CHAPTER ONE: Slytherin
The two story house stood out amongst the mountanous region. The forest held trees that stood tall and proud for generations, but didn't take kindly to the intruding humans. Skyler had built his house on this spot purpousfully, and chose to live alone for the same reasons. Having a small child shadowing him made him wish he had given Salazar to Raghnall as well.
"Are you hungry? Hmm? Is that it?" Skyler asked impatiently.
Salazar looked up at him with frear in his eyes.
With a swish of his wand, Skyler made a plate of bread and cheese appear in a table next to Salazar. He motioned for the child to sit.
"I'll be right back, stay here." Skyler said gruffly, narrowing his eyes at the boy.
After making certain the boy would not move from the table, Skyler exited the room and down the hall to a closet. He tapped his wand on the handle and uttered some words under his breath. The closet opened up, but did not reveal trivial things such as winter cloaks, but a dark stairwell. Salazar, watching from behind a door, saw Skyler enter the closet and close the door.
Salazar rushed towards the door, and grabbed it open, but inside were the winter cloaks he knew were there. He pushed the cloaks aside with his hand, but the closet was as it should have been. Salazar felt like crying but knew his tears ammounted to nothing in this place.
The boy had been at the Slytherin house for a month and had already mapped out the entire floor plan. He knew the different stair cases, and where they lead. He knew all thirty two hidden short cuts, especially the one that lead from his room to the well outside. But he still had no idea what lay underneath the house. It was still a mystery to the boy where his Uncle went nearly every night.
The months passed by, and Salazar began exploring the forest and mountains. His Uncle paid no special attention to him, so he did as he pleased. He would venture to the lake, and swim, stelthly avoiding the grindylows, and sometimes meeting with some of the Mer-People. The giant squid had scared him the first time it surfaced the lake, but Salazar had befriended it, as he did with all the animals.
Explopring the caves in the mountains was especially interesting to Salazar. The twisting tunnels, the sheer drop offs of thirty and more feet, he felt like he ruled it all. He even went so far into a cave, that he reached a huge tavern, with many stalagtites and stalagmites. The cieling was so high, he couldn't even see it with the torch he brought with him. When he surfaced the entrance of the cave, he found it had taken him nearly the whole day.
The months turned into years, and soon Salazar found himself being watched. It wasn't as if his Uncle had completely ignored him the past fifteen years. He would sit and listen to lessons on the importance of magic, and the dangers of Muggles. Salazar found that Skyler was extremely passionate about the filthiness of Muggles. He often thought when Skyler paused, he was off in another time, and another place. And just when it looked as if his Uncle would start to cry, he would come back to reality.
One day while Salazar was practicing his magic, his Uncle sat in a chair, watching his every move. Salazar, feeling the gaze on him, turned to face his Uncle.
"Why do you stare at me?" He asked, wrinkling his eyebrows.
He has grown, Skyler thought to himself. He's very strong, and well built. Climbing trees and mountains gave him that. He almost looks like I did when I was his age...before--
"Skyler, if it's because I was gone last week, I can explain..." Salazar often spent days together in the forest or his tavern, which he had calculated one time to be below the lake. He could never bring himself to tell Skyler about the tavern. Skyler had his secrets, why couldn't he have his?
"It's not that, my boy, I was just thinking how much you look like...your mother." A glint of fire burned in his eyes.
Salazar's eyes brightened. He rarely heard about his mother. His Uncle had a portrait that was painted of his Mother in a downstairs room. She was young when it was done, and looked happy. She was petting a dog, which wriggled to break free of her grasp. Aria would just smile at whoever was admiring the portrait, ignoring the dog's attempts of escape.
"Please, tell me about her." Salazar pleaded.
Skyler took a deep breath, contemplating if the timing was right. Since he took Salazar from his mother's home, he knew this day would come. He anticipated it and dreaded it. It would mean he'd have to relive that horrible day, but it also meant he could begin training Salazar, and mold him to what he wanted.
Skyler took another deep breath and began, "Your Mother was a very lovely lady. She was the only girl, and the pride of the family. Everyone doted on her, and indulged her. She knew nothing but love and acceptance in her life. I guess that's why she was so idealistic. She married below herself. Oh, he was a wizard, but not coming from a very long line of wizards. Still had Muggle blood in him. Moved Aria away from her family, into the dangerous world of Muggles. Greed rules in the Muggle world, Salazar, remember that. If you want power, play upon their greed.
"It wasn't long before you were born, and you showed signs of magic from the day you were born. Everyone was so proud." Skyler paused. Would telling him he had a brother affect the future he planned for the boy? Would Salazar wish to meet his brother? He hadn't heard from Raghnall, or anyone else, since that fateful night. He decided that omitting that information was wise. "And then, when you were but two, they came after her. With torches, and accusations. They burned her...for witchcraft. Imagine living among Muggles, doing nothing but good, and then one day they up and burn you."
Salazar knew his Mother had died before her time, but never thought she felt such pain. Pain of body and pain of soul. An emotion he had never felt before began to stir within him. It felt like an inky black cloud that began in the pit of his stomach, moving upwards through his veins and showing red in his eyes. That's when Skyler knew he could begin to train his young nephew.
"My boy, I have something I need to show you." Skyler stood, his black robes swishing with his movements.
Salazar stood and followed his Uncle down to the secret closet he had so often tried to open himself. Skyler took the wand from his pocket, touched the handle with it, and siad, "Deorsum" and the door opened and the dark stair case was before Salazar. He peered down, seeing it was lit with torches.
"Follow me." Skyler started down the stairs, followed closely by Salazar.
The narrow stair case was cold. On either side was a wall of moist gray stones, and torches barely lighting the way. It seemed ages before the stair case ended and they were on level ground. Water dripping off the ceiling and hitting the stone floor echoed in this tavern. Salazar looked past Skyler's shoulder, and could see a strange blue light ahead. Fear instantly left him as he neared the strange light. He was intrigued, and every thought left his head as he demanded to know what this light was.
"Do you know what this is?" Skyler asked, pointing to a small pool of water.
The blue light seemed to be coming from the pool. Salazar shook his head no as he peered into the unfathomable depths. Around the pool were green rocks, and on them were a strange writing.
"It's Ancient Runes, a forgotten language." Skyler said, noticing Salazar's gaze. "This is a Pool of Past, Present and Future."
"There's more than one?" Salazar asked, not able to keep his eyes from the eerie blue light.
"There are two more. One is in a land far away, a land where a never ending range of mountains stretch from north to south. The other is somewhere in the depths of Africa. I have spent nearly all my life trying to find this one...and the rest deciphering the language it's written in." A sort of pride showed on his face.
"Why did you bring me here?" Salazar asked, finally able to look at Skyler.
"Because, last night I have finished translating it, and I wanted you here to see it work."
"What does it do?"
"No one knows for sure. Since the world was created, these pools have been here. The earth was covered in water before the land rose above it. These pools have seen the creation, and some how can see the future. The Ancients used these pools to defeat their enemies, to conquer land, and to rule the world! And now, I have the key.
"Everyone believed it was a myth...that I was wasting my time." He gave a sort of laugh. "Well, we'll see, won't we?"
Skyler drew his wand out to the ancient language, and traced them with his wand as he spoke words which hadn't been heard in hundreds of years. They echoed off the walls, which both scared and excited Salazar. When Skyler was finished, the pool's water began to ripple, and the light flooded the whole cavern.
Salazar's eyes grew wide at what he saw next...
The two story house stood out amongst the mountanous region. The forest held trees that stood tall and proud for generations, but didn't take kindly to the intruding humans. Skyler had built his house on this spot purpousfully, and chose to live alone for the same reasons. Having a small child shadowing him made him wish he had given Salazar to Raghnall as well.
"Are you hungry? Hmm? Is that it?" Skyler asked impatiently.
Salazar looked up at him with frear in his eyes.
With a swish of his wand, Skyler made a plate of bread and cheese appear in a table next to Salazar. He motioned for the child to sit.
"I'll be right back, stay here." Skyler said gruffly, narrowing his eyes at the boy.
After making certain the boy would not move from the table, Skyler exited the room and down the hall to a closet. He tapped his wand on the handle and uttered some words under his breath. The closet opened up, but did not reveal trivial things such as winter cloaks, but a dark stairwell. Salazar, watching from behind a door, saw Skyler enter the closet and close the door.
Salazar rushed towards the door, and grabbed it open, but inside were the winter cloaks he knew were there. He pushed the cloaks aside with his hand, but the closet was as it should have been. Salazar felt like crying but knew his tears ammounted to nothing in this place.
The boy had been at the Slytherin house for a month and had already mapped out the entire floor plan. He knew the different stair cases, and where they lead. He knew all thirty two hidden short cuts, especially the one that lead from his room to the well outside. But he still had no idea what lay underneath the house. It was still a mystery to the boy where his Uncle went nearly every night.
The months passed by, and Salazar began exploring the forest and mountains. His Uncle paid no special attention to him, so he did as he pleased. He would venture to the lake, and swim, stelthly avoiding the grindylows, and sometimes meeting with some of the Mer-People. The giant squid had scared him the first time it surfaced the lake, but Salazar had befriended it, as he did with all the animals.
Explopring the caves in the mountains was especially interesting to Salazar. The twisting tunnels, the sheer drop offs of thirty and more feet, he felt like he ruled it all. He even went so far into a cave, that he reached a huge tavern, with many stalagtites and stalagmites. The cieling was so high, he couldn't even see it with the torch he brought with him. When he surfaced the entrance of the cave, he found it had taken him nearly the whole day.
The months turned into years, and soon Salazar found himself being watched. It wasn't as if his Uncle had completely ignored him the past fifteen years. He would sit and listen to lessons on the importance of magic, and the dangers of Muggles. Salazar found that Skyler was extremely passionate about the filthiness of Muggles. He often thought when Skyler paused, he was off in another time, and another place. And just when it looked as if his Uncle would start to cry, he would come back to reality.
One day while Salazar was practicing his magic, his Uncle sat in a chair, watching his every move. Salazar, feeling the gaze on him, turned to face his Uncle.
"Why do you stare at me?" He asked, wrinkling his eyebrows.
He has grown, Skyler thought to himself. He's very strong, and well built. Climbing trees and mountains gave him that. He almost looks like I did when I was his age...before--
"Skyler, if it's because I was gone last week, I can explain..." Salazar often spent days together in the forest or his tavern, which he had calculated one time to be below the lake. He could never bring himself to tell Skyler about the tavern. Skyler had his secrets, why couldn't he have his?
"It's not that, my boy, I was just thinking how much you look like...your mother." A glint of fire burned in his eyes.
Salazar's eyes brightened. He rarely heard about his mother. His Uncle had a portrait that was painted of his Mother in a downstairs room. She was young when it was done, and looked happy. She was petting a dog, which wriggled to break free of her grasp. Aria would just smile at whoever was admiring the portrait, ignoring the dog's attempts of escape.
"Please, tell me about her." Salazar pleaded.
Skyler took a deep breath, contemplating if the timing was right. Since he took Salazar from his mother's home, he knew this day would come. He anticipated it and dreaded it. It would mean he'd have to relive that horrible day, but it also meant he could begin training Salazar, and mold him to what he wanted.
Skyler took another deep breath and began, "Your Mother was a very lovely lady. She was the only girl, and the pride of the family. Everyone doted on her, and indulged her. She knew nothing but love and acceptance in her life. I guess that's why she was so idealistic. She married below herself. Oh, he was a wizard, but not coming from a very long line of wizards. Still had Muggle blood in him. Moved Aria away from her family, into the dangerous world of Muggles. Greed rules in the Muggle world, Salazar, remember that. If you want power, play upon their greed.
"It wasn't long before you were born, and you showed signs of magic from the day you were born. Everyone was so proud." Skyler paused. Would telling him he had a brother affect the future he planned for the boy? Would Salazar wish to meet his brother? He hadn't heard from Raghnall, or anyone else, since that fateful night. He decided that omitting that information was wise. "And then, when you were but two, they came after her. With torches, and accusations. They burned her...for witchcraft. Imagine living among Muggles, doing nothing but good, and then one day they up and burn you."
Salazar knew his Mother had died before her time, but never thought she felt such pain. Pain of body and pain of soul. An emotion he had never felt before began to stir within him. It felt like an inky black cloud that began in the pit of his stomach, moving upwards through his veins and showing red in his eyes. That's when Skyler knew he could begin to train his young nephew.
"My boy, I have something I need to show you." Skyler stood, his black robes swishing with his movements.
Salazar stood and followed his Uncle down to the secret closet he had so often tried to open himself. Skyler took the wand from his pocket, touched the handle with it, and siad, "Deorsum" and the door opened and the dark stair case was before Salazar. He peered down, seeing it was lit with torches.
"Follow me." Skyler started down the stairs, followed closely by Salazar.
The narrow stair case was cold. On either side was a wall of moist gray stones, and torches barely lighting the way. It seemed ages before the stair case ended and they were on level ground. Water dripping off the ceiling and hitting the stone floor echoed in this tavern. Salazar looked past Skyler's shoulder, and could see a strange blue light ahead. Fear instantly left him as he neared the strange light. He was intrigued, and every thought left his head as he demanded to know what this light was.
"Do you know what this is?" Skyler asked, pointing to a small pool of water.
The blue light seemed to be coming from the pool. Salazar shook his head no as he peered into the unfathomable depths. Around the pool were green rocks, and on them were a strange writing.
"It's Ancient Runes, a forgotten language." Skyler said, noticing Salazar's gaze. "This is a Pool of Past, Present and Future."
"There's more than one?" Salazar asked, not able to keep his eyes from the eerie blue light.
"There are two more. One is in a land far away, a land where a never ending range of mountains stretch from north to south. The other is somewhere in the depths of Africa. I have spent nearly all my life trying to find this one...and the rest deciphering the language it's written in." A sort of pride showed on his face.
"Why did you bring me here?" Salazar asked, finally able to look at Skyler.
"Because, last night I have finished translating it, and I wanted you here to see it work."
"What does it do?"
"No one knows for sure. Since the world was created, these pools have been here. The earth was covered in water before the land rose above it. These pools have seen the creation, and some how can see the future. The Ancients used these pools to defeat their enemies, to conquer land, and to rule the world! And now, I have the key.
"Everyone believed it was a myth...that I was wasting my time." He gave a sort of laugh. "Well, we'll see, won't we?"
Skyler drew his wand out to the ancient language, and traced them with his wand as he spoke words which hadn't been heard in hundreds of years. They echoed off the walls, which both scared and excited Salazar. When Skyler was finished, the pool's water began to ripple, and the light flooded the whole cavern.
Salazar's eyes grew wide at what he saw next...