Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter – sorry guys

Chapter 12. Voldemort's Envoy

Harry woke with a woeful headache. He drearily opened one eye, followed by the other. He was alone in the students' quarters.

Groaning softly as he lifted himself onto his elbows he glanced around the room. It was midmorning. With a soft moan he flopped back down into his blankets.

It only seemed like a second before someone started shaking him violently. "Mofawaf…" Harry mumbled into his pillow.

The shaking became more insistent. Harry turned over in the hope it would just go away.

For a brief moment in time the annoyance stopped and Harry was left in peace.

SPLUSH!

Harry sat bolt upright in bed, soaking wet. He glared threateningly at the intruder.

Ahawn could not help himself and clutched the sides of his ribs as Ron blushed deeply, guiltily holding a now empty bucket.

"Sorry, Harry, you're wanted," Ron mumbled as his ears became redder than his hair.
"Hmf…" Harry crossed his arms and clamped his jaw tightly in reply.

"My father does not like to be kept waiting," Ahawn added almost playfully.
Ron nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

"Why?" Harry said after a moment's pause.

"He doesn't approve of people lying in bed all day… and lateness is impolite." Ahawn could easily recite his father's lectures on punctuality and could imitate Godric at a drop of a hat.

"No," Harry grumbled as he scrambled out from underneath his blankets, "Why does he want me?"

"Wants to ask you some questions…" Ahawn shrugged his shoulders. "So does Lord Slytherin." Ahawn suppressed a shudder of revulsion; Lord Slytherin was a horrible man in his opinion, why was his father friends with him Ahawn did not know.

"What does Slytherin want?" Harry asked shrewdly his expression darkening.

"I dunno," Ron confessed, "Best not to trifle with that one you know."

Harry agreed with Ron, best not to tempt fate. He grabbed his cloak and pulled it around his shoulders and brushed his fingers through his hair. He had slept in his clothes as very little was left in the castle after Voldemort's attack and he wanted to be ready for anything.

"Where are they?" Harry asked heading towards the door.

"War Council Room," Ahawn supplied cheerfully.

Harry glanced back at Ron, who amended, "Teacher's staffroom."

"Right…"

Harry jogged from the new students' quarters and nearly all the way to the teachers' staffroom. He stopped before he reached the door however and looked both ways. A slight prickly sensation made its way up his spine. His skin crawled… something was wrong. He could feel it in the depths of his bones.

Harry's footsteps felt extraordinarily loud as he approached the door to the staffroom. Holding out a trembling hand to open the door Harry had an urge to turn back immediately. But before he could turn his feet to leave he heard a solemn, "Come in."

It wasn't Godric Gryffindor's voice he heard. It was Salazar Slytherin's. Harry felt his heart hammering in his chest. The man had barely glanced in his direction since he had turned up. What special interest had Slytherin in him?

Harry collected himself and forced away the look of fear that he knew must be written all over his face before pushing the door open.

"You asked for me?" Harry asked softly.

Salazar Slytherin turned slowly on his heel, his face as stern as granite. Godric Gryffindor was sitting at the table drumming his fingers rhythmically. Helga Hufflepuff was amusing herself by opening the coffee canisters and sniffing the contents with the upmost interest. And in the corner was….

"Malfoy?" Harry asked incredulously before he could possible check himself.

"Potter," Draco Malfoy replied coolly his grey eyes sparkling maliciously, "I see that you are alive… pity…"

Harry felt his stomach clench and unclench at the sight of his nemesis. He looked to Salazar Slytherin who seemed indifferent to the squabble between the two boys. Godric Gryffindor looked mildly amused.

"Pity 'twas not you who lost your life," Harry spat viciously, "God knows you deserve it you upstart pureblooded…." Harry left off with a stream of profanities.

"Excuse me…." Godric said shocked by such ungentleman like language. Harry glared daggers at the founders. "You should not speak such filth in front of ladies…"

"Eh?" Helga said, lifting her nose from the coffee canister for a brief moment, "What's happening?"

Godric shook his head sadly and glared sternly at Harry who looked extremely unrepentant. Malfoy snarled silently at Harry from the corner of the room.

"Why don't you shove your wand up your…"

"HARRY!" Godric growled aggressively. "Stop this childishness this instant."

Harry curled his lip at Draco Malfoy and remained surly silent. The silence was deafening.

"YUK!" Helga screeched from the bench. She started to wipe her tongue with her fingers furiously and danced on the spot. "YUK, YUK, YUK!"

Godric and Salazar both stood. "Milady! What is the matter?" Godric asked truly perplexed, concern written all over his face.

Helga glanced up with wide doe like eyes and held up the coffee canister. "This stuff is poisoned!" she gasped dramatically before setting off in another series of 'yuks'.

Harry couldn't help it, he let out a chuckle. He went to the bench and filled a glass with water and handed it to Helga.

Helga gulped down the glasses greedily and wiped away the tears on her face with a grunt.

Godric still looking at his female co-founder in trepidation sat slowly at the table and motioned Malfoy and Harry forwards.

"The heir of Slytherin has sent us an envoy," Godric said gesturing at Malfoy. Harry refused to look at his old enemy.

"He wishes to parlay," Godric explained taking Harry inattention as confusion and not indifference.

"Let me guess…" Harry spat into Draco's face. "Voldemort wishes me to give myself up for the castle…"

Helga looked impressed. "My dear you must be a seer!" she exclaimed, her nose now in the artificial sweetener canister.

Harry sniffed and turned large emerald eyes to Draco. "What else does you friend demand?"

Draco looked truly confident as his grey eyes glittered over the frame of Salazar Slytherin. His cheeks were slightly pink from the excitement of being in the presence of the great founder…

"He wants you dead." Draco looked absolute triumphant. "By your own hand."

Harry shook his head and snorted back a hasty reply.

"And why would we allow this?" Rowena asked as she opened the door. She swept past Slytherin and sat opposite Gryffindor with elegant and precise movements. Even Draco paused to mark her movements.

"Your lives and Hogwarts will be spared," Draco said with a sweet looking smile.

Harry sighed and glanced at the wall. By his blood he could save Hogwarts but if he died then who would be able to stop the tyrant Voldemort from destroying the wizarding world?

"Lady," Harry said looking at Helga who had her finger in the artificial sweetener to test. Helga looked up innocently, like a child who been caught with their fingers in the cookie jar. "Not a good idea."

Helga looked to her finger to the canister. Then very quickly and deliberately she replaced the lid and swept it away from her.

"If you are afraid, Potter, I am sure we can come to a mutual agreement." Malfoy seemed excited by what he was offering.

"Do not presume me to be afraid, Malfoy," Harry scolded in return. "While I am alive I will fight your master… even if there is no hope to be found…"

Malfoy looked slightly disappointed that Harry would not even consider slicing his own wrists to save Hogwarts.

"I am not fooled Malfoy," Harry continued, fired up but the Slytherin's presence. "While I am alive there is hope…"

Gryffindor and Slytherin exchanged worried glances. They understood something was being said that they had not understood.

"What are you talking about Potter?" Malfoy sneered. "Voldemort cannot be beaten."

Harry only smiled thinly in return, "We'll see…we'll see…"

Malfoy sensing Harry knew something he did not, turned to Slytherin determined not to be phased by Harry's statement.

"He would also have Lord Salazar Slytherin to consider working with him, to complete the noblest work that was started nigh a thousand years ago…"

Salazar's dark eyes never left Malfoy's eager face. His fingers brushed through his short beard and tapped his chin thoughtfully. Then a small smile lit his face.

"I shall see your master about is request privately…." He said before rising elegantly and moving towards the door. "Take me to him."

Four pairs of shocked and horrified eyes watched as Salazar was lead to his great heir by a victorious Malfoy.

Harry wanted to throw up.