Book One - Summer of Salazar
Chapter One - Moving the Goalposts
Summary: Following the events of Third Year, Harry Potter explores the Chamber of Secrets and finds a portrait of Salazar Slytherin. Following Slytherin's advice, Harry will attempt to break out of the games set upon him and finally be free. But how? And is freedom even possible for the Boy-Who-Lived?
Warning: This story will not figure an absurdly powerful Harry Potter, but it will be a Harry Potter stronger than canon. It is important to remember that plot armor aside, Harry is still a teenager fighting in an adults' war against much stronger opponents magically and politically. There will be no bashing, with Riddle being portrayed as not the very culmination of mindless evil and Dumbledore not being portrayed as a saintly figure that knows all - or as a malevolent thief trying to get his hands on a family's fortune. Everyone in the story will have their motivations and any judgment towards their actions will be your own. As a consequence, some people will seem OOC. That is on purpose.
Note: The purpose of this story is to present a politically-sound and economically-consistent set of problems and solutions to the implied challenges in canon Harry Potter, and thusly, it will not be a 1:1 representation of J.K. Rowling's creation. I will often draw from academic sources in the realm of Economics, Politics, History, and Ethics to bring some depth to the plot, and there will be instances of worldbuilding that either goes beyond or simply veers away from what was created in the original works. Despite not being as high-fantasy as other fanfictions in this website, this will not follow the plot lines of canon Harry Potter, with differences growing more apparent beginning with the transition between Third and Fourth-Year and completely separating from then on. With that in mind, please enjoy the story.
This chapter has been rewritten on January 5th, 2021.
"Hello, Salazar," Harry greeted, looking at the Founder while carrying a heavy book bag behind him.
"Hello, Child. It has been a while since you've come here. Should I be offended?" The portrait asked, peering over at the boy entering his office.
"Please", Harry rolled his eyes in faux-exasperation, "you only really care about the books I bring you. It's not my fault you read so fast."
"I liked you better when you first arrived," the man mused. "The wide-eyed wonder at seeing one of the Founders was more amusing than your current poor attempts at wit."
"What can I say, you've taught me everything I know," Harry drawled, putting the book bag on the table with a heavy thud.
"Again, very amusing", Slytherin drawled before his grey eyes focused on Harry and his posture straightened slightly. "But that's not what you here for. Set the books on the table."
The hidden office of Salazar Slytherin in the Chamber of Secrets was decidedly more Spartan than Harry would have suspected. Instead of the grandiose statues and imponent features that would have been suggested by the enormous statue that guarded the basilisk for a thousand or so years, the only ostentatious piece of furniture in the room was a heavy granite table centered amidst rows of bookshelves, behind which Slytherin's portrait now examined the books that Harry had brought. The very first words Salazar had spoken when Harry had wondered about the Chamber and stumbled about the room were: "Grandiosity is to be shown only to other people. This is a private room, therefore, to be grandiose would have been excessively pompous, even for me," followed quite swiftly by "now, who would you be, and how did you kill my basilisk?"
Salazar had taken a shine to Harry, who despite his reservations about sharing his past with a magical portrait, quickly found Salazar to be much more receptive of his insights and questions than almost all the adults in Hogwarts proper. As Slytherin once chided him when Harry had started to clamp up, "I am first and foremost a teacher and mentor with more than a thousand years of experience. I have seen everything."The passion for instruction never left him, even in the bizarre post-mortem life cycle of being a portrait hidden behind a basilisk and whose only company were the thousands of books in his office.
"Why don't we go for Sense and Sensibility? Support the fifth book to the right of me and store all the others".
Upon his command, five identical vipers, all grey adorned with dark brown spots, intertwined themselves to form a bookshelf of sorts and opened the book on the first page, one of them patiently staring at Salazar with beady black eyes, awaiting instructions.
Despite himself, Harry chuckled at the choice.
"What are you laughing about?", inquired the portrait, with one long eyebrow raised in quiet admonishment.
"I'm just imagining the reactions I would get if I told a Slytherin that you enjoy Jane Austen novels."
"After you read potions manuals by Hector Dagworth-Granger for more than a hundred years, try to tell me that Muggle literature is inferior. It gets rather dull here. Say what you will about wizards, they simply do not have a flair for fiction."
"Considering how many books on economics you've made me buy for you, you also don't think that wizards have a flair for non-fiction", grumbled Harry, still disgusted with the price of the university textbooks he procured in the past month of visits to the Chamber. His comment wasn't met by the expected snide sarcasm, and Salazar's gaze intensified in a way that made Harry completely forget he was talking to a portrait.
"I have found that there are two things that ought to be dominated to ascertain oneself in any situation", Slytherin said quietly in the calm but rumbling voice that always signaled the start of a long monologue. "A cursory understanding of Psychology can be much more effective than Legilimency to understand the individual, and mastery of Economics can be much more effective than simple power to dominate a society. We have often talked about the current situation of blood bigotry in Magical Britain. Child, have you ever thought why Purebloods are so viciously distraught by Muggle-borns specifically?"
"It does seem like a fairly simple case of fearing the unknown to me," Harry shrugged.
Salazar looked at Harry for a few moments, before looking skyward and tapping his chin with a long finger.
"Bring the book labeled as 9178."
A viper uncoiled itself from the makeshift bookcase, putting Sense and Sensibility on the table before sliding towards one of the newer books on a shelf behind Harry and returning to the temporary bookcase, opening it to a specific page upon a further command. Salazar turned to Harry with a heavy gaze, using the academic tone he always did whenever he was about to pour over some piece of knowledge he found interesting: the even but firm tone of a specialist, one that held no enthusiasm but still conveyed the importance of what was being discussed.
"In this book, a Muggle by the name of Simon Kuznets theorized why different societies incorporate innovative technologies and techniques into their fabric. His theory is that powerful groups established do not allow for innovations to flourish because they threaten the established economic system that rends itself for the benefit of said powerful groups. A somewhat obvious evolution of this basic tenet can be made that said groups also hamper innovation because they fear to lose the political power that allows for this economic imbalance to persist. When applied to the current scenario in Magical Britain, one can surmise that the reason for this hatred of Muggle-borns is specifically economic. Do you understand so far?"
"I think so," Harry said slowly. "Basically, you're saying that Purebloods don't have Muggle-borns because of their blood status, but because of... money?"
"Not exactly," Salazar denied. "But perhaps you will comprehend it better as I speak on. One thing you must not forget is that Magical Britain as you understand is a reaction to a specific time in human history. The Statute of Secrecy only went into effect in 1692, which means that the institutions guiding Magical Britain are a response to the tensions existent in Muggle society in the late 17th century. Evidently, Wizarding Britain exists before that in some capacity, Hogwarts being a clear example, but in effect, this dual and almost complete separation between Mundane and Wizarding Britain occurs then. However, there was one revolutionary advent in Muggle England after that separation that has completely subverted how it functions and is indeed the single most impactful event in history since the invention of writing: The Industrial Revolution. With it, Muggle England and the world at large has entered into an era of dynamism and great social mobility, because the profitability of new techniques and technologies was too grand to be ignored by the established elites. While it did create an enormous amount of social tension, it also created a much more progressive society than that of Magical Britain, which has been kept largely in stasis."
"And something similar hasn't happened in Wizarding Britain," Harry guessed, making Salazar nod.
"Fundamentally, it is not mindless bigotry that ignites the passions of Purebloods, but the fear that Muggle-borns will irrevocably damage the economic and political privileges they currently enjoy. Do not think that simple bigotry does not exist, it very clearly does, but its origin is economic, not in some misguided notion of superiority. Considering the fact that Muggle-borns and Half-bloods often figure amongst the most magically powerful in the world, any inherent notion of superiority would have been quickly dismissed by any intelligent wizard. And despite the stubborn conservatism of wizards, the majority of them are not stupid."
"That is difficult to get my head around, honestly. I don't think the children in Slytherin have this level of insight into their behavior," Harry said, still dazed from the length and complexity of the impromptu lesson and dealing with a newfound respect for economics. "And I don't see many Death Eaters having this complexity in mind either."
"Ah, you must contemplate two points, Child. First, do not mistake Pureblood bigotry for adherence to Riddle's group. They constitute the outer majority of the spectrum of those that look down upon all things Muggle. And secondly, of course, the current flock of my House's students is not guided even subconsciously by what I have mentioned about Mr. Kuznets, but therein lies the beauty of Psychology," with an indulgent and self-satisfied smile, Slytherin continued. "They are guided by a desire to copy and emulate their parents. Do not forget that many of your classmates are the future ruling class of Magical Britain, and their cynicism is not yet fully formed, and will not be formed until they inherit any meaningful position in your society. We normally do talk about politics and economics and such in abundance, but you must not forget that most, if not all, of your classmates are still tremendously naive on the bigger scale of things. Do not expect great cunning from a child, particularly from those whose entire lives were pampered."
At this point, it was difficult not to think about the Malfoy family. While Draco was an indomitable idiot, and whose behavior resembled Slytherin's values less and less as Harry continued to visit the Chamber, it was not difficult to see him into the group of people that purely wished to impress his parents, what with him conjuring his father into existence every other sentence. It was Lucius that baffled Harry. While intelligent and cunning even from the limited understanding Harry had acquired about the political sphere of Wizarding Britain, it was hard to understand his motivations. They could be economic and political, but his silky and cool exterior occasionally only appeared to be a veneer to disguise burning cruelty towards those he viewed as inferior. Dobby's continued mistreatment was evidence of that.
Not able to comment on what he was listening to about Psychology and Economics, Harry filed away this new information and decided to change the subject.
"If you allow me the question, why do we talk so much about economics and politics? Interesting as it is, I am not really in a position to use much of what you tell me."
Slytherin frowned disapprovingly for a second before his expression softened, but a sneer seemed to appear just below the surface even as he calmly replied.
"I do not know why you think you have not a position to use what I tell you. You are not just a student in Hogwarts, Child."
"What am I, then?" Harry asked, curiously.
"The Boy-Who-Lived," Salazar said bluntly.
"Oh please, not this from you too," Harry grumbled. "I'm not special, you know. I'm just Harry."
"Child, you are standing on the Chamber of Secrets, talking to one of the Founders of the premier magical educational institution in Europe, learning about the world around you. Simply by being a Parselmouth, you are already exceptional, not to mention your other adventures."
"I simply did what I had to do to survive. I am not anything spe-"
"Harry."
The surprise of having Salazar addressing him by his given name and in a tone of such unguarded gentleness startled Harry so much that he swallowed his complaints and gaped at the portrait.
"Harry, do you understand that the reason I do not teach you magic is that you are already sufficiently powerful for your age? Casting a corporeal Patronus Charm as you have done in the past months at the age of 13 is simply astounding. It shows a level of connection to your magic that betrays your own strength. The reason you have felt so ill-prepared is that the challenges you have faced so far are beyond what would have been reasonably considered challenging even for a much more experienced wizard."
"But what if these challenges don't stop? What if they get harder?" Harry asked in a small voice, looking away from the portrait and towards the books laid on the table.
"Oh, I am certain that they will. Do not misunderstand me, Child, you will have to be much stronger. But your magical prowess is not where your largest weakness is at the moment, both from what you have told me and from what I have observed. That is why you must understand the lectures I give into Economics, Politics, and Psychology."
"I still don't understand how I can use what I'm learning," Harry complained. "There's no structure to our conversations."
"This is the way in which pupils used to be taught before Hogwarts: at the discretion of their master," Salazar said, looking wistful for a second before turning back to Harry with his full attention. "At the moment, some of your biggest advantages are completely latent. You do not leverage the fact you are from a prominent family nor that you are yourself a prominent figure."
"I don't deserve to be a prominent figure from what I've done as a baby", Harry retorted hotly.
"You certainly don't deserve it", Salazar reasoned. "But it is what it is. It would be foolish if you did not use it to its potential. Do not dwell on the world you desire, accept the reality that is."
"I do not want to manipulate people based on an undeserved reputation", Harry bit out, getting up from his chair and slapping both hands on the table in front of him.
"Sit down," hissed Salazar, summoning two snakes from the armchairs and pinning Harry down before taking a deep breath and mumbling about Helga's sense of fair play. "Listen to me. If you choose not to use your fame, undeserved or otherwise, other people will do it for you, and not for your benefit. If you used your political image in your favor, your godfather would have already been freed."
At the mention of Sirius, Harry tensed against the chair and the snakes were still pinning him down, his orders for the snakes to free him ignored.
"The Boy-Who-Lived is not an individual. It is an institution. One you can not ignore. I understand the pain of loss as deeply as you, Child, and I know that it seems distasteful to use your parents' sacrifice in this way, but you can not take it back. You can not choose to not survive the Killing Curse. You can not reverse your parents' sacrifice. I am not Godric. I am a pragmatist. For me, simply disallowing my opponents to use any leverage against me is sufficient reason to act. But if you need a damn Gryffindor reason to stop laying on your back and hindering your potential, then choose to honor your parents' nobility and sacrifice."
At this, Harry finally relaxed against his constraints and looked to the ground in resignation.
"I can never be normal, can I, Salazar?" Harry whispered, dragging his feet through the ground slowly while the conjured snakes released him.
"Would you wish to be, other than to not be an orphan?" inquired Slytherin, softly.
"I don't know," Harry admitted.
For a while, the Chamber was silent. Noises always echoed in the long tunnels in between the private office of Salazar Slytherin and the place in which the basilisk had been slain, and background sounds filtered through the silence. Harry had long ceased to be constantly amazed by the Chamber, after so many frequent visitations, but these lapses in the middle of the lectures were always appreciated. The environment of the Chamber and that particular office was very appropriate for contemplation, with the vastness of unused space inviting complex thoughts and conclusions. Harry wondered for how many years Slytherin had used the very table in front of him to contemplate his own challenges.
"Before, you said that because I am a Parselmouth, I was already magically exceptional. How come?"
"Hmm... I did, did I not?" Salazar rumbled in an oddly sibilant voice, looking upwards and concealing his mouth with his hand as if deeply contemplating the question. "Child, do me a favor and cast the Patronus Charm if you will?"
Blinking a bit from the oddity of the request, Harry nonetheless whipped out his wand.
"Expecto Patronum."
Instantly, Prongs appeared from the tip of the wand, looking around for threats and prancing proudly around Harry. The difference this time was that Prongs was much more bright and solid, emanating heat as if it were alive and breathing. Harry had to look away, breaking his concentration and vanishing the stag from existence with a soft pop, leaving the young wizard awed and confused.
"It... it has never been so bright before... Why now?" Harry questioned.
"Quite simple. You cast it in Parseltongue," Salazar said with some amusement visible in his expression. Harry, still startled, did not see it.
"I did?" Harry asked confused, still facing the spot where Prongs had vanished.
"Of course you did. Do you think I was covering my mouth because I was perplexed by the question?" At this point, Salazar scoffed in such a disdainful way that it left Harry even more speechless. "Please, I have been a teacher for a thousand years. No basic question would leave me flummoxed so. I was covering my mouth so you did not notice that I was speaking in Parseltongue. I was forcing you to subconsciously cast as a Parselmouth, not only as a wizard."
"What is the difference, then?" Harry asked, barely avoiding the urge to roll his eyes. Regardless of how personable Salazar could be, the man's pride still shone clearly often every single time they talked.
"The results speak for themselves", huffed Slytherin, puffing out his chest slightly, "you could not possibly think that the only use for a magical language that is impossible to learn is to talk with one specific animal, do you? That would be tremendously wasteful. Parseltongue is indeed the way by which we can communicate with serpents and their related subspecies. But it is also a magical language. It is a conduit for magic in the same way that a wand is a focus for the magical power of one wizard. By casting in Parseltongue, or even by silently casting whilst thinking in Parseltongue, one can more easily impart their intent into a spell, either magnifying its potency, its speed, or both. There are very few spells for which Parseltongue will not allow a spell to flow, none of which are pertinent to you, unless you suddenly decide to use Killing Curses left, right, and center."
"Why can't it work in Parseltongue?" Harry interrupted, remembering vividly that Voldemort had spoken Avada Kedavra out loud, but then again, Harry never knew when he was speaking Parseltongue or English.
"Don't interrupt me, you're getting ahead of yourself, Child." Dismissing the murmured apology with an airy wave of his hand, Salazar continued. "The reason why you learn magic with certain wand movements and verbal incantations even though one may use the same spells without either wands or words is that those two factors greatly enhance the flow of a wizard's magic. Imagine that you are trying to control the flow of a great rolling river. This river represents a caster's magic. By using Arithmancy and a variety of techniques not pertinent to the discussion, one can devise the most precise manner in which to maneuver a magical focus like a wand or staff to facilitate your control over the river, as well as impart the incantation that also does so."
"So that is why we speak the incantation so many times during First-Year?" Harry asked, remembering the lecture in which they had learned the Levitation Charm and Ron made Hermione cry. "It's not necessary to learn, it just makes it easier?"
"These steps are indeed unnecessary, and theoretically, all spells could be used silently, with no hand or wand movements, but it requires intent and magical prowess in levels so extraordinary as to be practically impossible most of the time. Accidental magic does not happen with adults because an adult's river of magic is sufficiently wide as to be almost insurmountable without facilitation. A child is prone to these episodes because their river is yet to be fully developed and can be more easily controlled even without formal education whenever the child is sufficiently emotional," Salazar confirmed, waiting for Harry to nod before continuing.
"Parseltongue, as a magical language, can be a much more effective conduit of magic than the odd Latin used in Magical Britain. My understanding of Physics is quite limited, I am afraid, but I do understand that different materials conduct electrical currents differently, and silver is more conductive than iron. Think of Parseltongue as silver, and the odd Wizarding Latin used in spells in Britain as iron."
"You know, for a supposedly bigoted wizard that has been dead for a thousand years, you are surprisingly well informed on all things Muggle," Harry mused quietly, still trying to process what Salazar had told him. "So, whichever spells I cast in Parseltongue will be more powerful?"
"Indeed," Salazar nodded, before addressing the second point. "There are more than 6 billion humans on this planet, Child, and perhaps a bit over a million are wizards. As interesting as a wizard may be, they are not as interesting as the collective wisdom of 6 thousand Muggles."
"You are also disturbingly up to date in your observations for a dead man," Harry deadpanned.
"You forget we are in Hogwarts, and I am Salazar Slytherin," the portrait raised an eyebrow. "Dead or not, I am a Founder. I still can see some things from portraits that recognize my authority, and I have this entire library at my disposal."
"I was wondering how long you would take to say that," Harry snorted. "I was surprised that it took this long."
"Really, Child", Salazar drawled.
"How come anyone that is even remotely connected to you or your House is so good at this drawl?" Harry asked, honestly impressed at the consistency of that act across all the Slytherins he knew. "Do they have a hidden lesson on the first day of First Year, or what?"
"It is a most conductive conduit for the wit of Slytherin", said Salazar dryly, despite the clear amusement in his grey eyes.
"Ah, so it is just sass," Harry grinned.
"A more precise definition for the wit of Slytherin is yet to be found," Salazar agreed amusedly. "Words and politics are just clever ways of telling people that you dislike them without them noticing."
"I am very good at making people dislike me, but very bad at the not noticing bit," Harry admitted.
"Ah, but that is the most entertaining part," Salazar lamented jokingly. "The apex of political cunning is to make your opponent talk themselves into hell without them noticing, but I do not expect you to reach that level in Hogwarts."
"Fair enough," Harry hummed before again falling into a comfortable silence. "You did not tell me why the Killing Curse can't be cast in Parseltongue", he inquired suddenly.
"The reason is quite simple. As a magical language, Parseltongue is an amplifier of magical intent. However, when the magical intent goes against the natural flow of the river, Parseltongue also enhances this negative effect. The three Unforgivable Curses are also contrary to the natural flow of a person's magic, and thus are not suitably used in Parseltongue."
"That makes sense," Harry nodded quietly. "Well, good then. I don't want to think of a world where Voldem-", at this point Salazar hissed quite loudly - he really hated that moniker - "... ergh, right, where Riddle can hiss powerful Killing Curses out of nowhere."
Another comfortable silence filled the room at this point. Instead of striking up a conversation, Salazar ordered one of the conjured vipers still holding on as a makeshift bookcase to bring back Sense and Sensibility. Taking the cue, Harry picked up his parchment and quill and absentmindedly worked on his Transfiguration essays.
Talking to Salazar regularly had significantly enhanced his understanding of magic, even if the true magical genius that was hidden behind the silver tongue only showed up in small amounts at the moment. He was at a point that Harry's greatest weakness was not in magical power or even his less developed understanding of magical theory, but in his lack of social and political skills, in either a formal or informal setting. After all, a cupboard is hardly an appropriate venue to learn how to behave in the weird, convoluted world of Wizarding Britain. Harry was essentially Muggle-born, even though the Boy-Who-Lived was a crucial part of Pureblood culture and Wizarding culture at large.
How could Harry use this... thing? He was not yet fully convinced that this was an advantage. His experience with wizards showed them to be quite fickle. The Heir of Slytherin debacle was not yet off of his mind, and probably would never be. While First-Year had conflicts, it stilled in Harry a sense of belonging that his previous life had lacked severely. Hogwarts became home. Second-Year showed that Wizarding Britain could be as cruel as life in Privet Drive. Hogwarts became a behemoth masonry cupboard beneath the stairs for a prolonged period, in large part due to this ability to speak a language that gave him an enormous magical advantage over everybody except Voldemort.
But again, how to use it? Would using it be worth the social isolation? As much as Harry would love to say that the opinions of others should not matter, thinking about a repetition of Second-Year made his stomach clench. Also, as far as he could absorb from Slytherin's lectures, it would be unwise to be isolated. But it would also be unwise to ignore Parseltongue.
At this point, the Transfiguration essay was forgotten, and Harry was gnawing on the tip of the quill in consternation. Presumably, the student body of Hogwarts already knew about him being a Parselmouth, even though Harry did not even touch the idea of talking to a snake in the wide public since the basilisk had died. But then again, whatever exploits he made using Parseltongue would show up in the Daily Prophet the next day, and Merlin knows how everyone would think him a Dark Wizard in the making, even if he used Parseltongue to save the lives of a dozen babies from a fire.
'Honestly, Salazar says most wizards are not idiots, but their opinion on anything can be swayed by one fake front-page article. It is unbelievably stupid how most of the country blindly follow whatever the Prophet says.'
"Hang on", Harry thought out loud, calling attention to Salazar, who was still quietly reading Jane Austen and occasionally ordering one of the vipers to turn the page. "In one of our earlier conversations about economics, you talked to me about how economic competition is almost always natural, right? Now, you've also told me that Magical Britain was unusually large and powerful in comparison to other magical countries. I know that compared to even Muggle London the wizarding population of the country is not enormous, but how come there are only one major school and one major newspaper?"
At this question, Salazar smirked in delight and hissed softly for a snake to give Harry Potter a certain book.
"Institutions, by Douglass North? What am I supposed to do with this?"
"Sit on it to make it warm? It is a book, what do you think?" Salazar raised an eyebrow.
"Right, I get that", Harry snapped, still frowning at the book. "But you've never given me any non-magical books to read, and this looks very non-magical."
"Oh, it is. It is something of a new classic in Economics. Quite hard to read for the uninitiated."
"Then how I am supposed to understand it?" Harry asked, incredulously.
Slytherin leveled Harry with quite the glare but answered anyway. "You have asked me an interesting question. However, if I give you the answer on a silver plate you will learn nothing, Child. Now read the book and think critically."
After several minutes of significantly more uncomfortable silence, during which Harry had too great a headache to try to read the book beyond unsuccessfully trying to understand the first sentences by re-reading them constantly., he finally put the book down and looked back at the portrait.
"You also did say another think about cunning," Salazar hissed in annoyance at the interruption, but Harry plowed on. "You said that if I had used my position as the Boy-Who-Lived, I could have gotten my godfather released by now. Could you tell me how?"
The question did soften Slytherin's annoyance. For all his pride and short temper, he greatly enjoyed curious children, being a teacher at heart. More significantly, hearing Harry's story, it was not difficult to imagine what life at Dursley's was like by how he tiptoed around the subject, and how the liberation of Sirius Black would have freed him from that burden.
"I am sorry, Child, but my advice on this matter is now useful to you at this point." Salazar stopped talking and began running his finger through his beard while looking at a point above Harry's shoulder. Satisfied with whichever reflection he achieved, he turned his gaze back into Harry's, "Furthermore, I think that to improve yourself, this is something you should try to achieve on your own. You have already changed for the better since the first time you came here, but having a clear ambition is something that can only improve you further."
For the briefest of moments, Harry did try to be outraged by the lack of support from this mentor, but he knew it would be facetious to be disappointed. He could not expect to carry Salazar to whisper sweet nothings into his ears in front of the Minister to try to persuade Fudge to actually do something. He nodded glumly and stared at the parchment in front of him. Harry's thousand-yard stare did alarm Slytherin, that decided to distract him.
"You did tell me about the Mirror of Erised in your First Year, correct, Harry?"
Again the usage of his first name threw Harry off balance, but he quickly realized what Salazar was doing and mentally thanking him for the effort to distract him before nodding.
"If you were to see it again, but with the condition that what you see must be possible, what do you think you would see?" The Founder asked gently.
The question did surprise Harry for a minute. He knew that his mom and dad would never be with him. That was impossible. Other than that, what did he want?
"I guess at the moment the thing I want the most is to see Sirius freed," he said slowly.
"But is his freedom the ultimate goal of your desire?"
"What do you mean?" Harry asked confusedly.
"Is it not true that the reason you want Sirius freed is to be free from the Dursley's?" The portrait asked delicately.
"I... suppose", Harry said slowly, thinking about what was he was saying, "It is the only reason, but it is the strongest one, yes."
"And what, pray tell, is your reason behind wanting to be free from the Dursley household?"
"What do you mean, what is the reason?!" Harry asked, indignant, "You know why I want to go away from there!"
"I know that, Harry" - 'again with the first name, what is going on today?' - "That is not the point. The thing I want you to think about is that beyond your obvious attachment to the idea of family, there is one thing that you desire above all others, but you are yet to realize. You desire this thing so much that your favorite activity, Quidditch, is thus simply because it makes you feel this thing. Do you know what it is?"
After a couple of moments of frowning, Harry's expression cleared before he spoke quietly. "Freedom."
"Indeed," Salazar nodded sharply, "That is the heart of your desires. However, Harry Potter, you must remember this. Even a leader is not truly free, for he is shackled by the cost of maintaining his leadership position. But leading is the freer you will ever be in the world. You are a natural leader. That does not mean you are a good one. Nor does it mean that leading does not come without its sacrifices. There is no such thing as a free lunch."
"How do I become free, then?" Harry asked quietly, again his voice barely above a whisper and his gaze emptily fixated on the parchment.
"I do not know. Freedom is a deeply personal journey. Being the Boy-Who-Lived, you do have at least a more clear set of obstacles, but they are also much harder to traverse. Both Albus Dumbledore and Tom Riddle believe themselves to be chess masters of a Great Game, one beyond the needs and expectations of the individual pieces, and both see you as a vital piece of that game. What they do not realize is that this sanctimonious war that they both believe themselves to be leading is not a game of chess. No game in Wizarding Culture accurately represents strategy warfare, and neither do the Muggles have a good counterpart."
They spent a while in silence, with Harry feeling increasingly deflated and Salazar mulling if should truly embark on the exercise that he was compelled to begin with the boy. After taking a good look at him and making some comparisons to the last student who had entered the Chamber, Salazar nodded inwardly and addressed Harry again.
"Child, I do understand that soon summer will arrive, and I will not see you until your Fourth-Year, beginning in September. For the summer, I do wish you would do the following things. I want you to read the book by Douglass North I gave you earlier. I also want you to read a second book which I will soon order a Viper to retrieve called The Art of War, an ancient Chinese treatise on warfare and strategy that would be useful in your situation. And thirdly, do apply yourself to wandless Parseltongue, but only try to control and conjure snakes, and do not attempt spell-casting. This way you can avoid any of the provisions of the Underage Restrictions on the Use of Magic. If you provide me with a reasonable strategy to tackling your issues in the short term by September, I will give you more pointed tutoring to guide you in these coming conflicts, and more poignant reading, particularly on strategy."
"Thank you, Salazar," Harry said, honestly touched by the portrait's dedication. "But how can you be sure there will be a coming conflict? Could we not solve it before it starts?"
"Child," Salazar replied, smiling sadly. "There is always a coming conflict."