FF is not letting me upload my normal file, and I kind of cheated to get this update to you now and not in ten days... so any formatting problems, please don't hit me. Just reward me for my macgyver attitude. :D Below is my chapter file as it would have been without the 'roundabout' method.

Hello everyone!

Ugh, seems I managed to overwork myself again- not as bad as Nikos, though, just yet. Heh! Anyway, here's to today's capacity to write again!

So, onwards! Chapter 26.

***

After tea, Rasmus sat down to study for the lessons he had missed, much to Finn's shock and malign, effectively closing off to discussion and opportunities for the other Slytherin to pump him for information on exactly what was going on. It wasn't easy, although Rasmus was the type of student who studied qualitatively rather than quantitatively- two hours was enough for the sum of the work, leaving the rest of the time for research, or reading pulp fiction. Or classic fiction.

But not today.

Not only was it difficult to concentrate because of the lingering lightheadedness, it was all the more hard because of Nikos' condition. The nagging feeling that whoever had beaten him in a duel was not going to go away easily, unless Nikos had killed him, kept interfering with his reading, forcing him to go over the same paragraph again and again, without managing to understand what it was saying. There could have been more than one that attacked him, he tried to think, but even that was not soothing. Nikos was notorious about how he could face several sorcerers in a duel and walk off unscathed. It was why he taught Duelling in Athens School's dueling club. So it had to either be an army he found himself in through Augury, or some extremely dangerous folk, that would want seconds.

"I'm going to bed," he muttered to Finn who was puzzling out an essay next to him. "I'll see what you're writing tomorrow at breakfast."

***

The falcon flew swiftly through the crisp, cold Scottish air, leading the way for the robust bull that galloped on the ground under her. The prairies and country roads of the country aided them in crossing it without being overly seen, and as the crow flies. In other times, when the spell was properly bound and anchored, she and the bull would race the wind, and see who was the fastest – and it was not always she that won. Osiris was the strongest of their line, and if Seth had not intervened, Isis would have been forced to bow to him. It was only because she made it easy for Seth to make his move that she could bind Osiris the way she wanted, so that she could use him rather than the other way around. And it worked smoothly- Seth was always so easy to manipulate and entrap- and Isis had become Queen for millennia, one way or the other. This hiccup, this trick with the transfigured hearts was alarming. It had only been done once before, and it had nearly been her undoing. That cursed Pythagoras and his students always harrowed her ever since. She had tricked, killed and corrupted them ever since, but it had cost her.

Osiris had began getting… ideas.

She couldn't have that. If Osiris opposed her, her potential to power would flounder in many ways, considering that it was Osiris who was master of the Key they possessed… in fact, it was only his dependence on her and her necromantic spells that made him the follower and not the challenger. For nearly all time, just the fact that she held his existence in her hands was enough. Even after Pythagoras, it had been enough. But when Osiris awoke again and again, and the Pythagoreans were still there, against them… he began getting ideas.

She would need to beat them out of his head, and well before they had all the Keys in their possession.

She let out a cry and turned, and the bull below her followed.

***

Minerva listened to Bai and Harry carefully, frowning to herself. A sinking feeling had saturated her as acid pooled in the pit of her stomach. She didn't want it to start again. She didn't want to have to face the horror of darkness again, and she definitely didn't want this horror of darkness to invade a school, the very place that should remain pure and unaffected by the terrors of the world and the shame of humanity. But the schools of magic are castles, and those in it dabble with the very forces that perpetually clash for dominance.

"We are fairly convinced that those paying Skeeter were preparing for some sort of soul binding spell," Professor Bai said, his fingers twitching with the lack of a cigarette between them. "All the things they ordered her to gather up from here point to that."

"Soul binding," Minerva frowned. "Like in a Horcrux?"

"Could be," Harry said. "But I have a gut feeling that it wasn't a Horcrux being made. I think they were trying this."

The young man opened a book in a marked place and set it before the headmistress. Minerva's eyes widened.

"Where did you find this?"

"Hermione found it- you'll have to ask her," Harry said with a small smile. "She is still researching Anchors as we speak."

"Binding a soul to a body after it has departed- that's not only terribly dark, but it is considered impossible to perform. The sheer power that is needed…"

"Rasmus told us that Isis was killed- but so had Voldemort been, and he came back. And he wasn't even a prime wizard as far as I know. And there is this Anchor thing- what if Isis is back, somehow?"

Minerva bit her lip and glanced to the side, hoping for Severus' input, but the frame was empty. Where had he gone? What was more important than the fact that they would need to fortify Hogwarts again?

***

The falcon landed in the deserted clearing of the Forbidden Forest, and smoothly transformed into the beautiful raven-haired woman that Isis was. The bull next to her huffed and panted for a while, blowing white steam from great, powerful nostrils before transforming back into Osiris.

"This finally looks familiar, Usat," he said with a smile as he glanced around. "We have been here before."

"Indeed," she agreed, wrapping her scarf around her neck tighter. She hated cold countries. "When Salazar and Godric were alive, and you finally realized they were tricksters."

Osiris scowled.

"They tricked us both. Do not try to make it seem otherwise."

"They tricked the one who killed Horus and gained mastery of the Key of Wind. That would be you."

"And you would be the one thinking Godric completely seduced, Usat. We were both fooled, and they paid for it."

"Do you think the Key of Wind is hidden there?" Osiris nodded to the direction of Hogwarts.

"Over the centuries my followers have searched, and found nothing. Most likely not," Isis said as she pulled on her golden finger caps and began the preparations. "Are you ready, Ausar? We need to use it."

Osiris sauntered to his place opposite her, pulling out his odd lapis lazuli wand and pointing it to the ground. In their native tongue, they began to chant.

***

Professor Vector was glad to see Snape's son turn in early, passing past her open office door without noticing she was inside. She sighed to herself as she turned back to her grading, jotting down notes at the margins for the students to use for future reference. She didn't quite know how to approach the teen, who was definitely like Severus on many occasions, but also had another streak that Severus had never displayed. Rasmus made her feel completely redundant as a Head of House. She had no idea how to help him, and he never seemed open to show her how. And his godfather? Septima shivered, something stirring deep in her stomach. When she thought of him the last thing on the list was help- and that made her feel guilty, knowing that as an Arithmancer she should have bothered crafting a few charts herself, just in case, to help this man that had projected this air of self reliance.

Grading forgotten, she gazed out of her office's enchanted window, which always showed the weather outside. She frowned. Snowing already? It was not unheard of even this early in autumn, but only this afternoon it was still too hot for snow. She shrugged and resettled in her chair, to resume the paperwork, but then her quill paused before making another mark in red on the student's parchment. What if I make a little chart about this? It'll only take ten minutes…

Septima put the essays aside and pulled a new sheet of parchment.

***

The moment Rasmus' head hit the pillow, he sank into sleep. His body seemed to merge with the mattress of his bed and become lead heavy, from the exhaustion he did not register when awake, and worrying over everything else except his own body. The blood replenishers had helped his anaemic state, and the food- though little- helped boost energy. The house elves had had explicit instructions from Pomfrey, like for most students who got treatment well after they thought they had escaped the infirmary and medicinal potions down their throat. There would have been no other way Poppy would ever concede to releasing them early otherwise.

And so Rasmus slept deeply for quite a few hours, even straight through the racket of his dorm mates who returned after dinner to their own beds, thus serving as an excellent pillow for Betty, who curled up on the small of his back right after she stopped pestering Finn for treats.

So it was with great difficulty that he was pulled from his slumber by someone urgently shaking his shoulder, whispering 'Mr. Snape, sir! Wakes, Mr. Snape, sir!"

Rasmus cracked one eye open, too tired to even scowl.

"Mmmwha."

The house elf glanced around frightfully, and began pulling him off the bed by the t-shirt he was wearing.

"Come! You come, sir! Quickly! Dangerous! Quickly!"

"…ater," Rasmus' eyes were drooping again. "Avrio."

"Now! Quick! Quick! Father is call you!" The house elf pulled with all her might on Rasmus.

Rasmus' eyes flashed open.

"What did you say?" he said, getting up almost too fast. The elf grinned and hopped at her success, then gestured for him to follow.

"Quick! Quick!"

Slipping his hand under his pillow for his wand, Rasmus obeyed.

And as he exited the dorm, Finn's eyes opened up, and he turned surreptitiously towards him.

***

Rasmus skidded in front of Severus' portrait in the corridor.

"Father! What is it?"

"They are here," Severus said without preamble. "And they have come through entries we don't know about, that there are no wards against. The elf will take you to the one room that can hide you. Go!"

"Who are they?" Rasmus tried to ask before his father's portrait left the frame, completely ignoring the house elf tugging at his slacks. "Dad! You got to tell me who I'm up against!"

It was those words that made Severus stop and turn, pointing at his son menacingly from his frame.

"You are not up against anyone, you hear? This is out of your league, and we don't fight out of our league. Follow the house elf, and leave this to McGonagall!"

"Just tell me who, or I'll go find out on my own," Rasmus' eyes flashed dangerously, mirroring his father's exact expression.

"Isis and Osiris," Severus said. "Now honour our deal." The frame was empty in a flash.

For a moment, Rasmus stood there breathless.

"Mr. Snape, come!" the house elf said.

"You go ahead, I'll be right behind you," muttered Rasmus, still staring at his father's empty portrait frame. Isis was still alive. Osiris was back. Everything that had been achieved up to then, every death he had had to mourn, had been in vain. Isis and Osiris were back- while his mother and father, never would be. Then, his face was set in an odd sort of deathly calm, eyes hard as granite and grey as the brewing storm.

"I never made any deal to have to honour it," he muttered, then rushed off before the elf could stop him.

***

Isis touched upon Osiris' shoulder as they walked the dark underground tunnel to Hogwarts.

"It seems the last time it opened, it was by us again, Usat," Osiris murmured, lighting the way with his wand.

"It was," Isis said. "I saw to it that everyone else knowing of this passage, took the secret with them."

"Mmmm, my goddess," Osiris' voice took a more alluring tone. "That is why you are going to rule all those worms with me."

Isis didn't like the way it was said, but it was not the time to slip into an argument. So, just before they were to fall silent, she simply said, her hand snaking down the wizard's arm suggestively:

"If you heed me as you have, yes we will, my love."

Then, the groan of the ancient door opening silenced whatever Osiris had wanted to say, and they emerged in one of the most ancient dungeons of the castle. She glanced around. It was finished now- when she had stormed it last time, it didn't have the snake statues or any of the trappings that she now witnessed. Signs of battles were evident everywhere, as well as discarded huge snake skins to attest to Slytherin's tendency to overcompensate. Isis chuckled to herself.

"Salazar's Chamber," Osiris whispered. "Do you think we have been detected?"

"I wouldn't expect to be immediately. After all, this is a Secret Chamber."

***

And that's that! I couldn't get to the real action in this chapter, but I will get to it tomorrow! It's all set up for both my and your enjoyment! So stay tuned!

I hope it's glaringly obvious which Chamber they have entered through, right?

OlliandtheIvy: Thank you! Welcome aboard, and I hope to hear from you again. And yes, poor Nikos!

Zoe Bright: Whew, I'm happy you liked it! Minerva can indeed handle her own, but still…! And my fidgetings are just cold feet really, for when characters reveal to me what they will do.

Duj: darn, that whole quote was (and still is) warped. It was supposed to be haughty, yes, and he was supposed to make some wittier quip that I was in too much of a hurry to notice he hadn't made. Oh, snap! And yeah, Nikos' news just got old.

Mandya1313: Thanks!

Sindie: Hope your review doesn't get eaten again. (click back for my reply)

And that's that! Review with thoughts and comments, please!