Harry Potter and the Students of the School of the Sphinx

Harry Potter and the Students of the School of the Sphinx

By Angelina Johnson

Chapter 17-Hufflepuff and Slytherin

    He was in the forest again. Beside him Alex was shivering. Malfoy wrapped his cloak around her. The darkness was so thick that you could cut it with a knife.

    "Lumos!" Harry said, and a light appeared at the end of his wand. Alex and Malfoy did the same. They heard hoof prints in the distance. Harry had never seen this centaur before. She was a female, ans she looked very much like Firenze did.

    "Who are you?" Harry asked her.

    "Who I am is not important, but if you must know, my name is Caminiti. I believe you know my brother, Firenze," she said.

    "You're Firenze's sister?" Harry asked, but the centaur met his eyes.

    "Turn back, Harry Potter. You and your friends must turn back," Caminiti said.

    "Turn back? What lies ahead of us?" Harry asked her. Behind him, he vaguely heard Alex making some sort of noise. He stared into the centaurs eyes.

    "You MUST turn back, Harry Potter. Do not bother with what lies before you. You must save yourself," Caminiti said.

    "We have to keep going, Harry," Alex said. She seemed just as determined as the centaur.

    "What's going on?" Malfoy demanded. "You want us to go, the centaur wants us to leave! What lies ahead, damn it?"

    "Her. She lies ahead. We can't leave her-she's injured!" Alex said.

    "You mean it was true? She went through with it?" Malfoy asked. He almost seemed concerned.

    "She lost control, I think. Sometimes it's hard," Alex said.

    "Potter was supposed to make sure she didn't," Malfoy said angrily.

    "It's not my fault, damn it, Malfoy! I can't be her keeper, I couldn't watch her at all times! I'm sorry if I'm human and I make mistakes!" Harry said angrily.

    "Will you two stop fighting! We have to help her!" Alex said.

    "No!" the centaur said desperately.

    "We won't listen to you. You've given us no valid reason not to go to help our friend," Alex said.

    "Excuse me? Friend?" Malfoy said.

    "Oh, shut it, Draco! We're wasting time! Now either you tell us why we shouldn't go on or we do! The animals told me that she's here, that she's ahead and that she can still be helped," Alex said.

    "The Dark Lord. The Dark Lord lies ahead. It's a trap!" Caminiti said desperately.

    "What do you mean by trap? Is she there, or not?" Harry asked angrily.

    "She's ahead, yes, but the Dark Lord knows that as well and he wants you to come for her! You can't allow yourselves to fall into his trap," Caminiti said.

    "Damn his trap. We're going," Malfoy said.

    "What do you mean, WE'RE going? You're practically a bloody Death Eater, Malfoy! We're not taking you anywhere where Voldemort is, you'll probably hand us right over to him and get some nice reward!" Harry roared.

    "I don't want to help the bloody Dark Lord, Potter! I don't want to be one of his little minions! I WANT OUT OF MY FATHER'S SHADOWS! JUST BECAUSE HE'S EVIL DOESN'T MEAN THAT I WANT TO BE!" Malfoy yelled.

    And then Harry woke up.

    "Bloody hell, I just dreamed Malfoy didn't want to be evil," Harry whispered.

    "Believe in what you dream, Harry Potter," a voice said. The voice sounded like the wind, mysterious and far off.

    "Who's there?" Harry demanded. It was still dark outside, and Dean, Neville, Seamus and Ron were all still asleep. There was no answer to his question.

    "Who are you?" Harry demanded angrily. He feld cold, almost the way he felt around the Dementors. He tried thinking about a happy memory, something that could make him feel better. He remembered his and Ginny's first kiss, he remembered beating Ravenclaw and the School of the Sphinx in Quidditch, and the fact that all they had to do was beat Hufflepuff to win the cup. However, Harry felt nothing change. He still felt cold, chilled almost.

    "Happy memories won't help you now, Harry," the voice said.

    "What's going on? Who are you?" he demanded.

    "It's not so much WHO I am, but more what I am," the voice said. It seemed so far away, so unreal.

    "All right, then, WHAT are you?" Harry corrected himself.

    "You will know, Harry Potter, you will know. When the time is right, you will understand me," the voice said.

    "I'm sick of waiting to understand things!" Harry muttered.

    "I understand, Harry. I'm here, with you. I'll help you," the voice said.

    "What do you mean, you're here with me? Why can't I see you?" Harry asked.

    "You can't see me because you are me. You're exactly like I was, Harry Potter, and I live in you," the voice said.

    "Godric?" Harry whispered when the realization dawned on him.

    "Go back to sleep, Harry Potter," he said.

    "No, wait! I need your help," Harry said.

    "That is true. My help is not required yet, though," Godric said.

    "But, Godric, my godfather said that I need to figure out who Hufflepuff and Slytherin are in as soon as I could," Harry said.

    "I can not tell you that, Harry. You will know soon enough. At times your friends-or even you-have lost control," Godric said.

    "Do I know the people that they're inside of?" Harry demanded.

    "Yes. Yes, you do, and they are strong souls. They fight Helga and Salazar just as much as you fight me," Godric said.

    "I don't fight you!" Harry protested.

    "You do it without knowing that you are. You shut me out, you shut your thoughts off. The only time you have ever lost control was with the Weasley girl, because you allow yourself to open up around her, the same way I used to be around Mary Slytherin," Godric said.

    "So Ginny is Mary Slytherin?" Harry asked.

    "I believe you and your godfather already deducted that," Godric said.

    "And we were right about Hermione? Being Ravenclaw?" Harry asked.

    "Yes. Yes, your friend Hermione is inhabited by Rowena," Godric said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

    "Are you sure you can't tell me who Slytherin and Hufflepuff are?" Harry asked Godric.

    "You need not know yet. It is Mary and Rowena that you need to be wary of. The ones they live within are not as strong-they will not be able to fight forever, and you must not allow history to repeat itself. Lord Voldemort's plot must be stopped, Harry Potter," Godric said.

    "But Godric, how can I stop it if you won't tell me who Slytherin and Hufflepuff are? Aren't they an important piece of the puzzle?" Harry asked.

    "Sleep, Harry," Godric insisted.

    "I need to know!" Harry insisted, but he realized that he was now alone. Harry could still vaguely feel Gosric's presence inside of him, he had been able to feel it a lot recently, ever since he and Sirius had found out what was happening. However, he had felt different when he had been speaking to Godric, and he knew that right now he would be unable to question Godric any further right now. He was about to lay back down and try to sleep, as Godric had advised, when Ron spoke.

    "Harry, mate, who were you talking to that whole time? I think you're losing it," Ron said sleepily.

    "You mean you didn't hear him?" Harry asked.

    "Bloody hell, Harry, there was no one else, just you. Must be some snake running around the castle or something," Ron murmured.

    "It wasn't a snake," Harry insisted.

    "I'm sure it wasn't, mate, but even if it were I'd be too tired to care. Tell the damn thing that you'll talk to it when no one around you is trying to sleep," Ron said. Harry sighed, and lay down. Of course only he could hear Godric-Godric was inside of his thoughts, he wasn't an actual person that was walking around and could talk to people.

    Harry didn't dream this time, but that was only because he didn't sleep. He tossed and turned for the next few hours, remembering both the dream and the conversation that had followed it. Would his dream actually come true? With the centaur, and with Alex and Malfoy?

    Dawn was still an hour away, and Harry decided that it was useless to try and sleep now. He rummaged through his trunk, and finally found what he was looking for. He grabbed the mirror, and took it down to the Common Room. In the few months since Sirius had given him the restored mirror, Harry had talked to his godfather many time. Sirius had been up to Hogwarts a few times to visit Melissa, and Harry found that he missed Sirius when he was at school. He felt closer to his godfather than he ever had, especially now that Sirius was his official guardian.

    "Sirius? Sirius Black?" Harry said into the mirror.

    "It's five o'clock in the morning, Harry," Sirius replied, his face appearing in the mirror with a grin.

    "Yet you don't seem asleep," Harry said, returning the grin.

    "Up early. Remus and I are leaving shortly to go on an errand for Dumbledore," Harry said.

    "Leaving Julie behind?" Harry asked, grinning. He had gotten to know Julie well enough to think that she would not like the thought of Sirius and especially Remus going off on some possibly dangerous mission without her.

    "No, I wish we were leaving her behind, because that would mean that she wouldn't have to go to Hogwarts and teach Potions for the next couple of weeks. Snape's coming along on our mission," Sirius muttered darkly.

    "No Snape for two weeks? What a pity," Harry said sarcastically.

    "Oh, yes, you seem absolutely heartbroken, Harry, and I'm sure your classmates will agree. I'm going to go bloody insane, Harry. Dementors I can handle, but Severus Snape?" Sirius said. Harry laughed.

    "It could be worse. It could be twelve years of Snape," Harry said. Sirius nodded.

    "Now, what did you need, Harry? I doubt that you just got up for a five a.m. chat," Sirius said.

    "No, I didn't come for a five a.m. chat. I talked to Godric," Harry said.

    "What do you mean, you talked to Godric?" Sirius asked.

    "I mean that I had this weird dream. where I was walking through the forest with Malfoy and Alex. This centaur came and gave us a warning, told us not to go on, because the Dark Lord lay ahead, but the Dark Lord had someone, and Alex refused to go back. Then Malfoy said he didn't want to be evil, and I woke up and talked to Godric," Harry said.

    "Now, I'll get back to your dream later, but first-what do you mean by you talked to him?" Sirius asked.

    "As in I had a conversation with him. I would say something, and he would reply in my mind," Harry said.

    "Did he take control of you?" Sirius asked.

    "No, I still had control of me, but I felt his presence along with mine. He said he was here to help me, and that I fought hard against him and that he couldn't gain control even if he wanted to. He told me that the reason I hadn't found out who Hufflepuff and Slytherin were yet is because they're inside of strong hosts, and they haven't been able to gain control. He said that Ginny and Hermione are weaker, and that's why I've been able to see Mary Slytherin and Rowena Ravenclaw in them. He said soon enough I'll know who Hufflepuff and Slytherin are," Harry said.

    "Well, there's not really anything you can do but let him help you, and wait. Now, what was this about a centaur?" Sirius asked Harry.

    "She said that it was a trap, that Voldemort had captured her because he wanted to lure me. But Voldemort really had whoever it was," Harry said.

    "Well, you can't believe centaurs. What was the name of this phony?" Sirius asked.

    "Her name was Caminiti," Harry replied. Sirius' face paled.

    "Caminiti? As in Firenze's sister Caminiti?" Sirius asked. Harry nodded.

    "Harry, if you ever meet her, listen to her," Sirius said.

    "But you just said that every centaur is a phony," Harry protested.

    "Firenze and Caminiti are not ordinary centaurs. I've met Caminiti, Harry. She doesn't lie, Harry, she'll help you," Sirius said.

    "Did you listen to her?" Harry demanded.

    "No. None of us did, and each one of us regrets it," Sirius said.

    "What did she tell you?" Harry asked.

    "It's not important, Harry," Sirius said.

    "So if it comes to what happened in my dream, if it comes to going to face Voldemort in order to save someone I care about, you want me to listen to Caminiti and turn back?" Harry demanded angrily, "She said so herself that Voldemort truly had someone!"

    "Look, Harry, you have to face Voldemort anyway. That's what it has to come down to. But I have a feeling that there's more you didn't see yet. Caminiti is never vague," Sirius said.

    "So you want me to listen to a centaur?" Harry demanded.

    "Yes, I do. Look, Harry, I need to head out. If you have any more problems, go to either Melissa or Julie. If you absolutely need me, I'll have the mirror. Be safe, Harry," Sirius said.

    Harry bid farewell to his godfather, then he sat on the couch and watched the sun rise through the windows of Gryffindor tower.

    Later that day, Harry was sitting in Potions class, Julie beaming at them from the front of the room.

    "Professor Snape has been called away, so I will be your teacher for the next couple of weeks," Julie said, beaming.

    "Today, we'll be making Veritaserum. Professor Dumbledore feels that in the dark days to come it would be wise for you to at least know how to brew the potion," Julie said. Everyone was now very interested.

    "I'll be partnering you up. Harry, you'll be partnered with Hermione," Julie said. Harry beamed at her. Julie went thorugh, pairing the rest of the class. At the end, there were only two people left.

    "Alex, you'll be partnered with Mr. Malfoy," Julie said. Alex scowled, and Malfoy didn't look too happy either.

    For the next forty five minutes, the class worked hard, closely following Julie's instructions. Harry and Hermione's potion was perfect, according to Julie. Harry enjoyed the lesson, and he wished that Julie could be the permanent teacher. Most of the class was doing very well. However, Alex and Malfoy weren't very successful.

    "Malfoy, can't you make this stupid potion? I would have thought that your father would have tought you all sorts of Dark Arts and things like this!" Alex said.

    "I've made Veritaserum before, Evans, so you'd best not argue with me! And at least I have a father to teach me things!" Malfoy said. Alex glared at him, a dangerous anger in her eyes.

    "I have a father. His name is Sirius Black," she whispered.

    "He's not your real father. I at least have a real family, Evans!" Malfoy whispered.

    "I'd rather have parents that are gone that I could remember with pride than have parents who are followers of Voldemort," Alex replied calmly.

    "Are you insulting my family, Evans?" Malfoy said angrily.

    "I believe you've already insulted mine," Alex replied.

    "There are only two people that could possibly be worse to be partners with, and that would be Godric and Rowena over there," Malfoy said. Harry sat up straight.

    "Oh, can't you at least try to get along with them, Salazar? For me?" Alex asked.

    "Helga, he-they-my sister!" he said angrily.

    "Is there a problem, Mr. Malfoy, Miss Evans?" Julie interupted.

    Alex and Malfoy both assured them that there was nothing wrong, but Harry knew that wasn't true. He had finally figured out who Slytherin and Hufflepuff were. Now all he had to do was put the pieces together and let everything fall into place.