AN - Hey look an update, I don't believe it. And I had a review, thank you Flutterby Princess.

Salazar Confounded

Salazar Slytherin was confused, and it wasn't a state he had ever enjoyed. He just didn't have enough information to form a proper plan, and now he was being taken who knew where in the company of Gryffindors of all people.

He knew about the Gryffindors, they were powerful and wealthy, but they kept themselves to themselves, mostly limiting themselves to the Somerset area. He had never expected to fall into their company and had mostly ignored them, a mistake that he was only now regretting.

He simply didn't have enough information and it annoyed him. He prided himself on always knowing more than those he encountered, and if he didn't he would bluff it.

But…

Taking on someone else's page wasn't done lightly, yet the elder Gryffindor had decided so quickly and it seemed that Salazar had no choice in the matter.

He couldn't believe old Aloysius had actually let him go! The old goat had never (to Salazar's knowledge) let anything go. What's more was that Aloysius hadn't wanted to let Salazar go, Salazar knew that much; he could read Aloysius easily, and the old guy had wanted to refuse.

Why hadn't he? Why was Salazar now part of the Gryffindor household? Were the Gryffindors so powerful that Aloysius couldn't refuse? Or was it just the elder Gryffindor?

Salazar couldn't read him, and he had a feeling that this old guy wouldn't be fooled by any act; he was watching Salazar too closely. Salazar had expected to be watched while he saddled the mare, expected to be watched as he rode (and was slightly ashamed that his seat was painful still from the last beating).

He didn't expect his every move to be watched for hours on end. What was worse was that he couldn't catch the old codger watching him. He just knew someone was.

At least the younger Gryffindor was easy to read. Godric seemed clueless at best, and something in his stance told Salazar that he was resigned to his fate.

It made Salazar want to rebel.

How was he going to get out of being a knight now? Pretending to be dishonest hadn't worked; it had just gotten him more beatings. Being useless at sword work had seemed to be working.

His plan had been so simple. Annoy Aloysius until the old guy refused to knight him on principle. It had been working, and the beatings were worth it if it meant that he wouldn't have to become a knight, he had other plans that didn't involve dying in battle.

He would have to test the waters first, and he was meant to be Godric's page, not Lord Gryffindor's. Who was still watching him!

Salazar's stomach rumbled, reminding him that he had missed breakfast because some little Lordling couldn't keep his mouth shut.

Stupid Gryffindor.

Salazar dug into his pack, nearly unseating himself. (Now that would have caused him to go up in flames from embarrassment.) He was right, there was some travel bread. He chewed on it, it wasn't prefect, being burnt on one end, but it was food. Figured, the cook had never liked him, always pronouncing that one day he would come to an evil end.

Ha! Salazar would show him. He would show them all, he would be greater than Merlin, Talisman and Circe all rolled into one.

And he was still being watched!

Think of something else… anything else. He had to stop soon. There's more interesting things than me, right?

Then the questioning began. Godric had ridden ahead, and it seemed that Lord Gryffindor had waited for this to happen.

"Count Aloysius said your wand work is good."

"Yes Sir?" Salazar said, aiming for caution.

"Can you create light with your wand?"

"Yes Sir."

"Can you change the colour of this light?"

"…Sometimes Sir." Salazar tried not to wince away; some of his reaction must have transferred to his mount for she tried to dance away. The time spent calming her made Salazar feel even more nervous. Lord Gryffindor was waiting for him.

"To which colours?" The questioning continued as through nothing had happened.

"Green, blue and orange. Sometimes I can manage red." Salazar replied, waiting for the sneer that would have flowed onto his father's face. Nothing came, except more questions.

On and on, could he form illusions, could he move objects, how far and in what direction, could he move living objects, could he bring fire, could he change the nature of a object, what defences did he have, what offences. It went on and on, until Salazar was answering mostly "No Sir."

At that point Godric decided to show his face again, with the products of his hunt. Six little bunnies all in a row. Salazar had to wonder how he had managed to find six rabbits along a heavily hunted road.

The first hint of jealousy was born.

Salazar was sent off to find firewood while Godric gutted their meal, and Lord Gryffindor set up their camp place.

When Salazar returned he set up the wood in the circle of stones made ready for it. He had to make several trips before Godric was satisfied they had enough to last through the night.

Stupid Lordling, didn't he know they would never need that amount of wood? It wasn't like it got that cold during the evening; it wasn't even true winter yet.

Then Lord Gryffindor began to question him about his sword work. Godric wasn't impressed. After the first snort that covered a laugh Salazar decided to ignore him, he wasn't the master here.

That must have been why Godric managed to get the fire burning so merrily before Salazar had a chance to see what he had done. Salazar felt annoyed with himself at this; he couldn't afford to miss such a valuable spell.

Then came the real work. The hated, the nasty, the inevitable; sword practice.

Godric obliviously didn't expect much of a challenge out of a weedy little eleven year old. But Lord Gryffindor didn't pull out the wooden blades, he drew the blunted blades. Real weapons. They could kill.

Godric could kill him.

"You should be good enough at this point boy that you can handle metal." Godric informed him with a smirk, did his fear show through so clearly? Or was Godric just guessing?

Block, clang, block, ouch! Salazar's blade went flying.

"Get the blade quickly boy." Godric ordered him; Salazar took his time, not on propose but because the blade had tangled itself in a bush.

The assault came again, and again. Salazar didn't even try to attack, he just tried to keep away from the blade, and protect himself with his own. He lost count of the number of times his sword went flying, and the first embers of resentment began to burn.

Then Lord Godric announced, "Time to eat." The rabbits were done, and Salazar was exhausted, his arms shook and he couldn't remember a time where he wished his arms would fall off just so they would stop complaining.

He dropped the blade.

Godric glared at him with all the fury of a rampant lion. "Never, ever drop you weapon."

Salazar trembled, expecting the blow. When it didn't come he darted downwards and picked up the blade of a thousand tonnes. His face felt like it was about to caught fire.

"Don't shout at the child Godric." Lord Gryffindor reprimanded his son.

"I'm sorry father." Godric said, but when his eyes turned back to Salazar they said a different story. How dare you embarrass me in front of my father?

Salazar's face stilled burned but this time with fury and hate.

I will win. I'll be better than you, and defeat you, and you'll never dare to look at me that way again.

Salazar fell asleep planning how to overcome Godric Gryffindor.

AN - Okay, I know I changed the style but I didn't think Salazar would spend much time reflecting on the past, and updates will still be random. I do have a plan, and the plot bunnies are multiplying, hopefully I won't run out of carrots.