Key:

"Words."

Thoughts / "emphasis" / Title of Books or spells used

~~Parseltongue~~

¬¬Foreign Language¬¬

"Magical language."

Birth of a Lord of Magic

5th June 1993 – Hidden Slytherin Chamber

"You have asked me to teach you everything, young Lord, but I do not think you understand what that means," Salazar declared, derailing Harry's bloodlust. "I will give you the same option I gave your mother. I can teach you as much magic as you can while going through your school years, or I take you as my official apprentice and teach you in the ways of old. You will not only vastly outstrip your peers but also learn magic that would see you declared Dark and anathema to society."

Harry sat and considered the offer. Lily had written little about their ancestor's offer, but her later entries spoke of the decision she had made regarding how much she would learn from the Founder. He didn't know what magic allowed Salazar to take on an apprentice, but Lily had admitted she had realised too late how bad the situation was and could not take up their grandfather's offer. Harry was determined to not repeat the same mistakes, but he still had things to learn.

"May I know two things before giving my answer?" Salazar nodded, approval clear over Harry's delay and caution. "Mum wrote about Light and Dark magic, but it was mostly shorthand, so I wasn't clear on those distinctions. And I'd like to know why everyone believes you hated Vernaculi and first-generation magicals."

Lily had switched to using Salazar's terms for 'Muggles' and 'Muggle-borns' early in her diary, and Harry had embraced their use.

"The second has a straightforward answer," Salazar explained, leaning back in his chair. One leg crossed over the other, and his elbows rested on the arms to let him steeple his fingers, the two forefingers meeting at his bottom lip. Harry would learn this was the man's go-to position when he was thinking. "I know that many of my defenders have declared the reason to be in retaliation from the religious zealots, but the truth is the Church's crusades against magic, pagans, and anyone they declared heathens had not yet become the threat it would. There were a few clashes and deaths on both sides, but that is the way of things between those who have and those who do not. My disgust came from how the Vernaculi kept their peasants ignorant and illiterate. King Arthur had declared all within Camelot to have the right to an education. Even the false upstart Arthur II Pendragon, who briefly created a second Camelot with magicals as the ruling class still declared his non-magical servants and slaves were to be learned."

Harry blinked at the bomb drop of there being two Arthurs and Camelots and made a mental note to ask his ancestor about that at a later date. "The first-generations didn't have any education?"

"Not unless they were highborn," Salazar scoffed, only to then to out-sneer Snape. "Imagine it. First-year students who couldn't read Latin, couldn't even speak Latin half the time, and whose lives were filled with so many superstitions that many refused to bathe often as they were afraid they'd wash all of their skin away! Those students had to work harder and longer than our magic-born students just to keep up. And that's only when we got them to stop either attacking or running away from the non-human students. I wanted to take all the lowborn magicals away from their families and have them adopted into our world. The others disagreed."

"Why?"

"Because we would have lost connection to the root of the country's society," Salazar sighed. "While technology and social changes didn't happen as quickly as they do now, there was always a risk we would miss out on something important that a lowborn student could have warned us about."

"But what about the highborn students?" Harry frowned.

"As I'm sure you're aware, the way those at the two ends of society see the world are vastly different," Sal smirked at Harry's snorted reaction, only to sober up. "And while there is an argument over the fairness of life leaving the highborn children with their families, my siblings reminded me that there was no guarantee whoever followed us wouldn't make a grave mistake by claiming a highborn child. We might have magic on our side, but we could not risk angering the royals or their allies by stealing one of their children."

That made perfect sense to Harry. He was sure Hermione would have got stuck on the unfairness part, but he could easily imagine the ugly result of an important child being taken by overzealous magicals.

"And that really is all there is to it," Sal shrugged, opening his hands as if to acknowledge the mundanity of his answer. "They disgusted me through no fault of their own, but it didn't stop me from loving those same students by the time they finished their time at Hogwarts."

Harry nodded. He could see how the man's attitude could become twisted with time and biased people writing history books.

"And now the key question, I believe," Salazar continued, eyeing Harry with eyes that glowed with power and authority. "Magic simply is. Like gravity, it is a part of the very nature of the world and is neither good nor evil, light nor dark. That man Newton said it best: equal and opposite reaction. That is the nature of magic. But every sentient species has the same habit of wanting to label things, even if it is merely 'us' and 'not us,' and thus the distinctions of magic were created. Light and Dark magic are linked to emotions and sacrifice, but not in the way most consider it today. Rather, they are about how selfless and selfish emotions make others feel. Giving a gift to someone can make them 'light up' with happiness, whereas being selfish towards others can make them depressed. It darkens their mood."

The room erupted with the Founder's laughter as Harry took in what he had heard. Green eyes wide, mouth attempting to make a sound, yet his brain froze. "WHAT?"

"Light Magic is about giving of oneself," Salazar said with a grin that would fit the Weasley twins. "Light healing spells, for example, allow the caster to feel their patients' pain. The Patronus spell creates a spirit protector through the 'sacrifice' of positive emotions. The most extreme form is known as Holy Magic. Not because it is linked to any deity, although there are some which do, but because the caster is fully willing to give up their own lives, their magic, or even their spiritual existence to achieve the result. And those willing to give their all for what others consider good causes are oft referred to as holy."

Harry struggled with what he was learning, and Salazar sighed when he saw the shifting thoughts on his descendant's face.

"You must understand that there are Light and Dark Magic, Light and Dark politics, and what the modern magical world calls Light and Dark actions – more commonly considered good and bad. You can have magicals who never perform Dark Magic and are staunchly Light politically but are Dark in actions, just like someone who is Dark in the first two can still be a good person."

"So, what is Dark Magic, then?" Harry frowned, doing his best to work through the picture being painted. "Magic that takes from another?"

"A close enough definition for now. Dark healing spells do not give the healer the patient's pain, and some may not even numb the body. A Dark spell or ritual will take from another, causing them to give up something for the caster's benefit. If it helps you, these magics were called White and Black in my time. And the extreme of Dark Magic known as Demonic, but not because it deals with such things as demons, but..."

Here the Founder trailed off, giving Harry the look every teacher throughout history had given their students. It didn't take Harry long to work out the answer. "Because people call those willing to do those things to others monsters or demons."

"Indeed. Putting aside magic that actually deals with beings called demons, a Dark, or Black ritual might demand the sacrifice of another, while a Demonic ritual would require tens or hundreds of lives. These labels are about degrees, and there is no true line where one type of magic stops and the next begins. Do you see the problem in attempting to tie these magical labels in with Light and Dark morality?"

Harry took his time to consider everything. He struggled at first, and then he thought over the subjects Hogwarts taught and a dawning realisation filtered through his mind. "Potions is Dark Magic! They sacrifice the ingredients even when making a healing potion."

Salazar nodded with a smile, the pride once again clear in his eyes, and Harry's chest grew warm at the sight. "As is Alchemy."

"I don't see how this relates to politics?"

"It doesn't. When talking about politics, the terms are linked to how light and darkness can show or hide secrets. The 'Dark' was named when their opponents declared how they wished to hide in the shadows and keep traditions from those entering our world. They replied by saying the 'Light' desired to open all the doors and windows to reveal everything to everyone. As time marched on, the Dark sect held on to their traditions even when it might have been advantageous to adapt, while the Light sect looked to change traditions even when it might have been sensible to keep them. And, of course, you have the concept of Light and Dark actions regarding morality.

"Is it because of the overlapping names that the three have become conflated? Perhaps, perhaps not," Salazar shrugged as though the answer didn't matter. "Wizards Councils, and then Ministries, have looked to keep evil people from doing evil things. They put laws in place and declared punishments, banning Dark Magic done for evil purposes. And then down the years, those in charge have added more things considered Dark Magic for their own reasons. Some valid, some not. Until you reach the modern era where magic requiring an external sacrifice, people who are staunch traditionists, and those who wish to do evil unto others, are all put under the same label and receive the same negative reactions from those who believe they are right."

Harry sat back in his chair, putting the pieces Salazar had given him together. The image he was starting to see would fundamentally change how he saw the magical world. "The Defence Against the Dark Arts is supposed to teach us how to defend against dangerous magic or creatures. But animals aren't evil. And there are a lot of spells that can hurt someone even though they aren't Dark. And you said there are Dark healing spells."

"And that is why we never taught such a subject." Salazar had given a disgusted look when Harry mentioned the class, and the Gryffindor student could now understand why. "Magical Combat, Countering Malicious Magic, and Magical Beings were the classes that would have covered such topics. Anything about combating non-sentient creatures came under Animal Husbandry and Magical Wildlife. That vampires and werewolves are now included in the same topic as battling a Re'em, Boggart, or Inferi is a disgrace!"

"Sir, I've made my choice."

Five simple words cut through the impending rant. Salazar's face smoothed out, and he straightened in his chair to look down at Harry. The young man felt like an insect about to be dissected, but he forced himself to sit up straight and even attempted to mirror his ancestor's pose.

"My mother regretted not taking you up on your offer," he began carefully, needing to make sure he expressed himself fully. "I would have probably agreed because of that alone. Voldemort...Riddle...is still out there, and he wants me dead. I need to agree because of that. I've found out I have an enemy in Dumbledore, and I need to agree because of him. But I want to do this for our family. This is your legacy, Sir, and I hate how much it and your reputation have been ruined. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't learn all I could to bring Hogwarts back to what it should be. As your heir, I owe Hogwarts to try."

The Founder was smiling by the end of Harry's speech. The man's eyes gleamed with delight and eagerness, and if there was a slight malicious tint to the expression, Harry easily ignored it. "Then meet me in the Room of Requirement, Apprentice, and we shall begin."

The Founder stood and walked to the painted room's door, stepping through it without looking back. Harry blinked and then rushed to follow, racing to the room's wall to take the shifting tunnel up to the seventh floor and the truly magical room waiting for him.

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The seventh-floor exit opened up next to the painting of Barnabas the Barmy teaching trolls ballet, allowing Harry to see that the Room of Requirement's door stood ready for him to enter. He eagerly pushed it open to find a larger version of Salazar's chamber room with doors between the many bookcases. Salazar Slytherin was sitting on the same chair he used in his portrait, sipping from a cup of tea as though he hadn't just agreed to change Harry's life. A side table with a tea set and a second cup already prepared was between him and a second chair beside the lit fire.

"You aren't a normal portrait, are you, sir?" Harry threw out as he took the offered chair, pouring himself a cup of tea as Salazar watched. The Boy Who Lived knew most people would go crazy about his actions. He was barely a week from facing off against a young Tom Riddle that had been housed in some type of enchanted diary and here he was, ready to be taught by something far more than a portrait of the man Riddle proudly declared himself the heir of. But Harry believed in his mother. The woman who had given her literal all to make sure he survived trusted Salazar more than her best friend or lover, and Harry would not disrespect Lily's memory by not doing the same.

"I am not, no. I am as far beyond a magical portrait as it is beyond a mundane one. At the same time, I am also far less than what Riddle's diary was," the Founder held up a hand when Harry was going to interrupt to ask the obvious. "I will teach you about the diary in due time. To answer your question, we've both said it already. Legacy and obligations. I got to know both my parents and often visited my father, magical transport allowing such journeys long before Vernaculi technology caught up. I saw what his role and impact were on his people."

Salazar placed his cup on the table and leant back, sighing as he stared at his descendant. "One thing you will learn from me is your place in our society and how to survive such a cultural position. One key facet is noblesse oblige. We who are in a position of power over others have a moral obligation towards those we are above. To guide and protect them, even against others of our standing. I decided Hogwarts would be how I would do so. Do you recall how I introduced myself as a Lord of Magic?"

"Yes, sir."

"Magical Houses are led by Lords and Ladies. These are not pompous titles, nor are they similar to the Peerage of the country, although there were royals who granted some of us landed titles prior to the Statute of Secrecy. No, these titles are tied to the Houses and their Family Magic, with each Lord or Lady charged with honouring and mastering their Family Magics and what it means to be Head of their bloodline. But being a Lord of Magic is more than this, although it has fallen out of fashion these past few centuries. If there is anything a Lord of Magic doesn't know of their chosen field of study, then it either is not worth knowing or is currently unknowable. We don't merely know and understand the fundamental laws of our subjects, we can bend them until they lose all meaning. Lords of Magic are whom Masters would apprentice to, and only a Lord of Magic can bestow the title on another. Nicolas Flamel is a Lord of Alchemy and Soul Magic, and whatever else he has mastered. I suspect Dumbledore to be a potential Lord of Transfiguration and Charms, although why Flamel hasn't proclaimed him so is suspicious. I also believe Tom Riddle is potentially one for Rituals, Dark Magic, and Demonic Magic."

Harry's mind froze. He only had a vague understanding of the sheer complexity of creating a Philosopher's Stone. That Nicolas Flamel was the only known person to create one helped his imagination, and the thought of that type of skill and knowledge for other subjects made it obvious how out of his depth he was in having Dumbledore and Riddle as his enemies. It was only that Salazar was also at such a level that kept his panic from spiralling. The Founder waited for his heir to calm down before continuing.

"It was considered a major social faux pas to ask a Lord of Magic what subjects they were experts in. Unlike today, where a Potions Master might know nothing of Runes or a Defence Master have no understanding of Arithmancy, one cannot become a Lord of Magic without a firm foundation in all areas of magic. Even if they never progress far in the subjects. And yet, others would still know about a Lord's expertise. Can you tell me why?"

The question got a frown from Harry, who sipped his tea as he struggled to come up with an answer. The time stretched on, and Salazar seemed content in waiting for as long as it took. Harry was putting the cup and saucer on the side table when he realised his previous thoughts held the clue. He felt like slapping his forehead. "Magic!"

Salazar's eyebrow raised, causing Harry to duck his head at the look. He realised how basic the answer was, and his words rushed out to finish his thought. "Flamel is the only person known to have created a Philosopher's Stone. If Lords of Magic can do things most others can't, it would let others guess what subjects they've studied."

"Well done. While the four of us all put up Hogwarts' wards, it was I who did the most. One of my many specialities is Warding, and I created many for our school. The castle and her grounds became one of the safest places in all the lands of Britannia, and such information was always going to get out."

Harry nodded, pleased at working out the puzzle. It was a simple answer now that he was thinking about it. A Lord of Potions couldn't hide their subject of choice, as they'd constantly be making or doing things others thought were impossible. It made sense that magicals specialising in other subjects would also do acts that caught the public's attention.

"Magical portraits are echoes of a person," Salazar's words interrupted Harry's thoughts. The boy was beginning to realise that the man had a habit of teaching multiple topics at once, linking them together to make a more complete picture of all the provided knowledge. "A mage pours their magic into the portrait to create a link, the strength being directly tied to the person's magical power and how much they pour into the portrait. They will then periodically put copies of their memories into the portrait until they have created a simulacrum. The portrait's link to the person's magic keeps it dormant until the subject's death. Now, tell me what issues you see with this process."

"You said it relies on the power of the subject," Harry immediately pointed out, getting a nod in return. "What happens if someone who isn't that powerful does it?"

"Not only is the link weak, so too is the initial impression."

"How long would it take for someone to pour all their memories into a portrait?"

"Hours if someone is lucky, days, at least for most people."

Harry frowned at the answer. "Do people really spend days doing that?"

"No. The portraits are supposed to be copies of the dead subjects. With what you now know, How well do you think this is achieved with most portraits?"

"It isn't," Harry declared, remembering plenty of times that Hogwarts portraits acted strangely as he had walked the school's halls. "I don't think many people would take the time to make sure their portraits were perfect copies. I know Lockhart's didn't do anything but smile."

"Correct. It differs with family portraits, especially for the older families," the Founder explained, crossing his legs as he observed Harry. It pleased him how much his heir was taking in, especially given the boy was so used to holding himself back. "Many of the old families make sure their portraits are as perfect as possible, even if the memories are years out of date compared to when the subject died. I tied one ward I created for Hogwarts to the position of Head. Every mage who takes charge of our school has as close to a perfect simulacrum as is possible, even if they do not include their memories to the portrait."

"How would that work? If there aren't any memories?"

"It is a constant magical imprint. While the portrait will not know why its subject would say or do things in any situation, it would still know what to say or do. Consider it to be an actor playing the role in honour of the dead. The longer the Head is in place, the greater the portrait's ability to mimic their subject."

"That's not what you are," Harry declared. Salazar's earlier comment about not being the same as Riddle's diary had opened his eyes to just how lifelike the copy of the Founder was compared to the others in the school.

"As I said before, this is my legacy," Salazar sighed, the melancholic sound touching something within Harry even if the man's face was perfectly calm. "I decided I needed to keep a watch over it. I created a Soul Ward that replicated what we had set up for the future Heads and tied it to myself. For as long as I lived, Cassie's magic would create a magical imprint of my mind, my magic, and my very soul, so that a part of me would never leave. I am not the real Salazar, nor am I truly 'alive' in the sense that most would understand the concept, but I am far more than a portrait could ever be."

"Is that how you know who Isaac Newton is?" The question had been bugging Harry ever since Salazar had quoted the 17th-century genius. He didn't expect the Founder to throw his head back and laugh.

"Oh no, not at all," the man smirked, eyes gleaming with mischief. "I keyed myself into the school's wards. Not only do I know everything the portraits and Cassie does, but I can use this room to have a copy of any scroll or book that enters her property. And as a Lord of Magic who created such powerful wards, magical schools all across Europe and even parts of Asia and Africa offered anything I wished to have their academies protected. And they never said I couldn't put up similar wards that would allow my spiritual echo access to their knowledge."

"They didn't know to say you couldn't," Harry countered, causing Salazar's smirk to grow. The unsaid 'Slytherin' hung between them. He shook his head at how Ravenclaw the move was and contemplated how it would sound heaven to Hermione. "What about the other Founders?"

Salazar's sigh returned, and the humour vanished as though it had never been. "I created the ward, Harry, and I had no guarantee that something wouldn't go wrong to leave my actual soul forever trapped as part of Hogwarts. My brother and sisters eventually learned what I had done, but I refused to risk their eternal existence. We compromised. While they did leave excellent portraits behind, they allowed all of their knowledge and ability to merge with my own. Anything they knew, I do, and I carry an echo of them with me for as long as I exist."

Harry had no time to take in what he had been told. Salazar snapped his fingers, and a ring appeared in mid-air. The Founder snatched it out of the air and tossed it at Harry in one motion. "Put that on your non-dominant hand and it will hide itself. There are many who are sensitive to magic. Especially by touch. You do not want someone to feel an invisible ring when you shake their hand."

It was made of four interlocking bands looking like woven together threads. Two were silver, while the other two appeared to be made of emerald. Harry slid the ring onto his left middle finger, and it resized to a snug but not uncomfortable fit before fading away. Harry blinked at the digit and ran his fingertips over where the ring had been. He could feel he was still wearing it, yet didn't touch the ring when stroking his skin.

"There are many forms of magical travel, one being called Portkey. These are enchanted objects that can almost instantly take someone from one place to the next. They are an unpleasant means of travel but a useful one. That ring will take you into my chamber room should you ever say 'never tickle a sleeping dragon' in Parseltongue. As long as you don't leave the Chamber, saying 'return' will take you back to wherever you were. Leaving will reset its return function."

"I can come back during the summer," Harry gasped, a massive grin spreading across his face at Salazar's nod.

"You agreed to be my Apprentice, and this is the beginning of that journey. As is this," another click and flash saw a golden necklace with what appeared to be a three-dimensional hourglass within two bands hanging from it. Salazar took the hanging piece of jewellery from the air, passing it over far more carefully than he had the ring. "This is a Time-Turner."

"Time-Turner?"

The shock at the idea that the magical world had time travel was greater than any worry over his high-pitched shriek. It was time travel!

"Calm yourself," Salazar demanded, instantly freezing Harry's freak-out with a stern gaze. The Founder raised a finger to the air and flicked, creating a glowing line that stretched off in both directions. A press of a fingertip to the line saw a downward swoop create a glowing arch that linked two points of the line together. "The moment one uses a Time-Turner, it creates a closed magical loop between the point of use and the moment that the user goes back to. Everything within those two periods of time will happen exactly as the user already experienced it. You cannot change anything you know for sure to have happened without magic itself causing you to unravel should you actually succeed in such an impossible act."

"You said 'know for sure'," Harry said, jumping on the emphasis and getting a nod in return.

"Let us use this year as an example. You had the Time-Turner on you when you heard of the attack on Miss Granger. You fear the worse and spin back to save her life. You could not stop her from being attacked, but you could make sure she used that mirror, so that she was petrified instead. An extreme example would be you saw her dead body and attempted to save her. Should you be able to do so, Magic itself would compel you to create a fake body that was convincing enough to force you into using the Time-Turner. You didn't know that the body wasn't your friend, you only believed it to be. To not do so would see to your destruction by Magic."

"My parents..." Harry's voice faded off. Salazar was already shaking his head before the words were fully formed.

"Time-Turners are only stable for five hours," Salazar explained, understanding at Harry's wish clear in the softening of the Founder's features. "And Lily's ritual to save your life required her willing death. It had to be her who stood in front of your crib and denied him for the ritual to have worked."

Harry nodded, looking away from those familiar eyes as he tried swallowing the lump that was threatening to choke him. They sat in silence, the echo of the man dubbed one of the greatest Dark Lords in history giving the Boy Who Lived all the time he needed to bring his emotions under control. Salazar only continued once he was sure Harry was ready.

"And now we get to another moment of choice. You can use that Time-Turner and learn from me as you continue living your life. It will be difficult and exhausting to be my Apprentice as you continue what now passes for education in my school, but I am willing to take that road with you if you wish."

Lily's journal had laid the foundation for dealing with his ancestor, and Harry could see what was coming next, even if he didn't know the details. "Or...?"

"One thing no longer explained to first-generation mages is that of magical maturities," Salazar seemed to muse, causing Harry's ears to perk up. He doubted the man ever spoke a random tangent in his life. "You see, human magicals go through three-to-four magical maturities in their life. Puberty, as it is now called when speaking of the body. Hogwarts begins at eleven because to use a focus before this age would damage our connection to our magic for the rest of our lives. Our first maturity begins as soon as we turn eleven and continues until we turn thirteen when the second one begins, allowing us to safely use both more magic and more complex magic."

Salazar's eyebrow raised, and he gave Harry a pointed look. The silent command was obvious.

"That continues until we're fifteen, and the third one happens. That's when we can move up to NEWTs. The fourth is seventeen to nineteen."

"A reasonable conclusion," was the follow-up. "The third magical maturity is the last everyone has. The fourth only lasts a year from the twentieth and twenty-first birthdays, and only for those at the highest levels of magical power. There is an interesting thing about magical maturities. They are not tied to physical age, but a person's chronological one. That is, how many physical days they have lived."

Harry looked down at the shiny object he held and then back up at his mentor. He was about to speak when a thought struck him, and he frowned. "You said Time-Turners create closed loops. What does that mean for maturities?"

"You asked instead of assumed, excellent. An unknown function of their nature is that they reset the user's biological and chronological age as soon as the user has caught up with the loop. You might get physically hurt or exhaust yourself magically, but you cannot gain long-term physical or magical damage due to using a Time-Turner. [1] A person who goes back in time and performs a ritual that impacts their body or magic will only feel those effects after the loop has closed. Put a room in a closed loop, and it would be impossible to brew a potion until the loop was closed. Even a Killing Curse would only take effect once the loop had closed."

"A room like this?" Harry asked, eyes widening at the idea of the room having the power to manipulate time.

"Indeed," Salazar confirmed. "Unlike a Time-Turner, the Room of Requirement has the power to freeze itself within time, disconnecting what happens within it from what is going on outside. Something only possible due to the school being connected to the large number of Ley Lines beneath it."

"That's amazing," Harry pointed out, getting a curious look in return. He shrugged in response, lifting the Time-Turner to emphasise his point. "Even if Potions have to be done in real-time, there's still a lot that I would learn."

"Appropriate to your magical maturity levels," Salazar corrected, causing Harry to blink in confusion. "While those younger than fifteen may be powerful enough to use some NEWT-level magic, you would have to go through all of your maturities before I could lead you on the path of becoming a Lord of Magic.

Harry wanted to slump. If he understood Salazar correctly, it would still be years before he would be capable of surviving against his enemies. He wasn't interested in gaining power, not really, but he needed all the help he could get when he had at least one Dark Lord wanting his death. Given the past two years, Harry doubted Riddle would wait until he was trained up. And then Harry's brain caught up with the conversation and his eyes narrowed in suspicion. The time trickery of the room sounded like an extended version of using a Time-Turner, and Harry was beginning to think the Founder had something else up his sleeve. "Or...?"

"There are several magical illnesses that disrupt a person's connection to their magic," Salazar informed him, eyes locking on Harry's so that the boy knew this was the finale. "Such things are deadly to children. It was a cruel truth that the child going through a maturity could ease many such sicknesses, as maturities naturally increase our connection to our magic, and yet they rarely survived long enough. It took Rowena and me years to perfect the Room's ability to manipulate time so that those within would not physically age, but could chronologically age. Saving our students without forcing them to grow up."

"They went through their maturities without getting older," Harry summed up.

"Yes. To prevent them from suffering, we put them in a healing coma. After that, we made them go through maturities to ensure that their bodies and magic were properly connected.

Salazar leaned forward, elbows on knees, and levelled Harry with an intense stare. His words were clear and the most serious they had yet been. "Understand me, Harry. This is not an easy decision. You might not physically change – although a caveat to this will be any rituals you put yourself through – but you will change mentally. There will be days, maybe weeks, when you go without seeing your friends, while it is far less time for them. You will grow leaps and bounds beyond any other student here and it will impact your ability to connect with them. There is no shame in delaying this until you are older. I will not be disappointed. Lily would not be disappointed if you waited."

Although Harry took his time to consider the offer, he knew there was only one answer he could give. "I've almost died twice in two years, sir. I might not make it to when I'm older if this continues. Mum gave up everything for me and I owe it to her to become the very best I can be. I owe it to myself."

Two pairs of eyes the colour of the Killing Curse stared into each other, neither willing to look away. Minutes ticked by before Salazar Slytherin slowly nodded.

"Then I will turn you into a Lord of Magic the world has not seen since I was alive. I will turn you into a Titan amongst mortals. A man on par with the very greatest and darkest of our kind. Someone with the power to burn the world to ash or usher it into an Age of Enlightenment."

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The first thing Salazar did was show him what lay behind one of the many doors. A bedroom of soft greens and silver with the odd splash of colours from the other Hogwarts Houses to keep it from being pure Slytherin. Wouldn't matter if it was as I really am a Slytherin, he mused. He noticed his meagre possessions were already in the room, including an owl perch for Hedwig. The four-poster bed was larger than his Gryffindor one, and the desk had enough space for multiple projects or homework pieces to be worked on at once. The many bookshelves were empty save for his school books, but Harry had a feeling that wouldn't take long to change.

"The elves have used their magic to copy everything you own, and will continue to do so for as long as you are my Apprentice," Salazar explained. "This room will contain the originals so that nothing is lost or broken. Anything that others shouldn't see won't be copied. Such as your invisibility cloak. I want you to keep it under your mattress if you don't carry it or leave it here. Do not let others get a hold of it."

Harry gave the man a look and got a nod back. A silent promise that an explanation would eventually come.

"It isn't easy for elves or animals to come into the room when the time magic is activated, but it is possible. Your owl is as close to a familiar as is possible to get without doing the ritual, and I would not deprive you of her company. We can make her one should the two of you wish to do so."

Hedwig took that moment to arrive, seeming to materialise from the corner of the ceiling where Harry guessed hid the link to the owlery. His beautiful friend landed on the shiny bronze perch and forcefully nodded her head at Salazar, who only chuckled. "That's decided then."

She barked her agreement and then began checking herself over. Harry couldn't stop smiling at her actions, and he was infinitely more at ease with her there with him. "Is it possible for her to stay here during the summer, sir?"

"If that's what she wishes," Salazar wisely answered, chuckling again when the owl glared at her human for even considering leaving her behind. Harry quickly made his way over to Hedwig to appease her by stroking her beautiful chest feathers. The image reminded Salazar of similar situations with his fellow Founders and their overprotective familiars.

"The first thing you will work on is the Mind Arts," Salazar informed him, drawing Harry's attention away from Hedwig. A wave of his hand had the Sorting Hat appear on the bedside table. "Sebastian here will be your tutor. I warn you, Apprentice, the foundation of protecting your mind – known as Occlumency – is reliving your memories in perfect clarity. It will be a deeply emotional experience, and you can speak to myself or Sebastian about anything you need to. I will not betray your trust, and he is magically incapable of it."

"Indeed, Master," the Sorting Hat announced, bowing its point towards Salazar. "I swear to take excellent care of your heir."

Harry felt sick at the thought but trusted the pair to not lead him astray. It helped that he had earlier shared the general details of his past with Salazar.

"Because of the emotional turmoil of this, I will teach you basic social etiquette until you have finished. You will learn how to use a quill properly, as well as Latin, and other important foundational subjects that won't tax your emotions or magic. I will continue to avoid any magical lessons until you have mastered your memories, no matter how long that takes. Do you understand, Apprentice? It is not enough to remember your life. You must know it and accept it."

"Yes, sir," Harry stared at the magical headwear as though it was a torture device, something it technically would be to him for the foreseeable future.

"The Room will work by slowing down our connection link to time outside of it," Salazar added, drawing Harry's attention. "The greater the dilution [2], the more power is required, and the more time will pass here compared to outside. A 7:1 ratio will be more than adequate while you are at Hogwarts, with a 13:1 ratio during your summer. However, I will activate that higher level until you master at least basic Occlumency. Questions?"

Harry's forehead scrunched as he thought over the information. A week inside the Room for every day outside sounded like a good balance. It wouldn't feel like it had been forever since he saw anyone else, but he would still be working at an incredible pace. A bit of finger maths told him he'd be working at approximately one year of learning for each real-time six weeks lived. It would be a full year every four weeks at the extended level. He blushed when he noticed Salazar watching him do the calculations.

"Not yet, sir," he mumbled, only to have those familiar eyes stare at him in obvious disbelief.

"Very well. I've activated the time dilution. Food and drink are available from the house-elves, and I will leave you now. You are to put Sebastian on when you are ready to begin."

Harry nodded, making a mental note to ask about house-elves sometime later, and stared at the Sorting Hat as Salazar left. He gave his ancestor credit. His new teacher didn't demand that he start immediately, but made it clear that he wouldn't teach anything that Harry found 'interesting' until he faced his past.

Choice. It was a heady thing to know he had it after so long forced to live by other people's whims and decisions. That Harry could delay his first lesson had him moving towards the Hat to begin it. Harry was choosing to do this rather than being forced.

"Call me Sebastian, Mister Potter," the Hat declared aloud as soon as it touched his rat's nest of hair. "I told you Slytherin could lead you to greatness."

"I thought you were talking about the House, sir," Harry quipped back, idly noticing that unlike when he first had the Hat on, or even the second time when Dumbledore had pulled him into his office after finding Justin Finch-Fletchley, Sebastian's brim had tightened around his forehead to keep from blinding him. "Not the man himself."

"I'm as much made by Salazar as I was the others. Of course, I wouldn't speak plainly," Sebastian gave the impression of a smirk that had Harry release an exaggerated sigh. The two shared some chuckles before Sebastian began his first lesson. "The Mind Arts is a many-layered branch of magic, Mister Potter, and each layer is both interconnected to the rest and completely independent at the same time. You're restless. Take a walk as you listen."

Harry waved goodbye to Hedwig before doing just that, leaving his room and finding the area he was going to call 'the study' empty of Salazar. He felt a nudge to his thoughts, like something had pushed through his skull to turn his attention to what it wanted. "That door will take you to a copy of Hogwarts. You'll have the freedom to move without the fear of meeting anyone."

Harry followed the command, a long-forgotten memory of spying on Dudley through his cupboard door as his cousin watched an episode of Star Trek had him comparing the Room of Requirement to the holodeck.

"Not quite, but a good analogy," Sebastian corrected as they left the study room to end up in the corridor outside Myrtle's toilet. Harry mentally shrugged at skipping the larger Chamber and headed off in a random direction. "Unlike that fantastical machine, the Room doesn't trick the mind and body that it is moving. My creators were never able to truly make it a place of infinite dimensions, but the Room can be large enough that you could never tell."

"Lords of Magic..." Harry gasped. He was beginning to comprehend the term if this was one of their creations.

"Indeed. And to toot my own horn, my own creation is equally an impossibility made possible. I am what the Vernaculi of today's age would call magical Artificial Intelligence. Or perhaps Artificial Lifeform would be more accurate," Sebastian informed him. Harry had spent enough time in the Little Whinging library to know those terms, even if science fiction had never been his main reading interest. "I am intrinsically tied to Hogwarts and her wards, and can never be destroyed as long as she exists."

"How have you not got bored?" Harry had to ask, pushing past the idea that the Founders had created life just to Sort their students.

"Not just to Sort, never just that," Sebastian corrected with a fierce shake that pulled Harry's head side-to-side. They had wandered past Flitwick's Charms classroom and were working their way down. "I am her voice, to be listened to should something need fixing. I am also the voice of the students should the teachers fail in their remits of caring for their charges. Alas, the years have not been kind to her. Many Heads have meddled in her wards and allowed the Ministry to mess with her running. There is only so much I could do to hold back the tide without a true Founders' heir ready to step up and aid me."

"But surely -"

"Yes, yes, there are plenty out there who have the blood of a Founder running through their veins," Sebastian interrupted. "But as Riddle proved, having Founders' blood and being capable of magically claim their titles are completely different. Salazar's eyes are part of his Family Magic, and no one without them could be in contention to claim his title. As is the way for many of the old families. Add in that such magics could show up in cadet or even forgotten bloodlines in people who don't even know what they are eligible for, and you can see the issue."

Harry had a feeling that he didn't fully understand, but eventually would. A hum of agreement came from Sebastian. "To answer your question, I can sink myself into the wards to effectively hibernate. I might not be able to aid the students, but I continue to watch them as they commanded me to."

"You knew what was happening with Ginny!"

"I did," the Hat replied, sighing heavily. Harry could feel its distress and sympathised, only for a thought to send an icy chill down his spine. "The Headmaster asked neither Hogwarts or me about the incidents. One thing you must understand, Mister Potter, is that without a true Founders' heir, the Head is in complete charge of Hogwarts. While she and everything within her has their autonomy, we cannot go against a direct order should Dumbledore give one. Even the echo of my Master cannot tell you what happens within Dumbledore's office if he has declared them to be the secrets of the Headmaster."

Harry thought over Sebastian's words as he walked past the Great Hall towards the fake castle's open doors. He wanted fresh air, and his favourite spot by the Black Lake was perfect. He could see what the Founders were thinking. The headmaster's job included protecting the school and its students, an act that sometimes required keeping secrets. A part of Harry wanted to rant over the unfairness of the two beings helping him being unable to share everything they knew, but he silenced the voice. He was getting help now, and he planned to get strong enough to survive whatever happened, anyway.

"A mature reaction. Let me calm your fear. The Headmaster cannot keep Salazar, myself, or even Hogwarts from aiding you."

"Thank you," Harry spoke the words from the depth of his soul as he sat on the rock he had claimed in his first year. He felt miles better knowing that he had them in his corner.

"You're very welcome. And now, the lesson!" Sebastian declared, making Harry wonder if he had picked up Salazar's habit of tangents. "The first thing you will learn is to go over your memories, from your most recent one back. The mind creates connections between memories, allowing you to remember far more if you carefully trace them than if you jumped back and pick up the exercise at a random point in your life. This is a talent even Vernaculi can learn, and they can create their own mental constructs to hold their memories."

"Huh?"

"Eloquently asked," the Hat snarked, causing him to roll his eyes in return. "Sometimes known as a 'Mind Palace,' the ultimate end of this exercise is creating a mental plane that contains something you can put your memories in. The obvious example is a library and its books, but it can be anything. Magic makes this part easier, and I have heard of people using clouds, animals, and even a mental copy of Gringotts. It is your mind and imagination is truly endless."

"And I have to relive everything?" He asked in a soft voice, staring at the still lake to keep himself from thinking of his past.

"You don't have to," Sebastian replied, equally softly. "But those who do not understand their past and how it has shaped them will struggle with their emotions and certain magics. In understanding your past, you strip its power from you. While it is what has brought you to this point, mastering yourself will mean that those dark times will no longer influence you going forward. To sum; they will no longer haunt you."

"And then?" He swallowed hard, instinctively nodding his agreement to do what was being asked.

"The last part of this skill allows for greater recall, enhanced ability to both learn and understand, as well as higher capacity to reason and think. In effect, Mister Potter, it allows your mind to constantly work near its peak level. The difference between those who have understood their past compared to those who merely rewatched and then put the memories aside is drastic once you reach this point. The past constricts rationality and decision-making, and there is a greater chance of fanaticism and emotional instability for those who have skipped understanding. In not coming to terms with the past yet still organising your mind, you would allow the memories to infect the rest of your thoughts far more than if you'd left those memories alone."

Harry didn't need to be a genius to see the benefits of what he was being told, even if the process was painful.

"The truth of improperly 'mastering' one's memories is not well known today," Sebastian quickly answered his unasked question. "You will find the Mind Arts are yet another area of magic that has been hidden away . The next step for the Mind Arts is Occlumency – that is, occluding or clouding one's mind – and keeps your thoughts and emotions hidden from someone attempting to access them."

"Mind reading?" The question had the Hat wiggle back and forth in a so-so motion.

"Legilimency, the art of accessing another's mind, is both more and less than what you are thinking of," was the frustrating reply. Harry had noticed that many of the answers he had got that day had 'more and less' in them. He heard a soft whisper of a mental chuckle from the Sorting Hat at that thought. "Protecting your mind is again something that non-magicals can also do through meditation. You clear your mind of all distractions so that anyone attempting to know what you are thinking or feeling picks up either nothing or whatever mental image helps you. Godric used an endless sea of flames, while Rowena kept the memory of what time itself looks at the forefront of her mind. Many went mad attempting to gain access to their minds."

While Harry wondered what those two images would look like, especially how Rowena Ravenclaw saw 'time', he wasn't that curious. He shuddered at the idea of going mad from seeing into another's thoughts but realised that those who did it deserved their fate for trying to violate the Founders' minds.

"Exactly true, Mister Potter. While many decried such results, the images were purely defensive in nature, and one merely had to not look to keep from being affected by them. Now, while it is quite possible to do this without the memory stage, it is neither easy nor advisable. Can you tell me why?"

"Emotions," was the rapid response. "You said it needs the clearing of the mind, but if I haven't mastered myself, I'll struggle to control my emotions."

"Ten points to Slythindor."

"Slythindor?" Harry grinned at the mangling, getting a tap on the temple from the Hat's brim as it twisted on itself.

"Hush, Mister Potter, I stand by what I said," Sebastian pompously declared, getting a chuckle from his student. "The final part of Occlumency is a two-fold system. My Master will teach you about the internal and external types of Blood Magic, and this is similar. It is the process of creating mental wards – shields, as they are also called – around your mind. These will not only keep an attack out but also be able to hurt the mind looking to invade yours. Some prefer to mix the protections with their mental landscapes, allowing the attacker in before defending themselves, while others prefer to keep them out. The internal version focuses on having a controlled suppression of your emotional reactions, allowing you to think clearly and not allow yourself to be seen as weak when around enemies. Both ways of protecting the mind can be exhausting and painful to keep up when under constant attack or use, and there is a psychological danger to constantly suppressing part of yourself. At best, you will destroy all the hard work you made in understanding and conquering your past should you abuse this technique."

Harry didn't need to ask what the worst option might be. He had taken in enough through cultural osmosis to understand the concept of psychopaths and sociopaths and had no desire to become either. "You said the clouding part could be done without the memories..."

"Any part of the defensive side of the Mind Arts can be done in any order, yes," Sebastian confirmed. The Hat's tone was serious, and it spoke clearly, making sure it was being listened to. "But doing them outside of this order will cause issues. Many have had to relearn previously mastered stages because of how interconnected these skills are with each other. Despite this, it was not unknown for people to be taught how to defend their minds from attacks long before they had the chance to organise their memories."

That's what Harry needed to know. He would need to know he could trust his friends before telling them anything, and only then after they were able to keep from revealing his secrets.

"It is a combination of these stages mixed with magical and mental strength that protects against mental manipulations. And that is what the offensive part of the Mind Arts is. It is not just the reading of emotions and memories through Legilimency as most believe, but also the subtle and brute force twisting of a person's mind. Your Slytherin magic allows you a means of recovering lost memories should you be Obliviated, and the Black blood of your paternal grandmother is another family that has a natural inclination towards mastering the Mind Arts. Combined, you have a tremendous foundation for this type of magic. But that is all you have. A foundation."

"Then we'd better start," Harry sighed, forcing his emotions under control with an iron will that would shame most adults.

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OoOoO

AN:

[1] – The mentally stressed and physically exhausted Hermione seen in book 3 would be "Hermione-Prime" using this idea of time travel. My headcanon is that McGonagall told the girl to only use Time-Turner for classes, and the silly girl only used them for classes, and not for getting extra rest or more time doing her homework. There was never a spun-back Hermione doing her homework in some hidden classroom because she would never think to break the rules like that.

[2] – We call it time-dilation. Salazar is one of the greatest potioneers to ever live, and he is used to thinking in terms of diluting a solution. It's not a typo, but a quirk of his way of thinking. He does know the proper term, he simply prefers his own way of explaining it.

SN:

Last Edited - 20th June 2023

Word Count – 9,442

Previous Word Count - 9,498