Disclaimer: HP belongs to JKR

Note: I changed the welsh to English and am using /.../ to signify another language is being used. This is so you readers can understand what is being said and also because it should really be some form of Gealic (if I am being historically accurate).

Chapter 2: Wonderland

It was cold, and I was breathing hard. My hands were bruised and scratched up from my angry hammering against the walls. My cries had echoed with abandon as I slammed my fists again into the floor and against the imposing statue of Slytherin. I could not think beyond the pain of losing my magic, and wanting to declare war on wizarding Britain.

Death would be a mercy when I had finished with them.

Now though, I was tired. My anger had turned to sorrow, and I was back to being pathetic and weak again. And why, oh why, had I designed to abuse hard stone walls with my very easily broken skin. I sat my self down in a nice little corner of the chamber, far away from the decaying carcass of the basilisk I had killed in my second year. Merlin, I had been so young. I shivered, leaning against the wall, wondering how long I had until people started missing me.

Then again, what did it matter? The only people that might still care for me are either dead or powerless to change anything. Hermione might have been able to figure out a way to get rid of the metal band, but I knew that she would take Dumbledore's side over mine, especially after being victim to my accidental spurts of uncontrollable magic. She was still recovering from the burns on the soles of her feet, and every time I so much as looked at her, she flinched as if I might hurt her on purpose. Now she had taken to scolding me as if I could stop myself from creating havoc, like she understood, like she was some bloody saint for suffering my friendship.

So maybe I was a little bitter about it.

I no longer needed any of my school things or personal affects. What I owned was of little or no value to me now. I could leave with what I had me, and find a homeless shelter in London or something. It could work out. It had to. The Ministry could go bugger it self. If Dumbledore thought that making me a squib would keep me here, he was mistaken. I could not live in this world anymore. I would rather die than be powerless and at the mercy of the ministry that had betrayed my trust so many times before. At least in the muggle world, I could disappear. I could hide. In the early morning, I would make a run for it.

My eyes felt very heavy all of the sudden and I figured I must have spent more energy than I thought on trying to beat the wall into submission. Damn wall. Yawning, I shifted into a semi-comfortable position, as comfortable as stone can be, and removed my glasses. I half-heartedly hoped I might get a decent rest without being interrupted by nightmares, though somehow I knew fate loved to toy with me. My eyes shut onto dark oblivion.

XXXXX

"Enervate,"

My eyes flashed open, and I found myself tied up in a very uncomfortable position with two blurry wizards that looked to be a little younger than my self standing over me with wands brandished threateningly.

/Who are you?/ I looked up at the boy utterly confused. What the hell? /Where did you come from? How did you get in here?/

"I don't understand." I said weakly. What was going on now? And why was I tied up? I was stiff and my hands were sore and bruised not to mention the lovely aching red burn that was chafing under the ropes and silver band around my wrist. The two boys quietly conversed with each other in their strange language, and I watched their expressions trying desperately to figure out this situation.

One had light hair, longish, cut short to just past his chin, he wore dark clothes, but that was all I could make out. The other had brown colored hair, tied back with a piece of ribbon or string, also wearing dark clothes. They seemed to be debating something, like which of them would have to do some unpleasant task, like taking me to Dumbledore or what ever they had in store, then suddenly the argument paused and I saw a flash of coin. There was a clang of metal on stone, the coin spinning, and finally rattling to rest upon the floor. Blondie cheered as the darker haired boy sulked and began to walk further into the chamber. I continued to watch the boy disappear behind a passage I had never noticed before, but my head was forcefully turned to face the blond boy's.

/I'm so lucky, what a pretty face!/ he said, smiling and tracing my face with one hand, while holding it still with the other. I tried to jerk away, but his grip tightened, and his lips curled into a dazzling smile. He was bigger than me, and stronger than me, and he had a wand, and although that would not have necessarily stopped me, I was currently unable to move because of the ropes.

I was fed up with being a captive.

"Let go, you sick disgusting pillock! Piss off!" I hissed, glaring at the boy angrily. But he laughed and mussed up my hair. "Merlin if I could just cast one-," I yelped, wincing in pain as the band around my wrist grew hot. "bloody hell!" I grit my teeth and sucked in a breath of air. The boy's teasing expression turned thoughtful and he let go of me only to ask what I suppose must be the equivalent to 'what's wrong?' but I couldn't be certain.

Then I was suddenly yanked to my feet and swiftly removed from my bonds. I struggled to remain upright and stilled when I felt a wand pressed uncomfortably to my throat. There was no way to dodge that one.

A different man began interrogating me immediately, asking several things I'm sure, all at once, forcing me back into the wall.

/Tell me your name,/ the cold voice hissed, very menacingly I might add, in my ear. It took all I had to breathe in and out, I was so scared. I had no magic to defend myself, and I didn't understand what the hell this new man was saying. I shook my head and closed my eyes. I did not want to see this man, the owner of that terrifyingly angry voice.

"Please, I don't," I gulped for air, "I don't understand. Doesn't anyone speak bloody English?"

/What is your name?/ He asked again in a different sounding language, and even as I began to hyperventilate, this time I thought I might have understood him.

"My name?" I asked, uncertain, but of course he didn't seem to understand me. I could barely stand, and the wall I had tried to abuse earlier was half-supporting me, I almost felt bad about it.

"Mai Neim?" He asked skeptically. Oh. No, no, no. I shook my head slowly raised my hand to make a gesture. The man instantly grabbed it though and thrust it painfully back into the wall. I startled, and yelped again.

"Harry." I said breathily, I dared not open my eyes I was so terrified of this man, and there was nothing I could do without my magic. I was in no position to overpower him, and I was smaller physically.

"Harry?" He repeated. I nodded affirmative.

"Harry Potter." Merlin I was trembling so hard, I though I might pass out. The man asked me several other things, but I didn't catch a wit of it. At least he no longer seemed so horrifyingly angry. The grip on my shoulder had lessened, and the wand at my throat no longer dug into my skin. He eventually gave up questioning me and ushered me forward towards the exit, wand now jabbing into my back. The two boys following close behind us, chatting, probably speculating how long I hade left to live.

'I require a stair.' The man said aloud. I stopped, incredulous, thinking that he must think it was so fucking hilarious that he knew English all along and had just been toying with me. Then before me appeared a staircase of spiraling stone, black and polished obsidian. And I realized that it was not English that he spoke, but Parseltongue.

"You're a Parselmouth!" I accused and whirled around to face him. It was impossible. I was the only one left. Voldemort had been the last blood of Slytherin, the last Parselmouth other than my self. His wand sparked against my chest and I flinched. I closed my eyes and pictured a snake, and imagined the man I was speaking to was a serpent of some sort.

'I can understand you this way.' I hissed quietly, then opened my eyes, and actually looked at the man before me for the first time. He was taller than me, with thin wavy dark hair, almost black as mine, but much longer so that it fell easily past his shoulders. His eyes were a dark and deep green, not at all like mine. No, this man's eyes were fathomless, and frighteningly intense. He had strong facial features, high cheekbones, and thin lips. He was looking at me as if I had just embraced a Malfoy, or something of equal impossibility.

'You speak?' I nodded. 'How is that possible?'

'I'm not quite sure my self.' I shrugged and looked away. The two boys behind the man were whispering together, probably thinking I was some sort of dark lord. But judging by their grins, it wasn't serious.

'Well, now I know how you got in here, at least. Who are you and what are you doing here?'

'I- I already told you my name, and I was just… I needed to get away from…' I could feel tears tracking down my face now, and I tried to brush them away, feeling a bit ashamed. 'He didn't even warn me, just took it, without even asking.'

'Who took what?'

'The headmaster took my magic!' I let my knees give out and slumped to the floor to bury my face in my hands. It really had been ridiculously easy for Dumbledore to trick me. I didn't even… There was nothing I could do now but mourn. Abruptly, my wrist was snatched up and I jumped, clearly surprised. The man studied the bracelet on my wrist intently.

'I cannot remove this at present, but Lady Raven might be able to help. Now who is your master that bound you?'

'Not my master.' I shook my head,'He's the school master. Surely you must have heard of him. He's the Headmaster at this school.' Then the man began to laugh, and never had I heard such a wonderful sound, though I'm certain I would have enjoyed it better had it not been at my expense.

'What nonsense do you speak? There is not one headmaster. There are four. What lying comes from your mouth?' he raised an eyebrow and knelt down next to me.

'But I haven't-,'I began but he held a hand to my lips and I quieted immediately.

'I think you are confused,'

'Yes! Very!' I hissed desperately, furiously. His hand stayed where it was and I found myself flushing, wanting to lick my lips, but too frightened to draw away. I grew redder still when the hand moved to lift my chin.

'It would seem you are a time traveler.' His smile was almost embittered, 'I am one of the four founders of this school. Welcome to my school of witchcraft and wizardry.'

"Salazar Slytherin!" I exclaimed. "Oh this is just bloody brilliant! You can't be! You're dead! Like one thousand years dead!" I stood up and backed away from him. I watched him nod uncertainly, and realized that no one could understand me.'I can't believe that! You died a long, long time ago! And you don't even look like him! That statue in the chamber-,'

'-is my great grandfather.'

'You must be lying.' Denial was the only sane thing I could hold onto, because suddenly I felt like my name was Alice and I had just stumbled upon wonderland.