Harry and Ron gasped.
"But that would mean..." Ron said.
"That Salazar Slytherin has come back form the dead? Yes," Sirius said. They all sat there for a moment.
"That isn't possible," Harry said.
"No it isn't," Sirius agreed. "But what if Slytherin never really died? What if his spirit was kept somewhere, so it could live on? Those things, Harry, are possible. Voldemort is a perfect example of this. His spirit lived on after being hit with the Avada Kedavra curse, which would seem impossible. But it happened as you well know."
The three friends let this sink in.
"So, why didn't Slytherin return before this?" Hermionie asked.
"I don't know, Hermionie. Maybe he was waiting for some sort of sign. Or maybe... some one."
"Some one? But who?"
"That I can't answer."
"What if he's after Harry?" Hermionie asked. There was silence.
"Say that again," Harry said.
"What if he's after Harry? I mean, he's defeated Voldemort."
"It's possible," Sirius said. "He did defeated the most dangerous person in the world who would try to oppose him. You three would, and he wants to kill you too. You're young and smart, which is more than I can say for many wizards. He waited until the other night to kill you because you were all together . It was perfect."
"We have no proof though," Hermionie said sadly.
"Well, we'll have to get people we know and trust to help us!" Ron said.
"That means you Sirius!" Harry said.
"Of course," Sirius said, taking a bow.
Harry then said, "Let Operation Slytherin commence!"
A FEW DAYS LATER...
"Is everyone here?" Harry asked.
Ron answered him. "Well, Hagrid isn't."
"Yes, yes," Harry said. "He has classes to run. Didn't expect him to come anyway. Well, let's begin then."
Everyone was talking to each other. Harry had bought new furniture, and everyone was sitting happily in his living room (which was bright and cheerful, courtesy of Sirius).
"QUIET!" Hermionie shouted. Everyone ceased talking immediately.
"Thank you Hermionie," Harry said. "Let's begin shall we? As you know, this house we are sitting happily in was destroyed a couple days ago by a giant. But the giant wouldn't come here by itself, would it?" Everyone shook their heads. "Very good. Of coarse it wouldn't have. It was being controlled. Anyone have an idea of who can control giants?"
"Um, no one?" Seamus Finnigin said.
"Partially, Seamus. No one alive today could control a giant. Some one who lived one thousand years ago could though. Any guesses?"
Everyone started whispering to each other. Finally, Percy raised his hand. "Salazar Slytherin."
"Excellent, Percy. Yes Salazar Slytherin could control giants. He could also control numerous other magical creatures, including dementors and basilisks. But no one could be raised from the dead, correct? But they can preserve their spirits, not unlike how Vol-, I mean You-Know-Who preserved his after being hit with the Avada Kedavra curse. So we believe that Salazar Slytherin has preserved himself in this way. Any questions?"
Everyone started talking to Harry at once.
"Slytherin?"
"You're kidding right?"
"Nice one Harry."
"That's really not funny."
Harry was overwhelmed. He was thinking about apparating away, when Ron came to the rescue.
"EVERYONE SHUT UP!" They obeyed imediatly. "Do you really think we would kid about something like this? We invited you all here today because we thought you would believe us? Well, that was obviously a mistake."
The crowd looked sorry. A round of apologies sprang up. After they quieted down again, Harry spoke.
"It's okay, it's okay. Well, here's the plan."
The plan was to apparate all over the world to suspicious places that might be Slytherin's hideout. He was most likely in Great Britain because That is of coarse where Harry lived and he wouldn't send a giant over an entire continent just to kill him. To check all over the mountains, and if they thought they had found something, to imediatly tell Harry, who would contact everyone else. All they could do was wait.
A couple weeks after the search began, Neville Longbottom showed up at Harry's, looking like he had just swallowed a bottle of hot sauce. He was panting, and his face was red.
"Harry... found...something...looks... fishy...Will... you come...and see?"
Harry sighed. There had been a lot of false alarms. But this one seemed different some how. Like something told him to go.
Harry shrugged his shoulders. Neville told him where to apparate, and he went. What he saw blew his mind away.
"But that would mean..." Ron said.
"That Salazar Slytherin has come back form the dead? Yes," Sirius said. They all sat there for a moment.
"That isn't possible," Harry said.
"No it isn't," Sirius agreed. "But what if Slytherin never really died? What if his spirit was kept somewhere, so it could live on? Those things, Harry, are possible. Voldemort is a perfect example of this. His spirit lived on after being hit with the Avada Kedavra curse, which would seem impossible. But it happened as you well know."
The three friends let this sink in.
"So, why didn't Slytherin return before this?" Hermionie asked.
"I don't know, Hermionie. Maybe he was waiting for some sort of sign. Or maybe... some one."
"Some one? But who?"
"That I can't answer."
"What if he's after Harry?" Hermionie asked. There was silence.
"Say that again," Harry said.
"What if he's after Harry? I mean, he's defeated Voldemort."
"It's possible," Sirius said. "He did defeated the most dangerous person in the world who would try to oppose him. You three would, and he wants to kill you too. You're young and smart, which is more than I can say for many wizards. He waited until the other night to kill you because you were all together . It was perfect."
"We have no proof though," Hermionie said sadly.
"Well, we'll have to get people we know and trust to help us!" Ron said.
"That means you Sirius!" Harry said.
"Of course," Sirius said, taking a bow.
Harry then said, "Let Operation Slytherin commence!"
A FEW DAYS LATER...
"Is everyone here?" Harry asked.
Ron answered him. "Well, Hagrid isn't."
"Yes, yes," Harry said. "He has classes to run. Didn't expect him to come anyway. Well, let's begin then."
Everyone was talking to each other. Harry had bought new furniture, and everyone was sitting happily in his living room (which was bright and cheerful, courtesy of Sirius).
"QUIET!" Hermionie shouted. Everyone ceased talking immediately.
"Thank you Hermionie," Harry said. "Let's begin shall we? As you know, this house we are sitting happily in was destroyed a couple days ago by a giant. But the giant wouldn't come here by itself, would it?" Everyone shook their heads. "Very good. Of coarse it wouldn't have. It was being controlled. Anyone have an idea of who can control giants?"
"Um, no one?" Seamus Finnigin said.
"Partially, Seamus. No one alive today could control a giant. Some one who lived one thousand years ago could though. Any guesses?"
Everyone started whispering to each other. Finally, Percy raised his hand. "Salazar Slytherin."
"Excellent, Percy. Yes Salazar Slytherin could control giants. He could also control numerous other magical creatures, including dementors and basilisks. But no one could be raised from the dead, correct? But they can preserve their spirits, not unlike how Vol-, I mean You-Know-Who preserved his after being hit with the Avada Kedavra curse. So we believe that Salazar Slytherin has preserved himself in this way. Any questions?"
Everyone started talking to Harry at once.
"Slytherin?"
"You're kidding right?"
"Nice one Harry."
"That's really not funny."
Harry was overwhelmed. He was thinking about apparating away, when Ron came to the rescue.
"EVERYONE SHUT UP!" They obeyed imediatly. "Do you really think we would kid about something like this? We invited you all here today because we thought you would believe us? Well, that was obviously a mistake."
The crowd looked sorry. A round of apologies sprang up. After they quieted down again, Harry spoke.
"It's okay, it's okay. Well, here's the plan."
The plan was to apparate all over the world to suspicious places that might be Slytherin's hideout. He was most likely in Great Britain because That is of coarse where Harry lived and he wouldn't send a giant over an entire continent just to kill him. To check all over the mountains, and if they thought they had found something, to imediatly tell Harry, who would contact everyone else. All they could do was wait.
A couple weeks after the search began, Neville Longbottom showed up at Harry's, looking like he had just swallowed a bottle of hot sauce. He was panting, and his face was red.
"Harry... found...something...looks... fishy...Will... you come...and see?"
Harry sighed. There had been a lot of false alarms. But this one seemed different some how. Like something told him to go.
Harry shrugged his shoulders. Neville told him where to apparate, and he went. What he saw blew his mind away.