Disclaimer: I own neither Harry James Potter nor any other character but I am the proud owner of this plot

Chapter Four Touched by an Evil Curse

Slytherin's Point of View!

"Done…" the boy's voice wafted in from the kitchen.
"Hmmm…" Slytherin murmured his eyes were half closed as he sniffed at the goblet.
"What do you want me to do now, Magister Slytherin?"

Slytherin was not fooled by the masked politeness of the question – the boy was waiting for him to allocate another gruelling task. Which he would have liked to do but it was getting late.

"Now?" he murmured as he nodded over his goblet and wiped away his genuine smile with his free hand, "Now is time for you to sleep, young apprentice…" He lifted his finger lazily to a straw bed that had not been occupied for a long time. "I have some plans for you on the morrow…" This time Slyterin could not stop the corners of his mouth from smiling as he heard the boy's audible groan.

Slytherin put away the goblet with the potent potion and went back to the scroll he had been reading before dinner. But he found he could not focus on what was written there… what his new young 'apprentice' had said earlier bothered him.

"…never trust a slimy Slytherin…"

Had he known an untrustworthy Slytherin?

Those five words formed a simple statement…a statement that had been spoken with such power and authority that it had shaken him. The blow he dealt the boy seemed to have disciplined him not to ask any unwanted questions… but it did not stop what Slytherin thought the boy wanted to say.

During the course of the day, Slytherin had seen the boy open his mouth to say something only to clamp his jaw shut and stare at him with hard green eyes… eyes so very much like a serpent…

Slytherin shifted but stayed seated as he glanced to where the boy lay sound asleep. And not for the first time that day he wondered, 'Why me? Why was I given charge of this boy – who hates me?' That came as a shock to Slytherin; normally he wouldn't care about someone's opinion of him. But the boy's steady criticism in his manner was disturbing and Slytherin almost found himself wanting to please the boy, which was a ridiculous thought. He whose blood was ancient and noble would want to strive to please a half grown lad whose mother was one of – them!

Despite what he had said to Lady Raven that he would over look the unfortunate concept the boy he had been given wasn't one of their own, still harboured a grudge. More shocking still was that the boy felt the same about him – as if he was the one whose blood had been tainted by an impostor and traitor!

"Cedric…"

Slytherin sniffed indifferently the boy was speaking in his sleep…

"…Dad…help me…"

Slytherin looked up from his parchment and gazed at the sleeping boy annoyed. The boy lay limp in the bed tossing and turning, his eyes moved furiously under his eyelids – searching for a nameless fear.

'Just like Saxtyn…' As soon as that thought drifted into his mind, Slytherin banished it, hid it in secret place in his heart – where it belonged.

Slytherin stood and approached where the boy lay completely oblivious to reality. For a moment he stood over him, the lightening bolt scar only just visible under his dark fringe… Running his finger lightly around the boy's jaw line not for the first time he wandered… Gryffindor indeed… Lady Raven had let even blood ties become a possibility and now that he looked closely, he could see the Gryffindor resemblance…And not for the first time he wandered from where did the boy come from...

"Dad…he's killed Cedric…"

Slytherin jumped as the boy spoke again and wandered what the younger wizard was dreaming about. The way he had said 'he's' sent involuntarily shivers down his spine…the boy's words although completely irrational and nonsense gave the need for urgency.

Sickened by something he could not understand Slytherin pressed his fingertips lightly to the boy's unusual scar. He immediately found warmth; which quickly turned into a searing pain. But thirsty for information he caused his fingers to remain in contact with the boy's skin.

He knew this power that resided in force in the younger wizard's skin. A power so supreme it could rent a human in half…he had felt this power's burns before…

Delving past the initial contact he soon found himself in the boy's nightmare. A young handsome blonde wizard was sprawled dead on the ground, a fresh wave of pain engulfed him – Slytherin recognised this to be the dream version of 'crucio'.

Turning slightly on his heels Slytherin looked around him, he was surrounded by a sea of tombstones…surrounded by death. Suppressing a shudder of revolution he looked around for the boy Harry, whom he saw was tied to a tombstone. A tall dark ominous figure, with a skeletal face and unnatural red eyes bent down beside the boy, his long sickly white finger touching Harry's cheek.

Understanding came quickly, followed by a wave of sickness and revolution. The tall dark figure was one of them…a black mage…an evil being…a traitor!

Stepping forward quickly Slytherin moved through the throng of minions that suddenly appeared and stood in front of Harry – shielding him from the black traitor.

For a moment Slytherin gazed in horror at the tall man with those red, red eyes and was shocked to see the man's being was the result of some of his research… Research he had tried to use when trying to save Saxtyn and Newlin…

Shock turned to outrage; his research had meant to heal to give life, not to enhance one to immortal status. That was why he had abandoned his scrolls and…

"Enough," Slytherin hissed loudly, as he bent and took Harry's shoulder and shook him to wakefulness…

Slytherin opened his eyes to find himself on the floor and the boy gazing at him with large, inquisitive eyes. Groaning he got to his feet wishing that the boy would have the decency to look away.

"Sleep more quietly; next time boy…I don't want to do that again!"

The boy glared at him, his eyes narrowing as he cocked his head to the side. "You're Salazar Slytherin, aren't you?"

Slytherin pursed his lips he had not expect the boy to feel his essence so completely.
"Magister Slytherin, to you boy," he barked.
The boy's eyes narrowed as he recoiled slightly. "So you are him…"
Slytherin curled his lips in disdain, as he did not miss the feelings of fear in the boy's voice.
"But you've been dead for the last thousand years!"

"One thousand years," Slytherin repeated to himself slowly, it seemed almost impossible to comprehend. "One thousand years…one thousand years…."

To the boy's astonishment Salazar Slytherin started to chuckle to himself. After a moment he regained his composure and said, "Come here boy, let's see your world then shall we?"
The boy looked up at him with trepidation. "Come, come, come, I can't reach you from over there…"
The boy took a tentative step forward, "Salazar Slytherin…but you can't be…Salazar is…"
"Nonsense, I am he and you are some young Gryffindor who has come a long way for private lessons…Me thinks Lady Ravenclaw knew exactly what she was doing giving you over to me…" Salazar gazed once more at the boy; the Gryffindor likeness was now so very obvious… God, he could even mistake the boy for being Godric's own son... it was that close... "Now come here boy."

Looking perplexed the boy approached Salazar until he was only one step away. The Slytherin reached out with a thin smile and pressed his fingertips to the boy's temple… "Close your eyes."
The boy immediately closed his eyes as if Salazar was going to curse an evil spell on him…
"Think of erm…Big…erm…Ben…Big Ben, think about that, draw it into your memory, what it looks like…."

A colour picture of Big Ben entered Salazar's mind, he immediately set around to exploring it from different angles, demanding more memory from the boy's mind. As the younger wizard's memory stretched the notes and melody of the Westminster Chimes rang in Salazar's ear…

Delighted that his experiment work Salazar quickly said, "Show me Hogwarts…"
The image of Big Ben faded replaced with the familiar Great Hall. The chatter of students and the glorious food of the feast was the first thing that hit Salazar's mind.

The hall was bedecked in lavish Gryffindor colours, the students at Gryffindor's table faces were flushed in excitement. A wise old wizard with piercing blue eyes watched the students' in warm amusement.

"Show me my house…" Salazar demanded almost unable to hide his excitement.

Immediately the Gryffindor excite was transformed into Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, leering over unfortunate Buckbeak's death…

"Not that boy…something wonderful…."

Malfoy's faced dimmed and then the boy turned blank.

"Boy there must be something wonderful to show me…"

The boy didn't respond…

"SHOW ME!"

Slytherin delved without warning further into the boy's mind, he jumped in so quickly that Harry didn't have time to block him (he wouldn't have known how to anyway – but Slytherin didn't know that).

The first image Slytherin came up across was that of Tom Marvolo Riddle… Harry could feel the Salazar pride that he realised this Slytherin boy was Head Boy. He understood the concept but not the strange title.

But Tom faded away turning into the gloating boy over the basilisk, a pureblood witch near death at his feet…

Slytherin froze…

Tom turned into Volemort…. Killing, torturing, maiming many innocent people… Slytherin remembered every face, he knew their images were burned into his memory.

One of the last to be killed in cold was a man that looked much like Harry – he was trying to protect his family… A firey red – head woman shielded her babe from the black mage …. But she too died, leaving the babe to fend for himself…

"Let's match the powers of Lord Voldemort, heir of Salazar Slytherin, against the famous Harry Potter…"

"NNNNOOOOOOO….."

Slytherin wretched himself free of the boy who was thrown backwards onto the bed. For what seemed like an eternity neither could look at the other. Finally Salazar turned his head slightly and fixed his eyes on Harry's scar.

"That's no ordinary scar…you've been touched by an evil curse..."

The boy looked uncomfortable and glanced away.

"Which curse?" Slytherin asked quietly, "Which curse did my heir use against you?"

The boy did not answer…

But Slytherin knew... He knew which one...