This is so late. Like, a week late. I'm sorry guys, RL totally took over. Why can't my teachers and family just leave me alone to be my antisocial, rather obsessive self? Anyhoo, here's the latest chapter, "Sins of the Founder", that I created basically just to use that name!

Albus left Frank and Professor Longbottom to their little father-son bonding session and walked slowly back toward Hogwarts' castle, turning up his coat color against the brisk March breeze. His eyes drilled holes into the air as he willed himself not to cry. So what if he'd never have that kind of relationship with either of his fathers? So what? It wasn't as though it was actually important on the grand scale of things. Albus was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn't see the girl coming toward him until it was too late.

"Well, well, well," said Rose, smirking, "if it isn't my favorite little Death Eater."

"Shut up, Rose," said Albus tiredly.

"Nice robes, Potter," said Rose. Albus realized that he was still wearing the robes he'd been given at the hospital.

"Merlin's hat," he muttered, making a mental note to change as soon as he got back to the Slytherin dormitories. "Why are you here, Rose?"

"Perhaps I just fancied a chat with my evil, murdering cousin," she said. Albus snorted.

"Evil, murdering cousin? I have one of those, too." Instantly the Gryffindor's face twisted into something almost gargoyle-like.

"It's not murder, it's justice."

"Who appointed you the judge, jury, and executioner?" Albus shot back.

"If I hadn't done them in, then they'd go bad and murder millions." Albus let out a long sigh that seemed to deflate him. How had his cousin ended up like this? Why couldn't he have been anyone but Voldemort?

Even if you were not Tom Riddle, she would still be the Dark Lady. Albus gasped.

"Tom?" he blurted out. Rose grinned.

"Oh, no, this isn't Tommy," she said.

Quiet, Sorceress. Your voice has no power over us now. Rose giggled.

"Oh, but you and my friend will have so much fun together," she said. "You'll have plenty of catching up to do, I'm sure."

I know who your "friend" is, Miss Weasley, and I can assure you that he only means you harm.

"But he's my friend! He understands me! I won't let you be mean to him. I'll kill you myself if I have to."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," said Albus. "What is going on here?" Rose suddenly giggled again.

"I'll just leave you two to get to know each other," she said. "You'll hate it, Ally, positively loath it. Tootles!" She happily skipped away, no doubt to go plan more murders.

Infuriating girl, fumed the voice that had unexpectedly popped into Albus's head.

"I agree," said Albus. "Um, I don't mean to sound rude, but who are you?"

I, my boy, am Salazar Slytherin. Albus's mouth hung open rather dumbly.

"Wow," he said at last.

That's an unusual reaction. Most people run away screaming.

"I can't exactly run away from my own head, and screaming would just make McGonagall shut me up in St. Mungo's again. I really have no choice but to hear you out, don't I?

Still, thank you. It's nice to meet someone who doesn't immediately judge me by the legends that have been passed off as history.

"Legends? What do you mean?"

Everything you know about me is a lie, based on truth, but a lie nonetheless. Slytherin sounded bitter.

"But one of the legends in true. The Chamber of Secrets does exist."

As I said, it's based on the truth. The other Founders and I created the Chamber and put the basilisk in it as Hogwarts' last line of defense if all else failed. It was nick-named the Chamber of Secrets by some of our more dramatic students.

"So," said Albus, "what's your story? How did you become known as someone so… evil?"

It is a long story.

"We have time. Do I look like I have anything better to do?" Albus sat down, leaning against the castle, and Slytherin began to tell his story.

What you have to understand first, he said, is that in my days wizards and Muggles were almost at war. Wizards were horribly outnumbered. Godric, Rowena, Helga, and I originally made Hogwarts as a safe place for wizard parents to leave their children until the children were old enough to control their magic better. It quickly evolved into an academy of magic.

Everything seemed to be going well, but Godric and Helga became obsessed with finding Muggleborns and teaching them. Rowena and I thought that the idea was moronic. Muggleborns had been raised thus far by Muggles, and I especially didn't want to risk the safety of all the children. This… discord ended with us splitting into Houses.

Now, this could've just ended right there. Refusing to allow Muggleborns into my House would have been enough to make me a villain by your modern standards. But, naturally, there had to be an extra little something to complete my destruction. I had a son with Helga.

"What?" said Albus.

Don't act so surprised. You already knew that Rowena had a daughter. Is it so hard to think of me with a son?

"Yeah, well, you're…"

Evil?

"That's not what I was going to say," said Albus defensively.

Never mind. Not even you can be totally impartial. Anyways, our son. Godric was adamant that he be trained in Helga's House. He'd never quite gotten over the fact that we'd split into four, not that I blame him. I agreed with him under the condition that I be able to teach Augustine how to brew potions. Godric wasn't too happy about that.

One thing led to another, and Helga stepped in, purely to stop us from dueling. She told Godric that Augustine would be part of my House. Godric was… very angry and convinced my son would be twisted and ruined.

Fifteen years passed before Godric was proven right. I swear I didn't mean for Augustine to end up the way he did. I tried to train him right; I did my best. I… I guess I messed up. I won't deny that it was probably my fault somewhere down the line.

It started at midnight, the beginning of July 31st. It was Helga's turn to patrol. Augustine k- killed her before she could alert us, then he broke into her House and began to kill students at random. One of them managed to sound the alarm before he killed her. Godric, Rowena, and I went at once. When I saw her b- body and all the dead, I… I snapped. I ran after Augustine. In the end we dueled on the Astronomy Tower.

Eventually Godric and Rowena caught up with us. Augustine saw them and made the whole tower collapse before escaping. When we'd finally dug ourselves out and gotten everything back into order, Godric blamed me for Augustine and said I was no longer fit to be a teacher. Rowena tried to stop him, but I was glad to leave. I'd actually been contemplating leaving for some time, and now… well, I had no reason to stay.

"What happened after you left? Did you find Augustine?" Albus's voice was low; he didn't want to hear the end of the sad story.

I found him, alright, three years later. He was married and had twins, a boy and a girl. We dueled. He killed me. The end. Albus bit his bottom lip.

"I'm sorry."

Don't be. It's over now. I'm with Helga again, Augustine's burning in hell, and I'm not on that infernal "Council of Light." What more could I want?

"Everything. You're still suffering," said Albus softly. There was a long pause.

What do you mean?

"It still hurts, doesn't it? Even having all those good things happen after death can't erase those years of hurt and failure."

What would you know? Slytherin's voice was dangerously calm.

"Personal experience," said Albus. "Being a former Dark Lord… isn't fun."

I'm not here for pity. This is business, nothing else.

"What business?"

The only sort these days: war business.

"Of course," said Albus, rolling his eyes. "Tom said you knew who Rose's 'friend' is."

I only suspected before. I know now.

"Who is he?"

I've already told you quite a lot about him.

"Augustine? I thought you said he was in hell."

Not Augustine, said Slytherin grimly, Godric.

"Shit."

Agreed.

Dum, dum, dum. The plot thickens. Now you can see why I called this one "Sins of the Founder." Next week: Tom and a not-so-fun beginning to Easter vacation. Reviews mean my huggles!