Harry's eyes fluttered opened. He rubbed the blurriness from his eyes and looked around the darkened room. He didn't recognize where he was. Surrounding him were a great deal of books and odd objects he had never seen before. This place seemed to be a library of some kind, and by the old age of many of the books, quite an expensive library. The sound of whispering voices reached his ears, coming from a door on the far side of the room.

Harry sat up and immediately regretted it. His head swam and his vision nearly went black. Fighting it off, he shook his head and swung his feet over the side of the bed. He was wearing an old grey robe and had no socks or shoes. There was no other clothing nearby and so Harry stood up on the cool wooden floor. He grabbed his wand which was on a nearby table and placed it into his wrist holder after strapping it to his arm.

He quietly walked over to the door and pressed his ear up against the wood. "What were they doing?" Came a voice. Harry recognized it as McGonagall's.

"Getting this I presume." Snape's cold voice answered. Harry's mind went to the silver locket he had pocketed before taking Dumbledore. His mind began to return to the events of earlier when he had found Dumbledore nearly dead in an old cave. Then he had performed a transportation spell, something that not even Voldemort had ever done that he was aware of.

"What is it?" Flitwick's squeaky voice asked.

"I don't know, but it must be important for Dumbledore to nearly throw his life away in order to get it." McGonagall said.

"Will he be okay?" Flitwick asked. Harry held his breath, hoping for a favorable answer. He was surprised at how little he actually felt for the old man. He didn't want him to die, purely for selfish reasons. Harry didn't feel he had yet learned enough from Dumbledore, especially in regards to the Horcruxes. He still needed the Headmaster around to further advance his own knowledge.

"No, I'm afraid not." Harry felt his heart sink at Snape's words. "Whatever it was he ingested, it's killing him."

"Can't you do something about it?" McGonagall asked, worry clearly in her voice.

"I could if I knew what he drank." Snape answered.

"Maybe Potter knows." Flitwick suggested.

"What was Potter doing with the Headmaster anyway? Why would they go off on some dangerous mission together?" McGonagall asked more to herself than the group. Harry was frankly surprised that she hadn't been told of his frequent meetings with Dumbledore and the other aurors. Snape knew of his training and what it was for, save for the Horcruxes. He didn't think anyone knew about those except himself, Dumbledore, and Voldemort.

The room fell silent for a moment and Harry steadied his breathing. He turned the handle on the door and walked out into the room. He was surprised to find that it was the Headmaster's office. Snape, McGonagall, and Flitwick were sitting around the desk and they all looked up at him. Sitting on the desk was the Slytherin locket, none of the adults touching it.

"Harry!" McGonagall exclaimed, standing up quickly from her chair. "You shouldn't be up."

Harry waved her off, uncaring for her sudden doting. "Who saw us?" Harry asked the three of them.

"What do mean?" McGonagall asked, sitting back down. She had a frown on her face from being brushed aside so easily by Harry.

"Who saw us?" Harry repeated more harshly, his eyes narrowing at Snape.

"No one." Snape responded quickly. The other two professors looked to him slightly shocked at the quavering of his voice. Snape was fiddling nervously with his fingers, something neither professor had seen before. When they looked back to Harry, they could see why Snape was nervous. The boy's expression was completely dead, and his green eyes had a slight glow to them, a reminiscence of the killing curse. It sent a chill up their spines.

"Good." Harry then walked over to the table and grabbed the locket. "And this." He held it up as if showing off something to a class. "Forget that you've ever seen this." He then began to walk for the exit of the office, tucking the locket into one of the grey robe's pockets.

"Just where do you think you're going with that?" McGonagall had quickly gotten over Harry's coldness and stood up.

"Take it up with Dumbledore, if he wakes." Harry said, exiting the office. His feet touched the cold stone steps, causing him to hiss. He needed to make it for the Chamber of Secrets quickly. He descended the stairs and walked into the hallway and froze. Students were walking about and the sun was shining through the hall windows. Many of them froze upon seeing Harry in the old grey robe, with nothing else.

Harry tapped his wand on the robe and it began to transform into a simple pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. He then tapped his feet and a pair of shoes formed. He winked at a nearby group of students and continued on his way. This moment would surely get quite the unwanted attention and rumors, but Harry didn't care at the moment.

He headed down to the second floor and walked into the girl's bathroom. "You know, I think you're in the wrong bathroom, Potter." Harry halted just before opening the chamber of secrets. He wasn't quite in the mood to deal with her at the moment but he forced a sly smile and turned to look at her.

"Well, no one seems to use it, so you know." Harry answered with a shrug.

"You come here quite often." Daphne said, folding her arms across her chest. His eyes were naturally drawn to where her arms were placed and he found himself momentarily distracted. "And you always seem to disappear in it as well."

"Been following me again?" He asked, forcing his eyes to move from her chest. It didn't help as his eyes just travelled down her legs. She was wearing a short skirt, far shorter than a proper pure blood should be wearing. He hadn't seen her dress like this before. Usually she was quite reserved, and when Harry's eyes travelled back to her face, he noticed her hair was straighter and she wore more make-up than normal. She was quite stunning looking and if it wasn't for her naturally cold persona, she would easily be the prize of Hogwarts.

"I'm not good at learning from past mistakes." Daphne said.

"That's apparent, and not very Slytherin of you."

She looked around the bathroom, Harry's eyes following her every move. He could swear she was moving her hips more than was necessary. By the small smirk on her lips, she knew quite well what she was doing. "So, what is it that you do in here?" She asked.

"I like to talk to Moaning Myrtle. She's become something of a friend." Harry said.

She raised her eyebrows and gave him a disbelieving look. "Is she now? You have yourself a girlfriend?" She teased. "I wonder what your precious princess thinks of that?"

Harry shrugged, "Oh you know. Us royalty tend not to marry for love but for position."

Her face became very serious all of a sudden and Harry realized he let something slip. "The stories you two have told make it sound like you are very much in love?"

Harry grumbled to himself at letting something like that slip, especially to Daphne. "Potter!" Harry's eyes widened at the sound of McGonagall's voice coming from the hall. "We need to talk!"

"Looks like it's your lucky day, Greengrass." Harry said, grabbing her wrist, and dragging her to the sinks. 'Open!'

"What the-" Daphne began but Harry shoved her into the hole that formed where the sinks used to be. He didn't form the stairs, wishing for some payback for her following him. "Potter!" She shouted as she fell into the dark hole and disappeared from view. Harry heard stampeding feet from outside the bathroom and he quickly jumped into the hole, shouting 'Close!'

He slid down the long tunnel, trailing behind Daphne's screams. He himself took some enjoyment in her fear at the moment. Oof! He tumbled out of the tunnel and landed on top of something quite soft. His eyes adjusted to the dark and noticed that it was Daphne, their faces only a few inches from each other. Both of them paused for a moment, Daphne forgetting her fear, and Harry forgetting that he was on top of her.

It was Harry who blinked first and rolled off of her. "Sorry." He mumbled, brushing the grime from the tunnel off himself.

"What the fuck was that Potter!" Daphne shouted, her rage quickly returning. She pulled her wand, red sparks flying from its tip.

Harry held his hands up in surrender and he took a step back. "I couldn't get caught by McGonagall."

"And so you thought pushing me god knows where was the correct action to take!" She said angrily. She paused for a second and looked around, "Where are we?" Her eyes trailed to the ground and she realized they were standing on a pile of bones. "Potter." She grumbled, her eyes cold enough to freeze hell over twice.

"I present to you the Chamber of Secrets, mademoiselle." Harry said with a smirk, bowing low. "Every Slytherin's heaven."

Her eyes widened at the name but her frown didn't leave her face. "The Chamber of Secrets isn't real."

Harry gave her a funny look and walked to the tunnel entrance on the far side of the bone room. "Where do you think we are then?" He then began walking through the tunnel, leaving Daphne behind. "Keep up princess, wouldn't want you to get eaten by the basilisk."

"There's a basilisk?" She asked, quickly following behind Harry. He simply chuckled and didn't answer in return. They walked into the large cavern where Harry opened the round door. She gasped when the door slid to the side to reveal the chamber in all its glory. "It really does exist." She breathed out.

Harry felt a smile forming on his face as he gazed at the beauty of Daphne. She had a childish wonder about her and it looked so innocent in the moment. He couldn't imagine anything more beautiful than her right now.

"How did you know about this?" She asked, taking the first step into the chamber.

Harry followed in behind her, "This is my legacy."

She turned around and fixed him with a curious stare, "What do you mean?"

"Why do you think I can speak parseltongue?"

Her eyes widened, "You're a descendant of Slytherin?"

"It's a very old and diluted bloodline. Chances are you may have the blood of a few founders running through you." Harry said, stepping passed her and walking down the center of the chamber. The face of Salazar looked at him with stone eyes, always causing Harry to shiver. "But through my father, my bloodline runs the oldest."

"The Potters are close descendants of Slytherin? Why wouldn't they flaunt that?"

Harry chuckled, "Because the Potters are also the purest bloodline of Gryffindor. At least they were until James married Lily. That title transferred to the Longbottoms." Harry's last statement sounded bitter. "For hundreds of centuries the Potter bloodline ran pure, its legacy passed down from generation to generation. It's a bloodline now tainted by the very existence of me." Daphne could sense anger building up in Harry and she began to feel static energy swirl around him.

She stepped in close to him and put a reassuring hand on his arm. The feeling of static magic immediately went away. "You didn't have a choice to be born, Harry. Nor did you have a choice to whom you were born to. To think otherwise is completely ridiculous."

Daphne was surprised by the sudden emotional turmoil in his eyes. He looked hurt and human, something he never allowed anyone to see before. "No, I suppose I didn't." He paused for a moment and closed his eyes. When they opened, they were once more the normal passive look, but there was something else in his eyes. A look of understanding. "Follow me, do not touch anything."

He walked briskly down the center of the chamber before taking a swift right through another rounded tunnel. Daphne struggled to keep up with his quickened pace as they wound through tunnel after tunnel until eventually coming to a stone statue of a woman.

"Ahh!" Daphne shrieked when the statue suddenly sprang to life.

"Ah, Harry, glad you could come." Lucretia peered behind him to Daphne who was recovering herself. "And you brought company I see. You know, he never did."

"Lucretia, the Riddle's bloodline, how strong was it?" Harry asked quickly, not wasting any time on introductions.

"That's a dangerous question, Potter." Lucretia Slytherin said. "Are you sure you wish to know the answer?"

"Just answer it." Harry said quickly. His mind was thinking quickly and he already knew the answer Lucretia was about to give him.

"Riddle? Who is Riddle?" Daphne asked, but the two of them ignored her.

"Riddle isn't the heir of Slytherin anymore, Harry. You are."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. You wouldn't be allowed into the library if you weren't." Lucretia replied, annoyed that she was being questioned.

Harry began to laugh as realization struck him. "That's why he needed me here. He can't get into the chamber."

"No, he can't." Lucretia responded. Her face morphed into one more curious. "Though I'm unsure why. He should still be the heir, unless if he were dead. But you don't act like he is dead."

"He's dead." Harry replied coldly. "He died several years ago." The Horcruxes must have had the unintended effect of barring him from the library and the chamber altogether. He had given away so much of his soul that the magic of this place no longer counted him as an heir of Slytherin. That title had officially transferred to him now.

'Open.' Harry hissed. Lucretia slid to the side to reveal the library door. Harry opened it and walked in with a very confused Daphne following in behind. She gazed around in wonder like she had earlier when she saw the many books that lined the walls.

"What is this?" Daphne breathed out.

"Salazar's personal library." Harry responded. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the locket. He placed it next to Riddle's journal which still sat on the table.

"What is that?" She asked, looking at the locket.

"You ask a lot of questions." Harry said as he sat down.

"Because I'm in a situation I know nothing about! What were you talking about with that statue woman? Who is Riddle?" Daphne cried exasperatedly. "You were the one who pushed me here, explain!"

Harry didn't answer her however and began to fiddle with the locket. Something was off about it. He didn't feel compelled to open it, nor did he feel a wave of coldness rush through him upon first touching it. The locket looked real but it wasn't right. He turned it over in his hands to inspect each side of it. As he did so, his thumb brushed a small unlocking mechanism on the top of the locket and it sprung open.

Harry's heart jumped into his throat from fright, but he quickly calmed down when nothing came out. However, stuck to the inside was a white piece of parchment with some neat writing on it. Confused, Harry reached into the locket and took out the note.

"What is that? Where did you get it from?" Daphne asked over his shoulder.

"It's a fake Salazar Slytherin locket. Dumbledore got it." Harry answered, his focus on the note that he was slowly opening. Harry was confused now as to why Dumbledore would risk his life for a fake horcrux, unless he didn't know the locket would be fake. Harry wanted to laugh at the unfortunate fate of Dumbledore, how the great wizard would die from being fooled by another, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

He finished opening the note, I've discovered your secret Voldemort. Your precious soul was destroyed, and with it my own soul as well. Come and kill me, I have nothing to live for anymore. R.A.B.

"R.A.B.?" Daphne asked. "Who is that?"

Harry wracked his brain as to what this note meant and who wrote it. Someone else besides himself and Dumbledore knew of the Horcruxes. It seems they had already destroyed one as well. Your precious soul was destroyed, and with it my own soul as well. If it took destroying your own soul to destroy a horcrux, he wasn't too keen on hunting these things down anymore. A basilisk fang would do the trick, but now there was a greater risk to destroying one of these things. It was a risk he would have to take though.

"R.A.B." Daphne said again. "Regulus Arcturus Black? Why would he write a note like this?"

Harry's eyes widened at the name. Regulus knew of Voldemort's horcrux and had destroyed it? Somehow Voldemort hadn't found out about one of his most trusted Death Eater's betrayals. If Voldemort didn't know that Regulus destroyed one of the Horcruxes, that means Voldemort wouldn't know if he destroyed the diary. This also meant that Regulus was playing his own side for the moment, just as Snape was doing.

"Harry?" Daphne asked.

"Hmm?" He answered, his eyes still focused on the note, re-reading it a second time.

"You haven't answered any of my questions." She said.

Harry ignored her again by standing up and walking to the far side of the library. He took a small book off the shelf. A loud click sounded and the bookshelf opened to reveal another room. Harry walked in, only to walk back out with a tooth of some kind in his hand.

"What is that?" Daphne asked, taking a step back.

"A basilisk fang." Harry answered her for once. He gripped the fang tightly in his hand, and without care for his soul, for he didn't think he had much of one in the first place, he plunged the fang into the center of the book. A violent screamed echoed through the room forcing the both of them to cover their ears. Black mist began to swirl out of the book and took shape of a wraith with bright red eyes. It let out another high-pitched scream before dissolving into nothingness.

"What the hell was that?" Daphne shouted, her ears still ringing. Harry looked at the book where the fang had formed a gaping hole. He didn't feel any different from before and just as he thought, Regulus' soul wasn't taken by the Horcrux. Regulus must have been talking about his following of a complete madman which is what took his soul.

"That my dear princess, was Voldemort." Harry said.

"You-Know-Who is dead, Harry. You killed him!"

Harry shook his head, "He isn't dead."

"How do you know?"

Harry turned and fixed her with a cold stare. She felt terrified the way he looked at her. It was the face of someone so devoid of emotion that he was on the brink of becoming a monster. "You wanted to know who my parents were. He was."

Daphne's eyes widened and she shook her head, "That's not possible."

Harry's lips curled into a sinister smile, "I assure you it is."

"Then why would you destroy that thing? Why would you kill your father?"

Harry laughed, "That's not all of him. He still walks this Earth as you and I do. That was merely a piece of his soul." He paused for a moment and walked back into the room beyond the library. Again, he quickly reappeared, this time with no basilisk fang. He shut the door, and when he did, his personality switched back to the one he normally put on during school. "My father and I no longer see eye-to-eye."

Harry sat alone in the corner of the Slytherin common room. He was trying his best to work through all of the information he had gathered recently. His eyes however were focused on Daphne who sat with Tracey on the sofa in front of the fire. He couldn't stop staring at her, part of him feared she would tell everything that he had told her. He wasn't sure why he told her either. It felt good to unleash all of his thoughts and emotions, and she seemed able to take it. Anyone else would go running away as quick as possible but she sat down and listened to everything.

It came gushing out of him, his childhood with Voldemort, the pain and anger he felt from being abandoned by the Potters. Then those wounds coming to fruition once again when he realized Voldemort was just using him as the Potters had. His knowledge of the Horcruxes and all the trainings with Dumbledore came rushing off his tongue as well. There was no stopping himself no matter how hard he tried. It just felt too good to finally off-load everything.

Upon finishing his tales, he contemplated wiping her memory of it all. But something held him back. He didn't want her to forget everything he told her because then it would be like it never happened. He was glad she knew. He felt lighter and more free now that someone else knew everything. But still, fear lingered in his mind that she would tell someone. And so he watched her closely.

If she ever uttered one word she shouldn't, he knew what he would have to do, and it was a moment he was hoping never would have to happen. He trusted her far more than anyone in this school, and he had no real reason to either. It was a gut feeling, one he desperately hoped would be correct.

Upon leaving the Chamber of Secrets, she acted perfectly normal, as if everything he told her was nothing important at all. She had many long years of practice in keeping a straight face and knew well how to tell a lie. Only a small furrow of her brow spoke of her fear at the things he told her.

Harry's mind trailed to Regulus and the two Horcruxes. If Regulus had indeed destroyed the locket, that would mean there were four confirmed Horcruxes destroyed. Dumbledore figured there would be seven, which made perfect sense to Harry. The monster was obsessed with magical numbers and seven was as strong as you could get. The ring, the diary, the locket, and the diadem Dumbledore destroyed several years ago made the four. That meant there was another three somewhere, and Harry figured he knew what one of them was. Nagini, the damned snake that Voldemort had been keeping around the passed four years. It would make sense if she was one of the horcruxes. Now he just needed to figure out what the other two were.

Dumbledore was still passed out and possibly might not recover as Snape had said. He was already dying from the curse on his hand, and the liquid he ingested didn't help things. If the old man did die, it would leave Harry to gather the remaining Horcruxes. That was, unless he could somehow get Regulus to his side. For a long time Harry thought of Regulus as the most devout Death Eater in his father's retinue, but that was seriously questioned now. If Regulus was like him, estranged from Voldemort, then maybe Regulus would join his cause. The same could be said of Snape. Sirius may also be opened to joining his cause on the other side of things, but he would have to get closer to the man, something Regulus can help with. They would make an interesting trio of allies indeed Harry thought.

He looked around the common room, his eyes searching for more potential allies. Daphne was his best one in this house now. Draco would need to be told the whole story and Harry would have to hope he doesn't go running to his father. Theo Nott, Blaise Zabini, Tracey Davis, Eric Trevow, they would be who he went to first. Daphne would be key to convincing them all to his side. His eyes trailed back to her. She was the lynch pin now, the one thing that could see him stand a chance in this war. If she proved to be like his father or the Potters, and abandon him, then he would surely die.

"Harry?" Eric Trevow broke up his thoughts.

"Yes?" Harry said with a cold hiss.

The seventh year Head Boy fidgeted under Harry's cold gaze. "I was-er we-" He then gestured to another group of students behind him, all seventh years. "We were wondering if you could teach us dueling?"

Harry was taken aback for a second by the request. He hardly expected such a thing from seventh year Slytherins. "We know you're very talented, after all, you beat Aemon." Eric continued. "If you can't that's fine though."

Harry held his hand up to stop him from talking further. A cold smile formed on his lips. He now had the perfect way to gain a group of loyal followers. "I will."