Chapter 19: Slinky's Master

So, it took me a month or so to get this right. I had to go over scenario after scenario to see what would fit with my changes. This was what I came up with. I tried to keep all the characters from the original but wanted my own twist on it. Hope you enjoy.

Also, I never liked the fact that Joyce was a horcrux in the original, it just didn't sit right with what I know about them. So, I did something different.

HP-BTVS-HP-BTVS

"Okay, what's a horcrux?" Xander asked, placing the diary on a desk.

"It's where an evil wizard, or witch, hides a piece of their soul. The only way to make one is to kill an innocent," Remus answered, still growling at the book.

"So, how do I destroy it? Nothing I've done so far has worked," the wolf-eyed man said, giving the book a hateful glare.

"Fiendfyre, a fire that is partly sentient. It burns so bright it eats everything in its path. Stone, metal, the ground; everything. Only the strongest of wizards can control it. And basilisk venom are the only ways that I know of. Though, the Killing Curse might work, but you have to be able to cast it efficiently," the werewolf stated, finally looking away from the evil item. "For example, I can cast the curse, but it will not be as effective as You-Know-Who casting it. I don't have enough hate. Though, when it's closer to the full moon, I'm able to kill small rodents."

"Hmm, I wonder if acid would work? Not that I have any on me, but something to think about. Still, isn't it great that we happen to have a basilisk handy," Xander said cheerfully as he picked up the book and put it in his pocketspace. Now that he knew the snake wasn't as dead set on killing the students, he was more than willing to give it a chance. Maybe, Harry could talk it into biting the book. "I have a plan," he said, getting up and heading to the door.

"I guess that means you're going after it soon," Remus said thoughtfully as he too got up. He wondered if he would be invited. It's not often you get to see a real live basilisk. Especially one that's over a thousand years old.

"Yup, tonight. You can come if you want. Who knows, we might need the help. Harry says it's not out to destroy the school, so he's going to talk to it. I want you there in case it doesn't listen. Here take this. It's a recording rock of a rooster. Just say 'start' right up next to it, and it'll crow. The goblins already have some, but it never hurts to have more," he said, handing over a small stone with squiggly lines on it. Remus looked at the rock and wondered how the man had created it. Putting it aside for now he pocketed it, and with that, the two left the room and made their way to the 'house'.

Remus had never been there before, and he was in awe on how different it looked from the rest of the school. He followed Xander to the living room, glancing at everything. There were somethings even he, who had lived in the non-magical world, didn't recognize.

Harry was still up doing homework. "Hermione and Luna went to bed early. Neville just went up. He said he's still getting used to being here. Luna has adapted well, but I think Neville likes the TV too much," he said as he put his books and parchment away and then stood.

"I'll have to set a curfew for him then. Okay, come on, we'll gather the goblins and make our way down. Remus is coming with us as back up as well. I know you said the snake doesn't want to kill anyone, but it never hurts to have a contingency plan. One way or another, I want this done with soon," Xander said, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder and steering him to the hall.

Harry was nervous as they walked through the quiet castle. He had read about basilisks and was fearful the snake wouldn't listen to him. He absently nodded to the rules Xander was laying out, with Professor Lupin chiming in every now and then. Mostly it was just stuff like 'listen to me' and 'don't do anything stupid'. Stuff he already knew. They picked up the waiting goblins and went to the bathroom.

Joyce was waiting there, wringing her hands, as if fretting that Harry was there. "I can't go with you," she said, hugging Harry and straightening his hair. "It's not really a part of Hogwarts, so I have to stay here." So many times, she had to watch Buffy go into the night to save the world, while she sat at home waiting. Now she had to do it again. She hated every minute of it.

"Why don't you head to the hospital wing. If Zabini wakes, keep him there. He might be able to tell us how this diary came to be in the school," Xander suggested, hoping that it would give her something to do.

"Good idea. Harry, you listen to Xander, Remus and the goblins," she said firmly, grasping his shoulders and then drawing him into another hug. "Don't do anything stupid and keep Xander out of trouble."

"Hey," came the mocking protest from the yellow-eyed man.

"I will. I promise," her son said, hugging her back.

She let him go and then with a nod she disappeared.

"Okay, let's get this done," Xander said, straightening his shoulders.

Harry turned to the sink and hissed, "Open."

The sink slid open with a grinding noise, and then stopped.

"Stairs," Harry hissed, hoping it worked. And it did, steps came from the walls and soon the group was walking down the creepy pipe. Xander and Remus had to lean down a bit, but the goblins and Harry fit just fine. Harry wondered if that meant that Slytherin was short, or that the pipe was added later. He stopped and turned, then he closed the opening and turned back around and lit the way with an overpowered Lumos.

They came to the end of the stairs, and Harry saw the bones and almost freaked out, but then gathered his Gryffindor courage, squared his shoulders and moved on. They came to the snake covered door and Harry once again opened it. The snakes slithered aside, and the door swung open. They walked in, and those that hadn't been there looked around. It was still a creepy place.

"Okay, Harry, do you know how to call the snake?" Xander asked, hefting his axe. They were in the middle of the room now.

"Yeah," the boy said, looking around the room, his eyes stopping at the ugly statue of Salazar.

"Okay, hold off a minute and let us get ready," his dad requested.

Everyone spread out, making sure they were near a pillar or statue, stones in hand and weapons at the ready. When they were all set, Xander nodded.

Taking a deep breath, Harry hissed out, "Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four."

"What did you say?" Xander asked. It certainly sounded longer than just 'open'.

So, Harry told him.

"Wow, pretentious much?" his dad said with a chuckle.

"I know, but…" the teen started, then the ugly statue started moving. The mouth opened wide, causing everyone to scramble for cover. The air was so tense that the goblins shivered in anticipation.

"Who calls me?" the giant snake hissed, smelling many beings in the room. He could identify three of the goblins that had been hiding out when he talked to the boy last. They didn't make any aggressive moves, and had cast a ward to keep him in, which protected the school, so he let them be.

"I do," Harry hissed back. "We want to talk to you," he added hurriedly.

"Are you going to try to make me kill the students?" was the angry question.

"No, we're trying to stop that, actually."

Xander, Remus, and the goblins all stood at the ready. They had no idea what was being said, but they didn't want to stop Harry in case it caused the snake to strike.

"Who are you then, little speaker?"

"I am Harry Potter. I only want to talk, I promise," Harry replied, edging towards the snake, while remaining hidden behind a pillar.

"Come then, little speaker, let me gaze upon you. I will not hurt you. Speak your piece," the snake offered, sliding closer to Harry's hiding spot.

"He wants to meet me," the frightened boy said to Xander.

"Not happening. Tell him you will speak to him from here," the man said, lifting his axe, ready to strike.

"My guardian won't let me," the boy hissed.

"Smart guardian. Who is he?" was the amused answer as the basilisk coiled up into a more comfortable position.

"His name is Xander Harris," was the confused reply.

"Truly?" the snake asked, perking up.

"Um, yeah," Harry answered, his brow puckering.

"Salazar will be so happy," the serpent exclaimed, wiggling like a little puppy.

"Um, Dad, he knows you. He said that Salazar will be happy," Harry said, causing just as much confusion as he felt.

"Ask him how he knows me," the wolf-eyed man suggested.

"Um, how do you know my dad?" Harry asked, sneaking a peek at the very large snake, only for Xander to pull him back.

"He is Salazar's brother," the basilisk replied. "Many of nights did I listen to him tell tales of the Great Xander Harris. He will be so happy to meet the legend."

"Do you mean Salazar Slytherin is still alive?" came the incredulous question. He waved his dad silent as he listened to the answer.

"Why yes, he is resting within the statue."

"Dad, he said Salazar is in the statue and that he's alive," Harry said, turning his awestruck face to an equally surprised man.

"Okay," Xander drawled. "Will he let me go check?"

"Let me ask," Harry said and did just that.

"Of course. He's the only one who can wake Salazar," the snake said smugly.

Harry relayed the answer, and just as Xander was about to go and see what it was all about, the Sorting Hat fell on his head.

"What the heck!" Xander said, swiping the hat off.

"Fawkes tells me you're about to do something stupid. So, I thought I'd be your eyes, since Slinky can't hurt me," the hat said with a shrug.

"Slinky!" came the response from quite a few there.

"Salazar's pet basilisk," the hat said with a shrug. He did that a lot, but really without a face and body how else was he supposed to express himself.

"You knew what it was this whole time and didn't tell anyone," Harry accused.

"No one asked me," came the answer with another shrug. "I don't know why. After all, I was here when Sal hatched the thing. But, no, no one thinks to ask me anything."

"Fine, whatever, you can be my eyes. Fawkes, are you coming with?" Xander said donning the hat and looking towards the bird.

The phoenix nodded and landed on Xander's shoulder. The three made their way out in to the open. The snake just watched. He did snicker when the Hat winked at him. This made Xander falter a moment, but when nothing happened, he returned to his walking.

Soon they were at the ugly statue and Xander pondered how he was going to get up to the mouth, which was the only opening. Fawkes solved his problem by grabbing his shirt and lifting him up. He was dropped at the opening, and he lifted the Sorting Hat and gazed at the dark tunnel, wondering what he'd find at the end. He cast a wandless Lumos and crept forward. He could hear Harry talking to the snake in the background. When he got to the end of the mouth, in the back of a large round room he saw a glass coffin.

In the coffin laid a man. Tall, dark and not bad looking. His robes were green and silver and looked to be made of thick wool. He was laid out like Sleeping Beauty, hands folded across his chest, and a peaceful look on his face. Xander wasn't going to kiss him to see if he'd wake though.

On the foot of the coffin was writing, in cuneiform, which Xander was sure only he could read. Well, in the Wizarding World anyway. The writing said, Tap here, dummy. There was a small target painted under it.

Xander shrugged and grabbed a knife from his pocketspace. He tapped the target and stood back. The coffin splintered and spiderweb cracks spread across it. Soon the whole thing just fell apart, leaving the man inside stirring as if waking from a long sleep.

"Dè tha dol?" the man said in a language Xander didn't know. He sat up and shook the glass off his face and body.

"Who are you?" Xander said in English, which is the only spoken language he knew. Well, maybe a smattering of Spanish and French, but mostly cuss words.

The man looked at him and smiled, "Xander?" he said in accented English.

"Yeah, who wants to know?" he asked, shuffling further away from the man and looking around the room with mild interest, keeping one eye on who he was sure was Salazar. There wasn't much to it, just a smooth round room that was much warmer than the Chamber. A few runes here and there, but nothing else.

"I am Salazar Slytherin," came the not so surprising answer. After all, Slinky had just told him that.

"How come you're speaking English? I'm pretty sure that wasn't spoken a thousand years ago," the wolf-eyed man wondered. He knew enough to know that.

"Mum taught all of us. She said it would be a secret language. We only spoke it to each other. Made the students crazy trying to figure out what we were saying," Salazar chuckled and got off the coffin. He walked to Xander, looking him up and down, trying to measure if he was as good as his mum always told him. Xander did cut quite a figure, with broad shoulders, longish brown hair and yellow glowing eyes.

"Okay, why are you here?"

"A funny man named Whistler told me that if I slept until now that I would meet you. I have wanted to meet you for so long, I took him up on it," was the sheepish reply. "I didn't tell Mum, though. I told her I was going to explore the world. The plan was for me to just disappear."

"Whistler, huh? Man, I hate that demon. He screwed everything up in my world. Balance demon my ass," Xander grumbled. There was no love lost between him and the balance demon. If he ever saw that slimeball again, he'd cut him in half with his axe. Powers-That-Be be damned. He couldn't stand those asshats either.

"He said that there was a great evil right now and that I could help save a boy's life," Salazar said, turning towards the opening. They could hear someone talking. "I'd better go make sure he's behaving," he added, waving to the chamber.

"Well, I wouldn't say no to help," the wolf-eyed man said as he followed. "Who's behaving?"

"Slinky, of course."

The two made their way out of the room, with the help of Fawkes, and the first thing Salazar did was hug the huge snake. "Slinky, have you been behaving yourself?"

"I was tricked into killing a student by a boy who said he was your descendant," he replied sadly.

"Really, well we'll just have to talk with him. Where is he now?" the out of period man asked, then realized that he was still hissing so asked Xander in English.

"We don't know," Xander said as he waved everyone to the open.

"I do believe that that book your carrying is his horcrux," Remus said thoughtfully.

"Oh yeah, I had forgotten about that. Hey, Sally, can you get Slinky to bite it?" Xander said, pulling said book out of his pocketspace.

"Egad, please call me Sal. Only Mum can call me Sally," the man said with a grimace, then turned to the greater subject. "A horcrux, you say. Let me see it a moment. Does anyone have a quill?" the man asked, taking the book and examining it.

"I have a pen, it's similar," the wolf-eyed man said, handing over said item.

"Thanks," Sal said, and then wrote, This is Salazar Slytherin, I am told you are my descendant. Who might you be?

Slytherin is dead, the book wrote back.

I have been resurrected.

Truly?

I would not lie.

Will you help to bring me back as well?

If you tell me what has been going on since I 'died', I'll think about it.

With that the book rambled on and on about the mudbloods and how they were destroying the Wizarding World. He told of how he had used Slinky to kill his first mudblood fifty years ago. He went on about the steps he had planned to purify the world in Salazar's name. As it wrote, he expounded on the virtues of the purebloods. How filthy muggles and mudbloods were. Using the great war his creator had been through when he was made as an example.

Salazar read these ramblings for about ten minutes until the book started repeating itself. He only learned that the boy that was trapped in the book was named Tom Marvolo Riddle. Then he nodded to the snake and threw the book in its mouth. Slinky bit the book and then spit it out. A dark cloud burst from the book, screamed a dying scream then dissipated.

The Hat on Xander's head said, "Can we leave now? This place is depressing."

"Rick, you old dog, what are you doing here?" Salazar exclaimed, grabbing the hat and tossing it in the air.

"Damn, I was hoping you wouldn't recognize me yet," the Hat said as a body formed under it. A large man with long red hair stood there folding his arms and glaring at his best friend. Fawkes trilled happily and went to roost on his shoulder. He reached up to pet the bird as he explained. "A funny man named Whistler said you'd be coming back and that I needed to be here to help. I remembered you talking about him and figured, why not. I can tell you from what I've heard, our help will be needed. Albus, that's the headmaster, is a good man, but very delusional about his own power. Your descendant is running around trying to kill everyone who isn't a pureblood. He's a wraith at the moment, but as you just learned, he's not dead. And Harry here is supposed to fix it all," the man said, waving at the awestruck boy. "There's a prophecy," Godric finished.

"That scrap of a lad?" Salazar said, looking at the young boy. While Harry had gained much of his weight back, he was still short and thin.

"Hey," came the cry from both Harry and Xander.

"Besides," Xander continued, "he's not going to be doing much of anything if I can help it. I am a destroyer of prophecies. That's why Joyce brought me here after all."

"Mum is still here?" Sally said in great surprise.

"Funny thing that," Godric stated. "She made a wish one day to always be part of the school and some ugly woman popped in and said 'Granted'. She's now a living embodiment of Hogwarts. That Whistler fellow had already put you to sleep, and me in the hat, Rowena and Helga had died, so she wasn't too upset. However, it was a hard first hundred years."

"Oh gods, I hope it wasn't Anya," Xander groaned. "Did the ugly woman have blonde or black hair?"

"It was blonde," Godric confirmed.

"Damn it, Anya, what have you done now?" He just knew that his ex-girlfriend had done this to make sure he was never alone. Still, he didn't know that the wish demons operated in this reality. He was going to have to make sure the kids never used that word.

"I have a question, how are you guys going to convince everyone you're alive?" Harry asked, looking at the two men who had been dead for a thousand years.

"We're not. I have an identity ready for me. I'm going to be a descendant of myself," Salazar answered smugly. "Ricky here isn't alive, per se. He is more like just existing."

"That's right. I left everything to the school, which is now Xander's. I don't need food or clothes. I can just go back into the hat. Think of it as a genie bottle," the red-haired man explained.

"Oh, I guess I can see that."

"Seriously, can we go now? There is no battle to be fought, and it is getting late. Now that the danger is over, we would like to go home," a goblin grumbled.

Goblins were not much for human emotions, and it made them uncomfortable to be around scenes such as this. That and they wanted to tell the Nation about Salazar and Godric being alive. Not that they had vaults, but it was history in the making. Songs would be sung about this day. The foolishness of humans and how they marred history. Slytherin was nothing like he was portrayed.

Remus was in too much shock to do much of anything. People returning from the dead was not normal, not even in the Wizarding World.

"Mum is going to be so happy to see you, Sal," Rick said, then cringed. "She's going to yell at me for hiding for so long," he whinged.

"You mean to tell me that all this time you never told her you were here? Someone's in trouble," Salazar sing-songed with a huge grin. He then turned to his quiet snake. "We have to go. You stay here and I'll come to see you later. I've been asleep for a thousand years; I don't think I'll be sleeping tonight. We'll catch up then."

"Yes, Salazar, I have much to tell you," he hissed back, then turned and slithered back into the ugly statue.

"I have a question, who's that supposed to be?" Xander asked, pointing to where the snake just went.

Salazar actually blushed. "I thought it was what you'd look like," he mumbled, not looking at anyone, like a kid caught with the cookie jar.

"Um, thanks, I guess. Right, let's get out of here," the wolf-eyed man said, grabbing Salazar and Godric, and transporting them straight to the Hospital Wing. Fawkes flamed away.

Harry shrugged his shoulder and moved everyone else. Remus sat on a bed as soon as they got there, in complete shock. First the horcrux, then the basilisk, then two of the Founders show up, and now Harry doing powerful wandless magic. He didn't know if he could take much more.

"Sally," Joyce exclaimed as she threw herself at the dark-haired man. "What are you doing here?"

"Not just me, Mum, Rick is here too," Salazar said as he hugged her tight.

"Ricky?" she asked confused, looking around the room as best she could while still hugging him.

"He's the hat," Xander said, grinning at the hidden man.

Joyce let go of her grown son and twirled around at the now exposed Godric. "All this time?" she asked completely bewildered. "Why? Why have you hidden from me? Please, explain to me why you didn't tell me," she inquired, her eyes filling with tears.

"Please, Mum, don't cry. I had no choice. You don't know how many times I wanted to hold you when things weren't going right. However, that Whistler bloke made it so I could not come out until Salazar woke. It was part of the deal." He hugged her tight.

Some of the goblins grumbled and with Xander's permission they left, going home to spread the news. It would stay in the Goblin Nation, but the word would be spread by morning throughout said nation. After all, Gringotts never closes.

"I really hate that demon," Xander stated under his breath. He really hoped that damn man never showed up again.

Just then Blaise stirred. Poppy, who had been monitoring him, ran her wand over the now awake boy and claimed him to be influence free.

"Merlin, what happened?" the boy said as he struggled to sit.

"You were possessed," the matron said softly. "Whoever it was, is gone now. Can you tell us how you came across the diary?"

"It was on my bed one morning. At first, I didn't use it, but Mum is getting married again, and I wanted to get my thoughts straight. I almost threw it away when it wrote back, but Tom seemed willing to help me clear my head. After writing in it for a month, I didn't think I could live without his help," the boy confessed with a slight darkening of his cheeks. "I know better than to use something like that, but Tom was really sympathetic. He helped me so much that I just went with it."

"Well, it's destroyed now. I'm going to get a mind healer here to help you with the aftermath. Perhaps, they might help you deal with your issues about your mom," Xander said, thinking about getting a full-time counselor here for such things, so no more kids would pick up 'helpful' cursed objects. "Remus, do you think you could do a class on such things? Express why it is a bad idea to trust something like that diary."

"Yeah, not everyone will listen, but I'm sure it'll help some," the werewolf said, with a nod of his head.

"Good," the wolf-eyed man said, then yawned. "It's late, I need to get Harry to bed. Where are you going to sleep, Salazar? You're welcome to a room in my house. It'll help you get caught up with the current times."

"I'll take you up on that, good man. I need somewhere to go when I'm not about the school. My rooms are probably gone now. Cassy changes too much for them to be there."

"You call the castle Cassy?" Harry asked, he too yawning. He was just glad everything worked out well. No fighting was a good thing. That and now he had three 'people' to talk to in parseltongue. Norberta, Slinky, and Salazar.

"Yeah, I know it's not alive, but it seems like it. Rooms moving and stairs changing direction. Now that Mum is part of the castle, I'm sure it's worse," the man said with a cheeky smile.

"Hey, why do you change the stairs. Isn't that dangerous?" Xander asked, looking at Joyce. It was something he always wondered.

"No, it's not dangerous. A ward on the stairs keeps people from falling. And if you haven't noticed there's not much to do around here. So, I just keep the kids on their toes. Make them work a bit harder to get to class and such," she answered, with a nonchalant shrug. "Sally, you and Ricky stay here. I want to talk to you. I'll show you where to go when we're done."

"Yes, Mum," the man said, hoping they weren't in too much trouble. He may be an adult, but nothing made him feel worse than disappointing his mum.

Just then Dumbledore came into the wing.