A/N: None here.
Disclaimer: Harry doesn't belong to me, blah, blah, blah. I only own Amelia, Ebony-Crested Dragon snakes, Silecia, Mithra, and any and all Dark Woods harps, along with anything else you don't recognize from the books. Oh, and I do use some of the same techniques Rowling uses with some fun lines I always enjoyed, so please don't sue me! I need all the money I can get for my student ambassador trip!
Parseltongue will be "~...~"
Chapter 27: Immortal Animagi
---------------------------------------------
"Blaise, may I borrow your wand for a moment?" asked Silecia, glaring up at the little dragon now circling the room. Blaise pulled out the strip of willow and handed it over. Mithra let out a little squeak and began heading for the window, but not fast enough, as Silecia took aim.
"Caligo!" she muttered, and fired the confusing charm. It connected directly with its target, and she rushed forward to catch Mithra after he flew into the wall next to the window. She held him firmly so he couldn't get away and turned back to the stunned group.
"I guess we have some explaining to do....," she said finally, and set Mithra back down on the floor, where he quickly turned back into normal Salazar, albeit swaying slightly .
"That would certainly be appreciated," growled Harry.
"Well, we might need to have a space to sit down. Salazar. Salazar? Salazar!" she finally yelled, and the young man known as Salazar quickly jumped up from his sitting position. He took the staff from Harry's hands, and with one wide sweeping motion, the entire room was cleaned. Another light flick, and the fire in the hearth was roaring, casting shimmering light onto the many stone snakes that coiled to make the home for the blaze.
"Please, sit anywhere. It's not often I have company in my rooms anymore," said Salazar, and with some hesitation, Harry, Severus, Ginny, Hermione, Blaise, and Draco found a place to be seated. Salazar and Silecia both shared the original fainting couch.
"So, where would you like to start?" asked Silecia, starting the suspended conversation.
"Well," started Severus, crossing his arms lightly, "What are you exactly?"
"I don't believe we get what you ask," said Salazar.
"Are you ghosts, spirits? Are you some sort of magical afterimage? Lastly, who are you?"
Silecia lightly cleared her throat and looked around at all of them in turn, saying, "We are not ghosts or spirits, or afterimages. I am Silecia, the first of the Parselmouths, and this is Salazar Slytherin, whom you all should know as founder of Slytherin house."
Needless to say, many more questions had arisen from this statement. Hermione, being the quick thinker and talker we all know and love, however, managed to speak first.
"But this is impossible! Salazar Slytherin lived a thousand years ago and would surely be dead by now! And Silecia, you should have been dead hundreds of years even before him, if the few bits of information on you are correct."
"Normally, yes, this would be the case," said Salazar, nodding his head. "However, certain circumstances can lead to cases like ours. Besides, don't we loook good for our ages? Surely, you've never seen someone who's 5,000 years old look this good!" he exclaimed, extravagantly motioning towards Silecia, who sat unmoving. Draco, Blaise, and Ginny snorted from the comment, and it at least provoked a smile in Hermione. Severus and Harry sat as stonelike as Silecia.
"You mentioned circumstances. I'm guessing you two have found some way to become immortal in the truest form. How did this come about?" asked Severus, and now everyone's attention was back on the ancient pair on the couch.
"It actually occurs more often than one would think. However, not everyone knows about it, or, if they do, take advantage of it," explained Silecia. "You see, when a witch or wizard is foretold to have a strong effect on the world, usually by way of what is called a prophesy, one form of them does become immortal."
"And what do you mean, one form?" asked Draco, leaning forward slightly.
"One form of us becomes immortal, in our case, our Animagus forms. Now, if we were to stay human as we are right now permanently, we would grow old with time and die. However, no matter how much time has passed, if we revert to our immortal forms, they will repair damages that time wreaks on our bodies. To replace one year of time damage, we must stay in animal form for one week. This mysterious force always seems to stop your body from reverting below the age of twenty, however. Rather like the mythical fountain of youth dosed with the power of immortality."
"So, if you're Mithra, then Silecia must be Amelia. Why lie? Why make up the entire story that you told me over the summer?" said Harry. Silecia sighed.
"It is true that we are your familiars, yes. I did not tell you a complete lie. What I told you over the summer did happen between one of my scaled friends and me. I had to fake my own death by potion so my students wouldn't become suspicious of me. Once one year had passed and I came out of my comatose state in my sarcophagus, I simply changed back to my Dragon snake form and grew until I knocked the lid off. Really, it was no lie."
"So, what were the major impacts that you two had or would make on the world and why those particular forms?" questioned Ginny, whom almost everyone had forgotten about.
"Silecia's is obvious," continued Salazar, shrinking the staff back to its dagger form and tracing various runes in the air, seemingly putting his old enchantments back into his rooms. Overhead, the ceiling became like that of the Great Hall, and the walls became illusioned so it looked and felt like they were in a starlit clearing in the Forbidden Forest. Satisfied, he added, "She was the first Parselmouth ever and the creator of a purely magical creature, the Ebony-Crested Dragon snake. I, of course, was destined to help create and run the first real school of magic. That and the fact that besides snakes I also kept miniature dragons that I bred and controlled by way of Draconis. Godric _hated_ dragons. Apparently he got his pants caught on fire once when he was a child!" Here, Salazar began to snigger uncontrollably while Silecia rolled her eyes.
"It's safe to say you two have known eachother for quite a long time," prodded Blaise, who was slightly chortling along with Sal.
"Quite safe," muttered Silecia, shooting an indiscernible look at the man next to her. "I eventually reestablished myself in Britain, taking on different lives and identities on the way, but always teaching magic to those who couldn't afford it or didn't know their gifts. I must say, Rome was my favourite place to visit, as you can tell with the clothing style. Salazar always likes the Venetian Rennaissance look better when he's not wearing robes and cloaks.
"Anyways, I settled myself in the British Isles after about four millennia of wandering. Salazar came from an impoverished family, so I took him in and gave him a thorough schooling in his powers. His only family died later that year from the winter food shortages, so I became his caretaker for the next five years of his learning until he was eighteen, and he ran off with three other careless fools to start the school in which we sit. However, something I had never expected happened, something that had never happened in all those long years which I had lived."
"What?" said Severus. He couldn't help getting caught in the tale as well.
"I fell in love with Salazar Slytherin," she finished, and turned to Salazar, "Are you going to participate in this conversation?" He shrugged.
"I guess... Well, the other founders and I had been running the school for about twenty years by this point when one day out of the blue, in walks my old mentor Silecia, looking unchanged for time. I was stunned, and she eventually led me to my quarters, this very room, and told me an overall view of the story and her feelings for me. She said, 'Let me stay close to you in this castle, even if only as a pet!' She partly did that. At least when anyone else was around, she was my new and very exotic familiar. During the nights, she transferred all her restricted knowledge to me. She endowed me by complicated magic the gift of Parseltongue, and when she taught me the gift of becoming an animal, we were both thrilled when we found out I too would be an immortal. We wouldn't have to wander through the years by ourselves.
The other founders were becoming suspicious, though, especially Godric. Here they were growing older year by year, when I was seeming younger and younger which each passing day. Tensions mounted even further when Silecia dropped her snake form in front of the others. They couldn't figure out how Salazar, who always stayed in the castle and never left, could become lovers with some beautiful woman none had even heard of."
"You two were lovers?!" exclaimed Hermione, and even Silecia laughed lightly.
"After a period of time, yes. And we eventually had one child, a girl, whom we all nurtured and taught. Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw were always willing to help Silecia or myself when we had to go on 'family business', which was really nothing but a cover for recovering our youth in snake and dragon forms. Godric grew angrier with each passing year, angry that I should have such love, angry that the other founders paid him no attention in matters of love because of the knowledge that Godric was a womanizer. Eventually he did something that was unforgivable. He created the Imperious curse and placed it on Silecia."
"Is that why they call it an Unforgivable?" asked Ginny.
"No," said Silecia. "That is just a term the government of right now is using. It just so happens that Salazar likes to weave all the little coincidences into his stories." Here she gave him a look to continue, which he did.
"Since this was a new curse, of course no one would know how to fight it. He ended up taking all of Silecia's knowledge from her that he would consider useful. He never took her history or her languages, luckily, but he did take her knowledge of the immortal Animagi, which of course got passed down strictly through his heirs. Rather like a raping of one's mind, really. After that incident was when I built the Chamber of Secrets and left the school, leaving the care of our daughter to Helga and Rowena."
"So the legends are true. You did build a secret chamber. May I ask where it is located as a student has been attacked?" said Severus, and Salazar went to scratching his head.
"From what I've heard of all the wild rumours about my chamber, I am supposedly sending out my 'monster' to kill all the Muggleborns? It's true I looked down on them back then, but that wasn't the reason. I wanted a way for my future descendents to be able to get rid of their enemies. 'Enemies of the heir, beware' that was written on the wall came from my writings on it, which someone has found. And in regards to where the chamber entrance is located, the school has evolved through time so much, even I don't know where it is. I wish I knew who was opening it."
"That is a frustration," frowned Silecia. "I mean, who has the gift of Parseltongue but our heirs through owr one daughter? The only current heirs should be Tom Marvolo Riddle, Blaise Vipertooth Zabini, and Harry James Potter, and we've been watching them quite closely. Ah well, time for everyone to leave. It's very late. Harry, would you mind if Salazar and I slept in our own quarters tonight? We'll find you tomorrow, okay? Bye!"
And both the ancient ones shoved the guests from their rooms and out into the deserted stretch of hall.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: I don't feel the need to remind you what to ask about, but that could also be because I'm really dizzy, and I want to play my poorly neglected new Final Fantasy 9 game, my first FF game I've ever played. Goodbye!
Review responses:
Thanks to bitchkitten, saman007uk0, HermioneGreen, insanechildfanfic, HecateDeMort, ER Monkey Queen of Insani, Nelum, mashimaromadness, HAZZAGRIFF, Shorty, Jill, and CrimsonTearsOfPain for reviewing!
Maxx77- Now you know they're not ghosts! Mithra was a shock for everyone.
Falafal- Salazar... well, I had to make someone whom we could blame Blaise's personality on! I'm glad you liked the staff. MOF's reaction should be somewhere in the next few chapters.
Zhan Black- More Salazar just for you!
Chozen1- I will have all the seven years here. As far as whether this will be longer or shorter than the first year, it all depends on how much I feel like writing, although second year has always been my favourite!
Nicoletta- I don't think many people caught Lockhart's 'accident' hehe. As you can see, no conflicts can really arise between Amelia, Silecia, and Harry. I will admit, I stole the 'ducky!' line from Lestat in Interview with the Vampire. I couldn't resist!
RaistlinofMetallica- Hey! It's been a long time! How's it been? Like above, I couldn't resist "ducky!". Could I get the address for that Slytherin Harry yahoo group?
fcuking cathy- Yeah, I know. However, I can speak for myself in the fact that I have not been able to read other fanfics for a few months or more, so I don't have any outside influence on that creature turning into person aspect.
Dragenphly- I think Salazar was always the misunderstood one, and that Godric was the complete jerk.
jbfritz- Lessons should be interesting....
Sea-Turtles- I've heard I do the best Dark Harry characterization from so many, but I still don't agree! hehe But thank you very much!
lady leah- Lots of new discoveries indeed!
jackie- 0_0 goddess of Dark Harry fics?! Even if you're just kidding, thank you very much!
girlknight- Hello! Was your trip fun? We haven't seen all of Sal yet, so no worries.
(February 7-17, 2004)
Disclaimer: Harry doesn't belong to me, blah, blah, blah. I only own Amelia, Ebony-Crested Dragon snakes, Silecia, Mithra, and any and all Dark Woods harps, along with anything else you don't recognize from the books. Oh, and I do use some of the same techniques Rowling uses with some fun lines I always enjoyed, so please don't sue me! I need all the money I can get for my student ambassador trip!
Parseltongue will be "~...~"
Chapter 27: Immortal Animagi
---------------------------------------------
"Blaise, may I borrow your wand for a moment?" asked Silecia, glaring up at the little dragon now circling the room. Blaise pulled out the strip of willow and handed it over. Mithra let out a little squeak and began heading for the window, but not fast enough, as Silecia took aim.
"Caligo!" she muttered, and fired the confusing charm. It connected directly with its target, and she rushed forward to catch Mithra after he flew into the wall next to the window. She held him firmly so he couldn't get away and turned back to the stunned group.
"I guess we have some explaining to do....," she said finally, and set Mithra back down on the floor, where he quickly turned back into normal Salazar, albeit swaying slightly .
"That would certainly be appreciated," growled Harry.
"Well, we might need to have a space to sit down. Salazar. Salazar? Salazar!" she finally yelled, and the young man known as Salazar quickly jumped up from his sitting position. He took the staff from Harry's hands, and with one wide sweeping motion, the entire room was cleaned. Another light flick, and the fire in the hearth was roaring, casting shimmering light onto the many stone snakes that coiled to make the home for the blaze.
"Please, sit anywhere. It's not often I have company in my rooms anymore," said Salazar, and with some hesitation, Harry, Severus, Ginny, Hermione, Blaise, and Draco found a place to be seated. Salazar and Silecia both shared the original fainting couch.
"So, where would you like to start?" asked Silecia, starting the suspended conversation.
"Well," started Severus, crossing his arms lightly, "What are you exactly?"
"I don't believe we get what you ask," said Salazar.
"Are you ghosts, spirits? Are you some sort of magical afterimage? Lastly, who are you?"
Silecia lightly cleared her throat and looked around at all of them in turn, saying, "We are not ghosts or spirits, or afterimages. I am Silecia, the first of the Parselmouths, and this is Salazar Slytherin, whom you all should know as founder of Slytherin house."
Needless to say, many more questions had arisen from this statement. Hermione, being the quick thinker and talker we all know and love, however, managed to speak first.
"But this is impossible! Salazar Slytherin lived a thousand years ago and would surely be dead by now! And Silecia, you should have been dead hundreds of years even before him, if the few bits of information on you are correct."
"Normally, yes, this would be the case," said Salazar, nodding his head. "However, certain circumstances can lead to cases like ours. Besides, don't we loook good for our ages? Surely, you've never seen someone who's 5,000 years old look this good!" he exclaimed, extravagantly motioning towards Silecia, who sat unmoving. Draco, Blaise, and Ginny snorted from the comment, and it at least provoked a smile in Hermione. Severus and Harry sat as stonelike as Silecia.
"You mentioned circumstances. I'm guessing you two have found some way to become immortal in the truest form. How did this come about?" asked Severus, and now everyone's attention was back on the ancient pair on the couch.
"It actually occurs more often than one would think. However, not everyone knows about it, or, if they do, take advantage of it," explained Silecia. "You see, when a witch or wizard is foretold to have a strong effect on the world, usually by way of what is called a prophesy, one form of them does become immortal."
"And what do you mean, one form?" asked Draco, leaning forward slightly.
"One form of us becomes immortal, in our case, our Animagus forms. Now, if we were to stay human as we are right now permanently, we would grow old with time and die. However, no matter how much time has passed, if we revert to our immortal forms, they will repair damages that time wreaks on our bodies. To replace one year of time damage, we must stay in animal form for one week. This mysterious force always seems to stop your body from reverting below the age of twenty, however. Rather like the mythical fountain of youth dosed with the power of immortality."
"So, if you're Mithra, then Silecia must be Amelia. Why lie? Why make up the entire story that you told me over the summer?" said Harry. Silecia sighed.
"It is true that we are your familiars, yes. I did not tell you a complete lie. What I told you over the summer did happen between one of my scaled friends and me. I had to fake my own death by potion so my students wouldn't become suspicious of me. Once one year had passed and I came out of my comatose state in my sarcophagus, I simply changed back to my Dragon snake form and grew until I knocked the lid off. Really, it was no lie."
"So, what were the major impacts that you two had or would make on the world and why those particular forms?" questioned Ginny, whom almost everyone had forgotten about.
"Silecia's is obvious," continued Salazar, shrinking the staff back to its dagger form and tracing various runes in the air, seemingly putting his old enchantments back into his rooms. Overhead, the ceiling became like that of the Great Hall, and the walls became illusioned so it looked and felt like they were in a starlit clearing in the Forbidden Forest. Satisfied, he added, "She was the first Parselmouth ever and the creator of a purely magical creature, the Ebony-Crested Dragon snake. I, of course, was destined to help create and run the first real school of magic. That and the fact that besides snakes I also kept miniature dragons that I bred and controlled by way of Draconis. Godric _hated_ dragons. Apparently he got his pants caught on fire once when he was a child!" Here, Salazar began to snigger uncontrollably while Silecia rolled her eyes.
"It's safe to say you two have known eachother for quite a long time," prodded Blaise, who was slightly chortling along with Sal.
"Quite safe," muttered Silecia, shooting an indiscernible look at the man next to her. "I eventually reestablished myself in Britain, taking on different lives and identities on the way, but always teaching magic to those who couldn't afford it or didn't know their gifts. I must say, Rome was my favourite place to visit, as you can tell with the clothing style. Salazar always likes the Venetian Rennaissance look better when he's not wearing robes and cloaks.
"Anyways, I settled myself in the British Isles after about four millennia of wandering. Salazar came from an impoverished family, so I took him in and gave him a thorough schooling in his powers. His only family died later that year from the winter food shortages, so I became his caretaker for the next five years of his learning until he was eighteen, and he ran off with three other careless fools to start the school in which we sit. However, something I had never expected happened, something that had never happened in all those long years which I had lived."
"What?" said Severus. He couldn't help getting caught in the tale as well.
"I fell in love with Salazar Slytherin," she finished, and turned to Salazar, "Are you going to participate in this conversation?" He shrugged.
"I guess... Well, the other founders and I had been running the school for about twenty years by this point when one day out of the blue, in walks my old mentor Silecia, looking unchanged for time. I was stunned, and she eventually led me to my quarters, this very room, and told me an overall view of the story and her feelings for me. She said, 'Let me stay close to you in this castle, even if only as a pet!' She partly did that. At least when anyone else was around, she was my new and very exotic familiar. During the nights, she transferred all her restricted knowledge to me. She endowed me by complicated magic the gift of Parseltongue, and when she taught me the gift of becoming an animal, we were both thrilled when we found out I too would be an immortal. We wouldn't have to wander through the years by ourselves.
The other founders were becoming suspicious, though, especially Godric. Here they were growing older year by year, when I was seeming younger and younger which each passing day. Tensions mounted even further when Silecia dropped her snake form in front of the others. They couldn't figure out how Salazar, who always stayed in the castle and never left, could become lovers with some beautiful woman none had even heard of."
"You two were lovers?!" exclaimed Hermione, and even Silecia laughed lightly.
"After a period of time, yes. And we eventually had one child, a girl, whom we all nurtured and taught. Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw were always willing to help Silecia or myself when we had to go on 'family business', which was really nothing but a cover for recovering our youth in snake and dragon forms. Godric grew angrier with each passing year, angry that I should have such love, angry that the other founders paid him no attention in matters of love because of the knowledge that Godric was a womanizer. Eventually he did something that was unforgivable. He created the Imperious curse and placed it on Silecia."
"Is that why they call it an Unforgivable?" asked Ginny.
"No," said Silecia. "That is just a term the government of right now is using. It just so happens that Salazar likes to weave all the little coincidences into his stories." Here she gave him a look to continue, which he did.
"Since this was a new curse, of course no one would know how to fight it. He ended up taking all of Silecia's knowledge from her that he would consider useful. He never took her history or her languages, luckily, but he did take her knowledge of the immortal Animagi, which of course got passed down strictly through his heirs. Rather like a raping of one's mind, really. After that incident was when I built the Chamber of Secrets and left the school, leaving the care of our daughter to Helga and Rowena."
"So the legends are true. You did build a secret chamber. May I ask where it is located as a student has been attacked?" said Severus, and Salazar went to scratching his head.
"From what I've heard of all the wild rumours about my chamber, I am supposedly sending out my 'monster' to kill all the Muggleborns? It's true I looked down on them back then, but that wasn't the reason. I wanted a way for my future descendents to be able to get rid of their enemies. 'Enemies of the heir, beware' that was written on the wall came from my writings on it, which someone has found. And in regards to where the chamber entrance is located, the school has evolved through time so much, even I don't know where it is. I wish I knew who was opening it."
"That is a frustration," frowned Silecia. "I mean, who has the gift of Parseltongue but our heirs through owr one daughter? The only current heirs should be Tom Marvolo Riddle, Blaise Vipertooth Zabini, and Harry James Potter, and we've been watching them quite closely. Ah well, time for everyone to leave. It's very late. Harry, would you mind if Salazar and I slept in our own quarters tonight? We'll find you tomorrow, okay? Bye!"
And both the ancient ones shoved the guests from their rooms and out into the deserted stretch of hall.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: I don't feel the need to remind you what to ask about, but that could also be because I'm really dizzy, and I want to play my poorly neglected new Final Fantasy 9 game, my first FF game I've ever played. Goodbye!
Review responses:
Thanks to bitchkitten, saman007uk0, HermioneGreen, insanechildfanfic, HecateDeMort, ER Monkey Queen of Insani, Nelum, mashimaromadness, HAZZAGRIFF, Shorty, Jill, and CrimsonTearsOfPain for reviewing!
Maxx77- Now you know they're not ghosts! Mithra was a shock for everyone.
Falafal- Salazar... well, I had to make someone whom we could blame Blaise's personality on! I'm glad you liked the staff. MOF's reaction should be somewhere in the next few chapters.
Zhan Black- More Salazar just for you!
Chozen1- I will have all the seven years here. As far as whether this will be longer or shorter than the first year, it all depends on how much I feel like writing, although second year has always been my favourite!
Nicoletta- I don't think many people caught Lockhart's 'accident' hehe. As you can see, no conflicts can really arise between Amelia, Silecia, and Harry. I will admit, I stole the 'ducky!' line from Lestat in Interview with the Vampire. I couldn't resist!
RaistlinofMetallica- Hey! It's been a long time! How's it been? Like above, I couldn't resist "ducky!". Could I get the address for that Slytherin Harry yahoo group?
fcuking cathy- Yeah, I know. However, I can speak for myself in the fact that I have not been able to read other fanfics for a few months or more, so I don't have any outside influence on that creature turning into person aspect.
Dragenphly- I think Salazar was always the misunderstood one, and that Godric was the complete jerk.
jbfritz- Lessons should be interesting....
Sea-Turtles- I've heard I do the best Dark Harry characterization from so many, but I still don't agree! hehe But thank you very much!
lady leah- Lots of new discoveries indeed!
jackie- 0_0 goddess of Dark Harry fics?! Even if you're just kidding, thank you very much!
girlknight- Hello! Was your trip fun? We haven't seen all of Sal yet, so no worries.
(February 7-17, 2004)