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 11: A Reason for Everything
Rowena first met Helga Hufflepuff in the study of Lord Regius Ravenclaw, her father. Lord Hengist Hufflepuff had sent his youngest daughter Helga to the Ravenclaw court to learn magic. In those days before Hogwarts was founded, noble wizarding families usually sent their children to Ravenclaw manor for their education.
Helga was sent back home after six days. Regius told Hengist that his daughter showed little interest in learning and that he had no desire to waste time disciplining and forcing youngsters to pay attention to their classes and to study their lessons. It wasn't the first time Rowena wished her father was a little less strict and a little less demanding.
***
When Harry and Godric returned to the hall, they saw Rowena rushing towards them.
"Thank goodness you're back! Godric, do you still have the boys' wands?"
Godric nodded and pulled two wands from his pocket. Rowena quickly took a wand (Draco's) and hurried away from them. As she disappeared into one of rooms, Godric commented, "Helga must have been quite hard on Salazar."
Harry noted he didn't seem at all worried and smiled. Then, he looked around the room they were in. It was a hall the size roughly the same as the entrance hall of Hogwarts. There were differences though. This was a grand hall. It was round, its floor was marble tiled. On its walls was a moving sky scene, and the entire area was brightly lit.
The hall's ceiling was a dome of crystal. Its surface was finely faceted, making the sunlight that shone through it break and bend so that tiny rainbows glittered on the floor and walls. There were twelve doors positioned around the hall like the numbers of a clock. One of these Harry already entered, and he was dying to enter the other eleven.
"This place is beautiful," Harry breathed out softly, marveled when the walls suddenly flickered and changed into a seascape. Harry suddenly froze, realizing that the air he was breathing had suddenly turned salty. There was also a gentle breeze that blew against him.
"I'm glad you like it, Harry." Godric smiled and handed back his wand to him before saying, "Aquinas Thomas designed and built this place for us. His fee was astronomical but well worth it."
"Did he design the rest of Hogwarts too?"
"No, no. Hogwarts' plan is a hodge-podge of designs from different architect magicians. We didn't want to use an overall plan by one builder since it would be dangerous if Dark wizards ever got hold of him or a master plan of the castle."
So that's why Hogwarts castle is so confusing, thought Harry. There was something else that bothered him. "Does Headmaster Dumbledore and my teachers know about this place?"
Godric immediately shook his head. "No, only us four and Aquinas Thomas, God bless his soul."
"How do we get here?" Harry asked. He was certainly questioning Godric a lot.
Fortunate, Godric didn't seem to mind. "There are several portkey points in Hogwarts. One of them is the entrance hall. Another is at the entrance of Gloucester's tomb. We just used it." He then paused, gave Harry a slight smile and murmured conspiratorially, "Of course, Helga must never know about the latter."
Harry grinned and nodded. Godric's smile widened, and he continued, "However in order for the portkeys to activate and send you here, you have to know about this place."
Harry blinked. "That's all?"
Godric nodded, his hazel eyes twinkling.
"... But... surely someone must..." Harry trailed off uncertainly, thinking about it. It was so simple... but it did make sense. If you didn't know this place existed, then you won't get here.
"That's so smart!" Harry exclaimed, and Godric chuckled, saying, "Even the house elves don't know about this place, and we don't need them to come here since the walls, floors, everything, even the ceilings are self-cleaning."
"... Can I come here also?" asked Harry haltingly. His stomach tightened when Godric hesitated. Then, the older man raised his right hand and removed the golden lion pin from the front of his robes.
"You'll have to wear this," said Godric, placing the lion pin on Harry's robes. As he positioned it over Harry's heart, the miniature lion emitted a tiny roar.
Godric smiled and said, "He likes you, Harry. That means you're definitely a Gryffindor."
Harry straightened, smiling proudly. "I know I am, Sir. But what does this pin do?"
"The portkeys will activate and send you here simply by thinking you want to be here. But there is a security measure that tests you. If you're not one of us, you'll be sent back to where you were with barely a memory of this place. Until the Pentacle is certain of you, use the lion pin to contact me if you wish to come here."
His hand over the lion pin, Harry looked at him questioningly. "... Pentacle?"
Godric gestured at the floor, and Harry looked down. He jumped when it began to glow. There were lines running through the marble. Harry raised his head, his eyes following the lines. It soon became apparent to him that there was an enormous pattern engraved into the floor in the shape of a five-pointed star.
***
Because of all that had happened, Harry forgot he had classes this morning. He panicked and asked Godric to send him down immediately. Godric quickly reassured him that he would speak with his teachers before sending Harry straight to the Gryffindor common room. Fortunately, it was empty since everyone was at classes. Harry hurriedly washed himself a bit and changed his clothes before dashing out. He got out of the tower just as the lunch bell rang.
Lunch for Harry, that day, was a guilty and irritating affair. Ron and Hermione, who had been worried sick by his absence, kept plying him with questions, demands and accusations.
"Where were you?!" Hermione wasn't letting him eat his meal in peace. "You missed Transfigurations, and Professor McGonagall kept asking us where you were!"
"Yah!" Ron added, "When I told her you were already gone when I woke up this morning, she practically freaked, dismissed us early and ran out of the classroom."
"I bet you went out exploring, didn't you?!" Harry was glad that Hermione still had sense to keep her voice low.
"You went out exploring without us?!" Harry wished Ron were as discreet. People in the Great Hall were starting to look towards them.
"Keep your voice low!" snapped Hermione at Ron, who had the grace to look embarrassed. At least, they seemed to have made up with each other, Harry thought in the back of his mind. Though Harry wished they were still angry with each other and start sniping at one another instead of at him.
"Watch out," George suddenly whispered, "Minerva is heading this way."
Harry raised his head to see Professor McGonagall striding towards the Gryffindor table with a very upset expression on her face.
Harry suddenly felt so cold. He had forgotten all about it, forgot that he had cast the Cruciatus Curse on Draco. His hand shook, and the spoon it was holding fell into his bowl of beef stew. Soup splashed and spilled a little over the side of the bowl as Ron said, "I've never seen her look so upset. What did you do, Harry?"
Harry didn't hear Ron nor felt Hermione's hand grip his shoulder.
Draco told... He was going to be sent to Azkaban... In the corner of his mind, Harry reprimanded himself. When he entered the Great Hall, Professors McGonagall and Snape were not at the staff table, and Draco wasn't present in the Slytherin table. He should have realized it then instead of allowing himself to be distracted by Ron and Hermione, rushing to him and demanding to know where he had been.
Draco told Snape first of course... Harry could just imagine the look of glee on Snape's face when Draco told him. Harry Potter, the Boy who Lived, the Youngest Wizard ever sent to Azkaban.
Harry began to shake, alarming Ron and Hermione who immediately moved closer to him protectively. They weren't asking any more questions, but silently reassuring Harry that they were with him.
Ron stood up when Professor McGonnagall reached them. "Profes-"
"Keep quiet, Mr. Weasley, and sit down!" McGonagall said so sharply that the first year Gryffindors at their table quaked and dropped their spoons.
Ron kept quiet but didn't sit down. Harry felt his hand on his shoulder. On Harry's other side, Hermione also stood up, but she knew better then to say anything when Professor McGonagall was this upset. Her hand on Harry's other shoulder tightened reassuringly, telling him that they were with him, she and Ron.
Harry's heart clenched. Ron and Hermione were such good friends to him. Here they were, defending him even though they didn't even know what he did. Harry's jaw tightened. He didn't want them to know what he did.
Harry stood up himself, shrugging off Ron and Hermione's hands. As their hands fell away, he lifted his head and looked at Professor McGonagall directly. He opened his mouth to say that he didn't want them to know.
Then, McGonagall exploded.
"How could you hex Draco in front of them?!"
The entire Hall shushed. Ron and Hermione were so shocked that they sat back down on the bench. Harry was frozen, staring at his House Head's flushed face.
"Of all the idiotic things to do! You know who they are, Harry! How could you lose control of yourself and hex Draco right in their presence! When I found out, I was never so ashamed in my entire life!"
Harry choked as McGonagall went on. "You're a Gryffindor, Harry! You should have known better! Do you how embarrassing it was when Professor Snape told me?!"
Somehow, Harry managed to interrupt her. "Professor Snape told you?"
McGonagall glared at him furiously for interrupting her. "Yes," she snapped, "Professor Snape told me! Draco told him all about how you hexed him, missed and hit Professor Gloucester instead!"
Harry's jaw dropped.
Chapter 11 has ended. Please go on to the next chapter.
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