Disclaimer: I don't own Harry, Salazar, Helga, Rowena or Godric they are characters from the brilliant imagination from JK Rowling. I am merely attempting to bring the elusive Slytherin to life... (not literally).

Chapter Seven "But I don't Care…"

"OUT… I said out…!"

Before even Harry could even summon the knowledge of how to retreat Salazar Slytherin's mind, he felt an odd change. The magics of Salazar seemed to contract sharply in a whirl of colour and then Harry was thrust into reality with amazing violence.

Thrown backwards and out of the chair, Harry chanced a glimpse at Salazar Slytherin. Slytherin glared at Harry where he lay sprawled across the floor, his dark eyes narrowed. Harry was well aware of the fury that resided in Slytherin's dark eyes but he was horrified to see – hate.

Hate so pure, vengeful and power that it reminded him instantly of Lord Voledmort.

"Lord – I – I …. I am so very sorry….I didn't….I was…just curious," Harry stammered as he scrambled to his feet, lest Slytherin decided to kick at him when he was down.

Slytherin's eyes flashed angrily before he snapped, "Yes curious. Gryffindors are so very full of DAMN CURIOSITY!"

Harry shuddered as Slytherin shouted the last words of his retort and Salazar saw Harry's fear. Apart of him was glad that such a courageous boy, who often verged on the brink of stupidity, should be in awe of him. But another part was appalled to see such fear.

To gain more time Salazar rubbed his forehead slowly his head bowed as if he had an acute headache. But he was aware that Harry was watching wryly and intently.

"I'm sorry…I really am …I know…"

Slytherin hissed loudly silencing Harry's stammer of an apology. 'Why didn't the boy just drop the too painful subject?'
'Because he feels he bound by his honour to apologise adequately.'

Slytherin thrust his revelation to one side – in his foul temper he wanted to show the boy his place.

"I don't need your pity," Salazar spat relishing the hurt expression that crossed Harry's face.

Harry flinched at Slytherin's words and struggled to keep his expression blank of emotion, which he failed to do. He was used to the modern Slytherin attitude, as he had five years at Hogwarts to learn to live with it, but comment had stung coming from the Slytherin founder.
"I know…"

Thankfully a knock at the door, interrupted Harry's retort. Slytherin grimaced at the sound of an unwanted intrusion.
'Could his day get any worse?'

"Answer that boy…"

Harry didn't need to be told twice, he scrambled from the room, tripping over his own feet in his haste to escape Salazar's wrath.

Slytherin rolled his eyes, but immediately turned his head to where he knew his goblet and potion was. Ignoring the goblet, Salazar took the potion and uncorked the bottle and drank deeply.

"I thought you had given up on that potion, Salazar dear…"

Salazar gulped down his last mouthful down hurriedly and wiped his wet chin on his robe. He had not been intending to get caught like this. He slowly turned on his heel and inclined his head to the witch that was standing in the entrance, a sheepish Harry by her side.

Salazar took a moment to study his friend. She looked frailer than when he had seen her last time, obviously happy in Alyin's arms. But since the brief whirlwind affair she had seemed to have aged and become paler in complexion.

"Your rebuke, dear Hufflepuff was unwanted."

Hufflepuff smiled wryly a light of happiness dimly reaching her eyes. She unclasped her cloak and let it slip from her shoulders. She turned to Harry and handed him the cloak. "Be a dear…" He nodded mutely and withdrew from the room to where he had seen some of Slytherin's cloaks, along with some smaller sizes, hanging.

"He seems a charming boy," Hufflepuff commented with a contented sigh.
"Dear Helga you would say any boy was charming," Salazar retorted.
"I probably would, Salazar," Helga admitted somewhat sadly, "I seem to be a poor judge of character."
"Then you are in good company my dear."
Helga smiled thinly then gestured to the seats in the room, "Are you going to ask this tired lady if she would like to sit…"

Embarrassed that he had been caught forgetting his manners and by Helga Hufflepuff nonetheless Salazar guided Helga to a chair. And he had felt he flinch at his hand touching her lower back…

"Helga what's wrong?"

But Helga wasn't watching him; she was looking at where Harry had entered. "So you have a new apprentice."
"Rowena would have told you what had happened in London."
"She did," Helga nodded, "But I thought I would come and see for myself." Helga glared at Harry for a few uncomfortable moments. Her eye sight was bad…and they didn't have glasses in the dark ages…and even if she could have seen Harry he would have looked peculiar.

"Well, Salazar aren't you going to introduce us?"

Salazar indicated for Harry to step up. "This is Harry Potter, a young Gryffindor who has travelled a vast distance to come and see me…Harry this is my dear friend Helga Hufflepuff."

Harry managed a sloppy bow and a murmured greeting, self conscious that he had done it all wrong, but Helga was gracious enough to 'not' notice the unpolished performance.

"So where do you hail from Harry Potter?"

"Tell her you are from France."

Harry feeling safe in Helga Hufflepuff's presence and angry at Slytherin's reaction to his mistake decided that he would disobey the order.

"I am from approximately a thousand years in the future." As soon as Harry uttered those words, he knew that Slytherin would find a way of punishing him later.

Helga ignored Slytherin's angry hiss and turned to Harry, "I would have been so disappointed if you had replied in the manner that your mentor asked you to." She turned her large doe eyes towards Slytherin, "Really Salazar he doesn't even look French!"
Salazar glanced up at Helga quizzically.
"I have improved my skills on knowing when someone is attempting to communicate behind my back," Helga replied looking casually down at her fingernails.

Slytherin disgruntled that he had firstly allowed Harry to see something of his family tragedy, being caught forgetting his manners and lastly being caught asking his apprentice to lie to his friend, decided it was time to punish Harry.

"Go make yourself useful boy." Slytherin waved his hands to the outdoors.

Harry felt his shoulders slouch, but he had been expecting Salazar's revenge and was not surprised. He turned abruptly on his heel and headed for the door thankful to be out of his mentor's hair.

"…without your wand…"

Harry suppressed a groan from escaping his lips, for he knew that if he communicated his displeasure Salazar would simply make the punishment worse. Without giving Slytherin a second glance Harry placed his wand lightly on the side table and strode out of the room like a boy who was going on a walk on a bright and sunny afternoon, not like a boy working in the bitter cold…

"Really Salazar was that necessary," Hufflepuff said in rebuke.
"He had angered me," Slytherin commented dryly.
"But must you be so harsh…"
"You're just soft, dear Hufflepuff."
Hufflepuff raised her eyebrows slowly in reply. "You have not changed at all Salazar Slytherin."

Hufflepuff ran her fingers through her long blonde curly hair and glanced to where Harry had exited the room. "Is he as powerful as Rowena thinks…?"
"So she told you about him…"
"Well his appearance was something of note…"
"Well physically he is stronger than he looks, emotionally, spiritually and mentally he is vulnerable and magically… he has the capacity to surpass all of Rowena's expectations."
"Meaning he could beat Godric or yourself in a duel."

For some reason the prospect of an apprentice with so much power didn't seem frightening to Slytherin. "If he was trained correctly…ARAGH!" Slytherin threw his hands up in the air thinking about the modern education for young wizards, "The things they are not teaching at our school…he didn't even know how to access his power!"

"Surely not!" Helga was horrified, the teaching the apprentice how to access their own power was one of the foremost magics taught to new apprentices – something that all the founders agreed on.

"Is he…is he in danger…?" Helga hesitated, for what other reason would someone from the future be thrust unknowingly into the past? Rowena had stressed that Salazar had been the most appropriate teacher for him. A point Godric had contested strongly but had given up after a few hours of debate with the clever Ravenclaw.

"Plenty of danger…where would a Gryffindor be without danger?"
"Indeed," Helga replied, for she knew of Gryffindor's odd ability to attract danger, "Is our world…"
"Our world in that age hangs on that youngster's shoulders…"
Helga frowned and chewed her bottom lip, something that she only did when she was deeply troubled. "But he his brave…"
"…and clever…and cunning…and loyal…and honourable…and…"

"Slytherin what's bothering you?" Helga asked looking into her friend's eyes with great concern… a look that Slytherin could not ignore.

"And he hates me…"
"I am sure that is not true!" Helga replied quickly.
Slytherin smiled wryly. "I cannot blame him… cannot find fault with that…"

Slytherin hid his face in his hands, wrapping his finger around his fringe – twisting – pulling – hurting… 'Where had it all gone wrong…?'

"He is the boy I would have wanted Saxtyn to grow into…" Slytherin gave a small gasp, "And he hates me… and the wizarding world hates and abhors my name. And they are right."

"No…no it cannot be…"

"Helga I saw what a Slytherin has done in the future. How can I go on when this traitor will destroy everything I hold dear…the name of Slytherin has only done ill to our precious community!"
"Oh dear Salazar, you know that knowledge is problematic…knowledge is socially and culturally constructed. You deny your descendants for what they will do…"

Slytherin gave a cry of fury…if only she had seen…she too will hate him.

"…I don't hate you… nor will I ever…"

Slytherin gazed into the eyes of the woman who had been with him throughout the darkest of his days, despite her own private grief. A woman who had fished him out of hell's belly and brought him back to life, who had given him strength with her quiet courage. A woman he loved, even though it felt like a betrayal to his late wife. How he had loved her, how he still loved her! It was her heart that outshone all exterior forces, a heart of pure, undying beauty.

"Alyin doesn't know what he is missing," Salazar commented, he watched the pain echo in Helga's eyes as her lover's name was mentioned. And then he knew why she had come to him. "You're better off without him, dear heart…you and your child will be happier without him in the long run… you'll see…"

Helga glanced up to Salazar horrified. "You know…" Her small hands clapped over her mouth partially trying not to show her shame and guilt.
"Please don't tell Rowena…what will she think of me…I need to think about what to do with it."
"Keep it." Helga glanced up into Salazar's face his eyes shone with an earnest. "Give your child the love and the mother it deserves."
"But it'll be a bastard…"
"But you'll be its mother."
"But Rowena…"
"If I know, Helga, Rowena already does and I daresay even Gryffindor will figure it out."
Helga nearly swooned in embarrassment. "What will they think of me…a mother to a bastard child…"
"I cannot tell you what they will think, Helga," Slytherin said trying to find a comforting tone in his voice (something he was unused to doing). "But I don't care."

Helga smiled sadly up at him…and Salazar reached forward, his finger lightly tracing the curve down to her chin, and then pressed his lips lightly to hers. He could taste the salt of tears as they started to drip down her white cheeks.

"…but I don't care…"