CHAPTER 3

The friends never found out exactly what privileges the Slytherins' had lost, but the corridor confrontations over Rhiannon's blood stopped after that fight. They still hurled insults and were as nasty as before, yet they never tried physical violence again. The four friends were relieved to be able to travel to class without trouble, yet Seletha, cynical as ever, feared some greater threat loomed.

The other girls and Tristan soon forgot their worries about the Slytherins as they began studying in earnest for their final exams, and in preparations for Rhiannon's birthday, which was on the 18th of Gort and Seletha's surprise birthday picnic on the 16th.

However Seletha's worries grew as time elapsed. The other older Slytherins were meeting secretly with Slytherin almost every week, from their looks it did not bode well. They would whisper and glare while looking smug and threatening.

One day as Seletha was looking through the "defense against the dark arts" section of the library; she overheard Jarred and Malfoy talking in hushed voices after one of their 'meetings'.

"Slytherin says it will only be a matter of time before the mudbloods and those mudblood lovers are crushed. I can't wait; I'd like to get Lupin." Jarred hissed with venom, Seletha froze to listen.

"Shh...do not talk about it till Slytherin says so, the centaurs still need to be talked around." Malfoy's urgent hiss came from the other side of the bookshelf.

Jarred let out a cruel snicker, "At least the goblins and those house elves didn't need much persuading, Slytherin basically has to hold them back. When are they setting out do you think?"

"Candlemass they will be out, the winter festival is a good time for the first strike."

Seletha, leaning against the bookshelf to listen, knocked a volume to the floor with a thud. She swore and hastily returned it to the shelf. Whatever else Malfoy had been going to say did not pass his now cautious lips.

"Lets go." Malfoy whispered, "Some one could hear us." Jarred grunted in agreement and the pair left the library without a backward glance.

Seletha knelt on the floor where the book had been, with warring feelings, fear of being discovered, anger and worry for Rhiannon, puzzlement over the exact topic of conversation, insatiable curiosity and a certainty that whatever the Slytherins were up to she had to discover before Candlemass.

Well you're not going to get anything done on the floor. Her inner Slytherin snapped. She slowly rose before she found the scroll she required for her homework and left. Battling her independent tendencies, which could not be fully wiped out from her hard upbringing, she went in search of the others.

Seletha found the others quite without difficulty, after inspecting the great hall she went outside to a beech tree that overlooked the lake and discovered the other three bent over a roll of parchment whispering. When she called them they sprang apart like startled rabbits, she wondered what they had been discussing; the parchment had conveniently left sight.

"What are you all doing?" she asked curiously, Rhiannon flushed slightly as she always did when put in an odd situation, Seletha's curiosity mounted.

"We were planning...um..." Athena looked at the others uncomfortably, "To...um..."

"We were planning a way to match up Hufflepuff and Gryffindor." Rhiannon said softly, "We were going to talk to our heads about the 'feelings', if there are any." The other three just stared at her and her tone became indignant "What!? If Helga has no interest then I'm a fox! And Gryffindor is plain obvious!"

"You know I can name three guys who I know think you're a fox, if you get my drift." Athena teased.

"Shut up." Rhiannon replied gruffly turning a faint crimson.

"Lets see... Gareth, then Philip, and Britu in Ravenclaw." Athena recited. Rhiannon blushed a little more.

"But you forgot Lugaid in Hufflepuff and Forgall and Gradlon in my house." Tristan added wickedly. Rhiannon tackled him down the hill.

Seletha laughed and sat down next to Athena, watching the other two roll around in a mock brawl. Rhiannon defeated Tristan and climbed back up the hill to sit beside them, flushed.

"You know if we didn't know you two better it would look like you were together or something." Seletha said, amused as she dodged Rhiannon's swing. She remembered why she'd come out and turned serious, "listen, I heard something in the library just now, Malfoy and Nott were talking and it does not sound good."

Seletha told them what she'd heard and they mused on it silently for a while.

"I remember the Boydens telling me that their family has been hearing rumors about an army forming near Neath, that could be them." Tristan broke the tense silence, "But we have no way of being sure till it surfaces."

"An army of centaurs, goblins and house elves." Rhiannon shivered, "That can't be a good thing."

"Well Candlemass, it's a good deal away, I'm sure we can find out more if we keep our ears open, particularly Seletha." Athena said when Rhiannon's bag suddenly began to vibrate.

"What's that?" Seletha asked as Rhiannon pulled out a red leather bound book that was humming softly.

"An enchanted diary, so I can keep track of things, so people in my house can contact me and to use as an alarm." Rhiannon replied opening the book, "I have 5 minutes to get to the music room for practice. I'd better go." She snapped the book shut and stood. "I'll see you all later."

The other said goodbye as Rhiannon headed back to the castle. Seletha pulled out her Defense against the dark arts homework, Tristan fetched his broom a few meters away and began to fine tune it and Athena pulled a piece of parchment out from her book bag and began sketching. All of them continued to ponder the mystery of the slytherins for a good deal longer.

"Rhiannon! Tristan! Athena! Where are you?" Seletha called as she ran out to the Candlemass celebration by the forest before she spotted her three friends by the enchanted bonfire who stared at her dumbstruck, "I need to talk to you, now!" She grabbed the startled Athena's arm and began pulling, with little impact, towards the forest.

The trio eventually caught on and followed Seletha as she wound her way through the trees to a small secluded clearing where they looked at her with differing levels of irritation. What! She thought, Oh the Helga Godric match up...Eck...Well screw pre-amble, "I know what Slytherin's up to." She blurted, Ha! That got their attention.

"Slytherin got the centaurs 2 moons ago." Not the worst news she had to impart but it gained a gasp from Rhiannon. Seletha looked at her feet dreading her next news, "There's worse." she whispered changing her view to a small shrub on the edge of the clearing, "They've planned their first strike for tonight," oh she could hear Slytherin's mocking tone still, "They're in Wales," sadistic bastards, "They are after muggles as we thought," she had to pull her eyes up to Rhiannon's, her voice trembled, "They're going to attack Llanfair, n-no quarter. Nott's suggestion," oh she remembered Nott's face, that smirk wouldn't leave, "I'm sorry Rhi."

She watched Rhiannon's face go white in fright, "H-how did you find out?" Rhiannon asked, "Actually tell the founders they need to know." she looked resolute but Seletha could see the tears in her eyes, her respect for Rhiannon grew.

"Wait." Tristan said as they got up, "How are we going to get the founders together, without Slytherin. Somehow I don't think we can just walk up and pronounce Slytherin as a traitor."

"We pretend that we're setting up Godric and Helga, get them here, Seletha you'd best come with me somehow I think Rowena may need more persuading." Athena said, "Rhi you cool getting Helga here?" Rhiannon nodded, "Trist you with Godric." Tristan nodded as well. "Alright, let's go."

15 minutes saw the fifth years and the other three founders sitting in the clearing, Helga and Godric looking curious and sitting beside each other, Rowena looking irritated a little to the left of Helga and Seletha sitting directly in front of them as if on trial. The other two sat on either side of Rhiannon just of to the side. Rowena eventually got a little impatient with Seletha's silence, "If you have something important to say girl just say it."

Seletha looked into her eyes, "Slytherin is trying to kill you three, and all people of impure blood in Britain." She looked each of them in the eye till their incredulity merged into belief, "I'd best explain how we know this."

She straightened and began her explanation, "A week after mid-winter I was in the library when I heard Jarred Nott and Casius Malfoy talking about those meetings that Slytherin had, has, been having with the older slytherins. And yes I know they're supposedly study meetings," she replied to Godric's attempt of interruption, "but they've really been plotting an army, made up of house elves, centaurs and goblins. They were discussing how the centaurs needed persuading and how they were eager to attack the muggles and mudbloods. A few moons ago I heard Malfoy and Nott say how the centaurs had joined and they just needed to finish training, I wrote it in my diary," Seletha pulled out a black leather bound diary, "Problem was they spotted me listening and hexed me before wiping my memory, it was lucky I had it down, still they were too careful until tonight for me to gain any more information." She paused.

"I wish we could have told you but we had no proof and now its too late for their first target," she looked at Rhiannon sadly, "But now we have proof and we can save other's lives from ignorance. I snuck into the meeting this evening and recorded what was said into the diary, tap the 1st blank page with your wand and say parlé." She shared a small grin with Rhiannon at the founder's uncomprehending faces, "One of Rhiannon's useful charms."

Rhiannon opened the diary and muttered the incantation a started in shock as Slytherin's voice came out, "Tonight the first blow has been struck, rather is being struck." Cheers came through and Seletha grimaced at the memory, Slytherin's hideously evil grin and stamping of her housemates.

"The mudbloods and muggle sludge that have plagued this sacred, fair isle will know fear and inferiority. They shall learn their place under those of clean bloodline. We should thank Master Nott's suggestion, Llanfair as a double blow. To place fear into muggles and to teach that mudblood trollop Hufflepuff has the nerve to name a prefect, that she is nothing and that she should bow to her greaters. But my friends, this is only a start, the diversion, I would not waste my time totally on mudbloods and giftless people whom I will never meet," harsh laughter met this response, Seletha felt sick, "No I should clear those which I may be tainted through meeting, and those who have done me wrong. We will march forward but a token force, place fear into my other 'founders' while opening the school to be purged by our greater force. There will only be purebloods, and when my other colleges object, they will be killed along with any other muggle sympathizers like that blood traitor Seletha. We have the dark stones of Ündier naught can stop us."

The crowd jeered and Malfoy's voice rang over, "When will the school be purged?"

"Next Samhain, Hallows eve." The slytherins' cackles and jeers faded to the silence of the clearing.

Seletha opened her eyes to find Rowena hugging her, rather shocked she patted Rowena back and looked to see how the others were taking it; Tristan and Athena had enveloped a mildly distressed Rhiannon in a giant group hug, Godric was gritting his teeth but moving to comfort Helga who was moving from shades of white to grey to green and back again, only Godric eyes showed his hurt by his childhood play friend's treachery.

"Ummm...Professor Ravenclaw? I was wondering, what are the stones of Ündier?" Seletha asked, trying as always to sum up her opponents strength.

"They are stone's created to aid destruction, war, death, deception and empower the dark arts, if an army has them they are unstoppable without objects of as great or greater power." Godric answered, "Only problem is I don't know of any other 4 objects that contain that much power in a benevolent form."

Seletha winced, so we need to find an army, and four objects of power which we don't know any by next Samhain, why don't we just go to the underworld and come back while we're at it! Luckily she didn't say so out loud ass Rowena cut through.

"Druids believe in the 4 elements of earth, fire, wind and water and use circles to hold their magic power, perhaps an object of each of these elements would help counteract the stones?"

"Druid's used feathers, bells and wands for air; a chalice or shells or something to do with the moon for water; gemstones, plants for earth; embers, weapons, candles, staffs for fire; so my father used to tell me." Rhiannon's voice dropped off at her mention of her father, Seletha felt a stab of pity as well as a little envy, her father never told her anything. Probably a good thing too as it'd probably be something along the lines of pillage first then burn.

"My mother used to tell tales of a dagger with fire wreathing within its blade, dagger of the heart flame, and there was a silver chalice of the moon which could heal and forever carried water without spilling." Tristan offered, "Once upon a time they were brought together with 2 other objects to create a magic circle that was powerful enough to open a gate to the underworld, the guardian of the air object was pulled through along with the earth guardian, the other objects were hidden."

"The gem on Ea and Grynhall's, the gryffins' father's, feather" Rowena said, "They're the other two; I remember those stories."

"So we need to find them?" Seletha asked still a little confused, "And do this circle thing all before Samhain?"

"Seems like it." Godric replied, "But we can't leave without Slytherin realising something's up." Glancing at Helga and Rowena; Seletha rolled her eyes.

"Why don't we look for them?" Seletha suggested, "We can tell Slytherin we're doing field learning in traditional magic, herb lore and such, and we will travel around towns to question the town witches, as an extra herbology/medical course?" she looked at the founders questionably, well it was only half baked.

"That could work." Helga replied, "I will ask Salazar if he will relieve you for that time and mention what you are doing and who with. We'd best be getting back to the festivities or Salazar will get suspicious." Godric helped her up along with Rowena, always the gentleman.

"Professor Gryffindor?" Rhiannon called.

"Yes?" Gryffindor turned around; Rhiannon whispered something into his ear that caused him to blush before nodding and catching up to Helga who stood waiting at the edge of the clearing.

"What did you say?!" Seletha asked; she'd never seen Gryffindor blush before.

"I told him that Helga liked him and he just needs to kiss her." Rhiannon replied grinning, before turning somber, "I'd best write to my family, they could reply, or I could warn them in time." Tears brimmed again.

Slinging her arm around Rhiannon's shoulders as they walked back towards the castle, and the festivities in Athena and Tristan's case, Seletha felt great compassion for her friend, "I'll keep you company, we're going to have some work to do later."

Journal,

Finally my plans are in full motion, years of work, persuasion, threats; the first strike was this evening, a little muggle castle in Wales, the scum didn't know what hit them! Practically no resistance but one did escape, damn that old bard. How can one muggle handle THREE senior centaurs? I'm certain it was not a son he was saving, the escapee had blonde hair. It doesn't matter I made sure he regretted it by the end, a new version on crucio all of my own. Gryffindor would have liked him he did not cry aught except a whisper of Rhiannon as he died, he must have been the father of that mudblood trollop. Nott would have liked to get him, a personal vengeance. Our next attack will be on another welsh castle but this time we have some mudbloods to eradicate, but we'll leave one to fear the others, they're of Gryffindor stock so no great loss.

GRYFFINDOR! That meddling mudblood lover ruined my evening of success, of course! How many years have I yearned from a soft word from Helga so he does bend upon his knees simple state his 'feelings' for my Helga and gain her heart with that kiss, kisses as such should not be legal in public! Oh mine eyes that my love should been torn thus and the power of equality stripped for they shall now always vote against me in decisions!

But I shall have her in the end, after all the filth is purged my master has told me so, I must pretend not long more. Seem the rose but be said python beneath and strike as the hands move to pluck it. I must be gone to 'congratulate' the couple, it makes me nauseous.

Salazar Slytherin