Disclaimer: I own only the obvious, the rest belongs to JK Rowling.
Authors Note: Hope you like this as well as the last one. And thanks to my wonderful Beta's Lexi-formerly Katy999 and Tabitha.
-Chapter Three-
Rowena sighed as yet another fight between Salazar and Godric started. And the two had been talking about cakes of all things! How they managed to make it personal was beyond her. Helga was currently touring the castle and flirting with both Nearly Headless Nick and the Bloody Baron. Believe it or not, the Hufflepuff Founder was a very big flirt.
She looked over to the door as it opened and in came Harry, Minerva, and Severus. All three looked worried and a tad apprehensive.
Harry spotted her floating in the corner, and walked over. "Rowena, good, we found you."
Salazar and Godric had stopped trying to hex each other and were trying to use various items from around the room, but as their hands just went straight through them it never worked.
"Why, are there any problems?" she asked.
"Yes, we're going to have a couple of interviews in a minute, and I must ask of you four to check if the person really is as good in his or her field as they say." Harry was always polite with her and the other ghosts. He was such a charming young man.
"What position?" asked Helga who had just floated through the floor hanging off the arm of Nearly Headless Nick. "Don't worry," the Hufflepuff Founder added seeing their looks. "Nick and the rest of the ghosts – even Peeves – know about Albus missing and won't say a thing. Apparently it's a castle thing that was added after our time."
"The Defence Against the Dark Arts," the Slytherin Head of House replied. "With our history with Dark Arts Teachers, I suppose you can understand why we are worried."
"Yes, certainly," Nick said and patted Helga's hand gently. "The worst by far I believe was Lockhart." The three mortals groaned at the mention of the Blonde Prat from Hell.
"Of course we'll help you Harry," Rowena said smiling. "How man-"
"If you don't stop insulting Gryffindor House right now, Slytherin, I'm going to ask Harry to throw that biting teacup after you!" Godric's voice cut through their conversation and they turned to the two fighting ghosts.
"Watch it Godric," Salazar replied, "your ego is getting too big for the room."
"Crawl back under your rock!"
"Go jump off a cliff!"
Rowena glared at the two men. "Excuse me," she said to the three mortals and the two ghosts, then stalked over to Gryffindor and Slytherin. She grabbed them both by their ears and turned invisible. A second later they heard two terrified shrieks, and all of them winced. The Ravenclaw Founder turned visible again, muttering darkly.
"What did you do to them, Rowena?" Minerva asked.
"Nothing they didn't deserve."
"I don't understand why we can't just find a powerful Necromancer, let him or her revive those two and let Godric and Salazar kill each other again." Harry said. "It would make all of us happy, and those two would stop fighting… hopefully."
"We've been dead for too long." She sighed and clapped her hands. "Now, as I suspect that the interviews will start soon, how about we get into our positions?"
Harry turned into Dumbledore and sat down behind the desk, Severus positioned himself by the windowsill and Minerva went to get the first applier. Rowena ordered every ghost present to turn invisible and keep quiet.
"Having job interviews this close to term?" Harry said shaking his head. "Is Albus mad?"
"Potter, this is the Headmaster we're talking about. The same manipulative old coot who hired Lockhart, and who thought it was a good idea to have a Yule Ball every year," Snape growled. "Quite shortly, Dumbledore is the craziest person I have ever met."
"You have a point there," the usually green-eyed man was about to say something else when with a knock Minerva entered the office, a woman in her late thirties followed her. Harry slipped at once into the role as Dumbledore, and stood up while beaming at the two.
"Why, hello again Minerva, and welcome to Hogwarts Mrs…?"
"Green," the woman answered with a superior air and shaking his hand. "The name's Anna Green." She had a slight accent.
"Well then, Mrs Green, would you like to sit down?" Harry mentioned to the chair in front of the desk. "Sherbet Lemon?" he asked as she sat down and she declined. He shrugged, then popped one into his own mouth. He could understand why the Headmaster liked the sweets.
"Why don't you start with telling us something about yourself?" he suggested.
"I was working at the French Ministry of Magic, in the Department of Dark Forces Research," the first sentence was enough to catch the attention of all the others in the room. If the woman had worked in the Department of Dark Forces Research, it meant only theoretical knowledge.
"Why don't you still work there?" Severus asked suspiciously.
"I got bored of the paper work."
"All you will get here is paper work, so what's the difference?" the tall man pointed out.
Harry sent him a warning look even if he agreed with him. "Tell me, my dear, how are you with children?"
"Oh, they love me and I love them," came the short, clipped answer.
"Brakylogia tis Lakonike [1]," Harry mumbled but continued louder, "are you good at duelling?"
"Why do you ask?" the woman became defensive at once.
"I was thinking of starting a Duelling Club this year, Mrs Green; and it would only be logical and natural for the DADA Teacher to lead it – with a little help from Mr Snape here for practical demonstrations."
The woman paled at once and Severus smirked. "Why are you here really, Mrs Green?" he asked. "Is it because of the Sword of Jeanne D'Arc?"
Not five seconds later Anna Green literally went flying down the stairs and out of Hogwarts. Helga Hufflepuff came back through the wall a minute later, mumbling something about wimps who couldn't even fall gracefully. Nearly Headless Nick looked a bit surprised at this show of violence, but shrugged it off again.
"Thank you Helga," Harry rubbed his eyes. "Fudge must've let the secret slip at the Ministry that the sword was being moved here. And he complained that the students would be bad!"
"Who's next Minerva?" Rowena asked.
"A man named," the Deputy Mistress looked at her clipboard, "Thomas Molloy. Shall I go get him?"
"Please do," Harry replied. "I'd like this over with as soon as possible."
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At the end of the day they had decided to hire Thomas Molloy. Out of them all, he was the best, keeping calm and cool throughout the entire meeting, and answering every question thoroughly. He had brown hair and eyes, a constantly smiling face and a kind word to anyone. He even accepted Harry's offer for Sherbet Lemons, something that surprised them all.
"Now that that's over, I'm going to bed." Harry yawned. He had turned back into himself right after the last person had left half an hour ago. "Gods, I really don't envy Dumbledore the position of Headmaster. Where the hell does he get all his annoying energy from anyway?"
"I personally think he's an alien," Severus muttered. He was rubbing his neck. A kink had developed for some strange reason or other.
"Anyone up for tea?" Minerva asked.
"Yes please," Rowena took a cup the Head of Gryffindor handed her and just held it in her hands without drinking. Strangely Helga and Nick had disappeared right after the meeting, and there hadn't been a pip from Godric and Salazar.
"When are we going into the Chamber of Secrets?" Snape asked as he accepted the tea handed to him.
"Definitely tomorrow," Harry replied. "Even without the creature Hagrid's providing we can put Ancient Magic and Wards down there," he buried his head in his hands. "I feel more dead than a dead person."
"You're not the only one," McGonagall muttered. "Well, at least we have a Defence Teacher now, the search after the real Albus is well under way and the students are returning in a couple of days."
"Good night." Harry yawned and stood up heading for Dumbledore's quarters. Then he stopped and turned back to Rowena. "What did you do with Godric and Salazar?"
"As I told you, nothing they didn't deserve," she replied then smirked. "I locked them in the same room as Peeves and Filch. Warding it so that they couldn't get out until tomorrow."
Everyone winced again.
"You are evil incarnate," Harry told her. "Good night all of you."
"Good night, Harry."
"Good night."
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Severus glared as Harry led him towards Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. "Explain to me once again why exactly in heaven's name we are going towards a more or less ruined toilet?"
"The entrance to the Chamber is located in that particular bathroom." Harry replied lightly. He was glad to be walking around Hogwarts as himself again. "Hey, don't look at me like that; it was Salazar who made the place."
"Well, if it hadn't been for a certain nosy Gryffindor Founder," Salazar materialized, "the entrance would be somewhere else."
Godric turned visible as well. "Excuse me for caring about my students!"
"Oh no, here they go again." Harry groaned. "If you two don't want to be locked in a room with Peeves and Filch again, I suggest you shut up. Salazar, why don't you go ahead and open the entrance to the Chamber for us? Godric, shut up."
The two ghosts sulked and pouted, but did as Harry had asked.
Once they reached the bathroom they found Salazar chatting with Moaning Myrtle herself. The young ghost was blushing silver and giggled every five seconds; Salazar on the other hand was smirking triumphantly. The entrance to the Chamber was already open and Severus raised an eyebrow. The entrance to the legendary Chamber of Secrets was a sink?
Harry went forwards and sent several Cleaning Charms down the pipe, then he sighed and jumped. Godric followed him, in turn followed by Salazar who blew a kiss to Myrtle. This proved to be too much for the girl because she squealed and flew off to hide. The Potion Master shook his head and jumped into the pipe. How the hell he always ended up with the idiots was beyond him.
At the end of the slippery ride, Severus landed right on top of Harry who had just finished brushing himself off.
"Get off of me if you value your life, Snape," Harry growled.
Severus sneered at the threat, but quickly stood up and looked critically at his robes. A quick Cleaning Charm later they were as good as new. "So, where to?"
"This way." Glowing slightly silver, Salazar started to float in front of them.
"For a paranoid idiot you have taste," Godric admitted as he followed his ghostly companion, glowing silver as well. He kept looking around the huge chamber in critical wonder.
Both Harry and Severus repressed the urge to roll their eyes and followed the two glowing ghosts casting protective wards and charms as they went. Soon they reached the place where the roof had collapsed due to Lockhart's misfired Memory Charm. Salazar and Godric went straight through, but Harry and Severus were too big to worm their way through the hole Ron had made in second year, so they had to clean the mess away.
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"Damn." Harry sat down on a large rock. Who'd have thought that cleaning away all the rocks would be this tiring?
"I second that." Godric wiped some sweat off his forehead and sat down as well.
Severus glared at the ghost. "You didn't do anything except give us tips, which didn't help by the way." He was leaning against a pillar, a cup of cold water he had conjured in his hand.
"You don't think that's tiring?" Godric asked.
Harry turned to the Slytherin Founder. "You were right after all, Salazar; Slytherin really is the best House."
"What's that supposed to mean?" the Gryffindor Founder asked and glared at the other ghost's triumphant smirk.
"My point was just proven." Salazar bowed sarcastically, still smirking.
"Will someone tell me what's going on?!" Godric complained.
"Quit shouting!" Snape hissed. "Or you'll bring the whole castle down on us, and I don't fancy being flat as a pancake."
"I will stop shouting when someone tells me what's going on!"
"Godric, you want me to call Rowena down here?" Harry asked.
"On second thought, it might be best for all our interests to stay alive. Hogwarts is still needed in the world. No need for threats."
Harry rolled his eyes, Severus growled impatiently and Salazar sighed throwing his hands exasperatedly into the air. "Heaven save us from death by Gryffindor stupidity and idiocy." The ghost exclaimed quietly.
"Hear, hear." The Potion Master pushed away from the pillar. "Well, Potter, ready to start again."
"No, but I hardly think that matters." Harry stood and stretched. "Let's get started."
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They finished with the fallen rocks half an hour later, and two hours after that again they were done with casting charms, wards and Ancient Protection Spells on the entire place; they had even put in a couple of charms in favour of the beast Hagrid was providing them with. It wouldn't do good to slip on some of the creature's filth when they checked in on the sword.
While Snape was taking a rest, Harry made a special pedestal for the sword and warded it just as heavily as Albus had warded his drawer full of socks. Then the green-eyed man sighed and sat down. Salazar was off sulking somewhere and wasn't talking to him because he had killed his beloved, little basilisk. Harry secretly thought that the Slytherin Founder and Hagrid would become best buddies if they ever met. Now that was a scary thought.
Harry shuddered and looked over to the Potion Master. The man was quietly looking around the Chamber, implanting every single detail in his brain for later use. Before they had cleared the dead basilisks body away, he had filled several vials and beakers with the surprisingly fresh blood for some later research.
Harry had to keep himself for rolling his eyes at that one. The man was in love with his work, and the ex-Gryffindor highly doubted the man could love anyone anymore. Perhaps when he had been younger Severus still had had a chance at happiness, but not after so many years of being alone.
He shook his head and stood up; he had to find Godric, before the ghost got himself into even more trouble. Harry suspected that being dead for so long had made the Four Founders slightly crazy, and that was why they acted like children most of the time. However, when he had asked if this was the case, he had gotten one hell of a tongue lashing from Rowena and after that had just accepted it as one of those unexplainable things.
As he wandered off into the depths of the Chamber, he didn't notice the black eyes following his every move.
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Harry sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. They had moved the Sword of Jeanne D'Arc into the Chamber two days ago. Hagrid had managed to provide them with a couple of Quintapeds, a Norwegian Ridgeback he swore was Norbert and – to everyone's surprise and horror – two Lethifolds. They'd had had to use several Shrinking Charms on the Dragon to get him into the Chamber, and then had had to put up wards to keep the animals from eating each other and to keep the Lethifolds from escaping. It came as no surprise when – at the next staff meeting – no one volunteered to take the first check-up trip into the Chamber at the end of the month.
But it wasn't that that was worrying him the most right now. No, it was the fact that the students were returning and would walk through the doors of the Great Hall within the next fifteen minutes.
This was his real test. Would he manage to keep up the pretence with the students there? Would anyone see through his act? And where the hell had Godric and Salazar disappeared off to?
To keep his mind from going into shock, Harry turned to the Professor sitting next to him who just happened to be Thomas Molloy. "Really Thomas, there's no need to look so scared," he said, comforting the DADA Teacher as well as himself. "I admit that some of the students can be… difficult at times, but there's nothing to it really. May I offer you a Lemon Drop?" he took out a bag of the yellow sweets from a hidden pocket.
"No thank you Headmaster," Molloy looked nervously around. "I don't think anything can help me right now."
"You'll get used to it soon my boy," Harry patted the other man's hand gently. "Ah, here they come," he said as the doors of the Great Hall swung open and the students entered. To Harry it seemed like the Gates of Hell had just opened, and Snape seemed to share his thoughts because he glared even more fiercely at every student than ever before.
Soon the children had sat down and Minerva entered with the first years. She explained about the Sorting Hat and what it would do, and several first years looked relieved. Then she started calling out names. Harry clapped politely when a child was Sorted, but he dreaded the start of term notices that he would have to deliver in a couple of minutes.
Finally the Sorting was over and he stood up. Every head in the Great Hall turned to watch him.
"Welcome to another school year," Harry began, proud of himself for keeping his voice from shaking. "As usual there's the notice about the Forbidden Forest being just what its name hints it to, and all of you would do well to remember that. Also, Mr Filch has added several new products from the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes to his list of forbidden artefacts." Minerva coughed pointedly. "Ah, yes, I have the delighting pleasure of introducing you to your new Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher, Thomas Molloy. Please give him a big hand everyone." The students clapped politely. "And now only a couple of more words from me: We know what we are, but not what we will become. Thank you and tuck in!" Harry clapped his hands twice and the feast started.
Thomas Molloy looked much more at ease and was chatting with Sprout about the school and her beloved plants.
"Maybe I can come around some time and you can show me what to do?" the new Professor suggested. "I really have no clue when it comes to plants, and would be honoured if you'd teach me."
Sprout blushed. "Of course I will," she said. "Come around on a Hogsmeade Weekend, or when neither of use have papers to grade, and we'll see what we can do about it."
Minerva leaned over and whispered in Harry's ear: "He's charmed her, and the rest of the Teachers, into the palm of his hand. Something is definitely up here."
"Hmm, you could be right, but until further notice lets leave it be." Harry replied and she nodded. Severus caught Harry's eye and raised an eyebrow. Harry signalled to him that he'd tell him later after the feast.
The rest of the night went on normally, except for the fact that Salazar and Godric were still missing, something that would make the bravest of men shake in his boots. There was no telling what the two ghosts had gotten into this time, and to tell the truth Harry wasn't sure he wanted to know.
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There, done. Please tell me what you think.
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[1.]Brakylogia tis Lakonike: Speaking shortly and straight to the point. Comes from Lakonia in Greece where children were raised to speak shortly and straight to the point.
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Thanks to:
athenakitty, Dragonhope, Arizosa, anon, Green Dragon UK, Fage of Hyren, Dark-past, chaser, Zaeria, Irish Angel, Lexi-formerly Katy999, Lukaret, serapotter, Nienna Ciryatan, SSSroaB, Ruskbyte, Lokia, mcnugget, Lady Phoenix Gryffindor, CatatonicReaction and MJ.