Tag-Team Fic, Chapter 11
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Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Title: The Other Turn
Author: lotus_lizzy
Chapter 11
Rating (this chapter): R
Pairings (this chapter): none
Warnings: none?
Word Count (this chapter): 1390
Author's Notes: Well, good luck after this :) I wanted to bring a little action back, so please enjoy!
After a short time, Salazar, who was sitting beside Harry, nudged him in the shoulder and asked in a low voice.
'May I have a moment of your time? In private.'
Harry looked around the table, debating for a moment whether he should leave Tom or not, before replying.
'Umm, sure.' Maybe Slytherin would have a suggestion on how to go about finding a solution to his problem.
Salazar had taken Harry to a small anteroom. A wooden table sat in the middle of the room with two small goblets atop it and a large jug filled with mead. Salazar sat and handed Harry a glass.
After a few sips Harry felt relaxed for the first time since his final battle with Voldemort. He took another big sip of his mead, relishing the heavy taste. His body felt sluggish and tired, his vision began to blur and the voices around him became muffled. Right before his head hit the table, he heard the soft sibilant sounds of Salazar Slytherin.
“Sleep, now.”
~*~
There was something burning. It smelled like sage or wormwood. Harry wondered if he had fallen asleep during Potions class, but he was having trouble concentrating over the roaring thumping resounding in his head.
‘Yes, I do believe this potion will require a silver stirring rod, not wood.’
The voice was different than Snape's or Slughorn's. It was deep and slow, gliding over the air like an ice-skater on ice.
‘I need to convince Helga to give me back the boy.’
The events of the past few hours rushed back, and suddenly Harry was fully awake. Unfortunately, with his wakefulness came the realisation that he was bound to a pallet with tight ropes around his ankles, thighs, wrists and neck.
‘What have you done to me? Why does Helga have Tom? What is going on?’
Harry began to struggle in his bindings, but the ropes just pulled in tighter. Salazar whipped away from his cauldron to bare down over Harry, his wand stabbing him in the chest.
‘Awake now, I see. Not sure how, considering the potion I gave you should have made you sleep for a few more hours.’
Harry pushed against his bindings and attempted to push away Salazar's wand. ‘Undo these ropes!’
Salazar waved his wand and loosened the ropes around Harry's neck and thighs, but not his ankles and wrists. It was enough that Harry could sit up, but his movement was severely limited.
‘First, I have a question. You are a Parselmouth. I thought I was the only one with such a gift. How is it possible that both you and the boy can understand me?’
‘Both Tom and I have the ability to speak to snakes. I inherited it when Tom killed my parents, Tom received his gift because he's your descendant.’
Salazar stood, keeping his wand steady at Harry's heart, and began to pace around what looked to be a Potions laboratory, his dark green robes sweeping against the hard rock floor.
‘Harry, I think its time to stop playing games. We both know why you are here and what you planned to do. Bringing such a dangerous child to this time was very foolish. But, as you have brought this plight to us, we must move for a quick resolution.’
Harry, amid Salazar's posturing, had covertly begun to loosen the ropes around his wrists, but they weren't loose enough. Harry had to keep Salazar talking. ‘A quick resolution how?’
Salazar flicked his wrist. ‘The only solution, in this situation. And now that I know that this half-blood is my descendant I feel even less remorse for his removal. My line will not be sullied.’
‘You want to kill a child?’
Salazar's eyes bore into Harry's. Harry could feel the edges of his mind being probed, violated, but the pressure wasn't as strong as Snape's or Voldemort's had been. He easily pushed Salazar out.
‘It is what you want, as well. He killed your parents, your friends. Why else did you bring him here? What other solution could you possible be considering? You already fear him. His soul is already broken. There is no redemption for this boy. He is a blight, a pest, a wizard who would turn on his own kind. This is what happens when the blood is diluted: unnatural corruption.’
Harry's wrists were now untied, but his ankles were still bound. Without a wand, and with Salazar still pointing his wand at his heart, Harry was unsure what to do.
‘What about me? My mother was a Muggle.’
Salazar's lips curled in disgust. ‘Which is a shame considering the amount of power you hold.’
But then his voice changed to a calm, calculated tone. ‘But you are foolish, and impatient, and too concerned with the present, with no thoughts to the future. You used a magical item you clearly have no control over, you've fiddled with time, you've shown us magic that we have yet to create, you have done more harm to the magical world than that boy Tom will ever do. The solution is simple. Once he is removed, you will be removed as well.’
Harry froze, his eyes growing wide, the hard truth of Salazar's words burning through his every nerve.
‘I ... I just wanted to change things, make them better!’ He pleaded, more to himself than Salazar.
What had he done? Had he ruined it all? Would things be as they once were when he returned? He just wanted a normal life, one without violence and pain, one where his parents were still alive and well, teaching him to ride a broom and celebrating when he married.
He buried his head in his hands, willing to accept whatever fate Salazar had in store for him. He deserved punishment, even if it meant his life.
Salazar turned his head, questioningly. ‘How did you free yourself from my ropes?’
Just then, the door to the potion room slammed open. Godric Gryffindor stormed in, wand out, followed closely by Rowena and Helga, wands all aimed at Salazar.
‘Release him, friend. This is not the way things are done,’ Godric threatened, his voice commanding and firm.
Helga, stepping up beside Godric, spoke in her kind, motherly voice: ‘He meant no harm, Salazar. He just wanted to help his friends.’
Rowena had stepped beside Harry and released his legs from their bindings.
‘No harm?’ Salazar asked without pause. He seemed genuinely confused as to why Helga would say such a thing. ‘He and the boy are both dangerous.’
Salazar crossed his arms. ‘The young one wants only to control us or kill us, and the older would fight us to keep him alive. We are ending this before it begins,’ he replied, logically.
Godric moved quickly, his long strides bringing him beside Salazar before Harry could blink. He shook his head and squeezed Slytherin’s shoulder. ‘There must be another way, Salazar. We will find another solution.’
Salazar shook Godric's hand off. ‘This is the right solution. You may disagree about Harry, but the boy, he must be stopped.’
With that, Salazar vanished from the room with a loud bang. The other three stood frozen before Godric swore and then disappeared, too.
Rowena helped Harry to a standing position, but then yanked Harry by the chin to gain his attention.
‘You have done something I'm not sure we can fix. You are done. Do you understand? You allow us to do what we must and then you go back to your time. That may be with Tom, or it may not. But no matter what, you are not to interfere. Do we have an agreement?’
Harry swallowed and bowed his head. He had already done enough. He was resolved to accept any help, and do what needed to be done.
‘We have an agreement.’
Rowena nodded and then dragged Harry out of the door.