Unspoken
by Teddylonglong

Please refer to chapter 1 for my disclaimer and warnings. Thank you.

"Thank you, sir." Harry cast the professor a grateful nod, as he cast drying charms at Connie and him in quick succession.

"That was disappointing to say the least," Severus voiced what they all thought.

Harry nodded. "Shall we go back to the lab then?"

"No. Considering that it's your last day before the beginning of the school year, I suggest that you go and enjoy it somewhere."

"Thank Merlin today is Saturday, as otherwise, my school would have already begun." Connie let out a deep sigh. "I so wished I could attend Hogwarts with you."

Harry gently hugged her. "I know my dear. One day, I'll hopefully be able to give you magic."

"Don't take any stress coming to Hogwarts to assist in the lab if you don't have time besides your own school. During the last few weeks, you have assisted so much that it covers at least the weeks up to Halloween." A rare smile crossed the professor's face.

"Thank you, sir." Connie returned the smile. "But I really wish to assist and to spend my time with Harry anyway."

Harry nodded. "Let's head to the Unspeakables' office for the day then. I don't think Peeves will be ready to talk to us so soon anyway."

Connie agreed, and Severus promised to contact them through telepathy should Peeves agree to speak with them.

HP

Harry decided to sit at the Slytherin table during the welcoming feast, considering that he had only had met Draco and Neville a couple of times during the holidays, while he had seen Hermione at least once a week during the weekends.

"Is it true?" Draco cast him a sharp look. "Hermione told us that Snape made you his student assistant."

"Shhh, not so loud," Harry whispered, glancing around in concern, only to realise that everyone was eagerly talking to their friends, whom they had missed during the summer. "Yes, together with Connie, but please keep quiet about it."

"We will," Draco promised.

"We will," Neville echoed. "That's amazing though."

"Yeah, absolutely. So, did he bury his grudges against you?"

Harry shrugged. "Apparently. Thank Merlin. I really want to play on the house team," he quipped, causing Draco's eyes to widen.

"Marcus, did you hear the good news? Harry is allowed to play on the team."

Marcus abandoned his seat at the other end of the table and came over to face him. "Harry, is that true?"

Harry shrugged. "At least he said so. Yes." He unsurely looked over at the high table, from where Severus was observing them in apparent amusement.

'Already gathering your fans, Potter?'

Harry returned a glare. 'No sir, but I am allowed to play on the team, aren't I?'

The Slytherin head nodded, unobtrusively. 'He just confirmed it,' Harry thought to Marcus, who gave him a slap on the shoulder.

"Congrats, Harry. You're our Seeker. Draco, are you going to play Chaser?"

"I'd love to."

Nodding contentedly, Marcus returned to his seat, and the noise coming from the far end of the Slytherin table rose considerably.

"Students, please remain quiet, as we proceed with the Sorting ceremony." Dumbledore's voice was gentle; however, Harry stared at his granny in shock.

'I didn't even notice that the Sorting had already begun,' he thought in surprise, 'but I don't know any of the new firsties anyway.'

HP

Harry quickly felt at home again at Hogwarts, and he realised that his second year was much better than his first year had been, mostly because of the absence of hatred coming from the Slytherin head. However, he was incredibly busy studying together with his friends, attending Quidditch practice with two teams, assisting Severus and spending two evenings at the Unspeakables' office.

"Why don't you ask the team captains if you can skip the practice?" Whisker suggested one day. "You're good enough without having to practise."

Harry agreed and hesitantly spoke with Marcus and Martin, and both captains immediately agreed.

"The main point is that you play for us during the matches." Marcus grinned, broadly.

"That's fine with me, too," Martin agreed, smirking. "Too bad that you're on the Slytherin team now as well though."

"Thank Merlin. Everything is going to depend on the match between our houses now. Oh well, at least we won't get into the last place like last year."

Harry smiled. "Thank you so much, Marcus and Martin. I appreciate it."

The only thing that was really grating on his nerves was the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. Professor Lockhart seemed to be a total fraud, who did nothing but bask in his apparent fame. Having heard at home that Felina and Whisker doubted that there was even a shred of truth in his books, Harry was very sceptical towards the teacher. Needless to say that his friends quickly adopted his attitude.

Harry merely rolled his eyes towards his female classmates of both houses, who, with the exception of Hermione, fawned over the teacher. Hermione, Draco and Neville tried to talk sense into the girls; however, without much success.

'I hope he won't make it till the end of the school year,' Harry thought multiple times and even toyed with the idea of asking Felina or Whisker if it was somehow possible for him to take his OWLs in Defence Against Arts to be exempt from the fraud's class.

HP

A few days before Halloween, the Bloody Baron swept into Severus' lab, where Harry, Connie and the professor were brewing together.

"Just so you know, I haven't forgotten about you, but I'm still trying to talk sense into Salazar."

"Excuse me, Baron." Connie cast the ghost a pleading look. "Will you please tell us what happened to him? You once said that he has been cursed, and you also mentioned that he was unhappy and that we might be able to help him somehow."

A rare smile crossed the Baron's face. "You're like Helena, when she was your age. She also wished to know everything. All right then, yes, I shall tell you." He let out a deep sigh, before he slowly began to speak.

"Salazar was about 150 years old, when his wife, Helga, died. He loved her very much, and he barely could stand being at Hogwarts without her. His sole consolation was his familiar, Amaterasu. She is a basilisk. Anyway, he decided to build himself a manor as a retreat, where he could spend the summer holidays. He even made Godric and Rowena promise to help him with spells and charms, so that he could take his familiar with him. This was what he told me and my fellow sixth-year prefect shortly before the beginning of the summer holidays. After the summer, he never came back, and everyone wondered why he had left the school."

The Bloody Baron let out a deep sigh. "Rumours spread like wildfire how he had been fighting with Godric and Rowena and had left in a huff or such. However, a few months later, Peeves suddenly showed up in the castle. One day, he cornered me and told me what happened. I am not sure, but I believe that Helena must have heard everything, too, as she was sitting on a window sill just around the corner."

"She knows." Connie nodded. "She also told us to speak with Peeves."

The Baron nodded in understanding. "Anyway, he began to build his manor right on the shore of Scotland; however, apparently, he did not know that the land belonged to some kind of fairies. They warned him twice and asked him to leave their land; however, Salazar thought he knew better and continued building the house. All of a sudden, he found himself being cursed into his current form as a poltergeist."

"So, he is still alive after so many years." Connie seemed pensive. "Why is he unhappy though?"

"He has lost his ability of speaking Parseltongue. While he is alive and his familiar as well, he can't even visit her."

"And why might that be?" Severus quirked an eyebrow.

"He cannot get into his own chamber, as both entrances are locked with passwords in Parseltongue, and he warded the chamber against all kinds of apparition."

"As a chameleon Animagus, I am able to converse with snakes. Would that help?"

The Baron nodded. "Probably yes. I will arrange for a meeting between the three of you and Salazar."

HP

On Friday evening, when Harry and Unspeakable Turtle made their way to Severus' private lab to fulfil their tasks as student assistants, the professor was not alone. The Bloody Baron was hovering at one side of the lab.

"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Potter," the ghost greeted them, sounding friendly.

"Good evening, Mr. Baron." Connie, as usual, beat Harry to a response, which he was not even able to voice, as the professor spoke up in obvious disbelief.

"Mr. and Mrs. Potter?" Severus stared from the ghost to the twelve-year-olds. "I wasn't aware that this was common knowledge?"

Harry glared at the ghost. "Where did you even hear such a thing?"

The Bloody Baron lightly bowed his head. "I am sorry. I overheard a conversation between Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey."

Harry nodded in understanding. "Oh, all right, they both know about it. Please do not tell anyone else."

"Are you up to speak with Salazar?"

A triple "Yes" followed, and the Bloody Baron motioned them to follow him. He led them into an unused classroom, where Peeves was just busying himself at the window.

The thought 'Perhaps, we should rather use a different room' crossed Harry's mind, however, he quickly dismissed it, not wanting to upset what seemed to be the person he had wanted to contact for years.

"Good evening." Peeves opened the conversation. "To what do I owe the pleasure that three very much alive young people wish to talk to me?"

Harry inwardly sighed in relief, when Severus began to speak. "I am the head of Slytherin in this time as well as a potions master. Harry Potter here is a Slytherin second year and my student assistant just as his wife Connie. Mr. Potter is a Potions master in spite of his young age, and Mrs. Potter has already taken her NEWT in Potions in spite of her age and being unable to cast magic on top of it…"

"Wait a moment." Peeves interrupted Severus. "This boy has passed the Potions mastery exam at the age of twelve?"

"At the age of elven, sir," Harry replied, hesitantly.

"Don't they have proper exams at this time? I can't imagine how easy it must be if an eleven-year-old is able to pass it?"

Severus shook his head. "No, sir. Mr. Potter has begun to study for this at the age of… what?" he glanced at Harry."

"Five."

"Mr. and Mrs. Potter have both taken their Potions OWL and NEWT, before Mr. Potter passed the mastery exam. They are both Unspeakables and trained in various matters."

While the poltergeist listened with apparent interest, he continued, "I am a chameleon Animagus and as such able to speak Parseltongue. While we seek your advice in one matter, we hope to be able to help you with the problems, about which the Baron told us."

"Harry has also received the Order of Merlin first class for developing a cure for lycanthropy, which was urgently needed in our time."

From the corners of his eyes, Harry noticed that Severus shot him a glance that showed that the older wizard had not made the connection to his Unspeakable self yet. 'I thought he knew,' he thought in amusement.

Peeves AKA Slytherin remained pensive for a moment, before he slowly nodded. "Yes, I believe that I wish to work together with the three of you."

"Thank you, sir." Harry cast the poltergeist a relieved smile. "The Bloody Baron…"

"The Bloody Baron?" Slytherin interrupted him, sounding upset. "Sir Waldo Whittingham is his name, and I believe that he deserves being addressed in a proper manner. He was one of my best students in our time."

"Of course, sir. I am sorry, but I never heard his real name before." Harry inwardly groaned, realising that it was not easy to talk with Slytherin. He decided to not use the direct approach. "Sir, would you perhaps be interested to join the Unspeakables? While they might be able or at least will try to remedy your problems, you'd be an incredible asset to them, considering your hundreds of years of experience."

Slytherin scoffed. "In what? Developing and brewing prank potions?"

"Professor Slytherin, you are still famous as the greatest Potions master of all times." Severus' voice was laced with apparent admiration, and Harry and Connie nodded.

"Perhaps, we could make a new team solely consisting of Potions masters," Harry thought aloud, more to himself than to the others.

"Are you in a position to invite people and even poltergeists to join the Unspeakables?" Slytherin asked in apparent interest.

"He is." Connie looked and sounded proud, as she explained that he was the Mini Head Unspeakable and would take over as Head Unspeakable after finishing Hogwarts. "The Unspeakables might be able to help you speak Parseltongue again. In fact, after I first heard about your problem, I talked to our team, and they're already looking into the matter. Doing research together with them might allow you to do some more satisfying research."

"Well said, young lady. Mr. Potter…"

"Please just call me Harry."

"Harry then, please introduce me to the Unspeakables. I am interested to make my life more satisfying as your wife worded it." Turning to Severus, he asked, "Did I understand it correctly that you're able to converse with snakes?"

"Yes sir. In my Animagus form.

HP

Harry tuned out the following conversation, while he telepathically contacted Croaker. 'Croaker, I believe that I've found a valuable new member for the Unspeakables.'

The response was swift and precise as usual with the Head Unspeakable. 'Who might that be?'

'Salazar Slytherin. He has been cursed by fairies and ever since then lived as a poltergeist. During the school year, he uses to reside at Hogwarts under the name of Peeves.'

'Peeves? That imbecile, who does nothing but play prank on teachers and students all day?'

Harry inwardly chuckled. 'Yes, he is Salazar Slytherin. May I bring him to meet you?'

'Is he interested in working together with us?'

'Yes sir.'

'Please bring him to me.'

HP

Realising that the others were readying themselves to leave the room, Harry quickly addressed the poltergeist. "Professor Slytherin, Head Unspeakable Croaker wishes to see you."

"Thank you, Harry. Let's go to see Amaterasu first, and afterwards, I'd be happy to accompany you to meet the Head Unspeakable. Oh no," the poltergeist interrupted himself, stopping dead in his tracks. "We can't simply go to see Amaterasu. We'll have to cast a spell over the school to save us from her eyes."

Severus nodded in understanding. "Are you capable of casting it, or does it have to be cast in Parseltongue?"

Slytherin chuckled. "I'll just head out to the lake and cast it. Wait for me in the entrance hall."

They did not have to wait long, before the potions master turned poltergeist returned.

"Come." With that, Slytherin AKA Peeves strode ahead and led them into a bathroom. He pointed at a sink.

'That's the sink that Tom showed me,' Connie thought to Harry, who noticed that she seemed distressed at the memory.

'Everything is all right now,' he reassured her, reaching out for her hand to give all the comfort he could.

Together, they observed how Severus transformed into a chameleon and hissed at the sink.

"Step back," Slytherin instructed them, before the sink changed revealing a large hole. He pointed his hand at the opening and made a flight of steps appear. "I shall go first." He sounded determined and immediately began to climb down the steps.

Everyone else followed swiftly. Harry was grateful for the steps, as he could not see much, even though Slytherin had cast a strong Lumos charm that at least revealed the steps. He only noticed that the air changed and became more humid the further down they climbed. Somehow, he felt incredibly relieved, when they finally reached a large hall.

"These are my private chambers. Please call my familiar. Her name is Amaterasu."

Severus transformed again and let out a couple of hissing sounds, which sounded strange to Harry's ears, before he could hear a noise coming from the other side of the hall. It sounded as if something very heavy was slithering over the stone floor of the chamber.

He almost stumbled back in shock upon seeing an enormous head look around one of the large pillars.

"Professor Snape, please inform her about me and what happened to me."

Severus obediently engaged in a hissed conversation with the basilisk, who finally came nearer and carefully licked the poltergeist's face.

'Thank Merlin I left Lucy in the dormitory. She might be frightened upon seeing Amaterasu,' Harry thought, although he had the impression as if the basilisk was very gentle. 'It would be nice to be able to directly speak with her,' he thought.

They spent almost an hour in the chamber conversing with the basilisk with Severus' assistance, before they returned to the surface of the castle.

"I cannot thank you enough for taking me to her. I will never forget what you did for me today."

Severus slightly inclined his head. "I can take you to see her again at any time."

Slytherin nodded. "Yes please. I also wish to show the three of you my library as well as my lab. It might be a treasure trove for any potions master of this time. Now, however, I'd like to ask Harry to take me to the Unspeakables. Perhaps, there will be a way for me to learn to speak Parseltongue again even in my current form." He shook his head, before he continued. "I hope that I don't sound ungrateful. I am just very excited."

"That is understandable." Connie smiled. "Amaterasu is simply amazing."

Slytherin nodded. "If there's anything I can do for the three of you, please tell me. I owe all of you."

'It's now or never,' Harry thought and hesitantly spoke up. "In fact, sir, there is one matter, in which we require your help." Seeing the ancient wizard turned poltergeist nod reassuringly, he explained. "We heard that in the past, you managed to give a Squib magic. Could you please tell us how to do this, and is it also possible to give a muggle magic?"

Salazar AKA Peeves shook his head. "No, not a muggle. The person must have a tiny bit of magic of their own."

Harry tightened his grip on Connie's hand. 'It's all right, dear. We'll find a way.'

A lone tear leaked from the girl's eyes. 'Thanks, Harry.'

"Excuse me, but who is the muggle you want to give magic?" Salazar eyed them in surprise, apparently noticing their sudden change of mood.

"Me."

"You're a muggle?" Salazar stared at Connie in apparent disbelief.

"Yes, sir."

"So, you are an Unspeakable, took your NEWT in Potions and have become the head of Slytherin's student assistant as a muggle?"

"Yes sir. I am sorry, sir."

"Nothing to be sorry about. Respect, young lady." Turning to Harry, he asked, "I suppose that as an Unspeakable, I shall be able to do my own research?"

Harry nodded. "Of course, sir."

"All right. My first project will be a remedy for your problem."

"Thank you, Professor Slytherin."

The poltergeist gave her a sharp nod, before he turned to Severus. "Did I understand it correctly that you're not an Unspeakable?"

"No, I am not an Unspeakable." Severus was wearing a blank expression.

'Perhaps, he'd like to work together with us,' Harry thought. "Would you be willing to become one as well? We can always use another potions master, and the ability of speaking Parseltongue is certainly an asset as well."

A small smile crossed the professor's face. "Thank you, Harry, but when would I have time for any kind of research? It helps immensely that the two of you assist with the brewing, but I still have classes to teach and my head of house duties to fulfil."

"Perhaps, Professor Slytherin could replace you as the head of Slytherin?" Connie looked from one to the other. "I mean, he has the whole day to work at the Unspeakables' office and could spend the evenings at Hogwarts. You are in no way incapacitated due to your form now, are you?"

Slytherin let out a deep sigh. "On the one hand, I'd like that. I'd love to resume my former position, but will anyone respect me in this form?" He chuckled a little, only to continue, "Especially, as I've made myself some reputation as Peeves."

"Indeed." Severus smirked.

Connie nodded, eagerly. "Of course, sir. That's only an appearance, which can be changed. Our team members will be able to remedy this problem right away."

Slytherin smiled. "Thank you, young lady. You know, however, that I cannot be changed back to my human form or I would be dead immediately considering my age."

"We know that." Harry nodded. "What she means is…" He pulled a necklace out of his inner robe pocket and put it on.

"Oh, I see." Slytherin sounded excited, as he asked Severus if he would be ready to leave the head of house position to him. "Not right away, but perhaps from January onwards?"

"I agree, provided that the headmaster agrees has well."

"Now, shall we head to the Unspeakables' office?"

"I should look after my students." Severus seemed regretful, causing Harry to smirk.

"I promise that I will take you back to this time after our conversation with Croaker."

"Are you able to time travel?"

"No," Harry replied, letting out a deep sigh, as he inwardly groaned. 'I shouldn't have said that.' "It's just time sliding, not time travel. One of the reasons to study time sliding was that I hoped to be able to visit Professor Slytherin one day."

"Well done." Slytherin grinned.

"You've achieved both by now. Really well done," Connie added, causing the two adults to cast them questioning looks.

Harry shook his head. "This is not our secret to share. Connie, will you take Professor Slytherin with your Portkey, and I take Severus? Oh no, we can't do that. We cannot simply take them to our team room." He remained pensive for a moment, before he decided, "Connie, you should return home, considering how late it is. I will inform you later on. Severus, can you please change into your Animagus form? Then, I will be able to simply pop the three of us."

"Night, Harry," Connie agreed and touched her pendant to return home, before Harry popped the poltergeist and the chameleon right in front of Croaker's door, only then to recall that he had to urgently pull his Unspeakable robes over.

HP

Croaker immediately moved three piles of parchments to be able to offer them three seats, before he instructed Harry, "Explain."

Harry nodded and introduced the wizard and the poltergeist to his mentor. "I thought that perhaps we could make a new team just with potions masters, for example the two of them along with Dove, even if I really wouldn't want to miss her on my own team…" He slowly trailed off.

Croaker nodded in apparent understanding. "Thanks, Paws." He then turned to the two adult wizards and held his usual monologue about what it entailed to be an Unspeakable including training with Devil and the oath every Unspeakable had to swear.

Turning to Harry, he suggested, "While the potions masters' team is a good idea, I'd rather add them both to team 13 and pull Archie and Ninja off. They could easily be added to team 9." Apparently noticing Harry's expression of disappointment, he added, "Of course, you can still work together with them, even if they're in a different team. However, team 13 is full of potion researchers then anyway. Don't forget that you are a potions master as well, and Felina, Whisker and Turtle are equally potions affine."

Harry nodded in understanding, and Croaker continued. "Now, considering how late it is, I suggest that Paws brings you here again tomorrow morning for your oaths and your assessment with Devil."

"Thanks Croaker, see you tomorrow." Harry turned to the poltergeist. "Will you be able to return to Hogwarts on your own?"

"Yes, I will. Thank you very much for everything."

"Let's meet in the entrance hall right after breakfast tomorrow." With that, he picked up the chameleon from the floor, glad that Severus had already transformed without being asked. He then popped them both right into Severus' private lab. "We will now go back to curfew, as I think we left shortly before that time," he explained, before he concentrated on time sliding right to ten o'clock that evening.

"What an eventful evening." Severus smirked. "Thank you, Harry for including me in these activities."

Harry smirked. "You were urgently needed this evening. I believe that you made Slytherin very happy, and I think that he was really nice."

"Once he forewent his Peeves attitude yes." Severus chuckled lightly. "I also look forward to joining the Unspeakables."

'That might be a problem, if Croaker really adds them to team 13,' Harry thought, as he slowly returned to the common room. 'Perhaps, I should return home and speak with Lily if she's there.' He stopped walking and thought to his aunt, 'Felina, is Lily at our place?'

'Yes, we're all enjoying a late-night tea by Dolly.'

'Thanks. I'm going to come over for a moment.' With that, he turned invisible as he used to do before popping and swiftly returned home.

"Harry!"

"Hi. I'm sorry for intruding at this time…"

"Harry!" Regina scolded him, lightly. "This is your home, and you don't have to ever apologize for coming home."

Harry smiled and went around to lightly hug his mother. "In fact, I came to speak with Lily," he explained and informed his birth mother about Croaker's intention to add Salazar Slytherin and Severus Snape to team 13. "I was just wondering if that would be all right with you considering your history with Severus."

Lily smiled. "Harry, thank you very much for being so considerate. I don't mind Severus being in the team and getting to know our secret. With his knowledge about potions, he'd be a great asset. As to our relationship, he knows that James is my husband and we can only be colleagues or perhaps even friends if he behaves."

"If he doesn't know, we'll make him realise." James' voice emphasised that he meant it.

"Thank you all. Now, I better get back to Hogwarts."

"Go before you lose house points," Sirius quipped. "Otherwise, Gryffindor might win the house cup this year."

Harry glared at his godfather. "I don't care about the house points, but Lucy is going to miss me if I won't be back soon. Good night." With that, he unceremoniously popped away, right into his dormitory, where Lucy was fast asleep in his bed.