Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Blah blah blah. You know the drill.

~ "All right. I admit it. He's got a point. The sunsets are bloody MARVELOUS, you old bastard. Satisfied? ~
~ Lucifer ~

There was a resounding 'thump' as the infirmary doors crashed open, and the nurse gave a startled yell as Severus Snape strolled in with a girl in his arms.

"Oh dear is this her?"

"No, I just got a random girl off of the lawn!"

"Well, no need to get snippy I was just asking," she suddenly stopped recognizing the girl, "Is that Rinoa Edwards?"

"Yes Poppy now can you stop gawking and look at her or will I have to?"

"Ohhh," she growled, "Put her on the bed there," she pointed to the bed nearest to the door.
When it looked as though the girl was going to be fine and Madame Pomphrey had the situation under control, Severus Snape decided to attend to the issue of the box.

"I need to see the headmaster, Ms. Edwards may I have that box please?" She carefully handed him the ornate box, the feeling of familiarity she had while holding it vanishing as the professor released it from her grasp. The box meant something to her, she just didn't have the energy to even begin to consider what.

"Poppy," Snape said with a slight nod in her direction, and left the room.

Two hours later...
Remus Lupin was really beginning to become annoyed with that Deeter fellow. The minute Snape had left, he had come out of hiding and wouldn't leave him alone until Moody came and scared him away with his magical eye. Tonks, who was standing beside him, obviously noticed his distress because she silently slid her hand in his and gave it a small squeeze. The group of four followed the hall to the headmaster's office where professors Snape and Mcgonagal were already sitting awaiting their arrival. "Good evening," said Dumbledore, that annoying twinkle in his eye. "Did you find out anything about that box Albus?" asked Arthur. "I know a good deal about this box actually," his smile replaced by a look of seriousness. "I'm going to tell you all something that can not leave this room. Can we agree on that?"

Choruses of 'of course' and 'certainly' were heard from all members of the order present.

"Very well. The four founders of Hogwarts were very powerful, this is well known. However, it is not known yet how or why they came to that power. For centuries it has just been accepted that they were simply the most powerful of the age, but that is not entirely correct. That power was given to them by someone or something and it has traveled on through their bloodlines. It has been proven that the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff lines have indeed died out. Helga was the last of hers and the last of the Ravenclaws died four hundred years ago, but what has become of Gryfindor has remained a mystery to all but a selected few who were chosen to guard the secret. Each of the founding families had a steward, a kind of secret keeper to the family. It was not one person but an entire family, the keepers were only known by the founders' heirs and no one else, so what I'm about to tell you will break over a millennia of tradition, but I feel it is necessary. The stewards to the Gryfindor line are the Dumbledore's, Aberforth and myself are the last of the line. However, I alone know who the heir to Gryfindor is, and I'll give you three guesses as to who it is."

"Harry," whispered Remus in amazement.

"Yes, Harry. I have kept a box much like that one in trust for Harry until I felt he was ready to accept his fate, he is supposed to receive it on his sixteenth birthday but I don't know if I can put this burden on him after what he learned last term. The prophecy is quite enough to worry about, and I don't want to give him something else on top of that. However, this box is for the heir of Slytherin."

"But doesn't that mean that Voldemort should have it, shouldn't the steward have been obligated to give it to him upon his sixteenth birthday?" asked Tonks.

"Yes, unless there was another heir out there who was more worthy of it than him. We have not been sure in a very long time just which lines were decedents of Slytherin. Obviously Tom Riddles mother but she was the last of her line, so there must be another line that is a direct descendent to Salazar Slytherin. You said that Ms. Thompson was a squib Tonks?"

"Yes. At least that's what Ms. Edwards said to us."

"I remember having a chat with her when Rinoa got her letter, but she never said she was a squib. She took the news of Rinoa's talents quite well, I was rather surprised by it at the time. Usually the muggles are in hysterics and I have to calm them down when the children get their letters."

"So your saying that this Melissa Thompson was a steward to the Slytherin family?" asked Minerva skeptically.

"Yes that is my theory."

"But why were they after Rinoa then?" asked Tonks, clearly perplexed by all of the new information going through her head at the moment.

"Because Voldemort thinks that Ms. Edwards is the steward." It was the first word Snape had said the entire conversation.

"Exactly," said Dumbledore eagerly. "This can be used to our advantage because clearly Ms. Edwards is not the steward and we have the box he so desperately wants. Of course Rinoa must be moved to a safe location for the rest of the summer, while Hogwarts is safe people can still come and go as they like through it's doors."

"Excuse me headmaster, but may I ask you something?" said Tonks, not looking sure as to what she wanted to say.

"Of course my dear."

"If Melissa Thompson was a squib maybe she has some family left in the wizarding world. Maybe they know who the heir of Slytherin is."

"They don't." It was said very curtly but with an edge to it that meant not to contest what was said.

"How would you know Snape!" Moody said icily.

"Because my cousin Melissa was a squib, she ran an orphanage and I being the last of the stewards of the Slytherin line have absolutely no idea who the other heir is."

Authors notes: tah dah. Look two chapters in two days wow. Ok well I hope you guys liked this chapter a little better I know it was all back round but it's necessary I promise there will be a lot more romance and action really soon! Like in the next chapter maybe. Ok well you see that little button right there yeah that's a review button. Push it and review. Thank you. :)