Edit: As like the previous chapters, I have made some extensive updates. I hope you all enjoy whether this is your first time reading it or not. Tell me what you think!
Okay, so having trouble with translating some things correctly. I'll try to still use translated words occasionally, but I'll write everything in English while making note of what is actually being spoken in another language. Make sense? Oh… and so I was doing some more in depth research and found out that the Founders probably would have spoken Pictish rather than Scottish Gaelic, though they would have known Scottish Gaelic. Oh, my goodness it's all so confusing. Oh, and written language probably would have been Latin. So:
"Old Norse is in italics."
"Pictish is in italics and bolded."
'Scottish Gaelic is bold and is quoted with apostrophes.'
"Written Latin is underlined and in italics."
"Parseltongue is underlined."
'Fawkes speaking is in italics and is quoted with apostrophes.'
If any other languages pop up over the course of the story, I will make note of it as well. I will also post this key at the beginning of following chapters to make it easier to remember.
Disclaimer: Again, I don't own this… Do I need to keep telling you this?
Last Time:
Washing up once everything was said and done, Salazar then headed back into the bedroom. Grabbing his wand, he cast a few enchantments and simple wards that would alert him to anything that might happen. He barely had enough magic left without falling to dangerously low levels, but Salazar felt that they were necessary. He was far too paranoid not to cast such spells. But once they were in place, Salazar gratefully sunk into the bed and pulled the covers over his body. Closing his eyes, it didn't take him long to drift off into dreams of stealing golden eggs from dragons and battling against large stone statues.
Chapter Three
When he woke the next morning, Salazar found a headache pounding away in his skull once more. Irritated that it had returned again, he sat up slowly before absently hissing out a tempus spell. It was still early morning, but he wasn't surprised. He had long become used to waking in the early morning no matter how tired he was the night before. Climbing slowly out of bed then, Salazar grabbed his wand and cast a quick cleaning spell out of habit. He then went to use the adjacent bathroom, still not completely used to the whole contraption. It did have its uses, though. And it was definitely more sanitary than the chamber pots and privy holes he was accustomed to.
Entering into the bedroom once more then, Salazar pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to stave off some of the pain. He was going to need another headache relieving potion… And he had a strong feeling that he was going to need more of them for a while. It likely had to do with how depleted his magical reserves were. He was going to need to refrain from even basic magic for awhile. Which meant paying more attention to what his habits were… and he so tried not to be a man of habit. It was the quickest way to get oneself killed, keeping to habits. Being a wizard he had come to rely on magic and so, realizing this fault, he knew that he would have to work hard to correct it.
Going over to the dresser, he opened up the drawer and pulled out his little bag of potions. Fishing out a headache reliever, he sniffed it to make sure that it was the one he needed – and hadn't been tampered with as even though he had just made it the night before one could not be too careful – before downing it with a grimace. Heading over to the small table in the room then, he sat down and brought Snape's journals closer to him. Salazar opened them up, and spent an estimated two hours immersed in their contents. From the man's writing, he could tell that he was very good at what he did. But Snape was not a professor. Salazar knew well that a professor needed a firm hand when it came to teaching magic to young children, potions most of all because of their volatile potential even if they started out with the most innocent of concoctions. But Snape did not like children, it was obvious from his comments and his teaching style. Snape seemed to be the type that would leave them to their own devices while keeping just enough attention on them to make sure nothing completely disastrous happened. He could imagine that he was going to have a hard time when the school reopened, changing the children's misconceptions about potions. And even the older years were going to need to be brought back to some basics. They were going to adore him for that, Salazar thought sarcastically. But they needed to understand why things worked the way they did. Perhaps he should start with the theory of potion components before they moved on to the actual brewing processes. It would give them a better foundation at least and perhaps help prevent accidents.
"You always lose yourself in your thoughts, Salazar…" A sudden voice hissed, making Salazar roll his eyes. The man didn't speak though, so the voice continued. "Even to the point where you would forget food. Shouldn't you get some breakfast, you silly human?" Salazar finally sighed and pulled off the necklace that was around his throat. With a murmured spell, the chain transformed back into the form of his familiar Eolas. The creature shook himself out before leveling Salazar with a stare as his tongue flickered out to smell the air. "I suppose I will be unable to speak with you while you are here?"The snake spoke with a disinterested air.
Salazar nodded before standing. "Yes… I am sure you heard the conversations before," he said, stretching out his back. "These people are in the middle of the war and are suspicious enough. I would rather not bring their attention further onto me. The current Headmaster is likely to keep a close eye on me."He only felt relatively safe speaking in the room because he had already warded it. Anywhere else and he would be unable to speak to Eolas. With this current Dark Lord as his little brother's heir, he would have been able to speak parsel until his recent disowning. He doubted the ability was seen in a good light. He would need to hide it, and his status as a Dark wizard as he didn't need to be kicked out before he could even attempt to figure out a way home. If he did want to return home… what was left for him anyways? His friends had kicked him out for no good reason and without even hearing his side of the story. But maybe here he could make a difference… return his House to its former glory and figure out the answers to a few other mysteries. He also had seventeen days to prepare for the students' arrival. Salazar figured he could make his decision after he had prepared for his classes.
But breakfast was in order first so he dressed quickly and then left. Eolas slipped out after him and then into the shadows like he had done back in his own time. Knowing that his snake was safe and knew his way around, Salazar then headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Once there, he took his spot quietly and served himself some food. Currently, his main problem was going to be procuring money. If he could slip down to his old chambers, he remembered that he had some gold stashed away that he could collect. Not to mention he had his old books and things. Perhaps he could tell Dumbledore that he was going to leave to retrieve his things… there were ways back into the castle without tipping off the Headmaster. Founder's privilege and all that. He would make plans for something. Especially come up with an excuse for the absence of his luggage when he first arrived. Perhaps he could just secretly retrieve his things and shrink them down into a trunk to put in his pocket. If asked, he could say he always had it with him.
Lifting his goblet to his lips, Salazar paused briefly as he watched a few bubbles rise through the liquid to the top. He frowned briefly before making a show of taking a drink while he only lightly swiped his tongue over the lip of the goblet. There was no foreign taste and no smell… a mild truth serum then. Veritaserum was nearly impossible to detect because it was odourless and tasteless. However, there was a similar potion that was just as hard to detect, but wasn't as powerful. It, however, frequently reacted with other liquids it encountered and so created harmless gas. This was the bubbles in his drink. A less observant man would not have noticed.
Salazar set down his goblet, his mind quickly whirring and running through options as he calmly continued to eat his breakfast. He was broken from his thoughts though when the Headmaster suddenly spoke up. "Did you sleep well the night before, Eolas?" He inquired of the new professor, a warm smile curving his lips.
Salazar turned slightly to face the older man and inclined his head. "I slept well enough. The chambers were adequate," he said lightly before turning back to his food.
Dumbledore wasn't put off by the subtle dismissal and merely continued to smile. "That is splendid! But I have to admit… I am curious," he trailed off for a moment before continuing to speak. "Did you truly have no knowledge of the current war?"
There was silence in the Great Hall for a moment before Salazar turned his head slightly to regard Dumbledore. He knew the potion they had tried to slip him was supposed to prod him to tell the truth. It was nearly impossible to lie while under its influence, but it didn't have the same side effects as Veritaserum. Instead, the potion gave the drugged individual the urge to tell the truth while slightly fogging the mind so the victim wouldn't think anything was out of the norm. The victim would be lead to believe that they wanted to reveal the truth all the while. Salazar figured he could use this to his advantage…
Setting down his utensils, he relaxed back in his chair somewhat. "I truly was unaware. I was raised in a small household. My father was paranoid after my mother's death when I was a child and so tutored me himself. Once I was old enough to study for my mastery, I secluded myself in a small cottage in the fens." He did have an unplottable piece of land there. It had been uninhabitable when he had been thrown out of Hogwarts, but he did still own it. Perhaps he should look into it. "My father had an extensive library that he allowed me access to and I had means to support myself so I could focus on my studies rather than the outside world. I did not even receive papers on current events."
Dumbledore looked pensive. "I am sorry, dear boy, but my curiosity is piqued. What led to your arrival here for asylum?"
Salazar hesitated as if he was fighting against the potion. He sighed then and gave in. "I had a potions accident. I came out uninjured, but my cottage was destroyed in the aftermath. I went to live with my father again. While there, we were attacked. My childhood home was destroyed and my father was killed. His last words to me were that I could find safety here at Hogwarts. I came straight here."
Salazar hoped that he would he released from anymore questions. But he was disappointed when Dumbledore smiled at him and asked another question, "And did you truly find a journal of Salazar Slytherin?"
Salazar stood up slowly and rounded the table. "Yes. I found a chest buried in the fens, Salazar's journal inside it though I did not know it at the time. Upon translating it, I realized that it was the personal journal of the man. It has since been destroyed because of the explosion and resulting magical fire, but you are welcome to ask any questions about it. I may answer them," he told the Headmaster before shifting slightly. "But if you would excuse me, I have a few errands to take care of in preparation for my classes." Dumbledore excused him so Salazar took his leave and he returned to his room to grab his cloak before he walked out of Hogwarts. He needed to figure out why the wards hadn't reacted to him… Hogwarts seemed happy to see him, but the wards had not even budged. He would have thought that his former friends would have used the wards to ban him completely…
As he was leaving, Eolas came up to him. Salazar picked up his familiar and let him wrap around his shoulders. After making sure to illusion the snake so no one could see him, Salazar started off down the road towards Hogsmeade. As he walked, Eolas started hissing softly to him. "That Headmaster is up to something. The others really do not trust you. They want to kick you out. And given that the castle appointed you as Head of your House again and it is such an evil House," there was sarcasm in the snake's tone. "They seem to think that you are an evil wizard. At least, a few of the men seemed to have that opinion. The others were more just concerned about you having any ulterior motives. All of them seemed to agree that Dumbledore shouldn't have let you roam out on your own and needed someone to tail you. Dumbledore just had that damn twinkle in his eye that I know means he's up to something. You saw it too, didn't you?" Salazar inclined his head, but didn't say anything for a moment.
"They didn't give me much information, so why worry? The only thing that really seems to be important is that Malfoy character," he mused out loud to himself in his own language, though he was still quiet. "And I cannot speak to anyone about it…" A small smirk curled over his lips before he glanced down at Eolas. "Ah, pardon me… I was just speaking my thoughts out loud," he spoke, earning a small hiss of amusement for his troubles.
Once in Hogsmeade then, Salazar apparated away. When he arrived, he was standing in the Black Forest that surrounded a good portion of the school. It was much larger and had a heavier air to it than he remembered from his time at the castle before. Shaking it off though, he made his way over to a small cave. Tracing a rune that was carved into the rock, he hissed a small password before watching as the entrance shimmered. Pleased, Salazar stepped inside. Resetting the wards once he was inside, he started to descend the spiral stairs. As he walked, he held out his hand and conjured a small blue flame to light the way.
When the stairs ended, there was a large wooden door that blocked the way. Luckily, the preservation charms were still in affect so it was easy to open once he had traced another rune and whispered the password. Closing the door behind him, he then silently walked the long path. When it ended, he was standing before a solid stone wall. This passageway, one only he knew about, came to an end in his dungeons. He had originally created it in case he needed to sneak his students out safely in case of an attack on the school. Now, he was using it to sneak back into the school so he could go to his old chambers.
Quickly finding the stone that had a small engraving on it, Salazar tapped it with his wand before watching as the stones started to slowly disappear until there was a doorway. Stepping through, he tapped his wand on the side of the archway, he watched it start to close before carefully making his way through the dungeons. He didn't want to set off any unknown wards that the old Head of House might have set up. Eventually, he stopped in front of a small alcove. Slipping inside, he found the small snake engraving before quietly hissing the password. The wall behind him slid open so he slipped inside before the door closed behind him.
Looking around, Salazar relaxed. The preservation charms were working for the most part… there was a good layer of dust, but that could be easily cleaned up. Later of course once his magical reserves were back to full power. It had been bad enough that he had to use a little bit of magic so he could see on his trek through the tunnel, not to mention his apparating. And he was going to have to do it again. At least it was a short distance so didn't use up much power.
Heading over to his wardrobe, he opened up the doors. From what he had observed, wizarding style had changed little over the years. It made him wonder if things had gone stagnant. But putting that aside, it made it easier on him because he wouldn't have to go out and buy new clothing. He could always say his father had had a fondness for traditional clothing. So with that in mind, he changed his garments so he was wearing a black tunic and breeches while he slipped a dark green robe over the top. Pulling on his boots then, he turned to look at himself in a mirror. Perfect… Salazar then started packing clothes into a special bottomless bag that Rowena had given him long ago. He tried not to think about that fact.
Once he had his clothes inside, he started packing away his books and a few other personal items. Putting the pack over his shoulder then, Salazar grabbed a small bag of coins. There was more than it appeared to be in the bag with a few nifty charms, but he knew the money wouldn't likely last him for long. He was going to have to look into a source of income, other than the salary he would receive as a professor of course. If he was going to stay in this time, he would need to eventually build himself a proper home on his land. He had not lied exactly when he said that there had been a potions accident at his cottage in the fens. He would need money for other things as well and a professor's salary would not be enough to start from scratch.
Once he was satisfied, Salazar left the way he came. And when he was back in the castle through the front doors, he walked to his new room. He would likely be transferred closer to the Slytherin Common room at some point, so he didn't bother to unpack completely. Instead, he called for a house elf to bring him some writing materials before he started working on material for his upcoming classes. He started out first by comparing Snape's journals to the ones he had brought from his own room. Then based on what he learned, he drew up some quizzes to give the students on their first day of classes with him. From what he could tell already, they were a bit behind where he would prefer them to be at. His standard for his students was much higher back home.
Eolas had slithered off sometime in the beginning, but now he came back and curled up on top of Salazar's papers. The man was not pleased and he reached out to remove the snake, but his familiar snapped at him. "You silly human… do I have to be your babysitter, telling you when to eat? If you don't hurry, you will miss lunch."
Salazar glared at the snake before standing up. "I was just leaving, I will have you know, before you decided to interrupt me anyways." He then turned and tucked his wand into its holster on his wrist. With a flare of his robes then, he marched out of the room and headed towards the Great Hall. His temper was short… a side effect of low reserves, no doubt. Sighing, Salazar rubbed his face before composing himself and continuing towards the Great Hall. Once there, he took his spot and started on his lunch while ignoring the glares and distrustful looks that he was receiving from the others.
But after a short time, the man next to him turned and held out his hand. "My name is Blaise Zabini," he said. "I heard that you are the new Head of Slytherin House. It was my old House when I was a student," he revealed, something that peaked Salazar's interest. Everyone else so far, besides the former Head of Slytherin House, seemed to be prejudiced against Slytherin House. Perhaps he could get more private information from the young man since he doubted that Snape would speak to him. The man was rather bitter after all as he had taken both his job as potion professor and position as Head of House. Perhaps it was understandable, but it still made it difficult to interact with the man.
Salazar glanced over before taking the man's hand. "Eolas Evans," he responded as he studied the dark skinned man. He appeared to be a few years younger than him. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He pulled his hand back before turning back to his meal. Once he was done, he stood up. "If you are not busy, Master Zabini, would you mind accompanying me to the Slytherin Common room? I have a few questions that I am sure you could give me the answers too," he said with a polite smile.
Zabini seemed to regard him for a moment, turning over his proposal in his head. Finally, the man stood up with a nod of his head. "I will take you up on that offer. I do not have anything to do until later in the afternoon," he said before making his way around the table after Salazar. Said man didn't miss the sudden twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes and he had to suppress a sigh. Dumbledore probably thought it would be the best way to gain information from him… by getting it through Zabini. Somehow, Salazar doubted the Headmaster would get anything he wanted. He could only hope that his Slytherins had taken his words to heart and continued to do so.
((Page Break))
Standing outside the entrance to the Slytherin Common room, Salazar was pleased to find that the entrance had not changed at all. There were no filthy, nosy portraits to have to deal with. Stroking the rune that was etched into the blank wall, he then spoke the current password that had been provided by Hogwarts, "Pureblood." He was going to have to change that as soon as possible.
"How did you know how to get in?" Zabini's curious voice spoke from behind him as he made his way into the common room.
Salazar looked around before heading over to the couches. Sitting down, he relaxed back. Things had changed somewhat, but the general layout of the room was still as it was. There was still the view into the Lake. He had always loved this feature for his Slytherins. It had taken a lot of work to figure out, but he had immensely enjoyed the results. He knew his Slytherins did as well. He rather hoped his new rooms would have a view as well. He was going to have to be rid of those silly paintings, though. Probably Dumbledore's idea for a spy into the Snake's Den. Snorting, Salazar shook his head before looking over to Zabini. "Privilege of being Head of House," he said with a smirk glancing around him again. "You decided to come with me… why?" He asked bluntly then, not looking at his companion. He had an air of disinterest about him.
"I will admit that I am curious. It is not a very Slytherin thing to admit to, but you are the Head of House. I may not trust you, but I do not completely distrust you. Hogwarts had to have had a good reason to pick you as the new Head of House. I want to figure out why, if I may be so blunt," was Zabini's calm reply.
Salazar couldn't help but chuckle. "You are a Slytherin, you say?" He mused, thinking about how Rowena would have probably liked the young man. But at that thought, Salazar quickly sobered up before inclining his head. "There is nothing wrong about being curious," he said then. "It is how you go about learning about your curiosity that proves yourself." Salazar was quiet then before he stood up to wander about the common room some, taking in the differences and the similarities from his time. "I cannot be the only one asking questions… a fair trade. Information for information?" He glanced over to Zabini. "Payment for asking questions of you."
Zabini regarded him for a moment before leaning back and shrugging his shoulders in an almost careless motion. "Alright," he said before pausing, as if searching for the question he wanted to ask. Finally, he tilted his head slightly and spoke. "You said that you had found, and translated, Salazar Slytherin's journal. What was the man like?" He had a disinterested, almost bored, look on his face. Salazar however spotted the brief flash of eagerness that went through the young man's dark eyes.
In response, Salazar chuckled before moving over to the nearest fireplace. He ran his fingers over the smooth stone before answering. "He was a complicated man," he said at last. He wasn't quite sure what he wanted to say. He had been expecting a question like this at some point, but not quite so soon. Sighing softly, he shook his head. "He kept to himself at times, but he always tried to help his students. Especially the Slytherins… I don't know how the Slytherin students are seen now, but in Salazar's time it was the home for those who had no other place. Of course, he enjoyed other traits, but his House contained many students who could turn to no one else." Salazar smiled faintly, thinking back on his students. If there was one thing he regretted, it was leaving them behind. "He taught them to fend for themselves."
Turning slightly then, he looked at Zabini with an expression that in no way gave away the betrayal he was still feeling. "Which brings me to my next question… How are the Slytherin students seen? What are they like? I have an idea of how Hogwarts used to be because of Salazar's journal, but I know very little of the more modern school." He moved back to his seat after eyeing a painting with distaste. They were not going to be staying in his common room
"It is the opinion of the wizarding world at large that Slytherins are all budding Dark Witches and Wizards," Zabini spoke softly. "Not that I personally would say that it is a bad thing, but it is the general opinion that Dark Witches and Wizards are evil. Of course… some of it has a grain of truth when you count the Dark Lord and his followers, but it doesn't hold true for all," Zabini was looking at Salazar with a thinly veiled look of challenge, but Salazar only inclined his head as he waited for the young man to continue. Zabini did after a moment. "Most Slytherins come from Pureblood families so they have had Pureblood prejudice drilled into their heads for most of their lives. Coupled with the fact that they have no one to turn to…" Zabini shook his head, trailing off. He was only speaking this freely because he was speaking with the new Head of Slytherin House. He deserved to know and the information wasn't personal anyhow.
But the response of the dark haired man on the couch across from him had his eyes widening slightly. "Salazar would be disappointed in his students if he knew," he spoke quietly, keeping the disappointment out of his voice. "I learned quite a bit by reading his journal… and I am determined to reshape Slytherin House into something he would be proud of. The children deserve it," Salazar spoke seriously. If he could get Zabini on his side, he could have information that he needed to be able to turn his House around. Not to mention that it would give him a sort of ally against the others. As far as he knew, Zabini and Snape were the only former Slytherins currently in Hogwarts. There was no way that he was going to speak to Snape for the moment as the man very obviously loathed him, so for now he would have to seek Zabini as his possible ally. Of course, he would have to be careful with what he gave away.
((Page Break))
"My name is Hermione Granger," a hand suddenly appeared in his line of vision, blocking his view of the book he had been reading. Looking up at the one who had interrupted him, he took in the determined posture that the young woman had taken. A Gryffindor, he was sure… "I am the Defense against the Dark Arts professor," she told him next, still holding her hand out.
Not quite understanding the significance of her out stretched hand, Salazar leaned back in his chair. "You know who I am by now, I assume," he spoke mildly. "Is there something you needed me for?" He had been going over potion discoveries of the recent years, building on what he already knew. A few books and journals were open in front of him as he sat at one of the tables in the library.
Hermione flushed slightly when the man didn't take her hand. She pulled it back a little awkwardly before surging forward again, not seeming to be defeated. "You are going to be a new professor, so I thought it would be best if we could be on good terms," she said. "Perhaps we could compare teaching styles? I was a student underneath Snape's tutelage when he was the Potion's professor. I was curious to how you would do things," she told him eagerly but Salazar only gave her a disinterested look.
"You are welcome to sit in on one of my classes if you are that curious, Miss Granger. But unlike you, I only have a few more days to prepare before the children arrive. I have my duties as Head of House, and I need to prepare the material that I will be going over with the students. So, if you do not mind, I would appreciate it if you would leave me to my work," Salazar spoke as calmly as he could, his words spoken lightly. Then suddenly, he had the sudden unexplainable feeling that the tables had been turned. It was an odd feeling and one that he couldn't explain at all. Dismissing it for now, he looked back down at the books laid out before him. Distantly, Salazar heard the young woman leave with a small sniff and something about being as unapproachable as Snape. It caused a small smile to pull at his lips.
But it wasn't but a moment later before a voice was cutting through his thoughts once more. "You know… if you continue to act like that, you are never going to make any friends with the rest of the teachers," the soft voice spoke from near the library doors. Looking up, Salazar spotted an older man. He had a small smile on his lips as he approached. "I apologize for the interruption. I'll be leaving today so I wanted to introduce myself to you. I am Remus Lupin. I was a previous professor here," he said before holding his hand out to Salazar to shake.
Once more, Salazar ignored the outstretched hand. Instead, he regarded the man in front of him and took in the various scars that littered the man's face. Struck by the sudden image of a full moon, Salazar rubbed at his forehead without disrupting his bangs. Another damn headache was developing… and it was getting ridiculous. He would get these strange flashes and feelings every so often, but only with certain individuals. It was starting to irritate him more than a little. He was going to need to add it to his list of things to research, though he had no idea where to start. "It is a pleasure… but if you wouldn't mind, I would like to be left alone." He never was known for really caring about another's feelings. Although Godric had always liked to point out that he really was secretly soft at heart.
((Flashback))
Rubbing his temples, Salazar let out a sigh. He was startled out of his thoughts though when a sudden voice spoke up. How he hadn't noticed the wards tripping, he didn't know. Looking up, he spotted Godric leaning against the door frame with a smirk on his face. Salazar scowled and turned his head away. "What?" He snapped, rubbing at his temples again.
Chuckling deeply, Godric moved further into the room and then leaned against one of the desks. "It's not often one is able to sneak up on the almighty Salazar Slytherin," he said before laughing as Salazar snapped at him by telling him to shut his mouth. "Sorry, my friend. It is just too good to pass up! But as I was saying when I came in… I heard you made one of your students cry. Adrian Black, no less." He smirked slightly. "What did the poor boy do this time?"
Growling when he realized quickly that Godric wasn't just going to walk away, Salazar pinched the bridge of his nose. "Master Black had not done his homework for the third time in the past two weeks. I had some words him," he said before stiffening at the smirk on Godric's face. The expression just did not suit his friend's face.
"You are such soft hearted when it comes to your students, Salazar," the man said with a broad grin then. He ignored the look of disbelief and sputtering that Salazar had started. The man was questioning his sanity, wondering just how Godric thought that making his students cry was being soft on them. Chuckling, Godric lean forward as he spoke. "You wouldn't take so much time to work with them and set them straight if you didn't care for them, Sal. You just have your own way of showing it." Godric appeared smug as Salazar continued to look at the man in disbelief.
Finally, Salazar sighed and stood up. "Just because I care for them, doesn't mean I am soft," he said at last, ignoring Godric's triumphant look.
((End ridiculously short Flashback))
"Are you alright, Mr. Evans?" Lupin's voice cut through his thoughts, abruptly pulling him back from the memory that he had started to drift off into. Salazar nodded his head before standing up. He gathered his things then before shrinking them so they would be easier to carry. After two days of rest and keeping to himself, he was feeling much better.
Turning to look at Lupin then, he gave the man a brief smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I apologize. I was lost in thought for a moment. Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to head to my chambers. Have a good day," he dismissed the man before leaving, missing the strange look on the werewolf's face as he breathed in Salazar's scent. There was something familiar about it…
Unaware of the strange look that had been directed towards his back, Salazar continued on to his quarters. After having been appointed as Potion's professor and becoming the Head of Slytherin House, he had received hew chambers. Snape had kept his old chambers, so the castle had created new ones for him with the help of some house elves. Through the doors to his rooms, the front chamber doubled as a study and a sitting room. There were shelves and a desk on one side of the room and a fireplace with a couch on the other side. Past a door was his bedroom with an adjacent bathroom. Once he had moved in, Salazar had retrieved all of his scrolls and books. He had little other personal affects littering the room in various places.
Unshrinking the materials he had brought with him from the library, Salazar put them on his desk before heading back out again. He made his way to his old chambers and carefully slunk inside. In the past two days, he had taken a few short trips down to his secret chamber so he could finish harvesting the potion ingredients from his lost Basilisk. Once he had every usable part, he had careful disposed of the carcass while pondering if it would be worth it to try raising another one. That had been yesterday. Today, he took some time to make some repairs. Especially getting rid of that damn statue… Tom Riddle's work, he presumed. The man had apparently flaunted his Slytherin heritage and Salazar was comfortable in assuming that the state his chamber was in was because of the male.
His first task was the statue. Salazar used cutting spells to remove portions of rock and then banished them. It was a long process but he eventually revealed the original wall. Salazar then moved on to other tasks to bring his Chamber back to its former glory, even if it had only been partly finished the last time he had been in here.
Once he was done, and fixing the preservations spells that had been failing, Salazar had felt satisfaction. The first chamber was warmer now and better lit. The stone was dry and there weren't puddles of water everywhere. The pools of water on the sides of the chamber were still there, but they weren't so dark anymore. And the water was clean now as he had cleaned some grates and opened up the blockage so the water could move freely. It had taken time since much of the spellwork in the chamber had become damaged. Salazar was under the impression it was because he had not finished the construction of the chamber when he left and the Tom Riddle individual had been tampering with it.
Now, he was more concerned about the chambers behind the stone wall that had previously been decorated by the hideous statue. He had been growing a few potions ingredients, several of the plants being dangerous ones that he hadn't wanted to grow in the gardens with the rest of the plants. He also had a small potions lab that he used for the most dangerous of his experiments. He thought it would be best to experiment deeper underground than just the dungeons. It would better absorb any accidents that might happen. There was also another chamber that had housed his baby basilisk. Giving the size that it had grown to, he was sure that the snake den would be a complete disaster. But after having fixed the spells on the main chamber, he wasn't ready to tackle it just yet.
So after a few hours, Salazar left the secret chamber and exited carefully. He was going to have to create a second exit. One that was closer to his rooms and not anywhere near the current entrance. After all, he couldn't be seen leaving a girl's bathroom, even if it wasn't used anymore given the spirit that he had sent away long before. Snorting at the thought of the ghost, he closed the entrance before carefully heading out of the bathroom.
Making his way down to the first floor through some side passages, Salazar then started making his way through the hallways towards the Front Hall. He was intending on going outside for some fresh air. After spending time in his secret chambers, he always went outside for the fresh air and open sky. As he was walking, he could suddenly feeling a building pressure in his mind. Placing his hand against his head, Salazar gave a small groan before leaning heavily against the wall beside him. Quick flashes of a red haired boy and a frizzy haired girl ran through his mind, going too quick to really latch onto. He also saw something about a troll in the first floor girl's bathroom. But there had never been a troll in the castle before… nothing so dangerous or stupid had ever gotten in before. It confused him and he didn't understand what he was seeing. He wasn't a seer, so they shouldn't be visions. But they couldn't be flashes of his past… he recognized Hogwarts' halls. These events never took place… and if they did, they wouldn't have been within Hogwarts. Something wasn't right…
Straightening once it passed – whatever it was – Salazar pinched the bridge of his nose. He was going to need to keep a supply of headache reliever on hand. Or figure out what was wrong with him because he didn't want to have to rely on the pain potion. Perhaps something had happened when he had been transported to the future? A side effect of the magic explosion, perhaps? He was going to have to do some research… and digging into his memories to list out every single spell that had been used in the duel. Perhaps it would give him an answer on how to get home, if he did choose to take that route in the end.
Feeling a little better, Salazar continued on his trek to the Front Hall, grateful that no one had seen his moment of weakness. There were not even any portraits to spy on him. He would not have been responsible for his actions if something like that had happened. If he had control over the castle… he would destroy the bloody things. Or send them somewhere else where he wouldn't have to deal with them in his school.
Suppressing a growl as he opened up the front doors, Salazar then made his way across the grounds before eventually coming to a stop at the edge of the lake. The Slytherin common room had the most remarkable view of the depths of the lake – a feat that had taken a hefty amount of time and spellwork so it would never fail and flood the dungeons – but it was always nice to see the lake from ground level rather than below. But of course… the land had changed after nearly a thousand years. It wasn't quite how he remembered it, but it was close enough that he could feel the same feeling of calmness that he always sought out at that spot. He could almost imagine Godric appearing to be with him like he used to…
((Flashback))
"Helga giving you a hard time again?" A deep voice whispered in his ear while strong arms wrapped around his waist. Salazar knew immediately who the other was and relaxed back into the embrace. The two of them were not lovers, but they were very close so Salazar did not mind the contact. It was comforting to know that he had such a good friend at his side.
"She is," he said softly as he looked out over the scenery in front of him. "I just want her to understand… It is not that I hate mundanes and mundane born children, but that I hate the beliefs they come from. Of course, some seem genuinely pleased for their children, but those are far and few between. You understand the most, Godric. You are the only other one who really seems to understand," he said with a sigh, missing the suddenly pained look on his friends' face. "I want to do something about it. Perhaps we could set up a new system. Or as much as I hate to say it… maybe we need to limit the number of mundane born children we take in until we can figure out the problem."
Salazar paused then before shaking his head. "No, that would be a stupid solution. It would not stop their accidental magic. They would be even worse off. I suppose I am just tired of having to hear the abuse my Slytherins go through when they are with their parents. But Hogwarts is their only home… I cannot take that away from them. I want to help them, but I do not know what else I can do. I am doing all I can for the moment, but I am only treating the aftereffects. It does nothing to solve the actual problem," Salazar was musing out loud, but he felt no fear in speaking his mind in front of Godric. But once he was done speaking, he noticed that his friend was unnaturally quiet. Shifting slightly, he looked up at Godric and frowned at him. "What is it?" He asked then.
Godric suddenly seemed to snap out of whatever had come over him. Looking down at Salazar, he grinned then. "It is nothing. I am sorry if I worried you, Sal. I just had something on my mind. Do not worry though, my friend. We will find a solution to your problem," he said confidently, making Salazar smile with a fond sort of exasperation.
Shaking his head, Salazar pulled out of his friend's embrace before straightening his robes. "I suppose I should go speak with Helga again. I know she hates it when we fight," he said with a small shake of his head. But before he really had a chance to do anything else, his brother suddenly appeared. Cayden came up to him before sparing a brief glance over to Godric. Salazar smiled before wrapping an arm around Cayden's shoulders. "How are you, my brother?" He greeted Cayden before absently waving goodbye to Godric.
Salazar led Cayden up towards the castle. "How does it feel to be out in the world? Have you found a master to take you in yet? Pity you didn't show an aptitude for potions," he teased his brother, happy to see him again. It had been only a short time since Cayden's graduation, but he had already begun to miss him so this visit was nice. He had missed Cayden's company.
"I wanted to speak to you, Salazar," Cayden began before quickly looking around. "I know that you want to change things, do something about the mundane born." There was a sudden strange light in the young man's eyes that set Salazar immediately on edge. "I have something in mind, and I want your help," he stepped closer to Salazar. The light was stronger now, his adoration for his brother strong in his expression. "I have already begun…"
((End Flashback))
Salazar quickly pulled out of his thoughts and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was supposed to come out here so he could clear his mind and relax, not fall into a painful memory. It was the day he had found out about Cayden's plans to eradicate the mundanes. The young man had suddenly started spewing out his hatred for the mundane, a mad glint in his eyes. Salazar had tried to coax him out of it… but it was too late and the young man had escaped. It wasn't too long after that that he was exiled from Hogwarts.
Why… would his friends exile him for some such excuse as teaching the children Dark Arts? He had explained his reasoning to the other three. He knew they weren't overly thrilled with the magic, but he had sworn that he would take every precaution so the children would not be swayed by the temptations. He had explained they needed to know the Dark Arts to better understand the Defense of them. Instead of just making him promise not to teach it anymore… they had kicked him out. It wasn't like them at all. But in his anger and his hurt, he had left without another word. Should he have stayed? No, he needed to stop Cayden. Maybe he would have gone back once the young man was… stopped, but he would never know now.
Salazar rubbed his face. He still blamed himself for not catching the hidden hatred that had been in Cayden. He should have figured it out before the young man came to tell him himself, having already started his work. And the war… he wondered if it ended shortly after his defeat of Cayden. Perhaps he could search for the information, but he doubted the information would be wholly accurate having been so long ago. He already knew that history had forgotten his brother and attributed Cayden's actions to himself instead.
Turning away, Salazar headed away from the lake and back towards the castle. Was there any place that would not bring back memories? He doubted it, figuring he would be plagued by the past forever. He doubted he would return home ever again. This new Hogwarts was going to have to become his home. Even if he could find a way back, he doubted that it would be such a good idea. For one… he would be sorely tempted to fix whatever had gone wrong with his House. His meddling would only cause an extreme paradox, likely to completely destroy the entire chain of time and events. No… he didn't think he was ever going to be able to return home. He would make a new home here. Perhaps there was a reason that magic had sent him here.
((Page Break))
Over the next few days, Salazar mostly kept to himself. He spent some time with Zabini, but mostly he spent time alone to work. He had a lot of work to catch up on so he was ready for the new year. He was able to adapt some of his old work, but there was a lot of material that he had to change because these were students he didn't know. He also had to prepare for the work he would have being the Head of House to students he did not know and did not know, or trust, him.
But as he worked, he did keep tabs on what was going on. Eolas would spy for him at times, other times he would do his own spying. He had kept track of the comings and goings of the Order of the Phoenix, though he still had very little actual information about the inner workings of the war. He knew what the newspaper had written about, but he took it all with a grain of salt. The Voldemort character had ceased activity for a span of three days before suddenly picking up steam once more. There were raids and other tales in the newspaper, furthering proving Salazar's dislike for the former Slytherin descendent. Also, there was no information on a resistance. He watched as presumed Order members would leave and then come back, many injured. Sometimes, a few wouldn't come back. But never once did their efforts appear in the newspaper. Salazar was under the impression that the newspaper was likely under Death Eater control. What a perfect way to scare and dishearten the masses.
When he had first arrived, Salazar had hoped that he would have been able to stay out of the war. But as he learned more about the current events, he knew that it was going to be impossible. For the moment though, he was content where he was. If it came down to it, he would help protect the students. He was sure he knew things about the wards that no one else knew because they had been long forgotten. Hogwarts was the safest place to be, there was no doubt about that. But if he was going to protect Hogwarts, he needed to know more about the war. Unfortunately, not many were willing to talk to him. They were put off by him and didn't trust him.
Shaking his head briefly, Salazar sat down at the table and then gathered some food for himself. The first day of classes would start soon, so he understood that the students would soon be arriving. If he remembered correctly, they were going to take something called a train. At least it seemed to be much more reliable than how students had to get to Hogwarts before in his time.
"Professor Evans," Dumbledore's voice cut through his thoughts and Salazar turned slightly to the Headmaster, inclining his head to show the man that he had his attention. Dumbledore smiled before absently tucking his beard into his belt so it wouldn't get in the way. It gave Salazar the impression that the man was planning something. "Given the state that the wizarding world is in, I believe it is best if we could give the students as much protection as we can. Several Aurors and Order members will be present on the train to help guard it on the trip. I would like to insist that you go with to help protect the students."
Salazar was left speechless as a few of the gathered professors and Order members began to protest the choice. Dumbledore merely smiled and turned to his food. Salazar scowled briefly before standing up. He would go down to the kitchens to finish his meal, if he had to. "I suppose I must accept your proposal, Headmaster." He then turned and headed out of the Great Hall. Something told him that Dumbledore was going to continue to insist on these scenarios. He supposed it was the man's way of learning about his position and potential. It wasn't going to make it any less irritating, of course.
Turning his head slightly as someone came up to him, Salazar relaxed somewhat as he recognized Zabini. The young man was easy to talk to, though he was a few years younger than he was. He was a former Slytherin student, so it gave them some common ground. It also helped that the young man was willing to get to know him, though both used a healthy dose of caution as was only fitting. "Wanted to talk, Zabini?" He questioned, making the other man chuckle and shake his head.
"I suppose. Want to head down to the kitchens to eat with me? The others are still protesting and trying to get Dumbledore to change his mind," he snorted softly before smiling briefly as Salazar nodded his head in acceptance. Once in the kitchens and receiving food from the over eager house elves, Zabini glanced over to Salazar. "I'm going to be on the train as well," he offered.
Chewing a bite of food slowly, Salazar then swallowed before looking over to Zabini. "You are a former Slytherin student. And from what I have learned, many of them have been swayed to the Dark Lord's forces." He suppressed the thought of Cayden, his brother having taken on the title of a Dark Lord in his time. "Even the spy before he came back to offer his assistance. May I ask a personal question, and inquire as to why you are so openly against the Dark Lord?"
"My family has always been neutral," Zabini offered with a shrug. "And I do not believe in pureblood supremacy. Of course, I am not overly fond of muggleborns, but that is only because of some of their ideas that they bring in. Fresh ideas and new blood are needed, but not if the ideas are pushing out important magical customs." He watched Salazar closely, but nonchalantly, as he spoke.
Salazar merely chuckled and nodded his head. "I agree. Now if I can get my students to understand such a thing," he spoke lightly before eating more of his food. He wanted to ask more about the Order of the Phoenix, but he wasn't going to push it just yet. Instead, he focused on what they were going to have to do to protect the students on the train. "The students will arrive on September 1st, yes? Where is the train, when will it leave, and what are we supposed to do?" He asked, sipping at his pumpkin juice.
Nodding in acceptance at the change of subject, Zabini told Salazar that the train was in London at King's Cross Station and would be leaving at precisely 11 o'clock. They would have to be there a few hours early before the gates opened to allow the students in. They would then patrol the cars during the trip to make sure that the students were safe and nothing happened. There would be other adults in the protection detail that would be flying alongside the train on broomsticks under illusion spells. Zabini went over a few more details before promising to meet up with Salazar at Hogwarts.
As they parted, Salazar was called away then to go to a staff meeting. Dumbledore gave them last minute announcements before the students would arrive within the next few days and told them who the prefects were. Salazar did not know any of them like the other professors did, but said nothing. He would find out who they were soon enough.
As they were sitting there, a sudden burst of flame caught their attention. Salazar immediately stiffened and reached for his wand, but noted that the others seemed to be used to it as they didn't move and instead shot Salazar looks of smug amusement. He wasn't able to reply however as he spotted what had caused the disturbance. It was a bright red and gold phoenix that had his eyes widening. It wasn't in awe, however, but in recognition. He didn't say anything, but he would recognize Godric's familiar anywhere. The creature barely spared him a glance, but Salazar could understand why. Phoenixes were highly intelligent creatures. He knew that the creature would be hunting him down in private at some point though. Perhaps he would be able to get some answers from Fawkes.
As he watched the creature, he watched at it handed a scroll over to Dumbledore. "He's Dumbledore's familiar," a professor whispered from next to him. "Also why Albus' Order is called the way it is, I'm sure." The man woman chuckled before pulling back. Salazar didn't say anything, only inspecting the creature with a dull throb of pain. It brought back memories of when Godric had first stumbled across the young Phoenix and had saved him.
Rubbing his chest, Salazar quickly pushed back the memory that threatened to overtake him as Dumbledore read the letter over with a frown. He then stood up. "I apologize, but I am going to have to bring this meeting to an end. I have other matters that need to be taken care of." The Headmaster left then, members of the Order leaving behind him. The rest of the professors then gathered up their materials before slowly trickling out of the staff room, leaving Salazar alone. Well then… he had a school year to prepare for and students to think about.
((End Chapter))
Probably still a little skippy like… sorry! Not many are willing to interact with Salazar right now. I hope this chapter was otherwise worth the wait, though! Next chapter will be the train ride and Salazar will get to meet the students, mwhahahaha!
