Zils poked his head out of Hadrian's collar as they stepped through the opening behind Salana's portrait, tasting the stale air of fifty years. Hadrian was shaking his head internally at how long it had taken him to realize that at least some of the entrances were likely concealed behind their own paintings. And Zils comment about old snakes made sense as well since the passageways would likely automatically open for any snakes, but would require the use of a Parseltongue password for humans to go through. Ingenious, really.
The two traversed the twisting passage, taking steps carefully, and always the light of a torch springing on of its own accord as they left the light generated by the previous one marked their way. The passage stopped at a large, round opening, reminiscent of the manhole covers Hadrian had seen in the muggle streets before his rescue. This one, however, was far larger and more beautiful than anything he had seen in the muggle world. A serpent coiling in on itself, with the tail in its own mouth graced the center of the seal. Polished black stones, onyx if Hadrian were to wager a guess, flashed in the torchlight. The scales on the snake looked surprisingly real, and Hadrian was nearly convinced the snake moved. Not that it would be terribly surprising, given that portraits and pictures were also able to move, as well as the suits of armor and statues in the castle, but he hadn't seen anything quite like this.
He reached up and stroked the scales, expecting them to be cold since he was the first to pass this way in fifty or more years, but it was warmer than he anticipated. §Beautiful§ he breathed, Zils hissing his wordless approval. Eyelids blinked on the snake he had just touched, and startled, Hadrian jumped back.
§An Heir?§ the guardian snake released its tail long enough to hiss.
§I am the current heir, yes§ Hadrian responded carefully.
§Password?§ it then inquired.
§I wasn't given a password...§ Hadrian looked at Zils, trying to think what the password might be. §I only asked if the Lady Salana would open the entrance behind her portrait...§
When Hadrian said open, the serpent began to move. It released its tail and slithered around the opening. Metallic clicks could be heard as it travelled around, and when it had returned to its place, the seal swung open. Hadrian was lucky enough to be standing far enough back, due to his startled jump, that the door did not hit him in his shocked state.
§I love magic§ he sighed. A hissing laugh from Zils, and what might have been a quiet agreement from the guardian, was his response. He stepped through the now open portal, and into what appeared to be an enormous entrance hall. A number of large, round passages surrounded the room, he thought they likely led from the other entrances. He wasn't terribly interested in following them right this second, more focused on locating one of the Ladies Slytherin, and possibly a more comfortable place to sit down.
He eyed the rather large statue in the center of the only wall without openings. It wasn't a particularly nice looking man, having rather beady eyes, and a face-obscuring mustache and long beard that rather reminded him of Dumbledore's. Hadrian shrugged, and took a careful look around at the snake statues, and the flat portions of wall between the corridors. Not finding anything, he returned his attention to the statue and focused. Zils slithered down from his perch and approached the statue.
§The ancient one§ he hissed reverently. §The entrance for the queen is here!§
§What do you mean, Zils? There is no entrance here, only that large statue.§
§I can smell the queen. She is there!§ Zils hissed excitedly. §She waits to be released to do the heir's bidding.§
§Well, the others worked the same way...§ Hadrian took a deep breath and said §Open§
…
…
§Nothing happened, Zils. Are you sure this is an entrance?§ Hadrian asked somewhat plaintively.
§Certain! She is moving, I can feel her, Hadrian!§ the bright blue snake writhed on the ground in ecstasy. §You must release her!§
§I'd love to, Zils, if I knew how,§ Hadrian said exasperatedly.
§Wait, my lady, don't go!§ Zils stopped coiling in and over on himself, and stretched toward the face of the statue. §We don't know the words to release you, my queen!§
Hadrian waited, not hearing anything. Zils was still and the only other sound was a slow, steady drip of water, somewhere further back.
§You must speak to the lord, she says§ Zils hissed at Hadrian. §Tribute, she says.§
Thinking carefully about what he knew about Slytherins, and the founder, Salazar, in particular, Hadrian paced a bit. A few moments later, he had an idea.
§Speak to me, Salazar Slytherin, the greatest of the founding four!§ Slytherins were not immune to flattery, just as their snakes enjoyed compliments, so too did their humans. Hopefully, that's what the queen meant by tribute.
A groaning screech of rock on rock tore through the relative silence of the chamber. The mouth of the large head began to drop open. Knowing that the Queen was a basilisk, Hadrian quickly shut his eyes and hissed at Zils to do the same. Zils turned from the opening, slithering back up Hadrian's arm and returning to his preferred spot around Hadrian's neck.
§Young Heir Hadrian§ a rather louder voice than Hadrian expected hissed through the room.
The sound of scales grating against rock continued for much longer than Hadrian would have thought. He had met Zelena, after all, even if she was a portrait, and had been told her true form was waiting for him. This then must be Zelena's actual body. He supposed there must be some sort of stasis magic on the chamber, or placed on her herself to have allowed the same basilisk to live for so long.
Banishing his thoughts, he bowed in the direction of the hissing voice, and spoke §Queen Zelena, it is an honor to meet the familiar of Salazar Slytherin.§
§Yes, yes...I see what the children meant. You are a fine heir, young Hadrian. You may look upon me without fear. Salazar would never endanger his line and has passed the protection of my familiar bond to all his descendants.§
Hadrian took a deep breath before slowly opening his eyes to see the queen for himself. Once his eyes were fully open, they continued to grow and widen until they hurt and he was forced to blink and rub his eyes to return moisture to them.
§I see you were not expecting me like this§ Zelena said with a hissing laugh.
Hadrian gulped, §You are much larger than your painted version...§ he managed to choke out, taking in the full size of the nearly 18 meter (60 ft) long snake. §I thought you'd be bigger, but assumed you'd have been under some sort of stasis for long stretches of time.§
§Oh, but I have been,§ Zelena said with another hissed chuckle. §Did your books not mention that basilisks continue to grow through their entire life?§
§They did...§ Hadrian responded faintly §but I thought it would apply to your life with Salazar. Surely you didn't reach this size while he was alive?§
§Of course not, child!§ the bright green serpent replied. §I mentioned he passed his familiar bond to his children, yes? He passed the bond, Hadrian, not just the protection from my deadly stare. All the children of Slytherin blood are bound to me. I have served as a familiar for many generations of Slytherins, and I have grown§ she said with what could only be a smirk on her face.
§I see that§ He finished, seating himself in the middle of the floor while he waited for his brain to reorient itself after the shock.
§Of course if you want the full bond, I will need to bite you, as with any other familiar bond. But you are rather small...perhaps it would be better if you cut yourself and I will lick the wound. You will have to make a small cut to my gum at the base of my fang to get a mix of my venom and blood to complete the bonding.§
Hadrian nodded, still in shock, conjuring a knife to cut himself and a vial to gather the blood and venom. He decided on his right ankle so it would be hidden by his socks. He made the cut and Zelena licked it carefully before he poured the contents of the vial over the wound. He was immediately jerked out of his shocked haze by excruciating pain. He hadn't experienced pain during his bond with Zils and had he been able to think, would have assumed it was due to the much stronger venom, but he wasn't, so he merely screamed and writhed on the ground until the magic settled. The same § marking that he received during his bonding with Zils on his wrist, was now running the length of the cut across his ankle. The wound had healed, but the mark was larger, reflecting the size of the cut, which was still smaller than it would have been had Zelena truly needed to bite him. It was a small mercy.
He rubbed the mark. It was dark like his marks with Zils and Hedwig, but appeared to have a green tint. Inspecting it closely, he also saw a rather silvery outline. Deciding he could figure it out later or that she would tell him if the coloration change was important, he focused on himself. Once he had regained his senses, inspected his new familiar marking, and retrieved and soothed Zils, who had been flung a bit when Hadrian started thrashing, he returned his attention to his newest familiar, Zelena.
§Salana said I should meet her father and son. I assume there's a portrait or something which will allow for that down here somewhere?§ Hadrian asked the enormous snake.
§Of course. Step on to my head, Heir Hadrian.§ The large serpent instructed.
Hadrian made his way carefully onto Zelena's head and shrieked as he had to grab on tight to the horned protrusions on top of her head to keep from falling when she suddenly moved to rest her head on the lip of the statue she had originally appeared from.
§Up the stairs, Heir Hadrian§ she hissed as he was calming his breathing. He nodded and began to climb.
It wasn't far before the stairs ended in another antechamber, smaller than the one he had just come from, but still large enough for the basilisk to enter comfortably. There were a large number of painted rooms adorning the walls. Full size paintings of bedrooms, sunrooms, conservatories, a library, an office, dining room, kitchen, and several lovely gardens depicting the weather from all seasons. Hadrian began walking around the room, cataloguing the images and trying to come up with a time period. He nearly smacked himself when Zara appeared in one of the garden scenes and he realized that this is where the Slytherin family lived when they weren't in the castle, and so these must be rooms and scenes from their home or lives.
The sound of a spoon tinkling against a teacup pulled him out of his observation of the pictures and he made his way around the room toward the sound. He saw the two Ladies Slytherin, and the painted form of Zelena around a man's shoulders who could only be Salazar Slytherin, and a younger man who he assumed was the ladies' son. Seeing they were all observing him, he bowed formally. When he stood upright, he introduced himself.
"Good afternoon, House Slytherin, I am the current Heir, Hadrian Potter-Black," He offered formally.
§Interesting...§ the younger man hissed quietly. He put on an innocent expression at the sharp look directed to him by Salana.
§That's no way to greet the newest family heir, Dominic§ She said sternly.
The younger male rolled his eyes, but bowed formally to Hadrian, along with both his mothers, while Salazar merely watched. Once they all stood straight again, he stepped forward and responded to Hadrian's greeting.
§Good afternoon, Heir. I am Lord Salazar Slytherin, the First Lord to the Imperial and Most Ancient House of Slytherin. Tell me, why is it that you do not wear the colors and name of our noble house?§ the Hogwarts founder hissed to his heir.
Bowing to the Lord of one of his houses, Hadrian responded, §Unfortunately, Lord Slytherin, had I gone into your illustrious house or used the name, as is my right, a certain meddlesome old headmaster would scrutinize my actions more than I can currently afford. I am working with several others of your house to remove the current Lord of the house because he split his soul several times and went completely insane as a result. They are also keeping me out of the hands of my abusive muggle relatives. Since said headmaster has illegally made himself my magical guardian, and I can do nothing without my Godfather, who is my legal magical guardian but who is currently residing in Azkaban Prison, not having had a trial as far as we can tell, again possibly due to the meddlesome old coot, I'm sure you will agree that my Slytherin cunning was surely in play to send me to the Raven's Nest and with my choice to elect to forego my rightful mode of address for the time being.§
Salazar nodded. §You may address me as Salazar, young heir, provided you do so respectfully. And what is your rightful formal mode of address, then?§
§Many thanks, Lord Slytherin, Salazar, for the offer of your name.§ Hadrian nodded to the progenitor. §I am Hadrian James Potter-Black, Lord to the New Blood House of Evans, the Honorable and Most Noble Houses of Peverell and Potter, and the Ancient and Most Imperial Houses of Gryffindor and Merlin, Heir to the Ancient and Most Noble Houses of Black and Gaunt, and the Ancient and Most Imperial House of Slytherin. Though I am unable to claim my lordships officially until either I am emancipated, or my seventeenth birthday, whichever occurs first, I am allowed to use the titles if I so choose. You are, of course, welcome to call me Hadrian, as may your family.§
§Hadrian then, that is quite an impressive lineage, my child§ Salazar hissed. Switching to English, having ascertained that Hadrian was in fact the heir and could speak the required Parseltongue, he continued, "Make your introductions, children, so we can be on to more important matters."
Salana stepped forward and dipped into a very appropriate curtsy given Hadrian's actual standing, "I am Lady Salana Isolde Slytherin."
Her sister and wife stepped forward next, also dropping into a curtsey, "I am Lady Zara Melisande Slytherin."
The younger man Salana had called Dominic came forward last and bowed, "I am Heir Dominic Salazar Slytherin, blood-adopted son of the Ladies Salana and Zara Slytherin, Second Lord to the Imperial and Most Ancient House of Slytherin."
Zelena hissed her greetings to Hadrian as well, but since the anchor and stasis magic had fully worn off her true form, her painted likeness was mostly draped around one of the Slytherins, or on what appeared to be a warming rock, sleeping.
Salazar instructed his heir on how to call on the magic of the chamber to provide furniture for him in the gathering room, and after Hadrian requested a comfortable chair and footstool, the small family sat down to discuss current events, ongoing plans, and training for the heir. Hadrian explained his situation in more detail and was stopped when he got to the portion surrounding the currently disembodied Lord Slytherin.
"You said you and your heart family have plans regarding the destruction of my heir, the current Lord Slytherin?" Salazar asked.
Hadrian nodded and began explaining. "According to information from my Inheritance Test at Gringotts, Thomas Marvolo Riddle, the current Lord Gaunt-Slytherin, was likely disembodied via a rebounding killing curse due to a blood protection ritual my parents performed only a few days after my birth. He had created a number of horcruxes to tie his soul to the earth for unknown reasons, which resulted in his current incorporeal status, while not being rendered a ghost or dead. I currently have four of his horcruxes, three locked in goblin warded magic dampening boxes in my Merlin vault, as it's the only one which we know for sure Dumbledore is unaware, and one, most unfortunately, locked within my scar."
He lifted his hair to display the curse mark on his forehead, moving closer to the portrait of Salazar so he could take a closer look.
"Black Magick. Strong Black Magick…" Salazar lifted a hand as if to touch the scar, before dropping it by his side. "It is unfortunate you were exposed to such a horrible thing so young. Soul Magick enacts a terrible price, and there have been no known Gifted to that magick art. Go on, child."
"Well, I met the wraith Voldemort when he was possessing Professor Quirrell, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, last year. He had shed the name Thomas Riddle and given himself a new name, Lord Voldemort. He has completely lost his sanity, and in his madness, convinced Quirrell to drink forcibly taken unicorn blood." Hadrian rolled his eyes, "Of course my unicorn friends weren't too happy about that, so when I touched him, it activated the protection they granted me and he disintegrated."
"You have an alliance of protection with the Forbidden Forest unicorn herd?" Zara interjected in awe.
Hadrian nodded, "I do. And it involves several of my friends as well. Neville Longbottom-Heir to the Ancient and Most Imperial House of Hufflepuff and the Noble and Most Ancient House of Longbottom, Draco Malfoy-Heir to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Malfoy and the Honorable and Most Noble House of Prince, and Hermione Granger-wildwitch, were with me and I believe they are also included in the protection. The stallion and the herd bowed to all of us, though Hermione said it was clear they viewed me as the leader."
"Amazing…" Zara breathed when Salazar gestured to Hadrian to pick up with his information on Thomas Riddle.
"Anyway, I retrieved the stone and returned it to the Flamels, and we're trying to find the last of Tom's horcruxes along with a way to destroy them while I'm handling the issues with Dumbledore," Hadrian finished.
"Ah, yes," Slytherin mused. "The much… esteemed headmaster of my beloved school. Ah, if Rowena, Helga, and Godric could see what has become of our institution of learning. Subjects removed, books banned, falsehoods present in both teaching and documentation. It is no wonder the wixen society is failing." He shook his head bemoaning the fall of the school "My Thomas had the right idea initially. Follow the Slytherin way: gather intelligence, infiltrate, start with small changes, present good arguments and use subtle manipulations to get things rolling, then, when the larger changes occur, people have already been set up to follow along. I can only assume his use of soul magick with no affinity or gift for it took its price in the form of his physical appearance and sanity, and likely his magic as well. Unfortunate, but there is no remedy for a split soul. It will be a mercy upon his mutilated being to be put down. What are you doing to keep the headmaster distracted, my heir?"
Hadrian smirked. "Well, since Dumbledore seems so set on my running into, and fighting Lord Voldemort, we've...borrowed… the idea of one of Lord Voldemort's horcruxes. The real one, as I mentioned before, is in one of my Gringotts vaults, so no actual harm will occur, but I planted a fake. The fake is a discussion diary wreathed in a dark aura, with compulsions to write. We set the compulsions to pull from the magic of the writer to sustain them, so they are actually dark, but it's set to pull very slowly. It will gradually weaken her, and she'll likely collapse before the end of the year. I will swoop in, save her from "Tom Riddle's" diary, and Dumbledore is pleased that I am continuing on his path for me," he finished happily.
The painted Slytherin family was nodding.
"Of course, near as we can tell, the diary was from his school days, likely the last time the chamber was open, and we have been having trouble determining how we should show the danger the school was in then, now. Perhaps you have an idea?"
Dominic spoke up, "Tom was always interested in ruling by fear. We couldn't convince him that wouldn't be a long term solution. But he was particularly enamored with Zelena. Not many know this, but basilisks do not have to kill with their gaze. They have two sets of eyelids. Opening both results in death, opening only one results in petrification."
Before Dominic could continue, Hadrian interrupted, "Zelena could petrify?! That's perfect! Sev can make me petrification potion, it can be countered with mandrake draught...Hmm...don't want to let that bit about multiple eyelids get out, it could come in handy later. Oh! What if they didn't look at Zelena directly… a mirror could work. Take it in the most literal sense. Ok, ok...I think I can work with that!"
The entire Slytherin family was looking at him wide eyed, mouths open in shock. None of them had ever seen a child so young put so many pieces together like that so quickly. Salazar recovered first and cleared his throat, startling his family back into composure.
Oblivious to their awe, Hadrian had jumped up from his chair and was pacing, making even more plans. "Basilisk...must get rid of the roosters, I can use compulsions or the imperius on Ginny for that. Imperius I think, then I build the obliviate in via an order rather than casting that one. Sev didn't want me to use that unless I had to… But the spiders. There are spiders everywhere...how do I get rid of them?"
Zelena hissed at him. §Merely setting me free the stasis will take care of that, Heir Hadrian. I will begin moving about the castle through my secret passages. The spiders will be in a frenzy to get out of the school. I can move through the entire castle without being seen.§
Hadrian nodded slowly, §That could work. The students will still be safe?§
§Of course, young heir§ Zelena responded with a hissing chuckle. §Master would never have used me to harm the students, even as an accident.§
Hadrian and the family nodded. Hadrian cast a quick tempus and realized he had been gone for several hours. "I must take my leave. It has been wonderful to meet you, and I will come back as often as I can. Thank you for your hospitality and welcome." He bowed as the furniture disappeared.
"You must come back. We have much to teach you," Salazar said as his youngest heir was preparing to depart.
"I will," Hadrian responded before he disappeared.