Hello there,
IMPORTANT NOTICE: This story now has a beta - 23smiles who is really good! They have gone over the first three chapters as well so please give them another read as there were some changes to them and it has been like 3 months since I posted a new chapter so why not do a re-read? :P
Arya's first day comes to an interesting end.
Chapter 4: The Four Heirs
A few minutes later ..
Gargoyle Corridor, Third Floor of the Headmaster's Tower, Hogwarts Castle
Arya stopped her half jog as Professor Lannister's thundering steps came to a halt beside an unnerving stone gargoyle.
"This is the Headmaster's office," Shireen whispered beside Arya.
Everyone watched in fascination as the Slytherin Head attempted to bore a hole though the stone with just his eyes, as if it were his long-term enemy.
"Let me pass," he growled at the mischievously smiling gargoyle.
Tywin tightened his jaw as he saw letters forming on the gargoyle's chest. Must I go through this each time?
Arya and Shireen peeked around Tywin to read the words that appeared:
I am white with no key or lid,
And a golden treasure lays inside.
What am I?
"A riddle!" Shireen said joyously.
There was nothing a Ravenclaw liked more than to seek an answer to a proposed question. Arya saw how Professor Lannister's hand clenched into a fist that mirrored her own frustration at the delay.
"It's a riddle Professor! Like the ones Ravenclaw students have to solve in order to enter our common room," Shireen explained enthusiastically.
"I am aware, Miss Baratheon," Tywin said in a tone that immediately sent Shireen's eyes to the floor.
"Do you know the answer?" Myrcella asked as she rested a supporting hand on Shireen's arm, knowing that her maternal grandfather's piercing tone always made everything sound more severe.
"An egg," Tywin told the gargoyle in lieu of answering his granddaughter.
The gargoyle started to rotate, revealing a spiral staircase. Tywin entered first, leading the ascent as the students were left to follow his receding shadow.
Headmaster Aemon looked across his desk at the Head of Slytherin and the four students huddled behind him.
"Would anyone like a sherbet lemon?" he asked kindly, gesturing towards the glass bowl resting on the corner of his desk.
Trystane made a move towards the bowl but faltered when Tywin advanced on the Headmaster's desk, cutting off his path to the sweets.
"These four are the new heirs of Aegon," Tywin stated, leaning his hands on the surface of the desk.
"Really," Aemon murmured.
His eyes swept over the Professor, instead meeting Trystane's brown ones.
"Check your pocket," he said to the Hufflepuff.
Trystane gave a little fist pump as his hand emerged from his pocket clutching a sherbet lemon, and popped it into his mouth.
"Yes," Tywin stressed, trying to return the Headmaster's attention to the matter at hand. "We need to inform their parents immediately."
Myrcella's shoulders slumped at the mention of her parents. Her mother would surely throw a fit like she did with most things that concerned her children. Arya and Shireen simply exchanged nondescript looks, neither concerned or worried about their parents' imminent involvement.
Aemon flicked his hand casually, "I have sent a Patronus to those within the grounds and owls have been sent. All those who need to be notified will be."
"Good," Tywin said straightening up and removing his hands from the desk, though the tension in his shoulders remained.
"Feel free to look around my office while we wait," Aemon offered to the students who were at a loss of what to do next.
A few minutes later Eddard Stark and Steffon Baratheon came rushing into Aemon's office. A panting red faced Quentyn Martell, whose lapel donned a polished blue pin denoting him as a Ravenclaw prefect, arrived soon after.
"We received your Patronus," Steffon's voice boomed as he strode over to Shireen.
"What an exciting first day you're having, Little Doe," he said with amusement as he placed his large hand comfortingly on her shoulder. Shireen relaxed at his touch and gave her grandfather an affectionate look in return.
On the other side of the room Eddard knelt beside his daughter who had been poking a silver instrument that looked like the solar system.
"Arya, are you alright?" he asked quietly.
"I'm fine," Arya said rolling up her sleeve to show her father the inked snake that was wrapped around her arm.
Eddard took hold of his daughter's outstretched arm, gently rotating it to study the moving image.
"I sent an owl to your Father Mister Martell," Aemon announced.
Unlike the other occupants of the room the younger Martell was actively avoiding his older brother's bespectacled gaze, instead choosing to suck on his sweet in silence.
"I have also written to your parents Miss Baratheon. However, I don't expect either of them to arrive until after curfew."
"Wait Headmaster," Myrcella said walking past her grandfather and replacing his position at the front of Aemon's desk. "I can't go to bed without knowing what this means," She implored, raising her arm to show off the now sleeping lioness cub.
The Headmaster's eyes quickly flickered to Tywin who responded with a slight nod behind Myrcella, knowing his disapproval wouldn't have stopped Aemon. The man was a born storyteller.
"Very well, Miss Baratheon," Aemon steepled his hands together as he began, "You four are now the Heirs of Aegon Targaryen; a term we give to the four wizards or witches that are chosen every now and again to take up the challenge of finding Aegon's Tomb."
"I've never heard of the Heirs of Aegon," Eddard said, releasing Arya's arm to hover over her small frame.
"Before your time Professor Stark," Tywin stated coldly, vacating the centre of the room to lean back on a large bookshelf.
"How were we chosen?" Arya pipped up.
Everyone's attention was now fixated on the Headmaster.
"Only Aegon and his castle," Aemon said gesturing to the walls that surrounded them, "truly know that answer but we can deduce a few things from past experiences. The term 'heirs' doesn't refer to a blood relation to Aegon but rather a person that has the potential to demonstrate one of the four qualities he valued the most in a wizard or witch, and on which he founded the four houses of Hogwarts: a Gryffindor's courage; the curiosity of a Ravenclaw; a Hufflepuff's loyalty; and the ingenuity of a Slytherin.
"We also know that the identities of the four heirs are only revealed to each other if all four heirs physically gather together. Hence why there have been multiple generations of heirs revealed within the same decade and sometimes, as is the case now, there has been a gap of more than half a century."
"What are we supposed to do?" Trystane asked between licking his lips after finishing the sherbet lemon.
"Find Aegon's Tomb of course!" Myrcella responded turning away from Headmaster Aemon to face Trystane with a thrilled expression.
Aemon let out an amused chuckle at Myrcella's enthusiastic reaction, but gave Trystane the answer he had wanted.
"Based on accounts of past heirs we know there are four challenges that each heir must pass. The challenges are based on demonstrating the traits Aegon valued so highly. Once each of you has completed your task, we suspect the Tomb of Aegon will reveal itself."
"Who were the past heirs and have any managed to find the tomb yet?" Shireen asked, clearly eager to start right away.
"None have been able to open Aegon's Tomb so far," Aemon said, making eye contact with Steffon and Tywin.
He received a toothy grin from the Head of Gryffindor and a sour scowl from the Slytherin. Steffon patted Shireen's shoulder causing his granddaughter to turn around to face him.
"I'm … or, I was the Heir of Gryffindor but it is nice to know the mantle stayed in the family, and I have two granddaughters who are heirs!" Steffon said proudly to both Shireen and Myrcella.
"You were the heir of Slytherin weren't you, Professor?" Arya asked, turning her attention to her Head of House as she disengaged slightly from her father.
"Yes," Tywin responded begrudgingly holding his lonesome position by the bookshelves.
Eddard placed a protective hand on Arya's shoulder, slightly dragging her backwards, "Can the tattoos be removed? Or transferred?"
"No," Tywin answered, "The castle's magic, or Aegon's rather, chooses the witch or wizard that can fully represent the attributes of their houses and are therefore in his eyes the most equipped to take on the trials and solve the mystery he left behind. There is no use in removing or transferring the tattoo because it is the person, not the tattoo, that is important."
Eddard's face twitched at the mere thought of his daughter sharing anything in common with the man he was attempting to glare a hole in.
"Who were the other two heirs?" Trystane asked diverting all the attention in the room back to the mystery at hand.
"Joanna Lannister was the last heir of Hufflepuff," Steffon supplied, missing his old friend's inadvertent flinch at the mention of his late wife, "and the previous heir of Ravenclaw was … Aerys Targaryen."
"Oh," Shireen said as her built up excitement all but deflated at the mention of the notorious dark wizard.
"Why did Aegon set this up?" Arya asked Headmaster Aemon, wanting to know what the point of it all was.
"Some say the tomb hides great treasures and artifacts from Aegon's time. Others believe that the tomb bestows long lost knowledge on those who gain entrance. But the truth is no one really knows as no one has actually found Aegon's Tomb yet."
"That is enough for now," Tywin said, cutting off all further questions.
No one in the room felt inclined to challenge Professor Lannister, and one by one they all filed out of the office and down the stairwell until only Professors Baratheon and Lannister remained with Headmaster Aemon.
"It's too soon," Tywin said as his eyes darted between the Headmaster and his long time friend.
"Relax Tywin," Steffon chuckled brushing away the aired concern, "they might succeed where we failed. Besides, the Wizarding War Aerys caused had nothing to do with the quest for Aegon's Tomb or Joanna's disappearance."
Tywin felt his body go ridged, unable to stop the flashing images of Joanna from dominating his thoughts in that moment.
"They are too young to start the four trials," Tywin maintained.
"Joanna and myself were the same age as Mister Martell when we all got our animals," Steffon replied.
"You had Aerys and myself—"
"Oh yes," Steffon chuckled lightly remembering the fond memories, "the taciturn Slytherin prefect soon-to-be Head Boy, and the crazy Ravenclaw genius who failed all his OWLs because he was too busy creating new spells to even turn up?"
"You survived your trial didn't you?" Tywin snapped back.
"Barely," Steffon retorted with a playfulness dancing in his eyes.
While he was talking, Steffon had rolled up his sleeve to reveal an old lion on his own forearm, and now regarded it curiously as it stopped pacing and rolled onto its back.
Tywin unconsciously rubbed his thumb and forefinger together, a nervous tic he'd developed over the years, but it was the only outward indication he gave at Steffon's actions and it went unnoticed. There was no need to mimic his gesture, everyone in the room knew what animal his left arm carried.
"They will be fine. Half of them are Baratheons!" Steffon said with pride.
Tywin only grunted in response, indicating that wasn't necessarily a good thing in his opinion.
Steffon caught the negative tone of his old friend and slightly shook his head.
"Come now Tywin stop being so dismissive. Their closeness in age will make them a more formidable team than we ever were."
"Perhaps it is time you two start your evening rounds?" Aemon suggested, sensing the two friends needed some time to together to discuss the recent developments.
Popping a sherbet lemon in his mouth, Aemon gestured to the exit. It was a clear dismissal.
"Of course, Headmaster," Steffon answered for the both of them, knowing Tywin never took well to being told what to do.
He turned on his heels and exited the office with Tywin right behind him.
"I can't speak for Minister Martell's boy or Ned's girl, but Shireen and Myrcella will be fine representatives of their houses," Steffon said pleasantly as they descended down the stairwell.
"On another note, I want Myrcella to try out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, but Cersei is proving stubborn...says she needs more assurance…" Steffon trailed off.
"Which you think I can provide?" Tywin concluded.
"You are the most persuasive person I know," Steffon replied patting Tywin's back with friendly appreciation.
"I would be offended if I weren't, seeing as I am the only Slytherin you know," Tywin responded accepting the subtle olive branch Steffon had extended with grace.
"You aren't the only Slytherin I know, just the only one I will put up with," Steffon bantered back, easily falling back into the camaraderie they enjoyed while alone.
His childhood friend's warm personality helped thaw the icy dread that had formed in his gut at the resurfacing of Aegon's Tomb.
Author's Notes:
A feel like a lot of information was parted here so any questions let me know!
For those unfamiliar with Steffon Baratheon think of him as an older Robert who mellowed in old age but is extremely goodnatured.
Revealed faculty positions: (Think I will repeat this every few chapters with additions just so people can keep track)
Aemon Targaryen – Former Ravenclaw & Headmaster of Hogwarts
Eddard Stark – Assistant Head of Hufflepuff & Professor of Ancient Runes
Petyr Baelish – Assistant Head of Slytherin & Professor of Potions
Tywin Lannister – Head of Slytherin & Professor of History & old Heir of Aegon
Tyrion Lannister – Assistant Head of Ravenclaw & Professor of Charms
Jaime Lannister – A former Gryffindor & Quidditch coach
Renly Baratheon – A former Hufflepuff & Professor of Herbology
Steffon Baratheon – Head of Gryffindor & subject not revealed yet & old Heir of Aegon
Students of note:
Arya Stark - Slytherin first year & new Heir of Aegon
Myrcella Baratheon - Gryffindor first year & new Heir of Aegon
Shireen Baratheon - Ravenclaw first year & new Heir of Aegon
Trystane Martell - Hufflepuff first year & new Heir of Aegon
Loras Tyrell – Slytherin Head Boy & Seventh year
Margaery Tyrell – Slytherin Prefect & Sixth year
Daenerys Targaryen - Slytherin Prefect & Fifth year
Ramsey Bolton – Slytherin seventh year
Joffrey Baratheon – Slytherin third year
Robb Stark – Gryffindor Prefect & Sixth year
Jon Snow - Gryffindor Prefect & Sixth year
Quentyn Martell – Ravenclaw Prefect & Fifth year
Other:
Aerys Targaryen – Former Ravenclaw & old Heir of Aegon
Joanna Lannister – Former Hufflepuff & old Heir of Aegon
Reviews:
Supremus85 – Yes, he is :D Lol probably but he is a bit different in this universe, he isn't with Cersei.
Cecilia695 – Thank you :) There will be a few trials here and there but the school year still has to go on so the story won't all be about finding Aegon's Tomb as there are external forces at play and interesting dynamics and backstories to discover.
Ksyushangel – There is a mystery and they are the four to solve it, hopefully.
Next Up: Arya and Myrcella have their first transfiguration class, Shireen and Trystane research Aerys in the library, and the first clue is revealed.
If you like this story please favourite, follow and review!
