Fore note: Lots of thank you-s and a lot of hugs to Seldes Katne for beta-reading Hearts and Hourglasses before it's posted on Sugar Quill! She's a wonderful person and a fantastic beta-reader!
Chapter 4: Whys and What fors
Harry had dozed off by the time the Headmaster arrived. Rowena looked up from Harry leaning against Salazar to the opening door that revealed an old tall white-haired wizard with an equally white beard tucked into the belt of his robes. There was soft wavering note, and the Phoenix, Fawkes, appeared on the perch beside the door.
Rowena stood up as Godric strode forward to Dumbledore. Rowena knew the Headmaster's name from Harry. He hadn't told her out loud, but his thoughts had been so clear and open he might as well had been shouting at her. He was certainly a Gryffindor. Godric's mind was as noisy.
"Lord Gryffindor." Dumbledore inclined his head respectfully, and Rowena could see that Godric was pleased when Dumbledore didn't seem at all surprised to find the four of them in his office.
"I take it you had been forewarned of our possible arrival," said Godric regally. He frowned ever so slightly when Salazar made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a snicker. Salazar winced when Helga pinched his hand.
"Ow! That hurts, Helga!"
"Behave yourself, Salazar!"
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with amusement behind half-moon spectacles, and Rowena smiled at him, finding that she liked him already. She watched curiously as Dumbledore reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny scroll. He handed it over to Godric, saying, "This note fell out of your Hat six years ago on this same date."
"Wait..." Salazar looked suspicious. "Godric, didn't we agree not to leave anything that would warn anyone in the future?"
Godric looked uncomfortable. "We must have decided otherwise after you cast the spells," he said gruffly.
Helga quickly grabbed Harry and arranged him to lean against the chair's backrest as Salazar had moved away from them. "This was something we all agreed upon," said Salazar, folding his arms and staring at Godric, "There would be no note, no prophecies, no mention. The last thing we all wanted was for other people to get the same idea."
Godric glanced back at Salazar. "You know I don't know what happened afterwards. We may have decided to send one message to this time as a precaution. We wouldn't want to suddenly appear in a crowd of people."
Salazar scowled, and Rowena quickly added, "I'm certain it is just that, Salazar. You did say you will seal the spells so that no one could tamper with our memories. Our real selves may have later thought it prudent to send a warning, but they couldn't renew the spells or our memories."
Her words seemed to reassure Salazar, but only slightly. Few things bothered the usually unflappable Salazar, and things done behind his back was one of them.
"Well, whatever happened, it's a waste of time to argue about it," interjected Helga quietly, "we are here." Rowena glanced at her thankfully as her words convinced Salazar to let the matter go.
"I suppose that may have had happened," said Salazar grudgingly, "but I would like to see that note, Godric."
Wordlessly, Godric handed the scroll to Salazar, who quickly opened it. Rowena peered over Salazar's arm at it as did Helga on Salazar's other side. It read:
Please return the sword into the hat after use. ~ Godric Gryffindor
Salazar gaped at it while Rowena broke into giggles. Helga teased Godric, "That's you all right. Short and to the point."
Godric flushed, grabbing the note from Salazar, who was grinning from ear to ear. "Admit it, Godric, you wanted to come here as badly I did!"
"No, I didn't!" Retorted Godric, his red face matching his dark crimson robes. "I just wanted my sword to be returned properly, that's all," he muttered, jamming the note into his pocket after glancing at it.
Salazar was milking this for all it was worth. "What is with you and your hat?" he laughed, grabbing the Sorting Hat from Godric's other hand and jamming it on his own head. "You're always putting all sorts of things in it!"
Rowena's nose wrinkled. "Salazar, take it off." It was very dirty.
Salazar ducked before Godric could snatch it off. "Give it back! You're just jealous because I thought of the idea first!" Godric was referring to the idea of creating the Sorting Hat.
"True," Salazar admitted honestly, "I was speechless when you came up with such a brilliant and original idea. It was truly ingenious, Godric."
Godric paused. "... You really think so?"
Salazar nodded, looking serious. Slowly, a proud pleased expression came over Godric's face. "Well, thank you very much, Salazar."
"You're welcome, Godric." Salazar smiled, pulling off the Sorting Hat and giving it back to Godric. As Godric took it, he said, "I was shocked that you of all people thought of it."
Oh no... Rowena barely held on to Godric as he tried to reach pass Helga at Salazar who had run behind her.
"You snake! You just had to say it!"
"I couldn't help it! You're just so fun to make fun of!"
"You two are squashing me!"
Rowena managed to jump aside in time. Godric flew back, pass her, nearly colliding into Dumbledore and hitting the door with a loud thump. Salazar fell back, crashing into Harry's chair and jolting the boy awake.
***
Rudely awakened, Harry raised his hand to his forehead and rubbed at his scar. It was an unconscious habit of his. He heard a groan and blinked, looked over his chair's armrest to see Salazar sitting on the floor and rubbing the back of his head. He was wincing.
Harry's eyes widened, and he looked up from Salazar to see Helga fuming at him and at Godric sprawled against the door. What happened- Harry jumped to his feet when he spotted Dumbledore, standing by Godric.
"Headmaster!" Harry was careful not to tread on Salazar as he hurried to get to Dumbledore.
"Harry," said Dumbledore, adjusting his glasses as he looked over Harry.
"Sir," said Harry hurriedly, "I-" Suddenly, his mind went blank, and he couldn't find the words to explain this situation to Dumbledore.
"Relax, Harry," Dumbledore said encouragingly, "Take a deep breath and start from the beginning."
Harry followed Dumbledore's suggestion and took a deep breath. After a few stutters and stumbles, he launched into a quick recollection of what had happened. He decided not to mention Cedric, going straight instead to seeing the Sorting Hat glowing and putting it on, and about the words on the inner side of the Hat, about asking Fawkes' for a feather, about dropping the feather into the Hat and the Four Founders appearing.
He stopped at that, prefering to tell Dumbledore the rest in private: about the memory and Doppelganger spells, about the wager, about the dragons, about his shock that Salazar Slytherin had green eyes and had a great sense of humor, that Rowena Ravenclaw could speak Parseltongue and could read minds, that Godric Gryffindor looks so cool and hates Salazar's guts (this Harry expected), and that Helga Hufflepuff could clean Godric's and Salazar's clocks.
The last portion Harry felt Dumbledore already knew, and of course Harry wasn't going to tell him that he thought Lady Ravenclaw was drop dead gorgeous.
Harry jumped when Rowena said, "Why, thank you, Harry." He whirled around just as Salazar said, "I do wish you could teach me how to read minds, Rowena."
"You know I wish I could, Salazar," replied Rowena, smiling warmly back at Salazar, who was standing behind her. Harry's mind whirled. The exact nature of their relationship was also another thing he had to ask Dumbledore about.
Chapter 4 has ended. Please go on to the next chapter.
Chapter 5: An Attempt at Nomalcy
Dumbledore had decided to inform the House Heads about the Founders first and summoned the professors to come to his office. Harry was again very impressed with Dumbledore, who acted as though important historical figures visited Hogwarts all the time.
Professor McGonagall reminded Harry of a gold fish, eyes bugged out, mouth opening and closing without a word coming out as she goggled at the Four Founders. Professor Flitwick kept squeaking nonsense words all throughout the gathering and flushed crimson whenever Lady Ravenclaw looked his way. Harry couldn't blame him.
Professor Sprout was beside herself with excitement. She kept babbling, "The Four Founders are here... at Hogwarts... they're back..." and grabbing and shaking already shaken Professor Flitwick. Professor Snape, Harry's least favorite teacher, was stunned, his expression frozen midway between disbelief and refusing to be excited.
"This is Severus Snape, Head of Slytherin," Dumbledore said.
"A pleasure to meet you, Severus!" The look on Snape's face was priceless when Salazar hugged him as a big brother would. Used to Salazar's antics by this time, Harry laughed, earning a murderous glare from Snape still locked in Salazar's embrace.
If Harry hadn't been so busy laughing at Snape, he would have noticed Professor McGonagall's jaw drop, Flitwick falling over in shock and Sprout mumbling, "Now I've seen everything." Harry might have also noticed Rowena Ravenclaw glancing over to the trio and frowning slightly.
The next day, the rest of the staff was informed of the news before breakfast. Harry hadn't been present in the morning meeting, but unlike his fellow Gryffindors and the rest of the students present in the Great Hall that morning, he wasn't surprised when Headmaster Dumbledore stood up and called for all of their attention.
"Wonder what's up. This is the first time he's made an announcement at breakfast," Ron mumbled, chewing on a piece of toast. Hermione stopped eating and observed softly, "Not only that. Look at the others at the staff table."
Harry grinned. The House Heads had had a night to compose themselves, but the rest of the staff had not. Madam Pomfrey, Madam Hooch and Madam Pince were whispering excitedly amongst themselves. Professor Sinastra kept standing up, pausing then sitting back down again. Mr. Filch, Hagrid & Professor Moody weren't at the table, but Harry had a good idea where they might be.
"Students." Dumbledore's voice carried clear and loud to every ear in the Great Hall. "I am pleased as punch to inform all of you that Hogwarts has the honor of having four very distinguished professors as guests."
There was a stir through out the Great Hall as students wondered and murmured to each other. "More teachers?" "About time... too many Double classes in my schedule."
"I hope one of them is going to teach Potions," Neville said hopefully. He wasn't the only one hoping at the Gryffindor table. Snape, in charge of Potions, was always taking points off their House and favoring Slytherin.
The picture of Snape being hugged by Salazar suddenly popped into Harry's head, and he snorted into his cereal, attracting Ron and Hermione's attention.
"Care to tell us the joke, Harry?" Ron nudged his shoulder, and Harry utterly wished he could, but he had sworn to Dumbledore never to tell anyone.
"Uhm..." Harry was saved from having to lie to his two best friends when Dumbledore continued. "They arrived last evening after supper so they weren't properly introduced during the start of term banquet, but they did arrive in time to observe first classes today." Dumbledore paused, smiling. "Please do inform your schoolmates, who are not here this morning, to be on their best behavior during classes and out of classes. That's all."
Fred Weasley frowned. "Sounds like an inspection or something."
"Inspection?" asked Ron curiously.
Hermione answered before George could, "Magical School Accreditation Inspections. The Ministry may have sent a group of wizards to rate Hogwarts. Of course, Hogwarts always gets accredited."
Lee Jordan nodded. "Yah. I've heard of those. They come around once every six years. I remember there was an inspection in second year."
"I remember that too," George said, "The professors kept on telling us to behave." He suddenly grinned. "The teachers also had to be on their best behavior too. Wouldn't want the accreditation team to catch them being mean and abusive to us poor students."
Fred and George smiled widely at each other. Hermione frowned at them. She had been made a Prefect this year so she was being even stricter than usual on rules and regulations.
Ron grinned at Harry, who was dying to tell them the truth. "Wouldn't it be wonderful," Ron said conspiratorially, "if the inspection team catches Snape being mean and nasty in Potions?"
"Ron!" Hermione said sharply, "The reputation of the entire school will suffer if you joke around in Potions."
Harry barely listened to the ensuing argument that followed between Ron and Hermione. He returned back to eating his breakfast with gusto and happily anticipated the Hogwarts Four visiting his classes.
Chapter 5 has ended. Please go on to the next chapter.
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