"Are you fucking kidding me?" Jet and Harry said at the same time.
"Oh, another parslemouth," Salazar said in a interested voice. "hmm, interesting. And you have my sword as well," He noted, switching back to plain English.
"Hold up a sec, you're Salazar Slytherin?" Harry asked, struggling to believe that he had just somehow stumbled upon a portrait of one of the Hogwarts founders. Though to be fair if he was going to find one then it made sense that he would find one in a secret chamber that belonged to one of them.
"Yes, I am." Salazar spoke in a prideful voice.
"Your English is rather modern for a portrait of someone who lived so long ago." Harry pointed out, while he wasn't sure how different it was, he knew that the language in Salazar Slytherin's time was far different from the modern English that was spoken now.
"Oh, that would probably be the translation runes fitted into the portrait, I just need to hear someone speak a language once and I will instantly know all of it." Salazar replied. "Doesn't work outside of portraits as far as I am aware. It was Rowena who helped me with them, she was quite the genius, though I never really worked out how to do them as good as she did. My talents were more centered around charms and potions for the most part. By the way, if I might ask, how long has it been since someone has come to visit?" He asked, looking very curious.
"You don't know?" Harry blinked.
"I am a portrait that is stuck in this room," Salazar pointed out. "I don't know what goes on in the outside world."
"That sounds...very boring." Harry commented after a few seconds of silence, not really sure what else to say.
"It is but I had actually been deactivated." Salazar admitted. "The first time I woke up was when a boy named Tom Riddle entered the chamber, he never really discovered this room and we never really talked but he did make use of my outside library. If nobody is in the chamber then I fall asleep. So, what year is it?"
"Well...it is 1992." Harry answered.
"I beg your pardon?" Salazar blinked, looking at him with pure disbelief. "Really?!" He breathed.
"Really." Harry nodded before he remembered something. "Wait, outer library?" Harry asked.
"Hmm?" Salazar blinked, looking at him, he looked like he still hadn't gotten over how long he had been here.
"You said 'outer library'," Harry pointed out. "that means that that there is an inner one." He said.
"Oh, yes, there is." Salazar said after he shook his head to clear it. "That boy, Riddle, he had used the outer library. It's more of a guest library for those who visit, I had planned to have a few friends around, never got around to it. But that library just has copies of about a quarter of the books in the inner library."
"How did you know about Tom Riddle if you never spoke with him?" Harry asked, trying to stay focused even though he was jumping for joy on the inside at the chance of reading Salazar Slytherin's personal library.
"Ah, look around." Salazar said as he gestured to the various metal snake decorations.
"Oh yeah, you use them for spying." Harry said with a nod. "The first time I ever used the snakes in the common room was to show people that I was firmly on the 'not to be bullied' list."
"Ah," Salazar nodded in understanding. "that is good, my heir should not be bullied by anyone, especially in his own house."
"Your heir?" Harry asked. "I think you're mistaken."
"I can't be," Salazar insisted. "you're in my chamber after all."
"My father is a Potter, descended from a long family that has never had any relations to your family line." Harry replied, and he was very sure about that, he had checked several times during his second year when everyone accused him of being the heir.
"And what of your mother?" Salazar asked.
"A muggleborn." Harry answered, waiting for the inevitable explosion.
"Hmm, it's possible she might be descended from my family and just the first magical in a long line of squibs, or maybe a descendent of a secret branch of my family." Salazar calmly theorized.
"What makes you so sure that I am your heir?"
"The sword, boy." Salazar said in an exasperated voice. "The sword only appears for the true heir of Slytherin, if that was not enough then add in the fact that you speak parsletounge and add in the fact that you were even able to enter this room. Anyone who was not my heir would find themselves unable to enter this room, including that Riddle boy. He tried several times but he was never able to enter."
"Oh," Harry blinked as he processed that information. "wait a sec, you didn't even seem bothered by the fact that my mother was a muggleborn."
"First of all, we've just established that she probably wasn't. Second of all, why would I have been?" Salazar asked.
"Because you hate muggleborns, don't you?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Why would you think that?" Salazar frowned.
"Ah, this will be a fun story." Jet hissed in an amused voice.
"You can tell it then." Harry replied.
"Too late, dibs on not doing it." Jet said quickly.
"Fuck."
Harry was not really sure how much time had passed but he was eventually able to explain everything to Salazar Slytherin, Harry had explained how everyone had viewed him and the man looked far from amused.
"Well that's bullshit!" Salazar said by the end of Harry's explanation. "I don't hate muggleborns! I hated those without magic!"
"I've been meaning to ask, what was up with that?" Harry asked.
"I don't know much about the muggles of your time but the muggles during our time were vicious little cunts, they hated magical people with a passion. My own daughter, poor and innocent girl that she was, ended up being sentenced to be burnt at a stake. I had heard that she nearly escaped using accidental magic, but then one of them was able to get her with a stone to the head." Salazar finished, his face flushed with anger, a tear dripping down from his right eye.
"I'm sorry." Harry said in a quiet voice.
"Don't be," Salazar said after a few moments of silence, he wiped his face before he continued speaking. "it's not your fault."
"How old was she?" Harry asked.
"A month left before she would turn seven," Salazar said, looking very pained. "once I had realized that she was gone I had searched for her, I searched and searched and I only found her after she was dead. In my rage I burned that village into the ground."
"I don't blame you." Harry said, while he had no idea what it would be like to lose a daughter, he did know that if someone had tried to hurt Jet or the Tonks family then the devil would likely not have much punishing left to do by the time Harry had finished.
"Thank you. My other child, my son, he was twelve years old at the time." Salazar continued. "My hatred was limited to muggles, as I grew older I did realize that I couldn't blame all muggles for what happened to my daughter but I admit that it took me a while to learn that. My son, he was different, he was the one whose hatred spread to those who were magical yet also children of muggles, I tried to talk him out of it but his sister's death hurt him just as bad as it did me, maybe even worse. We both felt responsible for that." Salazar finished, he was silent for several moments before he shook his head. "My apologies, you didn't come here to listen to the tales of an old man like myself."
"Actually I found them quite interesting," Harry admitted. "in the future I'd like to hear more, but I am on a bit of a time table today. I wanted to learn as much as I can about the chamber and sneak out of here by morning."
"Won't you be tired?" Salazar asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh no, I got a potion with me to energize me. I don't plan on taking it every day but it should be fine if I just use it this one time."
"Fair enough, as for sneaking out, don't worry about that. The chamber has plenty of secret passageways that will take you to nearly anywhere in the school."
"Really?"
"Yes," Salazar nodded. "but before we get to anything, I've got to ask, what do you plan to do to Alice?"
"Alice?" Harry blinked.
"Yes, my basilisk." Salazar replied. "I know you killed her, the snakes told me." He added before Harry could say anything.
"I'm sorry." Harry said, not really sure what else to say.
"Don't be," Salazar waved him off. "it pains me that she is gone, she was a loyal friend, but Riddle had ruined her mind. Poor thing, I'm glad you put her out of her misery."
"Oh...in that case, you're welcome." Harry said after a short pause. "As for what I was going to do to her, I hadn't decided yet. I know her venom and skin/scales are valuable but I haven't decided if I would keep them for myself or sell them. I don't even know how to do it, but still that's a problem for another day. First thing I need to know is where is this secret library of yours?"
Harry was the first Slytherin to arrive at the great hall for breakfast, the potion certainly worked as Harry felt like he had just had a great night sleep, the second Slytherin arrived and it was Angela.
"So," Angela said as she sat opposite Harry. "were you successful in whatever it was that you were doing?"
"Incredibly." Harry said before he continued eating breakfast.
"Excellent." Angela smiled before she started on her own breakfast. No more words were said between the two until the other Slytherin's arrived.
"Albus," Professor Minerva McGonagall said in a tired voice as she spoke with Dumbledore inside of his office. "I spoke with Mr Potter yesterday, he had several interesting things to say." She said, sitting opposite him.
"Oh?" Dumbledore asked while raising an eyebrow, sitting behind his desk. "I am - as the muggles say - 'all ears', Minerva." He said before gesturing her to continue.
"After Mr Potter had come off the train I approached him along with Professor Snape," Professor McGonagall began speaking. "I had asked him to follow us. He asked why, understandable really and he was polite about it, but before I could explain to him why he needed to come with me, Professor Snape snapped at him, treating him like a child demanding sweets."
"Now Minerva, I..."
"I am not done, Albus." Professor McGonagall sighed, giving him an irritated look. Dumbledore nodded before gesturing her to continue. "Thank you, now I explained to him that I wanted him to be taken to the hospital wing to be checked since it was rumored that he had been closely exposed to a dementor. Mr Potter then suggested that he go by himself, when that did not work he suggested that only one teacher accompany him. I believe he was trying to get out of spending more time around Severus, and it worked because Snape all but ran away as soon as the opportunity to leave had presented itself.
I took him to Poppy, then once he was allowed to leave I escorted him back to the school feast, on the way there he asked me about the lessons he would get this year. He also reveled something that I did not expect at all."
"And what would that be?" Dumbledore asked.
"The boy is an animagus," Professor McGonagall answered, shocking Dumbledore. "it is true, he has a cat form. Black with bits of white fur and he still has his scars."
"That is impressive," Professor Dumbledore said after a few moments of silence. "if I had to guess then I would say his guardians had likely helped him with the potion and legal aspects of the transformation."
"They did," Professor McGonagall nodded. "the boy is even better than his father when it comes to my class, but that is not where my concern lies."
"Then where does it?"
"With Severus."
"Minerva, I..."
"Albus! For Merlin's sake! Listen to me!" She snapped, slamming her hand on his desk, causing him to jump in his seat. Professor McGonagall took several calming breaths before she spoke. "Mr Potter, when I was taking him to Poppy, had asked me what Severus's problem with him was. I asked him why he was asking me this and he responded by saying that he had always known that Severus did not like him and he feels that if he was not a Slytherin then it would be very likely for Severus to openly hate him. He also claims that Severus gets angry quickly while around him and that Severus has been making 'subtle comments' towards or about him.
I tried to explain that Severus and James hated each other, I left as much details as I could as I knew it was not my place to say so, but I did give him the general idea of the situation. Do you know what he said to me once I had finished explaining? His exact words were 'that is unbelievably stupid'."
"What?" Albus asked, sounding confused.
"Mr Potter pointed out that he and Mr Weasley do not get along," Professor McGonagall began explaining. "he also pointed out that Mr Weasley has a sister in Slytherin and if Harry wanted to then he'd easily be able to torment her to get back at Mr Weasley. And if that was not enough then he pointed out that he was also living with people that he knew to be related to Sirius Black but he didn't judge Miss Weasley or the Tonks family on who they were related to. He argued that if he at the age of thirteen could do that then Professor Snape who is in his thirties had no excuse. And I am in complete agreement with Mr Potter. I know that I am not the only staff member who is bothered by Severus's behavior." She said.
Dumbledore did not respond, he instead remained silent. He knew that Severus still had some difficulties in seeing Harry Potter as something other than James Potter's son but he didn't really know that it was this bad.
"Albus, should I tell you what the boy said after that?" She asked, she began speaking before he could answer. "This is what he said to me, word for word. He said 'he' and he was referring to Severus in case it wasn't obvious to you, 'dislikes me because he dislikes my father, my father who is currently six feet underground and has been dead for years. Need I remind you that Professor Snape is a man who teaches at what many consider to be the premier school of magic, he should be professional enough to bury his grudge with my father's dead body instead of continuing it by going after the son who doesn't even remember the man. For the last few years I have behaved as well as I can, brought in a lot of points for Slytherin, have helped win the school quidditch cup twice so far and have exceled in all of my classes. I don't deserve to be judged because of the actions of someone else, especially a dead man who I was never responsible for unless you are all of the belief that it was irresponsible for me to stop it despite not being born. All I am asking for is professional behavior and to be made aware if that is not possible so I can look into other arrangements for my potions studies.' That was what he said! The boy-who-lived! Son of two of the best students of Hogwarts and the boy who is the best student in his year!" She paused, allowing Dumbledore a few seconds to process what he had been told. "I know that you've made allowances for Severus, because you believe that he loved Lily. But personally I doubt that."
"Minerva," Dumbledore gasped, sure there were many reasons to doubt Severus but he had never thought that anyone who knew him could doubt the love that Severus had for Lily. "he loved her."
"Albus, there is a world of difference between love and obsession!" She replied. "Do not let your hopes, beliefs and feelings blind you to what he is. If he truly loved her then his hatred of James Potter would of taken a back seat and he would do everything in his power to make life better for the boy who Lily Potter loved more than anything in the world. If she was alive I doubt he'd be able to so much as sneer at the boy without consequences."
Dumbledore thought on her words, Professor McGonagall remained quiet so Dumbledore could have a few moments to think. After a minute of tense silence he let out a deep sigh, he looked at her while looking every bit his age.
"I will talk with Severus." He said in a quiet and tired voice.
Harry had finished with his breakfast and told the other Slytherin's that he wanted to quickly run to the common room and get his books, so after picking up Jet who wrapped around Harry's left hand, Harry walked towards the entrance of the hall, just as Ronald Weasley entered.
"Watch it, Potter." Ron Weasley said as he shoved Harry's right shoulder as he walked past, causing Harry to stop.
"My mistake, I'm not sure how I missed your fat ass." Harry said, rolling his eyes. He was about to walk away but Ron suddenly stopped and turned around, he glared at Harry.
"Did you say I have a fat ass?" Ron demanded.
"With the amount of food you eat, are you really surprised?" Harry snorted.
"I don't know why you'd call me fat ass when you're the one who is living with the fat ass slut." Ron said, a smirk appearing on his face.
"What?" Harry froze, his head tilted as he looked at Ron with a blank expression.
"My brothers told me all about that girl you're living with, her name is Nymphadora, isn't it?" Ron grinned. "They told me how she's a slut who would sleep with everyone, how much do you think I would have to pay for it? Bet it wouldn't even be more than five sickles." He said, his grin getting wider.
Harry looked at Ron for several long seconds, Ron's smile faltered under the intense gaze of Harry's burning emerald eyes.
"Kill him!" Jet yelled.
"Good idea." Harry hissed before his wand appeared in his hand.
"Albus," Professor McGonagall said as she rushed into Professor Dumbledore's office. "we have a problem."
Minerva, what is the matter?" Dumbledore asked, quickly realizing that it was most likely a very serious matter if the way his deputy looked was any indication.
"Harry Potter has put Mr Weasley into the hospital wing again, and he is also using his position as Lord Potter and is demanding to speak to Arthur Weasley." She answered.
Dumbledore looked at her for several long moments, he removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes, after a few seconds of that he slammed his forehead on his desk hard, not once or twice, but three times. Once that was done he sat up and put his glasses on.
"Let's get to the hospital wing, shall we?" He asked with a small smile.
A.N: Hi guys, hope you liked the chapter.
I know that the 'good guy' Salazar is something that's been done in other stories but...I'm sorry...I can't be original all of the time. Also I know it might annoy some people but I'll be leaving the name of Pat-reon account on each author's note, mainly because a lot of people don't always read the notes and would only sometimes read them. The account name is JB21 by the way, feel free to donate money if you want, you don't have to and you can still read the story if you don't but it would mean a lot.
Now, continuing on, I want to make it clear that Harry will not be an overpowered badass in this scene who can kill people with a flick of his wrist. He will be an above average powered badass who will kill people with a flick of his wand. My past stories have had OP Harry's, I want this Harry to rely on skill and brains along with power.
Now, thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed, it, feel free to leave a review.