Chapter Three – Pranks and Chaos
AN: In this chapter one of the characters undergoes a name change, from the point where their name changes I will be referring to them by the new name but the first time will refer to them old name/new name so that everyone knows the name is changing.
After the events at Halloween, Harry brought up the robbery at Gringotts and the lack of any further information. Since Halloween Hermione had become a regular member of the group. The twins had approached Nadia about viewing the memory and had revealed that they were in possession of the Marauder's map which they happily gave to Harry after learning on his father's roles in making it. "Gotta give the kid a shot after all." Fred had said when asked why they would hand it over.
"After all we have the map memorized and now Harry and you lot can continue the marauders legacy with the marauders heir." George had added.
So now the four had been planning a prank and where researching in the library when Harry had brought up the robbery. "Well the goblins didn't seem to know what had happened it is unlikely that we will hear anything even if they found who is responsible." Nadia commented.
"It happened the same time day that we were in Diagon, Hagrid was there on school business." Neville observes.
"To my knowledge the vault in question isn't a Hogwarts vault." Nadia states.
"How would you know that?" Hermione questions.
"Since you're occlumency is going well I might tell you." Nadia states before taking her wand and casting a few privacy wards including the one from a battered copy of the sixth year potions textbook that she had found in the cupboard when getting a replacement for her book after one of the Hufflepuffs had melted their cauldron and the potion spilling damaged Nadia's book as she was working at the same bench.
The book wouldn't have been remarkable if it hadn't been for the notes scribbled over almost the entire page. Nadia had gone back for it after it had raised her curiosity and found all seven of the school potions books with the same notes. The books had once belonged to someone who used the title the half-blood prince. Nadia had consulted the portrait of the founders that she carried on how to determine the effects of the spells, all but one had been practiced by the group after they had figured them out. The spell they hadn't practiced was a darker version of the cutting hex (as close as they could figure it anyway) and so they didn't want to take risks with such a spell.
Hermione had been skeptical about the alterations to the recipes until Nadia had told her both that a potions expert (Salazar) had told her that the altercations made the potion better and that she suspected that the books belonged to someone who was (or had been) a potions master and that they had been working on improving the potions.
"As you know very little is publicly known about my mum's family. We've kept it that way on purpose. My grandfather is Tom Marvolo Riddle who later became known by the anagram that he created you rearrange the name and get I am Lord Voldemort. I am the founders heir direct descendant of the four founders of Hogwarts." Nadia informs Hermione.
"Neville and Harry are two of the only people who know and I need you to keep this hidden behind your shields. The potions expert I consulted is Salazar Slytherin himself, there is a portrait of the four founders that I talk to regularly for advice. I am telling you this now because I am going to need your help over the summer. My mother has been talking to the minister who knows and is sworn to secrecy using a secrecy spell and they have arranged for the staff and headmaster to be out of the school for the three weeks we need to cleanse the ward stones and recasts, repair and generally restore the wards." Nadia explains.
"But students aren't allowed to use magic during the holidays. That would require lots of magic and knowledge of wards." Hermione exclaims.
"Yes, but the minister has given special lifting of the trace for the three weeks especially since we are on school grounds. Also the wards don't require that much power, they are anchored by runes and designed to require minimum power to maintain so that a single head can cast wards that were set by four individuals. The founders will be there guiding us through the process and Hogwarts herself will be helping us." Nadia explains.
"How can the school help?" Hermione asks.
"Well the founders designed a chamber that holds and stores the build-up of excess magic so that it can be channelled into the wards to increase their strength we are going to tap into this reserve to rebuild the wards." Nadia answers.
"Oh in that case I'd be happy to help." Hermione agrees.
"I need you to stand as a representative of Ravenclaw. Harry will stand for Slytherin and Neville for Gryffindor with me standing as Hufflepuff which will give us a symmetry and balance with the founders. I am hoping that once we do this the school will become a self-sustaining fortress. I am going to talk to the school elves and have them restart the production of food and livestock in the fields that were set aside for that use." Nadia explains.
"Elves?" Hermione asks.
"House-elves, magical creatures that live in a symbionic relationship with wizards and witches. They gain a level of magic from the household that the serve and protection from other magical creatures that would otherwise do them harm and wizards and witches gain a loyal housekeeper/chief. House-elves need witches and wizards to survive and are happiest when working and meeting needs of the wizard or witch they are bound too." Nadia responds.
"I have a book that explains it, it was written by a muggle-born and is a cross between a magical text and a scientific study." Nadia adds.
"Oh that would be so helpful. You always seem to have books on subjects that will help me fit in more." Hermione observes.
"I bought them back when I was introducing Harry to our world." Nadia responds.
"Nadia was regularly buying books in an effort to help me understand magic, she taught that given my fame and political influence when I am older that it would be highly important that I have an understanding of everything that magical raised individuals take for granted." Harry adds.
"We could just give Hermione the list and then you could lend her the relevant book when she reaches that point. I think you should explain about alliance and friendship rituals. Then the four of us could start one." Neville comments.
Nadia pulls a muggle notebook from her bag and hands it to Hermione. "This book contains the areas of common understanding in the magical world that a muggleborn would not have been introduced to. Each page has a summary of the subject and the relevant book." Nadia explains.
"I would suggest that next time you are in Diagon Alley you go to Gringotts and have an inheritance test preformed then open a vault if you need to." Neville advises.
"I could do that when I go home for Christmas." Hermione states.
"Good plan, write to us and tells us the results." Nadia requests.
"I don't have an owl." Hermione observes.
"I'll send Nyx with you when you go home so we can keep in touch, Harry probably won't mind me borrowing Hedwig to write to mum." Nadia offers.
"Of course you can Di and Hermione if you want to write to your parents feel free to ask if Hedwig is free. Nadia probably will let you use Nyx if she isn't." Harry offers.
"That would be very nice of you, I don't use the school owls very often and it would be nice to write home more." Hermione accepts.
"Well why don't you write to your parents now given that you've got all the homework done." Nadia suggests.
"That would be great, Nyx won't mind waiting for them to write a reply will she?" Hermione asks.
"Not at all, I'll give you a packet of owl treats to send with your letter and then your parents will have treats to give her and Hedwig when they deliver letters." Nadia responds.
"I know you are staying at school but are going home for two days if I arrange for the test to be done then will you come with me?" Hermione inquires.
"Sure we'd be happy to." Harry answers.
Hermione pulls out a fresh sheet of parchment and writes to her parents while Harry and Nadia debate the execution of the first stage of the prank. Neville finishes his notes on his section and contributes with a different suggestion that has Hermione chipping in with a slight change to Neville's plan and the four agree that it is the best idea that they have.
The four leave the library and Harry and Neville separate from Nadia and Hermione to scout out the kitchens and great hall while Nadia and Hermione head to the room of requirements. Nadia requests a potions lab with a portrait of the founders. A door appears and Hermione and Nadia enter.
"Nadia about time we got to meet Hermione." A voice exclaims.
"Your one of the founders aren't you?" Hermione asks.
"Yes now can you guess which one." The speaker challenges.
"Well your male so Salazar or Godric, and Godric was known for having red hair so I'd guess you are Salazar." Hermione responds.
"Excellent, no doubt Ric, Ro and Helga will be by shortly to meet you. I hear you ended up in Godric's house?" Salazar inquires.
"Yes the sorting hat was strongly debating Ravenclaw but final decided that Gryffindor was a better fit." Hermione answers.
"Well I would have been delighted to have you my house dear." Rowena states as she enters the portrait.
"Don't forget that your house doesn't define you and that most of the stories about our houses and ideals have been altered by people seeking their own gain." Salazar comments.
"Can I ask something about your house?" Hermione quizzes.
"Of course you can." Salazar answers.
"Well I was wondering why you didn't accept muggleborns in your house and didn't want them at Hogwarts?" Hermione inquires.
"That's easy, Sal has no patience for basics like holding a wand and using a quill which is why he only took those who were already taught those things which was half-blood and pureblood." Godric chuckles coming to stand beside Salazar.
"That is understating, Sal really did have high standards and preferred to teach those who already had a basic understanding of the magical world rather than having to explain all our customs and traditions, it is sad to see how many have been lost." Helga continues.
"I was happy to accept them I just thought that they were better off not returning to their homes and instead being fostered by magical families. There were witch hunts and witch burning during the years we founded the school and I didn't want the muggleborns leading their families to the school and endangering everyone else. The number of times muggleborns went home only to be killed by their own families was shocking and I wanted to keep them in the magical world for their own safety." Salazar added.
"Did any of the muggleborns ever tell their families how to get to Hogwarts?" Hermione asks.
A look passes between the founders and Hermione notices that Rowena, Helga and Godric move closer to Salazar.
"Yes, just once." Godric states.
"The wards didn't hold them back and it prompted the creation of many muggle repelling wards that are common today many don't realise that they were based on one that was formed round Hogwarts that day." Helga comments.
"What happened?" Hermione asks.
"It was brutal, a number of students had been killed and three of our heirs were badly injured. Godric was our strongest fighter and he was so badly injured that he had to retreat into the school where my daughter and Rowena's Helena were leading a team of 6th and 7th years in healing the injured students and staff. Salazar had disappeared from the fighting when the wards suddenly began glowing and a strong force began to push all the muggle attackers back from the grounds till the edge of the wards. We began treating the most severely injured not knowing what Salazar had done to the wards and its effect until much later." Helga begins.
"Once everyone had been treated I took a look at the wards and realised that the wards had been changed and a new ward had been added but that the new ward wasn't grounded to the ward stones so I went down to the stone to ground the ward to runes on the stones and discovered Salazar had scarified himself to save the school and us. We learned that the muggles had all lost their memories of the school and its location. The new ward was one that would repel muggles and make them remember that they had somewhere else to be. I attached it to the ward stones so that his sacrifice would not be in vain." Rowena continues.
"We held a ceremony for Salazar on the grounds and as was tradition at the time cremated his body. It was decided that his ashes like ours would be on our deaths would be scattered over the potions and greenhouses." Godric finishes.
"Everyone would be stunned if the heard this they all think that Salazar fell out with all of you and left the school." Hermione whispers.
"We know the nonsense that has been spread since our deaths and it angers us to hear Sal slandered as such when he gave his life to save the school." Godric rages.
"I have already had a chat with the ghosts who know the truth they have been told that if they speak the truth then they will be forced from the school. I am going to fix that the first chance I get but it means getting rid of the current headmaster." Nadia states.
"He dare threaten the ghosts, one of them is my Helena." Rowena fumes.
"I know I was angry too, I am going to fix the wards this summer. Hermione has agreed to represent Ravenclaw. Harry will stand for Slytherin and Neville for Gryffindor and I will stand as Hufflepuff." Nadia agrees.
"Well that is something then. Now given you asked for a potions lab I am guessing you want to brew a potion." Salazar observes.
"Yes, we are going to prank the whole school. We were hoping you would talk us through the one that will turn everyone into lions for a minute." Nadia agrees.
"Ah that is a potion that you should be able to brew with very little help so of course I will help. Now do you have my journal with the potion or do I need to talk you through it completely?" Salazar inquires.
"I have the journal right here." Nadia says holding up the journal in question. Hermione and Nadia then get to work brewing the potion under the watchful eyes of the founders.
Harry and Neville meanwhile scout the great hall and the kitchens and talk to the house elves. In the kitchens the bump into Fred and George who happily talk to them for a while and tell the boys about their goal of opening a joke shop. Harry explains about the marauders journal and the pranks played by the founders and suggest Harry suggests that if the twins take school a bit more seriously and get an agreed number of OWLS and NEWTS then he might consider investing in a joke shop with them especially if they agree to let him credit the marauders for their pranks and the founders for theirs (if Nadia agrees though Neville observes she may wish to part fund the shop as well).
"You really should ask Nadia if you can meet the founders the four of them are brilliant. If fact why don't you come with us and meet them now, of course you will have to be placed under a secrecy spell to ensure that no one can get this information from you until such a time that Nadia reveals it." Harry explains.
"We'd be honoured" Fred states
"and delighted to meet" George adds
"the founders of our school." Fred finishes.
"Come on they should still be in the room of requirements brewing our first official prank to introduce the school to the next gen marauders." Harry laughs.
The twins follow Harry and Neville to the room of requirements as Harry explains how the room works and the known limits (mainly that it obeys the laws of transfiguration and therefore can't conjure food and that it was created collectively by the founders based on an idea of Rowena's.
The group arrives as the room of requirements and Harry paces three times holding the same thought as Nadia had to open the room. When the door appears the twins are suitably impressed as they had yet to find the room on their own. They enter to laughter. "Of course I got him back for that but even I can admit it was well played.
"What's so funny?" Neville enquires.
"You've hear the story Ric was just telling Hermione about the time that he made Sal's hair pink." Nadia answers.
"Ah yes that is a good one. You'll have to teach us that someday. Maybe we can find a way to make Snape's hair pink, he already hates me for some reason might as well have fun with it." Harry laughs.
"I find it appaling that a teacher gets away with treating students like that." Sal hisses.
"Yes well it is one of the things on my fix it list." Nadia sooths.
"Fred, George meet the founders." Harry introduces.
Nadia takes out her wand and places the twins under a secrecy spell and then introduces the founders and turns back to the potion.
"We're nearly done it has to simmer for another two minutes and then we add the last two ingredients and take it off the heat and stir it seven times." Hermione explains to Harry and Neville.
"What is it going to do?" The twins ask together.
"Let's just say if you want to see the effects rather than experience them avoid the pumpkin juice tonight at dinner." Nadia grins.
"You're not going to tell us?" The twins pout.
"Nope, but we will say it is very Gryffindor." Neville laughs.
"Yeah in fact this same prank was pulled by Godric on Salazar." Harry chuckles.
"I can't believe that Hermione Granger is pulling a prank." Fred states.
"From what we hear you don't know how to break a rule." George adds.
"Let's just say that I've realised some rules should be broken and since the founders of the school had a time honoured tradition of prank wars that I really don't mind." Hermione explains.
"What is a prank war?" The twins quiz together.
"When two or more teams battle with pranks to score the most points. Nadia has been working on charming journals like the founders did to record the points. When we get it working we will approach you and say one two three four we declare and prank war. You can respond with one two three four let the war begin. Or one two three four take us out the prank war. We will be you accepting or rejecting being a part of it. If you accept then you write the names of your team mates in the journal and follow the rules and instruction that it will contain." Hermione explains.
"Sounds like really good fun." The twin grin.
"Yes it does and we will let you know how many team members you are allowed once we know our own team." Neville states.
"This is going to be so much fun having you kids at the school." The twins laugh.
"Oh yes we plan to shake things up around here." Nadia chuckles.
Once the potion is complete and everything is cleaned up the group leaves the room of requirements and heads in separate directions. The twins head off to talk to Lee and the first years head to the library to meet their Hufflepuff friends for their study group. The study group talk about Herbology and Susan express her confusion over the potions homework that they have.
"The essay is on the effects of ground pearl in potions specifically in regards to nutritionally potions?" Nadia asks.
"Yes that one. I don't understand why it is added in the base and then also added in the main potion." Susan answers.
"It is added in the base as a stabilising agent and it grounds the effects of the pearl, the pearl in the base also encourages the flow of the nutrients in the body. Adding more pearl to the main body of the potion optimises the assimilation of the nutrients into the body." Nadia explains.
"Why do you grind the pearl?" Neville asks.
"You grind the pearl so that it dissolves better in the base and therefore the effects are spread more evenly through the potion than if you just added a pearl." Nadia answers.
"I hear that Neville is the best in our year at herbology and was wondering if you would mind me joining to pick his brains on the herbology essay we have on the wolfsbane plant." Violet asks.
"Sure, take a seat and welcome to the group. Everyone knows my name, and you know Nadia. Sitting next to her is Hermione Granger and then Susan Bones and the Hannah Abbott then Neville Longbottom." Harry introduces.
"Justin usually joins us but he joined the gobblestone club and they are meeting this afternoon." Susan explains.
Violet takes a seat next to Neville who looks over her herbology essay and explains the section that she is having trouble with. Nadia chips in for the section on how it relates to potions.
The study group breaks up and the students head to their common rooms to drop of their bags before dinner. Neville takes Harry's as well as his own so that Harry can sneak to the kitchens and spike the pumpkin juice. The group meets up and the entrance to the great hall and Harry gives the group the thumbs up letting them know he was successful. Everyone takes their seats and once the food is served they begin eating ready to watch the chaos of their prank.
Surprisingly the first person to turn into a lion is Professor McGonagall which prompts laughter at irony of the Gryffindor head of house becoming a lioness, and then Professor Snape falls to the potion too, turning into a lion which causes even more laughter. More and more students turn into lions. Once Snape turns back he shoots a glare at Harry who after a couple of bites of food drinks some pumpkin juice and turns into a lion thus avoiding any suspicion of his involvement. Malfoy also ends up a lion and Violet becomes a lioness, both Susan and Hannah also end up as lionesses.
Eventually Professor Flitwick gets the students attention and tells everyone that he thinks the cause is the pumpkin juice. The students avoid it for the rest of the meal. The pranksters all hide their grins and carefully store the memory in their mind palace with the intention of copying it and preserving it for future generations. The twins watch the prank with amusement mutually agreeing to mentor the youngsters in the art of pranking and include them in future pranks.
The next week passes in relative quiet except for an angry Violet turning up to the Wednesday study group with a black eye.
"What happened Vi?" Nadia quizzes.
"That idiot third year summoned his textbook from the other side of the common room and on its way over to him it smacked me in the face." Violet hisses.
"I have some bruise salve in my bag if you want some." Harry offers.
"That would be great thank I didn't want to go to Professor Snape or the hospital wing." Violet responds.
Violet sits as Nadia applies the bruise salve and the bruise fades to nothing. The group returns to studying and the incident is more or less forgotten until the Saturday when the upper years go to Hogsmead and Violet receives a package of blood pops and a case of chocolate frogs as well as a Godric Gryffindor chocolate frog card.
"You've got to admit the boy knows how to apologise." Nadia states as Violet joins the study group.
"I will give him that, how he knew I like blood pops and didn't have Godric Gryffindor I don't know." Violet replies.
"He helped when your bag split the parchment we were passing notes on was in there he could have read that." Nadia suggests.
After that the group finishes their homework and talks about holiday plans. Harry, Nadia and Neville are all staying at Hogwarts but are being pulled from the school for two days to visit Neville's parents and Godric's Hollow.
The next week Nyx and Hedwig are busy as Nadia, Harry, Neville and Hermione all owl order Christmas presents. Hermione prepares to head home and organises a line test for the 21st. Arrange to go with Hermione for her line test and then visit Neville's parents before staying at Longbottom Manor and then going to Godric's Hollow before returning to Hogwarts.
The study group meet the day before the students return home to exchange gifts (which will be opened Christmas day) and then talk about their homework before working on their herbology and potions essays for the afternoon. On the 21st Nadia's mother collects Harry, Nadia and Neville with Neville's grandmother and the five head to Gringotts to meet Hermione.
Hermione's line test shocks the group who learn that she was adopted and was born Alya Lestrange. "Alya is a common name for the yellow binary star Theta Serpentis in the constellation Serpens ("The Serpent") and is fitting with the Black family tradition of naming after stars and constellations." Nadia states.
"This doesn't change how we see you Hermione." Neville reassures.
"Yeah you can't be blamed for the sins of your parents no matter how much Snape seems to want to blame me for my dad and his friends." Harry agrees.
Hermione choses to accept the heirship; "Well one of this lot can take you then, since you aren't what we thought we don't want any responsibility for you." Mrs Granger declares.
Hermione is stunned and upset so Nadia's mum and Neville's gran talk to the Grangers and the end result is custody of Hermione being transferred to Nadia's mum. "Hermione dear do you want to keep the name Hermione or change it to the one your birth parents gave you." Lady Cane asks.
"I'll change my name back to Alya." Hermione/Alya answers.
"Very well dear. Your second name too or just your first?" Lady Cane quizzes.
"Might as well change both" Alya replies "This is going to shock Malfoy when he finds out we're cousins." Alya adds giggling watery.
"Oh please let me be there when he finds out." Harry requests.
"Of course and if you aren't then Nadia's pensive will come in handy." Alya laughs.
"Alya needs to be tests for blocks; it is unlikely that her appearance looking so similar to the Grangers is natural. It is possible that like Harry the Black metamorphmagus ability is present in Hermione but has been blocked." Nadia comments.
Alya is tested for blocks and it is found that she is in fact a metamorphmagus and that it is blocked. The block is lifted and her hair shifts through the colour of the rainbow before settling in her naturally smooth black hair.
Next the group heads to the trunk shop to buy Alya a trunk like Harry, Nadia and Neville's while there Lady Cane also buys a trunk to pack Alya things into that she doesn't want to take to Hogwarts. The group then heads to Alya's old house and packs her things some of the books Alya adds to her new school trunk and her old one is used for the rest of her books. Lady Cane tells Alya that she will put the trunks into her room at the Cane family manor (which the family had moved back to after Lady Cane took custody of Harry) and that she can decide how it is decorate when she is home for the summer.
The group visits Neville's parents and Alice moves quickly to Neville calling out his name. She pulls him into a hug mumbling "my son" over and over and she hugs him. After the visit the group returns to Longbottom Manor and have dinner before the youngsters work on homework before bed.
The next morning the group has breakfast before heading to Godric's Hollow. They visit the graveyard and lay flowers on the Potters grave before viewing the statue and heading to the cottage. Once they have looked around everyone returns to Longbottom Manor for lunch before the students (including Alya) return to Hogwarts.
The four students visit Professor McGonagall to let her know about the situation with Alya and fill her in on the information that won't have been included in the letter from the goblins informing of the change in name and guardianship. Professor McGonagall is shocked and asks Alya if she would like to be resorted.
"Thank you Professor but I am happy in the house I am in especially since Harry is distantly related to me and the only other family I have is a cousin in Slytherin and I would rather not be a curiosity for the snakes." Alya answers.
Christmas passes calmly though Harry is a bit surprised by the return of his father's invisibility cloak. He stores it in his schoolbag so that no one else can take it from him. Alya, Harry, Nadia and Neville sit together for the Christmas dinner and the rest of the holiday passes calm.
The chaos caused by Alya's identity doesn't die down when the rest of the students return and Harry gets his wish of being at dinner when Draco Malfoy hears the news. Alya had before returning returned to her appearance as Hermione Granger but now smirks at Malfoy and returns to her natural appearance looking very much like her mother and Aunt Andromeda.
A number of snakes approach her asking if she is going to resort. "Cousin, I have been asked by my mother to see if you would like to spend the summer with us?" Draco Malfoy asks.
"I am going to be staying with Lady Cane but since we are family I won't object to visiting during the holidays." Alya answers.
"Why are you staying with the Canes?" Draco inquires.
"Lady Cane is now my guardian the muggles who were raising me decided that they didn't want the responsibility of raising a magical child so were happy to agree when Lady Cane offered to take me in." Alya responds.
"I hear you are part of a mixed house study group?" Draco quizzes.
"Yes I am one of the founding members of it." Alya replies.
"Would you mind if I join?" Draco questions.
"The group meets on Wednesday if they don't mind you being there then you are welcome to join." Alya answers.
"Very well, I will see you on Wednesday then cousin." Draco comments.
"See you then." Alya responds.