Hogwarts is a millennium years old school. No one really knows when it was exactly founded but we know when Hogwarts Houses were.

Because the House system we all know is a creation which only came years after the school's opening. Students were previously chosen by a founder and entered the classic master-apprentice relationship. The said student had however to prove his worth beforehand by completing at least one of the four tasks the founders chose. These tasks didn't per sure require any magical knowledge but it was how the founders could judge a future student's courage, intellect, cunning or even loyalty. When a student was finally accepted 'under the protection of a founder' he would become the founder's apprentice and join the founder's other protégés. Then the newly appointed apprentices would go to their respective Common Room and wouldn't leave it before the end of their education. Indeed the founder would teach them in their Common Room and any moment outside was strictly regulated. It was as if there were four houses in the castle. It is even believed that contacts between 'Houses' was only limited to some special events.

Everything changed shortly before the founder's death and surprisingly it wasn't them who initiated the change. It was in fact their own children who when seeing their parents' old age realized that the old system wasn't possible anymore. The founders were after all extremely gifted for their times and no one could possibly know as much as they had. No matter who was going to take their place, the education would have been the shadow of what it previously was. If nothing had been done, Hogwarts would have died with his founders. Furthermore, correspondence between Philip Gryffindor –Godric's only child and Hogwarts' first Headmaster- and Septimus Slytherin –Salazar's first son and first Potion Master- revealed how different the education was different from a founder to another. Salazar Slytherin for example has never taught Potion as he was terrible at it and Godric Gryffindor knew nothing of Transfiguration.

Hogwarts students needed a common education. This is the reason why it was finally decided that several teachers –one per subject- would teach students. This is how the apprenticeship system ended in 992. The only proof it even existed is the House system everyone knows.

Naturally the change wasn't welcomed at first. Older students especially wanted it to end. The reason wasn't about education but rather about who was really worthy to belong to their group. Indeed, after years together, students learning from the same founder were more a small community than an addition of students. Each House had its own rules everyone in it had to respect. Any new student had to prove his worth to his elders and only then could the student officially belong to this community.

A hat –even a talking one- couldn't prove a person's courage, intelligence, loyalty or ambition in their eyes. Only a test could. And that's how began a nine century years old tradition.

After a month or two at Hogwarts, a student or the whole group would pass a test their respective Prefect chose. It generally changed each year but the most common was for Hufflepuff to reach a scroll hidden in the Great Hall's ceiling in the middle of the night. Apparently the only way to do it was to form a human ladder which was only possible if everyone fully trusted the other. Gryffindor usually had to retrieve some artifact in a professor's office and Ravenclaw had to hunt a treasure without knowing what it was so the only way to succeed obviously was to retrieve the much needed information which was jealously hidden in a book in the library –it is unknown however whether they really had to read every books they have wrongly picked -. Slytherin's tasks are to this day still unknown.

Officially, these tests stopped a century ago when Nigullus Black became Headmaster. However it is possible that some Houses are continuing a millennium year old tradition. Who knows? I might even be happening while you are reading this book…

Hermione closed A History of Hogwarts' Inter and Intra House relationship. She didn't know the school had such history as the founder's time was only briefly mentioned in Hogwarts, a History and certainly didn't talk about students' interactions between each other.

Now that she was thinking about it, it did explain why there were Houses at Hogwarts and why there was competition between them. Hogwarts had literally been four schools and each wanted to prove to others which was the best one. It was however a millennium ago and she wondered how such competition lasted. As for the 'test part' she honestly didn't know whether it was a joke or if it did happen.

Well, she shrugged, it didn't last. She hadn't had to retrieve something from a teacher in her First Year and she has never heard of some test from younger students in other Houses.

She got up and took the book with her. She just had to take a book about werewolves for her essay and she would leave the library and go to class.

She sighed. She was really starting to regret taking every course. Her time-turner might be useful but it was seriously draining her and she barely had enough time for herself. She even had to give up several things to her surprise. She might have more time but it still wasn't enough.

When she was standing in front of the bookshelf, she frowned. The Defense Against the Dark Arts section somehow seemed smaller than the last time she has seen it. She rubbed her eyes. At first she suspected she was too tired and seriously needed to go to bed but she finally realized it wasn't the case.

The Defense Against the Dark Arts section was completely, absolutely and utterly empty.

"I was surprised as well," Mrs Pince told the Gryffindor when she asked him what happened. "I was minding my own business when a group of Hufflepuffs entered the library…"

"They never go to the library."

"Anyway," the librarian raised her voice and disapprovingly looked at her, "they all jumped to the Defense Against the Dark Arts section and each borrowed eight books."

"Eight books each? Hufflepuffs?"

"First Years," The older woman précised. "One even told me they were on a secret mission. That was of course before Mister Potter interrupted him."

A secret mission. Hermione vividly shook her head. There was no way it was what she thought it was. Of all Houses, Hufflepuff certainly was the only one not to respect such stupid and primitive tradition.

Right?

"When was it?"

"It was… an hour ago?" She hesitated but finally nodded, "One hour ago."

One hour. It only was a single hour. Hermione pretended to look thoughtful and left the library. When she was sure no one was looking at her, she reached for her necklace.

She had sworn to Professor McGonagall she wouldn't use it for petty reason. And this certainly wasn't one.

0~*~0

"This is brilliant." Mike congratulated Harry.

"I know." The older Hufflepuff tried to humbly say and failed.

With their textbook barely mentioning werewolves, no one would manage to do their essay. And when Professor Lupin came back he would just need to cancel their essay to be safe.

He just hoped no one had managed to borrow a book before them.

"How long will we have to keep these books?" Sally asked him.

"Until you f-finish them." Everyone incredulously looked at him. "Wh-What? Th-they'll check."

"Who?"

"Housemates."

"Why?" Harry shrugged and showed them a five. "The Unwritten Rules? Again? Are you sure Hufflepuff isn't a sect?"

Harry was certain it was. He vividly remembered how Fifth Years woke him and his classmates in the middle of the night and forced them to retrieve a scroll hidden in the Great Hall's ceiling two years ago. His shoulders had never been the same since. Last year he even had to retrieve a Ravenclaw's belongings. The girl's dorm mates went as far as hiding some in the Forbidden Forest or the school's roof. It has been a pleasure to help the girl but he honestly wished he hadn't had to climb the school without further protection than his Housemates' trampoline. The Prefect had sworn he had never been in danger a single second as he had been watching over them but he was glad he hadn't had to test it. He wondered how he wasn't scared of heights yet.

"It is to test how much you trust your housemates and how much they trust you in return," the prefect had told him. "You were individuals put in the same House. You now are a group and everyone in it knows that they can always trust each other."

At least it was effective. Harry couldn't deny it. Still he was glad this year's test was a bit less dangerous.

'Don't say that yet,' He mentally scolded himself. 'You said that last year and you know how it ended. Something always happens with the best laid plans.'

And unfortunately, he was right.

0~*~0

Albus Perceval Wulfric Brian Dumbledore was innocently minding his own business in his office. Of course the Deputy Headmistress would seriously disagree. After all, it was not as if the Headmaster was working. Then again, Albus would reply that some job was reserved for the Deputy Headmistress. He also was an old man waiting for death and who lost his head a long time ago. Was she cruel enough to force someone more than a hundred years old to work?

It always pained him when she was replying with a firm 'yes'.

He knew he should have let the position to Slughorn. He barely had enough time to continue playing ten-pin bowling in his quarters.

"Headmaster!" Mrs. Pince entered the man's office. "Something strange is happening! You have to do something!"

"Lemon drop?" The wizard didn't even blink.

"No, thank you," Albus found it sad that absolutely everyone his sweets. One would think they were poisoned.

He took one and carefully ate it. No, they tasted fine. They even were delicious. He had been scared at first that these discount sweets would taste bad but they were excellent. He would even say they tasted better that those extremely expensive ones he was used to buy.

"…and that is the reason why you have to do something."

"I see," the Headmaster finally said. He maybe should have paid attention. Then again there was a reason why he has learnt legimency.

He always had some hesitation with entering a person's mind but at least he wasn't making a fool of himself in those long and boring parties every minister of magic wanted him to attend. He looked at her in the eyes and discretely waved his wand under his desk. In less than a second his eyes began to twinkle even more than usual.

It was a trick someone in India had showed him a long time ago. The person in front of him would be so focused on his eyes that he wouldn't feel the slight pressure on his mind. As long as the person's mind was occupied and focused on something, legimency couldn't be detected. In less than a second he retrieved the much needed information.

"I however don't understand why I should do something," he commented. "Isn't it a good thing that students want to learn more about a subject they apparently like?"

"Yes but!" Irma Pince got up. "They are Hufflepuffs! They never go to the library! They are planning something! I know they are!"

"Would you please remind me which House were you in, Irma?"

"Ravenclaw."

He knew it. House rivalry. One would think there only was Gryffindor-Slytherin rivalry but the man knew better. Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs just couldn't stand each other. Well, he amended, Ravenclaws treated Hufflepuffs like dirt and the said House hated that. Sure they said nothing about it but revenge was better served cold. It has always made him chuckle when he had to declare that the best students in each year was in Hufflepuff. Sometimes the best student was in Gryffondor like Miss Granger or in Slytherin but as far as he knew it never was a Ravenclaw.

House pride really could lead a Hufflepuff far.

"Very well," Grindelwald's defeater finally said. "I will study that."

No matter what he might have said, it was strange. And Albus Dumbledore was bored and loved mysteries. These students have never stopped to amuse him and he seriously doubted it was going to change anytime soon.

0~*~0

Harry closed his History book and left Professor Binns' classroom. The ghost has managed to be even more boring than usual and Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff's students have all fallen asleep in less than ten minutes. Only he hadn't and that was because he hadn't listened to the ghost a single second. He already knew what he was going to say after all and he had the book the ghost was shamelessly reading word for word. That was how Hufflepuffs could be passable in History without having to listen to the ghost.

The book even was in their small but useful library countless generation of Hufflepuffs used and completed. There was no reason for them to go to the library most of the time thanks to that.

He stopped walking.

Could it be?

He vividly shook his head. It was impossible. Any book in the Common Room was a donation. Ravenclaws were too selfish so they couldn't have their own library. Right?

"Harry!" A First Year ran to him.

"Y…Yes? What's wrong?"

"I was leaving class when I saw Professor Dumbledore and he asked me why we have taken these books."

"You lied, right?"

"Of course! We did promise to Cedric we would keep our mission secret. So I said we wanted to become Aurors."

"G-Good."

"And in the meantime I forced myself to think we aren't doing that because we are helping Professor Lupin and it is our rite of passage." Harry seriously started to sweat. He hoped the Headmaster was unable to read thoughts. "He began to chuckle and said something terrible."

"What?" Harry dreaded the answer.

"You should ask Ravenclaws to let you borrow their books. They have their own library! Harry, what do we do?"

"C-calm down. I may have an idea b-but it's d-dangerous."

"Say it."

"We… we steal them."

Remus Lupin was really going to owe them one.

0~*~0

Finding the correct uniforms had been child play. House-elves just loved them. Finding the Common Room and the password had been a bit more complicated but Lisa the portrait –well that was her name for now- told them they would have to find it themselves as it was a riddle. Now Harry could do nothing but hope that Sally White –Ravenclaw for a day- wouldn't be caught red-handed.

"Good afternoon Harry?" Harry literally jumped. "Why are you so tense?" Albus Dumbledore benignly smiled at him. "It's not as if you are doing anything suspicious, am I right?

Somehow, Harry was having a big déjà vu. He then remembered his younger years when the man was looking after Nathan and him when their parents had to attend some parties at the Ministry. That's right, Harry remembered, Dumbledore would sneak behind him like that while he was busy trying to catch the cookie jar. He has never managed to take one but the man would give him a lemon drop as a treat and ask him to quietly go to bed.

Harry hated lemon. Lemon tasted like defeat. He only accepted the sweets because it was a gift but such sourness shouldn't be allowed.

"Are you waiting for someone?" the Headmaster continued.

"N…No".

"Really? I thought you were. Few Hufflepuffs are in front of Ravenclaws' entrance without any reason after all."

He pointed behind him, "It is…?"

"Yes, it is."

"Th-then, why are you…?"

"It is my school Harry." The Headmaster's eyes madly twinkled and Harry wondered for a second if the Headmaster wasn't going to laugh. "I am however surprised that you of all people would be there. I was just being nostalgic, I suppose. Don't mind an old man down to memory lane."

"N-nostalgic?"

He nodded. "When I was your age –I was eleven in fact-, older students told me I had to retrieve the caretaker's teddy bear while the man was asleep. They called it a rite of passage" Merlin, no. "I will always remember the man's disgusting smell and how I accidentally picked the wrong plushy. It was a fatal mistake."

"Ah? How so?" The Hufflepuff weakly asked.

"It bit me. Hard. I still don't know how I managed not to scream. It even left a scar. Do you want to see it?"

"N-no. Th-thanks but no."

He was barley finishing his sentence that the door opened and Sally left Ravenclaw's Common Room still wearing Ravenclaw's uniform. The timing couldn't have been worse.

"Professor Dumbledore!" Sally shrieked. "What are you…?"

"Oh I was trying to remember the good old time when my old body wasn't… well old. You will see once you will reach my age how good it is against arthritis. That and a good laugh. However," the Headmaster continued "I am searching but I just can't find the caretaker's office."

"Where is it supposed to be?" Sally asked him.

"Not far but I have looked everywhere. It seemed it has disappeared. That reminds me of a night when I really had go to the toilets and I accidentally found a room full of the finest chamber pots I've ever seen. The next day I tried to find it and take some for my own private collection but the room has disappeared. It was so frustrating."

"Really?" Sally's eyes widened. "There are rooms that disappear?"

"Apparently." The Headmaster wisely nodded. "Maybe this one only opens when one really needs to go to the toilet or maybe there is something regarding the phase of the moon." The man sighed. "We may never know but I was sure I could find the other room alone. My memory isn't sadly what it used to be."

"Professor?" Sally hesitated. "I think the caretaker's office is near Gryffindor Tower."

"Really? Could I have chosen the wrong tower?" The Headmaster's eyes widened. "You are right of course! I still remember how much I had to run to flee the man's wrath. Thank you very much Miss White. Twenty points to Hufflepuff to help someone in need. Now if you would excuse me I have to go there."

And without further ceremony he left two dumbstruck Hufflepuffs –one who was still wearing another house's uniform- wondering what the heck just happened.

"It never happened," Sally slowly began after a while.

"W-What are you t-talking about?"

"Good."

Harry turned to her. "So?"

"I couldn't take them," she told him. "A girl found me."

"Who?" he urged her.

"Well, she was weird." Harry's shoulders slightly relaxed. "She even had strange earrings. They looked like…"

"Radishes?" Harry finished. When the girl nodded, Harry sighed in relief. "Th-thanks God."

"Do you know her?"

"I've even seen her panties." The girl opened her mouth in shock. "Th-they were on the s-school's roof," he hurried.

"I guess it explains a lot," the girl mumbled. "Anyway, she said she was taking care of that. Yes," she added when she saw him opening his mouth, "she knows. Apparently Wizzibizs told her." Harry immediately closed it. "And she told me she was going to tell them Professor Lupin is a werewolf." The girl looked at her shoes and sighed. "I guess it is over."

But Harry was smiling. "Yep," he cheerfully told her. "It's over." Sally quizzically looked at his grin. "No one believes her." He explained. "And Luna knows that."

"So when she told him she's going to tell them that Professor Lupin is a werewolf…"

"They will call her loony." Harry grinned. "And nobody is going to believe her."

"She's hiding the truth by telling the truth. Th-that's pure genius! Really, she is losing her time in this House. Why isn't she in Hufflepuff?"

"The honey badger conspiracy."

"The what?"

"You don't want to know."

0~*~0

Finally, after a long and terrible week and several traumatized Hufflepuffs –some even swore they saw two Snapes-, Professor Lupin came back. The first thing the man did was to cancel Snape's essay and the threat hanging on the man's head was finally lifted. Harry guessed Snape wouldn't be allowed to do the same thing next time, if there was a next time. Everything was back to normal. Well as normal as a day at Hogwarts could be.

Harry wondered if he should confirm his suspicions about the Defense Professor. He may be ninety percent sure of his theory but there was still a chance that he might be completely in the wrong. But he didn't know how he should do it. Accusing someone out of the blue of being a werewolf was a big deal. Even if he was right, it wouldn't be tactful. He finally decided that he would only ask him if he could find the right opportunity.

He found it not even a week later.

It was week-end. Harry was in a corridor looking at students going to Hogsmeade thinking that, had he not been a squib, he would be with them. What ifs were useless and Harry perfectly knew that but there were time... Everything would be so much easier for everyone, he couldn't help thinking. He was aware that his parents wouldn't have to worry about wizards who liked to use his lack of magic against them and be in a less precarious position. Also, he would finally have some semblance of a normal life. Harry might have grown to enjoy being in Hufflepuff, he knew that whatever bond he might have with his classmates wasn't going to last.

"Harry?" The boy turned. It was Professor Lupin, looking around his office door. "Why aren't you at Hogsmead?"

Harry just shrugged. "First Year."

"Ah." He considered Harry for a moment. "Why don't you come in? I've just taken delivery of a Grindylow for a future lesson. It costs me a lot of money and came later than expected but it was worth the trouble."

"Really?" he asked as he entered the man's office. "I've read th-that there are many in the lake."

"I know." He smiled. "I could have grabbed one here but didn't want not to anger merepeople."

"M-merepeople? Here?"

"I was surprised as well." The Defense Against the Dar Arts Professor nodded. "Professor Dumbledore warned me that the relationship he had with them is cordial at best. And there is no need to have troubles with them if we can do something against it. Would you like some tea?" Lupin proposed. "I only have teabags I'm afraid."

"T-teabag is fine."

Lupin tapped the kettle with his wand and a blast of steam issued from the spout.

"So how are you?" He asked the Hufflepuff.

"F-Fine, I guess." Harry hesitated. "I-I've had worse days. Y-you?"

"Same here." He took the kettle and poured tea on the two cups. He gave one to Harry.

"I'm glad you g-got better." Harry added. "We were worried y-you know."

"You're glad that I…?" A look of understanding grew on his face. "Ah yes! It was a terrible week. A nasty illness I have. Mrs. Pomfrey can't help me with that one sadly. Thankfully I am better!"

Harry wasn't convinced though. "I hope that Sn-Snape won't have to-"

"Professor Snape," The man immediately corrected. "I'm afraid that he will have to take my place again." Remus said. "He won't digress from my lessons anymore thankfully. Have you done your essay by the way?"

"No. No one has." The man seemed to relax. "He isn't o-our true t-teacher."

"I see."

He drank his tea a bit and Harry carefully looked at him. He was terrible at reading someone but it seemed as if a huge weight on the man's shoulders has been lifted.

"You brother came two weeks ago," The Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor decided to change subject.

"Really?"

"Yes. Didn't he tell you?"

"Well…" Harry uncomfortably stiffened "We aren't really c-close anymore. We are in d-different Houses you see and in different y-years." He sighed. "In fact I haven't seen him s-since the be-beginning of the year."

He even wondered whether his twin wasn't avoiding him on purpose. He hadn't seen his brother much last year but it had never reached such proportion.

He has always accepted it in the past. Harry was the family's greatest shame and it was better for them that he wasn't with them in these extremely long and boring parties. He has understood as well when he realized that Nathan wasn't keen on seeing him at Hogwarts. He had his friends after all and didn't want to show how pathetic his brother was. But now… his own brother was avoiding him like the plague. There were times that Harry could convince himself it was no big deal but there were times that he was convinced it wasn't normal. Something must have happened to Nathan. If only he could know what.

The man seemed troubled as well. "If you want to know, Nathan was slightly upset at me for not letting him face the Boggart."

"R-Really? Wh-why didn't you?"

"I thought it was obvious." Professor Lupin sighed. "I didn't want the whole class to face Lord Voldemort."

Harry frowned. While this was on paper a good idea, he wasn't exactly sure Nathan was afraid of the dark wizard. That was the big problem he had. Voldemort was the bad guy he had vanished, why should he be scared?

They stayed silent for a while. Harry looked at his father's friend. "How was he?"

"Who?"

"Nathan."

"Well, he seemed fine, I suppose. Slightly nervous perhaps. It seems like he has taken quite a dislike to Dementors." Harry grimaced and slowly drank his tea. "Did you tell me the truth that day?" Professor Lupin asked after a while.

"W-When?"

"When we are on the train. Did you really not feel the Dementor?"

Harry posed his teacup. "W-Well, yes. It was c-colder than usual but oth-otherwise… No. I didn't."

The man looked thoughtful "I see. How strange…" Harry took the teacup and pretended he was taking a sip.. "Everybody on train felt it and you were the one closest to him at the end." He strangely looked at Harry. "And yet, somehow, you were unaffected."

"I felt the co…"

"Because it was cold. Dementors suck warmth as well. No, somehow Dementors don't affect you in the slightest." Harry uncomfortably stiffened. "Do strange things happen to you sometimes?"

"I'm a squ…"

"I'm not talking about accidental magic," the wizard interrupted. "In our world this isn't strange at all. No, have you faced strange things in the past?"

Harry hesitated. There was that thing last year who led him to the Infirmary but it certainly was his imagination. His bad luck with objects was just that: bad luck, so… He frowned though and tried to think about his childhood.

"I d-don't know," He finally replied. "I was always a-at home so…"

They stayed silent for a while. Harry uncomfortably stiffened. This probably was the only time he could ask the man if he really was a werewolf. Sadly he didn't know how to do it.

Until he looked closely at the man's desk. There were the Daily Prophet, an old quill, some notes, his moneybag and several books. As soon as he saw that, he knew what to do. He just hoped he still had it in his pocket. He discretely checked and fought a triumphant grin. Perfect.

"I g-guess I have to leave," Harry slowly began. "W-we have a poker t-tournament in a f-few m…minutes."

"I see." The werewolf nodded, a bit disappointed.

"Then p-professor, good by-"

He had barely got up and took his bag that the said bag pushed everything on the desk. In less than a second, everything was on the floor. The Daily Prophet lost several pages, the money bag opened revealing Knuts and Galleons and notes were scattered on the floor.

"S…Sorry!" Harry exclaimed.

"No, no." Remus chuckled. "It's alright. You haven't changed a bit."

"Still. Let me help you."

Before the man could say anything, Harry took care of the quill and the man's notes. Remus knelt and took care of the moneybag. A few seconds later, Harry took something from his pocket and placed it on the floor.

"Well, thankfully it was nothing breakable." The DADA Professor sighed.

"Wait! You have f…forgotten that."

And Harry showed him a sickle.