It was a week later that Hermione joined Harry and Gohan on their training inside the Forbidden forest in the middle of the night. She wasn't a girl who broke the rules unless it was absolutely necessary, a thing she'd learnt in her first year at Hogwarts thanks to Harry and that bastard Ron. And now she wanted to test how far had she come with her training. She didn't practice enough after they'd returned to the castle for their third year. But she'd had enough training to put even Flitwick to shame in a duel, something she was willing to try but she knew it would draw attention, unwanted attention and there were more than enough people who would like to know the reason for it.

As the three stood in the clearing in the middle of the Forbidden Forest, a part which was outside Hogwarts' wards and lands, Gohan agreed to test Hermione's skills as compared to Harry's. Though Harry was training everyday with Gohan but Gohan knew that if Hermione trained the same way, she could easily defeat Harry as she was a better learner than him. So for the first round it was decided that Hermione would try her offensives with Harry who'd do nothing but defend himself with no attacks in return. The spar didn't last long as Hermione's stamina came in her way. With a few minutes of rest and a senzu bean, she was ready again. She wasn't that good in offensive but then the second round began with Harry taking the offensive stance and Hermione the defensive, it was proved that she was a better defender than an offender and while doing this she wasn't that quickly out of her breath like the last time. It was defence that was her strength and with a little bit of training, Gohan was sure she could refine this talent of hers. Although Harry was much more experienced than her thanks to his daily trainings, he had found difficulty while trying to get a shot at Hermione during the second round. Due to the rules and much to Hermione's confusion and curiosity, Harry wasn't allowed to use his attacks laced with magic. It was a thing Harry had come to name his attacks in which he also used magic along with the kicks and punches. With now knowing the ability to manipulate his magical core into the physical world like ki, he could use it in his kicks and punches and fire magical blasts accompanied with other spells using his bare hands and though he was still getting a hang of the exhaustion it allowed him to face, those spell fires were way lot stronger than the ones he'd have cast using his wand.

With the score being a tie, as per Gohan's judgement, it was decided that the third round of the sparring match will be an all out one with neither Harry nor Hermione holding back. Of course there was the rule that no one will harm or injure another one seriously and with a bit of thinking Hermione agreed. Taking a stance both the sparring partners looked into each other's eyes.

With Gohan's signal both charged at each other and soon the barrage of kicks and punches began with Hermione efficiently using her wand to cast jinxing spells, body binding spells, and whatnot – spells which were to take out the opponent for the time. Harry, on the other hand, was efficiently dodging those spells but his shielding and blockings weren't that good. Like it had been proven, he wasn't that good in defending. But he was better than those back at the castle and that was enough for Gohan to know for now.

Having still not knowing how to cast windless blocking and defending spells, Harry was having difficulty so he tried to use the offence and dodging off a body bind, focussed for a moment before a white aura flickered around him for a moment. Hermione saw this and stopped for a moment, shocked at what she'd just seen. It was enough time for Harry to cast a wind charm mixed with a body bind, strong enough to take Hermione off of her feet and binding her even before she hit the ground.

"What was that?" she asked curiously as Gohan and Harry helped her up and Harry cancelled the charms.

"Something Gohan's been teaching me," Harry said.

"I can teach you too, if you like," Gohan said.

"Of course I'd like to learn something which allowed me to cast without a wand," Hermione said.

"So what's my reward?" Harry asked. "I won the match."

"Ask Gohan," Hermione said. "He was judging the match."

"Well, Harry clearly won two out of three matches so he's the winner," Gohan said with a smile. "But Harry, you need to improve your defence. You are pretty good at offence and that's a good thing but if you can't defend yourself then even an amateur can strike you down. Hermione, you are too smart enough to know where you lack now. Don't you?" she nodded. "Now, if you want to learn how Harry does that wand less magic and other stuff, I can teach you but then you'll have to come here every night."

"Can we use the Room of Requirement?" she asked. "It's inside the castle and we can use it whenever we want. Plus, being out here is a bit riskier as we don't know whether or not Dumbledore has any spies here, too."

"Alright," Gohan said. "We can first check whether or not that room can really turn into something that will suit our training."

So it was decided that the three will see to the Room and if the castle allows them than they'll train there since the next day.

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The apparition 'pop' was unheard by people as the street was deserted when three figures in dark robes and masks apparated right in front of the house of Crouch.

"There's no one here," said one of the death eaters as he casted a scanning charm around the house. The spell detected presence of two living things, both of them magical. But the three death eaters knew who these two were. The leader of the three was rather displeased as he found out that the actual head was not in the house.

With a blasting hex the door was obliterated into nothing and as the house elf popped up in their presence, Lucius pulled out his wand from his cane and pointed it at the small creature.

"Where's your master?" he commanded. The elf whimpered in fear as it saw one of the death eaters' dark mark.

"Master's at...at the ministry," the elf said.

Lucius sneered in anger and pressed his wand on the elf's forehead. "Your other master."

"Winky is not allowed to speak of the other master's whereabouts," the elf said.

"I'll find him anyway then," Lucius said. "And if I do, you better pray the dark lord finds a work for you as I am going to torture you so bad you'd wish you were dead!"

Getting a signal, the two death eaters started searching the house until one of them found a hidden room in the basement. He called in Lucius and opened the door.

"And they call us monsters," Lucius sneered as he saw a catatonic state of Barty Crouch Junior. The man was lying on the bed, staring the roof with his mouth open. From moment to moment he'd jerk a sure sign that he was over exposed to the imperius curse. "Let's take him. The dark lord requires his loyalty towards him."

One of the death eaters fired a stupefy and then bounded Junior's body and hovered him out of the house while the other death eater started repairing the damages they'd done to the house. They were weak at the moment and so they couldn't let the ministry find out what was going on. But it was just for a short while. Soon their dark lord will return and when he does, they'll all be back in power.

Walking out of the house, Lucius stopped near the whimpering elf. The tiny creature covered as much as it could. It was shaking with fear and sadness. Casting an imperio on Junior, Lucius ordered him to give the elf a piece of cloth which he did.

"You are free now, elf," Lucius said. "And now I demand you work for me and the dark lord."

The elf whimpered as the bonding spell bounded it with Lucius. Once everything was done the four apparated out of there.

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During breakfast the next day Luna approached Harry, Hermione and Gohan and sat beside Hermione. The three understood that it was something related to the Founders and a moment later they were right when Luna began to speak after casting a privacy charm around them.

"The Founders want Neville to know of his heritage," Luna said.

"You mean tell him that he's an heir?" Gohan asked. Luna nodded.

"That's going to be a bit hard," Harry said.

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"Well, he's all shy, reserved and alone," Harry said. "And even if he's opened up a bit in our company, how are we going to tell him that he's Helga Hufflepuff's heir?"

"Is it really that hard?" Hermione asked.

"Let Hogwarts tell him," Luna suggested. "That way he'll believe it easily."

"That can be a possibility," Gohan said.

"But how do we lure him into the Room?" Harry asked.

"Leave that to me," Luna said with a wink. "Oh, and the Founders also told me to remind you, Harry, that you need to find Slytherin's heir soon."

"What?" Harry said, surprised. "Didn't...Didn't the Founders told you who the heir is? I mean, they decided it to be us then why this late for the Slytherin heir?"

"They are testing you," Luna said. "Why? They didn't tell me."

"Great!" Harry sighed. "But did they give any clue?"

"Well, only one," said Luna.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Slytherin's heir is in Slytherin's house," she said.

"That's even better!" Harry exclaimed. "Not only does the entire house hate us, especially me, thanks to Draco, we have to see who Slytherin's heir is!"

"Well, they also told me that the chosen heir will be a real Slytherin," Luna said.

"Still, it doesn't open any path that will make this all a bit easier," Harry said.

"Um, Harry," Gohan nudged him.

"What?" he asked only to see Gohan pointing towards Hermione who was chewing her lower lip, an act that clearly said that her mind was working hard over something. "Um, Hermione?" Harry nudged her.

"What?" she asked, looking at him.

"Something going in that mind of yours?" he asked.

"Not really," she said.

"Really?" Gohan asked.

"Well, I've a hunch," she said.

"And that is?"

"I can't say right now," she said. "Not unless I'm completely sure. It's Slytherin we are talking about. They'd not want us near their table so unless we have at least seventy percent confidence who could possibly the Slytherin heir, we can't make a move towards them."

"Well, she's right," Gohan said.

"Alright," Harry said. "So can we trust on you to find out who could possibly be the chosen heir of Slytherin?"

"I'll do my best," Hermione said.

"So that leaves Neville," Harry said. "Maybe we should take him today, to the Room after classes are over."

And so it was decided that they'll ring Neville to the Room tonight when everything's clear with Luna doing her job of taking Neville to the room.

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Sirius sat in the dining hall of the Potter manor, looking at the marvellous breakfast the elves had prepared for him. All of this was good but he hadn't seen Harry yet. He wondered how he was doing but then Remus had kept him posted about Harry's whereabouts. Right now he had to think how he was going to prove himself innocent. That was more important at the moment as without him, Harry would be sent back to the Durseleys under Dumbledore's watch.

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As night fell, the house tables got filled with students to have dinner. With still not many talking to Harry, Hermione and Gohan in Gryffindor house thanks to Ron, the three were actually glad that they weren't being disturbed. As for Ron, with no Hermione to his rescue, his grades had fallen drastically. That, in turn, had his mother angry upon him. first, he wasn't able to keep his cool and maintain his friendship with Potter and now he'd lost his manageable grades and if this continued, and with Dumbledore not caring for him ever since he'd broken his friendship with Harry, Ron was sure he'd be held back. He had managed to make almost the majority of his house against Potter but there still were some whom talked to those three. That angered Ron. Though he was getting his housemate's attention without Potter now, he wanted their full attention.

As the dinner got over, there was still an hour to the curfew so save for a few; others went back to their respective towers. Luna approached Neville who was about to leave the great hall.

"Hello, Neville," she said in her dreamy way.

"Luna. Hello," Neville greeted her.

"I was wondering if you'd like to see a new plant the nargles found me," she said.

"Another new plant?" Neville asked, a little bit excited. "Last year, she'd shown him a new flower species which Neville was ecstatic to find.

"Come, I'll show you," she said and started to walk towards the stairs. Neville followed her happily.

Finding himself on the seventh floor facing an empty wall confused Neville until he saw a door appeared in it out of nowhere. Taking a gulp, he followed Luna inside, knowing how Luna did weird things and know weird places. What he was confirmed of was that Luna wouldn't hurt him. she wasn't a girl like that.

Seeing Harry, Hermione and Gohan already inside first confused Neville before he gathered up enough courage to talk.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"We need to talk, Neville," Hermione said.

"About what?" Neville asked. "What is this place?"

"Fear no, master," came a voice which startled Neville.

"Who's there?" he asked, looking around with a scared expression.

"It is Hogwarts," Harry said.

"This can't be!" Neville said before he saw a figure forming in front of him of a lady. She looked fragile and weak, but she was beautiful nonetheless.

"I am the projection of this castle, master," the castle said with a smile.

"You are Hogwarts?" Neville asked. The figure nodded. "What's going on?" he asked, looking at Harry and others.

"You need to know something, Neville," Luna said. "the castle has chosen you as Helga Hufflepuff's heir."

For a whole minute Neville remained silent, looking from Luna to Harry to the figure of the lady to Hermione and Gohan. None of their faces expressed that this was a prank. But then they'd never played a prank on him before. they weren't Slytherins or the twins.

"Why...Why me?" he muttered.

"Because of your loyalty towards your friends," the castle said.

"I've got no friends," Neville said.

"You are our friend," Harry said. Neville then remembered that he actually was their friend. And then seeing their faces again he realised something.

"And then I guess that you all are also Hogwarts' heir?" he asked. They all nodded. "but then we are all five here and the Founders are four."

"There's a bit of complication, Neville," Harry said, walking up to him and placing a firm hold on his shoulder. Neville stood a bit straighter. Gohan smiled feeling a rise in the boy's confidence.

"What complication?"

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A/N: I really need a BETA, readers. If anyone wishes to be, please PM me. Also, if you've got ideas regarding the fic, again, PM me. if it suits my storyline, I'll add it. Oh, and to those who are saying that I am bashing Ron a bit too much, listen this – I hate his character, always did. And though this isn't my place, I don't know why Rowling kept him friends with Harry in her books when he always showed his arrogant and jealous nature. It has always suited to me (and some others) that Ron would better be a betrayer along with Dumbledore and the rest of the Weaselys save for Arthur and the twins. If you can't handle their bashing, well, I can't make you not read my fic but then you've got no right to tell me not to bash them. But then, we live in a free world.

Thanks for reading...

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