(Epilogue Of The First Book)

"It's unfair," Crucie said. "We had won!"

"Tssssss… I mussssst ssssay I agree, Misssss Lestrange…"

Salazar's hissing accent was even worse when he was slightly upset, which he definitely was after the events that had cost his house the House Cup. He did realize though that Crucie wasn't this upset simply because they had lost the yearly house competition.

"Sssssoo… Misssss Granger did not tell you anything, did ssssshe?"

Right on the spot.

"I feel so left out! I have been ploughing my way through Dumbledore's horribly boring, demeaning, patronizing books on wizarding law and ethics, and… and in the meantime they were having a great adventure! And I knew Quirrell was evil all the way before, I could have saved them the trouble of spying on Snape."

"But ssssshould you meet them in the Wizengamot, you sssshall have the advantage…"

Crucie threw Salazar a "really now" look.

"No one ever confides in me. Why is it that people always think that because I'm dark that I can't be trusted? It's as if they think a Slytherin can't keep a secret."

Salazar shook his head and thought about it.

"I trusssssst you… to a reassssonable degree, I ssssuppossse…"

That made Crucie smile again.

"Thanks…"

"I sssshouldn't tell you thissss… It'sssss been explicitly forbidden me to ssssspeak about thisssss… But I'm a portrait, an old one at that… they can hardly blame me…"

Crucie was practically biting her tongue in excitement as the founder lingered longer with his story.

"Please tell me, Mr Slytherin, I won't tell anyone!"

"Promisssssse me thissss, Misss Lestrange… Sssswear on our magic that you will not ssssspeak of it or ssssshow it to anyone who doesn't already know."

And Crucie formally took out her wand and made the vow. Afterwards, she looked wide-eyed at Salazar. He nodded.

"Alssssso… You may be curioussssss… but promissssse to me, not on your magic but to me persssonally… That won't go sssssearch for it yoursssself."

"I promise."

Again the founder nodded. Then he granted Crucie one of his rare smiles, and started his story.

"There isssss a whole network of corridorsssss, cellsssss, roomsssss and tubesssss under the school… Mosssst of them are… cassssually forgotten. There isssss a chamber down there, a complex… called the Chamber of Ssssssecrets…"

When Salazar finished his story and reminded Crucie of the promises she had made, it was time for her to go pack, as they would be leaving the school for the summer holiday. She looked forward to seeing uncle Rabastan again, and uncle Lucius, and Mr Burke, and even Aunt Narcissa despite her love of pink robes… yet she was sure she would miss her daily conversations with the portrait of the Slytherin founder. The secret he had told her was merely that there was a special room, reachable only by the truly worthy, under Hogwarts, in which a creature lived he affectionately referred to as his Regina, his queen. She knew the layout and architecture of the place in detail now, but not the location of the entrance. Salazar had warned her that she should never try to find the room, let alone enter it should she find it… Crucie wondered why, but she guessed that ever since the room had been closed the creature living there hadn't seen anyone, and it would perhaps be very violent and dangerous when handled by someone without a ton of experience in the field. In any case she was happy that now there was a secret she and the portrait alone knew of…

(IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE)

The story is not finished...

Prepare for "An Accursed Gift", in which Crucie rekindles friendships, finds out that diaries know little common courtesy, accidentally cruciates someone (who kind of deserved it), meets another lover of muggle-tech, pays of a debt and accidentally discovers the best way to cure a ghost of chronic depression.

PLEASE DEAR REVIEWERS!

I love you all. I know I may have come over as slightly obnoxious while begging for reviews, but truly, they're what keeps me writing!

I would love it if you people would read and review the sequel of A Gift And A Curse!

s/9132036/1/An-Accursed-Gift