"It is done. The seal is complete." Harry blinked as he searched his surroundings, confusion furrowing his brow. He was in a tower of some sort, looking out over the ramparts onto the grounds of Hogwarts. He blinked and jumped back in surprise, however, as he realized who was standing beside him. Tall, broad-shouldered, and with a thick mane of blazing red hair, Godric Gryffindor scrutinized the very same view with golden eyes that struck Harry with an odd sense of familiarity. The young boy opened his mouth, though whether to scream, shout, or simply babble awed nonsense he wasn't sure. The words were cut off, however, when another voice from the original, feminine one which had brought him to consciousness, turning his attention to the rest of the group.

"Good. the bastard has finally been put out of our misery." Once again, Harry found himself gaping at the people before beside Godric, a very different man leaned back against the railing, his harshly aristocratic features twisted in a vicious caricature of a smile. Venomous green eyes glinted underneath long silver bangs, and Harry shivered in the cool breeze that set his long ponytail to swaying. Even in his mid-thirties as he appeared to be, Salazar Slytherin carried the same deadly aura that had adorned each and every one of his pictures scattered throughout history books and the castle.

"It is not permanent, Salazar. You know that as well as I." Harry's eyes flickered to the side at yet another new voice, before widening. Rowena Ravenclaw stood there in all her stately glory, with dark blue hair and hard bronze eyes, not flinching in the slightest as Slytherin frowned at her.

"Of course not," The green-eyed man said tone brittle. "But now Helga doesn't have to worry about holding the monster down anymore. And by the time he ever gets out, we four will be long dead." Harry, now thoroughly shell-shocked, could only stare as Slytherin gestured to the woman who had first spoken. Honey blonde and giving a tired smile that brought an amazing warmth to her dark eyes, she was perhaps the most beautiful woman the boy had ever seen, even more-so than Rowena. The quiet strength she gave off as well, despite being so obviously tired, sent an odd pang through his heart. He wondered if his own mother would have seemed like that, had she lived.

"Sal, you know that we have to keep watch over it. Anything could happen in the next hundred years or more. And we'll have to train someone to take over." Harry frowned, coincidentally in tandem with the head of the House of Snakes, as he realiksed something. This was a dream. Obviously, of course, considering there was no logical way he could be standing beside the Founders of Hogwarts otherwise, but still. They weren't reacting to him in anyway, and that somehow made Harry uncomfortable as he intruded on what was apparently a very meaningful conversation. There was a strange tension to the air as they talked, like soldiers just come back from war. THe boy had met a few, as he wandered the streets of Little Whinging in search of a reprieve from the Dursley's. It wasn't quite the edge of battle he himself had experienced earlier that night by the forest's edge, but close, as if they hadn't quite realised the battle was won, and they were still ready for anything.

"Yes, I'm sure you do." Slytherin's droll statement broke through Harry's thoughts, and the boy hurried to move as it's owner pushed himself up to a fully standing position. "I could care less, however." Harry wasn't sure what it was, but suddenly the entire room shifted. No one moved overtly, but in an instant, each of the other three founders seemed almost to snap to attention, and the air buzzed with magic. A slight breeze stirred, ruffling the hair of all five of the tower's occupants, even as the stones beneath their feet seemed to groan and shift slightly, and the temperature rose several degrees with a quiet crackle. There was even the faint sound of waves crashing against a distant shore, and Slytherin met each of his fellow Founders' gazes squarely.

"What are you saying, Salazar?" Asked Gryffindor, and Harry shivered as he listened to the low growl the man's voice had become. He was completely out of his depth here, despite it being a dream. The ravenette could feel the power pulsing around him, and it terrified him. THe feeling didn't lessen any when the man being questioned laughed, a cold, hard sound that set Harry's teeth on edge.

"I'm leaving, Godric." He said finally after his mirth died away. "And I'm not coming back."

"Now?" All eyes shifted to Hufflepuff, who bore a stricken expression. "After all we've been through? After all we've done?" Harry felt a surge of pity as he looked at the woman. She sounded so… broken. It made him want to run up to her and give her a great big hug, but the boy wasn''t sure if he could even touch anything in the dream, let alone whether they would feel it. SLytherin, however, seemed to lack such compunctions, turning a withering glare on her.

"Yes, Helga, now. I can't stay here anymore, and I'm done." He turned to leave, making for the stairs that Harry instinctively knew would lead back to the rest of the castle, but before he could, Ravenclaw stepped in the way. Her gaze calculating as she stared at him with narrowed eyes, but somehow carried a depth of kindness that took Harry's breath away.

"This is about the curse, isn't it?"She asked, somehow keeping her voice even. Slytherin's glare sharpened, but he didn't answer, only shaking his head once.

"Whatever. I don't need the stairs." before he could do anything else, however, the silver-haired man suddenly found his arm locked in an iron grip by Gryffindor, the larger man frowning thoroughly.

"Sal, we told you we would help with that. You don't have to run." Slytherin let out a disgusted snort, shaking his head again.

"You have no idea… of course not. Do you even know how close I came to shooting a curse at your back, Godric? Or slitting Helga's throat, or even gutting Rowena? I could've killed anyone of you, at any moment, and I only just stopped myself. And you wanna know what the funny thing is? The only thing that kept me from slaughtering each and every one of you was the fact that I was too busy trying to fight Him." Harry gaped as all three of the other founders recoiled at their colleague's words, and their speaker stopped to take a deep breath. What on earth was he talking about? "So no, Godric. I'm not going to stay, and I'm not going to allow myself to hope, and then watch it die as I slaughter the only people who have ever shown me kindness in their sleep."' Harry, still reeling from the previous rant, nearly missed as the man's green eyes finally softened, barely more than a flicker, before hardening again. "Goodbye, all of you." WIth that, Slytherin tore his arm out of Gryffindor's grasp with a violent jerk, before twisting on the spot and vanishing with a near silent pop. For a moment. There was silence. Then, just as Harry's brain was struggling to figure out what just happened, the remaining occupants of the tower seemed to acknowledge him for the first time. Gryffindor turned to him, Golden eyes blazing like fire as they bore into Harry.

"Bring him back," He said, in a voice rolling like thunder. "The final cycle has begun, and you must have a full circle. Bring him back, and keep him back, or you will all die." Then, with as little warning as it started, the dream faded, leaving Harry to descend into darkness.

XXX

Harry Potter jerked awake, gasping at the blazing pain in his chest. He writhed under his covers, desperate to get the things off, and in his struggling failed to notice as the room around him pulsed with his magic. With a quiet ripping noise, the sheets and blankets were torn asunder and thrown aside as Harry rose, gasping desperately as he pressed a cold hand against his chest, which had become a viciously bright spot of pain and heat on his skin. When the sensation didn't fade after several long seconds, the boy desperately scrambled to tear his short off as well, before jumping up and running to the bathroom. There, in one of the mirrors, he finally found the source of his pain.

The great red lion etched into his skin, nearly forgotten in the hectic months of school, had somehow become even more vivid. The color deepened nder it was a dark violet, lines became more crisp and defined, its eye glaring at him with anger. It was a warning, and a command. In an instant, harry returned to his bed, but did not try to slip back under the ruined covers. INstead, he slid the discarded shirt back on, before kneeling and pulling a familiar bundl of silvery cloth out from under his bed, discarding the tag clinging to it. He had no idea how it was there, considering the last time the ravenette had seen his cloak, it was at the top of the Astronomy Tower. A wash of crimson magic disintegrated the tiny blips of magic clinging to it, once unnoticeable but now glowing in Harry's magic sight like stars. The ravenette then shrugged the garment on, and set off into the night.

After only a short pause of debating whether or not to wake Hermione, then deciding against it as some unknown instinct warned him not to try entering the girl's dormitory, Harry soon found himself wandering aimlessly through the halls. Or at least, it seemed aimless, yet he knew exactly where he was going. Somehow, it didn't surprise the boy as his feet carried him nearer and nearer to Quirrell's office. He was surprised however, when he suddenly bumped into something, sending him sprawling to the ground.

"Ow, watch where you're- wait, where are you?" Harry stared. Of all the people in the castle to bump into wandering the halls at night, Pansy Parkinson was perhaps the least expected. Even moreso when she appeared to have tears in her eyes, and a torn and shredded letter in her hands. What in Merlin's name was she doing out here? Stalking Draco again, maybe?Harry didn't have a chance to think too much on it, however, as a sudden instinct pulled at his mind. WIthout thinking, the boy grabbed Parkinson's arm and pulled her into a nearby alcove, before throwing his cloak over her. "Potter, what-mglf!"

"Shh." HArry whispered, pressing a hand into the girl's mouth to shut her up. It was a good thing too, for at that very moment, out in the corridor Professor Quirrell swept by with a speed and confidence neither student had ever seen from the man watched silently as he paused beside the alcove, and for a moment, Harry felt panic clutch his heart, before the man reached over… and opened the door to his office. Still, he did not release the breath he was holding, or remove his hand from Parkinson's mouth, who was now staring at him with wide eyes.

"Master…" Harry froze as he heard Quirrell speak. "What do we do now?" Unsurprisingly, only silence answered the Professor. Just as Harry was about to write him off as insane, however-an easy task considering the number of times the man had attempted to kill him- there came a hissing sound, so quiet the two students in the hall almost couldn't make out the words.

"Nothing." Answered the voice that rustled like dead leaves and sent shivers down Harry's spine. "The children did not recognize us, and they are too well protected. Al that is necessary is to speed up our plans to the Stone."

"But master-"

"No!" Quirrel's protest was cut off by another hiss, louder this time. "There is more at work here than you know, and we already have all that we need. Tomorrow night, we claim our prize, and Lord Voldemort rises again!" Harry drew in a sharp gasp- as he heard the whispered name, and beside him PArkinson released a nearly silent whimper. They were quiet, almost indiscernible even in the folds of the cloak, but it was enough. There was a shuffling from inside the room, and a second later Quirrell's head poked out of the doorway. Harry, although he knew the man couldn't see him, drew himself and the girl beside him deeper into the alcove, stepping into several long seconds in which his blood seemed to buzz with energy, ready to run at the first opportunity, Harry was finally allowed to relax when the false Professor frowned and drew back his head, closing the door behind him. For several long seconds the raven-haired boy strained his ears, listening, but there was only , he turned to his hiding companion only to stop in surprise.

Harry had never paid much attention to the Slytherin girl before. Now, he found himself wondering why. She was quite pretty, he realized, with delicate, almost fragile-looking elfin features, pale pink lips that were open in a quiet oh, icy green eyes that stared at him widely, and silky dark hair falling like soft shadows around her shoulders. For a short second, Harry felt the urge to… do something. He wasn't' quite sure what, but didn't take the time to think about it. Instead, he lowered his hand from her mouth, only to grasp her arm. The girl stumbled as he pulled her along out into the corridor and away from the dangerous office, but luckily the door seemed to protect them as Quirrell failed to come investigate.

"Potter, stop." Pansy finally said as they were several corridors away, wrenching her arm out of the golden-eyed boy's grasp. He obliged, turning around to face her.

"We shouldn't linger." He said tightly, glancing around nervously. He had had far too many close calls and failures wandering at night to relax, even with the cloak on.

"You're probably right." Harry jerked at her answer, before staring at the girl with wide eyes.A Slytherin telling a Gryffindor they're right? He could hardly believe it. "But first you're going to tell me exactly what's going on, and what I just heard." It took a second for Harry to comprehend what she was talking about, still caught up trying to believe her last sentence, but when his brain finally did connect, his features hardened, before slipping into a smirk.

"I should think that was obvious." He stated, golden eyes burning as he looked at her challengingly. He didn't know why, but there was something about the way she looked at him, a surprising amount of determination in her eyes, that sparked against his will. She thought he would just hand over all his secrets? Ridiculous.

"I heard well enough thank you." Parkinson finally answered, glaring at him as she contemplated stepping on the boy's foot. She had little experience with the Gryffindor-it was always Draco hanging around them, if anyone, but most of the first years were well-acquainted with his caustic brand of sarcasm. It was hard not to be, when he had outdueled Professor Snape in their very first Potion's class. Normally Pansy found it quite amusing, though she would never dare admit it to anyone. Now however, with it aimed at her, the challenging tone only served to flare her temper. "Quirrell's obviously an insane bat who thinks he can resurrect the Dark Lord or something. What I wanna know is how you are involved, what this Stone is, and why, by Salazar's beard, do you have an invisibility cloak?" Harry, caught off guard by the sudden storm of questions, stared at the Slytherin for a long second. Damn, she caught on quickly. Even the Stone, which Quirrell had barely mentioned caught her attention.

"Er… it's sort of a family heirloom." He finally managed to answer lamely, unwilling to mention anything else. Harry felt tempted to tell her the rest, if only to see her reaction, but something stopped him. Harry and his friends were stuck in this mess already, what with Quirrell trying to kill Harry and them interfering, not to mention whatever it was that had happened earlier that night-Dear Merlin it really had just been a few hours since, hadn't it?- but there was no way he was going to involve an innocent in this.

"Right," Parkinson said caustically, giving him a droll stare. "Because that is totally the most important of those questions."Harry almost flinched at the causticness of her tone, but stopped himself, instead meeting her determined glare with one of his own.

"Whether it is or not, that's all you're getting. The rest is none of your business."

"The hell it isn't!" Parkinson shot back, one hand twitching towards her wand. Harry, however, was faster, and he grabbed her hand, gripping it tightly.

"OH?" He asked, a wicked smirk crawling onto his face. He knew exactly how to make her leave well enough alone. "Are you going to tell me about that letter you had then? I think i saw tears in your eyes when we bumped into each other." Pany fell back a step, gaping at the boy.

How dare he! She thought, shock and fear warring within her as she met his hard gaze. That was private business, and he knew it. Finally, the young Slytherin settled for giving him a scathing glare, before turning away haughtily. "Whatever. It's not like I really care." She said, biting her tongue against the lie. She was actually quite curious, almost insatiably so, but if that was how he wanted to play it, then fine. She could do without for now.

Harry watched as the girl lifted the cloak and slipped out from under ti, before flouncing down the corridors and away from him. He had to fight the urge to stop her and apologize. He had seen the pain in her eyes when he mentioned that letter, and it had filled him with guilt. Obviously, it hadn't been a simple love rejection like he had thought. Still, what was done was done, and with a sigh, he turned away, back towards the Gryffindor Tower. It had been a long night, and he needed sleep.

XXX

It's aliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiive!

Okay, I think you get the message. Yes, your eyes are not decieving you. THis really is a Foudner's Circle update after what has it been, six months or so. I swear, this story is not dead, or even on Hiatus. I've just been… distracted. You know, by stuff. Anywho…

NOw, then, I don't believe I actually have anything to say at the moment. You can all feel free to leave any sort of Review you like, as usual, and I will see you all later!