Disclaimer: I don't own any of JK Rowling's characters.

Summary: Tragedy strikes the Gryffindor clan and Godric goes in rescue of his brother's family.

Homicide

A few more years passed without much that I could or rather would comment on. At Hogwarts castle we lulled in relaxed routine. Until one day we woke to find that Godric had mysteriously disappeared during the night.

Only Rowena, who had not developed much more tact during our years together, had the gall to question poor Alieen and then Sir Elric. Both Alieen and Elric seemed sick with worry. Although it was quite obvious that they both knew something was terribly wrong; Rowena was sure she was the only one who had noticed the difference. She didn't stop bothering them until I sent Helga up to stop her haggling and nagging at any cost.

Poor Sir Elric seemed shattered. Even in his aging he had always seemed strong and independent. But on that morning Godric left he seemed suddenly feeble and pale. I caught him often during the day gazing intently at the dull walls and sighing deeply.

Aileen spent her time pacing. She would occasionally paused exchange a glance with Elric and shake her head before resuming the pacing.

It was at this stage I sent for reinforcements. Earven and Saxtyn bounded into the room hugged their adoptive 'aunt' and 'grandfather' and prattled as only small children could.

Elric patted their small dark haired heads but his smile was devoid of his natural warmth.

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I was working furiously in the healing chambers when both of my boys came clattering down the stares. I turned on my heel as they entered and planted my fists firmly on my hips and glowered at them.

Any student I have ever taught would quail at my scowl. Not my boys. They glanced up at me with large bright eyes their cheeks clearly flushed from excitement.

"This is a healer chamber," I hissed gesturing around.

Earven blinked slowly. "Sorry father," he replied happily.

"Uh ha," four year old Saxtyn agreed with his characteristic bob on his head.

"Uncle Godric is back," Earven continued hastily. Even at a young age he always knew how to grab my attention.

"Uh ha."

"Truly," I murmured pretending to turn back to my work as if I wasn't bothered.

"He has children with him." Earven crept up to my bench and stood on tippee toes so that he could see what I was doing.

"Boys like us!" Saxtyn chimed.

"Children?"

All I could wonder was what on earth was Godric doing with children? Or more accurately a child the age that my small boys would class as children? They would be much too young to teach… and this time of year? It was incredibly unheard of.

Striping my gloves off my hands as fluidly as I could, I took my boys' hands and trudged up the stairs to intercept Godric.

Surely enough I stopped Godric just outside his chamber door. I was coming the from the other direction and could clearly see the burden of children in Godric's arms; even without the animated gestures of Earven and Saxtyn.

For one brief nanosecond Godric and my eyes meet. His large almond shape eyes seemed saddened. I watched perplexed as Godric opened the door with a simple gesture and disappeared from view. He was clearly grief stricken over something.

I had always struggled to keep my boys from anything that seemed remotely distressing all their young lives. Dropping down to their level I promptly commanded them to leave and find someone to play with.

Saxtyn pouted. He had always been the more boisterous and difficult of the two. Knowing how much his poor mother's demise grieved me he knew exactly how to manipulate me. A true Slytherin indeed!

Although proficient at getting his own way I was more stubborn and the boys were soon trudging their way back to our apartments to their mother.

I watched them (and I made sure Saxtyn knew I was watching) until they were out of sight before following Godric into his chambers.

"Godric."

Godric started and glanced where I was standing by the door. He moved from the bedside slightly with a sigh. Two young boys lay asleep in the bed. A tuft of dark black messy hair was all I could see of the elder of the two, his arm was thrown across a smaller boy as if to protect him. The second had dark brown hair and I could clearly see the track of tears that had recently slid down his pale pink cheeks. His eyelids were closed so tightly that his nose and cheeks crumpled with wrinkles. He was obviously pretending to be asleep.

They were the age of my boys… six and four…

What was Godric doing with such young children?

Godric stretched and nodded to the open door. He passed me and closed the door behind us softly.

Godric swallowed heavily a few times and uttered one word. "Hearne."

In the moments that followed I froze and felt my heart fluttered in apprehension. His name had not been spoken so boldly in Hogwarts Castle in such a long time. Even then I felt a thrill of fear even though I knew I would never had seen him again.

"Hearne?" I repeated like a dumb parrot.

Godric licked his lips and glanced back at the closed door. "He is dead."

I would have cheered at those three simple words if it wasn't for the lost look of unbelief and grief on Godric's face.

"And that is not the worst of it."

"What do you mean, Godric?" I forced myself to speak through the lump forming in my throat. I hated seeing Godric in distress. "Wait a minute…" The knut had dropped.

"… those children… they're… they're Hearne's?"

I was incredulous at the mere thought of Godric returning to Hogwarts with Hearn's get. (And yes I am now ashamed of those thoughts that instantly crossed my mind.)

Godric nodded his head slowly with a sigh. Another knut dropped.

"You didn't… you didn't kill Hearne, did you?"

Godric snorted. "You would have liked that wouldn't you, Salazar?"

"Godric I…"

Godric held out his palm to demand silence and shook his head. "Don't even think about apologising to me."

Closed my mouth; my eyes started to wander back towards the shut door.

"But to answer your question. No. No I didn't kill my brother."

We were silent for a few moments. For once I had no words to offer Godric and Godric seemed to be happier with the silence.

"He murdered his wife," Godric said after a while wringing his hands.

"Salazar, Hearne murdered Catrona… in front of his children…" From my rough childhood I had heard of such terrible deeds. But Godric with his life of privilege and safety could not imagine such horror.

"What happened? Why are the children here? Catrona's family do not approve of you and your father."

Godric glanced up at me looking very much like he wanted to weep. "Straight after they executed Hearne for killing Catrona with black magic, Catrona's family seized his lands and flung the children out onto the street." Godric shook his head furiously as if he could not believe it. "The cruelty of it all. Loosing their mother via their father, then their father being executed then their own grandfather throwing them out onto the street for them to starve to death."

I had heard of these things happening before. Family abandoning children because one of their parents had used evil tainted magics. But telling this to Godric would be no use to my friend at all. So instead I squeezed his shoulder.

"Barnabas Driscoll will pay for the day he earned my ire," Godric snarled thumping his fists against the door frame. It was only then I noticed Godric's ripped robes and a small amount of blood seeping through.

"Godric you're hurt!"

Godric looked down at himself and shrugged mildly. "So I am."

"What happened?"

Godric smiled thinly and without any of his characteristic mirth. "It was a matter of honour."

I shook my head. "You fought Barnabas."

Lord Driscoll was Hearne's father-in-law and was a known prat to the pure blood families. He was into economics, banking and making profits out of money that did not belong to him originally.

"No," Godric said lightly looking bored, "I fought his champion Maxmillian and won."

"Congratulations," I drawled dryly.

Their had always been bad blood between Godric and Barnabas' champion knights. Beating Maximillian should have been like a childhood dream come true for Godric. If only it had occurred it better circumstances.

If only….

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Godric sat a glum Rhodderyk on my bench. The child glared up at me from under his shaggy black hair with a definite air. His younger brother Newlin gazed from around Godric's robes looking sheepish.

"Let's see what we have got here shall we?" I asked feeling a bubble of amusement rising to my throat. As I fight to conceal my mirth my glance at Godric tells me he is doing the same.

Rhodderyk being a sharp little tyke noticed and scowled. Before showing me his injured arm. "That is what you get for doing silly deeds, Mister Rhodderyk." I scolded him turning my back to glare at Saxtyn and Earven who truthfully the cause of Rhodderyk's injury. After a few short weeks the four boys had become inseparable and became known for causing mischief around the castle.

"It's Rhoddy," Rhodderyk murmured distaste at his name was clearly etched onto his face. "Besides it was Saxtyn who dared me and Earven who fought me."

Poor Sir Elric had found the mischievous boys in the weaponry room. Rhodderyk was bleeding professedly and my sons trying in vain to stop the bleeding.

"And it felt good to have a sword in my hands…" Rhodderyk explained as I poked at the wound.

"That sword was much too big for you Rhodderyk Jonathan Gryffindor," Godric growled.

"It's RHODDY!"

Godric sniffed in disdain and picked up a vial of potion. He glanced at me lingering before handing it to Rhodderyk. A small smile crept upon my face. Godric had purposefully picked up the foulest potion to stop infections that he possibly could. He knew very well I had a store of more pleasant tasting potions hidden.

"Drink."

Rhodderyk obviously knew that the potion would taste incredibly foul. He pursed his lips tightly and clenched the vial before sculling down his throat.

I have never seen a child turn green so fast in my life!