Chapter Four

"We'll be talking about your educations now," Rowena announced.

"Finally," Hermione muttered with a happy smile. Ron rolled his eyes, but Harry couldn't help but agree with her.

"We have assessed your dueling skills, and decided that each of us will take one of you to work one on one, and when we decide you learned what you can, we will switch. Understand?"

"There's three of us," Harry pointed out. Helga gave them a smile.

"I will be sitting in on each of your lessons to help out and, if necessary, heal any injuries," she explained. "I will be with Rowena first."

"Hermione," Rowena called. "You will be working with me."

"Ron, you're with me," Godric grinned.

"Harry," Salazar said, nodding once. Harry gave him a small smile and returned the nod.

"Once you've all learned from us," Rowena said, gaining their attention once more. "we will begin working on your healing."

"Healing?" Ron frowned.

"Do you not have the class in your time?" Helga wondered, blinking at him. He shook his head and her jaw tightened. "It is an important thing to learn, especially if you are learning to duel!" Salazar took her hand quietly, calming her quickly, though she still looked dangerous.

"It is alright," he told her gently. "We will teach them."

"Yes," Rowena said with a frown. "And after healing, we will begin Warding, and then transfiguration, and then charms, and so on and so forth."

"You've really thought this out," Hermione said with a happy smile. Rowena nodded.

"We thought it important to work it out quickly, and work in order of what is most crucial."

"Which is why we are dueling first and then healing, and so on," Hermione surmised, nodding in approval.

"Exactly," Rowena smiled brightly. "So, why don't we get started? We've got plenty to work on."

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Ron stared at his wand in frustration while Godric went to get them both water. "I don't understand why I can't do it."

"You are letting yourself get frustrated before you can properly focus," Godric told him gently. "Your strategy is sound, but your spellwork is shaky in this state of mind."

"What do you mean?" Ron frowned, uncomfortable with the criticism. He listened despite that because Godric Gryffindor was trying to help him, so he just shifted a little in frustration.

"Ron, what do you think of yourself in regards to your friends?" His new mentor asked. Ron shrugged a little, looking down.

"Hermione's really smart, and Harry's really strong and talented and powerful," he said shortly. Godric sighed and waved at the bench, and the pair sat down.

"Their talents do not disqualify your own," Godric told him, serious as ever. "Just because Harry can duel does not mean that you cannot strategize. Just because Hermione is well read does not mean that you are not more knowledgeable in other areas."

Ron gave him a long, confused look. "What're you trying to say?"

"I am trying to tell you to not compare yourself to your friends. It'll only make you see things that they do not and you will never grow if that happens."

"What do you mean, I won't grow?"

Godric shrugged lightly. "I only mean that your focus must be on making yourself better, not wondering if you are a hindrance to your friends. They value your friendship more than you know, trust me."

"But how do you know?" The redhead asked. He looked like he desperately wanted to believe his Godric but couldn't bring himself to do so.

"Because," the man sighed, meeting Ron's gaze. "I was in your place many years ago. I learned that to doubt yourself is, to an extent, doubting your friends, and when you doubt them… that is when people get hurt. You must trust yourself and trust that you are as valuable as they see you… which is invaluable."

"I'm… I'm the sixth kid and even Ginny gets more attention than I do because she's a girl and the youngest. Every achievement I reach, my brothers have already done. And now I'm the Boy-Who-Lived's geeky sidekick, and still no one pays attention," Ron looked at his feet, ashamed of his feelings. "It's hard not to notice when they do something that I can't."

"Jealousy is understandable in a situation like that, but do not let it overcome you. When it comes to your friends, remember that you have a lot that they do not. Hermione grew up with muggles and knows significantly less than you do about this world. Harry… he lost his parents at a young age, and I would wager he'd do anything for a family like yours. Keep in mind that, even though some aspects of your life are not ideal, you are still so very lucky.

"But for your family… being ignored is never ideal, and I know it must be hard in such a large family. So, if you get ignored by your parents, I suggest you go to your brothers and tell them instead. I've got a feeling they'd love to hear from you, and they would love to hear about your life," the man promised, winking at him. Ron blinked.

"How do you know?"

"Oh, just a feeling." Ron watched him for a long minute before nodding.

"I'll think about it."

"Wonderful! Now, how about another try? I think it'll go much better this time."

"Sure," Ron nodded, and they started working again – this time with much more success.

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"Harry," Salazar called. Harry blinked and lowered his wand.

"Sorry. I was… distracted," he pocketed his wand quietly.

"You were in another time," Salazar nodded. "It is fine. What were you thinking of?"

Harry hesitated but sighed and sat down. "My friends. My godfather. I just… what if I never see them again?"

"You will," Salazar promised, confident in the fact. "We will find a way."

"But Time-Turners aren't invented for…" the boy frowned and blinked. "Well, I don't know, but not this soon."

"We can defy history without rewriting it, Harry."

Harry blinked at him. "I- I suppose you're right."

"What is your godfather like?" Salazar asked suddenly. Harry frowned and shrugged lightly.

"He's funny. He has a really big heart. I know he's protective. He's a dog… literally," Harry smirked a bit. "His animagus form is a dog. Ron says he looks like a Grim-,"

That stopped Salazar cold, and he pinned Harry with a look the boy couldn't decipher. "Are you sure?"

"Er- kinda? It's just what Ron said."

"I see." Harry shifted, uncomfortable under his gaze. Salazar sighed, his eyes softening. "I do not mean to worry you, Harry. It very well may be nothing, but I never ignore a coincidence."

Harry looked at him for a long moment before sighing. "Professor McGonagall said that Trelawney just likes to scare someone every year."

"What do you mean?"

"Well… in my third year, we were doing tea leaves-,"

"Are you a Seer?"

"Er- no?"

"Then why…" Salazar resisted the urge to rub his forehead. "Never mind. Continue."

"We were doing tea leaves, and Ron read mine…" Harry's eyes widened a fraction as he remembered Ron's prediction and compared it to his year. "Come to think of it, he read them correctly. But anyway, Trelawney took my cup and said that I had the Grim. Which was odd, because I'd seen the Grim a couple weeks earlier, but it turned out to just be Sirius… not that I knew that then. Thought I was gonna be mauled by a huge dog, honestly. And then… during Quidditch, I saw this weird shape in the sky during a storm, but I thought it was the Dementors."

"Dementors?" Salazar asked, his eyes widening. "Why would you see them during Quidditch?"

"I, um… well, Sirius had escaped Azkaban, and they were positioned around the school. They weren't supposed to come on the grounds, but they did, and…" he trailed off, groaning. "I'm not explaining this well."

"Yes, well, we have some things to talk about," Salazar told him firmly. "But let us get back to the Grim. How many times was it mentioned in relation to you or did you see it?"

"Uh…" Harry frowned, counting off times on his fingers. "The Knight Bus, the tea leaves, by Ron's bed, the Shrieking Shack, and then just about every night we stayed at Grimmauld place after that, so… like ninety nights?"

Salazar cursed colorfully in Parseltongue – apparently forgetting Harry could understand him – and stood. "I must speak with Godric. We can pick this back up later."

"Um," Harry blinked at him. "Is everything okay?"

The Founder paused, turning to Harry. He set his hands firmly on the teenager's shoulders and looked him directly in the eyes. "I will make sure it is. I promise." He nodded sharply and removed his hands from Harry's shoulders, apparating away – which only confused Harry more, since he was sure that wasn't possible in Hogwarts.

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"Godric," Salazar said. His friend tensed slightly and Salazar heard him excuse himself. Ron went to the bench nearby for water, and Godric moved over.

"Didn't I ask you to stop doing that? The rest of us don- Sal? What's wrong?" Godric frowned at the grim look on Salazar's face.

"Do you remember the prophecy you gave in the bar?"

"Of course," Godric scoffed. "We panicked for weeks over it before deciding it would not come to pass for millennia."

"Exactly."

"What?" Godric frowned. "I do not- oh." His eyes widened dramatically. "Oh."

"Yes," Salazar rubbed his head in frustration. "How many times was it seen?"

"'The dawn of a hundred'" Godric quoted.

"Ninety would be enough, then?"

"I suppose," his friend agreed. "What brought this to mind?"

"Harry," Salazar answered with a short sigh. "His godfather's animagus form is the Grim."

"Are you sure?"

"There is one way to be sure," Salazar ran his fingers through his hair. "Ron?"

"Yes, sir?" Ron answered from across the room, looking up.

"Harry's godfather, is his animagus form the Grim?" Salazar asked. His hope that he was wrong was destroyed with the light shrug the redhead gave him.

"Yeah. Gave me a right fright at first, but he's fine."

Both Founders were silent for a few long minutes as they collected their thoughts. They shared a look and Godric nodded. "Ron, something has come up. We will resume our lessons once we speak with Helga and Rowena."

"Okay…" Ron said slowly.

"You may go find Harry. He is in the courtyard by the path to the lake," Salazar informed him. Ron gave him a sharp nod and made is way quickly from the room. When he was gone, Salazar turned back to his old friend. "Where are they?"

"Transfiguration room," Godric answered. With a curt nod, both men turned their feet and disapparated from the room.

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"Wonderful!" Rowena grinned. Hermione returned the desk to its previous position and stood. "What made you think of that?"

"Well," the young genius said slowly. "Most would expect a shield. If I use a desk or a rock or something large and heavy enough to deflect a spell, I have both surprise and a free wand on my side."

"Brilliant," Ravenclaw nodded. "And no one taught you to do so?"

"Not yet," Hermione shrugged. "I guess it's like Harry with his Patronus – it just made sense… and I was getting a bit desperate. You are very quick."

"We have to be," Helga told her gently. "The four of us protect the settlement down the road together."

"Hogsmeade has been attacked?" Hermione asked in shock. The women nodded grimly.

"It's the muggles – they fear us, so they try to destroy us."

Hermione gasped slightly, her hand flying to her mouth in horror. "The witch trials."

"Yes. There are not so many anymore, and many fewer attacks on the village, as well," Rowena told her before stiffening. Helga did as well a moment later, and the two shared a look. "I apologize, Hermione, but we must go."

"Is everything alright?" Hermione frowned in confusion.

"I do not know," Rowena replied truthfully. "Only that it is important."

"Okay," Hermione nodded, still confused.

"You may find your friends or continue practicing," Helga told her. "We will pick this up later."

"I hope everything is alright," Hermione sighed.

"So do we," Rowena gave her a small smile before the two women turned and disapparated to meet their friends in their office.

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"Are you sure?" A pale Helga asked for the third time. Rowena rubbed her eyebrows, trying to work out an oncoming migraine.

"There is no way to be sure," Godric commented, frustrated. "It was much too vague. I only remember what Salazar told me, and he only heard part of it."

Salazar grimaced. If there was one thing he regretted most at the moment, it was that he hadn't gotten there earlier. "I'd say we should track down the men that were in the room, but…"

"It is not possible, we understand," Rowena said, waving him off. "Would you repeat it again?"

"'Those from the future and past,

From the farest reaches of the Sight,

Arrive in need and desperation

To hide from the dawn of a hundred Grims

The Lost will find kindred souls

And those souls will destroy what is familiar,

And rewrite future laws,

Until the New World is born

And the New World will see destruction of killers past.'"

There was silence again as everyone mulled it over. It sounded like a full prophecy, but they knew it wasn't. There had been more that they had missed at the end.

"I do not like it," Helga said quietly. "They are only children."

"None of us like it," Salazar sighed. "But it is a prophecy. It comes when you least expect and appreciate it."

"What will we do?" Rowena wondered. "We must help them."

"I know. But how? There is only so much we can do from here," Godric muttered. Salazar blinked at him.

"You are not suggesting-,"

"I do not know," his friend interrupted. "Let us work on training them and finding them a way back, and then we can consider it."

"What of Helena?" Rowena asked quietly. "I know she is growing quick, but would she really do so well without me? Without us?"

"I do not know," Salazar said quietly. "But we need not ponder that quite yet. Godric is correct. We must focus on their education and finding a means of returning them home before we think about accompanying them."

"I suppose… And what of the prophecy? Should we tell them?" Rowena chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully.

"I think it would be best, yes," Godric nodded. "They deserve to know. They are being forced to act like adults, so we should give them the courtesy of telling them when we discover something that pertains to them."

"I agree," Salazar said. "Harry does not trust adults, either. I believe that if we tell him, he may come to trust us quicker because we trusted him first."

"I suppose…" Helga sighed. "Alright. Ro?"

The other woman just shrugged slightly. "It is alright with me. Just beware, when we begin telling them these sort of things, they will be most disagreeable when we try to keep something from them."

"And we will cross that bridge when we get to it," Godric decided, nodding.

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"D'you think they'll tell us?" Ron asked quietly. Hermione tilted her head, thinking about it.

"I don't know, but I think so if it has to do with us."

"I think it does," Harry muttered.

"Why?"

"Because Salazar was very interested when I mentioned the Grim."

"Oh yeah," Ron nodded. "He asked me if Padfoot really looked like the Grim."

"You don't think they believe in that nonsense, do you? The Grim?" Hermione frowned.

"Not the Grim," a voice said from behind them. The three jumped slightly, and the Founder chuckled softly. "I apologize for scaring you."

"Yeah, I was wondering about that," Hermione piped up, watching as the four founders made their way over. "I thought no one could Apparate within the school."

"No one but us," Helga corrected. "And your Headmaster should be able to, as well."

"Really?" Hermione wondered, wide eyed. "That's fascinating."

"We can discuss that more later," Rowena promised. "But there is something we need to tell you first."

The trio shared a look before Hermione nodded. "We were hoping. Is something wrong?"

"We are not sure," Salazar shrugged. "But there is something you must be aware of."

"I am a Seer," Godric informed them. The three froze, and Harry frowned up at him. He had a bad feeling about whatever they were about to tell them. "About fifteen years ago, Salazar and I were travelling together and stopped at a bar for drinks."

"It was his idea," Salazar commented dryly.

"Yes, well. We had a few drinks and… well, I began to give a prophecy, except…"

"Except he was drunk and began a bar fight, and I didn't manage to hear all of it," Salazar finished, repressing a sigh. It was never a story he could say he was proud to tell.

"But what he did hear of it seems to pertain to you three," Rowena explained at the confused looks they were receiving.

"Are you saying there's a… prophecy about us?" Ron asked slowly. Salazar nodded, but Hermione gasped before they could continue.

"Prophecy…" she whispered, reaching for her wand. "I knew there was something I was missing…"

"Hermione?" Ron asked, putting a hand on her wand arm, which had her wand currently directed at her head. "What're you talking about?"

"Don't you two remember?" She asked, suddenly exasperated and glaring at her friends. "When we were going through time, on the way back here, we saw something odd. I thought it was weird because Mr. and Mrs. Potter weren't there, and neither were we. But… Harry, your birthday is at the end of July, yes?"

"Uh, yeah. July 31st. Why-,"

"Because! Didn't you hear it?!"

"Hear what, Hermione?" Ron demanded, getting annoyed.

"There was a prophecy!" She declared, looking around at the stunned people surrounding her. "About Harry. That's why we saw Professor Trelawney – that's why we were there! She gave a prophecy about Harry!"

"I thought you don't believe in them!" Ron huffed, staring at her in wonder. "You walked out of class!"

"Well…" she blushed and shrugged slightly. "I don't, not really. But if Voldemort heard it and Voldemort believed it, then it would explain why he's so serious about killing Harry and doing it himself!"

"I don't understand," Helga frowned. "Does the prophecy say something about Voldemort having to kill Harry himself?"

"Yes!" The girl agreed before pausing. "Well, sort of."

"Sort of?"

"It's… complicated," she cringed at the word. It was what Dumbledore used to shut them up along with declaring something was for the "Greater Good."

"Do you mind reciting it?" Godric asked gently. She hesitated, glancing at Harry, but nodded. She let her arm fall to her side and tucked her wand away again, apparently deciding against whatever she'd been planning to do.

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches… born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies… and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not… and either must die at the hands of the other for neither can live while the other survives… the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…"

There was silence for a long time when she finished as everyone processed the information they were given. The ever-tactful Ron broke it.

"Bloody hell."

"Ronald," Hermione snapped. "Language."

"Sorry," he said, glancing at the Founders. "But that's… not great."

"I… need some air," Harry said quietly, standing.

"We're outside," Ron blinked. Hermione shoved him lightly and looked back to Harry, but he was already gone, headed toward the forest where he knew the Thestrals resided.

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"I did not know they were here," Salazar commented as he moved into the clearing. Harry didn't even twitch at the noise.

"They pull the carriages… in the future, I mean," Harry murmured. "Me and my friend Luna, we're the only ones that can see them."

"It is not a horrible thing, to be able to see them. They are wonderful creatures. Death is not awful, Harry."

"When you see a seventeen-year-old boy die, someone that was a friend… yes, death is awful. It is unfair and cruel and… not right."

"I apologize," Salazar nodded. "that your first experience had to be so wrong."

"What was yours?" Harry questioned suddenly. He didn't look up, still petting the gentle creature, but Salazar could tell he was desperate for a distraction.

"It was not much better than yours, I am afraid," the man replied quietly. He did not like to dwell on those memories.

"What… what happened?"

Salazar sighed gently and leaned against a tree nearby. "I was about your age – maybe a little older. I had been taught what my mentor could teach and sent off into the world with very little money and very little success at finding a job. I found myself in a small, nameless town nearby. There was a man only a couple of years older than myself, but he was a great duelist. I managed to convince him to teach me to fight.

"A couple of years later, Godric Gryffindor had become my best friend and the only family I had. We became partners, and dedicated ourselves to fighting for the innocent people. It was a short battle and there were very few wizards fighting, but someone hit my arm at the exact wrong moment, and my harmless hex had killed someone.

"I watched them die. It was an accident and I could see in their eyes that they truly understood, but it was no less traumatizing. They did not have a chance to live the life destiny would have them live, and that is my fault."

Harry frowned. "But someone else hit your arm. You didn't mean to do it."

"But it was my curse."

"But it wasn't your fault! It was a fight and people die."

"I understand that now," the man sighed. "But even you do not understand exactly what you are saying. When… if you ever kill someone, then you can come tell me that it was not my fault."

"I… I killed Quirrell."

"He was already dead," Salazar waved off the idea. "The moment he agreed to give his body to Voldemort, he was dead. The body wouldn't last with Voldemort in it, and he'd die the moment Voldemort left."

"I- but no one told me that. I've thought for four years now that I killed someone, and no one bothered to tell me that I didn't?"

Salazar didn't answer that. If he was being honest, he was just as angry with the adults in Harry's life as Harry was. They were so glaringly incompetent that it was almost funny.

Almost.

"We will help you understand this prophecy as well as we can," the man promised. "We will not force you to carry this burden alone."

Harry seemed to consider that for a moment. He gave a slight nod and a resigned sigh. "I have to kill him." He paused. "I have to kill someone. A human being – a person."

"Harry, I believe he gave up the rights to being a human and a person when he began killing people for sport and his twisted and idiotic, bigoted and racist agenda."

"That doesn't change the fact that he has to die and I'm the one that has to make that happen," Harry countered bitterly.

"Harry… our prophecy and yours suggests something very important." The Founder looked up, gaining Harry's complete attention. "It suggests that you will not be alone. That there will be someone to help you. I truly believe that that someone is us."

"I don't understand," Harry said after a long minute. "Why are all of you are so serious about helping us? Why do you care so much?"

The pain in Salazar's eyes was unmistakable, and the man looked away before Harry could question it. "Our students are our life, you must understand that. We do all that we can to make sure they do not live the lives we have, and it pains us to see that, even so far into the future, children are being called upon to do things that they should not have to. You are our student, so we will do all we must to protect and care for you."

"Your Patronus sat in front of me," Harry whispered. "She said she had to protect me."

"You would like to know why."

Harry nodded silently, staring at the Thestral as it played with an acorn. The creature was a baby, content with the strange people around it as long as it could play.

"I do not know. Magic is odd like that."

"I read up a lot on snakes when I was twelve. That was a black female rattlesnake. They protect their young and that's what she said she was doing."

"Do you think I am being untruthful?" Salazar asked, raising an eyebrow in the way that made students turn away nervously. Harry held his gaze easily, mirroring his expression.

"Should I?"

They continued to stare at each other for another minute before Salazar broke and sighed softly. "I do not know, but I have a guess."

"And?"

"I had a son once," Salazar told him, choosing his words very carefully. "He was a lot like you – he took after his Uncle Godric. He was even Sorted into Godric's House, which everyone thought was very funny." The man rolled his eyes fondly, lost in the memory of the Hat yelling "Gryffindor" the moment it was placed on Alasdair's head.

"What happened?" Harry prodded gently.

"Godric and I were called to protect Hogsmeade one night, and he came with. Alasdair was a brave boy, he always was. I assume he took after his mother in that. I am too calculating and cunning to be so brave. But he followed us. I didn't notice – I was too focused on the battle. He fought with us, and I knew it was too late to send him back.

"It turned out to be worse than we'd expected. There was a new Dark Lord on the rise, and he was getting bolder. He showed up in person, and he fought my son. Alasdair died, but not until he made sure that bastard died as well. He saved us all, but it wasn't worth it in the end. He was just a boy."

"I'm sorry," it was barely a whisper, but Salazar could tell he meant it, and not in a pitying way, either.

"It was many years ago. I had gotten over it."

"But?"

"But you are so much like him. You act like him, you think like him, you even look like him – like me."

"But… I'm from the future," Harry frowned at him in confusion.

"I know," Salazar shrugged. "But you remind me of him, that is all."

"I'm just Harry," he said slowly.

"And that is enough," Salazar confirmed, nodding firmly. "I will not act as if you are my reborn son. You are your own person."

"Thank you," the teenager gave him a weak smile. "And… I bet you were a great father."

Salazar stared at him for a long moment. "That is every father's hope, Harry. To be what their child needs."

Harry remained silent as he pondered that. If that was what a father was, Harry wondered if he had one at all. He never blamed James and Lily for dying, and he didn't blame Sirius for being sent to Azkaban, but Sirius wasn't ready to be a father, Harry knew as much. He understood, but it didn't hurt any less.

The pure sadness on Harry's face made Salazar's heart hurt. "Every child should have a father," he said quietly. Harry blinked and frowned. "I am sorry you have been deprived of that."

"Thank you," Harry said softly before Salazar could speak again. He had a feeling there was more the man wanted to say, but he didn't, so he just made his way toward the edge of the forest again with Salazar following, both quiet and deep in thought.

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"Harry!" Hermione squealed, jumping up. Ron's head turned quick as he looked for his best friend. Harry gave them a weak but genuine smile and joined them at the table. They were in the Great Hall for dinner, and all of them were glad for it – even the Founders. It had been an exceptionally long day, and all of them just wanted to rest.

The Founders were seated at the same table as the trio, something that no one minded at all. Godric sat across from Ron, Helga across from Hermione, and Salazar across from Harry. Rowena has excused herself to retrieve someone for the meal.

"I'm fine," Harry promised his friends.

"Oh, Harry, are you sure? I know that was a lot to take in, but-,"

"'Mione, I'm fine. I promise. I just had some thinking to do."

Hermione gave him a long look and nodded firmly. "We'll be with you through all of it, Harry, we promise."

"Thanks, guys," he smiled lightly at them.

"Mama?" A voice called. "Who're they?"

The three friends frowned and turned. Hermione gasped. They were staring at the Grey Lady, live and well and staring right back at them in complete confusion.

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