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Chapter 2

Both ladies took a deep breath as the portrait of the fat lady swung open. They were barely able to take a step before they were knocked back by the laud applause and cheers. Harry just sighed and rolled her eyes as she and Ginny were pulled forward into the room. She wasn't sure which would be worse. Everyone celebrating her entrance or everyone cursing her for entering. There were few in the school who ever gave her any trouble, and most of them were some of the Slytherins her own age. As for everyone else, once the newness of being in school with the 'Girl-Who-Lived' wore off, they seemed content to treat her as just another student. With the a few exceptions they seemed to be able to move past her status and get to know her as a real person. She could only hope that they didn't turn their backs on her in belief that she cheated her way into the tournament.

Ginny kept a tight hold on her hand as they were surrounded on all sides by everyone trying to get close to harry. After several long minutes Ginny had enough and she knew Harry was uncomfortable with all of the attention. She allowed some of her power to leak out. "Move" she growled lowly. Everyone's fear of her famous temper coupled with her magic pushing them away allowed her to clear a path.

They all watched, some in amusement, others in resentment as Ginny led her lover over to one of the larger chairs. She gently pushed harry down and then sat directly in her lap. Arms loosely wrapped around Harry neck and Harry's automatically wrapped themselves around her waist. Everyone was silent for a moment before the twins broke it. "We knew it." They yelled together.

"We told Bill…" Fred continued

"…And Charlie that you two were together." Fred finished. They were both beaming at the two. Ginny simply ignored them as she scanned the rest of the room. Neville and Luna were smiling at them, but they had already known. Most of the students looked gob smacked or were throwing jealous look at them. Some of the younger muggle born students were looking at them in disgust, but Ginny paid them no head. She knew they would eventually come to except it as the rest of the wizarding world did.

Unlike with the Muggle world, it was not a taboo in their world. It was just what it was. It was just excepted as any other romantic match would be and how could it not be, when magic could give them everything that a regular couple could have. It wasn't unusual to find a homosexual couple married, or expecting a child. The Nobel families all dealt with it in different ways. In some of the families, like the Malfoy's or the Nott's, it wasn't uncommon for Married members to take extra lovers of the same sex. In their families matches were made with the blood purity in mind, there for love was not involved. However, to have a child out of wedlock would bring shame on their families so they took lovers who could not give them children without both parties participating in the magic.

To most, like the Potter's or the Longbottom's who weren't concerned with blood purity, it was just a simple way of life, dating back thousands of years. They didn't question it or look down on it; it simply was what it was.

Continuing her search of the room she finally spotted Hermione and her youngest sibling. It was quite obvious that Ron was torn between she same happiness that the rest of her family had for her and anger that his older sister was dating the girl that he fancied. Ginny sighed and leaned a little closer to Harry in comfort; she didn't want to see him hurt but knew that he would come around eventually. Hermione on the other had was alternating between glaring at Ron and joining the rest of the younger muggle borns at shooting disgusted looks at the couple.

Just to make sure that everyone got her point she leaned in and captured Harry's lips in a passionate kiss, ignoring all the cat calls and whistles. She moaned softly when Harry pulled her close and kissed her back. Finally breaking away to pull in some much needed air she looked over her shoulder back at the room, "Anyone got a problem with it?" she growled at them, quite aware she had just laid claim to Harry and that the taller girl had gladly let her.

They quickly moved away, shaking their heads. Even those who did have a problem weren't stupid enough to mention it. Neville, Luna, and the twins all converged on the couple and Harry could see Ron hovering slightly in the background. She exchanged a look with Ginny, communicating silently. When her lover nodded, Harry looked over at the other two New Marauders and when they nodded in agreement she stood bringing Ginny with her. "Let's go somewhere else to talk. Somewhere we can't be overheard." She led the way towards the portrait hole but paused to look over at Ron. "Are you coming, little bro?" she asked quietly. She knew Ron was hurt but she wanted him to understand where he stood.

They younger red head studied her for a moment then nodded and followed them. She led the group of seven out of the common room, ignoring Hermione's rants about breaking the rules, and down the hallway. As they approached the Statue of Godric Gryffindor at the end of the hall the three brothers were all shocked when it sprang aside and allowed Harry to access a staircase. She stepped back to allow the other's to go first. After a short trip up Neville whispered a password and the wall opened to allow them entrance to a grand common room.

"Have a seat guys, we have a lot to discuss." Ginny told them before calling out, "Winky, Dobby." As she sat on Harry's lap. All three Weasley boys jumped in surprise as two house elves appeared.

"Mistress Ginny called." They said bowing.

She smiled kindly at the two elves, "Will you guys please bring us some drinks and some snacks."

The two elves snapped their fingers and a tray of cookies appeared along with a tray of glasses and pumpkin juice. "Will Mistress Ginny or Mistress Harry require anything else?" Winky asked.

Harry spoke this time. "Winky will you go to Minerva and tell her that we will need to speak with the Legion Sunday night." Once she disappeared she addressed Dobby. "Dobby, will you please take a message to Ranok and Griphook, then the Bane and Ronan. Tell them that the time has come and that I request their presence in 9 days time in the Glen of Merlin."

Dobby bowed low. "It will be my honor Mistress Harry." With that he vanished.

The three guests were all looking stunned. Finally Fred spoke, all trace of his usual manner gone and his tone completely serious. "What's going on here? What is this place? And why do the Hogwarts house elves take order from you guys?"

Harry sighed softly as she pulled Ginny closer. "I will explain it all to you, but first I need a Wizards Oath from each of you promising never to speak to anyone about any of this without permission from Ginny, Neville, Luna or me."

They all looked at each other for a moment before Fred took out his wand and said, "I, Fredrick Gideon Weasley, swear on my honor and magic as a Wizard that I will never reveal what I hear tonight without the direct permission from Harriet Potter, Ginevra Weasley, Luna Lovegood, or Neville Longbottom." There was a flash of light and Fred put his wand on the table. George and Ron quickly followed suit.

Once they were finished Ginny leaned forward and picked up two glasses of juice. Handing one to Harry she said, "You might as well help yourselves, we will be here for a while." As they dug in she continued. "So shall where shall we start? With Fred's questions or from the beginning?"

"To answer Fred's questions." Harry said, knowing that the answer would raise more questions. "This place is the Founders study and the house elves take order from me because I am the last heir of the founders and from Ginny because she is my soul mate."

"Wait, what do you mean you are descended from the founders?" Ron asked, "The only know descendent left is You Know Who."

"Call him by his name Ron." Neville advised. "Don't give Voldermort more power by playing his games; he wants you to be afraid of him."

"Voldermort is not the last descendent and even if he was he lost the right to call himself the magical heir of Slytherin the night he tried and failed to kill me." Harry answered and when she saw their confused looks she explained. "What most people don't know is that Salazar Slytherin wasn't the one to begin the campaign against Muggles that was his youngest son. Slytherin himself never left the school, never betrayed the other founders, and never hated muggle born students"

"So how does that make you a descendent of all the founders?" George asked.

"While Tom Riddle, or Voldermort as he is now called, is descended from a squib that was the descendent of the youngest Son. My mother, and there for myself, was descended from the line of the Oldest Son and his Marriage to Helga Hufflepuff's Daughter. Her parents were killed when she was little and she taken and placed with the Dursley's for her protection."

"While they were both heirs of Slytherin, Riddle was the magical heir." Ginny continued when Harry paused, "But the night that he attached Harry and failed to kill her, he lost that position. Now Harry is the magical heir of Slytherin along with the other founders."

"So how are you related to Gryffindor and Ravenclaw?" Fred asked

"Through my dad." Harry told them. "Godric Gryffindor and Rowena Ravenclaw were married. When their children started attending the school they changed the kid's last name to Potter in order to keep their relation a secret."

They waited patiently for the three to come to terms with what they were being told. While they waited Harry pulled Ginny closer to her. Ginny in response snuggled into Harry's embrace and allowed herself to be held. She gave a sigh of contentment when Harry kissed her softly on the head. Catching the movement George asked, "What did you mean when you called Ginny your soul mate Harry? It's that just a fairy tale?"

Luna laughed softly, "Most of what you have heard is false. Soul mates can't share thoughts, they don't talk in their minds, they aren't automatically married, but they are connected."

"In what way?" Ron asked softly. It was clear that he was still struggling with the fact that his sister was with the girl he wanted.

"It's hard to explain, Ron." Ginny said softly. "I'm closer to Harry than I ever have been or ever will be with anyone else. We are so attuned to each other that we do know what the other is feeling at all times, and we do know where the other is or if they are in trouble." She paused unsure of how to continue. So much of it was just too personal and the rest just so hard to make others understand.

Harry picked up for her lover, "I've known for most of my life that I had some type of connection with your sister Ron. It just took us a while to understand what it was that we were feeling. All I can really say is that I know, without a single shred of doubt, that Ginny is the only one that I will ever be with. No one, NO ONE, could ever take her place. It's just not possible."

There was another pause before Neville spoke, "We really need to move on past this, there is much more to cover."

Harry simply nodded in agreement and took another drink before she continued.