Chapter 1
It was dinner and when Godric entered the Great Hall it was already full. Umbridge was only one day the Headmistress and this was one of the new rules: Students had to be at breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the same time. He sat down with his friends, looking around. His gaze stopped by a Hufflepuff who was in her first year. She was crying silently, holding her hand while some seventh-years were trying to calm her down.
“What happened?”, asked Godric.
“Some bleeding handwriting on her hand. The same as you. Well, other words I think.”, answered Dean.
Godric’s eyes were cold and he sighed. How long would he endure students to get tortured like this? To be suppressed like this? And for what? That he had some peace? Closing his eyes, he shook his head.
Enough.
“Harry?”, asked Hermione, but he didn’t react.
But he reacted to the ‘Hem, hem’ from Umbridge.
“You’re here to eat, not to talk. So, eat quietly.”
“How about you shut up yourself?”
Godric stood up and Umbridge mirrored him, standing up herself.
“Mr. Potter, I think you don’t know in which position you are. As Headmistress of Hogwarts -”
“Oh, I know in which position I am and I’m really sure you’re not even aware in which position you are, bitch.”
Students gasped and Umbridge walked around the teacher's table, now angry.
“Enough! You will have detention for the rest of the year, Mr Potter!”
Godric laughed.
“And you think I will listen to you? Why should I? I have the power to dismiss your position completely. Why should Hogwarts need a Headmaster? Or in your case Headmistress?”
He had stepped near, already fully in in his adult ego. His body language was relaxed with a touch of arrogance. Harry Potter was dead. Mocking, he tilted his head, putting his chin high.
“That’s right, it doesn’t. You have hurt students and I’m terribly sorry and regretting that I didn’t intervene before. You know, the problem is, that I just don’t see myself as a student entirely so, when you did this to me -”, he lifted his left hand, showing his scars there: “I didn’t see it as torture against students, thinking you would only do this to me, but I see now how wrong I was. But you know, even the founders weren’t perfect. They could misunderstand situations or even each other. Sometimes they had secrets they didn’t tell the others, even if they should have…”
“You and your founders! Enough now, Mr. Potter! You -”
“I and my founders. Sounds cute. Well, they were my friends… So I think you can call them like that… And they would kill me if they knew that I had done nothing to stop you. So here I am, finally stepping up and doing what I should have done the first day you showed up in Hogwarts: Stopping you. But you know, the problem is -”
“I said enough!”
She lifted her wand, but Godric continued as she was no threat to him, stepping even closer.
“The problem is, you did some things that made me so angry and you know what? There is no eagle, no badger, no snake.. that will stop me this time. There is nothing that will stop the Lion of Hogwarts now.”
She laughed and some students did the same. The Professors looked worried, Minerva even stood up. The only one who looked not worried was Professor Zane, who even looked a little curious now.
Godric took another step and smiled slightly.
“Griffin…”, he could hear Tom saying, but Tom didn’t stand up, so he knew he couldn’t stop him.
Good. It was better that he didn’t get attention. Was enough that Godric got it.
“Lion of Hogwarts? Who do you think you are?”, said Umbridge now, her voice mocking and amused.
It will be not for long.
“A ruthless killer.”
He summoned his magic and threw her against the table, which was even broken by the impact of Umbridge and his magic.
“Mr. Potter!”, shouted Minerva, but Godric didn’t listen.
He stepped closer.
“Voldemort was successful 14 years ago. He killed Harry Potter, but he had awoken me.”
Godric’s magic showed itself again, magical veins coming from him glowing red with a golden shimmer.
“I am Godric Gryffindor, and welcome to my dark side.”, he said, stopping right in front of Umbridge who had sat up, looking at him with terrified eyes, while his sword appeared, floating right next to him: “And as I said, there is no one stopping me and I kill every threat to Hogwarts.”
With that, he let his sword down on Umbridge.
But his sword didn’t stab her, instead, it cut through the skin of one of the other professors, who was suddenly next to him and Umbridge, stopping the blade by holding it.
“You know, I really love it when you show your dark side, Ric, and I also prefer her dead but I think death is too kind for her, isn’t it? And also, do you want children to see an execution? Think of the trauma you would give them. Suddenly everyone would be able to see the Thestrals.”
Godric looked at the Professor who looked at him, with silver eyes. There was hope, disbelief, amusement, and determination in his eyes.
“And who do you think you are to stop me?”, Godric asked coldly.
This man was right, he hadn’t thought about the students and he didn’t like that this man was able to come up with a valid point to stop him.
The man smiled slightly.
“The Lord of the Serpents who always tried to stop you doing something stupid but in the end, it was the Badger Lady and the Wise Eagle who helped us to get us out of the chaos we started.”
He took off a necklace and suddenly the voice was too familiar, the eyes as well. His hair, which had just been silver, was now raven black. He also let go of Godric’s sword which was his mistake.
“YOU?!”
Godric reached for his sword and struck. Salazar didn’t even flinch, he took the strike, which Godric stopped the moment his sword hit the flesh of his friend, cutting slightly into his shoulder.
“Why - You - Why didn’t you dodge, you damn bastard!”
Gryffindor drew back his sword, trembling with rage, his magic restless and hurting. Why was Salazar here? Why was he alive and why did he decide to show up now?!
“Because as far as I am aware, you remember since you were one year old. Since your magic awakened and protected you against the death curse. Since then you thought you were alone in a century so far in the future that there wouldn’t be a chance that one of your friends is alive. You’re dying because of two magical cores. I can sense how your magic is trembling because it fights an inner war. I wasn’t there, I wasn’t here when Hogwarts welcomed you a few years ago. I let you be alone in this school, knowing how much it hurts to be the only founder at Hogwarts. Am I correct in my assumption?”
He… He was incredible. Ah, he was so angry!
“Yes…!”
“So, I let you down, I wasn’t there when you needed me, so I deserved to be struck by your blade, Ric. I deserve your wrath, your hate.”
What?
“What? No… You…”
He didn’t… He didn’t hate him! Godric let go of his sword and just hugged Salazar, who returned it immediately. Who cared about Umbridge or the rest? His magic calmed down and pulled back into his body again.
“I’m not hating you! I am not angry at you. I am confused and yeah angry. Angry at the situation. Angry at myself -”
“Don’t.”
“Because I told all who knew never to tell anything about me. The ghosts… Sahlia… They knew you were alive, right?”
“Yes. And I told them the same.”
“So we’re both idiots who didn’t know the other was alive. So how could you be here for me even though you didn’t know I was alive. I died right in front of you. How should you assume that I would be reborn? That I did something to be here if Hogwarts would need protection?”
Salazar chuckled.
“Because you were always able to surprise me and show me things that were unbelievable.”, he whispered softly, answering his question.
He could feel his friend breathing, his body shaking while chuckling, his heartbeat and his body heat, the strong arms around him, holding him tight.
“You will see me die again…”
“We will see. I have an idea to help with your cores. And after that… we will see. But together, please?”
Godric suddenly felt exhausted. Salazar’s arms felt safe. He never felt safe since he had been reborn and awakened. This feeling just hit him and he sighed, nodding and closing his eyes.
“What is the meaning of this?”, shouted Umbridge, finally finding her voice again.
“Sh now. Teachers have to shut up now, Founders are talking.”, said Salazar to her, before turning to Godric again.
“So, what now?”, asked Godric, ignoring Umbridge.
“I would say banishing her, but you shouldn’t with your magic and you will kill me if I do it alone, so I guess I will just ask her nicely. And after that, we go into one of our chambers and talk.”
Again, Godric nodded and let go of Salazar. He let his sword float back into his hand, stepping back a little and giving Salazar space to deal with Umbridge.
“Dolores Jane Umbridge. Like my friend here, I am one of the founders of Hogwarts: Salazar Slytherin to be exact. A thousand years ago we forged a contract with the King that there should be no political influence in Hogwarts and Hogwarts would not build up an army against the government. You broke this contract, you and the Ministry of Magic. The thing is, it is a blood and unbreakable Vow contract. As long as one of the bloodlines of one of the founders is alive this contract is valid. If you come up that - how was it called?”
He looked at Godric who smiled tiredly.
“Honor of Hogwarts, short H.O.H. It was a learning group, not an army.”
“You heard him. So even if you would say they broke the contract, you broke it first and with the rules, the old rules which are still valid, we have every right to execute you or think of another punishment. But you know what? I guess it is more satisfying seeing you going down with the rules the Ministry had made. So I am already suing you and the Ministry of Magic. Ansem Zane is my lawyer and I guess you will hear soon about him. Now leave this school or I will change my mind, let Godric do what he was about to do, just in another room or I will give you to my basilisk who hunts everyone down who is hurting students under my command.”
He did what? Suing the Ministry of Magic? Oh, that was typical Slytherin and his humor. Also, it gave the parents trust. Nice move.
“I am the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic -”
“And I don’t care. Hogwarts doesn’t care. And if you would be the Queen of England or the Minister herself. I don’t care. You’re trash, your job position doesn’t hide it. Now off you go, or -”
Godric snapped his fingers and two statues outside of the Great Hall jumped out of the wall, coming in.
“Or they will escort you with force.”, finished Salazar his sentence.
“You will regret it!”, she shouted but she walked out.
She had felt Godric’s magic and knew she wouldn’t stand a chance in a battle.
Salazar chuckled next to him.
“Seeing her trembling in fear? Seeing her break down in court? No, I don’t think I will regret that or what I will do in the future. Shall we?”
“I should deal with the damage first.”, said Godric, looking at the broken table.
“No magic for you at the moment. Don’t you dare.”
Salazar flicked his wand and the table repaired itself.
“I hereby apologize for deceiving you with my identity. But I thought it would be wiser to see it all through the eyes of someone you had no prejudice. We will talk tomorrow morning about how we will proceed. And if you excuse us now. We have to talk.”, said Slytherin, having turned to the other Professors to say it.
Salazar touched Godric’s back slightly and he understood and walked out of the Great Hall with him. He did look shortly to Tom who looked still a little bit surprised, but also a little bit hopeful. Ron and Hermione were just shocked like the rest.
Well, he would have some explanation to do as soon as he would show up again. But first, the founders had to talk.