Please read the Author's Note at the bottom. Nothing's really changed in the way of warnings, oh, wait, except one. I've decided that although Harry and Draco will be much friendlier towards each other, slash will be kept to a minimum. It just doesn't seem to be coming into play. They will become extremely close, but I think there will be more slash between Remus and Sirius.
Sorry to anyone looking for hard-core H/D relationship stuff. Not going to happen.
The Founders
"Hermione, it's only the first day of school! How can you have homework already?" Ron read titles off of Hermione's stack of books. "Genealogy and You, Tracing Your Tree, Finding Your Roots, Hogwarts, A History, what class are these for?"
Hermione pulled her books out of Ron's hands and set them on the table. "For your information, they aren't for any class."
"Then why . . ."
"They're for a project I'm doing in my own time."
"But why . . ."
"I'm trying to find the descendants of the founders."
"What?"
Hermione sighed and started explaining slowly. "Ever since second year, when we didn't know if Harry was Slytherin's heir, I wondered if there were Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff heirs too. My parents got me the genealogy books for my birthday."
"But aren't you working backwards?"
"It's the concept, Ron. A big part of genealogy is tracking down and interpreting records. Working backwards requires the same skills."
"Sounds interesting," Harry spoke up. "A lot of work, but interesting. Found anything yet?"
Hermione pulled another stack of books out of her bag and dropped them on the table. "Nothing. Ten books on the founders and not a whisper of any of them having any family."
Noko stole a paper from Hermione's bag and studied it. "Blah, blah, blah, yadda dadda, Noko is good, la dee da, lo dee do, Hawwy is nithe too, bling a thing, Noko liketh Dayco." She shoved the paper in Harry's face. "Noko can read!"
"Maybe you should just drop the project if you're not getting anywhere," Ron suggested. Hermione looked scandalized.
"It's not like it's schoolwork," Harry pointed out, studying the paper Noko gave him. "What's this? Hog – comatose 997, died 1005. Rav – died 1003, natural? Huf – died 997, murdered? By Sly? Grin? Sly and Grf – disappeared 1000, died?"
Hermione took the paper from Harry and glanced at it briefly before filing it back in her stack. "That's a list of death dates for the four founders and Herdir Hogwarts."
"Herdir Hogwarts?"
Hermione sighed and pulled out Hogwarts, A History. "According to this, Hogwarts was founded by four of the greatest witches and wizards of the time, however, other sources have mentioned a fifth. Herdir Hogwarts was the first headmaster of Hogwarts and gave his name to the school, but other then that, he's rarely mentioned anywhere. He's a bit more elusive then the other four when it comes to finding information, but what I have found reminds me of Dumbledore. Hogwarts was a brilliant, elderly wizard when the school was founded, but he had a strange way of thinking. The night Hufflepuff died, Hogwarts was found near her in a coma. He died eight years later. Although the records say that Hufflepuff died of natural causes, an excerpt from Ravenclaw's diary suspected foul play, maybe Slytherin. Three years later, Gryffindor and Slytherin disappeared and were never seen again. Ravenclaw lived another three years before she died. Her last diary entry was written moments before she died. Again, natural causes were given for cause of death, but her last entry talked about a strange shadow that had been stalking her and the constant sensation of someone unfriendly watching her." Hermione rifled through her bag and pulled out a much smaller book. "Here, this is the diary."
Harry took the book. "Diary of the Dove," he read. "Dove?"
"Hogwarts' nickname for Ravenclaw."
"Hmm." Harry flipped through the book, reading excerpts here and there.
. . . It's amazing! The castle is designed in the new Gothic style! It's absolutely gorgeous! Salazar and Godric are arguing over the color scheme; Salazar wants green and silver, Godric prefers red and gold. Little do they know that Helga is already decorating the castle as I write this, and it's neither red nor green . . .
. . . Godric makes me so mad! I can't believe what he did! He accused Salazar of murdering poor Helga right in the middle of dinner! I thought they were friends, but Godric . . . he's just changed for the worse. Salazar too, but he's been acting weird longer. Here we are, trying to get over poor Helga's death and Herdir's illness, and what does Godric do? Point fingers over dinner! Salazar left! He actually packed up and left the school. What are we going to do with his students? . . .
. . . Salazar's back and darker then ever. He and Godric still haven't managed to patch up their friendship . . .
. . . I have to agree with Godric. Reviewing the evidence, Helga probably was murdered. The question now is, by whom? If only Herdir would wake. He would know . . .
"Grindelwald," Harry whispered.
"What?" Ron asked again.
"Grindelwald," Harry repeated. "Helga Hufflepuff was killed by Grindelwald, who was acting through Salazar Slytherin." Noko bounced off her seat and ran across the hall.
"It says that?" Hermione pulled the diary towards her excitedly. "I don't remember reading that!"
"It doesn't say that."
"Then how did you know?"
Harry opened and closed his mouth several times before shaking his head and shrugging. "I don't know if I could explain it. I just do."
"Harry." Harry looked up to see Blaise standing over him, holding a trembling Noko. "You know she's not supposed to be near Draco. Lucius' orders and all that."
"What has she done now?"
"Spilled a pitcher of pumpkin juice in his lap."
"I sowwy," Noko whispered. "Is assiden."
"She says you sent her over."
Harry took Noko out of Blaise's arms and stroked her back, trying to comfort her. "I didn't send her, but I did say Slytherin. She may have thought that meant I wanted her to go to Draco."
"Grindelwald killed Gryffindor too," Ron said out of the blue as he toyed with his fork. Just a flick of his wand and the Killing Curse, and Gryffindor was dead."
Hermione scowled good-naturedly. "Does everyone have this secret knowledge, or is it just you too?"
"And after Gryffindor's death, Grindelwald turned his wand on the battered Slytherin, cast Incendio, and watched him burn," Blaise whispered.
Hermione threw her hands up in disgust. "Fourteen books I've gone through, searching for these facts, and you three just pull them out of thin air! That's just ridiculous!"
"Mine didn't come out of thin air," Blaise commented. "It's what happens in my dreams every night."
"Remember when Ron and Blaise were attacked over summer? And how I had collapsed? Well, you weren't there, but we told you about it. I think that' when I learned this stuff. It's coming back to me in bits and pieces, but I know, for that one moment, I knew what the big picture was." Harry frowned. "I didn't like it much, it wasn't like other memories I've visited. This time it felt like I was actually in another person, watching out of their eyes."
"Mine came in a dream too," Ron admitted. "But I've only had it once or twice, not every night like Blaise."
"Why?" Noko asked, tilting her small face up at the enchanted ceiling. "Why, why, why?"
"My sentiments exactly," Hermione said. "Why the three of you? Why memories of the founders? Why only bits and pieces? Why now?"
"Answer that and get back to me," Blaise sighed. "It's not fun waking up each night from a dream in which you're burned to death."
"Zambini, come with me." Draco came up behind Blaise, grabbed his arm, and dragged him away. Several minutes later, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Noko finished their dinners and left the Great Hall too.
When the four entered Myrtle's bathroom, they found Draco sitting under the window, folding and unfolding a piece of paper, while Blaise was practicing a mild levitation charm and hopping from stall to stall. "So, what happened, Draco?" Blaise asked. "Now that we're all here." He leapt from the stalls to the top of the sinks. "What's with the long face? Has Hufflepuff possessed you and shared her memories with you?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Long story, you say your thing first."
Draco held the paper up between two fingers. "My father is dead."
"Are you sure he's not just faking like Fudge did?"
"Snape watched a Death Eater kill him as he attempted to escape from our dungeons."
"Oh, sorry! Um, isn't this a girl's bathroom?" Seneca stood at the door, holding a book in her hands.
"It's Myrtle's bathroom," Hermione told her. "No one uses it for a bathroom."
"Who's Myrtle?"
"I'm Myrtle! Miserable, moping, moaning Myrtle!" The upset ghost swooped through Seneca before diving back into her toilet with a wail.
"Oh, come out, Myrtle. You know we don't think that about you! You've helped me before, twice, remember?" Harry called down the toilet.
Myrtle stuck her head out. "You don't hate me?"
"Of course not!"
"Weird ghost," Seneca murmured, handing the book to Hermione. "You left this at your table. Diary of the Dove. It sounds interesting. Can I read it when you're done?"
"Good-bye Seneca," Draco said.
"I can stay here if I want, this isn't your bathroom. Who was killed by Death Eaters?"
"Nobody," Draco answered.
"Ferret's dad," Ron replied at the same time. Draco threw the letter at him, now folded into a paper airplane.
"Mr. Malfoy? What did he do?"
"Stood in the way of a couple of Dark Lords," Ron said, flicking the now-paper-dog back at Draco.
"Should we invite her into our group?" Harry asked. "We may not be working on a potion anymore, but maybe we can tackle something else."
"All in favor, say aye. All opposed, nay. Blaise?"
"Undecided, will go with majority."
"Draco?"
"Nay."
"Harry?"
"Aye."
"Me? Aye. Ron?"
"Aye."
"Noko?"
"Nye!"
"Three ayes, one nay, two undecided. The ayes have it. Blaise, swear her in."
"Don't I get a say?" Seneca asked.
"Yes." Blaise jumped off the sinks and strode towards her, calling on his vampiric heritage yet again, dimming the lights and growing dark and ominous. "Seneca Votrian, you have unwittingly stumbled across a meeting of the Chamber group. We have decided to permit you to join us, if you choose to do so. If you choose not to, your memory of this meeting shall be erased. What is your choice?"
"I join, naturally."
"Excellent choice. Seneca Votrian, do you swear to be a faithful member of the Chamber group, attending all meetings, contributing help to projects and problems, and keeping all Chamber business strictly confidential? Failure to adhere to the rules of the Chamber group will result in you becoming one of my undead minions and suffering for all eternity."
"I swear," Seneca said hesitantly, looking a little unnerved as Blaise loomed over her, uncomfortably close. He smiled and flashed his fangs at her before taking a step back.
"Good girl." The lights brightened again and the playful Blaise Zambini was back. Draco chucked the now-paper-flower at Blaise.
"You must teach me that light trick!"
Alright, here's a problem that's arisen. I know I have many readers. However, the lack of reviews is a bit discouraging. If you enjoyed this story so far, please let me know. I'm starting to worry that maybe it's going in a direction that you, my readers, aren't agreeing with. It's usually extremely difficult to work OC characters in, especially as main ones. Is Seneca becoming too much? Can you live with her being just as important as Blaise? What do you think of Draco? Did he change too much to fast?
I'd really appreciate any type of review. It would mean a lot.
~Crawler