First October. The day of the secret meeting aka the moment of truth had finally come.
Hermione was on the stairs to the fourth floor walking thoughtfully, when she was interrupted by the whirlwind of red hair so familiar to her, but in that moment she would preferred not to see it. "Hermione!" Ginny called her. "Hey Ginny! Why aren't you in Hogsmeade? Wasn't the trip today?" "I don't feel like going shopping, quite strange, and today it is too windy, I want to stay here."
Hermione looked at Ginny in panic, she was on a kind of secret mission! But she couldn't disappoint her best friend this way, so if he didn't take her with her now, she would have to tell her everything time by time, and she would have to come up with a whole book of plausible excuses.
"Oh, emm... I'm going to the secret passage behind the silvery mirror, for another heads meeting." "but the heads meetings, aren't they during the week? And above all, not in the secret passageways!" "you're a genius Ginevra Weasly! this is the point." Hermione replayed sarcastically. Ginny looked at her curiously and also a little worried. "What do you mean?" "Come with me and you will find out." Hermione said a thread frightened by the reaction of the others, but knowing that she had no choice.
They arrived in front of a large mirror, looking old, but still shining. Hermione took her wand and tapping on the frame of the mirror said: "lupinotuum pectinem". And the mirror became a veil of water. She and Ginny crossed it, but the water that ran over their face did not wet them.
"but this passage had collapsed with a landslide!" Ginny protested. "Yes, but when Lupin was here on our third year, he made a review of all the secret passages, as the only member of the Marauders traceable; and rebuilt it before leaving, changing password. He only said that to Harry, Ron, and me last year." Hermione explained. "Why are we here?" "I've already told you: heads meeting, just a little more secret..."
After stairs and various changes of direction, they arrived in front of a small door. Hermione creaked it and they entered an intermediate room between the entrance and the exit of the secret passage. That's what Sirius meant by "it could contain an entire organization (of students)" It was a large square room with tables and chairs on the sides, illuminated with some torches.
No one had arrived yet, and Hermione was delighted, at least she shouldn't have explained to an entire crowd of people why Ginny was also at their "secret" meeting, but only to one or two people at a time.
The door opened, and Harry came in with Ron.. and Neville?! "bloody hell." Ron sighed worriedly. "What, Ron?" asked Harry who was turned to close the door. "Turn around, mate." Harry turned and said: "it's just Hermione with Ginny. Wait a minute, Hermione, why is Ginny here?!"
"I could ask you the same question you know?" she replied skeptical pointing at Neville.
"alright then. I thought it might be useful another functioning mind in the company, since mine and Ron's are worth one in two, then Neville is very good in herbology!" said Harry stammering random things. "this doesn't matter! Tell me the truth." Caught, damn it. "okay, okay. We met him on the stairs and he's not stupid to be fooled by me and Ron." Harry said making the innocent smile he had before disappear."I could not come without her. she would have tormented me until I told her what was going on. I met her on my way here."
The door creaked again, and Draco and Blaise entered. "oh, if it wasn't the Gryffindor gang? hey Drake, are you sure we're in the right place?" Blaise asked. "totally" "yeah because here there are five Gryffindors staring at us." Blaise informed smirking around at the "Gryffindor gang" and then at his friend. "five?!" exclaimed Draco turning to them. "yeah, five." Blaise repeated as if he thought Draco was def pointing to the others. "Why are we seven and not four?" Draco asked.
"Well, they've been investigating from the first meeting, and we would never have been able to hide it for a long time." Harry said justifying himself. "well, but if you can keep Weaslette and Longbottom, I can keep Blaise." "okay" Harry replied resignedly but guilty.
They heard a squeak and turned as Morgan and Luna entered the room. "Excuse us, we couldn't find the passage, thank you Harry for telling us the password." "Nothing Morgan." "Why are we so many?" asked Luna not bothered at all. "they are not able to keep a secret." said Neville smiling. "it's not true! They are our best friends, we couldn't keep them away!" replied Hermione, Harry, and Draco.
"I don't think it's a big problem, but they can't enter the room." Morgan said. "They haven't been chosen, they are infiltrators." she said with a simil-Slytherin grin. "But that doesn't stop them from coming to meetings, they could help us." Luna said."Well then, let them know!" Ron exclaimed encouraging the others.
Hermione got up from her chair leaning on the table and started explaining to them: "last week when we were called for the first meeting we got the wrong place, at the bottom of the central stairs. We came across a large dark door with an inscription that said: -only those who are been deemed worthy by the Hogwarts school of magic and witchcraft they will be able to enter, the others will be punished for their affront.-"
"okay Hermione, I don't think it needs to be so precise!" said Harry. "oh shut up, you remove all the charm of the story!" Ginny replied as Hermione began to speak again.
"we entered the room and, there were five dragons waiting for us, they wrapped us in a blaze, but it didn't even touch us because a bubble was created around us for protection, we were worthy. Then we looked around and I found a ring whose stone has a crack crossing it diagonally, and books written in runes, which are the reason for this meeting. We also found a portrait of Damaris Dragolear, among those of the founders. We think those were the founders' dragons, but while the founders were four, the dragons and portraits were five.
Obviously we understood that not all the heads meetings would have been like this, so we decided to continue parallel, but secret, meetings to solve the mystery. And now you are part of this too. Are there any questions?!" Neville, Ginny, and Blaise looked at her in amazement without daring to ask any question, Hermione's was a trick question, a rhetorical question, and they knew it, very well.
"Maybe it was better not to investigate what they were plotting." Blaise said, Neville nodded. "don't say nonsense! The great legends of Hogwarts spending a normal and quiet school year, no way!" Ginny protested. "okay, that girl is quite a badass." sighed Blaise standing up. "not like us two..." added Neville.
"well, Ginny, Longbottom, we are officially investigators!" Blaise said winking at the redhead and Neville. "elementary Watson!" Ginny replied to Blaise while the others looked at them pleading not to make such jokes anymore, even if they hid a giggle in their worried smiles.
Then Hermione started talking again. "I and Dr/Malfoy translated the first part of the book, and made amazing discoveries." the story passed from Hermione to Malfoy.
"a long time ago, five friends, who "casually" were also the most skilled and famous magicians of their time, met each other, and the oldest of them proposed to build a magic school here in Scotland, our school. The others, initially perplexed, accepted his idea with joy and shortly afterwards on the project of this magician, our school was built.
Five houses were set up where students would find family during the school year, one for each founder. So the houses were not four, but five."
Draco's story was interrupted by the surprised expressions and deep breaths of those who sat amazed in the room. And also by his desire to introduce a little suspense and drama.
"So this great wizard was Damaris Dragonlear?! the founder of the fifth house?"
Hermione answered: "yes, Morgan. And the one who actually gave the idea to the other founders as well the architect of Hogwarts. The values of his house are honesty, strength and shrewdness. The colors are white, for purity and honesty, and purple, mystery and magic, but also dreams. So people sorted in Dragonlear want to fascinate, generate sympathy and admiration everywhere. They are very helpfull and communicative, posseses great humanity, cultivate cultured and sensitive interests, and they are unconditionally sincere. They are really strong against all ods, because even if they help and forgive everyone, they know with whom they have to stay o guard and are never caught out of it. Their strengh comes from their great and skillful use of their intellect, shrewdness and determination on never letting go."
"But have you discovered anything about the room?" Harry asked.
"this room looks like another chamber of secrets for the other founders, however, is exactly the opposite of the other. It doesn't seem complete, or accurate, like the rest of the castle. Maybe it was an incomplete wing... or something like that. In any case, it would seem a room to preserve Hogwarts' memories, providing not to lose them with the passage of time, so than anyone in the future could trace back to the real facts that led to the foundation of our school, everythin guarded by their dragons. The real memories of Hogwarts." Malfoy continued.
"it's not exactly written in the books the function or reason of the room, these are only deductions; as if someone had tried to cover up the matter..." Hermione theorized.
"So as we suspected the dragons were their property..." said Ron.
"by the way, what about the dragons?" Luna asked, but before she could continue Hermione interrupted her: "there's another book where there must be all the information about them, but we haven't finished translating it yet, and I'd like to wait to finish it before we make wrong assumptions."
"Why are there only four houses now?" Morgan questioned.
"I think I have taken also another book, it seemed newer than the others, perhaps only more refined, and with less dust on it. We will also translate that, I believe it contains the story of what happened to Dragonlear." Hermione replied.
"I have a question." Ron broke the silence by raising his hand. "Why if there were five loyal dragons at school under Hogwarts, McGonagall didn't made them fight during the battle last year? And why is the true Hogwarts story kept hidden? Many of our phantom adventures would have been a little simpler if we had been aware of all this."
"I think McGonagall has her reasons; we don't even know if she knows about the room, or about the dragons. and then when we found them the seemed to be sleeping from a long time." Luna intervened before Hermione could say anything.
"but I think you would know if there were potentially deadly creatures and of that kind underneath where you live. Don't you think?" said Ginny.
"then three questions remain: why did the Dragonlear's house disappear? What are those dragons? What really happened when Salazar left?" Neville recapitulated.
"But I would have another question, which you passed without dwelling on: how is the ring that was in the display case tied to the school?" asked Morgan. "you are right, it will certainly have something to do with this whole story." Hermione said thoughtfully. "It must be important, or it would not be under the school supervised by five fire-breathing dragons." Morgan said. "you got a point" Draco added amused, leaning against a wall next to Blaise.
"I think it's better to wait to have translated more." said Hermione. "other meetings will be necessary, during which you and Malfoy will bring us news." said Harry who instead was sitting next to Ron in front of Hermione. "should we put a password at door?" Neville asked.
"maybe it's better. At least everyone who like Fred and George fought for the secret passageways' defence will know about this passage. But I think the professors don't know them, because they rebuilt the school with magic, not piece by piece, so they don't know about all the secret passages that they have also reopened. And the marauder's map is in our hands." Harry said.
"You've said enough for me to put a password on the door," Hermione stopped him, getting up from her chair and approaching the door. She waved her wand in front of the door and added: "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good."
"oh my, No! this is terrible! Are you kidding me?! They'll be cursing you in their tombs!" Harry and Ron sighed. "I will send an owl when we are ready for the next meeting, with day and hour." Hermione said returning to her chair without paying attention to the very nice irony of Harry and Ron.
"So we can keep coming?" Neville asked. "We're in this now, dude." Blaise replied. "He's right, you no longer have a chance of escaping." concluded Draco.
"Anyway, I'd like to say, that it's not as terrible as they say in the dungeons." Blaise declared."What?" Ginny asked on for everyone, not understanding what he meant. "staying with Gryffindors." Blaise replied "And with you too of course." he concluded winking and bowing his head as a sign of respect to Morgan and was from these little things that Blaise's Italian blood was seen, warm blood is said. joyful and all the time blatant, noisy and involving; and obviously that bit of charming. Blaise, with this, and the characteristcs of his house, was all what you could expect from the tipical, iconic Slytherin.
Everyone smiled.
"same, bro." replayed Neville to Blaise, who smiled even more. "I can't wait for the next meeting. I love getting in trouble" chuckled Blaise.
"see you next time. it will be an interesting year..." Harry smiled to himself standing up.
"I've always said this! What's life without a few dragons, after all?" exclaimed Ron heading towards the exit of the room.
Everyone said goodbye and left the room together, then extricating up and down the stairs.