The Ones You Love

The ones you love

"Helga!"

The woman turned round and looked at the man standing at the door. "I have to talk to you, it's really important."

"What is it Godric?" The man looked down at the floor. "Not again! Salazar?"

"I'm afraid so. He gets more difficult every day. All his talk about purebloods is really getting on my nerves."

"He's planning something, something bad. I can feel it!" Godric stopped and looked at Helga. She sighed. "You know. You also said that the last time and he just threw a dungbomb at you."

"I'm sure it was an attempt to kill me!" She raised an eyebrow. "Ok, maybe not," Godric gave in. "But you have to admit it was really mean!"

"God, Godric! You sound like a child. But what makes you think that this time, he really is up to something?" Helga strode across the room and stopped in front of him.

"Uhm, he's acting really strange and the house elves told me that he has built something, a chamber or something like that. They're really upset. What do you think?"

The blonde woman looked at Godric. "That sounds really strange. Even the house elves are upset?" He nodded. "Ok, I believe you. Let's go."

~~

Later, Helga, Godric and Rowena sat at the table of their meeting room. They were discussing the recent events.

"We searched the whole castle, but didn't find anything. I don't believe it's nothing. The house elves wouldn't tell anything about one of their masters, unless they find they're in real danger," Rowena stated and looked at the other two.

"You're right. But what can we do? Go and ask him?" Helga asked. "Sure, why not?" Godric answered and looked at her.

"Oh yes, Godric, that would be a great idea: 'Hey Salazar, don't want to offend you, but have you built anything lately that would help you to kill us?' Honestly, Godric!" Helga said and rolled her eyes.

"What else can we do? We can't prove anything and we can't just kill him because of some suspicions and things the house elves said."

"Godric is right, we can't do anything until we have something against him. The four of us built this school together and just because he's acting strange now, doesn't mean we have the right to do him harm," Rowena sighed and leaned back.

"But what's with all the pureblood crap? He doesn't have the right to refuse students, just because they are muggleborn or half-bloods."

"I see, this is leading nowhere," Godric said. "We just have to wait until something happens."

"Wait until something happens! Like what, a child dies?" Helga spat out.

The other two looked away. They sat in silence for a few minutes until Godric cleared his throat.

The two women looked at him. "I have some business to attend to. I'll see you later and be careful."

He stood up and left the room. Helga narrowed her eyes and looked after him.

"He's right, Helga, you know that." Rowena put a hand on Helga's arm. "I know Rowena," she sighed and looked at the blue-eyed woman next to her.

"But I just don't want the children to be put in danger."

"I know that. I feel that way to, and so does Godric. The children come first." Rowena patted her arm.

"Ok, you're probably right," Helga sighed and stood up. "I have to go now, the mandrakes need to be re-potted. See you at dinner then."

With that, the young woman stood up and left.

Helga was on her way towards the greenhouses (yeah, they're really that old!), when she heard a hissing from a room in the second floor. Curious as she was, she went towards the room.

The door was ajar and she looked in the room. Helga couldn't see it whole and didn't want to open the door any more, she didn't want to get caught.

She saw Salazar standing there, talking in Parseltongue. He had a book in his hands and it looked like he was performing some sort of ceremony or ritual.

If she had been braver, she would have gone inside and talked to Salazar. But she wasn't Godric. Why wasn't he there, when he was needed?

The woman leaned forward a bit to see who Salazar was talking too. It was a little bit too much, because suddenly the door swung open and Helga jumped back. Salazar stopped in his motions and turned round.

"Who's there?" he shouted. "Who dares to disturb me in my private activities? Let me see you, bastard!" It was a funny thing for Slytherin to speak of bastards, but Helga didn't want to point that out.

She stepped out of her hiding place. "Salazar, we have to talk!"

~~

"What has happened?"

"I don't know. That's how one of the house elves found her."

"It's terrible! Who would do such a thing to her?"

"..."

"No, he wouldn't! What reason could Salazar have?"

"I don't know, but I tell you it was him."

"Will she recover?"

"I can't tell. The nurse said the chances are not good."

"Rowena?"

"Yeah?"

"Is she going to die?"

"..."

"Tell me!"

*Whisper*

"I didn't hear you."

"Yes."

"Oh my god!"

*Sob*

"We have to stop him! He must pay for this!" Godric stood up and paced around the room.

"Godric! It's no good to hurt him!" Rowena jumped up and tried to calm him.

"Hurt him? I'm going to kill him! Don't you think we should avenge Helga's death?" Godric stopped pacing and looked at the woman standing next to the bed.

"She's not dead!" Rowena looked down at Helga and a silent tear fell from her cheek. She stroked the back of Helga's right hand. She felt so warm, so alive.

"I don't know," she whispered. "But what if Salazar didn't do it, what if he's innocent?"

"No matter, if he killed-"

"Godric!"

"-If he cursed Helga or not, Salazar is not innocent. In no way!"

"It's true, I'm not innocent. I never knew that you two were so interested in my sex life."

The wizard stepped in and his black robes billowed around him. He had a slight smirk on his face, which froze when he saw Helga lying on the bed.

"Oh my god, what has happened to her?" he asked and stepped closer to examine the pale face of the young woman.

"We don't know who done it. Do you know anything about it?" Godric asked and looked suspiciously at the dark wizard.

"I don't know anything. Some house elves told me about the incident. And don't look at me like that, Gryffindork, I didn't do it if that's what you think."

Godric looked sour and narrowed his eyes. "Oh really?" he said icily. "Why should we believe you? Everybody knows that Helga loves muggles and muggleborns and everybody knows that you hated them.

"You have a motive. Do you have an alibi? Where were you the last two hours?" Rowena looked up at Salazar, who seemed slightly nervous.

"I was in my room, preparing my lessons for tomorrow. Nobody can prove it though, because I was alone. You just have to believe me!"

"We don't have to believe anything. I don't trust you, I'll be keeping my eye on you, Salazar and if you do anything unusual, I'll kill you before you can say pureblood!"

Godric rushed out of the room slamming the door behind him. Rowena quickly followed, leaving Salazar alone with Helga.

The wizard stepped closer and sat down on a chair next to Helga's bed. He lowered his gaze and sat there like that for a couple of minutes.

He suddenly raised his eyes and looked at Helga with tears shimmering in his eyes. He had never cried before in his life.

Salazar took Helga's hand. "Helga," he whispered. "How could this have happened? Why didn't you stay with me? You know, you would have been safe.

"I swear to you, whoever did this to you is going to pay for it! I'll kill the bastard, I'll torture him until he begs me to let him die!

"I know what you'd say. That I shouldn't go into danger. That you're not worth it, but Helga you are. I would go to Azkaban for a lifetime. I'd die for you.

"I can't live without you. I need you!"

He stood up and looked down at her. Salazar stroked her cheek.

And with a last soft kiss on her lips, he left.

~~

All around her was gray mist. She couldn't see her hand in front of her eyes.

"Where am I?" Helga thought and looked around.

She went forward, searching for anything that would tell her where she was. The last thing she remembered was seeing a flash of green light and a voice saying, "Now it's done."

"Am I dead?" she asked herself, but suddenly she saw a shadow moving in front of her. "Hello?"

The shadow moved closer. It was a young woman. Even though she seemed transparent, Helga could see her green eyes staring at her.

"You are one of The Founders, aren't you?" the woman asked. Helga nodded. "You have to get back, they need you. Otherwise the war will be lost."

"Who are you?" Helga asked, wanting to know who the person was who seemed to know so much about her future. "I'm Lily. Lily Potter."

"How do you know so much about me?"

"I come from the future. I died about 1000 years after you," Lily answered and stepped closer.

"But how can you be here then? That's impossible!" Helga exclaimed.

"You're in the Underworld, time doesn't matter here. Past mixes with the Present and Future. I wanted to meet you and tell you to go back."

"But how can I get back? I'm dead, obviously."

"You can easily get back because people need you and you haven't fulfilled your duty. You have to really wish it. Your friends are calling you. And about your lover..."

"Helga!"

"But what is my duty? Tell me!" Helga cried to the now fading shadow. "Do you know who attacked you?" Lily asked. Helga nodded.

"Helga! Come back!"

"Find the one, who attacked you and stop him. Otherwise the wizarding world is doomed."

"Helga!"

And suddenly everything around her faded and Rowena and Godric came into focus.

"Oh my god, Helga!" Rowena cried out and threw herself on the woman on the bed. "How is this possible?" the brunette sobbed on Helga's shoulder.

"I-I don't know," Helga croaked and looked at Godric, who just stared in disbelief.

"Where is Salazar?" Helga suddenly asked. Rowena lifted her head and stared at her. "What?"

"Where is Salazar?" the woman repeated her question and blushed. "I have to... uhm... talk to him."

"I don't know, where he is, but I'll send a house elf after him," Rowena said and looked at Godric, who was still staring in disbelief.

"Hmm, oh, what? Yeah, a house elf," he stammered and left the room.

A while later, Salazar turned up and looked with relief at the recovered woman. He went over to her and kissed her passionately on the lips.

Rowena and Godric stared in disbelief, again. "Why, for Merlin's sake, do you kiss your attacker?"

"I can tell you for sure, he's not my attacker," Helga said and took Salazar's hand.

"He's not. How do you know that?" Rowena asked.

"I think we should tell you something," Helga said and blushed. "We, Salazar and I, are in love. For quite a long time now."

"Congratulations, I suppose," Rowena said, but didn't move. She nudged Godric in the ribs. "Ah, yeah, con-congratulations!"

"And who's your attacker now? I'm going to kill that bastard and cut off his-"

"Salazar!"

"-Hair, I meant... So who is it?" Salazar turned towards Helga, who sat up.

"He said he came from the future. His name was Lord Voldemort, or something like this. He told me, he wanted to end, what Salazar couldn't manage.

"And then he used 'Avada Kedavra' on me, but I think because of the time travel, it didn't work properly."

"Wow, an attacker from the future, that's quite an eye-opener, isn't it." Godric said and the others looked at him.

"Honestly, Godric, your remarks are not really helpful!"

The man shrugged, but remained silent. "Now, what do we do?" Rowena asked the others. "We have to send him back, where he came from or kill him, even though it'd be a little bit difficult. But how do we get him here?"

"I have an idea," Helga said and the others looked at her. "What if we tell everybody that I've recovered and am completely healthy, maybe he'll come back to finish his mission!"

"Even though I don't really like the idea of you being the decoy, it sounds logical, but at least one of us, has to wait here and watch Helga. And I want it to be me," Salazar said.

"Ok, I don't mind. But don't use it for snogging Helga, you have to be invisible Salazar." Godric said and squirmed at the idea.

Salazar mumbled something that sounded like "Gryffindor always being a spoilsport." but gladly he couldn't hear it.

After the other two had left the room, Salazar stepped closer to Helga and kissed her.

"I'm glad, you're back," he whispered.

"Me too."

Then he hid in a shadow in the corner of the room and Helga pretended to be asleep.

Salazar had fallen asleep, when he suddenly heard a noise. He opened his eyes a bit and saw the door open and somebody sneaking in.

The person wore a hooded cloak and lifted his wand, when-

"Stupefy!"

The person fell facedown on the floor and lost his wand. The door sprang open and Godric and Rowena came in.

Salazar kneeled down and turned the man over. Then he took his wand and stood up. "I think we should kill him before he wakes up."

"Now, Salazar, we should wake him up and ask him, why he attacked Helga, don't you want to know?" Godric asked and stood next to him.

"I don't care, but if you want, go ahead." He stepped back and leaned against the wall, eyeing the unconscious man on the floor.

"Enervate!" Rowena said and the man on the floor started moving. He stood up and pulled back his hood.

"Who are you? And why did you try to kill Helga?" Godric said in a stern voice.

"Allow me, to begin with the first question, my name is Lord Voldemort, and I come from the future. I am the most powerful wizard of my time and you lot can't stop me."

"If you think so. But why and how have you come here?"

"Let me tell you a story," Voldemort said and Godric rolled his eyes. "To answer how I came here is pretty easy. I used a special type of Time Turner. I charmed it, so it would take me back not hours, but centuries, and as you can see, it worked.

"But why am I here? I'm not here because it was my decision, someone called me."

"And who called you?" Godric snapped.

"My, my aren't we in a bad mood today? But, since you asked so nicely, I'll tell you. It was my great great great- you get the point- grandfather, Salazar Slytherin."

Rowena, Godric and Helga gasped and looked at him in shock. "That's quite an eye-opener, isn't it, Godric?" Salazar snarled.

"But why? I thought you loved me." Helga whispered and tears were welling up in her eyes.

"That's true, I really love you, but it was my only choice," he said and looked down.

"I wanted all the mudbloods to disappear. I knew Rowena would come to my side if it came down to it. I'd easily kill Godric, but I couldn't kill you, my dear."

"And so you thought 'Hey, I can't do it myself, why not call someone from the future to do it'?" Godric said and stepped closer to him.

"I knew, I couldn't convince her. That's the reason I called Voldemort-"

"Lord Voldemort, if you don't mind!"

"-Whatever. I couldn't do it myself and everybody would have suspected me, so I called him. But if I had known that his power didn't work properly here, I'd have done it myself!"

"You bastard! Die!" Godric shouted and drew his wand. "Godric, no!" Helga called.

"Why not? He wanted you to die, why do you want to save him?" he asked over his shoulder, not taking his eyes off Salazar.

"Because I love him. And I don't care."

"What? Do you want him to stay here and let him kill you?" Rowena asked and stepped next to Helga's bed.

"No, he has to leave Hogwarts. Forever, but don't kill him. If you'd kill him, Godric, you wouldn't be any better than he is."

"That makes sense," Godric said and lowered his arm. "Out of my sight, before I change my mind."

Salazar looked at Helga. "You know I love you," he said to her, but Helga turned her head away. She couldn't face him after what she had just heard.

Salazar sighed sadly. He turned and looked at the others. "I guess this is good-bye..."

"Yeah. Good-bye. Now leave," Godric said, angry, but confused by what had just happened. Rowena gave him a 'shut-up-or-you're-dead'-look, so he said nothing and just glared.

Lord Voldemort had disappeared. Most likely to go back to his own time, where he belonged or maybe not.

Before he walked out of the room, forever banned from Hogwarts, Salazar looked at Helga for the last time. "Helga... please. For-"

But Helga cut him off. "Go Salazar," she demanded, and stared at him with loathing and disappointment in her eyes. He walked out of the room in dead silence.

"Well... today has been interesting," Godric laughed. Helga gave him a deadly glare and got up to go to her own room, needing some time for herself.

"Godric, that mouth of yours is going to be the death of you one day," Rowena shook her head, leaving the room for the Great Hall and dinner.

"What?" Godric called after Rowena, following her. "What did I say?"

~Fin