Disclaimer: I own nothing that belongs to JK Rowling. Absolutely nothing but my wild imagination.

Dishonour

Humans are such strange twisted creatures. There is good and evil in every race and in every clan. Believe me when I say that the Gryffindor clan, despite the generosity and friendship I received from them, was no exception to the rule.

Heartbreak came to the Gryffindors soon after d'Malfreds left for their homes. I, for one, was relieved when they left. I believe Sir Elric would agree with me that the atmosphere turned from dank and tense to gay and merry as soon as the prestigious lords left us.

I'm afraid I may have been the cause of the d'Malfreds early departure. Tarrance d'Malfreds left after a humilating experience of turning crimson and gold (the Gryffindor colours) at a large feast. Indeed the whole d'Malfred esort sported the same colours. To this day I don't think Godric appreciated my welcoming of the noble guests. Despite that I knew he enjoyed the rich upstart's face at the time. All I can say for myself and my childishness; pity it wasn't permanent.

So the d'Malfreds left cursing and I was left alone to bathe in my glory.

But, Hogwarts Castle had been changed by the Malfreds' visit; or to be more precise, someone.

Hearne Gryffindor became a tyrant. Well he became even more domineering and awful after he had met with d'Malfred.

Since being ambushed in the forest and Godric retrieving my poor wand, I became Hearne's main target for bullying about.

Nevertheless being friends with Godric Gryffindor does bring out one's courage. Frankly I didn't feel like being Hearne's victim and so I did not behave as one. This behaviour, however only incensed Godric's brother. I soon received my up comeuppance.

I had finished my lonely shift in the healers' quarters and was making my way up to my chambers. It was nearly dawn and the castle was in a sleepy state. The only noise in the stone corridor was the shuffling of my feet.

However dread filled me when I saw that the door to my shared chambers was ajar. I crept forward shivering as if even then I could sense the danger both myself and my sister were in.

Hearing a choked sob broke my frozen state as I recognized the timbre of my sister's voice. Another low growl answered the sob.

I pushed past the door with a crash and beheld the scene in horror. Hearne was holding my sister roughly against the wall. Salome had tears running down her cheeks but was otherwise inert. I could see the gooseflesh of fright rising to her white porcelain skin underneath a soft white night dress.

"What are you doing?" I cried without thinking of the consequences. I strode across the room and grabbed Hearne's muscled arms and tried to wrench the eldest son of my benefactor away from my sister. "Leave her!" I demanded.

Hearne flicked me away casually as if I was nothing but a mere fly; something that was beneath his notice. Very slowly his head turned to regard me coldly with blazing eyes. Red veins wound around the whites of his eyes; I knew then he had been drinking heavily and was all the more dangerous.

"I want your sister and I shall have," Hearne hiss pressing Salome harder into the wall. Salome gave a squeal of fright and tried to kick him as his body pressed forward. Hearne only laughed heartily at her.

I scrambled to my feet ignoring the protests in my mind that Hearne was all the more treacherous now that he was clearly drunk. Gone was his sober thoughts. He would not stop until he got what he wanted. But I did not care…

"Leave her!" I repeated pulling out my broken wand. Hearne looked at me coldly and laughed. He released Salome, who ran for the exit sobbing hysterically, to turn and face me.

"Expellarmus!" My broken wand flew in a graceful arch and into Hearne's outstretched hand. He threw my wand to the other side of the room and pulled out his own slender wand and pointed it at my chest. His eyes were gleaming like those that belonged to a madman.

"Salazar has come out to play, has he?" Hearne sneered as he circled about me as if I was his trembling prey. I stood erect and looked in his eyes. I was not going to allow him to torment me nor was I going to play his game.

"Shall I show you a new curse I invented?" he drawled circling ever closer. I stood immobile my eyes never left him. I would not show him my fright.

"I think you might find it interesting." Hearne smiled sickeningly, tracing the fine line of his wand with a finger. His eyes lifted to my face and apparently he liked what he saw. To this day I hoped he did not see my fear or dread.

"Exciting spell." Hearne tapped my shoulder with my wand as he passed me again. I jolted and he laughed at my ever crumbling nerves. I knew that whatever he had planned for me wasn't going to be pleasant.

I swallowed deeply and forced myself to find my voice. "I am not afraid of you Hearne," I whispered in the room. I was pleased to hear that my voice sounded smooth as if I was merely bored.

Hearne however laughed mirthlessly. "Your actions tell me otherwise, fen rat."

He was behind my back again I turned by head to stare at him. "You mistake me sir," I replied flatly.

Hearne laughed again and I felt the warm breath on my neck. It sent shivers up my spine. "No my friend," Hearne chortled, "it is you who is mistaken."

The point of Hearne's wand rested in the small of my back. My body involuntarily stiffened; waiting for the inevitable attack.

I heard the whisper of the spell and fell forwards writhing and wriggling in agony. Simple words cannot describe what I felt in those prolonged seconds. Pain beyond pain. I had heard of the Crucio the dreaded curse of pain. But never in my readings had I heard of torture reaching the insides of one's body. My intestines felt they were on fire, my heart felt like it was being torn by talons of an eagle; I was laying prone on the floor panting and choking on my own life blood.

Hearne was standing over me victoriously laughing merrily at my agony. I retched and felt warm thick clots of blood seeping down my chin. I wiped my mouth with a sleeve so that the fabric was nearly black with rich blood. I gagged again and forced myself to sit and glare at my tormentor.

"Be gone…" I hissed; or more correctly I attempted to hiss. Hearne clearly got the message as he applied the curse on me again. I was once again feeling as if my body was being pulled inside out. I swear I thought my brain would explode or my heart burst with the pressure I was feeling.

The curse lifted again and I was left face down on the carpet; my nose and cheeks covered with my own blood and yet I could not move.

I passed out…

My shattered mind came back to consciousness as a gentle essence crept into my mind. 'Salazar…'

I am not sure if I shifted to a more comfortable position as I tried to grasp to the fleeting pieces of my mind. 'Salazar…'

I groaned inwardly feeling my own intense pain and shame that my body had gone into shock. Hearne had beaten me again. I had let him win. All I wanted to do was to drift back into unconsciousness.

'Salazar…'

My eyes fluttered upon and images swam in front of my eyes. "Ah good you're awake." Godric's face wavered into view. He was cradling my head in his arms. I struggled to sit, but Godric placed a firm hand on my now bare chest. He frowned and glanced up anger smoldering in his large innocent eyes.

"Go and make yourself useful and get Cassia," he snapped harshly. His wand was pointing to someone the corner of the room. I turned my head slightly swallowing to see Hearne; looking rather sheepish and intimidated by his younger brother.

I groaned as my muscles spasmed underneath me. "Hush." Godric said brushing my hair away. "I'm not a good healer… Cassia will be here soon…" I choked on my own blood again and forced myself to swallow.

"Hearne…" I whispered shaking my head feebly causing shots of pain to explode in my neck.

"Hush." Godric placed a finger on my lips and I felt him shift his weight slightly. "I gave Hearne the shock of his life." Godric smiled thinly. "I was always the better wizard."

"Salome…"

Godric pattered my shoulder friendly. "Always thinking of your beautiful sister instead of yourself," he teased.

I smiled wanly; I do believe my face was the colour of chalk.

"Darcy has taken her to the gardens to calm her. She's in shock…"

Seeing the trepidation in my face Godric quickly continued, "She's fine. Just a little shaken and Darcy is a welcome…" Godric's foolish grin widened. "Friend… close friend…he won't let anything happen to her…"

I started to shiver I swear I felt frozen. Godric took my trembling hands in my own and clasped them tightly to warm them.

"Salazar stay with me," Godric frantically squeezed my hands as my eyes started to close as if lead weights were attached to my eye lashes, "stay conscious…"

I squeezed Godric's hand back. I was painfully aware of the throbbing of my temples

and the sluggish beating of my heart. My eyes started to close…

"Salazar…"

Darkness. Nothingness. Blackness. Bliss…

I drifted in an unknown land. Somewhere I hovered between life and death, or so it seemed.

Coolness. Wetness. Liquid. Soothing…

The first sensation to return to me was taste. A bitter sweet concoction of healing remedy.

Sound. Words. Voices. Peaceful…

"It was called the Serykah," a firm young voice said, "Hearne invented it."

"Well he should be wakening to consciousness soon," a women said by my ear.

I blinked hard. Light. Blinding Light. For a moment I thought I might have been dead.

I raised my head a little with a strangled cried and realized with a rush of smarting injuries I was very much alive.

"Lie down you stupid boy." Miss Cassia's face swirled in front of me and a wave of nausea hit me like a tidal wave. I pursed my lips tightly and swallowed my own foul mixture of bile and blood.

"What does this Serykah curse do?" Miss Cassia her back to me and was fumbling somewhere out of my vision.

"It attacks the internal organs," came the apologetic reply. "That's why there was so much blood."

I shifted my shoulder blades stiffly and realized I was lying on a cold hard stone bench, which meant I was in the healers' quarters as a patient. The irony of the situation struck me and I tried vainly to sit.

Godric's face smiled sadly as he pushed me down. "You're not going anywhere in this state, my friend."

Miss Cassia returned with various bottles and then without any ceremony she ripped me free of my shirt. All I could do was to close my eyes and surrender to her healing hands…

I woke for the third time to find myself in sleeping cot in a quiet corner of the healers' quarters. I curled my body up around myself and stretched. For some strange reason my skin did not feel as if it belonged to me.

"I'm really sorry for what Hearne did to you."

I turned to the sound of a voice and smiled wanly. I opened my mouth to say something but my throat seemed too raw to form any comprehensible words.

Godric Gryffindor smiled but it did not reach his honey gold eyes. It was the first time I saw tears of outrage glimmering just out of view.

"If only you knew how sorry I am!" Godric cried taking my hands. I looked up into his ashen face; he was paler than the whitest snow of winter and trembling. I doubt he had eaten a decent meal in the last few days.

Because I could not find the words or the strength or the will power to reply I squeezed his hands.

"Hearne has been punished," Godric assured me with a watery smile.

I stiffened wondering if it was Hearne's punishment that gave him so much grief.

"He has been banished. Father roared himself hoarse… he'll never darken our castle ever again…" Godric gave a sniffle, "but his memory will darken my poor papa's hearts forevermore."

I squeezed his hands again and choked back the soreness. "Sorry…" I managed to croak.

Godric titled his head and glanced at me inquisitively. "For what?"

I swallowed and licked my lips. "For your father's grief…" Godric looked stunned, like a deer that had been trapped by a pack of wolves. "For your own grief."

Godric's cheeks reddened and he let slip a solitary tear pass his guard and it ran down his pale cheeks.

"I thought he had killed you," Godric admitted, his eyes were lit up in a nameless fear, "I thought Hearne was a murderer."

"You will not hear any retribution of your clan from my mouth," I promised.

Godric blush deepened. "Salazar…"

"That is my oath…" I continued.

Godric grinned but the sadness remained in his glistening eyes. "Then if you make an oath; then shall I."

It was my turn to feel embarrassed. "Godric…"

Godric ignored my protests and fumbled under his cloak. And pulled out a chain with an amulet hanging from it. Without much ceremony Godric lifted my head and laid

the icy chain against my cool skin.

"I promise you shall always have a lion looking out for your back."

I turned the cool pendant over. It was a silver lion face with a long curled up snake encircling the edges. Rubies studded the lion's eyes and the snake had and emerald green eye that glistered.

"I used some of your sister's research to make the magic in it. It'll bound us for all time," Godric announced. "It should help awaken any dormant power you might have… do you like?"

I was shaken. No one have given me a gift before and certainly not such a costly gift before. "It's beautiful…"

"Now we're bonded brothers," Godric stated proudly. "I'm the lion and you, my friend, are the snake…"

I gasped in shock and horror. Did Godric know my dirty, filthy secret?