AN: I don't own Harry Potter, so there is no need to sue me… Enjoy reading my fic.
CHAPTER 1: SECRET WITHIN
The whole castle was bathed with silvery light as a full moon rises to its zenith. There was no sound within the castle, apart from the heated argument coming from the Great Hall.
All the Professors are shouting at each other, Professor McGonagall was standing toe to toe with the Potion master, arguing. "Minerva, I can't just walk up to the Dark Lord and ask him as to what he is planning!" Snape shouted. "The Death Eaters are all in the alert for any spies in their midst."
Professor McGonagall glared at her colleague with outmost hatred before replying, "Are you being a coward and a git, Severus?" hissed the old witch. "May I remind you that are responsible for the incident that happened in the Ministry , three days ago!"
"Me?! It was your little Gryffindors who went there and created the little fiasco that the Daily Prophet is now feasting upon."
Professor McGonagall was about to answer back when the whole castle started to tremble. The magical ceiling up above the Great Hall started to change, from a starry night to a brown and black whorl. As the second wave of shaking and trembling, a cloud of dust showered down the professors.
"Albus, What was that?" Flitwick, the Charm master asked, as he brushed some dust off from his robe. "Are we under attack?"
The headmaster hesitated for a moment before he replied. "We are not under attack, Filius," the headmaster answered, as he listened intently to any sound, other that the groans of his colleagues.
Professor Sprout who slipped off from her chair after the second wave started to rise and muttered. "Merlin's beard what happened…" but the she cut off by a strong haunting melody that was coming from within the castle.
"We are not under attack…" repeated Dumbledore. "But the thing that I was dreading has come."
"What!" the professors asked in unison.
"Hogwarts' core is breaking…" announced Dumbledore, sighing.
"What is this place?" Professor Sinistra asked, as she followed the rest of her colleagues down a narrow passage that may lead to the bowels of the school. The walls of the passage were covered by moss and grime. It is clear that this passage was not used for a very long time.
Professor Sinistra couldn't believe on what she just heard from the Headmaster. Dumbledore explained that long ago, during the time of the four great founders, a fifth person joined and helped the famous four to build the magical school of Hogwarts. Since these four founders couldn't agree to each other as to who is right, the fifth member of the group decided to bridge the gap and reconciled the four fighting founders. The fifth member was responsible for the union of four different persons. Concern, love, understanding, patience, bravery, cunning and hope were the things used by the fifth member to connect the four houses and its founders. And when the four founders died, the fifth member remained in Hogwarts protecting it from the magic outside, and up until now, fulfilled the promise that until she is alive and strong, no magic can ever destroy the school and union of the four founders.
All the people in the Great Hall were astounded by this tale. No one had heard that there was a fifth founder of the school. But before any of them could voice any questions, the haunting melody that float around the school changed into a haunting wail of a woman.
"It is about time that we visit her and gave her our over due respect," announced Dumbledore, gravely. The headmaster turned and walked out of the Great Hall, leaving his still-bewildered staff behind.
After the initial shock of what they experienced and learned that night, ebbed, the baffled staff followed Dumbledore to the headmaster's office. Dumbledore was waiting for them near a portrait of a woman that was not there before. When all of them were assembled inside the office, Dumbledore mumbled something that sounded like cieyera and the portrait started to burn away, revealing a stone archway with crude markings.
"Lumos" a spark ignited on the tip of Dumbledore's wand. "Come, follow me." And follow they did.
And now they are descending down a circular stairway that is made up of salmon colored marble that were covered with a thousand worth of dust.
Professor Sinistra was still busy remembering the whole incident, when she suddenly collided with Professor Snape, who suddenly stopped. "Watch it." The potion master hissed.
Sinistra peered over Snape's shoulder and saw that the whole procession stopped in front of a large mahogany door. Standing guard on both side of the double door is marble statue of two women in full armor. The woman in the left have a lion resting near her feet and an eagle on her shoulder, while the other woman has a serpent entwined on her left arm and badger near her feet. The surface of the door was filled with different carved runes and right in the middle was carved symbol that look like a wheel that none of them recognized and most of all the door has no keyhole or a doorknob.
Dumbledore started to mutter something while waving his wand in a complex manner. While Dumbledore's chanting continued, the wailing started also and in the few moments the wheel on the door started to glow in soft shade of blue. When both the chanting and the wailing reached its pinnacled moment the door started to open, revealing an eerie room.
"Um… Albus…" Minerva said, tentatively. "You can stop now. The door is already open."
The headmaster shook his head and stared at his deputy. But before he could answer, the wailing stopped and was replaced by the haunting music that they once heard from the Great Hall. "Coommee iinn, wweellccoommee Hheaadmmassterrr aannd too yoou all. Pllleaaasssee cooomme iinn." The voice floated out from the room and like the breeze outside the castle grounds, it caressed each teacher and faded slowly.
Dumbledore gave out a deep sigh and replied, "As you wish mistress."
AN: review please