Fourth years and younger were dismissed early, as it was getting later in the evening.

"It's probably a good thing you weren't a prefect, huh, Potter?" Malfoy grinned. "If you had you would've just lost it."

"If I had gotten it, I would have given it to Ron anyway." Harry snapped. The locket burned, and he could feel the fiery dark magic seeping into his veins.

"Oh, yes, definitely still a lion there." Malfoy said. "Blaise, you'll have to help me shave that mane off if he's going to have any chance surviving in slytherin."

Harry's wand tip buried itself into Malfoy's midriff. "I'm not afraid to hex, jinx, or charm you." Harry didn't look at Malfoy as he spoke lowly, instead keeping his head level and facing ahead. "I am in a very bad mood and highly likely to cast a violent spell at the next person who so much as tries to take a jab at me, even if it's Albus Dumbledore himself."

Zabini whistled appreciatively, then noticed Harry's wand, digging painfully into Malfoy's side. Malfoy himself was alarmed, behind the indifference. Zabini's face gained a tint of wariness. Maybe Harry was someone to worry about.

"Am I understood?" Harry asked.

"Yeah. We get it." Zabini said, before someone else got Malfoy hexed. Harry slipped his wand back into his pocket.

They didn't talk much the rest of the sorting. The Weasley's all returned to gryffindor.

Slytherin. He was going to have to survive slytherin and Umbridge this year, as well as hunt and destroy the horcruxes he could get to without anyone noticing. 

"Is there something on my face?" Harry asked a while later, having noticed Malfoy staring.

"A scar." Malfoy replied.

"I wasn't aware." Harry deadpanned.

"Blaise, how do you think he'd look in green?" Malfoy asked.

Zabini looked at Harry thoughtfully. "It would probably bring out those eyes."

"Hmm." Malfoy hummed, resting his face on a fist as he leaned on the table. "We'll have to do something about his hair."

"You won't do anything to my hair." Harry glared.

"We'll see." Malfoy said. "Oh, look, they've gotten to the seventh years."

Harry was grateful when the whole thing was over, and they were excused to go to their dorms. Of course, now he had to sleep among Slytherins who would probably turn him in to Voldemort at the first chance they got.

Harry nearly jumped out of his skin when he was grabbed by the arm and pulled off to the side. He was met face to face with Ron, who had a hold of him, and Hermione.

"Harry, you have to go to Dumbledore." Hermione said.

"No." Harry said. "Dumbledore can't help me."

"He's the headmaster, of course he can-" Ron insisted.

"He didn't even look at me once during my hearing." Harry said. 

"You probably just didn't notice-" Hermione defended him.

Harry tugged his arm out of Ron's grasp.

"Mate, you aren't gonna make it through the night." Ron said. "There isn't a single slytherin who wouldn't kill you in your sleep!"

"Did you not see what table I was sitting at?" Harry hissed. "I'm in fucking slytherin."

"Well, it's a bloody mistake-"

"It's not, Ron." Harry interrupted.

"You knew you were going to be resorted." Hermione said. "You said so."

Harry nodded.

"Harry?" Ron asked.

"The hat wanted to put me in slytherin in first year." Harry said. "It didn't because I said no."

"You didn't have an opinion this time." Hermione whispered.

Ron looked at Harry in horror. "But... But... You're not a slytherin. You're not one of those snakes..."

"I have to go." Harry said. "There's a lot I need to do tonight."

"Harry-"

Harry turned around and headed for the dungeons. 

"Harry!" Hermione called out.

He didn't turn around.

He didn't have enough energy to deal with Ron and Hermione right now. He had to get this locket somewhere safe, fast. And then he had to make sure he'd survive the night.

Harry took a long route to the dungeons, using the time to catch his breath, and come up with a plan. He passed several portraits that gave him odd looks. He tried to think of any nooks or crannies he could stow it in. 

The Sorting Hat had told him that what he was looking for was in the restricted section. Harry assumed it had meant the library, and not a restricted section elsewhere. If what he was looking for was in the library... Was the hat talking about a hiding place or answers as to how Harry had gone back in time?

He arrived at the dungeons with only half plans, none of which would work. Malfoy was leaning against the wall, presumably waiting for him.

"There he is." Malfoy said, standing straight. "Got lost, did you?"

"Took the long way." Harry said.

Malfoy scoffed. "Who'd you ask for directions?"

"Nobody." Harry said. "I've been here before."

"Like I'd believe that." Malfoy turned to the entrance.

"Second year." Harry said. "We used polyjuice to look like Crabbe and Goyle. You nearly caught us."

Malfoy looked at Harry with wide eyes.

"Hermione was stuck in the hospital wing because the hair she snatched off of Bulstrode's robes was a cat's." Harry said. "So, are you going to let us inside?"

"Duty." Malfoy said, and the wall opened, revealing the passage to the common room. Harry walked in first, followed by Malfoy.

Harry walked into the slytherin common room. Green lamps hung from rough hewn walls. Part of the room was under the lake, further solidifying a green hue to the room. There were plenty of low backed black and green leather sofas. The room felt like the opposite of Gryffindor, except Harry could still see some similarities.

"Come along, Potter." Malfoy said, walking past Harry. Harry followed him to the dorms. Malfoy stopped at a door, and beside it was a plaque that read: Blaise Zabini, Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter. Malfoy smirked at Harry. "Looks like you're staying with us."

"Why wouldn't I?" Harry asked.

"We're usually in pairs." Malfoy said, and opened the door.

"Oi, Draco, where d'you think he's at-" Blaise asked, and then saw Harry behind. "There you are."

Harry quickly spotted his trunk, sitting at the foot of a slytherin bed.

"It is a strange sight to see Harry Potter down here." Zabini said.

Harry wasn't quite paying attention. He needed to find a place to stash the locket before Moody undoubtedly reported it to Dumbledore, if he hadn't already. 

"Is there a portrait of Salazar Slytherin here?" Harry blurted.

Malfoy blinked. "Yes. Why do you ask?"

"I need to talk to him." Harry said, already walking to the door.

"Why do you need to talk to him?" Zabini asked.

Harry opened the door and walked out. Malfoy and Zabini exchanged a look before following him.

"He's this way." Zabini said, and Harry narrowed his eyes slightly before following.

There was a portion of wall with a few portraits precisely spaced apart. Harry's eyes scanned the people, before catching a familiar green, and the slytherin locket.

"Salazar Slytherin." Harry spoke up, catching the portrait's attention.

Salazar looked at Harry curiously. "Now, you're a new face. Far too old to be a first year. Are those gryffindor robes? Ah, I see. You must be Harry Potter, the lion among snakes."

"Rumour mill's already going, then." Harry said.

"Indeed." Salazar said. "Why did you come to me?"

"I need your help." Harry hissed in parseltongue.

Salazar's brow quirked. "Another parseltongue. It's been quite a while. What do you need?"

"I assume you know Tom Riddle, also known as Voldemort." Harry said, "And you know what a horcrux is."

"How do you know what a horcrux is, boy?" Salazar's eyes narrowed.

"That's my problem." Harry sighed, and took the locket out from under his shirt, so that it sat over his robes.

"How did you get his locket?" Malfoy demanded as soon as he looked between the two, confirming its identity. Zabini was just as shocked.

"Indeed. How did you get my locket?" Salazar's voice was bordering the line between calm and furious.

"It's changed hands quite a bit... But what I think you'd rather know is that Voldemort turned it into a horcrux."

That seemed to do it. "Why do you tell me this? To mock me?"

"To get your help. I need a safe place to hide it before someone else gets a hold of it." Harry explained. "I can destroy it, I just need time to nab the thing that'll do it."

"My basilisk-"

"-Is dead."

"Oh." Salazar said. "Now, how did that happen?"

"It went after students, and then it bit me... So... I might have killed it." Harry grimaced internally. 'Hey, I killed your pet, wanna help me out?'

"Yes... I remember students were being petrified a few years ago. That was my basilisk?" Salazar frowned. "If you were bit, how are you still alive?"

"The headmaster's phoenix saved me."

"Ah. I see..." Salazar trailed off. "If you will destroy the filth that he's made of my locket... I will help you."

"Thank you." Harry said awkwardly. "I don't mean to rush you or anything, but I really do have to get it off me tonight. The headmaster is probably going to come try to take it from me. He doesn't know it's a horcrux, just that I have a dark object."

"Hmm." Salazar thought. "The Room of Requi-"

"I'd rather not, there's already a horcrux in there."

"Another of Riddle's?"

"Yeah."

"What on earth did he use?"

"Rowena's diadem."

Salazar hissed in distaste. "Then I have another idea."

Salazar then explained another entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, because when the original entrance had been adapted with the addition of the girls' toilets, it would have been odd for a man to use it.  

"Malfoy." Salazar called out to the blond. "You are a prefect, yes... Help this young man."

Malfoy stared. "You want me to help him?"

"That is what I said." Salazar said. "Now, just pretend to be doing prefect duties. He knows where to go."

Malfoy blinked. "Yes, sir."

"C'mon." Harry said, already heading off.

"How did you get his locket?" Malfoy shoved Harry against a wall once they were out of the common room. "Why are you two... working together?"

Harry ducked out of Malfoy's grasp. "Because I need his help, and he wants mine."

Malfoy narrowed his eyes. "Start walking then. I don't want to be caught with the likes of you."

Harry shrugged, and looked around, before finding the right hallway. Harry ignored Malfoy's side eye and stare as he looked for the statue that Salazar had described.

Eventually he found it. This statue had fine rune work along it's belt, and down the fingers of it's gauntlets. Harry checked the back of it's helm, and found an 'S' in the same style as the locket. "There it is." 

"What?" Malfoy said. "It's just a statue."

"You should be nicer to them," Harry said absently. "They're magic."

"They're stone."

"That's been magicked." Harry added, standing back to back with the statue. 

"And what makes you say that?" Malfoy asked, unamused. "What are you doing now?"

"I'd stand back if I were you." Harry said.

Malfoy crossed his arms and glared at Harry. 

"Suit yourself." Harry said. "Open."

When the Parseltongue left his mouth, the floor moved beneath them. Harry's tile dropped like a rapid elevator. The floor where Malfoy was, however, dropped open and he free fell. If Harry had to write out the sound Malfoy made, the closest he could get would be 'Eyuh' with an exclamation point or two.

The thud of Malfoy's landing came a second before Harry's magic elevator clicked into the floor. The hallway floor above replaced itself, and left them in darkness. 

Harry pulled his wand from his pocket. "Lumos." For a long second, the spell didn't take. It was like there was a pressure in Harry's wand, and it was blocking him. Then the spell took hold, and a light glow filled the room.

Malfoy groaned.

"I told you to step back." Harry said, and offered a hand to help him up.

Malfoy rolled over, spotted Harry's hand, whacked it aside, and stood up himself. Harry didn't miss a wince from the blond. Malfoy drew his own wand, and cast lumos himself. "Where are we?"

"The Chamber of Secrets." Harry said, and began to walk down the tunnel ahead.

"The Chamber of Secrets." Malfoy echoed. "Are you serious?"

"Where else would Salazar Slytherin send me?" Harry retorted.

Malfoy didn't have a reply. They walked in silence for a few minutes. Eventually the tunnel opened up into a chamber. 

The sides of the chamber were flanked by large pillars, entwined with carved wood designed to look like serpents, the statue of Slytherin at the far end. A green gloom reflected off the water, and a smell of rot permeated from the last bits of flesh clinging to the bones of the basilisk.

Malfoy froze in his steps.

Harry walked over to a pillar, and searched for the hidden alcove that Salazar had told him of. It was hard to take the locket off. It was a relief, but it also felt like the prolonged exposure had had an effect on him; or more specifically the horcrux in him. He tucked the locket into the alcove, and then walked back to Malfoy, who was still staring at the basilisk skeleton.

"Come on." Harry said, softly. "I want to get some sleep before I have to deal with tomorrow."

Malfoy followed him back out the tunnel, and Harry pulled him to stand on the tile. It was awkward being so close, but the other option was to get left behind. "Rise." Harry said, and the tile rose up. Malfoy was quick to turn back to the Slytherin common room, and Harry followed behind.

A/N

The first chapter in the Halloween double update!

Thoughts so far?