Unlike their earlier meetings, that evening they were back down in their laboratory instead of the Room of Requirement. Rowena wanted to tie the proximity ward directly to their rings. By doing so they would be alerted if anyone entered the laboratory.
While the friends bickered and teased each other, Rowena walked the perimeter alone... or as alone as one could be with a six meter long basilisk following her like a curious puppy.
Rowena began her journey near her friends and listened periodically to their conversation. It started with the discussion about Hagrid and his absurd arrest. They all agreed that the current Minister, Cornelius Fudge, was an imbecile. The man was going about the business of catching the culprit in the wrong way. He outright said that he 'wanted to be seen doing something' about the situation, yet the minister never sent anyone to the school to investigate what had been happening there. Fudge was a fool and, just like the other staff in the school, he was endangering the children with his non-actions.
By the time Rowewna moved away from her friends, the conversation had shifted to the reason why 'the boys' - Godric was still quite angry with the two and refused to say Harry and Ron's names - hadn't gone back to the bathroom for Hermione's belongings. They were too busy wandering in the Forbidden Forest meeting an acromantula named Aragog and his offspring... all of them... thousands of them. Godric was definitely pouting about having missed that particular adventure. The poor soul was growing restless.
When she made her way to the round door with the seven snakes, Rowena finished inscribing the last of the set of runes and pushed magic into it. Ismanna inspected her work, making Rowena smile at the snake. The basilisk was so curious about everything. It was rather endearing.
On the night of their introductions, Rowena was quite wary of the large snake. Basilisks were very dangerous, highly venomous, and swift predators. Rowena had grown more comfortable in Ismanna's company. She still believed the basilisk to be all those things and more, so much more. Ismanna was curious, clever, and surprisingly child-like.
Rowena and her six meter shadow made their way to the other end of the laboratory that was now some odd altar to Aedelric Slytherin. The enshrined man's father was currently pouting, not that he'd admit to it, but one glance at the man and anyone that truly knew Salazar Slytherin would recognize the look on Tracey Davis' face. Rowena found it fascinating that the familiar facial expressions from eons ago could manifest in these new faces of theirs. Salazar had his arms crossed over his budding chest and had a stubborn set to his jaw. Rowena joined her friends in time to hear Helga sigh in exasperation - apparently having had to explain the point several times. "We have to leave the chamber as is until after we catch the culprit. If we change even one thing - especially your son's effigy - it will alert this 'heir' and we'll lose him. I want Ismanna protected. I want this charlatan caught!"
Having heard her name, Ismanna paused and pointedly hissed at Salazar. Rowena had no clue what the snake was saying, but from the look of Salazar's reaction, Ismanna was not pleased. Salazar groaned, his arms dropping to his side and he hissed back a response. Listening to the two speaking in parseltongue brought back old memories of Salazar dealing with his sons, Aedelric and Oswald. Rowena looked around at the chamber and hoped it wasn't one of those two that caused this sham of a hall.
Shaking her head clear of such thoughts, Rowena gestured for Godric to come closer. The darling idiot was grinning at his friend being reprimanded by the basilisk. Seeing his summons, Godric made his way to Rowena's side and asked, "What can I do for you?"
"I need your ring." Rowena held out her hand. "I am going to tie it to the warding alarm."
"A new one?" Godric asked and looked towards the entrance. "What was wrong with the last one?"
"Nothing was wrong, per se, because this isn't a new ward. I simply completed the circle with a caveat." Their speaking about the wards caught the other two friends' attention and they walked over to hear what Rowena had to say, "By adjusting the ward as I have, I made it possible to tie it to our rings instead of the original warding stone." Even though Rowena could see the effigy bust, she refused to gesture at it, as the last thing she wanted was to set Salazar off again.
"Why would it have to be removed from the warding stone? Wouldn't the warding signal be stronger if we left it tied... to..." Salazar's words slowed to a sudden stop. He stared at the seven snaked door and finished speaking with, "Oh."
"Oh?" Godric huffed in amusement. "Care to share that thought with the rest of us?"
Salazar reminded his friend, "The warding stone was created to anchor the perimeter wards to the border. Magic done by those residing in this school, bolsters the stone. The stone in turn feeds magic of the wards. The perimeter wards keep out invaders, those that wish to harm, and whatever each Headmaster has altered or added to the perimeter wards during their tenure.
"Our souls are tied to the stone so we could be reincarnated to protect the school and the families. We, as part of the stone, are alerted of invasions, disruptions, changes, but the current headmaster is also attuned to the wards. That means, this proximity ward - should it remain tied to the warding stone - will also warn him."
Godric blinked at him. "You could have just said that last bit and I'd have understood."
"Shut it," Salazar said with a chuckle, "You asked. I answered."
Unrepentantly, Godric shrugged. "I did ask." He looked around at his friends and stated, "I do not believe any of us want the old man near our laboratory."
Helga huffed, before stroking Ismanna's snout. "I would say not."
"Anyway," Rowena pulled the conversation back to her so she could continue her explanation, "By tying this particular perimeter ward to our rings, we'll know when someone has entered, but the headmaster will not. You will feel a pulse vibration that will last for three bursts rather than the usual one and it will not warm as it does for messages."
"Brilliant," Helga told her friend. "You solved the issue!"
"It took some doing, but yes." Rowena had moved to the single existing table and chair within the chamber. It was something that Rowena had magically created for her to work at, that would not remain once they left. "I had some input from Hermione during the early stages of my research. The girl has a clever mind, but she is too brash, too impulsive. She's truly one of Godric's."
"Hey..." Godric pouted.
"That wasn't meant as an insult," Rowena countered, "Just stating a fact."
Godric harrumphed and crossed his arms petulantly. Salazar chuckled softly and shook his head in amusement. Seeing this, Godric dropped his arms and sighed resignedly. While Rowena worked Helga created three more chairs for the rest of them to get comfortable. She set them a short ways from Rowena to give her the space she needed to focus; there was no telling how long her work was going to take.
Rowena glanced at her friends as they settled down for a chat. Helga had ensured their chairs were enlarged and quite sturdy before taking a seat. The moment her lap was available, Ismanna curled around the group and laid her head across Salazar's lap with her snout on Helga's. Godric looked amused at their predicament, until Ismanna noticed him and he soon found her tail on his lap. The man laughed aloud, "Thanks, Iss. I was feeling left out."
Shaking her head in amusement, Rowena brought her focus back to Godric's ring. Ismanna hissed and Salazar chuckled, but didn't bother to translate. Instead he hissed something in return.
Whatever it was that Salazar had said appeared to have been a question, since Salazar waited until Ismanna responded before he spoke aloud to them, "Now that the reunion between mother and child has passed." Rowena gave a small huff of amusement and - try as she might - did not keep her attention on her work. She looked over at the odd sight of her friends buried under the largest snake Rowena had ever encountered. Helga was beaming at Ismanna. The woman couldn't seem to contain herself and kissed the snake upon her snout again. It was something Helga had done numerous times since the two reunited. Salazar didn't verbally remark upon the action, but his eyebrow did rise as he continued, "Ismanna is prepared to answer any questions we may have. So, I started with the most prevalent that I could think of. Who has come down to the chamber?"
The topic of conversation was one Rowena chose not to ignore as she went back to inscribing the runes. Godric spoke first, "That was my first. Followed with: How did she come to be here? What is the last thing she remembers from our past?"
Salazar was quietly listening to Ismanna's response and merely retorted, "Really..."
"Don't leave us guessing," Godric reprimanded, "That's just rude."
Salazar translated, "My son, Aedelric. He brought Ismanna here, showed her the warding stone, and asked her to watch over it. He even went so far as to create a way for her to gain entrance and leave at will."
Helga spoke next, "Oh, through that pool of water? That's rather clever. It isn't obvious and is probably difficult for a human to access."
Rowena had to move her tool away from Godric's ring. The pool of water at the base of the warding stone served a purpose? The revelation had Rowena looking over at it in contemplation. Rather clever but more than Ismanna swam in that lake.
"He was concerned with the merfolk in the lake, so it's protected by a parseltongue password." Salazar nodded. He paused as Ismanna spoke again and he gave her a small grin. "Aedelric kept the password secret only to the two of them. None of my descendants were to know about it in order to keep it personal just for her." Salazar nodded at more hissing before saying, "Thank you, Ismanna."
That eased her mind considerably. Aedelric was a good boy, the eldest offspring between the four of them, and always quite clever. He was a true Slytherin in his cunning, and as brave as his name sake, Godric. Rowena stared at the golden band in her hand. She missed the children. Especially her own.
"You're not going to translate that last bit?" Godric asked.
"She said she liked my son," Salazar said wistfully. Visibly shaking off the melancholy, Rowena got back to work. The rune scheme wasn't overly complicated, but Godric's ring was much like him: excitable and stubborn. Salazar hissed again and conversed with Ismanna for a while before finally speaking once more, "Her last memory of our time was of the hatchling of Trainer. Trainer, of course, is Aedelric... And apparently I had a grandchild... a granddaughter."
"Moireach?"
"Ismanna only mentioned the hatchling was female."
"Ah," Godric was silent for a moment. "Aedelric had two children before I left. Moireach was the oldest. She was a quiet child. Bright, too. Alisdair had just been born the last time I was in Hogwarts. The two weren't even a year apart."
Salazar said softly, "Moireach Slytherin... They only ever mentioned Alisdair. I would have loved to have met her."
"You would have loved her..." Godric said as Rowena finished the last rune and blew away the debris before smoothing out the metal.
"Can we please focus?" Helga sounded exasperated by the pair.
"Yes, I need another ring, please." Rowena waved Godric's ring in the air and noticed the three still trapped under Ismanna's coils and grinned. "Never mind. I shall come to you." She handed Godric back his ring and took Helga's next.
By the time Rowena took her seat to work on the next ring, Ismanna was hissing again. Salazar stated, "I believe the girl put Ismanna in a magical slumber. Because she awoke due to a summoning from a hatchling in strange clothing. He was a speaker, claimed to be my heir, and he figured out how to wake her."
"Riddle?"
"I believe so." Salazar hissed a few more times back and forth with Ismanna, "The hatchling is the one who ordered her to do her job, to fulfill 'my wishes', and kill the unworthy..." Salazar sighed, "She keeps apologizing for killing. So yes, Riddle."
Helga coo'd to Ismanna, "It's alright, Ismanna. You were forced to comply. We understand. You didn't have a choice. I'm not angry with you."
Ismanna hissed and Salazar responded softly. Rowena looked over at her friends before finishing her current rune chain. The second ring was easier to manipulate. It responded to her magic rather than resist as Godric's had and she was moving across the floor to return it to Helga when Salazar was speaking again. "She doesn't know what has happened while she slept, but since Riddle woke her she's been staying close to the water, playing with the squid and... '' Ismanna 'spoke' and Salazar snorted again, "Feeding on acromantulas when she's hungry." Salazar stroked her scales and hissed at her. Rowena watched in fascination as the snake preened and hissed with a small shake of her head.
Having received Salazar's ring, Rowena sat at the table once more and began working with her tools. Salazar began again with his translations, "It's a girl, hatchling, fire hair. She comes at night mostly, a speaker, but I can't imagine who she means as my current family are the only ones with even a hint of red hair. No other Peverells live beside my mother, myself, and Harry."
- - - - Founders - - - -
It was after lunch on a Saturday, when the request came. Her ring warmed and vibrated. Rowena looked at the message.
Meet now Room 11.
Interesting. That wasn't their usual meeting place, nor their usual meeting time. Intrigued, Rowena left the library after clearing away her belongings.
Room eleven was an abandoned classroom on the ground-floor corridor leading off of the Entrance Hall. It was one of several classrooms which were unused and, as such, had the slightly neglected feeling of a storeroom.
Helga was already there holding a letter when Rowena walked in. Rowena sat beside her friend and they waited until the other two showed up. They spoke about inconsequential things such as upcoming finals and homework, moving to plans for the summer in two months. Finally Godric came, followed shortly by Salazar. As Salazar walked in, he paused and pressed his hand on the stone wall beside the door. A wave of magic washed over them, sealing them away from the prying eyes and ears of outsiders.
They made themselves comfortable and Helga began, "I've heard from my father. He's ready to move forward. It has taken this long to prepare because he needed to speak with the twin terrors and get their take on what they had seen. It wasn't easy to get their mother to allow them to testify, but, thankfully, their father stepped in."
They were all sitting at the edges of their seats at that point. She allowed Godric to take the letter from her hand as she asked Salazar, "Have you heard back from your parents yet? Father cannot move forward unless he is certain the boy has somewhere to go to. Somewhere safe."
Salazar frowned, "This morning actually. I was waiting until our next meeting to bring it up."
"What did they say?" Helga asked.
"That they will not force the boy to move in with us," Salazar admitted. He reached into his bag on the floor and removed a folded letter, handing it to Helga.
"He has nowhere else to go," Rowena noted.
"Many would argue that point," Salazar countered. "For one, they'd claim he should stay where he is."
"That's not a viable option," Godric piped in.
"Agreed," Salazar stated, "But it could be a point of argument all the same."
"Have you spoken with the boy yet?" Helga asked after reading through the letter.
"No," Salazar admitted.
"Your parents asked you to," Helga gestured with the evidence.
"I'm aware," Salazar agreed, "But I don't believe the boy will want to live with a Slytherin."
"We've had this argument already," Godric reminded him while handing Helga back the letter from her father.
"Yes, I'm aware of that as well," Salazar frowned and looked down at his folded hands on his lap. "That point is still valid though."
"If it was a choice between living with you or living in an abusive home-"
"Yes, but he may believe my parents would abuse him as well," Salazar sighed when he met Godrdic's gaze, "and you are the exception to the rule when it comes to those in your house."
"Which is ironic when it is named after me," Godric grinned at Salazar when the man chuckled in agreement.
"Then invite him over for a visit," Helga suggested. "He can stay a week with you, see how well of a fit it would be. See if he likes to live with you."
"Great idea." Godric nearly bounced in his seat. "We'll all go and show him how great life could be for him."
"No." Rowena wrinkled her nose at the suggestion. She knew she wasn't the most socially adept of the four, but still... "Even I know that's a bad idea. Harry would feel as if he's being manipulated and possibly feel in danger rather than feel safe."
"That's not a bad idea, actually," Helga stated. She received three incredulous looks, but she waved them off. "No, no. Not for us to join him, but one of his friends. I'd suggest Neville, but he isn't nearly as close to him as some of the others. So, perhaps Hermione. She at least isn't someone Salazar would want to strangle on sight."
Salazar paused for a moment, then nodded. "That is a workable solution. I will suggest it to my parents and ask the boy." Salazar sighed and closed his eyes. "Why couldn't he have been related to Godric?"