8 Founder's Room

Cross was standing outside next to a broom, reading his Parseltongue book. Daphne and Draco were standing on his left and right.

A teacher walked passed them and said "Welcome to your first flying lesson. Well what are you waiting for? Step to the left side of your broom and stick your right hand over the broom and say up."

Cross read his book and reached his right hand out as he said without feeling "Up." the broomstick didn't move and Cross let out a breath of relief. If he did it on the first try, he would definitely be noticed.

Harry did it in one try, Hermione looked at Cross in thought. She could hear the disinterest in his voice, but she was confused. Why didn't he try at all? Was there something for him to hide? If he performed exceptionally well, then he would be favored and get focused teaching. Isn't that a good thing?

Hermione watched carefully, she saw his eyes look around and when enough people brought up their brooms, his tone changed and he said "Up." the broom immediately flew into his hand and he went back to reading. Her eyes trembled 'Sure enough.' It was extremely easy for him. She wondered if she was the only one who noticed that he wasn't trying.

Cross stepped over his broom and sat down on it, pretending to struggle. If you looked closely enough into his eyes, you would his that there were no fluctuations in his eyes, he was completely calm.

Hermione was frustrated.

Suddenly

Neville Longbottom, the boy with the Toad, flew up into the air and sped away. Cross spared him a glance before changing his seating position. He dangled a single leg off the side and crossed the other, leaning his elbow on his crossed knee, resting his head on his palm and reading while hovering off the ground with the broom.

Since the teacher was too preoccupied on Neville, she didn't even notice. Hermione did, however.

Neville was out of control and flew all over the place before falling off the broom and landing on the ground, groaning in pain. The teacher ran over and checked on Neville before saying "All of you stay here while I bring Mr. Longbottom to the infirmary! If I see so much as one of you flying, you will be expelled faster than you can say 'Quidditch'" as she left with Neville.

Cross watched them go and Draco was playing around with a glass ball.

Hermione looked at Cross and said "Why didn't you help him?" Cross looked at her and said "Why should I help him? I'm not his father. It's not my problem if he can't control his magic. Maybe the red cloud in the glass ball was telling him he forgot his brain when he woke up this morning."

He shook his head and added "Putting myself in the spotlight for a thankless act? Yeah right. Even if he died in front of me I wouldn't do anything." before going back to reading, sliding back with his broom hovering of the ground.

Hermione couldn't refute. Yeah, why should he care? She thought to herself about what Cross said, why doesn't he want to be in the spotlight? Could he have noticed something strange going on? Hermione narrowed her eyes and looked around suspiciously, seems like there really is something going on behind the scenes at Hogwarts.

If she was being honest with herself, she really didn't want to get involved with it. She's safe now, is there a need to throw her life in danger for nothing? Obviously not.

Harry started arguing with Draco about the glass ball. Draco was confused by the obvious antagonization from Harry, but he wasn't one to be slighted. He had his own pride too! So he provoked Harry and threw the glass ball away, making Harry fly and go get it.

Cross stayed out of it and read his book. Daphne was still trying to fly on her broom, she looked at Cross and asked "How do you do it?" Cross kept his eyes on the book and gave her some tips "Control the balance of the broom. The bottom half is heavier than the top, sit in the middle and slightly lean forward. Keep your magic around the bristles and you'll hover."

As he moved forward, backward, spun around, and added "Very simple." Daphne tried it and to her surprise it worked! Daphne smiled happily and hovered off the ground, practicing her control.

Carl jumped off Cross' shoulder and stood on the edge of the broom, pointing forward as if he was commanding a ship. Cross rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers. A bristle flew out of the broom and appeared under Carl, before flying him around.

Carl cheered in Badger language as he flew around. Daphne laughed and fell off her broom. Cross smiled softly and Daphne gave him a pitiful look while rubbing her ass as she stood up. Cross waved and Carl flew back to his shoulder, the bristle going back into the broom.

The teacher came back and said "Alright let's continue. Where's Mr. Potter?" Draco said "Professor McGonagall took him away." The teacher nodded and continued with the lesson without him. Cross went back to 'Unable to use magic' mode and the class ended without anymore surprises.

Cross walked away, Daphne went with her friends and Draco went somewhere else. He was currently alone.

Hermione popped out of the void next to him and said "Why are you always pretending to be mediocre?" Cross kept walking and said "Why do you follow me around?" Hermione answered "Because you're a strange boy." Cross felt it was funny and said "I'm the strange boy? You're two friends.. You don't find them strange?"

Hermione said "Ron is a nag and Harry is just.. Well, Harry." Cross chuckled and shook his head saying "Haven't you learned that nothing is as it seems with magic?" he raised his hand and a green aura appeared on his palm as he added "Don't use your eyes to see, you have to use your mind.." He crushed the aura and it exploded into beautiful green snowflakes, sprinkling onto Hermione's face.

Cross went back to reading as he said in Elven "Change." his robe shined and the golden flower pattern appeared. Hermione was shocked and pulled out a mirror before noticing her buck teeth had disappeared. She looked up to see Cross was gone, she turned her head around but he was nowhere to be found.

Cross had already left, teleporting away. He was tired of talking to her, she was just annoying him and he was currently focused on reading. The secret of the green fire was itching at him, he needed to find out what it was or he wouldn't be able to sleep.

Slowly like this a few days passed

Cross finally closed the Parseltongue book and let out a breath. It was tough for sure but with his mind it was quicker than normal people. He was also shocked to see that it was only the beginner's book. It seemed like nobody else knew this fact as he couldn't find the advanced one.

But he erased his thoughts and brought the Parseltongue book back before going to the Slytherin Common room.

He spread out his strings and scanned the entire common room. He didn't find anything suspicious, other than the fire. He looked around to see nobody coming in. He walked to the fire and crouched in front of it before whispering in Parseltongue "Show me your secrets..."

The fire changed into a snake that spoke in Parseltongue "Answer the riddle for the entrance!" Cross was confused, he didn't know there was a riddle too. The snake spoke again "I have cities, but no houses. I have mountains, but no trees. I have water, but no fish. What am I?"

Cross thought about it for a moment before answering in Parseltongue "A map." The snake hissed and the fire disappeared, revealing a door. Cross entered the door and behind him the fire erupted again.

Cross entered a room and looked around. The room was huge! It had a single bed, a bookshelf, a desk, closet, everything a bed room needed. Even a bathroom!

Cross was confused and saw a painting on the wall. It was of an old man with a long grey beard and a bald head. Under the painting was a name 'Salazar Slytherin'. Cross was stunned and mumbled to himself "The founder? Why is there a room with the founder's picture in it."

The painting started talking as it said "Hmm. This is the first visitor I've had in ages!" Cross was spooked and spread out his fingers, string shooting out and forming a snake. The painting laughed and said "Relax, boy. I'm long dead. You're talking to a collapsed soul fragment."

Cross narrowed his eyes and said "Who are you." the man in the painting had a mysterious smile as he said "Can you not read, boy?" Cross tilted his head and said "You're Salazar Slytherin?" Salazar nodded and said "And YOU, are in the founder's room."

Cross was confused, the string snake coiled around him and it's head split into 9, looking out in every direction and at Salazar, who clapped and said "Good, boy! You're a genius! My Slytherin house does have good students!" as he wiped a tear from his eye.

Cross stared at him and said "What's the founder's room." Salazar smiled and said "The only single room in each house. It is hidden and only those who can find it can use it! That old coot from Ravenclaw decided we each had to put one in our houses. Each of the rooms are special and they can only be used by the person who opened them."

Cross was still dubious and spread his strings out in a spider web around the room. Salazar sighed and said "Why are you so careful, boy? Others would be jumping with joy right now." Cross replied "I don't trust you. Nor do I trust anyone at this school. How can you verify that what you have said was true?"

Salazar was stumped and said "I don't know. I'm just a soul fragment, I can't even take over a body. The bookshelf has a bunch of magic spells that aren't in the library and there's a map for the school with everything on it, as well as a token to get into this room by just activating it."

Cross flicked his wrist and the map and token flew from the desk into his hands. Salazar was stunned and said "Boy! What year are you in?!" Cross said "First year." as he looked at the map, it was extremely detailed and even had room he had never heard of before.

Meanwhile, Salazar's entire worldview was crumbling as he mumbled "First years sure are terrifying now..." Cross ignored him and looked at the token before saying "A portkey?" Salazar puffed out his chest and said "That's right! Come here from anywhere!"

Cross shook his head and said "Useless." before throwing it in his storage bag, even if it was useless for him. It was useful for someone else. If the token got into someone else's hands, would he suddenly have a roommate? Not ideal.

Salazar was stunned again and said "What do you mean 'Useless'?!" Cross touched the painting and felt that what Salazar said was true. He really was just a fragmented soul. It would be better if he was dead though, Cross didn't really want to have someone looking at him while he was sleeping and practicing.

If Salazar knew what Cross was thinking, he would vomit blood and die. Coincidentally, just was Cross wanted, but Cross didn't know that if his thoughts were spoken they would come true so he kept them for himself.

Cross said "I can just teleport in and out, the token is basically a variable that could hurt me in the future." Salazar opened his mouth and Cross disappeared before reappearing, Salazar choked on his words and cursed "Fuck me! What can't you do boy?! Why does it seem like this room is useless to you?"

Cross shook his head and said "The books are good and there's you. What other secrets do you have?" Salazar said "Acknowledge me as your teacher and I will tell you!" Cross' face turned black and he said "That's okay, I'll figure it out in the future."

Salazar said "Wait, wait, wait! We can talk, what's the harm?" in his mind he was thinking 'With my knowledge this boy will be so amazed he will change his tune and take me as his teacher. Heheheh Then those old fools in the afterlife can only envy me for my disciple!'

Cross said "Speak." as he looked through the books on the bookshelf.

Salazar said "There are many rooms hidden in Hogwarts. So many even I don't know them all, but I know of, debatably, the best one. It is on the 7th floor in front of a dancing Orc painting, it's name is the Room of Requirement."

Cross was interested and said "Room of Requirement?" Salazar had a proud look on his face and said "I worked on that room with that Gryffindor codger! Truly a mad fellow that Godric! Let me tell you something, that Gryffindor fellow would always go overboard on everything! He even wanted the school to be built with gold bricks! Insane! There's not enough gold in the world for that."

Cross felt his mouth twitch, if Salazar was telling the truth then Godric Gryffindor was really...

Salazar continued "Anyway! The Room of Requirement was one of our ideas. Basically whatever you need or want, as long as you're standing in that room, you will get it. Eh.. Within reason of course. You can't just wish for god powers."

Cross looked at Salazar and asked "Where does it get these things? It can't be that the room just makes them?" Salazar shook his head and said "If you want knowledge it will give you the books you seek, if you want gold it will give you gold. The items are all from the resources brought into Hogwarts. Once they pass the barrier the Room replicates them and stores them for later usage."

Salazar sighed and said "Every book and item from the moment the room was made till now is replicated. Dark magic, Forbidden magic, trinkets, baubles, everything except living beings." he paused for a second before adding "And you can't make special items. Nor can you take anything out of the room."

Cross' face fell and he said "So it's useless?" Salazar choked and said "It's not useless! You can train, read forbidden books, and spy on anyone in the castle! The room will create tunnels to wherever you want to go and once you leave, all traces will disappear!"

Cross rubbed his chin and mumbled something before looking at Salazar with narrowed eyes, having a serious question for him.