Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, just in case you were wondering...

Chapter Sixteen The Heart of a True Slytherin

Slytherin hid his smile as Malfreds turned to face him. He heard Oscar gasp in surprise and relished the look of horror on Standforde's face.

"Milords Malfred and Standforde, may I present to you Lord Salazar Slytherin?" Malfoy asked misunderstanding the gentleman's looks of horror. (Duh!)

"I know who he is, imbecile," snapped Tarrance de Malfreds.
"Sssslyyytherin?" Standforde visibly shuddered as Slytherin obliging glared at him.
Malfoy was taken aback. "Lord Slytherin has come to aide us…"
"I would like to beg to differ, dear Malfoy," Slytherin interrupted airly. Malfoy's face turned from confusion to horror.

"You see, my friend," Slytherin turned elegantly on his heal to face Malfoy, "You have been fooled."
"You are not Slytherin…" Malfoy seemed on the verge of running, but Salazar Slytherin was unperturbed. The trap had closed – there was no escape.

"I am Salazar Slytherin," Slytherin let a slow smile creep to his lips, "But Lord Voldemort is no heir of mine. His soul is blemished, his heart black and his actions bring only destruction."

Malfoy mouthed wordlessly. Obviously he had not expected Salazar Slytherin to react like this. "I am here not only to defend my school which was the result of my hard labour… but I am helping young Harry to defeat your lord with magic he knows not."

"That is enough..!" Tarrance yelled.
"No it is not enough," Slytherin replied calmly, looking to his fingernails unconcernedly and turned back to the cringing servant of an heir he had come to detest…. "A true heart of Slytherin would never bring down the wizarding world… we are a race above mere muggles…! A Slytherin is noble among being sly and cunning! Be at peace, Malfoy that you have been fortunate enough to meet a man in whom a real Slytherin heart beats…"

Salazar Slytherin lifted his wand to 'do away with' Malfoy… but at that moment a essence entered his mind…ripping apart his sense with one simple word…

'SLYTHERIN!'

Harry watched in trepidation as Slytherin lifted his wand so that it rested under Malfoy's nose… Behind him another man and a boy lifted their wands to attack his back.

Effortlessly he opened a connection between himself and Slytherin and screamed a

warning.

Unfortunately he had not know his magical potential and his scream which was meant to save his mentor, brought Slytherin to his knees. Even from a distance, Harry knew that his guardian was in terrible agony. And it was his fault!

"No," Harry choked back a sob and took a step forward but Rhodderyk held out his hand to stop him. "NO! You can't let him die…"

Rhodderyk pushed Harry behind him. As he feel Harry's eyes watered with tears. "My uncle trusted me to protect you and I am going to do just that," Rhodderyk said almost apologetically.

Harry lost it then… A surge of power seemed to leap from nowhere. It welled then contracted… Without any warning Harry let the force within him go…

The force was so powerful it pushed all the muggles to their knees. But the unfortunate Malfreds whom it had been principally aimed at stood no chance. They were thrown backwards like a blade of grass in a storm.

Fortunately Salazar Slytherin had still maintained a link with Harry even though the initially connection had caused him so much pain. He had felt the strength of the strike and shield himself from the onslaught.

A few moments past and then it was still – like the eye of a storm. The dying down of strike of magic seemed to act as a signal for the surrounding wizards…

Without thinking of what he was doing, Slytherin grabbed Beacen's sleeve (he had remained unscathed through the onslaught and was staring dumbly about him).

"Get out of here boy!" Slytherin snarled in Beacen Standforde's face.
Beacan looked to the unconscious frame of his father then to Slytherin, uncertainty in his eyes.
"Go now or you will regret your allegiance to your father and his most unworthy friends."
"But – but – but…"
"But nothing…."
"But I owe him my obedience. He is my father…" The unfortunate Hufflepuff protested.
"Who would hesitate to have you burned at the stake if it would be of any gain to him…Now go…" Beacen Standforde took a parting look at his father, frowning deeply, "You could never be accepted in your clan boy…"

Slytherin's last remark seemed to have the lasting effect. It was true. Beacen Standforde was the only wizard in a family of illustrious muggles. His clan could never accept him for what he ended up to be. Never could he hold his head up in pride in his father's house. His descent into misery had started the night when dear Lady Badger had told Lord Standforde his youngest child had magical potential. He had lost what little standing he had in his father's eyes that day….

Rhodderyk Gryffindor caught Harry as he collapsed. The over exertion of power and magic had been know to permanently 'burn' a wizard. The prospect that Harry could have involuntarily 'burned' himself distressed Rhodderyk. For burning oneself was almost as bad a death. A wizard who had burned himself had wiped his body of power and sometimes it did lead to death…

Rhodderyk laid his young charge delicately on the ground and examined his face. Pale…deathly pale. And poor Harry was barely breathing.

Rhodderyk looked up and saw Slytherin arguing with the 'Standforde bastard'… apparently Slytherin won, for the boy abandoned his father with obvious regret and weaved himself in between the ranks of men and steadily up the hill…

As for the fighting itself… Rhodderyk had never seen such an easy victory. The

muggles who were not unconscious from Harry's strike were scared silly of the advancing wizards. Most either dropped their weapons between their feet and surrendered or dropped everything and ran…

Rhodderyk glanced back hurriedly… He had been listening to Harry's regularly breathing and could have sworn he had stopped.

Harry needed a healer. 'Oh, well, there is nothing for it,' Rhodderyk thought. Helga Hufflepuff was out of the question. His uncle had informed him rather gravely that he was under no circumstances to call the female founder. When Rhodderyk protested that she must be able to be call upon (for she was one of the finest healers in the magical world), his uncle explained her 'delicate condition'.

But there was another famous healer close by. Salazar Slytherin had refused to use his gifts after his unfortunate 'failure' to save Saxtyn and Newlin…

'Slytherin…' Rhodderyk reached out tentatively. He did not like contacting his uncle's close friend.
'Rhoddy…?' Slytherin seemed to stop and then in the next breath, before Rhodderyk could tell him what he needed the founder asked, 'Harry… is he okay?'
'He needs help…'
'What happened?'
'He collapsed… after the force strike… he doesn't look to good…'
Rhodderyk heard Slytherin swear coarsely and in the next moment the founder was by his side.

Slytherin had just sent Beacen out of harm's way when he got Rhodderyk's call for help. In that instant he remembered Harry and the amount of power that was used to cause such a turmoil… He gasped inwardly and felt a pang of fear for his apprentice.

As soon as he could deduced Rhodderyk's position, Slytherin apparated beside his friend's nephew.

Almost immediately he fell to his knees and pressed his hand to Harry's forehead which was clammy and hot… so hot it burned the skin of his hand.

"Oh, my dear boy… you had to discover your power now," Salazar murmured as he picked up his vulnerable apprentice.
"He'll be alright…?" Rhodderyk looked crestfallen, "You'll be able to help him…?"
Salazar Slytherin looked back at Harry's deathly grey face… "I don't know, Rhoddy, I just don't know…."