He didn't know how it happened, and quite frankly, he didn't care. It was best not to ask questions when you got what you wanted anyway. The most important thing was that he, Salazar Slytherin, was finally free of the infernal canvas that had held him back for so long...and he had unfinished business to tend to.

Standards had plummeted in these stone walls. His new freedom brought him the ability to finally do something about it. This time, he'd show the others what it meant to be worthy.

He ran his fingers through his long white beard, a smirk curling on his lips, as he turned away from the entrance hall and along the dungeon corridor. Much time had past since he'd last walked these halls, but the dungeons were his territory; no snide comments from the portraits followed him as he continued along the corridor.

There was much work to be done, but he knew where to start. His kind needed him. No more would they be held back by the shortcomings of others. He alone could help get them where they deserved to be.

Thinking about making hiccuping potions in the laboratory was something that Minjae had been looking forward to all day. Especially since he had Transfiguration and Herbology on the same day which was the absolute WORST. He needed to do something that he enjoyed and that was making potions.

Revising the ingredients and steps that he needed to take to brew the hiccuping potion as he walked the dark lit corridor, Minjae marched towards the laboratory. "Hi professor. Excuse me." he said as he walked past the white bearded man and he was a few steps further away when he stopped and looked back with a confused frown on his face as his brain tried to come up with an explanation on what he was seeing.

Being, you know, a Slytherin, Kaiser had plenty of reason to be down in the dungeons. Most of the time it was getting from A to B or back again (A being the common room, and B being... basically anywhere else). Sometimes (read: very often) he just liked to wander, keep his feet moving, because he couldn't bear staying in one place. That happened to be his reason for being in the corridor right now, and was exactly what he was doing when he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. And looked at...

... Weird Bearded Old Guy. Who looked nothing like any of the professors and very much like the inhabitant of a certain portrait, though obviously different, in that he was three-dimensional and lifelike and, you know, apparently alive. Was this some kind of... intense costume? Because... well. Well.

It was either that or there was just a weird old Slytherin-y looking man just wandering around the castle, which was not... great-sounding in terms of school security. Or Kaiser was just outright seeing things, which was not outside the realm of possibility.

Was he supposed to do something about this? He didn't really want to, and wasn't even entirely sure he wanted to know what was going on. Was it too late to turn around and walk away and hope someone else could deal with this... if, that was, it was something that needed dealing with?

Kaiser lingered halfway down the corridor, about to turn around and go the other way as stealthily as he could, when he saw another student appear and see exactly what Kaiser was seeing (which was something, at least). In spite of himself, Kaiser lingered half in shadow and watched and listened. If the Hufflepuff got an answer, he would too, by proxy, and then could go on about his business without ever having to make himself busy or talk to anyone.

The dungeon corridor wasn't exactly one of the prettiest parts of the castle, but it had become home to Isla. It was a welcome change of scenery as she finished her last class of the day and headed down the hallways of her home away from home. She could see an older Hufflepuff boy up ahead. She knew him from classes but not by name. Then there was Kaiser, someone she knew well from classes and from Slytherin house.

As she grew closer and meant to pass them by with just a quick 'Hello,' she ended up pausing, walking a few slow steps forward, pausing again, and then just staying in place as if something had shocked her into a near numb state of being. And that's pretty much exactly what had happened. Visitors to the castle weren't unheard of, what with the occasional Ministry worker roaming around. This was no casual visitor, though.

This man looked so closely like Salazar Slytherin that the founder could have just spit him right on out of his mouth. A descendent, maybe? No. Something didn't seem quite right, and although Isla felt like turning on her heels and just ignoring what she was seeing altogether, something had her cemented in place. Ahem. "Hello, Sir," she said, because even if this was some visitor with an uncanny resemblance to their house founder, she could at least chance getting more information by speaking to him.

It was one of Phoebe James' favorite hobbies to follow Kaiser around the school. She used to do it to better understand him to give him a present for saving his life, and now she did it because he was so amused by it. He loved it. Secretly. Definitely kept it to himself, though.

But now ol' Kaiser was lurking in the shadows, and there was some old dude hanging in the corridor. Like he belonged there. Don't worry, Kaiser bro. She got this one. "Hi, I like your beard. Can I touch it? Like, gently, I promise. I don't pull on beards anymore. Or ever. I never pull on beards." She shoved her hands into her pockets to prove how very unhandsy she wasn't being.

Ah, right, the Slytherin ickle had a point. "Sir." Ahem.

Toddles was being a very good elfies and dusting the portraits as Mister Master Headmaster had asked of him. The feather duster was also fun to tickle his abnormally long nose with! His big floppsy elfies ears too.

Which was exactly what Toddles was doing at that moment, feather duster to ear, and giggling just a ways down the corridor from the gathered crowd of studentsies and a Mister Master that Toddles had not yet taken notice of.

Toddles feather duster tickling and giggling elfsie shenangians were causing his elfsie nose to drain a little, so Toddles did the only natural thing: he used the feather duster to wipe his nose! And then once he had he resumed his dusting of the portrait of some pureblood or another, elfsie Toddles runny bogies smeared across the canvas.

His eyes narrowed as he too paused and looked back at the boy he’d just passed [Minjae]. Who exactly was he calling Professor? Salazar was so much more than that. Excuse him after being greeted so offhandedly? Hardly.

"I think not, boy," Salazar scoffed at the boy in the yellow and black. The house of misfits and leftovers, and rife with the stench of disappointment. "Do you know not who I am? You should be bowing before such greatness." He’d be talking to the boy’s Head of House, whoever that was.

Thankfully, the next student [Isla] to join them was much more polite. Though as soon as he saw her robes, he knew why. Green and silver, the colours of his own house. “No need to gawk, young snakelet. It is I, in the flesh.” Obviously she knew who he was. He would have said more, but then another girl appeared. One apparently obsessed with beards, and no sense of self-preservation. It figured, when he saw that glimpse of red, and his eyes narrowed.

“You may not,” he replied curtly, though perhaps he might have use of her yet. “And you…” he called out to the boy down the corridor [Kaiser], “…can stop skulking. Come show your face.”

Salazar Slytherin. House founder of Hogwarts. The name popped up in his head after he finally recognized the man. Minjae turned his body around to face him now while he shifted his potions kit from one hand to the other so that his wand arm was free. He had NOT drawn his wand yet but he most definitely wanted to keep his hand free.

Because there was no way that someone who was supposed to be death was standing there. Even magical people could not escape death. No matter how great they were. His look of confusion changed all of the sudden and the fourth year scoffed as well. "I don't bow for anyone. No one does these days." he said as he looked over as Isla and Phoebe came in view. He had not seen Kaiser yet. Despite them being younger, he did feel a bit relaxed that he wasn't the only one here standing with an guy who he knew from having read the History books was not a fan of anything not pureblood. And Minjae was a muggleborn so naturally, he respected Slytherin the least out of all four.

As Phoebe asked to...tuck on the man''s beard? Minjae blinked, did she not understand the situation? "Be careful, don't get too close" he said to the Gryffindor while his eyes never left Salazar Slytherin. He was most definitely an imposter, there was no way he was actually the founder and he hoped that someone closest to the dungeon entrance would get the Headmaster. He'd know what to do.

After grabbing a quick snack from the kitchens, Gunnar was heading for his dorm. He had a bunch of homework to finish after a full day of classes, though he briefly thought about taking a quick nap before tackling the rest of the things he had to do today. But there seemed to be quite the crowd blocking his way in the dungeon corridor.

"Can we move it along?" he asked the crowd of students as he tried to maneuver his way through, until he saw the old man with the long beard. He looked... familiar. But out of place at the same time.

"What's going on here?" The curiosity was evident in his voice. The crowd, the man... did he look like Salazar Slytherin? Gunnar would recognize him from his portrait, but someone was taking Halloween a little too seriously. That holiday was so dumb.

On all levels except physical, Kaiser was facepalming. Phoebe - he might have been confused about her uncanny ability to show up where he was at the weirdest times if he had not known since the previous term about a certain hobby of hers - and Isla, that one Slytherin first year, had spoken to the weird man just as the Hufflepuff had done. Phoebe was even going on about his beard and...

... yes, the facepalming vibes were real.

The guy had seen him skulking too - which was great, astounding, and also... a bit weird being accused of such a thing by a Salazar Slytherin-esque individual - and had called Kaiser over. For a moment, he wasn't sure what to do. It was incredibly tempting to pretend he hadn't noticed any man or summons, just turn away and leeeeeave... but then Kaiser took one look at Phoebe and Isla and even the Hufflepuff kid, and knew he couldn't walk away. Could be dangerous, if something happened the guilt would plague him for life, et cetera, et cetera. He reluctantly stepped forward and closer to the... gathering, but stopped about halfway. Here was fine. Plenty close enough.

"A little bit late for Hallowe'en, isn't it?" he asked, a touch uncertainly, not even positive if that was what was going on here (practically anything could happen at Hogwarts, after all). But if it was... well. Not the best costume to pick, was it?

Kaiser didn't have an answer for Gunnar when he, too, arrived; he'd be able to see for himself what was going on, as none of them had any extra information. "Can you send a patronus to Trent?" he said, speaking directly to Gunnar for the first time in... he couldn't even remember how long. Kaiser couldn't even look right at him for very long; his gaze soon flitted briefly to the house elf down the corridor, just for something else to look at. "I think he needs to... see. This." And Kaiser's patronus was not exactly, uhh... functional, these days.

Maybe this guy was some kid just dressing up. Maybe someone who was not supposed to be in the castle had somehow got in. Maybe someone had raised the long-dead founder. However Kaiser looked at it, it was better to be safe than sorry.

As Austin was heading to the Slytherin common room, he some how got lost. Technically it was only his second year at Hogwarts. He stopped short however to see several students. And a white beerded man. Wait. Was that...yes. It was. Austin smiled slightly at the man giving him a slight bow. He didn't say anything though so he wouldn't interupt what was going on. He did need directions though so he lingered a bit until one of them addressed him or if there was a break in the conversation.

Oh. No beard tugging, probably meant it was a real beard. Phoebe tucked her hands under her armpits and gave the old dude a solemn look. She wouldn't tug on anyone's anything. Gunnar was there, and Kaiser was making eyebrows at her with furious intensity. SHE WASN'T TOUCHING ANYONE OR ANYTHING, KAISER.

"I think it's Chosen. He'd think it was hilarious to disguise himself as some old guy and walk around insulting people." She tilted her head to see if he looked like Kodee under that Slytherin disguise. "But he isn't that good with magic. Is that a mask?"

So when were the students at Hogwarts going to learn not to run headfirst into the face of possible danger? Apparently never, and Isla was no exception. Had she thought this through, she'd have just walked on her merry way and given help in the form of telling whatever adult she could find that their attention was needed in the dungeon corridor. But no. She'd of course stopped and chatted with the man. Calling him Sir even.

Not to mention that this particular Sir looked like a spitting image of Salazar Slytherin himself.

Not sure what to do, Isla shifted her weight a little and cast a casual glance down the corridor. What on earth was that house elf doing? He looked like he was having just a little too much fun dusting that portrait. Hmm... It was only when she heard the visitor (visitor??) say 'young snakette' that she turned her attention back to the group. As far as she knew, she was the only young snakette around. 'It is I in the flesh?' Who in the flesh? Isla had decided not to say anything else out loud for now, but that was mainly because the Head Boy had come up and asked everybody to move along.

That was when Isla decided she was going to do whatever Kaiser did. He was in her house, and she'd worked with him in some of the classes, and she trusted his judgment. Terrified to move for fear of being cast at or chased down, the first year just stood in place and waited for the apparent Patronus to be cast.

Salazar eyed the young Hufflepuff (Minjae) and rolled his eyes. "Manners have clearly gone out the window as the years have gone by, I see," he grumbled. No wonder this young man was in Hufflepuff. Why that woman had ever been allowed to help found this school was beyond him...obviously, her house had produced nothing but slackers and disappointments.

His eyes fell upon the young man (Gunnar) who approached, ready to reprimand him for interrupting - until he noticed the badge on his robes. A smirk danced across his face as he took a step closer to the young man.

"A prefect! Perfect. Just what I need. I'm on serious business, you see..." he leaned in closer to the prefect and lowered his voice. "I'm concerned about the...state of our house. Would you perhaps be able to assist me in doing...an inventory of sorts on the students?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Surely this bright young man, being a SLYTHERIN, knew what he was referring to? As for the other Slytherin (Kaiser) he turned and loudly clapped his hands at his suggestion. "Excellent idea! The Headmaster should be aware of my concerns," he added. Did he entirely trust this Trent fellow to be on his side? Absolutely not, but it was a good starting point until he got his footing around here...

Ignoring the Gryffindor girl (Phoebe) entirely - she was one of HIS students after all, and therefore obviously insane - he turned to the two young Slytherins (Austin and Isla) and smiled at them softly or what he was thought was a soft smile, it was actually rather alarming and obviously fake. "Don't worry, children. The Sorting Hat obviously saw great potential in you. You'll be key players in my plan to make sure this castle is...brought back to our standards," he explained.

As for these other stragglers here...they best start showing him the respect he deserved, or things would NOT be good for them in the near future...

Austin ovserved as words were exchanged. When he (Salizar) had spoken again, Austin watched his body language. Yeah. What standards would that be? (*eye roll*).
He raised hand quietly. "I was just looking for the common room and got lost." He said glancing at the head boy. Austin had clearly walked into some tension judginf by the vibe in the air.

Toddles continued to be in Toddles' own little elfsie world with his bogie covered feather duster (much to the disapproval of those within the portraits he was dusting). But his big elfsie ears soon could not ignore all the voices nearby and he turned his head in everyone's direction just in time to hear a very specific word: inventory!

But nothing else.

Toddles was good at inventory! He counted potatoes every morning!

"Toddles is very good at inventories, Mister Master!" the house elf piped up as he jumped down from the ladder he had been using to reach a particularly high portrait as he rushed over. Something very familiar about this Mister Master, though Toddles could not place it at the moment. "Toddles helps, Toddles does!" He waved his bogie covered feather duster towards the distinguished looking man.

Oh! Head Boy was here too! Toddles gave him an eager wave of his soiled feather duster as well. Waves that increased with each student he waved it to as a greeting and sending little flecks of house elf bogies through the air.

”Manners have not gone out of the window, it has changed over the years. No one will be impressed if you go around and demand respect. You have to earn it” perhaps he was going a tad bit out of line here but he wasn’t going to take orders from someone who was not 1. a staff member. 2. A student leader and 3. looked like Salazar Slytherin himself who had been dead for centuries. Everything about this was too weird and he doubted that it was a halloween costume like some seemed to think. No student was THAT gifted in Transfiguration. Polyjuice potion was not possible either as you had to have a piece of the person you wanted to transform in to and ...well he doubted anyone in the school had a lock of hair lying around and there was no way a Professor would be involved either. Nope. This man was an imposter.

He watched as Kaiser appeared from the shadows and he thought his idea of sending a patronus to the Headmaster was an excellent idea. Until Salazar clapped his hands and seemed to agree as well. He had no clue what he whispered to Gunnar but after hearing Toddles yelling about inventories he figured that that was what he had said and he raised an eyebrow. Inventory on what? and what did he mean with ‘our standards?’

He especially did not like that fake smile as he spoke to Austin and Isla who were, not so surprisingly, both in Slytherin’s House. ”What do you mean with ‘our standards?’ “ he asked.

Gunnar hadn't immediately seen Kaiser when he stumbled upon this crowd and scene, though he likely wouldn't have paid him much mind just as he had all term. But he turned his eyes towards his dorm mate as he heard his comment about Halloween, having had that same though, no matter how facetious it might have been.

And then he paused a beat when Kaiser addressed him directly. Whether it was the fact that he actually spoke to him for the first time in Merlin knew how long or requesting him to do something he was not quite so skilled with. "A patronus, right," he nodded, his eyes shifting towards the Salazar Slytherin lookalike. Not that he didn't agree that it was a good idea, it was, considering he didn't know who this guy was nor knew if he was someone permitted inside the castle. But a patronus charm was very advanced spellwork and while he had managed to cast one, he wasn't so sure about the messenger part of it. And he wasn't about to appear inept in front of this group, just in case his charm fell short.

But before he could give that idea much thought, or figure out just what he could do about it, Phoebe's words cut through his contemplation. Chosen? Gunnar gave the man some consideration through his narrowed eyes. "No, I don't think it's Kodee..." It would be a funny sort of prank that he could maybe see his friend doing, but he also didn't think he could pull off the gruff sort of haughtiness this man was conveying.

A man who was now talking to him in a hushed voice. Gunnar gave him a sort of skeptical look. Mm, he knew exactly what he was referring to, which was very on brand with this character, and he couldn't say he was exactly impressed. But he was very curious in what this was about and decided to bide his time just a bit while he figured this out. "That depends on what that sort of undertaking entails," he answered the man. "And why."

The sudden appearance of Toddles (had he been there all along??) startled him slightly, and he turned his eyes to the eager little elf, giving him a wave in return. Ugh, what was... what was flying from his duster? "Toddles, do you think you could do me a favor? It's very important." He crouched down a bit to level himself with the shorter being. Gunnar might not be a part of SPEW anymore, but he still valued the house elves. "Find Headmaster Trent and tell him we need his assistance immediately. Make sure he knows it's urgent." Elves were able to apparate throughout the castle and it would be faster than a patronus anyway, maybe.

Some of the younger students looked rather alarmed and he felt better about keeping his focus here. "Don't worry, Austin. I'll help you get to the common room in a minute. I was actually on my way there too."

And what in the name of Merlin was this Hufflepuff doing? Gunnar raised an eyebrow at the boy's tone as he retorted an answer to "Salazar". "Alright, no need for the attitude," he told the kid. "Manners have not changed that much, and that sass isn't helping anything." They did not know what they were dealing with here, not really. And mouthing off right now could potentially exacerbate an already touchy situation. It would be best to wait for Trent to get there.

Austin spit out dust as the elf was too overly excited. Bleh! He watched as they all talked. Austin nodded at the headboy. Okay.

It had been very hypocritical of him to reprimand Salazar as he was a company's heir himself. It was literally going to be his job telling people what to do and he was already doing it at home as well. Although the staff at home felt more like a second family to him and this imposter was most definitely not.

He was still glaring at Salazar, he did not trust him one bit. But upon hearing the Head Boy's voice his eyes softened a bit and he looked over at him, a faint blush appeared on his face in embarrassment. His father would have been so dissapointed to see that he had lost his cool to his emotions. "You're right, im sorry Gunnar" he said. "I guess i'm a little freaked out about this situation right now" and with situation he meant a life sized, eerily good imposter of Salazar Slytherin.

Salazar did not fault the young boy (Austin) for his apprehension. He was on the younger side, and you couldn't rush children into seeing their full potential. Although, he obviously wasn't a first year, and Salazar was concerned that Trent was not doing enough to help him realize just how SPECIAL he was, being a student of his house. And who was the head of house? He'd have to have a word with them too.

Realizing that there was a House Elf there, Salazar couldn't help but wrinkle his nose in DISGUST at the creature. Ugh. He LOATHED that they still employed elves here. "That is QUITE alright," he told the small elf, brushing him off entirely and stepping to the side so he was effectively cut out of the conversation.

Salazar was only becoming more and more impressed with this prefect - or was it Head Boy? Quite frankly he didn't care, he had a badge and he was of Slytherin house, that was all that mattered - as he immediately put the Hufflepuff child, who had the NERVE to talk back to him, back into his place. He smirked and even rewarded the young man with an encouraging clap on the back. "Very well side, my boy!" he said, another one of those super fake smiles stretching across his face.

Austin frowned at Salazar.
"Oi, things are far different in this time then your own. Please, leave the elf alone, he's not doing anything wrong," Austin glared.

Old dude was just ignoring her now, and Phoebe was 100% sure that it was really Kodee Chosen in disguise. So it wasn't like he had any grounds to ignore her, since they were supposed to be friends now. And house mates.

"No, Gunnar. It is so Kodee. If it wasn't, he wouldn't be workin' so hard to ignore me. 'Cause he knows that I'll recognize him if he talks to me." Phoebe reached out and tugged the beard, even though he'd said no. It didn't count if the guy was lying about who he was! "This is stuck on pretty good."

o______O

HOW DARE this child grab his beard like that! Leave it to Godric's children to be this brash and idiotic - those Gryffindors never did THINK before they did anything, did they?

"UNHAND ME AT ONCE!" he bellowed at the young girl. The crowd had grown far too large for Salazar's liking at this time, and he was just getting frustrated. He needed a moment to sit back and relax, gather his thoughts, plan his next move...

He turned to the Head Boy and put a hand on his shoulder. "You, boy...meet me later in the common room. We'll have to discuss the state of this school. I have...CONCERNS," he said, looking POINTEDLY at the rude little Gryffindor girl before turning on his heel and exiting the corridor.

Of course, he wouldn't be in the common room later, in case the Head Boy decided to entertain the idea...as soon as he left the corridor, that was the last any of them would see of him...