It was a week later and the entire school was up in arms about a quidditch game that afternoon. Salazar wasn't concerned about the game since his team wasn't playing and he had no intention of attending. Helga gave him a disappointed look, so naturally he had changed his mind. How those women could manipulate him and not be considered members of his house, he did not know. But he did find it amusing.

It was nearing the end of breakfast when the owls arrived. Salazar didn't look up, he hadn't expected to hear back from his parents yet, so was a tad surprised when an envelope dropped on the table, addressed to him.

Salazar hesitated only for a moment, but plucked it up before Malfoy or his goon could get their paws on it. He noted the return address before slipping it into a pocket. Malfoy watched with interest. "Bad news, Davis? Afraid to read it at the table?" The buffoon smirked at Salazar. "Worried you've been disowned for being the worst Slytherin in the history of the school?"

He laughed. Salazar couldn't have stopped it if he tried. The worst Slytherin in the history of Hogwarts? Him? It took some doing to gain control, but he managed. Wiping the tears of mirth from his eyes, Salazar set his napkin back on his lap and sighed softly, catching his breath. "I haven't laughed that hard in years, Malfoy. Well done." He gave a thoughtful glance at the ceiling and stated, "Probably the wittiest thing you've said in... well, ever."

He thought for a moment on what he wanted the message to say, and gave a small pulse of magic to the ring. Salazar felt the small vibration and knew his message had been sent. He looked across the room at his friends at various tables. Helga had been watching him and nodded, she spoke to someone beside her and left. Rowena didn't look his way, simply gathered her books and dabbed her mouth with her napkin before leaving the Great Hall. Godric stared at his ring, jumped up, and left. Salazar frowned at his friend in concern, but didn't say a thing when he too left the Great Hall.

They met once more in classroom eleven. Salazar was the last to arrive and like their last time meeting in the room, he set the wards to protect them. "I have a letter from my parents."

"What does it say?" Rowena asked.

"I don't know," Salazar admitted. "I refuse to open personal mail at the table where anyone can read it." Salazar opened the letter and skimmed through it. There wasn't much, since they had just corresponded last week, but it did have the information he had been waiting for. "They agree. I'm to invite both Harry and Hermione to visit us this summer for a week."

Helga sighed softly with a look of relief on her face. "That is excellent news. I was-"

Her words were cut off. Their rings vibrated... once... twice... thrice...

The founders stood, wands drawn. Rowena checked her watch. "Breakfast is over. Everyone should be heading to the game."

"Excellent," Helga said and disillusioned herself without hesitation. The other three followed suit and they left for the chamber, heading to the nearest entrance which was the library via the old staff room.

They moved swiftly, dodging any stragglers. After the door to the old staff room opened three times Helga dropped her spell and looked around with concern. "Who is missing?"

"None." Salazar was suddenly beside her. "I slipped in behind Rowena."

Godric didn't wait to hear more, he quickly went to the fireplace and pressed a palm onto the etched lion on the stone face and gave a pulse of magic. They moved down the spiral staircase, allowing the stone wall to close behind them. He stood in the center of the room, placed his hands on the center of the tiles on the floor and recited, "Tha mise, Godric Gryffindor, a stèidhich Hogwarts, a 'cur an cèill gu bheil eòlas a chaidh a lorg na chumhachd a chaidh fhaighinn, ach nach bi e a-riamh ann an cunnart chloinne."

From there, it took them no time at all to get to the laboratory through the tunnel. All of their work preparing for this inevitable confrontation was finally paying off. Ismana was waiting in the tunnel before the door and hissed impatiently at them, "I can stall no longer."

Salazar nodded and eased her mind, "You have no need to do her bidding."

"It is him!"

That took him aback. "Him?"

He had apparently said that in English because Godric was immediately by his side. "Who? I thought it was a girl that has been coming down here?"

"Me too," Salazar stated, then took a breath to calm himself and tried again, "Who is in there?"

"Fire haired came, dropped book, he came from book. The one that makes Iss kill!"

"Things just got complicated," Salazar stated, "Riddle is in there with the girl. Somehow having come from a book she had on her person."

"Let's do this," Godric stated and moved to the door giving their new password, that wasn't in parseltongue, to gain entrance. The door swung open as expected but what they saw... wasn't.

Down the corridor at the other end was a small redheaded girl. She was lying at the base of the statue near the pool of water where Ismanna's entrance was located. Standing over the prone body was a ghostly figure staring down at the child.

Godric entered first, followed by Salazar, Rowena, and finally Helga who took a moment to coo at Ismanna for being such a good girl. They did not worry about stealth. They simply walked down the center of the chamber, two by two, then fanned out to form a semi-circle facing the apparition.

Ismanna was correct. He looked just like the photos of Tom Riddle that Rowena had found in the library. The ghost of the boy looked to be the age of a seventh year student who was wearing an old dated uniform. One as old as Myrtle's. Salazar frowned as he took note of everything about him.

"How did you get in here?" The ghost asked as he turned to look at them. "Only one other can speak parseltongue... and Harry Potter is not a girl."

"You see, that's where you are wrong," Godric said as he braced for a fight. The other three kept their wands drawn to defend themselves if necessary, but trusted Godric was skilled enough to leave the fighting to him.

"Harry Potter is a girl?"

"What? No, you imbecile!" Godric growled, "He's not the only parselmouth!" Tom shook his head as if to dislodge the confusion that Godric just caused him. In the meantime, Godric was shaking his own head stating, "Sal, you're right, he's an idiot."

That caught Tom's attention and the teen turned on the quartet. "You will regret those words. Do you know who I am?"

"Why do they always ask that?" Rowena asked no one in particular.

"They like to hear themselves speak," Helga answered the rhetorical question. "I believe they call it monologuing."

Tom was growing angrier with each insult. "I am the heir to Salazar Slytherin! I have the most powerful weapon at my disposal. You four will perish for your insolence."

Salazar finally sighed and stepped forward. "First of all. So what? You are a Slytherin descendant. I'm not impressed." Tom took a step forward to tower over what the ghost must have assumed was only a small girl, but Salazar did not cower. He felt Godric step forward beside him and smirked at his 'heir'. "Second, you had a possible powerful ally that you used as a weapon, and lost her trust by forcing her to do something she was not meant to do."

"What?" Tom looked confused for a moment, but Salazar wasn't finished.

Salazar hissed to her, "Ismanna, please come. It is not polite to keep our uninvited guest waiting."

Tom huffed, "Your guest?"

Ismanna was inside swiftly and circled around the entire group, her head hovering near her mother protectively. "Bad speaker. Bad."

Salazar chuckled because the entire situation was not going as he had foreseen, but really he had no idea what to expect... but this was not it. "Yes, precious Ismanna, he is bad."

Rowena walked over to the redhead and knelt beside her. "She's still breathing. A bit cold, but breathing. You'll need to check her over, Sal."

"Certainly," Salazar readily agreed, but he held his position and did not take his gaze off of Tom.

Tom was staring at Ismanna and tried to take control of her once again by reprimanding her, "You were to go up and kill a Mudblood. One of the unworthy!"

Salazar shook his head and spoke so everyone could understand, "She doesn't take commands from you. You may be a descendant, but I. Am. Salazar Slytherin."

Tom blinked and stared in wide eyed wonder. "You're just a girl. You can't be."

"I can and I am. And you will not harm anyone in this school again." Salazar pointed a finger at Tom's chest and stepped closer. "You are a fool. You had an ally here. A basilisk. A wonder of creation and what did you do? Set her loose to kill like a bigoted, short sighted, imbecile instead of letting her do what she was meant to be. Ismanna is a protector. She is good. She is here to save the students from people. Like. You."

Ismanna sighed a hiss of contentedness before she lunged forward. Everyone in the chamber froze in surprise by her movement until Tom screamed. Soon another scream joined his and all heads turned towards the girl writhing on the ground. Salazar slid under the snake's head to get to the redhead and dropped to his knees. He had no fear of turning his back on Tom since Godric was there. He trusted that silly fool with his life, then and now.

The noise of the two screaming came to an abrupt stop and the silence was nearly deafening. Salazar was casting spells and checking for vitals: the girl was weak, but very much alive and surprisingly healthy, but there was something dark feeding from her. That leech was fading and Salazar looked at Ismanna as she finally managed to dislodge the book from her fang. Helga was busy cooing at her once again as Ismanna's tongue flicked in and out repeatedly. Salazar ignored them to look at the black goo that pooled on the ground under the book. "What happened?"

Godric groaned, "Iss killed it." Godric sounded so upset that Ismanna recoiled.

Helga soothed her, "He's not angry with you, darling girl. He's just sad. He didn't get to hurt the bad boy. Mummy is proud of you. You are so brave."

The girl on the ground groaned. Salazar slid back so he was no longer hovering over her. "Ric, you will need to speak with her."

"Me? Why me?"

"She's one of yours," Salazar stated, pointing out her school tie.

Godric walked over and looked down at her then sighed over exaggeratedly, "Of course she is. She's a Weasley."

"Wouldn't it be better if she doesn't wake up here? I'd rather her not see us all gathered together in the 'Chamber of Secrets'. I'm not entirely certain we could explain how we came to be here without telling her who we are and I don't think the school is ready to know we're back."

"Rowena is right," Helga said as she nuzzled Ismanna.

"Right," Godric nodded, "we probably shouldn't go around announcing who we truly are... you know, even if they happen to be our descendants..."

"Yes, yes," Salazar agreed and put the Weasley girl into a magical sleep. "Do shut it, Ric."

Godric gazed at Salazar with an innocent look, or as innocent as he could manage when he asked, "What? Isn't it okay for me to go to... say, Draco Malfoy, and announce 'I. Am. Godric Gryffindor!' or is that just something you're allowed to do?

Salazar snarled and magically carried the redhead to the entrance of the laboratory. "I'm ignoring you now."

- - - - Founders - - - -

When the four friends split up, the women headed towards the hospital wing and the men to the lavatory on the second floor to ensure no one - other than the founders - could enter the laboratory from that direction again. Once their task was completed, they moved swiftly through the corridors. Godric kept up his teasing to get a rise from Salazar and the two friends bickered good-heartedly the entire way.

Godric moved swiftly and paced before the blank wall to make the room appear. All humor left them when the door wasn't there. That could only mean one thing. The women hadn't arrived yet. Godric repeated his actions, creating a meeting room of his choice. Salazar opened it and waited until he felt his friend brush past before entering and letting the door snick closed behind them.

Neither spoke, just stood where they were until a minute passed, then two. Godric took a calming breath and Salazar took a look around, surprised to see a very familiar room. They were home... their childhood home, where the two best friends were raised... their childhood playroom to be specific.

Salazar walked around the room, running a tender finger over the furniture, a drawing, a book... Nothing was perfectly theirs, the furniture was of their original era, the drawing was old, but nothing he'd ever seen before, the book was possibly something from a different era since there were only wooden bound handwritten books in their time... But their surroundings were similar enough to bring back fond memories.

"Aha," Godric announced. Salazar's head whipped around as that was the first sound either of them had uttered since entering... but it wasn't the last. Salazar let out a surprised laugh when he saw Godric had found a practice sword. It was wooden and dented, but he swung it with familiarity.

"You look ridiculous," Salazar teased. "Out of practice and getting flabby." Godric stilled and looked at his body in shock then glared at his friend when Salazar laughed again. Salazar was leaning on a nearby chair, holding his side and shaking with laughter. In retaliation, Godric held his sword out in challenge. Salazar finally calmed and looked fondly at his friend. "You do not look ridiculous, but you do seem out of practice, not as much as I'd have thought."

"I've started my regime anew," Godric admitted in a quiet murmur, then did a few more practice swings. "It feels right to have a sword in hand once more."

Salazar nodded. "You always looked more comfortable with a sword than without."

The door suddenly opened. Salazar stood with his wand out, Godric with his practice sword. Helga and Rowena closed the door and quickly dropped their disillusionment spells. The men relaxed when they saw their friends. Rowena and Helga looked around them curiously. Salazar asked, "You took longer than expected. Did you run into trouble?"

Helga pulled her attention back to those in the room and started the tale, "After you and Ric left to close the entrance, Ro and I took the girl to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey was there and quickly had her put on a bed, away from Colin and Justin. We explained that we found her lying unconscious on the fifth floor stairwell. I had gone up to grab Ro to go to the game. We were on our way there when we found her. We were frightened, she was so pale. So we brought her straight to the matron.

"As soon as I finished explaining, the girl woke up. Ginevra saw where she was, looked around, and asked where the diary was."

"Ginevra?"

"That's her given name, Ginevra Weasley," Rowena provided.

Godric frowned, but kept silent. Salazar just nodded and Helga continued, "Both Ro and I acted as though we didn't know what she was talking about. She burst into tears, grasping at her hair, saying that she couldn't hear him anymore.

"Madam Pomfrey looked concerned, asking what she was talking about. Instead of staying quiet, Ginevera spoke about how she wrote in the diary and how it forced her to kill the roosters. To write on the walls with their blood." Helga's voice quieted, eyes downcast. "She kept going on and on about how she didn't do it, that it was the diary. She hadn't meant for anyone to be petrified."

A few tears slipped down Helga's cheeks. Rowena was quickly at her side, holding Helga's hand in moral support. Helga gave her a watery smile and Rowena continued, "Because Ginevra mentioned the petrified people and claiming that she had a part in it, the aurors had to be called in. Madam Pomfrey sent some sort of magical animal with a message to the Headmaster. They asked Ro and I a few questions, but since we claimed to have found Ginevra on the floor and she couldn't deny that, we were asked to leave the room."

Helga nodded. "We stayed outside and watched as Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall came hurrying to the hospital wing. They didn't give us a glance as they went in. Ro and I waited, and she cast a spell so we could hear what was being said.

"Minutes passed, and all Ginevra could tell them was to explain about the diary, how it worked, and a man named Tom Riddle. They asked where the diary was and she said that she had it on her when she last remembered. After a few minutes of asking questions, they got no new information from her because her memory was blacked out. She wasn't awake when Tom had control, apparently. Ginevra woke after the roosters were killed and the message was written. She had blood on her robes and feathers stuck in her hair.

"We were asked to step back in and were searched by the female auror to see if we had the diary. They will probably do a castle wide search for the dangerous dark item.

"Ginevra was taken to St Mungo's for a healer to look at her, to see if she suffered any permanent damage, and see if any memories can be recovered. I'm not sure how long she will be there. Before we got too far away to overhear, the aurors asked when the petrified students would be back to normal. Madam Pomfrey said they would have the antidote before summer.

"The girl did say that nothing could happen without the diary, so maybe Hagrid will be released and no one will continue looking for the Chamber."

- - - - Founders - - - -

Salazar knew he was being childish, but he didn't care. He started avoiding Helga because she would ask if he had spoken with Harry and Hermione about a summer visit. He hadn't and the school year was coming to an end very soon.

It was the last day of finals and their last class of the day together. It was now... or never. He looked at Godric and asked one of the silliest questions because even before he asked, he knew the answer, "Stay with me?"

Godric stilled and looked at his friend, giving him a small smile. "Of course."

Salazar nodded and shared that same small smile with him and as others began leaving, he spoke up, "Granger... a moment if you would."

Ronald Weasley glared at him and Salazar ignored him. Harry hesitated, but he was kind enough to wait for his friend. Probably because Hermione had no intention of leaving without hearing what Salazar had to say first.

Godric was busy glaring back at Ronald, but Salazar stepped closer to Hermione. "You dropped this..." Salazar handed her a note and pointedly looked at the biggest gossips of their year openly watching them with obvious interest. Salazar played upon his female form and shooed the two with his hand as he had seen females do to pests, "Is there something you need, Parkinson, Brown?"

Hermione grinned shyly at Salazar, "Thanks..." She took the note and left with the other two.

Salazar breathed easier and told Godric, "Tonight."

Godric nodded. "I'll be there."

"I know."

And he was. The two of them met in the empty classroom on the ground floor at ten that evening. They wouldn't be sharing the existence of the Room of Requirement with the other two students so they met in room eleven. While Salazar wasn't certain the other two Gryffindors would come, he did know he could count on Godric.

Salazar was biting his thumbnail and Godric was tapping his wand on his leg impatiently. Salazar asked, "Are you certain they'll come?"

"Hermione will make him," Godric said.

"You're certain?"

"She said she will," Godric reassured him.

Salazar nodded and the door opened. Then closed. Suddenly two students had joined them from seemingly nowhere: Harry and Hermione. While the girl stood grinning shyly, the boy had his wand out. Salazar nodded in approval, as did Godric.

"Here." Salazar handed Hermione the letters from his parents. "I'm not entirely certain how to approach this subject and you know him better than we do."

"Harry," Hermione said hesitantly as she read through the letters.

"Yeah," Harry asked and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "What do they say?"

"You... you're..." She looked at Salazar and he pulled out the parchment with the family tree that Helga had given him. He silently handed it to Hermione. She glanced at it, read line by line, and followed the path and gasped, "You're related to the Peverells." Harry shrugged his indifference and Hermione tried again. "Didn't you say that Ric mentioned other parseltongue families... like the Peverell family ?"

Harry looked at Godric and asked, "You knew?"

"I suspected," Godric hedged. When the boy's eyes narrowed, he sighed. "Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you're related to me," Salazar admitted.

Harry backed up a step. "You... but..."

"I'm distantly related to the Peverells, just like you. Different brother, but same family."

His head snapped back to Godric. "Distant but living... you wanted me to find out."

"Yes," Godric admitted. "Wouldn't it have been less of a shock if you found out on your own rather than hearing it from us?"

"Why are you telling me this?" Harry had sat down on one of the dusty desks and stared at his wand in confusion. He was looking quite lost and Salazar sighed, catching Harry's attention.

"If I told you who I was, would you have trusted me?"

"No," Harry said immediately and Salazar nodded.

"Here, Harry, look." Hermione showed where the lines branched, where the names moved to jump from Peverell to Potter and down it went generations after generations, until it came to him. "That's you. You have family, Harry. Family other than the Dursleys."

Salazar frowned. "I don't recognize that surname."

"You wouldn't," Harry said and watched Salazar, most likely for a reaction when he stated, "They're muggles from my mother's side of the family. She was a muggleborn."

"Like my father." Salazar nodded. "I remember reading that somewhere."

"Your... right, Ric said that you're a half-blood."

"Harry," Hermione said, "there's more."

The teen groaned, "Of course there is."

Salazar grinned and prompted, "You've been invited to visit us for a week this summer. You're welcome to have Hermione join you, if it would make you feel safer. The purpose of the visit is to decide if you'd prefer to live with us or stay with the family you're currently residing with."

"You... you want... me?"

"As hard as it may be to grasp, yes." Salazar leaned against a desk. "I'm not good with people. I get tongue tied and ramble. Speaking with people... That's Helga's strength, she's wonderful with people, but I will endeavor to explain." Which was always an oddity. Since he was a healer, he should be good around people, but Salazar didn't mention that part. "You see, Helga has brought it to our attention that you may not be happy in your current living arrangement. During her research, she found Ignotus Peverell. It wasn't until after the incident with that farce of a dueling club that she made the connection to me via Antioch Peverell."

"Wait, how does she know..."

"You'd have to take that up with her." Salazar waved it off as unimportant. "What matters now is what you wish to do. You have an opportunity to see what living with a couple of Slytherins and a Hufflepuff would be like."

"Your Mum-"

"Dad, actually," Salazar corrected. "He's the muggleborn Hufflepuff. You'll love him. He's wonderful." Salazar knew he had the boy's attention so he continued, "You'd have your own room to stay in that you'd be responsible for. We do chores in the morning, homework in the afternoons, and once that's done, your time is your own."

"You do chores?"

"Yes, of course," Salazar said as if the question was ridiculous, because it was. "Just give it some thought." He handed over a slip of parchment. "That's my phone number. Ask your parents, Hermione. I'm rather certain he'd like a friend with him."

"What about..." Harry stopped himself and frowned down at his shoes. Even he couldn't finish the question without knowing the answer: "He'd hate the idea."

"Precisely," Salazar said. Godric had sat next to Salazar sometime ago, but had remained a silent supporter the entire time. Salazar leaned towards his friend and felt the warmth of his arm next to his.

Godric yawned and laid his head on Salazar's shoulder. "If you're going to bore me to tears, I'm going to take a nap."

Salazar huffed in amusement. "You're incorrigible."

"You're surprisingly chatty," Godric rebutted.

"I did warn that I tend to ramble when I'm nervous." Salazar shrugged, dislodging his friend who pouted. He turned his attention back to the other two who had been talking amongst themselves. When there was a break in their conversation, Salazar told them, "Just call and let us know what you decide."

Harry was looking at the phone number again and nodded, "I will."

- - - - Bonus Scene - Godric - - - -

Legs crossed, palms resting on the warm floor, Godric stared up at the likeness of Salazar's son, alone in the chamber. He could see the resemblance of Salazar in Aedelric and had to wonder if this would have been what Salazar would have looked like had he lived.

Warmth pressed against his back and he smiled, leaning backwards and turning his head to grin at Ismanna who had coiled around him, her large head coming to rest by his side. She hissed softly, nudging him gently before settling down. Her breaths came out steadily, her scales pressing against his clothes and causing pills and tiny tears to appear, but those could easily be mended. He reached out and lay his hand over her snout, fingers brushing against her.

Cold seeped into his bones even with the warmth of her body and the warming charms around the entirety of the room. Heaviness pulled at his bones. At his feet lay his bag, his lunch wrapped in cloth inside. He should have eaten hours ago, but he hadn't felt hungry.

Still didn't feel hungry.

He just wanted to curl into a ball and wrap himself in a warm cocoon. "Iss," he whispered and she turned her head so her snout pressed against his thigh. "I'm tired." He rubbed at his eyes and sighed. "But Sal hates this statue. We caught Tom so it doesn't have to stay. What should we change it to?"

She replied, lying her head back down beside him.

He raised his wand, rubbing a hand over his chest before he gave an almost lazy flick. The stone rumbled and groaned, Godric watched as the visage of his best friend's son shuddered and slowly disappeared into a stone scenery he had created in his mind.

Godric smiled fondly at it before shaking his head. "No." He glanced over at Ismanna. "Sal would hate this more." But he left it for a few minutes, staring at the image he created, petting Ismanna and listening to her quiet hisses. "You won't tell him, right?" Whatever her response was, Godric wouldn't know, but he raised his wand, conjured a new image in his mind, and once more caused the wall to shake and tremble before freezing into a third image.

Hogwarts - or what Hogwarts had looked like when the castle had first been built - stood before him. It was tall, but a single height all the way around. The towers of the castle that had grown later were almost seen, barely etched into the stone, but there if one knew to look for it. Showing what the castle had become.

At the base of the castle were four human shaped figures that made a semi-circle and stared up at the building. Behind the four were other forms, smaller, but identifiable as the others who had been there when Hogwarts had first started.

Here, at least, they would be remembered correctly.

Four friends together. United. Even now.

Finished, Godric pulled his knees to his chest and huddled against Ismanna.

Maybe he could get some rest.

Google Translate Time:

Tha mise, [name] , a stèidhich Hogwarts, a 'cur an cèill gu bheil eòlas a chaidh a lorg na chumhachd a chaidh fhaighinn, ach nach bi e a-riamh ann an cunnart chloinne.

I, [name], a founder of Hogwarts, do so declare that knowledge found is power gained, but never at the risk of the children.

AN Ajellah:

Please note the difference in our timeline versus the book/movie. This event with Tom takes place on the day that Hermione Granger and Penelope Clearwater would have been petrified.