Harry had made his way back into the common room undisturbed, getting in the shower and shortly after into his bed was a welcome change to battling many centuries-old mad snakes. Getting some well-needed rest was a good thing and with the little present he left behind, he slept very well. Without the beast to control Riddle most possible could not directly harm the students. So he would have to monitor the puppet he was using much more closely and the next time the mouse would get into its hole, the trap would snap shut. In the following days, Harry would try to uncover more of the chamber's secrets. The slayer of basilisks was very sure, that that was not the only thing left behind by Slytherin. With the new rules in place getting out of the Ravenclaw tower would prove very difficult. The prefects had to stay inside the common room and guard the entrance. The strict curfew and headcounts were impressive on Hogwart's side and Harry was thinking the staff had learned from last year.
What not many of the Ravenclaw knew was that Ravenclaw had a secret entrance that led to the rooftop. Rowena herself had made this entrance and warded it. The entrance was behind a star chart where you had to tap a specific pattern that showed the unicorn constellation. Getting out was easy but getting back into the castle except for the Ravenclaw tour was a bit more taxing. It took Harry a complete week to find a way back in. Funny enough it was a heavily warded backdoor entrance to the chamber. He needed a full map of the castle and grounds. His elves had worked hard to tidy the chamber up. The carcass of the snake was waiting for him back home and now he was looking for hidden rooms in the chamber. For the moment he was careful a second Basilisk or a trap would be something he wanted to avoid. Even better tomorrow would be the start of the Hogwarts Duelling Circuit and he planned to attend...
Reasonably Harry made slow progress with those objectives in mind. But after he got through the Basilisk sleeping place he encountered a wall. A wall his diagnostics told him to be a portal to something. He could feel that more wards were in place, wards to sort and judge the person. Well here goes nothing. He looked at his bracelet and with a quick mental command it turned into his blood knife. Using it to pierce his skin he put some of his blood on the wall. The cut healed itself as his knife returned to the bracelet form as softly starting rumbling was an indication of what would happen. The wall opened up and behind it was a circular room with a long mirror in it. On the golden frame were parselrunes that glowed in a bloody red.
"Open!" Harry hissed and could see the ripples forming as he stepped to the mirror to jump into it seconds later. The multitude of colors he could see was disorientating for a moment before he landed on solid ground. He was looking at a cozy study. Before he could make out the finer point he was surprised to see another person in it. It was a man in very elegant robes with a staff and a medallion on his neck. He was bald, except for to long white goatee. He turned to Harry his grey eyes that had hints of green looked in his green ones.
"Finally one of the students found this room." He spoke up to Harry's astonishment. Pulling out his staff and enlarging it, Harry was in a defensive position.
"How are you still alive? What is this room?" Harry's voice got a solid edge all to Salazar's chagrin.
"Very good, Very good. Staff and wand, defensive and ready to strike, like a good snake." The old man chuckled before he vanished before Harry's eyes only to appear behind him. "I am not alive. You are in a heavily enhanced memory. The pinnacle of the mind arts a Palantir."
Harry was not convinced and turned to Salazar again. "A Palantir? Never heard of it. Is this something that relates to Occlumency?"
Salazar chuckled again before he transformed into a snake to slither through Harry's legs only to reappear at his desk. "Occlumeny, and Legilimency, Are the stages before this. A Palantir is a copy of a wizard's mindscape. You can think of it like a big Pensive. Neither of us can harm the other here. So I think we can drop the antics. I would love to hear what happened to the school we built. Don't worry, your body is currently in a stasis-like field in the mirror. The time here moves much faster than on the outside, so you won't have to worry about getting back out and such things, you will have time for that."
Harry tried to come up with a good response to that but he just had fallen back to explain what he knew had happened in the last century. As he finished Salazar looked down, a troubled face as he looked at Harry again.
"You say you found the entrance to the second level of the Dungeons and need the password to my sanctum right?" Seeing Harry nod Salazar laid a finger on his chin in a thinking pose before he looked up again. "So there is a would like to be dark lord that uses my name and corrupted my familiar so you had to kill it. All of this because he misunderstood what I wanted to do." He shook his head. "It is always the misguided ambitious ones that make problems and messes one has to clean up after. Let me tell you Harry Potter what my Name stands for."
And told him he did. He was for a full separation of the magical world from the mundane because he witnessed as many muggles kill their first-generation magicals in his time. All he wanted to do was preserve the magicals by isolating them. He was a druid, a magical that was working hand in hand with nature and the flow of magic. He was no warrior like Godric. No Salazar Slytherin was a master of Alchemy, Potions, Rituals, the Mind Arts, and Healing. He could kill, for sure. Someone who knew the human body like him knew what to manipulate in it to let it stop working. Sal, had other Passions some of which he would Harry at a later date maybe. He created the Palantir as his last great achievement of magic, a way to teach those he found worthy. He even told Harry the Password to his Sanctum, the room they were standing in, and told him what he would find there. Even the true nature of the chamber was told. It was something like an emergency station for the Hogwarts inhabitants. His familiar would attack possible invaders or clean the castle of the filth that would attack children, while Students could be evacuated through the chamber into the forest. The real secrets were in the sanctum. He just stored the mirror with the entrance to the Palantir here because had his familiar guarding it and the ward structure of the chamber would be the best defense.
"Let me get this straight. You want me to clear out your sanctum take everything in there and this mirror and move it to Potter Island because I compromised the security of the chamber by killing your through Riddle corrupted familiar?" Harry summarized Salazar's last request only for the old man to nod. "Curse my damn luck." Harry sighed only for Salazar to chuckle.
"I think with time you will understand. The chamber should still be useable to evacuate students but everything else in this castle would only be a liability and your little Island sounds cozy. Do you have a Quetzalcoatl? Combined with the things you may find in the sanctum that could be the start of something great. You have to leave now Harry. This Palantir can only work so long because the presence of my familiar is missing to fill it with ambient magic. We don't want to destroy this do we?"
Harry could only dumbly nod before he closed his eyes finding himself waking up in front of the Mirror. Casting a short tempus he could see that only one hour had passed. It felt like they talked for a whole day inside the Palantir, but looking at this magical marvel he could understand what Salazar meant. The blood-red runes nearly bled out. only a tenth of them were still bloody the rest just looked normal. Sighing he called out to his trusty friend.
"Lordey"
"Master called" The Elf looked at the big Mirror before looking back at his Master.
"You think you could safely move this to the Library on Potter Island and bring me some expandable storage trunks?"
The elf snapped his Fingers once only for nothing to happen. He looked like he was concentrated before nine twelve other pops alerted Harry to more House elves joining. The thirteen elves snapped their finger as one and twelve looked exhausted as they popped away.
"Sorry master big Mirror was very heavy magically. Lordey needed some support and is afraid we can only deliver the trunks tomorrow."
Harry gave him a grateful nod "Of course Lordey, thank you for your hard work."
"Master is too kind," said the Head-elf before he popped away.
Harry made his way back to the common room, taking his broom to the roof entrance and sneaking in unnoticed; he was excited for tomorrow but managed to fall asleep very quickly after doing his rituals.
The day had ended quickly, maybe because all the students were so eager for the dueling. In each Lesson, they gave their very best, something that since the opening of the study hall meant that the professor had no problems teaching them at all. This led to much less homework in the subjects, so now excited and happy second-year students were waiting inside the reconfigured Great Hall with the other years.
„Welcome everyone, can you all see and hear me?" Some students had to hold back a groan as one Gilderoy Lockhart came into the room in something that maybe should resemble dueling robes.
Harry for one, had to hide his sigh. Professor Flitwick had hinted that he would observe the proceedings to find those hopefuls that could join the dueling circuit. So Harry had his mind wandering and nearly missed being called up on the stage.
„Mister Potter, very good" Lockhart commented as Harry took the position that he wanted, but before Lockhart could call his opponent Harry raised his voice.
„Professor, would it not be a great start for us to see you in action? How much the press would pay for a memory of this? The famous Gilderoy Lockhart teaching the Boy Who Lived?" Harry fakely simpered.
„Of course, you are right Harry. But don't say I had not warned you" he gave his award-winning smile before he looked at Snape, his assistant.
„You will aim to disarm your opponent." he gave a monotonous drawl before he counted them both in.
Harry had a different strategy though. On the go, he started a fine-tuned Legilimency attack. That he did not encounter any shield whatsoever was very sad. What was also sad, was that Harry now knew what Gilderoy Lockhart was like as a wizard. A lying thief of the achievements of others.
This will end now. Harry thought before he launched his attack.
He yelled „EXPELLIARMUS" while he thought about the compulsion charm. It was no surprise to Harry that seemingly nothing happened as the compulsion charm was a flashless one.
„Ahh Harry you do the same thing as I did so many times. Screaming out incantations of spells you never would be able to master. As I would ever be able to manage those tales I write into my books. I knew those who did but I…" before Lockhart managed to stop himself the kneazle was out of the bag. Quickly the DADA teacher had to think of a defensive strategy brandishing his Wand in a wide arc. „Obliviate Maxima"
It looked like a wave was getting off his wand. Many things happened at the same time. Students screamed and dropped to the ground. Harry and Snape erected a shield While Snape was about to just cancel the spell Harry used the ruckus to hiss his variant of a reflecting barrier. The wave of the forgetting curse hit this double shield only to rebound straight into Lockhardt. He looked around and started to cry till he found his thumb to suck on relaxing like only a baby could.
Professor Snape took charge now pointing at two Prefects of his house. „Take him to the hospital wing. The rest of you are dismissed. Watch the noticeboard for announcements regarding the dueling circuit"With a swish of his cloak he walked away.
One hour after Harry sat in the chair just opposite the headmaster with Professor Flitwick beside him and Snape behind Dumbledore. The Headmaster had listened to Harry's side of things and was about to answer. „So you found this injustice and wanted the former Professor to confess using a silent compulsion charm that should have only started him on the journey?"
Harry nodded. „Yes Headmaster, it was a very weak one and Professor Flitwick had no trouble brushing it off as he asked me to repeat it."
The Charms Professor nodded at his employer with a smart grin. "That's true Albus, I mean I could shake it off pretty easily, dueling Tactics 101 says, start with a small compulsion charm to confuse your opponent before you do use the first offensive spell with flash indication."
Albus nodded before he sighed. "Well, I will switch in for DADA then Gilderoy will be needing nappies for the foreseeable future. The wide area Obliviate he wanted to use was deflected by two strong shields that interacted strangely with the charm. The Healers of St. Mungo diagnosed that he is back in his toddler years, with all that it entails. So there will be no further punishments against you Severus or you Mister Potter. The ministry saw to it, that you both acted in defense of the Hogwarts students and not with ill intent. That is all, if there are no further questions I have my old DADA lessons to find."
"Headmaster?" Harry asked as the Professors were about to leave the room.
"Yes, Mister Potter?" Dumbledore looked up with twinkling eyes.
Harry looked a bit stressed for a second before he just started. "I dealt with the Basilisk. Fawkes helped and I want to ask if I can ask Madam Pomfrey for tutoring in Healing magic. With Parselmagic strongly aligned in that field I think I should build upon this skill as I do with Professor Flitwick in dueling."
Flitwick looked proud while Snape just left as Dumbledore looked at Harry again. "That is great news but as long as we don't have the culprit I won't risk the student's safety by lowering the standard we have established at the moment. I won't deny this request, Mister Potter, in the need Madam Pomfrey decides if she wants to apprentice you or not. However, your Head of House will closely monitor your grades from now on. Too many extracurriculars could overwork you."
Harry accepted this with a nod and followed his Head of House down the steps and back to his common room. He had hoped he would have an easier time to get into the Sanctum but he would have to wait to catch Riddle with his trap.
He had to wait for three days before he got out of the common room again to enter the sanctum. Using the trunks he got he carefully put most of the things down. Only to stop what he was doing as he looked at an old and worn tome that was bound in snakeskin.
Carefully reaching out with his sensing ability he could feel no direct danger from it so he opened it. The title was something he had hoped to find here but was even more excited to do so.
"Grimoire of the Slytherin Family"
As he opened it he was not surprised to find the familiar scratches of Parselscript. It never occurred to him that he opened a family Grimoire that should be protected against something like it. He flicked through the pages finding obscure charms, rituals, and things that were directly related to druids magic. Parts of it looked more like a journal. Harry was intrigued by what he would maybe uncover with this. Looking through the chronological entries he was quickly at the part where Salazar had traveled the world shortly before coming back to Britain, where he would join the three other founders to build the castle.
Salazar had structured the Grimoire into some introductory words of the family where Harry learned that he concluded that his family as practitioners of the druid ways must have come up with a way to gain the ability to speak to snakes. His forefathers all had been blessed with or so he was told. Unfortunately, his family had forgotten how that had come to play. The only thing left was one rhyme that had endured the ages.
"Only those that have friends among those that speak with a forked tongue. Are the ones that can walk among."
Harry could only guess that the rest was lost because they had no means to protect the knowledge till Salazar was able to enchant the Grimoire. After his little walk through the past of the Slytherin family history, he was reading through the explanation of Parselscript. How it was its runic language. In painstakingly fine work, the founder of the House of Snakes had sketched the complete table of the runes down. Also how, if the person had familiarized himself enough with the Parseltongue's magic would be able to read those without problem. If someone had read them once they mostly could recall all of them without problem. The only problem was to be specific enough about what someone wanted to be done with the magic directed through the runes. All things written in the language had to be truths, as long as somebody wanted to use it as a magical conductor.
Harry wanted to look more into that topic at a later time. He was familiar with runes but sometimes each alphabet had its ruleset and syntax. Something that would stay true to Parselmagic. Going back to the history or better journal section of the Grimoire, he was happy to read some passages very loosely before some parts of it had caught his attention.
"... my travels led me over the big sea where I witnessed even more of this madness the mundane had with their religions. Hunting those, that were of other beliefs. I managed to sneak on one of those ships that would lead me to the golden lands. There between sand and blood, I met another wizard. I hoped for peaceful conversation and exchange of knowledge only to be attacked by a big sand snake. I was very curious to find another speaker. So after I dealt with the snake and him I broke in his mind. Finding out he was of the Akkadian order of magic. An Organization that was established after they had conquered Egypt.
After they subjugated the population the magicals did the same as I did they collected as much knowledge from the wizards as possible.
Here they found something. Something I never thought was possible. But the longer I think about it the more reason it gets. Somewhere the ability to speak with snakes had to come from. I think today I got my answer. The Egyptians of old were crafty people. That was something I always knew. But. That they had come up with a way to introduce the Magic to talk with Snakes into the bloodline was astounding."
Harry's breathing was going faster, and Salazar explained more about cultural background next. Some of the Gods the Egyptians worshipped were the predecessors of the Naga. Strong shapeshifting magical snakes with a Human form. Those who had served them so well that the 'gods' deemed them worthy of a reward would be blessed in a holy ceremony.
"... The memories of the Akkadian wizard were so clear as he remembered that his leader elected him to be the first to undergo the ritual. The honor to be chosen, the surge of power that would be his. Everything paled after he looked into the eyes of the snake, this time it was a Naga. Looking at him and grinning before it spoke in a hissed version of the human tongue. "So you want to be able to speak our noble tongue human. What tribute do you bring me so I will go along with the ritual?" …"
Harry read next as Salazar commented that this was possibly a detour because there was no speaker present to translate or guide through the proceedings. The snake and human would have to bind through blood. Willingly giving blood from both parties to share the knowledge of the serpent's tongue. The amount of blood would have to be the same. Multiples of three fingers to be exact. The more blood used the better would the skill transfer to later generations. The magical power of the snake was also a deciding factor.
"... On the day Ra smiles upon us for the longest time, join in ritual prayer three times seven, repeating the plea for the blessing. When you finish, drink three fingers of the holy weapon the gods use to punish their enemies. I saw this instruction in the Akkadian's mind written down on a slip of papyrus in the script of the old Egyptians. I began to understand why this ritual was not often used. To get a snake to willingly give you blood and venom and join you in chanting was something not many magicals would be able to do…"
After reading the last sentences Salazar added, Harry shut the Grimoire, feeling his heart rate increasing even further. The possibilities were nearly endless if you were a speaker yourself and could negotiate with the snake. Alone for the possibilities of more Healers with access to parselmagic. That could improve the overall capabilities of magical healing around the board. Maybe if he had strong magicals snakes that were open to accepting some aspiring healers's gifts? The ritual was only a blood blessing. Something that was used to share a magical trait with another magical being. Harry had to guess that Metamophmagi could be something that came out of a blessing from another magical creature. Maybe even all magic started with something like that?
He was frozen for a moment at the realization, that this would be a possibility before he took a step back and placed his hand on a stone panel in the back. The small and fine runic work on it was unnoticed by the young wizard before a small needle poked out of it to take it.
"Ouch" he shouted more out of shock at the moment ten the pain and looked at his healing hand while the stone glowed before it vanished. Behind it was an egg the size of an Ostrich egg. Looking at it Harry was curious as he felt for more magic traps. Not wanting to be surprised again he stretched his magic out and as it reached the egg he was shocked to hear the sound of cracking. Instinctively his magic tried to mend the shell but it just looked like the shell was absorbing his magic like a sponge.
Nearly a minute later Harry managed to pull his magic to him. The cracked shell was slowly cracking more and more. He could still feel a kind of connection in the direction of the egg, and before he even could close his eyes a shadow struck out of the egg and sunk its teeth in his arm that he had stretched out. Harry looked at the little snake that was hanging off his arm. Even freshly hatched it had most of the characteristics he had sawn in the chamber. Just the size and the color of the eyes were wrong. Harry had quickly cast the ward he knew to save himself from the gaze, but that was the moment he remembered the venom of the snake. "Fuck me…" the student sighed. The snake was still hanging on his arm as he called for the elves to transport the cases out. A troubled-looking Lordey dropped some potion vials before he left to not ignore his master's orders.
Harry could feel himself weaken. A vertigo was getting to him quickly. He looked at the snake and tried to magic it away, without getting the expected result. As he tried to channel the magic to speak Parseltongue nothing happened, no words were coming out. It felt like the snake was absorbing his strength with each second. He could feel his magic leave him through the wound in his arm. Like the snake was sucking out his strength like a newborn would need to be fed by his parent. Was that what was happening? He still had the Grimoire and was slowly making his way to the book that lay on the desk. Still open in the Journal section he tried to find the section he hoped to find. But looking for something like "Hot to breed your own deadly snake" and without the search feature he enjoyed in the index it proved more than troublesome to find something. He skimmed through the book, as he tried to get through the pages as quickly as he could but he could feel the blackness overtaking. As he was just reading the title "Basilisks and how to breed them" he never got to the next line as his body collapsed in itself.
A/N Hello everyone, I am in a bit of a bind can't get my head to commit to an idea of how I should deal with Ginny. I don't like her fangirling but I like the badass versions of her. The most dominant idea in my head is a fleeing Ginny who runs away from her overbearing mother. Molly wants her as a housewife but she wants just to be a Harpy Chaser. If I include her romantically with my Harry it could clash with the main Pairings I meant to establish though. Could I make it work? Possibly yes. Could it backfire? Well, Possibly yes. Do you get my drift? So give me some Ideas in the Revies or PMs. The more I get the faster I get to the next chapter.