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 12: Pins and Sticks

When Rowena was twelve years old, Dark wizards kidnapped her from her father during a visit to Diagon Alley. While Lord Regius Ravenclaw was examining a wand Mr. Ollivander had presented to him, Rowena had wandered out of the store. Barely had she stepped out of the shop, when a hand clamped over her mouth to keep her from making a sound. She remembered seeing the prone bodies of her father's guards on the ground, before a black bag was placed over her head. It had been enchanted to keep her from hearing anything and to absorb any sound and cry of help she would make. It also affected her inner ear so that she lost sense of balance and was too disoriented to resist her captors or to think.

When finally the bag was removed, the first thing she saw was a pair of brilliant emeralds set in silver. Then, she realized she was looking into the green eyes of an enormous silver serpent. Rowena screamed, eyes wide, and fear blocking out all coherent thought. She flung herself hard against the chair she had been placed in to put as much distance as possible between her and the serpent. Her lungs burned. The air in them ran out as the serpent tilted its head, staring back at her with its tongue flicking in and out. Then, it smiled.

Before Rowena's stunned eyes, the snake's amused visage shimmered and coalesced into a smiling human face.

***

Professional McGonagall gave Harry three months' detention for supposedly hexing one of the Magical School Accreditors, Professor Gloucester, who was actually Godric Gryffindor, founder of their House.

Ron and Hermione were aghast by the punishment meted out. The rest of the Gryffindors though were more thankful that McGonagall didn't take points off their House. Well. After all, Harry had gotten into trouble by himself.

Harry was only too glad to have detention instead of the life sentence in Azkaban. He didn't understand why Draco didn't tell the truth, but Harry had never been one to look a gift horse in the mouth. He was determined though to confront Draco about this, and he had to tell Godric.

But he didn't see Draco or any of the Founders until dinner that day. He was about to dig into a juicy steak when an upset Helga stomped into the Great Hall, closely followed by a worried Rowena.

Harry placed down his fork and knife when Godric entered. He didn't notice Ron and Hermione watching him with observant eyes. Harry had told them that when he escorted Professor Gloucester last night, he met Draco who was with Professor Scaevola.

He told them he lost it when Draco insulted Cedric's memory. He hexed Draco, missed him and hit Gloucester instead. Then Draco hit him with stupefy. When he came to, he was in a room he had never been in before with Gloucester who assured him everything was all right. He had slept too late and quickly went back to Gryffindor Tower to clean himself up. Then, it was lunchtime.

Both Ron and Hermione believed Harry's story, but had unanimously decided that there was something else Harry wasn't telling them. They were determined to find out whatever it was he was keeping secret from them. It seemed to have something to do with the Accreditation Professors...

Harry stood up; Ron noticed a glitter of gold on his robes. Harry walked over to Gloucester who smiled when he saw Harry coming towards him. Harry smiled back. Reaching Godric's side, Harry quickly told him in a low tone that Draco had deliberately lied to their teachers.

"I know, Harry," replied Godric, turning a trifle bit nonplussed. "Your Professor McGonagall has been apologizing to me all afternoon long. I just got away from her." Then, he looked irritated. "I wager that snake has something to do with this. It's just like him to twist the entire story." A small smile curved Godric's lips. "He wouldn't want anyone to know he fainted when your spell hit him."

Harry paused, then slowly asked, "I hit him?"

"Just for a second. Don't look worried, Harry. He's perfectly fine. He's use-"

Godric paused, looking over Harry's head. Harry turned to see what he was staring at and stilled as well. Salazar and Draco had entered the Great Hall together. The expression on Draco's pale face was animate. Gray eyes glittered with enthusiasm with whatever he was saying to Salazar, who was listening intently, his head tilted slightly towards Draco.

"That idiot," Harry heard Godric mutter behind him. He glanced back at the older man who was still staring at Salazar and Draco. When Harry looked back, a glitter on Draco's robes caught his eyes, and he realized that the other boy was wearing a silver serpent pin.

***

Harry had to do detention after dinner. Professor McGonagall told him to report to Mr. Filch to do whatever task he wanted done that night (and for the next 89 days). Ron and Hermione offered to keep him company, but even they were reluctant to stay with him when Filch assigned Harry to start cleaning out the Owlery.

Harry insisted that Ron and Hermione leave him alone, saying Filch didn't need two more slaves to do dirty work. They finally decided to take his advice when Filch was keen to make them do chores as well (separate from Harry).

After scraping owl droppings for three straight hours, a messy aching Harry trudged down from the Owlery. He wanted to do no more than go straight to Gryffindor Tower, wash up and go to sleep.

Three months' detention... thought Harry tiredly, ninety evenings of having to do Filch's bidding. Suddenly, Azkaban seemed a tad bit pleasant. Dementors don't make you do chores, do they? Bah. Harry grumpily cleared away the unfunny thought from his mind. Filch was a dozen times better than any dementor though Harry didn't like him either.

Harry had an unpleasant surprise when he turned around a corner and found Draco waiting for him. Harry froze, eyeing the silver-haired boy warily. Meeting Draco in a dimly lit hallway at midnight was not a good idea.

The faint flicker of light in Draco's eyes seemed to dance in time to the writhing silver serpent on his robes. Harry found himself staring at the pin, wondering if Draco had spent the entire evening with Salazar.

When Harry looked up from the pin, he realized that Draco's eyes were also trained on the lion pin Godric had given Harry.

It was Harry who finally said something first. "Why did you lie to Snape?"

Draco's eyes lifted from the gold lion pin to meet Harry's eyes. His lips twisted, and he drawled, "I kind of like the idea of the Great Potter owing something to me."

Harry glared at him instantly. "I don't owe you anything!" He snapped.

Pale eyes narrowed then Draco shrugged, turned and walked away. He left behind a suddenly confused Harry who didn't understand what just happened. However, Harry did remember something else. He ran after Draco and grabbed the other boy's sleeve.

Draco immediately jerked his arm away, turning to look arrogantly at Harry who demanded, "You're not going to tell your father, are you?!"

One silver brow lifted. "I'm not stupid, Potter," Draco said coolly, "My father wouldn't like it if I told him I let you get away with casting Crucio on me."

Harry gritted his teeth. "No, Malfoy!" he said sharply, "Not that! About them!" He lifted his right hand and pointed at the silver serpent pin over Draco's heart. "You can't tell anyone about them!"

If anything, Draco's eyes turned colder, and Harry's fear increased. If Draco told his father, Lucius Malfoy, Voldemort would know about the Founders being back at Hogwarts.

Harry grabbed Draco's front. If he had to, he would threaten the other boy to remain silent about them. Draco immediately shoved him away, snarling, "Touch any part of my person again, Potter, and I will cast Crucio on you!"

Harry's fist shot out and struck Draco's jaw solidly. "Go ahead!" shouted Harry as Draco stumbled back. "Do you think Crucio frightens me?!" Harry's hands whipped out and shoved Draco's chest, pushing the other boy back further.

"Voldemort, himself, cast Crucio on me! Your father was there! He can tell you how many times Voldemort tortured me!" Draco lost his balance and landed heavily to the floor on his back. Harry threw himself at him and began pummeling blows on Draco.

Somewhere else...

"As usual, Gryffindor throws the first punch," Salazar commented as he picked up a green stick from the floor. In front of him, Godric was staring up at the ceiling where the lion was trampling the serpent.

"Draco deserves what he's getting," said Godric, but even he sounded uncertain. He lowered his eyes and looked over to Salazar expertly tweaking an orange stick away from a mess of red, blue and violet sticks.

"... Aren't you worried about Draco, Salazar?"

"He can handle himself, Godric."

Draco suddenly crossed his arms over his face, shielding himself from Harry's punches and twisted his body off the floor, throwing the other boy off him.

Salazar glanced up as Godric began his turn. The serpent was coiling around the lion. "Draco's turn now," he informed Godric.

Godric looked up at him. "Perhaps we should bring them here."

Salazar shook his head. "This is their battle, Godric. Let us not get involved."

"... I suppose you're right," said Godric reluctantly, turning his attention back to pick-up sticks.

Twelve minutes later, both Harry and Draco were too exhausted to fight. Harry dragged himself over to the wall and sat up, leaning against it. He watched as Draco pushed himself up and moved over to the opposite wall.

Sweat dripping and breathing hard, they stared at each other. Draco spoke up first, "Feeling better about yourself, Potter?" But exhaustion had caused his voice to lose its usual rancor when addressing Harry.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry barely managed to say it. He winced. Every part of his body was bruised and aching. He tried to get up, but only ended up falling back against the wall. Wonderful... thought Harry wearily; his eyelids were becoming heavy. Soon, it was a struggle not to fall asleep right there.

Harry fell asleep six seconds before Draco did. As Draco slumped against the wall, Godric and Salazar appeared from around the corner and took Harry and Draco back with them towards the Owlery.

In the place where Harry and Draco fought, there was a flicker of light that shone, disappearing quickly in the wavering light of the torches, which line the hallways of Hogwarts.

To be continued.

Chapter 12 has ended. Please go on to the next chapter.

http://pub79.ezboard.com/fschnooglethebestofharrypotterfanfictionfrm165