Unofficial Portkey Archive

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Harry Potter Characters. They are the property of J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., etc. No money was made for the creation of this story.

Chapter 5: Vincent and the Chamber of Secrets

"Please! Show mercy!" a man cried as he stumbled onto the floor. His face was pale, his black tuxedo tattered, and blood flowed freely from his hands and face. "I'll give you whatever you want…just please…please don't kill me!"

"I wish you stop whimpering! What kind of man are you?" Willard snarled as he aimed his wand at the man's forehead. "I would ask you for any last requests, but I already know what you're going to ask…and the answer, my dear friend, is no."

"Please!" the man screamed, covering his face with his arms. "Please don't kill me!"

"Avada Kedavra," Willard chanted quietly, beaming as he watched the green sparks fly into the man's shuddering body.

"What was all that racket, Crooked?" Vincent asked when he walked up to him.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that!" he replied harshly, his hand absentmindedly moving to rub his twisted nose.

"You know that there are charms that exist that would repair…your disfigurement," he grinned as he looked down at the dead man.

"It's a reminder," he replied almost growl-like, pushing the man's still body aside with his foot. "I'll have it fixed once I kill Potter. He will pay for --"

"You idiot!" Vincent suddenly snapped when he realized whom Willard had killed. "You good for nothing, sorry piece of troll dung! You have any idea of what you have just done?"

"I don't appreciate the tone you're using with me," Willard said, his eyes narrowing. "And to answer your question…I just rid this world of one more pathetic Muggle."

"I don't care what you appreciate, you stubborn arse!" he replied as he shook his head in disbelief. "Did you realize that the Muggle of which you have just gotten rid off was the head butler?"

"And what makes him so special?" he asked as he looked down at dead butler.

"Aside from the head Muggle of this house, which you butchered before he even had a chance to say a word, the butler is the only person in his whole castle who would possibly know where the crest is!" Vincent shouted as he took a hold of Willard's cloak. "Because of you, we'll have to tear this entire bloody building apart to find the crest!"

"If you do not let go of me, I swear that you will regret it," he said lowly, his grip on his wand tightening.

"Don't you dare threaten me, boy," Vincent growled as he pushed Willard aside and stepped over the dead butler. "You wouldn't stand a chance against me in a fight. If our Lord didn't find your wretched carcass useful, I would have the time of my life cutting you down."

"You are nothing but talk," he replied as he rolled his eyes.

"Some of our comrades say you possess the confidence of youth…I see nothing more than ignorance and disrespectfulness."

Before Willard had a chance to reply, Vincent swiftly drew his sword. Willard's eyes flashed with fear and the next thing he knew, he was up against the wall with the tip of the blade pressed against his chest. Vincent noticed Willard's eyes frantically move about the sword and with a triumphant snicker he lowered his blade.

"Don't test my patience," Vincent grinned coldly as he sheathed his sword. "Your blood would be spilt all over this wonderful carpet if I hadn't held back. You understand why they say to respect your superiors, don't you?"

"Can't say I'm familiar with the reason," he replied, averting his eyes away from Vincent's.

"The reason is those who don't respect their superiors don't deserve to live long and fruitful existences," he explained as he made his way into the extravagant living room. "To a superior, anyone who breaks the rules doesn't mind having their bones broken. I most certainly feel that it's a fair trade."

"That's comforting to know," Willard muttered sarcastically. "You know, this castle is almost the size of Hogwarts, don't you reckon that there is bound to be someone else in this castle aside from these two Muggles?"

"Well if you ever bothered to read my briefing you'd know that the majority of the castle's staff has the week off," Vincent replied incredulously. "According to my source, the mother and their only daughter are off somewhere in France, and the head of the household and, maybe, the lead butler were the only people to currently inhabit the place.

"Good to know that my source was accurate about the butler," Vincent said as he glared at Willard, who immediately looked away.

Vincent cursed himself for bringing the boy along and continued to look around the living room, stopping for a few moments to examine himself in front of a large mirror that hung next to the fireplace.

"Now if I were a Muggle," he said to himself, "where would I hide such a treasure? More than likely it would be in some sort of safe…but where would I keep that?"

"Will you quit talking to yourself and start looking," Willard scoffed as he headed towards the grand staircase.

"What did I say about respect," Vincent replied, following Willard up the stairs.

The two stopped halfway when they noticed the family portrait hanging from the north wall. The father stood tall in his blue tuxedo and radiated of success and wealth. The mother stood beside the father, wearing a white flowing gown. She looked like a very kind and loving woman, possessing a humble sort of beauty. Their pretty daughter, who looked no older than twenty, sat in a white chair in front of the two and wore a conservative red dress. All in all, they seemed like a decent and happy bunch.

Vincent looked over at Willard and noticed him eyeing the daughter with extreme interest. He rolled his eyes at his insubordinate Neanderthal of a partner and decided to press on, wanting to finish their assignment as soon as possible. When Willard finally came back to his senses, he quickly followed.

The two found themselves at the beginning of a very long hallway. It was very nicely decorated with flush carpet; something Vincent would have spent time to admire if it weren't for the several dozen doors that appeared before them. Vincent released a defeated sigh, knowing that all his hopes of quickly finishing their assignment were shattered.

"Oh this will take forever," Vincent groaned as he looked over at Willard. "The crest could be in any one of these rooms. We could comb through this castle for an entire week and not find the damned thing."

Willard was ready to snap with a rude comment, but stopped when they heard something rustle behind the closest door to their right. The two eyed the door carefully and drew their wands, slowly taking a step towards it. They listened carefully and upon hearing another sound, they knew someone or something had to be inside the room.

"You sure there's no one else here?" Willard asked quietly as he pressed his back against the wall beside the door.

"No else should be here," Vincent replied as he readied his wand and placed his free hand on the doorknob. "I'll go first…can't afford to have you blast whoever it may be behind it. It could be our last hope in finding that crest."

Willard glared at Vincent for the comment but nodded. Vincent took in a deep breath and upon turning the knob; he kicked open the door and yelled fulgeo, causing a blinding light to fill the room. The two Death Eaters shielded their eyes from the light and heard a girl scream before she collapsed onto the ground. Willard shut the door behind them and they were both surprised to see the daughter from the portrait lying on the floor with her hands covering her head.

"What are you doing here?" Vincent asked as he took hold of her arms and gently pulled her up so she was sitting up. "You're supposed to be off on holiday with your mother."

"I was," she sobbed, her eyes reddened with her tears. "We got home early be-because she fell…ill. She's off to see her physician in London…she won't be home until morning…."

"We don't have time for her stories," Willard exclaimed as pushed by Vincent and knelt down next to the girl, taking a firm hold of her hair. "Tell us where the crest is or we'll --"

Willard was pulled fiercely off his feet and thrown onto his back. He growled and was ready to unleash his pent up aggression until he realized that the tip of Vincent's wand was only inches away from his forehead. He looked up at his superior and was met by very cold eyes.

"We do not harm innocent children!" Vincent roared. "I don't care whether they are Muggle or not. Unless ordered otherwise, we leave innocent children alone. Do I make myself clear, Willard!"

"Clear," Willard replied with a weak nod.

Vincent lowered his wand and turned to face the frightened girl. He knelt next to her and tried to touch her shoulder, but upon seeing his approaching hand, the girl jerked away.

"I am sorry for the intrusion," he said with a friendly tone, slowly retracting his hand. "What is your name, girl?"

"An-Angela," she replied shakily. "You…you killed Laurence…."

"Who's Laurence?" Willard asked intolerantly.

"More than likely, it was the butler," Vincent exclaimed as he shot him a glare.

Willard crossed his arms and muttered something under his breath as he walked over to the door and leaned against it.

"We are not going to hurt you," Vincent said softly to Angela. "All we want is the crest."

"Crest? What crest?" she asked, her sobbing slowly subsiding.

"It is a blue crest…about the size of my hand," Vincent explained as he held his hand out. "It has image of a raven on it and has the name Ravenclaw written along the bottom. Have you seen it?"

Angela thought for a second and nodded quickly.

"Do you know where it is?" Vincent asked with a bright and sincere smile.

"It's…in my father's study," she replied. "He has been studying it for the longest time. It…it should be somewhere on his desk. He wouldn't leave it anywhere else."

"Where is your father's study?"

"It's the room at the end of the hallway," she said as Vincent helped her up to her feet. "There…there is a picture of my grandmother next to the door. But…it has a lock on it…my father has the key."

"That won't be a problem," Vincent smiled as he looked at Willard, who was looking very impatient. He turned back to Angela and placed a warm hand on her shoulder. "Thank you very much. You stay here. I promise that we'll be gone before you --"

The three heard the front doors of the castle open and what sounded like a group of people entering the living room. Willard quickly pulled out his wand and placed his ear against the door, listening to the people urgently scramble around.

"It could be Aurors," Willard whispered to Vincent. "There are three…maybe four of them."

"All right then," Vincent replied as he settled Angela onto a chair and quickly moved to Willard. "You take care of getting that crest and apparate outside. I'll stall our little pests until you come through the front door. We'll sandwich them in."

Willard nodded and slowly opened the door. He quickly stuck his head out to take a look around before leaving the room. Vincent gave Angela a friendly grin before leaving, closing the door behind him. He quietly made his way to the grand staircase where he found the Aurors waiting.

"We knew it would only be a matter of time before you Death Eaters showed your face," an Auror said in a firm tone as he took a step forward, his wand readied. "We know that you have the crest. Come down peacefully and you won't be harmed."

"I'm very sorry to disappoint you, gents, but I will not be handing the crest to anyone except my lord," Vincent replied as he pulled out his wand with his left hand and drew his blade with the right. "I would like to say I have no quarrel with you…but that would be a lie, wouldn't it?"

"You know that you don't stand a chance against us," another Auror exclaimed as he took a step forward. "You are out numbered three to one."

"I don't believe that it is the numbers that matter, but who participates," Vincent grinned as took a step down, causing the three Aurors to move into their dueling stances. "You are about to confront Vincent Palaris. It'll take more than the three of you to make it an even fight."

"How dare --" the first Auror started but stopped when they heard a loud crack behind them.

They quickly turned and found Willard looking at them with searing eyes, the tip of his wand glowing green. The Aurors didn't have time to react. The moment they raised their wands, the two Death Eaters had all ready begun the attack.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Harry's eyes suddenly opened and he tried to sit up, but something was weighing him down. He rested his head back against the pillow and took in a deep breath, his right hand searching randomly for his wand. When he couldn't find it, he took in another breath and quickly observed his surroundings. He released a sigh of relief when he remembered that he was in the sanctity of Hermione's bedroom.

"Another dream…I have to tell Dumbledore," he said quietly to himself as he wiped the cold sweat from his brow and looked at his beautiful girlfriend, sleeping soundly against his shoulder. He then slowly turned his head to look at the clock.

"Five o'clock…I have to meet Keung. I'll tell him about my dream."

Harry slowly and gently rolled Hermione off him, hoping not to wake her. After succeeding, he gave her a gentle kiss on her cheek and stood from the bed. He raised his arms above his head and stretched, hearing the usually bones crack. He gazed back down at Hermione and gave her a soft smile before quietly sneaking into the Head Boy's lavatory.

He looked at himself in the mirror. His eyes had dark circles around them and his hair was as messy as ever. He released a sigh as he picked up his toothbrush and proceeded to brush his teeth, his eyes focusing on the water that swirled down the drain.

His mind had wandered back onto the dream that he just had, especially focusing on the face of Vincent Palaris. When Vincent looked at himself in the mirror, it was the very first time Harry had ever seen his face. He had a pale complexion and his nose was slightly hooked, but what stuck out most in Harry's mind were his eyes. They were cold as ice and were shaped like a snake. Harry shuddered at the thought of them, but his mind soon migrated back onto the unforgiving sword.

Harry shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, as he placed his toothbrush back into its container and looked back into the mirror. He was startled to see that the mirror was no longer showing a reflection but instead, showing him a strange void. Harry took a closer look and noticed that something was shimmering at the end of it. The object steadily grew closer and he was soon able to make out the silhouette of a sword. Harry's heart started pounding when he realized that it was the same sword that Vincent wielded, and as it did the morning before he left for King's Cross, it called out to him.

Harry raised his hand and moved to place it against the mirror. His eyes widened when he felt something pull against his hand. He tried to pull back, but the force was overpowering him. As if the mirror were the gateway into the black void, his hand passed through the reflective glass, moving closer to the approaching sword.

Harry did his best to free himself, but the moment his eyes focused upon the sword, he became fixated on it. He opened his hand and reached for the hilt, ignoring the fact that he had pushed his arm deeper into the mirror. Harry's conscience was screaming at him to pull away, but it had no effect. He wanted that sword. He wanted to hold it. He wanted to claim power over it.

"Harry!" he heard Hermione call the Common Room. "Harry…are you here?"

Harry snapped out of his trance and looked towards the entrance of his bathroom. Upon hearing Hermione's footsteps moving closer towards him, he fiercely pulled his arm back. To Harry's unfortunate surprise, the force that he had earlier experience had vanished, causing him to fly onto his back.

"You okay, Harry?" Hermione exclaimed as she rushed to his side and helped him to his feet.

Harry took in several deep breaths as he looked into the mirror, once again seeing its reflection.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah…just fine," Harry smiled weakly. "You know me…accidents in bathrooms and all…."

Hermione forced out a giggle, but Harry could see that she didn't believe what just happened was an accident. He opened his mouth, ready to explain, but was silenced when she placed her hand over his lips.

"You can explain later," she said in a soothing voice. "You have to get ready. You need to meet up with Keung in forty-five minutes."

He just nodded. She gave him a warm smile and kissed him on the cheek before making her way out of the bathroom.

Harry took in a deep breath and gazed into the mirror once more. He approached it slowly and held out his hand. He touched the smooth glass and watched it carefully, but nothing happened. The green sword started to creep back into his mind; however, this time his conscience was able to ward it off.

Not wanting to spend anymore time pondering over his unusual mirror, Harry quickly got ready for his day. When he left his lavatory, he found Hermione sitting in their armchair with her comforter wrapped around her. She was staring into the fire with a very anxious look on her face.

"Don't forget the promise you made me," she said to as she shifted to one side of the armchair, making room for him.

"You know that I will keep my promise," he replied as he took a seat and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. "I'll be back before you know it."

"You say that with such ease. It'll feel like an eternity," she muttered against his shoulder. "You know I hate playing the role of the worried housewife waiting desperately for her husband to come home."

"I know, love," he replied as he kissed the side of her head.

She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked into his eyes. The fire flickered within them, creating a unique combination of red, orange, and green. She cupped his cheek with her hand and gave him a gentle kiss, in which he returned along with several more.

Harry tightened his arms around her, he completely losing himself in her soft and sweet lips. He knew that if things did go horribly wrong today, this might be the last time he'd ever get the chance to do this. Though upon thinking of his prophecy, unless Voldemort, himself, were to wander back into the chambers, he should return alive.

Hermione could feel that his mind was wandering, and thus deepened their kisses. It worked. All his worries of the upcoming morning had vanished, leaving only his thoughts of Hermione. He felt like he was floating.

When they finally parted, Hermione looked up at the clock and took in a nervous breath.

"It's five-fifty, Harry," she said. "You best be off. You don't want to make Keung wait."

"I don't think he'll mind if I were a few minutes late," Harry replied with a grin.

She grinned back at him. "I know he wouldn't mind…but you can't delay this mission. You have to get that crest before Voldemort does."

Harry nodded to her and painfully released her from his arms. He gave her one last kiss before standing from their armchair, doing his best to straighten his clothes.

"Come back to me, Mr. Potter," she said with a weak smile.

"I promise I will, Ms. Granger," he replied as he took her hand in his and gave it a kiss.

She giggled quietly and gave his hand a squeeze. He released her hand and slowly made his way towards the door.

"Oh wait!" Hermione exclaimed as she quickly pulled something out of her pocket and tossed it to him. "Just incase you and Keung need to make a quick getaway."

Harry caught the object and saw that it was his pocket watch. He couldn't believe that he had forgotten to take it with him. He gave her warm smile and whispered thanks before making his way out of the Common Room.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Harry entered the Quidditch locker room and found Keung sitting on one the benches. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and a very disturbed look on his face. The look worried Harry and he knew immediately that it had to do with what he saw in his dream.

"It was Willard Cross and Vincent Palaris," Harry stated as he took a seat next to his guardian.

"So I take you had a dream about it," Keung replied as he looked at Harry.

"Yeah," he nodded, turning to look at the floor. "I just had it about an hour or so ago."

"So it was only two of them…unbelievable. Two Death Eaters killed four Aurors and seriously injured one," Keung said in a very depressed tone, shaking his head.

"What? There were five Aurors?" Harry asked, looking back at Keung. "I only remembered seeing three?"

"If your dreams do show you exactly what took place, it may have ended early last night," Keung said as he stood up and stretched his back. "Three Aurors went in first, but when they didn't returned, two more went it to see what happened. The first three were killed, and out of the two that went it after, one was killed…the other was injured so badly that he was left for dead."

Keung looked at Harry with an uncomfortable expression. Harry could tell that he was holding something back.

"What is it?"

"The backup Auror that was killed…" Keung started, but stopped for a second before continuing. "I'm sorry, Harry. The backup Auror that was killed was Kingsley Shacklebolt."

Harry couldn't believe it at first, but when the truth finally sank it, he clenched his fists tightly and stared at the floor. He remembered the Auror well. He was one of the Order members that escorted him from the Dursleys to Grimmauld place at the start of his fifth year. He was the Order member that tried to protect him from Magnolia Reins when he was taking the Knight Bus to the Leaky Cauldron at the start of his sixth year. He held a bold and proud stature, but was very kindhearted and warm. It was a tragedy that his life was ended by the hands of two ruthless killers.

"We best be off," Keung said as he placed his hand on Harry's shoulder. "McDavern, the Auror that survived the encounter, said that he overheard one of the Death Eaters saying that he may go after another crest before this afternoon. We don't know which crest it may be, so let's hope it's not the one we're going after."

"Let's not waste anymore time then," Harry replied as he stood from the bench and proceeded to unlock his locker.

"Wait a second, Harry," Keung said as pulled a bag out from under the bench and took out a gray vest and cloak. "Before you leave, you need to put these on."

Harry gave Keung a peculiar look but held out his hand nonetheless. Keung gave him a mischievous grin and gave him the two garments. Upon releasing them, Harry was shocked to find that they were a lot heavier than he had expected, causing him drop them onto the floor.

"What in the bloody hell are they made out of?" Harry asked as he lifted the vest.

"They are made from the scales of an Ukrainian Ironbelly," Keung replied as he pulled out another vest and proceeded to put it on. "It is very strong…almost as strong as mythril. A lot stronger than most armors…weighs a considerable amount less too."

"Well, I'm glad we're not wearing armor then," Harry said sarcastically as he straightened out his vest and placed on the cloak, nearly losing his balance.

"It's for our protection," Keung grinned as he pulled out a cloak and flung it over his shoulders. "You never know what we'll encounter when we get to the chamber. Believe me, this stuff is strong. It'll absorb most magical attacks without causing too much harm to the wearer. It could and will more than likely save our lives if things don't go as smoothly as we hope.

"Besides, within in the hour, you won't even feel it. It's also the standard battle garb for the Order." Keung pointed to Harry's chest and when he looked down; he noticed the silhouette of a phoenix embroidered across it.

"Well if it's standard battle garb," Harry grinned, no longer caring about the extra weight he had to carry, "then who am I to complain about it."

Keung grinned back as reached into his pocket and pulled out the golden snitch that he had taken from Harry when they were at King's Cross.

"Before I forget," he started as he handed Harry the snitch, "I had Dumbledore give it a look over and he says that it is safe. There were no traces of any enhancements of any sort. I don't know who got it back for you, but they didn't tamper with it."

"That's good to know," Harry smile as he ran his thumb against the fine print, before placing it into his pocket. "I always thought of it as my good luck charm."

"Then it's perfect that you got it back today. Now to find me a broom." Keung turned and made his way towards a set of lockers. "Whose lockers are these?"

"Oh, those belong to the Slytherins," Harry replied as he retrieved his Firebolt from his locker and walked towards him.

"Perfect," he smiled as he pulled out his wand and aimed it at the lock of the closest locker. "Bombarda!"

The lock exploded, causing the locker door to swing open. Keung happily pulled out the Nimbus Two Thousand And One that resided inside and the two quickly made their way out of the Quidditch locker room and the castle.

Once outside, Keung pulled out the parchment that contained the map of the Chamber of the Secrets and examined it.

"Okay, to get to the entrance," he said as he looked up towards the sun, "we'll have to travel northeast for about fifteen or so miles."

Harry nodded and the two mounted their brooms. Keung took off first while Harry tried to re-adjust himself. He knew the extra weight of his vest and cloak would make it a little difficult to control his broom, but not wanting to keep his guardian waiting, he decided to take off and finish his adjustments while in flight.

He struggled a little at first, but was soon able to gain his usual control. However he knew if he had to engage in evasive maneuvers, the extra weight he was carrying could easily throw off his center of balance. But that will be something he'll worry about if the time comes.

"You said the Death Eater with Willard was Vincent Palaris, right?" Keung asked when Harry caught up with him, the two flying at a comfortable but fast speed.

"Yeah," Harry shouted back, the sound of the wind making it somewhat difficult for him to hear. "He's the one that uses that sword that I told you and Dumbledore about."

"That's interesting," Keung said to himself as the two made their way over the Forbidden Forest.

"What?" Harry asked, unable to make out he Keung said.

"I said that was interesting," Keung exclaimed as he slowly drifted closer to Harry, allowing him to better hear him.

"Why is that interesting?"

"The Crest of Eternity was created by a warlock over a thousand years ago," Keung explained. "The name of the warlock was Lord Montgomery Palaris."

"Can't it be a coincidence?" Harry asked as he looked down at the green blur that made the tops of the trees. "You reckon with over a thousand years, there would be hundreds of families with that last name."

"Not that name, Harry," Keung replied as he pulled out the map and quickly examined it. "That was a name that the warlock created for himself and according to Dumbledore, he didn't have any offspring."

"He created a name for himself?"

"Yeah…like Tom Riddle did, Montgomery Palaris was born Montgomery Slytherin."

"Slytherin?" Harry cried as he looked at Keung with astonishment. "Is he related to Salazar Slytherin?"

"They're actually cousins," Keung answered. "Ironically, Montgomery was ashamed with his family for their lack of action against Muggles. The whole lot hated Muggles because during that time Muggles misunderstood the realm of magic and constantly persecuted anyone who seemed abnormal. The Slytherins constantly talked about exterminating them but they never ever took action for the Wizard Council…pretty much the Ministry of Magic of that day, decreed that despite the harms Muggles have caused to the Wizarding World, they were to be protected and wizards who caused them harm by the use of magic would be severely punished. It makes sense, can't form peace if both sides are throwing blows at each other.

"I guess you could say that Montgomery was the only one who possessed the…er…courage to defy the Council. However, knowing that his actions would live in infamy, he didn't want to draw negative attention to his family, so he changed his name before starting on his quest."

"That is kind of ironic," Harry said as the two turned slightly to cut through the wind. "How was Palaris defeated?"

"After the creation of the Crest of Eternity, the Council knew it had to take action," Keung answered. "Though by that time, Palaris had become so powerful that all those who stood before him perished. After several failures, the Council was starting to grow desperate. They originally wanted to only send experienced wizards and witches to go after Palaris, but by this point, they were willing to send out anyone who volunteered for the task.

"A wizard and two witches volunteered. They were all young and were just admitted to the Council, and for those reasons, the other members felt it would have been suicide to let them go, but since they were desperate, they allowed them to anyways. So that marked the start of the illustrious careers of Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Helga Hufflepuff."

"What about Slytherin?" Harry asked as Keung slowly lowered his altitude, he following.

"Slytherin eventually joined the group," Keung explained, "but it was said that it was quite a struggle. Gryffindor and Slytherin never saw eye to eye, and Gryffindor believed that Slytherin could not be trusted since Palaris was his cousin. Though after being convinced by Ravenclaw that they needed as much as they could possibly get, Gryffindor swallowed his pride and went to Slytherin, who was currently being lectured by Hufflepuff to do the right thing.

"The group banded together and went to face Palaris. No one exactly knows how they defeated the warlock, but at the end of a gruesome battle that nearly claimed all four of their lives, Palaris was vanquished.

"The four later returned to the Council and presented them with the crest. The head of the Council felt that no single witch or wizard should ever wield such power on their own and he feared hiding such an artifact because anyone who stumbled upon it could easily claim its power.

"That left with the Council with the option of destroying the crest; however, when that proved impossible, they decided to divide the crest into four equal sections, therefore, dispersing its immense powers. The Council agreed to give the four sections to the four wizards and witches that destroyed Palaris, and gave them the responsibility to ensure that the four pieces would never again be reunited.

"The four accepted their duty and the section they each received was transfigured into a crest of their insignia. From that point, the four went their separate ways, finally reuniting many years after to create Hogwarts. By that time, the four had hidden their crests, and as they had agreed the day they each received a piece of the Crest of Eternity, they never ever spoke of it again."

"So the crest that Willard and Vincent were after last night was the crest of Ravenclaw," Harry said as they began their final descent through a small opening in the treetops.

"Yeah and unfortunately they were successful in doing so," Keung replied, the two safely landing on the soft dirt.

"And the one we're looking for now is no doubt the crest of Slytherin," Harry stated as he dismounted his broom and rested it against his shoulder like a rifle.

"Right you are," Keung said as he pulled out the map and looked at it once more. "Now if this little map is correct, the entrance to the chamber should be right beyond those trees."

Keung pointed to a small growth of trees and shrubs as he folded up the parchment placed it back into his pocket.

The two made their way through the trees and discovered a large pile of boulders. The two cautiously approached the pile, examining it carefully. Harry then found what looked like a snake carved into the center of one of the boulders. He pointed it out to Keung and the two took several steps back.

"Use Parseltongue, Harry," Keung said as he withdrew his wand and held it ready.

Harry nodded and tried to remember how to unlock the ability. He focused his eyes on the carving and opened his mouth. What came out of his mouth was a low hiss. "Open."

The ground around them suddenly started shaking, causing the two kneel down to maintain their balance. Like the bricks at the Leaky Cauldron that formed an archway into Diagon Alley, the boulders came to life and started to roll away from each other, revealing a stone staircase that led into the ground.

"Why you suppose Voldemort never used this to sneak into the castle?" Harry whispered as he and Keung placed their brooms against a nearby tree, and slowly made their way towards the staircase.

"I reckon he never knew about it," Keung replied with a shrug. "The chamber does span out for over fifteen miles, you don't figure he walked that --"

Keung stopped and he looked down at the staircase with extreme interest. Harry, curious of his sudden halt, too looked down and noticed what appeared to be footprints, fresh ones, leading down into the chamber. Keung immediately leaned down and touched the prints; they were fresh. He gave Harry a worried expression and the two swiftly and as quietly as they could, descended the staircase.

This end of the chamber looked exactly like the other end. The walls were dark and slimy, and the stench of rotten animals lingered about the old, stale air. Random bones of small forest animals were littered about the floor and the two could hear water dripping from somewhere within the distance. Thankfully there were cracks in the ceiling, allowing small beams of light to enter the chamber, slightly illuminating their surroundings.

Keung stopped Harry when he noticed a large boulder that had crashed into the wall of the corridor. The two studied the boulder for a second before continuing on. They stopped once more when came across a series of large snake fangs embedded into the wall. Harry examined the fangs closely and noted that they were the about the size of the Basalisk's fangs that he fought during his second year.

"What is all this?" Harry asked as they proceeding deeper into the corridor.

"Looks like sprung traps," Keung replied. "Seems whoever beat us here was able to make it passed them. Though since the footprints only go one way, either he is still in the chamber or he didn't make it passed whatever other goodies Slytherin left behind."

The two continued on until they came upon a fork in their path. Keung led them down the left one and they soon arrived to the entrance of the chamber they were looking for. They heard something rummaging around inside and quietly leaned against the wall next to the door. They quickly peaked inside and found a man wearing a black cloak standing over a stone pedestal with his back to them.

Harry pulled out his wand as Keung gestured with his hands that they needed to charge in and surprise the Death Eater. Harry agreed for it would hopefully prevent a possible deadly fight from taking place. The two readied themselves and after taking a deep breath, they rushed through the doorway with their wands raised.

"You know, if you wish to sneak up on someone, you really ought to be a lot more quieter than that," the man said as he turned to face the two, his wand also raised.

Harry's eyes widened when he realized that the Death Eater standing before them was the very same person whose eyes he has been seeing through in his dreams.

"You're…you're Vincent Palaris," Harry stuttered.

"It's flattering that you know my name, Mr. Potter," Vincent smiled as he bowed his head, before facing Keung. "And you must be Keung Chang."

"That's my name," Keung replied in a low tone. "I take you're searching for the crest of Slytherin."

"Not search my friend, but possess," he grinned happily as he raised his other hand, the green crest shimmering brightly in it. "So I reckon that you gents are going to try to take it from me?"

"That's the idea," Keung replied as he took a step towards him, he in turn taking a step back.

"How did you managed to get into the chamber?" Harry asked while his eyes darted back and forth between Vincent and Keung.

"It's quite simple, Mr. Potter," Vincent replied in Parseltongue, causing Harry and Keung's eyes to widen. "As you can see, Mr. Potter, I have the same ability as you. Trust me when I say those without that ability cannot venture into Salazar Slytherin's chambers.

"Now, I'm sorry," Vincent continued, this time in English, "but I cannot stay and play. My Lord is a on a very strict time schedule, so I can't waste my time with you two. I highly suggest if you two would like to live to fight me another day, you step aside now."

"You're not going to get out of here with that crest!" Harry exclaimed, taking a step towards the door, wanting to prevent any chance of escape.

"I beg to differ, Mr. Potter," Vincent smiled wickedly, his eyes moving towards a large object on the floor.

Harry's eyes moved towards the strange object on the floor and his heart sank when he recognized it to be the dead skin of a very large snake, and from the size of it, it could easily rival with the Basalisk he killed during his second year.

"It's coming," Vincent exclaimed as he lowered his wand. "Don't bother trying to talk to it, Mr. Potter. Since I woke it from his slumber, it will only listen to me. Have fun."

The ceiling above Keung and Harry suddenly burst open as the Basalisk lunged at them. Keung instinctively grabbed Harry and pulled him to the ground, barely avoiding the snake's strike. Vincent took this as his opportunity, and quickly moved around them and out of the door.

Keung quickly picked himself and Harry up from the floor and the two maneuvered around the Basalisk's body and took off after Vincent.

"Did you bring your pocket watch?" Keung asked Harry as Vincent saw the two approaching, causing him to take off at a sprint for the staircase.

"Yeah," Harry replied as he reached into his pocket and pulled it out.

Keung snatched the watch out of Harry's hand and opened it. He pushed on a number, causing a small bright gem to emerge out of the face of the watch. He took the gem and threw it as hard as he could, it landing securely in the hood of Vincent's cloak.

Keung smiled with satisfaction but was abruptly pushed aside by Harry just as the Basalisk broke through the wall next to them, taking a lunge at him.

"And you worry about me lowering my guard during a fight," Harry cried as he quickly dove behind some fallen stone, taking in quick and shallow breaths.

"Thanks for that," Keung replied as he took cover behind a crumbled statue. "Didn't you kill the Basalisk that was in the chamber?"

"I thought I did!" Harry cried as he quickly peered around the fallen stone to see that the serpent was making its way towards Keung. "He's coming for you! Don't look into its eyes or you'll die instantly!"

"That's good to know," Keung exclaimed as he found an old rusty shield on the floor.

He picked it up and shielded his face and upper body as he made a dash out from behind the statue. He didn't make very far when he felt the snout of the Basalisk furiously ram the shield, causing Keung to fly onto his back. He quickly got to his feet with the shield up, but was once again fiercely knocked back onto the ground.

Harry took this as his chance and quickly ran out towards the Basalisk, his wand aimed at the back of the giant snake's head.

"Deflagratio!" Harry bellowed as he unleashed a constant wave of fire from his wand, burning side of the Basalisk's head.

The snake screamed in pain as it jerked about its head away from the fire.

Keung looked out from behind the shield and took aim for the serpent's tail, which blocked off the doorway that led to the staircase.

"Fulguritis!"

Large streams of lightning struck the Basalisk's tail, causing it unleash another scream as it violently rubbed its tail against the dirt.

"Go Harry!" Keung shouted as he pointed towards the staircase.

The two sprinted towards the staircase, easily avoiding the snake's swing tail and randomly launched spells behind them towards the Basalisk as they ascended the stairs.

"Close the chamber!" Keung shouted when the two reached the top.

"Close!" Harry shouted in English. He shook his head and focused. "Close!"

The boulders once again came to life and rolled over to conceal the staircase just in the knick of time. They could hear the angry Basalisk screaming as it rammed its head against the boulders; the two were very happy that rocks didn't budge an inch.

"That was a close one," Harry said breathlessly as he collapsed on his hands and knees, the weight of the cloak and vest taking its toll on him.

"No time to rest now," Keung gasped as he pulled Harry to his feet. "Go get the brooms."

Harry nodded to him and quickly retrieved the brooms. When he returned, he saw Keung fiddling around with the pocket watch.

"What about the Basalisk?" Harry asked as he handed Keung the Nimbus Two Thousand And One.

"We'll tell Dumbledore about it when we get back to the castle, but we first need to get that crest," Keung replied as he rested the broom against his chest and continued his work on the pocket watch.

"What was that gem you threw into his hood?" Harry asked as he watched Keung intently.

"It was setting stone," Keung replied. "I guess you could call it a teleportation point for the pocket watch."

"Teleportation point? You mean like how when I push the number seven, it takes me to Hermione's house?"

"Yeah," Keung said with a nod. "There is a setting stone in Hermione's house that allows to you to teleport there. Now if our luck holds out and dear Mr. Palaris didn't notice the stone, he can run wherever he wants…even into Hogwarts, but the moment we push the number ten, we'll teleport right to him."

"Well what we waiting for then?" Harry asked as he placed his hand on the pocket watch.

Keung grinned at him as he took hold of his broom and pushed the number ten.

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A/N: Thank you to those who reviewed. If something about the story confuses you, please feel free to leave questions, and I will do my best to reply to them in a timely fashion. Thank you all again.

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