Disclaimer: Harry belongs to JK Rowling…. Not me….

I've decided to take a different slant from one of the Sorting Hats songs…

"But then discord crept among us
Feeding on our faults and fears.
The houses that, like pillars four,
Had once held up our school,
Now turned upon each other and,
Divided, sought to rule…" OOTP page186

This chappie is after, betweenish…. This sorry event.

Just thought I would give you some information on where I think I might be heading in the future…

Furthermore in answering the query of Malfreds importance and the resemblance of their somewhat likeness to the Malfoys; my answers is simply this. At the time of writing this story I wanted a snooty nosed person to remind you of Malfoy. I changed the name and Malfreds was born. It is a possibility but any relation is indeed not relevant.

Another point came to my attention where I had been 'reminded' that Harry is a parseltongue. Alas it is irrelevant to the plot of my story. As my first fiction I wanted to keep only the necessary elements within the story to make it simple to tie up all loose ends. My sequel is a whole lot messy so maybe it will be mentioned in there – I think I will be revising what had been written.

Chapter Eleven March of the Half-Bloods

Harry turned over and groaned loudly as his emerald eyes flickered opened and glanced about weakly. Reality seemed suspended; so far away. He dimly wandered why he couldn't hear the steady snore of Ron, which in his five years he had been accustomed to.

A cold compress was held to his forehead. Harry attempted to wave the person away and struggled to sit up on the bed.

"Don't get up Harry – you're ill."

Eyes blurry, Harry thought it was Madame Pomfrey, the mediwitch at Hogwarts, but putting on his glasses he came nose to nose with a blonde witch…

Harry's lips parted slightly, as if to ask who she was. It took a few decisive seconds before all that had happened returned in his memory.

The last he remembered was a searing pain in his scar… so intense that he had lost consciousness. Harry's cheeks reddened at the thought… he lost consciousness in front of Godric Gryffindor.

"How long have I been…" Harry glanced at the witch hopelessly…
"Only a few hours love," she answered kindly, patting his arm in reassurance and Harry remembered the witch to be Helga Hufflepuff. "Only a few short hours."

Harry glanced around the room, at its green tapestries, laced with snakes and reptiles in thick silver strands. The bed was large, built of dark mahogany, its mattress soft. The bed sheets were thick bottle green velvet. Around the room was furniture of all sorts, tables, comfortable chairs, a desk and Salazar Slytherin was dozing on a window seat in the corner. It was the largest room Harry had even been in his short life. He doubted even the King of England at this time had such a comfortable, accommodating chamber.

"Where am I?" Harry asked the inevitable, although he thought he already knew the answer.
"Hogwarts, dear," Hufflepuff replied fluffing his pillows and pushing him back down into the bed covers. "You should rest after such a dreadful episode," she continued in gentle rebuke.

Harry cringed and glanced back to where Slytherin was asleep on the window seat. "If Lord Slytherin is so angry with Lord Gryffindor – what is he doing here?"
Hufflepuff smiled good naturedly and sat on the bed. She checked Harry's temperature with her delicate hand before replying, "They often argue."
"They seem to hate each other…"
"They are different men of differing personas… tragedies often make people react in different ways…"

"Saxtyn's death…" Harry murmured, Salazar had mentioned he had raised Saxtyn as his own son.
Hufflepuff nodded sadly… "Saxtyn, Slytherin's nephew was a Gryffindor apprentice. He was a brilliant lad, had a dreadful habit of gallivanting about the place with Godric's nephew Newlin. They were two the of chief apprentices that inspired Rowena to make apparating impossible on Hogwarts property…Something Godric misses dearly!"
Harry smiled thinking about his own best friends and felt a stab of homesickness…

"…those boys were always getting into mischief… then… something happened (neither Salazar or Godric ever divulge to me what) and the boys became dreadfully ill. The illness had the awfully stain of black magic, you can tell, my lad, with such a dreadful curse … and despite Salazar's and my healing capabilities they died."

"Oh…" Harry felt absolutely awful, for even wanting to know what had happened to Saxtyn and his friend… "So Slytherin left because of his grief…"

"No," Hufflepuff replied sternly, "He left because he had foreseen the danger and feels Godric did not protect his apprentices appropriately."

"…they both must feel awful…"

Hufflepuff shook her head sadly, "If only they were on Hogwarts grounds… we might have been able to save them…"

Harry patted Hufflepuff's arm softly, "You only have the dark wizard to blame…"

Hufflepuff smiled sweetly and stood. Harry watched the sway of her skirts as she went to a little table and poured a potion. Harry almost groaned aloud as she returned holding it under his nose. Was it him or was the potion emitting a terrible odour?

"Take this…"
Harry couldn't help but wrinkle his nose. "I don't need it."
Hufflepuff glared at him speculatively. "I can hold just about any stubborn Gryffindor down – to get him to take a potion…"

"…ah… he's awake…" Slytherin moaned from his side of the room. Harry glanced worriedly at his mentor. Slytherin however swept himself onto his feet and approached Harry striding with purpose. Before Harry knew what was happening, Slytherin had taken the vial from Hufflepuff's hand and had thrown it down his throat.

Spluttering and choking, Harry glanced up at Slytherin angrily. Slytherin however looked mildly amused. "Potion taken Helga…" he handed the vial back to Helga Hufflepuff, who grinned at him foolishly.

"You haven't lost your touch have you, Salazar, my friend?" she asked glancing at Harry who was trying to wipe the foul potion off his tongue with the bed sheets.

Slytherin glanced at Harry and slapped the bed sheets away. "Enough of that."
Harry desisted immediately his eyes still communicating his shock of having the potion thrown down his throat with such deliberate ease.

"It's alright Helga… go back to the war council. I can look after my apprentice…" Slytherin pattered Helga's arm…

'Have you said anything to Godric and Rowena about the baby?'

Harry glanced up, aware of Slytherin communicating something to Helga but the words came only as a muffled mess.

Helga sighed heavily… 'Godric knows and insists on letting Alyin know – so that he can do the right thing…'
'You mean come back and marry you… Ha! Typical Gryffindor! The man left you because you were a witch…he's not coming back!'
'I know…' Helga replied sadly, 'I know…'
'I didn't mean it like that,' Slytherin replied quickly, concerned by Helga's distress… 'The man is not worthy of you… now you know why I don't like muggles… simple fools!'
'Oh Salazar…' With a final glance at her co-founder Helga fled the chambers, leaving Harry alone with his guardian.

"Helga's going to a war council…" Harry repeated dumbly. Slytherin turned to Harry, his robes swished about himself and he regally took a seat. Harry could not help but think that Salazar looked very much like a King. This effect was of course deliberate.

"She did… we are at war boy..."

Harry rubbed his scar; a familiar prickling crept through his scalp. Slytherin watched this gesture with interest. "It hurts you boy?"
Harry nodded then stated confidently, "Danger is coming…it's a warning…"
Slytherin snorted loudly, "I've been warning my co-founders for years that infighting at Hogwarts is inevitable…I told them our downfall would come from within…and it took a collapsing apprentice to take me seriously."

Harry rubbed his scar again. "Is there a dark lord?"
"No!"
"Dark lady?"
Slytherin laughed mirthlessly. "I told you the fighting is coming within…"
Harry didn't have a suitable reply so he was resolved to stare up at Slytherin dumbly.

"The Half-Bloods march upon us…"

Slytherins statement, which had intended to shock and scare Harry only confused him. "What do Half-Bloods have to do with it?"
Slytherin sighed heavily. "A muggle blooded parent rarely takes the news that their son or daughter has magical abilities well… Most parents that have no magical heritage is the fathers… I've seen what muggle husbands have done to their witch-wives…what they can do to their own flesh and blood, their own babes... Purity is the only way to go…for our children's sake."
"My mother was a good witch," Harry replied tersely.
"Yes… I think I understand… a rare gem in this time Harry. Perhaps not in yours…"
"Your words… they are so convincing sometimes…"
Slytherin smiled almost fatherly at Harry. "You have so much to learn, my apprentice…"

"When you say that the Half-Bloods march upon us…"
Slytherin smiled thinly, pleased to hear Harry use 'us' and not 'you'. "They have manipulated by some wizards to building an army for the express purpose of destroying Hogwarts…"

Harry gasped; they can't destroy Hogwarts – his home. "They can't do that…don't they understand that Hogwarts is a rare refuge for some…the only place where I will ever belong…"

"They only look forward to destroy myself and my co-founders…"

"Father…you're back…" Slytherin was interrupted by a regal silky voice.

"Earven…" Slytherin stood and Harry craned his neck to see a tall wizard about twenty-one standing in the entrance. "My son…"

Harry watched Slytherin embrace his son, it seemed so odd to see Salazar Slytherin parental. The young wizard turned sharply onto Harry and surveyed him with haughty grey eyes. His black, wavy hair was thick about his face, making his tone seem dark. But everything about him communicated his regal bearing…

"New apprentice Father?"
"This is Harry Potter, Earven," Salazar steered his son eagerly to Harry's bed. Earven's stare hardened but he extended his hand, which Harry shook self consciously. "The boy-who-convinced-Gryffindor…you're a legend."
"Erm…thanks…" Harry murmured.
"Gryffindor wants him at the war council, immediately…"
"Why?" Salazar barked irritably. "He's just awaken!"

Earven leaned forward and said audibly. "The spies of enemies are in the castle father… the Half-Bloods know he is here… they have deduced where he is from…"
"How could they possibly…"
"Malfred's spies are everywhere…apparently he cursed Malfred…" Earven took a wistful glance at Harry; he plainly had wanted to have done the cursing himself. "They have an All – Seeing –One on their side…and someone from his place…" Earven's finger wavered as he pointed at Harry. "They have a wizard from the future too…a wizard of great consequence…apparently…"

Harry's mind swirled in confusion. "Who?" he demanded sharply.

On cue… the torches around the room flickered blue and green…then eerily they abruptly flickered out.

"It's here…." Earven's voice wavered and cracked. Harry felt gooseflesh rise to his skin…something with the way Earven had said 'it'…something was in the room with them… Something monstrous. He could sense it.

"Good God it's here!"