Chapter 21- A picture is worth...
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"Okay girls it's jean time as were going downtown Mugglevill for the day. "I announced but wouldn't elaborate. Neither Diagon alley nor Hogsmeade had much to offer. After a while going to bars, ice cream parlors or chocolate shops is not much of a night on the town.
"Harry how are we suppose the dress if we don't know where were going." Daphne grouched.
"I said it was jean time and if you're not ready I'm going to go without you two."
I took the two girl's arms and I activated the portkey to our cottage. We first strolled down the main street and then used the 'Floe' in The Three Broomsticks to reach Leakey Cauldron. I flagged down a cab and we were off to the cinema. Luckily they were not playing a blood and guts movie but one of those tearjerker's that girls like. We then stopped at a fast food joint for shakes and a burger before the girls were partially turned loose in Harrods.
This day was now turning into early evening. Dozens of shopping bags were all shrunk it in my pocket as I hailed another cab. I asked for a good casual Chinese restaurant from the cabbie who I gave a large tip for such a short ride.
"Harry quit laughing!" Daphne demanded. The girls were bound and determined to use chopsticks for the first time in their lives. I just stuck with the good old fork delivering the food to my mouth and not on my lap.
We just left the 'Floe' in The Three Broomsticks and were heading down the main street with the idea of using the cottage for the rest of the night. Then in the early morning to use the Shrieking Shack's tunnel to get back into Hogwarts.
"Well if it isn't Lord liar and his two bitches." Draco was with his two goons plus Nott and Bletchley. They like us were not supposed to be outside of Hogwarts.
"Hey Draco, there are no teachers around, why don't we teach him a lesson and then we can have some fun with the bitches." Bletchley tried a Snape sneer.
"Gabby why don't I let you take care the trash I'm a bit tired out from our lovely day." This attitude never sits right with Draco and his ilk who all pulled their wands except his two idiot goons. It took a while for Crabbe and Goyle brains to engage and play follow the leader. I had said that so that the idiots might spread their spells between Gabby and me leaving Daphne free to send several spells or stunners.
Unfortunately I was almost caught totally flat-footed as Draco's lead off curse was an 'Avada Kedavra'. I managed to dive to the side dragging Gabby with me to the ground. Instead of me sending a civil stunner at Draco he got a blasting curse right to the chest. Draco was flung into a nearby building and crumpled to the ground. Gabby and I now had the Slytherins attention and curses. The larger problem was with the two Einstein's Crabbe and Goyle who charged at me ready to pound me into the ground. My shield held off the incoming curses while I stunned and bound both goons in ropes. Nott and Bletchley were being stunned by Gabby and Daphne as Crabbe and Goyle hit the ground.
"Harry he threw the killing curse at you..." Gabby appeared to be in shock.
"Come on let's tie these jerks up." Daphne ordered.
"Don't worry about Draco as far as I'm concerned he can bleed to death. Let's get to the tunnel in the Shrieking shack but first everybody under the Disillusionment Charm." I ordered as we needed to get back into Hogwarts unobserved.
/Scene Break/
We got back to our quarters in the North tower undetected. "Okay my dear lovelies let's be do some simple school spells like Wingardium Leviosa, Reparo, Geminio or Accio on your wands. Mix them up and make sure nothing is dangerous just everyday spells like school spells so we get your wands cleaned out. They are bound to inspect them to see what the last spells that were cast when Draco starts his whining."
"I can't get over Draco throwing killing curses you Harry." Gabby was still upset, I really can't blame her, I wasn't exactly happy myself.
"Just don't admit to anything I have a idea and hopefully a plan. We know absolutely nothing and we are here at Hogwarts all day." My idea and plan were a little iffy but it made sense at least at this moment.
I was surprised they waited until the middle of breakfast before Professor Flitwick hustled over, "Harry they want you and your wives up in the Headmistress's office immediately."
"Sure thing Professor lead the way, we are right behind you."
As I entered the Headmistress's office I put a smile on my face and started before they could start," Madam Bones so nice to see you, since you brought the Minister with you I assume you must have a list of fallacious charges to bring. Oh! And just remind Lucius to keep that wand of his in his cane we wouldn't want him to have to give the Minister more campaign funds than normal."
The room exploded into yelling and screaming about then I caught a smirk from a couple of the four Aurors that the Ministry had brought with him.
"I will have decorum in my office or I will have all of you removed from Hogwarts." Professor McGonagall growled.
"He's gone too far the miserable brat! I'll see him in Azkaban by midday." The Minister yelled to which I replied, "That's Lord Brat to you Minister buffoon.
Madam Bones would you like the floor?"
"Lord Slytherin where we you yesterday?
"Now, now Madam Bones I'll not be answering questions without my barrister but I would like to know what I'm being accused of before I call my barrister."
"Draco Malfoy is currently in the hospital wing and he and others are charging you with an unprovoked assault on his person."
"Might I suggest Madam Bones of face to face meeting with my accuser?"
"I'm sorry Lord Slytherin but Draco Malfoy is currently sedated and unable to answer any questions."
"Indeed I understand, might I ask another question and make a suggestion before I'm carted off?" I gave Madam Bones a wink I didn't believe anybody else saw the wink.
"And that is Lord Slytherin?"
"My question is has Draco Malfoy's wand been checked for previous spells? AND might I suggest that you check my wand and my wives wands for previous spells at this time." I was laughing inside as my wand was never used.
"Jenkins head down to the hospital wing and get Draco Malfoy's wand."
"I object to this intrusion, Draco is the victim and should not be subject to your harassment Madam Bones!" Lucius yelled.
"Oh dear! Madam Bones will I be safe relinquishing my wand with him in the room?" I thought Madam Bones was going to crack into full blown laughter at my sarcasm even though there was a serious bases to the comment. About that time I also noticed that Professor McGonagall was looking at the paperwork on her desk and shaking her head.
"Frank take each of their wands and do an official 'Prior Incantatem' for the record."
"Madam Bones you will stop this inquiry of an obvious victim and proceeded to prosecute the perpetrator of this attack." The Minister blustered as he leapt to his feet.
"Cornelius keep your nose out of this or I'll have you arrested for interfering in a lawful investigation." Madam Bones snarled and looked like she wished to tear the Minister a new one. The Minister sat back down in a huff.
/Scene Break/
Well the fur started to fly with the 'Avada Kedavra' being discovered on Draco's wand so he was immediately transferred to Saint Mungo's medical cells for the rest of his medical treatment. Unfortunately I and my girls did not get off that easy.
Later in an unused classroom with security and silencing wards raised Madam Bones laid into me and my girls, "Harry do not think that I do not understand that you did a little slithering around the facts. I am quite sure also that you all were responsible for Draco and friends condition in Hogsmeade. I'm also getting highly suspicious of the activities that are going around that could quite possibly be part of your doing. I'm warning you right now, don't get caught or I'll have to prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law."
I hung my head and tried to look well chastised but I had some spotting to do and I was on it has soon as Madam Bones was finished. Unfortunately I was destined to take a wrong turn in the near future.
/Scene Break/
The North tower or as most students know it as the Divination tower, is one of the many towers at Hogwarts which connect the rest of the castle by the Divination corridor and is rarely used by students except for its infamous class. It contains the Divination classroom and a Professor's Sybill Trelawney which few students seek out. Sir Cadogan's portrait is one of the only portrait hung in the tower. The Divination staircases located on the seventh floor corridor leading off the grand staircase. While Sir Cadogan's portrait like a number of tapestries in the corridor appear to have nothing behind them except a stone wall. This day I found that is not true by sheer luck. I left our quarters and was heading down to meet the girls when a hail of curses forced me down the Divination corridor.
There were so many curses I was fairly lucky that my shields were holding as I was forced further and further down the corridor. For whatever reason I was unable to see my attackers but at that time I really didn't care as I was running out of room to escape the onslaught. Another 'Avada Kedavra' green light special was headed directly at me and I leapt in the only direction that would allow it to miss me. I hit the edge of the tapestry, hard, and as I expected my shoulder to hurt from hitting the stone wall behind that tapestry and it did...but suddenly I fell, I fell further into the wall. My shoulder screamed as I scramble to my feet in a hope to get a shield back up but found myself not alone in a small room.
"Who the hell are you?" Growled a portrait in a deep voice.
I ignored the portrait while hugging my aching shoulder and began surveying the room. I had hopes that my attackers couldn't get in to this sanctuary. My hopes became reality and after a few minutes I relaxed. The entire room was bare except for a overstuffed padded chair, it had seen better days, it was facing the portrait. Given my options I plopped down in the chair sending up dust clouds. The portrait frame looked like something from a Russian religious icon. The guy in the portrait was of interminable age but appeared old. He is dressed in black robes containing no house symbols, he is bald with a gray mustache, a gray scraggly goatee and his eyes appeared black and sunken.
"Well upstart who the hell are you?"
"Well old man I could ask you the same and add where the hell am I at?"
"Where we are I cannot tell you but you have the privilege of meeting Salazar Slytherin."
I just close my eyes and shook my head and said something to the effect of, "I can't believe this."
"Young man it is polite to introduce yourself to your elders."
"I tell you what, let's see how you handle this one, I am Lord Harry Potter/Black/Gryffindor/Slytherin." I expected him to have a fit and to yell or scream and basically call me a liar but...
"How?"
"How what? How I got each name are you worried about just one?"
"I'll have you know that I once hung with importance and was consulted until about 50 years ago when I was relegated to this room by a power hungry old idiot. I know each of those lines but I am interested in how you obtained each of them, you didn't do each line by conquest did you?"
I had nothing better to do so I started the explanation of each line, from being born of Potter to eliminating the dark Tom Riddle and obtaining the Slytherin title by conquest.
"Lord Voldemort is a series of tales of idiocy and stupidity and fits in perfectly with being a wizard in today's society but I will get around to his story later."
"Bravo Harry! You bring new blood to line of Slytherin. Those Gaunts were a blight upon the name of Slytherin even in my time."
After chatting for an extremely long period of time the portrait explained how I could get out of the room. I exited with the portrait. I wanted the portrait hanging in our living room as we had much to discuss. The frame of the portrait intrigued me, not only did it look like a religious icon but the wood was three to four inches thick, from its posts that ran up the side of the portrait to most of the rest of the woodwork. The scroll work was just that usual to seem normal.
/Scene Break/
Whenever he was lurking around I wanted to curse him back to the Burrow. I had not forgotten about Gabby's attack by Ron Weasley's and his current drooling was beyond belief. Gabby was part Veela and drooling at a respectable distance could be said was acceptable for the weak willed but anything more would be unacceptable. So I set about making like a spotter. I had no special skills or talents nor could I just punch him in the nose without cause but I could do dumb things like go with Gabby to the library or escort her to her classes. If I saw Ron I could disappear down one of the library racks of books and still keep an eye on Gabby. After a couple three days I had found nothing worth cursing Ron about but then I thought myself lucky to be there when it did step over the line.
Gabby was heading out onto the grounds with one of the Patil twins. It seemed like a typical female chat session however my eye caught Ron sneaking out after them. I hit myself with a Disillusionment Charm so was able to follow discreetly. Again whether it was luck on my part or just Ron losing any and all control and common sesnce but he lost standing around drooling. He went up and pushed the Patil twin away and grabbed Gabby.
"You going to service me you Veela slut..." Ron then received a very strong Hex to his butt. I then took off the disillusionment charm and yelled something to the effect of, "Stay away from my wives you..."
A trained psychiatrist might have expected his reactions or had insight into Ron's perverted thinking, his reaction was totally unexpected. His yelling, drawing his wand, and firing off some curses, yes!
No, he turns and charges at me like a mad bull. He did some disjointed yelling which sounded like, "I want...!" Then as he got closer he yelled, "I'm never allowed..." As he got dangerously close he started flailing wild punches at me and started an animalistic screaming. I just raise my hand, and calmly cast 'Petrificus Totalus' and stepped out of the way of the hurtling stiff body. Madam Pomfrey was summoned as Ron had met the rocky ground face first.
Later in our quarters: "Harry he was totally nuts, I don't know what I would do if you weren't there."
"You would have probably cursed his shorts off and fed him to the kraken it in the lake." Daphne summarized it as the most likely options.
"No the giant squid would probably just throw his ass back at Gabby so she could curse him back to the squid, you know like badminton." I giggled even if nobody thought it was funny.
Somehow my little joke backfired and I had Gabby yelling at me. "So when do you finish off Voldemort?"
"Gabby's right, he's after us because you took his title of Lord Slytherin away from him, when are you going to do something about him or do you just like to play badminton?"
"Daphne's right, when are we going to get a peaceful life where we get a real life or are we forever playing badminton with him and his soul jars?"
I wasn't really sure how this got started but it really hurt me, my first thought was to yell back at them but it just wasn't in me. I really wasn't sure it was the words or some part of the bond we had but the words really hurt. And they must realize it because soon I had two females hugging me and apologizing and lying kisses on me. It was about ready to suggest that we leave the living room and grab a bottle of Daphne's potion and head to the bedroom when we were sidetracked.
"Harry please excuse an old man but are you saying Tom Riddle is this Lord Voldemort and is using soul jars to remain in this plane of life?"
"Sorry about that Salazar but that is the rest of the story I was going to explain. I just thought you would have known that Riddle and Voldemort are the same person and yes what was left of the Gaunt line is using soul jars. We think we've got them all destroyed, so all that's left is Voldemort's current shell. Unfortunately it's a very powerful one and he has of course a gazillion supporters protecting him."
"Harry I must again say how stupid I am not too have realized... I should've realized as a portrait I can no longer fight the dark and evil but you can as the heir to Slytherin. On each of the posts that run up the side of my portrait is decorated with a Fleur-de-lis on top. Please turn each in opposite directions of each other."
I trusted the portrait and anything he could do to help me or help us escape from this life was something that I would try. Salazar I was sure was trying to help so I twisted the Fleur-de-lis with expectations...
There was no surges of light nor bolts of lightning only a click and the slight sound of what sounded like sliding wood on wood. Now when I was twisting the Fleur-de-lis I was basically in a position of being able to give Salazar a kiss on his bald head so I was not ready for Daphne yelling, "Harry looked down!"
What I found was at the bottom of the portrait was a hidden drawer that had opened exposing a wand sitting on velvet. As I backed up and stepped down I reached for the wand I just knew that it would be filled with power, knowledge and capabilities. As my fingers wrapped around the wand I suddenly received, nothing.
"Err, Salazar, something is not working." I sputtered as I was facing a portrait laughing its ass off at me!"
When Salazar finally calmed down he turned serious and said, "Follow my instructions Harry, do a simple spell like 'Lumos'."
"Lumos" I yelled and all I got was a light at the end of the wand which caused me to look up at Salazar.
"The wand has no special talents to impart nor any superpowers to give but it has one capability. The wand has accepted you as my heir and you should use no other from now on in your life or your fights. Promise me this and I will give you this capability of Salazar Slytherin. I will say no more on the matter."
The girls tried and I tried with Salazar Slytherin would say no more about the wand. Salazar could talk your ears off on any other subject but was mum about the wands capability. I decided to follow his advice even though I had no idea why I needed a wand.