3,440Chapter 2
Ten Years Later
Harry Potter was a normal boy just like any other, but deep-down Harry knew he was different. Ever since he could remember he felt off—like there was something he was supposed to be doing. It was almost like he was supposed to be someone else entirely. Harry shivered as he remembered the first time he told his relatives about these feelings, but vowed to never mention them again afterward. He had spent almost three days in his cupboard as punishment for talking about abnormal things.
Harry always knew something wasn't right even from a younger age. Not just with himself, but with his home life too. His Aunt and Uncle treated him like a second-rate citizen. They verbally abused him, sometimes starved him, and occasionally beat him if they felt like he had done something abnormal. His cousin used him as a punching bag at their encouragement, and he didn't even have a room of his own. He slept in a cupboard! Even at the grand old age of eleven, Harry knew it was wrong for his relatives to treat him like that.
Everything became very clear one hot summer day. Harry had been fixing breakfast for is relatives when the familiar sound of mail being slipped through the letter slot was heard. He was ordered to go get the mail, and sighed as he set down the tea pot he had been holding. He quickly scurried into the front hall and gathered up the small pile, but a strange looking envelope caught his eye and he shuffled through the letters until it was on top.
Harry stared at it dumbfounded as he caught sight of his name written in green ink. He slowly turned it over and saw the back was sealed with wax that had an oddly familiar looking 'H' embedded in it. He cocked his head to the side as he stared at it.
"Those animals look like a lion, a badger, a bird, and a…and a…snake." He whispered as he peered closer at it.
Suddenly he screamed and clutched at his head as memories flooded his mind—memories that were too old to be eleven-year-old boys. The letters in his hand went flying up in the air, but strangely the special letter floated down and somehow wedged itself underneath the gap of his cupboard door.
Harry Potter lay on the floor shaking as the memories continued to batter his mind. This commotion caused Uncle Vernon to come charging into the foyer, but Harry was only vaguely aware as his Uncle snatch him up and began to yell in his face.
"BOY!" The pompous man roared. "What is the matter with you?!"
Unable to control the shaking, but somewhat coming to his senses, Harry managed to make something up on the spot.
"A…a…spider. A really big spider. It scared me. I'm so sorry for making a bunch of noise Uncle Vernon." He croaked out. "It…it…went over there." He said, pointing towards the little table by the front door.
Vernon eyed the direction in which Harry pointed very carefully.
"Find it and kill it then." He said, roughly releasing Harry who nodded and backed away quickly.
Grumbling, Vernon picked up the letters and waddled back into the kitchen, where Harry heard him making snide remarks about being scared of spiders. That just caused Harry to shake his head in disgust. He was still trembling from the constant onslaught of memories, but Harry took off his shoe and began banging it on the floor. After that, he quickly opened the front door to make them believe he had thrown it out, then slammed it shut again before carefully making his way into the kitchen.
"I got it." He announced.
"Good." Vernon grunted. "Go to your cupboard. I don't want to hear any more out of you today."
"Yes sir." Harry mumbled, as he quickly made his way to it and shut the door behind him.
He sat on his makeshift bed, and stared at the letter laying at his feet.
"Son of Morgana. Son of Morgana. Son of Morgana." He whispered over and over, as he sat cross-legged with his head resting between his hands. "How could this have happened? What went wrong? I need to sort this out."
Salazar laid down on his bed, and began sorting through the jumble of thoughts and memories that were still assaulting his mind. It wasn't painful, but it was shocking to have all this happen in a span of five minutes, and the disorganization wasn't helping at all.
Salazar had always been a stickler for a well-organized mind, so this—to him—was a nightmare. His occlumency had gone to pot, and all of his memories of being 'Harry' had to be sorted through. Clearing and organizing his thoughts was going to take some time.
For hours he laid there sorting and clearing his mind, and the more he sorted and cleared, the angrier he became.
These people are lucky that I know all muggles don't act like this. He thought, as he scowled at the cupboard door. Because I'd kill them where they stand for what they have done. Fat bunch of—
"BOY!" Vernon yelled. "Get out here and start supper!"
Clenching his fists and gritting his teeth, Salazar opened the door and made his way into the kitchen.
I need to get through the rest of this day and began planning my next steps. I need to act as normal as I can before I make my escape. This has to be done with the up most caution. He thought, as be busied himself with dinner.
Wishing he had his wand so that he could make the process go faster, Salazar painstakingly cut up onions, potatoes, and spices to add to the roast that he was making. Upon completion—and knowing it would take several hours before it was finished cooking—he turned towards Vernon who was sitting at the table.
"I'm finished. It will be a few hours before the roast is ready."
"Good. Go back to your cupboard then."
"May I go and use the loo?"
"Hurry up." The odious man grunted.
Glaring at the man stuffing his face with a piece of cake, Salazar made his way upstairs. He used the loo—and being mindful not to flush just yet—stared at himself in the mirror. His lightning bolt scar was still there and for all it was worth, he looked like a young James Potter.
What the hell went wrong? He thought, as he studied himself closely. Why do I have a scar? Obliviously I'm growing like a child should, but why? The Polyjuice should have worn off loooooong ago, so why am I like this? What went wrong!?
He was roused out of his thoughts when Dudley banged on the door.
"Hurry up in there you freak!" He yelled.
Salazar gritted his teeth, flushed the toilet, washed his hands, and opened the door. He scowled at his 'cousin', but was shoved into the opposite wall for it.
"Watch it freak, and learn your place!" Dudley yelled, then laughed when Salazar winced and rubbed his elbow.
Filthy muggles. Now it all makes sense. They must know I'm a wizard, but why haven't they ever told me? Hmm, this needs careful study. I know they are Lily's family, but why do they act this way? Why don't they like wizards? Petunia is Lily's sister, so it's not like they don't know that magic exists. He thought, as he closed the door to his cupboard.
Salazar picked up the Hogwarts acceptance letter, opened it, and began to read.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcerer, Chief Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Inside you will find…
Blah, blah, blah, blah. Some things never change. Salazar thought with a sigh, as he tossed the letter aside. He picked up the envelope and studied the address.
Mr. H. Potter
The Cupboard under the Stairs
4 Privet Drive
Little Whinging
Surrey
Hmm, standard auto quill written so nothing new there, but Dumbledore is still Headmaster. They think I'm Harry, but why? What happened that night?
Salazar racked his brain, and brought up memories of what he remembered happening.
I remember the killing curse coming at me, and bouncing back like it was supposed to. I remember Voldemort becoming a black mist, which is normal for a horcrux maker. I remember pain—why pain? Nothing was supposed to hurt. I remember blacking out, and nothing more until I got the letter. BLAST! I need my pensieve to better study what happened! Wait…was I obviated? Maybe that is why I can't remember.
Salazar reached deep inside himself to study is magic, which he was now well aware of.
No, I haven't been obliviated, but—oh, what is this?
Salazar let his magic flow around himself, and he began to feel out his surroundings.
Hmm, wards. What kind of—blood wards!? What in the name of Merlin!? Why blood wards? That does not make any sense. What is that? A tracking charm! That will have to go. There is an anti-apparition jinx on the house, but there are no anti-disapparition jinxes, so that is a plus. I can leave, but I can't return.
"Not that I'd want too." He muttered bitterly.
My magic is also somewhat weak, but why? Lack of use? Maybe. Malnutrition? Unhealthy life? Possibly all three. Can I apparate safely?
Salazar stood up as best he could in the short space and began the process of apparition, but stopped just short of completing it.
Okay good. I can apparate, and tonight I will. My first stop is Godric's Hollow to get my wand. It's been ten years so hopefully it's still where I hid it.
"It better be!" He said loudly.
Salazar nearly jumped out of his skin when Petunia banged on the door.
"Why are you talking to yourself?!" She yelled. "Get out here so can eat your dinner. We want to eat in peace tonight."
Shrew. He thought as he opened the door.
Salazar shuffled into the kitchen, and began to eat his dinner—a leftover meat pie from the night before, an apple, and a glass of milk. When he was done, he was told to go back to his cupboard and remain there for the rest of the night, then he was locked in as soon as the door closed. Hours passed and as bedtime drew closer, and Salazar listened while the Dursleys prepared for bed.
Who put me here? Why? This is no way for a child to live. Who is responsible for this mess?
As the hours ticked on, the house finally became still. Salazar stuffed the Hogwarts letter into his pocket, because he knew he would need to send it off to Hogwarts as soon as he could. He had a sneaky suspicion that was where most of his answers lay. He stood up in the small space, and not caring about anything else in there, he apparated. The Dursleys didn't hear a thing.
Salazar landed in the graveyard at Godric's Hollow. It was a warm summer night, but knowing that he was unaware of the times, and what state the wizarding world was in, he remained alert as he made his way toward the cottage. When he arrived, he stopped and shook his head in horrified awe. The brightly lit full moon cast eerie shadows over the destruction. Half of the roof had been blown completely away, and the damage was worse than Salazar had previously thought.
There is no way any of them would have survived that. He thought, as he glanced around quickly.
He carefully made his way past the gate, and up the porch stairs to the front door. It had been blown inward just like he had imagined from the commotion of that night. He crept past the broken door, and for once was thankful for his small frame as he squeezed through some of the rubble.
The inside looked worse than the outside. Years of water damage had taken its toll on the house. Mold and mildew grew on the wallpaper, the floor-boards were rotted, and Salazar had to carefully watch his step as he made his way to the back of the house. He stopped just outside the master bedroom, and cautiously opened the door—least it fell off its hinges and sent the whole house down on top of his head.
He smiled in relief as he spied his hiding place. The dresser that held the Potter's clothes was untouched, though it was badly damaged from the elements. He quickly made his way across the room, bent down, and wrenched the dresser drawer open. He sighed in relief as he rustled through the dirty and stained clothes.
He had found his wand.
Salazar held it close and let the wand acclimate to his magic once again, then stood there rapidly breathing in and out as it re-bonded to him.
Thankfully wands don't rot. He thought, as he quickly dispelled the pesky tracking charm that plagued his person. No doubt whoever cast it will be alerted now.
Salazar spent several minutes cautiously checking the other parts of the house, before making his way his way carefully down the stairs. He stopped suddenly when he heard voices coming from just outside the front door.
"The tracking charm disappeared after the wards alerted me that someone was here. I checked, and this is the last place Harry was."
"How is that possible Albus? How would the boy get here?" A female voice replied.
"I do not know."
Dumbledore! Salazar thought.
He quickly backed into the kitchen, and tested his magic to see if it was strong enough for an animagus transformation. Thankfully it was, and just as they entered the house, Salazar completed the transformation—though not before accidently knocking a frying pan off the counter.
That's a problem. He thought, staring at the frying on the floor.
"What was that?" The female voice asked.
Salazar cringed away at the sudden brightness that illuminated the room.
"Merlin!" The woman exclaimed, stumbling backwards as she caught sight of the snake laying in the middle of the floor. "Albus!"
Salazar coiled around himself for protection, as the woman aimed her wand at him.
"What is it Minerva?"
"A snake. It startled me. Do you think it scared Harry off?"
"Perhaps. We are the only ones here, besides our little friend."
"Little?" Minerva replied anxiously. "It must be at least fifteen feet long."
"Well, I think Harry is long gone by now. Perhaps we should check the Dursleys to make sure all is quiet there."
"Harry got his Hogwarts letter today. We need to find him Albus. He can't just wander around the wizarding world."
"I know Minerva. Maybe it was a case of accidental magic that removed it, or maybe I read the tracking charm wrong. I've been known to make mistakes before."
More than a few I'd say. Salazar thought, glaring at Dumbledore.
Salazar waited until he heard the familiar cracks of two people apparating away, before he resumed human form again. Then he grabbed a near-by piece of rotted wood.
I know of a place that might have answers to some of my questions.
He quickly made a portkey, and set off for his villa in Rio.
Salazar landed in an ungraceful heap in the middle of his dining room, and nearly knocked himself out on the table as he stood up.
"Ouch." He said, rubbing the back of his head. "Blasted weak magic. That was a rough trip."
He heard an eating utensil clatter off to his left, and looked up to see a healthier and much bigger copy of himself staring at him in stunned surprise.
"MUM! DAD! COME QUICK! I HAVE A TWIN!"
"Harry James Potter what are you going on about—JAMES! COME QUICK!" Lily Potter screamed franticly, and Salazar found himself staring at the wrong end of a wand. "Who are you?" She demanded.
"Hello Lily." Salazar smiled. "I'm glad to see you are healthy and doing well."
"Who are you?" James asked, coming up behind his wife, also pointing his wand at Salazar.
"I'm the one who sent you here. It's me Salazar."
Both Potters dropped their wands and stared at him in awe. "Salazar?" They asked in unison.
"Yes. I came here hoping to shed some light on what in the hell went wrong."
"You look like…you look like…" Lily sputtered.
"Harry Potter?" He asked. "Yes, I've realized that."
"This is wicked! I have a twin!"
Salazar laughed. "It's good to see you are all doing exceptional."
"You don't look like you are doing well at all Salazar. What happened to you?" James asked, eyeing his clothes and his size.
"That is also what I'd like to know. Apparently, I somehow lost my memories that night, and this afternoon when I received 'Harry Potter's' Hogwarts letter they suddenly came pouring back. I've been living with the Dursleys for the last ten years."
"Petunia and Vernon?" Lily asked.
"One and the same."
"You poor dear. Come and eat something. For crying out loud you're all skin and bones. What did they do, starve you?"
"Among other things." He said quietly.
Lily wheeled around with wide eyes. "You can't be serious!"
"I am afraid I am." He answered. "Truth be told, I'm more tired than hungry right now. My magic is a little weak from lack of use, malnutrition, and an unhealthy life. I just need to rest."
"Well, come in the sitting room and let's talk." James said. "Harry, you need to finish your dinner, then get your bath. We will say goodnight soon."
Harry didn't move. Instead, he gazed at Salazar curiously. "Are you Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived? You have the scar and everything."
Salazar looked at him in confusion. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."
"You defeated Voldemort. Some people call him You-Know-Who though."
Salazar looked from Harry to his parents. "I don't know…"
"We need to talk to you Salazar. Harry, do as your father told you. You can talk to Salazar in the morning," Lily said, as she motioned for Salazar to follow them.
"Okay, Mum." Harry replied, and watched as they walked out the room.
When they entered the sitting room, James cast a privacy spell and poured them all a drink.
"It's best if you only drink one, because you are very small for a man your age." James said with a grin.
"Ha, ha." Salazar chuckled with a grin, as he took a small sip. "Goodness, that is what I needed. Okay, you all start and I'll try to piece together what happened."
Lily and James got Salazar caught up on the 'Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived' story, and even brought out some old newspaper articles to help Salazar get a better understanding of what they knew. They told him that they figured something might have gone wrong that night, but decided to remain in Rio like he told them to. In turn, Salazar told them all about his life at the Dursleys, what happened the night that Voldemort was defeated, and what had transpired earlier that night. Needless to say, Lily was furious.
"I have a half a mind to walk up to Petunia and hex her into oblivion! You can't imagine how I feel right now!" She shouted. "Never, NEVER would I do that to Dudley. I don't care how much I dislike my sister and her husband. NEVER would I harm a child in such a fashion. This is outrageous! A broom cupboard James! A broom cupboard!" She yelled, as she paced the sitting room furiously.
"At least it was me and not really Harry." Salazar said. "I am—despite my appearance—an adult and I can cope with the emotional and physical trauma."
"That still does not excuse what they have done." She said shaking her head. "And to never tell you that you are a wizard is just despicable. They hate magic Salazar. Unfortunately, they are the embodiment of the muggles you knew in your past, and truth be told, I wouldn't blame you if you killed them, because I certainly want to."
"I wouldn't do that Lily. As odious as they are, I wouldn't. They have a young son, and I won't be the cause of the child losing his parents."
James snorted. "Well from what you tell me, he is just like his father. Spoiled little prat."
"Indeed." Salazar said, raising his glass in a mock toast. "I need to see my pensieve though. Is it still in my study?"
James nodded. "Yes, it is. We kinda sorted through the library and placed all the dark arts books in there. We sealed the room so Harry wouldn't stumble upon them."
"That's fine. I should have thought of that myself before I sent you here." Salazar said, getting up and walking across the room.
They left the sitting room, and walked down the spacious, brightly lit hallway. James unsealed the door to the study, and when they entered, Salazar headed right towards the desk.
"Okay, let's see if I can make some sense of the matter." He said, dropping a silver memory strand into the pensieve.
"Do you want some company in there?" James asked. "Another set of eyes perhaps?"
Salazar hesitated. "It might be disturbing for you. It's not a pleasant memory by any stretch."
"It's okay. I've always wondered what happened that night."
"I'll stay here and keep an ear out for Harry." Lily said.
Salazar nodded. "If you are sure, James."
"I am." He answered.
They entered the memory, claimed a spot just behind 'Lily', and leaned against the wall. They heard the shouting and commotion coming from downstairs, but James paled and started shaking when Voldemort entered the nursery.
"Why is he telling her to step aside?" He asked in sudden confusion.
"I was hoping you could tell me." Salazar answered.
The memory kept going and when the curse rebounded, Salazar pointed and shouted, "There! Look at that!"
They watched as a small piece of black mist detached itself from Voldemort just before he exploded into a bigger black mist. Salazar and James watched the smaller piece as it sailed around the room and latched itself onto Salazar/Harry's forehead. The baby screamed in pain as the scar appeared, and the memory ended as Salazar/Harry blacked out.
When they landed back in the study, James had to sit down, but Salazar started pacing back and forth.
"I'm a living horcrux. Voldemort was going to use my dead body as one, but his ritual still worked even though I lived. It's the only thing that makes sense." He said, stopping suddenly and looking up at James and Lily. "That's what happened, but I still don't understand why I didn't revert back to my normal self."
"How can a living being be a horcrux?" James asked, pouring himself another drink.
"It's not entirely unheard of, but it is very rare. The only times I've heard it done is with animals though, and that was only twice. Both times the animal was killed with Fiendfyer, but since I can't die—I don't know if that would work."
"You used Polyjuice, didn't you?" Lily asked.
"Yes."
"Maybe it had something to do with the soul part sealing itself inside your head. You—for all intents and purposes—were Harry at that point. Maybe the dark magic of the horcrux negated the potion's transforming effects. We all know that Dark Magic can't be reversed. It's a long shot theory, but maybe that's why."
"You might be on to something Lily." Salazar said, nodding at her. "It's actually not as crazy as it sounds. A horcrux is the darkest form of magic. Polyjuice is a physically transforming potion. It's not like a headache potion, or calming drought. In theory, the dark magic of the horcrux would void the physical effects of the Polyjuice, and since I used Harry's hair, I remained him and grew up naturally from that point on. I'm beginning to think that the horcrux is the reason I lost my memories, but I don't understand why I would suddenly regain them from a Hogwarts letter."
"Muggles call it amnesia." Lily said. "When a muggle suffers head trauma they often forget who they are. Muggle doctors tell the person suffering from amnesia to go with family and friends. They say that being in familiar surroundings with familiar people will eventually jog their memories, and they will go back to being themselves. We, of course, have a way of treating that with no problem, but since you were taken by people who thought you were Harry, there was no need to check you for amnesia. You were put with muggles who wouldn't know any better as well, but when you saw the letter and the familiar seal of Hogwarts—you remembered."
James suddenly burst out laughing. "Salazar Slytherin was suffering from a muggle ailment for ten years! That is hysterical! Sirius would love that bit of—OUCH!"
Salazar smirked when James jumped from being hit with his stinging jinx.
"And it serves you right!" Lily laughed.
James snorted. "Sorry, I just find it really funny."
"Amusing." Salazar said dryly, but smiled and winked at Lily.
"Well, I guess all of that answers the most pressing questions about what happened." James said, trying to get himself under control.
"Yes, I do believe it does, but I still do have minor questions."
Salazar, Lily, and James stayed up until the wee hours of the morning. When asked if she knew why Voldemort would ask her to step aside, Lily didn't know. James however, mentioned that Snape had been a Death Eater, and given his and Lily's past, it could have been because of him. It made sense to Lily, and she told Salazar about their history. James—based off Salazar's tale of earlier in the night at Godric's Hollow—suggested that it was Dumbledore who placed him at the Dursleys, though he didn't know why Dumbledore didn't simply place him with Sirius, seeing as he is Harry's godfather.
They also talked about the prophecy. Salazar told them what he knew about it, and Lily and James told him the rest. Salazar still held the firm belief that it was all a bunch of bullocks. Little else was talked about though, due to Salazar being exhausted, and slightly buzzed, so they finally called it a night just as the sun started to come up.
Salazar ended up staying in Rio for a week. He practiced his magic and ate good portions of food at every meal, so that his magic would get stronger and back to normal. He also shrank all of his clothes that he had left there, so now he had robes that actually fit.
He spoke to the goblins at Gringotts in Rio Way, and they assured him that all was fine with his finances—both in Rio and the UK. This eased his mind a lot, because he was worried about being 'Harry' and not being able to get to his money in Britain. When James asked him about a place to stay when he returned to London, Salazar assured him that he had a small flat in Diagon Alley. He also let them know that he was good at hiding his appearances, seeing as he has done it for centuries.
The real Harry Potter was excited to meet 'Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived', and they talked a lot about Hogwarts and Quidditch. Harry had been accepted to The South American School of Wizardry, and Salazar assured the Potters that it was a top-notch school—second only to Hogwarts. Lily teased him and said he was biased, to which he freely admitted being.
Salazar told them that he was going back to Hogwarts as 'Harry Potter'. He decided that it would be the best course of action, seeing as the people with answers were there, and he wanted to try and gain as much information as he could. He told them he was going to find all of Voldemort's horcruxes and destroy them—no matter how long it took—and also work on a way to get rid of the one in his own head, and try to get his normal appearance back. Salazar told the Potters that he would keep them updated on his progress, because—after all—he was posing as their son.
Salazar however, didn't know about the frantic search back in Britain for 'Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived'. He was in for a shock at what his disappearing act had caused.