Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

Author's Note: A new update, as promised. Right now, I'm tying a closure to Harry, Ginny and Draco's lives and starting their training with the Founders.

Chapter Three

"Good, you're finally up!" grumbled one very annoyed Godric Gryffindor as the slight raven haired boy in front of him stirred gently.

"W-wha?!" came the intelligent groan as a pair of green eyes sought out the speaker, "Holy shit you're real!"

"I never knew four year olds swore so much," observed Godric lightly.

"Yeah, well, you kind of pick it up from my father and his best friend if you get in any conversation with them," shuddered Harry lightly as he struggled to sit up. He finally managed it and sat on the couch, peering intently at Gryffindor.

"So you really are real," commented Harry, breaking the ice.

"Yes, what a surprise," responded Gryffindor dryly, rolling his eyes, "Godric Gryffindor, bravest of the Founders Four, at your service. Just don't tell Rowena that I said I'm the best,"

"I have a few questions for you, kid. One: What's your name? Two: What's the date? Three: I'll have to look into your memories,"

"Harry James Potter, Earl of the Aurum Mons. July 31st, 1990. That isn't a question, and no," answered Harry, surprisingly calm.

"Most four year olds would freak out, you know? And then again, you aren't most four year olds,"

"Glad you realized,"

"No, you're my heir. Sarcasm and wit won't get you anywhere here, although it will help with Rowena and Sal,"

"What do you expect me to do? Beat you up? Aren't the odds a bit unfair?"

"A regular smart aleck, aren't you. I have a proposition for you. You let me look at your memories, and I'll train you. You are my heir after all,"

"Train in me what? Just in case you haven't noticed, I'm a Potter. The world is at my feet," said Harry a bit bitterly. Actually, it was at his father's feet. All Harry had to do was ask and his father would comply so Harry would shut up and get out of his sight. Not that the Grand Duke had ever verbalized it before.

"The library can offer you a lot, especially the First Level. Yes, I know how it works. Rowena built it, after all. But I can teach you how to fight, how to defend yourself, the whole she-bang. Including mastering some powers you have, like this," Godric flicked his wrist and a ball of flame appeared in his hand.

"Wicked!" for once, Harry Potter looked like a four year old as he stared into the swirling flames, mesmerized.

"Do it, before I back out," Harry's guard was up again as he looked straight into Godric Gryffindor's hazel eyes. Without a warning, his life suddenly flickered in front of his eyes.

As Harry's timeline run of his memories caught up with the present, the boy collapsed onto the couch. He had just revisited every single waking moment of his life as Gryffindor unearthed hidden memories. It shook Harry to his very core, and all he could do was stay alive at the moment as he shook.

"Mama," he whimpered as he curled up and cried. He had finally learnt the truth of that horrible night, but the truth had not set him free.

One thing nagged in his mind though. Harry raised his unshed tears to meet Godric's and said strongly, "You promised. Now teach me,"

***

"Now, dear," started Helga as her husband and their new heir finished the last of the tea biscuits the room had provided. She had Ginevra's undivided attention.

"Will you finally tell me about why you're here? Why I'm here?" asked the four year old girl excitedly.

"Yes, dear, but first I have something to ask of you. Will you... will you let us look at your memories?"

At Ginevra's stunned and shocked gaze, Salazar quickly elaborated.

"We have to be certain it's really you. Also, allowing us to view your memories will help us to gauge your personality and what skills you already have. You see, you're our heirs. Ginevra, you have our personalities, our particular talents and are the closest to us out of all the Heir Apparents in the Seven Ancient Houses. Will you take our offer to train you for the upcoming war?"

Ginevra had to blink a bit before what they said finally settled in.

"I can't be your heirs! I'll just let you down! I'm a girl after all, and Bill's the Heir Apparent. It isn't me, I'm the seventh child. The youngest Weasley..."

"Trust me, you are our heir. We just need to understand you now. Salazar and I can teach you things no one else can, dear," put in Helga's motherly voice as she wrapped the girl in front of her in a hug. Salazar just stayed out of the way and thanked God he didn't have to deal with a distraught four year old by himself. He really was getting too old for this.

'I wonder how Godric's doing?' thought Salazar, before chuckling to himself. The poor child would probably wet their pants as Godric stumbled around trying to explain everything.

Shaking his head, he turned his gaze back towards Ginevra and his wife whispering hurriedly. He saw the red head nod once, and then his wife waved him over. Salazar met her gaze, and saw that Ginevra was ready. Joining hands with his wife, Salazar looked straight into Ginny's eyes and dove into the swirling pool of chocolate.

***

Something cold was resting on his head. Draco drunkenly tried to swipe it away but his arms wouldn't co-operate.

"Calm down, child. Everything is fine. Try and open your eyes; your head was hit pretty badly when you slipped," soothed a calm voice.

"M-mama?" was the first word that slipped out of his mouth.

"No, I'm not your mother. I'm probably your great-great-I don't know how many greats-grandmother though. One of your ancestors, let's keep it at that," replied an amused voice.

Draco opened his eyes slowly, blinking against the sunlight. The sky was blue again today... wait, sky?

"AH! WHERE AM I!" screamed Draco as he rolled around on the grass and eventually kneeled, spitting mud from his mouth.

"You hit your head quite badly, child, and just a little over an hour ago. Now lie back down before I make you," threatened the voice. This time Draco whirled around and saw... Rowena Ravenclaw.

"Y-you're dead! H-how can you be here? Are you a ghost?" yelled Draco, a bit shocked.

Rowena breathed as she forced herself to remain calm.

"No, I'm not a ghost, at least not in this room. There's an enchantment in this area that allows me to retain flesh, and to be actually alive," Rowena explained

Draco just stared at the Founder, his eyes wide.

"H-how? W-what? Who? How?" he asked, barely able to stop himself. Rowena could sense the Ravenclaw thirst for knowledge in this young one and smiled gently.

"Tell me your name, child,"

"Draco Malfoy, but you haven't really answered my questions," answered Draco quite bravely for a four year old.

"Why don't we make a deal, Draco? You let me look at your life and memories, and I'll train you. I'll also answer your questions too," proposed Rowena gently. This was it. Either her heir would agree, and training would start, or he wouldn't...

"What do you mean by looking at my memories?" asked Draco highly suspiciously. There were parts of his life he had never allowed any into; parts that still mentally scarred him. No one would ever know his true life, no one could ever know every second of his past.

"In essence, I would get to see everything you've seen in your entire life. I know it's hard, but this has to happen so that a trust and bond can develop. You've been chosen as my heir for a reason, and I want to know why. This will also help me to know what to teach you, how to guide you, and how to mentor you," explained Rowena as gently as she could. Her own emerald eyes sought out Draco's steel grey ones and saw a flash of fear in them.

Draco backed away slowly like a trapped animal.

"No! NO NO NO NO NO! You can't make me! No one can... no one," whispered Draco, nearly breaking out in a run.

Rowena caught up with the distraught boy and looked him straight in the eyes. Unwillingly, she caught a few memories that floated to the surface of his haunted eyes and looked away, wincing. "Draco, no one can ever force you to do anything, you hear me? I look at you, and I see myself. You really are very intelligent at such a young age. Let me help you, Draco. I can help you make sure no one ever forces you do something you don't want to do ever again," promised Rowena Ravenclaw. Her heart had only ever gone out to three other people; Helga, her husband Godric and Godric's best mate Salazar. Now, as she tried to calm down the hurt boy in front of her, Rowena couldn't help but feel a mixture of pity and love for Draco Malfoy.

Draco finally nodded, not knowing exactly what 'seeing memories' entailed but willing to learn how to defend himself. If this was the price he had to pay, so be it, but he wanted to learn. He needed to learn. So no one could ever come close to him again.

Rowena knelt and levelled her eyes with Draco's. She was pulled deep into Draco's mind as she viewed her young prodigy's life up until this very moment.

***

For once, all the Founders were silent as they entered their offices in Camelot and settled down around the Round Table.

"We can't share their memories, but let's just make a summary of our charges," Rowena, who was usually the first to speak, had not broke the ice. Instead, it had been Salazar's elegant voice that pierced the room's silence. All Four Founders had been shocked at what they had learned. They had all prepared for it, as Merlin had warned them this generation had been tainted by war. Yet the truth had exceeded all hopes of preparation.

"We'll go first," Helga followed Salazar up. She could see that Godric and Rowena had been given especially hard heirs. Looking at her friends' haunted eyes, she could sense deep within her that Ginny's life had been the easiest out of all three. That was not a very comforting thought.

"Our heir is a red-headed spitfire beauty called Ginny. She is four years old and her family is... huge. She is the seventh child and the youngest. We'll start with her mother," started Helga. As Helga and Salazar narrated the life of Ginny Weasley, they alternated.

"Ginny's mother was also the seventh daughter in a large family. She was not the seventh of a seventh though, but a seventh of a first. Molly Prewitt had been a beauty when she was younger, but fell in love with the poor Arthur Weasley. She married him in the end, because her heart won over her love of gold. However, after seven children her figure is now ruined and she is quite jealous of her seventh daughter, Ginevra. Ginevra prefers us to call her Ginny though,"

"Molly has therefore been trying to match Ginny up with a rich husband, and her sights have now fallen upon Marx Potter," started Helga, but was interrupted by Godric's gasp.

"Yes, Godric?" asked Helga impatiently.

Godric just shook his head and motioned for them to carry on. Helga nodded and began again, "Molly tried to draw up a wedding contract between Ginny and Marx, but needed them to be seven years old at least before it could be completed. Hogwart's Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, was Marx's guardian since Marx is the Boy-Who-Lived – whatever that is – was staying in his castle temporarily. Dumbledore apparently thought that all Weasley's were light and so invited Ginny and her twin brother Ron to Hogwarts,"

"Ginny's six brothers and father all love her to bits, but is very overprotective. However, she has always had a special bond with her twin although they have no twin bond. Her mother is actually a bit jealous of the way Ginny had all the Weasley men wrapped around her fingers, so Molly sent Ginny with Ron to Hogwarts. Molly was actually hoping Ginny could stay there until she was seventeen,"

Shocked gasps occurred around the table.

Helga smiled sadly before continuing, "Well, Marx Potter is at that stage in life where girls have cooties and so Marx made it very clear he would not go near Ginny. Ginny's twin brother has longed for fame and fortune, and so Ronald chose his new friend over his twin sister. Over the months, Ginny has been relentlessly teased and bullied to satisfy that idiot Marx's ego! It makes me sick, to think of Ginny belittled like that. There were some near death situations too, but the professors never stepped in to help Ginny. The poor child even tried mailing back home, but Molly absolutely refused to pull Ginny. Her own mother told her Marx Potter was probably teasing her because he liked her!"

Salazar had to restrain his wife from exploding as Helga gathered power in her hands. When the normally sweet tempered woman had finally calmed down enough, Salazar resumed his young charge's tale.

"That was how Ginny found us, really. She... she had been crying in the library and decided to walk off her sadness, which became anger. After all, her twin had literally destroyed any bond that remained between them. It had really hurt Ginevra. Ginny also had a slight crush on Marx Potter – everyone did, since he was the Boy-Who-Lived. Seeing Marx treat her so badly broke her spirit. Hogwarts had always been the place Ginny had longed to be in more than anything. It has now become the place she fears the most," finished Salazar sadly. Silence hung in the air. No one really wanted to follow that sad story of a broken young girl with their own thoughts.

"Please, Godric, I," Rowena drew a breath, "I don't want to share until last. Please,"

Godric could never resist Rowena, or any of her demands. He wasn't going to start now.

"Mine and Merlin's heir turned out to be none other than Harry Potter, Earl of the Aurum Mons," started Godric sadly.

"The Boy-Who-Lived had a brother?! We never found any mention of that in Ginny's memories, and that girl was obsessed over the Potter family!" cried out Helga in disbelief.

"Well, she wouldn't have," responded Godric shortly.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Godric started young Harry Potter's tale.

"I guess for those of you who don't know who the Boy-Who-Lived is, I should start by telling you the real story. Yes, the one in the Wizarding World right now is... fake. I saw that night in Harry's memories, after all. Poor boy didn't know he had so much history in him, or that he remembered so much. No matter, I'll begin with that night.

Harry was born to two loving parents, the Grand Duke Potter and his late Grand Duchess Lily Potter nee Evans. The Grand Duchess had been a muggleborn, or so everyone believed. When I saw her, I recognized her who she really was. Lily Evans was the Elvin Princess Lilyaris, but had kept that little secret from everyone except her husband.

Harry had a twin brother, Marx Potter. I saw every moment of Harry's life, and I saw that Harry was the eldest, not his brother. Harry is the real Heir Apparent. The nurse had been too forgetful and distracted to remember which twin had been born first, and so randomly filled in Marx's name.

Lily had loved Harry because she could sense power in him, as much power as she had. He wasn't even eleven then. So the Princess had named her son as her firstborn, giving him a firstborn's name. His full name is Harry Alberik Lux Potter. James had realized the implications, but never said a word. Then, the prophesy came.

That old fool Albus Dumbledore was wrong. Everyone knows the Heir Apparent has the most magical power in the Seven Ancient Houses, but what if the Heir Apparent was incorrect and the Heir Presumptive was the real first born? No one ever said a word. I suspect the Princess knew, but she kept the secret safe. She loved her favourite son too much to risk his life over a stupid prophesy, or the Earthly realm. After all, she was the Princess. The Elvin Army would make mincemeat out of Voldemort and his followers.

Then, that night came. Our Princess had been weak that night with an earthly disease, and it had been too long since she visited the Elvin realm. When the twins were a month old, Voldemort scaled an attack. He stunned the Grand Duke but duelled the Grand Duchess. Harry, who had an accidental bout of magic, wanted to warn his mother that something evil was coming out of the wand soon.

Lily interpreted her son's words correctly, or cries more like, and quickly muttered a spell. She allowed the Killing Curse to hit her, but her son's cry had distorted the curse. The cry had been of Love, and the curse of Hate. As Love and Hate battled, Lily escaped her soul and transported herself back to the Elvin Realm. You know the rules as well as I do though. Unless the King or Queen allowed it, no elf could exit the realm to another. The night Lily 'died', so did her parents. The Dark Elves had been feverishly that night, and had succeeded in killing the King and Queen. Forced to take up the throne, Lily had to adopt the rule that no royal was allowed out of the Realm unless on a diplomatic mission. Even though her family was on Earth, unless they had Elvin blood though they could not enter the Realm and she could not return back to Earth.

When Harry saw his mother 'die', he realized another 'evil thing' was coming out of the monster's wand. Turning his gaze on his brother, Harry gathered up the last remnants of his mother's Love and turned it into the shield. The ancient one. It was spun out of pure Love and deflected the Hate. So, Marx Potter was correctly termed as the Boy-Who-Lived, but only because of his twin brother's magic.

Harry is the real Chosen One in the prophesy. Harry is the destined Saviour," finished Godric. The other Founders had been holding their breath up until this point, and when Godric finished the tension in the room decreased. Everyone let their breath and sighed.

"That poor child," murmured Helga. Rowena just nodded distractedly.

"I don't get it. If Marx is under Dumbledore's guardianship since he's staying in the castle, then why isn't Harry in the castle too?" asked Salazar, puzzled. A frown was on his face.

Godric smiled sarcastically, "Because Harry's father blames Harry for his mother's death,"

Silence shook the room.

Rowena whipped her head around to face Godric.

"He WHAT! No descendant of mine should be foolish enough to do that. I am ashamed! The Grand Duke is always a Potter, always a Ravenclaw. How dare he soil my name!"

"Actually, Potter is Gryffindor and proud of it. Do you want me to continue Harry's story or not?" spat Godric.

Everyone nodded invitingly and Godric breathed in again.

"So basically Harry was neglected by his father ever since that night. He's turned... very cynical and quite sarcastic. Almost like you, Sal. You'd like him a lot. Harry's heart is in the right place though. The House Elves remain loyal to Gryffindor and Gryffindor only, so they could sense my mark in Harry. They taught him how to walk, run, speak, and read and everything that a parent should teach their child.

Harry loves reading; the Potter Family Library opened up a whole new world for him. He's read a lot of books for a four year old; he could recognize, you know. When I first met him as he stumbled through the room, he fainted and I noticed the book in his arms. It was titled Wardes and Shieldes of Olde Magicke,"

"You're book!" gasped Rowena softly.

Godric nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, my book. Harry had been trying to discover what happened that night when I met him. I've basically read all the book he's read so far since I know everything he does; all his memories too. I have never met a four year old smarter than Harry is. Really, I wonder why Harry isn't your heir, Rowena. He's certainly smart enough to be. He's as cynical, cunning and sly as Sal too, and as wise as Merlin. I think... I think Harry would be compatible with everyone in this room besides you, Helga. Although that's only because he's never felt love or companionship before. Never had any friends. All he does is get shut up in a big old musty castle with House Elves,"

The Founders had prickling eyes by now as they wiped their tears on their sleeves.

"That poor child. I-I'd really like to m-meet him. He should not have to s-suffer like this! It's not even blood f-fault!" sobbed Helga. Everyone was stunned as they heard Helga swear.

"Darling, are you alright?" asked Salazar, panicking slightly.

"Y-yes, I-I'm fine," reassured Helga slightly as she sniffled.

"Well, that's my story," ended Godric anti-dramatically, embarrassed, as he leaned back in his chair, ready to listen to Rowena.

Rowena's story was horrifying, but thankfully short.

"My heir is Draco Malfoy. I can see he is very intelligent when dedicated to something, but a regular slacker too. Like Harry, Draco has never had a proper childhood. You see, his father was Lucius Malfoy, a death eater and faithful to Voldemort. Draco was named for peace, and his mother loved him. However, after Voldemort died that night Lucius has had a lot of pressure since he was a suspected Death Eater.

He took out his anger by beating his own son.

Lucius tried to toughen up poor Draco, fanatical to a point at believing the Dark Lord would return. He and his friends, all Death Eaters, would routinely torture young children and make Draco watch it. It was horrifying, watching everything. Experiencing everything Draco had.

I-I could not believe how cruel someone could be to their own son. I'll keep the gory details too myself though," Rowena panted, now sniffling and sobbing as she forced herself to remember Draco's life. Godric instinctively wrapped her up in his arms, and she clung to him helplessly.

Tears now streaming down her cheeks, Rowena returned to her horrific tale, "Draco's mother love him, so Lucius would routinely obliviate and confound his wife Narcissa Malfoy nee Black. One night, Narcissa returned home early to see Lucius... beating Draco,"

Rowena gasped, wiping her tears furiously as Godric drew soothing circles on her back. Calming down slightly, she continued again, "Narcissa had not been confounded yet, and so seeing her husband beating her son triggered all of her missing memories. Naturally, her shock into anger and before Malfoy had known what had happened he had been stunned, paralyzed, and tied up.

Narcissa flooed the Aurors and healed her son before fleeing from Europe. Duke Sirius Black, head of the Black Family, gave Narcissa a trust fund for Draco since Draco was now the Black Heir Apparent. Narcissa divorced Malfoy and turned back to the light. She escaped into France and stayed with the French Black relatives. They were living in the Chateau Noir when I met Draco,"

It was apparent that Rowena's tale had ended then, and had taken a toll over the usually logical and rational woman. As Godric smiled apologetically to the others before leading his wife to bed, Salazar comforted Helga who was crying on his shoulder.

Hope you liked it! Please review if you enjoyed it. Any feedback/suggestions on what areas the Founders should train the three in would be welcome. Note that the three will not be meeting each other until they arrive together on Avalon...