Hello there! I'm back, after two months of hectic stuff, thrills, awesomeness and things that made me unable to write this chapter. But here it is, so enjoy!


The Rise and Fall of a Deathday Party

The headache didn't stop, was his conclusion. Of course, he was Ouranos, far above any headache, thank you very much, but this one was persistent.

The rain didn't stop for at least three days. Whether this had to do with the fact that the only headaches he had ever gotten in all of his divine existence where mostly caused by his wife (who he didn't want to see again, thank you very much), or the fact that Ouranos was just generally annoyed by the fact that he had a headache, would never be unearthed. Not even by Godric, who asked what happened to cause such foul moods.

What Godric did unearth, though, was how it was to be a bird, even though it was only for an hour or so.

After three days, the headache had gone away, and Godric finally let himself collapse from keeping Ouranos too busy to be annoyed. Ouranos took that time to quickly revert the weather back to normal and release every bird he had "captured" in the time he had the headache from its cage.

(He had secretly taken a liking in that particular punishment. There was just something, he supposed, about looking at birds who tried to kill him with their eyes that was extremely refreshing.)

At the moment, Godric was taking a stroll through his school, feeling a bit carefree. To his right where countless windows, through which he could see the clear sky outside. To his left where paintings, going on with their daily lives and doing mundane stuff, and in front…

Was a sulking Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, sighing every five minutes and giving off an air worthy of a rainstorm.

That would not do. Not in his school, not on this fine day.

"Good day, Nicholas!"

"Godric…" The ghost sighed, a small cluster of frost forming on the window.

"Is there something wrong?" Godric asked him.

"Half an inch, that's wrong! Half a bloody inch!" He crumpled the letter (ghostly letter?) that was in his hand. "Why did it have to be this way! Why…"

Nick's lament dissolved in a quiet sniffle.

"Five Hundred Years have I been dead now. Five Hundred Years! Years of being bored, years of startling students, years of opening my neck like some kind of door to people who ask for it!"

Godric kept silent.

"And as cherry on top: I can't even join the Headless bloody Hunters! Every year I have to take them making fun of my almost chopped off head. Every-BLOODY-Year!" Nick sobbed loudly.

"And now, I'm holding my five hundredth deathday party, and they wouldn't even listen when I asked them nicely not to come this year! I can practically see their irritating faces already, without a bloody body of course!"

"I know a solution, my friend. Why don't I come to your party? I built this castle, they'll respect me, and in extension, your party."

"You would?" Nick asked him, hopeful.

"Of course! This is my school, and I won't stand on there being problems. Problems, after all, are there to be solved!"

"Magnificent! It will be held in one of the greater dungeons! I shall see you there, and bring with you whoever you want!" Nicholas floated away, through the floor, looking better than he did before.

It was thus that Godric got invited to Nick's deathday-party. He guilt-tripped Ouranos into going with him ("days of cleaning up after you, caring for your divine temperament…"), and Fred and George joined them, out of interest.

They wished they hadn't though. While the partygoers where somewhat interesting, and the food was as fascinating as it was morbid, the music was downright cringe worthy, and Fred and George had taken to wearing ear mufflers, just for this evening.

Ouranos didn't mind the music as much (if only because he filtered the vibrations of the sound out of the air around him. He was a lord of the air, he didn't need to put up with these things). What he did mind, however, was the fact that some random ghost with chains had taken the time to follow him around and jangle his chains in front of his eyes and making moaning noises at him when he stood still (not that he minded the moaning noises, of course, using the same method as he did with the music).

The ghost jangled his chains before Ouranos' eyes again. He sighed and moved closer to another ghost, a girl with glasses and acne, to escape his follower.

For some reason, his follower didn't follow. Instead, the ghost he was standing by burst out crying. Some ghosts turned around to look, but turned around again when they saw who cried.

It only took five minutes before Ouranos couldn't stand the highly-nasally sobs anymore, and filtered it out. It wasn't long, though, before he got bored. Small glances at the girl revealed that she was still crying, so Ouranos decided to take the initiative, this time.

"What's the matter?" He asked her, bringing back the vibrations of her voice to hear.

"W-What do you think, stupid!" She sobbed. "Y-You think I'm u-ugly!"

Ouranos was taken back. "How on Gaia (" he shuddered, ") did you come to that conclusion?"

"Y-You dis-dismissed me!" She wailed. "You l-looked an-and dism-m-missed me!"

Ah. Tartarus. Teenage stuff. Now he thought about it, Ouranos had this coming a long time, being a kid all over again and such. Point was, he lacked experience in difficult social interactions with teenagers. His friends weren't teenagers, he never socialized with any of his titan sons and daughters and he had never really had any interactions as a teenager (however short that was) with his brothers and sisters.

"Uh, no, no I didn't. I was just looking whether that other ghost didn't follow me, like he has all evening."

"R-really?" The girl sniffled. "Then why didn't he f-follow?"

"I haven't got a clue."

The ghost began crying again. Loudly. "He… He h-hates me, doesn't h-he!" She wailed.

Ouranos saw a pattern. This ghost was obviously highly emotional. He could either get out of there or tune her out again. But he didn't feel like standing around the whole night, so getting out of there it was.

"I wouldn't know. Why don't you take it up with him…?" He tried.

"B-but he h-hates me!" She bellowed. She then started sobbing even louder. Ouranos mapped out his options, decided that fleeing was the best option, and made a beeline for Godric, who was standing with Nicholas.

"Hello there, my friend!" Godric said jovially, munching on some chicken he must have conjured from somewhere, because it better didn't come from the table.

"Harry Potter!" Nicholas said happily. "So nice to welcome you at my five hundredth deathday party! I take it you're enjoying yourself?"

Ouranos said nothing for a moment, just staring at Nicholas like he was a flying cow, but then said:

"Thanks for inviting me. It's an interesting experience." Godric snorted.

"I saw." He began. "The situation with the chained ghost, I mean."

"Ah, you mean Herbert Harchibald the Heinous?" Nicholas said. "He was starved to death by the Potters around three hundred years ago because he tried to assassinate one of your ancestors."

"Dat's raight!" A voice suddenly said, behind him. "An' I shwore to cume back to 'nact my BLOODY REVANGE on allufda Potter linige! 'S just dat I can't touch anything."

Nicholas nodded in understanding while Godric and Ouranos both had no idea what to say at that. In the end, Godric composed himself. "A sad tale, indeed. But perhaps you can lay off of it, for it has been three hundred years."

"I, I can?" The ghost asked Godric.

"Yes, you just have to let it slide off of you."

Herbert's eyes grew bigger. "Perhapsh… Perhapsh dat'll work! My danks, good man!" The three looked at the ghost while he floated away and some of the chains around him disappeared.

"Merlin's beard…" Nicholas muttered. It was silent.

"So," Ouranos started. "Who's that over there?" And he pointed to the girl from earlier.

"Oh," Nicholas said. "That's Moaning Myrtle. She died here, ah, around 60 or so years ago…"

"Wait." Godric cut in. "She died here? Do you mean she died in the school? In the school?" Godric looked a bit shaken.

"Yes. The Chamber of Secrets had been opened, and she died." Nicholas answered.

"The Chamber of Secrets?" Godric was getting more distraught. "But that is a defence mechanism! For absolute peril only! Why was it opened?"

"I don't know, but really? A defense mechanism, you say? In the legends they say you, along with Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw, fell out with Salazar Slytherin because he didn't want muggleborns to be admitted at the school, so he left. Before he did, though, the legends say, he made the Chamber, so that, when it was opened, the school would be purged of mudbloods." Nicholas explained.

"What?! That's a mad man's rambling!" Godric exclaimed. "Salazar made it before he left, long before he left! And we never had a fight like that!"

Nicholas wanted to answer, but before he could, the Headless Hunt made their appearance. By throwing one of their heads through Ouranos, who was not pleased about it (which made the chandelier shudder dangerously by wind). The head came to a stop before Nicholas, a bit upturned.

"Heya, Nick! How are you doing? Head still hanging in there?" The other ghosts turned to the head in interest, as did Fred and George.

Nicholas said nothing, but Godric (in particular) was horrified to see some colour appear on Nicholas' face.

Dozens of horses with headless riders barged through the walls, and came to stop before Nicholas. The ghosts clapped and cheered, except for Nicholas. (Neither did Godric and Ouranos. Fred and George, however, were clapping wildly).

"I asked you not to come." Nicholas said to the head in front of him, dangerously quiet.

"Ah, cool your head, man. We're just here for fun, that's all!" The head answered smartly. The crowd laughed. It hopped around, and saw Godric and Ouranos, but it refrained from commenting, seeing the dark glares emanating from the two. Instead, it was picked up by his body, only to fall off again when he fake-jumped in fright from seeing Fred and George. The rest of the ghosts howled with laughter.

Godric cleared his throat sharply.

The head from before turned his way, questioningly. Of course, the body didn't turn with it, earning more laughs.

"It has come to my attention," he said, in his nastiest teacher voice, a dark aura permeating the air around him (which was really impressive. There really was a visible aura). "That today is Nicholas' five hundredth deathday party."

"Yeah," The head said warily. "So?"

"I also know that he has beseeched you not to come." Godric said, annoyed.

"Yeah, so?" The head answered once again.

"Yet still you come, against all wishes, and make fun of your host? And you have been doing this for more than five hundred years? Never before in my life have I seen such a persistent case of bullying! It is unforgivable that it happens here, in my domain! I shall have you banned from the castle!" Godric roared. The ghosts flinched away, except for the head. Nicholas nodded in agreement.

The head however, retorted: "And who're you to say that, squirt? Godric Gryffindor?" The ghosts laughed, but Fred and George didn't laugh with them, feeling the danger.

"Yes. Tis I! Godric Gryffindor!" Godric announced angrily. "And you shall heed my words!"

"Uh, no, thanks, squirt. Better that you heed the call of your mind-doctor!" The ghosts laughed again. Fred and George were now slowly coming over to stand beside Ouranos.

Godric opened his mouth to answer, but someone was quicker.

"I have had enough." Nicholas said, dark and quiet.

The head whistled at him. "Have you, Nickey-boy?"

"I have had enough." Nicholas repeated, "Of your bullying. I have had enough, of people asking me to open my neck. I have had enough of being made fun of all year long by people who were beheaded in just one, clean strike. I have had enough. But I can bear it. Yet now you even make fun of the mighty Godric Gryffindor. It is clear you will never change your ways."

"Really?" The head said. "And what are you going to do about it?" The crowd made 'ooooh' noises.

Suddenly, Nicholas turned coloured, revealing his clothes to all be stained with really small red specks of blood, except, of course, by the neck. And he roared: "I will do THIS!" Now the head tried to scramble away in fear, but Nicholas was faster and grabbed the head by its hair. The head turned coloured too, and Nicholas impaled it on a spike on the wall. The head groaned, and it's body began to dissolve into nothing, leaving only the horse behind.

"I will not take it ANYMORE!" Nicholas bellowed at the motley crew of headless horsemen. "You will all PAY for what you did! If you won't heed his words…" He pointed to Godric imperiously. "Heed my ACTIONS!" The ghosts panicked, and fled through the wall, an angry Nick following them. A few moments later only Godric, Ouranos and the twins were left in the room.

"Well," Ouranos said, breaking the tensed silence. "Let's just go back to the common room, shall we?" Godric and the twins said nothing as they made their way back to the common room.

"rip…tear…kill…" Ouranos' head began to ache.

"Not again…" he grumbled.

"Fooooooooooooooooooooooooood!" the voice moaned.

"What's the matter?" Fred asked him.

"It's my head. It hurts again." Fred blanched. He was not ready for another three days of grumpy Ouranos. Next to him, George blanched too. Godric was too preoccupied to notice.

"I smell blood… I SMELL BLOOD!"

"Tartarus!" Ouranos cursed, and he took off in the direction of the voice. He didn't think Godric could take another murder in the school. Fred and George followed him, and took along Godric, who had been brought back to reality by Ouranos' sudden take-off.

They followed it until they came in a corridor, filled with water. Ouranos was puzzled, but George (Fred?) gasped when he saw what was written on the wall.

The Chamber Of Secrets Has Been Opened.

Enemies Of The Heir, Beware.

Godric growled (which sounded only slightly more fitting than it did the year before).

"Let's go." Ouranos said. "We shouldn't –"

"Mrs. Norris?" A voice croaked behind them. "W-What…?" Ouranos turned around.

Argus Filch couldn't process what he was seeing. "You did this." His beady eyes turned on Ouranos. "YOU DID THIS!" Ouranos was prepared to choke the guy to death as the caretaker jumped towards him—

"ARGUS!" Bellowed the voice of Professor Dumbledore.

"But he killed Mrs. Norris!" Argus wailed in anguish from the floor (Ouranos having stepped backwards).

"Now, now, Argus. I'm sure Mr. Potter didn't kill Mrs. Norris. He's only a second year, he would have no means to do so." Ouranos snorted, but made sure no-one heard.

"But who else could it be than— than—" Argus pointed an accusing finger at Ouranos, who lifted an eyebrow. But Argus eyes seemed to have taken on epic proportions in realization.

"You…" he said in a gravelly voice, having seen the twins standing behind Ouranos. The twins backed away in fear, and Fred yelped.

"YOU!" But Dumbledore laid a hand on Argus' shoulder.

"Come now, Argus. Let us first get the facts straight." He walked over to Mrs. Norris, and examined her.

"Well…" he said. "She's… not dead." Argus let out a sob. "She's petrified." Argus sobbed harder.

It was then that the group was joined by Aether, Lockhart and McGonagall, who let out a gasp.

"Merlin's glasses! What happened here?"

"We don't know." Dumbledore answered, not really paying them any more notice.

"But they— they do!" Argus sobbed. "They petrified my cat!"

Aether looked at Ouranos pointedly, but Ouranos shrugged at him. After all, he didn't do it. He could, but he didn't.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "For now, it seems that we'll have to use Mandrake Restorative Draught to restore her. Severus?" He turned towards Aether with an inquisitive gaze.

"I can make some as soon as Pomona's mandrakes are ready." Aether answered.

"Good." Dumbledore continued. "We must take precautions, however. For whatever reason this message was painted on the wall, it doesn't bode well for any of us. And if the Chamber really has been opened again…" Dumbledore became silent.

"Don't worry, professor!" Lockhart said, enthusiastically. "I am the perfect man for the job!" Ouranos groaned, while Godric frowned. Fred and George just rolled their eyes. Surely Dumbledore knew what kind of a fraud…

"If you insist, Gilderoy, you may." Dumbledore said, to the disbelief of Ouranos, but above all Godric. "Mr. Potter, Misters Weasley, I think it's time for you to return to your dorm. Teachers, for now, retire to your chambers. A notice with further measures will be sent to you later. Argus, come with me. I think you are in need of a good cup of chocolate." Dumbledore strode away, but not before giving Ouranos a last look, his eyes twinkling.

The four were silent when they returned to the Gryffindor Tower, except for Godric, who was grumbling all the way. In the common room, they all sat down on the sofas.

"Godric," Fred said, for once sounding deadly serious. "Could you please tell us the truth about the Chamber? We only heard the stories, and you haven't told us before."

Ouranos suddenly became more interested in Godric, for he told everything about his former life to Fred and George, at least, so Ouranos thought.

Godric sighed, a frown still marring his face.

"All right. As you know, Salazar is portrayed as a muggleborn-hating dark wizard in stories and legends, to my deepest regret. Truth is, that is not true. I speak of this again for I haven't told Ouranos yet, I know you two already know about it." Fred and George nodded in understanding, while Ouranos settled in a more comfortable position in his throne chair.

"Salazar always commended muggleborns. He hated muggles, that part was true, but as his mother was a muggle, it didn't stem from his upbringing. Rather, it stemmed from the horrible things he had seen muggles do to muggleborns, who he heavily sympathized with. He was a quiet man, a sophisticated man, and a brilliant man. Out of the four of us, I must say, he was the one most shrouded in mystery, for he wasn't very forthcoming in anything he did, and while he opened himself more to me, Helga and Rowena than he did to anyone else, that still wasn't a lot. In fact, the only way I know his mother was a muggle and that he had a good relationship with her was because of my search in his hometown after his disappearance."

"One of his more defining traits was his instinctual sense of foreboding, which was always spot on. It helped us a great many times, as well as his brilliance and great shrewdness and skill in politics. One of his other traits was the habit of secluding himself in the dungeons to experiment. He would sometimes be gone for weeks and then suddenly come back with some great invention. It was this habit, however, that caused us to not immediately realize his disappearance."

Fred and George shifted in their positions. "You mean you didn't had a fight?" George said.

"No. Rather he just disappeared one day. Afterwards, we had a great search, but he never came back. After a year or two we presumed him dead."

"One day," Godric continued, "he led us down towards his private quarters to show us his latest subject of interest. He had created a Basilisk."

Ouranos gasped. "That's impossible! Before I faded, I hunted those foul beasts to extinction! They were thousands of feet long, killed everything they touched or gazed upon, and they always tried to spit on me when I passed, nuisances that they were!"

Godric's eyebrow raised. "The Basilisks I'm familiar with are a fair deal smaller, and do not kill by touch. They were created by Herpo the Foul. Also, this Basilisk was imprinted on Salazar."

"I see." Ouranos said, and let Godric continue the story.

"The Basilisk was meant for the protection of the school, so Salazar told us. The room was meant for her to live in, and when they were attacked, Salazar or the headmaster of the school, should we be dead, could open the Chamber with a special password of Salazar's that he had put into my Hat. He used his sorcery on the snake so that it wouldn't be able to harm anyone with a Hogwarts crest on his or her person. The Snake was also very intelligent, and could distinguish friend from foe. We were wary at first, but with multiple tests and invasions of the castle, the Basilisk proved itself. She even let children pet her. When Salazar disappeared, we found the password in the Hat, and it stayed loyal to us. To think that it would suddenly attack students like it seems to have done 60 years ago is unthinkable."

It was silent for a while, until Godric continued speaking.

"It is clear that I will have to solve this problem. I won't stand by and let this devastate my school. Tonight, I will contact my mother to come back, and tomorrow, I will set out to the Chamber to solve this myself. Ouranos. I ask of you to stay behind and make sure the students stay safe in my stead. Would you do that for me."

While it didn't feel right for Ouranos, he accepted, if only because Godric was obviously greatly upset by the whole debacle.

"Fred, George, would you help him?"

"Yeah." "Sure." Fred and George said, a little bit absentminded, still digesting what they just heard.

"Then I will see you tomorrow." Godric said, and went towards the sleeping rooms.


That's all, folks! The plot starts moving, and as you see, I'm going into more AU stuff right now. Next chapter, Hecate comes back, and more.

Interesting fact:

Originally, I had this joke in the chapter with the letters of the message, which I had made Gothic, as if the perpetrator calligraphed them on the wall. However, Fanfiction didn't allow it to pass. It was just that lame. (In reality, doesn't have the necessary font and letter size.) It would have been so damn funny in the films if the letters were actually big and Gothic...

Until next time!

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