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~~~~CHAPTER SEVEN: Some Strange Revelations~~~~
Harry looked up at Severus curious as to what he could mean by those last words. He didn't know why but he had a strange sense of foreboding, though oddly enough it wasn't necessarily a bad feeling. In a way it almost felt comfortable, relieving even, however he did feel a bit frightened by what he would hear next.
Just as Severus was about to finally tell Harry what he had kept hidden for so long a sound of a door opening distracted him, and as a group everyone in the room turned towards the doorway wondering what or who could possibly have found them. This room was a secret handed down to Severus, Sirius and Remus years ago by James, and far as the three of them knew no one else in the school should have known it existed. Except of course, for the person now entering the room.
"Albus?! For the love of Godric...don't scare us like that!" Sirius said accusingly, whilst releasing a heavy breath of air.
"I apologize for the interruption. Good evening Harry, Lily. I hope is well?" Albus said nodding towards both of them.
"Skip the pleasantries Albus and tell us what's wrong. You wouldn't be here if it wasn't important," Severus said half scowling at the Headmaster.
"Of course, I wouldn't have interrupted if it wasn't Severus. However, I need to know if any of you have seen Draco Malfoy this evening," Albus said, the usual twinkle in his blue eyes replaced by a tinge of worry.
"Draco? What has he got to do with anything?" Severus asked in surprise now.
"A yes or no will do Severus," Albus said almost testily now, the worry clear in his voice.
"I saw him Albus, but it was a bit ago. He was supposed to serve his detention with me tonight, however someone came for him and Draco excused himself on the basis of Head Boy duties. I didn't think much of it at the time so I let him go with the promise he would finish out his detention at another time. Is there a problem?" Remus said.
"Exactly how long ago was this Remus, do you remember?" Albus said giving Remus a sharp look.
Remus was a bit taken aback at Albus's manner and he tried to think how long it could have been. "Err...perhaps it was an hour and half ago now? Not more than two hours at best. Why is it so important?" he asked curiously.
"So it's not been that long then, then again it could be far too long," Albus said more to himself than anyone else.
"Are you going stand there and be cryptic or tell us what the bloody hell is going on Albus? If it involves someone of my house I think I deserve to know," Severus said giving Albus one of his typical glares, though slightly downgraded from the ones he gave his students.
"Very well, of course you do Severus, I'm not saying you don't," Albus said gazing back at Severus with a look that immediately made Severus feel guilty at his glare. "A little over an hour ago Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle came to my office asking me if I had seen Draco this evening. I hadn't of course since supper, and I wondered myself where he could be," Albus said slowly.
"He wasn't in the Slytherin commons?" Harry said curiously.
"No, nor was he in his room, nor anywhere within the Slytherin Tower either. According to Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle, they last saw Draco heading towards the picture room to serve detention with you Severus," Albus said leveling a gaze on Severus again.
"Yes, he was supposed to serve his detention with me, however Remus and I switched it out for certain reasons," Severus said slowly, not liking where this conversation was leading.
"And I've already told you what I know, and I have not seen him since either. I met up with Severus and Harry in the picture room, then went to get Sirius in the err...dungeons...and we came straight here. Harry and Severus arrived together not long after," Remus said.
"And I'll vouch they were with me until then Albus, in the picture room. They weren't gone long enough to do anything to the Malfoy boy...if that's what you're implying," Lily said in a firm tone of voice from inside her frame.
"All right, I accept that, I didn't think any of you really did have anything to do with this. However the fact remains that Draco Malfoy is now missing, and has been for at least the last hour or more," Albus said, the worry back in his voice.
"Have you checked the Quidditch pitch sir? There's a spot he err...well that he likes to go in the Gryffindor stands..." Harry said quietly, remembering now how he'd found Draco there just recently.
Albus turned to Harry with a nod. "I have now had the entire school checked...discretely of course...including the Quidditch pitch, locker areas and broom shed. There is no sign of him anywhere," Albus said. Turning to Remus however he did say, "Do you remember whom it was that came to give him that message Remus?"
Remus closed his eyes trying to get a mental picture of the person who had come for the boy, surprised at himself since he knew all the students on sight by now. Finally in a moment of panic he opened his eyes again he shook his head saying in a worried voice, "Believe it or not..no...I don't remember who it was. I do remember however that Draco seemed a bit surprised by the message and practically bolted for the door when he excused himself...."
Severus and Sirius looked at Remus in total shock since they both knew Remus rarely, if ever, forgot the face of a student. Just as Severus had his internal clock with potions, Remus had a knack for matching faces and names. "You...don't....remember....Remy?" Sirius said in a strange voice.
Remus sighed and shook his head again, angry at himself suddenly. "No, I don't. Gods help me but I really don't remember who it was. All I know is that it was a boy, he came into the room apologising for the interruption, handed Draco a note and left. Draco read the note and came up to me telling me there was a problem and that since Professor Snape wasn't available due to Harry's detention and that he had to go instead. That's all, not counting how agitated he was. That I do remember," Remus said, a bit of worry in his own voice now.
"Is there anywhere in the school that any of you can think of that he would have gone somehow that I perhaps haven't checked?" Albus said giving each of the people in the room a glance.
They all tried to think desperately of where someone like Draco could go, but in the end they all shook their heads in unison. "Sorry Albus, much as I hate to say it I haven't a clue where Draco might go. If you say you've already checked over the entire school and found nothing, we're probably not much help," Severus said in a quiet voice.
Harry however was thinking of something that, although it might cause some comments, right now it was the only option they may have. Without even asking or thinking further on it he stood up and went to the doorway, put his hand out and in a quiet voice said, "Accio Marauder's Map!"
Sirius and Remus stared at Harry dumbfounded for a moment, then both of them grinned at Harry like two giant Cheshire cats. "You mean you still have that old thing Harry? Unbelievable!" Sirius said in awe.
"I thought Barty Crouch took it from you back in 4th year Harry, you got it back?" Remus said in complete surprise.
Harry blushed a moment than nodded his head however not more than a few seconds later the map slowly floated into his still outstretched hand. "I managed to swipe it back before the real Moody was able to leave the school in 4th year pretty much in the same way. I just called for it and there it was," Harry said giving the map a strange glance now.
"Well? You all going to stand there or use the blasted thing?" Severus said a bit testily now, giving the map a weary glance himself after remembering the last encounter he'd had with in back in Harry's 3rd year. The same year in which Sirius Black and Remus Lupin had come back into his life and it brought back both bitter and sweet memories.
Harry looked down at the map and shivered a moment, debating what to do. He truly did not want to look at the thing after having avoided it for so long, but if Draco was anywhere on the school grounds...only the map would be able to know it. After all, the map never lied....
"Go on Harry, bring that baby to life," Sirius said quietly, confused why Harry would even hesitate at such an important moment.
Harry looked at Sirius wearily a moment then at Remus, then Albus, then finally at Severus. With a deep sigh he closed his eyes a moment and shook his head, opening them to focus again on Severus. Holding out the map now he said in a strange voice, "Here...you do it, I can't. Tap it with your wand and say 'I solemnly swear I am up to no good' to activate it."
Severus looked at him oddly for a moment wondering why Harry would do this. "Harry? What's wrong?"
Harry shook his head and started to shake, his eyes unfocused for a moment. "Just take it professor...please. I...I know I said I was ready for this but...but I'm not. Not yet. I...I hope it tells you where Dra-Malfoy is. I...I can't do this...I'm sorry....I'm really sorry..." Harry said in half choked voice and thrusting the map into Severus's hand left the room before anyone could stop him.
"What in the name of Godric....?" Sirius said baffled, staring at the spot Harry had just been standing in, ready to go after him when he felt a hand on his arm.
"No Padfoot, let him go. Something on that map must have scared him, he must have seen something he didn't want to see...." Remus said in a sad voice, though not moving his hand off Sirius's arm.
"What on earth could make Harry not want to look at the map though? I don't get it Moony," Sirius said still slightly stunned, concern growing for his godson. Turning to Severus now he said in a tight voice, "Well for Merlin's sake man, activate that damn thing all ready and let's see what's got him so upset, not to mention if Draco's on there!"
Severus didn't need to be told twice and with a sharp nod of his head took his wand out, unrolled the parchment, put his wand to the map and in a low commanding voice said, 'I solemnly swear I am up to no good'. Severus was amazed now as the entire Hogwarts, Forbidden Forest included, unfurled before his eyes.
He'd seen the map once before of course years ago, but it had already been open at the time. Seeing it come to life now before his eyes with the zigzag lines, then the words Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs, Purveyors of Aids of Magical Mischief Makers are proud to present - The Marauder's Map glowing across the top in bright silver letters made him stop and look at Remus and Sirius with a clearly growing respect. "You two really made this thing?" he questioned.
Remus and Sirius, looking again like the cat that ate the canary, nodded in unison. "Along with James and...err...Peter," Remus said screwing his face up slightly at the last name.
"Look, if Draco's anywhere on the grounds the map'll know it for sure. It can't lie, we saw to that," Sirius said walking over to peer over Severus arm at the map.
"Well well well, so that is the infamous Marauder's Map eh? Quite interesting, yes indeed. I take it you used Veritaserum as the main ingredient?" Albus said peering at the map himself now.
"Among other things. It took us nearly 6 months to get it right. It was Remus's idea actually to use the Veritaserum in the end so it could see past anything...including animagus forms, polyjuice potions and invisibility cloaks. Not bad for a couple of fifth year pranksters eh?" Sirius said with a chuckle.
"To be honest it was you Severus who gave me the idea. Remember before the err...well that incident...when we were still study partners? We er...ahh...'borrowed' that copy of Moste Potente Potions from the ahh...restricted section?" Remus said blushing a bit at admitting he'd just admitted to breaking yet another law within the school.
Severus thought for a moment then with a grin himself nodded at Remus. "Ah yes, I do remember that now. I'd forgotten Veritaserum was in that book, so that's where you got the idea then," he said with a slight chuckle.
Remus nodded. "Exactly. We had gotten the map drawn up, the 'people dots' all labelled, but we still couldn't figure out a way to get it to show more than that. Whenever err...one of ah...oh heck, whenever James, Siri or Peter would become animagi it wouldn't show them. That's when it hit me to use the potion and as you can see...it worked wonders," Remus said almost proudly.
"How did you four manage to get it so detailed though? Or shall I guess that you spent far more days together wandering then just under the Whomping Willow during full moons than I originally was told?" Albus said, a faint amused twinkle back in his eyes now.
"Err...well...that is...oh never mind, you don't want to know Albus, trust me on this one. Let's just see what's on it all ready. I really want to know what made Harry bolt like that...and if Draco's on that thing," Sirius said coughing slightly to draw attention back to the task at hand.
"One day I would really love to hear the rest of this from you two, but for now I agree. Let's see what we have here," Severus said giving Remus and Sirius an appreciative yet stern glance, then looked down at the map.
It took him a few minutes to really get the hang of all the moving dots and such, however Sirius and Remus's eyes were scanning it with professional ease. After a moment he gave up even trying to pick out the tiny names and left the other two to see what was what. A few moments later however Remus sighed and shook his head dejectedly. "I don't see Draco anywhere Albus, I'm sorry. Strange at it may sound, he is definitely not on Hogwart's property," he said fully frowning now.
A gasp from Sirius however drew all their attention back to the map, and with a shaky hand Sirius pointed to a tiny black dot moving at a very quick pace towards the Quidditch pitch. A tiny dot that said only one word, although neither Remus nor Sirius really understood why because it didn't seem possible, yet the map never malfunctioned before, so how could it now?
"So that's it. That's why he didn't want to look at it," Remus said in a small, quiet voice.
"I don't get it Moony, we didn't programme it to do this. It has to tell the first and last names of the people on it. You told me that when you saw me dragging Peter and Ron into the willow back then that Harry wasn't labelled as simply "Harry", but as "Harry Potter". So how can this be?" Sirius said confused now.
Albus was thoughtful a moment then said in a quiet voice, "Tell me something, did you also happen to use powdered unicorns horn in the creation of this map?"
Sirius and Remus looked up startled, then gazed down at their shoes a bit guiltily, nodding to the affirmative. "Err...yeah, we did. We swear though we didn't steal it from old Potion's Professor Vitron, we bought it ourselves. Well...er...rather..err...that is...I umm bought it down in umm...." Sirius stammered and blushed hard this time, giving Remus a 'please-help-me-out-here' look.
Remus sighed and patted Sirius on the shoulder then said, "Sirius is err...well being serious actually Albus. We didn't steal it, we...rather he...bought it during 5th year Yule in Kn-Knockturn Alley when his err..." Remus stammered himself now, but Sirius picked back up the tale with a sigh.
"Oh bloody hell. I bought it Albus when my father took me there all right? I'm not proud that my father was a Slytherin and into the dark arts like he was. All the same though, that Yule it just happened that he dragged me down to Knockturn Alley with him to get some 'supplies', for what I don't even want to know...and I used the chance to pick up a few err....'things'. Including the very illegal powdered unicorn's horn," Sirius said with a deep sigh.
"So that's where you get that side of you Black, always wondered why you had such a dark streak in you. As well as why you were suspected of going over to Voldemort over the rest of your Gryffindor friends," Severus said giving Sirius a strange glance, though not in malice but amusement.
"I said I wasn't proud of it Snape, no need to rub it in. My father was a bastard, and when I heard he'd died when I was Azkaban I said good riddance to bad rubbish," Sirius said hotly giving Severus a hint of a glare. Turning back to Albus however he said, "What does that have to do with the map though?"
"Ah well, can you tell me what the exact properties of powdered unicorn's horn really does Sirius? Or any of you?" Albus said in a teaching type of voice.
"Err...well when we used it we were under the assumption that it would add an extra 'purity' to the map, making it incapable of being recharmed and all," Remus said.
"Purity is only one aspect of the horn's true powers though Remus. It has a few 'other' properties as well. Severus?" Albus said, and turned to Severus with a questioning look in his eyes.
"It's also the base of Veritaserum, that much I know. Which is why Veritaserum is monitored closely and really should only be use in the most guarded of circumstances," Severus said feeling like a school boy again.
"Hmm, yes, that's also right. Sirius?" Albus said now turning to the third member of the group.
"Honestly....I really don't know of any other properties other than those two," Sirius said ashamedly.
"Well, it's not really surprising that the three of you might not know some of the other lesser known properties of the horn, so don't worry I won't hold you at fault. As you know, Veritaserum forces a person, or object in this case, to tell the truth. The horn however, as an extra added ingredient into the map gave it the ability to in effect...to counteract that 'truth'," Albus said.
"All right....now I'm confused. How can truth be counteracted?" Sirius said slowly.
Albus thought a moment as if choosing his words carefully, then said, "I suppose it's not so much a 'counter agent' as the fact that the horn's addition allows the map to see what's more one's 'belief in the truth', not just the 'truth' of the name. In other words, all these years Harry has believed himself to be Harry Potter, therefore the map was showing what was in his 'heart', or in his 'belief'."
"Wait a moment...I think I'm beginning to understand. So what you're in essence saying is...that Harry has already begun to question his heritage before tonight, therefore the map is reflecting that indecision, am I correct?" Severus questioned.
Albus nodded at Severus. "Exactly. I think since Harry has already begun to notice he is changing, even if he doesn't know why yet, the doubts in his mind are enough to have influence on the map. That's why it's only showing his first name in which he is sure of, but not his last name...which he perhaps is no longer sure of."
"Well that's just peachy then isn't it," Sirius muttered thickly and suddenly gave Albus an accusing glance. "And just as we were about to tell him the truth you had to walk in and ruin it didn't you. Now he may never know because we may never have the nerve to do this again....or even if he'll ever want to hear the truth now. That's if he's even all right out there...wherever 'there' is," Sirius growled.
"Sirius Artimus Black! Honestly, it is not Albus's fault on this so stop putting your foot in your bloody mouth as usual will you?" Remus said sharply, giving Sirius a glare. "Unless you've forgotten, Albus had a good reason for coming in here to see us. Which reminds me of the fact that since Draco is clearly not in the school or on the grounds....where on earth could the boy be?" Remus said, concern now back in his voice.
Albus, Severus and even Sirius sighed deeply at the blatant fact Draco was not just missing, but not even at the school any longer. "I don't know where he is, but I assure you I intend to find out. Even if that means I have to go to Lucius or even Voldemort himself to do it," Severus said with a determined look on his face and in his voice.
Suddenly another gasp issued from Sirius who had been still looking at the map, and the other two people turned to him surprised. "Siri? What's wrong now?" Remus said, a bad feeling beginning to worm his way through his senses.
"I think...we have another serious problem on our hands....and I don't mean me either," Sirius said not tearing his eyes off the map. He lifted his hand up to a spot on the Quidditch pitch with a shaky hand, right over a spot where seconds ago a black dot had been. "He's gone too....I don't believe it! Harry's gone!" Sirius said panicking now.
Remus, Severus and Albus stared at Sirius in shock, then looked over the map themselves at the spot they had last seen Harry's dot. Sirius was right, there wasn't any dot there now. Nothing labelled as "Harry Potter" or just the word "Harry" as they had seen earlier. In a shaky voice Severus said, "How....how can this be? What...where did he go?"
"He was there and then...I saw the dot...it...it waivered a second then....oh Merlin...then it was gone, just like that!" Sirius said snapping his fingers harshly.
"Now calm down, everyone, we have to keep our wits about us at the moment," Albus said, though their was obvious traces of fear in his voice as well.
"Calm? Calm? You expect me to be calm Albus? First Draco Malfoy goes missing, and now my godson is gone....and you expect me to..." Sirius began angrily only be cut off by Severus.
"Oh do shut up Black, you're not the only one concerned right now. If anything, I have more right to be worried then you should...considering the circumstances. So stop acting like a git and let us figure out what we can do to find out what's happened," Severus said thickly, giving Sirius a dark glare.
"He's right Siri, if we all panicked now it's not going to a whit of good. We have to keep our heads on straight and think this out. I know you're worried for Harry, but acting that way isn't going to help," Remus said quietly.
Sirius looked at Remus with pain in his eyes, but realised Remus, Severus and Albus were right, and nodded in defeat. With a deep sigh he said, "Fine, I agree, we need to figure this out together. Harry...and even Draco....could be in serious trouble here. But Merlin help me though, if anyone dares lay a hand on Harry I'll personally rip them apart piece by piece into tiny little shreds, don't think I won't," he said with a scowl.
Remus chuckled, Severus rolled his eyes and Albus grinned, all nodding at Sirius then. "I don't doubt you would Sirius, I don't doubt you would," Albus said patting Sirius on the shoulder in a fatherly way. "Now, I think our first course of action is to go out to the Quidditch pitch and see what we might find, since that's the last place Harry was at. Hopefully it will give us some clue as to where Draco has gone as well," Albus said, ever the voice of wisdom and reason.
"Agreed," Severus said nodding his head at Albus. Thinking for a moment he now turned to the wall and said, "Lily? Can you check round the other portraits and see if they saw anything odd and peculiar this evening within the castle?"
Lily looked out from her frame in surprise, then slapped her forehead muttering a word that made even Albus blush. "Err..sorry 'bout that Albus," Lily said blushing herself now for a moment, then looked back out at the four men in the room. "Of course I will Sev, I should have thought of that myself. I'll also check with the resident ghosts, maybe one of them saw something. Gods help me though if it's Peeves, I hate that poltergeist as much as I hate Cadogan!" she said screwing her face up in disgust.
"Thanks Lils, and good luck," Remus said with a slight chuckle at her grimace, and without another word Lily fled from the portrait jumping to wherever it was she could go to next. "Now, let's head out to the pitch," he said with a determined look on his face.
Saying little else the four men silently made their way outside, whilst inside Lily was trying to cajole a picture of Bluebeard on the 4th floor corridor into telling her if he'd seen anything. Unbeknownst to all of them however, four people, two men and two women, who were enjoying a sunny day's picnic somewhere on the 3rd floor corridor turned to each other with knowing looks on their faces.
"Something's not right," a man with reddish brown hair said with a frown on his face.
"You can say that again old boy. Haven't felt that type of power in a while now," the other man with the dark hair said thoughtfully.
"You think it has to do with those two blasted heirs of yours?" one of the woman said turning to the dark haired man and the other woman sitting next to her.
The dark haired man closed his eyes and seemed to concentrate on something, then opened them again, nodding slowly and sighed. He then turned towards the second woman and said ruefully, "Explain to me again why we ever had children?"
The second woman snorted and gave the dark haired man a grin. "I think it was to torment us in our supposed to be 'peaceful' years. Ah well, not much we can do about it now is there. Tea anyone?" she said smiling now and holding out a beautifully enamelled teapot.
"Yes please, with and three," the first woman, a petite blonde, said happily holding out her tea cup.
The reddish brown haired man gazed up at the sky and groaned, shaking his head in wonder. "How can you think of tea at a time like this Helga? Honestly," he said, though it was more in jest than anger.
"Because tea is the forefront for calming one's soul Godric. And no one makes it better than Rowena," Helga Hufflepuff said with a dimpled smile at her husband.
"I second that. Another cuppa for me too m'dear, and be heavy on the milk and sugar this time will you love?" Salazar Slytherin said leaning in to give his wife a kiss on the cheek, holding out his own tea cup as well.
"Well, whatever it is we'll know soon enough. I can sense that our girl Lily is already running round the castle as we speak. I'm sure she'll remember us soon enough and pop her head over this way," Rowena Ravenclaw said gazing a moment at something the others didn't see. "Tea as well Godric?" she said now turning to her friend.
"Hmm? Oh yes, tea would be lovely thank you Rowena. Ah well, I don't doubt it, after all you always were the diviner of the group. Ah, without and two please by the by," he said handing her his tea cup as well. "I'll bet anything though it has to do with that more evil sided heir of yours though Salazar, I wouldn't put it past him," Godric said taking back his tea cup.
Salazar snorted and nodded his head, blowing on his tea to cool it down some. "Disgrace to the very name of Slytherin that one is," he said darkly, receiving a glare from his wife. "Oh now don't give me that look Rowena, I know perfectly well what those blasted history books say as to what supposedly I 'wanted' and how 'evil' I was. Rubbish the whole lot of it," he said with a bit of a sigh now.
"Oh Salazar, we all know that as cunning, sly and even ruthless you can be sometimes....you are nor ever will be truly evil in the sense of the word. We have had our disagreements, or rather we did, gods know we all were there at the time since we were painted before it all went haywire and saw it with our own eyes. But 'evil' was the wrong word to use when they described you," Rowena said gently and put her hand lovingly on her husbands arm.
"That's right Salazar, can't judge today's history, it's all been gotten wrong, we know that," Helga piped up.
"The fact remains that the 'history' got so twisted over the last 1000 years that it made you out to be a monster and little else. And this latest heir isn't doing much to make good on that," Godric said with a scowl.
"Well personally I think our young Harry will put that braggart in his place. I've watched him, he's got all the makings of a great Slytherin....too bad he's not got much of the Ravenclaw genes like his mother had. Now there was a woman of both cunning, slyness and intelligence! Makes me proud to call her bloodkin," Salazar said with a grin.
"Now now dearest, Harry has his fine points. He'll put Tom in his place you'll see. He's got more than enough of the Ravenclaw genes in him thanks to Lily, even if he doesn't always apply himself like she did. He does have enough to know right from wrong at least, and young Severus will keep him in his place as well I'd wager," Rowena said airily.
"Yes, Severus is a good man despite what he's been through I have to admit. Took a bit to convince him 'bout the other two however," Godric said nodding his head.
"I think Sirius and Remus have been a godsend for him personally. After all, it isn't every day three needing and tormented souls can come together in friendship and create what they have," Helga said dreamily.
"Ever the optimist Helga," Salazar said with a chuckle. "Well, we'll see what happens next. Ten to one says though they're all in for one hell of a rough ride after tonight. If what I'm sensing is anything to judge by."
"Oh that blasted evil Malfoy man! Why does he have to stick his nose where it doesn't belong is beyond me," Helga said with a slight pout.
"I feel sorry for his poor son, honestly I do," Rowena said shaking her head sadly. "I've seen what that man does to the boy, and personally I don't know how the boy has survived all these years."
"Well it's none of our business at the moment at anyrate. We'll just have to sit back and wait till Lily comes and go from there. Not that we have a lot to tell her, just our speculations," Godric said with a sigh and putting his tea cup down lay back against one of the trees in the painting. "I'm up for a quick nod off myself, wake me when she gets here will you?" he said with a yawn now.
"Now who's talking about being improper at a time like this. Honestly Godric Alexy Gryffindor, is all you ever think of is sleep?" Rowena said with a snort.
"As tea is to the soul, sleep is to the mind my dear woman," Godric said stretching and giving her a small grin, then moments later was fast asleep against the tree.
Rowena Ravenclaw shook her head in exasperation, as always amazed at how the man could just nod off so quickly when so much was at stake. "I give up with him, I really do," she said in a huff.
Salazar chuckled and put his tea cup down, taking his wife's hand in his and looking deep into her brown eyes with love. "Don't fret about him my darling, nor about our young Harry. Everything will work out, you'll see," he said softly.
"Are you sure Salazar? Really sure?" she said hesitantly, a touch of worry for her descendant.
Salazar nodded and drew his wife into his arms, wrapping them round her firmly. "I feel it in my bones Ro, and I swear to you now....Harry will restore the name Slytherin again, I know it. And maybe one day he will be able to tell our story, the true story, and Slytherin house will once again be great as it should have been," he said softly.
Rowena curled up into her husbands arms, loving as always at how much power those arms held. Though the hands on her were capable of horrible things at times, to her they had always been gentle and warm. "I hope so Salazar, I truly hope so. But what I wish most of all is that our young Harry finds his hearts desire before it's too late. And that the young Malfoy boy will be the one to save him....as it was meant to be...." she said sleepily, and in a few moments she too was joining Godric in a soft sleep. A small smile was now on her face as she felt a kiss upon her head, and there was a strong hope in her heart that everything would be all right in the end.