Chapter Four
"Harry!" Sirius cried as soon as they walked into the Headmaster's office, he, Remus, Kingsley, Snape and McGonagall were in the office, but his godfather was moving right away and wrapped Harry tightly in his arms. "Merlin, I was so worried, are you ok? Are you hurt?" he stepped back and looked Harry over in concern.
"I'm fine Siri, I promise," Harry smiled, pulling his godfather into another hug.
"You look much better than you have done in months," Sirius breathed out, stroking a gentle hand down Harry's hair and rubbing his back.
"Is it true Harry has been found, where the hell have you been mate! You have had us all worried sick, are you mad disappearing like that! Why would you be that stupid and selfish!" Ron's voice came from behind them, but as Harry turned it was in time to see Luna stepping up to Salazar holding her hand out.
"It is an honour to meet you," she said politely.
"Ah, you must be Luna, Harry has told me a lot about you," Salazar smiled taking her hand.
"He has?" Luna flushed a little, a happy smile crossing her lips.
"He has, and all good, it is wonderful to meet you," Salazar nodded. "You remind me a lot of Rowena, she would have been delighted to have you in her House," he added with a softer smile.
"Huh?" Sirius blinked looking between Harry and Salazar confused.
"This is Salazar Slytherin Siri," Harry explained.
"Indeed that is an extremely interesting claim," Dumbledore said sharply, and Harry turned to watch the fireworks.
"It is an interesting claim to make," Salazar narrowed his eyes. "And a true one,"
"And you will of course have a good explanation as to how you came to be here?" Dumbledore smiled warmly, but his eyes were as sharp as his tone had been.
"I do indeed," Salazar nodded.
"And?" Dumbledore said impatiently when nothing else was said.
"And what?" Salazar raised his eyebrow.
"And how did you come to be here?" Dumbledore clarified in a tensely pleasant tone.
"And why exactly do you think that you are entitled to that information?" Salazar snorted.
"I am Headmaster of this school!" Dumbledore straightened.
"I built this School," Salazar shrugged and then rolled his eyes when a portrait coughed. "Oh alright Katherine, I was one of four that built this School, better?"
"Much," the portrait laughed. "It is wonderful to see you up and about, congratulations," the portrait said, her green eyes glittering as they flicked over Harry.
"This is Katherine Hufflepuff, Helga's grandaughter," Salazar explained to Harry, motioning to the woman who waved cheerfully at him.
"Lovely to meet you," Harry smiled at her.
"Oh, you are delightful!" She clapped her hands.
"Excuse me, but I must insist on knowing how it is that you came to be here if you claim to be Salazar Slytherin," Dumbledore tried to take control of the situation again.
"No," Salazar said simply, and Harry had to hold back the desire to laugh at the expression on the Headmaster's face.
"No?"
"No, I understand that it is difficult for you to know the meaning of that world, but no," Slytherin repeated.
"Look here, you will show some respect to the Headmaster of this school! You clearly have no idea of who you are talking to!" McGonagall puffed up.
"I know exactly to whom I am talking, and I know that he is one of the most careless Headmasters that this School has seen. As for you, Godric would be horrified to know who is the Head of his House, and how little you are doing your duty to protect the children under your care," Salazar looked down at her with disdain. "And again, I will point out, I built…was one of four that built this School! Founder is definitively over Headmaster,"
"You can claim to be a Founder of this School, but until you explain how it is that you came to be here, you have no proof of that," Dumbledore crossed his arms.
"Oh, you want proof," Salazar nodded. "Humphrey?"
"Wonderful to speak to you again Lord Slytherin," The Sorting Hat, apparently Humphrey bowed the tip of his hat towards Salazar.
"One hat does not…" Dumbledore started to say, but then the Gryffindor sword whizzed passed his ear and into Salazar's waiting hand just as in the background Humphrey protested 'one hat! I am more than that!'
"Hogwarts!" Salazar rumbled and everyone felt the flicker of power running through the castle like a shiver before a gust of pure magic went through the air.
"I…I…I need to know how it is you came to be here," Dumbledore stammered, actually taking a step back.
"No, I have already told you no, and my answer is not going to change. You have no right to know how and why it is that I came to be here, that is nothing to do with you," Salazar snorted, lowering the sword and pressing it into the floor where it passed through as though it were made of butter.
"I need to know why you are here," Dumbledore frowned, completely wrong-footed.
"I am here to get rid of that stain on my line, and to protect Harry," Salazar said simply.
"Why would Salazar Slytherin want to protect a little…"
Harry quickly placed his hand onto Salazar's chest as Snape dropped to his knees, not able to finish speaking before Salazar's spell slammed into him, Snape clutching his head., digging his finger into his scalp in clear agony
"Salazar, take a breath," Harry said softly.
"If you speak about my husband like that again, you will regret it, and don't even get me started on the sham of Occulamency teaching that you have been claiming to do to him. You have been ripping into his head and tearing apart his mind like an animal while teaching him absolutely nothing! You are to stay away from Harry, or I will make you regret it," Salazar hissed.
"It is not my fault that he is too stupid to learn!" Snape spat.
"It is your fault that you did not even try and teach him anything! It is your fault that you took an opportunity for important lessons to protect Harry from my moronic descendent, the opportunity for being placed in a position of trust to torture and punish Harry for something that was not his fault, you chose to punish him as you have done since he stepped into this school for being James Potter's son!" Salazar snarled.
"Professor Snape has done everything that he can to teach Harry," McGonagall said slowly.
"If you believe that then you are a fool! Almost as much as this fool for getting him to teach him!" Salazar said furiously, pointing to Dumbledore who blinked at the finger, seemingly completely lost at what was happening. "He ripped through Harry's mind, he did nothing to teach him. If Harry is so stupid then how is it he managed to learn Occulamency from me, in three days!"
"You have taught Harry Occulameny?" Dumbledore stammered.
"Yes I have, that link between him and that cretin is shut down! Right now I am backing up Harry's shields, but soon he will be able to completely do it himself," Salazar said proudly.
"Hang on…did you say husband?" Sirius squawked.
"He did, Salazar and I are bound together, we are married," Harry smiled at his godfather.
"But…what…how…what?" Sirius stammered and Harry reached out to take his hand patting it comfortingly.
"It was my choice Sirius, before you say anything. Salazar and I are tied together, and I am happy with him," Harry smiled.
"But you're a half-blood! Your mother was a muggleborn," Remus said confused. Harry had to chuckle at the put-upon sigh that came from his lover, Salazar actually rolling his eyes up to the ceiling with what he would say wasn't a pout, but definitely was. From her portrait, Katherine giggled and winked at Harry when he caught her eye.
"I never had any issue with blood status, I have no idea where that came from and how it got associated with me, but I believe nothing of the sort! I could not care what blood runs through someone's veins,"
"Oh…" Remus nodded confused.
"Is anyone else's head hurting?" Sirius asked.
"Mine is," Neville held his hand up.
"Umbridge is coming up the stairs!" One of the portraits called dashing into their frame. Sirius quickly transformed into Padfoot and Remus took a few steps back, clearly hoping to fade into the shadows a little.
"I heard that Mr Potter has emerged from wherever he has been hiding! I expect full apologies for the accusations that I did something to him simply because he disappeared after leaving my detention! And Mr Potter you will be facing detention with me for the next four months for this stunt!" The puffed-up pink toad herself stormed into the room.
"Wonderful, I have so been looking forward to meeting you, Madame Umbridge," Salazar said sharply, his gaze laser-sharp. Harry linked his fingers with Salazar's, needing the contact with him, and also trying to make sure that he wouldn't actually kill the woman.
"Who are you?" Umbridge scowled at him, puffing herself up even more.
"I am Salazar Slytherin, Founder of this School, and you Madame have broken one of the most sacred laws laid down upon the creation of this school, along with that snivelling snake, the only reason the defences set into this school did not step in is because the joke of a headmaster has warped the wards of this school for his selfishness. Now all three of you are in the same place I can finally get down to the business that I wanted,"
Salazar closed his eyes and held his hand palm down and took a breath, right away a power rose through Hogwarts, feeling as though it was coming from the very depths of the castle, and then from the four common rooms of the school Red, Blue, Green and Yellow strings of light wrapped around Salazar's hand gently, and a grey strand rose up from the centre of the castle and blanketed them. Salazar turned his hand to the side and closed his hand into a fist, grasping onto the five strings of light.
"In the name of the Founders of this School. Godric Gryffindor. Helga Hufflepuff. Rowena Ravenclaw. And myself Salazar Slytherin I claim back the wards of this school into my keeping. I eject Albus Dumbledore as Headmaster of this School on grounds of neglect, putting children placed within his care in harm's way on purpose, for favouring students and one House, ignoring and covering up the harm done to students both inside and outside of this School, and ignoring his duties here within the School, and on warping the Wards of Hogwarts for his own use!"
"What…" Dumbledore spluttered but before he could do anything else there was a tangible shift in the magic of the School.
"I eject Severus Snape as a teacher at this School for bullying and harassing students, for favouritism of one House to the detriment of other Houses, for using magic to harm a student and for purposefully sabotaging multiple students' education because of his own dislikes," Salazar carried on.
"You can't!" Snape cried out, looking with wide eyes at Dumbledore, but there was another tangible shift in magic telling everyone in the room that he could.
"Madame Umbridge," Salazar spat the name out like poison. "You are ejected from this School as a teacher for sabotaging every students' education for your own twisted beliefs, for bullying, harassing and attacking students within these walls that were under your care, for physically assaulting multiple students that were under your care,"
"I never…"
"Minerva McGonagall," Salazar turned his eyes onto her and she drew back. "You may maintain your position within this School as a professor, but you are demoted from your position of Deputy Headmistress and Head of the Gryffindor House, and should you do anything against the sacred rules of this school you will be ejected. You have ignored your students' needs and wellbeing for the sake of loyalty to Albus Dumbledore when your loyalty should have been to this School and your students,"
"This is ridiculous, you can not just come in here and…" Dumbledore's words were cut off when Salazar clenched his fist tightly and tugged his hand back, and Dumbledore, Umbridge and Snape all cried out in pain, a bright vivid curse mark appearing on their faces in the form of one long green strip from their foreheads to their chins.
"You really are Salazar Slytherin," Dumbledore gasped in shock as he clutched his face, staring at Salazar with wide, scared blue eyes.
"How has this proven that?" Umbridge shrieked, clutching her own face as though it was about to fall off.
"I reinstated the ward that Dumbledore here removed when he was still Deputy Headteacher. My friends and I created this ward as one of the most important and fundamental wards of this School! Any teacher or employee within these walls that harmed one of the children within the care of these walls would be marked as such and would automatically be ejected from the School, anyone that intended harm to any child within this School would be marked as suck and ejected. Any employee that purposefully ignored the well-being and safety of the students both within and outside of the School would be ejected! This School was to be a safe haven for children where they could come and learn magic in safety, and we created the ward to ensure that no one could abuse the trust placed in them by the children, parents and guardians of the students of this School!" Salazar snarled.
"Why would you undo that ward?" McGonagall shook her head, looking at Dumbledore as though she were seeing him for the first time.
"There are plenty of circumstances that the ward did not allow for, it was like a blunt instrument that…"
"Don't you dare," Salazar hissed. "If a student was harmed accidentally, then it would be brought to the attention of the Headteacher and they would not be ejected. The ward reads intention, which is why Professor McGonagall is still here, her intentions were not to harm any of the children within these walls, she has failed at her job by allowing her loyalty to you to take priority for her care of the students, but not through ill intent,"
"I am a Ministry Employee! You can not do this!" Umbridge puffed up. "I will have you arrested for this,"
"Actually I can do this, and you will not have a leg to stand on arresting me. You may be a Ministry Employee, but you took the same oath that every teacher takes when they start working here. That binds you to the rules and laws of Hogwarts, you were presented with those rules and laws. Just because you were unaware that there would actually be a consequence when you signed that document, you still signed a legally binding contract to this school," Salazar glared at her. "And you will be facing charges for what you did to my husband,"
"Husband?!" Umbridge managed to say through her confused horror.
"Me," Harry said and watched happily as she paled.
"I…I did nothing that wasn't…"
"You tortured a student of this School, you physically harmed another while abusing your power, you will face charges for what you have done, and I will personally do everything possible within my power to make sure that you are fired from the Ministry and that your name is dragged through the mud,"
"What did she do?" Remus asked horrified, Padfoot barking and hurrying over to press against Harry's side.
"I must not tell lies," Harry held his hand up, the scars still visible on the back of it, shiny and silvery. "Salazar has healed it for me, it is about 90% better than it was," Harry said softly.
"She used a blood quill," Salazar explained for Harry when he couldn't say it, looking at Remus gently and then down at Padfoot.
"I didn't! That little brat is lying and I will…"
"She did hear what I said about the wards right?" Salazar rolled his eyes as a second mark appeared on Umbridge's face as a result of her trying to throw a curse at Harry.
"She is clearly a little slow on the uptake," Harry said dryly.
"You did everything that I accused you of, and I have the proof of that in my memories and in Harry's memories, House Elves are also securing the blood quill as we speak and taking the other victims of your quill to the Hospital Wing where a healer from St Mungo's will be arriving any moment," Salazar wrapped his arm around Harry, to comfort the both of them after the slightly unexpected attack. "It will also be noted that you tried to cast the Cruciatus curse on my husband, expelliarmus," Salazar cast the spell and Harry caught the wand flying from Umbridge's hand before moving it between his finger and thumb with a grimace and handed it to the elf that popped in.
"Thank you Dobby," Harry smiled at the elf.
"You can not give my wand to a creature!" Umbridge shrieked.
"Dobby is being looking after this for you till it can be checked Master Harry, Master Slytherin," Dobby ignored the woman, bowing to the two of them and popped out.
"I like the way that he put your name first when I am the one in charge of the School now and his employer," Salazar snorted.
"I think that I will always be his favourite," Harry laughed. "Besides, we are married, what's yours is mine,"
"Hang on this marriage thing is true?!" Dumbledore spluttered.
"Yes, Harry is my husband and I am his," Salazar turned what had been warm blue eyes from Harry and icy blue shards fell onto Dumbledore.
"Harry can't be married to you!" Hermione protested finally seeming to find her voice after the events that had just unfolded in front of her.
"And why is that?" Salazar asked, turning his unimpressed gaze onto her.
"Harry can't marry Salazar Slytherin or anyone connected to Slytherin, he is the boy who lived, he has to marry a girl from the light side!" Hermione said with so much vehemence that Harry started in Salazar's hold.
"Yes! Like Ginny!" Ron nodded just as vehemently in agreement, and Harry's stomach sunk.
"I am not a possession or a thing that you can control and order about, I am a person who can make my own choices, and I will make my own choices based on what I want to do and not what people think I should do! Salazar is my husband and I love him!" Harry snapped.
Padfoot barked from Harry's side, he was looking at Salazar a bit uncertainly, but he licked Harry's hand in support. Hermione and Ron were gawping at him as though they had never seen him before.
"I will never and would never marry Ginny, I care for her but as a friend only," Harry shook his head.
"You can't support this!" Hermione turned to Remus.
"I would like to get to know…Salazar before I give my opinion fully, but then in the end this is Harry's choice to make and my opinion is only that, my opinion. I can say that Harry is looking happier, more rested and healthier than I have seen him look, well since he was a baby, and he has protected Harry from those that have hurt him, so I am not seeing anything to be unhappy about, besides a little confusion about the speed of things," Remus said calmly.
"But the light side…" Ron spluttered.
"Harry is not a possession, or an icon, or an object that can be moved around as people want. He is a human being and he has his own mind, wants and needs. If he tried to do what he 'should' according to people he would never win because everyone has different ideas of what Harry should do, and he would never be able to satisfy everyone. All he can do, and all Lily and James would want him to do, is do what makes him happy," Remus narrowed his eyes at the two of them. Padfoot barked twice in agreement, pointedly sitting down on Harry's foot.
"But…"
"Do shut up Hermione," Luna said, and nearly everyone in the room turned to look at her stunned.
"Right, you two have an hour to pack up your things and leave the grounds, if you are not outside of the wards within that hour you will be forcefully ejected and everything left here will be owned by Hogwarts," Salazar said turning to Dumbledore and Snape.
"But…I am the Head of your House," Snape spluttered.
"Yes, and you are a disappointment in that position, you stand for everything that I do not, you have mistreated the students within these walls, leave my sight before I do worse to you than give you a headache!" Salazar's eyes narrowed. "You have 56 minutes now,"
"Fawkes, come!" Dumbledore drew himself to his full height, looking impressive as he shone with his magic, the same powerful magic that swept through the office and packed all his items and knick-knacks, sweeping them into a trunk that shrunk and dropped into his hand.
Fawkes took off into the air in a flurry of beautiful feathers, swooping up into the air from his perch and glided down to land on Harry's shoulder.
The entire room went still and stared at the phoenix, including Harry who blinked up at Fawkes. The Phoenix just twittered pleasantly at him and ruffled his feathers in Harry's face before rubbing his feathery face against Harry's cheek.
"I am not surprised that a phoenix would choose you," Salazar smiled down at Harry, all his feelings clear on his face as he looked down at his husband. "Lovely to meet you, Fawkes, you have impeccable taste," Salazar added, reaching out to run a gentle finger along the phoenix's head. Fawkes chirped at him, the room filling with beautiful phoenix song before Fawkes pecked lightly at Salazar's wrist, right where his bonding band was.
"No…you can't…no…"
"You have made a wonderful choice Fawkes," Salazar smiled.
"No!"
"Please, do!" Salazar raised his wand at the same time as Dumbledore, stepping in front of Harry and narrowing his eyes at the ex-headmaster. "Give me the excuse that I need to melt you through the floors of this School, you have taken this place and played with it and made it lesser, you have mocked that which it stood for and you have danced over the rules and laws that my friends and I laid down when we created this School to protect the children within these walls. You have repeatedly harmed, hurt and risked the life of my husband for the game that you want to play, and the blood of all of my cretin of a descendent's victims is on your hands as well!"
"I am not to blame for…"
"You were too busy playing politics and being Albus Dumbledore, the icon of light, to reach out and help who you knew was a troubled, hurt and damaged little boy. If one person had reached out with care, if one person had held their hand out to that little boy and treated him with kindness, Voldemort might never have existed," Salazar hissed.
"I…"
"You have 50 minutes to remove yourself from this School," Salazar said with a voice like ice. Dumbledore took a breath and seemed to reconsider, casting a look at Fawkes as though it would make the phoenix change his mind and getting only a sad chirp back before he turned and swept to the private rooms of the Headmaster.
"Make sure that he takes only what belongs to him, and that he does not go near anything or anyone that he should not. If he does anything except packing his things, remove him right away please," Salazar said to two House Elves who made themselves visible at his address, nodding and popping out to clearly follow Dumbledore.
"The Healer is being here and starting to treat the poor students' handies," Dobby popped back in.
"Wonderful, we will hopefully find someone quickly who will take the Healer position here," Salazar nodded. "Take her and lock her in her office please," Salazar motioned to Umbridge who seemed to have been stunned by the second spell hitting her.
"Yes, Masters!" Dobby bowed and snapped his fingers, disappearing with the despicable woman.
"You didn't even say anything this time!" Salazar huffed looking at Harry, amusement shining in his blue eyes.
"Can I ask why Poppy is being removed from her position?" McGonagall asked softly.
"Yes, she bears the same mark that they do," Salazar nodded to Snape who hurried past them to the stairs, seeming to realise that this wasn't a joke and he had only 44 minutes to pack his things before being kicked out of Hogwarts. "She purposefully ignored injuries, harm and damages done to students of this School, because Dumbledore asked her to, aside from going against her vows as a Healer, it goes against the vows that she made to this School to care for its students. A Healer who ignores the health and wellbeing of students because they are told to has no place here,"
Salazar had been furious when Harry had told him about his childhood and told him what he had been through, and then he had been furious when Harry had been confused when Salazar had asked what the School Healer had done to help him. Poppy Pomphrey would have picked up on the signs of malnutrition and badly healed breaks the first time that she had treated Harry, and she had repeatedly ignored the signs of abuse and not looked after him, not even doing something as simple as repairing the damage done to his eyes by his bad prescription.
"Well, you can all leave now except for Remus and Sirius," Salazar nodded to them.
"I am not…"
"I have nothing to say to either of you right now," Harry shook his head at Hermione and Ron when they both went to protest at being kicked out. "I don't know if I ever will again to be honest,"
The two of them looked at him completely stunned, clearly never having expected Harry to talk back to them in this way. He also thought never having expected him to click onto the wrongs of their friend and see through their behaviour. He watched with sad eyes as the two of them spun and left, clearly realising to quit while they were only as far behind as they were, Hermione grabbing Ron's wrist and tugging him away. He had had his suspicions about how they really saw him and he had not been happy with how they treated him, but he had had his suspicions confirmed here.
"We will see you soon Harry, congratulations, I am glad that you have someone who is going to stand up for you," Neville said, and Harry couldn't help but smile, he had friends that care for him because they were his friends.
"I will definitely see you both soon," Harry smiled brightly at Neville and Luna, stepping forward to hug the two of them before they turned to leave.
There was silence for a moment as the door shut on the now bare office, and then Sirius transformed back into his human form and looked between the two of them.
"You're much hotter than I imagined you would be," He said, and Harry and Remus started laughing at the expression on Salazar's face.
"I will have a look into the bonding bands as well, see if there is anything that I can come up with, I haven't heard of anything like this happening before, but then I have never heard of anything about this whole situation happening before either," Remus snorted, as he and Sirius sat absorbing everything that they had been told about how Salazar came to be here, and the PG version of their bonding.
"True," Salazar nodded.
"What are your plans now?" Sirius asked where he was sitting on one of the sofas with his arm wrapped around Harry.
"I need to sort out a lot of things in this School that are not correct, I am going to have to rehire a good few new teachers, the new healers, Professor Flitwick is going to be promoted to the new deputy Headteacher. Then we need to wait for the stain on my line to react so that we can remove him from Harry's life," Salazar sighed.
"We decided that we're going to get published that Salazar is here, and that he is fighting with me, that should get a reaction from Voldemort," Harry nodded.
"I will be at Harry's side for the whole thing," Salazar added.
"This whole thing is just…I just can't believe it," Sirius laughed shaking his head.
"Me either," Harry laughed but he turned and looked at Salazar, finding his lover already looking back at him.
"I think that is our sign to leave, we had better go and deal with Dumbledore and Snape who will no doubt be at Headquarters and kicking up a fuss," Remus smiled standing.
"What but…"
"If you pack up some of the things that you want to bring back here you are more than welcome to live here until we sort out everything with your trial and get your name cleared, from what I remember of your time at Hogwarts you know plenty of the ways around the School, and I can supply a large set of rooms for you," Salazar offered.
"Really…why?" Sirius blinked.
"You are incredibly important to Harry, and he has expressed his concern about you being trapped in that house, I believe Hogwarts has much better memories for you, and Harry can get to spend proper time with you," Salazar shrugged.
"We will get everything packed, sort things with Dumbledore and Snape and be back tomorrow morning!" Sirius nodded eagerly, bounding to his feet like his animagus form.
"We?" Remus blinked as his hand was snatched and he was tugged to his feet.
"Of course, I am not going anywhere without you, come on let's go pack!"
"I really hope that they get their heads out of their arses soon," Harry laughed as the door to the office shut behind the two of them.
Salazar stood and moved to the centre of the empty room, looking around it with a soft smile on his face. "The others would be laughing if they knew I ended up claiming being Headteacher of the School,"
"It is going to cause a bit of uproar until people realise that you are nothing like your reputation," Harry smiled making his way over to his husband, wrapping his arms around his waist and pressing his face to Salazar's warm chest.
"You truly do not mind that we are going to spend most of our time here?" Salazar asked softly, running his fingers through Harry's hair soothingly.
"No, Hogwarts is my home, I am here for the next two years anyway, and making sure that the school is what you and the others intended for it to be. Being here and getting Hogwarts back on track is definitely something that I would love to do," Harry assured him, wrapping his arms around Salazar's shoulders.
"I feel better knowing that they are out of here," Salazar took a deep breath. "Knowing that they are away from you," he framed Harry's face with his hands and pressed their lips together.
"Go on, you need to go and deal with Umbridge and the healers, and I will sort out getting our rooms moved up here," Harry panted flustered a few moments later, convincing his hands to let go of Salazar's robes.
"I love that you say our rooms," Salazar sighed dipping in for another kiss.
"Go! Before I do not let you leave!" Harry laughed pressing against his lover's chest.
"Promises!" Salazar grinned, dodging forward for a quick kiss before he turned and left.
Harry smiled as he watched his lover leaving the office before turning to look at Dobby and Winky who were standing next to him looking hopeful.
"Let's get this place ready for Salazar coming back hey," Harry said to them and both House Elves looked delighted.