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 14: The Ones Beside You
After her father passed away, Rowena asked Godric and Helga to help with teaching magic to the children of Light wizarding families. There was a surge in the number of students sent to Ravenclaw manor. Whereas Lord Regius Ravenclaw was respected but feared, his daughter, Lady Rowena, was cherished and loved by the children.
It didn't take long before Rowena was inundated with the task of teaching. Wizarding children begged their parents to send them to Ravenclaw School, as was what the estate was began to be referred to. Even children from plebian families flocked to the school since Rowena didn't restrict teaching to the noble families as her father had done.
As the number of students increased, Ravenclaw manor soon became a target of the Dark Wizarding community. It was besieged by Dark wizards, who were determined to destroy the school and stop the teaching of magic to the children of Light wizards.
***
Harry just made breakfast that day. By the time he entered the Great Hall, most of the students were already half way through their meals. He quickly spotted an empty space at the Gryffindor table and plunked down on the bench. He barely heard the good morning greetings from the Weasley Twins, Lee Jordan and the Creevey brothers as he served himself with some bacon and eggs, toast and sausages.
He had finished an egg when he realized that Ron and Hermione (sitting across the table from him) were staring at him. Harry was unable to meet their eyes. Of course, they would know that he hadn't returned to Gryffindor Tower again last night. (Damn that Draco!) Anything he said to Ron and Hermione now would sound unconvinced and untruthful. Harry decided it would be best not to say anything to them. He didn't know what to say anyway, and even if he did, it would be a lie.
Thankfully, Ron and Hermione didn't say anything to him over breakfast, and they silently accompanied Harry as they went to their first class that morning, which was History of Magic. There, Harry took the opportunity to go over his history books while most of the class slumbered to the sound of Professor Binn's droning. All Harry found out by the end of the class was that there was very little information from the Founders' era, and he didn't find any reference at all to the Thirteen, the Dark wizards coalition that Godric had mentioned to him.
Harry was tempted to ask Hermione, but he felt too guilty right now to ask her or Ron, who would probably know something about it, since his family, the Weasleys, was an old Wizarding family.
During the next lesson, Care of Magical Creatures, Harry kept having to fight down the impulse to ask Hagrid if dragons had ever been bred at Hogwarts. Hagrid would have answered yes, of course, but then he would be referring to Norbert, the Norwegian Ridgeback, the illegal dragon he had hatched from an illegal dragon egg. Knowing Hagrid, he'd probably forgotten (or had never known) that dragon breeding was illegal and was likely to tell the entire class the story of Norbert. Harry definitely didn't want that to happen, and Ron and Hermione would never ever forgive him for getting Hagrid into trouble.
In any case, Harry felt a little rattled by lunchtime.
At the entrance hall, students were milling around a sign at the foot of the marble staircase. It announced that classes that afternoon would be suspended for a special lecture by a visiting professor. For a moment, Harry thought that one of the Founders would be making a speech. Then, he heard Godric behind him.
"It should be interesting," Godric said. Harry turned slowly, making sure to keep his face placid. Ron and Hermione were standing beside him.
Godric was with the other Founders. Salazar was shaking his head. "I've had enough of speeches and the like." The Dark wizard sounded bored out of his skull.
Rowena touched Salazar's hand. "I'm sure you will like it, Sextus. You've always been keen on learning new things."
Harry noticed Salazar cover Rowena's hand with his other hand as he smiled at her, saying, "Right now, the one thing I'm interested in learning cannot be taught."
Rowena smiled at him in return while Helga shook her head at them. "A mismatched pair, I tell you," she commented to Godric who chuckled, cleared his throat loudly and offered his arm graciously to Helga. "Shall we go ahead and leave them be?" He said in a stately manner.
"Indeed, we should," answered Helga in a delicate tone of voice, primly placing her hand on Godric's arm. They walked with a flourish into the Great Hall leaving Rowena blushing in embarrassment and Salazar laughing his head off.
Harry smiled at this. It was hard to believe that they were the Hogwarts Four. They sounded so normal and ordinary, just like any other wizard and witch. History did tend to cast people as either heroes or villains, extraordinary or common, good or evil. Little middle ground even though lines were often blurred.
Harry watched Salazar escort Rowena into the Great Hall. Rowena was walking close to Salazar, who was regarding her fondly. There was no question about it. The Dark wizard cared a great deal for Lady Ravenclaw.
Was she the reason, Harry wondered, that Salazar Slytherin helped build Hogwarts? Harry frowned then; remembering the Dark wizard would leave the school. ... It wasn't enough. Something had happened...
He remembered what Godric said about Rowena's parents. ... Did something happen to Lady Ravenclaw-
"They're funny," he heard Ron say to Hermione behind him.
"But very interesting," continued Hermione. She sighed softly. "They're very sweet with one another." Another heartfelt sigh. "It's so romantic."
"Who?"
"Oh, Ron! Don't act stupid! You know who I mean!"
"I meant which two. Gryffindor and Hufflepuff?"
Harry whirled around just as Hermione said, "No, I think they're just friends."
"You know!" Harry yelled at them, and they grinned at him.
Surprisingly enough, it was Ron who first suspected that the Accreditation Professors were not who they were. He had mentioned about them in a letter he Owled to his family. His father had Owled back saying that there weren't any magical school accreditation teams sent out from the Ministry this year.
Hermione had also realized that the Headmaster and their school professors never said that Professors Gloucester, Scaevola, Regius and Hawthorn were there to accredit Hogwarts. All they ever said was that they were there to observe.
They told Harry that last night after they left Harry with Mr. Filch, Ron went up their dormitory and borrowed Harry's Invisibility cloak. Under it, they headed to the Owlery. On their way, they spotted Draco heading to the same destination.
"He was acting really weird," Ron said to Harry as the three of them pored over history books in the library. They had a free hour after lunch before they had to return to the Great Hall for the lecture.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked. He was reading a very short paragraph on Regius Ravenclaw. He sounded as mean and nasty in the history books as what Godric had said about him.
Harry didn't see Ron shrugged. "Draco just stood there in the corridor... waiting for you. He just stood there for hours, just staring at nothing."
"And we stood there just watching him for the same number of hours as well," said Hermione, who was scanning through a thick tome quickly. "The Thirteen, right Harry?"
"Right," replied Harry, looking up from his book, "Did you find anything?"
Hermione shook her head. "No, not yet, but I did find something about Godric Gryffindor."
"Really?" Harry immediately looked over to her book. It just said that Godric became head of his family at a very young age when his father and mother died. That saddened Harry, remembering the fondness in Godric's voice when he talked about his parents.
Ron frowned at them. "Aren't you two even worried about Draco?"
"He's weird," stated Harry simply, going back to his book. Hermione just shrugged.
"... You two really beat up each other last night."
Harry looked up from his book to find Ron looking at him intently. Hermione had also stopped reading.
Ron's eyes were steady as he said, "Is it true? Did you really cast Crucio on Draco, Harry?"
Hermione slammed her book close and glared furiously at Ron. "Shh! Someone might hear you!"
"I kept my voice low!" Ron retorted.
The three of them jumped when Madam Pince harrumphed loudly and scowled in the direction of their table. All of them quickly put away the books they borrowed and left the library.
They decided to go out onto the grounds. Finding a secluded spot near the lake, they hunkered down on the grass. It was Harry who spoke up first.
"Yes, Ron," he said softly, adjusting his glasses as he stared over the lake's translucent surface, "I used the Cruciatus Curse on Draco."
He felt a hand on his shoulder and glanced aside to see it was Hermione. "You must have been so angry," she said softly and understandingly.
Harry lowered his head and nodded. Hermione embraced him, whispering in his ear that it was all right.
"Thanks," Harry murmured, feeling tears sting his eyes.
But Ron wasn't quick to comfort him. When Hermione released Harry, Ron said, "You broke a very important law, Harry."
Hermione looked at Ron angrily, and he said defensively, "Don't look at me like that, Hermione. You're the one who's always so big on rules and regulations."
"And you're the one who usually breaks them," snapped Hermione, "For goodness' sake, Ron! Harry's your best friend!"
Harry somehow could hear the thoughts running through Ron's mind. Everything happens to Harry, and he's so special, he can even cast an Unforgivable Curse and get away with it. Harry couldn't blame Ron for feeling it was unfair. It was unfair.
Harry blinked and wiped his eyes before looking at Ron, who was looking at him unwaveringly. Harry couldn't make an excuse for what he did. No matter what Draco had said about Cedric, Harry had no right to do what he did.
Harry's mouth was dry, his voice raspy as he said, "I am prepared to go to Azkaban, Ron."
"Harry!" Hermione gasped in alarm. "Don't say that!"
"You shut up, Harry!" Ron suddenly grabbed his shoulders, and Harry blinked into Ron's eyes in confusion.
"Just shut up!" Ron said gruffly. "Why do you have to be so self-sacrificing? You know I'm jealous of you for a lot of reasons, but the thing that bothers me the most about you is that you have to be a hero."
"... Ron," Harry said faintly. Ron suddenly let go of him and demanded, "Promise me you won't ever do something so stupid again!"
"I- I won't, Ron."
Ron nodded brusquely. "You better keep your promise or I'll really beat the stuffing out of you. I'm not the sissy fighter Draco is."
"... Yes, Ron, I promise."
To be continued.
Chapter 14 has ended. Please go on to the next chapter.
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