Preface Part One- Slytherin's Tale
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I give you one side of the ancient story, the side that people will swear their lives on because to them, it as the ultimate truth of the matter. Can you see the truth in this tale?
III
Salazar Slytherin glided down the gleaming hallways of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with a smile on his young face. He was barely thirty and time had yet to show its mark on his strong body. His green eyes had been known to sparkle happily and there was always a smile ready to leap onto his face. Slytherin had a certain twitch to the corners of his lips and an arch of his eyebrows that suggested that he was always laughing.
He was smiling now as he looked around at the newly built school. It was their highest achievement. Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and himself had created the school themselves using spells and magic to move the gigantic blocks of stone from the quarry to the school. They had dug out huge twisting tunnels underneath the foundation of the school and had charmed every square inch themselves.
Godric Gryffindor had thought up the idea of putting together a school where they could teach children how to perform magic. Slytherin had to admit that it was a brilliant idea. After all, most parents were far too busy trying to make a living to take time to teach their children more than rudimentary magic. In fact, most of those parents did not even know more than hearth magic themselves. With their new school, all future witches and wizards would know all of the magic that the four of them could cram into the children's small heads. It would be a great achievement for wizarding kind.
The first students to ever be taught at the school were due to arrive within the hour. Slytherin smiled wider and walked upstairs to the first floor. A large set of dormitories was situated here and he had been given the task of watching over whoever chose to sleep there.
He walked in and smiled wider. Since he had been given authority over these rooms, he had chosen to decorate them in his favorite colors. Dark green was the prevalent color though his second favorite color, black, could be seen in abundance as well. If the students did not like his choice in the color scheme, they could sleep in one of the other three dormitories.
Gryffindor had chosen one of the huge towers to build his set of dormitories in. His love of flying had factored into that choice. Hufflepuff had situated her dormitories on the ground floor near the kitchens. She loved to eat so had decided to sleep as close to food as she could. Ravenclaw had placed her dormitories near the library. That had been unsurprising, especially since most of her personal collection of books had gone into their library. She was very protective of her precious books. The school was created with all of their ideals and dreams plastered into every stone.
He looked around the dormitory one last time before trotting off down the huge and extremely expensive marble staircase to wait with the other four founders for their new students to arrive.
Twenty students, all males, walked in a nervous group through the huge oak front doors. They were the only ones who had been willing to leave their homes and families to come to the school and learn. They would miss harvesting season and planting season, the times that their families needed them the most, but would be able to go home with new skills that would better their families lives in the long run. It was a pity that so few had felt that they could be spared from their homes for a few years of teaching.
They greeted their new students with smiles and slowly the nervous children began to relax. The students were led into the Great Hall where all of their newfound confidence immediately melted into puddles at their feet. The bright sun and the blue sky shone over their heads even though a ceiling could just barely be seen arching over their heads.
Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff had pooled their magic and had created the huge spell that encompassed the entire ceiling of the biggest room in the entire castle. The spell made the ceiling reflect the sky outside. Since it was now a bright sunny day late in the growing season, the ceiling had the sun shining in all of its glory and the blue sky peaked out behind a few sparse, wispy clouds.
The new students were astounded when they realized that magic, the magic they had come to the school to learn, could create the wonder that was over their heads. They finally began to realize that maybe learning magic could be a wondrous thing.
There were four small round tables set up in the middle of the grand room. The room had been built so large for future generations. It was expected that in the future there would be enough students to fill the entire space.
"Listen well children, for where you sit now will forever be your home in these halls. Those you sit next to shall become your closest friends and those with whom you share your meal with tonight shall become your family." Gryffindor was standing in front of the new students, addressing them with all of his noble heart. "I warn you not to make this decision lightly. If there is fighting among your family you will be the ones to deal with the problem. I am Godric Gryffindor and this is my table. If you sit with me tonight you will sleep in a tower." He pointed to the table in front of him with a smile.
"I am Rowena Ravenclaw," Ravenclaw smiled down at the children tenderly. "I must warn you that if you sit with me you will be forced to hear about the many books I read. My dormitories are closest to the library."
"I am Helga Hufflepuff," she smiled and her plump cheeks dimpled. "My dormitories are near the kitchens. I am more than willing to teach any of you stout men how to cook!"
And last, Slytherin stood and smiled. "I demand loyalty before all else. If you sit down at my table I expect that you will become closer than family with everyone in your dormitory."
All of the founders smiled brightly and waited for the students to make their final decision. Slowly, the first one, a small boy with mouse brown hair and a thin face chose to sit with Ravenclaw. This seemed to break the dam on the children's indecision. They all began to take seats at whatever table they fancied most.
Slytherin was left with four of the twenty boys. He smiled at them. "Welcome to Slytherin dormitories. Look at the other faces at this table and memorize them. This is your family now. We do not care about your family back home. As long as you live within Hogwarts walls, these are the only people who you are allowed to call brother." The house elves sent food up from the kitchens below using a new spell that Rowena had created so talk was stopped as everyone began to eat the large feast set out before them.
A pale, blond haired boy spoke up first. "Hello, my name is Dion Malfoy." He said with a small shaky smile.
"Claudio Zabini," a large black haired, dark skinned boy grunted with a wide eager smile.
"I am Aegeon Parkinson," a brown haired boy shrugged. "I do not know if I will be allowed to stay here for the full year because my family needs me for planting but until then I will be an asset to our house."
Next a small, shy, red haired boy spoke up. "Kertos Weasley." He blushed bright red al the way to the tips of his ears but smiled gamely.
Thus, the first house of Slytherin was formed.
Years went by and more students came to the school to learn. There were even some girls who were willing to risk their reputation and the fact that they might not be allowed to make good marriages if they attended Hogwarts. Fortunately, there were more marriages created at Hogwarts then social outcasts. It soon became tradition to send the eldest son and daughter to the school to learn magic for their families.
Fifteen years passed in harmony. The school was perfect and students were always ready to learn all of the magic the four founders were willing to teach. The four original Slytherins came back to the school to help teach. Claudio Zabini brought his new wife, Aemilia Black to live with him in Hogwarts. Everything was peaceful and happy. At least, that is how it seemed.
Inside of the castle, jealousy was brewing. Gryffindor house was having problems. The students could never seem to get along with each other. They were always fighting about petty matters. Gryffindor did not know what to do to help calm his house down. Instead he watched as Slytherin house became close and friendly. He had noticed how the original members had returned because they loved their house so much.
Why was his house not able to become a family? If Slytherin could manage it, then so could Gryffindor. He would just have to try harder to promote unity among his students.
Another two years passed and many members of Gryffindor house had come to blows. Gryffindor had come to the drastic conclusion that his house needed an enemy. They needed someone who they could hate and in their mutual hatred learn to get along enough to destroy what they so despised. Slytherin with his perfect family needed to pay for the humiliation Gryffindor felt. His students were going to be the best. They were going to be the leaders of this school.
Rumors started with the twenty-one Gryffindors. Soon, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw had heard the news as well. Slytherin was teaching his students dark magics. They wanted to control the school and force every one else to bow to their wishes.
Slytherins were creating spells of death and torture that they would use to control the entire wizarding world.
Over the next year the constant smile on Slytherin's aging face began to fade. His students were not dabbling in the dark arts. He did not know much dark magic himself, how could he be teaching his children such magic?
Then Gryffindor found out about an experiment the house was conducting miles below the school. They had hatched a Basilisk in order to research any possible healing qualities the snake possessed. Slytherin himself controlled the snake with his rare ability of Parsletongue. New rumors began to fly around the school.
The Slytherins were planning on killing every one. They were breeding horrible monsters bent on the destruction of the school.
Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw houses became enraged. They wanted to expel all of the dirty Slytherins at once. Salazar Slytherin had to stop teaching them at once. Tensions rose over the next two years until a Gryffindor by the name of Potter attacked Fenton Malfoy, son of the original, Dion. Blood was shed and the rest of their houses banded together behind them, Potter versus Malfoy. Potter to destroy the scheming Slytherins and Malfoy to defend the injustice against his house.
In the end, no one won that first fight but the four original Slytherins left the castle in disgust. Had the unity of the school fallen apart so badly? Sadly, yes it had. Gryffindor waged war against Slytherin with such strong fury that Slytherin melted against their attack.
A little over a year after the first fight, Slytherin himself was sent from the school. Gryffindor was the one to close the huge front doors, once so welcoming, behind Slytherin.
Over the summer things began to change in Hogwarts.
Gryffindor surveyed his work with pride. The area that had once been the Slytherin dormitories was now a primitive privy. He had installed wooden pipes and bathroom stalls into the room.
He looked around the room and scowled. There was still that huge hole in the floor where the Slytherins had built a shaft down below the school where they could research that awful snake.
With a smile and a wave of his wand the hole disappeared. A washbasin that magically cleaned the water in it replaced the hole. Now there was a secret chamber underneath the school. Gryffindor's smile grew. "The Chamber of Secrets, a horrible place that Slytherin created where all of his dark magic and dangerous ideas were spawned." With another smile he waved his wand and etched a small snake into the side of the basin.
Humming a little tune to himself, Gryffindor waltzed down into the cold and wet dungeons where the new Slytherin house would be located. He wanted that family of Slytherins to suffer.
School started again and all of the Slytherins returned. Even the descendents of the original four Slytherins dared to attend the school.
The first night back, all of the Slytherins, old and new, assembled in their new common room. They began to whisper and complain about how unfair and wrong their treatment was. Slytherin had created their dormitory and now it was a bathroom! It was wrong.
"Listen here!" A strong voice called into the milling, angry crowd. Draconis Malfoy, grandson of Dion Malfoy was standing on an old rickety chair, attempting to get his family's attention. "We are a family! We will work together against all odds. Slytherin house will hold together. We know magic. We can place spells on our home to stop the water and keep out the cold. We can buy our own decorations in Slytherin green and black. This is our home and the home of our future generations. We will make this the best place in Hogwarts. Those Gryffindors will pay for what they have done to us. We will continue what the great Slytherin wanted. Loyalty to our house above all. One day the great teachings of trust, loyalty, family, and love that Slytherin bestowed upon this house will be brought back to all of the other houses. Until that day, we, as Slytherins, will hold together as a family."
A great cheer rose from the dungeons, startling the aging Gryffindor out of a nap. A soft tap on the door woke him further. He opened the door to his suit of rooms with a snap, scaring the small red headed first year standing on the other side.
Ronaldus Weasley had taken one quick look at the Slytherin dungeons and had bolted upstairs to have a talk with the great Gryffindor. Even though his great grandfather, Kertos Weasley, had been a loyal Slytherin, the death of his own father from the plague when he was very young had erased any ties the young boy held with Slytherin house. After arriving at the school, a huge hulking boy with the last name Goyle and found him and took him to the Slytherin table grunting, "Weasley's should sit with their house."
That is when he learned that all of the other Weasleys before him had been loyal Slytherins. He did not know what their loyalty was. His friends back on the farm in Ottery St. Catchpole had told him all about Slytherin loyalty. He knew about how the Slytherins wanted to kill people and how they were mean to everyone they met.
No, Ronaldus Weasley did not want to be a Slytherin. Instead he had gone to the great Gryffindor for advice. All he had heard about Gryffindor was great things. He had been the one to oust Slytherin from his terror streak.
Gryffindor smiled kindly down on the small child in his doorway. "You wish to become a Gryffindor, young Weasley?" He asked with a triumphant smile. The boy nodded as he was swept away to the tower.
III
This is the story passed down year to year in the Slytherin dungeons. This is the truth that Voldemort and his Death Eaters swear their lives by. It may be the truth, it may be the lie. That is for you to decide.
The version of the truth or the lie that Dumbledore believes will have to wait 'til next we meet.
For now please child, find your bed for some well earned sleep.
