Harry Potter :Diamond Heart

Choose better friends, then,' Salazar suggested calmly.

'There are no better friends,' Harry declared.

The founder shrugged, bouncing his reptile shoulder garment up and down. It let out an irritated hiss. 'If you say so.'

'I do,' Harry replied confidently.

'Papilionis,' he whispered, engulfing himself in a swirling cloud of black butterflies. This time he managed to direct the swarm to swirl around himself fast enough that he could see through the blur of wings.

With a flick of his wand he transfigured one of the butterflies into a gleaming, steel spike and sent it flying out of the shield.

It hissed viciously across the chamber and buried itself in the wall a few inches above the elaborate frame of Slytherin's picture.

'Be careful,' the founder exploded. 'I do not need one of those impaled through my canvas. Sometimes you're worse than Godric.'

Harry attempted it several more times using sponge balls rather than steel spikes. It was a lot harder than it looked to transfigure and then direct the former butterflies the right way and it took him many tries to get to grips with it.

'My Chamber of Secrets looks like a childrens' playground,' Salazar griped, gazing around at the brightly coloured balls strewn across the floor and floating in the pool. Harry gave the giant corpse of the basilisk, something unlikely to be found in any child's playground, a pointed look, but vanished the mess he had made.

'I think I've got the hang of that,' he mused. 'A little more practice wouldn't hurt though.'

'It's a surprisingly useful spell that you've made,' the founder conceded, 'despite the ridiculous butterflies.'

Staggering back across the tongue styled bridge under the weight of the painting, Harry considered his new spell proudly.

Hermione would throw a tantrum if she saw it working already. That made him smile despite himself.

Salazar was replaced back on his spot above the entrance and Harry slipped off the time-turner to replace it on the desk.

'Godric used to steal that and move my things around,' the painting told him, but for once he sounded rather melancholy when speaking about his co-founder. 'He thought it was hilarious until Rowena found out and yelled at him for messing with time for something so petty.'

'You miss them,' Harry realised.

'I'd miss anyone after half a millennium with no company but a mad serpent and a delusional child,' Salazar retorted, but the bite was missing from his tone. 'I'd even miss Godric's childish japes, Helga's mothering or Rowena's lectures.'

'I think,' the portrait decided quietly, 'when you have redeemed the title of Heir of Slytherin and no longer have need of my advice, I'd quite like to be moved somewhere else in the castle. Maybe you'll find a portrait of my old friends in the Room of Requirement.'

'I'll search for it,' Harry promised earnestly. He was a little uncomfortable with this slightly emotional Salazar. The sarcasm seemed more natural and was easier to deal with.

'You should go back to your tower and see your friends,' the portrait reminded him. 'Heir of Slytherin or not, you'll need them.'

Harry nodded, feeling a little guilty at leaving the painting alone again, but left anyway. Hopefully the age line had quelled the tournament talk down so that they could do something else. He'd quite welcome a game of exploding snap.

Most of the guys from his dormitory were in the common room by the fire.

'It's rather empty in here,' he remarked, crossing to join them.

'Everyone's still by the goblet in the hall and the younger years are in lessons,' Ron explained sullenly.

'Not happy about the age rules, I take it.'

'Bloody pissed off is more like it,' Ron responded. Hermione didn't even bother to scold him for swearing, though she did roll her eyes.

'Don't take it too hard,' Harry told him.

'It was my chance, Harry,' Ron sighed. 'You wouldn't understand, you've always been noticed and famous and had everything I want.' He didn't sound particularly jealous, at least no more than normal, just tired. 'I was going to be noticed too. I wouldn't just be another Weasley, or Harry Potter's friend, or something like that. I don't want the whole limelight or anything, just a glimmer for myself.'

'Honestly, Ron,' Harry began, 'I'd happily give you the whole thing.'

'It's easy to say that from where you're standing, mate,' Dean cut in. 'I'm just another muggle-born student that half the wizarding world doesn't think should be here, you've been a hero from birth.'

'I didn't want to be.'

'We know,' Seamus reassured him. 'It's just a little annoying to be in your shadow sometimes.'

'Well I can promise you all that we'll be in the shadow of the Hogwarts champion together,' Harry said. 'I've no desire to enter my name and I couldn't anyway.'

'Fred and George tried to cheat past the age line earlier,' Hermione announced. 'It didn't work, but I've seen loads of younger students trying everything they can to get in.'

'I'd take my hat off to anyone who manages to slip past an age line created by Dumbledore.' Dean didn't seem to think it was possible and Harry had to agree.

'Maybe next time,' Harry suggested, 'you'd have a better shot at winning then too.'

'It was held every five years back when it was running,' Seamus informed him quietly.

'I'm going upstairs,' Ron declared, shoving himself out of his chair and slouching off. Seamus and Dean shared a glance and trailed after him.

'Did you try and put your name in, or watch the others?' Hermione asked, gazing into the fire.

'No,' Harry replied. 'I've been trying to perfect my butterfly summoning spell.'

'That's really advanced transfiguration, Harry,' Hermione consoled him, unaware it had been successful. 'You shouldn't be trying it for another year at least. I'm impressed you managed to conjure anything at all.' Hermione didn't sound all that impressed. If anything it seemed more like she was trying to convince herself she was impressed.

'Thanks, Hermione,' Harry replied, smiling was the smile of his predecessor, all brilliant charm and obvious emotion. Tom Riddle had taught him one thing that was useful, he supposed.

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