Salazar made his way back to the dungeons. He'd had quite a job of insisting to Rowena that no harm would come out of Godric's insulting suspicions. In the end he was able to convince her, but not before he started doubting his own logic. Rowena was, as usual, right. Nothing in all the Wizarding World gave Godric the right to speak ill of Salazar in such a way. The two of them had had their arguments, but never over something this serious. What was worse, Godric hadn't the decency to come to Salazar and discuss what was going on. It wasn't as if this were their first spat, but every other time, Godric had been man enough to come to Salazar.

Enough, said a stern voice from within him. For goodness sake get a hold of yourself, man!

Standing a little straighter, Salazar sauntered the rest of the way to the dungeons. He was being ridiculous, of course. If Godric refused to come to him, then he, Salazar, would have to confront Godric. Yes, that was the solution.

Brave like a lion indeed, Salazar thought with a dark chuckle as he opened the door to his chambers. Shaking his head, he headed toward his trunk where he kept supplies for his potions. As it was winter and the students were catching more and more colds, the hospital wing was dangerously low on medical potions. Salazar had taken it upon himself to brew these potions long ago, as he was clearly the best Potions Master of the founders four.

Grabbing his cauldron, Salazar got right to work on a Pepperup Potion, which would, according to Rowena, work wonders on a terrible cold. After rummaging through the trunk for a moment, Salazar pulled out a jar of asphodel and Doxy eggs among other ingredients he would need for the Draught. But as he was lighting the fire underneath his cauldron, there came a knock at the wooden door.

Cursing silently, he allowed his Legilimency to reach out beyond the confines of his quarters in order to see who was there.

"You may enter, Helga," he called after a moment.

The door opened and in entered none other than Helga Hufflepuff. At the moment, she looked less than pleased.

"Salazar, how many times have I told you that I hate being a pawn for your Legilimency?"

"Far more than I am willing to remember, dear Helga," Salazar smirked. "And to what do I owe your presence in my lowly dungeons? It is not often you grace my quarters with your presence."

"Godric has sent me to tell you that-"

"If Godric needs to speak to me, he will come to me himself," Salazar snapped, his previous smirk replaced by a dark sneer. "I am tired of him being so childish as to resort to sending messengers to give me news. If Godric is as worthy of the daring lion as his symbol as he thinks he is, he will face me himself!"

Helga stared at Salazar with a slack jaw. His grey eyes were blazing and his nostrils flared, which was never a good sign. Helga was suddenly very afraid for Godric. If he dared speak to Salazar, something awful was going to happen. And what of Rowena? What would happen to her if Salazar tore Godric's mind to shreds with Legilimency, as he had done to others on several occasions? Whose side would she take?

Realizing that she hadn't responded, Helga asked, "Would you like for me to tell him this?" Perhaps her voice had betrayed how frightened she was, because Salazar softened.

"Yes," he said. "Tell him that if he needs for me to know about something, he should come to me himself."

"I will," she whispered.

"He said what?"

"I really do think he's right. You have been avoiding him lately. How could he not take that as an offense?"

Godric was furious. So furious in fact, that he was pacing, which was something he never did. How dare Salazar openly defy him? This was all just a part of his scheme to rid the school of the Muggleborns and take over. And to think he had the audacity to try and manipulate Rowena! Salazar was proving himself less and less trustworthy in Godric's eyes.

"How can you be siding with him, Helga? I thought you said that something must be done!"

"And I still do believe something should be done. And that something, Godric, is for you to talk to him." Godric glared at her. Helga was missing the point. He was refusing to see Salazar personally for his safety's sake. Salazar would easily shred Godric's mind to bits if something went wrong.

"Listen to me, Godric," Helga said softly, "I know you fear what could happen if you confronted Salazar in his current state, but I implore you to see reason! The two of you have been comrades for years. Surely this one disagreement will not sever your friendship forever?"

Groaning, Godric ceased his pacing. Helga was right, in a way. Salazar and he had been the best of friends since before Hogwarts had been even a thought. They had practiced their magic together as children. When they had been discovered, they had escaped mobs of angry Muggles together. And while Salazar and he had different views when it came to Muggles, they had never allowed it to interfere with their friendship.

"Perhaps," Godric said slowly, "perhaps you have a point. I shall speak to Salazar tomorrow, when he has probably calmed himself."

Helga smiled. "Thank you, Godric," she said, giving his hand a quick squeeze, "that is all I ask."

"And hopefully when I speak with him, my suspicions will have been proved wrong. Thank you, Helga. You have helped me put things in perspective. Now if you will excuse me, I must go find Rowena."

Rowena stared at Godric with suspicious eyes. Only yesterday he had been going on about how Salazar was a danger to the school and its inhabitants. Now, he was stating that he was wrong (which was something else that he didn't do too often), and that he was going to speak with Salazar the next day. Something didn't seem right.

"And what has caused you to come to this conclusion, Godric?" she asked coldly. Rowena had not forgotten about him calling her a Seer.

"Helga spoke with me about it. I was wrong to mistrust Salazar without speaking to him first."

"You certainly were," Rowena's voice did not soften, sending chills up and down Godric's spine. "And may I be so bold as to ask what you sent Helga to tell Salazar in the first place?"

"I merely wished to know whether or not the medical potions were ready." This answer infuriated Rowena.

"So you couldn't spare a moment of your precious time to go down to the dungeons and ask him yourself?" Venom seemed to shoot out of Rowena's mouth as she spoke. "Instead, you resorted to send Helga to the dungeons, which you know perfectly well she despises, to ask him of medical potions?"

Godric was shocked. He had never seen Rowena so angry. Her tone would have frightened him had he not already been accused of being a coward.

"Rowena, listen to me-"

"No, Godric. You listen to me." Godric was too taken aback to retort. "You will go down to the dungeons this instant and speak to Salazar. And I hope for your sake he has calmed himself."