Albus Dumbledore watched the conversations in the Great Hall, noting that the vast majority of the students looked cheerful compared to the previous months. It was no wonder; the dictatorial state Hogwarts had been plunged into by Umbridge's hand had come to an end with her arrest. In the weeks since that event, various scandals had come to light around the Minister's Undersecretary. Evidence of crimes and corruption committed in the castle against the students were all over the news. The legal process seemed transparent, so Dumbledore did not need to say anything about it, not to mention that his reputation had not yet fully recovered. The only thing that truly staggered him was that everything had been set in motion by articles in alternative magical newspapers, written by a mysterious Mercurius whom he had been unable to identify. It was as if this Mercurius were a ghost; a new political agent moving in the shadows without Dumbledore being able to ascertain his purpose.
One of the issues he had to deal with was filling the vacant Defence Against the Dark Arts post. He was running out of options. Fewer and fewer people were willing to take on the position, so in the end he had to grant the job to someone who had been asking for it for years: Severus Snape, his spy in Voldemort's ranks. Dumbledore had denied Snape the position year after year to keep him away from the Dark Arts, but now he had no other choice. This also meant he needed to find a substitute for Potions. Filling the Potions post seemed easier, but Dumbledore wasn't looking for just any teacher; he was looking for Slughorn. His intention was twofold: to have someone competent teaching Potions, but also to have his old friend under control so he could access his memories of Tom Riddle. If his suspicions were true, he needed to get as much information out of Horace Slughorn as he could.
"A moment of your attention, please," he announced to the students at breakfast to announce the changes in the teaching staff. "From now on, and until the end of the term, Professor Snape will take over the Defence Against the Dark Arts chair. On the other hand, I have the honour of introducing you to Horace Slughorn, who will be in charge of teaching Potions."
It didn't take long for murmurs to ripple through the dining hall. Albus noticed how many students seemed dissatisfied. He didn't give it much importance; he had spent so much time as Headmaster that he knew students would never be completely happy.
Hours later, he found a letter addressed to him on his office desk. He examined it with different spells, as one could never be too cautious. He knew that at some point Voldemort would try to get him out of the way, so he had to prepare his chess pieces well. Nothing happened to the letter. He opened it and read it carefully. Its contents baffled him, making him consider several possibilities. It was an offer of an alliance. This was something to consider both on a level of legitimacy and on a level of trickery. He checked the time; the meeting with the Order was approaching. His secret resistance group was not as strong as it had been in the past. He was missing some key members whom he had not been able to recruit and who had rejected his invitation. This left him in a position of weakness that pushed him to want to know more about this new offer. He got ready and arrived at the Order's headquarters, where he found most of its members still devastated by the death of Mr. Weasley's father.
"I've received an offer that I think might help us," he said at the start of the meeting. He spent the next few minutes talking about the letter, its contents, and his own thoughts on the matter. After much discussion with the different members, he announced that he would go and see for himself. He would go to the circle of Stonehenge on the day and time indicated in the letter.
A Mentor, Not an Enabler
Salazar had been watching Ron for a few weeks, ever since his father's death and their return to the castle. It was evident that all the Weasleys were broken, but the one in whom he had noticed a more significant change was Ron. Salazar hadn't acted on it before because he had other, more pressing matters to deal with. As a friend, perhaps he should have acted sooner, but it was more urgent to get Umbridge out of the way before she harmed more students. Now, he could see that Ron was more broken than he had originally considered. He was full of rage. Ron seemed far more focused on his studies than ever before, but his demeanour was filled with hatred. Hatred and anger were powerful engines, but if left unchecked, they could be fatal. And Ron was on a dangerous path. Salazar knew that he had cornered several Slytherins for being potential Death Eaters, something no one was certain of, even if they were the children of Death Eaters.
"Ron, we need to talk," Salazar said.
"What do you want, Harry?"
"I want to know how you are. You've changed a lot in a short time."
"And I'm going to change even more. I'm not going to rest until I'm better. They'll pay for what they've done. I'll make them pay."
"So it's revenge. You're seeking revenge for your father's death. It's understandable. Revenge is a good engine." Salazar understood what was going on in Ron's mind. The need for retribution was very important to people. A significant part of history had been driven by revenge, especially wars. In addition, plays, novels, and Muggle films had exploited that idea very often. "What exactly does your revenge consist of?"
"I'm going to destroy them. One by one. I'll purge this world of Death Eaters and those sons of bitches who want to follow the Unspeakable. Society is better off without them. I want to put an end to the scourge of this society. I want to break Percy's face for turning his back on us and get back what the Ministry has stolen from us."
"That is a complex objective. Well, objectives. The Ministry is a complex matter, but one thing at a time. It's clear that they were vicious with you, and it was a demonstration of what they'll do to anyone who belongs to the Order of the Phoenix or is suspected of it. The Minister has classified the Order as a criminal organisation, and before you reply, you must acknowledge that it is an organisation operating outside the law."
"But... they're not criminals. They're fighting against those who are."
"Yes, that's true. But it's still something not approved by the Ministry."
"They took away the little we had. Not even the condemned Death Eaters had their possessions taken away. I know. Bill told me."
"Leaving aside that those were different administrations, yes, it is an arbitrary application of the laws on membership of illegal associations. On the other hand, if we take into account the current political climate, where the Minister denies that Voldemort has returned, and therefore denies the Death Eater activity that, we must admit, has been scarce since the events of the World Cup..."
"You don't need to remind me. The Ministry has always favoured the wealthy and charged against others. And on top of that, that pompous, stupid Percy supports the Ministry. I'm sure he's waiting to laugh at us and point out that we deserve it. I don't know how he could have turned out to be such an idiot. He didn't even deign to show up at the funeral."
"It's easier for you to settle accounts with your brother. Although I recommend you talk to him more than anything. But I won't tell you how to handle the relationship with your brother or your family. I'll just tell you that Percy was there. Hidden, but he was."
"Why would he be hidden?" Ron frowned.
"I don't know. I'm not an expert in family relationships," Salazar admitted. The Dursleys didn't count in that regard. The relationship with them was not exactly the most family-like that could be found. He considered Helga and the others his family, but it was not something he could proclaim. He had to remember that he was not only Salazar Slytherin but also Harry Potter; both were one. "The closest thing to a family I've ever known is you."
"Then you'll understand that I want to avenge myself."
"Vengeance can be a very sweet thing, but it can also destroy you. I won't tell you not to seek it, although I do recommend you leave it aside. You want to be the best, and I'll help you with that, but not with your revenge. That's up to you, Ron."
Salazar held his gaze calmly. He knew Ron was hot-blooded. If he left him completely on his own, it could be catastrophic. He could lose himself, become what he wanted to destroy. Not a Death Eater, of course, but an unscrupulous murderer. He could even end up dead if he went mad. He was going to go against very dangerous people. Salazar was sure Ron didn't know what he was getting into, not really.
"How will you help me?" Ron asked.
"You need three things: training, knowledge, and patience."
"I'm already studying and training on my own."
"I'm not talking about that kind of knowledge. To face them, you have to know how they work, you have to know the type of magic you're going to fight against."
"Learn Dark Arts?" Ron growled contemptuously. "I'm not a Dark wizard."
"But they are; and your defences must adapt to what they throw at you, and be able to counter it, fight it, or return it. It's one thing to know and another to use. You wanted to be an Auror, didn't you?"
"Yes."
"Aurors study the Dark Arts as part of their training."
"I don't like it, but okay."
"As for training... what does yours consist of?"
"I cast spells on a practice dummy and count the time it took to do so."
"It's not enough. That won't help you in real combat. You need to improve your strength, endurance, speed, reflexes... You need physical training. We can do a joint workout, you and me. If you wish."
Salazar didn't add anything else to the conversation. He knew he had to help and guide him in some way. He didn't want Ron to learn this the hard way, he didn't want the Weasley family to suffer more than necessary. But he also knew that Ron was not good under pressure; it had to be his own choice to accept the hand Salazar was holding out to him. It was similar to how they helped him improve his grades so that his mother would allow him to participate in the chess tournament.
"When do we start?"
"Tomorrow, at dawn. We'll train from Monday to Friday. On weekends, you'll study some magic."
"Not you?"
"I won't give you anything to study that I haven't studied before."
"It's all right then."
"Tomorrow, I want you awake and dressed for training. In sportswear. I'll give you a certain amount of time to meet me, and for every minute you're late, there will be a consequence."
"What consequence?"
"That depends."
The next morning, Salazar woke him up at the promised time. He knew that Ron had a hard time getting up in the morning, so establishing a system of punishments was a good idea in his case. Salazar didn't expect him to immediately comply with what they had agreed upon, and in fact, he would have been very surprised if he did. As soon as he woke him up, he informed him that he would be waiting by the lake in fifteen minutes. He heard Ron complain but didn't say anything, only reiterated the fifteen-minute limit and left the room.
"You're half an hour late," Salazar stated when Ron arrived.
"Did you tell?"
"I told you I would. We will start all training with a basic warm-up to avoid injuries, and we will continue with a fifteen-minute continuous run. To that, you will add one minute for each minute you are late."
"What, that's not fair!"
"Life is not fair. For the first time, you will only run an extra fifteen minutes; but I will not be flexible another time. When you finish the continuous run, we will perform exercises to improve strength, speed, and reflexes."
"Half an hour of running at full speed without stopping, that's a lot."
"I said continuous running, not that you had to go at maximum speed all the time."
"I don't understand."
"Find a speed at which you feel comfortable, but which also requires an effort without overdoing it."
"But..."
"Enough talk, let's begin."
The Stonehenge Meeting
"It's time," Godric said, consulting the clock in the Shrieking Shack.
They had planned this for weeks: how to make their move and how to leave Hogwarts without being detected. Sneaking away was one thing; going miles outside the castle was another. It was Helga who had found the key. They would use special Portkeys that left no trace, but for that, they had to be away from the castle. As for their absence from the castle, Godric had already spoken with his girlfriend, Hermione, about what they intended to do. He was confident that she would find a way to cover for them.
They set out from the Shrieking Shack in the dead of night, away from both the castle and Hogsmeade, and the surrounding forest. They only had to walk a couple of miles before activating the Portkey and appearing in the vicinity of Stonehenge. Godric had suggested that they arrive a little early and stay hidden, ready to approach at the same time from the four classical cardinal points. Rowena, Salazar, and he had each taken a potion to look older, like adults, compared to the bodies of teenagers they currently had. Helga had altered her features. All four were covered in grey hooded robes. Godric had considered white, but Salazar had pointed out something important.
"Even if white is the opposite of the black used by Death Eaters, the world is not black and white. To appear in all white would be a major deception, as shocking as it may seem."
"To introduce ourselves with other appearances, names, and hoods is also a deception," Rowena had pointed out.
"It's a deception that's necessary to be taken seriously. To show ourselves dressed in white would be like proclaiming that we praise the light above all else," Helga commented. "At least, that's how it would be seen in Dumbledore's mind and way of thinking. Maybe white would help him trust us. But our methods are not always as innocent as the target would point out. Especially if it's Salazar who designs the idea."
"Maybe we should give him a code name as well, so that he feels we're on equal footing," Salazar said. "I don't know... what do you think of the name of Tolkien's white wizard?"
"Huh?" Godric was puzzled. He sensed that Salazar was talking about something Muggle. It was Helga who whispered the name Gandalf to which Salazar was referring, although Godric didn't quite understand the reason for his friend's reference. But it was not the time to ask.
"It should be Godric who leads the conversation," Rowena said.
They arranged themselves as planned and waited. Dumbledore had been summoned for two in the morning. As soon as the wizard appeared in the centre of the circle, the four of them advanced towards him in unison. Calmly, step by step, without making any gesture that could be seen as a threat. Godric could see Dumbledore analysing them, assessing them. He seemed ready to attack if necessary. The four of them were prepared for that eventuality. They also knew that Dumbledore was not a wizard with average power, but that it would be difficult for him to subdue all four of them. Godric was certain that both Dumbledore and Voldemort had performed similar rituals to gain power and a connection with magic. Or at least it was one of his suspicions. The four of them stopped inside the circle, leaving a distance of four metres between Dumbledore and them. Godric began to speak, directing the conversation as Rowena had suggested.
"Welcome, Gandalf. We are glad you accepted our invitation."
"My name is..."
"We already know that your name is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, but during this conversation and any that follow, we'll all use code names, Gandalf."
"May I know who I am addressing?"
"Of course. My name is Ra. On your right, you have Athena. On your left is Sif. Behind you is Mercurius." Athena and Sif were Rowena's and Helga's code names, respectively.
"Are you the same Mercurius from the articles?" Dumbledore asked, turning around.
"Indeed, Gandalf," Salazar replied.
"Gandalf, we've summoned you here to discuss the possibility of becoming allies in the coming war against the bastard of the renegade Slytherin line who calls himself Voldemort."
"Renegade line?"
"We know that he descends from someone whom Salazar himself expelled from his family for high treason. We know that he has accumulated a magical power that is difficult to control, capable of causing the annihilation of the world and its collapse if he prevails. We know that he has resorted to forbidden Egyptian techniques to preserve himself and equate himself with the gods themselves. We know that right now, his motivation is to fulfil a prophecy that he does not understand and will not understand."
"You're talking about..."
"Yes, about the Horcruxes that my companions and I have been destroying for years."
"You have interfered with the designs of a prophecy," Dumbledore accused them. He looked dismayed.
"Prophecies simply pass away, regardless of what we do. They do not have a single translation but a translation of multiple variables. Playing with them, trying to activate them, producing them according to our belief about them, or trying to avoid fulfilling them makes them head towards the worst of possibilities. Those issued by the ancient oracle of Delphi are a clear example of my statements."
"Who are you?"
"We are the ones who seek balance in this world, and with the latest conflicts, it has been lost to a semi-critical point, although fortunately, it is not yet at the point of no return." Godric held Dumbledore's gaze for a few minutes. He knew Dumbledore was trying to get into his mind, so he set about protecting himself and illustrating what he had just said. He knew that his companions, his friends, had their minds just as protected. "What do you say, Gandalf? Is there a deal?"
"How do I know you don't want to take advantage of the situation to take over the world?"
"And how can we know that you don't want to take over the world as a great saviour leader once Tom Riddle falls?"
"I'll think about what you've told me. How do I communicate with you again?"
"In a month, at this very time, Sif will be here to receive your answer. Whatever you decide, Gandalf, we are not your enemies in this contest. Let's hope that one way or another, we can walk the same path."
At those words, Dumbledore nodded and disappeared. The four of them waited a few minutes in silence before getting back together and activating the return Portkey. The return to the castle was made with the same caution as their departure.
"He will accept. He knows he needs allies, so he'll want to use us," Rowena said.
"And we will make him believe that he can use us," Salazar said with a wry smile.