Harry Potter and the Wyvern's Crown

Chapter 12: Grey Lady and the Tower

It was two days before the end of hols. Christmas, past the minor irritation of Peeves following Harry around making goo-goo faces, had been a joyous time for all. The Dursleys had given Harry socks as was now usual. He presented them to Dobby down in the kitchen. But today, before the first round of people got back from their homes, Harry had some questions he wanted answered. And to get them, he would have to go to the oldest patrons of the school. The ghosts.

Nearly-headless Nick was always easily found, and Harry ran into him (read: though him) on the stairwell to the library. The incredibly cold feeling that froze Harry still reminded him that Nick, the Friar, the Baron and the Lady would all know more about the tapestries, and would be easier to answers out of then the nearly unreadable historical texts. Nick dropped down to the floor, his pale face showing concern.

'Harry? Harry, are you okay?' Harry slowly nodded, and looked up as Nick tilted his head, then lost it, dangling to the side. The occasionally stuffy ghost sighed and rolled his eyes as he put his head on straight. 'Is there something you need?'

'Yes.' Harry found his voice. 'You know the back passage...' He gestured in its vague direction (with the school it was always hard to explain where things were from the interior, since that was apt to change based on the day of the week). '...Where the old house tapestries are?'

Nick pointed in another direction, 'Over there, actually. But yes. Why? Did Gregory give you a growl the other day?'

Harry jumped on that, 'Gregory...how much do you know about him?'

Nick touched his chin, almost inciting another loss of head. 'Well up until about 200 hundred years ago, Gregory used to hang in the Gryffindor common lounge.'

'Did he?' Harry, desperate to keep Nick from changing the subject, 'Why was he taken out?'

Nick pursed his lips, 'It had to do with...' He squinted his eyes, 'You know, I can't recall. I mean he used to have a very definite purpose...he used to help pick head boys, and later, head girls. I do recall that one year, he called a young boy...only in the fourth year. It wasn't long after that he was retired. But I don't think that was the reason. You know who would know. Grey Lady.'

With that, he headed for the ceiling. Then he looked down, 'Well come on...' He suddenly seemed to remember that Harry was unable to fly was much as he was unable to slip through a wall. 'Ah, I'll lead you. She's undoubtedly up in Ravenclaw tower, driving her students to greater heights,' He lowered his voice considerably, 'Driving them to tears, I don't doubt. Obsessed with work, that one is.'

He lead Harry through the maze and up towards the Ravenclaw tower. While he had Cho were involved, he'd learned a few of the better ways to get there, so it wasn't unsure ground. Nearly-Headless Nick continued to prattle about Grey Lady and things he'd heard about her ghosting practices as they walked. Just before reaching the tower proper, Nick sighed, 'I'm forbidden to go any farther. It's a policy that they enforced not long after making the Baron the Slytherin house ghost. Sly devil would always sneak into everyone else's towers to listen in on conversations.

Harry raised an eyebrow. 'You mean, you were made a house ghost before him?'

'And the Lady and the Friar were before me. The Lady was the first. The abandoned tower that connects to the Ravenclaw common room is abandoned because she fell out of it.' He laughed, 'That would be why, out of all of us, she is the most pleasant to look at. Died of fright before hitting the ground, she did.' Harry noticed the slight recoloration of Nick cheeks. He grinned to himself, shaking his head.

A girl with short red hair came barrelling down the stairs. She tripped at the unexpected sight of Harry and crashed clear into him. He managed to catch her arms. Her eyes were wide and she blushed, 'Harry Potter. Why are you here?' He helped her right herself and she blinked at Nick, before looking back at Harry. 'Cho didn't stay...if that's what you're wondering.'

Harry shook his head, sometimes he forgot that though he didn't know everyone at the school, most everyone knew him. He did half-recognise this girl. She was in his Charms class. She was called Wade...though he'd never found out if that was her first or last name.

'Actually, we're looking for the Grey Lady...is she up there?'

Wade seemed taken aback, 'Grey Lady...' She looked at Nick, 'Right. Umm...I'll go ask, okay?' With that, she tore back up the stairs.

Harry laughed. Nick smiled, 'A mite absentminded, that one is.'

'Just a mite?' Harry chuckled but turned back to their former conversation, 'But either way, if Grey Lady was the first, how long ago was that? Did she ever see...'

'Now that is rather rude,' a soft penetrating voice called from the stairwell. 'A lady's age should never come into conversation.'

'You died at 20, Madame.' Nick held out a hand as the Grey Lady floated down. 'You should have no concern.' The red-head rushed past Harry without a second word. Nick kissed Grey Lady's hand while she curtsied just slightly. She then turned her cool gaze on Harry and addressed Nick.

'So Nicholae, who is this you've brought me today?'

'Harry Potter, Madame,' Harry held out his hand. He had been introduced before to the beautiful ghost, but it seemed a courtesy for her to have 'forgotten' the break-up between him and Cho. He touched his lips to her erthreal hand, chilling them. He looked back up into her cool face. Something about her reminded him of Raven. But then, he chided himself, everything nowadays seemed to. Just thinking that gave him butterflies.

'Ahh yes. I have heard much about you.'

Wanting to ask about her possible family connection to Raven (it was uncanny, how much of a match their faces seemed) Harry dragged himself back to the point, 'Thank you, Madame. I have a question to ask of you.'

Grey Lady gave Nick a private smile. 'Then ask.'

'Why did the house tapestries in the back hall...' He pointed. They both corrected him without malice. 'Get taken down?'

Grey Lady looked at Nick. 'And you don't recall?'

Nick shook his head, 'Aside from picking the occasional 'inappropriate candidate' for Head Boy, I don't see why Gregory would have been taken down. But that year was confusing, what with the last Triwizard tournament and all.'

Grey Lady nodded, 'Well it wasn't his fault, nor was it Raphael's.' She glanced at Harry, 'That would be the name of the raven you may have noticed there...the only 'raven' that represented our house before the eagle was formally adopted (though Raphael remained in the hall despite the discrepancy).' She turned back to Nick, 'They were taken down because of the Triwizard tournament.'

'They were?'

Grey Lady nodded, 'Out of respect of the deaths of the three candidates, the banners were removed.'

Nick nodded solemnly. 'I remember.'

Harry was confused, 'But that makes no sense. I understand that the Triwizard tournament is dangerous...but why take down the house banners? Only one house would have been in the tournament.'

Nick nodded, 'It was one of yours, wasn't it?'

Grey Lady nodded, 'My head boy.'

'Was he a Hawksmoor?'

Nick and Grey Lady both gave Harry a funny look. He felt his cheeks colour. Why on earth had he asked that? 'Sorry...stupid question.'

Grey Lady tilted her head, looking like a porcelain doll, 'Not really. In all the years I've been Ravenclaws' ghost, up to the last 70 years or so, there was always been a Hawksmoor. Now, back then...' She looked upwards. 'The Hawksmoor was James? Or would it have been Jasper?' She slapped her hands together, 'Being born of a Hawksmoor off-shoot, you'd think I'd remember better.' She laughed, rather like Raven.

'Off-shoot?' Nick looked prude. After all, next to the Slytherins, the Ravenclaws were the most obsessed with family lines. And, like the Slytherins, were the least likely to have muggle-born witches and wizards in their house.

'Oh yes. Without fail, every Hawksmoor family has had at least one male in the family, and at least one of them have been in this house, keeping the legacy, so to speak. But my great-grandmother's maiden name was Hawksmoor, so you understand that I'm only a distant relation...'

This surprised Nick, 'So Raven...in my house...she's a pure-blood from a Ravenclaw family?'

'Oh, not all of them have been Ravenclaws. There have been a few Slytherin or Gryffindor Hawksmoors over the years (not so many in Hufflepuff, but you understand Hawksmoors tend to have brash personalities) but that's because they came from large families. Not all of them were fond of each other, that's for sure,' Her smile was mischievous, 'But as for the tapestries, you're quite right when you say that it makes little sense for them to have been taken down when it was...Jonathan(?) who died. He was the head boy at the time...I think he was. Or was he the one after?' She looked at Harry with apology in her eyes, 'You must understand that I've been a ghost for a quite a while, and when half your head boys and girls look alike because they're all from the same family...' she sighed, 'You must forgive my forgetfulness. It's not every day I have to delve into Ravenclaw history to trace family names.'

'Well, the name doesn't matter, really.' Harry looked at her wistfully. 'I want to know who the banners are.'

Nick seemed confused. 'Who they are?'

'Yes. Who were Raphael, and Gregory...and the other two.' He managed to keep from saying the names he'd heard only by way of his dreams.

The Lady drifted down to the floor as though standing as a mortal would help her understand, 'They are mascots, dearest. Nothing more.'

Harry shook his head, 'Then what about the Wyvern's Crown?' Both ghosts looked perplexed. Harry leaned forwards, not understanding why they wouldn't know. 'Have you heard about it? Do you know what it is?'

Grey Lady fell silent. Nick floated towards Harry. 'What do you mean, boy? What are you talking about?'

Harry, ashamed, pursed his lips, 'Well, I've been having dreams...of late. They concern a set of Head boys...and they refer to each other by...the mascot's names.'

'A trick of you-know-who?' Grey Lady looked at Nick with worry.

Nick shook his head, 'No, my boy here can tell if it's him. Right, Harry?'

Harry nodded. Then he slowly shook his head, 'It's hard to tell nowadays. I mean, I have had visions before...several even from Voldemort...' He ignored their slight adversity to the evil wizard's name, 'but these seem...different. First and foremost, they all speak in old English. I feel like I'm being forced to understand it, as though I really wouldn't get what they were saying if they were speaking right beside me. And then the four boys are always talking about the Wyvern's Crown. Well, three of them. The fourth...Stephan...he's a pretty rare sight.'

Grey Lady bit her lower lip. After a moment she heaved a great sigh, 'Well, do you think we should ask the Baron about this?'

Nick crossed his arms. 'If this turns out to be yet another trick of you-know-who, we'll regret not asking. But I think Harry is right about one thing. If our old banners were once wizards, perhaps even head boys, we may be able to go straight to the source.'

Grey Lady nodded, 'I agree.'

A pitter and a patter of feet running up behind them, Harry turned as Raven came around the corner. She collapsed against him, tears on her face. Harry held her, looking up at the two house ghosts in bewilderment. He rubbed her back, and tutted softly.

'Come now, love. What's got you in such a panic?' Nick called softly. Grey Lady looked concerned as well. After all, Raven was a distant cousin of hers.

'Malfoy's come back...I can't bear to face him. He saw me, and oh, the look on his face...'

Harry wiped her cheeks with the edge of his robe. 'It's okay, Raven. You can come with us.'

Raven sniffled and let Harry put his arm about her waist. She leaned against him, whispering softly so the ghosts (who led them) wouldn't hear. 'I didn't expect to be so shocked...or upset. But he just looked so...hurtful. I thought when I heard his voice I'd see that part of I'd fallen in love with, but it wasn't there. Oh, Harry, it wasn't. He just looked right through me.'

Harry knew the feeling. When he had looked up across the Charms class after his break-up, Cho had once met his eyes. The sensation of being struck was the only way to describe that feeling. Again, the warm rage fluttered in Harry's stomach. Raven had come so close to harm, and he, with his foolish ambitions, had parted ways with her when he had opted to go to the library while she went for a late breakfast with the house-elves.

They headed through yet another passage, one Harry wasn't familiar with, and they soon found themselves climbing up into the back tower. Raven had been unsure of where they were headed until she spotted the four tapestries. She smiled at Harry. He had told her that he had come up with the idea that the tapestries may have once been students at Hogwarts. He had avoided telling her about the dreams because he knew she wasn't one to believe in that sort of thing.

Grey Lady hovered before Raphael, who was rampant, black, edged with fiery bronze. She touched the surface softly. 'It's been far too long, old friend.'

The raven's beak moved slightly. It made no sound. The ghosts hovered while Harry looked from Gryffindor to Slytherin. Of course, he knew he understood Stephan. And he knew why, too. The boy had also been a Parseltongue. Perhaps the only other one between Voldemort, Salazar and himself. But Gregory was of his house. But he didn't understand the occasional growl the lion had sent his way. And right now, Harry needed answers. As though sensing what he was going to do, Raven grabbed his arm tightly. 'Are you sure about this, Harry?'

Harry shook his head no. 'I have to try. If he knows what's going on, I'll understand him.'

He gazed into the unblinking eyes of the silvery serpent. His Parseltongue. flooded his throat. Then, in the cruel voice of a snake, he called out to Stephan, 'You there. Speak to me. Were you once human?'

The snake turned its cobra-like head, a poison green tongue flickering in the air, 'You are not one of mine, child. You wear the mark of Gregory's house.'

'Answer me!'

'I am a tapestry. But one so enchanted by a Parseltongue as yourself. I will speak to you no more, child.'

Harry cursed darkly, then knew that the Slytherin was playing hard ball. Time to play back. 'I was once close to being one of yours. Only a slip of thought, a moment of indecision, and I was placed in the lion's house. You can see that in me, can you not?'

The tongue flickered, a piece of ribbon. 'You are Gregory's. But I do feel what you claim. You have many dark skills. Undeveloped. Study with me...' Harry felt his mind being quite suddenly invaded. Images flowed past his eyes, threatening his stomach. Wizards and witches under Stephan's influence had done so much over the years. Everything from heartless and cruel pranks to ever more deadly ventures. Vicious ideals, raising generations upon generations of dark wizards. Ones that served one common purpose. Destroy the Muggles, take the world by force. Drown out the inferior race. Wipe the hapless non-magical creatures off the face of the planet.

Harry was horrified. He was lost among the hateful thoughts. Then, without warning, the part of him that was linked intolerably to Voldemort exploded with sudden vital life. He could feel a sudden desire to rid the world of muggle-borns, and he saw them as something pathetic and foul. And they were so helpless. It was a wonder why no witch or wizard had not taken this problem earlier. Then there would be no need for this weak life. No hiding in shadows. But not all muggles would die in the first wave. No some would life to serve. They would be slaves. They would learn to fear as many witches had over the years. Oppression was the best order for them. And Harry wanted it with his whole heart.

relasitam...

Harry felt his body returning, and he felt himself empowered.

Empario....hic...relasitam...

He felt his feet touch the ground. The snake came into focus. But that wasn't what he could hear. It was a female voice, shouting a hex. He turned towards her. She gave him a look of relief. One he didn't share. Her lips thinned. His eyes narrowed. As he recalled, she was muggle-born. If she did not submit, he would have to kill her.

'Leus captivite tuam!'

Harry felt as though he had been wrenched off his feet. Something grabbed him. He was turned, and found himself looking into the matching green eyes of a familiar boy. He was taller then Harry, his wild blond hair standing away from his face. He had Harry by the scruff of the neck. Harry reacted like a snake caught in a trap. He hissed and spluttered. The boy opened his mouth and a roar, so deafening it shook Harry's insides, erupted from him. Harry quivered.

Then, for the first time, Harry heard the true voice of Gregory.

'Never speak to him again.'

Harry didn't recall hitting the ground.