Harry Potter and the Four Heirs of Hogwarts

Harry Potter and the Four Heirs Of Hogwarts

Written by Illyaeri Tempest (email : bluetempest_kitty@hotmail.com)

'For centuries, it was presumed that the animals that represented each of the four houses in the renowned magic school Hogwarts (the Lion, the Badger, the Eagle and the Snake) each represented a different quality that most of its house members showed.

A Lion, for instance, was meant to represent courage and strength, and many Gyffinders represent this; take Harry Potter, for instance; he whom defeated the Dark Lord (see pg. 406). A Badger was meant to signify honesty and patience, a Eagle its wits and smartness, and a snake, its sly nature.

But, all these animals are common, non-magic animals. Was it really meant to be that a magic school had four normal animals representing their students? Many think not.'

"Harry, what in the world are you doing?"

"Er.. nothing.." Harry Potter, the person whom was reading that above infomation, looked up, shutting the heavy book he had been reading with a bang. He blinked his bright green eyes twice and laid the thick book on the table, while putting his elbows on the cover, as if trying to hide the evidence that he had been reading 'Hogwarts - A History' for the very first time.

"I've been looking for you everywhere, I'll admit the libary is the last place I'd expect to find you.." Hermione Granger, a very smart girl with bushy brown hair who happened to be one of Harry's best friends, smiled and sat down in the spare seat beside him, removing his elbows from the book and sliding it nearer to her veiw, peering at the title in suprise.

"You're reading Hogwarts A History? Why?" she asked in mild suprise, before sliding the book along the table back over to him. Harry shoved the book in his bag, his cheeks flushing pink.

Good going, he scolded himself. Keep this up and everyone'll be wanting to know what you're up to..

Harry could tell Hermione wanted a answer. He wasn't going to give her the real reason he was looking through these books, not yet anyway, so he cast his mind around for some sort of excuse that didn't sound terribly lame, like most of his excuses. Hermione's eyebrows began to rise quizzically as he remained silent; his mind going a hundred miles an hour.

"Well, you're always going on about me not reading it, so I-I decided to read it," lied Harry. It was a pretty lame excuse, he knew guiltly, but it would do.. for the time being. You see, Harry had reason to be looking through books he normally would not even attempt to look through if he didn't have to, including those books on magical creatures which were also shoved into his bag by his chair.. he didn't want to explain to anyone yet.

Though Hermione smiled at his reply, probably pleased that he was taking her advice for once, a hint, a sparkle of suspicion showed in her brown eyes and Harry decided to change the subject and quickly, before she could ask him anything else.

Before Hermione could open her mouth to say something, probably to ask about his non existant interest in Hogwarts' history, Harry asked her, "Why were you looking for me?"

"Well, it's almost dinnertime, and well, tonight's the night when those Beauxbaton exchange students arrive and Professor McGonagall wants everyone down at the Great Hall early tonight, she sent me to find you; I'm betting she knew I'll hurry you up.." Hermione said, rambling, and Harry got the gist she was talking to herself more then him. Then that infomation that Hermione had told him hit him.

Those exchange students from Beauxbatons were coming tonight, Harry remembered now, for the year, as a exchange. A group of 7th years from Gryffinder were going, and about 6 Beauxbatons were coming back here, as their half of the exchange.

Hmm.. wonder if Fleur'll be one of them..? Harry wondered with renewed interest. Fleur was a girl whom was in the Triwizard Tornerment last year, competing for the cup against him, the now decreased Cedric Diggory and Viktor Krum. Long story, and one which was painful to remember.

I wonder if next year the Durmstrung students will be exchanging with Hogwarts, wondered Harry, his mind drifting. It would be nice to see Krum again, his hero Quiddich player who played the same position as he did, Seeker, one of the best in the world...

Suddenly, a deliberate coughing noise come from near the front of the libary brought Harry back to this world; he saw in was Madame Pince, glaring at them and automatically stamping thick books with titles such as '134 Cures to Cure Plant Disease' and 'Importances in the Uses of Dragon's blood.'

"Well, we'd better get going, then, I have a feeling we're not welcome here anymore," Harry muttered under his breath to Hermione, as he slid his chair back and stood up, as did Hermione. He bent down to pick up his bag full of books and slung it across his shoulder, causing Hermione again to gaze at him suspiously. She knew he was hiding something from her, but she also knew that now wasn't the time to bring it up.

Together, Hermione keeping her promise and not bringing up the unusally large amount of books that Harry had crammed into his bag, they chatting idly about the new students that were going to arrive that night as they strolled down the halls towards the Great Hall.

Just outside the entrance to the Great Hall stood a suit of amour; here, Harry placed his bag of books, figuring he'd return for it after the feast. He didn't want to be stuck with it all through supper and besides, who would want to take a bagful of books, anyways?

As they entered the room together, they heard the usual buzz of chatter from the 600 or so students which were seated there in that Hall.

Breathing deeply, Harry could smell the thick scent of roast beef in the air; it appeared that the Feast had started. Glancing around, Harry spotted the Gryffindor table and his friend Ron's fluro red hair (he was munching on some baked potatoes and chatting to Dean Thomas, a black kid who was sitting next to him) and grabbed Hermione's arm.

He pulled her by the wrist up to where Ron was, who stopped his conversation with Dean and automatically moved over to make room for them both, now stuffing his face full with beef.

"Hey 'Arry, whersh were yoush?" Ron asked with his manners, which were none, spraying Harry and Hermione with spit and munched up bits of beef. Hermione looked utterly disgusted at his manner of eating. She turned her back on him and started to serve herself to the food in front of her; Harry just wiped the glops of food off his glasses and pulled up his own plate.

"Ah, just doing some reading in the libary," Harry said lightly, helping himself to the slices of steaming beef that lay on plates before him and looked back over at Ron, suprised as he began coughing.

Ron was choking. Harry dropped his fork and slapped him on the back a few times; Ron, red-faced but breathing, thanked him feverishly and began to chuckle.

"Thanks, Harry but.. reading? In the libary? In what lifetime did you read out of your own free will?"

Harry left that question hang, and started muching on his food before it got cold. "I'll tell you later," Harry said, but quietly, as Hermione, who had been pouring herself a gobletful of pumpkin juice, looked suspiously side-ways at him, but didn't say anything.

After that, Harry decided that it would be best if he concentrated on his food and shut his mouth.

So he did. There was idle chatter among the Gryffinder 5th years; Harry heard that Neville Longbottom, a boy with a terrible memory, had forgotten his wand, and was expecting it to be delivered by his Grandma's old owl that night, and learned that appearently, that the students from Beauxbatons would be sorted tonight aswell; sorted into THEIR houses as Beauxbatons had a different sorting system to theirs.

When everyone had eaten their fill, the main course had faded away from their plates, and the desserts had appeared in mountains, Harry suddenly thought that the Beauxbatons must've made their own supper at their own castle, before journing to Hogwarts.

At least, he certainly hoped so, as the desserts faded away from their plates too a while later, leaving the students of Hogwarts contentedly warm and thoroughly full of the rich food they had consumed.

At last, after about a million of hours of bored waiting, in which Harry wished he was up at his dormitory, on his four-poster bed reading, Dumbledore stood up heavily, wearing a frown and spoke to the room in his quiet yet forceful manner.

"May I please have your attention? The students of Beauxbatons are going to be a bit later then we anticipated; according to them, the savage wind has held them up," Dumbledore paused, as each student in the hall glanced up at the enchanted ceiling which mirrored the real sky outside; they all could see that although the night was clear, a fierce wind raged outside. It made Harry feel grateful that he was inside, and he snuggled into his thick cloak.

"So therefore, it is advised that some of the younger students may leave for classes tomorrow, but could the older people whom will be associated throughout the year with the Beauxbatons remain here? You may do as you please however. Thankyou." Dumbledore ended his speech and sat down.

"So, whadda ya wanna do then?" Ron asked Harry and Hermione, putting his goblet of juice back on the table and turned to them questionly. "I mean, sure we could stay and wait, but I don't really want to see Fleur again, and I heard that she's coming.." Ron blushed, then turned away slightly.

Harry knew why he was like that; just last year he had fallen under her Veela spell (Fleur was half Veela, her grandmother was one) and was infatuated by her, resulting in his embarrassment. In secret, Harry himself was attracted the beautiful half-Veela girl, and smiled at the thought of her.

"We'll stay, won't we Harry? I want to meet some of the students, I didn't really have a chance last year.. with the Beauxbatons, anyways," Now it was her time to blush as Ron started to snigger uncontrollably.

It had been a well-known fact which had secretly revolted Harry, that Hermione and Krum (He was from Durmstrung, a school reputed to be teaching the Dark Arts to their students) had become close during his vist to Hogwarts, and he had even invited her over to vist him during the holidays, though Hermione had declined.

"Yes, well, at least I didn't badger someone for their autograph, now, did I?" Hermione said with her tone of voice that said quite plainly, "Told you so,", as Ron's ears went red.

"I didn't BADGER him!" Ron scowled, glaring at his shoelaces with a terrible kind of anger. Harry smiled to himself, Hermione always got the last word in lately.

"Mmm.. yeah OK, I guess I would like to see them, they're meant to be in our year, aren't they.." Harry mumbled, yawning. He had been eager to start his reading tonight, but he did also want to get the chance to meet the Beauxbatons personally.

So, as the Hall emptied of the more younger students wanting to get a early night, Harry, Hermione and Ron stayed in their seats and waited, amusing themselves by talking about Quiddich, Beauxbatons and the lessons they would soon attend tomorrow.

* * *

Bong, bong, bong.

The huge Grandfather clock struck midnight. Harry, who had been playing a half-hearted game of Gobstones with Ron, yawned and nudged Hermione awake; she had been lying asleep on the table with her head on her arm.

"Hey!" Ron suddenly yelled, wiping his face vigourously; the Gobstone had spit out it's foul-smelling liquid at him and got him in the eye.

Hermione, Harry and Ron all yawned at precisely the same moment, it would've looked quite funny if everyone hadn't been so tired, and then, on cue a heavy banging came from the front doors.

Nearly everyone left in the room including most of the teachers, only about ten or so students, most of them of a higher year level (George and Fred Weasly were entertaining Alica, Angelina and Katie, resulting in much laughter from the 3 teenage girls) and looked like they were ready to drop dead on their feet; indeed, what Harry himself felt like too, and that thought nagged at the back out his mind like a constant stomachache.

The teachers all stood up, straightening their robes and trying to look composed and professional. Dumbledore led the numbered crowd towards the doors and opened it, where 5 or 6 annoyed looking faces stood. The Beauxbatons students.

Against the black of the night behind them, their robes seemed particually light, and they billowed in the strong wind, as did their fair hair among their faces. There was no teacher in sight, Harry's attention perked to trying to reconise Fleur in the crowd of pissed-off looking people, mainly girls.

"Welcome, students," Dumbledore smiled at their frostbitten, angry faces, and stepped back, as did the ten or so people behind him, to make room for the Beauxbatons to enter. There was no appearant 'leader', all of the Beauxbatons pushed forward into the Entrance Hall in their eagerness to escape the gale that was blowing outside.

Dumbledore shut the doubledoors behind him, and even though the heavy oak doors were closed, you could still hear the wind raging outside. The Beauxbatons, huddled in a group, looked relived.

"How was your trip?" Dumbledore asked pleasently, bowing slightly. A girl of 16 or 17 stepped forward (She seemed faimilar to Harry, had he seen her last year at the Triwizard Tournament?), unwrapped her muffler, and hugged herself. Pushing her light blonde hair oout of her face she answered in a high, shrill voice.

"How was our trip? It was awful, thank you very much. There was no carriage when we arrived, as we had been promised there was to be, and we had to run through all this mud and water.." At that sentence, most of the Hogwarts students looked down at the hems of their robes; nearly all of them were drenched in mud and dripping all over the marble floor.

Harry flinched slightly at the thought of what Filch and his scrawny cat, Mrs. Norris were to say about that! As caretaker, Argus Filch hated mud, dirt or germs of any kind (Harry could still vividly remember a few years ago, he had tried to give Harry a detention for walking to his common room after a game of Quiddich; his robes were dripping with mud and water, but still..) he wasn't entirely fair or nice, and hated the students and Peeves, the rude poltergist, with a passion.

"..and Fleur, you know, she is meant to be here too, she got, er.. lost we think, she just disappeared. Don't ask us how or why, but it was like she just Disapparated, vanished into thin air.. of course, if that was the case, she would've Apparated back to the Castle.." continued a different person, a rather pretty girl with long blonde hair whose face was screwed up in embarrassment at her dirty state, like many of the Beauxbaton exchange students' were.

"Well, you all must of had a very alarming night, I am sorry you had much misfourtune, but please, take a seat in the Great Hall, take a shower and we will sort you into your dorms. I trust you've all had something to eat..?" Dumbledore said, smiling warmly and guesturing towards the entrance to the hall.

The Beauxbaton students all smiled at each other at the thought of a warm shower, and pushed past the other stunned Hogwarts students rather disdainfully in their eagerness, and one girl paused momentarily to answer Dumbledore's enquiry, a girl with a thick French accent,

"Oui, Oui monsouir, Madmioselle Fleur thought it best if ze ate at 'Axbatons.." before hurring past to join her classmates, who had disappeared from the Entrance Hall into the Great Hall.

"Still fetish about that 'Agwarts' food' then, isn't she?" muttered Hermione annoyedly under her breath, and Harry nodded his reply, before Dumbledore cleared his throat, asking for the attention of the remaining students,

"Due to the unfourtunate misunderstanding of the Beauxbaton student's arrival, I'm afraid to ask each and everyone of you to return to bed, " Dumbledore smiled lightly at the sighs of disappointment from each of the Weasley twins, before sweeping past the yawning Hogwarts students into the Great Hall, where the Beauxbaton students were examining everything with their noses wrinkled, probably just waiting to be shown the way to the bathrooms.

"Right then, let's get to bed then, huh? I'm as tired as hell.." yawned Ron, sleeply tapping Harry on the arm, and turning sluggishly the way to the Gryffinder common room.

Harry drug his feet along the tiles towards the Gryffinder tower. He was too tired to even mumble the password to the portait of the Fat Lady, he let Hermione do that.

"Lemuish Kemuish," she said, almost incoherently in her weariness. The portrait, however, did not swing forward to admit them as expected, but merely gave a small smile and said nothing.

"Oh, Lemuish Kemuish! And let us in, quick, we're dead on our feet!" Harry snapped suddenly, but still the protrait did not move. He cursed angrily under his breath. It struck Ron and Hermione then.

"They've changed the password," Hermione and Ron said together, both looking annoyed and tired as Harry felt.

"Of all the times to do it though!" Hermione muttered angrily, flicked her hair behind her ear and wrapped her cloak around herself, her sharp though sleep clouded brain clogging slowly over the soulotion that should've been obvious..

"Well, let's just bang on the portrait then, that outta wake a few people up.." Ron decided, reaching forward to bang on the portrait door, but Hermione grabbed his arm suddenly, stopping him before he could reach the portrait.

"No, Ron! If we do that, then the whole Tower'll wake up, not to mention the younger students!" Hermione reasoned, letting go of Ron's arm so that he could let it limply fall by his side, before sitting down heavily next to Harry, sighing deeply.

Harry was in fact just trying to keep his eyes open, he had never felt so tired in his life.

"Maybe we could sleep here for the night.." Harry reasoned, yawning again and running his fingers savagely through his hair. Ron nodded. "Or we could wait 'till someone comes out and nab a password off them then.."

"Oh really, you two! It's one in the morning, what kind of person in their right mind would be wandering about a one AM?" Hermione said, annoyed at their stupidness before sighing and shaking her head slowly.

"Your brains must be really reprived of sleep.. why don't we genious' go down to to the Great Hall and nab the password off Professer McGonagall. I bet she's still down there with the Beauxbaton students.." Hermione said, like it was some big answer to a really hard puzzle, and Harry and Ron nodded sleeply together.

Ron yawned widely, and said, "Ok then. Me and Harry'll stay here, you go down to get the password, then.." Harry glanced over at Ron. His eyes were puffy and he had black circles under them. He looked as tired as Harry felt. Hermione breathed out sharply and her nostrils flared, reminding Harry sharply of Professer McGonagall.

"Really! As if I'm going by myself!" she said huffly, and pulled both Harry and Ron up by the nap of the necks, and led them back down to the Hall. Indeed, they heard the all-to-familar voices of Professer McGonagall and the Beauxbaton students, then Dumbledore's deep rumble of a voice.

Hermione prodded Ron in the back with her forefinger sharply. "C'mon, do you want to get to bed or what? My, this is embarrassing.. asking for the password.."

As the trio entered the room, Harry scanned the room quickly for Professer McGonagall. There she was, over near the corner. She appeared to be putting a stool and a old hat away into a cupboard - the Sorting Hat! It looked like the Beauxbatons had been sorted into their houses.

Harry wondered if any of the students were in Gryffinder, but didn't have much time to think about it, as Professer McGonagall rushed up to them, looking stern and asked them strictly, "Well, what are you doing out of bed? What's the matter? Forgotten the password?"

Professer McGonagall chuckled a bit at that, (it was one in the morning, even a strict woman such as her could find anything funny at one AM) but her grin faded as Hermione replied, "Erm.. yes in fact we have.. um, we weren't even told of the password change.."

"Hmm.. well, that was due to the addition of the exchange students," Professor McGonagall frowned, then lent forward closer, so only Harry, Hermione and Ron could hear what she was saying, "One of the Prefects should've mentioned it to you.. but anyway, the password to the Gryffindor tower is -"

But whatever password Professor McGonagall was going to say, it was drowned out by yet another loud banging at the Entrance Hall's doors. McGonagall turned from them and, frowning slightly, whisked away to open the great oak doors, and let whoever it was at the dooor in out of the icy wind.

"Who are you, miss?" Professor McGonagall said sharply, alerting Harry's tired mind. He glanced qickly at Ron, he raised his eyebrows, and listened for the person's reply.

"Hello. My name is N - N - Na.." The girl stuttered, as if she had forgotten her name, or something riduclus like that. Harry could almost see Professer McGonagall's face now, torn between laughter and her usual sensibilty. Besides him, Ron giggled.

"Yes?" prodded Professor McGongall; now the entire Hall, which was of Harry, Hermione, Ron, Dumbledore, Professer Snape, and a few other Professors, and all of the Beaxbatons, had gone very quiet.

"My NAME," and she said that like she was announcing she was going to get married, or something, "-is Naomi. Naomi Ityeureai. I'm from Beauxbaton Acadmy of Magic. I was sent here with an exchange with your school, Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry," said Naomi clearly so that the advid listeners in the Great Hall like Harry could hear, but also strangly like she had swallowed a textbook, something which Harry was used to, after coping with Hermione. He'd never heard anyone sound like that before, though.

"Well then, ..Miss Ityeureai.." McGonagall said slowly, trying to pronounced this unusual last name. Titters began circulating around the room slowly, the Beauxbatons, with towels over their arms and shoulders like shawls for their showers, looked worried and confused, and were mainly the ones who were worridly wispering to each other.

Harry caught a titter, and nudged Ron and whispered it to him. Hermione leaned forward and raised her eyebrow questionly. "The other Beauxbatons say that the school hasn't ever enrolled a student of the name 'Naomi Ityeureai' before.."

"Naomi, Professor. And what may I call you by?" the student (it sounded like a girl) asked politely yet strained, somehow, her 'textbook' tone had gone. Harry was hanging onto her every word as the titters around the room loudened.

"Er.. you, as a student, may call me Professor McGonagall ...Naomi. Please follow me to inform your classmates of your arrival..." Professor McGonagall answered, and she turned to the Hall with a companion, a VERY strange companion. Harry swallowed hard at the sight of her.

The companion that was standing next to Professer McGonagall was dressed in the light blue robes of Beauxbaton's. Her hair was the thing that kept the silenced Hall silenced.

It was green, a light shade of green. Very strange. Harry wonder briefly if she had dyed it, but yet.. it looked so natural.. the green hair was pulled in a high ponytail, and her eyes glimmered, glancing around the room quickly.

She looked like a natural troublemaker, but then - a flash of something, (was it fear, was it suprise?) sparked in them, but whatever expression Harry had/might've seen disappeared as soon as it had appeared, making him think he had made it up in the first place.

The girl was very oriental-looking, her hair looked like it should have been brown or black, and her eyes, instead of brown, were ice-blue, matching exactly the colour of her Beauxbaton robes.

The girl's eyes landed on Harry. Harry felt himself shiver as.. her ice-blue eyes x-rayed him, looking him up and down. And Harry couldn't move. He started sweating, then his scar burned (his stomach lurched with that pain) but still, he could not look away. He felt as if he was being stripped of everything he had, eveything he was..

Harry shook his head and blinked suddenly, free from any pain he might've been feeling, thinking he must really be tired if he was seeing things..

Naomi, breaking her icey glare from Harry, tilted her head to one side cockily, almost as if she was summing the room up, and said, "As we came across Fleur, who is sick with the 'flu, I was asked to replace her. I am please to meet you all, students of Hogwarts," She bowed to the room of stunned faces.

The Beauxbaton students edged closer to the arrival of the new girl, and one of them stepped forward uncertainly, giving a nervous smile.

"W-well, zit is very sad zat Mademioselle Fleur is unwell.." said the girl with a very proiment accent, a fluffy towel around her shoulders, as she stepped forward, extending a hand towards the girl who called herself Naomi. ".. but through her miz'outu'e, we get to meet you, fellow student of 'Axbatons, I am much mistaken if zou are but first year, though zou seem older..?"

The girl's politely extended hand remained unshaken, as Naomi smiled lightly for a second as if she was doing some fast thinking, (It reminded Harry of himself when he was confronted by Hermione in the libary infact) then extended her own hand, her fingernails those of a pianoist's and finely manicured, and shook it, with her reply,

"Ah, yes. I am in fact a first year, though you may not relise I originally came from the school of er... Magicak Acadamy of PureBlood Magic from the Japan region -" (When Naomi said this, it occured to Harry : Why would a Japanese Magic Student want to come to French school?)".. and we.. uh- we begin practising magic at much younger ages then the students at Beauxbatons, forgive me for not showing up earlier.." Naomi said calmly, though there was a look in her eye, a kind of glazed look that disappeared instantly after she had finished her sentence, that startled Harry, she appeared to be kinda disorientated, like she had no idea why she was shaking hands with a fellow student, and retracted her hand like it was on fire.

The Beauxbaton student looked at her strangely, but straight after Naomi smiled apologetically and dropped the topic. She glanced around the rest of the room.

As Harry was staring at her, he didn't think she LOOKED Japanese. Sure, she was oriental, but strangly, he thought she had the accent of Asia. This was indeed a very strange girl.

"Well everyone, I'm not Voldemort; you don't have to stand like scared Muggles watching me.."

That was a mistake. Everyone in the room besides Harry and Dumbledore flinched, like Naomi had banished a whip at them, and all of them, Beauxbaton's and Hogwart's students alike, stared at the girl with green hair with a kind of horified admirance.

Harry, at that moment, personally couldn't give a damn if she had brought Wormtail into the room, he was far too tired. God, I'm dead on my feet, he thought as he stumbled backwards into Hermione, who caught him before he hit the floor. I can't even stand up.

Naomi merely shrugged for this reaction, then she sort of went rigid, her eyes widened as she shivered for a moment or two, like she was having some kind of fit (Harry and Ron stepped back at this, their eyes wide as they watched) then.. she sort of returned to normal, stared at all the stunned faces and said cheerily to Professer McGonagall behind her,

"Well then, I'm very tired, prehaps it would be possible to get to a bed very soon, I'm.." at this, Naomi paused, and turned her head so she was facing forward and at Harry, and her eyes, Harry swore, her eyes glowed (he felt he was being x-rayed again, and a new surge of pain flashed across his scar) and finished off her sentence with, "..dead on my feet,"

Harry froze. That was exactly what he had been thinking. Naomi held his gaze, her blue eyes peirced into his green ones, Harry stared transfixed into them. The look in them.. that kind of look was the look that was usually reserved for him by Snape.

"Well of course you are, child. Please everyone return to their houses for the night, and we will hand out timetables in the morning," Professor McGonagall said, and hurried Naomi away, breaking her gaze off Harry and while the other Beauxbatons, still looking stunned, left in the direction of the bathrooms, leaving Harry, Hermione and Ron standing alone in the room. (Fred, George, Alicia, Angelina and Katie had obviously gone up to bed,)

"But we still don't know the password!" cried Hermione in despair suddenly as the room grew dark, the only light was that of the overhead moon in the enchanted sky; they were all shrouded into darkness as a cloud drifted over the moon.

"*sigh* What else could possibly go wrong?" Harry and Ron sighed together.