Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, Merlin, nor anything else recognizable. No profit is coming from this. I am merely playing in the sandboxes of those far more famous than myself.

Unbetaed.

Without further ado, I present to you…

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What Went Wrong?

~x~

Ch 15: The Hunt Begins

~x~

"So that happened." Helga proclaimed loudly as the quartet finally stepped into their chambers for the evening.

Salazar merely hummed in response as he sank tiredly into one of the chairs in the Main Hall. All around him his friends also seated themselves in various places around the room.

"So..." he started after a moment had passed, his companions all turned to look at him. "How did everything go with your interrogations?"

"Good, I think," Helga responded from her perch on the armchair across from him. "But they already knew who I was before I entered the room thanks to Ron. I— mum was really receptive. Whole family was actually. It was kinda weird, honestly, but nice."

Godric nodded soberly. "I didn't actually tell them who you were, Gin, but after I gave them my name they kinda figured it out anyways, you know? Kinda hard not to I guess… Anyways, I think they were quite shocked at first but, yeah. Really welcoming, despite us not actually being their family technically. According to dad, our doubles died here as kids. Right before we started Hogwarts too."

"Yeah..." Helga took over. "In this reality, whilst dad was at work, and mum had gone to run a quick errand, Death Eaters came and attacked our home. Bill had already moved out, and Charlie had gone to visit him, so mum had left Percy in charge. He was thirteen.

"Anyways, the Death Eaters came and killed Percy and our two doubles. The remaining Weasleys were all devastated, and the twins— they were also home when this all happened— were never the same. According to mum, Percy hid them before he went to try and protect our doubles. The twins didn't see their siblings' murders, but they almost certainly heard them."

"Well, I guess that explains why the twins are so different here," Salazar commented, taking a deep breath. He himself had yet to actually speak with this reality's Weasley twins, but from what he had heard from the others, the differences were uncanny.

"Yeah." Godric didn't bring his gaze up from his hands. "Supposedly they still invent here, but not jokes. As they have grown older, they have become almost obsessive about trying to prevent other families from having to go through what they did. So, they invent weapons for the Order, and other things to help the fight against Riddle."

"My family is dead here too." Hermione blurted out as Ron fell silent. "I—It shouldn't bother me that much I guess— I mean they were dead in our reality too, but I just— This is two realities where they have died because of my existence now. In this reality, they were killed along with me when I was only seven, thanks to those stupid pages being stolen. Neither my double nor my double's parents even knew magic existed yet."

"I'm sorry." Ginny whispered, her eyes were glistening with unshed tears, "I— It's my fault that the book even exists. I never intended— I mean, it never even crossed my mind that the Book of Admittance could be weaponized."

Hermione looked stunned. Like Ginny, her own eyes were glassy, but her voice remained clear. "No! Helga, I could never blame you! The only one at fault is Voldemort, none of us should forget that. That Book is an incredible invention."

"Did anyone happen to find out what happened to my double here?" Harry asked hesitantly. "I had been meaning to ask— I mean, I guess I can assume that he was killed as an infant, but…"

"No. Sorry, Harry," Hermione was quick to answer, wiping her face of a stray tear that had managed to streak down her cheek. "The topic never really came up beyond the fact that Voldemort never died here. I had explained that a rebounded killing curse in 1981 was what had temporarily killed him, but no details beyond that really. And nothing involving you too much; I figured that that was your story to tell…

"And besides, they never asked—I think that they were more interested in us than anything, so beyond basic history, they don't know much. And then after you entered the room, and your double's father— er, Mr. Potter— left the room, I didn't dare bring it up. You seemed to have enough on your mind already."

Salazar hummed. "Yes, I suppose that that is true."

"Anyways," Hermione continued, "where are we going to go from here on? I mean, the Order knows about us now, but it might still be in our best interests to keep up the charade with the rest of the Wizarding World for now. Give us an edge against Voldemort."

"That would probably be best." Godric agreed. "At least until we can speak with the Order again, and get their opinions."

Salazar nodded in agreement. "Agreed. They know this Voldemort better than us at this point. If we are going to start actively moving against him, they will know best how he is going to react to us."

"I was going to ask you about that." Helga remarked thoughtfully, "Salazar, are you planning to blatantly stand against him, or..?"

Salazar was quiet for a moment as he thought. "Honestly, I hadn't thought about that, I mean, I'm so used to Voldemort simply hating me on sight…" He paused for another minute, his brow furrowing before he continued, speaking slowly, but definitively. "I'm not going to be a spy. Even if that is what Dumbledore wants, I refuse to watch Voldemort torture innocents while I stand idle. Besides, I'd rather not drag my name further through the mud— the name Salazar Slytherin is already viewed poorly enough."

"But…" The green eyed founder mused aloud, "on the other hand, it might be wise for me to toy with him a bit, rather than simply stand against him. After all, we will have to gather the Horcruxes before we really fight him. Perhaps I can pull some of his attention on me so that he is paying less attention to the Order's actions, or something like that. I'll have to think about it."

Godric nodded slowly, "If you can distract him at all, then that also means that he is not going to be as focused on whatever plans he has got in the making either. That could definitely work in our favor."

"Okay!" Helga chimed in, "Then the next thing we have got to worry about are the Horcruxes themselves. Hopefully, we will have the first one secured by lunch tomorrow."

"Yeah," Rowena agreed "but I don't actually know if it is a good idea for us to go after my diadem in the middle of the morning. Someone is bound to see us."

"Do you reckon that Voldemort will have Slytherins guarding it?" Godric inquired. "Actually, what is the likelihood that Riddle had the Slytherins move it somewhere else within the castle? We already know for a fact that he has recruited some of the older students here."

"Unlikely." Salazar decided. "Remember, neither Malfoy nor the Lestranges had any idea as to what the Horcruxes in their possession were. Otherwise, I am sure— at least in Malfoy's case— that they would not have been so careless with them. I highly doubt that Voldemort would trust the students with them. Besides, I doubt he knows any better hiding places in the castle than the Room of Requirements. Anywhere else, and someone might spot and recognize the 'lost Ravenclaw diadem' and take it."

"And don't forget Helena," Ginny added, "She is bound to be keeping an eye on it."

Still focused on Voldemort, Ron prodded further. "So you think he might just have his Slytherin's watching the room then?"

"Yes and no," Harry confessed. "I doubt he would trust even the Slytherins to 'guard' the Room of Requirements. He'd be too worried they'd be too obvious about it and alert Dumbledore to the fact that he was hiding something there. But, at the same time, I am sure he has asked any recruits he has within the school to watch Dumbledore, various professors, and even us. A group of us going up to the seventh floor would be sure to set off alarm bells."

"So you don't think it is a good idea for us to go after my diadem tomorrow." Rowena guessed.

"Probably not, no." Salazar shrugged. "But I suppose we can just use the disillusionment charm or something similar to hide. Granted, that is not a failsafe and if they happen to spot us regardless, they will know something is up. We should definitely bring it up with Dumbledore tomorrow morning." Salazar glanced over at Helga, "As for Helena, there is not much we can do, and eventually, we will have no choice but to go after the Horcrux. We shall deal with it as it comes."

"I think everything else can be left for the morning actually," Godric suggested with a yawn as he moved to stand. "I'm headed to bed. Good night."

"Can I stay with you tonight?" Rowena asked Godric suddenly, before quickly adding, "Not to— Just to sleep. I just don't want to be alone tonight…"

Godric's eyes softened, "Of course, 'Mione."

Together, the two older founders retreated towards their once shared bedroom. Helga and Salazar sat in silence as they watched their friends disappear. Salazar's mind was still reeling from the events that had taken place earlier that evening. He was most certainly not looking forward to meeting with the Order again in the future for the simple reason that he didn't know how to act around them; especially his father and Sirius.

"I suppose we should head off then too." Helga mused after a moment, stretching her arms out in front of her.

Salazar yawned, emphasizing her point. "Probably smart," he chuckled lightly to hide his tribulations.

At least tomorrow morning, he was only going to have to deal with Dumbledore and Snape. Those two he could handle.

~x~

The next morning, Salazar and Rowena met in the Main Hall and began to make the short journey up the stairs and towards the Headmaster's office. Waking up this morning, Salazar couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding. Perhaps that was why he had chosen to wear his leather armor instead of the more everyday wizarding clothes he typically sported. Although, he did mostly cover it up with an emerald green robe.

By Salazar's calculations, breakfast hadn't even started in the Great Hall. That also meant that there wouldn't really be any students milling about. Salazar figured it was probably for the best. It would be difficult to explain why the two of them were going to the Headmaster's office first thing in the morning if they happened to actually see a student.

As they made their way up the winding staircase and into the quaint little office, Salazar was only mildly surprised to hear unintelligible voices speaking on the other side of the door. With a quick glance towards Rowena, Salazar deftly pushed the door open. Immediately, Dumbledore, Snape, and Remus all turned to face them.

"Ah, you've arrived! Just in time." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

Rowena spoke before Salazar could. "Sorry, if we kept you waiting… Will Remus be joining us?"

"Oh no," Remus answered for himself with a smile. "I just came to work out some details regarding my class with the Headmaster. I wasn't sure how long he would be occupied today, so I figured I'd deal with it now."

"Quite right," Dumbledore agreed, "And Remus, I see no problem with Godric taking over your class this Friday. Of course, you will have to clear it with him too."

"You want Godric to teach for you?" Salazar asked with a raised eyebrow.

Remus looked slightly abashed. "I was hoping he would, yes. Usually, Severus takes over for me, but with everything going on, and Severus being busy brewing potions for both the Order and the school, I figured perhaps Godric could do it this time… I'm assuming you two already know why I need someone to substitute for me."

"We do," Salazar confirmed with an easy shrug. "And I'm sure 'Ric will be honored. He loves to teach; especially a subject like Assault/Protection—sorry, Defense."

"That's good to know. I mean, I kinda figured, what with the four of you opening a school and all but—" Remus paused as he seemed to realize something, "Wait. On that first morning, when you questioned the need for Defense against the Dark Arts, you were just pulling our legs that whole time, weren't you?"

Salazar let out a breathy laugh, his emerald eyes bright with amusement. "Of course I was! You have no idea how hard it has been to keep a straight face with half of what I have said since coming here. I mean, I had to play the part right?"

Remus shook his head in amusement. "You certainly got your father's mischievous streak."

Salazar froze slightly, not entirely sure how to respond. Luckily, Rowena saved him. "We should probably get focused on the matter at hand. Headmaster, the Horcrux is hidden on the seventh floor in a hidden room. How likely is it that Voldemort has students either watching the floor for activity or simply watching any of us? We don't want to clue him into what we are doing, after all."

As Dumbledore thought about the questions posed, Remus took the time to make a quiet exit. "A few of the Order's members came up with a map of this castle during their school years. It was found a few years back by the Weasley twins, who handed it over to the Order so that we might better watch Voldemort's followers within Hogwarts. Thus, so long as we mind the map, no one will see us, but let us disillusion ourselves just to be safe."

"Of course!" Rowena exclaimed, "The Marauder's Map! We forgot about that! We used it quite a bit in our reality too."

"Wonderful!" Dumbledore said merrily, "Shall we get going then? As I claimed yesterday, I'd rather the Horcrux not remain in Hogwarts for any longer than necessary."

With a sharp nod of agreement, Salazar made quick work of casting the charm on himself and the others followed suit. He then spun on his heels and headed back down the stairs and out of the office.

Once the group of four had all made it out of the office, Salazar led the way down the empty halls and towards the staircases that would lead them to the seventh floor corridor. Even though he could not really see him, Salazar could hear as Severus quickly stepped forward so that he was walking alongside him. Glancing behind him, Salazar could just barely make out Rowena walking beside Dumbledore, who he could only assume was intently studying the Marauder's Map.

"We hated each other, you know," Salazar decided to inform him casually. He was sure to keep his voice quiet, just in case there was anyone milling about. "In my reality."

"Did we?" Severus responded, his voice kept just above a whisper.

Salazar smirked lightly, "You didn't like my dad, and I looked far too much like him growing up."

"I suppose you do share many similarities with him… And I did hate Potter for a very long time. Eventually, we got over it. I doubt we will ever be friends however," Severus admitted, "Although now that I am looking for it, I can certainly see more of Lily in your face than Potter."

"Really?" Salazar asked. He scrunched his face slightly in thought, "That's funny. I'm rarely compared to her. Most just claim that I am an exact copy of my father with my mum's eyes."

Salazar came to a halt and undid his charm as they reached the seventh floor corridor. The halls were dead quiet, so he figured it was unnecessary. Just after he became visible again, Salazar was suddenly able to see the others, proving that they were following the same line of thought as himself.

As soon as he was visible, Salazar could see Severus eyeing him carefully. "You don't look that much like him. There are similarities to be sure, but you are not an exact copy."

Salazar dipped his head slightly in acknowledgment before turning slightly to address the entire group. "Alright, everyone should wait here while we get the door open." He glanced over towards Rowena. "Shall I do the honors?"

Rowena gesture in front of her. "Be my guest."

With a smirk, Salazar spun back around and began pacing up and down the corridor. He could feel the others' eyes on him and had to keep from laughing outright. He knew he looked rather silly. Finally, he came to a halt directly in front of the door as it came into existence.

"Shall we then?" He asked over his shoulder as he lifted a hand to open the intricate door. The door swung open with a slight groan, revealing a massive room filled to the brim with clutter. Rowena quickly joined him and stepped into the Room of Hidden Things first.

"Most impressive," Dumbledore said under his breath as he finally stepped forward too. Severus was quick to fall into step behind him. After the two stepped through the door, Salazar entered behind them and closed the door with a dull thump.

"Thank you." He responded with a half smile. "This little room was a joint project between all four of us. Since we had so few students during our first few years, we spent a lot of time focused on Hogwarts and how we could truly make her 'magical'. This room was one of our most impressive creations, I should think. It is here in this room that Hogwart's sentience is at its most powerful."

"Yes." Rowena agreed as they continued to carefully step through the room in search of the diadem. "Although as more and more students have studied magic within her walls, Hogwart's sentience has only grown more powerful. Today, she is far more powerful than we ever imagined her being able to become. I—"

"Mother?"

Rowena spun around just as Salazar and the rest of the small group turned to look at the newcomer.

"Helena…" Rowena whispered automatically before her eyes widened and she glanced over at Salazar in panic. Salazar felt like facepalming, but he couldn't exactly blame Rowena for her reaction. Sure they had discussed the possibility of running into Helena last night, but Salazar hardly expected the ghost to speak so carelessly. Before he could think further on the subject, Helena was speaking again.

"So you do know who I am" The Grey Lady continued her voice sounding a bit lost. To Salazar, she looked a great deal like the little girl he remembered in that moment. "William told me you four were acting a bit odd, but I still didn't— I mean, how..?"

Salazar stepped forward. "We were reincarnated." he answered truthfully for his friend. He could hardly see a reason for lying at this point; Helena already knew something was up. "You grew up quite beautifully, Helena. Although it saddens me to know that you did not get the chance to truly live your life."

"You are Salazar Slytherin," Helena acknowledged, moving closer to him, "I will be honest, I don't really remember you, but father used to show me pictures and tell me stories of your adventures together."

Salazar nodded with a sad smile, "I cannot say I am surprised, you were only four when I was killed."

"Helena, I am so sorry." Rowena whispered, pulling everyone's attention back to her. "I should have tried harder to connect with you. If only I had seen the signs, I—" she broke off with a sob.

Helena turned her head away, her eyes were as misty as Salazar supposed a ghost's could get. "I do not blame you anymore. How can I, when the blame truly lies with me? I was young and naive then, but all my actions were still my own. I—I am so sorry, mum! I caused both of our deaths, and what has become of your diadem! It's all my fault!"

Stepping backwards, Salazar gestured towards Dumbledore and Severus and began moving further into the Room of Hidden Things. Once they were out of sight and hearing of Rowena and Helena, Salazar finally spoke.

"I think they need some private time to talk," Salazar murmured, just loud enough for the other two to hear. "Don't you? Anyways, I believe the diadem is this way."

"Yes, that does seem wise," Dumbledore agreed as he glanced curiously around him, "You were killed, my boy?"

Salazar was a bit taken aback by the subject, but he quickly blinked the surprise from his eyes and answered. "Er, yes, I was… Poisoned, actually— although, in my alarm, my magic exploded outward. I am unsure as to which actually did me in in the end. I was 28 at the time."

The threesome continued in silence as Salazar slowly wound through the clutter. As they made another turn, Salazar turned his attention towards Severus, "Pardon my asking, but are you a spy here too?" he queried curiously.

"I was," Severus sighed after a slight pause. "I was outed as a spy nearly a decade ago. It came down to the choice of saving dozens or further securing my place as a spy. The Dark Lord knew that there was a spy amongst his inner circle, so he was giving out bits of information to see who it was. He told me about the pages he had stolen from the Book of Admittance. Granted, he had already killed most of those whose names were on the list, but I still couldn't not tell the Order."

Salazar nodded grimly, "I'd say you made the right choice." He came to a halt in front of a pile of clutter and carefully picked up a nondescript black box. Gently removing the lid, Salazar peered inside. From inside the box, the infamous diadem glinted darkly. Salazar could practically feel the wrongness radiating off the thing. The green eyed teen tilted the box so that his companions could also see inside.

"One down then." he commented grimly, replacing the lid. "Shall we head back towards the front?"

Receiving nods, Salazar began to lead the way back towards the front of the room. When they reached the entrance, Helena glanced up towards their group and, after sharing a few more quiet words with Rowena, sunk into the floor of the room and disappeared.

Salazar approached Rowena slowly. As she turned to face him, he could see the tear stains on her face as she rubbed at her eyes.

"Are you okay?" He asked her quietly.

Rowena gave a tiny nod. "I'm alright." she sniffled, then added. "Helena promised not to say anything, although I am certain she now intends to speak with Godric later… Did you find it?"

"Yes." Salazar held up the black box for Rowena to take. Hesitantly, Rowena took the box cautiously but didn't move to open it.

"Alright then. Let's get out of here."

~x~

The walk back to the office was made in complete silence. Since it was still so early in the morning, very few students were roaming the hallways. Through the usage of the Map and the disillusionment charms, the small group managed to again remain unseen.

As they reentered the headmaster's office and removed the charms, Dumbledore was quick to move towards the back of the office with the explanation that he was going to Floo Moody about their success. However, before he could, the fireplace flared green and Mad-Eye himself burst into the room along with James and a few others Harry recognized from the Order.

"Oh good, you are here!" James began sounding incredibly relieved, "You-Know-Who is in Hogsmeade. He is not doing anything yet, but—"

"We got your patronus." A tired voice interrupted from behind Salazar, he turned to see Remus and McGonagall enter the office. "What about the Aurors? Can they not do something Prongs?"

"No." James seethed. "My hands are bloody tied. Thanks to You-Know-Who's influence in the ministry, I will not be able to clear them to act until it will be far too late. It's pointless to even try."

"But he is not actually attacking yet?" Salazar couldn't help but ask curiously. As all eyes turned to him, he couldn't help but explain, "Waiting was not something our Voldemort typically did. He'd just go and take out as many as he could."

James stared at him with an indiscernible expression for a long moment before finally replying. His voice was light for the topic it spoke of, "Well, this is rather common for ours. He doesn't just randomly kill, he targets. I believe that this is mostly just an act of intimidation. He wants us, and the general populous to see that he is not afraid of coming so close to the school."

Dumbledore nodded grimly. "And if the Order moves against him, it will show that we view his movement as a threat. We'd be playing right into his hands."

"A backwards moral boost for his followers." Salazar interpreted thoughtfully.

"But," Moody argued, "If we don't, then he might just decide to accidentally kill someone after all, and hark about how the Order isn't doing a very good job of protecting anyone."

"What if I spoke to him?"

Salazar had blurted out the question before he had even truly processed the notion. 'Was it really a good idea?' he questioned himself. Sure, he had played with the idea of taunting Riddle last night with the other founders, but that was different from actually suggesting the idea here before members of the Order. His proposal had been rather spur of the moment on his part he supposed; something he typically didn't do. At this point, he honestly didn't even know what he would say when he came face to face with Riddle. As Harry, they had typically spat a few lines filled with hatred at each other and then proceeded with trying to kill each other. Playing mind games was not something he had even considered as an option.

But that was exactly what he was going to be doing now. Unfortunately, now that Salazar had put the idea on the table, there was no way he was going to back down again. He had voluntarily brought the idea forward, so he would follow through with it. He had always been too stubborn and prideful for his own good.

Rowena whipped her head around to take in her companion. "Sal, I don't know if that is a good idea. It's far too dangerous."

"Somehow, I don't think my heir will strike at me." Salazar practically spat the words 'my heir'. "Besides, we talked about this. Perhaps it would be wise for me to start this little game of cat and mouse now rather than later."

"But—"

"Headmaster," Salazar called, cutting off Rowena's rebuttal. "What do you think about me toying with Riddle a bit? I do not think it wise for me to stand clearly against yet for various reasons, however, perhaps I can distract him? I am well aware that he wishes to secure my aid. I could use that to my advantage"

"How do you know that?" Moody asked suspiciously.

Salazar raised an eyebrow, "The Slytherins already tried to recruit me." he admitted with a sly smirk, "And Voldemort himself sent me a letter following the duel. I don't know for certain whether he had anything to do with those wards falling or not, but he was quite willing to use them as an excuse to try and turn me against the others."

"You never mentioned any of that last night." An Order member Salazar didn't recognize pointed out dubiously.

Salazar shrugged. "It never came up."

"I think the idea has some merit." the Headmaster finally affirmed. "Should things go south, I assume you are more than capable of handling it?"

"Naturally." Salazar's smirk was positively wicked. "I've had a good amount of practice fighting him and his Death Eaters."

"Salazar, I still don't like the idea of you going to meet him alone. He could have a portkey and—"

"I'll be careful Rona." Salazar turned to face her. "If it makes you feel better, a small group could be positioned within the Shrieking Shack ready to move should the situation begin to deteriorate." He glanced back at the Headmaster as he finished, raising an eyebrow in question.

"A splendid idea, my boy. Having a few on hand would be wise. If the situation really does deteriorate, I do not expect you will be able to protect the entire village and yourself all alone." the elderly professor affirmed. "Alastor, would you lead a group to position themselves in the Shack? Take the Map and Remus— he knows the secret passage better than anyone."

With a grim nod, Moody took the Marauder's Map from Dumbledore and moved back towards the fireplace to Floo Call more members of the Order.

"Alright." Rowena sighed. "But please be careful. I'd rather not have to explain to Helga that you've gone and gotten yourself killed. Again."

Salazar huffed in morbid amusement. "I'll stay vigilant."

She nodded, "You'd better." She then addressed Dumbledore "I'm sending a Patronus to Godric and Helga. I am sure that they will want to help out as well."

With a deep breath, Salazar pulled the thick robe he had been wearing off, revealing his black dueling armor. While his knives were absent, with the removal of the robe, both his dagger and wand were revealed to be currently on his person. Folding the green robe over one of the various chairs in the office, Salazar addressed the room once more. "I suppose it was a good thing I chose to wear this today, yeah?" He mused out loud to himself. "I just had one of those feelings, you know? Anyways, I'm going to start heading down there now. I'll send Prongs— er, my patronus— if I run into any problems before everyone gets into position."

With that, Salazar turned and left the office for the third time within the last twelve hours. As he strode down the spiraling stairs, he could hear footsteps following him. Salazar paused slightly to look over his shoulder. To his surprise, it was not Rowena or Snape who was following him like he had expected, but James Potter.

Brows furrowing, Salazar turned completely to face the man who was his double's father. "I— did you need something?" he asked, a little unsure of what to say.

To his utmost surprise, the older man pulled him into a rough hug. "Be careful." James stressed as he pulled away and they stood at arm's length, "I know that you are not technically my son, but I cannot just— just, please, for my sake, be careful."

Salazar nodded with wide eyes, momentarily taken aback. "I promise." he vowed as he turned back around and continued down the steps.

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AN: Lots of dialogue in this one. Not sure if I am entirely pleased with it, but I am tired of editing and am more than ready to get to writing the far more exciting next chapter!

Let me know what you think so far, and please don't forget to review!

Till next time!

~Dawn