Ficool

Chapter 13 - Chapter 13: Choppy Waters

The last week of February dawned with surprising news for all those who read The Quibbler. There were not many readers, but enough for the news to circulate from hand to hand, something that in turn was facilitated by the arrival of free copies on all the Great Hall tables. By the end of that day, many had even ordered a copy. The news it carried had had a significant impact.

Early that morning, at breakfast, Rowena entered the Great Hall with her copy; her father always sent her one the night before the magazine came out. She walked to the Gryffindor table and sat where Godric and Salazar were, along with other third-year classmates.

"Hello, everyone."

"Hello, Luna," Godric and Salazar greeted. So did Hermione.

"Back with us again?" Ron asked in a tone of protest.

"Ron!" Hermione rebuked him. "Anyone would think from your attitude that you like Luna and you don't dare to declare yourself!" Salazar and Godric couldn't help laughing at that comment. Rowena let out a small smile. "What is that you're carrying, Luna?"

"It's The Quibbler. My father always sends me a copy."

"That magazine is a little..." Hermione began to comment, not finding the right words to say what she thought without offending Luna. She realised that Luna was a very sensitive girl.

"Hermione. Luna's father owns 'The Quibbler'," Ginny said, joining the group.

"I... Luna, I didn't mean to..."

"Oh, don't worry. I understand what you mean," Rowena said. "It is a magazine that is out of the ordinary. It may seem that it takes things as a joke or that it publishes questionable information; but the reality is different." She smiled. "You just have to read it."

Hermione looked at her puzzled; it hadn't occurred to her to think about that way of seeing things. She herself admitted, at times, that she was very rigid. But she couldn't help but be like that; just having friendship with Harry and Ron had allowed her to have some flexibility.

Rowena looked up when she heard the owls arrive; the mail was coming. That was the moment when the free copies arrived at all the tables, both those of the students and those of the teachers. This made it easier for many to find out promptly about the news being spread. It was then that many took the magazine and began to whisper. One of the bundles fell near where they were. All the small bundles of magazines had a sign on them that said, "Paid copies." It was not the usual way.

"This is not common," Hermione said, taking one of those free magazines and frowning. "And this?" She held up the magazine, reading the cover before opening it to the main article page. On the cover was a photo of Sirius Black next to a striking headline.

Many of the students were already picking up the magazine and gathering in small groups. Distributing several magazines for all the tables had been a great idea on their part, and it had not been a great investment. The students gathered in small groups reading, apparently, an article. The teachers did the same; they looked bewildered, surprised, and some furious. Salazar, Godric, and Rowena smiled; not only had they facilitated the publication of that, but they were the architects of sending those copies to the castle. They had also sent a few to the Ministry and to St. Mungo's.

"Can you lend me the magazine?" Salazar asked Rowena.

Salazar opened the magazine and went straight to the article, feigning surprise when he read it. He knew the basic content, but not the exact wording. Godric had written it, and Salazar was sure Rowena had helped him. They had agreed that the first move, before going after the rat, was to sow doubt. If it incidentally served to disturb the rat and make him make a bad move, all the better. What it would serve them for was to have the game in their favour in case they did not want to hold a fair trial for Sirius when they caught the rat. With those revelations, there would be many questions, or so they expected.

SIRIUS BLACK: GUILTY OR SCAPEGOAT?

Since Mr. Sirius Black's escape from prison last July, our world has continued to echo the progress, or lack thereof, in his search and capture. They've even asked Muggles for help! However, we are no closer to catching him.

Despite what it may seem, this article will not review the list of Mr. Sirius Black's crimes again, but will instead examine his alleged crimes. Of course, everyone is guilty of something, that is without a doubt; but is someone guilty who was never tried? Is someone guilty in whom the presumption of innocence was violated by being thrown without being able to say a word or contact a lawyer to the horrendous place that is our prison? Yes, all this may seem strange, and you will think that it is not true, that it is a trick; but all the information exposed below is easily verifiable and, of course, true.

Sirius Black was captured on October 1st by the Aurors, in a Muggle street that had been blasted open according to magical records by an explosive charm, and hours later he was thrown directly into Azkaban. It was not until the next day that the newspapers pointed out his arrest on charges of treason against the Potters, the murder of Peter Pettigrew, the murder of twelve Muggles, and the accusation of not only belonging to a terrorist group, but of being the right-hand man of the leader, the dark wizard who calls himself Lord Voldemort. Well, I imagine that in this scenario Mr. Black is lucky to be a member of one of the oldest families in our world. If he had been one of the more modern or even a wizard of Muggle origin, he probably would have been executed on the spot.

Sirius Black was James Potter's best friend. All those who came to know them can affirm that they were like flesh and nail, like true brothers despite not sharing the same blood; the kind of friendship for which one would give anything for the other, even one's life. When they graduated, Sirius Black was James Potter's best man and later, when Harry Potter was born, he became his sworn godfather; an act that can be verified by casting a simple spell to verify the bond between the two wizards (Sirius Black and Harry Potter), or by requesting the unforgeable document of said ritual officiated by the Gringotts elves. How important is this? A sworn godfather promises to protect the child and his family even with his life; so you cannot intentionally damage them. On the other hand, this type of bonds and obligations cannot be avoided in any way, not even with dark magic. Having this as a premise, it is impossible that Sirius Black would betray them and hand over Voldemort, because he would have died just with the attempt and, of course, handing over the family to someone who wanted to kill them enters the list of things that can harm the family he has sworn to protect. Sirius Black was supposed to be the Secret-Keeper, yes, but as has been exposed, if he had betrayed them, he would have died, so it is not likely that he was any more Secret-Keeper than the vast majority of those close to the family probably believed.

Regarding the charge of belonging to a terrorist group, it was not proven and, of course, we all know that the Death Eaters had the Dark Mark tattooed. How easy it would have been to remove their sleeves and check this! Yet there is no record that it was done, and in all the trials against Death Eaters, their mark was exposed before the court. Black was the only alleged Death Eater who did not have a trial, so this was not proven by the full court.

The deaths of Peter Pettigrew and Muggles... Well, Muggles are dead, yes, the explosion took them away. The same explosion that killed Peter Pettigrew, leaving only one finger of him. There was only a record of such a spell being cast in that place. Can you tell me what explosive curse completely liquefies a body and leaves nothing but a finger that was practically neatly severed? The only thing that was used to point to Sirius Black as the architect of those deaths was the testimony of the surviving Muggles just in the hours following the event. People who were surely in shock and who were not the only ones; Sirius Black himself gave indications of being in shock and not being able to testify at that time. Instead of treating him and giving him the trial, he went straight to Azkaban. Muggles, of course, had their memories erased that same afternoon. All this can be verified in the records of the Ministry of Public Disposal. It seems that they wanted to find a culprit as soon as possible and close the investigation quickly.

It didn't occur to anyone that Sirius Black could be distraught by the loss of the family he had promised to protect. It didn't occur to them to give him a calming potion and ask him directly. He was accused of those deaths and that of Peter Pettigrew, hours after betraying the Potters, with Albus Dumbledore's testimony being that he was the Potters' Secret-Keeper, probably because Mr. Black was the most likely and credible option to all those known. With this information, both Minister Millicent Bagnold and Mr. Bartemius Crouch decided to take away his right to trial and throw him into Azkaban. Someone had to bear the blame for the deaths those days in order to do justice and reassure the population. The Ministry's previous administration did not allow Sirius Black to speak at the time of committing such acts, and the current administration seems willing to make the same mistakes by decreeing that Dementors administer the Kiss to Sirius Black, take his soul, just as soon as he is caught. No questions, no interrogations, no questions about how he was able to circumvent the security of the "safest" prison. Is it all a way of silencing him, of preventing him from speaking, or has our venerable current administration failed to notice the mistakes of those who preceded them?

Mercury.

"So I have a godfather," Salazar murmured, feigning surprise and gesturing furiously. "A godfather with whom I could have lived, had my rights been respected."

"Blame the previous Triumvirate," Godric whispered grimly.

"Harry, calm down," Hermione pleaded, slightly fearful that Harry's outburst might cause something to explode. "Neville, what exactly is this Triumvirate? I know in ancient Rome it referred to the rule of three, but I don't understand its application here." The nearest Gryffindor students were openly listening, keen to understand as well. Fred and George had drawn closer after reading the article.

"The Triumvirate forms the fundamental power base of the Wizengamot. Traditionally, it comprises the Chief Witch of the Courts, the Minister for Magic, and the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," Godric began to explain. "At the time of Voldemort's fall, it consisted of Minister Bagnold, Mr Crouch, and Headmaster Dumbledore. Theoretically, in times of crisis, they can make such decisions, always guaranteeing a trial within a maximum period of six months. After those six months, if no trial has occurred, the accused should have been released. Which, evidently, they failed to do. Neither one nor the other."

"But if they were obliged to, why didn't they?" asked a first-year student sitting nearby.

"Bagnold always feared the power of House Black, and Crouch was an avowed enemy of the Dark Arts," Godric stated, as if those were reasons enough.

"It has always been said that the Black family was associated with such arts; in fact, it was rumoured they descended from powerful Dark wizards. They were a dark family, deeply attached to traditions that the Ministry was restricting and forbidding, such as rituals to the gods," Rowena commented. "Some might now perceive that the events in which Black was implicated were the ideal circumstance to politically eliminate their enemies; and of course, those two members of the Triumvirate considered the Blacks their adversaries."

Against the Headmaster, none of the three — Salazar, Godric, or Rowena — uttered a word. They considered that something might have influenced this unjust imprisonment, Salazar more so than the others. However, Dumbledore was someone who appeared flawless in the eyes of society, at least visibly. Society had idealised him. Furthermore, if Voldemort were to return, Dumbledore served as an insurance against his advances, at least until they could act against the Dark wizard. They weren't going to attack the Headmaster, not for now; and certainly not based on mere suspicions of appearance. They also didn't directly attack the other two members of the Triumvirate, well, not overtly. They simply focused on highlighting true and verifiable facts, using the article to give people something substantial to ponder.

"It must be an anonymous piece of writing," Fred said, seizing the silence that had fallen over the conversation. "I don't think there are many wizards currently named Mercurius."

"It's a brilliant name," George said. "It's the Roman name for our favourite god, Hermes."

"Are those rituals dedicated to the gods you mentioned dangerous?" Hermione enquired.

"Not exactly; they were simply outlawed when paganism itself was forbidden," Rowena explained.

"They're Dark Magic!" Ron stated flatly.

"They were catalogued as Dark Magic when Christianity gained strength in the wizarding world," Salazar explained calmly. "The ancient druids used rituals for harvesting, preventing diseases, and ensuring good weather... many other rituals were derived from Roman paganism. All of them were outlawed for religious reasons, just as they were in the Muggle world long ago. When Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, it wasn't long before paganism was banned and the old gods faded into oblivion."

"All that is Dark Magic! Rituals are used for evil," Ron argued energetically. "How can you know such things, Harry? You, of all people!"

"I read about it in a book. It was rather instructive," Salazar replied calmly.

"But the Dark Arts are abominable; they are a perversion."

"Ron," Godric cut in firmly. "Knowing and using are different things. My parents, as Aurors, understood the Dark Arts as a means to combat them."

"You can't face what you don't know, Ron," Salazar added before leaning over the table and whispering conspiratorially, "Take the previous two years as an example, and just imagine what it would be like if the monster manages to return."

"I think I understand what you mean, chaps."

Gradually, the Great Hall returned to a semblance of calm, though it was evident that many students continued to discuss the article. Given the reactions from that segment of the general wizarding population, they could well imagine the article would reach everyone in one form or another. The fuse had already been lit.

"Ron, I've got something to tell you."

"What's the matter, Neville?" Ron enquired.

"Harry told me the other day that you're brilliant at chess. In fact, now that I think about it, weren't you awarded in your first year for that?"

"Yes, fifty points. And you got ten for trying to stop us; I think they should have given you more."

"Did you know there's a chess tournament this year?"

"I like to play chess, but I don't know if competing would be a good idea." Ron was excited, yet somewhat fearful.

"You're the best, Ron. Give it a go; you know you can achieve anything you set your mind to," Salazar urged him. "You have a real gift for chess. Make the most of it."

"Thank you, Harry. Thank you both." Ron then added, "Although I don't think I will. I want to, but... Mum won't like it. She wants us all to do something serious, especially after Charlie went to work with dragons and Bill went off to break tomb enchantments. Chess isn't a serious thing; it's just a daft game." Ron bowed his head, looking rather sad. It was probably because the only thing he truly excelled at at his age wasn't something his mother valued.

"Dear brother," Fred began, "If you like chess," George continued, "And you want to compete, then do it," Fred went on, "Don't let Mum, or anyone else," George interjected, "Tell you what to spend your time on, or what's worthwhile," Fred added, "You'll never be happy if you don't decide for yourself," George concluded. "If you want to compete, sign up and enjoy it!" the two chorused. "Don't let Mum turn you into another Percy!"

"I will." Ron made a gesture of gratitude towards his brothers; their combined speech had managed to encourage him to make that decision. Ron realised he had to be himself and make his own decisions, regardless of what his mother thought was right for him. "Do you have a form, Neville?"

"No, I only heard about the tournament."

"There's one on the last page of The Quibbler," Rowena reported. "You have until March 30th to register. The tournament will commence on July 1st and will last two weeks."

"Will you lend me Hedwig, Harry?"

"Of course."

---

That same night, the quartet met in the Room of Requirement. They gathered there as often as they could, keen not to draw attention to themselves.

"Most seem to be taking the article seriously," Rowena observed. "Muggle-born students are questioning the imprisonment of a man without trial, and a few have even asked their classmates about it. The half-bloods are doubtful; they've spent time at home hearing about Voldemort and now have their suspicions. As for the pure-bloods... many were simply unaware that Sirius Black hadn't been tried."

"Some Gryffindors think that if he's so innocent, he could have asked for a solicitor from Azkaban instead of escaping," Godric said. "Others, however, believe the whole affair smells rather murky."

"I doubt they would have granted his request to see a solicitor," Helga countered. "If they weren't allowed to do it from the start, I don't think they'd run the risk of letting the truth come out; something that, with the article, is already inevitable. There are some Ministry officials who think what the article hints at is quite real – that he's been condemned to the Dementor's Kiss to prevent him from talking," Helga added. "In fact, Madam Bones is furious. She checked all the information after reading the article, so she's now bristling and looking for a way to properly resolve the matter," Helga reported. "On the other hand, Fudge is quite upset. He doesn't want to believe it and thinks it's all a trick by Black. He claims that 'Mercurius' is an ally of Black and is trying to ban both The Quibbler and people from accessing the documents with which that information can be verified."

"What an idiot," Salazar scoffed. "He could try to take advantage of this to consolidate his political power, and instead, he's sinking deeper into the mire. With acts like this, especially if, as I imagine, it will be in front of the public, there will be no one to save him when they call for his dismissal."

"Not to mention the attempt to eliminate and ban a media outlet that doesn't exactly publish his appetites," Rowena added. "Furthermore, the pure-blood sector of society doesn't seem very happy."

"I doubt they are," Salazar argued. "What they did to Sirius was a violation of his rights. If they gave that treatment to a pure-blood with an important surname – the most important at that time – what would they do to others when they needed to crucify someone? Many must have realised they could suffer the same fate, or worse. Not to mention that these acts are influenced by Muggle beliefs, and some see Dumbledore as someone who agitates Muggle-borns against our traditions, causing them to be displaced and suppressed."

"In the end, it comes down to that and some families' bias towards their own traditions," Rowena said. "You saw Ron this morning, calling something he knows nothing about 'Dark Magic' just because it was given that label and banned. All for reasons of cultural conversion or absorption. Something that certain political sectors know how to exploit to agitate the masses. It's enough to say 'I want to recover traditions' to win over the majority of 'pure-bloods,' even if your true purposes are different. Or to say, 'equality among all wizards,' so that the rest follow you like sheep."

"We are a flock of sheep in the hands of those in power," Salazar said. "Only a few sheep decide to think, and not just 'think' what they're told."

"With these wars, it seems they want to widen the existing chasm much further and exploit it so that old families do not mix with those of new origin. Many old families still maintain prejudices against the new ones – prejudices that arose from suspicion in the darkest period of our history and that increased thanks to the Statute of Secrecy when the two societies separated completely, unable to evolve in parallel," Helga said. "These important 'pure-blood' families denied their ties to Muggle blood, and to do so, they insisted on marrying only among themselves."

"Which has resulted in the death of many family lines," Salazar said.

"That damage must be corrected," Rowena observed. "Consanguinity is part of the problem for a significant sector of our society. Muggle-born wizards can ironically 'purify' that blood," she opined. "Haven't you noticed that the most powerful wizards today are the 'half-bloods'? Albus Dumbledore, Tom Riddle, Harry Potter, Nymphadora Tonks..." Helga grunted when she heard that name; it was a name she never liked.

"The terminology used to designate blood is not correct," Helga said. "In fact, I suspect it's an invention of the last few centuries. Another negative consequence of the Statute of Secrecy." Helga sighed. "That law brought very good things, but also negative things that can be reflected in today's society. Salazar was always right when he said that magic was in the blood. My father was descended from Squibs in my own family line. So I think the same thing can happen with Muggle-borns. It's not that there's an uptick in them, but that it's magic returning to the descendants of families or family branches from which most Muggle-born wizards descend from Squibs, and that only a few are truly new blood and not old blood that returns."

"It would be a good line of research. Something that would probably break the current cycle," Salazar murmured, frowning curiously at the matter, but he couldn't deviate from their main objective. He had to focus. The four of them had more important matters to solve. "I agree that the current terms must have emerged around the Statute of Secrecy; perhaps they even began to be outlined earlier, though it will be difficult to determine precisely when. In our time, there was talk of old blood and new blood, and mixing them was not a mistake or an abomination, but rather desirable. It brought magical strength to families."

"It's ironic that there is so much prejudice against blood, when in reality the old families are mixed-blood, however much they wish they didn't see it," Godric said. "It would be amusing if they found out that the great Salazar Slytherin was what they would now call a half-blood, a second-class citizen, because the third-class are the Muggle-borns," he laughed.

"Anyway, let's go back to the Horcruxes," Salazar said. Although he would have liked to spend the whole night chatting, he couldn't. It wouldn't be very positive to appear asleep in class the next day.

The four of them turned to the "anchor map," looking at it closely. Only two foci remained: one in London and the main one in Albania. They already knew what the place in question was thanks to Helga's inquiries: the Black family's house. Which was one more reason to achieve Sirius's freedom.

"We'll have to talk to the dog about his family's ancestral home," Salazar said. "The last of the Horcruxes is there."

"But not now," Helga said. "First and foremost, his freedom. The second thing is family ties, Salazar."

"Very funny. As if you didn't want to meet your cousin in a less tense situation."

"I keep saying you should rent a hotel room," Godric told them. "Although Black playing carbine... I'll have to ask him."

"Next point: Operation Pest Control," Rowena said, intently focused on the rat. "I like your plan in general, but from what you've told me about Sirius, he's pretty unpredictable. We will have to keep a close eye on him when we launch the final phase of the operation. I could take care of it; he doesn't know me yet."

"I can't disappear," Helga said.

"We understand. Because of your work, you have to be present no matter what," Salazar nodded.

"We can't either," Godric added. "If we disappeared from the castle, it would attract attention, especially because this year I've been seen a lot with him," Godric said, gesturing towards Salazar and himself. "Not to mention that Salazar is closely watched because everyone thinks Sirius Black wants to murder Harry Potter. Let's hope that the article changes most opinions."

"I've been testing Lupin for weeks," Salazar said. "If it hadn't been for the fact that they were forced to use the Patronus Charm at the party, it would have been interesting to use learning that charm as a pretext." Salazar continued, "I hope to be able to obtain results soon; otherwise, we will have to look for another way that continues without attracting attention to the confidential information we handle. I can't ask him point-blank, nor be too subtle; the chap isn't stupid."

---

Salazar, as he had been doing for weeks, stayed at the end of his Defence Against the Dark Arts class to speak with Professor Lupin. These weren't doubts as such, but rather arguments with which to delve deeper into the subject presented in class. Between the reasoning he put forward and having achieved a corporeal and effective Patronus with a little "self-study," Professor Lupin considered Salazar a genius in Defence Against the Dark Arts.

In that session, Salazar showed something different, a subtle distraction, just enough for the professor to realise something was amiss and ask him about it. Salazar could not reveal the true situation, no matter how much he liked the man, for he didn't know whether or not Lupin was somehow involved in his godfather's imprisonment without evidence. Salazar had to obtain the information he needed without risking everything going wrong. Sirius Black had already mentioned Lupin on occasion, and as far as Salazar knew, they were old friends, although now that friendship was at a delicate point, to define it in some way.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Professor Lupin asked. "You're a bit off-centre."

"I was thinking about the article that came out in The Quibbler, Professor," Salazar replied.

"Harry, it's better not to dwell on that," Lupin advised. "It's true that Black was your father's best friend, and godfather or not, there was evidence that he was the Secret-Keeper."

Salazar knew what evidence Lupin was referring to: Dumbledore's testimony about it. The testimony of a single person. Salazar could think of many reasons behind it; from it being false testimony, which he thought was most likely, to Dumbledore not even being told about the change of Secret-Keeper. But that wasn't something Salazar was going to say to Lupin. He just nodded.

"I know. It's just that... well... I don't know many things about my parents, and people don't tell me much either. I don't know anyone who knew them beyond what Hagrid or any teacher can tell me."

"I could help you a little... We were friends at Hogwarts," Lupin said somewhat embarrassedly. He seemed sorry for something, as if he had done something unspeakable. "I would have liked to look after you when your parents died, but I wasn't in a good condition. In fact, because of my circumstances, no court would ever have given me custody of a child. I'm not a very stable person, professionally speaking, and at that moment I was completely devastated. My friends were my family, and I lost them all."

"I understand, Professor. It must have been a hard blow for you. Not to mention... well, let's say that the work Professor Snape sends when he's substituting can become instructive, in a way."

"Do you know?" The professor's expression shifted from embarrassment to alarm. He seemed frightened and shocked.

"Yes, I know. And don't worry. I've been drinking tea and chatting quietly with you for weeks instead of screaming around the castle. You are a good teacher, and that is the only thing that matters. That you feel unwell every twenty-eight days is something minor."

"Just like your father," Lupin murmured. "He and my friends found out and, instead of turning their backs on me, they helped me."

"That's admirable."

"Yes, it is. I admired them. I would have gladly given my life for all of them. I never thought that the day would come when a friend would betray the rest."

"I think that is never thought of," Salazar said reflectively. "If it were, the word 'friendship' would never have existed in its broadest meaning. Would you tell me about all of them? I think that with their stories, I'll get to know my parents a little better."

"I don't see a problem with doing it. Only... there is something that worries me."

Salazar could see Lupin hesitant, as if he were struggling with contradictory ideas. Salazar remained silent, letting him ponder in peace. He couldn't pressure Lupin, and he wasn't going to enter his mind to see the discourse of his thoughts. Salazar waited a few minutes before asking, "What worries you? Whatever it is, there's always a solution."

"Well, I feel like I'm betraying Dumbledore's trust. I did it in the past, and I think I'm doing it now."

"What makes you think that?" Salazar inquired.

"I know something about Black that could give answers to how he escaped and how he got into Hogwarts on Halloween. It's true that he hasn't been heard from since Halloween, and it's clear that he didn't manage to reach you. And if we consider that the Dementors should have weakened him and prevented him from using his magical abilities to the fullest, all that remains is that he used Dark Magic before his ability."

"What skill? Is it dangerous?" Salazar pressed.

"That's depending on how you look at it, Harry. It was an imprudence that I will talk about another time, something that eats away at me."

Salazar nodded. He could understand that. From the expression of the man before him, it was clear that it would not be wise to press in this direction, or in the other. As much as Salazar wanted to solve the mess and destroy the last of the Horcruxes in the process, he knew that pressing there would be counterproductive; so he had to continue with less complicated topics for the professor. Give it time. Which Salazar could do. It was part of his nature, generally; although when he lost his temper, he lost it thoroughly.

"And my mother?" Salazar asked. "How did she and my father meet?" In any case, those questions helped Salazar to know his own history, and perhaps they would provide him with better details.

Since that class was the last of the afternoon, Salazar could be with the professor as long as he saw fit to give him, and Lupin seemed to enjoy his company. Salazar spent the rest of the afternoon listening to Lupin talk about how his father became one of the biggest pranksters at Hogwarts along with his friends, and the nicknames they used to call each other, which Salazar found striking and silently related to a certain map. He found it ironic that coincidentally something had come into his hands that could be considered from certain aspects an inheritance. Salazar also heard how his mother was annoyed at first with his father's jokes, especially because they were directed at who at that time was a friend of his mother, his "favourite target" Lupin called him; although Lupin did not want to tell Salazar the name of that friend of his mother's. Lupin only mentioned that that friendship broke down and a couple of years later they started dating. Salazar listened to some of his father's "exploits," for he had wanted to hear the good and the bad. It seemed to Salazar that they had been a group of bullies, something that disgusted him because he hated bullies, but he was too polite to say so.

"Professor," Salazar began. "One of the boys they teased—wasn't it Snape?"

"It was, how did you...?" Lupin trailed off.

"Since I arrived in the first year, I had the impression that he hated me," Salazar decided to be honest about it, with something that was also "vox populi." It wasn't like Salazar was giving him much of himself, either. "The fact is that I didn't understand why. I didn't know him, and I hadn't done anything to gain that attitude. I just thought about it, and at the end of first year Dumbledore told me that my father and Professor Snape were classmates and they didn't get along. But 'not getting along' I never saw as enough to hate me just by seeing me. Now, from what you're telling me, I understand it a bit." Salazar then thought, That didn't stop him from thinking like an idiotic bastard for taking it out on someone who wasn't to blame.

"Has he said or done anything to you?" Lupin asked, concerned.

"Not at all, but there are things that are noticeable."

"Harry, you have to understand that we were stupid kids, and well... Snape was not a saint either. We lived at a time when the war was starting wildly, and Slytherin House was full of Voldemort supporters and sons who probably went with him to school. It was a nest of Death Eaters and Dark Wizards."

"That doesn't justify acting like that," Salazar countered. "Defending can, but attacking... I'm a child too, and I don't go around hexing classmates who think or might think like Voldemort. I don't think Slytherin is a nest of Dark Wizards either. They are just children, like me, and pointing them out and labelling them as dark will leave them no choice but to be what they have been told they are."

"I know. Now I am able to see it. In that respect, you are better than all of us were together."

There was a silence between the two, although it had not been Salazar's intention to generate it, nor did he want to have started what seemed to be a kind of debate. Salazar firmly believed that branding someone for what their family did was wrong. It had happened and continued to happen with the children of Death Eaters, with the students of Slytherin House in general, with Sirius Black for being a Black, and also to a lesser extent with Nymphadora Tonks, with all the Gryffindors being labelled as self-sacrificing heroes, with the Ravenclaws pointed out as academics incapable of seeing what was going on under their noses, with the Hufflepuffs branded as useless for not wanting to take sides in matters of fame... Salazar could even include in that same list the 'troublemaker' label that Snape had given him in first year simply because he physically looked like his father and Snape had figured out that he was a carbon copy, or something like that. All this did not allow anyone to be themselves, because it made those people precisely what they were labelled and treated with, leaving them almost no way out. That is why Salazar liked those who fought against the label placed on them by others; an example of this could be seen with two members of the house he founded, who had decided to take the reins of themselves. Would there be more? Salazar hoped.

Salazar could see through the window of the office that it was beginning to get dark. Soon it would be time for dinner, but he could still be there a little longer. He came up with something else to mention before he left.

"Do you have any photos from when you were studying with my parents?" Salazar asked. "Hagrid, in my first year, gave me an album with some photos, but they're just about the wedding, the christening, and the graduation. I'd like to see them as students, with their friends and such."

"I could send you some." Lupin offered.

"I would appreciate it."

Salazar could see that this was going to be a long time, he didn't mind waiting long enough, but he doubted that Sirius Black had that much patience. From what Salazar had observed in his godfather, Sirius was too restless and honestly did not want to have to cast any spell on him to keep him under control. It seemed that Sirius wanted to honour with such an attitude the idea that was held of Godric Gryffindor, an idea quite distant from reality. Salazar's friend was never impatient, impulsive he may have been, but never impatient; Godric had been quick to respond but at the same time with an enormous amount of thoughtful consideration. In the Great Hall, Salazar didn't think they could change the way the world perceived them a thousand years after their first existence. To finish off Voldemort was a goal, also to end the war between the houses that, in part, had arisen because of how they had been misrepresented. It was something to reflect on well. Perhaps they would not even compensate for it and the only thing they could do is create a new unity, a unity that is the same and different at the same time as the one that existed millennia ago.

"Harry, where have you been all afternoon?" Hermione asked as she, Ron, and Godric joined the table next to him. Rowena, apparently, had decided to sit with those at home.

"I went to see Lupin. I had some doubts about Hinkypunks."

"Blimey, mate, it looks like you've set out to be the best at Defence," Ron muttered. "And I wanted to celebrate with you that they've accepted me for the chess tournament!"

"We can throw a private party later, Ron. You must be over the moon, I guess."

"Yes, I'm very happy to be able to participate. Mum refused a little at first; she called it a waste of time, but Dad got her to let me be, even though Mum put very hard conditions on me," Ron said. "She wants me to get good grades in all my subjects. No failures, and at least 'Exceeds Expectations' in the compulsory ones. The bad thing is that my average is only 'Acceptable.' I'm very happy because if I succeed, I will be able to do something that excites me, but I don't know where to start."

"I'll make you a study timetable. From the end of school to before bed, including weekends," Hermione said. "If you stick to it, you'll get good grades."

"That won't work," Godric said. "He'll get discouraged sooner for not being able to fulfil it and throw in the towel. Ron isn't like you, Hermione. You are very organised and meticulous; very systematic. Ron doesn't have your study habit. He cannot spend hours studying. Ron needs another method, a method that allows him to create a habit."

"I can think of something," Salazar said. "It's working for me. I started studying for half an hour a day, and little by little I've been increasing. Of course, I started in the summer."

"But with half an hour, he won't do his homework," Hermione objected.

"Half an hour of study after homework. That half hour doesn't include them. It's just a matter of organising yourself well for when you have to hand in the assignments and not leaving them to the last minute," Salazar explained. "It's what you have to do to get what you want, Ron. Little by little, but that's how you will get it. Now then. Is that what you want?" Salazar asked softly, looking at Ron.

"I want you to look at me and see Ron Weasley, not anybody's brother or friend. I'm clumsy at studying; it's hard for me to focus, but I love chess."

"Very well, we can work on it," Salazar said. "Right, Neville?"

"Yes," Godric said. "In fact, what Hermione proposed may be good for later, when he has a firm study habit. Well, for everyone, I think that by after Easter we can get somewhere in between your initial proposal and Harry's. Will you help us?"

"I suppose I can work with that," Hermione said.

"Will you help me with Potions, Hermione?" Ron requested. "I don't understand this course."

"Of course, we'll start at the beginning. You need to recover the base."

Salazar did not say anything to that comment; he agreed. What Ron needed in that subject, in that support of the Potions classes, was to take up what Salazar supposed he should know from previous courses. Review first and second year from the beginning to be able to understand what was becoming more complicated from that course. It was a foundation that almost all students actually lacked, and this was the result of Professor Snape's teaching method. As Ron and Hermione agreed, Godric whispered a message to Salazar.

"Helga wants to talk to you. She has to give you something from the dog."

"Understood."

---

Days later, Salazar was a little annoyed that Sirius Black had ventured out of the Shrieking Shack again, all to bring a diary—a diary that belonged to Lily Potter. Salazar appreciated the gesture, but he didn't like that Sirius had taken a risk that Salazar found unnecessary for something he could have given him once everything had been resolved. If it weren't for the fact that, in reality, when Sirius exposed himself, he exposed them all, Salazar wouldn't have given it so much importance. But while Sirius didn't know it, there was much more at stake than the freedom of an innocent. If they were discovered ahead of time, it could be catastrophic. From being trapped as subjects of an ineffable experiment to being sacrificed for being an "unnatural and dark act." No, it was better to avoid those situations. They hadn't revealed the truth to Sirius, to anyone really, but it was enough for him to be captured and someone to decide to ask him who had helped him before throwing him to the Dementors, for them to have the possibility of pulling the Spaniards. They were photographs.

Salazar picked them up and looked at them carefully. They were photos of his father, of him as a child with another boy who looked like Snape, of his father's friends... Salazar fixed his attention on the latter, as it was quite conspicuous since it registered the human form to the Animagus of the friends. The one missing from the photograph was Lupin. The animals moved as if they had sentience, and their gazes showed a certain intelligence. On the back of the photo was an inscription: "James and his friends. James (stag), Sirius (dog) and Peter (rat)." Salazar smiled.

"Eureka!"

With that, Salazar had a physical test, something that was so necessary in his plans. With that, he could report a similar rat in the castle; he just had to find a credible way to approach the Aurors with that suspicion. As it was now, "Scabbers" did not look exactly like the same rat; it was the consequences of stress, but Salazar could think of what he could use—a certain newspaper clipping from a certain trip. Of course, before Salazar did anything, he would let the others know. Without further ado, and putting that little treasure to safety, Salazar began to read his mother's diary.

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