Disclaimer: Okay, anything you don't recognize from the books is mine.  K?  Good.

 

Chapter 34 **Portrait Talk (merlin, that's a corny title…)**

"Move, boy!"

Harry snarled and dodged the curse Slytherin flung at him.  They had been going like this for three hours, ever since Slytherin had flung him into the entrance hall and Harry had attacked in retaliation.  At the moment, Slytherin had the upper hand.

Harry rolled out of the way of another curse and shot back a hex as he ducked behind a statue.  Slytherin effectively blocked it then pointed his wand at the statue, blowing it to smithereens.  Harry blinked owlishly then was flung across the room into the wall as Slytherin waved a hand casually at him.  He hit the wall with a dull thud and heard a crack in his right shoulder as he did so.  Sliding down the wall, he looked up into Slytherins cold green eyes.

"A pitiful excuse for fighting, boy.  Pitiful.  But you shall learn.  Yes, you shall learn."

With that the man turned on his heel and vanished into what Harry had found to be a rather large library, full of books he doubted even Durmstrang had in its rumored Dark Arts collection.  Biting back a groan of pain, Harry pushed himself to his feet and limped into what he had termed "Slytherins Throne Room".  As soon as he was inside Anderius spotted him.

"By the saints, lad, what happened to you?"

Harry spat, "Slytherin happened to me.  For all he wants me as his Heir, he seems to enjoy beating up on me."

Anderius frowned.  "Evil bastard."

"Y'know, those are exactly the words I'd use."

A smile broke over the portrait's face.  "The famous Snape sarcasm.  I see it still remains."

"You have no idea," muttered Harry as he sat down heavily in a chair near the portrait, careful of his broken shoulder.

"He broke your shoulder?"

"Yeah.  Isn't he nice?"

"Nice is hardly the word I would use, Harry."

"Me too.  He's an evil, egotistical bastard who enjoys beating up on his Heir and thoroughly trying to kill him at the same time, while being completely nice about it."

Anderius smiled again and said, "I think you've got him down just right."

"Yeah.  Bloody bastard.  And this is my wand arm, too.  Didn't even think to fix it, the slimy git."

"Slimy git, indeed.  There are Healing Spells you can use on that, you know."

"I don't know any."

"What!  You're a sixth year Hogwarts student and you don't know any Healing Spells?  Hades, boy, do you not pay attention in Charms?"

"We haven't gone over those yet," said Harry irritably.

Anderius scowled.

"Curse the Charms professor then.  Anyway, here's what you do.  Point your wand as your shoulder.  Yes, that's it.  Now, repeat after me.  Sano Vulnus."

"Sano Vulnus."

A pale blue light flowed out of Harry's wand and enveloped his shoulder.  A few moments later it faded away and he moved it experimentally.  Grinning, he looked up at Anderius.

"No pain."

Anderius looked hurt.  "Well, of course there's not any pain!  I'll have you know that I was a certified mediwizard in my time.  And a damn good one too!"

"I'm sure you were," said Harry, smiling at his ancestor.  Anderius seemed to calm down a little at that and said, "Maybe you should get some rest."

Harry's eyes darkened as he snarled, "I'm not going up into that room."

"Harry.."

"No.  He wants me as his Heir, but he damned well won't get me without a fight.  I will not be pushed around and there will be Hell to pay if he tries to."  Anderius smiled proudly at his descendant's words.

"Good for you, Harry.  Good for you.  Don't let him push you around.  But don't fully retaliate as of yet.  Let him teach you a few things.  Then fight back with all you've bloody well got and let him know that Snape's are not one's to be walked over.  His blood we may be, but we'll be damned if we'll let him trod all over us because of it!"

The two Snape's smiled at each other until another portrait slipped into Anderius'.

"Deri, what in Heaven's name have you been telling him?  He can't fight Salazar!  No one can!"

"Mal, calm down.  Harry can do it.  He did defeat Voldemort you know, and that's no mean feat in itself."

"Deri, he can't and you know it!  Stop putting the idea into his head!  He'll be killed!"

Anderius shook his head and turned back to Harry.  "Lovely relatives we have, don't we?  She doesn't even have faith in you, lad."

The dark haired woman who had walked into Anderius' portrait glared at him and stomped her foot, blue eyes flashing.  "I never said that, Anderius, and you know it!"

"Ah, but you implied it, my dear."

"Anderius…" said the woman in a warning growl similar to Saerry's.

"Harry, meet my dear sister Amalia.  Five years younger than I and looking far too much like Mother for her own good.  Doesn't she, mum?"  Anderius turned to look down the wall at a portrait of a dark haired woman whose features were almost the same as Amalia's.

"Oh, yes, Deri, she does.  Harry, dear boy, I hope that shoulder healed right.  Sometimes Healing Spells on yourself can backfire."

"Mother!" cried Anderius indignantly, "you know that spell is meant to be used on self-healing.  You did invent it yourself after all."

Amara Slytherin-Snape smiled.  "I did, didn't I?  And I do believe I taught it to you, my dear son."

"And I just taught it to your great-great-something's grandson."

"Yours as well, Deri."

"I know, Mother."

"Good.  Oh dear, here He comes.  Malia, get back in your portrait, child.  Sad!  Sad, dear one, get out of Cousin Samael's!  He's coming!"

Sadiron Snape I looked up from his conversation with a brown haired man with, strangely enough, yellow eyes, and quickly ran through four other portraits to get back to his own frame.  He had just made it when Slytherin entered the room, casting a frosty gaze at the paintings.

"Moving around again, I see.  Tut tut.  You know I don't like that."  He turned to Harry and said, "Harry, boy, I see you healed your shoulder."  The cold green eyes flicked to Anderius, who was glaring coldly at Slytherin.  "I suppose you told him the spell, Anderius?"

"And if I did?" said Anderius haughtily.

"You know the consequence, grandson-mine."

"I do.  But will you carry it out this time?"

Harry heard Amalia gasp from her portrait behind him and he saw Sadiron's blue eyes narrow in anger.  Amara even moved forward into the portrait beside hers, her hands clamped over her mouth, green eyes wide in horror as she stared down at her son.

Slytherin did not notice any of them, or if he did he did not acknowledge it.  He simply sneered at Anderius and snarled, "You would do well to remember that you are only a portrait, grandson-mine.  I could easily set fire to your frame.  Easily.  And you could do nothing to stop it.  Remember that next time you wish to tempt my anger."  With that he left the room, not glancing once at Harry again.  Amalia and Sadiron sagged in relief against their frames as Amara ran into her son's portrait and threw her arms around him, sobbing into his shoulder.  Anderius nervously patted her back and moaned, "Mum…"

Amara straightened quickly, brushing tears from her eyes.  A moment later the Weeping Mother look had faded and was replaced by an angry wrath that would have made Severus himself quaver before it.

"Foolish, foolish, child!  Why do you insist on winding Him up like that!  You know what he said is true!  He could burn you in a moment and there would be nothing you or any of us could do."

Anderius cowered under his mother's angry eyes, reminding Harry of Fred, George, and Ron under their mother's glare.  Even to the fact that Amara was much shorter than her son but beyond that the resemblance to Mrs. Weasley ended.

Amara smacked the back of her son's head, earning an "Ow!" of protest, then proceeded to rant at him for a full ten minutes.  Harry took the moment to move over to talk to Sadiron.

Looking up at his many times grandfather, he asked, "Is she always like that?"

Sadiron replied, "Only when Anderius or Amalia do something stupid.  Such as Derius just did.  Lia is much less prone to such things."  He looked from his wife down at Harry and asked, "And you, dear lad, how are you.  Not well, I presume, considering the company we keep in this fine castle."

Harry shook his head and darkly said, "I hate it.  The castle's fine, it's the company that's sour."

"I am hoping that is the living company," said Sadiron.

"Of course."

"Good.  Good.  You'd do well to know that this castle is the ancestral Snape home."

Harry blinked.  "I thought that was Snape Manor."

Sadiron shook his head.  "No, no, no, no.  No, lad, no.  Snape Manor was built by Lucas Snape, Anderius' grandson.  That's him over there laughing at Anderius.  Amara will see him in a moment…."

"LUCAS O'DONNELL SNAPE!  COME HERE THIS INSTANT!"

Sadiron smirked and said, "Another perfect catch by the beautiful Lady Snape."

Harry smiled as he watched Anderius smirk at Lucas over his mother's shoulder then turned back to Sadiron.  "So, why did they change from the castle to the manor?"

"I believe it was the fact that Salazar died here."

"Here?"

"Yes.  Right in the entrance hall.  Did you notice the discoloration of the stone's near the doors?  Just by the wall under the second sconce?"

Harry shook his head.  He hadn't.

"Look next time.  Godric, an old friend of my father, killed him there.  Unfortunately he died not long after that despite Anderius and every other mediwizard and witch we could find's skill."

"Is that why there is such a feud between the House's at Hogwarts?"

Sadiron nodded.  "That was the last card on the pile.  Salazar and Godric had been dancing about each other for years.  They were friends at one point you know.  But then Salazar had to start on that Muggleborn's business.  Thank Merlin he did not pass that on to his children.  Or at least, Amara's grandfather.  Her great uncle on the other hand…."  Sadiron's voice trailed off and he waved a hand.

"I digress.  After Godric killed Salazar – not a bad thing, if you ask me – the Slytherins at Hogwarts immediately began to despise the Gryffindors.  The feelings became mutual when Godric died here in Arx Serpens.  No one trusted a Snape after that.  They claimed Anderius had let Godric die.  If only they could have seen how much we despised Salazar."

Harry frowned.  "Surely they knew Godric was friends with your father."

"They did.  But they chose to ignore it.  After a while, our name became associated with Dark Wizards.  As did Slytherin.  Though for that I cannot blame them.  However, I heard of what went on at Hogwarts after that from my grandson.  As for Salazar's name being treated with hate, I wholeheartedly agree.  But to shun those who had the talents he looked for in his students and ended up in his House?  That I do not approve."

"Neither does my father," said Harry.

"Good for him," said Sadiron with a nod.

They were silent for a moment until Harry asked, "Why did you call this place Arx Serpens?"

"That is its name.  It means Serpent's Keep.  This castle has stood since long before Slytherin's time.  It has stood the weathering of the ages since Merlin's time."  A smile quirked Sadiron's lips as he added, "And, if my father told me true, this castle was once know as Camelot."

Harry blinked.

"The Camelot?  You mean King Arthur and his knights and all?"

"King Arthur was Merlin's distant cousin and a squib at that.  Lancelot was a Muggle but Gawain was a wizard.  As was Guinivere, Arthur's bride.  A pity she ran off with Lancelot.  Yes, most of those tales are true.  I believe legend goes that an ancestor of ours by name of Lucius diSnares was given hold of the castle after Arthur died.  Merlin himself gifted the castle to him."

"DiSnares?"

"Yes.  I have no idea how it changed to Snape over the years.  The two names are nothing alike."

"We certainly have an interesting history."

"You don't know the half of it, lad.  Hades, He's back."

Harry looked up and saw Slytherin standing in the doorway, a cruel smile playing across his lips.  In a cage hovering behind him was a snowy owl Harry knew well.

"Hedwig!"

Slytherin smirked and said, "So, this is your owl, is it?  And with a letter from your father too.  He seems very worried about you."

"I wonder why," muttered Sadiron darkly from behind Harry.

Slytherin did not hear him and said, "You will write him back.  Do not tell him where you are.  Simply say that you are fine and to not worry.  If you do otherwise, the consequences will be very painful."  With that Hedwig's cage floated to the floor and Slytherin left.  Harry ran quickly over to his owl and released her.  She flew to his shoulder and hooted in what Harry could only presume was joy.

"I missed you too, Hed.  What has Dad got to say?"

The snowy owl held out her leg and Harry untied it, returning to the chair near Sadiron as he unrolled it.

Harry,

You had better answer this letter or I swear you won't be alive after I get my hands on you.

Sadiron chuckled as he read the letter over Harry's shoulder.  He said, "Cheeky fellow your father is."

"Cheeky is hardly something to describe him," muttered Harry, not taking his eyes off the letter.

Saerry is going mad.  Not to mention what Black is doing.  Leaning over my shoulder while I am writing this.  Damned dog.  I am not a dog.  Shut up, Black.  Even interrupts me.

I know I shouldn't have yelled at you.  But you know I never wanted to see that Mark on you.  I wouldn't even want to see it on Black.  Thank you.  STOP STEALING MY QUILL!!!

Harry and Sadiron laughed.

Sodding bastard.  I don't see how you put up with him.  It's my luminescent charm.  I'm warning you, Black.  Steal my quill again and there shall be Hell to pay.

And you had better answer this letter, Harry.  Hermione and Ginny are in tears over this.  So you have better reply.

Oh, and by the way, I know about you five being Animagi.  We shall have a talk about that when I get my hands on you.  On your throat most preferably so I can throttle some sense into you.

 - Your father

Sadiron laughed some more then said, "Cheeky bloke."

"Hardly."

"I'd like to meet him.  Seems like a nice chap."

"Nice?  If someone from my school heard that they'd think you were mad."

Sadiron arched an eyebrow.  "Why is that?"

"He's not exactly that popular around school.  Now where can I find some parchment and a quill?  I have to write back."

"You're going to do what Salazar said?"

"I'm not in the mood to get thrown around the entrance hall again."

"So, you're going to tell your father not to come?"

"Knowing my father, he's probably already on his way.  With my aunt, uncle, godfather, girlfriend, friend, soon-to-be adopted brother, and his girlfriend in tow.  Along with a phoenix that has claimed me as his own and an Aeyr who seems to be staying with my family now."

Sadiron blinked several times then asked, "So what are you going to write?"

"Exactly what Slytherin said.  Only add some code in it."

"Will they get it?"

"Hermione – my girlfriend – will.  She's the smartest student in our year.  If any of them can figure it out, she can."

"I hope you're right, Harry," said Sadiron nervously.

"So do I," muttered Harry as he found a quill and parchment and began to write the letter.

Sano Vulnus – Wound to Heal

Arx Serpens – Serpent's Keep