Godric sidestepped the spell coming at him, a soft sigh escaping him. "Sorry," Neville mumbled, "You can switch with someone else if you want."

Godric shook his head and looked around the room, disappointment settling heavily into his stomach. He had been so excited at the prospect of a Duelling Club, but it had only started with disaster and continued in a degrading fashion.

The evening of December 15th started with a demonstration of dueling between Lockhart and Snape. Lockhart hadn't a clue what he had been doing, which Snape took advantage of and sent Lockhart flying across the room, courtesy of a second-year charm that should have been easily blocked or dodged.

It was the only time the entirety of the school, sans most of the female students, openly cheered for the Potions professor.

After the sham of a demonstration the buffoon told everyone to separate into partners to practice. Which, in and of itself, wasn't a bad idea. The lack of preparations for the separation was the cause of the issue. Spells went flying in every direction, hitting people that the students hadn't even been aiming at. Or, in some cases, the people who were being aimed at even though they weren't partners.

The entirety of the Great Hall lay in chaos.

"It isn't you, Neville," Godric explained. "I'm just bored because of the spell." He sent the spell at Neville, easily ducking under a stray spell from one of the many students. Again, he hit Neville in the chest. Once the other boy was up, Godric narrowed his eyes and went to the boy. "Show me how you're putting the shield up, I believe your wand motion is off a little."

Salazar, who hadn't wanted to come and did only at Godric's request, stood in place and kept up a shield that his opponent could not bypass.

Spells of different sorts began to be flung about, instead of just the disarming spell. Godric put a shield up around himself and Neville, helping the boy with his wand movements.

Rowena and Helga worked together, idly chattering as they kept lazily throwing the spells at each other. Probably more interested in conversing than the low level spell they already knew. Though they, like Godric and Salazar, kept an eye out for any dangerous spells that could possibly hurt the children.

"Stop," Lockhart cried out over the din. "I told you. Disarm only!"

Snape managed to stop all spell casting throughout the Great Hall with a simple suggestion and a cool voice: "Perhaps another demonstration."

With order once more restored, Godric stepped away from Neville. "Another one," Godric groaned and he heard Neville giggle beside him. Looking at the usually nervous boy, Godric grinned. When Godric glanced up at the professors, he realized they were looking at the students for the demonstration and he began immediately jumping up and down, waving his arms frantically above his head.

Maybe... Keeping his hand held high, Godric began looking for Salazar. Maybe the two of them could duel and show how it's supposed to be done. When he saw the other man, he found him talking to the girl he had been practicing with, a smirk on his lips as he glanced at Godric.

Salazar's hands stayed firmly in front of him.

Well... fine... Godric would just duel him later.

And of course Lockhart chose Harry while Snape naturally decided on Malfoy to show how to properly block and disarm. Godric dropped his hands with a huff as Neville muttered, "This won't end well."

"Of course not. Why else did Snape choose Malfoy? He's bent on making Harry look bad."

"And those two hate each other. Do you think they'll stick with just disarming each other?"

"Not likely." Godric leaned closer to Neville, a frown on his face as he stuck his hands in his trouser pockets, cocking his hip out as they watched. "They might start that way, but they'll definitely evolve into different spells. Thankfully, they don't know too many. Unless the two professors teach them something; which, knowing them, they probably will. And only Malfoy will benefit."

"But... wouldn't he have difficulty using a new spell?"

"Depends on the spell."

They watched as the two second year students faced off; they exchanged barbs, and began the customary countdown. Malfoy immediately jumped into action the first moment he could, yelling, "Everte Statum!"

Harry was thrown backwards to the end of the platform. The crowd erupted with cheers and jeers. Harry scrambled to his feet and repositioned himself. Malfoy looked quite pleased with the results.

Godric sighed, "I was wrong. They didn't even make it past the first round. But as I was saying, some spells don't even need a wand, much less a wand movement. It's mostly just intent, with the wand acting as a focus."

The next try had Malfoy landing on his backside, sliding backwards until he stopped at Snape's feet. The fact that the scenario was similar to what had happened earlier did not escape Godric's notice. The crowd erupted with more cheers and jeers. Neville quietly clapped beside him as Godric silently watched.

The combatants prepared to face off again. Snape had mumbled something to his chosen contender before forcefully shoving him towards the center of the platform. Harry in the meantime fidgeted, but warily kept his stance.

Malfoy summoned a black mamba that landed in the center of the platform. Harry just stood there and watched it. The adults, naturally, intervened. Professors had a bad habit of believing they understood a situation because they instinctively project what results they expect. Only Harry wasn't panicking.

"Don't move, Potter," Snape loped forward.

Lockhart unfortunately reached the snake first, "I'll handle this!" He spoke some gibberish while wiggling his wand, casted his spell and the snake… was tossed into the air.

All the students shrieked and Godric raised an eyebrow, wand levelly pointing at the snake in case it had been angered - which who wouldn't be after such abuse? - and moved forward towards the dais as most of the students hurriedly backed away. Still Harry stood his ground, the snake hissing angrily, and when it took interest in its surroundings, he spoke to it.

Unfortunately for the twelve-year-old, there were only two others in the room that understood what he'd said. The snake… and Salazar.

By the time the snake spoke to the boy and Harry responded, Godric was in front of the platform at eye level with the mamba. Salazar to his left, Helga on Salazar's left and Rowena on Helga's. The four founders would protect the students, even from themselves if they idiotically summoned an extremely venomous snake.

Malfoy.

Harry flinched at whatever the snake said and replied in some way, crouching to bring himself closer to eye level with the mamba.

The mamba seemed to straighten, head ducking to brush it's nose against it's scales as if preening at some praise and Salazar looked aside in an attempt to hide his amusement. It was at that moment that Snape finally took charge of the situation and banished the snake.

Harry looked around as the mutters and murmurs began, blinking in confusion before Ron grabbed him and literally dragged him out of the Great Hall.

With the threat gone, Godric nodded to himself and began to sheath his wand. However, as the murmurs of the children finally registered, he froze and listened intently.

"Evil."

"He can speak to snakes?"

"That's... that's dark magic that!"

"Harry Potter is dark?"

"Isn't that what You-Know-Who spoke?"

"Salazar Slytherin could speak to snakes and he was no good."

"Isn't that evil?"

"Only evil and dark wizards ever spoke Parseltongue."

And on and on and on. Godric could feel Salazar tensing beside him. He could hear the vile words falling from the mouths of the naïve children. He could see Snape and Lockhart just standing there, doing nothing. In an instant, his control shattered.

"Are you all imbecilic that you cannot even think for yourselves?" He roared and the entirety of the Great Hall focused on Godric. His hands clenched tightly at his sides and he knew that a scowl was pulling at his features.

"Ric," Helga started and Godric quickly stepped away from his friends so they wouldn't stop him. And so he wouldn't look at Salazar.

"Why do you all assume that Parseltongue is evil? Where and in which book is it in? I can tell you that none of that is remotely true. It's as if saying that speaking Mermish is the sign of a good person. It all comes down to how the wizard uses the ability! And good and evil are subjective topics anyway!"

"Miss Dunbar," Snape interrupted silkily, but Godric raised his voice to interrupt the professor.

"It's hereditary! From multiple different families. Like the Metamorphmagus gene! Parseltongue is from the Slytherin line, if it's still around. The Bonham line had members who spoke to snakes. The Peverell's and a few others in France too, not to mention -"

"Miss Dunbar! Ten Points from Gryffindor."

" - the families in Japan and in the Americas. Where do you think -"

"Detention, Miss Dunbar! Another Ten points from Gryffindor."

From the corner of his eye, Godric watched Helga walk purposefully towards him, but his attention was firmly on Snape as he snarled, "I'll take it!" Helga's hand gently grasped his arm, trying to ground him as he turned back to the room where all of the students stared at him wide eyed. "Where do you think the Caduceus came from? Parseltongue helped with the progression of Alchemy and Healing. How does that point to evil you conformist, unintelligent, bigoted -"

He went to shake her grasp off him, but Helga's grip tightened and she whispered softly, "Socair" and the familiar wash of her magic surrounded him. His raging emotions didn't disappear, they just... mellowed and burned in his chest, giving him the time to take a steadying breath and snap his mouth shut. "Peace, Ric," she whispered in English. "We'll take care of him."

Godric clenched his jaw, but he nodded as her hand slipped off his arm.

"Detention with me tomorrow evening, Miss Dunbar, and an additional twenty points from Gryffindor for your most outrageous outburst."

Godric straightened, stared at the professor, and ran a hand through his hair while he grinned. "Professor, I quite believe that the accusations being thrown about were quite outrageous so I responded in kind. I'm quite sure you and Professor Lockhart were going to interrupt. I am truly sorry for speaking out of turn." His grin sharpened as Snape's gaze soured. "My father worked at St Mungo's and in muggle hospitals from time to time when he was alive. It's quite irksome to have these idiotic claims floating around."

"Be that as it may, Ms. Dunbar, you will report to my office tomorrow evening at seven sharp and another ten points for your cheek."

"Of course, Professor." Godric turned his back to the professor and stalked out of the hall, muttering under his breath about asinine students.

- - - - Founders - - - -

"You yelled at them all?"

"Of course I did! It's ridiculous to be upset about a trait that you got from your family. You can't decide which family you are born into, but you can decide what you do with the gifts. I bet you would be brilliant if you went into the medical field, if you wanted to of course. Madam Pomfrey might be able to answer questions." Godric grinned at Harry, flinging himself into one of the seats near the fire.

"But people are still terrified of me."

"So?" He waited until Harry joined him in the spare chair. Hermione had gone off to the library and Ron... well, Godric wasn't sure where the redhead had gone off to. "If they do, then they aren't using their brains to think for themselves. If that's the case, then they aren't worth knowing." He raised his voice slightly so his voice carried around the common room and he snorted in amusement when suddenly the sound of movement and conversations finally started up again.

"How do you not care?"

Godric blinked at Harry, tilting his head to the side. "I have my friends. I have the people I care about. Most people in our house don't like me because I lost so many house points last year because I refused to wear a skirt and instead wore trousers. I was told countless times I was the reason we came in last place." He shrugged, rubbing his shoulder as he felt eyes watching them. "And now they'll continue to dislike me because I lost us fifty points from Snape at the Dueling Club. Normally the only person he takes so much from is you."

"Yeah... you really didn't need to do that."

Godric waved a hand, throwing his legs over the armrest and raising his arms over the opposite side and stretching. "I did." He found who was watching them and he narrowed his eyes on Finnegan, who was staring at him, not Harry. He pulled the skin down from under one eye and stuck his tongue out at the boy before rightening himself and moving his attention back to Harry. "Look, Harry, speaking Parseltongue isn't the end of the world. There are plenty of bloodline abilities out there. None of them are inherently evil. You have your friends, what more do you need?"

Harry glanced around and hunched in on himself, shrugging.

Children. Children were the harshest critics and yet the most open to learn. They infuriated him and brought him delight, and he never understood how they had the ability to make him feel such contradictory things.

"You will never be able to get everyone to like you. You probably don't want everyone to like you. Can you imagine being civil with Malfoy? It would be exhausting."

Harry laughed, nodding, "We would have to listen to him talk about himself and his father all the time."

"The important thing to remember when people don't like you, is that there are people who like you for who you are. Weird quirks and all."

"You said that Parseltongue is a family trait?"

Godric nodded, leg swinging as he softly whistled under his breath. An old shanty that his ma used to sing when she visited him at the Slytherins.

"Is the Potter's one of those families?"

"No, they're not." Godric glanced at him, head tilted. "You'll be able to go back a few generations due to public knowledge, but the farther back you go, the more mingled and wide the tree spreads. You would need time to sort through it. Plus you would have to look at both sides of your family and all of their branches to see where you got the gift."

"Both sides?"

"Sure. There's an off chance someone in your mother's history was either a muggleborn or squib who decided to leave the magic world. You never know, so it's best to have all the information before you can say one way or another. It could even be that you have someone from your mom's and dad's side who are descended from the families and you only received the ability because you were magical and the two genes grew stronger because of that."

Harry wrapped his arms around himself and quietly thought for a few minutes before asking, "Do you think my family might be related to Slytherin?"

"Sure, and there's nothing wrong with that."

Harry blinked before stating, "Wasn't he evil? Enemies of the Heir, beware?"

Godric frowned. "Someone could just be saying that to cause a stir. We have no proof that it's really Slytherin's heir doing this, and the professors and students don't know what this monster is." And he was not lying by saying that. He and the others were founders of the school, even if these bodies were students. The difference was enough that he didn't feel bad for fibbing. "History has the capability of changing the more that someone tells you a story. Have you heard of the game called telephone? Where a person whispers something to someone, and they whisper to someone else, and so on, until the last person says it out loud. The end result is very rarely what it started out as. I imagine history is the same way. Pieces of it could be true, but the larger picture had been changed.

"Anyway, focusing back on you being a parselmouth. If you want to know, start looking." He kicked a foot at Harry, not even coming close to hitting the boy. "Or have Hermione start looking. You never know, you might find some more family alive. Distant, maybe, but family."

Harry nodded, pensive, before shaking his head and turning the conversation away to the Holidays and Quidditch.

Godric stifled a groan; the boy always wanted to talk about Quidditch.

- - - - Founders - - - -

Godric twisted the ring, causing it to warm against his skin as he hurried out of the common room to meet with his friends. He cast the disillusionment charm on himself and he ran through the halls. The paintings all called out at the sound of his feet slapping against the stone floor, aghast that some student was out and about.

Once he neared the correct corridor, he slowed down and paced before the bare wall to make sure he properly summoned the Room of Requirement.

He waited, pacing back and forth, fingers twisting the ring over and over on his forefinger, and worrying his bottom lip with his teeth.

Rowena came first. "Ric?"

"I think I found the new entrance to the laboratory."

"Where?!"

"The second floor girl's lavatory."

"... What?"

"Also, the Polyjuice potion is nearly complete."

"Godric. Focus. The laboratory?"

He shook his head, "We should wait for the -"

Helga came in as he was talking, with Salazar following directly afterwards.

"What happened?"

"Ric says that the laboratory entrance is in the second floor girl's lavatory," Rowena said with a frown.

"Is it really?" Salazar asked.

"Apparently, but what I want to know is... why?"

"That's not important right now. What is important is that years ago, Ismanna killed a student," Godric stated solemnly.

Helga pressed her hand against her chest. "Who was killed?"

"Myrtle, the girl that haunts that bathroom. We were in there tonight, Hermione was brewing the Polyjuice Potion, when I asked Myrtle how she died."

"Honestly, Ric? Doesn't that seem a bit insensitive?"

"What, I was curious? Anyway, she told me that she died in that lavatory after she saw yellow eyes, it came from the direction of the sink. Ron and Harry didn't hear, too busy talking to each other, and I think Hermione was engrossed by her brewing. Since they were distracted I went to look at the sinks and I found an etching of a snake on the tap that does not work."

Godric ran his hands through his hair. "We have to see if we can get in the laboratory. If Ismanna really did kill a student we need to find out what's happening before she kills - " Helga looked as if she meant to argue with him, so he quickly added, "accidently or on purpose, again."

Rowena nodded, "We must go. Before another student is harmed."

Salazar led the way to the door, "Let's go."

Once they all had on their disillusionment spells, they left. No one said a word until they were nearing the lavatory.

"I will need a minute or two before we verify if the entrance is there."

"Why?" Godric glanced at the area from where the sound of Salazar's voice came.

"The Polyjuice Potion. I wish to take a look at it."

"What?!" Godric tried to keep his voice down, but it didn't work as well as he intended. "We don't have the time!"

The door of the bathroom loomed ahead as Helga said, "We need to get to Ismanna, Sal."

"I just want to see the potion. All I need is a quick peek, nothing more."

Rowena sighed, "You know it's best to let him look and be done with it. Ismanna can wait a few minutes."

"But -" Ric sighed, "The potion will be there after we come back up. We should address the issue with Ismanna first and then we can worry about more recreational things."

The door opened and the four wandered in before they closed the door. They dropped their spells and Salazar was already making a beeline for the potion, "Just give me a mo -" He froze as three students suddenly appeared in front of them, Harry holding onto his Invisibility Cloak. "Ric, your observational skills are as always a pleasure to witness."

"I thought -"

"What are you doing bringing her here?" Harry asked, glaring at Salazar.

Rowena stepped forward, placing a hand on Salazar's shoulder for a brief moment, "The potion, of course. That's a fourth year potion and we were curious."

The two boys didn't glance over at Rowena, instead keeping their furious glare on Godric and Salazar. Hermione, at least, had the decency to look torn.

"You brought a Slytherin here," Ron spat, "They are rotten and -"

"Choose your next words wisely, Ronald Weasley," Godric stepped forward, voice quiet and hard, eyes narrowed and cold, "I do not take kindly to those who speak ill of my family."

"Family?" Ron scoffed. "You aren't related!"

"And must you be related to truly be family?" Godric let his glance travel to Harry and he watched as Ron's face reddened and Harry's turn ashen at the implication.

Before Godric could continue, Helga stepped forward and inserted herself between the two arguing sides. "Everyone take a calming breath. Let's look at this objectively."

"How is this objective?" Harry asked, face hardening in anger. "She betrayed us."

"True," Helga acquiesced.

"Hey!"

"Oh shush, Ric, you did. This was meant to stay between the four of you and you told us. However," she eyed the two boys, "Ric did so because we noticed something was going on and as we've known hi-her for years. She wouldn't have been able to keep it quiet for long the more we pestered her."

"That just means we shouldn't tell her anything!" Ron snapped.

"Why?" Helga cocked her head, putting on a curious face. "You're not going to use it, are you? Ric just said that Hermione was curious and wanted to see if she could create a difficult potion that had been mentioned in passing."

Ric caught on and glanced away from the two, trying to keep from laughing as he watched Salazar slowly escaping from Ron and Harry's gaze and instead making his way to Rowena and Hermione who stood looking over the potion. "It's not like Snape would have let her brew it in one of the Potions Labs."

"But... she's a Slytherin! She'll tell Snape!"

"Why would Sal do that?" Helga asked.

"She's a Slytherin, she believes in blood supremacy!"

"Sal's a halfblood." The two blinked and stared at Godric, who shrugged. "And not to mention, that the thought of seeing a new potion is exciting. What is your problem with everything Slytherin?"

"Everyone who's evil came from Slytherin," Ron answered immediately.

"Incorrect," Helga clasped her hands together. "Bartermius Crouch Jr., from Ravenclaw. Sirius Black, from Gryffindor. And I imagine that should hit the hardest for multiple reasons."

"But those are just two!"

"And I imagine that the ones who haven't been caught yet have been using the stigma that Slytherin's are the only evil ones to their advantage. Who would look at Hufflepuffs, Ravenlaws, or Gryffindors when all of their focus is looking for the bad in Slytherins?"

"It's disgusting, is what it is," Godric muttered.

"We can't trust you," Ron said, crossing his arms. "You would tell them everything that's happening."

"You mean Ric would tell Sal everything, correct?"

"So what? It's true," Harry mulishly put in.

"Are you so pig headed that you ignore everything I've done to help you?" Godric asked. "And so focused on your hatred of Slytherins you're bullying innocent people?"

"They aren't innocent!"

"What have they done to you?" Godric asked, stepping into Ron's face. "Thrown hexes? So have you! Argued? So have you! Called each other names? So. Have. You!" Godric stabbed a finger at Ron's chest with the last three words. "How does that make them evil, but not you? Don't you think that a lot of Slytherin's turn evil because of people like you ?"

"Ric," Helga sighed as both Ron and Harry went white. "That's enough."

"Is it?" He asked quietly, stepping backwards and letting his shoulders slump. "Bigotry can push anyone over the edge and fall onto a dark path. The Slytherins don't have any support to help them. Everyone pushes them away.

"Even after I helped these three with the stone last year. After I killed someone for them, to protect them, they think I'm evil because I'm friends with Sal." He crossed his arms and shook his head, stepping farther away. He could feel the tears prickling at his eyes.

"Sal?" Godric called out, voice a lot weaker than he meant it to be, but it rang in the silence of the lavatory. Salazar's head came from the stall and after taking a look at Godric, the man was immediately at Godric's side.

"Ric..."

"Will you leave with me?"

"Of course."

Godric and Salazar left, leaving Helga to clear the air. As soon as they left the bathroom, tears immediately pooled from his eyes. "I hate this, Sal," he whispered. "I hate this."

Salazar led them to the nearest empty room. "I do, too."

"What did we do so wrong for people to twist our pasts so horridly? You were the one who risked the most to save the children from the non magicals. I didn't as much because I was fighting to protect our lands from the invaders. I was the killer and you the protector. What did we do wrong that they forgot everything that we actually did?"

Google Translate Time:

Socair = calm