It had been two days since the train ride back from Hogwarts. He made sure to stick with his friends and not let anything slip. Even in the great hall at breakfast, he made sure to avoid eye contact with the Headmaster or Snape, and made sure to play up his grief and act depressed, that way when he broke contact it would seem to be hi depression taking hold.
Harry had just finished making sure he had everything packed soon he would be out of here and one step closer to control over his own life. Now all he had to do was write a little note for the headmaster to find once his disappearance was revealed.
Harry went threw his wallet, pulled out a muggle American dollar bill, and dropped it between his bed and the wall. Hopefully, that would cause a stir when it was discovered.
Now all he had to do was wait until his portkey that dobby had brought back in response to his letter.
Nymphadora Tonks was annoyed, very annoyed. Why the hell, did Sirius have to tease her about that even after he died? She was so annoyed she didn't even realize she had finished climbing through the window to Harry's bedroom till she promptly tumbled inside. Grumbling she dusted her self off as she whined to herself about stupid anti-Anti-Dis-apparition wards. The full moon outside giving enough light for her to look around for the person she was here to see when she suddenly felt a wand jabbed into her back.
"Now Tonks not that I don't mind you sneaking into my room in the middle of the night. But, you could do what most girls do and let me know first."
"Now change that hairs of yours, so I can have some proof it's you."
"Wow lover boy, I never knew you had such a long wand." She said as she cycled her hair through a couple different colors.
"Tonks you should know by now that it's not the length of the wand that matters but how thick it is."
"So what are you doing here Tonks?"
"Well after Sirius died I promised myself that I would help you any way I could."
"Okay…why?" Harry asked clearly confused. "And if I decided to tell you anything what's to stop you from running off to the old man?"
"That's easy Harry. I Nymphadora Tonks swear on my life to never tell in any fashion any of Harry James Potter's secrets with out his permission."
"Okay Tonk's that's nice but, umm.. what's with the magical oath?"
"oh caught that did you?" Harry just raised an eyebrow and looked at her like she was stupid of course he noticed. She just smiled weakly and continued. "Well we already had that same oath so I figured why not do it again."
Harry just continued to stare at her waiting for her to continue. "It happened when you were just a baby. Sirius was watching us you were almost one and I was six well in a fit of accidental magic some how you escaped your play pin. Well Sirius freaked and started searching for you.
Anyway, I told him where you were and well that got you yelled at. Well yelled at according to a six year old at least, well I felt bad and made the vow I think I read something similar in so children's book. Anyway, since I couldn't tell your secrets anyway, why not make the vow again."
"Okay….whatever Tonks. So who is on guard duty to night?"
"Me, why? Oh… are you going to runaway?" Tonks looked almost gleeful at the idea. "Can I go too?"
"Umm... Tonks why would you want to go with me?"
"I'm bored, plus I had to quit my job with the Aurors. They don't keep you around if you make more in a year then the head of the DMLE, something about you won't listen to them or something." She said as she waved her hand around as if she was dismissing the very idea. "Plus since I had so much free time I was supposed to watch the house for DE activity. But with you leaving there won't be a need so vacation is in order."
"Well if I bring you with me, are you willing to help me with some things?"
Tonks just smirked and tried her hand at teasing Harry again. "Harry I'm not explaining the birds and the bees to you. I figure there are plenty of willing girls at Hogwarts, they might even give demonstrations."
Harry just looked at her and laughed. "No thanks Tonks I don't do fan girls. Although I wouldn't mind finding out if Luna lives up to her last name."
Tonks just stared at him as if he had grown a second head.
Harry tilted his head to the side briefly and mumbled. "This is why I don't act like myself at school."
Harry just moved in front of her and snapped his fingers in front of her face.
"Well Tonks if you want to go… you have 20 minutes to pack and get back here. Oh and 16 minutes and 30 seconds remaining better hurry."
Tonks just glared at him for a moment while he just practiced his Luna impression and smiled serenely at her.
She just huffed slightly and started climbing out the window. "You can use the door you know."
Tonks stepped away mumbling something inaudible before leaving out the door.
Fifteen minutes later a disgruntled Tonks appeared back through the bedroom door.
"Why did I listen to you earlier when you told me to go pack, I'm an Auror after all and should have some input in this runaway idea."
Harry just smirked at her "Well I'm really a male vela and I'm destined to have a large harem of women to satisfy my carnal lusts. Your were just following your baser instincts cause you want to be part of it."
Tonks had her mouth slightly open and her eyes wide as she stared at him briefly, as she pondered, whether that was true.
Harry chuckled and started shrinking his truck and pocketing it. "Don't be so gullible Tonks, you hurried because you wanted to go and we leave in one minute. Plus, this was put into plan long before you wanted to tag along. Just trust me Tonks and I'll let you ask anything you want when we arrive at out final destination."
Tonks sighed and nodded. She had a feeling she was going to regret agreeing later.
Harry then made his was over to her and grabbed her hand Tonks look down at the intimate gesture before realizing Harry had something in his hand. He just looked at her and smiled. "Get ready for a long ride Tonks? Payback."
With that, a pull behind the navel and the two started their journey and the Dudley's spare bedroom was empty.
As soon as Harry and Tonks disappeared one of the recently repaired trinkets let out a puff of smoke and then an alarm was raised signaling Albus Dumbledore that a portkey was activated, not more then a second later a second trinket sounded alerting the headmaster that Harry Potter was no longer at his aunts residence.
Albus looked up sharply at the alarms wailing before silencing and making his way over to the floo.
"Grimmauld place." Spoke the aged headmaster
"Albus, what seems to be the problem" spoke Mad-Eye moody Albus wasn't due to receive a report for another hour.
"Alastor, take a team over to Harry's immediately the portkey wards have been tripped and Harry has left his residence, be careful my friend and I'll meet you there."
The headmaster made his way down from his office at a brisk pace before meeting up with professor Snape and both heading out of the castle beyond the castles wards. Once the two were beyond the wards and disappeared with a pop.
A man made his way from the shadows of Hogsmeade and headed towards the castle, a small smile on his face as before he reached the gates they opened for him. After making his way to the castle, he went to left side of the castle and avoided the main hall.
Making his way along the bricks of the castle his finger running along the third row of large bricks stopping as he felt the difference he was looking for taking a knife from his pocket he dragged it across his palm. After pulling the knife away, he watched the blood pool in his hand before pressing it to the brick.
A couple seconds after the blood hit the stone the stone flashed breifly, and a section of the wall along with the glowing brick disappeared revealing an unused entrance to the castle.
After the stones were gone, he made his way inside and he spoke softly. "It's good to be home." And just as quickly the wall was back and the entrance gone.
The man walked slowly through the darkened passages ways the soft glow emanating from the tip of his wand gave him enough time to mutter a cleaning charm to banish decades of cobwebs from the unused passage way.
Finally after a couple minutes of walking, and a few dozen cleaning charms. Really, he thought to himself. 'What's the point of hundreds of house elves if the only clean the used parts of the castle?'
Slipping out from behind the painting of Hengist of Woodcroft Founder of Hogsmeade, he slowly checked all avenues of approach and made his way to the large Hogwarts seal directly in front of the doors that led into the castle.
As the man stood, in front of the large Hogwarts crest on laid into the floor, he pulled his knife from earlier and re cut his left hand. After putting the knife away, he dipped the index finger of his right hand into the blood pooling in his other hand and knelt down and started writing runes onto the out side edge of the crest with his blood. Once he had ten runes written out in his blood he opened and closed his cut hand getting the blood flowing again before pressing his bloodied hand onto the crest.
After a second the crest glowed a faint red and he pulled his now healed hand away an stood back from the crest as it raised a couple inches from the ground and drifted to the side exposing a circular stairway that lead deep under the castle.
The man smiled as he made his way down the stairs his wand tip lighting up again he his head disappeared from view. A couple of seconds after his head disappeared from view the seal moved and set back into its original place sealing off the entrance.
"Harry stop!" Tonks almost screamed as she yanked her hand away and grabbed her stomach after the third straight ocean crossing portkey. Something about the waves affecting the motion of portkeys over water always made her sick and this was the bloody third in a row!
Harry looked down at his watch and shrugged. "we can spare a few minutes, you okay?"
"I'll be fine its just portkeys over water always make me sick. And where are we now?"
"Most eastern part of Canada, one more portkey left then we'll be done with them for about a day and then we'll take one more."
"Harry I don't think they could follow us after that first portkey. I mean all we did was portkey to the park down the street from your house them you laid out 4 more port keys and activated them just before activating ours. And then you did it again in the last place we were where was that anyway."
"Greenland. Anyway Tonks this is just the distraction, don't worry it all been planned out. Remember you wanted to go along," he gave her a wink before smirking, "I did promise a long hard ride."
She gave him a slight glare she really wasn't feeling up to his teasing/flirting thing when she was this sick. "If we were just heading to Canada why didn't we just take an long range international portkey?"
"That would be easier to track then a couple of shorter jumps. This one will be land based and we can rest for a couple of hours there before leaving." Harry helped her stand upright before grasping her hand again. And said the activation word and they were gone only to reappear in an alley in the middle of new York.
"Okay. Were gonna rest here." Harry said before looking at Tonks and then at himself he was wearing some decent brown shoes and a pair of khakis and a green button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was passable for the neighbor hood but tonks would need to change. "Tonks you're gonna need to change."
She looked affronted and cycled her eye color as her eyes narrowed a little "And just what do I need to change?"
"Your clothes… we're going in to muggle New York. This is a warded area for incoming portkeys but ..." he left it trailing as he waved his hand dismissively towards the Waldorf Astoria "you would stick out like you are now."
She quickly cycled her hair and transfigured her clothes into something more appropriate. Once she was finished, Harry led them across the street and into the lobby of the Waldorf.
Once Harry had checked them in to the hotel and escorted to his room, He made his way over to the large bed and flopped down on it stretching out as he relaxed into it letting out a loud sigh as he started relaxing.
"Okay Tonks I'm ready." Harry said as he closed his eyes and tried to sink further into the bed.
Tonks looked over at him and glared, 'Just what did he think she was?' She fumed to her self.
"And what are you waiting for?" She said with a cold demeanor.
Harry just cracked an eye open and looked at her. "Why what every woman I've ever meet has wanted Tonks"
'Why that egotistical little bastard how dare he think that I would just... just…'
"To ask me all the questions that have built up since we started this little adventure." Harry said before she could finish her thought.
"What?" she asked staring at him as if he was stupid.
Harry just raised an eyebrow and watched her before shrugging. "Okay so you don't have any questions. Fuck no need to be rude." And with that, Harry rolled over put his glasses up and pulled a pillow under his head before attempting to fall asleep face down.
Tonks just shook her head and left the room heading over to the mini bar and getting a couple small bottles of liquor. Opening all the bottles, she poured them all into one glass and just downed half the glass. 'Why do I think this was a bad idea?'
"Wake up Tonks. Almost time to go." Harry said as he gave the other bed a swift kick before heading into the bathroom
Tonks groaned as she sat up. 'Yep I definitely hate the bloody bastard.' She thought to herself as she got out of bed. Making her way sleepily over to the bathroom she opened the door quietly as she heard the water in the shower and cast a delayed freezing charm at the showerhead before moving off in the kitchen.
As she opened the door to the fridge in their room, she grabbed one of those small bottles of water. Just as she started to open it, she heard a loud scream, and grinned to herself. 'That will teach him to be so, so….awake in the mornings.'
Harry coming out if the shower a few minutes later found Tonks bent over rummaging through the fridge. Stopping short his plans of revenge slipping from his mind, briefly as he admired the view. Shaking his head, he made his way further from the bathroom.
"The shower is yours Tonks, your going to need one. You're starting to smell like Fletcher." He said as he sat down on the bed and started putting on his shoes.
"Good I hate portkeys." Harry groaned out as he pulled himself off Tonks, briefly dusting himself off he offered a hand to Tonks helping her up, as Harry, finished straightening himself out. He looked over to Tonks to see her glaring at him.
Harry just rolled his eyes and looked at her. "And just what did I do now?"
Tonks waved her hand dismissively around her. "You mean to tell me we spent a day full of portkey trips trying to insure misdirection on a trip to America of all places, they don't even have decent tea, to go on the next day taking one international portkey back here of all places!"
Harry just looked at her and shrugged. "Yes?"
Tonks just sighed and rubbed her temples. "Harry….why are we back here of all places when your trying to hide from the order?"
"What better place then this Tonks?"
"Harry we're in the middle of the sod-all great hall. That's like taking a piss on the headmasters door isn't it."
"Okay Tonks way too many questions and you look like you starting to get all frustrated. First off we took so many portkeys on the first half to make Dumbledore leave the castle with the order to find me."
"And why Harry would we want to do that?"
"That's a very good question miss…," a voice said before they stepped from the shadows
"Harry be a good lad and introduce me to your friend."
"Of course, Tonks meet Nicolas. Nicolas meet I don't have a first name Tonks." said Harry with a slight jester to both.
"A pleasure Ms. Tonks. Well Harry now that everything has been set in motion any regrets?" asked Nicolas as he motioned them to follow him out of the great hall.
"Just that I wont get to see Dumbledore face when he realizes we taken the castle from him and booted the staff."
Nicolas just smirked back at him. "Oh I agree, that would be quite the site. So tell me young Harry what's with you companion?"
"She's fine magical oath." He said as he waved his hand dismissively.
"Not that Harry, I doubt you'd bring someone untrustworthy. No what I meant is she ..." Nicolas leaned in and whispered into Harry's ear. "Slow?"
Harry just shook his head and laughed. "No, no I think she's in shock, her image of who she thought I was from my time around her and the rest of the order doesn't quite merge with who I really am. Plus she gets all seasick over international waters, give her a bit of time and I'll beat she'll be hounding us with millions of questions."
"Ah. Here we are Harry; I've set you up with the head boy suite in Ravenclaw quiet fitting I think. I'll have the elves fix up the head girl suite for your companion. "He said as he looked back towards Tonks. "I think she has quiet a few questions for you."
Harry just sighed and nodded. "At least its not Hermoine I love the girl but damn id bet she'd have 100 feet of parchment full of questions by morning."
"Well get settled Harry Ms Tonks I have one last thing to finalize and well be ready to start in the morning." Said Nicolas before dismissing himself.
"Okay, Harry I kept my word. Who is he, what did he mean take over the castle, how long have you known him and is he safe?"
"Nicolas Flamel, as the heir of Gryffindor he has the right to take back the castle from the board of governors and the ministry due to their interference last year. They effectively broke the contract between the two. I've know Nicolas since my second year when Dumbledore introduced us, he wanted to meet me to thank me personally for keeping the philosophers stone from Voldemort. Is he safe doubtful, I think living so long as made him a bit daft, but he is trustworthy."
"Okay fair enough Harry. But why come here of all places?"
Harry just shrugged. "Nicolas didn't really say we both agreed to my apprenticeship from him but I don't know why for sure here, maybe it has something with me being the current heir of the Slytherin and Ravenclaw line."
"Wait how can you be the heir to Slytherin? Ravenclaw disappeared so I could see how an obscure branch would receive the title if the rest died off but Slytherin heir is still around."
"Tonks you just don't know the whole story. Back during the time of the founders, Slytherin was married to a muggleborn. Anyway years later Slytherins wife and son were kidnapped by some up and coming dark lord. The dark lord used a variation of the imperious curse and made Slytherins wife abuse her son in some bad ways. All the while telling him it was what they should do to his kind, things of that nature. And each night he was forced as his mother was used by several of the men of the camp."
"A few days later Slytherin was able to track down his wife and son. And this is where the story of the evil Slytherin starts. Once Salazar discovers what happened he snaps and wipes out the whole camp killing them slowly as he tortures them all to insanity.
He got them back to Hogwarts only to have his wife die is his arms. His son withdraws the images and tortures preformed wind up driving him slow insane. Salazar himself with draws into that icy mask slithers are supposedly famous for.
Years after Salazar starts dealing with his wife's death, he winds up getting closer to Ravenclaw. Years pass and they eventually fall in love and marry. Slytherin son who left to travel when he discovered his dad dating another muggleborn returns. Discussed by his father's actions he winds up killing his father from behind. Gryffindor was able to drive the son from the castle, and quite a few people saw a man who looked almost exactly like a younger Salazar fleeing the castle as hexs and curse rained down upon him. Now no one saw the older Slytherin again as the founders buried their friend in a private ceremony.
It was later discovered that Ravenclaw was pregnant and eventually gave birth to two children a boy and a girl. The girl was a squib and married into what was the Evans line ending with my mother and me. The boy became Gryffindors apprentice and eventually fought his older brother dieing in the process before Gryffindor killed the eldest son.
As to how I'm the heir to Slytherin, well Voldemort died when he tried to kill me. Even if he was brought back from being a ghost, he was still dead for over a decade."
"Okay I almost understand but how was Slytherins son confused with his father?'
"Like I said Tonks, they looked as much a like as my dad and I do. Nevertheless, the reason why the history books and everything confuse the two is because they were both named Salazar Slytherin."
"Okay I think I understand, but how did you discover this all?
"Easy the Ravenclaw Diaries." Answered Harry as if it were obvious.
"Okay Harry I have one more question and then I'm going to go to bed, before my head explodes. How well do you know Nicolas?"
Harry ran his hand through his hair, "Pretty well actually, he was the one I talked to over the summers. It did slow down a bit when Sirius came along but I still wrote them both often. Nicolas as it turned out lived in a muggle neighborhood a couple miles from the dursleys. He told me once the best way for everyone to think a wizard was dead is to hide in the muggle world. I would go over there during the summers, and would teach them both the small things that muggles knew, and I would catch up on stuff that happened while I was away."
"Okay thanks Harry I think its time I head to my room and get settled and try to digest all of the stuff I've learned over the past few days." Said Tonks as she stood.
"I did give my word I would tell you, truthfully at least part of why you even got to come along and learn this much is cause of your oath but I'm sure tomorrow will be even more fun so rest up."
"Night Harry." She smiled slightly and made her way into her new room to get settled.
Once she was out of sight Harry then made his way into his room, and enlarged his trunk searching through it for the marauders map. Studying it a moment before he located Nicolas in the headmaster's office. He deactivated it and slipped it in his back pocket before making his way there.
Harry made his way up the stairs to the head master's office to see Nicolas boxing everything up.
" Hello Harry." said Nicolas before he started turning around.
"So are you going to tell me what's really going on and why you deiced now of all times to do this?"
"Harry you know how Perenelle died last year?"
"Yes I was there remember?"
"Yes Harry I am well aware. The reason I brought this up is I'm dieing. Not as sudden as Perenelle did but over the next 6 months I'll lose my magic becoming almost a squib, then a year after that I too shall pass on."