Chapter Four
Harry sat bolt upright. "You… you're Rowena Ravenclaw?!"
Rowena smiled. "You've heard of me!" she seemed delighted.
Harry nodded.
"And what would your name be?" Rowena smiled.
"Harry Potter," Harry said, looking around the room.
"Harry Potter…" Rowena frowned slightly. "You've come to see Hogwarts? It's almost finished… we should be getting students here in a few weeks…"
Harry sat up. "I… I got sent here by a time charm… something must have went wrong…"
Rowena suddenly frowned. "Past or future?"
"From the future. About a thousand years or so. I go to Hogwarts." Harry said.
Rowena smiled sadly. "As glad as I am to hear the school will last that long, we then have a problem, Harry Potter."
Harry waited.
"Time charms… right now, don't work very well. Salazar is the only one of us that would be able to do one, and… well, a century is the most I'd think you could travel."
Harry groaned. "Great. Now I'm a time hitchhiker. Perfect."
Rowena frowned, twirling a lock of her dark hair between her fingers. "Your meaning is unclear to me. It doesn't matter, however. Would you like to eat with us? As our honored guest."
Harry's eyes widened. "I… I would love to…"
Rowena smiled. "Good! Well… you probably need some rest…"
Harry stood up. "Oh, no, I'm fine. I'd like to see the school… and meet Gryffindor."
Rowena laughed. "Come. I'll introduce you to the Hogwarts four."
* * *
Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin held up their swords. "En garde!" Godric said, a strange smile on his face.
Salazar smirked a bit, then lunged. Godric leapt to the side, blocking the blow of the sword. Salazar whirled around, while Godric made a lunge of his own.
"You're getting better, Godric," Salazar admitted. "Perhaps someday you'll beat me." Salazar said, parrying Godric's thrust and turning the parry into a lunge. Godric's sword flew out of his hand.
"Better," Godric smiled. From the doorway came Helga's applause for the performance. Salazar gave a little half bow toward the blonde.
"Wonderful!" Helga smiled. "Although it goes much too fast for me. I prefer dueling with wands."
Godric put down his sword. It was really a great weapon, steel and gold, encrusted with rubies. The name 'Godric Gryffindor' sparkled on its hilt.
"Godric? Salazar?"
Gryffindor and Slytherin turned. Rowena smiled slightly. "Our young friend is awake." She motioned to Harry.
Godric smiled. Harry stared at his blade. "I've seen that sword before…"
Rowena laughed. "No doubt, no doubt. Harry Potter, I'd like you to meet Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor. Salazar… we have a slight problem."
"Why am I not the least bit surprised?" Salazar rolled his eyes. "What is it?"
"This boy, Harry Potter, has been sent back in time via a time charm…"
Salazar sneered. "We're here to work on the castle, Rowena. Not fix all little boy's problems. We have more then enough to do already."
Harry winced, then smiled. "I'll tell them about the Chamber of Secrets, Slytherin," he said in parselmouth.
Salazar whirled about. "You're a parselmouth?"
Harry nodded. "I need to get back to my own time. And I need your help. You don't need to send me far… just far enough for me to find another way home. You seem to be the only wizard here in this time that can do this charm."
Slytherin paused. Godric, Rowena, and Helga were looking at each other, amazed.
Slytherin frowned. "That's a foolish risk, boy. I could send you to a time when there were no time charms at all, then where would you be? Perhaps I have no patience for you at all. I could just kill you now and have you out of the way. Have you thought of that, oh clever Parselmouth?"
Harry stiffened. "On the other hand, Slytherin, I could just switch to English and let the others hear this little conversation. You'd be hard pressed to keep the others in the dark if I died soon after."
Slytherin sneered. "Then you are a fool. The others trust me."
Harry's green eyes flashed. "That can be changed, Slytherin."
Slytherin paused, then nodded. "I'll send you forward one century. No farther. You must find your own way from there."
Harry winced. As much as he hated Slytherin… "Agreed."
Slytherin nodded, then turned to the others. "Out of respect to another Parselmouth, I will send him forward. Tomorrow."
Godric, Helga, and Rowena smiled and nodded. Salazar turned and left the room.
Harry swallowed nervously. "I… I am feeling a bit tired, after all… would you mind if I went back to the hospital wing?"
Godric smiled. "Not at all, Harry Potter. Go on. We'll see you later."
Harry nodded and walked back to the common room, feeling shocked. Last week he'd been putting dungbombs under Snape's bed with his dad. Now he was walking around a not-quite-finished Hogwarts, making deals with Salazar Slytherin.
Harry lay back down on the bed in the hospital wing. Tomorrow he'd be somewhere totally different…
"I wonder where I'll end up…" Harry muttered. He could just see Ron now… and Hermione… and his Dad… funny, it had only been a few hours since he'd been plotting how to best disrupt a class with him…
Harry rolled over and fell asleep. He never noticed Slytherin, standing in the doorway, watching him closely. "We'll see, boy," Slytherin hissed. "We shall see."