Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, objects, or anything else that comes from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series.
Warning: This story will contain scenes of violence, bad language, and maybe other themes that some audiences may find unsuitable. You have been advised.
"Regular speech or Spell"
"Parseltongue (includes spells spoken in it)"
Text
'Thought'
The True Heir of Slytherin
Chapter 6:
Two days after Harry Potter, Lord Slytherin, brought his ancestor's house under his control, he felt a new power inside him. Due to his long imprisonment and time spent at his false home called Gryffindor House, some of the characteristics of the house lingered on him, especially the attribute of poor strategy, though, he did not fall back completely to his old, pressed ways.
Harry had been sitting in Defense Against the Dark Arts or Theory Against the Dark Arts, as Harry had taken to calling it, when Umbridge had noticed his lack of focus on the material.
"Is there a problem, Mr. Potter?"
"Yes, there is." Harry replied.
Umbridge put on a bigger smile. "What do you need help with?"
"I just would like to know when they are going to bring in the real DADA teacher to replace this joke of a curriculum." Harry answered, faking genuineness.
"I'll have you know-"
"Yes, all of us know already! This curriculum is according completely to Ministry guidelines, but this," Harry paused to pick up his book and let it drop back to his desk, "is going to kill probably everyone here, even the ones from respected families." Harry grinned in his mind. He struck her where the knife sunk deep. He knew that while Umbridge despised children, she supported pureblood ideals furiously.
"I will hear no more of this, Mr. Potter!" Umbridge said louder than normal. "Detention, my office at six. I believe you know the way."
"I do." Harry replied, not giving the woman the satisfaction of hearing her name in a way mostly used for people that were respected.
A few hours later, Harry left the Gryffindor Common Room.
"Mr. Potter, you know the drill."
Harry barely managed to withhold his anger but still picked up the blood quill to write the lines written down on the board behind Umbridge's desk. This time, though, the lines were different.
The snake among the lions paused with the quill suspended above the sheet of paper. "What was it I was to write again, miss Umbridge?"
A flash of annoyance crossed the woman's face but was quickly covered by the usual facade. "You are to write: 'I will respect my superiors' until the lines settle in." Despite her recovery, she did add an extra sickly sweet tone of condescension to her reply.
Harry decided to continue with his fun and put on a look of confusion. "But professor… why do I have to put down that you will respect your superiors? I thought you did already?"
As before, she replied with an awful smile on her face, but this time she somehow made it even more condescending. "Unlike you, Mr. Potter, I do respect others' authority and hold it in high regard. You, on the other hand, continue to be a glory hound seeking further trouble with anyone you can. Now, please get to writing. I know you wouldn't want to dawdle any longer than you want from your next scheme."
Harry remained silent and began to write with the blood quill as instructed. Slowly, Umbridge settled down in her chair with a smile of satisfaction on her face.
As well as troubling her during class and before his writing, Harry decided to annoy the poor excuse for a being while writing the lines. As usual, Umbridge would look up to examine Harry to take some self-satisfaction at seeing the teen in pain like she did with every other punished student, but Harry decided to snatch away her pleasure and remained stoic as he etched the words further into his skin until he knew that they were deep enough for her liking.
Harry packed the parchment away and stood up from his seat.
"Ah, done are we?" Umbridge asked with her usual smile back on her face. "Come here so I may ensure that it is deep enough."
Harry nodded and carried his things up to the front with him before holding out his right hand.
"What is this?" Umbridge demanded with a sour look on her face.
"The lines you told me to write; just as you told me." Harry replied with a hidden smile.
Etched on his hand was the line: Umbridge will respect her superiors.
"I believe that I am done for the night, right professor?" Harry asked in an innocent voice, mocking the woman before him.
"Yes, you are, Mr. Potter, but I am going to need you back for every night for the next week." Umbridge replied. "Maybe then, you could get the lines right."
"I will see you tomorrow then, professor." Harry replied nonchalantly before exiting the classroom and heading up to his dorm, where he dropped his things before proceeding down to the Great Hall for dinner.
"Finally decided to come back to me, huh?" Ron asked. "Well, forget it! I don't need you!" Ron replied to what he thought Harry would say childishly.
Harry scoffed. "Sure, Ron. If that helps you sleep at night, keep telling yourself that. I wouldn't want you to be even dumber than usual."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. I misspoke. I should have used the words 'more arrogant' rather than 'dumber." Harry replied.
"I don't know what has gotten in to you, Harry, but you are being incredibly rude to everyone." Hermione finally spoke up.
"Really?" Harry more stated contemplatively than asked. "Everyone? Hermione, I think you are mistaken. I don't have a problem with everyone; I just have a problem with everyone who has a problem with me, everyone who has created problems involving me, and everyone who sides with the former two." Harry said politely. "Unfortunately for the both of you, I have decided to start avoiding the people in those three categories. I thought you would have seen that Hermione as you are supposed to be the smartest witch of our age."
"You have become a real git, you know that?" Ron huffed as he stood up. "Come on, Hermione. Let's get away from this arse."
"I cannot believe how you are acting. I thought you were better than this." Hermione left her words hanging in the air purposefully to make Harry feel guilty. Half-expecting Harry to call back for her, she picked up her stuff and left.
Harry, though, remained where he was and felt unashamed of anything because of her words. Although he knew that his words were harsh, they were still the truth, and Harry already kept too many secrets.
"Damn, they don't know when to back off." Seamus said.
"No, they won't… Not until they learn the truth, and then their hatred will turn into a different kind. They may think I'm just being a git, but the truth to them will be worse." Harry replied in a low whisper. Harry cast his eyes around the Great Hall, looking for nothing or no one in particular. "That'll be when we're really seen as the enemy."
"Oh, come on, mate; let's relax instead of this heavy stuff!" Seamus laughed, clapping a hand on Harry's back.
"I guess you're right." Harry smiled back.
"Of course I am! If there are three things I know they're when and how to party, fun, and women. I am the party king!" Seamus replied.
"How many parties has he actually hosted?" Harry asked Dean and Neville.
"In his mind or in reality?" Dean asked.
"Because those are two very different answers." Neville added.
"Oh, shut it." Seamus replied before turning back to Harry. "Pay them no mind. I'm still the only one who has hosted even one party."
"He does have you beat there." Harry told Neville and Dean.
"Whose side are you on?" Dean asked.
"No one's."
"Knew you were going to say that." Neville sighed.
The four continued to talk about normal topics, joking with each other as teens their age usually did. Though they couldn't escape their choices, the four still needed to escape their harsh world on occasion.
After dinner, they made their way back up to their common room before heading into their dorm, not wishing to handle Ron and Hermione or any others. There they continued talking until Ron came up for the night.
The next day was a Saturday and at noon the four Gryffindor fifth years were residing in their dormitory.
Harry glanced at the clock on the wall and then at each of his three friends before giving a simple nod. Neville, Seamus, and Dean nodded, quickly walked over to their beds, and closed the curtains, leaving piles of clothes at the foots of their beds. The four then proceeded downstairs until they were peeking out into the common room. After a quick scan, they saw that nobody was left in the room, descended the stairs, and crossed the room as quick but silently as they could. Dean looked behind them for anyone as Harry opened the door hidden behind the portrait of the fat lady. After Harry stuck his head out around both corners of the portal, he led the others out and down the stairs until they reached the second floor, cautiously moving the entire way.
The four finally arrived outside the covered entrance to the Chamber of Secrets while most of the school was studying, eating, or hanging around another part of the castle. With a glance down each side of the corridor, Harry whispered out in parseltongue the password.
The other three slipped past Harry and descended the staircase. Harry cast a final glance around his surroundings before following his three Gryffindor friends.
"Milord." A large group of voices said as Harry emerged out from the staircase and its final step. The Slytherins as well as Harry's other supporters bowed from their own smaller group nearby the Slytherins. Two, though, remained standing as they were.
"Harry." Astoria greeted formally with her sister not far behind.
"Hello." Daphne smiled.
"Hi." Harry smiled back before addressing the mass of followers behind her and her sister. "Thank you for that gracious entrance. It is wonderful that you have accepted the truth and that none of you performed acts against it between the time the truth was told and now."
Everyone bowed once more.
"Now, I believe I left those of you who were put in Slytherin house by the Sorting Hat with a list. Daphne?" Harry turned to his betrothed with his question.
"It seems that we had more than a few volunteers."
The piece of now rolled parchment unraveled flatly to show two other pieces of parchment attached to the first; every sheet was completely filled with names that, while crammed, were still organized in two columns descending down.
"My, it seems my ancestor's house does still contain ones who are worthy of bearing the title of a Slytherin." Harry commented, making every Slytherin stand straighter than before. "All those who wrote your names down, please step forward." Harry ordered.
The Slytherins obliged with most of them stepping apart from their housemates.
"Astoria, I will leave you to interview each of them. Those you find unworthy for a position of power in our ranks, please send back to Daphne, who will be in the training room. It wouldn't do for any of our followers to be weak in dueling." Harry said to the youngest Greengrass before turning to his betrothed.
"Where do I send those that have potential?" Astoria asked.
Harry turned back to her. "Outside Deus's chamber will do fine. I have an idea that I need to elaborate on with the king of serpents." Harry turned back to Daphne and grinned. "Test them."
"I take it that you don't want me to go easy on them?"
Harry just widened his grin, making Daphne put a similar one on her face. "I'll give them hell."
"Just what I wanted to hear." Harry then lowered his voice so that only Daphne could hear his next words. "Make sure to send anyone you think has potential for a leadership role to me as well. If I like them, I'll send them back to Astoria for final checking."
Daphne nodded. "Okay." Daphne then raised her voice so that the others could hear her. "You heard him! Follow my sister or me!" Daphne then turned and departed down the stairs, never turning to check if her group was obeying. Astoria, though, had walked up to her group before escorting them.
"How two sisters could be so different I will never understand." Harry shook his head before walking up to the enormous statue of his ancestor.
"Open for your heir!" Harry commanded.
Salazar's mouth opened wide like it had in second year, but this time, a long section of the top of his chest and his neck swung as if on a hinge from directly below the now-open mouth to form a bridge leading to the tunnel hidden inside Salazar's head.
As soon as the marble bridge stopped in its arc to rest at his feet, Harry walked forward and into the mouth, the marble bridge swinging back to complete the statue once more. As soon as Harry was completely clear of the entrance to the mouth, it closed, and torches on the sides of the tunnel lit up to push back the dark to the shadows.
The tunnel was slightly wider than Deus to accommodate the torches and was much longer than the deadly serpent. Despite its interesting location inside a statue's head, the tunnel was otherwise bland, only continuing on on a slight decline.
After a minute of walking, however, Harry finally emerged out into a large rock cave.
The underground chamber held much more details of note than the tunnel but by no means was extravagant with only necessities installed. There must have been a small crack at the top of one of the sides of the place, as a waterfall of lake water was pouring in, but Salazar must have prevented any problems by using magic to keep the crack to a manageable size and to allow the water to drain out of the cave after pooling in a circle large enough to accommodate Deus. As well as the water, there was another tunnel on the other side of the cave that led upward and into the Dark Forest to keep Deus well fed. The only other feature of the chamber was a mound of bones, leaves, and felled trees close to the pool below the waterfall where the king of serpents himself was lying.
"Harry. What brings you to my home? I would have acted on a call from you, approaching soon." Deus said.
"I know you would have, Deus, but we have company that cannot hear what I am about to share with you… for now." Harry replied.
"Company? Never have there been any but those who speak the language of snakes in these chambers." Deus told Harry as if he did not know.
"Things are changing, king. We will need an army to survive if we are to reveal ourselves. I would think you above us all would wish for us to finally be recognized, and I believe your former familiar and my ancestor would not have wanted you and his legacy to be kept to the shadows until death." Harry replied.
Deus remained silent for a moment. "You are right, Harry. Salazar would never have wished for me to be kept here for eternity with the rest of his discoveries."
Harry smiled. "I am glad to see you understand, but I have come for another purpose than to just inform you of the upcoming war we may start, though it is involved."
Deus tilted his head curiously.
A short while after talking with the ancient snake, Harry felt a few presences at the top floor of the Chamber of Secrets outside the statue.
"I apologize, my friend, but I must return to my followers. I believe I may have a few leaders outside Salazar's statue. Until we meet once more." Harry said before slightly bowing his head with Deus mimicking his action.
"Fare thee well."
Harry then turned around and departed back through the tunnel form where he entered the Basilisk's Den.
A minute later, Salazar's jaw opened and the bridge swung up once more to accommodate the true heir. Harry quickly strode onto and off the bridge to allow the statue to return to its normal shape for the final time that night.
While the statue's mouth had closed, the group of Slytherin students' mouths had not.
Harry walked up to the group and waited for them to finally speak. After a few moments, however, of continued silence, Harry cleared his throat.
"Remember what house you are in." Harry said with a slight warning.
The group snapped to attention and quickly apologized.
"Your names?" Harry asked after they were done apologizing.
"Terence Higgs."
"Charles Vaisey."
"Blaise Zabini."
"Tracey Davis."
"Flora Carrow."
"Pansy Parkinson." The girl bowed as deeply as she could for forgiveness for her past acts against Harry.
Harry merely nodded his head toward her to slightly stop her guilt. A motion of the head was no substitute for a conversation when it came to forgiveness. Harry then turned toward the last person in the assembly.
"I assume you have a name." Harry said to Draco.
"Of course; you know who I am." Draco replied.
"I actually do not. I remember a ponce who closely resembles you, but you could not be that git. After all, that teen would never dare show his face in a proud way anywhere amongst my ranks." Harry said.
Draco looked down in downcast. He might sometimes be thick, but he understood what Harry was saying. "Change and be careful or else" was the meaning of Harry's deceptive words.
"My name is Draco Malfoy, Lord Slytherin."
"Ah, very good." Harry smiled. "Now, please inform me whether you volunteered or not."
"I did not." Higgs.
"Did." Vaisey.
"I Did." Zabini.
"Did not." Davis.
"Did." Carrow.
"Did." Parkinson.
"I did volunteer for this position." Malfoy.
"Good to know." Harry nodded. "Now, I am going to need those of you to schedule a time to meet with me with the Greengrass sister that did not direct you here. If you prove satisfactory to them, a meeting will be arranged for each of those who've passed for a final selection of worthy lieutenants."
"Why did we then have to meet with you now?" Vaisey asked.
Harry glared at the older teen. "Rejoin the others in the training room, now."
"Why, sir?"
"Have I not made it clear that while I do appreciate questions to my plans, I will not tolerate stupidity as a quality in my leaders… or assumptions of glory. You will earn respect instead of inherit or buy it in my ranks. Now, go to the training room." Harry ordered.
"Yes, milord." Charles bowed and quickly hurried off to join the others.
Harry turned to look at the others. "It appears you are in luck. You have one less person to compete with. Now, you know where you are needed." Astoria and Daphne had given the people who passed their tests directions to Harry's location and to the other sister.
"Milord." The group bowed before separating and heading off.
"Hmm." Harry hummed in thought. "Dobby!"
"Yes, master Harry Potter sir?" The elf asked after appearing with a "pop."
"Please bring me my black robes." Harry said kindly.
"Yes, sir." Dobby popped away again and reappeared a few seconds later with the garments floating beside him. "Sir."
"Thank you, Dobby. Just wait a moment please." Harry used a spell Daphne had taught him to switch his school robes with a set of completely raven black ones. Harry brought the hood over his face to cover his scar and barely reveal his eyes. "Now, please bring me to the front of Gringotts, Dobby. I have an appointment that would be unwise to be missed."
Dobby nodded eagerly and took Harry's arm before popping them both away.
As instructed, Dobby brought Harry straight in front of the marble bank. If the guards at the doors were alarmed at their presence, no witch or wizard were the wiser, but several witches and wizards stopped to look at this newcomer. One glare from him targeted at nobody in particular, though, halted all of their stares.
Harry gave a nod to Dobby, telling him to leave until called again.
After the elf had popped away, Harry ascended the marble steps and entered the wizarding bank. Once inside, he walked over to the first available teller, who happened to be the fourth one on his left.
He waited until the goblin was finished with writing down his business on the piece of parchment on his raised desk before finally speaking.
"I have an appointment at twelve-thirty with Sharpclaw. Could you please direct me to where his office or meeting room is, please?" Harry asked politely while maintaining a prideful voice. He still needed to show that he held power, at least to any eavesdroppers.
"Right this way." The goblin said before stepping down from the desk and opening a small panel that acted as a door for wizards when they needed to go beyond the lobby. Magical wards prevented anyone or anything that was not welcomed by a goblin opening the door from going beyond this checkpoint of sorts.
Harry followed the goblin into the depths of Gringotts, navigating the maze of hallways known as a layout. Finally, the goblin stopped Harry outside a wooden door marked with a golden plague that read: "The Clientele Offices of Sharpclaw, Senior Manager of High Value Accounts."
The golden rapped quickly on the door, receiving a "come in" form inside.
"Your twelve-thirty is here, Sharpclaw." The goblin announced, opening the door only wide enough for him.
"Thank you. Let him in, please, and then you can go back to your normal duties at the lobby."
"Yes, Sharpclaw." The first goblin replied before bowing out of the doorway. "You may enter."
Harry nodded his thanks and entered the office, the goblin closing the door behind him.
"Ah, Mr. Potter, it is good to finally meet you in person after the several letters we have exchanged over the past few days. Now, I remember you wished to bring up the secret contract that Gringotts has been holding for the Slytherin family as well as the special testing to pass the secret barriers Salazar established on his line to hide them further." Sharpclaw said.
"What secret barriers?" Harry asked, genuinely curious.
"Around the time, I would say, the contract between the Slytherins and the Greengrasses was made Salazar also implemented a spell he had been researching since he discovered the fact that he would have a child, an heir. The spell would ensure that, despite the fact that even those who already knew him as the heir, a normal blood test would not reveal the child's lineage. Salazar ensured that Gringotts had classified records that informed Gringotts that only a special blood test would ensure the discovery of the child's and that child's descendants' lineage."
"Even when turning insane, he was clever and deceptive enough to pull off multiple tricks on people that have lasted even to this day." Harry mused.
Sharpclaw nodded. "Now, shall we begin?"
Harry simply nodded.
The goblin removed form his desk an orb that appeared to be made of glass with swirling colors inside twisting amongst each other like slithering snakes inside their den. "Put your hands on this please."
Harry followed the goblins instructions.
"Now, this may hurt."
Right after the last syllable had left the goblin's lips, a sharp, stabbing pain pierced Harry's palms and the bottoms of his fingers; everywhere his body touched the orb Harry felt pain.
After fifteen seconds, the pain started to fade away, and Harry noticed that the colors inside the orb were spinning around violently and at a quicker pace than before. The colors, though, were just starting to pick up speed.
"Take your hands away." Sharpclaw instructed quickly.
The goblin then removed a piece of parchment from a drawer in his desk and placed it on the top of the mystical orb. The colors were now spinning even faster than before, and then suddenly, the colors halted all at once in the perfect center of the orb in a small sphere before they launched together as a beam of light into the parchment.
Quickly, words made of ink filled the top of the paper, and, once finished, the beam of light dispersed back into the swirling colors like how Harry had first seen it.
Sharpclaw removed the parchment from the top of the orb and sat it, facedown on the desk but left the orb where it was. "Would you like to have the same safeguard implemented for any future children you might have?"
Harry thought a moment. "I would have to first discuss it with my betrothed. Besides, we still need to know whether I am Salazar's heir or not."
"Mr. Potter, this is more for a purpose of identification and to unlock your vaults and estates than to determine if you are his heir or not. We received a flare of magic in the Slytherin vault around when you say you proved your blood status to that basilisk you mentioned in your letters." Sharpclaw replied.
"Ah. So, does it say who I am?"
Sharpclaw turned the paper over and read from it for a few seconds, skimming it for meaning.
"Yes, Harry James Slytherin Potter." Sharpclaw smiled.
"Good to have that out of the way. So I can officially claim my lordships, accounts, and estates?"
"Yes. Would you like to peruse your holdings, however, before claiming your titles?" Sharpclaw asked in turn.
"Yes, besides, I would like to not claim the Potter mantle as of yet due to the secrecy needed. People will be hoping for when I attain that position, so it will probably be watched while the Slytherin line will most likely go unnoticed. However, I do wish to also keep the attainment of the Slytherin line, especially the fact that I am its lord or even a part of the line secret. I am proud of my ancestry, but caution is needed in this day and age where people are always so quick to judge Slytherins and those who are different from everyone else."
"Yes, that is very true. I will have the necessary papers brought here while you look over your holdings." Sharpclaw replied. Before anything else could be said, the goblin pressed a ward on his desk, which Harry guessed was calling for the papers.
"May I?" Harry asked pointing his hand towards the parchment Sharpclaw had set down.
"Of course."
Harry nodded his head in thanks, picked up the parchment, and began to read.
Harry James Slytherin Potter
Accounts: Vaults 27 and 32 under the house of Slytherin
Vaults: 46 and 687 under the house of Potter
Estates: One quarter of Hogwarts Castle and Slytherin Castle
Potter Manor and several small businesses (see Potter investments for individual enterprises)
"Why is there no monetary amounts labeled for my accounts?" Harry asked curiously.
"You will be mailed continual updates of their statuses, but for security purposes you cannot view them from this sheet." Sharpclaw replied.
"Ah." Harry said.
Before anything else could be said, however, another goblin entered the office with a few pages of parchment in a stack in his hands. He also held a small, black, square, wooden box.
"Here you go, sir." The new goblin said to Sharpclaw as he set the stack and the box on the desk.
"Thank you, Griphook. That will be all." The older goblin replied.
Griphook bowed out of the office and closed the door.
Harry turned back to Sharpclaw after watching Griphook while he was in the office. "Is there any dues I must pay for the undertaking of Slytherin house, or am I free to sign?"
"Excluding the betrothal contract that you already have to fulfill, the emancipation papers you need to sign, and the fee for my services that will automatically be drawn out of the Slytherin accounts, there are no other impediments in your way of obtaining the title of Lord Slytherin." Sharpclaw replied.
"Thank you. Where do I sign?" Harry asked.
"The first half of this stack consists of the emancipation papers and will cover the secrecy for it as well. The latter half confirms that you are a part of the Slytherin line and cover your obtainment of the lordship of the house as well as the secrecy to hide that half of the stack. Underneath each line, it will describe if a signature, initials, or a full, printed name is needed." Sharpclaw replied.
"Thank you." Harry said as he picked up the quill and read through the entire stack of papers to ensure the goblin had not lied so far.
Sharpclaw sat back in his leather chair and relaxed while Harry did so. He knew exactly what Harry was ensuring but was not offended by any means despite the fact that he hadn't done anything to cheat Harry. If anything, he was impressed with the teen's level of maturity and care that most lords he had met still didn't possess. Sharpclaw always thought it foolish to have that level of trust in a contract. He could merely say a simple lie and put anything in a contract, thus then own a fortune or have an indentured worker for life. Wizards could be so stupid.
While Sharpclaw had mused over his dealings with wizards, Harry had finished reading the contracts and was just writing the last signature needed at the bottom of the last piece of aged parchment.
"There you go, Senior Manager." Harry said, passing the papers over.
After Sharpclaw ensured that Harry had filled in every blank, he said, "Thank you. It appears everything is now in order." The goblin then motioned for Harry to take the wooden box on his desk. "You may now take your ring and your title will be finalized, Lord Slytherin."
"Thank you, Sharpclaw." Harry said as he took the ring box into his hands and opened it on its hinge.
Inside, a midnight black, silk pillow filled the bottom of the box with a ring sitting perfectly on top.
The ring itself was simple but clearly emanated magical energy and power from the emerald stone centered at the rings front. It had a solid platinum band that slightly leaned outward to accompany and line the emerald stone adorned with a basilisk coiled up but standing at the center of a green background the shape of a shield, platinum surrounding that, and platinum decorations surrounding the entire design, the Slytherin line's crest.
Harry picked up the ring with his left hand, circling the band with all of his fingers. Harry inspected the ring again before slipping the ring on his right ring finger, the finger where all lordship rings were meant to reside.
As soon as Harry's left hand fell away from the ring, he felt a surge of power and a flood of knowledge be absorbed into him. He now knew the contents of his vaults, the locations of all Slytherin properties, even the ones not listed in the Gringotts report, and most importantly, he received some knowledge from the last wearer of the ring now on Harry's right ring finger, Salazar Slytherin.
"Thank you for this Sharpclaw; is there any other business to be taken care of at the moment?" Harry asked after regaining his breath. He hadn't even realized he had released it.
"That is all for now. I will send all business reports and such to you as we did before we met if that suits you. Also you should know that I have some of my best working over the request mentioned in your letter. I will let you know when we are ready to trigger it." Sharpclaw replied.
"That would be perfect, Sharpclaw." Harry said as he stood up. "Thank you again for all of this."
"You are very welcome, Lord Slytherin." Sharpclaw nodded his head. "Until we meet again."
"Until then, Senior Manager. Until then."
A few minutes later, Harry reappeared back at the top of the Chamber of Secrets.
Daphne stood right in front of him, somehow knowing where he would reappear.
"Has everyone left?" Harry asked as he walked up to Daphne.
"We managed to finish everything, yes."
"Good. When will I be meeting the potentials again?" Harry asked.
"Next week at the same time and place." Daphne replied as she turned and started walking towards the exit with Harry quickly catching up to her so they walked side by side.
"That will definitely work." Harry replied.
"Were you spotted, and did everything go as planned?" Daphne asked as they mounted the staircase.
Harry stopped and turned to her. "No." He then held up his right hand to show his ring.
"And yes."
AN: Sorry for the long wait, but I have been working on a trailer for the last chapter of The Grey Assassins (still need to add audio but need to use a process to get music from iTunes for those who are curious). I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and if you have any comments, please give them to me in a review. They are helpful even if they are as simple as "good job" or something of the like despite what some may think. Occidere Prima Vel Occidi.
