Disclaimer:This story line belongs to Im Reading. Harry Potter and such do not belong to me.
A man said to the universe: "Sir, I exist!"
"However," replied the universe, "the fact has not created in me a sense of obligation."
-Stephen Crane
Chapter 6.
Salazar sat at the polished oak table, listening to the discussion of admission into the institute. He sighed, running a hand through his sable-black hair. A brash young man with reddish-brown hair was arguing his point to the other members of the discussion, two fine ladies of high standards.
"Godric you are naïve to believe that we will forever be under the protection of the throne. What happens when the commons revolt or the church begins to hunt us?"
Godric snarled as he banged his fist on the table, a hand on his sword.
"Serpent-tongue, you consistently imagine things that are irrelevant. Are you some biased, traitorous beast that you cannot allow muggleborns into these halls?"
Salazar narrowed his eyes. He could feel the pain of tense muscles along his shoulder blades.
"Godric, you are from a high county, free from the burdens of the cruel acts of muggles. Free from the burdens of persecution of the church. You have never seen a burning, you have said so yourself. I have seen many, countless women stripped of their propriety and burned at the stake. They cannot protect themselves. What if a wizard were to lose their wand? They themselves would be burned at the stake. Innocent people, people like my wife, charred to dust to rejoin the earth in death. And yet here we are, arguing over if muggleborns should be told, not to concern the fact of wizards being revealed to their muggle parents."
Godric bristled, tense anger boiling through his blood.
"Leave, Serpent-tongue. If you cannot allow muggleborns, then you have no right to teach. Muggleborns have every right to learn and study."
Salazar sneered bitterly as he looked between Helga, Godric and Rowena.
"It is not that they cannot learn, it is the danger they bring with their knowledge. Here me, for I can see Helga is in grievance with Godric. Your children's children's children will regret your actions today. They will have to fight the coming darkness. I s-"
Salazar broke off as he was interrupted by Rowena. She was staring off at nothing, her gaze unfocused, and her golden hair shimmering in the candlelight.
"The wolf shalt leave his foraged home, upon the moonless night. Return not upon the current paths, until a wise shadow shall pass. Rejoined with blood a thousand years to come, the eagle flies to the promise lands in times of peace. Be wary; for the wolf shall lead meet its match."
Rowena shuddered violently before falling quiet, her eyes downcast. Godric froze, his face pulled into an eerie smile.
"Serpent-tongue there is your answer. Leave now with some margin of honor and never return."
Salazar closed his eyes, his mind rolling over Rowena's words.
"I will leave, but here me out. My chamber holds my silent guest, here to protect the castle. It will not help you until you repent."
Salazar stood, his eyes ice cold. "The castle will go by Hogwarts only. As you know, the flowers surrounding have provided protection for years."
"Groom, tack up Quinn and pack a fortnight of grain. Then clean his stall and place within his forage and his other tack and latch the door. Nail this to the door."
Salazar handed the groom, which was truly a student of the school, a horse shoe, foraged into the frame of a snake.
"Hang it downwards."
The groom nodded sharply and hurried away, returning quickly with a fully tack horse. The horse, Quinn, was a massive battle mount, one originating from the Netherlands, a black Friesian. He stood an impressive seventeen hands, each movement graceful and smooth.
Salazar tossed his packs over the rear of his saddle, tying the bag on. He strapped his long blade onto the pack before mounting himself. He secured his robe around his shoulders and urged Quinn forward.
Quinn ran out of the court yard, iron shod hooves pounding into the ground. Salazar could feel eyes on him, and he immediately knew it was Rowena. He did not look back.
They entered the shadows of the forest, soon to be lost to the world.
Salazar crouched, ducking behind a rather large tree. He did not quite remember the plant life being quite so over grown, but see as it may be, he proceeded forward. Cautiously he made his way towards the stable, slipping inside its doors quietly. He turned sharply and hissed out something barely a whisper. The door opened and he crept inside picking up a sack of coin.
The bag ripped the moment he lifted it, sending the gold coins falling to the ground. Swearing he pulled himself into a shadow, listening for footsteps. After a minute of silence he pulled out his wand and quickly proceeded in repairing the bag and levitating the coin into it.
Salazar tied the bag to his belt and moved forward with his wand, repairing a bag of fodder before slinging it over his shoulder. He holstered his wand and picked up a sturdy canvas horse blanket and a leather halter. The leather was cracking despite its newness.
Narrowing his eyes, Salazar slunk out of the stall, quietly shutting the door behind him. He could hear the latch locking as he moved away from the door into the shadows.
Salazar placed the blanket and halter on the ground by the stable door. Moving back pass the stall he had just exited, he crept along the wall towards the hatch, the entrance to the underground passage to the castle.
Turning the corner, Salazar froze for a split second. The hatch was cracking open and a tall, dark clothed man was emerging from its depths. Salazar reached for the knife in his boot, dropping into a fighter's stance in the cover of the shadows.
The hatch swung completely open, falling to the floor with a dull thud. The man was bent over, rising up, slightly unbalanced.
Salazar slid forward, pushing the man against a wall, his knife at the man's neck. Snarling, Salazar studied the man. He had dark eyes and a rather prominent nose, with oily black hair and sullen skin.
"Who are you?" Salazar did not expect his voice to sound so harsh, but months of only selected speaking could do that to a man.
The man narrowed his eyes and cautiously spoke. "Severus Snape."
"Well Master Snape, do inform me why someone such as yourself, who is not an attendant of the institute, has access to this passage."
Salazar had to give honor to the man. This Snape did not even show any faction of thought on his face.
"I have full access to any passage through the school per say, my status of head of Slytherin House."
Salazar sneered at the man. "And who might the Headmaster be?"
Snape looked at Salazar like he must be insane or lived under a rock for twenty years. "Albus Dumbledore is currently the headmaster of Hogwarts."
Salazar's lips thinned. So Rowena's prophecy has come to pass. How convenient.
"Tell me sir, what year it might be."
Snape glared at the man. "I will tell you if you release me."
Salazar smiled coldly and stepped backwards as Snape raised a hand to his throat.
"It is 1996 A.D. or 6073 M.D."
Salazar raised an eyebrow. Exactly a thousand years he had jumped. What irony. Salazar stared at the dark man.
"Come with me. I think it is time for you to tell me about the proceedings of the institute."
Salazar closed the hatch door with his foot, clearly showing Snape to exit the stable using the actual door. The man moved forward, gliding soundlessly over the floor.
Salazar picked up the blanket and halter and stuffed them into Snape's hands. At Snape's look of disdain, he smiled broadly, showing white teeth.
"Since you decided to disturb my trip, you are going to make yourself useful, and as I am already heaving a hefty load, it is only reasonable you share your unburdened body, Master Snape."
Snape frowned, slinging the halter over his shoulder and folding the blanket over his arm. Salazar adjusted the fodder on his shoulder.
Snape watched as Salazar lifted his fingers to his lips, whistling sharply. Nothing happened. Salazar turned, smiling towards Snape before motioning for him to follow.
They proceeded towards the forest, heading east along the small stream. Snape took the chance to examine his 'captor'. The man was wearing knee high, gleaming leather riding boots and black breeches. He had a white blouse, (for lack of a better word) over which he had a jacket similar to the older Calvary uniforms except his was black and a rather odd shade of green.
Snape scowled, still unsure about the man. He had let himself be captured, the man had intrigued him. He had heard from the hatch, the hissing of a parselmouth and the ringing of falling coin.
They approached a clearing a few feet into the forest where, standing patiently, were two rather fine horses. One was a massive stallion, complete with tack; the other was a dainty silver-grey mare with a kind, dished face. Salazar stepped up and murmured a few words, scratching the stallion fondly.
"Those are Elquinics." Salazar turned around, a knowing smile on his face. "They have been extinct for centuries."
Salazar's smile became broader even so as Snape spoke. "Master Snape, I can assure you that they are not an extinct breed. They are fair at the art of deception, mainly preserving their dignity."
Snape moved forward and cautiously raised a hand to the mare, who allowed his hand upon her neck, although reluctantly. "Such beauty, one could posses and yet a darkness within that cannot be contained."
Salazar nodded. "Well, Master Snape, you have the beautiful honor of riding Quinn, my companion of long."
Snape froze and Salazar chuckled. "Now Master Snape, you do know how to ride, do you not?"
Snape looked at Salazar for a long moment. "Of course, although the knowledge is not common amongst my collogues."
Snape moved over to Quinn and held out a hand to the Elquinic. Determining no danger the stallion sighed and Snape mounted him carefully.
Seeing Snape's wariness, Salazar chuckled once more before leaping gracefully from the ground onto the mare, who pranced on spot.
"Well Master Snape, shall we make an appearance at Hogwarts?"
Author's Note: Alright. I have taken forever to write this and post this. Shoot me if you will, but…
This is not my best work. I feel that I could write much better, but it has been so long since I posted I decided that it needed to go up. And who is to say that I cannot go back and change a few things or something. Of course I will tell you of course if I do.
Salazar addresses Severus as Master Snape because of culture. Do we speak the same as we did fifty years ago? So who is saying that Salazar would speak the same as today's people. Master is a form of respect, just as Mistress use to the only proper way to address a married lady of a household. Mrs., Miss, and Ms. All are deviated from Mistress. Today Mistress is someone who is having a relationship with a married man. Not true back then.
Elquinics will be explained in the next chapter, in the form of a studies journal. The journal will have notes from Salazar along with his observations.
M.D. refers to Magic Denomination. I felt that there needed to be a date other than A.D. Because wizards do not have a specific 'belief' in religion, so who are they to follow muggle tradition?