Chapter 2 – The Founders

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I was the laughing-stock of the school as Ron and Draco lead their respective pack of hyenas to insult and laugh at me. Draco got to me first this morning with, "Potty can't even swim, you're a poor excuse for a wizard you half-blood looser." I did the same as always and headed to my 'Hidey Hole', fighting only brought detentions.

The 'Hidey Hole' was not exactly on the so-called beaten path. I was heading to the dungeons where I would take a couple of short-cuts and a set of hidden stairs to get to my corridor when I ran across an odd scene. The Slytherin Ice Queen was alone and being restrained up by Nott, one of Sytherin's nastier inmates.

"Your father is not complying, so I get to send him a message through you."

Greengrass was struggling but was losing the battle, she had been pushed up against the wall. The girl was gorgeous and I had spent my free time drooling over her from afar like most of the other guys. She was called the Ice Queen because of her persona but her sharp tongue could make you look the fool in seconds. The odd thing was she always traveled with a dark-haired girl who was nowhere to be seen.

Greengrass was running her mouth but was physically pinned against the wall. I was not going to get involved until Nott started slapping her around and ripping at her clothes. He was telling her that he was going to sexually assault her thus sending a message to her father. He drew his wand and got a stunner from me in his back. As I approached Greengrass gave a hefty kick at Nott's privates and snapped his wand. She picked up her wand across the corridor turned to me and said, "Potter", turned and left. What more could I expect? Most of the students wanted to tear me to shreds over how I failed in the second task and that was just my house. As usual I was being bullied by the school but it wasn't anything unusual in my life so why would I think different from Greengrass? I trudged to the 'Hidey Hole' as my mind was fantasizing about a kiss from the Ice Queen in her gratitude for saving her. As I neared my door in the corridor I tripped over my deteriorating trainers and fell into one of the locked doors and found myself in a room full of paintings. Well full was an exaggeration as the six were full length and very wide paintings.

"Well look who dropped in, care for a chat even if you appear to be from the weakling side of the family? A very large man in one of the paintings said gruffly.

"You leave the kid alone before he runs off and we don't have anyone to talk to for another century or two." Screamed another painting, this was a painting of a red-headed woman.

"I just don't believe he is the descendant of one of us, he must be a squib." A fourth painting of a woman yelled "If you don't shut your trap I'm going to come over there and give you another trashing you won't forget."

"Yes Helga dear."

After all the yelling and arguing stopped I got introduced to portraits of the founders and a couple of other powerful wizards of their time. It seemed their good natures had gotten them banished to this room by a descendent of theirs who was also happened to be the current Headmaster at the time. I then found out why no one could follow me as only a descendant of a founder could pass a certain point in the castle and enter these rooms.

"Dobby please bring me a chair I have a feeling I can learn a thing or two from these people."

POP POP

"That's the spirit lad. Why don't you sit down and tell us all about yourself."

I did and they were not impressed.

"I told you he looked like a squib rather than…" Godric started.

SMACK!

"Why didya go and do that fore?" One of the portrait witches had entered the bad mouthing wizards painting and given him a smack.

"Shut your trap you old fool. Harry have your elf go to the other room and bring the red metal rod he will find there and bring it here for us, I want to see something. By the way all the doors in this corridor are now unlocked, just don't touch anything until we tell you to, Ok?"

"Yes Miss." Painting or not I didn't think it was a good idea to upset her. The guy she smacked still displayed a hand print on his cheek.

POP

"Here is what you asked for Harry Potter Sir."

"Ok, point the pointed end of the rod at your chest and say 'Ostendo sum panton".

I did so and the room exploded in yells and curses from the portraits. From in-between all the yelling what I heard was mostly "How dare they!".

When the yelling subsided I heard from across the room, "Son you have been tagged, been had and screwed. You have bindings on your magical core, tracking charms, listening charms, loyalty charms and a memory charm or two." This was stated by middle-aged guy standing in front of his castle in the Carpathian Mountains on the border of Transylvania, Bukovina, and Maldavia as was explained to me later in a later discussion on vampires.

Helga stated, "It's good that whoever did this to him will find that tracking and listening charms won't work past our barrier so let's get to work on getting rid of all this garbage."

For a moment I thought she was talking about me.

"A couple of potions and you will be up and ready to kick their butts from here to Ireland."

I just couldn't resist asking even in jest, "Are these the potions that will make me know all the spells and be more powerful that superman?"

"No you stupid clod, nothing will do that and what's a superman?" Salazar sneered

Not being a star pupil in Snape's class I managed, with Rowena over my shoulder, guiding my every move, the potions were picture perfect.

As usual the taste of both potions were horrible. Then Salazar told me to point the metal rod at my chest and say "Reverto ut Northmanni". Dobby had a mattress under me before I hit the floor. Reverting to normal had some interesting effects. One such effect is that it triggered an early bout of magical maturity.

As a champion in the tournament I could skip classes and I did so religiously. I was out cold on the mattress for two days. The potions etc worked great as I could feel my magic surging throughout my body. My mind was a lot clearer and I also noticed the scar on my forehead was as it had always been, sitting on my forehead. The reason I noticed my scar was that it was still throbbing. The throbbing was not bad and had only started a couple of months ago.

"All right Klutz lets see who you are related to in this room." And so my months of training started. I was to put my wand away and try wand-less magic on some simple spells. I did finally get some simple ones to work, Salazar was happy. Godric's test was easy, I just raised my hand and said, "Come to me sword of light". Dam thing weighed a ton and I couldn't lift the stupid thing which gave me to questioning what sword I had used in the Chamber of Secrets. Rowena asked me to perform a mental spell which worked to our surprise as I could now 'transport' like the elves. Helga seemed depressed but gained spirit when she found out that I was a good cook. She became ecstatic when she asked me to perform a charm she invented long ago. My 'Expecto Patronum' produced a silver tiger to her joy. That got the group to yelling and arguing again about blood lines. Days later they were all claiming me as a descendant.

Later I asked, when they settled down, if it was possible that over the centuries a little of all of them was in me? They agreed that it was possible over such a long period of time on such a small island as England.

Superman or a boy with super powers I was not but I had a number of excellent instructors on what I did learn. Unfortunately the third task was this morning and I dragged myself to the maze. I of course was the last to enter which didn't upset me at all, they could take this tournament and #$%&* it! I entered the maze and slowly found a dead-end. Reversing my path I found another dead-end. After figuring out that ruse I calculated that I had entered the maze thirty-minutes after the task started and I had been wandering around for at least another half-hour. I decided enough was enough and 'transported' to a spot behind the stands just in time to hear Moody yell at Dumbledore, "There is no one in the maze and the cup is gone."

Dumbledore 'apperated' away while Moody disappeared using a port-key. Professor McGonagall started herding the student towards the Great Hall. I just joined in the crowd and wasn't even noticed till I sat down at the Gryffindor table.

"Harry, how did you get here? Where are all the champions? Did you get to the cup?" Hermione was up to form and her questions kept coming.

"Hermione, I have no idea where the other champions are, my best guess would be they are there snogging someplace in the Hogmeade village."

"I thought you would be more mature than that! Answer my questions! " Hermione screamed. "This is an official tournament and you are violating the rules!"

"Well, I guess you are wrong as everyone left the maze." I replied.

"You shouldn't be an ass all by yourself." She said glaring at me.

"Well, I would not be the first in joining you in that category Hermione." I retorted in a louder voice.

This got Professor McGonagall to our table and started with the questions of her own. I was finished with the tournament and it was now time to get ready to run.

/Scene Break/

The Founders had their own questions later and I had my same old answers, "I saw nothing and know nothing."

Curiosity took me to the Great Hall for breakfast the next morning where I was grabbed by Snape and dragged to the Headmaster office.

"Harry, how did you get out of the maze? Was Dumbledore's opening question before he offered me a seat or a lemon-drop.

"Albus this is a Ministry investigation and I am the one conducting it." The lady was a bit on the old side and wore a monocle.

"I demand answers as to why we don't have a winner." Cornelius Fudge yelled as he waved a green bowler hat at Dumbledore.

Lucius Malfoy was sitting next to Snape but was remaining silent.

"Harry this is Madam Amelia Bones who heads the DMLE and you know Cornelius. I must ask you…"

"Dumbledore I won't remind you again, shut up!" Amelia had spoken again with authority.

"Now young man would you tell us what you know or saw during the last task of the tournament."

"Madam Bones I saw nothing and I know even less…" I was interrupted by Snape "You can say he is totally incompetent and worth nothing just like his…"

"Albus control him or I will!" She again turned to me and asked, "You saw nothing?"

"I saw the hedges but that was all, I found no traps, animal or humans. After about an hour after I had entered the Maze I had found no cup so I left and came to the Great Hall, I figured everybody had forgotten about me just like they always do unless it suits their purpose." Most of what I said was the truth but who cared?

"So you did not see Voldemort or anyone else?"

"That is correct Madam Bones."

They all tried to start talking the same time; Snape started it off with "He's lying..." Fudge stated emphatically, "the Dark Lord has not returned regardless what Potter says." and Dumbledore asked, "Harry how did you get out of the maze there were all kinds of ward around the area."

Stupid I may appear but it was obvious someone was up to something. I never said the Dark Lord had returned. Further, why was he worried about me leaving the maze when MadEye said that there was no one left in the maze?

I turned to Madam Bones and asked, "Do you have any further questions or may I leave?"

"That is all that I have Harry and thank you for your time." I nodded and left for the Great Hall, the rumor mill is where I could get some real information. There was little information available in the headmasters office, I guess it was all for my safety for me to be left in the dark. I was slightly delayed arriving in the great Hall as I saw something that added to my confusion over this stupid tournament. Clunking along on his wooden leg was Moody apparently heading to his office. I wanted some answers and I felt Moody would have them. Suddenly he stops and morphs out of his poly-juiced state into Remus Lupin who picked up Moody's eye and peg-leg and ran off to his office.

Now I had more to think about. While no one was telling me anything including the time of day but it was obvious that someone felt that Voldemort had returned. Why was Lupin pretending to be Moody and why was I supposed to know that the dark Lord had returned? Then there was... I suddenly felt like someone had used an ax and split my head wide open, the pain from my scar was incredible. Immediately I felt Dobby in my head along with another entity that made my skin crawl. What little of my brain that I thought I had left to me told me that there was one hell of a fight going on in my skull. Seconds later I realized I was laying on the cold stone floor of a corridor with Dobby standing over me stating ,"Humfh, he'll not be trying that again!" I remember that reaction from Dobby when he blasted Lucius Malfoy down the hall just after the chamber's of secrets debacle.

/Scene Break/

The leaving feast was held, the three co-champions were congratulated and the thousand Galleon purse was split between them. Since I had never gotten to the cup I got nothing, not even a mention that I had been there or in the tournament. I over heard the Weasley twins whispering on how they could use that kind of money to open their business. That started me thinking, Ron was a loser; Molly was a control freak while Ginny was, at a minimum, infatuated with the legend of the boy-who-lived. Percy was a complete ass kisser but the twins looked like fun, not normal, but fun, so I had Dobby pull some money from my vault.

/Scene break/

"Mr. Potter please see me in my office immediately." I could come to hate those words.

In the Headmasters office:

"Harry care for a lemon drop? Have a seat and tell me what your plans are for the summer." Dumb-dumb knew exactly what they were going to do to me. I was to be grabbed at Kings Cross by my uncle and confined at Privet drive under guard. I would be grateful when Dumb-dumb sent me to the Burrow to be confined until school started. My escort to Kings Cross station would begin the cycle all over again.

"I thought I would take a trip to the coast for a little sea and salt air." Regardless what I said I would get… Surprised is what I got.

"Harry I wanted to wait a lot longer to tell you that a prophesy has been made concerning you. I had wanted to let you have a normal childhood but…"

(Pretend the Prophesy is given here from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter story)

Dumbledore then went on to say what I was originally expecting, "Harry you must stay at you relatives house for your own protection. Leaving the house will leave you in considerable danger. After all that everyone had done for you your leaving the house will endanger what everyone has sacrificed for your safety. Promise me that you will abide by my wishes for your own protection."

"So how soon will I be able to be moved to the Burrow?" That was all I could come up with as I was in shock. All this protection was over a stupid prophesy? While my brain was grinding up the prophesy Dumbledore continued his monologue. While in a semi-fog my brain is coming to the conclusion, this could only mean one thing, I was dead.

Dumbledore continued, "I would think as soon as the wards are recharged in a couple weeks at the most. Harry, when you return from the break would like to offer you some additional training. I thought you could fit me in after dinner on Wednesdays. I have also come across an artifact that may help you in your inter-reacting with Voldemort." He then pointed to a ring which sat on a small table close to the door.

I had been nodding in the right places and finally Dumbledore said I should take the ring which I took as my dismissal. I picked up the ring and took a quick look at it before putting into my pocket. My feet were automatically taking me to the Gryffindor common room. My brain was in such a confused state this took a while to realize that Ron and Hermione have fallen in step with me. They apparently had been waiting just outside the headmaster's office.

My brain was slowly crunching along, I thought, he wanted me to have a childhood with me living with the Dursley's? With all of these years of not receiving special training is one day a week training was going to be enough for me to defeat Voldemort? This will work, Right? I'm dead and I know it.