Hearts and Hourglasses

Reminder: Godric's alias is Godfrey. Salazar's is Sextus. Rowena's is Rachel. Helga's is Hannah. Rowena cast a spell so that everyone who hears them will hear them referring to each other by their aliases, but to their own ears, they hear each other's real names. It's a complicated spell.

Hearts and Hourglasses
Chapter 28: All Good Things...

Due to a lack of brooms, there was no Quidditch practice for Harry on Saturday morning. He woke up instead with barely enough time for a proper morning ritual and went down to the Gryffindor common room with Ron, whom Harry had woken. Hermione was waiting for them, and, for a weekend morning, the room was uncharacteristically empty of people.

Hermione quickly told them, that everyone else had already gone down for breakfast and that had they taken longer, she would have gone ahead to the Great Hall without them.

On everyone's mind was the Dark Arts session held the afternoon before. All the students wanted to see Professor Scaevola again. However, when the trio entered the Great Hall, they found that the Founders were absent from the staff table.

"Do you think he's all right?" Harry heard Ginny say as he, Ron and Hermione sat themselves down at the Gryffindor table.

It was Neville who answered her. "He should be..." There was worry in his voice. "He seemed fine when he talked to me yesterday."

"Maybe the Cruciatus Curse was too much to handle?" suggested Dean.

Lee shook his head. "From what I know about Crucio, there is no lasting pain or physical effect after the curse is cast. It's another thing mentally, and I know people have gone insane if it has been used too long on them."

Harry saw Neville flinched as George commented, "Twelve seconds is pretty long."

Seamus shook his head. "I've heard that most people scream once Crucio hits them."

Fred nodded. "Yah, and he took it without crying out until after more than six seconds. That's what they were trying to point out. If we know more about the Cruciatus Curse and other Dark spells, we would be able to defend ourselves better."

"And if people knew more about the Dark Arts," added George, "the less scared they would be of it and of You Know Who too."

Conversation among the Gryffindors broke off when breakfast appeared on their plates. Harry was reaching for the butter to spread on his toast when the owls arrived with mail for the students.

An envelope dropped in front of Harry, almost landing on his sunny side-up eggs. He smiled when Hedwig landed on his shoulder with a friendly hoot. There were crackers on the menu this morning, and he fed some to his snowy owl. She nipped his finger gently when she'd had enough and flew off to the Owlery.

Harry picked up the letter Hedwig had delivered and was surprised to find that it was sealed with the Gryffindor crest.

"Hey Ron." He looked up from the letter to see Ginny peer curiously at a similar letter Ron was holding. Ginny poked at it and said to her brother sitting beside her, "Why does it have the Hufflepuff seal?"

Ron immediately stuffed it into his pocket. "It's none of your business," he answered his sister in a gruff and guilty tone of voice.

Harry glanced over to Hermione and saw she was holding an envelope. Their eyes met and simultaneously both of them hid their letters just as George commented, "Ronniekin's wearing a badger pin too."

Harry and Hermione removed their pins inconspicuously while Ron told his siblings to stop bothering him.

"Oooh," said Fred, grinning, "I bet you're seeing someone from Hufflepuff, aren't you?"

Ron froze before yelling, "No, I am not!" Hermione declared suddenly, "No, he isn't!"

Both turned red when everyone, save for Harry, began teasing them. Fortunately for Ron and Hermione, they were all distracted when half a dozen grey owls flew into the Great Hall bearing a long thin package. It was clearly a broomstick. George and Fred, in particular, were staring at it with expressions of anguish. Though they had the money from Harry to buy themselves new brooms, it would mean postponing their plans for starting their own joke shop, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

Harry stiffened when the owls headed for the Slytherin table, but he wasn't surprised when they delivered the package to Draco.

About time his father sent him a new broom, thought Harry, looking over at Draco who was staring with surprise at the package in his hands.

After breakfast, the trio came out of the Great Hall to see the fifth year Slytherins clustered together around Draco.

"Wow..." Zabini was looking with reverence at the broomstick Draco was holding. It was a Firebolt, the same kind of broom that Harry had. Crabbe and Goyle looked even stupider than usual with their mouths hanging open, staring with glazed eyes at the broomstick.

When Harry and the others approached them, all the Slytherins turned towards them. Instead of the usual snipes and jeers mouthed when Gryffindors and Slytherins meet, the latter simply stared at them suspiciously and without a single word, they all headed down to the dungeons.

Ron was annoyed. "What was that for?" he complained peevishly. Harry was also feeling an uncomfortable mixture of anger and surprise. This was the first time the Slytherins had given them the silent treatment, and it wasn't pleasant at all.

Hermione frowned at them. "They didn't do anything," she pointed out obviously.

"I know," snapped Ron at her and explained, "It's just not normal. They're up to something."

"Oh please!" Hermione threw up her hands. "They get to you whether they do something or not."

Harry agreed with Hermione silently as she and Ron argued once again. He was having the same problem with Draco. It really wasn't fair. The other boy bothered him even though he didn't do anything.

Maybe I've just gotten used to Draco bugging me, thought Harry. He was distracted when a cold draft blew from the direction of the dungeons. It carried a small piece of parchment, which it deposited at Harry's feet. Curious, he picked it up and read what was written on it.

Draco,

This is to replace the broom I broke. Do tell me how it flies since I am not allowed to test it or even go near it.

Sextus Scaevola

Harry blinked. It was Salazar who had sent the Firebolt to Draco, not Lucius Malfoy.

* * * * *

After lunch, Harry, Ron and Hermione were outside on the grounds. The letters, they had received that morning, had held instructions from the Founders, requesting that each of them go out to the lake after noon. None of the trio knew why.

It seemed they were the only students outside. The other students were most likely in their respective common rooms or in their dormitories having naps. Harry felt sleepy himself. The sky was greycast. There was no wind, and the air felt heavy. The weather was humid. It would most likely be raining later in the afternoon.

Harry was amused by the fact that each of the three had been sent a letter when one would have been enough. Then he decided that it was better that way. For example, if only Harry had received a notice, it would have seemed as though he were the favorite. The last thing Harry wanted now was to be singled out. He didn’t want to give Ron cause to feel envious, or Draco either, for that matter.

Then again, here he was assuming that he would get the letter if the Founders only sent out one.

I do have quite a big ego, thought Harry with disquiet as they reached the banks of the lake.

"Why do you think they asked us to come out here?" said Ron. Harry watched as he picked up a flat polished stone and flung it out across the surface of the lake. It skipped three times before it sunk.

"I have no idea," answered Hermione. She sat down on the bank as the two boys began finding stones to throw. Harry had just thrown his third stone when Godric appeared beside him.

Harry grinned immediately and greeted the older wizard, who smiled at him warmly. Rowena and Helga were there as well and soon they were all asking the Founders why they were out here by the lake.

It was Helga who answered. "We're expecting a shipment," she said. When they looked at her with puzzled eyes, she gestured at the lake. Harry turned to look at its calm clear surface and was startled when bubbles began to form near the banks.

Suddenly, a tugboat surfaced. It was manned by three wizards. The one on deck called out, asking if one of them was Professor Gloucester.

Godric stepped forward and raised his hand. Three sheets of parchment and a quill popped into existence in front of him, and he signed them. The parchment and quill then vanished, and the two other wizards came out of the steering cabin to join their companion. All three then took out their wands and cast Leviosa on a stack of crates on the boat's deck.

Harry and the others moved back as five large crates landed gently in front of them. The boat with its crew sank back into the lake.

He stared at the crates with great curiosity and was about to ask Godric what was inside them when the wizard told him that he would explain later. Then he asked Harry if he could borrow his wand. Harry immediately took out his wand and handed it to Godric. Ron and Hermione also handed their wands to Helga and Rowena.

The Founders cast Leviosa on the crates, which floated a few inches from the ground. Then, they all hurried away from the lake and towards the Quidditch stadium.

* * * * *

Harry and Ron were speechless when the crates were open. Inside each box were twelve Firebolts. With five crates, there were sixty of the magnificent racing broomsticks in all.

"How is it, Hannah?" Godric called out, his head raised and looking up to Helga who was testing a Firebolt. After performing a loop, she landed with a grin on her face.

"It's excellent, Godfrey."

Godric nodded with approval and looked over to Rowena and Hermione who were tallying the brooms.

Harry couldn't help himself. He picked up one of the Firebolts and examined it. Like his own broom, it had a golden registration number, but unlike his Firebolt, above the number were the words "Property of Hogwarts" inscribed in gold.

"These are our school brooms?" Ron whispered with awe, and he didn't react when Harry nudged him in the shoulder. Ron kept staring at the Firebolts, but he did jump when Helga patted his shoulder.

"I'm glad you like them, Ron," she said, smiling. "We felt awful after what Sextus did to the school brooms."

"Where is he, by the way?" asked Harry with a grin. He had the feeling that the other Founders hadn’t told Salazar about this.

"Most likely sulking in his room," answered Godric with a chuckle.

Rowena sighed with amusement. "Godfrey and Hannah refused to let him come along."

"Indeed," said Helga briskly then she smiled and said, "We did get the idea of replacing the school brooms from him."

Godric made a face. "Yes, we caught him with an order form. He had borrowed a book called Which Broomstick from a student."

"Now, now," said Rowena peaceably. "He only wanted to order a new broomstick to replace Draco's broom which he broke."

Helga shook her head at Rowena. "You think too kindly of him," she told her.

"And you two think too unkindly of him," countered Rowena with a gentle smile.

The six of them spent the next hour test flying the Firebolts. Harry learned that Rowena was not as fond of broomsticks as the other three Founders were, but she did give one of the Firebolts a try. She returned to the ground rather quickly and looked faintly sick.

Godric was asking Harry to fetch Madam Hooch, who was in charge of teaching flying to the students, when suddenly she burst into the Quidditch stadium with Professor Flitwick.

"Sir!" Madam Hooch shouted as she reached them. Her eyes widened when she saw the Firebolts, then they cleared and quickly snapped back to Godric who was staring at her with surprise.

"You and the others must hide!" she said urgently.

Godric blinked, and Helga asked what was wrong.

Flitwick answered with a gasp, "Fudge- the Aurors-" He stopped to catch his breath. Hooch finished for him. "Lord Slytherin has been arrested!"

To be continued.

Q & A

From: Seldes Katne *my* beta-reader

-crates landed gently in front of them. The boat with its crew sank back into the lake.

Do we want to know how the Founders paid for all this?

(big silly grin) They are very rich! Rowena's family, for example, was already very very wealthy in the first place. The other Founders are also well-off since they all come from noble Wizarding families. Plus, Salazar and Godric made extra gold with their pet projects, particularly the not then illegal trade in basilisks. Those two also liked to breed dragons too. I don't know if Gringotts existed a thousand years ago, but there already were banks during the Ancient Roman Empire. Remember Barrington Brothers' Smithy? (it's one of the places in the game in chapter 24) I remember learning in school that the first banks were the smithys. Gold is left in the smith's care, and he just assigns pieces of paper to represent amounts of gold. That's how paper money started too, I think. Anyway, the Founders had gold kept in secret funds aside from the Hogwarts accounts. Over a thousand years, a lot of interest is accumulated.

Let's say, for example, 100 galleons with an average cumulative interest of 1 percent per year. I know it doesn't sound much, but a thousand years ago, a 100 galleons equals around a million. Here how it grows each year: 101, 102.01, 103.0301 (skip seven years), 110.46 (skip 90 years), 270.47 (skip 100), 731.57, (skip 300), 14476.64 (skip 500 years), 2095823.30

2,095,823.30 galleons, and I rounded off several times. And the Founders definitely stashed away more than a 100 galleons. Also, the gold that was used to pay for the Firebolts came from Salazar's account. He doesn't know though.

Reminder: Godric's alias is Godfrey. Salazar's is Sextus. Rowena's is Rachel. Helga's is Hannah. Rowena cast a spell so that everyone who hears them will hear them referring to each other by their aliases, but to their own ears, they hear each other's real names. It's a complicated spell.

Hearts and Hourglasses
Chapter 29: The Other Side

"Leave him alone!"

Harry stumbled to a halt the moment he came into the entrance hall of the castle. Students were lining the walls, up the marble staircase and down the dungeon steps, keeping the center clear. By the dungeon entrance, Draco was struggling to get pass Professor Snape who was keeping him from rushing to the Aurors, who had surrounded Salazar. Their wands were out, and the Dark wizard was unconscious.

"Fudge!" Dumbledore was incensed. He and the Minister of Magic were facing each other by the open doors of the Great Hall. "What do think you're doing?! You can't come into Hogwarts and arrest people without proper cause!"

"You heard him, Dumbledore!" Fudge was quivering with outrage. "You heard him! By his own admission, he's a Dark wizard!"

Dumbledore's eyes flashed with impatience as murmurs of fear ran through the students watching them.

"You fool."

Fudge breathed in sharply as Dumbledore straightened in an imperious manner.

"You're a fool, Fudge," said Dumbledore in a low tone, which came clearly to everyone's ears, "You're so frightened by the other side, that the mere mention of them is more than enough to strike fear in your heart."

Fudge started, his lips curled back in anger, but he didn't say anything as Dumbledore continued softly, "He hasn't done anything but say he is of the other side. Yet, already you consider him too dangerous. Immediately you feared him when you found out he isn't one of us."

"Dumbledore-" said Fudge, but he was cut off when Hogwarts Headmaster said, "Don't you see it? Because of fear, our side has already lost even before the battle has begun. Voldemort has already won."

Almost everyone winced upon hearing that name, and Fudge was no exception. Foolishly, he began demanding that Dumbledore never say You Know Who's real name again. Harry's stomach spasmed in disgust as he looked at the Minister, who was quaking in angry terror at just the mention of Voldemort's name.

Fudge wasn't the only one. Even the Aurors were frightened. Harry could see their hands shake. They were still pointing their wands at Salazar although he was unconscious and lying on the cold stone floor. Most of the students were staring at Dumbledore and Fudge, who was still railing. Unbelievably, Fudge was now accusing Dumbledore of conspiring with the Dark wizards for allowing the Dark Arts session.

Dumbledore remained silent at this, but Professor McGonagall didn't. Furious, she confronted Fudge and demanded how he could even dare utter such foul and absurd accusations against Dumbledore. Professor Sprout joined in bashing Fudge verbally. The kindly Herbology teacher was gentle no more.

Even the Hufflepuffs were taken aback at their House Head’s reaction; this was a side of Sprout that they had never seen before. Fudge was speechless: it is one thing to face off against people taller than you, quite another when a smaller person challenges you. Sprout was making Fudge look ridiculous.

"ENOUGH!" Fudge roared. "I have done what I have seen fit!" He pointed a finger at Salazar's prone form. "After the Dementors question the Dark wizard, he'll be sent to Azkaban where his kind belongs!"

Harry's breath caught. Fudge ordered the Aurors to put Salazar in chains and find the other conspirators. Draco suddenly screamed, "You can't do that! He's-" Snape clamped his hand over Draco's mouth and half-dragged half-carried Draco down to the dungeons.

A strange calm descended on Harry as he watched one of the Aurors cast Mobilicorpus on Salazar. Vaguely he remembered it as the same spell Lupin had cast on Snape in the Shrieking Shack. When Salazar's form was in an upright position, the same Auror conjured up heavy iron chains whose manacles fastened by themselves around the prisoner's wrists and ankles.

Harry couldn't believe this was happening. Never had he imagined that the Ministry would arrest Salazar.

A small faint voice whispered in Harry's numb mind. They don't know. Fudge doesn't know who he is. Tell him. Tell them who he is. They'll let him go once they know who he is.

He stepped forward towards the Aurors and opened his mouth to tell them. But hands suddenly clamped down on his shoulders and pulled him back. Surprised, he looked to his right to see Ron, shaking his head at him quickly.

"You can't tell them who he is," said Ron in a barely discernable voice.

"Ron's right," whispered Hermione, who was on Harry's left side. "It will only get worse if they know who he really is."

Harry was about to disagree when Fudge said loudly, "Find the other wizard called Gloucester. He'll be sent immediately to Azkaban for casting Crucio on another human being, even if it's on scum such as this Dark wizard."

His eyes snapped back to Fudge even as a thought rang out in his mind. Fudge wouldn't dare send Godric Gryffindor to Azkaban!

Are you sure? A teeny voice inside him said with derision. He might not even believe you if you say the Founders have returned. He doesn't even want to believe Voldemort is rising again. He thinks you're mad, you know. Full of crackpot stories. Remember?

The voice vanished to be replaced by Fudge's angry sputter.

For heaven's sake, Dumbledore --- the boy was full of some crackpot story at the end of last year too --- his tales are getting taller, and you're still swallowing them --- the boy can talk to snakes, Dumbledore, and you still think he's trustworthy?

... He doesn't trust me. Harry stared at the portly little wizard who was Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic. He and Dumbledore were arguing heatedly again. McGonagall and Sprout were standing aside, their eyes shooting daggers at Fudge.

He doesn't trust me, Harry thought again. He didn't believe me and Hermione, when we told him that Sirius is innocent. He didn't believe me when I told him who the Death Eaters are.

You are merely repeating the names of those who were acquitted of being Death Eaters thirteen years ago. You could have found those names in old reports of the trials!

That tiny voice returned. That's right. Fudge doesn't trust you. Especially since you're a Parselmouth.

A memory three years ago surfaced with Ron saying, "It's not a very common gift. Harry, this is bad."

This was the time when Harry first found out about Parseltongue, after he had rescued Justin Finch-Fletchley from a snake Draco had conjured up during the Dueling club Gilderoy Lockhart had started.

Hermione with a worried expression told Harry in a hushed voice, "- being able to talk to snakes was what Salazar Slytherin was famous for. That's why the symbol of Slytherin House is a serpent."

Ron adding, "Exactly. And now the whole school's going to think you're his great-great-great-great-grandson or something ---"

The memory receded as the voice queried. How's Fudge going to react when you tell him the Dark wizard he has just had arrested is none other than Salazar Slytherin? Fudge's scared of Slytherin. He doesn't trust you, because you can speak Parseltongue just like Slytherin. He'll think you're mad, of course. Another crackpot story. Fudge will think you're too full of yourself if you tell him the Founders are back.

After all, everything does happen to Harry Potter.

Harry blinked, returning to his senses. Fudge was now striding towards him and towards the open doors leading out of the castle. Behind the Minister, only two of the six Aurors remained, bringing along Salazar still suspended in mid-air and unconscious. The other Aurors must be searching the castle for the other Founders, whom Fudge had referred to as conspirators.

The Minister's pace slowed when he saw Harry. There was a suspicious glint in Fudge's eyes as if he considered Harry an enemy too.

Then suddenly, Harry felt the coldest chill come over him, and he whirled around to see Dementors coming towards him.

* * * * *

Godric had rarely felt as helpless as he did now. He, Rowena and Helga had returned to the main hall of Wvelte. In front of them and floating in mid-air was a large wispy mirror. It was showing to them what was happening below in Hogwarts.

The wizards who had chained and manacled Salazar were now handing him over to a trio of Dementors. He heard Rowena gasp softly and Helga mutter, "How could they allow Dementors on Hogwarts grounds?"

"We have to rescue Salazar," whispered Rowena, her voice turning desperate. "He can't stand Dementors-"

In the mirror, Salazar had jerked awake when one of the foul creatures touched his face. His green eyes were wary and surprised then widened in fear when he saw them.

"S-stay away-" It was all Salazar managed to say before he stiffened, his eyes rolling back until only their whites were seen. His body began to tremble then fell limp as Salazar lost consciousness again. The Dementors took him away, and the wizard called Fudge ordered the two other wizards (Aurors, Flitwick had called them) to join the others in searching for the other Dark wizards.

Helga was outraged as was Godric, but their anger was quickly overwhelmed by concern for Salazar, and again terrible helplessness weighed down on Godric's shoulders. They could only watch as the Dementors took their friend away.

"We have to go after him." Godric looked at Rowena, who was pale. She looked ready to faint, but a quiet strength inside her wouldn't allow her to give in to despair.

Helga looked very tired, and she was shaking her head. "I knew we shouldn't have allowed you two to hold that Dark Arts session." She was addressing Godric, but the blame in her voice was not directed at Godric but at herself. She had been adamant in her refusal to allow the Dark Arts session, but slowly and surely, Salazar had persuaded her to be lenient about it. He'd made her see the reason behind it.

"Magic is magic, Helga," Salazar had said to her, "Light magic or Dark magic, Light or Dark Arts, White magic or Black magic. They are equal, Helga, and both should be learned side by side. If a Light wizard, makes use of Dark magic, who or what changes? Is he to be considered a Dark wizard? Or does the Dark magic become Light magic? It's the wizard who changes, not the magic. You cannot rightly blame magic no matter what kind it is."

"Magic is magic," repeated Salazar. "Our students should learn all the kinds of magic there is rather than be ignorant or be frightened of what they don't understand. Let us show them what magic exist in this world and leave it up to them to decide what to do with that knowledge."

Helga had still been reluctant even after that. She finally agreed rather huffily when Salazar insinuated that perhaps she preferred their students to be unprepared when they encountered Dark Arts outside of Hogwarts.

Still, she did have the last word. "But if you cast Crucio on a student, Salazar, I will wring your skinny neck!"

The corners of Godric's mouth twitched at the memory, then the cruel present intruded, and he sighed softly. He turned away from the mirror and walked away from it, trying to think clearly. They hadn't expected this would happen. They hadn't known how much their side now feared the other side.

When they had found out that Salazar had been arrested, their immediate reaction had been to go to him, but Flitwick and Hooch had insisted they hide, saying that this Fudge was mad and too frightened to see things straight.

When news of the Dark Arts session at Hogwarts had reached the Ministry, it had come as a tidal wave. Parents had sent owls to the school governers, demanding to know why Dark Arts were being taught at the school. Their children had owled them about it, owled them that a professor had cast the Cruciatus Curse on another professor. It also brought up a previous matter about another professor having cast the Imperius Curse on his students the year before.

The general supposition now was that Hogwarts was being infiltrated by Dark wizards, who were intent on corrupting students' minds over to their side. When Fudge had arrived at Hogwarts with his Auror bodyguards, he had seen Salazar demonstrating a Dark magic spell to a group of Slytherins in the entrance hall.

Then Flitwick and Hooch had refused to tell them what had happened next, and had insisted that the three of them hide. Flitwick had told Harry and his friends to go back to the castle while Hooch had taken three Firebolts and told Godric and the others to use the brooms to go someplace safe and hidden. Neither professor had known about Wvelte, but Godric, Rowena and Helga had taken the brooms and ridden them to the nearest Portkey point. From there, they had gone up to Wvelte and seen what had happened to Salazar.

* * * * *

"What happened next?" Ron asked George demandingly. They were all in the Gryffindor common room. The Aurors had finally allowed them to enter the Tower after searching it in vain for the other three Founders. The trio was talking with George, Fred and Lee who had been present earlier when Salazar was arrested. They had been on their way back from the kitchen with snacks for the other Gryffindors when they came across Salazar with some Slytherins in the entrance hall.

Salazar had been demonstrating the Fortune charm.

"Fortune charm?" Hermione asked. Ron then explained that the Fortune charm made people lucky, but that it was an illegal spell.

Harry was puzzled when he heard that. Why would a charm that made people lucky be illegal? Hermione was also confused, and it was Lee who told them that the Fortune charm was dangerous, because it made the caster really lucky, but made the people around him unlucky.

"The Fortune charm is a parasitic spell," added George, "it gets luck from other people and adds it to the caster's luck. It can cause a lot of trouble obviously. But, luckily, no pun intended, it's also a very very hard spell to cast."

"And," finished Fred, "if you don't cast it perfectly, it will backfire on you, and you'll wind up being very very unlucky instead."

Harry couldn't help but think that Salazar had cast the Fortune charm incorrectly, and he asked them if that was what had happened.

George shook his head. "No, Scaevola had sealed the charm in a globe. He was showing the Slytherins how to check first if the charm was cast properly or not before breaking the globe and using the charm. If the charm was done properly, its color will be golden. Any other color, and it was done wrong."

"Then Fudge showed up," said Fred. "He saw Scaevola with the globe and asked what it was."

Lee continued, "Scaevola said it was a Fortune charm, and Fudge went ballistic. He told off Scaevola for casting an illegal spell."

Fred said, "Scaevola frowned at him and asked why it was illegal. Fudge went purple and shouted because it was a Dark spell."

"Scaevola snorted and said that when people don't know enough about a spell, they usually label it as Dark magic," said George. "Then, he continued his lesson to the Slytherins saying that the Fortune charm was easily countered by casting Finite Incantatum on it."

Harry frowned slightly. Finite Incantatum sounded familiar to him. Then he recalled that Snape had used it during the Dueling Club in Harry's second year.

"Fudge looked idiotic when Scaevola got rid of the Fortune charm so quickly," said Fred. "We were all surprised too. We didn't know it was that easy to counter the Fortune charm."

Lee sighed and said, "But then we are behind on DADA. Look how much we learned from Quirrel and Lockhart. Lupin's great, but he left when it was let out that he's a werewolf, and not that I have anything against the real Moody, but the Moody last year was a terrific teacher. He really taught us about the Dark Arts even though he was a Death Eater. Plus, if you think about it, Barty Crouch did get the better of Alastor Moody."

Fred nodded. "Yes, even though Moody is a retired Auror and is always on guard about Dark wizards and conspiracies and stuff."

"Makes you wonder really," said George with a frown. "You heard what Scaevola said about the Cruciatus Curse. There are ways to defend against it, and Lupin showed us how to do the Hawthorn Charm too."

Fred was thinking the same thing as his twin, because he said, "It always bugged me when I think that the Aurors were allowed to use the Unforgivable Curse when You Know Who was powerful around thirteen fourteen years ago. Couldn't the Ministry figure out other ways to take down the Death Eaters? Aurors are no different from them if they use illegal magic as well. Fudge was wrong to have Scaevola stunned and arrested just because he's a Dark wizard. He hadn't done anything except try to teach us about the Dark Arts for our own good and protection."

"He'll be fine," said George suddenly when he noticed how worried Harry, Ron and Hermione looked. "I'm sure he'll be released soon. The Headmaster and our teachers won't let Fudge get away with such a silly charge. Scaevola hadn't even tried to fight back. One of the Aurors was wand happy and stunned him. They were scared when he told Fudge that the reason why he was teaching Dark magic was because he was a Dark wizard. It's funny and stupid. Fudge got angry when he found out that Scaevola had cast an illegal spell, but he got scared when Scaevola said that he was a Dark wizard."

Lee agreed his best friends and added, "The Minister lost his marbles even before Scaevola told him that. Scaevola had made him look like a fool with the Fortune charm. Fudge had demanded to know who he was and said that clearly Scaevola had no idea that he was the Minister of Magic."

The Twins and Lee suddenly had identical expressions of amusement and admiration on their faces, and this time it was Harry, who demanded, "What happened next?"

Fred grinned slightly. "Scaevola told Fudge that it was he who had absolutely no idea who he was."

George chuckled. "He looked so cool, and boy, did Fudge look dumb! I almost felt sorry for him. He really had no idea who he was talking to."

Lee commented, "I almost wished that the Sorting Hat had placed me in Slytherin."

It took thirty seconds for Harry, Ron and Hermione to comprehend what the older trio was saying.

"... YOU KNOW!!!" They yelled simultaneously at the twins and Lee, who immediately shushed them and led them out of the common room, where every Gryffindor's head had turned their way when the trio shouted.

* * * * *

"How did you find out?" Harry asked and looked around curiously in the room they were in. It was a disused classroom, which had been turned into part lab, part rumpus room, part storage closet. The room was well-lit. Stacks of the twins' practical jokes, tricks and inventions filled up a corner while along one whole wall the classroom tables had been arranged against it to form the laboratory section of the room. Beakers, test tubes on stands, flasks, burners and other potion making implements were on the tables. In the remaining corner were three cushiony bean bags. Comic books, reference manuals and magazines were scattered everywhere.

George had made them swear not to tell anyone before showing the trio into their secret hideaway. They had entered through a door, which appeared to be a brick wall at first. But if you tapped a certain brick with your wand a certain number of times, the wall would disappear, just as the entrance to Diagon Alley would appear in the wall behind the Leaky Cauldron.

Ron gave his brothers an irritated look. "I can't believe you've never told me about this place," he complained.

George gave Ron a Percy-like look in return. "You have your secrets. We have ours," he said wisely.

Fred draped a brotherly arm around Ron's shoulders and extended his other arm expansively at the room. "Don't worry about it, Ron. Besides, we're leaving all of this to you."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Right," he said sarcastically, "I am really honored."

Lee chuckled, and Harry quickly asked again how they found out about the Founders. Hermione seconded him, and George said, "We weren't one hundred percent perfectly sure until the three of you yelled at us in the common room."

"Oh." Harry blinked, and Fred said reassuringly, "Don't worry. The three of you didn't give the secret away. It was this." He suddenly whipped a piece of parchment out of his pocket and unfolded it. Harry stared at it as George, who already had his wand out, tapped it and said dramatically, "Reveal yourself, oh map of Hogwarts."

George earned groans and punches in the shoulder from his brother and Lee as the map of Hogwarts appeared on the parchment, and teeny tiny ink dots began moving all around it. It was a familiar sight to Harry.

"You made your own Marauder's Map," Harry breathed out with awe. Ron was speechless. Hermione was stunned.

The twins and Lee grinned, and Fred said that this was an upgraded version of the Marauder's map. Harry then noticed that there were more secret passages shown on this map.

"It's not yet finished though," said Lee, "but it works quite fine already. See?" He pointed at a dot. "It already shows names."

Harry stared at the dot labeled Ginny Weasley and realized how they found out about the Founders. Hermione figured it out at the same time.

"You saw the Founders' names on it," said Hermione, and the older trio nodded.

"We were very surprised," said George. "Shocked really," corrected Fred.

Lee said, "We even thought we did something wrong with the map. You see we were also programming it to identify the Houses." Harry noticed that their dots were red. He looked over to a blue dot, and saw that under it was scribbled Filius Flitwick.

"When we saw Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin on it," started George while Fred finished, "we really thought we goofed up badly somewhere. Then, we heard Professor Gloucester ask Dean what is Quidditch." Both twins made faces and declared, "It's impossible for anyone who graduated from Hogwarts to not to know about Quidditch."

Lee nodded and said, "George and I distracted the professor while Fred went up to our dormitory to check the map."

Harry could only stare at them wordlessly. ... All along... They knew all along...

Hermione was frowning at them. "I don't understand," she told them, "why are you making another Marauder's Map? Is it because you gave the original to Harry? You'll be graduating this year," Hermione reasoned, "so you won't be able to use it much. Plus, this map only causes mischief, and the three of you definitely don't even need a map like this to get into trouble. Not only that, but it must have taken a long time to make it, and it's such a waste of time as well."

The older trio looked affronted. George muttered, "Girls just don't understand true works of art." Fred nodded, wiping the map clean with his own wand and putting it away. Lee suddenly smiled and nudged George with his elbow. "Go on," Lee said when George gave him a questioning look. "Tell them the real reason why the two of you started on that map."

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at them with curious expressions. The twins looked embarrassed and suddenly said they had other places to go to. They left the room quickly, and the trio had to ask Lee what that was about.

Lee grinned at them and turned towards Hermione. "Remember last year when Harry and Ron here had a tiff and refused to talk to each other?"

Hermione nodded while Harry and Ron looked startled. Lee continued, still talking to Hermione in particular, "Ron was very upset about Harry being chosen as one of the champions for the Triwizard Tournament."

Ron froze. Harry glanced at him. Hermione nodded again at Lee who said, "George and Fred tried to talk to him about it, but he snapped at them, saying that they liked Harry more than him before storming off."

"What?!" Ron turned very red, and he protested, "I don't remember saying that!"

"You were too angry to remember about it, Ron," Lee told him in a gentle tone of voice, "but what you said got to them, and they started to think about what could have given you the idea that they liked Harry more than you. The first thing that came up was the Marauder's Map that they had given to Harry."

Harry remembered. Two years ago, in Hogsmeade, the first time he had visited the wizarding village. Ron saying, "How come Fred and George never gave it to me! I'm their brother!"

Hermione had distracted Ron immediately by saying that Harry wasn't going to keep it, because it was dangerous. But a thread of jealousy against Harry was present inside Ron, and the twins giving Harry the Marauder's Map and never once showing it to their younger brother only added to the feeling of inadequacy that Ron struggled with every day of his life.

"Oh!" Hermione suddenly squealed with delight, snapping Harry back to the present. "I understand now!" Hermione was clasping her hands together and looking touched. "They started on a second map so that they could give it to Ron! That's really so sweet of them!"

Hermione might think it ‘sweet’, but the look on Ron’s face suggested he might never be able to face his brothers again. Harry grinned when Ron looked his way, and his best friend flushed even redder and ducked his head down, utterly abashed by it all.

Happy as Harry felt right now for Ron, quite soon, he would be feeling irritated and angry with himself for having been distracted from the fact that Salazar had been arrested.

To be continued...

Lee asked George and Fred: What's she so mad about?

George: She's mad, because she got distracted by us. This chapter was supposed to be serious. You know, because Slytherin's been arrested and all, but it got kind of sappy...

Fred: No kidding. Look how she made us look. We never get embarrassed no matter what we do.

Lee: Uh huh. Then why did you two run away when you saw Ron just now?

George: Well. We know Ron would be embarrassed about it. Our little brother's a very sweet kid.

Fred: So we're steering clear of him for a while until he gets used to it.

Lee: ... Right...

Reminder: Godric's alias is Godfrey. Salazar's is Sextus. Rowena's is Rachel. Helga's is Hannah. Rowena cast a spell so that everyone who hears them will hear them referring to each other by their aliases, but to their own ears, they hear each other's real names. It's a complicated spell.

Hearts and Hourglasses
Chapter 29: The Other Side

"Leave him alone!"

Harry stumbled to a halt the moment he came into the entrance hall of the castle. Students were lining the walls, up the marble staircase and down the dungeon steps, keeping the center clear. By the dungeon entrance, Draco was struggling to get pass Professor Snape who was keeping him from rushing to the Aurors, who had surrounded Salazar. Their wands were out, and the Dark wizard was unconscious.

"Fudge!" Dumbledore was incensed. He and the Minister of Magic were facing each other by the open doors of the Great Hall. "What do think you're doing?! You can't come into Hogwarts and arrest people without proper cause!"

"You heard him, Dumbledore!" Fudge was quivering with outrage. "You heard him! By his own admission, he's a Dark wizard!"

Dumbledore's eyes flashed with impatience as murmurs of fear ran through the students watching them.

"You fool."

Reminder: Godric's alias is Godfrey Gloucester. Salazar's is Sextus Scaevola. Rowena's is Rachel Regius. Helga's is Hannah Hawthorn. Rowena cast a spell so that everyone who hears them will hear them referring to each other by their aliases, but to their own ears, they hear each other's real names. It's a complicated spell.

Hearts and Hourglasses
Chapter 30: Dark Rising

Father, mother, wake up! He grabbed his father's sleeve and pulled hard. He shouted again, futilely trying to wake up his parents. They can't be dead! He refused to believe they were dead.

Salazar! Someone lifted him, breaking his hold on his father's sleeve. No! Salazar screamed as his grandfather took him away from them.

Salazar woke up with a gasp of pain, his throat burned as if he had just been screaming. Tears filled already blurred eyes, which he shut closed and tightly. He refused to shed them.

***

"Cornelius is being stubborn," Dumbledore said softly. He was standing behind his desk. Minerva was standing beside him, and Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were on the other side of the table. Fawkes was perched on his shoulder.

Ravenclaw took a step forward and asked, "He won't release Sextus?" Her blue eyes were bright; the light that trembled in them was softened by pain. Dumbledore found himself unable to answer her and simply nodded once.

"Why?" demanded Hufflepuff. Dumbledore found it easier to talk to her instead of Ravenclaw, and he turned towards her saying, "To preserve the image of his office." It was difficult to keep rancor from his tone. "Lord Slytherin refuses to denounce the Dark side, and Cornelius cannot release him without appearing to have given in to a Dark wizard."

"And Sextus is too stubborn to give in," said Gryffindor in a voice marked with great concern and just the slightest touch of exasperation.

Hufflepuff shook her head. "We can expect no less from him."

"It's been three days," said Ravenclaw. "The Source will be fading soon."

All looked towards Gryffindor who squared his shoulders back as if a heavy weight was upon them. He tensed when Ravenclaw pleaded softly, "Please Godfrey, we cannot leave it this way."

Hufflepuff remained silent, but her dark eyes were saying the same thing to Gryffindor, whose jaw and throat tightened.

"Give me the Sorting Hat," Gryffindor finally said to Dumbledore after a long while. Dumbledore nodded, and Minerva went and took the old dilapidated hat from its usual spot on the shelf behind him.

Curiously enough, the Hat glowed as soon as Gryffindor received it. Everyone watched attentively as he turned it over, and they were all surprised when Gryffindor removed a small white crystal from the Hat. It was glowing.

"Salazar refers to this as a Crysalis," Gryffindor told Dumbledore and McGonagall. "This is what holds our memories," he explained.

Hufflepuff peered at it and frowned at Godric. "I thought only Salazar could take that thing out," she said.

Gryffindor nodded and said, "Yes, but last week, as a sign of good faith, he gave me the ability to remove the Crysalis from the Hat."

Ravenclaw's eyes widened, and suddenly she grabbed Gryffindor's hand and turned it, his palm facing upward. On his wrist was a thin finger-length scar.

Hufflepuff breathed in sharply, and Ravenclaw murmured, "A Blood Compact." Dumbledore's eyes widened. A Blood Compact was a bonding ritual, which required blood letting and sharing. In essence, it meant that Slytherin’s blood now ran in Gryffindor’s veins as well.

Gryffindor pulled his hand free from Ravenclaw, who was staring at him. Dumbledore couldn't quite interpret the emotion in her eyes. It seemed like envy; then his musing broke when she glanced towards him sharply. Dumbledore remembered that Ravenclaw could read minds and carefully kept his mind blank.

Hufflepuff was furious. "You morons!" she shouted at Gryffindor, who flinched as she continued, "Blood Compacts are dangerous! Why didn't you tell us?! We should have been present! If anything had gone wrong, you two could have bled to death!"

"Helga." Gryffindor looked flustered, but his eyes remained steady as he said, "If you two knew, it would never have been done, and then I wouldn't be able to recharge the Source." The embarrassment in his expression cleared, and his face turned determined to match the hard look in his brown eyes.

Hufflepuff was taken aback, and Ravenclaw asked curiously, "It is necessary to take the Crysalis from the Hat in order to recharge it?"

Gryffindor nodded and then looked uncomfortable. "I thought as well that simply placing more of Fawkes' feathers into the Hat could recharge the Source, but Sextus told me last week that the Crysalis must be removed from the Hat before it can be recharged. It must be opened first as he had done when Harry dropped Fawkes' feather into the Hat."

He held out the Crysalis, and they all watched carefully as the crystal glowed brighter. Then it melted and morphed into a shape they all recognized as that of a phoenix feather. Fawkes suddenly trilled softly, and the crystal feather floated up a few inches from Gryffindor's palm and began to shimmer. Rainbow lights scattered across its delicate facets. Again, Fawkes trilled, and the crystal phoenix feather lowered back into Gryffindor's hand, its inner light becoming subdued.

"We still have time," said Gryffindor, breaking the silence that followed. His hand closed over the crystal feather and as he placed it back into the Sorting Hat, the Crysalis turned back into its diminutive form.

As he handed the Hat back to Dumbledore, he said, "Tell us about this place where they have taken Sextus."

* * * * *

Fudge watched the prisoner sleeping on the cot in his cell. He was watching Scaevola on a small round mirror the Dementors had provided for him on request. The mirror allowed Fudge to see the prisoners in Azkaban without him having to be in the wizard prison.

Fudge had requested the mirror after his second encounter with the Dark wizard.

"Did you really think Dementors can control me?"

Midnight green eyes stared at him with dangerous intent. Fudge had barely kept himself from backing away from the bars of Scaevola's holding cell. The Dark wizard was standing on the other side of the bars, and he held himself loosely, his stature relaxed. Yet, Fudge had known that were it not for the prison bars, Scaevola would have attacked him even though Fudge was accompanied by several Aurors. There was that much hatred in the Dark wizard's face.

Fudge had opened his mouth to question Scaevola, but no words were spoken. They died unvoiced in his throat, which tightened as he swallowed reflexively when the Dark wizard took a step closer to the bars separating them. Scaevola had bend down slightly to look at Fudge in the eye. This time, the Minister did back away, and Scaevola laughed harsh and short.

"Dementors take away happiness," Scaevola murmured as his hands moved to grip the bars. He leaned forward, closer towards them and towards Fudge, who couldn't tear his eyes away from him. The Dark wizard smiled malevolently.

"Unfortunately for you, that is only what they are interested in."

"... W-what?" Fudge had mumbled.

Scaevola's fingers tightened around the bars, and he said, "Dementors are only interested in happy human emotions." His tone turned scholarly as he continued, "They cannot produce their own happiness, their own peace nor their own pleasure, so they steal from us. They are not interested in the rest of our emotions."

His expression turned shrewd. "Fear, anger, want, pain, hate. Dementors leave these behind, for they have too much of them already." He glanced to the Aurors with Fudge, smiled slightly and said silkily, "You'll need more guards to protect you." His eyes fastened on Fudge again, and he murmured, "I do hope you don't mind dying in excruciating pain."

Fudge had left immediately after ordering the Aurors to take the Dark wizard to Azkaban.

* * * * *

After dinner on Tuesday evening, Harry, Ron and Hermione headed for the nearest Portkey point, which they were certain would be deserted. There were a score of areas in Hogwarts, which would bring them to Wvelte. For now, they chose to go to the library, which they knew would be closed and empty at this time.

It had been chaotic in Hogwarts for the last three days with Aurors everywhere, searching for the other Founders. Harry had feared that Dumbledore would be forced to resign, but Fudge hadn't returned since. Only more Aurors came to find nothing. By the second school day of the week, things had settled down in Hogwarts. Classes had resumed, and the rooms and hallways were full of talk of what had happened to Professor Scaevola and of speculation of where his companions had gone off to.

"Do you think you can bring us up there, Hermione?" Harry asked her as they entered the library.

Hermione nodded. "I should be able to," she said.

Suddenly, somebody called them from behind, and they turned to see Draco running towards them. Harry was surprised to see the other boy. They hadn't seen him since last Saturday, after Salazar had been taken away.

Ron gave Draco a suspicious look, and Hermione shushed him before he could say anything.

"Let me go with you," Draco said to them, and Harry was surprised by the desperation in Draco's voice. Hermione suddenly said, "Draco, are you all right? You don't look so well." Indeed, Draco looked whiter than usual. His hair was unkempt, and his robes looked as though he had slept in them.

The other boy flushed at Hermione's words and looked ready to snap at her, then he paused, shook his head slightly and repeated his request, adding, "I've been trying to get up there from the dungeons, but that damn blasted Pentacle thing keeps on sending me back down!"

"Good," commented Ron, and Draco glared at him. Again, he opened his mouth to retort and once again, he stopped with a slightly awkward expression on his face. Harry then realized that Draco was trying to be nice so that they would let him come along with them. He was desperate to get to Wvelte.

"It's okay," Harry told Draco. "Of course, you can come with us." Ron gave Harry an incredulous look while Hermione looked as though she had expected him to say that. Draco was startled, but he regained his composure quickly and actually said thank you to Harry. This startled the trio.

The other Founders had been absent since Salazar had been arrested, and Harry and the others hadn't seen them since. They hadn't dared try to contact them while Aurors were still searching Hogwarts. The hit-wizards only left the school when Fudge had Salazar transferred to Azkaban from the holding cells in the Ministry.

When the trio and Draco arrived in Wvelte, they immediately split up to search for Godric, Rowena and Helga.

"They're not here," Ron said with worry when they all met again in the main hall. Hermione's brows furrowed then she looked alarmed. "Do you think they left already?"

Harry shook his head. "The Source still has a week or two left," he said. "I don't think they would have left Hogwarts."

"Maybe they went after Slytherin," suggested Ron.

"No, they didn't," Draco countered sharply. "No one came forward for Lord Slytherin." His voice suddenly pitched high. "No one tried to help him!"

Harry flinched at this and kept quiet, but Ron and Hermione turned defensive. "We couldn't do anything," said Ron in a tone as sharp as Draco's. Hermione tried a more tactful approach. "We saw you tried to help him, Draco, but the situation would have turned for the worse if you told who he really was."

"You mean worse for the other Founders," said Draco angrily, "You just didn't want Gryffindor to wind up in Azkaban!"

"We don't want Lord Slytherin to be in Azkaban either, Draco," said Harry softly before his friends could say anything to counter Draco's accusation.

Draco sneered. "Forget it, Potter," he said cuttingly. "You make a bad liar." Whatever else Draco had planned to say was left unsaid when the Pentacle underneath their feet glowed, and Godric, Rowena and Helga appeared. They were surprised to see the four of them.

Godric frowned. "Why are you four here?" Harry immediately went to him. "We want to help, Sir," he said, but Godric's frown deepened, and he shook his head, saying, "This is our problem. No one else should be involved."

Harry felt hurt by the dismissal in Godric's words, and Rowena must have felt it, because she said gently, "We know you all want to help get Sextus back, but it would be best if we do this by ourselves."

Helga nodded and added, "We were waiting for this Minister of Magic to release Sextus on his own accord before we took action ourselves. However, since he has turned Sextus over to the Dementors completely," she paused then said simply, "we will now go after him."

Godric turned to Draco, saying, "We need the serpent pin Sextus gave to you, Draco. It will take us to him."

Draco froze, and he turned paler. "... I don't have it," he whispered, and everyone turned to him quickly. Godric was alarmed as was Rowena and Helga.

"What? What do you mean you don't have it?" Helga demanded.

Draco looked shameful, and he lowered his head as if unable to meet the Founders' eyes. Harry stared at him. He'd never seen Draco this way before.

"I lost it," said Draco haltingly. "When Professor Snape dragged me down to the dungeons, it must have fallen off my robes." Harry's eyes lowered to Draco's chest. There was a small rip in his robes.

He could see the muscles in Draco's throat tighten as he swallowed before continuing, "I looked for it everywhere I thought it might have fallen off, but I couldn't find it."

Harry's eyes widened, and he said, "Snape might have taken it."

All eyes locked on him, and Godric asked curiously, "Why would a Hogwarts teacher take it, Harry?"

After a long uncomfortable pause, Harry, Ron and Hermione explained to the Founders that Snape used to be a Death Eater. Here, they also had to explain to them what a Death Eater was and also tell them about Voldemort.

"Professor Dumbledore seems to trust Snape," said Harry, "but we're really not sure where his true loyalties lie."

Ron nodded, saying, "For all we know, he might be spying for You-Know-Who." There was a curious reaction from the Founders when Ron said this, and Helga said sharply, "So this Voldemort is the one who murdered one of my Hufflepuffs!"

The trio jumped; startled that she knew about Cedric, and they found themselves being confronted by an angry Helga who demanded that they tell her everything they knew about Voldemort.

It took what seemed like forever to Harry to tell them everything. He was the one who spoke the most. He told them what had happened in his first year. He found himself avoiding Godric's eyes when he told them what had happened in the Chamber of Secrets in his second year. The hardest to tell was what had happened at the end of the Triwizard Tournament last year. Harry stopped often, unable to continue, and Ron and Hermione filled up the gaps of his story for him. When he finally finished, Helga whirled away from them and marched to the center of the Pentacle, which glowed before Helga vanished.

Godric glanced to Rowena, who nodded at him, saying, "If Severus is working for Voldemort, I will know." Then the Pentacle glowed once again, and she disappeared. Godric turned to Harry, who found himself tensing when Godric considered him thoughtfully. It was clear he was reassessing his opinion of Harry.

Harry relaxed slightly when an amusement came over Godric's face. Then, older wizard said, "Things do seem to happen to you, don't they?"

"They do," Ron agreed immediately. Hermione nodded. "Yes, they do," she said. Draco looked irritated and just jerked his head once. Then, he looked worried and said in a quiet tone to Godric, "What will you do if Lord Slytherin's pin isn't found?"

Godric froze momentarily, his eyes closed for an instant and opened to reveal determination in their depths. "No matter. We will get him back," he told them softly, certainty rang in every word.

Harry hesitated, then said, "Azkaban, where they've taken Lord Slytherin to, is full of Dementors."

Godric nodded slowly. "Yes, your Headmaster told us." His brown eyes darkened. "Which is why we have to go after him before he is lost completely."

... He'll go insane... Harry remembered the fear in Salazar's eyes when he saw the Dementors surrounding him. He hadn't expected that Salazar Slytherin would be afraid of Dementors. But then... Dementors are the most horrid creatures.

* * * * *

... What is taking them so long? His chest was tight. His throat was dry. Salazar licked his lips, finding them cracked and peeling. He chuckled weakly, but barely had he felt the light emotion of amusement before it was taken away, leaving only pain and anger. How utterly boring. Salazar found himself wishing the Dementors would take his boredom as well.

He sat up slowly on the slab of wood that was his bed and looked around his cell. Three walls of stone and mortar and bars holding him in. There was a toilet against one wall with a wash sink beside it. There was even a small mirror above the sink. Salazar could see himself from where he was in the cell. It bothered him.

Seconds later, he was cleaning the bloody knuckles of his left hand in the sink while the shattered mirror showed nothing more than a meaningless myriad of reflections.

* * * * *

It was past midnight. Draco almost missed the gargoyle statue blocking the way to the Headmaster's office. Moments later, he was inside and on the circular moving staircase. Unbelievably enough, the password was still the same, Fizzing Whizbees. But Draco didn't waste time or thought to be disgusted by the lack of security.

Dumbledore's office was already lit when Draco entered it. Wary, he looked around carefully to make sure no one was there. His eyes alighted on the Sorting Hat on the shelf behind the Headmaster's desk. Immediately, he went to it and took down the Hat. A soft trill made him whirl around, and he stiffened when he saw Dumbledore's phoenix on a golden bird perch beside the door.

He eyed the firebird carefully, and it considered him just as intently. Slowly, he inched his hand into his pocket and took out a small dragon shaped medallion. If Fawkes sounded an alarm, he would immediately activate the Portkey his father had sent him. But the phoenix merely tilted its head and did nothing more than regard Draco with seemingly wise eyes.

Draco's fingers tightened around the medallion. He had the Sorting Hat now. He should leave Hogwarts and leave everything up to Voldemort, who had promised to rescue Lord Slytherin from Azkaban if Draco brought him the Sorting Hat. Draco had asked him why he wanted the Hat, and Voldemort had explained to him that it would be useless to rescue Lord Slytherin if the Source would still be exhausted. They had to secure the Sorting Hat first.

Draco's throat tightened at what he had done. He had broken his promise to Lord Slytherin when he owled his father about the Founders having returned to Hogwarts. He was desperate, and he didn't trust Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff to rescue Lord Slytherin.

They had done nothing to help him. They weren't even there when he was arrested. Dumbledore and the other professors had been present, and they let Fudge and his Aurors arrest Lord Slytherin. When Draco's friends told him that Dementors had took Professor Scaevola away, he hated Dumbledore and his teachers so much that he went to Snape's office and called his House Head a traitor for betraying Lord Slytherin.

"How could you let them take him away?!"

"Draco, there was nothing we could do." Snape stood up slowly and walked around his desk to Draco, who was so angry he barely heard what Snape said next.

"They made us swear, Draco, to never reveal who they were. Lord Slytherin even took me aside and asked me to promise to him that it would never be revealed who they were."

"Why?" Draco had asked Snape in a tight voice he barely recognized as his own. "Why is it still important to keep his identity a secret. They arrested him!"

"Out of curiosity, I asked him why as well, Draco. He was so insistent that their return be kept a secret that I had to ask him. He told me that names are extremely important in any time, and that only one person deserved to be known as Salazar Slytherin. He said that one person lived and died over a thousand years ago. He then told me that he was only a shadow of the real Salazar Slytherin and that no matter what would happen to him, he must never tarnish the memory of the one who created him nor do anything that would destroy the legacy Salazar Slytherin had left behind."

Then Snape told Draco that everything would be fine. He told him not to worry and assured him that Lord Slytherin would be released. Draco left Snape's office, feeling a little reassured. Then later, he discovered that he had lost the serpent pin Lord Slytherin had given to him.

How could I lose it?! Draco admonished himself silently. If he had not lost the serpent pin, he could have rescued Lord Slytherin himself. The palm of his hand clamped around the dragon medallion was starting to sweat, and suddenly, he sneezed thrice in a row and had to wipe at his nose with the back of hand. The dusty dirty Sorting Hat was making him sneeze.

Fawkes trilled again, drawing Draco's attention back to it. Once again, he hesitated in using the Portkey. Voldemort had reassured him that he could recharge the Source in the Hat without having to ask for more feathers from Fawkes. But Draco wasn't a hundred percent confident that Voldemort knew what he was talking about. He clearly remembered Lord Slytherin saying that only more feathers from Fawkes could recharge the Source in the Sorting Hat.

So, hesitantly, Draco approached the phoenix and stood in front of it with one hand clutching the Sorting Hat while the other held the Portkey. He stared straight at Fawkes' bright beady eyes and asked for a feather.

Draco felt utterly foolish when the firebird tilted its head slightly and seemed to be considering his request. He suddenly had the wild urge to yell at Fawkes and demand that it give him a feather. He opened his mouth to do so and jumped when the phoenix spread out its wings and vanished with a soft wavering trill.

Automatically, Draco lifted his left hand to activate the Portkey, knowing that Fawkes must have gone off to warn Dumbledore. But a glitter distracted him, and Draco found himself starting at a phoenix feather, which was floating down lazily in front of his eyes. He put the Hat down quickly and grabbed the feather. Then he yelled with delight when he found that there were two more phoenix feathers on the floor.

To be continued.

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