Harry learns what went wrong

Harry had been cleared to leave the infirmary by Madam Pomfrey. Provided that he kept all magic use to a bare minimum for at least another week. At his side, Bellatrix and Narcissa kept pace with him. "Are you sure that you wish to do this Harry?" Narcissa asked him, "The portrait isn't going anywhere. It's not like we can't see him later."

Harry nodded, "I need to speak with Salazar. If anyone would know about Horcruxes, it would be him." He led them down the path towards the Chambers entrance, "I'm ready to start casting spells again, I've been laying in that bed for what feels like weeks."

Bellatrix squeezed his hand, "It's been a week, Harry. You nearly died Harry. Please just go down to the Chamber, talk to the portrait and then come back to your quarters and rest." Harry smiled and brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. Bellatrix smiled when he did that, "That's your charming way of telling me that you're going to do whatever you want isn't it?" His response of a smile made her sigh in resignation.

Narcissa kept pace with Harry and her sister, these were the last weeks of term before the Yule break. Then she would leave as Narcissa Black and return as Narcissa Fawkes, the Lady Peverell. Lady Peverell...She thought Lady of our House...Bella is the Lady Slytherin and is as such Lady of a powerful Dark aligned House, but Peverell, that is a name that will allow me to make contact with the Light and Neutral Houses. We could create our own bloc at the Wizengamot.

That was an idea that Narcissa found had a lot of appeal. She knew that Harry enjoyed being a professor at Hogwarts. But her family, she felt, was meant for better things. Minister Fawkes or Supreme Mugwump Fawkes...or what about Chief Warlock? Chief Warlock Fawkes leader of the Wizengamot. Perhaps not as impressive on the world stage, but here in Britain it would make us essentially untouchable...

Harry wasn't much of a politician, but that was alright with Narcissa. She could help with that. Provided we get him out of his recklessly noble mindset. No wonder he was a Gryffindor when he was a student...

They arrived at the girl's bathroom. Stepping inside Harry opened the chamber and summoned the lift. "You know, riding a magically levitating stone should feel less special once you know what's down there." Bellatrix mused, "But it's still very exciting."

Harry nodded, slipping his arm around her, "Are you ready to give up your teaching duties?" He asked his wife, "I've heard how well you've been doing, maybe you should stay on as my assistant." He teased her, earning a soft elbow to his ribs.

"If anything, you would be my assistant," Bellatrix replied primly, her regal voice and straight back at odds with the elbow that Harry had received.

Once inside the Chamber proper, Harry walked over to the portrait of Salazar Slytherin, "So, my Lord Slytherin, I understand there was some commotion in the village." The old wizard said from his place in the painting. When Harry looked confused Salazar smiled, "I built most of the ward structure for the Castle. It is safe to say that there is very little I do not know. The false Heir used a ritual to create madness from the corpses of Muggles didn't he?"

Harry nodded, "He also might have used a Horcrux." He added, "I had a..vision.I guess I saw him kill Orion Black by putting a locket on him. The locket opened and black smoke poured out and went into him."

Salazar held up a hand, "A locket. How did it open?"

"He spoke in Parseltongue." Harry said, "It opened when he told it to and then that smoke went into Orion. Then he stabbed himself with a dagger and fell."

"Transferring his soul into the healthy vessel and leaving his body to wither. Clever...very clever." Salazar paced inside his portrait, "That is indeed a Horcrux as I've seen it described. Herpo the Foul created seven to hide his soul. I would expect the false Heir to have done the same. The locket, was mine." Salazar indicated a gold chain beneath his robes, "I would not doubt that he has used my ring as well. This leads me to believe that he has sought artifacts from the Founders."

"Would the Cup of Helga Hufflepuff count?" Bellatrix asked as she came over from where she and Narcissa had been standing, "When I was married to Rodolphus, he gave us the Cup for 'safekeeping' and said to never let it leave our vault."

Salazar thought for a moment, "Helga's cup would be a prime target for making a Horcrux. So would Rowena's Diadem. Though I don't know where that would be hidden. For Godric, I can't think of anything. Most likely he would have used the Sword, but as that never leaves the Headmasters office, I doubt he would have a chance to get it."

"We'll go to London and get the Cup. Any suggestions on how to transport it and more importantly how to destroy it?" Harry asked Salazar.

"Rodolphus put it in bare-handed," Bellatrix told him, "I don't think it will be too risky to bring it back here to destroy."

"As for the destruction of a Horcrux, you need either Fiendfyre to completely destroy it, or basilisk venom." Salazar said, "The best thing to do, in order to prevent him from knowing what you are doing is to keep them here until you can destroy them all at once." That concept worried Harry somewhat. If they had all of these incredibly dangerous objects, what would stop someone from trying to get at them?

"So, we just pile them here until we can destroy them all at once?" Harry asked, "What if someone tries to steal one?" If there was one thing you could count on, Harry knew, it was that the wizarding world was full of greedy and stupid people, any of whom could be tricked into doing Voldemorts bidding.

Salazar chuckled softly, "You forget, this is my Chamber. I know it better than you do. Stand by my portrait and say 'Vault'. You'll see why." Harry came closer to the portrait, after hissing the phrase in Parseltongue, the portrait swung like the ones that stood guard over the Common Room he'd spent his school years in. Behind the wall was a door, Harry tugged it open and looked inside.

Galleons, piles upon piles of them. Jewels too, enough to make the richest man in Britain envious. In the center of the vault there was a small bias, sitting on top of that was a bowl of black liquid and a set of small silver tools that looked to Harry like a Muggle surgical kit. From behind him, he heard the slightly muffled voice of Salazar Slytherin, "This is the true wealth of my House, in the center of the vault you should notice a basin. Pure basilisk venom. The tools beside it were used to extract the venom, in any case that venom should be enough to destroy the Horcruxes."

"How is still viable? You've been gone for quite a while..." Harry asked as he stood back. The vault shut itself and the portrait swung back to face him. Salazar was looking at him with an amused glint in his eye.

"You don't know much about basilisk venom do you? It is so caustic that it would remain viable for another thousand years." Salazar went into the background of his painting and picked up a book bound in red leather, "This book is my personal journal. It is enchanted so that only someone who can speak parseltongue will be able to read it. It should offer some insight into the enchantment on my ring. That ring will be deadly to the wrong person."

Scene Break

Sirius and Lily were sitting at the Common Room table with Frank and Alice. This was possibly the first time since officially becoming her boyfriend that Sirius Black found himself annoyed by Lily. It wasn't her fault, not really, she was just very devoted to her studies. The problem lay in the fact that it was the weekend and he was ready to do literally anything else but look at his Charms textbook.

"Lily, please, it's Sunday. Can we go for a walk or something?" Sirius begged dropping his head onto the book, "I'm dying here." He heard a soft chuckle from the corner of the room, "Shut it, James. I can throw this book better than I can read it right now."

Lily closed her book, "I suppose we can if you'd like." She put her book back into her bag and rose from the table. Sirius didn't bother to put his up, instead, he jumped from his seat and took her arm.

As the two left the Common Room to head down to the Courtyard, James Potter decided it was time to begin the first phase of his new plan. His partner in this little endeavor, a fellow second-year student from Slytherin would be in her usual study space at the Library.

When he arrived he found her at the same table he'd met her at when the Prewett twins suggested James meet with one of their other pranking proteges. Regina Parkinson, an auburn-haired Slytherin who, as James had found out from their first meeting tended towards subtle pranks. Her favorite was a sticking charm on the chair of her target, Grant Bletchley had been trapped in his seat in Potions for nearly the entire day after he'd pinched her bottom.

"Potter." Regina said without looking up, "You'll be pleased to know that Snape won't be joining us for dinner tonight. Someone stuck his shoes to the ceiling of the Slytherin Common Room. Bastard only has one pair." Regina Parkinson had been chosen because she despised most of the other Slytherins. She was muggleborn in a House that did not care of those. Her fifth cousin, Patricia, Heiress to House Parkinson, would barely admit that she even knew of the nonmagical branch of her family. Regina had to rely on her wits to survive in Slytherin, and she was fortunate to have those in spades.

"Brave woman. Touching his shoes I mean. Looking at his hair I doubt he washes anything." James said, earning a slender raised eyebrow but no comment from the auburn-haired witch, "Fabian and Gideon will be joining us in a bit, they said they had some plans for Operation: Prank Lily and Sirius."

"Don't you mean Operation: Be jealous of your former best friend and his girlfriend?" She said with the first trace of a smirk on her lips, "It's not like you aren't doing this to try and break up Evans and Black."

"If you don't like the plan, why are you a part of it?" He asked her crossly. Regina, he'd learned, was one of those people who seemed to know your thoughts. It rankled him, being forced to deal with a witch who could read him so well.

"First year, Black thought he would get the best of me by filling my satchel with dungbombs. Because I was a Parkinson and a Slytherin. So, I've been wracking my brain for a way to get back at him. All of my ideas ended up being dismissed as too lethal when I thought them over. So, if we can get him to feel some pain, then it's worth to me." Regina replied closing her book as the two were met by the Prewett twins.

"Morning all," Fabian said flopping down beside James, "And how is the happy couple?"

"They're wonderful Fab, just wonderful, can't you see the love sparkling in their eyes. Well, it's either love or gas. I can never tell which is which." Gideon said as he sat down beside Regina, "In any case, are the two of you ready to get the better on our dear ever-so-slightly trumped up Mr. Black?"

"And the lovely Miss Evans?" Fabian added with a sly look to James, "Surely seeing another beautiful redhead on your arm will drive her to the heights of jealousy."

"So, she'll either come running back or possibly kill Reggie here, either way, fun for spectators and those of us selling umbrellas and wellingtons for the cleanup." Gideon said, "That would be us by the way."

James smirked, the Prewett twins were seventh-year students, each one well known as a prankster on their own merits, but when together, they were the stuff of legends. He had approached them earlier in the week, wanting their assistance in how to break up Sirius and Lily. After a quick deliberation they had introduced him to Regina and spelled out the plan. James would study harder, do his best to become a star pupil like Lily. Regina, would be his girlfriend, in name only, Fabian had been quick to add when Regina had drawn her wand, her job would be to act like the supportive partner and thus, draw Lily into being angry. Angry Lily was driven Lily. Driven Lily would drive Sirius insane and they would be broken up before Valentine's Day.

That was the plan, as it had been outlined. What James and Regina didn't know was the non-outlined part. Fabian and Gideon liked both of their proteges and thought they'd be much happier together than they would if James was with Lily and Regina was, well, alone again because no one in her House liked her.

"So, first step is make your relationship believable. Tonight at dinner, I want you to go to the Slytherin table and ask her if you can sit with her. Odds are good someone will make a noise, so instead she will offer to sit with you." Gideon began, "With me so far? Good." He hadn't gave them a real chance to reply, he was on a roll after all, "So, you two sit down near Sirius and Lily and while you are eating, between mouthfuls James, we are not animals, you will discuss one of your classes. Figure that out ahead of time, pick one you both aren't great at, maybe DADA, Merlin knows Trevyan is terrible."

Fabian added, "Do that, offer to meet during the free period to discuss classwork and make it look like you have a connection growing."

"Then Sirius and Lily will notice, if she likes you, and who wouldn't like James Potter," Fabian said.

"Besides all of Slytherin, half of Ravenclaw and two people in Hufflepuff," Added Gideon.

"Right, anyway, if she likes you, she'll get jealous. Then when you ace your next exam and thank Reggie with a big hug, she'll get mad. Then she'll have to try and beat you. She'll go into study mode, Sirius will get bored and possibly smacked, and before you know it, you're picking up the pieces."

James smiled listening to the twins plan. This is perfect. There's no way Lily won't go spare when she sees me with a beautiful witch and doing better than her...