.
=Great Hall, Breakfast=
Harry was one of the first in the hall that morning, beaten only by Dumbledore and a few Ravenclaws. He had already finished when his friends arrived. Hermione immediately began lecturing him about disappearing on them.
"I'm sorry, Hermione, I had some things to do. Do you like the armour?" He asked casually. Hermione's jaw dropped. The armour was steel but it was pigmented to a dark green that was almost black and looked quite imposing.
"I'm really not looking forward to Potions this morning. Snape's going to be worse than ever," moaned Ron.
"No doubt about it Ron, but don't be discouraged. I wonder what I should do with Vulcan whilst I am in lessons."
"Maybe Hagrid would like the chance to teach about dragons rather than those awful blast-ended skrewts," said Hermione thoughtfully. Harry nodded and ran out of the Hall.