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Disclaimer: I don't own this and I am evidently making no money from it so if you sued it would be rather pointless.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 3: Hogwarts: A History
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Hogwarts: A History, chapter six:
The four founders
The teaching of magic has no official opening date. Historians can trace the family lines of the four founders back as far as two hundred and twenty B.C, and are almost positive that the founder's pre family taught magic, but Hogwarts was the first solid school that was built as a haven to the misunderstood witches and wizards of the dark ages.
The four founders of the school, met quiet by accident and inhabited the already standing manor of Rowena Ravenclaw, but just moved its location and added extensions until it became the grand castle that stands today. The four founders Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, Godric Gryffindor, and Salazar Slytherin all have solid beginnings, but their demise has perhaps always been almost the extraordinary secret of the proud school.
Historians confirm that on the night before Godric made the historical sorting hat to sort the children among the four houses, that all four disappeared. Coming back from their journey just long enough to set their affairs in order, all four again disappeared on the cold night of February 16th, never to be seen again.
Legend has it that they wanted to have one last adventure before retiring. The resting place of the four is also a mystery, but one that will delight the imaginations of generations to come...
"" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" ""
"I wish I knew what happened on their final journey" Hermione sighed as she put the worn book onto the table beside her and stared over the balcony at the almost deserted grounds below. It had taken almost a month of research in the third year to find the complete historical listings of the adventures of the four founder's pre-Hogwarts. Some of the magic that they had known had been amazing, even by today's standards. Each had a different way of tackling problems and each solution was evenly effective. It had almost been addictive to read.
Hermione sighed.
Only she could have thought a book addictive.
Looking over the balcony again, she checked her watch. It was already eleven and there was still no sight of any of the students. Deciding to go find out what was holding them up; she picked up her book and walked down to the Gryffindor common room, almost tripping over Mrs. Norris twice. Each time she encountered the cat she walked faster, so as not to encounter her shadow, Mr. Filch.
Ever since Professor Umbridge had been sent away he had been especially sour, giving out double the detentions than usual and upping his level of punishment by letting professor Snape handle the proceedings.
Another detention was the last thing that she needed at the moment. Especially with the plans that she had arrange for later this afternoon.
Almost running as she reached the stairs that led to the Gryffindor corridor, she actually had to trip herself over to avoid crashing into Ron and Harry who were just reaching the bottom, but even this didn't spare them. 'Hogwarts: a history' went flying out of Hermione's hands as she fell causing Harry to duck quickly as the book flew past him and hit Ron square in the face.
"Hermione are you alright?" Harry asked helping her up. Hermione didn't answer but gasped as Ron swore and held his head.
"Oh Ron, I'm so sorry, are you ok?" she asked as Harry tried not to laugh.
Ron rubbed his forehead angrily picking up the offending book.
"No I'm not" he snapped tossing the heavy volume to her. "What did you do to this thing; put a toughness charm on it or something?"
"Well there are a few charms on it to make sure that it doesn't deteriorate, and a feather charm to make it lighter, because I carry it around so often" Hermione admitted.
"Didn't feel like a bloody feather" Ron muttered as Hermione inspected his forehead. Aside from a slight red mark there was nothing there.
"Oh you'll live" Harry said as Hermione nodded in agreement. "C'mon let go down to the lake"
Muttering something about him hitting Harry in the head, Ron followed sulkily, still rubbing his forehead.
"Right well I'll see you later then" Hermione said turning to run back up the stairs.
"Wait, where are you going?" Ron asked suspiciously as Harry stopped too.
"Oh, I – "Hermione stopped for a moment as she pretended to bend down and tie her shoelace. "I have to go and see Professor McGonagall"
"You didn't mention that before" Ron said as she straightened up, turned and started climbing the stairs.
"Well I don't tell you everything that I am going to do in my day" Hermione said briskly.
"See McGonagall about what?" Harry asked curious as to why Hermione was dodging Ron's questions.
"I just have to have a talk to her about a spell I was having difficulty with" Hermione said off handedly as the boys started to follow her up stairs.
'Right well now I know she's lying' Harry thought giving Ron a sideways glance. 'Hermione never has trouble with a spell'
Ron took this time to voice Harry's exact thoughts.
Bad move.
"Is it essential that you know every single thing I do?!" Hermione exploded as Filch appeared behind her.
"Well, Well, Well, what do we have here" he said grinning while petting Mrs. Norris.
"Do you mind?" Hermione sighed exasperated as she turned to face him. "We aren't breaking a rule, go snoop around with your cat somewhere else"
"Has she lost it?" Ron muttered to Harry as Hermione pushed past Filch and stalked down the hall, snapping the password at the fat lady and slamming the portrait shut behind her.
"Must be that time of month" Harry shrugged back as Filch turned to look down at the boys quiet astounded.
"Don't look at us were not female" Ron shrugged as he and Harry turned and headed for the main hall leaving a disgruntled Filch on the stairs.
~*~
"Hey Hermione, what's up?" Ginny asked as Hermione practically leapt through the portrait hole and started for the dormitories.
"Oh nothing, Harry and Ron are just being difficult again" Hermione smiled as Ginny nodded knowingly. Over the last year Harry and Ron had adopted the 'big brother' attitude with both the girls, keeping an annoyingly close watch on both of them. They were almost as bad as their parents, who had restricted them to the house and their bedrooms. Hermione was almost amazed that they had allowed her to return back to Hogwarts, although with all the restrictions that had been placed on the school, it was almost as bad.
"Are they coming?" Ginny asked starting to put her book out of sight and getting out of her chair, about to make a run for it.
"No, they are heading down to the grounds" Hermione called over her shoulder as she started up the stairs to the boys dormitories.
Sighing in relief, Ginny picked her book back up and started reading, turning oblivious to the world again.
Hermione would normally have felt guilty going into the boy's rooms without permission, but lately the boy's ignorance of rules and privacy had rubbed off on her. With the amount of 'detective work' they had done on Hermione and Ginny, going through everything of theirs except what was in their room (and only because the stair cases wouldn't allow them to), they deserved this and more, Hermione tried to justify to herself as the guilt started to bite at the cold feeling in her stomach.
Crossing to the end of Harry's bed, she gently opened the trunk that lay there and gagged.
"Boys" she muttered as she blocked her nose against the smell of dirty socks, rotten eggs, dung and lord knows what else that was drifting out of one of Fred and George's new 'Stunk Boxes'.
Moving that aside and ignoring the books that were strewn haphazardly everywhere in a fashion that would have made Madame Pince have a heart attack, she reached in and drew out Harry's invisibility cloak.
"Sorry Harry, but I know you will understand when I get back" Hermione sighed guiltily as she hid the cloak under her robes and sealed Harry's trunk with an un-lockable spell. "Hopefully I will too"
Sneaking down out of the boys dormitory and into her own she reviewed a few hexes out of at least fourteen books, just in case Malfoy dragged her into some trouble or decided to test his own strength against her.
Hermione had no doubts in her mind that Draco Malfoy was getting more out of this meeting than information, or that there would be some price attached that he had neglected to mention in his letter, and she, Hermione, would be ready for whatever he threw at her. Even a brick.
Eventually the clock chimed three thirty and she sighed. This was turning out to be a bad idea. What was she thinking?! Draco Malfoy, the avid hater of Muggleborns. Add the fact that She, Harry and Ron had landed his father into the wizarding Prison Azkaban at the end of the previous year, it had been a miracle that she hadn't awoke at Hogwarts one night to find him throttling her in her sleep.
Deciding that she had to do it, for the order, she stood up and hid away her books before gathering Harry's invisibility cloak and hastily scribbling a letter to the headmaster, incase she never came back.
"Good chance of that" she muttered glumly as she threw the cloak over her shoulders and started down towards the grounds.
She had barely reached half way when she almost tripped over professor Snape. He was walking along with professor McGonagall, talking in a hushed whisper. She checked her watch. It was twenty five minutes before she was supposed to be at the front gate.
Long enough.
Carefully she crept after them listening to the hurried conversation.
"But he can't be that stupid, He wouldn't dare hit a target that big" McGonagall exclaimed as Snape looked around quickly for eavesdroppers.
"Keep your voice down, students may hear"
"But Severus, he couldn't possibly, Dumbledore – "
"Scared him last time, but this time is different, he knows Dumbledore's weaker now, he knows Dumbledore has a soft spot"
"But a target that big"
"He has the power to open the black gates of Azkaban easily Minerva, even as we speak, the Dementors confirmed that"
"But the risk – "
"Minerva, I thought that you of all people would realize that this time is different, that this time he doesn't want to slink around in Dumbledore shadow but – "
Hermione silently cursed herself, as Snape stopped abruptly and she almost ran into him.
"What was that?" he snapped as he looked around again. Hermione held her breath as both of her professors looked around suspiciously.
"I think we will discuss this somewhere more secure" Snape said as he concealed a previously unnoticed envelope in his robes and started for the dungeons, professor McGonagall in tow.
Would she follow? Harry would have in an instant, but could she? She glanced at her watch. What they were talking about was interesting and knowing the rest of their conversation could help in the plans that she had, but she had no time to follow them. Praying to god that Moody wasn't on guard duty this afternoon, she crept on down to the great hall and out into the grounds, pulling the cloak tighter around her as the chill of the snow bit at her skin.
"You had better be worth it Malfoy" she muttered bitterly as she started across the snow. "This had better bloody be worth it"
As she reached the gate, she looked around. There was two minutes until the portkey would be activated. That didn't give her long to find it. Searching the ground she didn't notice someone appear behind her.
"I believe, Miss Granger that you were looking for this?"
Hermione slowly turned around and dropped the cloak. She knew that voice.
"Mr. Shacklebolt I can explain-"she said as she faced the tall dark Wizard standing in the snow, holding a silver dagger out with a shining Malfoy Crest on the blade.
"If you did explain, then I would have to take some action, I was mealy returning something that you may have dropped" he said passing her the dagger and giving her an almost stern look. "You were looking for something that you dropped yes? Another token from your associate that had the clumsy owl, the one that dropped this?"
"Yes, thank you"
"For what, I have not given you any advice yet" he said as she smiled weakly.
"You are dealing with Dark wizards Hermione, they do not always play fair, and to get anywhere with one, sometimes you must deal as they do. Never surrender your trust, and always watch you back"
"I will" Hermione said as Kingsley turned and started walking away. "Be careful, the journey back to the castle will be difficult, but never give up"
Hermione nodded as she felt the portkey's magic begin and felt the all too familiar jerk before she was being pulled to the mystery destination.
~*~
Kingsley Shacklebolt watched the girl go with a heavy heart. He had notified Dumbledore at once as soon as he found out what the girl was planning, but Dumbledore had not thought the matter grave enough to be stopped.
"Be careful Miss Granger, I hope Dumbledore knows what he is doing"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Disclaimer: I don't own this and I am evidently making no money from it so if you sued it would be rather pointless.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 3: Hogwarts: A History
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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Hogwarts: A History, chapter six:
The four founders
The teaching of magic has no official opening date. Historians can trace the family lines of the four founders back as far as two hundred and twenty B.C, and are almost positive that the founder's pre family taught magic, but Hogwarts was the first solid school that was built as a haven to the misunderstood witches and wizards of the dark ages.
The four founders of the school, met quiet by accident and inhabited the already standing manor of Rowena Ravenclaw, but just moved its location and added extensions until it became the grand castle that stands today. The four founders Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, Godric Gryffindor, and Salazar Slytherin all have solid beginnings, but their demise has perhaps always been almost the extraordinary secret of the proud school.
Historians confirm that on the night before Godric made the historical sorting hat to sort the children among the four houses, that all four disappeared. Coming back from their journey just long enough to set their affairs in order, all four again disappeared on the cold night of February 16th, never to be seen again.
Legend has it that they wanted to have one last adventure before retiring. The resting place of the four is also a mystery, but one that will delight the imaginations of generations to come...
"" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" ""
"I wish I knew what happened on their final journey" Hermione sighed as she put the worn book onto the table beside her and stared over the balcony at the almost deserted grounds below. It had taken almost a month of research in the third year to find the complete historical listings of the adventures of the four founder's pre-Hogwarts. Some of the magic that they had known had been amazing, even by today's standards. Each had a different way of tackling problems and each solution was evenly effective. It had almost been addictive to read.
Hermione sighed.
Only she could have thought a book addictive.
Looking over the balcony again, she checked her watch. It was already eleven and there was still no sight of any of the students. Deciding to go find out what was holding them up; she picked up her book and walked down to the Gryffindor common room, almost tripping over Mrs. Norris twice. Each time she encountered the cat she walked faster, so as not to encounter her shadow, Mr. Filch.
Ever since Professor Umbridge had been sent away he had been especially sour, giving out double the detentions than usual and upping his level of punishment by letting professor Snape handle the proceedings.
Another detention was the last thing that she needed at the moment. Especially with the plans that she had arrange for later this afternoon.
Almost running as she reached the stairs that led to the Gryffindor corridor, she actually had to trip herself over to avoid crashing into Ron and Harry who were just reaching the bottom, but even this didn't spare them. 'Hogwarts: a history' went flying out of Hermione's hands as she fell causing Harry to duck quickly as the book flew past him and hit Ron square in the face.
"Hermione are you alright?" Harry asked helping her up. Hermione didn't answer but gasped as Ron swore and held his head.
"Oh Ron, I'm so sorry, are you ok?" she asked as Harry tried not to laugh.
Ron rubbed his forehead angrily picking up the offending book.
"No I'm not" he snapped tossing the heavy volume to her. "What did you do to this thing; put a toughness charm on it or something?"
"Well there are a few charms on it to make sure that it doesn't deteriorate, and a feather charm to make it lighter, because I carry it around so often" Hermione admitted.
"Didn't feel like a bloody feather" Ron muttered as Hermione inspected his forehead. Aside from a slight red mark there was nothing there.
"Oh you'll live" Harry said as Hermione nodded in agreement. "C'mon let go down to the lake"
Muttering something about him hitting Harry in the head, Ron followed sulkily, still rubbing his forehead.
"Right well I'll see you later then" Hermione said turning to run back up the stairs.
"Wait, where are you going?" Ron asked suspiciously as Harry stopped too.
"Oh, I – "Hermione stopped for a moment as she pretended to bend down and tie her shoelace. "I have to go and see Professor McGonagall"
"You didn't mention that before" Ron said as she straightened up, turned and started climbing the stairs.
"Well I don't tell you everything that I am going to do in my day" Hermione said briskly.
"See McGonagall about what?" Harry asked curious as to why Hermione was dodging Ron's questions.
"I just have to have a talk to her about a spell I was having difficulty with" Hermione said off handedly as the boys started to follow her up stairs.
'Right well now I know she's lying' Harry thought giving Ron a sideways glance. 'Hermione never has trouble with a spell'
Ron took this time to voice Harry's exact thoughts.
Bad move.
"Is it essential that you know every single thing I do?!" Hermione exploded as Filch appeared behind her.
"Well, Well, Well, what do we have here" he said grinning while petting Mrs. Norris.
"Do you mind?" Hermione sighed exasperated as she turned to face him. "We aren't breaking a rule, go snoop around with your cat somewhere else"
"Has she lost it?" Ron muttered to Harry as Hermione pushed past Filch and stalked down the hall, snapping the password at the fat lady and slamming the portrait shut behind her.
"Must be that time of month" Harry shrugged back as Filch turned to look down at the boys quiet astounded.
"Don't look at us were not female" Ron shrugged as he and Harry turned and headed for the main hall leaving a disgruntled Filch on the stairs.
~*~
"Hey Hermione, what's up?" Ginny asked as Hermione practically leapt through the portrait hole and started for the dormitories.
"Oh nothing, Harry and Ron are just being difficult again" Hermione smiled as Ginny nodded knowingly. Over the last year Harry and Ron had adopted the 'big brother' attitude with both the girls, keeping an annoyingly close watch on both of them. They were almost as bad as their parents, who had restricted them to the house and their bedrooms. Hermione was almost amazed that they had allowed her to return back to Hogwarts, although with all the restrictions that had been placed on the school, it was almost as bad.
"Are they coming?" Ginny asked starting to put her book out of sight and getting out of her chair, about to make a run for it.
"No, they are heading down to the grounds" Hermione called over her shoulder as she started up the stairs to the boys dormitories.
Sighing in relief, Ginny picked her book back up and started reading, turning oblivious to the world again.
Hermione would normally have felt guilty going into the boy's rooms without permission, but lately the boy's ignorance of rules and privacy had rubbed off on her. With the amount of 'detective work' they had done on Hermione and Ginny, going through everything of theirs except what was in their room (and only because the stair cases wouldn't allow them to), they deserved this and more, Hermione tried to justify to herself as the guilt started to bite at the cold feeling in her stomach.
Crossing to the end of Harry's bed, she gently opened the trunk that lay there and gagged.
"Boys" she muttered as she blocked her nose against the smell of dirty socks, rotten eggs, dung and lord knows what else that was drifting out of one of Fred and George's new 'Stunk Boxes'.
Moving that aside and ignoring the books that were strewn haphazardly everywhere in a fashion that would have made Madame Pince have a heart attack, she reached in and drew out Harry's invisibility cloak.
"Sorry Harry, but I know you will understand when I get back" Hermione sighed guiltily as she hid the cloak under her robes and sealed Harry's trunk with an un-lockable spell. "Hopefully I will too"
Sneaking down out of the boys dormitory and into her own she reviewed a few hexes out of at least fourteen books, just in case Malfoy dragged her into some trouble or decided to test his own strength against her.
Hermione had no doubts in her mind that Draco Malfoy was getting more out of this meeting than information, or that there would be some price attached that he had neglected to mention in his letter, and she, Hermione, would be ready for whatever he threw at her. Even a brick.
Eventually the clock chimed three thirty and she sighed. This was turning out to be a bad idea. What was she thinking?! Draco Malfoy, the avid hater of Muggleborns. Add the fact that She, Harry and Ron had landed his father into the wizarding Prison Azkaban at the end of the previous year, it had been a miracle that she hadn't awoke at Hogwarts one night to find him throttling her in her sleep.
Deciding that she had to do it, for the order, she stood up and hid away her books before gathering Harry's invisibility cloak and hastily scribbling a letter to the headmaster, incase she never came back.
"Good chance of that" she muttered glumly as she threw the cloak over her shoulders and started down towards the grounds.
She had barely reached half way when she almost tripped over professor Snape. He was walking along with professor McGonagall, talking in a hushed whisper. She checked her watch. It was twenty five minutes before she was supposed to be at the front gate.
Long enough.
Carefully she crept after them listening to the hurried conversation.
"But he can't be that stupid, He wouldn't dare hit a target that big" McGonagall exclaimed as Snape looked around quickly for eavesdroppers.
"Keep your voice down, students may hear"
"But Severus, he couldn't possibly, Dumbledore – "
"Scared him last time, but this time is different, he knows Dumbledore's weaker now, he knows Dumbledore has a soft spot"
"But a target that big"
"He has the power to open the black gates of Azkaban easily Minerva, even as we speak, the Dementors confirmed that"
"But the risk – "
"Minerva, I thought that you of all people would realize that this time is different, that this time he doesn't want to slink around in Dumbledore shadow but – "
Hermione silently cursed herself, as Snape stopped abruptly and she almost ran into him.
"What was that?" he snapped as he looked around again. Hermione held her breath as both of her professors looked around suspiciously.
"I think we will discuss this somewhere more secure" Snape said as he concealed a previously unnoticed envelope in his robes and started for the dungeons, professor McGonagall in tow.
Would she follow? Harry would have in an instant, but could she? She glanced at her watch. What they were talking about was interesting and knowing the rest of their conversation could help in the plans that she had, but she had no time to follow them. Praying to god that Moody wasn't on guard duty this afternoon, she crept on down to the great hall and out into the grounds, pulling the cloak tighter around her as the chill of the snow bit at her skin.
"You had better be worth it Malfoy" she muttered bitterly as she started across the snow. "This had better bloody be worth it"
As she reached the gate, she looked around. There was two minutes until the portkey would be activated. That didn't give her long to find it. Searching the ground she didn't notice someone appear behind her.
"I believe, Miss Granger that you were looking for this?"
Hermione slowly turned around and dropped the cloak. She knew that voice.
"Mr. Shacklebolt I can explain-"she said as she faced the tall dark Wizard standing in the snow, holding a silver dagger out with a shining Malfoy Crest on the blade.
"If you did explain, then I would have to take some action, I was mealy returning something that you may have dropped" he said passing her the dagger and giving her an almost stern look. "You were looking for something that you dropped yes? Another token from your associate that had the clumsy owl, the one that dropped this?"
"Yes, thank you"
"For what, I have not given you any advice yet" he said as she smiled weakly.
"You are dealing with Dark wizards Hermione, they do not always play fair, and to get anywhere with one, sometimes you must deal as they do. Never surrender your trust, and always watch you back"
"I will" Hermione said as Kingsley turned and started walking away. "Be careful, the journey back to the castle will be difficult, but never give up"
Hermione nodded as she felt the portkey's magic begin and felt the all too familiar jerk before she was being pulled to the mystery destination.
~*~
Kingsley Shacklebolt watched the girl go with a heavy heart. He had notified Dumbledore at once as soon as he found out what the girl was planning, but Dumbledore had not thought the matter grave enough to be stopped.
"Be careful Miss Granger, I hope Dumbledore knows what he is doing"
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