"Now, let's go back to why we're here." Draco called them back while Hermione took some pieces of paper with notes and cleared loudly her throat.
"Damaris Dragonlear was a great wizard descended from Scandinavian people; an architect, and a very skilled alchemist.
He met the other founders during his adventures, and they faced many others together, deepening the great friendship that led them to the decision to found our school.
He was the most powerful, but modest, of the founders, and never boasted. He was kind to others and tried to use his magic for them.
When they founded Hogwarts, they created five houses in which to sort students who had similar personalities and abilities as them.
They lived in harmony until Salazar began to show signs of taking the path of evil. Damaris, was the last to abandon him, tried to bring him back to light until the very end, but he didn't succeed and had to surrender.
A year later, the Dragonlear's house had disappeared, and no one remembered that it had even existed. It was erased from the Hogwarts's crest, and everything that could traced back to him, had been destroyed.
This is the official story; probably written by someone very close to the founders." Hermione said stopping, leaving everyone stunned.
"But that doesn't make sense! Why did he disappear?!" Ron asked almost indignantly.
A barrage of questions formed in each of the minds in the room.
"they have left too many points open!" someone from the small crowd exclaimed.
"and the small manuscript that we found near the books responds to this. It was written by Rowena Ravenclaw, as a diary." Draco shut them up.
Hermione took a little manuscript from her bag. "I have it here. I will read some translated pieces.
31th March.
It has been a long time since Salazar started to seem... absent, grumpy... it's strange.
We other founders have turned our back at him away, because he seems to be taking the path of evil, but Damaris no, he remains by his side; I don't know how he does it, he's very determined, but I don't think that it is possible to recover Salazar, he will soon have to surrender like us.
19th June.
By now also Damaris has given up on recovering Salazar, we believe he's going to leave us... soon. So we asked Damaris if he wanted to help us build a new room, well, a cave, where we can preserve our memories of all five of us, together. He accepted and we started building it on his project.
1st September.
Damaris is dead.
No one knows why; but we found him dead this afternoon in his office.
Assassinated.
The rings weren't there, neither the one of the headmaster, nor that of his house. luckily, the school ring was worn on the finger and whoever did it didn't notice.
Unfortunately, however, when we found it, we discovered that it is dangerously cracked, and above all unstable, since it has been turned away from others. He is now in custody of the dragons, so at least he is safe.
We have to find a way to destroy the ring without causing damage or find the others, so that it doesn't explode, or it will end in catastrophe." Hermione stopped to look for another piece of parchment between the pages at the end of the little book.
"5th July. (several years later)
I am now dying and I must reveal this secret to someone.
Our dragons have been equipped by us with some magic keys, which take you back in time; not as a timeturner, but also back of several historical eras, it's like a library, or an encyclopedia of time. Just recite the formula "tergumtemp" and doors large enough to allow the dragons to pass through, will open in front of you. The key must always remain with you, or while you are not in the room, could be stolen, and in the wrong hands it could become much more than dangerous.
If you are those who have been chosen by the school, then you may keep the dragons with you, they will protect you from anything that can be found in space-time, at expense of their one life.
If you are wondering what the rings I wrote about when Damaris died, they are the rings of fate.
We forged them all together, to protect the school, and the magical world. One for the principal, one for the school, and one was the jewel of the Dragonlear's house. They were the Dragonlear's ring, the ring of hope, and the ring of the truth. They are more or less the correspondents of the deathly hallows, and the three unforgivable curses, because when we forged them, we considered every option that could threaten the magical world, legends or not.
The Dragonlear's ring can cure most of the diseases that have ever shown up on earth, even some of those that are considered incurable. However, as you certainly know, nobody can be called back from the dead. and even if the ring is very powerful, it can't heal everything. but he can heal you from poisons, common non-magical and magical diseases.
The ring of hope amplifies powers, because as ring of hope, it must be the last to die. It must be used only in critical situations, especially now that it is cracked, I strongly advise against using it, because it could explode with devastating consequences.
The ring of truth makes the master capable of seeing through a person, under cloaks, and shields, he can see thoughts and fears.
The stones we have chosen are all particular. For the Dragonlear's ring, we used a pure diamond that we found in one of our adventures with Damaris, because that was the ring of his house. For the ring of truth, the first crystallized flame of our dragons together, and for the ring of hope, an authentic philosopher's stone, which we have forged with the help of Damaris, a skilled alchemist.
As with the deathly hallows, something should theoretically happen if they come together, I mean, touching each other. But we never tried, because we were already afraid of the consequences it could have had without one being cracked; and Luckily the opportunity did not arise.
We have long tried to understand what had happened to our dear friend Damaris, but unfortunately everything we know we have already written in the official volume, or in the previous pages. When Damaris died, we didn't want Hogwarts to be stained with blood forever, so we decided to erase Damaris from everything and everyone, only we founders still knew of his past existence, and we still cry him. We also changed the crest, erasing the dragon which with its wings unified the symbols of the other houses. Under it the writing "draco dormiens nunquam titillandus" is in his honor, do not torment our poor dragon who will now sleep forever.
After Salazar left and Damaris died, Tosca looked very sad, depressed, and often disappeared into her room of requirement, meanwhile me and Godric finished the Dragonlear's dorm, turning it in a vault for Hogwarts' memories. Till the room exists, Hogwarts cannot fall.
I admit that the idea of the small library was mine, because I wanted our story not to be lost, while Godric provided the protection system. I have also decided to leave my diary in the display case so that someone can one day discover the mystery.
If you are someone chosen from the houses, like maybe a position of one from each house, you are worthy because you are considered descendants of the founders and you can each tame the dragon of your own house. But in the room there is also the dragon of Damaris, which can only be tamed by a blood descendant of Dragonlears, or someone that actually would have been sorted into Dragonlear, so strong and calm at same; because there are no prefects or head for the house. If the heads of school, or anyone other, who wants enter the room, must have survived terrible and painful things, marked on the skin for what they have gone through, or, but it is very strange, the true blood descendants of the founders.
With all my heart I hope that one day someone, someone truly worthy to enter that room, will find the truth on Damaris death, and bring the rings back to Hogwarts before they are found by someone else who can recognize them.
Good luck. Rowena Ravenclaw. This is all." Hermione concluded.
"so you are telling us that that ring down there, is a philosopher's stone that could explode at any moment. And that bloody dragons are timeturner limited edition upgrade?! Oh, and that there are three rings scattered on the face of the earth that if they end in the wrong hands would be a worldwide catastrophe?! and that if they are brought together by one person, it would become kinda master of life?! Oh wonderful." Ron sighed worried, definitely freaking out.
"yes, but I'm also saying that since there was a murder, with theft of powerful and dangerous magical artifacts; sooo... we should find the killer and the rings." Hermione concluded with a smile.
"why have you said -we should-?" Harry asked.
"I'm not taking decisions for you, it's your choice whether to stay here without doing nothing for the rest of the year and living with regret; or follow me into the fire of adventure." Hermione replied still smiling
"oh come on, when do we not throw ourselves without even thinking into the -fire of adventure-?!" Harry exclaimed.
"He's absolutely right." Ron completed.
"sorry but I'm new to all this. Don't you think it's better to stay here and wait and reflect on what has happened for at least two months and then decide to stay here waiting for someone else to come to solve everything?!" Draco theorized. Everyone looked at him dazed. "I'm kidding, go for the -fire of adventure -!" he finished. "well, here we go fire of adventure!" Ginny shouted as a leader.
"I would have a question." Luna interrupted. "Aside from Harry who has a passepartout scar, Hermione, you must a Dragonlear, or what?"
"well, actually, even if I think I could properly fit with the Dragonlears's characteristics, I have my passepartout..." Hermione replayed pulling up the sleeve of her uniform, revealing the scar that occupied her harm. Involuntarily she shifted her gaze right right in Draco's eyes that passed immediately form the scar to the eyes of the girl. She chained gaze and explored his hurt eyes, freezing. -oh, this hurts.- He thought looking away. Everyone was speechless for the few second that followed. They hadn't thought about it. They gulped or sighed.
"so, when would you like the next meeting to be?" Hermione tried to distract them. "I thought about going again in the room before the end of the Christmas break. So we can try to use the keys for the space-time; I'll send a letter. Now let's go get ready for our last Christmas at Hogwarts!" Hermione said dismissing everyone. "see you at the party." Said Ron going out with Harry, Ginny and Neville. "bye girls" Blaise and Draco greeted them as they left the room. Hermione went out with Luna and Morgan.
"So who you happened to go to the ball with? You haven't talked about it." Morgan asked Hermione as they passed through the secret passage. Hermione wasn't exactly enthusiastic about that question, and was fortunately interrupted by having to go through the mirror, and answered only later. "Emm... he didn't asked me yet... obviously not a Gryffindor." she answered vaguely.
"You don't want to tell us?" Luna asked in a low suspicious tone. "But I honestly don't think he'll be a Slytherin." "Morgan! I'm doing everything to eliminate the tensions between the houses!" Hermione scolded her. "I'm just saying that since you're a Muggle born, maybe not all the Slytherins are willing to come with you, but now that I think about it, you're Hermione Granger, a war hero, it's not entirely impossible. And then it's all random, you could have happened with anyone..."
"yeah..." commented Hermione softly so that no one heard her. "and Hermione obviously won't worry about that!" Luna reassured her. "Thanks for trusting Luna, see you around." Said Hermione, and with this she turned around in the corridor for library.
Draco was leaning against a wall in the corridor; like he was... waiting for someone?
/ few minutes earlier. /
Draco was walking out of the secret passageway with Blaise.
"sooo, it's seem like you and Granger are dating... I was right this morning when i told you were in love." Blaise joked just out the mirror.
"uh? no! who told you that?!" Draco protested.
"Ginger." "you gossip with Weaslette?!" Draco asked quite shocked.
"yeah, we are part of the fan club." Blaise replied with nonchalance.
"there is a fan club?!" the other exclaimed slamming his hand on his eyes as they approached the library' corridor.
"yeah, we talk about new and fabulous Hogwarts ships, but also about quidditch, school, normal things like that... . And surprise surprise, last meeting the only thing the whole club was talking about where you two."
"if Granger hears this you're so dead..." Draco sighed.
"ohoh, I'm in danger." Blaise chuckled.
"we'll talk again about this fan club when i came back at the common room, now I have to do something in the library, see you maybe at dinner." Draco greeted him entering the library.
After a minute, he came out and waited leaning against the corridor wall. There she came.
"knew you would come here." He commented standing.
"so? Why here?" asked Hermione suspiciously.
"oh, nothing, just... I was wondering if you wanted to come to the ball with me... not as we have a choice..." He proposed muttering the last thing; handing Hermione a spring of holly: five leafs and the berries.
"yeah, I might come... Hermione nodded with a slight smile with a just a bit of sadness.
"think you know about the legend around the holly of the ball..." started Draco. "yeah, the leafs are the houses and the berries unites them; but after Salazar left, the symbol passed at three leaves." Hermione explained not resisting at the impulse. "well, I got you this special one, because we now know that there were five..." he said. "so special, especially from you, Malfoy... . and just let you know, I heard what you muttered few seconds ago... about our choice. i'm happy about our choice... about going together." She commented.
"well, put it this way, MAYBE I will come; but only because I have absolutely no desire to spend the whole evening with Astoria or all the others at my feet stuck to me like koalas. If they see that you are with me they will feel intimidated or something like that."
"intimidated?"
"Yes, in short, you are Hermione Granger, the brightest witch of our age, one of the greatest heroines of the magical world and very close to Harry Potter. I believe they think you can destroy them with a look." Draco replied.
"But you're not afraid of what others will think when they see us going down the stairs together." He asked. "I was more worried about what YOU would have thought," said Hermione. "I told you, I'm coming because you can ensure me protection from Astoria and company." Draco replied coldly.
"see you really care about coming with me." Hermione commented just as coldly. "Hey Granger, please don't do this, I'm not that bad, and maybe neither you are," said Malfoy. She shook her head.
"I'll have to get used to the idea, The Death Eater and the mudblood." Draco said with his traditional smirk, making Hermione smile.
"Common color? Green right?" continued Malfoy walking around, who knew exactly how to dress for a ball. "oh absolutely not! You can forget that the Gryffindor princess comes to her last Christmas at Hogwarts dressed in green." she said standing proudly. "well, I won't let anyone catch me dead in red." He glared at her.
"Midnight blue." She proposed.
"Why? Wouldn't we be a bit too Ravenclaw?" asked Malfoy with disappointment.
"Exactly, intelligence is the only thing we have in common, so I would say that it is symbolically correct." Hermione replied.
"ah, so you think I'm intelligent?" he asked again with a grin.
"I take it back." she hurried to say coldly.
"whatever. If it is symbolically correct, I believe that midnight blue is the perfect color for the occasion." Draco replied carelessly.
"Don't hope too much that your shield for girls will show up, I could change my mind at the last moment seeing your ferret face." Hermione said smiling, for the sheer pleasure of trimming a little arrow.
"Hey, I thought we were in truce." "You thought." the girl underlined, and then she chuckled.
"Who knows, who knows, it will be surely memorable, think of all the Slytherins who will see their prince go down into the hall accompanied by the queen of the griffins, and in addition a muggle-born!"
-he didn't call me mudblood- Yeah, she noticed.
"You don't even know if I will come! I could always decide not to present myself and let you in the grips of that geese of Parkinson and the Greengrass."
"don't call Pansy goose. I know that now she is not the best now, but she has been one of my closest friends for ages; she as suffered. Less than me, more than Blaise. Anyway have to admit that now she's changed: she's a little obsessive... I think because they took away from her everything precious she had, like her mother. She is no more the one that I met in the first years, before she went completely crazy. So don't think bad of her for what she is now. You can't judge her if you don't know what she went through."
–like I shouldn't do with you.- Hermione thought.
"and about the Greengrass, they are geese, I can't stand them. My father said that I should have married one of them before he went to Azcaban and they get so sticky probably to win me, maybe also Pansy, frankly I don't know." Draco explained quite amused by the general situation (except for Pansy).
"Okay, sorry; apparently someone is in love..." she giggled.
-first Blaise and now you, what have you all today?!- "not even say that! Believe me, I would do anything to get away from me that annoying sticky girl that she has become... . I just still remember the person she was before."
"Okay, I understand, Pansy's a sore point. I won't say anything about her anymore; if this will make you a little less annoying. But I think nothing can make you a little less Draco Malfoy, too bad..."
"after this I ask myself if is really possible for the Slytherin prince and the Gryffindor princess, to go to this ball without destroy the entire hall. I bet you'll explode first." Said Malfoy already preparing for going away.
"all I have to say about this it see to believe." Hermione commented.
"eeeh, I say believe to see." He corrected her.
"You'll never change." She muttered, moving away in the opposite direction.
"wrong again, Granger; once someone told me it was my decision."
"then hurry to decide!"
"YOU will never change, Granger; always the usual stubborn one, you can't admit you're wrong."
"see you at the ball twitchy little ferret... maybe."
And with this they went in to opposite directions; neither of them knew if the other would really come, but it didn't matter.