Harry Potter :Diamond Heart

I can imagine how tiring that must have been,' the ancient painting said once Harry had regained his breath. 'It looks powerful, but draining. That's not a spell you should be using until you've got a lot better at directing your magic.'

'I have no idea how to do that,' Harry admitted.

Salazar gave him an incredulous look. 'To conjure and animate something like that would require a great deal of magic. Even in my prime I would be capable of wielding it for no more than a minute or two and you're using imprecise wand movements and pouring magic all over the place. Focus on only your spell when you cast it and keep your wand movements small.'

Harry struggled to stand and try again but the painting shook its head. 'Not now. There are some rituals you can undertake to strengthen both your body and magical core.' He eyed his appointed heir critically. 'I'd recommend them. They did Tom Riddle a world of good back when he was scrawny little thing like you.'

'I'm not doing anything that wizard did,' Harry denied vehemently.

'You're going to use the time-turner aren't you?' Salazar asked.

'Yes,' Harry ground out from between his teeth.

'Then you're following in his footsteps already. That time-turner is what made him such a brilliant student. Of course, you're rather more sane than he turned out to be. You don't have delusions of vengeance against muggles or an over-inflated sense of self-worth do you?'

'Not that I am aware of,' Harry answered tensely.

'Good.' The painting nodded. The snake on his shoulders nodded too. 'Use the time-turner, do the rituals, outstrip him and redeem the title of Heir of Slytherin if you dislike the connotations he gave it so much.'

Harry carried the portrait back to its resting place.

'I'm not doing the rituals,' he decided, rubbing his aching arms.

'Suit yourself,' Salazar replied. 'It will make carrying my picture a lot easier if you did. If you happen to change your mind you'll find the ritual books you're looking for in the corner of the library up there.' The painting pointed to a particularly high spot just behind where the ladder rested.

'I'm not doing them,' he repeated wearily.

'I'm not going to force you,' Salazar Slytherin responded, strangely gently. 'You're my heir, the last reputable member of my family as far as I know. I'll help you as much as you allow me, especially since you saved me from the insane ramblings of my poor basilisk.'

'I'm not sure I want to ask,' Harry decided aloud.

'She had nightmares,' Salazar explained simply. 'I think the magic which was used to create her, that which made her loyal to me, punished her for what she did, even if she believed it was what I wanted. I'm glad you put her out of her misery. She is free of Tom Riddle and I no longer have to listen to her tortured raving.'

'Where did she go?' Harry asked after a moment. 'I just walked in here and found the study and it's far too tidy to have housed a seventy foot serpent.'

'She slept underneath,' the painting elucidated. 'When you intend to wake her any parseltongue command would have brought her forth. You wanted to open the door so you came here. A good thing,' the portrait noted, 'since you probably wouldn't have been able to get out of her resting place had you fallen down there.'

Harry threw a glance around the study. He would have liked to stay longer and study more, the shield charm was one of the things he really needed to learn, but he was aware than he had virtually depleted his magic and should probably rest instead.

'I'm going to head back to Gryffindor Tower,' Harry announced. Salazar exploded into another muttered rant about his heir being in Godric's house rather than his own and didn't show any signs of stopping so Harry left him to it. He rather hoped he wouldn't find another founder portrait should he stumble across the Room of Requirement, another one might be too much to bear.

Hermione was waiting for him in the common room when he returned. 'Where have you been?' she demanded. 'I looked in the library, and asked around, but nobody had seen you since you left us after class.'

Harry shrugged vaguely. 'It's easier to work out of sight where I won't be disturbed.'

'Did you finish the essay? I can look over it for you.'

'It's not quite done yet,' he lied. 'I want to check a couple of things, maybe squeeze in an extra bit to give Flitwick a good impression at the start of the year.'

'Good idea,' Hermione agreed. Harry was rather surprised by how well he deceived her. He was also rather sickened by how smooth it had all sounded.

Tom Riddle would be proud.

Salazar had already said he was following in his footsteps and Harry had done his best not to physically flinch from the idea. There had been similarities between them, too many for comfort, but few enough that he could ignore them until the founder's portrait had all but said they were the same.

'Ron's upstairs with Seamus and Dean,' Hermione told him. 'Neville said he was fine, since you were so concerned earlier, but I think the Unforgivables really bother him.'

'The Unforgivable Curses bother everyone except the worst kind of wizards, Hermione. What would you have to be to not be bothered by curses to control, torture and kill?'

'I think they bother Neville more than most,' she replied quietly. 'I'm going upstairs, you're acting differently again.'

Harry watched her disappear towards the girl's dormitories.

Differently.

He was meant to be different. This was the year he started to really fulfil his potential and become strong enough that people like Pettigrew couldn't hurt the ones he cared about. It was a good thing, so why had Hermione sounded so negative about it.

Harry put it out of his mind. Perhaps he'd been a little distant today with his trip to the Chamber of Secrets and he knew Hermione was a little annoyed about him stealing her limelight in some of the classes. She'd get over it. Ron got jealous of him all the time and he always moved on quickly enough. This would be no different.

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