No O.W.L.'s

"Potter!" Marcus Goyle bellowed, from the other end of the hallway. "Look at me!" Students in the middle either ducked or ran away, having heard of their previous two fights.

Professor Slughorn stuck his head out of his door. "What's going on out there?"

Kay Potter looked, and saw Marcus Goyle decked out in what he obviously thought of as his finery: his Slytherin Keeper's uniform, with the serpent cape on his back making him look like a grotesque superhero. His face, though, was a mask of evil. "Everyone should see the person who's going to kill them!" He whipped out his wand and raised it with a dramatic gesture, even as Slughorn shouted for Goyle to stop.

Kay reacted instinctively, furrowing her brow and concentrating on Marcus Goyle with all her might. In her mind's eye Goyle was standing inside a bubble, empty of that which all wizards needed to function. No choice, she thought. He's too far from my fists, which is what he's counting on! Got to use my secret power. I've trained for this, but I've never done it in combat. It has to be perfect! .

Marcus Goyle shouted, "Avada Kedavra!"

Nothing happened.

"What the--?" was all Goyle managed to say.

An infuriated Professor Slughorn pointed his wand. "Stupefy!"

Professor Slughorn turned to a Hufflepuff student, who was lying down, out of harm's way, staring in mute horror at Goyle, now frozen in place. "Get Professor Merrythought at once!" Then he looked down the hall towards Kay. "Are you all right, Miss Potter?" he asked.

"Yes," Kay said, her hands hanging by her sides, gasping at what had just occurred. "I'm lucky his spell misfired!"

"Indeed, but there's no reason why it should have. That was the clearest, most intent Killing Curse I've ever heard. Did you have any Felix Felicis today?"

"No," Kay said weakly, as she dropped to the ground and leaned against the wall, continuing to gulp air. Sweat was standing on her brow, and her eyes were wild.

"Extraordinary," Professor Slughorn muttered.

The hallway was filled with various Hufflepuffs, Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and even Slytherins, all stunned at what had happened. "Open your bags, take out your quills, and write up what you all just saw," Professor Slughorn called out. "Mr. Goyle here is going to be tried by Aurors, and your statements will be admitted as evidence. Now!"

When the Aurors arrived, Kay was startled to see it was Kingsley Shacklebolt and a humorless woman named Guinevere Robards. She had met them both a few years earlier when her father had taken her to work with him.

They nodded to her, reinforced the immobilizing spell on the perpetrator, read the statements, and then recorded both Slughorn's and Kay's accounts of what had happened, and of the events leading up to it. Kay found herself explaining her non-magical training several times, but at last the magical law enforcers were satisfied with the chain of events.

Goyle was released from his immobilization, and immediately started downplaying the events. "I didn't mean it! I was just so angry at what she did to me that I overreacted."

"It's a rather serious overreaction, lad. Do you know what the penalty is for the unauthorized use of a Killing Curse?" Kay knew Kingsley Shacklebolt was a very serious man, but didn't think Goyle appreciated what was happening. "You're in a lot of trouble!"

"But nothing happened!" Goyle protested. "She's still alive."

"Your intent was to kill her," said Robards, a dark-haired woman with a face that looked like it hadn't laughed since King George V. "We've got eighteen statements here," she brandished the rolls of parchment at him, "including the sworn statement of your head of house!"

"But I didn't kill her!"

"It-doesn't-matter," Shacklebolt said slowly, his eyes flashing as he ground out the words. "You attempted to use the killing curse on another person. The fact that you failed is irrelevant! Wizarding law stipulates that the use of the Unforgivable Curses on a fellow human being shall be punishable by a life sentence in Azkaban Prison!"

Marcus Goyle looked like he was about to cry. He glanced about, but saw no friendly faces; no one was willing to back him up. The head of Slytherin House in particular was livid with rage. "But the Minister of Magic authorized their use during the Second War! I thought that authorization still applied."

"That's called the 'License to Kill Defense', Mr. Goyle," Guinevere said. "Ten people have tried using it so far, none successfully." She looked at him without pity. "You didn't even think ahead to what would happen after you used the killing curse, did you?"

The last hope died in Goyle's eyes and he leapt forward, trying to force his way through the crowds toward to the front door. Robards immobilized him with a casual flick of her wand, and then stuffed the statements into her carrying bag.

"Mobilicorpus," Shacklebolt said, enchanting Marcus Goyle's inert form.

The headmistress, Melinda Merrythought, watched the Aurors walk out through the school entrance, the levitated form of Marcus Goyle following them. She laid one hand on Kay's shoulder. "Simply incredible! That he could have so much hatred for you and your family that he would use the Killing Curse!"

"What's more incredible," Professor Slughorn drawled, "is that he'd use it in the corridor outside my study! As though I wouldn't dare interfere with a crime being committed in my very midst." He shook his head. "That boy was insane!"

"Undoubtedly," the headmistress said. "But Slytherin House must now undergo a thorough cleaning, Horace!"

"At once," Professor Slughorn said, and strode away, his face as warm as a North Sea gale.

"Kay!" Corwin Creevey was pushing through the crowd, and then he was hugging her. "I just heard! Are you all right?"

"Yes," she said, but his robe muffled her mouth.

"Miss Potter, I need to speak with you about this incident," the headmistress was saying. "You too, Mr. Creevey, as I understand you were a part of the last escapade." She looked at the teachers and clapped her hands once. "Please clear the hallways!"

Kay and Corwin followed the headmistress past the gargoyle and up the staircase into her private offices. Professor Merrythought's black hair was like an ebony waterfall over her shoulders, and Kay could see that the office was conspicuously dark, accentuating her own dark features.

She remembered hearing her father's stories about his own trips here, back when it had been Professor Dumbledore's office. As she glanced around, she saw Dumbledore in his picture frame, and he waved to her. She waved back, and tried to reconcile the picture of the wizard with the stories her father had told her. Then the headmistress spoke, interrupting Kay's musings.

"Miss Potter, as I understand it, you had two prior encounters with Mr. Goyle this year, as well as several over the last few years."

"Yes, Professor, that's true."

"But you didn't report the last two, compared to the last years' assaults.

Why?"

Kay swallowed, and tried to keep her voice steady. "Because I took care of them."

"Took care of them; by which you mean you physically beat Mr. Goyle up?" Professor Merrythought's slender black eyebrows arched over her dark eyes. "Do you think that's appropriate behavior here at Hogwarts?"

Kay's temper flared. "Students are always hexing each other; firing curses around corners, planting booby trap charms on other student's personal things, or just bewitching each other for the fun of it. Most of the teachers look the other way."

"But a dusting-up with fisticuffs is different, isn't it?" Her dark eyes bored into Kay, which only irritated her all the more. Like her father, Kay wasn't easily cowed by authority.

"With all due respect, Professor how is it different? If a man is lying dead on the street from a sectumsempra spell, how is that any different than if a Muggle had shot him with a gun? Marcus Goyle attacked me from behind the day I got to Hogwarts this term because he knew I couldn't fight back with a spell." She explained the assault at the train station. "But my Daddy made sure that I could do something to protect myself." She held up her hands and flexed them a few times. "My Mum and Dad said that I could still have a life in the wizarding world, even though I'm a Squib. Are you telling me they're wrong? Are you saying that I have to live the rest of my life at the mercy of every witch or wizard I meet because fighting back with my hands isn't...sporting?"

Professor Merrythought said nothing, although the corners of her mouth twitched slightly. Then she turned to Corwin Creevey. "What do you think, Mr. Creevey?"

Corwin swallowed, he held up his head. "I think she has a point, Professor. If it's okay for one student to use magic to hurt someone, but it's not okay for another to use his or her hands, then that's prejudice. I thought wizards and witches were supposed to be above that!"

"Correct. Thirty points to Gryffindor."

The two students' eyes widened, and Professor Merrythought smiled openly. "However, you should have told me what happened earlier, Miss Potter, Mr. Creevey. I'm taking ten points from Gryffindor for that oversight. But, Mr. Goyle had been warned twice in the previous years to leave you alone. His use of the Killing Curse has earned him a punishment he can't walk away from!" She straightened up in her chair. "Mr. Creevey, leave us. I need to speak to Miss Potter privately."

Corwin Creevey, blinked, glanced at Kay, and then left the office.

When Professor Merrythought was sure they were alone, she leaned forward and spoke softly, but directly, "Miss Potter, I've informed your parents about what has happened. I suspect they will arrive within the hour to make sure you are well." She leaned closer, and Kay could see the sweat standing out on her dark forehead. "You are very, very lucky to be alive. Your secret power saved you, I imagine?" Kay nodded, and Professor Merrythought breathed a sigh of relief. "I confess, I have never seen an exsanguinator in the flesh." She gave Kay an appraising glance. "But you should be thankful that you have the gift. Now, I'm excusing you from the rest of your classes for the next few days." She raised a hand to forestall the protests, as it was a testing time. "Your parents will want to take you home, and I quite agree with them. Also, Professor Slughorn will be conducting reviews in Slytherin House to make sure Mr. Goyle has no sympathizers or accomplices. Your presence here will only complicate matters."

Kay described Goyle's three henchmen on the trail back from Hogsmeade, and the headmistress sent an owl to Professor Slughorn.

No sooner had that been done than her parents came into the office, and Kay found herself swept away in a flurry of hugs and kisses. Although she missed Corwin, she admitted to herself that their concern felt good. After assuring themselves that she was all right, they spoke at length with Professors Merrythought and Slughorn, and then almost the entire Potter family took a Floo trip home for a family meeting in the living room.

"Mummy, I'm okay. Really!" Kay flushed as Ginny held her daughter even tighter than before. The other Potter siblings took turns hugging their sister.

After several minutes, Kay glanced about. "Hey, where's Morgan?"

As though on cue, Morgan Potter came flashing out of a fireplace on the far side of the room. "You okay?" the family Slytherin asked, staring at Kay with wide eyes.

"Yeah, fine thanks." The two sisters shared a hug. When they broke apart, Kay asked, "What's it like now in Slytherin?"

Morgan shuddered. "A madhouse! Professor Slughorn's put Goyle's three best friends in the hands of some newly-arrived Aurors, and he's personally interrogating everyone who was even friendly toward Goyle. If they don't cooperate, he force-feeds them Veritaserum, just like they used to do during the war." She gulped, and then looked at her father. "No offense, Dad."

"That's bad," remarked Harry. Then he grinned, "No, not you, Morgan! I mean, the situation." He turned to Winky and ordered tea and cakes for the whole family.

Morgan shook her head. "Daddy, it's worse than that!"

"He tried to kill Kay!" Ginny shrieked, holding her daughter again. Spots of color were prominent on Ginny's cheeks. "In the middle of the school! What could possibly be worse than that?"

Morgan's eyes were haunted, but she said, "Two of his accomplices during the Hogsmeade ambush were Amanda Mulciber and Dexter Dolohov, who were both Slytherin House Prefects!"

Winky and Dobby appeared with a tea service and began handing out steaming cups of Earl Grey. A platter of cinnamon rolls was quickly emptied, and Winky ran off for more.

Little Arthur Potter, a Gryffindor third year, who was standing near their father, turned to Morgan with a look of confusion. "Wait a minute! I thought Kay said that the three who were with Goyle were boys! How could Amanda have been there?"

"Apparently she was nervous about being seen, so she had taken a dose of Polyjuice Potion beforehand."

Kay looked at Morgan with in shock. "One of his accomplices was a girl, and a prefect?"

Morgan shook her head. "Not anymore! Professor Slughorn took away both their badges, and Professor Merrythought's talking about expelling them."

Ginny groaned. "You're right. That's worse! If they took the time to brew Polyjuice Potion, that means it was a conspiracy!" She shuddered, and sipped at her tea.

Brian Potter, lounging in a chair nearby and wearing his old Ravenclaw jumper, rolled his eyes. "That's going to make trouble! I'd wager the Board of Governors might even start talking about suspension."

Albus Potter shook his long sandy hair and looked at Morgan with his steady brown eyes. "If they had any sense, they'd appoint you a prefect, Sis."

Morgan looked in surprise at her elder brother. "Thank you."

Albus smiled at her.

"Hear, hear!" Harry applauded. He looked at his children feeling particularly pleased, especially when his eldest sons, Sirius and James came running into the room, having just Apparated from Hogsmeade.

"Kay! We just heard! Are you all right?" The twins took turns hugging their sister.

Harry caught Ginny's eyes, and the two parents exchanged looks of pride.

***

"Ah, Miss Potter!" Horace Slughorn politely stood up as Morgan entered his office, and waved her to a chair opposite him. "Thank you, for coming so quickly."

Morgan sat down as her head of house did the same. She nervously smoothed her skirt. "Your message sounded urgent, Professor. Given the state of things, my Mum and Dad said you wouldn't have called for me unless it was something important."

"Quite so," he said, leaning forward, his eyes intent. "I'll come straight to the point: the Goyle Incident has further tarnished the name of Slytherin House, and the Board of Governors has informed me that until further notice, we are on probation. If there are any further incidents, the Governors say they will indefinitely suspend our charter!"

Morgan gasped, one hand going to her mouth. Professor Slughorn nodded, looking very grave.

"The loss of Slytherin would be a terrible blow to Hogwarts, and I can't think of anything that would hurt this country more. We, that is, Slytherin House, have supplied innumerable people to the Ministry of Magic, as well as several top-notch wizards and witches to the ranks of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. If we want Slytherin House to survive, we need to demonstrate to both Hogwarts and the rest of the country our collective worth."

Morgan wasn't sure where this conversation was going. "How do we do that?"

"Well, first of all, no one whose family had anything to do with You-Know-Who can be relied upon. That's been proven via the Goyle Incident! Until now, I had been relying upon the notion that we cannot judge others by the company their family kept. That was obviously incorrect of me. As such, Slytherin House needs effective, positive leadership and that's where you come in. I've already spoken to the headmistress, and she agrees: you will become one of the new Slytherin House Prefects!" He smiled at her, his mustache twitching in his mirth. "Congratulations, Miss Potter! You are the youngest Slytherin Prefect in two centuries!"

Morgan's eyes grew wide, and she trembled. Professor Slughorn suddenly found himself the subject of a huge hug. He chuckled, and patted her on the back. After a moment, she excused herself.

"Not at all," he said, smiling, "I'm honored."

He stood up and went to a set of crystal decanters and poured a butterbeer for Morgan, and a glass of mead for himself. He set her drink on an ante table, lest her trembling slop it on his antique Persian rug and then sat down, patiently waiting.

At length Morgan sat down again, and he explained her duties, and then handed over her shiny badge and watched, smiling, as she attached it to her robes.

"Secondly, we need to go through the history of Slytherin, and exemplify the accomplishments of our house. Right now, both Goyle and Voldemort are hanging over us, but they aren't the only prominent Slytherins in history." He sipped at his mead. "I've already sent an owl to my friend Eldred Worple, asking him to rush a book he's been writing into print: a biography of Phineas Nigellus, a past headmaster of Hogwarts and a prominent Slytherin. But we need other examples, and we need them fast!"

"Professor, I might be able to help you with something." At his nod, she continued, "There's a friend of my sister Kay's, Corwin Creevey. His father's a reporter for the Daily Prophet. If he's willing, maybe the Prophet could do a series of articles about eminent Slytherins--show that, there's more glamour than gore in our history."

"Excellent idea!" Slughorn made a few notes in a booklet. Then he cleared his throat. "Finally, the entire attitude of Slytherin House needs to change. Goyle's attack on your sister was only partly grounded in a petty need for vengeance. It also stemmed from the idea that half-bloods and Muggle-borns are unworthy of the mantle of wizardry. This idea has been around for a long time, but it is grounded in prejudice, not in fact!" He sighed, and drank off half his glass in one swallow. "Merlin's beard! Look at your own father! He's a half-blood, and he sits in the office of the Minister of Magic! Somehow, we need to get that idea out of Slytherin House, before it destroys us all."

Morgan chewed the idea over and sighed. "That's going to take a bit longer, Professor."

Horace Slughorn nodded. "I know, but it must be done. Somehow."

The two brainstormed for several hours. Then Morgan left the office and rushed back to Slytherin House. In the common room she found her classmates in a desultory mood, rehashing the day's events, but mostly talking about how stupid Goyle had been. They brightened up when Morgan entered the room.

"Morgan," said Andrew Avery, "you're not...?" He stared at the badge. "Prefect?"

There was a moment of stunned silence, followed by a tumult of congratulations and exclamations. After several minutes, she raised her hands for quiet, and called a meeting in the center of the common room. She repeated what Professor Slughorn had said about the imperiled future of Slytherin House. "We need to show the rest of Hogwarts that we're not like Goyle! Salazar Slytherin's own personal tastes aside," she said, thinking back to her conversation with Professor Slughorn the year before, "our house has always stood for greatness, because we know the path to success; so many of our number have walked that path."

She saw the others in the room nodding in agreement--she had them engrossed. She swallowed past the dryness in her throat and plunged ahead, "So, if we want Slytherin House to survive, we need to show Hogwarts and the rest of the world that our path is not stained with blood; we do not tread upon bodies as we walk toward fame and fortune." She took a breath and looked at her fellows. "Being a Slytherin doesn't mean we don't have hearts! We need to prove that!"

Vernon Vaisey made a face. "You mean suck up to the Gryffindors, or to the Hufflepuffs? I'm not going to do that!" he declared in a loud voice.

Morgan's eyebrows furrowed and she marched over to the towering student and jabbed her index finger into his stomach. "Maybe you'd like to be a Hufflepuff instead!"

He looked at her in horror. "NO!"

"Because if there's one more spot of trouble, one more complaint lodged against us this year, the Board of Governors will shut down Slytherin, forever!" She turned and slowly looked around the Slytherin common room. The faces of her fellow students were pale; many of them had open mouths. A few looked doubtful, and that infuriated her, that they could doubt the seriousness of the moment. "I'm not joking, this is it! Slytherin is one step away from entering the history books as a failed experiment in the tomes of wizardry! Now I don't know about the rest of you, but I just got here, and until now, I've enjoyed being a Slytherin." That wasn't exactly true, she'd had second thoughts over the holidays, but she wasn't going to water down her message with the truth. "Unless we can prove that we can get along with the rest of Hogwarts, we're going to find ourselves out in the cold."

Questions were raised, and Morgan did her best to answer them, while calling on others to voice their opinions. The talk lasted long into the night, but when she lay down in her bed that night, she felt hopeful that the first steps toward Slytherin's new face had been taken.

***

"Congratulations!" Kay said, as she looked at her sister's badge. "Albus was right!" She had come back to Hogwarts only a few hours before, after an owl from the headmistress had confirmed that the preliminary investigations were over.

They were standing in an inner courtyard of Hogwarts, ignoring the occasional stare from passing students.

Morgan nodded. "You know, Kay, sometimes he scares me! Albus is silent so often, you sometimes forget he's there. But when he speaks, he's right on target." The air was crisp and cold, and soon snow flurries would arrive. Winter robes were in use, many students were wearing their house mufflers already.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. But he's also the steady one in the family. Well, him and Lily. Sometimes I think Albus should have been in Hufflepuff; he's always so rock-solid and dependable. But, that's one of the reasons I like him so much."

"Hey, speaking of Hufflepluffs, it's Julie!"

Julie Finch-Fletchley, a second year Hufflepuff, her brown hair cut short but still managing to wave in the breeze, came over and congratulated Morgan. "I just heard! Wow! Prefect in your second year!" The rest of the Odd Squad soon appeared as well: Olivia Wood from Gryffindor, and Laura Chang of Ravenclaw. The girls found an unoccupied bench and began to chat when Kay pointed out that it was time for lunch.

"Oh, rats!" said Julie. "I'd just heard a story I wanted to share with you all."

Morgan shrugged. "So tell it to us in the Great Hall. We can sit together."

Morgan arranged for them all to sit at one end of the Slytherin table. They attracted a few stares: two Gryffindors, a Ravenclaw, and a Hufflepuff, all sitting in Slytherin's domain, but contrary to Julie's fears, they were not accosted even once. As Julie explained about the latest in Paula Patil and Daryl Thomas' secret love affair, Morgan realized that they were getting low on pumpkin juice.

"Excuse me," Morgan said to Avery, who looked up from his Potions textbook, "pass the pumpkin juice?"

Avery blinked, started to sneer, looked at Morgan, and then jumped up. "Of course," he said, swallowing something in his throat. "Here," he said, and politely filled Julie's glass. He looked about, "Anyone else?" A few cups were raised and he poured generous libations, and then set down the pitcher nearby. A few other Slytherins stared, but no one said a word. Morgan's warning was still fresh in their minds.

Julie Finch-Fletchley, however, was staring at the slender, dark-haired boy in shock. Slytherins had always been extremely scornful of Hufflepuffs on principle, so something like this was completely out of character. Still, the Fat Friar had drilled manners and fair play into them, and even this small act had to be accorded its due. She cleared her throat. "Thank you," she said, "that was very kind."

Avery stopped and looked at the dark-haired half-blood girl with a curious expression. After a moment he mumbled something unintelligible and went back to his reading. The girls' conversation continued, but they all noticed that Avery was glancing at them from time to time. Laura Chang and Kay giggled every time they looked at each other because they noticed Julie stealing occasional glances at Avery, too!

After lunch ended, the girls started to gather their things for their next class when Morgan suddenly had an epiphany. Excusing herself on the pretext of "Prefect Business" she dashed out of the Great Hall, and ran straight to Professor Slughorn's office, hoping to catch him before he went down to the dungeons. She knocked on his door, and the Potions Professor opened the door and waved her inside.

"Yes, Miss Potter?" The remains of a roast pheasant sat on a silver platter on Slughorn's desk next to a silver goblet of wine.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your lunch, Professor, but something very important just occurred to me." She paused for a moment, trying to marshal her thoughts. "Are there any surviving records of Salazar Slytherin? His personal writings, I mean?"

Horace Slughorn nodded slowly. "Yes, he left some behind when he left Hogwarts, but they'll be in the basement under lock and key."

"Can we see them? This is very important!"

"I'm sure we could, Miss Potter, but would you please explain what the urgency is?"

Morgan took a breath. "I was thinking about what you said last night, about how the attitude of Slytherin House has to change, to be more accommodating towards those of other houses, and toward Muggle-borns and half-bloods, and then I thought back to the talk you and I had when I first joined Slytherin last year."

He smiled, indicating he remembered.

"You told me then that Salazar Slytherin stressed the..." She floundered for the verb, "...fostering of personal connections; links to other wizards and other people who aspire to greatness, regardless of their houses or their origins; so long as those persons furthered the goals of the individual. Now, was that something that your own head of house taught you?"

"Yes, Victoria Doge; a superb Slytherin, by the way. But what does this have to do with the vaults?"

"Don't you see?" Morgan spread her hands, gesturing in her excitement. "Salazar Slytherin knew that relations with other wizards and their respective houses had to be maintained in order for students of his own house to succeed! Without them, his own students' plans would never come to fruition. Added to which, competition brings out the best performance of anything! We see it all the time in Quidditch, or any kind of sports. So, he had to know that the total elimination of competition from the Gryffindors or any other house would only hasten the decline of Slytherin as a whole!

"Somewhere along the way, his teachings got lost or corrupted! Someone or something latched onto the whole notion of pure-blood mania, and attached it to the Slytherin mantle. That's what has caused all the trouble! Students entering into Slytherin are being told that Muggle-borns and half-bloods are unworthy of being wizards, when in fact Salazar Slytherin knew that they were an integral part of the whole of wizardkind! It is only when they appear on the scene to challenge the status quo do the boundaries of magic become stretched and extended in the wake of new developments! Without them to foster competition, wizards fall into inbreeding and decay." She stopped to catch her breath.

Professor Slughorn was staring at her, eyes wide in shock, his mouth agape. He fell into a chair, unable to stand.

Morgan permitted herself a satisfied smile, and then she made her closing argument. "If Salazar Slytherin's writings are still locked up here at Hogwarts, then maybe the key to Slytherin House's current problems doesn't lie in maintaining rigid discipline, but in going back to our roots: the true roots of Slytherin's beginnings!"

Horace Slughorn slowly stood up, and placed his hands on Morgan's shoulders. "Miss Potter, you may well be the brightest Slytherin I have seen in fifty years!" He slipped on his jacket and headed for the door. "Now, you and I are going to see the Headmistress, and you are going to tell her what you just told me; if she agrees, the three of us are going down into the vaults to see the official records of Hogwarts."

"What about your lessons, Professor?"

Professor Slughorn stopped, scribbled a note, and called for a house elf, which appeared instantly. "Take that to the dungeons, and put it on the classroom door," he said, and the elf vanished. He looked at Morgan and smiled, "Classes canceled until further notice. That should put smiles on a few faces."

Professor Merrythought's reaction was even stronger than Professor Slughorn's. "Are you saying Salazar Slytherin didn't build the Chamber of Secrets?" she gasped.

Morgan frowned, a bit puzzled. "I didn't think of that, Professor. But it does seem a bit contradictory, doesn't it? The point is that I think Slytherin's message has gotten lost along the way. It's possible that Voldemort corrupted those teachings for his own ends. It's something he would have done, after all!"

Professor Merrythought nodded, and smiled. "You're right on that. All right, you've sufficiently intrigued me with this insight that I think a trip to the vaults is needed. When I took over after poor Percy Weasley was forced to resign, following the Acromantula attack, he told me where the records were kept." She dashed off a note, attached it to her owl, which then flew off. Walking over to a wall of books she pulled one volume halfway out of the shelf. The bookcase slid to one side, revealing a torchlit staircase descending into the bowels of the castle. "Well, come along, you two. We've got a bit of a walk ahead of us."

The three walked down the steps, four complete circles of the spiral staircase by Morgan's count, until they alighted in a stone passageway. A lean, cadaverous figure was waiting for them with a lighted lantern. "Ah, Argus, thank you for meeting us here."

Argus Filch nodded politely and glanced at Morgan with a raised eyebrow. "A detention in the vaults, Professors?" He looked hopeful.

Professor Merrythought laughed, and Morgan thought it was indeed a merry sound. "No, nothing like that, Argus. Young Miss Potter here has presented us with a unique idea, which must be resolved against the writings of Salazar Slytherin himself."

The aged castle keeper looked at Morgan with a bit more respect. "Well, it's this way!" With that, he led the way down the hall, stopping now and then to light a torch.

Morgan had never been this deep in the castle, and she noted that the stones in the walls were sitting tightly together without mortar, and she realized with a start that she didn't know who had actually built Hogwarts Castle. Well, it was probably written down someplace.

"Here we are!" Filch stopped before a solid iron door which had three stout brass locks built into the door itself. "Now, to get in, all three keys have to be turned at once. Since I'm tallest, I'll do the top; Headmistress, you do the middle, and you, little girl, get the bottom one." He passed out the keys and handed his lantern to Professor Slughorn. "On three: one, two, three!" The keys turned, and there was a low booming sound, then the door swung open revealing a room three times as large as the Great Hall. There were many times many rows of books; one entire wall was devoted to a latticework screen with each hole containing a single scroll. Tables were scattered about with piles of books and catalogs, and everywhere there were house-elves dashing this way and that as they scrupulously maintained the records of the school.

"This is incredible," Morgan breathed, "I never dreamed this even existed." She turned to look at the three adults who were smiling at her, sharing the joke of a newcomer being initiated. She smiled a bit tremulously. "I'd thought the word 'vault' meant a small cramped room with a lot of dusty papers."

"A common misconception, Miss Potter," Slughorn said, chuckling.

Two house-elves came running up and bowed. "What would you like to see?"

"Any personal papers and mission of intent in the founding of Slytherin House, specifically those writings of Salazar Slytherin himself." Professor Merrythought said. The elves turned and ran off.

"If you can manage without me," Filch said, holding his lantern, "I've got other work to do."

Professor Merrythought nodded. "Thank you, Argus. Do be careful on the steps."

Mr. Filch nodded, and walked back out the door, listing slightly to one side.

"He's nearing retirement age, Melinda," Professor Slughorn remarked.

"I know, Horace. But how do I say it to him? He's been here more than fifty years."

"Here are the only copies of Slytherin's records," said one of the house-elves, as the two of them trotted up, carrying a thick green leather-bound book, and several scrolls bound with red ribbons. "A table has been prepared."

"The only ones?" Professor Merrythought asked, looking at the small pile with disappointment.

Professor Slughorn nodded sadly. "After his famous quarrel with Godric Gryffindor, Slytherin reportedly stormed out of the castle, taking along most of the things that were his. We can only hope he left some things behind."

Feeling as though she were in the middle of a test, Morgan Potter carefully read through one of the scrolls. She glanced now and then at the headmistress, and Professor Slughorn to see if they had better luck than she had, but as far as she could see, they hadn't. Professor Merrythought was flipping through the pages of the green book, scanning through the text, while Professor Slughorn was engrossed in a scroll whose writing was as twisty as a box full of snakes.

Morgan found herself getting irritated with the writing, when she saw something that caused her heart to beat faster than a hummingbird's! 'It is therefore only logical that students shall make close studies of their fellow classmates, and make friendships and alliances with students other than those of Slytherin, irregardless of their origins. To presuppose that talent or social potential can only come from pure bloodlines is to ignore the existence of random chance, which has been an active factor in the annals of magic since before the beginning of time.'

"I've got it!" Morgan cried.

The two professors jumped, looked at her, and then Professor Slughorn whipped out a Quick Quote Quill and set it to begin recording. At his request, she spoke aloud what she had just read. "Go on, read the next paragraph," he instructed.

"The purpose of Slytherin House shall be threefold: First, to establish a house reserved for those of high ambition and great desires (regardless of family or origins) who have both the aspiration and the will to achieve as much as possible or more than the circumstances from which they have come. Second, to build upon the fact that not all are equal, nor are all desirous of the same treatment as their fellows; those who want more shall naturally attempt to secure more. Third, to establish alliances, associations, political linkages, or marital contracts for the purpose of bettering one's own station in the wizarding world."

"A bit cold-blooded about it all," Professor Merrythought said with an ironic smile.

Professor Slughorn chuckled. "We Slytherins are ambitious, and we admit it!" He looked at Morgan, and she nodded.

The headmistress shrugged. "What do I know? I was a Ravenclaw!"

The work continued on for several more hours, but at last the core teachings of Salazar Slytherin were copied down. Then they left the vaults and headed back up to Professor Merrythought's office.

"Now what are you going to do, Horace?" Professor Merrythought asked, as they entered her office again. She waved the potions professor and Morgan to seats opposite her desk.

"Copy these notes onto more parchment, and then Miss Potter and I will hand them out to all members of Slytherin House at a meeting of all concerned. It's not going to be a cure-all, Professor Merrythought. I think it's going to take years, decades perhaps, to wean Slytherin House away from the Pureblood dogma that Voldemort, or whoever, fed them. But, it's a start."

Morgan cleared her throat. "May I add something?"

Professor Merrythought laughed. "Of course, Miss Potter. You're the one who started all this!"

"Well, first of all, I think that Salazar Slytherin's thoughts should be turned into a handout: required reading for all Slytherin students, especially first year ones." Professor Slughorn nodded, and tipped an imaginary hat in her honor. "Second, I think it's very ironic that it took the near-fatal cursing of my sister, Kay, to start all this." She cast her eyes down for a moment, and then rallied. "My sister is a Squib, and yet, she's here at Hogwarts, and she's fast becoming the best Gryffindor in her class. She'll probably be restricted to second year spells for the rest of her life, but that's not holding her back! When I was at home with her recently, she was saying that people kept asking her about how she'd managed to defeat Marcus Goyle. The very idea that she could beat a wizard with nothing but her bare hands was just unbelievable to people. The idea that Muggle methods could defeat wizarding ones is shocking."

"What are you saying, Miss Potter?" Professor Slughorn asked.

Morgan frowned. "I'm not quite sure," she thought for a moment, and then looked at her teachers. "Please, don't speak a word of this to anyone!" They nodded, and Morgan continued thinking out loud. "Before this term started, Kay had an Essence Test done at St. Mungo's, and it revealed her Squib nature. She was very distraught. My Mum and Dad introduced her to a Muggle man in London who's been teaching her unarmed combat, an art form known as Karate. According to my sister the literal translation is, 'the open hand'. It's what she's used to defeat Marcus Goyle, twice. Thanks to that, she's feeling better about herself, and I've even heard that other students want to learn from her!" Morgan smiled as her thoughts suddenly crystallized into a jewel of inspiration, and she stared at her teachers in triumph. "Without knowing it, my sister, Kay Potter, a loyal Gryffindor, is fulfilling the true precepts of Slytherin House!"

"Are you really only twelve, Miss Potter?" Slughorn asked bemusedly.

Professor Merrythought smiled. "I think that both Miss Potter here and her sister Kay should both be given awards for Special Services to the School! I'll inform the Board of Governors tonight, and I'm sure they'll agree!

"Now, you both need to go, because supper is almost over, I should make at least a partial appearance at the staff table."

Professor Slughorn glanced at his gold pocket-watch. "Oh my! It is late, isn't it? Come along, Morgan. We'll drop off the notes in my office, and then we'll head off to supper as well."

After stopping in at his office, Professor Slughorn and Morgan walked together toward the Great Hall, where sounds of eating and merrymaking could be heard. "Miss Potter, do you think your sister Kay would be interested in switching houses?" Professor Slughorn's face was alive with mirth.

Morgan stifled a snort of laughter. "Not a chance! She loves Gryffindor!"

"A pity. Because as you so eloquently pointed out, she would make a fine inspiration to our fellow Slytherins."

"She still can, Professor. Remember? Salazar Slytherin actually believed in making alliances with other houses."

"Touché, Miss Potter."