Author's 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!

Reminder: Godric's alias is Godfrey. Salazar's is Sextus. Rowena's is Rachel. Helga's is Hannah. Rowena cast a spell so that everyone who hears them will hear them referring to each other by their aliases, but to their own ears, they hear each other's real names. It's a complicated spell.

Hearts and Hourglasses
Chapter 28: All Good Things...

Due to a lack of brooms, there was no Quidditch practice for Harry on Saturday morning. He woke up instead with barely enough time for a proper morning ritual and went down to the Gryffindor common room with Ron, whom Harry had woken. Hermione was waiting for them, and, for a weekend morning, the room was uncharacteristically empty of people.

Hermione quickly told them, that everyone else had already gone down for breakfast and that had they taken longer, she would have gone ahead to the Great Hall without them.

On everyone's mind was the Dark Arts session held the afternoon before. All the students wanted to see Professor Scaevola again. However, when the trio entered the Great Hall, they found that the Founders were absent from the staff table.

"Do you think he's all right?" Harry heard Ginny say as he, Ron and Hermione sat themselves down at the Gryffindor table.

It was Neville who answered her. "He should be..." There was worry in his voice. "He seemed fine when he talked to me yesterday."

"Maybe the Cruciatus Curse was too much to handle?" suggested Dean.

Lee shook his head. "From what I know about Crucio, there is no lasting pain or physical effect after the curse is cast. It's another thing mentally, and I know people have gone insane if it has been used too long on them."

Harry saw Neville flinched as George commented, "Twelve seconds is pretty long."

Seamus shook his head. "I've heard that most people scream once Crucio hits them."

Fred nodded. "Yah, and he took it without crying out until after more than six seconds. That's what they were trying to point out. If we know more about the Cruciatus Curse and other Dark spells, we would be able to defend ourselves better."

"And if people knew more about the Dark Arts," added George, "the less scared they would be of it and of You Know Who too."

Conversation among the Gryffindors broke off when breakfast appeared on their plates. Harry was reaching for the butter to spread on his toast when the owls arrived with mail for the students.

An envelope dropped in front of Harry, almost landing on his sunny side-up eggs. He smiled when Hedwig landed on his shoulder with a friendly hoot. There were crackers on the menu this morning, and he fed some to his snowy owl. She nipped his finger gently when she'd had enough and flew off to the Owlery.

Harry picked up the letter Hedwig had delivered and was surprised to find that it was sealed with the Gryffindor crest.

"Hey Ron." He looked up from the letter to see Ginny peer curiously at a similar letter Ron was holding. Ginny poked at it and said to her brother sitting beside her, "Why does it have the Hufflepuff seal?"

Ron immediately stuffed it into his pocket. "It's none of your business," he answered his sister in a gruff and guilty tone of voice.

Harry glanced over to Hermione and saw she was holding an envelope. Their eyes met and simultaneously both of them hid their letters just as George commented, "Ronniekin's wearing a badger pin too."

Harry and Hermione removed their pins inconspicuously while Ron told his siblings to stop bothering him.

"Oooh," said Fred, grinning, "I bet you're seeing someone from Hufflepuff, aren't you?"

Ron froze before yelling, "No, I am not!" Hermione declared suddenly, "No, he isn't!"

Both turned red when everyone, save for Harry, began teasing them. Fortunately for Ron and Hermione, they were all distracted when half a dozen grey owls flew into the Great Hall bearing a long thin package. It was clearly a broomstick. George and Fred, in particular, were staring at it with expressions of anguish. Though they had the money from Harry to buy themselves new brooms, it would mean postponing their plans for starting their own joke shop, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

Harry stiffened when the owls headed for the Slytherin table, but he wasn't surprised when they delivered the package to Draco.

About time his father sent him a new broom, thought Harry, looking over at Draco who was staring with surprise at the package in his hands.

After breakfast, the trio came out of the Great Hall to see the fifth year Slytherins clustered together around Draco.

"Wow..." Zabini was looking with reverence at the broomstick Draco was holding. It was a Firebolt, the same kind of broom that Harry had. Crabbe and Goyle looked even stupider than usual with their mouths hanging open, staring with glazed eyes at the broomstick.

When Harry and the others approached them, all the Slytherins turned towards them. Instead of the usual snipes and jeers mouthed when Gryffindors and Slytherins meet, the latter simply stared at them suspiciously and without a single word, they all headed down to the dungeons.

Ron was annoyed. "What was that for?" he complained peevishly. Harry was also feeling an uncomfortable mixture of anger and surprise. This was the first time the Slytherins had given them the silent treatment, and it wasn't pleasant at all.

Hermione frowned at them. "They didn't do anything," she pointed out obviously.

"I know," snapped Ron at her and explained, "It's just not normal. They're up to something."

"Oh please!" Hermione threw up her hands. "They get to you whether they do something or not."

Harry agreed with Hermione silently as she and Ron argued once again. He was having the same problem with Draco. It really wasn't fair. The other boy bothered him even though he didn't do anything.

Maybe I've just gotten used to Draco bugging me, thought Harry. He was distracted when a cold draft blew from the direction of the dungeons. It carried a small piece of parchment, which it deposited at Harry's feet. Curious, he picked it up and read what was written on it.

Draco,

This is to replace the broom I broke. Do tell me how it flies since I am not allowed to test it or even go near it.

Sextus Scaevola

Harry blinked. It was Salazar who had sent the Firebolt to Draco, not Lucius Malfoy.

***

After lunch, Harry, Ron and Hermione were outside on the grounds. The letters, they had received that morning, had held instructions from the Founders, requesting that each of them go out to the lake after noon. None of the trio knew why.

It seemed they were the only students outside. The other students were most likely in their respective common rooms or in their dormitories having naps. Harry felt sleepy himself. The sky was greycast. There was no wind, and the air felt heavy. The weather was humid. It would most likely be raining later in the afternoon.

Harry was amused by the fact that each of the three had been sent a letter when one would have been enough. Then he decided that it was better that way. For example, if only Harry had received a notice, it would have seemed as though he were the favorite. The last thing Harry wanted now was to be singled out. He didn't want to give Ron cause to feel envious, or Draco either, for that matter.

Then again, here he was assuming that he would get the letter if the Founders only sent out one.

I do have quite a big ego, thought Harry with disquiet as they reached the banks of the lake.

"Why do you think they asked us to come out here?" said Ron. Harry watched as he picked up a flat polished stone and flung it out across the surface of the lake. It skipped three times before it sunk.

"I have no idea," answered Hermione. She sat down on the bank as the two boys began finding stones to throw. Harry had just thrown his third stone when Godric appeared beside him.

Harry grinned immediately and greeted the older wizard, who smiled at him warmly. Rowena and Helga were there as well and soon they were all asking the Founders why they were out here by the lake.

It was Helga who answered. "We're expecting a shipment," she said. When they looked at her with puzzled eyes, she gestured at the lake. Harry turned to look at its calm clear surface and was startled when bubbles began to form near the banks.

Suddenly, a tugboat surfaced. It was manned by three wizards. The one on deck called out, asking if one of them was Professor Gloucester.

Godric stepped forward and raised his hand. Three sheets of parchment and a quill popped into existence in front of him, and he signed them. The parchment and quill then vanished, and the two other wizards came out of the steering cabin to join their companion. All three then took out their wands and cast Leviosa on a stack of crates on the boat's deck.

Harry and the others moved back as five large crates landed gently in front of them. The boat with its crew sank back into the lake.

He stared at the crates with great curiosity and was about to ask Godric what was inside them when the wizard told him that he would explain later. Then he asked Harry if he could borrow his wand. Harry immediately took out his wand and handed it to Godric. Ron and Hermione also handed their wands to Helga and Rowena.

The Founders cast Leviosa on the crates, which floated a few inches from the ground. Then, they all hurried away from the lake and towards the Quidditch stadium.

***

Harry and Ron were speechless when the crates were open. Inside each box were twelve Firebolts. With five crates, there were sixty of the magnificent racing broomsticks in all.

"How is it, Hannah?" Godric called out, his head raised and looking up to Helga who was testing a Firebolt. After performing a loop, she landed with a grin on her face.

"It's excellent, Godfrey."

Godric nodded with approval and looked over to Rowena and Hermione who were tallying the brooms.

Harry couldn't help himself. He picked up one of the Firebolts and examined it. Like his own broom, it had a golden registration number, but unlike his Firebolt, above the number were the words "Property of Hogwarts" inscribed in gold.

"These are our school brooms?" Ron whispered with awe, and he didn't react when Harry nudged him in the shoulder. Ron kept staring at the Firebolts, but he did jump when Helga patted his shoulder.

"I'm glad you like them, Ron," she said, smiling. "We felt awful after what Sextus did to the school brooms."

"Where is he, by the way?" asked Harry with a grin. He had the feeling that the other Founders hadn't told Salazar about this.

"Most likely sulking in his room," answered Godric with a chuckle.

Rowena sighed with amusement. "Godfrey and Hannah refused to let him come along."

"Indeed," said Helga briskly then she smiled and said, "We did get the idea of replacing the school brooms from him."

Godric made a face. "Yes, we caught him with an order form. He had borrowed a book called Which Broomstick from a student."

"Now, now," said Rowena peaceably. "He only wanted to order a new broomstick to replace Draco's broom which he broke."

Helga shook her head at Rowena. "You think too kindly of him," she told her.

"And you two think too unkindly of him," countered Rowena with a gentle smile.

The six of them spent the next hour test flying the Firebolts. Harry learned that Rowena was not as fond of broomsticks as the other three Founders were, but she did give one of the Firebolts a try. She returned to the ground rather quickly and looked faintly sick.

Godric was asking Harry to fetch Madam Hooch, who was in charge of teaching flying to the students, when suddenly she burst into the Quidditch stadium with Professor Flitwick.

"Sir!" Madam Hooch shouted as she reached them. Her eyes widened when she saw the Firebolts, then they cleared and quickly snapped back to Godric who was staring at her with surprise.

"You and the others must hide!" she said urgently.

Godric blinked, and Helga asked what was wrong.

Flitwick answered with a gasp, "Fudge- the Aurors-" He stopped to catch his breath. Hooch finished for him. "Lord Slytherin has been arrested!"

To be continued.

Q & A

From: Seldes Katne *my* beta-reader

-crates landed gently in front of them. The boat with its crew sank back into the lake.

Do we want to know how the Founders paid for all this?

(big silly grin) They are very rich! Rowena's family, for example, was already very very wealthy in the first place. The other Founders are also well-off since they all come from noble Wizarding families. Plus, Salazar and Godric made extra gold with their pet projects, particularly the not then illegal trade in basilisks. Those two also liked to breed dragons too. I don't know if Gringotts existed a thousand years ago, but there already were banks during the Ancient Roman Empire. Remember Barrington Brothers' Smithy? (it's one of the places in the game in chapter 24) I remember learning in school that the first banks were the smithys. Gold is left in the smith's care, and he just assigns pieces of paper to represent amounts of gold. That's how paper money started too, I think. Anyway, the Founders had gold kept in secret funds aside from the Hogwarts accounts. Over a thousand years, a lot of interest is accumulated.

Let's say, for example, 100 galleons with an average cumulative interest of 1 percent per year. I know it doesn't sound much, but a thousand years ago, a 100 galleons equals around a million. Here how it grows each year: 101, 102.01, 103.0301 (skip seven years), 110.46 (skip 90 years), 270.47 (skip 100), 731.57, (skip 300), 14476.64 (skip 500 years), 2095823.30

2,095,823.30 galleons, and I rounded off several times. And the Founders definitely stashed away more than a 100 galleons. Also, the gold that was used to pay for the Firebolts came from Salazar's account. He doesn't know though.

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