Yay!  The actual first chapter of The Founders is here!  That other first chapter was just the prequel.  ~grins~

Well, enjoy!  This chapter begins with the end of Wolf-Child.  It's short, I'm sorry.

I don't own them, wish I did!

The Founders

            Several hours after showing up, the Ministry officials announced that the chances of finding George in the rubble that was once the Burrow, dead or alive, were virtually nonexistent.  Either his body had been destroyed or removed from the scene.  There wasn't a stone left unturned.  Draco sat next to Harry, who was hugging Ron.  Ron was holding Fred's hand and crying silently.

            "Is this the end then?" Ron asked.  "Is this how everything's going to end?"

            "No," Draco whispered.  "I fear this is only the beginning."

            "Only the beginning?" Harry asked.  "What does that mean?"

            "It means we're all in a lot of trouble," Blaise sighed, dropping ungracefully next to Draco.  "Obviously, you're all targeted by Voldemort, or Fudge, or whoever the latest evil guy is.  Draco and I are as good as dead for being here and talking to you, "compromising our positions" as they call it.  Fred is dead, George is probably wishing he was dead, and we have three Death Eaters watching us."

            "Only two now," Draco said, muttering a curse under his breath as he hide his wand again.  "And they're running.  We are dead."

            "Dead?" James asked, coming up behind them.  "Why would you be dead?"

            Blaise peered up at the older man.  "Oh, I don't know," he said sarcastically.  "Maybe it has something to do with the fact that two Death Eaters are running to Moldy to tell him Draco and I are traitors and have attacked another of them.  Would that count?"

            "Play nice, vampire," Draco chided him lightly.  Blaise hissed and snapped at Draco's wagging finger.

            James frowned.  "So you can't go home?"  Both boys shook their heads.  "Well, why don't you come stay with us then?  Remus is talking to Arthur, inviting all the Weasleys to stay.  I'm sure we can find room for you.  Besides, our house is almost as protected as Hogwarts.  No one wants to risk harm befalling Harry."

            "Oh, heaven forbid anyone tries to compromise Harry's safety," Blaise spat, digging into the rubble absently.  "No one wants any harm befalling our own little hero, the Boy-Who-Lived!"

            "Calm yourself, vampire, you're tired.  Close your mouth before you bite someone."  Draco frowned at Blaise, who turned away.

            Harry twisted his fingers in Noko's hair.  He bit his lip, wondering if his dad was making a wise decision in letting Blaise and Draco stay with them.  Draco he trusted.  Ever since that one incident in the Chamber, Harry felt like he could trust Draco with his life.  It was Blaise, Blaise the part-vampire, that he was wary of.  A nagging voice in his head said Blaise would be responsible for the deaths of people he loved.

            Sirius touched Harry's shoulder gently.  "Harry?  You okay?"

            "I'm fine."  Harry shrugged Sirius' hand off, staring at Blaise.  "Just peachy."

            "Peachy?  Since when did you say peachy?"

            "Since Fred died," Harry spat, standing up and stomping off.  James stopped Sirius from pursuing.

            "Siri, remember when you thought I was dead?  Did you want your father or uncle chasing you around?  Harry's feeling that now.  Give him some time alone, he needs it."

            Sirius shook his head.  "Somehow you always were better at emotions then me."

            "I was married to a female.  You never stayed close enough to one at a time for them to rub off on you."

            Sirius managed a weak smile, his gaze drawn down to Fred's still form.  "I can't believe they're both gone.  Fred dead, George missing . . . it's like a nightmare you can't wake up from.  They were so much like us, Jamie!  They were so young!"

            Remus came up and hugged Sirius from behind.  "We'll find George.  If they wanted to kill him, they would have already done so.  Nothing more can be done for Fred. . ."

            Blaise poked Fred lightly, drawing a moan from the red-head.  "Uh, actually, Professor . . ."

            Ron made a sound that sounded like a cross between a sob and a squeal, throwing his arms around Fred.  "You're alive!  You're alive!"  Noko whooped, and the rest of the Weasleys came running.

            Mrs. Weasley practically shoved Ron away, crushing Fred to her.  Ginny and Percy managed to grab him from the other side, doing the best to force the rest of the air out of his lungs.  Mr. Weasley, noticing Fred was starting to turn blue, pulled them off.  "Give him some air!  You'll kill him doing that!"

            "Fred, Fred, oh love, you're alive!  What happened to you, Fred?  What happened?"  Mrs. Weasley pulled Fred back into a hug, but not nearly as tight as before.  Fred coughed a little and rubbed his eyes.

            "I feel like I got run over by a rampaging dragon.  What happened?"

            Draco stood and walked over to Harry as the Weasleys tried to fill Fred in.  "Harry?  What's wrong?  Fred's okay, you don't have to worry about that, and Remus is right, George isn't dead, or else we would have found him."

            Harry looked up at the stars, visible now that the Dark Mark had faded.  "Draco?  Do you ever get the feeling that you're meant to do something else?  Something . . . something more?"

            "Not really," Draco answered.  "But if it'll make you feel better, I'll tell you this.  You are meant to do something more, just not yet.  You'll know when the time comes.  You're on the right path, Harry, don't worry.  The future will fall into place."

            Harry looked sideways at Draco, noticing the blond boy was looking at the stars now.  "Divination, Draco?"

            Draco shrugged.  "Read it in a book, changed a couple words.  Did it make you feel better?"

            "Not really."

            "Well, it was worth a shot."

            Noko squealed and ran away from the Weasleys, all of whom were suddenly looking murderous, except for Fred, who was laughing.  She tore over to Harry and Draco, climbing up them to cling to their necks, trembling.  All her fur was sticking up, making her lupine half look like a puff ball.  "Help!"

            Draco tried to pry her fingers off of Harry's throat, only to have them wrap around his own.  Harry managed to get her off him and pushed her into Draco's arms.  "Noko?  What's wrong?  Why do you need help?"  Noko only trembled and buried her face in Draco's shoulder.

            "They tie to kill me!" she whimpered.

            Remus strode over and pulled Noko from Draco.  He held her up, ignoring her squirms as she tried to get free.  "Noko, did you know that drink was a poison?"

            "No," she whispered.

            "Did you have any idea what it was?"

            "I tought it was waer."

            Remus hugged Noko and handed her back to Draco.  "Okay then, you're innocent."

            "What?"  Harry asked.  "What was it?"

            Remus shook his head.  "It seems Fred asked Noko if she could get him a drink, and she gave him a poison Percy was using in his work.  She thought it was water.  It put Fred in a death-like trance.  He wasn't aware of anything until the poison wore off.  Luckily, it wasn't very strong and he didn't drink much."

            Draco hugged Noko.  "Mr. Potter invited Blaise and me to stay with you, Professor.  May we?"

            Remus nodded.  "Of course you can!  That is, if. . ." he trailed off, glancing over at Harry, who nodded.  They could be trusted.  "Of course."

            Ron, Draco, and Blaise stood in Harry's room later that night, watching as Harry whipped pillows and sheets onto a spare bed that had been set up.  "Draco and Blaise, you can sleep here.  Ron, you can share my bed, if that's alright with everyone. . ."

            The other three assured him that was fine, and Harry smiled, tiredly.  Across the hall, Percy and Fred were getting ready for bed in James' room.  Mr. and Mrs. Weasley shared the guest room.  Ginny slept in Noko's room, and Sirius and Remus were together in theirs.

            After they all were in their beds, Harry turned the lights off.  Blaise fell asleep immediately, but his dreams were soon haunted by specters of the past.

Blaise staggered back, dropping to his knees as the curse hit him.  Grindelwald stood before him, wreathed in shadow.  "Do you surrender yet, my dear servant?"

            "I will never surrender to you again!"  Blaise spat a mouthful of blood at Grindelwald.  The Dark Wizard's expression was one of pure fury.

            "Foolish little wizard, you think you can defeat me?"  Another curse hit Blaise, knocking him to the ground.  His head hit the stone floor with a loud crack.  As the world spun around him, he knew he wouldn't be getting up again, ever.

Just then the door flew open and Godric staggered in, more then a little drunk.  "Salazar!" he cried, seeing his . . . friend? on the ground, bloody and bruised.  He turned to Grindelwald with a cry of pure rage, lifting his wand hand . . . only to discover he had no wand.  Blaise groaned, wondering when his brave colleague became so forgetful.  Grindelwald laughed.  Godric hit the ground as the killing curse washed over him and Blaise's world faded to the sound of Grindelwald's maniacal laughter.

            Suddenly, pain lanced through his body.  Blaise writhed and twisted, screaming as unseen flames consumed him.

See?  Fred's not dead, like I said!

I know this chapter was short, but you won't believe how hard it was to get out!  Hopefully the next one is longer, and comes sooner.

Did you guess Blaise as the wizard who had the dream in the first part?

~Crawler