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Chapter Text

Harry

Crying, I hear him crying again. I dream, I dream the same thing again. We lay next to each other in our crib, my brother Christopher is crying loudly, but I look at the stranger curiously, who is getting closer and closer to us. He is worried, I can feel the energies around him, mom is always like this when Christopher accidentally hits himself. The black-haired, black-eyed man leans over us and speaks softly.

"Shh. It's okay! I just want to help! You can't live with him controlling you!" He says and tries to reach out to my brother, but he keeps crying. Then he reaches out to me, I catch his finger and stare into his eyes. "I'll start with you. The crybaby will have a harder time staying still!" He says with a grimace, which brings a smile to my face, his face is funny when he grimaces. "This will hurt, but I have to do it! Forgive me!" He raises his wand at me, I see the end of the wand glow in a yellowish, greenish light, then it flashes and I feel the pain, which immediately wakes me and I sit up in my bed.

I breathe deeply, I've been having this dream more and more often lately. I always wake up at the same time and I never find out who that man was. Even though I remember everything that's happened to me since then, somehow I have no memories of before the incident and even from that year I only have this one thing. I know that this is not a simple dream, this is a memory of mine, one of many happy, but rather painful memories.

I want to forget. Even in this moment. Every minute that passes bitterly. The words that came out of their lips mockingly, the names they used to label me. I want to forget every minute that hurt, I want to forget...that my own parents called me a pig so many times. But even if the memories of the words were lost, something would remain. Scars. My life, the evidence of my fate.

Even with the security of dreams, it's impossible to hide them, even if I could, I would know forever that they were there, that they hurt. A whip, a hand...or more? I don't usually pay attention, it just hurts. The blood, the fire, the burning spirit that almost consumes me and tries to break out. They can't understand it. They don't see this barrier that's straining inside, it just keeps coming and coming every time the door opens. It just keeps coming and coming every time the headmaster or my father is "bored."

Christopher. I was one and a half when I heard his name, but I didn't know who it was. My mind was foggy, but I knew I should know him. I was only two and a half when we met again, when I realized who he was, that we were twins. What a happy and yet sad day it was for me. I found someone who was interested in me, but I couldn't get close... "It was just an accident. I didn't want to." I repeated on the floor. My father noticed me, took me back to my room...

The floor. So familiar. How many times have I lain here idle? The years have passed. We are eight years old, but the years count only as years of eternal prison for me. My brother hates me, and he sees me as my father. He wrote me off as a freak, an inferior being, even though I am worth as much, if not more, than him. But words are forbidden! A rule you learn over the years. Don't talk to anyone! Don't talk to anyone! You don't exist for wizards. Why? Because you are nothing. A squib. And now, among the scars, the broken bones and everything else they appeared...

Memories. They appeared from one moment to the next. Confused and unrecognizable, yet I knew they were mine. It hurt and the floor beneath me seemed more and more comfortable. Warm, yet homely. The blood, and the suffering. This is my fate, this is my home.

Sometimes they forget. I don't know which is worse. The pain of being hit or the pain of not even being thought about. What can I do? Nothing. What should I do? I don't know. Magic is not for me, words are not allowed, games are not accepted. I learn. This is what I can do.

I read because there is no other way. No one teaches me, but I understand, no one helps me, yet I feel that this is me. The small sparks of joy, the feeling of success from learning so many books I have read, the stray random magic... But they have not forgotten. The headmaster. It was just one visit, not too long, but all the more painful...

The familiar floor again, but... everything is gone. I have lost it. No memory, no knowledge, only pain. No matter how hard I try, nothing remains. What is the point of the book if I don't remember? What is the point of knowledge if nothing remains of it? I lie on the floor. My eyes are closed, but not for long. The sound of the door again. And as soon as my eyes opened, my father stood before me, but I was no longer me. What light remained in my eyes over the years had disappeared.

Just endure. One fist. Two. The whip, the belt, the rope. Knives and needles, fire and water. Don't speak! Don't move! Don't scream! Don't cry! Just endure always. You deserve it. What have I done? I don't know. I don't remember. My mind is foggy and I can't see through it, but it doesn't matter. Just follow what they tell you.

The floor. Weeks, months, years. I always lie here. Why? Don't you understand? It's simple. A dream. A safe arm, eyes that don't hurt, a last refuge for me. The floor that protects me. Or maybe the man? I don't know anymore, but when the bones break, they bind me by my arm, when the blood flows, and my tormentor hits me with all his might, here it is. A dream...a floor.

Almost eleven years. I am nobody. I would think that was my name if I didn't hear them calling me. Harry Potter. This name makes no sense, it doesn't suit me. This is not me. But...there's nothing else they could call me.

Today is the day. There is noise, and the noise stays. There is a celebration. It's "my brother's" birthday. I just listen to the noises, the sounds of joy filtering through. In my solitude, I recall the only birthday that meant anything. My birthday when I was four. When it wasn't me who ran away, but Christopher who came to me with a slice of cake. I was happy... But they found out and I paid for it. He didn't come to me anymore, he didn't want to. He was given a long explanation why he should come, and that's why he didn't think about me anymore.

More noises came. My brother's friends probably came. I don't care. Just bear with it and wait. It's none of your business. Your only gift today is that since everyone is busy with the party, you won't be beaten... Noises have filtered in from my hallway. Someone is coming this way. I can hear my father's voice too. I'm scared. I'm shaking. No one should be here today. The headmaster's voice is also heard. This is getting worse and worse.

I crouch against the wall, as far away from the door as possible. I'm shaking. The handle swings down. And in the next moment...

Chapter Text

Harry

"How did you get here?" I raise my head in fear, but immediately put it back, it's too bright. "Are you okay, little one?" The female voice asks. "As I see it, no. Try to open your eyes slowly, it will be easier for you to get used to the light." I try to do as they ask and open my eyes as slowly as I can. Finally, thank God, I can see. In front of me is a tall, dark-haired woman who smiles kindly at me.

"Hi!" She says. "I'm Rowena. Rowena Ravenclaw and you?" I swallow hard at the question and my eyes widen. Don't talk! You don't exist! You're nobody, you're nothing! It echoes in my head, so I don't speak, I just clench my jaw. The woman's gaze becomes worried.

"Interesting. You know, I could simply find out what I want if I just used legilimency on you." I start to tremble at this. "Just for the sake of your name?" She asks, and I start shaking my head that I don't want to. "Don't worry, I won't do it if you don't want me to!" Then she looks at me. "Are you hurt?" She asks, pointing at my leg. When I nod, she takes out a wand, which only makes me try to escape. She immediately raises her hand and the wand clatters on the ground.

"I understand, then we don't do it like this!" She says as she slowly lowers her hands and points at my leg with the index finger of her right hand. I feel a sharp pain in my sore leg, then nothing, as if it didn't hurt at all. I look up at the woman, blinking widely. I can't believe that she really healed me. She just smiles at me and picks up the wand to put it away, then extends her hand towards me. I just blink at the hand, I've only seen such a gesture once before, but that was a long time ago, it's not important anymore.

"I won't hurt you, just hold my hand!" I hear the kind female voice and my body moves of its own accord as I fearfully take her hand. The woman pulls me up from the ground and puts me in her lap. "I'll take you home, you'll be safe there until I figure out what happened to you. By the way, if you speak up, Rowena will be enough too!" She smiles as she hugs me, which fills me with a strange warmth, is this what it would be like if a mother hugged me? Is this what it would be like if they loved me? "Get some sleep, little one!" I hear the command and my eyes close, the familiar blackness envelops me again.

"Rowena! Here you are! We searched the whole school for you! Salazar has already gone on my nerves! Not to mention Helga!" I hear a strangely high-pitched male voice as I start to wake up.

"Be quiet! You woke me up!" Rowena growls at the stranger.

"Did you bring someone home? Isn't that Helga's thing?" I can almost hear the incomprehension in her voice, and then I feel my rescuer pulling me closer.

"Don't question me! You better gather the others!" The woman holding me says in a surprisingly calm voice. I hear footsteps walking away and I slowly open my eyes. "Good morning." Rowena smiles at me. "I hope you're ready? I'd like to introduce you to a few people. Believe me, they'll like you, they're a little eccentric, but they have incredibly big hearts!" She explains as she starts off again. We soon reach a huge door, when we enter my gaze immediately stops at the ceiling and I look at the star-spangled sky with sparkling eyes.

"There you are, Rowena! Who is your little guest?" A silky deep male voice speaks, joined by a black-haired man.

"Harry!" I immediately turn towards the voice when I hear my name coming from a blonde-haired woman. "What are you looking at like that now?" She asks, looking at the black-haired man, a redhead and Rowena.

"What? How do you know?" The redhead asks back, and from her voice I know that Rowena met him on the way here.

"I have no idea! He just has such a Harry-like face!" The woman smiles. "Where did you find him, Rowena, and what is his name?" At this, the dark-haired woman puts me down on the ground.

"I was just on an exploration tour to see if I could find any more magical children when he appeared out of nowhere. He was injured and very scared. I don't know his name, he doesn't speak and when I mentioned Legilimency to him, he started shaking. I suspect he was in a very bad situation. I couldn't have left him there alone, he would have died." My savior tells the others. "Tell me, my son, do you like the name Harry?" I start nodding immediately. "Then that's your name! Harry."

"But what's his other name?" The redhead asks, and I start pointing, as if I were making some kind of vessel. "Pot? Vase?" I just shake my head every time then the black-haired man hits the other one in the head.

"You cripple!" He says with his hands on his hips. "Potter, right, young gentleman?" He looks at me, and I start nodding. "Then we're done, he's Harry Potter!" The man nods, and I just look at them.

"But we're being rude! You must know Rowena by now. I'm Helga Hufflepuff." The blonde woman smiles at me, and I smile back shyly.

"Godric Gryffindor!" The redhead grins.

"Salazar Slytherin!" The other man nods, but I immediately start to tremble and look at the two men with eyes filled with fear. I want to run away, disappear and not be here. Run away!

Another memory. Red and green. Everything is dark, these colors are bad, I have to disappear. I quickly drop down to the floor and hide in a corner. A blow. This always follows. Whether Gryffindor or Slytherin. Pain. Everything because of Slytherin, everything Gryffindor has done. The floor. I feel them here beside me, but they don't move. It only hurts more. Why don't I feel anything.

The world turns, a hand rises, it hurts. Yet here I am, nothing has happened. The cuts. My blood flows downward. The blows. Bone-breaking fists and the fight between the two sides. Slytherin and Gryffindor. The words, the curses that hit the green, blows and tears, what I get in the red. Only the ground, only the floor, which gives me peace.

I feel it, but something else too. I feel it, but I don't experience it. What is this strange feeling, during the beating? Why does this feeling without feeling hurt more? Where is the warmth that always covers me? But I feel the blows coming, the sounds wrapping around me. Fight, pain, you are nothing, you do not exist. Pain. That's all you deserve... But you are not there Harry, open your eyes!

A command, not a request. And my eyes opened, and then everything disappeared. What was it? What happened? Why am I here?

When I come to myself again I see four worried faces. Finally Rowena puts her hand on my head.

"Everything will be okay Harry! We will take care of you! It will be best if he learns from all four of us." She looks at the others. "He looks like he is of school age, but until he talks we can't put him with the others. We will discuss the division, but for now it is better if I take him to bed." She says, as yhe takes me in her arms again and leaves the room with me.

Chapter Text

Harry

It's been months since I came here, to this world, from the one I lived in before. Everything here is much calmer and kinder. I feel less and less anxious now and I can only thank them for that. It can be something like this, when you start walking, it's as if I can remember that it was like this, but it's so vague.

You stand up, then one foot after the other and... You fall, it was a long time ago, I remember the pain, but here I put one foot after the other and if I lose my balance there's always a hand there to catch me. I still don't speak. I'm afraid I'll ruin everything with it.

I would probably be more scared and not know what to do with myself and just crouch on the floor of my new room if it weren't for Rowena, who pulls me out of this state. I still remember how she took my hand and led me into one of the tallest towers and took a big book off the shelf. It's like it just happened.

"Knowledge is the greatest treasure and weapon in the world, Harry." She looks at me with a smile as she opens the book and turns it towards me. "You look like a smart kid! So I want you to read this first!" Despite the kind smile on her face, I feel my eyes widen to double their size. Terror penetrates my core as the outlines of the world blur.

"It's all your fault! Such a half-wit wouldn't deserve to have access to any knowledge!" A blow. The words flow together. Tremor, closing around the sounds. I don't deserve it! Nobody! Nothing! I can read the words, but I'm forbidden to understand the meaning behind them. A curse. The world is dark. Pain, fear, trembling. I don't deserve it. A little freak! This is me! Trash! ... Harry! It's not like that here. Calm down. Everything will be okay. Time to get up... The world is dark again, everything is calm. Is it present here too? This calm feeling, just like there long ago, on the floor, on the threshold of memories.

"Then I'll read it out loud first and then we'll move slowly! " I feel Rowena's hand on my head, but I don't know how it got there. I blink a few times, then nod, and with that my first lesson began. And now, months later, thinking back to this, I'm walking within the walls of Hogwarts, for another lesson with Rowena. That is, I've been walking so far because I've now gone after the woman.

"Ah, here you are, Harry! I was already afraid you'd forgotten your lesson!" The woman giggles as she holds out her hand to me, which I immediately take. I know it makes her happy, she and Helga always smile wider when I hold their hands, and I like this warm affection. "Remember when you caught us talking about Salazar last time?" The woman's choice of topic really surprises me, so I look up at her.

I remember the incident, I was just going to find the little Slytherin who had been clinging to me during one of Helga's classes, when I ran into them. They were arguing about why Salazar always grinned so strangely when he saw me, but I don't understand why it's important now, when they already explained that it's okay that I saw them, as long as I don't give them a heart attack and give some sign of life in advance if I go among them. Since I'm still not talking, they just nod at the question I've been asked.

"We figueed it out!" She says, but I can see in her eyes that she won't continue without asking, but I just nod slowly. Salazar's business is Salazar's business, as he says, and I'm not going to poke my nose into it. Rowena just blows a whistle as she leads me into the tower room, then takes out a brand new book from one of her desk drawers.

"This is what you'll be reading today, Harry! I saw that you're really interested in spell-making practices!" She winks at me, handing me the book, which I eagerly tap on. The woman has noticed that I'm crazy about spell-making. It fills me with such a good kind of excitement when I think about it, creating something new with this miracle that is magic.

"If you don't understand something, you know what to do!" Rowena sits down in her chair after I nod towards her. Over the months, I've learned that if I don't understand something, I tap the table twice. I excitedly start to read the little book, in which the text is surprisingly written in the woman's graceful handwriting.

When I realize this, I glance up at Rowena, my heart fills with warmth. Finally, I'm important! If Rowena Ravenclaw herself wrote this and gave it to me to read, then she must see potential in me, and that makes me very happy. I hide back in the world of the book and almost devour the lines until my eyes catch a word I don't even recognize the letters of, and I've also learned runes, and according to Rowena, it's surprising that I learned them so easily.

I'm about to raise my hand to knock, but I remember Rowena's disappointed grimace when I didn't ask her back in front of the door. My hand is in the air and I just stare at my fist. No one has ever hurt me here, they always tell me I can do whatever I want, they've never scolded me for a single mistake, so maybe... I look up at the woman and take the book in both hands to carefully press it against its covers, then take a deep breath.

Rowena

I'm starting to think we might fail, Harry's been here for months and he still doesn't speak. I'm afraid that there's some kind of mental problem with poor Harry and Helga shares my opinion. Even though I have my favorite book in front of me now, I can't enjoy it, my brain keeps clicking, wondering who did what to the poor child, that he's so afraid of everything, although he's getting better as time goes on, he still doesn't dare to speak and I'm afraid he never will.

"Rowena!" I lift my head at the sound of my name. It wasn't a voice I know, and apart from those close to me, no one calls me that. My gaze wanders around the room, but doesn't see anyone, then it stops at Harry, who's looking at me. I see him swallow hard, then to my greatest surprise, his mouth opens. "I can't read this word." He says in a slightly hoarse and halting voice, which is probably because he hasn't used his voice for a long time. If I were Godric right now I would immediately jump up and down clapping, but I just smile and go over to the boy, put my hand on his shoulder and look into the book.

"Which one?" I ask, before he points to a word. I start giggling, then sit down next to him and start explaining the meaning of the Arabic word to him. By the end of the lesson Harry dares to ask me back, but I didn't expect his last question.

"Rowena, do I have an ugly voice?" I just blink at his words. Is that what they told him? That his voice isn't beautiful?

"No, Harry! You have a very beautiful voice! You should use it more often!" I smile at him encouragingly, but I only get a nod as he stands up.

"Bye Rowena, I'll see you at dinner!" He says as he smiles at me, then leaves the room with a gloomy face. I smile bitterly. At least he's on the road, even if he won't be going fast.

Chapter Text

Harry

With Helga, it was different. She never left me alone for a moment. She was always there, no matter what I needed when she took care of me. She always had a smile on her face and always showed me the most interesting animals. She said the greatest virtue is compassion and helping those who need it.

That's why we were almost always in the Forbiddem Forest and taking care of the wounded, or the pregnant, or the lost legendary creatures. I had never been outdoors for so long in my life as when Helga and I went to the forest. I soon realized that I really liked the sounds of the forest and according to the head of Hufflepuff, I had a natural talent for understanding creatures, which was given to very few.

When I had become quite familiar with the animals, the woman decided to start teaching me something new. When I looked at her questioningly, she misunderstood a bit and started explaining that there was actually a student who asked her to teach him archery and she couldn't say no to him, then she remembered that it wouldn't hurt me if I could use such a weapon if I got my hands on it, since we can't use our magic in front of muggles.

Of course, I was and am hungry for all knowledge, so she didn't necessarily have to explain this, but Helga is just like that. So she had already brought her guest for our next class. The boy was much taller than me and judging by his appearance, I guessed he was a sixth year student. He had black hair and dark eyes, but what surprised me was the green color adorning the hem of his black robes.

This meant Slytherin, which I couldn't quite understand at the time, when I knew that Slytherins considered themselves superior to everyone and would never stoop to asking anyone for help in any way. And yet, there stood before me that boy, Helga's hand on his shoulder, smiling broadly at me. I remember that day as if it were yesterday.

"He'll be your training partner Harry! I hope you two get along well and you realize that no matter what a bad boy he is!" She ruffles the boy's hair, who starts to grimace at this, making me giggle. "He really has a good heart! Now, introduce yourself!" She pats the boy on the back, who steps forward and offers me his hand.

"Nice to meet you! My name is Merlin!" My eyes widen to double size at this name and I start to tremble, that feeling again, that same feeling again.

Merlin would want it that way too. How many times have I heard this sentence? I don't know, but it hurt. He alone caused the suffering. Because of Merlin. The greatest wizard. I'm just shame to him. I have to disappear, I don't deserve to be seen by him even for a moment. Pain. I'm a shame for the wizard name. I only hear words, but it hurts more than when they hit me... But that won't last long either. Merlin too... He doesn't want to hurt you Harry. Trust me and see! No one hurts you, my little treasure... The voices blurred and nothing. My thoughts crossed, but I don't know what I was thinking about... It couldn't have been important.

"You know what, let's forget it, Emrys is fine too!" The boy grins at me friendly, who somehow already hugged me together with Helga, I was just nodding at his words at the time. But from then on we became inseparable, even though I didn't even talk to him, but Emrys kept talking to me and was by my side whenever he could.

He protected me from the upperclassmen, taught me tricks, showed me secret passages and we practiced together. Soon the whole school knew that we were friends, my mentors were all very happy about this development, but perhaps Helga was the most happy, to whom we are going today, exceptionally, not to learn shooting, but to take riding lessons.

"Can you imagine this, Harry? She seriously allowed us to ride a hippogriff! I said you had her wrapped around your little finger! She has never allowed anyone to do this! You could pet it and feed it if the hippogriff felt like it, but to ride it! This is a dream come true, the only thing that would be better than this would be a dragon." I'm just rolling my eyes, Emrys is just like that, he always exaggerates everything and I think out of the two of us he's the one who's looking forward to all this more. I'm not saying I don't want to get on the animal, but I don't have that much energy. However, at least the mood is good, in which we reach the clearing where Helga is waiting for us.

Helga

I simply couldn't say no to those pleading eyes, it was hard enough with Merlin, but he convinced Harry to do it too. I allowed them to fly on the hippogriff for a while, even though I was very afraid for them. Luckily, they both have a talent for animals, so the noble creatures immediately obeyed and cooperated with them.

I smile and watch the two boys from the ground while thinking about what Rowena said a few days ago, which I still can't get out of my head. Harry spoke to her, he asked her what he didn't understand in her book meant. I have to admit I'm a little jealous of Rowena, somewhere deep down I hoped that I would be the one to break the ice and be the one to make him start talking first, but that wasn't the case.

Harry still doesn't speak and according to Rowena, only when they're alone. I shake my head, I have a suspicion that it will take a while for our little guest to completely relax around us. I'm just thinking about this when the boys land with the animals and then both of them jump on my neck.

"Thank you, Professor Hufflepuff!" I hear Merlin's happy voice, which brings a smile to my face.

"It's really nothing!" I say as I stroke his head.

"Thank you!" I hear a new voice, and I start to blink, but then I feel Harry's head pressed into my arm. "Thank you for letting me fly, Helga!" I can only gape for a while, then I hug the boy tightly and try to hold back my tears of joy, with more or less success.

"You're welcome Harry! You can have anything you want anytime!" I whisper, stroking his hair, when he lifts his head from my arms and smiles broadly, moving away from me and turning to Merlin.

"Thank you for making me do it Emrys." The Slytherin boy smiles broadly at this and puts his arm around Harry's shoulder.

"I'm happy to do it again, isn't that what friends are for?" He laughs and I have to wonder how well he handles the fact that Harry finally spoke. I can see in his eyes that he's happy about this development, but he doesn't attack his friend, but acts as if nothing happened. I knew, even when I first saw them together, that they would be very good friends. I'm glad my intuition didn't let me down this time.

Chapter Text

Harry

"Don't be such a scaredy cat, Harry! Just a little fun! Godric never pays attention anyway!" Emrys grins at me as he drags me out of school by the wrist.

"But if he catches us, you'll take the blame." I look at him seriously as I give in. He grins wider than ever at this. I just roll my eyes. Well, it's not like I don't want to take every opportunity to spend as little time with Godric as possible, but I don't like breaking rules, especially not with Emrys, who has such bad luck that he almost always gets caught.

I still remember the first time I was under Godric's supervision. Even then, the man was busy trying to somehow trick Salazar, and I just followed silently, when suddenly someone grabbed me from behind and pulled me through a door. By the time I came to my senses, I found myself in the clutches of Emrys, who was grinning broadly. He then told me to hang out in the Forbidden Forest, since I thought he was theoretically a Slytherin, who are famous for not getting caught, I went for it.

Let's just say I didn't really have a chance to object because he immediately pulled me after him. Theoretically, he found a niffler that he wanted to show me before handing it over to Helga. Everything was going well until Emrys managed to somehow fall headlong into the Black Pond, which I have to admit was so funny that I couldn't help but laugh.

That's when the trouble started, or rather we were heading back to the castle, when we heard the head of Gryffindor house yelling from the corridors, "Harry! Where are you? Harry! If I don't find that child, Rowena will skin me!" and then a little more quietly. "Or worse, lock me in a room with Salazar!" and this was repeated, in long, beautiful lines one after another. The man didn't seem to panic at all, not at all. Emrys and I had almost reached the stairs leading to the cellars when a shadow appeared above our heads and when we looked back we found ourselves facing only a grumpy Gryffindor.

"You're in big trouble now!" He says in a threatening voice, and I almost immediately start to tremble.

This is the end. Again. I won't even say it anymore. It wasn't me. It was Christopher. It's always him. I can't even leave the room, yet they pretend like I dare to do it. Now what? Maybe he broke something. It doesn't matter, my bones break, no matter what he did. Nobody. This is me. A toy, a breakable puppet. It hurts, but since when? Don't move! The pain only makes it worse. I don't feel it anymore, maybe I don't even exist. Worthless, flawed, a monster... You're not a monster Harry. You're the most valuable thing in the world. Calm down, my dear. No one here would hurt you for no reason. It's time for you to return to the real world. A voice, familiar, yet I don't know where it came from... It's gone. Did something happen? Godric looks like someone has just been hurt, but we're both fine.

"I swear I'll take you to Professor Slytherin right now, Merlin! How could you do this! Harry was entrusted to me, and now he's frozen, the others are going to flay me!" Godric whined.

"He's better now! And besides, I can't help it that the professor can't take care of him!" Emrys folds his arms in front of him. I just blinked at them, because I didn't really understand what happened here then. Later it turned out that Emrys and Godric had a big fight while I was away.

Today, luck was much better on my friend, as we were able to leave the school grounds without being noticed, and since Emrys was much more skilled at magic than I was, he enchanted our brooms to be as fast as the wind. We reached Camelot in a matter of minutes, where we dismounted and hid them, then walked silently into the city, side by side, straight to an old man who introduced himself as Gaius and who apparently knew Emrys very well and, unsurprisingly, disliked his attitude and his impetuousness.

I laughed loud as the wizard boy, blushing, endured the man telling me a few embarrassing stories about him. This went on until we heard a loud clatter from the street. Shortly after, a red-faced, red-haired man enters the door, the anger clearly visible on his face, and if you could kill with your eyes, the apprentice wizard who is shrinking down next to me would be dead by now.

"Merlin!" Godric growls, in a voice so deep that it literally sends chills down my spine. "You're in big trouble now! Not you, Harry! I bet you've been dragged along by this Circe's shame! But you, young sir, are in big trouble! Come back to Hogwarts with me right now and we'll go see your Head of House!" Emrys literally turns white at this, which makes me giggle.

"Please, professor, please, not Professor Slytherin!" He folds his hands together in a pleading manner.

"It's no use begging here! I've had enough of your misbehavior now." The man growls, and I feel sorry for the apprentice wizard.

Godric

I'm fed up, I don't know how does he do it so that no matter how many times I look after Harry, this kid always manages to steal our protégé from under my nose. Rowena has threatened me enough times that if I lose Harry again she will flay me alive, now it's not enough that I lost him, but this shame of Circe has managed to bring him all the way to Camelot, when he has already been told a thousand times that he cannot come to Camelot until he learns to control his magic.

A wizard who doesn't know what to do with his magic is too conspicuous. Well, it's not like I don't get noticed either, only three knights stopped me to see who and what I was, but I had to find the kids. When I scold Merlin, something happens that literally makes me speechless.

"I wanted to come!" I hear a soft voice, and I look at young Harry with wide eyes and open mouth. "He just brought me." He bows his head. "Sorry, Godric." I'm literally so surprised that I can't even swallow. Little Harry really spoke to me, to me! And before Salazar!

"Godric, my dear friend, you'll swallow a fly if you don't shut your mouth." Gaius laughs.

"Sorry." I shake my head. "I believe you, Harry, but Merlin was still told that he couldn't come to Camelot, if you wanted to come here, you should have asked permission from us, we were all very worried about you. Don't be afraid, I don't think you'll get punished, but that can't be said about Merlin! He's not my student, Salazar will decide his fate." At this, the aforementioned child made a desperate face, but finally gave in and I finally returned to the palace with the two boys by my side.

Chapter Text

Harry

Of the founders, only Salazar Slytherin never once mentioned that it would be nice if I spoke. Even Rowena remarked it some days that it would be nice if I spoke, even if only a little, but Salazar never said such a thing. He had been different from the beginning. Starting with the fact that when I was first entrusted to him, instead of taking my hand and leading me somewhere, he leaned over and simply said, "If you can't follow, hold my robes!" Then he stood up and started down towards the cellars. I followed him, blinking hard.

The place was familiar, the darkness and the walls, all so painfully familiar, but before panic and memories could surface, a door opened. Since then, that door has become the door to the most precious sanctuary in the world for me, but at that time I remember that for minutes I could do nothing but stare with my mouth open at the place where there were cauldrons on the tables, the walls were filled with thousands and thousands of different plants, bottles, magic objects, a shelf stacked to the ceiling with old books. The place was covered in some mystical greenish-blue light, as if it were all at the bottom of a lake. The air was heavy with the scent of medicinal herbs, it was not unpleasant, but rather an inviting scent.

"Welcome to the potions lab!" Salazar's voice rang in the room as if some king had spoken, and I immediately turned towards him. His green clothes were visible from his black robes, a kind smile danced on his lips as he approached a cauldron. "Listen carefully, Harry, because I will teach you the wonderful craft of potion-making." And I listened, drinking in his words and movements. I watched in awe at the precision with which he worked. Until a couple of snakes appeared in the room. The man didn't even care about the animals, he pretended as if they weren't there.

"Stupid little rats, they want to chew the master's books, we can't let them!" The snakes strangely talked about something like that every time. After a while, I realized that they probably called Salazar their master because he let them live here.

I listened to them many times, as they raved about the man's skill and I would have liked to approve, but the thought kept running through my mind that they always said that it was evil to talk to snakes. However, this thought slowly disappeared over the weeks. Something deep inside encouraged me that I could speak the language of snakes in front of Salazar, he wouldn't be angry, especially if he didn't know, he would think that snakes hiss, they always hiss.

So it happened that one day I answered the snakes, who of course immediately became enthusiastic about it and bombarded me with thousands of questions, most of which I could not answer, because I either did not understand what they were curious about, or I really did not know the answer to the questions. The snakes also helped me in my studies, although according to Salazar I have a talent for making potions, there were many occasions when I really did not understand something, then I asked the snakes how the man could mean it.

Surprisingly, instead of the snakes, usually Salazar answered, well, to be honest he did not so much answer, he just started explaining, as if it were written on my face what I did not understand, which could have happened, if I take into account that according to Helga I am an open book. Whatever that means.

As the months passed, I dared to talk to the snakes whenever I visited the potions lab, and sometimes I even asked Salazar outright as a joke when I didn't understand something in the snake language, and the animals would always burst out laughing loudly, which always made me smile.

The cold-blooded animals that lived here soon became as good friends of mine as Emrys, if not better. I could always complain to them if I was having a bad day, or tell them if it was good what I had done that day with Emrys, and there were times when I wasn't in the lab for a day or two that they would bombard me with questions because they were worried about me, afraid that I might get into trouble among the many wandy people, as they called wizards. I always have to smile at them, sometimes they worry more than they should.

I've been starting to believe myself too that I'm really safe here, maybe that's why I dared to start talking. First to Rowena, then to Helga and Emrys, and then to Godrick because of the latter, but something still keeps me afraid of speaking up in front of Salazar. I feel safe with him, but I'm afraid that if I speak up, this sense of security will be lost.

So I remain silent, at least in relation to human speech. Today, Salazar and I are preparing to make a new potion, when the snakes appear in the room, who of course immediately gather around my table and start explaining the day's catch, while I watch with curious eyes what ingredients the Head of Slytherin House is chopping. Then I get to work and, making sure to cut the plants in front of me to the right size, I start my work, always just one step behind Malazar, so that I can follow him exactly.

"You know, man child, I always wanted to ask you why you didn't talk to us when you got here?" The oldest snake raises its head from the tabletop. I pause in my work for a moment, wondering if I should tell them the truth. Finally, I return to chopping, take a deep breath and exhale it slowly. Then, concentrating on the knife in my hand and the small greenish-yellow plant, I speak slowly.

"I was afraid! Where I came from..." I have to swallow hard before I continue. "Where I came from, they said that those who talk to snakes are only..." I press harder on the knife in my hand. "That they can only be evil." I finish the sentence and try not to cry.

"I don't understand why anyone would be evil for talking to snakes. There's nothing evil about a wizard talking to snakes." At Salazar's words, the knife falls out of my hand and I look at him with my mouth open and my eyes wide. The man suddenly freezes, then his face contorts into a grimace. "For Circe's gnarled wand, did I say that out loud?" He turns to me, a faint smile on his face. And I'm even more surprised, if possible, because Salazar, a Slytherin known for his seriousness and composure, has his hard mask shattered before my eyes.

"Do you understand what I'm saying?" I ask timidly, his eyes still smiling kindly when he answers.

"Clear as day!" He nods, and I almost start to panic, but he suddenly puts his hand on my shoulder. "I hope you understand why I didn't tell you. You were very afraid of us in the beginning. And after what you just said, I think it's a good thing I made that decision, if you knew the truth, you would have trusted me even less. I'm sorry I lied, Harry. Can you forgive me?" He looks into my eyes with complete sincerity, a sincerity I've never seen in anyone's eyes where I come from. Something deep inside me makes me nod, something less deep makes me smile and something even less deep makes me speak.

"Even this way, can I still talk to them, Salazar?" At this the man chuckles.

"Of course Harry!" He pats me on the shoulder. "They like you and are happier doing their work when you're here. Speaking of work, let's finish our potions so you can trick some Gryffindors with young Merlin." He winks at me as he turns to his cauldron. A broad smile spreads across my face as I return to my work. It's not until many minutes later that I speak again.

"Thank you, Salazar." I whisper and don't even expect an answer, but surprisingly I get one.

"Come on, it's nothing Harry! Anyone would do this to someone they consider family." With this sentence, he manages to fill my heart with warmth and I continue my work with greater enthusiasm than before.

Chapter Text

Salazar

We still don't know what it is, little Harry has been with us for almost a year now and although he has already loosened up around us and is talking, we still don't know what made him act so strangely when he got here. We don't even mention it before him, but this strangeness is a very frequent topic among us. That is, until a month ago. Lately I feel like we are all trying to forget about it and focus on Harry's teaching.

This morning didn't start any differently than any other day in the past few months. I walk into the great hall with measured steps, where, as is the early hour, only my friends and, surprisingly, young Merlin are there. I walk to the main table and take my place next to Godric, who, as usual, is eating his scrambled eggs like a starving little child. Rowena is again hiding in a book, the cover of which says "Shamanic Magic Beyond the Urals".

And Helga is surprisingly looking seriously at Harry, who has just entered the room and is heading towards Merlin, who's sitting at the Slytherin table. However, I don't pay much attention to this, she probably wants to take the children somewhere again, as always, she loves to drag them to strange places. I was just about to start eating too, when the blonde girl's eyes light up and she immediately jumps to her feet, slamming the table and even leaning forward.

"I got it!" She grins proudly at Harry, as if she had just received a gift for Yule. "Horcrux!" As the word leaves the girl's lips, a huge thud and a metallic clatter are heard at the same time.

Rowena dropped her book, which almost fell on her breakfast bread and jam. And Godric dropped his fork from his hand, which hit the plate, sending a large portion of eggs flying onto the table. And I just blink at the girl and try to comprehend what she said, when this happens I take a deep breath as I slowly, among the others, speak first.

"Helga, this is a very serious matter. Are you sure you have to say this so happily?" The witch blushes to the ears with shame and I see that she is about to open her mouth to apologize, but I stop her. "Are you even sure that this is it?"

"It can't be anything else! I've thought of everything! This would explain the strange state of his mind and the many locked-up magics that sometimes break through." She says with a serious face. Little Harry stands still and just looks at us, blinking hugely. He probably didn't understand a word of this. I slowly nod and stand up, then turn to Gryffindor, who is starting to pull himself together.

"Come on Godric, we need both of us to get it out of him!" At this my friend immediately jumps to his feet and we both head towards Harry at the same time.

"If anyone, then the two of us can do it! I just hope it's not too late!" The red-haired wizard nodded. Our little protégé's eyes widen at this and his hands start to tremble, however, before he returns to the state he was in at the beginning of his stay, he suddenly closes his eyes and slowly raises one of his hands. The trembling stops as if it hadn't happened and the whole child radiates calmness.

"Now everyone better stop where they are! If possible, don't do this again without explaining to him that Slytherin and Gryffindor can work together and not just jump at each other's throats. Because if I hadn't taken the lead to calm him down, he would have successfully gone back to the 'I'm a just squib and I don't deserve to live' state." My friend and I immediately raise our wands at the boy when the strange voice is heard, I didn't think the Horcrux was that strong in him, but it seems I was wrong. That thing opens Harry's eyes and looks at us with them. "And I'm not a Horcrux!" He folds the boy's arms.

"Do you want us to believe that?" Godric asks, growling, who now looks very much like the lion that is his Animagus form. However, the something in the boy's skin looks at me, straight into my eyes and, to my greatest surprise, speaks in a language that only I understand.

"I'm a soul part, but not a Horcrux! I won't hurt Harry! I'll protect him! I have to protect him! This is my job! He's been through things you can't even imagine, and I won't let him go back to the state he was in when he wasn't in it for months!" He says in a serious voice, with an intonation that makes you feel like he would do anything for our Harry. I slowly lower my wand and grab Godric's wrist to press down on the hand holding the wand.

"It's not a Horcrux!" I'm still looking at Harry. Even though I know it's not a Horcrux, I'm still cautious of it.

"How do you know?" Godric asks, almost jumping at my throat, and I just look at him.

"He can't lie on my language!" I end it with that, and he can't contradict me, he knows I'm telling the truth.

"But if you're not a Horcrux, then what are you?" Godric asks the child.

"Protection! Against all attacks. Until he can't defend himself, I will."

"He doesn't want to hurt him!" Rowena remarks as she steps up next to us, her face still serious as ever, but I can see in her eyes that she used Legilimency on the boy.

"Is Harry okay?" Helga also appears, to which the boy smiles.

"He is very well, although the binding that limits his memory should perhaps be removed." That certain protection thinks alous, here Godric is looking at me.

"How long will it take to put the potion together?"

"It won't take long, an hour at most!" I just nod to myself. "Who placed you on the boy and when?" I look straight into Harry's eyes, trying to get the foreign soul in him to speak.

"Centuries from now, a wizard named Tom Marvolo Riddle! In that era, the last descendant of yours!" My eyes widen at the hissed answer.

"So he doesn't understand this language without you!" I feel sad, then my eyes light up when an idea comes to my mind, but that can wait for now, we have more important things to do for now. "Then we better get started quickly, Godric. The time difference might affect the potion. Rowena, Helga, you might have to pay a little more attention to him afterwards, so that everything is okay with him." I look at the girls and Godric so that they understand I will explain the details later, and they all nod. Then I look back at the boy, who is smiling at us.

"He is safe with you! I feel confident entrusting him to you! Just promise not to tell him I am here. It will be calmer that way. Take care of my Harry!" He looks at us with a pleading look, we look at each other and nod at the same time. The boy closes his eyes, then slowly opens them and starts blinking, as if waking up from a deep sleep.

"What happened?" He asks with a sidelong nod. "What is a Horcrux? And why were you so nervous?"

"I'll explain the Horcrux to you in our next lesson, when you've finished making your spell." Rowena strokes his head, then sits back down, picking up her book again.

"Nothing interesting happened, Helga just scared us. Who knew she was so good at it." Gryffindor says and even giggles at her.

"Sorry, it wasn't intentional. I just remembered what if someone wanted to do something like that. The last time I was around Camelot, I felt strange things!" The girl scratches her neck, cleverly coming up with a cover story.

"And we thought you could help me and Godric make a complicated potion to find out if Helga was right! And make a memory enhancing potion so you can learn everything you want." I look at the boy, whose eyes are starting to sparkle with undisguised excitement.

"When do we start?" He asks, with perhaps the widest and most sincere smile I've ever seen on him.

Chapter Text

Harry

I remember that day as if it were yesterday, which is not so surprising anymore, even after seven years. I remember going into Salazar's lab, making the potion with Godric's help, which I found very, very strange at the time. Of course, I've since learned that the red-haired wizard knows potions too, just not as much as Salazar, who knows them all.

I remember that when the Horcrux recognition potion was ready, we started making the memory enhancement potion, I can still see it now, how Salazar and Godric argued about whether to stir the mixture twice or seven times, and in the end they decided on seven.

I still remember how surprised I was when Godric immediately after it was ready pressed it into my hand and said, "Drink it all!" And I did, although I didn't expect that my head would hurt like that afterwards. In my memories, black spots became clear in an instant, even the points that I was more happy about when they were not clear, but luckily for me, when I started to cry, I somehow found myself in a huge hug in the arms of my four guardians.

Since then, they have been recalling the day "Our little Harry came to his senses". Everything around me turned around, it barely took a day for me to realize that I remember everything, that everything I had ever seen, heard, or experienced was in my head. Needless to say, this ability significantly contributed to my learning, Rowena was especially happy about it, because this way we were able to make spells together that she couldn't do before.

Helga, on the other hand, wasn't so happy about it, because this way I always won at hide-and-seek. Emrys just thought it was funny and often tried to get me to help him with his papers, but of course I didn't, instead I managed to overcome his bad luck with him. Now we can finally sneak from Hogwarts to Camelot and back without being noticed.

And Godric keeps mentioning that it was easier to beat me in a duel before I remembered all his moves. Of the founders, only Salazar acted as if nothing had happened for a while, and not much changed afterwards, except that he gave me special lessons every other day. During those lessons I learned how to organize my memories and build my own world of thought, the world of my own mind. He taught me how to protect it and how to shape it into what I wanted it to be.

After barely two years, I managed to set up such a strong defense system that even Helga couldn't get in, even though she's the best at mind magic. Only Salazar could get in, but only because he knew my codes. When my memories returned, the period of long conversations began. So it soon became clear from where I had come back here, and Godric finally figured out how and was angry with himself for not getting it sooner, even though theoretically he was the best in this in the country, if not in the whole world.

According to him, it's a very strong bloodline magic that saved me from the situation I was in, I was so scared that I wanted to get to a safe place at all costs, the family magic activated and I ended up here, but he hasn't been able to figure out how to get me back to my own time, which to be honest, I don't regret that much.

I am very happy here among them, they are like my family, and six years after I arrived here they really became my family when I was officially accepted into their family, in the depths of Hogwarts, where the foundation stone rests. I literally felt my magic intertwine with the magic of the school and the magic of the founders mingle with mine.

Our magic has connected us, so I will recognize them anywhere and anytime, even if I meet them in a future life. That day was one of the happiest days of my life, almost as happy as when Salazar allowed me to use the potions lab in our secret place whenever I wanted.

Let's just say that after a while he got really tired of me using the school lab when I was cooking for nerve relief and not telling him. So he let me into his secret place, where at least I don't consume school supplies and every potion can be revised by him. Rowema has been saying to me lately that I spend more time with Salazar than with her, but I can't help it if he is the only one who understands my enthusiasm for potions, the others look at me a little strangely because of it, even Emrys, who says he likes potions.

Now, seven years after I arrived here, I know almost everything the founders know, and even a few things Gaius knows, thanks to our private tours with Emrys. So I'm slowly reaching the point where I won't have anything to learn from them, which makes me a little sad but also proud at the same time.

I often think about what I'll do if I finish, I'm debating whether to stay here and help the founders or go out into the world and seek adventures, as Emrys plans. I'm thinking about this today too, sitting in the great hall in my usual place next to Salazar, when suddenly my head starts to hurt a lot.

"Is something wrong, Harry?" I hear Helga's voice and I can already feel her hand on my shoulder.

"My h..." I can't finish because I have to put my hand over my mouth to keep from throwing up.

"Harry!" I hear Rowena's voice and I can already feel her hand. I squeeze my eyes shut in pain.

"Already?!" It was Godric now.

"What already?" The girls ask him, and my head is starting to spin, not just my stomach. I feel two arms around me, I immediately recognize this as Salazar, I'm surprised, I want to turn to him and ask why he's doing this, but I can't.

"We will always be with you and we will love you, don't forget that, Harry! Be yourself and show them what you can do! Make us proud!" He hisses at the end.

"Think of us, kid!" Godric strokes my head.

"Don't forget us!" Helga cries.

"It's not your fault, don't feel bad about this. Thank you for being with us." I can hear Rowena and I cry.

"You will always be my best friend, Harry!" I recognize this voice out of a thousand, it's Emrys.

"We love you!" They say it together now.

"I love you!" I moan out before the pain becomes unbearable and the darkness swallows me. After long minutes, the pain begins to fade, and finally the stomach churning slowly disappears. I find myself in the dark, my limbs ache and I feel much smaller, my wand is gone, even though I loved it so much, I carved it myself.

As I think about this, a door opens and light floods the room, and the image in my head clears. I am back, back to where I came from. As usual, I stretch myself out and put my hands behind my back as I look up at the figure entering the room, whose name my mind immediately presents to me. I smile, that typical smile that Salazar used towards bad students, and I speak in the calmest possible voice.

"Hello, Professor Dumbledore!"

Chapter Text

Harry

I step under the hat with complete calm, I have to admit the hat has gotten much more worn since I last saw it.

~ Ah, young Harry! We met a long time ago! What's up? ~ I hear his voice in my mind.

~ There's a lot of things, but I'll tell you everything when we have a little more time. Over a hearty bath! When was the last time you were washed? During the founders' time? ~ I ask back mockingly.

~ Only two hundred years ago! ~ He gets angry.

~ Calm down! And tell me where I'm going, because they'll start to get suspicious in the end! ~ I growl at him when I hear the background noise getting louder.

"SLYTHERIN!" The hat roars and the room falls silent, then suddenly the Slytherin house starts clapping and I hear clapping from the teachers' table, then someone slaps the table heavily. I immediately turn around and make a scared face, even though I'm not surprised at all. James looks at me with blazing eyes when our eyes meet.

"My son won't be a Slytherin!"

"But, but the great Merlin was a Slytherin too! Why, why is it bad?" I play and try not to give my lunch back. I hope Emrys hasn't reincarnated and heard me say this, because then I'll drown in shame.

"Not even then!" The man's face turns red, but the black-haired man sitting on the edge of the teacher's table interrupts.

"Potter! That's enough! The boy belongs in my house now, I'd appreciate it if you didn't yell at him. Mr. Potter!" He turns to me. "Sit down next to your housemates." I nod and immediately rush over to the already familiar table. Luckily, dinner passed in complete peace, although it was strange to walk through the corridors of Hogwarts pretending not to know where I was.

What was a pleasant surprise was that our Head of House, who I learned was also our Potions teacher and whose name was Severus Snape, the greatest genius of our time when it came to Potions, greeted the first years with the same words and laid down the same rules as Salazar did every year.

However, even this pleasant discovery was not enough to suppress the horrors of the past month. That's why as soon as everyone in my dormitory fell asleep, I jump up and run down to the Potions laboratory. I needed a little distraction right now.

"What the! It's been rearranged quite much!" I shake my head as I open the door and everything is in a different place than it should be. It takes me a long time to gather the necessary things and finally start making the potion. In the meantime, I think about what happened in this month.

First, I gave Dumbledore a heart attack when he started saying that I should move in with the muggles, and I broke all the glass windows, not just in my room, but in the whole house. Well, he couldn't call me a squib any more. Of course, in return for my action, I got beaten up again.

"Damn Potters!"

Then there was the Diagon Alley affair. I almost thought that James had some kind of paternal instinct when he took me shopping with them, but of course, as soon as we entered the merchant's road, he just pressed a bag of money into my hand and sent me on my way. Saying that I shouldn't let Christ be seen with me.

"Damn Potters!"

Not to mention that there wasn't even enough money in that small purse to do half of my shopping, so I needed to begin my shopping spree at Gringotts. Poor goblin, I could see in his eyes that he was about to have a heart attack when I spoke in his own language, saying that "I'm Hadrian Slytherin and I want to take money out of my safe!" Of course, he hid his surprise and snapped at me that he wanted the key, to which I laughed out loud and said that the Slytherin safe didn't need a key because it worked with blood magic.

Well, somewhere around here he gave up on his objections and took me down to the safe, where the door opened for me, and I took with me as much money as I needed and a few books on potions and a couple of books on magic. I need to brush up on my knowledge a bit, the world has improved over the millennia. Finally, I set off on my shopping spree and tried to avoid my relatives.

"Damn Potters!"

I was absolutely sure that I would be a Slytherin, so I had already ordered a robe that I had surprised the head tailor with, but the small bag of gold on her table had an effect. I also got myself a traveling suitcase, into which I neatly packed everything I had acquired. Then I set off for my last stop to get my wand. I left that for last because I really didn't want a new wand for myself.

I was so used to the old one, that pleasant vibrating snakewood wand, for which I had procured the branch and the thestral fur core myself. After a huge breath, I turned the handle and entered the wand shop. The salesman looked at me with fear, then asked my name, and I introduced myself as Hadrian Slytherin again. There is no money for which I will use the name of those wizards' shame.

"Damn Potters!'

Poor old man turned dead pale at the sound of my name, then he brought out two cases from the back of the shop. One was a nice brown case and the other a worn old black case, but one that I would recognize among a thousand. I carved that one. The salesman placed them on the table in front of me and pushed them towards me, saying, "These are both yours, Mr. Slytherin! You know which one this is!" He pointed to my homemade wand. "And for your own safety, I recommend that you use this one at school! It's a good wand. Holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, pleasantly flexible. It will do you good service!" I thanked him politely and for some reason felt it was better to listen to the gentleman.

No one should notice that my wand didn't have that special child protection charm that the Ministry put on all wands. It was just my luck that I wasn't left on Diagon Alley, because James and Chris were walking towards the fireplaces just as I entered the Leaky Cauldron.

"Damn Potters!"

And if that wasn't enough, I had to endure the fact that you can't even brew potions in that damn house, I couldn't do anything but sit in the empty room all day. It's a good thing my minde is fine now, so at least I could retreat into my mind and spend my time there. Which was much better than the place where I was doomed to suffer.

"Damn Potters!"

I couldn't wait to get back to Hogwarts. I thought I'd be free of James and Lily, but I wasn't so lucky. The headmaster said that if the ministry allowed a Black and a werewolf to be in the school, they should at least give them Aurors so that the students would be protected, and of course our parents were chosen.

"Damn Potters!"

The school still evokes the same pleasant feeling in me as every time Emrys and I returned from Camelot, only now my mentors and comrade are not here, my parents and friend are not here. But I quickly overcame my sadness when I entered the great hall. My gaze immediately swept over the teachers. I spotted the headmaster and my parents.

On the opposite side from them was the couple I knew from the newspaper, the head of the Black family, Sirius, and the werewolf, Remus Lupin. I was also intrigued by the man who sat next to the black-haired man sitting next to my mother, with a huge turban on his head.

But before I could even start thinking about who the teachers were, Chris of course started talking to his friend, a red-haired boy named Ron, and their pair was joined by a brown-haired girl, judging by her behavior, a mudblood. And of course, my dear brother chose this opportunity to start making fun of me in front of his friends, and then he got into Gryffindor. Godric's house, if their founder were alive he would definitely regulate the house. Instead, my brother is peacocking there like some kind of king.

"Damn Potters!" I mutter to myself, then my eyes widen. "Damn, damn! Where the hell is it?! It's not true that there isn't a single hippogriff feather in this lab! Then we'll improvise!" I'm about to turn around to save the potion, when an unknown hand holds a feather in front of my eyes.

"Here it is!" The voice comes, and I snap the feather and quickly dip it into the potion, saving the concoction.

"Thanks Circe!" I sigh heavily, forgetting that I'm not alone.

"Mr. Potter, would you tell me what a first year student does on his first night in the potions lab?" My eyes widen at this and I turn in surprise towards the voice, which belongs to my new Head of House.

Chapter Text

Snape

This school year has started off horribly, and by horribly, I mean horribly. It's only just dawned on me that the child of the love of my life and that idiot Potter is starting at the school I teach this year. If that wasn't enough, the headmaster announced at a staff meeting in the middle of the summer that since the Care of Fantastic Beasts teacher was retiring due to illness, the Ministry was hiring two new teachers, and who were the new teachers? Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. Just to make me happy! Why did they have to hire these two scoundrels?

I remember grumbling about this for a long time when Dumbledore held another meeting shortly before the start of the year. And here I am, standing in the headmaster's office, wondering what the hell James Potter was doing here and why Lily Evans was with him. That wouldn't even be that strange, what's strange is that the dog is looking at Potter with a look that could kill him if he wanted to.

I thought that the renewed Black-Potter rivalry I read about in the newspapers was just a rumor. However, that look reveals that the dog really doesn't like his former best friend for some reason and it also suggests that Lupin doesn't like Potter being here.

Finally, we learn that the Auror couple are here to ensure the well-being of the students, since a werewolf will be teaching them. My first thought was that this statement would make Black jump and cause a commotion, but to my surprise, he simply grimaces and mumbles under his breath, something I wouldn't have heard if I hadn't been standing right next to him. However, his words surprise me, so much that I suddenly don't know where to put them. "If even one hair gets hurt on my mate, I'll hunt you down, traitor!"

I don't understand what traitor means, but I don't really want to bother with it. I want to go back to the lab and continue my work, but of course something stops me. Specifically, a hand on my shoulder, which belongs to the werewolf.

"Can we talk in private, Severus?" He asks, and I almost open my eyes wide when he doesn't call me by my nickname.

"If we really have to!" I grimace. "Come on!" I wave to them and lead them to my office, as soon as the door closes the dog starts to tremble.

"Calm down, Sirius!" Remus tells his friend.

"But how does he imagine this?! How does he have the nerve to bring that... That scoundrel here, after what he did to his own child?!" The Animagus gets angry, and I decide to join the discussion.

"Would you tell me what it's about, or do you want to continue your discussion outside my door?" I ask in a cold voice.

"Forgive me Severus, I got carried away." Black takes a deep breath, and I'm surprised again.

"I'm starting to worry, you've never called me by my real name, Black! What happened?" I ask, before they look at each other and finally the werewolf speaks.

"How much do you know about the Black-Potter feud?" The question stings me.

"As much as the papers write."

"Then we'd better tell you everything. First of all, you know that the Potters had twins, right?" The dog looks at me, and I nod.

"One of them died when You-Know-Who attacked them. Yes, I know."

"Yes, that's what the world believes!' He says completely serious, and my eyes widen. "Remus smelled Harry's scent on James and when we asked him what was wrong with the child, he said he had become a squib and they were going to put him among the humans with Lily's relatives." He tells the story. "Of course we didn't want this, he is our godson. We offered to raise Harry, but James wouldn't let us... And I..." He doesn't continue.

"Sirius used Legilimency on James and he's seen something he shouldn't have. The Potters are beating the boy, James wants to get rid of him. Sirius is afraid he's succeeded. But he hasn't." The wolf smiles, and he gets two surprised looks.

"Moony felt something on both of them when they appeared. Not quite Harry, much more..." He makes a face as if he's savoring the words. "Older, but definitely his Harry! The boy is still alive, and judging by James's face, he'll be starting the year with his twin brother." The wolf explains.

"I see, but what do you need me for? Because I don't think you're telling me this out of pure kindness." I say seriously, and the dog grins.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend Severus. We originally only wanted to ask for your help because of Remus, so that we could keep the wolf under control with your potion, but if what Moony sensed is true, then we need to protect little Harry from his parents. And a teacher who's been here for a while would be a great help in that." He looks at me, a wicked grin at the corner of his mouth.

"That sounded very Slytherin coming from you, Black!" I'll note it, and he laughs.

"Are you surprised Snape? I grew up with Slytherins. So you're helping us protect Harry from his own father?" He asks and when I look into both of their eyes I see the sincere hope in them, so they nod.

"I'll do what I can." I answer, then quickly send them out of my room. I knew I was in for some interesting years, but it wasn't until the first years arrived and young Harry Potter sat under the hat that it was confirmed.

The great hall fell silent when the hat announced him as Slytherin. I couldn't believe my ears, a Potter in Slytherin and, what's more, that one word made the boy's whole being shine for a moment, as if this were the best thing that could have happened to him. Finally, my house starts clapping, and I join them.

To my greatest surprise, Lily, who is sitting next to me, starts clapping too. When I look at her, her face is shining with pride, like a true angel's, and then the moment is broken when Potter slams the table. Without thinking, I protect my student from the man's anger and in doing so, I manage to make dinner go more peacefully from then on.

I also manage to pass the first-year orientation without any problems, then I take my usual night walk to clear my mind. When I pass by the Potions room, where I hear strange noises, so I open the door. To my greatest surprise, Harry Potter is standing next to one of the tables, leaning over a cauldron.

I almost speak, but something doesn't let me, so I just watch him as he prepares the potion with perfect precision. A potion, which is much more complex than anything even a graduating seventh year could do. The boy, on the other hand, puts it together as if it were in his blood, muttering as he goes. "Damn Potters!" But he's also a Potter.

I watch the boy until he suddenly starts cursing that there are no hippogriff feathers in the classroom, I take the feather from the shelf and hold it out to him. He immediately pounces on it, and when the potion is restored I see him complete calm. And I choose this moment to speak.

"Mr. Potter, would you tell me what a first year student does on his first night in the potions lab?"