I own nothing here but the plot, and even that has had some influence from other sources. Enjoy though, please, that's all I ask.

-Chisicet

It was then that most of the others turned to see what was happening and everyone bowed. Severus tugged on her arm and she followed suit, knowing at some point someone would tell her who this man was. His smoldering deep olive colored eyes were penetrating, his build was tall and lean, yet he projected power. She could feel it across the clearing from him and she was left in awe of the man.

"Lord Slytherin, welcome back to the world of the living." Severus said from beside her. His voice carried and drowned out her gasp of surprise. He must have heard it though and his eyes turned to her then, his gaze brought her to her feet as if she was following a compulsion she only vaguely felt.

"You are not a Slytherin." His voice was velvet running through her, washing across her senses and she forgot to breathe momentarily. She gulped though before shaking her head.

"No, Lord Slytherin, I am not. It was through no fault of the Hat's though, he begged to put me there." He raised his chin and studied her as if she was below him and she couldn't help but feel it with the way his gaze tore through her.

"Why did you not let the Hat, which was a creation of mine, mind you, do its job."

"Manipulation of a now dead wizard." She looked up, and it was now that she realized her body had moved on its own. She was standing before him now, having walked across the clearing without knowing it.

"Show me." Was all he said, his voice and presence before her broke no argument and she opened her mind up to him.

She felt him there, sifting through her early memories. She showed him the day that she received her letter, let him see that the night she had gotten it an old and wizened wizard showing up on her door step where he explained that she was needed to be in Gryffindor, that her fate lied there in the red and gold house. She pulled forth another memory, of the night she found out he was dead, laying where he fell as she became one of the crowd as they mourned and cried for the old Headmaster. She felt him pull from her mind after a moment more of digging as he gathered all the information from her he needed.

"You were used, that is no fault of your own. I would still be honored though, my lady, if you would consider yourself a Slytherin. For, if you had not shown yourself to be a true Slytherin, I would not be here." He gave her a small bow of his head and she gasped in surprise. He looked up at those gathered around him. He motioned for them to gather around him, to come closer than across the clearing. They hesitated not to follow through and soon he was surrounded by the twenty three men and two women.

"Show me your memories. I have missed much if this is the cusp of a new millennia. The twenty-first century." He took his time delving into the minds of the group, taking the most time to sort through Severus' memories. He looked at the sky then and sighed when he finished. He moved through them then.

"Severus?" Hermione whispered as quietly as possible to the man beside her. He looked pained, his eyes were narrowed and lips thin. He cut his eyes at her dangerously and shook his head. He turned his eyes back to watch as Salazar Slytherin, in his physical and magical prime, walked amongst them.

"Hermione, my lady, come hither please." He turned, and she could barely see him from where she was. He was taller than the others, with the exception of Severus, and she was possibly the shortest, so she kept losing sight of him. She felt a small shove from beside her and, with one last glance at Severus, she began to move forward to go to the ancient wizard. When she reached his side he drew her hand to him and placed it in the cusp of his arm as he began to lead her through the crowd. She knew then that he was searching for something, searching for someone in particular.

When the familiar mop of crazed and matted black hair appeared before her, did Hermione realize who he had been looking for. They stopped in front of Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange. They looked haggard and deranged as they bowed before them. When they stood straight again Bellatrix' eyes never left Hermione, her eyes gleaming in a warning of the horrors she would unleash the next time they were alone.

"You are Bellatrix, are you not? You were the 'most loyal' of the Dark Lord, weren't you?"

Hermione studied him then from under her lashes. He appeared calm and collected, but with the firm grip he had upon her, the way he was as straight as possible, and the way his eyes gleamed of their own accord; the lightening not having an effect upon his appearance; Hermione knew he was up to something. Bellatrix nodded enthusiastically, her psychotic laugh began to bubble up from within her.

"That I a-" She was cut off as Salazar swished his hand languidly in her direction. She froze, her voice and laughter dying as the silent Petrificus Totalus hit her.

"Good. Now, Hermione, I give her as a gift to you. And, if you would like to call it this, informal initiation into the house of Slytherin, your rightful home, my lady." Her eyes widened as she looked up at him in shock.

"For me?" She looked back toward Bellatrix and instead of seeing her she caught a glimpse of Severus beyond her. He pushed his way into her mind then, a small influence for her to understand the point the founder was getting. When he pulled out of her mind she smiled, turning her gaze up to the man whose arm she was holding. "Thank you, I will cherish this gift more than I think anyone will ever understand."

"That is why I give her to you. Now, I believe you can unwrap your gift quickly here before everyone is free to retire for the evening." He let go of her arm and stepped back to watch. Hermione caught the brooding and angered eyes of her old professor and he nodded slightly to her. She raised her wand slowly, shooing away Rodolphus as he began to seethe in his place next to his wife. "Young man, I think you should remove yourself from her before this world is two wizards short."

Rodolphus paused, turned his glower onto Hermione before turning and pacing away. Hermione stalked around Bellatrix then. Her eyes taking on a look of one able to exact their revenge on another.

"You have the ferocity of the lion that you lived under, but the cunning of the snake you were meant to be. Before you kill her, show me your patronus." Salazar's eyes bore into her as she paused in her stalking. She turned toward the ancient man and bowed in acknowledgment before brandishing her wand and casting silently for a patronus.

A small wisp appeared and as they watched it grew. She expected it to be her otter, the playful thing had kept her company the last few years, but when it did stop growing and took on a shape she gasped, and stared at the animal before her.

"Have you ever seen a Komodo Dragon look so ethereal before?" Salazar's voice was silk as it appraised her patronus.

"Not ethereal, no. I can't say that I have." Her answer was soft, it was hesitant and she knew he was staring at her.

"When did you lose the otter Ms. Granger?" She glanced over her shoulder and caught Severus' eyes and she watched as her patronus faded, the light around them nearly pitching them straight into darkness if not for a sudden flash from the lightening above them.

"I haven't cast this charm in over a year." She turned back to face where the Komodo Dragon had been and startled when she noticed that Salazar was standing before her now, much too close for comfort. She looked up and noticed his eyes gleaming, they seemed to be able to take on their own glow outside of the natural light of the night.

"Yes well, the death of ones best friends might do the trick. I suggest you kill her quickly now. I do not wish to be caught in the rain any more than anyone else." His voice had taken on an edge to it and she knew that she had no choice. She turned slowly and refused to look at anything but Bellatrix. She eyed the woman, the crazed promises floating behind the wild eyes showed Hermione that she would never regret killing the mad woman before her. She raised her wand and made a slashing movement with her wand. The silent Sectumsempra effective as the woman before her began to bleed from open wounds all over her body.

It took minutes before the life began to fall out of Bellatrix' eyes and Hermione rolled her eyes at the silent persistence of the woman. She raised her wand one more time and this time she muttered 'Avada Kedavra'. The green light rushed out of the tip of her wand and straight for the chest of the woman before her. Time seemed to stand still though as just before it hit another body rushed forward and took the spell for Bellatrix.

"Fool!" Hermione bellowed, the sudden pain within her chest ripping her apart. She seethed as she poked her wand at the chest of the now dead Rodolphus Lestrange. "Idiot." She stood and noticed that Bellatrix had been released from the stunner spell and she fell to the ground next to her husband. She crawled the few inches and draped herself over him and they all watched as her life left her now defiant eyes as she bled out.

"Well, that was intriguing. I think it is time to call it a night though. Now, I will be in touch with each and every one of you over the next few days, when I call, do not hesitate to come. The consequences would be unfavorable if you did. Goodnight all." The founder gave a small bow to those around him before turning on the spot and apparating out of the clearing.

Hermione quickly jolted forward and Severus met her halfway. He grabbed her upper arms and turned quickly, barely missing a couple of spells that would have hit if he'd been slower. Once they landed on the step of Grimmauld Place they make quick feet inside of the place before Severus slammed the door shut and began to cast his most potent protective spells.

"Upstairs, now Ms. Granger."

She nodded and began to make her way up the flights of stairs, though she didn't make it far. The ripping she still felt in her chest was spreading through her, and she sat upon the stairs panting in obvious pain. He found her there, only two flights down from where she needed to go, minutes later. "When did it start?" He asked her slowly.

"When my spell hit Rodolphus. I didn't want him to die, he wasn't who I was aiming for." She gasped out, sobs beginning to wrack her small body. He hesitated. "What, Sev… Severu…" She couldn't get the air to breathe now, and a mumbled 'shite' fell from her lips as she leaned back against the stairs, one hand rubbing her chest.

"I can help. I know what is happening. But once I do, it's a onetime thing. If this happens again... I cannot help you."

"Tell me, please." She gasped out, the words continued to become harder for her to say. He paused once before reaching down and scooping her up in his arms. He moved up the stairs and into his old bedroom. When he kicked the door shut behind him he was quick about setting her softly on her feet in the middle of the room.