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 19: Silver Lining
A month after Salazar's successful raid of Ravenclaw manor, another group of Dark wizards attacked the school. They broke through the magical charms and barriers placed around the estate, which had already been weakened beforehand by Salazar.
Godric was furious. The six Dark wizards soon found themselves in disarray as the young Light wizard attacked and defended not only with spells, but also with swordplay. Godric had wisely decided to follow Helga's example and had chosen to arm himself with more than with just a wand. He was dangerous at duelling range and was a whirling dervish at close range.
Outwanded and confused by Godric's unorthodox battlestyle, the Dark wizards withdrew and regrouped. Standing close to each other, three of them managed to keep Godric away while their leader hurriedly conferred with the remaining two wizards.
They were startled to hear someone laughing. They looked up and saw Salazar perched high above on a branch of the oak tree under which they had withdrawn to. They recognized him immediately and asked him to join them in defeating the Light wizard and in destroying the magical school.
But Salazar just kept on laughing at them. When they finally demanded to know what he found so hilarious, he answered with a chuckle that it amused him greatly that adult wizards such as they would feel so threatened by children that they needed to attack a school.
"It is pathetic," Salazar told them with an ambiguous half-smile. "Cowardly actually."
***
Monday, as far as Harry was concerned, was a disaster. In the morning, it was discovered that the Fat Lady was not in her portrait. Without her, the portrait hole was sealed and couldn't be opened. He and the other Gryffindors were trapped in the tower. Fortunately, Hermione thought fast and told everyone to start shouting. The ruckus and noise brought Professor McGonagall, who took down the empty portrait and let them out.
Professor McGonagall was livid. She immediately went to Headmaster Dumbledore, who ordered a search for the Fat Lady, who was found unconscious in an empty canvas in an art supply closet. When they woke her up, she was surprised to see them and shocked to learn that she had been kidnapped from her portrait.
The Fat Lady didn't remember anything after dozing off to sleep the night before, and none of the other pictures, or even Peeves, had noticed anything unusual. By all accounts, it seemed to be just a practical joke with the sole purpose of keeping the Gryffindors locked in their tower. But thanks to Hermione's quick thinking, they had only missed breakfast and were not even late for their first classes that morning.
The practical joke did succeed in irritating them.
"I'll bet ten galleons those Slytherins did it." Ron bit savagely into a sausage. Harry was eating his lunch quickly. All the Gryffindors were starving, since they hadn't had breakfast that day.
A smear of sauce on the right side of his jaw, Neville looked up from his plate and remarked, "They do seem pleased with themselves..."
Harry glared over to the Slytherin table and froze. Draco was staring back at him. Cool gray eyes narrowed at Harry, and a corner of Draco's mouth lifted in a smirk. Harry scowled at him.
Godric and Salazar had stopped mouthing off at each other over the weekend, but their Houses were still at war especially with this latest transgression against House Gryffindor.
Harry didn't know how Rowena and Helga managed it. Nevertheless, the two men were not reconciled. Over at the staff table, the two wizards were deliberately ignoring each other.
"Wonder how they did it though..." Harry looked away from the staff table to see George scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Tampering with pictures by magical means is not easy. Actually, it's impossible," he declared.
Fred nodded, agreeing with his twin. "Pictures have a different dimension of their own. We can't meddle with them, and they can't meddle with us."
Their area of the Gryffindor table fell silent as they pondered on how the pranksters had accomplished this particular feat.
"It's easy." All of them stared at Hermione, who was wiping her mouth clean with her napkin. She smiled at them, mindful that she had their full attentions, saying, "All they had to do was take pictures of themselves, and their pictures kidnapped the Fat Lady."
Which was why fourth year Gryffindor Colin Creevey found himself accosted by the Weasley Twins and Lee Jordan before lunch was over. By evening, several large portraits of the trio had been plastered on the walls of the Gryffindor common room. Harry, Ron and Hermione were very amused when they spotted Freds, Georges and Lees wreaking havoc in various school paintings.
Mr. Filch was boiling mad. The Fat Lady was delighted.
In the afternoon, Quidditch trials began. After their last classes for that day, Harry, Ron and Hermione headed for the Quidditch field. Harry played Seeker for the Gryffindor team and was eager to see what new talent might be had from the hopefuls trying for the team this year.
Harry was happy to find that Godric was there. While Fred and George were entertaining the students who wanted to join the team, Lee was quickly bringing Godric up to speed about Quidditch.
"You know," Lee remarked to Godric, "I cannot believe you know practically nothing about Quidditch."
Harry quickly went to Godric's rescue and interrupted Lee. "Hi Lee. Good afternoon, Professor Gloucester," he greeted brightly. Ron and Hermione caught on quickly.
"Hey Lee," Ron said, "looks like a good turnout this year." There was a score of first year Gryffindors taking the trials, a handful of third-years, but the majority were second year students.
Lee nodded. "Since we didn't have the Quidditch Tournament last year, a lot of those interested in joining the House teams decided to try this year instead."
"Who looks promising?" Harry chipped in. He breathed easier when Lee started to point out those he thought might be accepted into the team. Ron and Hermione kept Lee busy with questions, and Harry thanked them silently.
"How are you, Sir?" Harry asked Godric in a low tone. Godric's eyes flickered. Guilt flashed in expressive brown eyes, and Harry quickly said, "Please, Sir. I'm not angry at you. Stop blaming yourself."
Godric's face looked lined as if he hadn't been sleeping well. His hair was awry as if he had run his hand through it more often than usual. Godric turned away from Harry, making the boy feel helpless and frustrated.
Harry remembered what Salazar said about Godric (actually Gryffindors) being the sort to blame everything on themselves. It also meant they were those who weren't afraid of accepting all responsibility for their actions.
I shouldn't remind him of it, thought Harry. It was clear Godric didn't want to talk about it.
I should distract him then, Harry decided, and he lifted his broom and presented it to Godric who looked at him and at the Firebolt in Harry's hands with a startled expression.
"Care to ride it, Sir?" Harry offered and grinned, suddenly wanting badly to see how Godric Gryffindor would handle a broomstick.
Harry was surprised when Godric, with an awkward look on his face, politely declined.
"Sir?"
"My experiences with brooms haven't been pleasant, Harry, and I prefer what I ride to have a proper head."
Harry then remembered that in Godric's time, brooms weren't as comfortable or as well made as they were now. Harry reassured Godric that brooms were much better now. It was with a dubious look that Godric finally mounted Harry's Firebolt.
Harry smiled at the surprise in the older man's face when he felt the Cushioning Charm on the broomstick.
"Definitely much more comfortable," commented Godric, smiling at Harry, who was pleased to see him smile. Harry watched him as he took off smoothly.
There was a ruckus from across the field, and both of them turned to see a flier beginning a loop.
"Way to go, Professor!" Shouts of delight and fanfare came from the Hufflepuff Quidditch Team who were holding trials on the opposite side of the field from the Gryffindors. Harry's jaw dropped as Helga, in mid loop smoothly did a one-half roll and ended up facing the opposite way at a higher altitude.
"Wow!" Harry glanced over to George and Fred who had started whistling and cat-calling. Lee & Ron looked as amazed as Harry, their mouths gaping in astonishment; while Hermione was apprehensive. Harry turned back to Godric who was grinning broadly and floating a few feet off the ground.
"She never ceases to amaze me," Godric said affectionately.
No kidding, thought Harry, there was more to Helga Hufflepuff than what met the eye. Then, he looked over to the Ravenclaw and Slytherin sides. He spotted Salazar talking with Draco and his friends, but Rowena was no where in sight.
"She declined to go with us," said Godric to him, anticipating Harry's question, "she said she had a slight headache and wanted to rest for a while."
Suddenly, clamor broke from the Slytherins. Harry turned, expecting to see Salazar doing acrobatics on a broom. It was Salazar, but he was doing nothing more than holding tight onto his broom as it zoomed around uncontrollably like a Filibuster rocket.
"SOMEBODY STOP THIS BLOODY THING!!!" Salazar's irate words reached Harry just as the broom streaked out of the Quidditch field with its unwilling passenger.
"SEXTUS!" Godric shot off after him; Helga was already in pursuit.
***
"Salazar," screamed Helga as she drew along beside him, "slow down!"
"I can't!" Salazar yelled. He was leaning low against the broom and looking pale. The knuckles of his hands, gripping the broom handle, were white.
"You idiot!" Godric was on his other side, and he was having trouble keeping up with Salazar. "What do you mean you can't stop?!" They were miles up in the air.
"I have been trying to stop!" Salazar's voice quaked with fury and alarm. "It won't stop! I've been trying to make this blasted thing stop, but it won't-"
To Helga's and Godric's disbelief, Salazar's broom sped up even faster, increasing the distance between them and Salazar.
Suddenly, the broom jolted, stalling for just an instant, but the momentary lapse caught Salazar by surprise. Godric watched in horror as the other man lost his hold and slipped off the broom.
Helga at once followed him, tilting her broom sharply earthward. She overtook the plunging wizard, and came to a halt quickly. As Salazar fell passed her, she grabbed him by the wrist.
Godric shouted in alarm when Helga was almost dragged off her broom by Salazar's weight. She was barely holding on to it with one arm and one leg. Salazar's wrist had slid through her fingers, and she was now holding onto his hand.
"Godric," Helga shouted, "I can't hold him! You have to get below-" Salazar's hand slipped through hers.
"SALAZAR!" Helga screamed as Godric raced after him. The ground below whirled and grew closer as he kept his eyes locked on Salazar, unconscious, falling headlong towards the earth, green robes flapping wildly around the listless form.
Flying perpendicular to the ground, Godric drew level with Salazar and passed him. At a scant thousand feet from the ground, he stopped his descent and caught Salazar.
***
Salazar was ashen. His face was blanched white; his eyes closed. Godric could see his lips move the slightest bit, twitching, forming words Godric couldn't hear. Salazar seemed to be chanting something under his breath, but he wasn't awake.
After catching him, Godric had quickly brought both of them down to terra firma.
His hand trembled as Godric placed it on the Salazar's thin shoulder and shook the other man. There was no reaction, no change. There was no sign that Salazar had even felt him.
"Godric!"
He turned just as Helga landed. Within moments, she was kneeling beside Godric and examining Salazar's prone form.
Helga's face was tight with anxiety, but her eyes were calm and meticulous as she took Salazar's hands and began massaging his wrists. The tightness in Godric's chest ease when Salazar began to breathe easier.
"He's in shock," murmured Helga, "He has to be kept warm. This cold ground isn't helping." She began to take off her cloak. Her eyes flicked to Godric, and she snapped commandingly, "Take off your cloak!"
After a perplexed moment, Godric hurriedly took off his outer wear and handed them to Helga who quickly covered Salazar with them. Night was falling, but Godric barely noticed the chill in the air and didn't shiver when a breeze started and ran icy fingers through the thin layer of his robes.
The next people who arrived were Harry and Draco. Helga was about to call out to Harry for his wand when Draco reacted quicker. The boy at once took out his wand and cast a warming spell on Salazar before performing Leviosa on him.
Helga was startled by Draco's foresight, and despite her animosity towards him, she nodded approvingly at him. Harry had gone and retrieved their brooms. After which, they quickly took Salazar back to Hogwarts.
***
It was difficult for Rowena to leave Salazar's side, but Helga had assured her that he was fine. Salazar was sleeping peacefully now. He would wake up in a few hours. Godric, on the other hand, troubled her more. The raging emotions and fears he had kept bottled up inside him were breaking loose after almost losing Salazar. Close death reminded him too much of his first encounter with it.
She found him easily. He was in the Duplice room, staring at ceiling. Rowena couldn't see what he was seeing. Only Gryffindors and Slytherins could make sense of the painting supposedly there. To Rowena, there wasn't even a painting, just a blank ceiling.
Godric tilted his head down when she came in. He didn't say anything, but the look on his face told her clearly that he didn't want to see anyone right now.
"Rowena, please leave," Godric said firmly.
She closed the door behind her and looked at him steadily. "I will not, Godric. I know about it. I've known for a long time. Not everything, not all the details, but I knew."
"... You knew?" Godric stared at Rowena with disbelief and dread. "How could you have known. I was so careful. I deliberately kept thinking of other things to make sure you wouldn't find out."
Rowena gave him an amused smile. "So that's why your mind is usually so noisy. I suggest you borrow a leaf from Salazar's book. He simply just doesn't think of it." Then, her face gentled. "But don't blame yourself, Godric. I found out from Salazar."
"..."
"No, no," said Rowena quickly before Godric thought the wrong idea, "He didn't tell me anything, and he was very careful with his thoughts. However, he couldn't control his dreams."
"... Dreams?"
"It was a nightmare actually."
"... A nightmare?" Godric shook his head slightly, befuddled. "Why would Salazar have nightmares about it? He wasn't the one who killed-" He broke off, his jaw tightening.
"Godric," Rowena murmured softly, gently insistent "please forgive yourself."
"... I can't," Godric said simply, turning away from her. He jerked away when she tried to comfort him. He didn't see the shared pain in Rowena's eyes.
"It wasn't him, Godric. The creature who attacked you and killed your mother wasn't your father."
But Godric wasn't listening to her. His mind, heart and soul was trapped in that memory, that fateful evening when both his parents were taken away from him.
***
"Run, Godric!" His mother pushed him away towards the door, but his muscles were paralyzed. He tripped over his own feet and crashed to the floor.
He didn't see his father's maddened eyes locked on him, but he heard his mother's scream when the Ignis Curse struck her.
Godric looked up from the floor to see his mother's body burst into flames. The curse was quick and excruciating. It only took moments for the flames to turn her into ashes.
Godric's heart turned into ice. His mother's scream still rang in his ears long after it had ended. Then, he heard another sound.
There was a clatter, the sound of a wand hitting the floor, then a soft whimpering sound. Godric slowly turned his eyes towards the sound and saw his father crying.
Godric stood up as his father fell to his knees and cupped his wife's ashes in his hands. He couldn't hold them. The fine particles slipped through his shaking fingers.
His father was sobbing and weeping, saying he was sorry, then a harsh insane shriek broke through the sad cries. His father looked up at him.
Those eyes, once capable of making Godric proud and warm at the same time, were now nothing more than the wild insane orbs of an animal. The beast, that was his father, didn't even bother to retrieve the fallen wand. It attacked Godric, splayed hands going for his throat.
There was nothing in his mind and heart as he pointed his wand at his father and killed him.
***
"... I felt nothing when I killed my father..." Godric's eyes were empty. He didn't even see Rowena who was standing in front of her. His head tilted up slightly, eyes gazing at nothing. For a moment, Rowena feared he was going to collapse, but he didn't. He swayed towards the wall, leaning his body heavily against it.
Rowena watched silently as Godric turned his head and pressed the left side of his face against the wall. His right hand rose and pressed its palm against it. His eyes closed, and a single tear crept down his cheek.
"When they examined him," whispered Godric, "they said they didn't understand what killed him. He looked so peaceful... He was even smiling a little. My father was inside that beast... He cried for my mother. He could have been saved, but I killed him."
Rowena remembered when they heard about Godric's loss. The official word was that Lord Gavin Gryffindor, driven mad by the Cruciatus Curse, died of a broken heart after realizing he had killed his wife. Their son's involvement was not mentioned. It was for the best. No one challenged Godric when he assumed his father's place.
When she moved closer to him, Godric's eyes snapped open and warned her away. He straightened and backed away from the wall. Rowena was barely able to keep herself still. If she even so much as tried to make him feel better, ease the guilt, he would shut her out. Godric was resolved to punish himself and suffer alone.
"Godric, stop it. You can't keep beating yourself over and over for this. What happened happened. Nothing you can do now can change it-" Rowena stopped, realizing that Godric wasn't even listening to her. Nothing she could say would make him forgive himself. It was only up to him.
Rowena felt helpless and found herself wishing Salazar was here. The Dark wizard would have no hesitation in deriding Godric. That's what he had been doing the past few days, infuriating Godric so that he wouldn't dwell on the past. Salazar wouldn't even think of consoling Godric, which was what Rowena was trying to do and what Helga would also attempt if she ever knew.
When it came to Godric, Salazar's method of annoyance was much more effective.
Suddenly Godric asked, "Why did Salazar have nightmares?" Rowena's concern abated when she found that Godric seemed to be more tranquil now. His inquisitive brown eyes gazed at her inquiringly, and she felt that he wanted to be distracted.
Rowena was more than happy to do so though Salazar would most likely never forgive her if he found out what she was about to tell Godric.
"Remember when he got you drunk and cast a truth spell on you?"
"... Yes, but how did you know about that?"
"From his nightmare."
"... Remind me never to doze off in your presence, Rowena," he commented wryly.
Rowena gave him a guileless smile, and Godric grimaced before gesturing at her to continue. Rowena was pleased when he seated himself on one of the beds. She perched herself on the other one before continuing.
"Salazar's nightmare was about you, Godric. I don't know most of the details, but I do know he had been terrified by you."
Godric blinked at her. "... I don't understand."
"I don't understand everything either, Godric," Rowena said in a patient tone. "Dreams are hard to decipher, but there are thoughts and feelings that are repeated in intense dreams, especially nightmares. Salazar kept thinking, repeating to himself never again to get you drunk or cast a truth spell on you."
Rowena gave the increasingly puzzled Godric an amused look. "Whatever you did to Salazar must have been traumatizing to him. He absolutely hated it, and you know how he is when he hates something."
"I know. I know," muttered Godric, "he never lets up about it."
"Yes," agreed Rowena softly, "In his nightmare, he barely stopped you from killing yourself."
Godric's eyes widened. "WHAT?!"
Rowena's eyes lowered from Godric's. "You tried to impale yourself with your sword, Godric."
"I never did that!" Protested Godric, standing up. "I never did that!" He repeated emphatically.
"Are you sure?" Rowena asked, looking back at him. "You were drunk, Godric. You don't remember everything that happened that night."
He was shaking. "... He would have told me..." Godric said, but he sounded uncertain, and Rowena reminded him that Salazar would not want to mention an experience that affected him greatly. The Dark wizard would never let others know of the things that disturbed him. They were signs of weakness.
Godric breathed in sharply. His eyes were now narrowed and furious. Rowena was glad to see the angry light in them as their owner exploded.
"THAT BASTARD! That's why he's been riling me since last week! He thought I was going to kill myself if I became depressed again! ... That's probably why he does his damn best to irritate me all the time! HE THINKS I CAN'T TAKE HANDLE MYSELF WHEN I'M UPSET!!!"
"Well, you do get despondent quite easily, Godric..." Rowena trailed off when he gave her a furious look."
"Do you also think of me as that pitiful, Rowena?!"
"Of course not, Godric! I think you take very good care of yourself... But you were melancholy for a long time after your parents died," Rowena said carefully, watching him closely, "Helga and I tried to talk to you about it, but-" She broke off, feeling guilty.
Both she and Helga knew that something had been eating away at Godric besides grief over his parents' deaths, but they hadn't been able to help Godric deal with it. He struggled with the guilt of killing his father by himself and alone. Only Salazar had been able to find out about it, by accident.
"Swords..." Godric muttered suddenly, "Salazar started bothering me about my swords after that night..." The muscles in his face tightened, and his eyes glazed with unwilling comprehension. "I must have tried to kill myself that night then," he said softly, slowly admitting and believing, "He never bothered with me before, even after I showed him Avada Kedavra..."
Godric's expression turned disbelieving. "But he wouldn't leave me alone after that night... He started being nice towards me... mentioned that we had the same interests... offered to show me where to get dragon eggs at lower prices... wouldn't let me go alone to taverns-
Rowena flinched when he bellowed, "HE WAS FEELING SORRY FOR ME!!!"
"Calm down, Godric! ... You can't go to Salazar right now!"
"I'm going to shake that bastard awake-"
"Helga would never forgive you if you hurt one of her patients even if it's Salazar, and I won't like it either!"
Rowena somehow managed to keep Godric from going after Salazar. The wizard fumed for a long time as he paced the length of the room and back with Rowena watching him warily. When the anger finally cooled and died down, Rowena had to deal with him putting up a stoic façade. She could see right through it. Godric was embarrassed and perplexed with the reluctant realization that he owed a great deal to Salazar.
Rowena also knew Godric would never admit it, but she felt that he wasn't going to be baited as easily by Salazar's taunts as before nor would he allow himself to fall again into despair over what he had done to his father. His pride wouldn't allow it. Godric was utterly ashamed of the idea that his friendship and rivalry with Salazar began because the Dark wizard felt sorry for him.
Salazar, she knew, had been disgusted with himself when he began to fret over Godric. He hid his concern from Rowena and immediately directed a considerable amount of his energy and time to watching over the Light wizard. It was how Salazar dealt with stress and frustration. He was never one to contain his feelings and emotions, but he didn't show and express them directly either. They came out in other ways, mostly in the form of amusement. In Rowena's case, exceptional tenderness.
It had irked Salazar when it became clear to him that he had become fond of Godric. The Light wizard amused and challenged him, something that no other Dark wizard had done before. Indeed, Salazar was always treated with utmost respect by his fellow kind, even by his peers.
Rowena also recalled the fear and distraught she had felt from Godric when he and Helga brought Salazar into Hogwarts. He had been terrified by the thought of Salazar hurt and dying. Both men would never admit it, but they valued each other, treating one another candidly and with no reservation; so much like brothers with a close connection.
Rowena finally decided to distract Godric again, this time from his chagrin.
"Would you like to know how I see you, Godric?"
"... What?"
"I see you as an elm tree," Rowena said warmly, her soft blue eyes regarding him fondly.
Taken aback and diverted from his discomfiture, Godric slowly frowned at her. "... A tree? You see me as a tree?"
"Trees are wonderful, Godric," Rowena said lightly, "The elm is large, tall and straight. Its limbs are upright. The shade it provides is always welcome."
Godric was still uncertain about being compared to a tree, though he couldn't help but smile when Rowena added that the elm was also an attractive specimen of a tree.
Flattered, he laughed self-consciously, then asked her what she saw Helga as.
"A lioness," said Rowena immediately, and Godric didn't ask why. His amused eyes told her he agreed with her wholeheartedly.
"How about Salazar?" This one, Rowena could see, he was curious to know.
Rowena's eyes gentled, and she said, "Salazar is a dark cloud with a silver lining."
After a few moments, Godric nodded once.
To be continued.
Chapter 19 has ended. Please go on to the next chapter.
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