Disclaimer: It's not mine no matter how much I wish. 'Course this disclaimer probably isn't either.
A/N: Thank you everyone with your kind words! And thank you in advance to the betas! I love you all!
(o)(o)(o)(o)(o) Slytherin's Secrets Harry sighed in resignation. He really hated talking about this part of his life. "It was at the end of the triwizard tournament at the end of my fourth year. He had a death eater turn the trophy at the end into a portkey that took me and the other contestant who touched it with me to this old graveyard. He told Wormtail… a death eater rat animagus. He was a friend of my parents and Sirius when they were in school, the traitor." Harry paused and took a deep breath to calm himself. He then noticed that he had started trembling. "He told Wormtail to kill the spare, to kill Cedric. They then had me bound to a nearby tombstone. He had another death eater make some sort of potion that they used to bring him back to life. They used my blood for the potion." He tried to ignore the frowning visage of the founder before him. He was uncomfortable enough as it was, did Slytherin have to keep frowning at him like that? "What did they put in the potion?" Slytherin asked thoughtfully, the frown finally leaving his face, only to be replaced with one of pensive thought. Harry shuddered as he remembered that night more clearly. He closed his eyes as he recalled the words Wormtail had spoken vividly, "Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son. Flesh of the servant, willingly given, you will revive your master. Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe." The memory of that night had etched those words into his mind. He thought that he would never forget them. Slytherin frowned thoughtfully as he gazed up at his statue, considering this bit of news. Harry shifted nervously as the silence stretched out uncomfortably. He was about to clear his voice to get the ghosts attention when Slytherin blinked and turned to him suddenly."Oh, where are my manners, please feel free to go in," said Slytherin. Harry blinked as he looked around for any sort of entrance. He had been sitting down there for the past hour contemplating where the entrance would be. "Honestly, child. If you can't get into my chambers then how in the world did you get down here in the first place?" demanded Slytherin, exasperated. Seeing Harry's questioning gaze upon him he waved vaguely at the statue of himself.
Harry turned back to the statue before grinning stupidly. How could he have been so thick? Concentrating on one of the snake carvings adorning the statue he hissed, :Open: He was rewarded with the grinding of stone as a door opened within the folds of the statues robes.
Harry blinked and muttered quietly as he started walking towards the new door, "Well that was easier than I imagined." Slytherin snorted to himself as he floated along behind Harry. As they crossed the threshold Harry started in surprise. Yes there was plenty of green and silver, but not nearly in the amounts that he had always assumed. A fire crackled pleasantly in an oak stained fireplace, the mantle holding many delicate frames filled with pictures, much like he would have expected to find at the Burrow. While the frames seemed to be of the finest qualities of gold, silver, and other odd metals and woods, the placements and condition of the frames made it obvious that it was the images held inside that was coveted, not the frames. While one wall supported bookcases that covered the entire wall, packed with books, the other held several tapestries depicting Hogwarts life and a lone window looking out into… the lake? Harry blinked at a school of fish swimming by before turning his attention to the well used couch, arm chair, and simple table that held a book and… Is that a phoenix?
"Don't let my rooms surprise you overly much. I've heard the rumours about me, allow me to assure you that while my heir has turned himself into a dark lord, I was never so inclined. I always had… other things on my mind," said Slytherin surprising Harry out of his scrutiny of the room.
"Sir…" Harry began as he turned back to the ghostly figure only to find himself again, at a loss for words, as the figure was no longer behind him. Confused he turned back around in time to see a tall, regal man raise himself from the armchair facing the fire, away from him.
"I have need to keep up the image that I developed in the beginning. Just because I am revealing my rooms to you does not mean that I'm willing to allow some child of Gryffindor to spread it around that my rooms are something that Rowena would approve of." The tall aristocratic man sneered slightly at that thought before walking calmly into another room. He returned after awhile bearing a tea tray that had a delicate looking tea set and a bowl of… strawberries? Harry blinked in surprise but wisely held his tongue as the man watched him as if challenging him to say anything about the fruit. He knew that it wasn't his place to say anything about anyone else's choices. Harry just stood there and watched in amazement as the lord of House Slytherin closed his eyes, clearing enjoying the flavour of the strawberry he had bitten in to.
"Wise decision, boy. It was that blasted heir of mine's ridicule of my food preference that got him kicked out of my chambers before his instruction was over with. I'll not tolerate such insolence in my own chambers. Of course I haven't had the heart to break it to my fellow founders that that… demon child has single-handedly ruined all of our chances of being able to leave our rooms." For a fleeting second the sneer that had seemed to be permanent was replaced with a sad, thoughtful, look.
"Surely there's something that Hogwarts' greatest founder can do?" asked Harry with no small hint of a sneer in his voice. After hearing all the snide comments from the kids in the Slytherin House and the comments in Hogwarts, A History he was tired of all of the backwards hero worship this man had received. From the assorted other history books he had read on Lady Ravenclaw's command you would think that everyone believed that all dark wizards in general were to be exhaulted.
"You really know how to push an old man's buttons, do you not, kid," said Lord Slytherin as he glared down at Harry for a moment before sighing and looking off into his fish tank window. "Yes, of course, there is something I can do about it, but I've not found anyone worthwhile nor with the ability to follow through with the process." Harry blinked at the complete change in Lord Slytherin's tone. Something told Harry that the man was genuinely distraught that he wasn't able to fix the problem.
"Is there anything that I can do to help?" asked Harry quietly. "I would do nearly anything to see you guys able to walk about openly. Well, more openly then you already do." Harry grinned as he thought about how Lord Slytherin was already walking, or floating, about the castle quiet openly himself. Just because no one realized who he was didn't mean a thing.
"Would you willing to be held to that?" asked the lord as he stared at Harry intently, searching out any sign that he had spoken an empty promise. Harry reared back, indignant at the man's audacity.
"Of course! I'm a man of my word." Lord Slytherin chuckled at Harry's angry reply.
"A man, eh? We'll see about that. I'll expect to see you here tomorrow evening directly after dinner. Right now, I need to see about sending a note to one of the others." Lord Slytherin completely ignored that slack jawed look Harry had as he moved off to his writing desk with renewed purpose.
"Tomorrow evening, sir?" Lord Slytherin turned back to Harry with a smirk on his face.
"Of course, boy. I will not have one of my heirs, blood or otherwise, be untrained." Harry paled as he suddenly realized what an open ended promise he had just made to the founder. As he started making his way back out of the chamber and through Myrtle's bathroom, he briefly wondered just what this man would insist on teaching him that was considered his specialty. He tried to reconcile the image of the stately man savouring the flavour of strawberries with the dark arts image that was supported by the wizarding world. He wondered for a moment if he had made a mistake in offering the wizard his support.
"Out after hours again, Mr Potter?" came a questioning voice that startled Harry out of his musing. He looked up quickly to see the headmaster smiling at him from down the hall. He glanced down and realized that while deep in thought he had forgotten to replace his invisibility cloak.
"I'm sorry professor. I was just thinking and wandering and lost track of time," Harry said as truthfully as he could manage.
"Hmm… Perhaps you should confine your thinking to Gryffindor tower where you won't be found out after hours," suggested the headmaster as he gestured for Harry to continue on. Harry nodded and continued on, only slightly surprised with the headmaster fell into step with him.
"Ms. Granger came to me this evening, expressing a concern about you," commented the aging headmaster quietly as they made their way upstairs. Harry frowned for a moment but didn't comment. After a moment Dumbledore continued, "She seems to think that you've been keeping secrets from them and that it might all be too much for you. She was also concerned when you didn't turn up at the great hall for dinner."
"I don't know what you're talking about, sir. I'm fine," Harry assured, making sure not to answer too quickly and convincing the headmaster that there really was something wrong. "I wasn't all that hungry this evening. A big lunch and all." Harry grinned up at the older man. Dumbledore just nodded sagely and continued on in silence. It wasn't until they reached the fat lady's portrait that he spoke again.
"Harry, have any of the ghosts been treating you or your friends differently this year," he asked suddenly, a slightly concerned look on his face.
Harry carefully adopted a confused look before answering, "No, sir. Why would they?"
Dumbledore just smiled and replied, "No reason, my boy. Remember, you can come to me at any time if you need anything." Harry just nodded and quickly spoke the password, escaping quickly into the Gryffindor common room. His relief was short lived however when he saw Hermione and Ron sitting on one of the couches waiting for him. Hermione spotted him first and quickly stood up to confront him.
"Where were you, Harry? We were worried," she said quietly. Ron's eyes were clear, anxiety easily apparent in them, as he nodded his agreement. Harry flushed a bit at the sight of how much his friends still cared despite all the secrets between them all.
"I had a disagreement with a… friend… of mine. I needed some time to cool off and lost track of time." Hermione nodded, understanding that he meant Lord Gryffindor.
"Just let us know something next time, Harry. We were really scared that it was Voldemort," said Hermione, ignoring Ron's flinch at the name. Harry sighed.
"I'm not going to do anything stupid, 'Mione. Not without warning you guys first so you can talk me out of it," Harry grinned at her, trying to ease the mood a little. Though deep down he realized that he may have already have done something supremely stupid.
(o)(o)(o)(o)(o) T.B.C.