16 The Progenitor

As Oz slowly climbed down into the hatch, he felt the sweat drip from his head onto the rocky tunnel floor. He couldn't shake the feeling that this would be a major turning point in his journey in this world.

As he walked towards where the stairs downwards should be, he remarked at how intricately built this tunnel was. From what Oz could tell, this tunnel was built to be decently long so that it would separate itself off from Hogwarts's wards, much like the chamber of secrets. Such a place would remain unplottable on the marauders map.

After a long time walking carefully, Oz arrived at the spiral staircase heading down further into the earth.

'Why does this staircase have to go so far down?'.

An exasperated sigh escaped Oz's lips as he began to go down the dark spiral staircase. With each step he could feel himself getting closer and closer to the source of what was calling him, the source of that insane dark magic.

Finally Oz got to the bottom and arrived at the door he had seen in his dream.

'This door... it really does look almost exactly like the chamber of secrets door but instead of being a round vault like door, this ones a normal door shape with the snakes coming down from the top'.

As Oz was stood in front of the door, a small voice nearly quiet enough to miss sounded from behind it.

{ʸᵒᵘ'ᵛᵉ ᶠᶦⁿᵃˡˡʸ ᵃʳʳᶦᵛᵉᵈ...}

Oz gulped deeply and put his hand on the door, again experiencing the same blood loss that the hatch enacted upon him.

After a moment, the door glowed with a pale green light. The door then slowly opened presenting a sight that surprised Oz immensely.

If he had to describe this room, it was like a magical dojo, a place where a student was taught by a master. The room itself wasn't as big as the room of requirements training room size but it was still relatively big, as he looked around he could see all manor of old and dark objects. After looking around the whole room Oz spotted a huge portrait at the end of the room.

{It took you long enough child, I've been calling out to you for months and you only respond now!? Is this the disrespect you show the progenitor of your house!?}.

beneath this portrait a name was presented on a large plaque.

[SALAZAR SLYTHERIN].

.

"Salazar?! the founder of Slytherin house!? how can you be down here!"

Oz was shocked at the outcome of what was in this room, never would he have expected that one of the main house wizards had a portrait in Hogwarts. After seeing this portrait of Salazar, Oz's mind went wild with theories. Could all the house heads have portraits hidden around Hogwarts? if so where were they hidden? Why did Salazar only now present himself to someone?

{Yes child, tis I, Salazar Slytherin. Usually I sleep calmly in this room beneath the earth but a familiar magical signature and bloodline awoke me from my slumber... Yes.... you are a descendant of that man}.

Oz again was startled. How could he be a descendant of someone? The void being said that he would have no family in this world!

Oz's mind felt chaotic at the overload of information he was receiving.

{Hahaha! child you truly are interesting! Decent occlumency defences at 11 and a core thats closing in on the next level!}.

In almost an instant Oz had been seen right through, everything down to his cores true level.

'I guess they wouldn't be the founders if they were weak... okay Oz calm down...'.

After a moment of collecting himself Oz took a long look at Salazar Slytherin who was grinning darkly at him.

His hair and eyes were both a dark grey, almost as if he had fully embraced death. The robes he was wearing in the portrait were also grey but with snakes crawling all over it. He had his wand held softly in his hand while he was sat down on a stone throne, a throne that looked like the opening of a basilisks mouth.

"You mentioned I'm a descendant of a man... who do you mean? I was brought up in an orphanage with no family name to know of".

Salazar chuckled at Oz's confusion. It seemed after many years of slumber he was enjoying this situation.

{Child if you had pure muggleborn roots I would have cursed you as soon as you entered the room! Your lineage is especially special...}.

Salazar again took a deep look at Oz. As he stared, it felt like snakes were crawling all around Oz's body.

{Your bloodline, your magic... all of it lines up. Yes you're a descendant of my previous student. A descendant of that Merlin}.

Oz felt his whole being shake at the reveal of his ancestry. A lot of things started to line up as if a missing piece of a puzzle had been filled.

'So the reason im in Slytherin is because of my connection to Merlin! the reason im able to control and grasp magic quicker than others is again my connection to Merlin! Everything makes sense now!'

As Oz stood in silence in his stupor, Salazar wore a cold grin.

{If you went to the goblins to get an inheritance test only the upper brass would know of such a noble bloodline! Considering your circumstances however, it seems you never even bothered to check... how foolish}.

Oz slowly looked up to Salazar in the portrait, a burning question on his mind.

"So I understand now im a descendant of Merlin.... but why? why did you call me down here? did you just want a touching reunion with a past students descendant? I highly doubt that Salazar, tell me what you actually want".

At Oz's questions Salazar looked around the room they were in, his dead grey eyes showing a small hint of nostalgia.

{The room you are in right now is the room I tutored that boy... that Merlin. I saw his potential growth for magic and pushed all my knowledge of the dark arts onto him. He absorbed all the knowledge like a sponge, but, unlike most other wizards who learn the deepest darkest secrets of magic he didn't become consumed by evil, as a matter of fact he stayed grounded and calm. A foolishly strong willpower indeed...}

Oz listened carefully to Salazar, wanting to understand more about his ancestor in this world. Oz felt relieved that Merlin was a wizard who wasn't swayed by the dark arts, he didn't want his only connection known in this world to be a bad one.

'Merlin must have also understood the balance between light and dark, Ollivander only understood it under the pretence of wands but Merlin understood the importance of balance as a whole. I wonder... what level did he achieve? what happened to such a wizard with such great knowledge? Surely he didn't die in some random fight...'.

"You still haven't answered my question Salazar... Why did you call me down here?"

An eerie silence filled the room for a while, Salazar stood up slowly from his chair within the portrait and walked closer towards the foreground of it. As he got up dark magic followed behind him as if he was its leader, as if the magic bowed down to him.

{I see again in you that which I saw in Merlin... Potential}.

After talking Salazar finally got to the foreground of his portrait. A sly grin on his face.

{Won't you train under me child}.

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