---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There was no one in the order that he could turn to for help. And as sad as he was to admit it, he could not trust Ron and Hermione either. It wasn't a lack of trust in his two best friends per say, but he didn't trust the Order not to some how cohered the information out of them in the pursuit of it being 'for his own good'. Sure, they were his friends and were trying to look out for him, but just because they thought they were doing what was best didn't mean that it was.
While he paced around the office trying to plan out everything he needed to research Harry noticed a circular set of runes that were engraved in the floor, what truly surprised him was that the runes were in a form of parseltongue. From what he could figure it was some kind of reveling charm.
Harry cautiously placed one foot inside the circle then quickly withdraw it just in case it triggered some type of nasty hexes. Logically Harry knew he was probably over reacting, Tom had walked over that spot quit a few times when he had started to come down here and Harry himself had walked over it without notice before he had casted a cleaning charm on the floor. That knowledge still didn't stop him from feeling nerves about stepping on it now that he knew it was there.
His curiosity soon got the better of him, gathering up all his Gryffindor courage, Harry step within the runes... nothing, taking a look around to see if anything had changed Harry was startled when he look up at the wall directly in front of him and saw a intricately carved snake where there had been none a moment before. As he examined it though, he realized it was different from the others. All the carved snakes he had come across so far had been fitted with emeralds for their eyes. This one however had what seemed to be smooth cut black diamonds where its eyes would be.
His excitement growing, Harry stared straight into the snake's eyes and ordered it to open in Parseltongue.
For a moment nothing happened... and then the snakes black eyes started to glow a bright emerald green. And in a flash Harry was transported from the room.
Ch. 3 Slytherin's Sanctuary
In the blink of an eye Harry realized his surroundings had changed dramatically, instead of a small stone study of the Chamber of Secrets Harry how stood in a dark entrance hall of some kind. He flicked his wand hoping that if there were any unseen torches near by they would light. He was glad when a moment later the walls torches burst into flame, filling the room with light. Now that he could see were he was going, he decide to have a look around.
In his exploration Harry discovered a series of medium size rooms including setting room, living quarters, a study, dueling chambers, potion lab, and a small kitchen. Everything was heavily coated with dust. It really looked as if there hadn't been someone to clean since Slytherin left, even more so than in the chambers office. He wondered just how long had it been since someone had found this place.
The small chambers also consisted of a series of training rooms that were filled with all types of ancient ageless weapons. Harry figured Salazar Slytherin must have designed this place as a private retreat of sorts. And as everything he had come across so far was parsel activated, Harry figured the old serpent had either been highly paranoid of intrusion, or severely obsessed with his snake like gift.
' Any Slytherin living or dead would probably give their wand arm to be where I am right now.' Harry thought with a small smile.
Searching farther while lighting torches and casting cleaning charms as he went. He found a rather large library full of books on potions, Parsel Magic, Charms, Human Transfiguration, the Dark Art and other various aspects of magic that he wasn't too familiar with. He started to search through the library eagerly. Then he noticed something strange. The majority of the books he had picked up were written in a language very few could ever possibly read or understand, most of the book here were written in Parseltongue.
That could only mean one thing-
" Salazar Slytherin's personal library," Harry whispered in realization. Not just books Salazar Slytherin had owned and collected. No, these were books he must have actually written. Things he had discovered or created himself. Things that had been known only to him. And as Harry had no recollection of this place at all, he figured Riddle had never found the place.
Somewhat reluctantly, he put the books back on their shelves. He would come back for them later. He started to leave, but was stopped by a voice.
"Leaving already, young one?"
Harry spun around so fast in order to see who had spoken he almost fell over. He didn't see anyone in the room, but the voice continued speaking.
" After all these years someone has once again found their way through the Serpentine Eyes. Granted I didn't expect someone as young as you, but I am sure you are someone special. You did what only fourteen before you have managed, in entering this structure."
Harry, who was still turning around in circles, wand drawn, scanning the room yelled out to the unknown voice.
"Who are you? Where are you?"
" Do not raise your voice to me child, " The voice spoke harshly. " Both of your answers you seek can be discovered if you look to the right of main door and up," was said in a much calmer tone.
Harry did just that. He carefully followed the wall to the right of the door. Near the center of the wall farthest from the main door hung a huge portrait of a man dressed in the old traditional Scottish attire along with wizarding robes made of a dark emerald green and black, with a silver trim. Long silver hair flowed down over his shoulders and down his back. The man had a strong medium size build, his face was square shaped with a strong jaw that had a thick but well trimmed mustache and bred. Emerald green eyes that were a lit with intelligence and a sharp cunning gazing down at Harry. ( Just picture Sean Connery in wizarding robes.) Wait he looks so familiar. Then with a jolt Harry remembers. It was the same man who's statue stood in the center of the Chamber of Secrets. Harry knew he really shouldn't have been in the least bit surprised given his current location, but he couldn't help it.
" Salazar Slytherin, " Harry breathed out loud.
" Yes, my young one and who might you be? " The Slytherin lord asked in a thick Scottish accent.
" Ha- Harry Potter, Sir. "
" Ah, so you are one of mine after all," He said sitting up a little straighter in his portrait. "I am quite pleased to meet you, young Harry. For I have heard much about you over the years. I am most intrigued by the rumors that have reached me. The fact that you were able to slay my Basilisk when you were only a wee lad of a second year. A worthy heir to my blood if there ever was one my boy."
With pride event in his voice.
" Erm, Heir..." Harry stated, unsure if he heard the man correctly.
" Of corse, the only way for you to have been brought here was, first you were a parselmouth and opened the secret passageway, second that you were born with the Serpentine Green eyes that are need in order to see the black eyed snake carved on the wall of the Chamber's study, and third the runic circle on the floor recognized the Gentry blood that most definitely flows in your veins. " Salazar finished giving Harry a look of amusement.
" No, y-you've made a mistake. I mean I can't be the hire of Slytherin. My mother was muggle-born! " said Harry, more loudly than he'd intended. Gosh, this sounded too much like the time Hagrid told me I was a wizard. " I mean, I'm- I'm in Gryffindor, I'm..."
But he fell silent as he helplessly tired to deny what he was being told while staring into the same almond shaped vivid green eyes that both his mother and he shared. A lurking doubt he had not felt since second year resurfacing in his mind.
- Flashback -
Then Ron pushed Harry into an armchair and, " You're a Parselmouth. Why didn't you tell us?"
"I'm a what?"
"A Parselmouth!" said Ron. "You can talk to snakes!"
"I know," said Harry. "I mean, that's only the second time I've ever done it. I accidentally set a boa constrictor on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once - long story- but it was telling me it had never seen Brazil and I sort of set it free without meaning to - that was before I knew I was a wizard -"
"A boa constrictor told you it had never seen Brazil?" Ron repeated faintly.
"So?" said Harry. "I bet loads of people here can do it."
"Oh, no they can't" said Ron. "it's not a very common gift. Harry, this is bad."
" What's bad?" said Harry, starting to feel quite angry. "What's wrong with everyone? Listen, if I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin--"
"Oh, that's what you said to it?"
"What d'you mean? You were there --- you heard me ----"
"I heard you speaking Parseltongue," said Ron. "Snake language. You could have been saying anything --- no wonder Justin panicked, you sounded like you were egging the snake on or something --- it was creepy, you know ---"
Harry gaped at him.
"I spoke a different language? But --- I didn't realize --- how can I speak a language without knowing I can speak it?"
Ron shook his head. Both he and Hermione were looking as though someone had died. Harry couldn't see what was so terrible.
"D'you want to tell me what's wrong with stopping a massive snake biting off Justin's head?" he said. "What does it matter how I did it as long as Justin doesn't have to join the Headless Hunt?"
"It matters," said Hermione, speaking at last in a hushed voice, "because being able to snakes was what Salazar Slytherin was famous for. That's why the symbol of Slytherin House is a serpent."
Harry's mouth fell open.
"Exactly," said Ron. "And now the whole school's going to think you're his great-great-great-great-grandson or something ---"
"But I'm not," said Harry, with a panic he couldn't quite explain."
"You'll find that hard to prove," said Hermione. "He lived about a thousand years ago; for all we know, you could be."
- Flashback Ends-
Harry groaned pitifully. This day just kept getting worse and worse.
"I see your wizarding education in wizarding culture and traditions is lacking." Salazar said with a sigh. " As you should know, purebloods place great importance in their history. Gentry historically goes dormant whenever there is no male heir to carry on the traditions of the family. The last Gentry lord was nearly a century ago, his only son was killed and his only two daughters were turned into squibs by a dark wizard remained. Really lad, whoever advises you in your family history is proving to be less adequate than appropriate. So you see my boy, it doesn't matter what your mother perceived herself to be, you become the heir of Gentry regardless, because you are the first male magical child that has been born into the line for some time now." Salazar concluded. "Although I'm quite curious too know how you even ended up in Gryffindor."
It made sense Harry had to admit. He didn't know all that much about his mother's side of the family. His aunt had always refused to tell him anything about his grandparents claiming that it was none of his business. Now that he thought about it he had never even seen a picture of his mother's parents. And it wasn't like his aunt would openly admit to being on born from a historically magical bloodline, she barely admitted that she had once even had a sister.
"Well, Lord Slytherin..." Harry stated, unsure how to address the man.
"Don't call me Lord Slytherin, lad. Call me Salazar, or 'Sal' if you must." He sneered, but in a friendly way. Harry nodded.
"Yes sir. Sorry I mean Salazar."
"Now that's more like it. I am sure you have plenty of questions, I will answer them as soon as you tell me how you got sorted into Gryffindor."
Harry wasn't sure if he should trust what the portrait was telling him about his family history. After finding out what he had earlier Harry was hastened to trust anyone at face value.
"How can I know I can trust you, that you wont go and repeat what I tell you to my enemies?" Harry asked guardedly.
" A cautious Gryffindor, that's a rare breed indeed young one." said Salazar with a hint of respect in his voice. "I respect your caution lad. You are my heir little loin, whatever way it has come to pass. So I will not tell anyone your secrets. I Salazar Lucifer Gentry, Lord of Slytherin House, Hire of the Shadow Lords, swears on my magic and the blood of my four fathers that I will not betray Harry Potter and will keep his secrets as though they were my own."
After Salazar finished saying the Oath a golden light shimmered around the portrait and connected to Harry. In that moment he knew Salazar was telling the truth of his words.
" Well, how I became a Gryffindor is a bit of a long story, because to tell the story I have to tell you about the rest of my life, which will take awhile. So could you please answer some of my questions first before I tell you about my sorting?
Salazar thought for a second then agreed. "OK, you have a deal ask away.?
"What is this place?"
"I figured that was going to be your first question. This lad, was my Sanctuary Chamber. It was created by myself and my closet friend and cousin Godric Gryffindor." Before Harry asked, Salazar continued .
"He was a great friend, more like a brother to me. He could be annoyingly closed minded at times, and reckless, but a good man. We built this place as a privet sanctuary for me when I need time away from magic." Harry raised an eyebrow at this, why would Slytherin need time away from the magical world.
"Most of wizarding society only remembers that I was a very gifted parselmouth, as while as a Master of the Dark Arts and Charms. But only a select few knew about my abilities as a Nullifier and a Scanner." Noticing Harry's completely confused look he explained farther.
"Oh, Honestly! Didn't they each you anything about the different types of magical abilities some witches and wizards are born with." Salazar snapped.
"N-no, not really sir. I mean Salazar." Harry stumbled out. The old wizard closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose and gave a frustrated sigh.
"A Nullifier is a witch or wizard who possesses the very rare and powerful ability to stop or redirect magic affects from happening, which enables them to freely manipulate any form of magical energy to their every whim. They can stop a spells, or potions for harming them, or return a spell to it's caster with a great deal more strength behind it than when it was first cast. The strength of this ability varies from person to person, but a Nullifier is always born in very powerful wizards. These abilities to nullify usually shows up very early in a wizards life, mostly when they are still around the age of 4 or 5. I, myself came into my power when I was four years old and was gifted with every strong nullifying abilities.
"Now a Scanner is a term used for a wide range of talents." He began to explain, adopting a literature tone of voice that all teachers seemed to have. " In summary, a person that is born with a scanning ability can sense magic, usually when in contact with it. The gift may be slight, such as touching an object and knowing it is enchanted or exactly what type of enchantment was place on it, a moderated gifted scanner would be able to get a sense of a wizard's power levels through an extended physical contact unless a wizard was shielding themselves from detection. The rarest form of this gift is also the strongest, even without physical contact a Scanner can perceive and evaluate not only the strength of a wizard's powers, but what talents and gifts he possesses, even potentials. Sometimes there are even scanners that can see symbols of future events that will effect a person.
"There are many other variations besides those and usually doesn't manifest until a Scanner reaches their early teens... 13 - 16 years of age or so. Some don't even realize they have this ability or what it's even called because it's so rare. I myself, came into my powers when I was around 13 years old. Occasionally, Scanner will begin to manifest the gift earlier in life. Those individuals tend to have the strongest gifts."
Harry had no idea where all this was going but sat down in a near by chair that was next to Salazar's portrait and listened
regardless.
"Hogwarts when we were first starting to put all the wards and enchantments in place had an extremely high active magical atmosphere along with all the wards we constructed the active magic stretched for miles. Even though I had mastered controlling my scanning abilities years before we decided to turn the castle into a school. Living there full-time after the wards were completed was a great strain on me sometimes, trying to block out all the magical patterns I could see and feel was driving me mad. So Godric and Rowena came up with the idea of building this sanctuary from me that was able to block out Hogwarts sometimes over powering atmosphere when it became too much sometimes. I could come here to relax.
"After many years I decided to use this place in order to train those of my bloodline that came after me who were gifted with the Serpentine green eyes and parseltongue. I would pass on the knowledge of how to willed the power needed to control the Basilisk that resigned within the Chamber os Secrets, to be use as one of the last defense of Hogwarts if ever the school fell under seized to a Dark wizards who sought to destroy our world and way of life." Salazar hissed out the words with nothing but contempt and loathing.
"But Professor Binns told us that you wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts." Harry stated, not being able to stop himself. " He said that you believed that magic should only be taught to the purebloods, since you thought Muggle-borns to be untrustworthy. And that after a fight with the other Founders you built the Chamber of Secrets and that only your hire could open it to release the basilisk, using it to purge the school of all the Muggle-borns."
As Harry finished recounting what he had learned during his second year he noticed the god-smacked expression on Salazar Slytherin's face. The man looked like he was fit to throw a towering rage, but he instead did the most unexpected thing Harry could have imagined, the ancient wizard had doubled over in hysterical laughter. The old wizard was laughing so hard he almost fail out the frame of his portrait.
It surprised Harry greatly that Salazar's laughter wasn't the evil cackle he would have thought it would be, but a warm rich laugh that seemed to calm Harry's earlier misgivings that he first had about the Lord of Slytherin House. Harry felt that there just no way a person that possessed such a rich and warm laugh that seem to be full of life, could possibly belong to the Dark wizard history had painted him to be.
After a few moments the serpentine lord got himself under control enough to stand up straight.
"Lad, I haven't laughed like that in centuries." Salazar said with a lingering chuckle. "That's the worst historical garbage that deal's with the legend of the Chamber of Secrets I've ever heard. If that's the kind of rot they try to pass off as Hogwarts history or wizarding history in general, than its no wonder I've been regarded as a Dark Lord."
"Then why did you build the Chamber of Secrets?" asked Harry.
"Well, contrary to many of the ' historical ' facts, the Chamber of Secrets was not built without the knowledge of the other Founders. Given where the main entrance of the chamber is located, along with the size of the chamber itself it's quite easy to see that the chamber is actually helping to support 1/3 of Hogwarts castle.
"The Chamber of Secrets actually has four different rooms, one for each of us. Each one served a different propose in the last defenses of the school. My chamber housed the Basilisk, the King of Serpents, since it could live for hundreds of years it was the prefect creature to keep until it was needed to be used if the school main defense failed. The Basilisk also served to help keep the population of other animals that lived in the forbidden forest at a reasonable level.
"Since my family was gifted with the powers of the Serpentine eyes along with the parseltogue we willed a certain power over all serpentine creatures. Our powers even gave us the ability to withstand the murderous stare of the Basilisk, that's why I decided to use it in order to defend the school from attack I was the only one who could withstand its gaze."
" They were dark times in which I lived lad." The Slytherin lord spoke in a far a way tone. "When I was a young lad it was very common for most learned witches and wizards to take on apprentices to help them learn the magical arts to bring in extra money into the house and help work the land. Some master of the arts had 5-10 apprentices at once if the family was wealth enough. There were even some muggle apprentices that studied the noble Art of Potion making, given that one hardly needed a wand or real magical powers to be capable in the craft.
" Sometimes if the common muggles or muggle-born apprentices were stupid enough to go back and show what they had learned to other muggles they were labeled as devil worshipers and were interrogated and tortured, tried and punished. Some times -not always- they were sentenced to death. The muggle-borns suffered the most blame and punishment if found out by their ignorant kin or neighbors that were jealous or scared of their powers. The ones caught were accused of a variety of absurd accusations of Satanism if they didn't gave up the names and locations of other magic users that they knew. Many witches and wizards were attack and on rare occasion sometimes killed by the raids of those who did gave up the information. So many pureblood masters stopped taking apprentices that were muggle-born for fear of their families safe.
"There was a Dark wizard in my time, a muggle-bron that went by the name of Darkmoore, he to was gifted with the powers of a the dark arts, but he let the power they held corrupt and twist his mind and soul. In order to become more powerful he perform every extremely dark and powerful ritual own for over the spanned of thirty years. His goal was to become the first made Castus Magus in wizarding history, and to rain over both magical and muggle worlds with his power. His followers were called the Hunters and were also muggles-borns that Darkmoore had personal raised and apprentice. He took in all those that the other pure-blood masters had turned away, thinking them too weak of magical ability to properly learn the Magical Arts.
"Darkmoore used the Hunters children as decoy apprentices in order to gain entry in to wizarding families strong holds in order to bypass the homes wards with a homing portkey that he would hidden on the child's person. In was no longer safe to teach out of ones home anymore, that is when Rowena, Godric, Helga and I decided to start a completely magical school that was far away from the prying muggle eyes and Darkmoore's influences.
"Lots of witches and wizards believed that because of the growing number of attacks on the pure-blood wizarding citizens, that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families, that muggle-borns were no long worthy of our ancestors knowledge, because so many discarded muggle-borns were joining Darkmoore.
"There were even some pure-bloods that protested Hogwarts being open at all because it took their family income for teaching apprentices away. The biggest debates between the four of us was if we were still going to allow some muggle-borns to continue to learn the Magical Arts with the threat that one of the students might by one of Darkmoore's decoys. I was the most reserved amongst the four of us about taking students of muggle parentage I truthfully admit. If a decoy did somehow managed to get inside the schools wards a whole generation of magical children would be completely lost.
"About a year before we officially opened Hogwarts the decision was made for all of us. Darkmoore and his Hunters launched a massacre that winter on some of the muggle-born families that lived in wizarding settlements, but who refused to follow him. Some families were completely wiped out, other only survived in hand full. I lost a lot of good friends and some family battling that senseless raid. With the Massacre of Cottagebridge Darkmoore and his Hunters had killed over thirty magical families.
" After that the muggle-borns and half-bloods who families survived the raid and did not follow Darkmoore were allowed to come to Hogwarts. We made sure that no outside portkeys could get past the wards. And a new stronger Security Charm was invited by Rowena was placed on all incoming muggle-borns and their families, which made it impossible for them to disclose anything they learned about the magical world to other muggles that were out side their emitted family. Even now the security charm is still place on muggle-borns and their family. Since it was too dangerous to simply allow an untrained witch or wizard to find their way into Darkmoore's hands because their muggle family abandoned them when it was discovered they had magical powers, or if it was clear that the child would be in danger from their family for being magical, the child was taken away from their families to live in the castle year round."
"About five years after the school opened, one of the Gryffindor muggle-born that had agreed with some of Darkmoore's idea that the ruling pure-blood lords needed to be taken out of power, had some how convenience one of the Slytherin muggle-borns of this logic. And together tired to kill some of the children of the ruling lords in Darkmoores name. They were able to kill two of their targets before we were able to stop them. After that, I banned all muggle-borns from entry into Slytherin House. I was not willing to risk the safety of those under my care to any more of Darkmoore's madness."
Harry was completely dumfounded by what Salazar had just explained to him, why hadn't anyone bothered to explain what really happened to start the animosity between the purebloods and muggle-borns. He could certainly understand it to a point, but wonder why they were still looked down upon by most wizards even to this day and asked as much.
Salazar sighed wryly at the question but answered it regardless. " Harry, do try to use your common sense. Would you truly be able to view people who have actually tried to hurt your people down and actively sought the destruction of your world, who tried to rape, torture, and kill your mother, sister, wife, and children with anything less than contempt and hatred. Then at the same time, joyfully open your arms to their children and teach them all the knowledge of your culture and heritage without feeling any type of negative emotion even if it was in an abstract way towards them." Salazar asked with a cold sneer.
Harry shook his head no. Unable to even look at Slytherin in the eye after asking what he realized was a very stupid question.
" Yeah, I didn't think so either." Salazar said in a cold whisper.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To be continued...
Please review!