He found the head of Slytherin standing just inside the entryway, "Severus would you have time tomorrow to take me to a place where I can get some potion ingredients?"
"You may use any of my ingredients." Severus offered.
"Very kind of you but unless you have fresh wart of the moon I'll have to go out." He smiled.
"I don't think I have any of that." Severus was trying to rack his brain for any plant or animal part called wart of the moon and was coming up empty, "I doubt Hogsmeade would have it but they may be able to order it."
"That would be fine, so tomorrow after lunch?" Harry asked.
"Of course." Severus agreed.
"I'll have a carriage waiting for you." Albus offered, "That way you can take in the scenery and see if there are any changes."
"Excellent idea." Harry agreed.
The next morning after breakfast Snape met Salazar and Albus in the Headmaster's office, "He called for me last night and I had to tell him we are going to be away from the castle. He plans on approaching you today with a large contingent of Slytherin followers. If you don't agree with their point of view they are prepared to remove you."
"Excellent." Harry exclaimed with a grin and turned to Albus ignoring Snape's shock, "Are we ready?"
"We are." Albus agreed, "I'll be in Abe's bar under a cloak. A large number of Order members are also on hand. How many are coming Severus?"
"Fifty or so." Snape offered, "Including Bellatrix. She was dancing in the halls last night. The Dark Lord has gifted her the chance to torture and kill you to prove you are not Slytherin."
"Professor is he bringing his snake?" Harry turned back to Snape with his question.
"I don't think so." He replied, "Why, what's going on?"
"I don't really need Wart of the Moon, which incidentally is Moonstone." Harry offered with a grin, "Wart of the Moon is what Helga liked to call it since it's such a small stone."
"I've been racking my brain since yesterday trying to figure out what you wanted." Snape huffed.
"I know. It was quite fun to watch you squirm." Harry grinned, "But we wanted you convinced that I had to leave the castle. After Mr. Malfoy's visit we were sure you would be called."
"You know?" Snape asked.
"I was brought to this time to cleanse my name." Harry offered, "I will continue to annoy them as long as they let me."
"You want him to come after you?" Snape asked.
"I do, at least as soon as his snake is dead." Harry shrugged, "If the snake isn't with his group when they arrive I'll need you to go kill it very quickly."
"But…" the man started.
"I will die if you don't." Harry added for his benefit.
"They are expecting us at noon." Snape bowed his head slightly, "What are we going to do?"
"We are going to shop for potion ingredients." Harry grinned.
Harry and Severus were in Hogsmeade by eleven. Snape led him to the shop and greeted the owner with a smile. He introduced Salazar Slytherin and they browsed and chatted for half an hour before they left to walk around the small village.
"This is so much larger than when we created the school." Harry commented, "Back then it was a few houses and one bar."
"Every town has to start somewhere." Snape observed dryly. Neither of the men acknowledged the sound of people arriving behind them.
"I suppose. The houses were for the men who took care of the pigs before we started the school." Harry grinned at the next memory, "The bar was there for Godric. Row refused to let him have any alcohol within the schools walls."
"That sounds dreadful." A sneering voice alerted them that all their company had arrived.
"Lucius wasn't it?" Harry turned to find a large group of people behind the blond.
"At your service." He bowed slightly.
"Are these the associates you spoke of before?" Harry asked lifting an eyebrow.
"They are." He agreed, "Would you be so kind as to come with us?"
"I think we spoke of this yesterday." Harry tilted his head slightly, "I have not yet finished my business, I will let you know when I have time. I do not have time for idle chit chat."
"I don't think you understand." Lucius grimaced, "A relative of yours wishes to meet with you."
"Then by all means have him stop by." Harry sniffed, "Now if you will excuse me I have potion ingredients to find. I am sure it will be much more entertaining than you are."
"I think not." Lucius pulled his wand, "Sev…"
He didn't get any further because Harry's wand was on his nose, "If you cannot leave me be I will remove you from my presence, which will it be? I do hate people who bother me."
"That is enough Lucius." A new voice arrived with a pop, "Greetings ancestor."
"So you are the one claiming to be my heir." Harry commented as he looked the man over, "Not much family resemblance."
"I am your heir." Riddle bowed his head slightly, "I received your locket as an inheritance. It has been passed down for generations." The man slipped into parsletongue and spoke for several moments.
"Sorry but you'll have to say that again in English." Harry sneered at the snake faced man, "I do not have the ability."
"But it is well documented." Lucius argued.
"Actually it was my father's family that could speak to snakes." He grinned, "Since I was adopted I was never able to speak it. However if you have the locket I do know who your ancestor was."
"Salazar Slytherin was my ancestor." Riddle stated, "You are a fraud."
"It was my father's lazy brother." Harry offered with a grin, "He refused to work so his father gave him the locket saying he deserved none of the money or magic held in the family."
"That is a lie." Riddle growled fiercely as the snake that had been wrapped around his upper body began to advance on Harry, "You are a deceiver."
"I always did despise people who took perfectly good animals and tried to give them magic. It ruins them. They lose their minds and become a slave to the magic holder." Harry stated as he sent a quick spell that sliced the head off the snake, "A quick painless death is the only remedy."
Riddle's scream of rage filled the village and spells erupted from the group with him. Harry shielded himself and his companion. Snape was at a loss of what to do. If he attacked he would be proven to be a spy and if he didn't Salazar would be fighting with horrible odds. Before he could make up his mind Order members poured out of buildings and joined the fight. It was chaos for several minutes until the numbers of death eaters was diminished. Harry was dueling Riddle alone and the concussions from their blows was helping to take down a number of his followers.
"There is something I must confess to you." Harry said as a bubble appeared around them courtesy of Albus, "I was not born Salazar Slytherin. As I told you before I am adopted."
"You are nothing." Riddle screamed sending hex after hex that was easily blocked or avoided by the younger man.
"Actually, you remember that boy you killed to get a body back?" Harry asked, "Well he helped me go on a little trip. On that trip I was adopted by Sanazar Slytherin. But my true identity is Harry Potter."
"YOU!" he paused the noise around them was still blocked by the spell Albus had sent.
"Me." Harry agreed and sent a few spells while the man was shocked, "I came back to finish you."
Spells were still flying hot and heavy between them. It was several minutes of intense fighting before Riddle collected himself and began to chuckle.
"You cannot finish me." He laughed, "You can't kill me. I will not die. I am immortal and I will kill you for you lies."
"Actually you aren't." Harry grinned and pointed at the snake, "I just killed your last Horcrux."
"What." The spell he had shot was way off target.
"Dumbledore figured it out." Harry started a rather complex wand movement, "We'll know in a moment if he was right."
"You lie." He screamed, "You are not my noble ancestor. You are nothing."
"No I'm not your ancestor." Harry agreed, "Thank Merlin for that. I wouldn't want to be associated with you in any way. You are nothing but a coward who hides behind younger and better men. Just like with the snake you poison their minds and take away their true lives."
Riddle threw the killing curse at him as he let loose his own spell. Harry side stepped the killing curse and watched as his own curse homed in on the body even as it tried to move out of the way. It hit Riddle's hastily erected shield and shattered it before covering the man in a white light. When the light dissipated all that was left was a body crumbled on the ground. Harry waved his hand and the bubble dispersed.
"And that's how you do a Gryffindor tracking hex." He nodded and sent a spell at the body.
It disappeared with a crack. Next he pulled a vial from his pocket and tossed it at a group of Death Eaters that were trying to kill Snape. They all stopped sending spells as they couldn't speak past the vomiting they were doing.
"What did you use?" Snape panted as Harry stunned them and tied them up.
"Ric's favorite." He grinned, "A thousand dung heaps."
"I don't smell anything." Snape looked puzzled.
"I used a small amount. It will only smell within a small parameter." Harry waved his hand, "Now think of the reaction that an entire cauldron would get. That's why Slytherin is in the dungeons."
Salazar did one interview after the battle. He spoke about how the muggleborn issue was just a cover for his time travel. He warned of the dangers of living in the past. He reminded them that they needed to know about muggles so that they could hide in plain sight. Lastly he warned people that they should be pickier about who led them whether that is a dark wizard they wanted to follow or a minister. The he told them that he was retiring to a quiet life and requested to be left alone. Six months after Salazar left the magical world received another surprise.
"Albus!" the yell from his fire got his attention from the staff meeting.
"Rosemyrta, to what do I owe the pleasure…" he didn't get to finish.
"A young man is here asking for you." She stated swiftly, "He says it's important."
"May I use your floo?" he asked.
"Certainly." She agreed and pulled away.
His staff cleared the office as he left. He arrived and was ushered up to a private room. Rosemyrta was obviously excited as she rushed in front of him carrying a tray of drinks. Albus opened the door for her and then followed her.
"Hello." He greeted the young man he knew, "Rosemyrta I will be protecting the room. Please keep this quiet."
"I will. Let me know if you need anything." She nodded and grinned at the young man before she left.
"Well fancy meeting you here." He grinned as he took a seat.
"Hello again Albus." Harry grinned, "Have you missed me?"
"I suppose." He shook his head, "What is your cover story?"
"I was living with a man who was instructing me in magic but he died recently." Harry offered, "I was wandering around Europe trying to see if I could find any clue to who I was, since I had amnesia. A man just about my age found me took me home and gave me a potion that fixed my memories. After a bit of recovery time he sent me to you."
"Let me guess his name was Salazar Slytherin?" Albus asked.
"How did you know?" Harry asked with fake surprise, "I don't know where he lives because he used a portkey both to take me to his home and also to send me to Hogsmeade."
"What will you say when they ask for your instructor's identity?" Albus asked.
"I am not his secret keeper nor was he. I do not know if the name I called him was his real name or not." Harry shrugged, "Rowan Stergis said he was on the list of people that Voldemort wanted dead. He didn't know who I was, I showed up and he took care of me as if I was his own child."
"And your magical education?" he asked.
"Home schooled, I don't know how it measures up." He shrugged, "But he told me he was a potion master and he said I could probably pass a mastery test."
"I have no doubt that you could." Albus chuckled, "What do you want to happen now?"
"I think we should go to the Goblins to verify my identity." Harry offered, "Then I could stay at the school while you test me and prepare me for OWLs and NEWTs."
"Very good." Albus nodded, "Shall we head back to the school after?"
"Certainly, I mean sure, whatever." He grinned he would have to be different to hide his second identity.
"I should warn you that Severus will probably hate you on principal." Albus stood and cleared off the privacy charms.
"Maybe." Harry grinned, "However Salazar had me bring him some Wart of the Moon as a peace offering."
Albus chuckled as they headed out, "If we hurry at Gringotts we'll be in time for dinner."
"Good, it's been a while since I had Hogwarts' good food." Harry grinned as he followed Albus down the stairs. In the bar Rosemyrta was alone, "Thank you."
"Any time." She smiled widely, "I expect to see you again."
"I'm sure you will." He agreed and followed the headmaster through the floo.
"I've just realized you cut your hair." Albus observed quietly as they were walking down the alley.
"I wanted to make sure I looked enough different no one would make any connections." He shrugged, "Sticks up just like it always did but any shorter and it just looks like I have my hair in a ponytail again."
"Another test then Albus?" the Goblin that met them in the office asked.
"I believe we have found Harry Potter." He smiled, "He had amnesia. Our other new friend ran across him, fixed him and sent here."
After a prick of a finger and blood on a parchment the awed goblin looked up at the two, "I can hide this but… are you sure you want to?"
"Yes." Harry nodded, "I don't want to be that famous."
"You know this is…" the goblin couldn't find the words.
"I was attacked by a Slytherin student and in trying to protect myself I somehow went there. I did have amnesia. I was taught and did a bit of teaching before a potions accident helped me recover my memories." He stated, "Magic brought me back here when I recovered. I couldn't do it again if I wanted to. I have no idea how it worked."
The goblin tapped the paper with a finger and the second name disappeared, "I will have to explain this to the president."
"I will aid in any way I can." Harry offered.
"Very well." The goblin dismissed them from his office.
Back at Hogwarts the two of them sat in the office and waited for the two invited professors to arrive. Harry sat drinking tea and attempting to make small talk. He was truly worried how Snape would react. He had come to like the man during his time visiting at Salazar.
"Enter." Albus called breaking him from his thoughts.
Harry straightened up and sat his tea cup down as they entered.
"What did you need Albus?" Snape eyed the boy in the chair thinking he looked familiar.
"Thank you for coming." Albus smiled, "Rosemyrta called me away because this young man came into her bar asking for me. I was wondering if either of you recognized him?"
Harry turned to them with a smile, "Hello again."
"Harry!" Minerva cried and put a hand on each shoulder, "Is it you?"
"Hi professor." He nodded, "Hello to you Professor Snape."
"Potter." He sneered, "Where have you been?"
"I was sent to the continent." He explained, "I've had amnesia until recently. Mr. Slytherin found me wandering around the magical sector of Paris and took me home. He gave me a potion that restored my memories and he sent me to Hogsmeade. He asked me to give you this." Harry pulled out a large bag, "He called it Wart of the Moon, but it looks like moonstone to me. He said you could explain."
Snape chuckled at the bag before he answered, "It is moonstone. He said Madam Hufflepuff called it wart of the moon because it was too small to be a stone."
"That's funny." Harry agreed, "What happens now?"
"Do you have your OWLs?" Minerva asked.
"No Rowan didn't send me for them." Harry shrugged.
"Rowan?" Snape asked.
"He was the person who took me in." Harry explained the story he had made up. It took some time but they were finished by dinner.
"This should be fun." Albus led the trio down from his office.
The hall was full when they arrived. Snape and McGonagall entered first and Albus brought Harry in behind them. By the time they were seven steps into the Hall it was quiet.
"Everyone I would like you to welcome back Harry Potter." He was met with silence.
"Hi guys." Harry waved at his group of friends.
"Harry!" Hermione was the first on her feet and pulled him into a hug.
The professors moved away as Harry was engulfed by students and their questions. Soon all of them would have the story he was offering.