Disclaimer: I have red hair but I am not JK Rowling... Harry and other characters belong to her (except Ahawn).

Chapter Nine A Quarter to Make a Whole

A small groan emitted from Harry's parched lips as he slowly opened one eye and then the other. Darkness was all around, he could barely see. "Harry…" A frightened voice squeaked.
"Yeah…" Harry replied although it came out like an unintelligible moan.
"You okay?"
Harry nodded his head weakly and tried to sit up only to find he couldn't get his body to move. A whimper of panic escaped his lips before he could stop it.
"It's okay…" someone patted his arm lightly, "Ahawn says that upon your first reawakening you'd be very weak."

Despite this argument Harry struggled against his weary body and with a great effort he was able to force himself to sit up and look about. He regretted his movement because as he did so he coughed and retched violently.

"Here drink this." Harry blinked his eyes to see Hermione holding out a cup. He took the cup and guzzled it down expecting to find water, only to taste a strange bitter liquid. He swallowed hard, but coughed again splattering the cave wall with the mixture.
"Lord Gryffindor said it should help," Hermione said.
Harry wiped his mouth and chin with his sleeve. "Gryffindor."
Hermione nodded enthusiastically. "Godric Gryffindor…"
Harry gawked at her.
"The founder…"
Harry's jaw nearly hit the cave floor.
"He wants to speak with you once you're up," Hermione said cheerily, "And he says I'm a natural healer."

Harry smiled weakly at Hermione's smug expression. "You'd be brilliant no matter what you do."
Hermione blushed and pointed at Godric's cloak on the floor. "You'd better lie down, Harry, Lord Gryffindor doesn't want you on your feet yet."
"Come on, Moine…"
Hermione pointed resolutely to the cloak but she was smiling, "Nap time, Harry…"

Harry rolled his eyes and lay back down on the cloak. Once more he felt as if he couldn't move, as if his arms were glued by his side. Despite feeling strange Harry closed his eyes and was immediately asleep.

Hermione sat by Harry's head and watched the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest. He seemed so peaceful when he slumbered his face did not betray the feelings of anguish or uncertainty he surely felt deep inside.

Hermione brushed Harry's hair back and felt the stinging burning of his flesh. Harry's eyelids momentarily fluttered and she darted her hand away, but Harry merely murmured something dreamily and with a deep sigh he fell further into sleep. She reached out again and touched his lightening bolt scar with her index finger and ran her finger along its path.

Periodically Hermione looked out of the cave mouth. Once Godric Gryffindor had completed his spell over Harry and calmed a furious and frightened Ron, he had picked Harry up in his strong arms and brought him to a solitary cave for rest. Once Ron had gotten over his fear that Godric was somehow harming his best friend, he never left Godric's side becoming the founder's source of information and messenger.

Hermione was well aware that Godric and the other founders were organising wards around the caves to protect the students and the lucky few who had been able to escape Hogsmede. (Unfortunately Hogsmede had been attacked before the school and so by the time Hermione and Ron had gotten there with the students Hogsmede was already a ghost town.) She also knew that they were using what Ron had been able to tell them about the Order of the Phoenix in trying to contact them without gaining attention. Ron had rigorously assured the founders that Albus Dumbledore was well informed and he would be surprised if the old headmaster apparated into the caves.

With Ron moving about helping the founders and continually popping his head in the cave to make sure Harry was still breathing, for he had a pact with Godric Gryffindor. If Harry was unfortunate enough to be harmed or died, Gryffindor assured Ron that he could kill him if he wished… Hermione was often alone with Harry but was constantly visited by Ahawn Gryffindor, who was always willing to keep her company. Or more accurately, Godric was determined to keep his son out of the affairs of the future and Ahawn was too shy to socialise with the other students that he kept coming back to talk to Hermione.

As if on cue, Ahawn entered the cave and flopped down beside her. "How's he doing?"
Hermione sighed and blinked away the tears that threatened to blind her. "Okay I suppose."
Ahawn grinned and hugged his knees. "He's been awake?"
Hermione nodded and sniffed loudly.
"He got up didn't he," Ahawn said in a fake disappointed tone.
Hermione smiled and giggled a bit although she felt incredibly unhappy.
"Papa won't like that…"
"Harry has always been stubborn."
"Like me…" Ahawn announced proudly, jabbing himself with his thumb.

Harry groaned and shook his head.
"Shhhh… you'll wake him," Hermione said softly in rebuke.
Ahawn giggled and Harry chose that moment to sneeze violently. He blinked, choked then rolled onto his side listlessly.

"I'll go get my father," Ahawn offered with a lopsided smile, "He'd want to know he's up." And with a final wave he scrambled out of the cave's mouth.

Harry was only half aware of what was going on, when Godric Gryffindor followed by another stranger entered the cave. He watched the stranger's lip curl in disgust in Hermione's direction and was surprised to see Hermione jump and almost race out of the cave, leaving him at the mercy of Gryffindor and his friend.

"I've heard you got up despite being told not to," Gryffindor growled folding his arms about him.
Harry groaned and nodded painfully in reply.
"Well I guess you've learned the lesson there," Gryffindor added as he sunk to his knees to land beside Harry's head. Harry closed his eyes as if praying for salvation and then opened them again to see Gryffindor's face very close to his own.

Harry felt Gryffindor's thumb press against his forehead and saw rather than heard, Gryffindor mutter an incantation. A warmth spread through him and he felt his strength return… Gryffindor winced and pulled himself free and wordlessly helped Harry to sit upright.

The tall dark stranger narrowed light green eyes at Harry and immediately looked to the scar on his forehead.

Gryffindor still nearly grabbed each side of Harry's cheeks in the palm of his warrior hands. "What information did you give them?" Gryffindor demanded.
Harry looked at him blankly.
"When they tortured you boy, what did you say?"

Harry's lips quivered for a moment, Godric could slowly see his addled mind slowly connecting pieces so he waited for the reply.
"I… I … don't think… I … recall…"
Godric was not satisfied with this answer. "Harry, tell me what you said…"
Harry shook slightly and tried to glance away, but Godric held him firm. "Harry…"

The second man dropped to his knees and pressed his thumb to Harry's forehead. Harry flinched and pulled away but the man looked a little bit pleased. "They aren't controlling his mind… However messed up he is, his mind is his own."
Godric smiled thinly.

Harry fought against his own forgetfulness searching madly for the answers to the riddles. Finally he opened his mouth and stumbled over the words… "There were no questions…" he closed his eyes and forced himself to be calm… "Only torture… no questions… no words…"
Godric and his friend exchanged quizzical glances.
"Do you mean they tortured you for fun?" Godric's friend asked. "What a strange concept."

Godric grew pale and shook with suppressed anger. "What type of animals are these people, Salazar?"

"Salazar?" Harry's head lolled forward as he thought really hard… "Salazar Slytherin?"
The two founders (yes the friend is Salazar Slytherin) exchanged another glance.
"There was another…. Question… where is the fourth… where is the fourth?"
Harry's babble became incomprehensible as he drifted into unconsciousness.

"They know we are here…" Godric stated in complete shock.
"Clearly…"
"But how?"
"How indeed?"