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batsutousaiTitle: Gelosaþ in Écnesse
Chapter: 13 of 18
Author: Batsutousai
Rating: Teen
Pairings: Harry/Salazar, Harry/OFC (Original Female Character)
Warnings: OCs, OoC, minor cliché-age, character death, homophobia, racist actions and slurs (from secondary character), time travel
Summary: Caught in the backlash of Voldemort's Killing Curse, Harry is thrown through time to a world so very different from his own.
A/N: It was pointed out to me, by a native Egyptian, that Ancient Egyptian wouldn't have been spoken during the timeframe that Harry and Sal were in Egypt. Rather, it would have been a mix of Arabic, Greek, and Coptic. So I've gone back over chapter 12 and edited that out, as well as catching similar mistakes in future chapters. Minor changes all around, really. (This is what I get for letting my attention to detail slack when they skipped back to the modern era. :/ )
Owing to the fact that I've got both Dumbledore brothers running about now – and Harry's acting as a member of the family – I'll be using first names for both Albus and Aberforth.
In Defence of Our Dreams
-0-0-
Aberforth hadn't been too bad, and while it was clear he detested his brother – Harry and Salazar silently agreed to avoid that topic at all costs – he had no obvious dislike for Harry or Salazar. He'd been understandably leery around Salazar at the start, owing to the Founder's best-known persona, but he did relax once Harry had made a few well-placed comments about his husband's past.
When Aberforth finally ordered them out, saying he needed to prepare for the dinner crowd and having his brother around was bad for business, Albus invited them through the floo to number twelve, Grimmauld Place, where the Order of the Phoenix was stationed.
When they stepped through, the students had just arrived and the kitchen was bustling with dinner preparations and the shouts of those trying to sort out residences. No one really gave the new arrivals more than a glance, but Molly Weasley proved she always knew what was going on in her kitchen by calling over her shoulder, "Welcome, Albus. Dinner should be ready in a few minutes."
Albus smiled. "Excellent." He turned to the younger two men who had followed him. "There's a rack over there for our cloaks," he suggested, pointing towards a corner that was a bit removed from the bustle and they made their way over there. "I'm curious, Harry," Albus said as they pulled off their cloaks and hung them up, Salazar rolling his eyes as Tanwen shuffled a bit, trying to find a comfortable spot without the cloak to provide bedding.
Harry raised an eyebrow. "About?"
"You don't have a sword?"
Harry glanced over at the sword hanging from Salazar's belt, then shook his hand. "I can use one, but I prefer knives," he explained, slipping one from a strap hidden under the sleeve of his tunic to show off before slipping it away. "Non-magical weaponry was a class Godric taught," he added. "We each had a weapon to specialise in, and then he and his wife, Bernia, ensured we could handle ourselves with other weapons, should we find one at hand. Useful in that time, not so much now."
"More useful than you can guess," Albus assured him. "Not many witches and wizards know what to do when faced with a muggle weapon; they see them as beneath them or useless, and will focus all their attention on your wand, leaving you to act as you please with a weapon."
Harry's lips twitched with a grim smile. "Magical people are fools," he said and Salazar made a quiet sound of agreement.
Albus smiled sadly and caught a passing woman's arm. "Tonks, could you collect Remus and see about getting Sirius down here? I have an announcement he needs to hear, and I'd rather only make it once."
"We'll try," the woman agreed and hurried off to hunt down Remus Lupin.
"Nymphadora Tonks," Albus offered to Harry and Salazar. "Harry, she finished Hogwarts the year before you started."
"Hufflepuff?" Harry guessed, watching her and Lupin leave the kitchen.
"Exactly," Albus agreed, smiling. "She's just completed her auror training and is Sirius' cousin."
"Hm."
"Dinner!" Mrs Weasley called and the various bodies around the kitchen quickly made their ways to the table. Albus, Harry, and Salazar were just sitting when Sirius was led in by Lupin and Tonks, looking nearly as bad as the first time Harry had seen him, and his heart broke.
Salazar silently moved Tanwen from his shoulder to Harry's, brushing a hand against the younger man's cheek in the process. Harry smiled at him, grateful, and gave Tanwen a moment to settle before running a finger over her breast feathers.
Once everyone had seated, Albus cleared his throat and said, "I have an announcement to make before we start."
"With the children here?" Mrs Weasley asked, looking towards her youngest four and Hermione.
"This concerns them," Albus promised and glanced over the table before saying, "I've found Harry."
The room exploded in loud questions, everyone wanting to know if he was alive, was he hurt, where was he, and so forth. Harry let out a quiet sigh while Salazar frowned, disapproving.
Albus waited a few moments before clearing his throat again, turning his own disapproving frown around the table until everyone shut up, then said, "He's alive, and well."
"Albus, tell me you didn't send him back to the Dursleys," Mrs Weasley pleaded. "Not after he's been missing for so long. He needs his family and friends right now, his proper family."
"Thank you, Mrs Weasley," Harry murmured, smiling. "And I wouldn't go back to the Dursleys for anything."
There was a moment's stunned silence, then Sirius rasped, "Harry?"
Harry's smile turned sad. "Hey, Sirius."
Sirius took a moment to search his face, then let out a relieved sob and hurried from his seat and around the table to where Harry had stood to meet him, quickly handing a disgruntled phoenix chick back to Salazar. "You're alive," Sirius breathed against Harry's shoulder once he'd drawn him into a hug. "Oh, thank Merlin."
Harry hugged Sirius back as hard as he could, burying his face in his godfather's shoulder to hide the tears that had sprung to his eyes; the loss of his godfather had dulled over the years, but it seemed to return at that moment, as strong as when he'd first realised how far apart they were.
"Where have you been?" Hermione asked as Harry and Sirius finally pulled apart, Harry brushing a hand across his eyes.
"In the past," Harry admitted quietly. "The TriWizard Cup was a portkey and Voldemort–" nearly everyone flinched "–was there. He revived himself and we... Well, he nearly killed me, but my wand reacted and sent me into the past. I've been there for eight years."
"You're nearly my age," Sirius commented with a weak chuckle.
"I'm not quite that old," Harry replied drily, offering Sirius a smile. "Sal, on the other hand..."
" 'Sal'?" Sirius repeated, carrying the conversation while the others around the table struggled to assimilate the information.
"My husband," Harry agreed, as if it wasn't unusual for him to disappear for an extended period of time, then come back married.
There was a stunned silence, then Mrs Weasley said, "Husband?" in a choked voice.
Harry turned to smile at her, stepping up behind Salazar and placing a hand on the shoulder Tanwen wasn't sitting on. Salazar covered Harry's hand with his. "Yes," Harry agreed, "my husband: Salazar Potter."
"Like Salazar Slytherin?" Ron spat, expression twisting with dislike.
Harry considered his friend for a long moment, expression calm. When he spoke, however, there was a note of steel in his voice. "Yes, Ron, like Salazar Slytherin. Is there a problem?"
"Yeah! He's like... Well, he's..." He trailed off and slunk down in his seat at the blank stare Harry had fixed on him, far more bothered by it than the equally blank stare from the man he was standing behind. "He's a Slytherin," he muttered to his chest.
"So am I," Harry commented, expression still coolly blank, but his grip on Salazar's shoulder was tight, telling his husband exactly how much this confrontation bothered him.
"You're a Gryffindor!" Ron insisted.
"I was a Gryffindor," Harry corrected, "eight years ago. But I spent six years in Slytherin House, and it's my home. No matter your misconceptions about them."
" 'Misconceptions'?" Ron demanded, shrugging off Hermione's hand when she tried to shush him and ignoring his mother's shout of, "Ronald!"
"If you have a problem with my House, child, you may take it up with me," Salazar interrupted. "You will leave my husband well out of it."
"Sal–" Harry tried.
"No," Salazar cut in, glancing up at the younger man. He softened his tone and repeated, "No, Harry. You've spent too long missing these fools for me to sit back and watch them crucify you for sins that aren't yours to answer for."
"No more are they yours," Harry insisted, shaking his head. "Angus and his descendants are no more your doing than they are mine. If we must place the blame on anyone, place it upon Godric's shoulders for choosing Angus and his hatred over us."
Hermione cleared her throat. "Harry?" she asked, hitting Ron when he muttered something under his breath. When Harry raised an eyebrow at her, warily amused, she asked, "Who is this 'Angus'?"
"My nephew," Salazar offered, as though it didn't matter. "He was quite fond of the non-magical hatred your time accredits to me."
"You're saying you're no muggle-hater?" Tonks asked, leaning forward. "But this nephew was?"
"Essentially," Salazar agreed.
"And Angus, for the record, was in Godric's House," Harry added.
"That's a lie!" Ron snapped.
"Why would I lie about that?" Harry asked, unimpressed. "To vilify Godric's House? Ron, just because I spent six years in Slytherin House doesn't mean I suddenly hate Gryffindor House. No, I don't care for Godric – he was a complete arse and I'm quite glad I'll never see him again, after how we parted – but his son, Kenny; his wife, Bernia; and their ward, Duana, are all good friends, and I regret that we'll never speak again."
They were all silent for a moment, then Lupin asked, "Six years?"
"What?"
"You said you've been in the past for eight years, but you only spent six at Hogwarts," Remus clarified.
"Well," Hermione spoke up, "according to Hogwarts: A History, Salazar Slytherin left Hogwarts after getting into an argument with Godric Gryffindor about allowing muggleborns into the school. But..." She trailed off, brow furrowing as she recognised the discrepancy in her favoured book: Salazar claimed he wasn't anti-muggle.
Harry shrugged. "Perhaps another member of the Slytherin line was thrown out for discrimination of non-magicals and their descendants – it's certainly true that Godric believed in protecting them – but Sal and I were not."
"It's possible us being thrown out got mixed up in Angus' hatred of non-magicals and their children," Salazar added coolly. "Over one thousand years have passed; facts are bound to have been confused."
"Given," Harry agreed.
"Why don't we eat?" Albus suggested, making a spot between himself and Harry's original seat for the hovering Sirius. Sirius smiled gratefully in response as he took the spot, pulling Harry down next to him.
Mrs Weasley nodded and waved the food over. Everyone quietly served themselves, occasionally throwing glances towards Harry, as if to assure themselves he was still there, or to marvel at the changes eight years had wrought.
"So, Harry–" one of the Weasley twins called once everyone had settled in to eat.
"–any amazing pranks–"
"– or school secrets–"
"Oh, good call, Fred."
"I rather thought so."
"–you care to share with us?"
Harry raised an amused eyebrow at the twins. "I never much participated, but the others did some crazy things to Angus when he was being a git. Mmmm... And you probably know more of the secrets of the castle than I, considering how many passages were created after the Founders' era." Harry stopped to consider that for a moment while Fred and George's grins widened, debating between telling them about the Room. Finally he shrugged, deciding the Room would be found if it wanted to be.
"What sorts of pranks?" one of the twins asked, looking only a little frightening with the huge grins on both his and his brother's faces.
"Oh, a little of this, a little of that," Harry replied airily, shrugging again.
Mrs Weasley cleared her throat down the table when the twins looked ready to press for more and they subsided, flicking a look at Harry that promised he would be further questioned later.
Tanwen suddenly let out a sharp trill directly into Salazar's ear and he winced. "Ow," he said, turning his head to glare at her.
"It's because you told her not to bite you again," Harry commented as he set down his fork and waved his wand for some of the fresh herbs he could see drying over the sink. Once he had them, he set them in the saucer for his teacup and set it between his and Salazar's plates. "Here you are, sweetheart. We're sorry."
"We are?" Salazar muttered, disgruntled. But he still settled the chick on the table with great care and brushed a finger over her soft baby feathers.
"A pet?" Sirius wondered, peering curiously at the chick.
Harry shrugged. "She doesn't care for the term, but it's a reasonable correlation; this is Tanwen, our phoenix."
"Of course you have a phoenix," Ron muttered.
"Shut up, Ron," Ginny hissed while Hermione smacked his arm again.
Harry considered his one-time best friend with an empty gaze until he ducked his head, unable to meet Harry's eyes. "Jealousy is unbecoming, Ronald," he commented lightly before returning to his food.
Ron flushed an angry red, but wisely held his tongue.
Hermione cleared her throat and said, "So, you met the Founders?"
Harry shrugged and nodded. "Yeah." As an afterthought, he added, "And Merlin."
There was a stunned silence, then Lupin managed, "You met Merlin. The Merlin?"
Salazar snorted. "Yes, the Merlin." He glanced at Harry. "Why do you people do that?"
"Hush," Harry ordered good-naturedly before glancing back towards Lupin. "Yes, the real Merlin. He was a bit of a klutz as a kid, but he wasn't a bad bloke, really. I made him write his name on some parchment for me."
Hermione moaned. "I'm so jealous!"
Harry grinned at her. "If you're very good, I might let you hold it," he offered.
"Of course you'll let me hold it!" Hermione insisted. "If you want me to help with your home–" She froze, then frowned. "Harry, are you coming back to school?"
"Not as a student," Harry replied, shaking his head.
"Harry has taken the Defence post for next year," Albus told the others around the table. "He'll be posing as my nephew."
Harry turned to Salazar, a rolling uncertainty in his stomach. "Sal," he whispered, horror in his voice, "I'll have to give and grade homework."
Sirius broke out in barking laughter while others around the table smiled at the young man. Salazar took a moment to sort out what, exactly, that meant, then said, "Now why didn't we think of something like that?"
"Sal," Harry whined, prodding his husband's upper arm.
"You'll figure it out," Salazar informed him with certainty.
Harry huffed. "You're helping me," he ordered.
Salazar sighed and rolled his eyes upwards. "Of course I am," he agreed.
"What about the curse?" Ginny asked. "Even Mad-Eye succumbed to it, and he was only staying a year."
"I intend to look into this 'curse'," Salazar commented. "I will find a way to be rid of it before classes start, even if it means tearing the wards down and putting them back together myself. No one puts a curse on my school while I'm alive to do something about it, especially not some half-formed freak who claims to be descended from me." He sneered.
Ginny wasn't the only one to stare at Salazar in a new light. Hermione swallowed, then breathed, "You can do that?"
"Oh, yeah, he can do whatever he wants with the wards," Harry offered drily. "He, Rowena, Holden, and Helga were the ones who put them together."
"And yourself and Ramona," Salazar reminded his husband; Harry and Ramona had helped to add to the wards when they stretched them to cover Hogsmeade, being the magically strongest amongst those who stayed the summer at the school.
Harry waved that away. "Two spells, Sal; it's not that impressive."
"You helped with the Hogwarts wards?" Hermione breathed and Harry knew he'd never hear the end of her questions.
"I helped extend the wards," Harry corrected. "More magical strength than actual spell knowledge, Hermione."
"But I bet you know all sorts of spells that don't exist any more," Hermione pointed out, eyes bright with excitement.
Harry paused for a moment, then said, "I know some excellent cooking charms; Helga taught them to me my first Yule."
Hermione was clearly torn between learning new spells, and learning spells to be used in a kitchen. Mrs Weasley, though, cleared her throat and said, "Perhaps we could trade?"
"Certainly." Harry grimaced. "I need to catch up on modern spells, anyway."
"We'll see if we can't help you with that," Lupin offered.
Harry smiled. "I'd appreciate that." Then his smile twisted somewhat wryly. "How many spells am I teaching you in return?"
Lupin laughed. "We'll see," he decided and Harry let out a loud groan, but his smile remained.
Albus chuckled with the others around the table, then nodded down the table towards Mrs Weasley. "Well, Molly, an excellent dinner, but I'm afraid I must run."
"Oh, of course, Albus," Mrs Weasley agreed, getting up to see Albus to the floo as the man collected his cloak.
"Is it okay if Sal and I remain a bit, si– Uncle?" Harry asked, grimacing at his slip; seeing his friends again had taken him back to thinking of the Headmaster as a professor, rather than his supposed uncle.
"I trust you to find your way back to the school," Albus agreed. "Although, if you feel the need to spend a night or two here, I won't stop you." He nodded to Sirius' hopeful expression.
"Not tonight, I'm afraid," Harry replied with true regret. "We can't leave Slinky like that, and we need to speak with a couple ghosts."
Albus inclined his head, then offered a general, "Good night," to the room, which most everyone responded to, then tossed some floo powder into the fireplace and said, "Head Office, Hogwarts."
Mrs Weasley glanced around the table and, seeing that most everyone was done, waved her wand to gather the cleaned dishes and said, "Kids, why don't you see about unpacking some?" There were groans from the four students, but they rose all the same and started towards the stairs.
Sirius turned towards Harry and Salazar. "Would you like a tour?" he asked a bit hopefully as others rose to offer to help Mrs Weasley or make their way upstairs.
"I would love one," Harry agreed, getting up. "Sal?"
"Might as well," the Founder allowed as he also got to his feet, settling Tanwen on his shoulder with care.
Sirius gave them the grand tour, having more than a few nasty words for the house, which turned out to have belonged to his family. They were just finishing up – Harry was petting Buckbeak while Salazar stayed well away – when there was a crash downstairs and someone started shrieking insults at the top of their lungs.
"My mother's painting," Sirius offered to Harry and Salazar's stares. "We try to keep a cover over her, so she keeps silent, but loud noises tend to startle her awake and she remembers how much she hates that we're using her home to house blood traitors and muggleborns." He sighed. "Pity there's a permanent sticking charm keeping her on the wall."
"I assume you've tried to get her down?" Harry asked as Salazar stalked from the room, expression intent. "Sal?"
Salazar waved his hand negligently around the doorway before they heard him on the stairs.
"Albus tried a few spells, but nothing worked," Sirius offered as both he and Harry moved to follow the Founder. "Does he know a spell?"
"Can't be sure," Harry replied, hurrying down the stairs after his husband.
Harry and Sirius caught up in the front hall, where Salazar was gently stopping Remus from forcing the curtains shut and saying, "Do you know who I am, madam?"
Walburga Black fell silent for long enough to consider the dark-haired man across from her before spitting, "Another nasty blood traitor!"
"I am Salazar Slytherin, madam, and you will speak to me with the respect that is my due," Salazar replied coolly and the portrait fell silent, staring at Salazar with wide eyes. Salazar raised an eyebrow at her, then said, "In my day, true ladies didn't go around caterwauling about miscreants in their homes; they were silent and mild-mannered, showing their displeasure by slipping nasty surprises into guests' tea, or simply unnerving them with their stare."
"Of–of course, my Lord Slytherin," Walburga breathed. "I will endeavour to act more befitting of my station."
"An excellent plan," Salazar agreed before glancing over at his husband and hissing, :Can I please make them stop calling me 'Lord Slytherin'?:
Harry smiled and shook his head while Remus and Sirius twitched at the snake's tongue and Walburga stared at Salazar, more awed than before. :It's your own fault for introducing yourself so pompously, this time,: Harry replied, amused.
Salazar sighed. :Any ideas for getting rid of her?:
:We could ask the Room,: Harry suggested. :Or try cutting the picture out of the frame?:
Salazar's eyes lit and he drew his sword in a swift motion, then used it to slice the parchment away from the frame, his motions with the blade smooth and practised.
"What is this?!" Walburga screamed. "FIFTHLY LIARS! TRAITORS, ALL OF YOU!" Her eyes burned with hatred as she looked up at Salazar from where she lay on the ground, her legs folded under her because of how the painting had fallen. "You're freaks," she spat.
A throwing knife bloomed in Walburga's forehead and she let out one last piercing scream before the painting bled black ink from the knife's tip.
"I despise that word," Harry spat as he stalked forward to retrieve his knife.
Salazar waited until Harry was standing and slipping his knife away before brushing a hand across his back. Harry glanced back at him and smiled at the flash of gratitude in his husband's eyes. "No one calls my husband that," he whispered, running a hand through Salazar's hair.
"I know," Salazar murmured. And he did, because Harry had told him about his life with his relatives, to whom he was 'Freak' and 'Boy', never having a name of his own under their roof. Harry could deal with 'boy', having heard it aimed at himself and others in a more kindly manner, but 'freak' would always be akin to 'mudblood' for him; that Angus and then Godric had used that word for those they disliked had only been poor luck, but it had nearly tripled Harry's hatred for the word, leaving him prone to violence when met with it, no matter the language.
"Well," Sirius said, voice a little strained, "I guess we didn't need a spell to shut her up."
Harry smiled back at his godfather, stepping back to give Salazar room to sheathe his sword. "I guess not," he agreed easily, as if he hadn't just been spitting-mad. "It seems a lack of magic was the way to go."
Sirius eyed the ruined parchment, its paint leaking out of the hole Harry's knife had made. "Good riddance," he decided, relaxing at the lack of violence in his godson's bearing.
"Smells like silver," Lupin commented quietly.
Harry grimaced. "Oh, yeah, sorry. I've got two silver knives, but the others – and Sal's sword – are all steel. I can leave the silver ones at Hogwarts next time I come, if they bother you?" he suggested.
Lupin shook his head. "Voldemort will likely have werewolves among his people; I can ignore them so long as I know they'll be keeping you safe."
"And that I'd never use them against you," Harry agreed with an easy smile.
"If you came across me on a full moon, I'd rather you would," Lupin said, eyes downcast.
But Harry shook his head. "I'm an animagus; if it comes to a show down between your wolf and myself, I'll simply change form and fly out of reach. A raven," he added as a grinning Sirius opened his mouth to ask.
"We simply must come up with a Marauder name for you," Sirius declared, wrapping an arm around Harry's shoulders.
Harry sighed. "As long as it's not too flashy."
Sirius' whole face lit up with glee and Harry felt a momentary sinking feeling before deciding he really didn't care; as long as Sirius was happy. And the name he came up with wasn't too ridiculous.
"Harry," Salazar interrupted, eyes smiling. When Harry, Sirius, and Lupin had all turned to look at him, he commented, "We should head back to Hogwarts for the night."
Harry sighed and nodded. "Of course. Where's a good place to apparate from?" he asked his godfather.
"The front stoop," Sirius replied, looking saddened as he drew away.
Harry grabbed his hand and squeezed. "I'll be back tomorrow," he promised. "We can catch up and, if there's a room free for Sal and me, we'll even stay the night. Okay?"
Sirius smiled and squeezed Harry's hand back. "Okay," he agreed.
Harry and Salazar made their way to the front stoop and apparated to the gates of Hogwarts, which opened for them without complaint at Salazar's touch and closed behind them once they'd passed through.
"We should probably spend part of tomorrow registering ourselves with the Ministry," Harry commented as they made their way down the path to the school.
"Registering ourselves?" Salazar repeated, scowling.
Harry shrugged. "Well, getting official apparation licences, mostly. And registering my animagus form, though I do see plenty of reason why it would be best not to; at least for so long as Voldemort is alive."
Salazar snorted. "You spend more time complaining about this Ministry than you do agreeing with them," he pointed out.
Harry grimaced. "Yeah, I know. Just the licences, then?"
"That would be my choice, yes."
Harry shrugged and made a mental note to drop by the Ministry before going back to Grimmauld Place tomorrow. "Did you want to go back to Headquarters with me tomorrow?" he asked, disinclined to take Salazar's company for granted.
Salazar shrugged. "I may as well. Your godfather mentioned something about a library, and I should also be interested in looking up modern spells."
"We'll leave you to the books while we catch up, then," Harry decided.
"And I'll teach you any new spells I learn later," Salazar added and they shared a knowing smile.
They met no one on their trip through the castle and down to their dungeon room. Helena and Alexander were awaiting them in their room, catching up with Slinky while Dobby asked occasional questions about Harry and Salazar, and Harry resigned himself to having two house-elves.
"Harry, Salazar," Helena said as the door closed behind them, "it's good to see you again."
"Likewise," Harry replied for the both of them while Salazar took his cloak to hang up with his own. "I'm sure it's even more gladdening for you, Helena, considering both the time and the fact that you've been unable to speak with me previously."
"It was difficult," Helena admitted, shrugging. "But we – Alexander and myself – have long been the least social of the Hogwarts ghosts. We were here over a century longer than the next oldest ghosts, and are more than used to keeping to ourselves."
"As you were in life, then," Salazar commented drily as he dropped into a comfortable green chair that resembled the ones he and Harry had once had in their own rooms. "What drove you to deciding to become ghosts, if I may ask?"
"It's not a pleasant story," Alexander said.
"They rarely are," Harry replied, dropping into a chair like Salazar's.
"Do Masters want anything?" Slinky asked, looking up at them hopefully. Next to her, Dobby echoed her expression, and Salazar let out a quiet groan.
"Perhaps some tea," Harry suggested, ignoring his husband. "Assuming you two can sort that out without fighting or breaking anything?" He raised an eyebrow at them.
The two house-elves shifted guiltily and traded looks. "Slinky gets tea?" the female suggested.
"Dobby will get the cups," the male agreed and they both popped away.
"You attract them," Salazar muttered and Harry let out a nervous laugh.
"At least they can keep each other busy while you're both out?" Alexander suggested.
Salazar grimaced. "Thank you, Alexander, for that mental image."
Alexander grimaced himself. "That's not what I meant."
Harry rolled his eyes, then smiled as the two house-elves popped back in with the tea, Dobby serving Harry while Slinky served Salazar. "Thank you, Dobby, Slinky," he offered as he settled back with his tea.
The two house-elves grinned, then settled down, out of the way, to listen to the ghosts.
"About ten years after you'd returned to this time, according to Ramona and Merlin," Helena started, "Dad came down with some sort of illness that Duana and her various healer friends couldn't cure. And, yes, she asked the Room, but it gave her nothing useful."
"She didn't think even the two of you would have made the difference," Alexander added, seeing the regret in Salazar and Harry's eyes and guessing – correctly – at the reason.
Helena nodded her agreement. "Godric wouldn't have let you back in the castle, anyway; Mother asked."
Salazar sighed while Harry muttered some rather uncomplimentary terms for the Founder under his breath. "No," the older man commented quietly, "I didn't think he would have. It was bad enough that he was required to let Wilda stay and that we remained as long as we had; I doubt anyone could talk him into letting another werewolf into the school after we'd left, either."
"None of us bothered," Alexander admitted. "Wilda's pack did pick up another magical werewolf, but she returned and taught the pup herself, with others of us dropping in when we were in the same general area and offering our help."
"There was one other homosexual student, that we knew of during Godric's life, but the student body and teachers went to great lengths to keep Godric from ever finding out," Helena added. "We managed it and she went on to become a Charms Mistress and, after Godric's death, returned with her bonded to teach until she passed away. The students who she taught adored her."
Salazar shook his head at his fellow Founder's bull-headed refusal to look past someone's sexual preference or a curse they suffered to see their worth as a human being. He waved that away after a moment and said, "Holden died, then?"
Helena inclined her head. "Yes. Mother spent much of her time during his final year at his side, leaving myself and others to teach her classes and watch the House. I was rather displeased by this, both because I was required to return to the school from my own travels south to carry her burden, and because I didn't get the time with Dad that I might have liked. After he died, she became progressively weaker herself, requiring that I remained in the castle to handle her duties. Finally, I stole her precious diadem and left, hoping the need for her treasured creation would get her out of bed when nothing else had."
"It didn't," Alexander said, taking over the tale while Helena bowed her head, too ashamed at her own actions to continue telling the story to the two wizards she'd considered family. "Duana couldn't say whether Holden's death had simply broken Rowena's heart beyond her capability to keep on living, or if she, too, had been ill with an unknown illness, but she was unable to get out of bed to chase after Helena. She sent me, instead, saying she cared not for the diadem, but she wanted her daughter there so she could have what was left of her family there when she died.
"I found Helena in what is now Romania. She didn't want to return to Hogwarts just to continue filling Rowena's shoes and refused to believe that Rowena was honestly dying. We argued, I pushed her too hard and she cracked her head. She was dead before I realised she wasn't playing me."
"Oh, Alex..." Harry whispered, hurting for his friend.
Alexander offered Harry a broken smile and Helena whispered, "He killed himself in remorse. Somewhere between our anger and regret, we both held on to life just enough to become ghosts. We made it back to Hogwarts in time to say goodbye to Mother before she died."
"Rowena said she, too, could hold on enough to become a ghost, but Helena told her to go on, to see Holden again," Alexander added quietly.
"We stayed in Hogwarts, for the most part," Helena said, straightening and wiping any hint of sorrow from her expression. "But we did travel a bit, during the summers, when there were no students in the castle who might need extra eyes. When the other ghosts and Peeves started showing up, we stopped travelling to help them become used to their circumstances and the castle."
"I regret the circumstances," Alexander said, "but I don't regret surviving to see you both again." He smirked. "Especially not the chance to see you as a first year, Mum."
"Cute," Harry replied drily. "Start telling stories to Sal, however, and I'll make sure the entire school knows about that one time–"
Alexander made a desperate motion for Harry to shut up. He'd grown up in Harry's shadow, and knew well how vindictive the young man could be when sufficiently pressed to it. "My lips are sealed," he swore.
Salazar raised an intrigued eyebrow, but he figured he'd have an easier time getting any embarrassing stories out of his husband than he would out of the ghosts. Or perhaps one of his little friends, if he could get them to trust him.
"Whatever you're plotting, stop," Harry ordered, watching Salazar with distrust.
Salazar flashed him an innocent smile. "I'm not plotting anything, my sweet."
Harry stared at him for a long moment before glancing towards the two ghosts. "Alex, Helena, lovely talk, hope to do it again. If you'd excuse us for the moment, however..."
Trading amused looks, the two ghosts vanished through the ceiling. Slinky and Dobby, taking the same cue, popped away, leaving Harry to enact his revenge on his laughing husband.
Slinky woke the two wizards the next morning, saying, "Dobby's sayings a breakfast is to be served in the Great Hall. Professor Albus says to join him so he can shows you around."
"He would," Harry muttered into his pillow.
Salazar sighed and sat up, taking a moment for the spinning room to settle. "Gods above," he muttered, rubbing at his forehead. "I feel like someone slipped me a sleep potion." He glanced towards Slinky, distrustful.
The house-elf immediately shook her head. "Not Slinky or Dobby, Master Salazar," she swore. "Slinky knows better." Salazar had caught her out once for slipping him a sleeping potion when he'd spent two days not sleeping to work on something; he had a minor allergy to one of the components in the potion, and if he didn't take another potion an hour before hand to counteract the allergy, he ended up waking up with a massive headache and vertigo.
"It's probably the time travel," Harry said, pushing himself up and resting his head on Salazar's shoulder while the world spun. "I slept it off last time, but we've been constantly moving since we arrived yesterday."
"It was a long day," Salazar agreed, remembering that they'd left in the night and arrived in the early afternoon, skipping any chance for sleep. They were lucky they'd managed so well as they had, honestly.
"Slinky can bring food down for Masters," the house-elf offered, expression twisted with concern.
Harry shook his head and immediately regretted it. "No," he managed, closing his eyes against the wave of vertigo. "We'll go up. But could you tell Uncle that we'll be a few minutes late?"
"Slinky will," the house-elf agreed and popped away.
Salazar motioned with his wand and two potions floated over to him from his shelf against one wall, which Slinky had set up yesterday. "Hangover potion?" he offered, holding one out to Harry. The potion had helped, in the past, with the pains of a morning after being slipped a sleep potion.
Harry tossed the potion back, blinked a few times as the world settled, then grinned at his husband. "Have I told you recently that I love you?"
"Not this morning," Salazar commented before brushing his lips against Harry's.
Harry banished the empty vials towards the sink against one wall and turned so he was facing Salazar properly. "I love you, Salazar Potter," he murmured before drawing Salazar into a deep kiss, tongue pressing into the older wizard's mouth without a hint of resistance.
When they pulled apart a breath, Salazar whispered, "We could still have breakfast in," lips brushing against Harry's as he spoke.
"Tempting," Harry whispered back, staring into his husband's eyes and truly considering it for a moment before pressing one last kiss against Salazar's mouth and pulling away. "But, no. Perhaps another day."
Salazar sighed and got out of the bed. "Too much to do today," he commented.
"True," Harry agreed, grimacing. "I should ask Albus about the licence, and I wouldn't mind looking for that portrait Ramona and Merlin left."
"And there's visiting with your godfather and friends to be done," Salazar finished. "I know. I might see about that curse while you're speaking to the portrait."
Harry smiled. "You'll let me know if you need an extra wand?"
"Of course I will," Salazar agreed.
When they reached the Great Hall, they found that Albus had left a couple empty seats for Harry and Salazar at his side around the small, circular table that was the only one in the Hall. Around the table sat six other members of the staff and they all watched the two late comers curiously as they settled in at Albus' right.
"Good morning, Uncle," Harry offered as he took his seat, hiding a smile at the surprise that flickered in everyone's eyes.
"Good morning, Harry, Sal," Albus replied and the Founder inclined his head in response. Looking at the others around the table, Albus said, "Everyone, this is my nephew, Harry, and his husband, Salazar. Harry has agreed to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts this year."
Uncertain eyes considered both wizards, though whether it was due to their being openly gay, or Salazar's well-known name, Harry didn't know. Harry smiled at everyone anyway, offering, "Well met."
Flitwick let out a pleased huff. "Indeed! You didn't mention you were related to Albus yesterday."
"I suppose I didn't," Harry agreed and inclined his head. "I didn't mean to mislead you, I simply wasn't certain about claiming a relation, given the current political climate."
"I understand," Flitwick replied. "I'm Filius Flitwick, by the way, since we were never properly introduced."
When Harry's eyes turned to the mediwitch at Flitwick's side, she said, "Poppy Pomfrey. I'm the castle mediwitch."
"That reminds me, Poppy," Albus said, "Sal is a trained mediwizard, though considering he did his learning outside of the country, I'm not sure how the Ministry will look at that..."
"Knowing your Ministry, unfavourably," Salazar commented smoothly as he met the mediwitch's considering gaze. "If you require any assistance, I am willing to give it, Madam. I'm afraid magical defence is not my forte, for all that Harry is quite passionate about it."
"I may take you up on that," Pomfrey allowed. "I don't usually require any help unless a number of students are hurt all at once." She narrowed her eyes at Harry. "You won't be sending me groups of students, will you?"
"I will endeavour to allow my students to cast only those spells which they or I can easily dispel the effects of," Harry promised.
Pomfrey nodded, pleased enough with that promise. Next to her was Sprout, who cheerfully offered, "I'm Pomona Sprout, Head of Hufflepuff and the Herbology professor. It's quite nice to meet you both."
"Likewise," Harry replied and, when she had nothing more to say, looked towards Hagrid.
"Rubeus Hagrid," the half-giant offered with a wide grin. "I'm the Care o' Magical Creatures professor and Keeper o' the Keys."
Next to Hagrid sat Filch who looked rather like he had no interest in introducing himself, so Albus offered, "Argus Filch, our caretaker. His cat, Mrs Norris, is sitting next to him." Hearing her name, the cat poked her head over the top of the table and glared at Harry and Salazar.
"And I am Sybill Trelawney," the last person at the table said airily.
"You don't want to know what got her out of her tower," Albus murmured to Harry and the young wizard grinned, knowing well the supposed seer's feelings about leaving the perfumed rooms she used in the north tower.
The meal went rather well, despite any misgivings the staff had for their new members. Harry answered the few questions about his origins, explaining that he'd been home schooled due to some tension between Aberforth and Albus, and had been travelling outside the country for the past few years, enjoying a chance to see how other peoples lived. Salazar, for his part, left Harry to any explanations about his past and got lost in a conversation with Pomfrey about some healing spells that had recently been created by someone in St Mungo's; the Founder might not have been familiar with the spells, but he was a capable enough healer and actor that he had no trouble keeping up with the mediwitch.
As breakfast broke up, Salazar touched Harry's shoulder briefly, then waved for Albus' attention. "Albus, if I might have a word?"
"Certainly, Sal," the Headmaster agreed and they moved off to one side, whispering about the curse.
Harry fell in with Trelawney and Flitwick on their way up to the seventh floor. When Flitwick looked curiously at the young man, Harry offered, "I need to collect something from my uncle's office. Don't mind me."
Flitwick chuckled and they travelled the rest of the way in silence. At the top of the seventh floor, Harry turned one direction while the other two professors turned the opposite way. The Room was past the Headmaster's office, and the other two were out of sight before he reached the gargoyle, so Harry just kept on without a concern and stopped when he reached the blank space of wall the door of the Room would appear on.
Harry took a moment to smile at the humorous tapestry hung across from the door, then started pacing, thinking, 'I need the Room where Merlin and Ramona's portrait is,' over and over. At his third pass, the door grew out of the wall and Harry pulled it open.
Inside was a small room warmed by a fireplace and with a large green couch sat in front of a portrait of a much older Merlin and Ramona, both of whom were sleeping. Stepping quietly, Harry considered his friends: He saw a lot of Roscoe in Ramona, from the faint curl of her long hair, to the shape of her ears; in Merlin, he saw the old wizard on the chocolate frog cards, though his hair and beard were still mostly the dark auburn he'd had as a boy.
Dropping onto the couch, Harry cleared his throat. The two sleeping people jerked awake and blinked around the room. Merlin saw Harry first and his blue eyes widened, then he broke out with a huge grin that reminded Harry so much of what he'd left behind, that his breath caught. "Harry!"
"Goodness!" Ramona said, smiling down at the young man on the couch. "Harry, it's wonderful to see you again."
"Likewise," Harry whispered and cleared his throat against the catch in his voice. "Alex told me you were both in here."
"So we are," Ramona agreed. "I take it that means you've spoken to him and Helena?"
Harry nodded. "Last night. I would have come up then, but we were getting tired."
Ramona waved that away. "We're more than capable of waiting for you."
"Is Salazar not with you?" Merlin asked, looking towards the door, as if Salazar would come running at his name.
Harry shook his head. "He's looking into the curse on the Defence position; he was quite displeased to find out about it, going on about refusing to let someone – especially his supposed descendant – put a curse on his school."
Merlin rolled his eyes. "Of course he did. What was the real reason he was upset?"
"What, you think he wouldn't be upset because someone's cursed the school?" Harry asked, amused.
"He'd be upset, but I think he'd be more interested in going after this Lord Voldemort that wants you dead than in worrying over a curse," Merlin pointed out. "He swore vengeance on that man before he even knew his name."
Harry snorted. "True enough. Well, I agreed to take the Defence position, so the curse is a danger to me."
"That would do it," Ramona commented.
"Voldemort also thinks I'm dead, right now, so he's not much of a threat to me," Harry added. "I'm acting as the Headmaster's nephew, to hide my identity; I'm still in danger, but I'm not target number one."
"I suppose it would be a bit difficult to explain away however many years older you are," Ramona agreed.
"And it will be a lovely surprise to Voldemort," Harry commented, settling more comfortably on the couch. "So, what all did I miss? Beyond Merlin becoming ridiculously famous."
"Oh, you'll enjoy this one," Ramona said with a grin. "Merlin met this Arthur bloke by tripping over him and cracking his head. Arthur nursed him until he was well enough to heal himself."
"He was surprisingly okay with magic," Merlin added wryly as Harry snickered at his friend's misfortune. "Good news for me, because I wasn't quite there enough to know better until after I'd cast the spell. He just asked if I could fix his leaky roof."
"Your life never got dull, did it?" Harry asked, far too amused.
"Apparently not," Merlin replied drily. "I take it you knew right away that I was going to become famous?"
Harry nodded. "Oh, yeah. When I first got to the past, I was still cursing using your name, until Sal told me off. He says the only reason he didn't suggest you to Godric or Helga was because he'd heard your name and remembered it from me."
"I'm torn between being bothered or pleased by this," Merlin decided.
"Be pleased," Ramona suggested. "You managed quite well in Slytherin House, and it prepared you for those times of darkness as Camelot came to a close."
"True," Merlin agreed, something grim in his eyes.
Harry offered a sad smile, familiar enough with the legends to know things hadn't always gone well. He glanced at Ramona. "What happened with Manfred, then? Did you finally dump his arse?"
Ramona laughed and nodded. "I didn't get much of a choice," she commented. "He hit me one afternoon for speaking out of turn, or some such – stop that," she added, seeing the furious gleam in Harry's eyes at the mention of violence. "Merlin caught me trying to cover it up and let it slip to the rest of your upper year snakes what was going on."
"We threatened him a bit," Merlin said airily. "Something about six angry Slytherins and Conrad scared him off and he vanished from the castle in the night. When Roscoe found out about Manfred's abuse the next morning, he was already long gone."
"More the pity," Harry decided. "He would have deserved Roscoe's anger."
"Be that as it may," Ramona interrupted, rolling her eyes at the both of them, "I was quite on my own for a few years, helping with the school while others of our year left to find their fortunes elsewhere. Fane stayed on as the Head of Slytherin and we got on well enough. Not long after Rowena and Holden died, Da started to take ill, being non-magical as he was. Fane asked to court me and, with Da's blessing, we had our handfasting a few days before he died."
Harry smiled sadly. "I'm glad he got to see it."
Ramona nodded. "He seemed really happy, at least. Umm... Oh! Fane and I had a daughter, Lily, and a son, Harry."
Harry's eyes widened with surprise at the tribute to himself and his mother, then he smiled again. "Thanks, Ramona."
Ramona inclined her head. "I insisted on Lily," she admitted. "Fane was the one who insisted on Harry."
"He would have," Harry agreed drily. "Merlin? No pretty girls to bond with?"
Merlin snorted. "To have a fling in the hay with, yes; to have a formal handfasting with, no. And, yes, I took care not to get anyone pregnant, Mum."
Harry grinned; he'd always cautioned his students against the careless sleeping around that Salazar's father had taken part in, though he'd always taken care not to mention Silvanus Slytherin. Salazar had helpfully taught an anti-conception charm to all his students during their first year, so none of them could claim they didn't know how to be careful.
Slinky popped in next to Harry. She took a moment to smile at the portrait, then said, "Master Salazar say he's okays to be goings now, Master Harry."
Harry sighed and stood. "Excellent. Merlin, Ramona, our room has something of a sitting room apart from the bedroom. Is it okay if Slinky sets you up in there?"
"I think we'd quite like that," Ramona agreed.
"As long as we don't have to see you two going at it," Merlin added teasingly.
Harry snorted. "I'll be sure we get naked out there one day, just for you," he promised and Merlin moaned theatrically while Ramona laughed. "Slinky?"
"Slinky will takes care of it, Master Harry," she promised before both she and the portrait vanished.
Chuckling to himself, and feeling all the lighter for the chance to speak to his friends – portrait magic or not – Harry made his way down to where Salazar awaited him on the front steps, summoning his cloak on his way.
-0-
A/N: This chapter was a bit distracted with family visiting Shara and I, and my visiting with my father and his wife; if things seem a bit strange, that's why. (I always say this, like I think there's something wrong, and you lot never seem to think so. Why do I bother? XP)
I meant to get Sev in here – Shara's looking forward to him – but since it was only a dinner, I couldn't get him in at Grimmauld, and considering he's home at the start of HBP, it makes sense that he'd be home during this summer. (Everyone staying at Hogwarts has a reason for being on the grounds during the holiday, though I doubt I'll ever get into that. For most of them, they simply don't have a home outside the castle.)
~Bats ^.^x
01 - Impossible Distance || 02 - Layers of Harmony || 03 - Breaking Inside
04 - Let It Flow || 05 - White Horses || 06 - Disturbs Your Slumber
07 - Heart Worth Breaking || 08 - Keep It Inside || 09 - Like the Stars
10 - I'll Breathe Again || 11 - Set Fire to the Rain || 12 - Generation Built on a Lie
16 - I'm Not Drowning || 17 - Beating of the Storm || 18 - Let Me See Your Fire
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