CHAPTER FIVE: ACOTTA LEIONDAR
~~~
Nicolas Flamel arrived shortly after sunset. All students and faculty had been alerted to the situation and were aware of what was going to take place. Severus Snape had set to work that morning brewing up the potions for the spell in three large cauldrons in a large, empty room in the dungeons, and it was almost ready. Two crucial ingredients were still missing, though - blood of an heir and something that belonged to the one being resurrected.
Flamel went to the Hufflepuff common room and retrieved his grandmother's wand. He then met the others just outside the Great Hall. "The others" consisted of Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. Ron and Hermione insisted on being there to offer Harry what Ron called "emotional support" to help him endure what was sure to be a difficult and dangerous ordeal. Minerva had initially been against this, but when Hermione gave the ultimatum that they would either be there with Harry or be expelled, Dumbledore said they should be allowed in. Minerva reluctantly agreed.
"I've revised the spell to allow us to resurrect them all at the same time instead of performing it three times," Flamel said. He handed Harry and Minerva a sheet of paper each. "This is the incantation you'll be using. I'll start, and you'll go second, Professor McGonagall. Potter, you'll finish it. The spell will take effect about ten seconds after you've finished talking. Do you both have an item that belonged to your ancestor?"
Harry nodded and lifted up Gryffindor's sword for emphasis. Minerva pulled one of the letters out of her pocket and drew attention to it with a flick of her wrist.
"Excellent," said Flamel. "And don't worry about the sword, Harry. The object survives the spell unscathed."
Harry smiled. He had been wondering about that and was glad Flamel brought it up.
Seconds after Flamel finished talking, Severus Snape approached them from the side and said in a soft, weary voice, "It's ready."
~~~
They followed Snape down to the dungeons. Once there, Flamel conjured up three daggers; one for himself, one for Harry, and one for Minerva. "Remember, you have to carve your full name into your left arm," he reminded them as he handed out the daggers.
"Middle name, too?" Harry asked.
Flamel nodded, and Minerva grimaced. Flamel looked at her and said, "You have a long name, don't you?"
"Yes, and I'm left-handed, too," she replied.
"What's your middle name, Professor McGonagall?" asked Hermione.
"Gabriella."
"Minerva Gabriella McGonagall," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "That IS a long name."
"Albus Ozymandias Dumbledore isn't much shorter," she said in response. "Just one letter shorter than mine."
Dumbledore's blue eyes held a look of surprise in them. "I don't recall ever telling you my middle name."
A small, guilty smile appeared on Flamel's face. "That would be my doing, Albus."
"What's an Ozymumbdus or whatever?" asked Ron.
"Ozymandias," Minerva corrected, "was the Greek name for the Egyptian pharoh Ramses II. The Muggle poet Percy Shelley wrote a poem entitled 'Ozymandias' in 1817."
"My parents were rather eccentric," Dumbledore explained.
"It must run in the family," Flamel said.
"Indeed," said Snape. "Are you ready?"
There was a slight tremble to his voice as he spoke, and it was obvious that he was just as nervous as the rest of them. The rather light-hearted nature of their conversation had been an attempt at boosting their morale in a very serious situation, but it only succeeded for a few seconds. Flamel, who was more or less the leader of this dangerous undertaking, cleared his throat and spoke again. "Let's get in place."
"Flamel, your cauldron is in the middle," said Snape. "Potter, you'll be on the left, and Minerva, yours is on the right."
The three of them got into position behind their respective cauldrons. Flamel warned the observers to stand back. Snape, Dumbledore, Ron, and Hermione did as they were told and stood with their backs against the wall facing the other three. Flamel then asked Harry and Minerva if they were ready. They both nodded.
"Then let's get started," he said, and dropped Helga Hufflepuff's wand into his cauldron. The formerly dark green liquid turned red, signalling that it was time to add the blood. Flamel pulled out his dagger, pushed back the sleeve on his left arm, and pressed the blade to his skin. The pain was excruciating as he carved Nicolas Robert Flamel into his skin, but he knew it would pass. The importance of their mission was worth a few minutes of agony.
He held his arm over the cauldron. Several drops of his blood fell in. He took a deep breath, stepped back, and began speaking.
"The moon is high
The time is right
One long gone
Will return this night
The world has changed
It now hangs by a thread
We are faced with no choice
But to bring you back from the dead
Into this brew, I add your wand
The holly and jade you used to cast
Your charms and spells so long ago
Creating a legacy that will always last
You favored those who were brave and loyal
Hard-working, unafraid of toil
Because only the best is ever enough
Acotta Leiondar, Helga Hufflepuff!"
The cauldron began to bubble, hiss, and shake. It wanted to explode immediately, but charms placed on it would not allow it to until Harry was finished with his part. Flamel looked at Minerva and nodded. It was her turn.
Minerva took a deep breath and dropped one of the letters into her cauldron. The liquid turned red. She pushed back the sleeve on her left arm and and awkwardly held the dagger in her right hand. She wasn't used to doing any form of writing, and carving Minerva Gabriella McGonagall into her arm was no easy task as it was. She let some blood fall into the cauldron, and then began speaking.
"The moon is high
The time is right
One long gone
Will return this night
The world has changed
It now hangs by a thread
We are faced with no choice
But to bring you back from the dead
I add to this concoction
A letter from your love
As he fought against his foes
It was you he was thinking of
In your eyes, the cleverest
Would rise above the rest
Knowledge and wisdom conquer all
Acotta Leiondar, Rowena Ravenclaw!"
Her part was done. She looked at Harry. He nodded and began.
Knowing he didn't have much time before the spell broke through the charms, Harry dropped the sword into the bubbling green liquid in his cauldron, and the instant it turned red, he began carving Harry James Potter in his inner forearm. Once his full name was etched in his skin, he allowed the blood to drip into the brew. He took a step back and began the incantation.
"The moon is high
The time is right
One long gone
Will return this night
The world has changed
It now hangs by a thread
We are faced with no choice
But to bring you back from the dead
These necessary risks
We must take to bring back you
Your fantastic sword is added
Into this potent brew
What you looked for, we are told
The students who were brave and bold
Walk upon this earth once more
Acotta Leiondar, Godric Gryffindor!"
Flamel motioned for them all to move away. They joined their companions against the far wall. Ron and Hermione had bandages for their arms ready. Ron wrapped Harry's arm, while Hermione took care of Flamel. They had given the third to Dumbledore, and he wasted no time in getting it on Minerva. Nothing happened with the cauldrons, and for a few moments, they wondered if the spell had worked. Their question was answered when the cauldrons exploded and the smoke cleared: a definite yes.
Three people were standing where their cauldrons had been. In the center stood Helga Hufflepuff, holding her wand. To her left was Godric Gryffindor, with his sword in hand, and to her right, Rowena Ravenclaw, clutching the letter. Everyone in the room was completely silent and motionless for almost a minute. Finally, Flamel stepped forward and said, "Welcome back."
"What has happened?" came the soft, yet commanding voice of Godric Gryffindor.
"We have a crisis," Dumbledore explained. "Lord Voldemort, the most powerful dark wizard of our time, has resurrected Salazar Slytherin. We don't have the strength to stand against both of them, and you three are the only ones powerful enough to counter Slytherin."
"Salazar Slytherin is not evil," said Helga Hufflepuff. Her voice was as delicate and melodious as the tinkling of silver bells. "Disagreement on certain issues led to his departure from us."
"But Voldemort is evil, and he will likely trick Slytherin into helping him, if he doesn't agree of his own free will," said Harry.
A concerned look crossed Gryffindor's face. Rowena Ravenclaw, who hadn't even blinked until that moment, slowly turned her regal head in Gryffindor's direction. Gryffindor closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. It seemed as though depression had suddenly overtaken him. "I'm sorry," he said. "I cannot help you." Without any further explanation, he walked out of the room. No one reacted in time to stop him.
"Is there something about him we don't know that we should?" asked Hermione when Gryffindor was gone.
"Yes," Rowena said. Her voice, like Helga's, was clear and had good projection, but also held a noticeable amount of sadness that was not present in the other's. "He cannot fight Slytherin. He refuses to. He would not before, he will not now."
"Why is that?" asked Snape.
Rowena sighed, closed her eyes, and then opened them again. "Because Salazar Slytherin is his half brother."
Helga obviously knew this because she was the only person besides Rowena who still had the ability to speak after hearing that statement. She elected to remain silent while everyone else struggled to form words without success. Finally, Flamel squeaked out one word: "What?"
"Salazar's father died when he was three years old," Rowena said. "Six years later, his mother married Arthur Gryffindor. Godric will not kill his brother, and I do not expect that Salazar would, either. They disagreed, yes, but they also respected and loved each other dearly."
"But how can we stop them?" asked Hermione. "If Gryffindor won't kill Slytherin, and Slytherin won't kill Gryffindor, we're at an impasse."
"Not quite," Dumbledore said. "We're not taking Voldemort into consideration. If Voldemort knows Gryffindor and Slytherin are brothers, he could probably find some way to twist that to his advantage."
"Could we persuade Slytherin to join us against Voldemort?" Ron aksed hopefully.
Helga shook her head. "It is extremely unlikely. Daniel and I tried for years to make him come back to us after Godric and Rowena died, and it only drove him further away. It might have had something to do with Godric's death." She sighed and looked at Rowena. "Will you speak to him?"
Rowena nodded. "Yes, I will." She excused herself and left the room. Helga joined the others at the wall.
"Will she know how to find him?" Minerva asked.
"If anyone can find him, it's Rowena Ravenclaw," Helga returned. She peered closely at Flamel, and then said, "Robert?"
Flamel shook his head. "No. My name is Nicolas. Robert was my father. I'm your grandson."
"My grandson?" she repeated. "What year is this?"
"Nineteen ninety-seven," Dumbledore answered.
"Nineteen ninety-seven!" she cried. She took a few breaths, and then said, "Let me guess. Elixer of Life."
Flamel nodded. "My supply ran out about two years ago. I don't think I'll be around much longer."
She smiled and touched him on the cheek. "You look just like your father."
"Thank you, I think."
She laughed, but her amusement quickly faded, and she said, "I hope Rowena can get Godric to work out a compromise with you. They've always been close. If only things had been different."
"What do you mean by that?" inquired Minerva.
"I can't be certain, but I think they were in love," Helga replied.
"She must not have known that they were married," Dumbledore whispered to Flamel.
"That explains why I didn't know," Flamel whispered back.
"What was that?" Helga asked.
"Godric and Rowena were in love," Flamel said. "In fact, they were married."
Helga was taken aback. "Married? But... but that's impossible. She was bethrothed to a man named Lord Gordon Delaney at birth. To marry someone else would bring dishonor and humiliation upon her family. She died about six months prior to their scheduled wedding date, her twenty-first birthday." She paused, and then said, "Well, that would explain why they kept it a secret."
"There's more," Dumbledore said. "They had children; twin girls, to be exact."
"Christine and Julianne," Helga realized.
Everyone nodded.
Helga touched her forehead with her hand and said, "I should be surprised, but somehow, I'm not. I never knew she was pregnant, but I can see how because school was only in session from August to January. We didn't extend the year until much later. She supposedly returned home after the end of the year, and although we received letters from her until a few days before her death, we never saw her."
"That explains a lot," Ron commented, and several heads nodded in agreement.
"Indeed." Helga's green eyes sparkled like emeralds, and she said, "It appears that there is a lot we can learn from each other."
"I agree," said Flamel, "but I think it can wait until tomorrow. It's been a long day, and I don't think we need to make it any longer."
~~~
A/N: Like it? Should I continue? Shippers, here's what you'll definitely see in this story: AD/MM (they're my signature pair - can't write a fic without them!), RW/HG, NL/PP, and GG/RR. I was also thinking about Harry/Ginny... feedback? Also, if you like stories about the Hogwarts Four, check out my other fic featuring the Founders, 'Those Ravenclaw Girls'. The first chapter's stupid (I've been meaning to revise it), but it's good after that, I promise. Okay, I'll post now. Have a good day.
~~~
Nicolas Flamel arrived shortly after sunset. All students and faculty had been alerted to the situation and were aware of what was going to take place. Severus Snape had set to work that morning brewing up the potions for the spell in three large cauldrons in a large, empty room in the dungeons, and it was almost ready. Two crucial ingredients were still missing, though - blood of an heir and something that belonged to the one being resurrected.
Flamel went to the Hufflepuff common room and retrieved his grandmother's wand. He then met the others just outside the Great Hall. "The others" consisted of Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. Ron and Hermione insisted on being there to offer Harry what Ron called "emotional support" to help him endure what was sure to be a difficult and dangerous ordeal. Minerva had initially been against this, but when Hermione gave the ultimatum that they would either be there with Harry or be expelled, Dumbledore said they should be allowed in. Minerva reluctantly agreed.
"I've revised the spell to allow us to resurrect them all at the same time instead of performing it three times," Flamel said. He handed Harry and Minerva a sheet of paper each. "This is the incantation you'll be using. I'll start, and you'll go second, Professor McGonagall. Potter, you'll finish it. The spell will take effect about ten seconds after you've finished talking. Do you both have an item that belonged to your ancestor?"
Harry nodded and lifted up Gryffindor's sword for emphasis. Minerva pulled one of the letters out of her pocket and drew attention to it with a flick of her wrist.
"Excellent," said Flamel. "And don't worry about the sword, Harry. The object survives the spell unscathed."
Harry smiled. He had been wondering about that and was glad Flamel brought it up.
Seconds after Flamel finished talking, Severus Snape approached them from the side and said in a soft, weary voice, "It's ready."
~~~
They followed Snape down to the dungeons. Once there, Flamel conjured up three daggers; one for himself, one for Harry, and one for Minerva. "Remember, you have to carve your full name into your left arm," he reminded them as he handed out the daggers.
"Middle name, too?" Harry asked.
Flamel nodded, and Minerva grimaced. Flamel looked at her and said, "You have a long name, don't you?"
"Yes, and I'm left-handed, too," she replied.
"What's your middle name, Professor McGonagall?" asked Hermione.
"Gabriella."
"Minerva Gabriella McGonagall," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "That IS a long name."
"Albus Ozymandias Dumbledore isn't much shorter," she said in response. "Just one letter shorter than mine."
Dumbledore's blue eyes held a look of surprise in them. "I don't recall ever telling you my middle name."
A small, guilty smile appeared on Flamel's face. "That would be my doing, Albus."
"What's an Ozymumbdus or whatever?" asked Ron.
"Ozymandias," Minerva corrected, "was the Greek name for the Egyptian pharoh Ramses II. The Muggle poet Percy Shelley wrote a poem entitled 'Ozymandias' in 1817."
"My parents were rather eccentric," Dumbledore explained.
"It must run in the family," Flamel said.
"Indeed," said Snape. "Are you ready?"
There was a slight tremble to his voice as he spoke, and it was obvious that he was just as nervous as the rest of them. The rather light-hearted nature of their conversation had been an attempt at boosting their morale in a very serious situation, but it only succeeded for a few seconds. Flamel, who was more or less the leader of this dangerous undertaking, cleared his throat and spoke again. "Let's get in place."
"Flamel, your cauldron is in the middle," said Snape. "Potter, you'll be on the left, and Minerva, yours is on the right."
The three of them got into position behind their respective cauldrons. Flamel warned the observers to stand back. Snape, Dumbledore, Ron, and Hermione did as they were told and stood with their backs against the wall facing the other three. Flamel then asked Harry and Minerva if they were ready. They both nodded.
"Then let's get started," he said, and dropped Helga Hufflepuff's wand into his cauldron. The formerly dark green liquid turned red, signalling that it was time to add the blood. Flamel pulled out his dagger, pushed back the sleeve on his left arm, and pressed the blade to his skin. The pain was excruciating as he carved Nicolas Robert Flamel into his skin, but he knew it would pass. The importance of their mission was worth a few minutes of agony.
He held his arm over the cauldron. Several drops of his blood fell in. He took a deep breath, stepped back, and began speaking.
"The moon is high
The time is right
One long gone
Will return this night
The world has changed
It now hangs by a thread
We are faced with no choice
But to bring you back from the dead
Into this brew, I add your wand
The holly and jade you used to cast
Your charms and spells so long ago
Creating a legacy that will always last
You favored those who were brave and loyal
Hard-working, unafraid of toil
Because only the best is ever enough
Acotta Leiondar, Helga Hufflepuff!"
The cauldron began to bubble, hiss, and shake. It wanted to explode immediately, but charms placed on it would not allow it to until Harry was finished with his part. Flamel looked at Minerva and nodded. It was her turn.
Minerva took a deep breath and dropped one of the letters into her cauldron. The liquid turned red. She pushed back the sleeve on her left arm and and awkwardly held the dagger in her right hand. She wasn't used to doing any form of writing, and carving Minerva Gabriella McGonagall into her arm was no easy task as it was. She let some blood fall into the cauldron, and then began speaking.
"The moon is high
The time is right
One long gone
Will return this night
The world has changed
It now hangs by a thread
We are faced with no choice
But to bring you back from the dead
I add to this concoction
A letter from your love
As he fought against his foes
It was you he was thinking of
In your eyes, the cleverest
Would rise above the rest
Knowledge and wisdom conquer all
Acotta Leiondar, Rowena Ravenclaw!"
Her part was done. She looked at Harry. He nodded and began.
Knowing he didn't have much time before the spell broke through the charms, Harry dropped the sword into the bubbling green liquid in his cauldron, and the instant it turned red, he began carving Harry James Potter in his inner forearm. Once his full name was etched in his skin, he allowed the blood to drip into the brew. He took a step back and began the incantation.
"The moon is high
The time is right
One long gone
Will return this night
The world has changed
It now hangs by a thread
We are faced with no choice
But to bring you back from the dead
These necessary risks
We must take to bring back you
Your fantastic sword is added
Into this potent brew
What you looked for, we are told
The students who were brave and bold
Walk upon this earth once more
Acotta Leiondar, Godric Gryffindor!"
Flamel motioned for them all to move away. They joined their companions against the far wall. Ron and Hermione had bandages for their arms ready. Ron wrapped Harry's arm, while Hermione took care of Flamel. They had given the third to Dumbledore, and he wasted no time in getting it on Minerva. Nothing happened with the cauldrons, and for a few moments, they wondered if the spell had worked. Their question was answered when the cauldrons exploded and the smoke cleared: a definite yes.
Three people were standing where their cauldrons had been. In the center stood Helga Hufflepuff, holding her wand. To her left was Godric Gryffindor, with his sword in hand, and to her right, Rowena Ravenclaw, clutching the letter. Everyone in the room was completely silent and motionless for almost a minute. Finally, Flamel stepped forward and said, "Welcome back."
"What has happened?" came the soft, yet commanding voice of Godric Gryffindor.
"We have a crisis," Dumbledore explained. "Lord Voldemort, the most powerful dark wizard of our time, has resurrected Salazar Slytherin. We don't have the strength to stand against both of them, and you three are the only ones powerful enough to counter Slytherin."
"Salazar Slytherin is not evil," said Helga Hufflepuff. Her voice was as delicate and melodious as the tinkling of silver bells. "Disagreement on certain issues led to his departure from us."
"But Voldemort is evil, and he will likely trick Slytherin into helping him, if he doesn't agree of his own free will," said Harry.
A concerned look crossed Gryffindor's face. Rowena Ravenclaw, who hadn't even blinked until that moment, slowly turned her regal head in Gryffindor's direction. Gryffindor closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. It seemed as though depression had suddenly overtaken him. "I'm sorry," he said. "I cannot help you." Without any further explanation, he walked out of the room. No one reacted in time to stop him.
"Is there something about him we don't know that we should?" asked Hermione when Gryffindor was gone.
"Yes," Rowena said. Her voice, like Helga's, was clear and had good projection, but also held a noticeable amount of sadness that was not present in the other's. "He cannot fight Slytherin. He refuses to. He would not before, he will not now."
"Why is that?" asked Snape.
Rowena sighed, closed her eyes, and then opened them again. "Because Salazar Slytherin is his half brother."
Helga obviously knew this because she was the only person besides Rowena who still had the ability to speak after hearing that statement. She elected to remain silent while everyone else struggled to form words without success. Finally, Flamel squeaked out one word: "What?"
"Salazar's father died when he was three years old," Rowena said. "Six years later, his mother married Arthur Gryffindor. Godric will not kill his brother, and I do not expect that Salazar would, either. They disagreed, yes, but they also respected and loved each other dearly."
"But how can we stop them?" asked Hermione. "If Gryffindor won't kill Slytherin, and Slytherin won't kill Gryffindor, we're at an impasse."
"Not quite," Dumbledore said. "We're not taking Voldemort into consideration. If Voldemort knows Gryffindor and Slytherin are brothers, he could probably find some way to twist that to his advantage."
"Could we persuade Slytherin to join us against Voldemort?" Ron aksed hopefully.
Helga shook her head. "It is extremely unlikely. Daniel and I tried for years to make him come back to us after Godric and Rowena died, and it only drove him further away. It might have had something to do with Godric's death." She sighed and looked at Rowena. "Will you speak to him?"
Rowena nodded. "Yes, I will." She excused herself and left the room. Helga joined the others at the wall.
"Will she know how to find him?" Minerva asked.
"If anyone can find him, it's Rowena Ravenclaw," Helga returned. She peered closely at Flamel, and then said, "Robert?"
Flamel shook his head. "No. My name is Nicolas. Robert was my father. I'm your grandson."
"My grandson?" she repeated. "What year is this?"
"Nineteen ninety-seven," Dumbledore answered.
"Nineteen ninety-seven!" she cried. She took a few breaths, and then said, "Let me guess. Elixer of Life."
Flamel nodded. "My supply ran out about two years ago. I don't think I'll be around much longer."
She smiled and touched him on the cheek. "You look just like your father."
"Thank you, I think."
She laughed, but her amusement quickly faded, and she said, "I hope Rowena can get Godric to work out a compromise with you. They've always been close. If only things had been different."
"What do you mean by that?" inquired Minerva.
"I can't be certain, but I think they were in love," Helga replied.
"She must not have known that they were married," Dumbledore whispered to Flamel.
"That explains why I didn't know," Flamel whispered back.
"What was that?" Helga asked.
"Godric and Rowena were in love," Flamel said. "In fact, they were married."
Helga was taken aback. "Married? But... but that's impossible. She was bethrothed to a man named Lord Gordon Delaney at birth. To marry someone else would bring dishonor and humiliation upon her family. She died about six months prior to their scheduled wedding date, her twenty-first birthday." She paused, and then said, "Well, that would explain why they kept it a secret."
"There's more," Dumbledore said. "They had children; twin girls, to be exact."
"Christine and Julianne," Helga realized.
Everyone nodded.
Helga touched her forehead with her hand and said, "I should be surprised, but somehow, I'm not. I never knew she was pregnant, but I can see how because school was only in session from August to January. We didn't extend the year until much later. She supposedly returned home after the end of the year, and although we received letters from her until a few days before her death, we never saw her."
"That explains a lot," Ron commented, and several heads nodded in agreement.
"Indeed." Helga's green eyes sparkled like emeralds, and she said, "It appears that there is a lot we can learn from each other."
"I agree," said Flamel, "but I think it can wait until tomorrow. It's been a long day, and I don't think we need to make it any longer."
~~~
A/N: Like it? Should I continue? Shippers, here's what you'll definitely see in this story: AD/MM (they're my signature pair - can't write a fic without them!), RW/HG, NL/PP, and GG/RR. I was also thinking about Harry/Ginny... feedback? Also, if you like stories about the Hogwarts Four, check out my other fic featuring the Founders, 'Those Ravenclaw Girls'. The first chapter's stupid (I've been meaning to revise it), but it's good after that, I promise. Okay, I'll post now. Have a good day.