A/N: Hi everyone. Glad to see you back. To answer someone's question for everyone, I'm not going to commit to a set update schedule. I'll update whenever I finish a chapter and my beta found the time to read through it. I try to make it twice a week but it all depends on how much time I get at my job.

No pleasant talk shall 'ere be told
Nor things recounted done of old.

Chapter 15

Back in the common room, Harry stood on a small stepping stool to be able to comfortably reach the snake Astoria had pointed out. He had carefully put the books aside, not wanting to instigate Snape's wrath by damaging them, and had stuck his head inside of the bookcase, carefully trying to examine the etching.

"Lumos," he muttered. Despite there being a ton of light, the etching was still difficult to see because of its placement. It was always clouded in shadow and the carving itself was expertly light. Once Harry had a better view, he started trying to talk to it as he had with many other snake drawings in these halls.

"Sssshow me your ssssecrets," Harry hissed. The snake didn't move. "Move," Harry tried. Still nothing.

"Maybe it's scared," Astoria offered. "You sound kind of threatening, Harry."

"I'm just speaking Parseltongue," Harry replied. "There's no other way of saying things."

"Maybe try to move a bit more snake-like," George said.

"Yeah," Fred agreed. "Try slithering against the bookcase."

"Would you two can it?" Harry said. "I'm trying to focus here." When he got no retort from either of the twins, Harry focused back on the task at hand. "Why won't you lissssten?" Harry asked the little snake. "You mussst be hiding sssomething. Why else did Sssssalazr Ssssslytherin carve you guysss everywhere?"

That seemed to trigger something. Suddenly, the little snake raised its little head and seemed to look at Harry for a moment before slithering off. It went towards the edge of the bookcase and circled all the way around until it got to the wall. Meanwhile, Harry jumped off of his stepping stool and followed the snake as it travelled.

"It's moving!" he said, sudden excitement overtaking him. Astoria and the twins were on his tail as soon as he spoke.

Meanwhile, the tiny snake traversed the edges of the stone walls, avoiding cracks and hissing at spiders as it went. When it finally reached the huge glass window that showed the murkiness of the lake, it stopped. It reared its little head at Harry again, before sticking out its tongue and hissing at another snake that Harry had long since found but hadn't managed to have respond. But now, it moved alongside the other snake. They were slithering in a perfect circle whilst on each other's opposite side.

"Look at that!" George said in appreciation but nobody else said anything. Harry was much too fixated on what was happening. And then the snakes came together and entwined with one another. Their bodies became coiled in an endless loop and their heads faced each other when they finally stopped moving. And then, for the first time since Harry decided to help the twins with their strange treasure hunt, something else actually happened. A stone in the floor right underneath the window clicked, slid downwards and then sideways to reveal a small compartment with inside of it an even smaller chest.

"Wicked," Fred and George said simultaneously.

"Do you think it's trapped?" Fred asked.

"Only one way to find out," George said and reached in to grab the chest. He remained unscathed.

"It's so pretty!" Astoria said. Harry had to agree with her. The wood was black cherry. It looked glossy and didn't seem to be affected by the passing of time at all. That could mean that this chest was not from Salazar's time or that it was spelled to stay as good as new. There was a lock on the front of the chest. Its hinges and frame appeared to be made of solid gold whilst the lock itself took the form of the head of a silver snake, emeralds portraying its eyes and its maw large and open, ready to strike. Harry didn't think that a key existed to open this chest. No key except for parseltongue, that is.

"Will you do the honours, Harry?" Fred asked, having reached the same conclusion.

"I could try to blast it open instead," George offered. "But that seems like a waste of a fine little chest."

"Please don't break it!" Astoria pleaded. "It's very pretty! I'd like to have it please."

"Let's see what's inside of it first, okay?" Harry suggested. They went to sit by the fireplace, supremely pleased that none of the other Slytherins were here yet and put the box in the middle of a small table. Harry took a deep breath. He hadn't been this exhilarated in a long while. He might not be a fan of Slytherins ideals and methods but this kind of treasure hunt brought out the inner child in him that hadn't been allowed much freedom when he was younger. And it was only now that Harry realised just how much fun this actually was.

"Open," he hissed at the lock. It responded immediately. The threatening maw closed slowly before the snake itself slithered away, rearranging itself across the lid of the chest. Its body appeared to have been hidden inside of the chest and now that the snake was gone, a big hole was left.

"That should do it," Harry said. "Who wants to open it?"

"I think its only right that Astoria does," Fred said. "Since she's the one that found the snake."

"Agreed," George said. "Unless, of course, you're scared of traps or something?"

"I don't think there will be any," Harry said, perhaps a bit too confidently. "I think that Slytherin just wanted his legacy to be passed on to someone else who spoke Parseltongue. The rest probably doesn't matter to him."

"Ha!" George said. "He would probably turn over in his grave if he knew that it was three Gryffindors who opened his little treasure."

"Hey!" Astoria objected.

"And one plucky Slytherin," George agreed. "Go on then. Open it!"

Astoria giggled in delight before carefully lifting the lid. The snake didn't respond nor did any traps spring. Instead, the inside of the chest was revealed. It was lined with a smooth, green velvet and there were markings scribbled on the inside of the wood. A small vial with inside of it a potion that seemed to have been ridiculously well preserved rested in the middle of the chest, kept in place by a leathery strap. A small note accompanied it. It had one word. "Initium."

"Beginning," Astoria whispered, mesmerized.

"What does that mean?" Fred asked.

"What I'd like to know is what does that potion do?" Harry said. Its murky blackness was something Harry had never seen before. Silvery whisps seemed to float in the mixture as if they had a life of their own.

"Has any of you ever seen anything like it?" Harry asked, knowing that his knowledge about potions was quite slim.

"No," Astoria said. "And my family has brought forth a lot of potioneers."

"Really?" Harry asked. Daphne had never mentioned that before. "I didn't know that."

"Oh yes," Astoria said. "You see, a long time ago, my family was cursed. Some members of my family are now born with a blood disease which is why my family has tried to cure it with potions. To no avail, unfortunately." She then gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.

"I was not supposed to say that!" she said in a panicky tone. "Please don't tell my sister! Can you just pretend I never said that, please?"

"I won't tell anyone," Harry said honestly. "Don't worry. We all have our secrets."

"We promise on our honour as Gryffindors," the twins said. "Have no fear, little lady, your secret is safe with us."

"As it stands," Fred said, "I'm more interested in the secret of this potion, anyway. Do you figure it's something Slytherin made himself?"

"Why wouldn't he publish whatever the hell this is?" George questioned. "Slytherin must have been a very ambitious man. That goes without saying. So he would have sold any potion of importance, wouldn't he? To hone his legacy or something?"

"Not if its too dangerous," Astoria said, still a bit shaken by what she had revealed. "If a discovery is deemed too dark or unsafe, it will be thrown away to be forgotten. Or perhaps his Hogwarts legacy was more important to him than his ambitions."

George snorted. "Are you saying he'd rather be worshipped some more by some teenagers than be disdained by the wizarding world? Sounds about right"

"So, are you any good at potions?" Harry asked, though he realised the chance was very slim that Astoria would know what to make of this one.

"I'm okay," Astoria said. "Not as good as my sister is. But even she won't be able to do anything with that potion."

"Agreed," George said. "It needs to be recreated. Back engineered. That's not something any student can do."

"Only a master can," Fred agreed. "And even then, only after years of experience."

Harry groaned. "I can see you coming from a mile away," he said. "You want to take this to Snape, don't you?"

"Think about it, Harry," Fred said. "When we present him with this, there's no way that he'll still be mad at us."

"We might even get some future freebies for this discovery," George added. "And that's something you can probably use as well, can't you, you little troublemaker?"

"Professor Snape is very skilled," Astoria agreed. "And he has a lab right here at Hogwarts. I could also ask my family for help but er…"

"But?" Harry urged.

Astoria blushed. "I think it might go missing if I do that," she admitted sheepishly. "My family isn't great at sharing discoveries."

"Snape it is, then," Fred said. "Come on, let's go."

"I don't think he's in the mood right now," Harry said carefully, not wanting to set the twins off again. "He seemed kind of tired, earlier."

"Harry!" George said. "Don't you understand Slytherins yet? After all this time? He'll be thrilled!"

"I don't know," Harry said. The truth was that he didn't want to see Snape. Not on a semi-personal level like this one. Harry knew that the man would keep his secret but he still knew. And Harry expected the looks. The stolen glances of concern. Things he could do without. Especially from a man that had always hated him. On the other hand, he supposed that he wouldn't be able to avoid him forever. Especially if they were going to sort this whole Dursley thing out without too many people knowing the situation.

"We'll bring you back something from Hogsmeade," George offered. "Anything you want. You name it."

"Come on, Harry," Fred added. "We won't go to him without you. You're the main discoverer here, after all. But I would really like to know what this thing does."

"Maybe we'll find out that Slytherin was an amazing prankster!" George said dreamily. "Wouldn't that be something?"

Harry sighed and shook his head. Those twins would never change. Though it was good that they were so quick to bounce back, even after the explosive altercation they had with Malfoy. "Go on then," he said. "But don't blame me if Snape turns you into potions ingredients for disturbing him."

"Ha!" Fred said. "I'd be less surprised if he gave us O's on all of our assignments for the rest of the year."

"Or a monetary reward," Fred said. "Do you think he's very rich?"

"Go ahead and ask him," Harry shrugged. "It's your funeral."

But the twins were too busy high fiving each other to listen to Harry. They were probably right, though. As much as Snape seemed to dislike teaching, his love for potions was clear. There was no way he would not find this one interesting. Especially if they told the man where it came from. And Harry imagined that it might refocus Snape's attention away from him which could only be to his benefit.

Snape had retreated to his inner quarters for the moment. Yes, it was somewhat premature, he would admit but if a student tried entering his office, he would be alerted to their presence. But for now, he wanted nothing more than to forsake his duties and drink his most recent memories away from his muddled mind. A nice vintage fire whiskey would do the trick.

Whatever had come over his Slytherins? Snape would have suspected those Gryffindors to be the reason but they were honestly a very small part of the otherwise very Slytherin population in the dungeons. Sure, their presence was annoying but it surely couldn't have caused such a huge change in his house, could it?

But then what in the seven hells had come over Draco Malfoy? Snape just couldn't figure it out. Certainly, the boy had always shown signs of obstinance and arrogance. And the fact that he had a temper was also nothing new. But this? The boy's sense of self-preservation should have been present enough to not have a violent outburst like the one he had in the great hall. The accusations uttered against those Weasley twins were foul, to say the least. Foul and especially undeserved. For all their Gryffindor flaws, he knew that the redheads had always shown patience and kindness towards his Slytherins. Especially now that they were a part of his house. Yes, they were rulebreakers but they were not bullies.

Not only that, but Draco had actually denounced Albus without a second thought for himself. It was almost as if the irate boy had completely forgotten that the headmaster was present. In fact, he had been so angry that he hardly seemed to notice that the entire school was actually present, give or take a few straddlers.

And this time his foul mouth was not a weapon of his usual snarky self. Not a means to diminish and patronize his adversaries' self-worth just to get a laugh. Yes, Snape knew what the boy was often like. He could not deny this. But it had always been a way for him to keep his head held high in a school that normalised hating all Slytherins.

But this? This was him lashing out like a wounded animal. There was no goal. No cunning means to an end. This could almost be described as desperation. A cry for help.

It couldn't be, could it? Not after Potter. Not now. This could not be happening again. There was no way that Draco Malfoy had slipped through the cracks. Snape knew – without a doubt in his mind – that his exam had been real and thorough. Not only that, but all of his Slytherins took it again every year. There was no way that the boy was beaten at home. No way. But then why? Where was this anger – clearly misplaced as it was – coming from? What was Snape missing? Narcissa Malfoy doted on her little boy. Too much, if you asked Snape. He didn't want for anything. And his father – while strict – did everything in his power to make Draco succeed in life. What was he missing? What was he blind to? And was it because it was something he didn't wish to see? Snape was starting to wonder if he was going to have to use some Occlumency on the boy. Though talking to him first would be preferable.

The alarm he set alerted him to someone standing in front of his office door. Great. Of all the evenings he was free to listen to the benign woes of the school's teenage population, this was one he would rather have skipped. But he needed to perform his duties. So he put down the still unopened bottle of fire whiskey, straightened his robe and crossed the threshold into his office, closing the door to his chambers behind him and obscuring it with a book case as he always did. A bit cliché, perhaps, but Snape did enjoy the classics. He took a seat behind his desk and steepled his fingers. "Enter," he called out.

He was somewhat surprised to see the door open only to reveal three of the troublemakers that were worrying him the most accompanied by the sweet Astoria. Snape could only hope that the three older boys were not filling her head with ill intent.

"What seems to be the problem?" Snape asked, trying to keep his tone neutral. He was very much aware of the tension between him and Potter and did his best to appear approachable, at least. Because he might have to be there for the boy in the near future. Surely, a breakdown was eminent. That was another reason why he could not possibly forsake his head of house duties for now. To be there for those in his house that need him.

But in this instance, there didn't seem to be a problem. In fact, the twins seemed to be positively giddy. Strange, after the fight they had in the great hall but Snape was glad that they weren't wallowing in misery.

"We found something you will find interesting, Professor," one of the Weasley twins said. He could clearly hardly contain his excitement.

"Will I?" Snape asked, sceptical. There was nothing these teenagers could show him that would astound him. The Potter boy was shuffling his feet, as if he had done something wrong but Astoria was beaming in delight. "Go on, then," Snape said, mostly weary but also slightly curious.

The Weasley twin that hadn't spoken but a box on his desk. It was quite beautiful but seemed a bit useless in use. After all, there was a gaping hole where the lock should have been. Old magic seemed to exude from the box and Snape had to admit that he was at least a little curious. Eager to get Potter back out of his shell, and annoyingly unable to keep the twins apart, he directed his questions to him.

"What am I supposed to be looking at?"

Potter looked at him. He still looked a bit sheepish, as if he wasn't sure if what they had brought was even allowed but he was also eager to go ahead. Snape just hoped that this wasn't a prank engineered by the Weasleys because he was not in the mood to supervise any detentions right now.

"This is a box" Potter said. "That we believe to have been Slytherin's."

Snape frowned. "And why would you believe that?" he asked, suspecting that it was another one of his Slytherin's attempts to cause Potter trouble. If so, he would need to come down hard again.

"Well," Potter continued. "I spoke to one of the snake etchings and it kind of slithered around until it opened a secret compartment. This box was in there."

Ok, so perhaps these teenagers could still astound him. For a moment, Snape didn't know what to say. So Potter spoke to a snake etching? Using parseltongue, Snape imagined. By chance or was this something he regularly did? His gaze flickered to the chest and the silver snake that lay atop it.

"That's… curious," he managed to say.

"Then I opened it by talking to the snake in the lock," Potter said. The ease with which the boy unravelled magical secrets sometimes annoyed Snape but this… had him at the edge of his seat, so to speak.

"There's a potion inside."

Oh but why didn't they lead with that? Snape did his best to school his expression but judging from the glances those blasted twins shared with one another, a bit of his excitement had seeped through. "I see," Snape said, keeping his voice as neutral as he could. He wanted to open the box and take a look. But first things first.

"Potter," he said. "Do you think it wise to converse with and activate the snakes you find down here?" he asked.

"They're not real," Potter said.

"I'm aware of that," Snape replied. "Neither were the snakes that lead you to the chamber of secrets. And yet, once activated, they led you to grave danger and almost certain death."

"I found this one in the common room," Harry argued. "I didn't think it was dangerous."

Snape sighed. "This is Hogwarts," he said. "And unfortunately, I've come to learn that it houses not only fantastical discoveries but also dangerous secrets. It is regrettable but you of all people should realize that since we had no one proficient enough to discover the chamber of secrets that – likewise – Slytherin's other secrets would have remained hidden."

"Professor," one of the twins said. His voice almost taunting. "Don't you want to check out that potion?"

Oh, how he very much would like to.

"Has the gravity of the situation not dawned on you yet?" Snape asked. "As for you, Ms Greengrass, I suspect your sister might have informed you about the happenings from last year. Take those as a warning that these hidden secrets are dangerous."

"Yes, Professor," she said meekly.

Snape fixed all four of them with a stern stare before finally looking down at the box once more.

"Very well," he said. "As long as you understand. You were at least wise enough to bring the contents of this box straight to me rather than drink it as an experiment."

Carefully, Snape lifted the box to reveal the potion inside. It was tied down with a leather strap. The contents didn't look like any potion he had ever seen. Carefully, he undid the strap and picked up the vial. The consistency of the potion was not as he had expected. It was thick and flowed sluggishly whereas the silver flicks inside of the black moved swiftly as if they were in the air.

"I don't know this potion," Snape said softly as he held the vial up to the light. "I will need to experiment somewhat."

"You'll tell us what it is when you find out though, right?" Weasley asked. "I mean, we did find it for you."

"I'm flattered that you think me capable enough to dissect the work of Salazar Slytherin himself," Snape said evenly. "Either you're trying to get in my good graces or you have no idea of the work this requires. Possibly both."

"Possibly both," the other Weasley said agreeably.

Snape scoffed. "If I discover what this does… I will let you know," he agreed. "But only because you were wise enough to come to me with this."

"Thank you sir," Astoria said all too eagerly. Yes, Snape supposed that this would interest her as well. "Er… about that box."

"Yes?" Snape said. The box was magical as well, he knew. The carvings inside of it were probably the reason this potion was in this perfect condition. Perhaps they were the catalyst for a powerful stasis spell.

"Could I please keep it?" Astoria asked. "It is so pretty!"

Snape sighed. "If it is alright with you, Ms Greengrass," he said. "I would prefer to examine this box thoroughly at first. I need to make certain that it is not harmful." And he really wanted to copy those carvings and try to figure out the magic behind them. "If and when I deem it harmless, you may have it back, of course."

Though the girl would probably not appreciate just how much this box could be worth. If it really did belong to Salazar Slytherin and he had inscribed it with magic this powerful and unknown it could probably pay for the cost of a large mansion set on several acres of land. And then there would probably be enough left over to pay for the furnishings as well.

Be that as it may, Snape had no need for a large fortune, nor would he know what to do with it. Simply being given the opportunity to examine everything there was to discover was enough for him. The Weasleys and possibly Potter should be informed though, given their teamwork. But probably after Snape was done with it. For if he accidentally destroyed the box or lessened its value, he could in no way repay these students of his.

"One more thing," Snape said when the wily children made to leave. "Please inform me the next time you go on another one of these… adventures. I was not exaggerating when I said that danger could still lurk behind these secrets. Salazar Slytherin, though a great man, was not kind nor benevolent. It would not have been out of character for him to lay traps or other dangers in the way of those who would seek his knowledge. And while I do not wish to hinder you, I do wish to assist you."

And while all that was true, he would hate to miss out on other discoveries.

"As long as you promise not to run off with the spoils, Professor," one of the Weasleys said. He even dared to wink at Snape as if they had suddenly become friends through this.

Snape scoffed. "Only if these spoils prove to be far too dangerous in the hands of a bunch of teenagers," he said.

"We'll think about it, sir," Weasley said. It was annoying not to be able to tell them apart. Maybe Snape should mark one of them with an invisible rune or something. Just for the duration of their stay in Slytherin.

"I expect your full cooperation," Snape said. "And do not try to trick me because I will find out. As I did find out about you transgressions involving Mr Harry Potter, Messrs Weasley." Snape fixed the two redheads with a dangerous glare which at least seemed to cow them a little bit.

"Just this once," Snape then added. "I will let it slide. I understand you were trying to protect your friend. Your Gryffindor traits still need to be dulled a bit." He smirked to try and convey that he was merely joking, though the Gryffindors didn't seem to pick up on that. The twins seemed to be relieved, though.

"Try and deceive me again, though," Snape added. "And do it as poorly as you have, I will have you scrubbing cauldrons until your fingers bleed. Now scram."

Without another word, but plenty of stolen glances at the wooden box, the children finally left Snape's office.

Well, it looked like that Fire Whiskey was going to have to wait for another day. Can't be looking into something this important while inebriated.

A/N: I realise that this chapter was a lot softer than the previous ones but it's important as well. Also, you can't have drama all the time, I suppose. I hope you liked it and please review!