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: As much as I would love to… I don't own this. But I don't own this. Just the plot line…

Last time:

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.

Chapter Four

'Somehow, I knew I would find you here, Salazar Slytherin,' a deep voice suddenly echoed in his head. Salazar barely blinked, but looked up to see Fawkes across from him while perched on the back of a chair. After the staff meeting had ended, Salazar had left to go to the library. He had summoned his journals and notes, going over them carefully again. He had seven different years he had to teach and each one needed a different approach. First years he already knew what he would do, taking much of it from his previous years of teaching back in his own time period. His second through fifth years would all need quizzes that he had to write out, while the sixth and seventh year advanced students would need a specialized quiz as well.

He had been working on a quiz that he would give out to both his sixth and seventh year classes when he was interrupted by a certain scarlet and gold phoenix. "Somehow, I knew that you would come and find me," he shot back as he looked back down to the journal in his lap. He had known that Fawkes would come find him eventually. Part of him wanted to know what had become of his former friends and the phoenix would be the only one who knew. But another, and larger, part of him was still reeling from the betrayal of the only people he had really trusted. Fawkes was Godric's familiar… he almost wondered why the creature hadn't attacked him yet. "I thought that phoenixes did not like dark wizards," Salazar spoke almost bitterly, his emerald green eyes darkening even further.

'But you are not strictly a dark wizard are you, Salazar Slytherin?' The phoenix responded as it preened its feathers, making Salazar scowl. 'Besides… you know as well as I do that dark magic does not make a wizard evil. It is the intent in which the magic is used. Of course, there is a fine line if one does not take care to watch how they tread, but we both know that you have never stepped so much as a single toe over that line. You are a survivor, not a cold blooded murderer.'

Salazar turned his head away, an unreadable look on his face. He was just glad that he had taken time to set up privacy spells beforehand. It had kept others away so he could prepare in private and now kept anyone from knowing his conversation with Fawkes. Of course the bloody phoenix could get through them, but he did not have to worry too much about what was said. He did take care to keep his voice low and make sure no one approached, though. "And why did you not try to tell your master that?" He sneered, knowing that Fawkes would know what he was talking about.

The creature suddenly gave a mournful trill. 'I was going through a burning phase, Salazar Slytherin. When I had grown enough to realize what had happened, you were already gone. Godric sent me after you to try to find you, but you had already disappeared.'

Lifting his head again, Salazar gave the phoenix a disbelieving look. "Sent you after me? Why would he do such a thing? They banished me!" He said heatedly, the pain too great to hide from his expressive eyes. "Did he want to drive the knife deeper into my soul? Is that why he wanted you to find me? He was too late then and perhaps it was not such a bad thing that I ended up here," he scowled before standing up and gathering his things with jerky movements.

'Salazar Slytherin!' Fawkes voice was sharp, making Salazar cringe as the voice echoed about in his head. 'You will do well to listen to what I have to say! Instead of prattling on about what you do not know about, you will instead listen to me! Do you understand me, you foolish wizard?' Fawkes had puffed himself up and he was shining brightly. It made Salazar's head hurt to watch so he turned his head away. 'Godric was…' Fawkes started speaking but was cut off when one of the professors entered the library. 'I will speak with you later,'Fawkes said finally before disappearing.

Dropping the privacy spells with a growl, Salazar swept past the confused professor as he started the trek back to his rooms. He didn't feel like working anymore. Maybe it was time he went to the Room of Requirement. It was a special little room that he and Godric had dreamed up one day. Ingenious really… and will a little help from Rowena, it had been set into existence. Of course… Rowena never really knew what they two of them had been doing. Salazar smiled wryly at the thought as he set his journals down on the table.

((Fourth Flashback))

Godric slumped into the seat next to Salazar. Looking over to the man, the green eyes wizard raised a delicate eyebrow. "What has got you into a mood this time, Godric?" He asked in amusement before smirking slightly at the glare that was thrown his way. Salazar's amusement only grew as Godric's glare slowly turned into a petulant pout.

"That damn woman will not let me practice my sword play out on the grounds anymore! She is citing bad influence and… can you believe that?" He exploded at the end, throwing his hands into the air. Godric did not look pleased at all, angry and just a little bit indignant.

Salazar still looked extremely amused. "You know Rowena does not like you using the school grounds to practice. I believe she told me that it was a distraction. I am inclined to agree what with all of the girls that tend to gather around you when they could be doing more productive things," Salazar teased. "Helga will back her up as well, so I am afraid that you do not have much choice, Godric."

Looking at his friend with a scowl now, Godric crossed his arms over his chest. "Oh? Did you know that she has forbidden us to spar on the school grounds as well?" He said bitterly, though a glimmer of amusement sparked in his eyes at the gob smacked look on Salazar's face.

"What? She cannot do that! We take every precaution so that…!" Salazar trailed off before giving Godric an icy glare when he noticed the smug look on the man's face. "You wipe that look off of your face, Gryffindor, or I am not going to help you with this predicament!" He threatened his friend, immediately feeling pleased when Godric sobered up. If it was one thing Godric enjoyed, it was swinging his sword around. Salazar could understand the notion, though he much preferred his knives. It was something recent he had picked up, but he supposed he wasn't going to be able to get much practice in now that Rowena was forbidding them from dueling each other. "Bad influence indeed," he muttered under his breath. "It is all in good fun!"

Salazar sighed then and set aside his book. "So then, Godric… how do you suppose that we go about this?" He asked, a small smirk forming on his lips. "If Rowena catches us, she will have our hides. But we cannot just very well go along with this, can we?" Godric threw him a smirk in return. Salazar liked to think that his deviousness rubbed off on his friend.

"Well, I would not suggest using an empty classroom. Remember the last time we tried that?" He asked with a grimace. He didn't think the house elves had forgiven them for that mess even now. "We need a room that is large enough to move freely in. Maybe even something to absorb wayward spells?" Godric mused out loud.

Suddenly, Salazar perked up and his eyes seemed to sparkle with eagerness. Standing up, he hurried over to a bookshelf. He grabbed down a scroll before bringing it over to Godric. "Look here! I was doing some light reading the other day and I came upon this. It mentions a pocket dimension. It is the same type of idea that some wizards use for tents. Remember that one man we ran into one day during our travels? The inside of his tent was almost like a small castle, though it was contained in this small tarp that looked like it would only house one person."

Pointing to the inscription on the page, Salazar set it down before hurrying off to grab a book of bound parchment. "What if we used the same type of enchantment in one of the rooms here? It will be large enough for our sparring and we could even tweak the spell to add in other things. Like the spell absorption that you mentioned."

Godric watched his friend in fond amusement. While Salazar could close up and keep to himself, being almost cold, when they were in a sociable setting, it never ceased to amaze him how excited the other man could be when he latched onto a subject he found interesting. Salazar was his closest friend… and he cherished the trust that the man showed him. "Perfect," he said, interrupting his friend's chatter. "It will be our little secret."

((End Flashback))

And it had been. Godric and he had spent countless weeks researching everything they could to create the web of spells that eventually gave rise to the Room of Requirement. There were a few times that they had needed Rowena's help with how a spell might interact with the runes they used to anchor it all, but as she was prone to conversations and debates about anything it was easy enough to slip it in without any suspicion. Salazar knew that Godric had been proud of himself, though he had never ceased to pretend to complain that he was becoming another 'slimy Slytherin'. Salazar had gotten him back with a few choice curses for those ones, though he knew his friend was only teasing him.

Pushing the painful memories aside, Salazar made his way up to the seventh floor. He kept to the secret passages before finally making his way to the special room. At least this hallway was generally devoid of paintings. Could he ever say just how much he despised the things? He wouldn't be surprised if they numbered in the thousands! Entire walls were covered with the damned things, each occupant gossiping and being a general nuisance. But he knew his constant mental complaining wasn't going to do anything about it, so he stepped up to the blank patch of wall.

Placing his hand against the cold stone, Salazar closed his eyes and concentrated. He needed a room in which he could spar, get his frustration out. His magic was nearly back to normal levels, so he felt safe enough to do this. Focusing on the room he needed, he whispered a short password. There was another way to get into the room, but this was the quickest. Not to mention it was the best way to slip into the room when Rowena was out for blood. He couldn't even begin to count how many times Godric and he had hidden out in the room after some thing or another had gotten out of hand.

And here… he would be hiding again, this time from his memories. As always, Salazar did not give any outward sign of his inner turmoil or thoughts. It was only in private that he could let everything out. So with a muttered spell, the door behind him was sealed. Summoning his precious knives, two long bladed beauties, Salazar had commanded the room to provide him with opponents. As commanded, rock golems rose from the ground. Salazar was just glad that his knives were spelled to be unbreakable and would cut through even stone. They were double sided, giving him better range.

So surrounded by stone golems that were provided by this special room, Salazar was able to work out the frustrations that had been building inside of him. Originally he had planned on using magic, but this ended up being purely physical. Sometimes it was good to forget about magic. He knew that many wizards were dependent on their wands, their spells. He had seen the evidence in the past, but more so now. The wizarding world had changed so much since his time… and yet, it was very much the same.

((Page Break))

"Ready to go babysit some obnoxious children not ready for the new school year, Evans?" Zabini smirked at Salazar, making the man glare at him. The last few days before the new term had passed far too quickly and now Zabini had come to join him on his trip to the train station. Salazar had done a bit of research had had learned more about the train, including where it was located. In truth, he was curious about the contraption. He just wasn't thrilled that the term would be starting up again already. He enjoyed teaching… he just didn't feel like he had had enough time to prepare. A curse upon him should he mention that out loud, though.

"I certainly hope that I will not have to babysit you as well, Zabini," Salazar drawled as he straightened his emerald summer cloak. It was light, with cooling charms on it. The cloak was something he would wear quite often when traveling outside. He rather enjoyed the looks mundanes would give him… and it had become habit. Not to mention that the cooling charms were a godsend when the weather was warm. "Let us take our leave… we will be apparating, yes?" He brushed past the man and headed down the castle steps with a swirl of his cloak.

He could not say that he was friends with Zabini… but the man was a good companion. He was easy enough to get along with and he rather enjoyed their banter. But Salazar did not trust himself enough to call the man a friend... not after what had happened with the other founders. He was not going to make the same mistake twice. So while he enjoyed Zabini's presence, he continued to hold the man at a proverbial arm's length. And Zabini being a former Slytherin student… he probably understood even if he didn't know the exact reasons. Never trust others… only yourself. They were the exact words he had told his students not so long ago, though it would have been lifetimes away in this time.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Salazar glanced over to Zabini once they had passed the school gates. The wards ended here so they could now apparate. "Meet you there, Zabini. Do not take too long," he drawled before disappearing with a nearly silent crack. He never did like the loud and flashy pops that some wizards preferred when apparating. Draws much too attention to oneself, Salazar thought with a wry smirk.

Zabini seemed to take after his example, popping quietly into the area next to him. "That wasn't very nice, Evans," he said with a playful glare. Salazar only smirked at him in response before looking over to the Hogwarts Express with interest. Zabini followed his gaze before chuckling. "I very much doubt this thing was around during Slytherin's time, so it wouldn't be in his journal."

Salazar shook his head. "No, it was not…" He inspected the locomotive curiously and closely. "It is a fascinating piece of spellwork." Chuckling then, he shook his head and looked over to Zabini. "I suppose that we will be adding to the security of the train?" His question was more of a statement as he pulled out his wand.

"Yes. Though, make sure to keep away from the actual spellwork of the engine itself. There are years and layers worth of enchantments on it and I doubt that our spells would mix well with them," Zabini recommended with a snort, drawing out his own wand and heading over to stand in front of one of the cars. "There are already several enchantments, but I think we should add some repelling charms and a couple of wards for warning. It should strengthen the older wards."

Only vaguely paying attention from where he was inspecting the web of enchantments that encompassed the train cars, Salazar made a vague sound of committal as he flicked his wand. He worked better by seeing the spells on his own rather than having someone tell him what to do. "Why do you not go check the spellwork on the rest of the station? I can take care of the train cars," he told the other man. "When the others come, have them help you. I can handle this on my own." It would be better that way anyways since he would be working around the old spells that were already on the train. It was older than the station spells at any rate. "It will be easier having a single individual working on this than trying to work alongside another since we have no experience working on complicated spellwork as a team."

"Trying to prove yourself?" Zabini raised an eyebrow towards Salazar as he lowered his wand. He had a teasing smirk on his lips that caused Salazar to scowl.

"Be silent, you oaf," Salazar sniffed before turning back to the train in front of him. He preferred working on his own rather than have to get his magic to work with others working alongside him. He did not know or trust these other wizards, so working alone suited him just fine. And by the time that he finished with the last of the enchantments, Zabini had finished with the rest of the group who had gathered.

Salazar approached the group once he was sure that everything had been completely finished. A man, dark hair just greying at the temples, stepped up to his side. There was an empty look in the man's eyes even as he sneered at him. "I suppose we will be working together then, Slytherin." Salazar sent a sharp look at the man before he realized that the man was Sirius Black and had not found him out, but instead was an attempt at an insult. He had seen the man at Hogwarts, had argued with him, though the man hadn't appeared since then. If he remembered correctly, and he was positive he had, Salazar knew that the man was part of the Order of the Phoenix. The members had been moving in and out of Hogwarts for some time, though Salazar had paid them little mind. But there was something nagging about this Black though not that he had more of his wits about him and was not struggling with magical exhaustion like when he had previously encountered the Black Lord… he had the inexplicably feeling that Black should be in hiding, not standing in plain view of everyone.

Black must have seen something in his expression because he gave a mocking smile. "Not caught up to times yet have you? I was cleared a short time ago." Salazar was just confused now, but inclined his head in supposed understanding. "The rat Pettigrew was caught, so society at large doesn't believe I'm working for Moldy-shorts anymore." He snorted, ignoring the incredulous look that Salazar shot him as the man was surprised that Black was even talking to him after their confrontation when they had first met.

Shaking his head, Salazar decided that he was going to have to look into the man's story. Apparently it was something that was well known and he could not afford to be caught off guard again. He doubted very much that Black would hesitate to use it against him. There was a lot of history that he needed to catch up on but had little time to study as he had been concentrating on his schoolwork preparations instead. He thought he remembered a news article in the library mentioning Sirius Black. He would have to look into it again. "You are one of the Order members watching the train?" He broke the silence, watching as Black seemed to shake something off. Immediately, the man's eyes sharpened slightly and he barked out orders that the others scrambled to obey. But Salazar couldn't stop the feeling of intense wrongness.

Black then turned to Salazar. "Zabini and you will be on the train along with me. We have four others that will be patrolling along the train on brooms. They will be relieved halfway through." The man paused before gesturing towards the platform entrance. "The kids will be arriving soon. I want everyone in position. Zabini and Evans, get on the train and start your patrol," he snapped before disappearing towards the entrance. "Oh, and don't get in my way, Evans!" Salazar missed the flash of pain that appeared on the man's face as the ex-convict remembered another Evans he had once known.

Watching the man's back as Black left, Salazar frowned. Something wasn't right with the man, but he couldn't put his finger on why. It irritated him, made him suspicious. Making a note to keep a better eye on Black when he was about, he turned and then boarded the train. Immediately, he spent the last few minutes before the kids came to check out the layout of the train. He even spoke briefly with the conductor. But when he heard loud activity coming from the platform, he immediately headed back into the cars proper so he could keep an eye on the children that boarded. It was the perfect time to start to learn who was who, and find out who would be the troublemakers.

And as the children boarded, he had already broken up no less than three fights. Seems tensions where high… Salazar could not say that he was surprised, but it left him irritated. He enjoyed teaching, but he rather detested petty fights. Promises of detention and the use of a glare that he had perfected over the years set things straight, at least for a while. And by the time that the train left the station, Salazar was ready for the trip to be over.

But thankfully, the trip itself did go rather well. He had to break up a few more fights as time passed, but he supposed it could have been worse and thankfully none of them had led to actual spellcasting between the students. It did also give him the chance to pinpoint a few students that he wanted to speak with in the near future. But it was as he was calming one such boy that the train suddenly shook.

Cursing under his breath, and thankfully not in Parseltongue as had been his habit for the past few years, Salazar ordered an older student to keep an eye on the young boy before he went to find out what had happened. As he was walking briskly down the hallway, Salazar flicked his wrist and summoned his wand into his hand. As he did this, Zabini met up with him. "Deatheaters," the man scowled. "They're approaching the train. Already they are up against the guards on the brooms. Back up is coming, but we need to protect the students."

Salazar nodded curtly before pressing the tip of his want against his throat. "Attention students! Listen closely! Due to the situation that has developed, I want each and every one of you in a compartment. You have a minute before you are locked out in the corridor! Older students, I ask that you keep an eye on the youngers. Act swiftly and all will be well." He pulled his wand away from his throat then. "Go through the train with me and make sure every student is seated. Compartments must then be locked and shades must be drawn so they cannot see. Make sure that if there are compartments with only first years, that there is at least one upper year to be seated with them." He would not subject innocent students to whatever horrors there were outside during the fighting. The spells on the train cars should prevent anything devastating from happening at least.

Stalking down the hallway quickly, Salazar made sure that the students were in the compartments before he used a spell to lock the doors. "Draw the curtains," he snapped, making sure that his orders were followed. Once every compartment was secured, Salazar allowed himself to relax only briefly. At least the children should be safe enough for now.

"They're all locked," Zabini appeared at Salazar's side, wand drawn. "Black is with the conductor, but he should be back soon." Heading over to the car door then, he opened it to the outside and looked out. "It's a band of ten deatheaters. It's a small group, so it is hard to guess what their aim is."

Nodding in agreement, Salazar strained to listen to what was going on outside. Suddenly, Black was there. "On the roof," the man ordered roughly. Salazar scowled before pushing past Zabini. Using the momentum of the train, he swung himself onto the roof of the train car. Using a mild sticking charm, he was able to keep himself stable. Moving out of the way of the other two men, he quickly surveyed the area. From this vantage point, they could see the entire train. "Keep the deatheaters away from the train!" Black barked before running off down the swaying cars. He seemed to have used a sticking spell as well.

No dark spells, Salazar reminded himself before sending a silent bludgeoning curse towards a masked deatheater. The spell missed, but only because of the deflection shield the wizard was able to put up. And when the wizard took the bait and threw a barrage of spells towards Salazar, the man grinned widely and immediately swept his wand in a large circle. Too easy! Godric made a much better dueler than this!

"Briseadh!" Salazar hissed, jabbing his wand in the direction of the deatheater. Immediately, the broom splintered underneath the masked wizard and he fell with a cry. Luckily, for the deatheater, he was close to the train and so fell on the top of one of the cars. Unluckily, Salazar didn't give him any time to recover before he was throwing spells at him. A hastily thrown up shield saved him from most of the attack.

Standing up, the deatheater was nearly thrown from the train as it rocked before he quickly put a sticking charm on his feet. He quickly had to throw up another shield though to avoid Salazar's spell. It burst straight through the shield and impacted against his chest. The bludgeoning spell sent the masked wizard flying backwards before he was able to get his footing again. Finally then, he was able to retaliate.

But for the poor deatheater, the duel came to a rather quick and abrupt halt when Salazar tired of warming up and hissed a harsh, "ghearradh." It connected with his throat, leaving a gaping wound. Salazar pushed the body off the side of the train before deflecting a spell that was barreling towards him with a sharp flick of his wand. He paid little mind to the fact that he had just killed a man. It wouldn't be the first time he had killed and it certainly would not be the last as long as they were at war.

With the defense quickly dispatching the small attack force, it did not take long to defeat the remainder of the deatheaters. The four guards on their brooms had taken out half of the attack group while Salazar, Zabini, and Black where able to take out the rest. There were a few injuries, and one guard was being taken to Hogwarts in critical condition, but the turnout was much better than Salazar had been expecting. For an attack group, it had been surprisingly small even for against a train full of children who could not defend themselves. Furthermore, the attackers themselves had been mediocre at best. "It was a test," he told Zabini his thoughts once they were back inside the train. "This Dark Lord is gathering his troops, is he not? The attack was too small to be any of importance." Zabini could only nod his head in agreement.

For the rest of the trip to Hogwarts, the two males were forced to comfort many scared children once the locking spells were lifted from the compartments. A few of the older students helped out where they could and Salazar made a note to give them points later. He would mention it to the Headmaster so the upper years could be rewarded for their effort in keeping the younger years calm. But by the time they arrived at the station, Salazar was very much relieved to finally be allowed to head back to the castle. Others relieved them from their duties, so he apparated from the station to the castle gates. From there he swiftly made his way to his chambers to freshen up before the welcoming feast.

By the time that he reached the Great Hall a short while later, he was informed that the students had just arrived at the castle doors and would soon be in. Salazar took his seat before carefully arranging his robes. He was feeling much more relaxed now, in part thanks to being in the castle again. Hogwarts always had this calming effect on him when he was at his most stressed. It also helped that the adrenalin from the earlier fight had passed so he was in the stage just before exhaustion would set in. Just enough time to get through the welcoming feast, thankfully.

Watching as the students poured into the Hall, Salazar watched as they all interacted with one another as they found seats at their respective tables. He was most interested in his own House, making note of students he would need to speak with before others. There was a good number of students overall he thought in comparison to his own time, but he could overhear several of the professors whispering about how many students hadn't come this year. This knowledge made him proud in the fact that Hogwarts had grown. Once this nasty war was out of the way, his school could grow once more. He would make sure of it.

Breaking out of his thoughts, Salazar realized that he had missed the First Years being brought in. He had been vaguely aware, but little enough for the time to have flown more quickly than it should have. And as he watched now, the Sorting Hat was being brought out. Ah, that silly little thing that had started out all because of a joke… Salazar smiled faintly to himself as he watched the hat start to sing. He couldn't believe that it had survived all of these years.

((Flashback))

"Oh for the love of all that is good in the world… we are not using a cloak to sort the students!" Salazar burst out, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Godric pouted in response, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why not, Sal? I rather like the idea… the cloak turning the colour of the house the student is in."

Scowling slightly, Salazar looked over at his friend. "First off, do not call me by that infernal name… second off; I think it is a ridiculous idea! Even… even using your hat instead would be a better idea! And it could sing for all I care! The cloak is a stupid idea," he ground out, crossing his own arms and squaring off against Godric.

As the two men continued to argue, Rowena and Helga shared a mischievous look before Rowena swiped Godric's hat off the nearby table without either Salazar or Godric really noticing. The two women then started adding spell after spell onto the brown wizard's hat, carefully weaving together the enchantments that they had been talking together about before Salazar and Godric had started arguing. They added in a few more spells before Rowena finished with preservation and animation charms. "And there you are… problem solved," she called out, setting the hat down and getting the man's attention.

Immediately, the Sorting Hat stirred slightly before shaking itself. A few wrinkles and folds, which looked suspiciously like a face, seemed to observe them critically for a moment. Godric could only gape at what had once been his hat. Salazar looked suspiciously amused, but was trying to keep his face straight. He hadn't actually meant for them to use Godric's hat… but he had to admit that it was amusing. And it might actually work out, as well.

"My hat…" Godric whined before jumping as the Hat gave a disdainful sniff. It made Salazar smother chuckle and then smirk at his friend when Godric glared at him. "It is not funny! I blame you for this! You now owe me another hat!" He accused Salazar with a huff, making his friend smirk even wider.

((End short Flashback))

"... do dwell.

But before we take part in the yearly ritual,

There is time to mention of the changing times.

Old wounds will be healed,

A thousand year feud shall be mended.

Light grows in the darkness,

Secrets of ages past will come to light.

The Lion will roar…

Agus beidh an nathair ardú arís."

There was silence for several long moments before there was scattered applause mixed in with the confused muttering. Salazar regarded the Hat with a critical eye. He had never heard the Hat prophesize like that… he must be too entirely bored sitting on that shelf all year long. Salazar tried not to snort in amusement, though he couldn't stop the doubt that simmered in the back of his head. The hat would know that he was back as he was connected to the castle's magic, though he had made sure that the castle would keep its silence. The hat would know of his presence… but the words sounded to prophetic for him to be comfortable.

Contrary to the books he had read, Helga and not Rowena had held Seer blood through her ties to the northmen. Perhaps she had transferred over some of that ability to the Hat? No, that was quite impossible. The Hat was probably overhearing conversations and speaking his own opinion. Still, something about it bothered him.

Shaking it off, Salazar watched as the small number of children where sorted. He would clap politely as each child was sent off to their new House and he would nod in acceptance when a child would enter his own House. But he received only a small handful of new students…. His House was the smallest of the school and that displeased him.

"Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts!" Dumbledore beamed as he stood up from his spot. The Sorting Hat had been removed from the Hall now and the children were eagerly awaiting the start of the fast. "Before we start, I have a few announcements," he smiled happily at the students, though Salazar could see the weariness in the old man's eyes. "First off, we will be starting up a dueling class for the upper years. It is mandatory for the beginning of the year, but you will all have the option later to drop out of it if you wish." Not every witch or wizard was skilled enough to be a duelist, but it would do all of the students good to know the basics.

"Our very own Professor Snape will be taking over the class," Dumbledore beamed at the students again before clapping his hands for Snape. The staff clapped their hands politely for their colleague while most of the students just stared. Slytherin House clapped for their former Head of House, of course. Not seeming to notice, Dumbledore carried on. "As Professor Snape will be teaching this class, we have a new replacement for your Potions teacher. Please welcome Professor Evans," he motioned to Salazar before clapping his hands as well. "Please treat him as you would any of your professors."

Before the year started, Dumbledore had asked Salazar to demonstrate his potion skill. Snape had grudgingly given his approval beforehand, but Dumbledore had needed to see for himself to make sure he was hiring an adequate teacher. Of course, this had been at the insistence of the other professors, but Salazar could not fault them. In any case, he had impressed Dumbledore so was now the official Potions' professor. He would enjoy teaching the students, even though he knew none of them well enough yet. Although some of them he had most likely known their ancestors, so the thought of that made him hide a smile of amusement. Instead, Salazar stood up briefly and bowing politely. "I look forward to teaching you all," he said smoothly as he surveyed the students before taking seat again.

The students clapped politely, but none of them knew him so they were not entirely enthusiastic. Salazar smirked briefly in amusement as he leaned back in his chair. He could only imagine how amusing their reactions would be when they were told he was the new Head of Slytherin House. His little snakelings would probably be the least amused.

"Now then, just one little more announcement before we dig in," Dumbledore said with a brief look towards Snape. "Hogwarts herself has invoked a rule set deep in the past. Because of this, Slytherin House now has a new Head of House." There were surprised mutterings from the students, though Slytherin House was the most vocal. "Professor Evans has been appointed by Hogwarts herself as Slytherin's new Head of House."

There was silence following Dumbledore's announcement. The Headmaster took the opportunity to summon the Feast, distracting a good number of the students. Serving himself some food, Salazar looked over his House carefully. He could tell that they were not happy, but he knew that he would be able to gain their trust in time if he did things right. So pulling his gaze away, he turned to his meal.

((Page Break))

After the children had been dismissed from the Hall, Salazar slipped away so he could head down to his dungeons. He took several passageways before ending up at the entrance to the Common room. Stroking the rune on the wall, he whispered the new password, "Nua gealach." Stepping inside, he then made his way over to the couch and sat down. He stretched out slightly, crossing his legs and putting his arms over the back of the couch to give him a relaxed air. There, he waited for his students to arrive.

Salazar didn't have to wait long. When the door slipped open, he could hear the Prefects speaking to the younger years. However, they quickly went silent when they realized that Salazar was there. Chuckling, the man raised a hand and gestured them closer. "Come in; come in… close the door behind you. I know you all must be tired, but I wanted a word with you all before you went to bed."

There was reluctance in their steps, but eventually they all gathered around their new Head of House. Salazar smiled briefly before motioning for them all to make themselves comfortable. Leaning forward then, he studied all of the young faces. Finally, he nodded to himself. "As you know, I am Professor Evans. I am your new Head of House, as appointed by Hogwarts. I know none of you trust me… but I want you to know that any of you can come to me for anything no matter what time it is." He paused then before letting himself smirk. "And I took the liberty of removing the portraits from the Common room, Head privilege and all that." Not to mention he had Hogwarts on his side because he was a founder. "You do not have to worry about the Headmaster spying on you," Salazar sniffed before standing up.

"I know that none of you know me, nor do you trust me. That is fine with me. Just remember this… Slytherins are a family." He looked to the first years who didn't know how things worked in Slytherin House yet. "If you cannot trust others, you can at least trust yourself and the rest of your family." His dark green eyes swept the assembled students sharply. "So, I do not want to hear anything about anyone picking on their fellow House member. If you have a feud with another student, I want it settled properly in private away from prying ears. When you are out in the rest of the castle, I want all of you to stand together."

His expression softened a little bit then. "Go on to bed now, you all have had a long day. I will set down some rules for you all later, but for now I will not keep you here. You all need your rest. Sleep well, Snakelings. I will have your schedules for you in the morning, so make sure you come on time to breakfast," Salazar told them as he headed over to the entrance. "Prefects, make sure that the first years know where they are going. I do not want any of them getting lost like other students undoubtedly will. Make me proud," he said before slipping out the door. He had made sure to stay as open as he could with his snakelings, but he also kept his voice firm so there would be no doubt of what was expected of them. He would not accept anything less. And he wasn't a fool to think that they would start coming to him right away, but at least the seed was planted. Eventually, they would start coming to him and he would be waiting. Until then, he did have other things to correct.

With that thought, Salazar made his way to his rooms. Entering them, he ran his fingers through his hair with a soft sigh. Removing his boots then, he set them off to the side before undressing himself so he could go shower. Throwing his clothes into a hamper, Salazar entered the bathroom before stepping into the shower. It was nice to be able to relax underneath the heated water. It washed away the aches and pains of the day. So, Salazar took his time with showering even though he knew he should be headed to bed soon so he would be well rested for the next day.

Stepping out once he was done, Salazar dried himself with a towel before going back into the bedroom. There, Eolas was waiting for him on the bed. Chuckling to himself, Salazar walked over to the bed after throwing his used towel into the hamper. Not bothering to change into anything, Salazar climbed into bed naked before gathering the blankets around him. Reaching out then, he stroked his hand over Eolas' head. Exhaustion was setting in now. He could feel it seeping into his bones.

Lying back, Salazar closed his eyes. "How are things in the castle?" He hissed softly to Eolas, relaxing as he felt his familiar curl up on the bed beside him. This was their usual routine. Salazar would receive knowledge on what had happened in the castle throughout the day. Eolas was a good spy, knowing to give him only the most pertinent information. Although, he was not a docile creature by any means and so enjoyed talking back to Salazar.

"That Dumbledore man had a meeting with his little Order after you left." Eolas started out, hissing softly. "Nothing extraordinary. They were merely speaking about the attack that happened on the train. Nothing new, I am sure." The snake paused for a moment, shifting on the bed and coiling tighter. "You were mentioned. What you did and how you fought was brought up. Dumbledore seemed the most interested… I would be wary of that man."

"You have said that before, Eolas," Salazar said tiredly, though his tone was serious. He didn't know what was on Dumbledore's mind. Perhaps the man was scouting out new allies for his war against this Dark Lord of theirs? Salazar knew better than to assume, but there was something about the older wizard that set him on edge. He didn't think the old Headmaster was bad, just that he was someone to be wary of. He had time yet to figure it out.

"Go keep an eye on my Slytherins tonight, Eolas. I will not have them sneaking out or getting in trouble on the very first day. Come fetch me if something happens," he ordered, his eyes still closed. Still, Salazar could hear the snake's hiss of agreement before he slithered off of the bed before disappearing. Salazar settled down into sleep then. And thankfully, his Slytherins were good and he did not rouse until morning.

((Page Break))

((Hogwarts – Past))

Godric passed a hand over his face as he lay in bed. After a few moments, he sat up before glancing over as Fawkes crooned softly. The phoenix had recently gone through a burning and was in the last stages of recovering. His young feathers were falling away, replaced by the mature feathers of an adult phoenix. His mind had returned also and wasn't taken by the instincts of a baby.

He smiled briefly at his thoughts before his expression quickly turned to horror as he suddenly recalled the events from the day before. Oh, by the ancient magic… what had they done? Nearly flying out of bed and startling Fawkes, Godric threw some clothes on before bolting out the door. In his hurry he didn't even pause to freshen up.

Running down to Salazar's chambers, the man then pounded on the entrance. He was thankful that it was so early so there were no students milling about. He didn't have to worry about any of them seeing the state he was in. He probably wouldn't have noticed anyways.

"Salazar! Let me in!" He prayed the man was still there, though he very much doubted it. They had given Salazar twenty four hours, but he doubted that the man would have waited that long. And really, what had they been thinking? Banishing Salazar from Hogwarts… Godric was nearly sick when he remembered the look of betrayal on his friend's face. "Salazar, please!" He yelled, trying again and hoping against hope that Salazar would miraculously still be there.

When Salazar didn't respond, Godric let out a mournful sound before running towards Rowena's rooms instead. He figured she might know what to do, though he didn't think about the possible consequences there might be for disturbing her this early. However, she did open her door after several minutes even though she did not look very happy that she had been woken so early in the morning when they didn't even have classes that day. She had stayed up late the night before after all.

Sighing in annoyance, and not quite awake yet that morning, Rowena leveled a glare at Godric. "What is it, Godric?" She asked irritably before finally taking in the man's frenzied appearance. He didn't seem to be too fazed by her attitude and it worried her. Immediately, a frown twisted her regal features. "Godric?" She quickly ushered him inside, having him sit down on a chair. Rowena opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, but Godric beat her to it.

"We… we kicked him out," Godric said mournfully. "He is gone, Rowena. He is not in the castle anymore… I checked." His strong fingers moved to his hair and tugged on the strands. "Oh, Rowena… how could we have been so stupid?" He didn't look at the woman, though he tone was pleading his friend with unspoken words. He needed to know that she felt just as guilty as he did, but he couldn't bear to look up at her in case he was wrong.

Rowena had a strange look on her face that Godric missed because he wasn't looking at her. The woman looked a little horrified as she finally remembered what had happened the day before, but she was also a little uncertain. They would not kick Salazar out for no reason, right? She tried to reason with Godric, sounding as if she was trying to convince herself as well. "He was teaching the dark arts to the children, Godric. We couldn't let him…"

She was cut off by Godric slamming his fist into the arm of the chair he was sitting in. "Damn it, Rowena! It is no reason to banish him…" He pulled on his hair again as he anger crumbled, replaced by guilt. "I should have spoken to him properly. What is the defense of Dark Arts if one doesn't understand the art itself? We trusted Salazar to teach them properly just as I taught the Light Arts and their counters. By the gods, I have used dark spells myself! I am no Dark wizard, but nor am I fully Light. We long ago made peace with him, Rowena! So why now? And to banish him!" Godric felt wracked with guilt. What was wrong with him? How could he have done that to Salazar? How could they all have betrayed him like that? He wasn't the only one to blame, but he felt that the worst guilt was on him for having been the one to tell Salazar.

Seeing the turmoil that the man had rolling about in him, Rowena hesitated before placing a dainty hand on Godric's shoulder. "We have not touched the wards yet, Godric. He can still return. Send Fawkes to him. Your familiar should be well enough to travel now, should he not? Send a letter to Salazar, asking him to come back, Perhaps we were too hasty in our judgment…" She paused before continuing. Rowena hated to be wrong about anything. "Ask him to allow us a second chance to talk to him, though we do not deserve it." She added on the last part softly.

There was barely a pause for Godric to finish processing Rowena's words before he was surging to his feet. Godric immediately started for the door, not even pausing to thank Rowena. He seemed to have some sort of inspiration then, probably brought on by what Rowena had told him. "Of course! How could I have been so stupid?"

He then nearly ran out the door, leaving Rowena alone to think about the day before. She wasn't quite in the same state as Godric was in, but she couldn't stop the deep guilt that she felt. She was supposed to be logical. She should have put more thought into the decision of banishing Salazar. It shouldn't have come to this so she was deeply concerned. Something wasn't right… and there was this deep foreboding feeling that she had. It gnawed at her, worrying her. Helga only made it worse when she visited Rowena in tears, though she wouldn't speak about what was upsetting her so badly. Rowena knew it just had to do with Salazar.

And back in his room, Godric immediately hurried over to his desk once he burst through the door so he could write out a quick note to Salazar that was full to the brim with apologies. He then gave it to Fawkes and explained what had happened. The bird gave him a disapproving look making Godric start begging his familiar to bring the note to Salazar. Godric knew that if there was anyone who could find the wizard, it was Fawkes.

Thankfully, the creature accepted the note and left with a burst of flame, leaving Godric lost in his thoughts with more to think about. Seeing how readily the phoenix left to go find Salazar sent another slice of pain to cut through Godric's heart. He knew Fawkes liked the dark haired wizard. He should have taken that into consideration. Salazar wasn't evil. Fawkes proved that. And yet… Godric had still done the unthinkable.

Slumping down on his bed, Godric called for a house elf to bring him something to eat. He might as well make some sort of attempt to set himself in order. He wanted to look at least halfway presentable when Salazar hopefully came back. And it was hard to think on an empty stomach. Still, Godric ended up eating only a little bit as he worried about when Fawkes would come back and if the phoenix would bring Salazar back with him.

But when Fawkes reappeared several hours later, Godric's note was still firmly clasped in the bird's beak and Salazar was nowhere to be seen. With a sense of foreboding that clenched his heart and stole his breath, Godric took the note from the bird. Part of him worried that Salazar was so deeply hurt that he didn't want anything to do with him anymore. But this did not prepare Godric for the truth of why Salazar hadn't received his note.

'I could not find him, Godric Gryffindor. He has vanished and I cannot sense him.' Fawkes' words were blunt, but they were spoken in a gentle manner.

But the gentle tone did nothing to keep Godric from taking the news badly. His mind twisted the words, taking the meaning to be that Salazar was dead. There couldn't be any other reason why Fawkes hadn't been able to sense him, right? Immediately, many different scenarios rushed through his head as he thought about his friend lying somewhere dead. Surely his friend had not taken his own life? Or perhaps he had been killed in a rouge accident? Neither option made him feel any better. But it was the first thought that went through his head that killed Godric the most. No, he refused to believe that Salazar could have taken his own life. He refused to… but he couldn't get the image of Salazar's betrayed expression out of his head.

Immediately, Godric suddenly lurched from the bed before emptying his stomach in the chamber pot. Coughing, he spit into the metal bowl before using his wantd to vanish the mess. Moaning, he sat back before pulling on his hair in agitation. He had failed his friend… Godric trembled violently then, his expression lined with grief. No, Salazar was more than just a friend. Salazar was his brother and he had betrayed him in the worst of ways. Godric would never be able to forgive himself for that.

((End Chapter))

Wooo-boy… that was an interesting chapter (I hope). So now then, I would appreciate it if you took time to review! Just be nice, yes? I'm just a fragile writer who is doing this for fun, not because I'm any good. Okay, maybe I'm not that bad… it would still be awesome to get some nice reviews though. Pretty please?