This chapter as always is dedicated to MissRissa81 but for this one it's a special lay birthday present for my alpha and one of my biggest supporters! I hope you had an amazing day and that you enjoy this chapter! Xox

January 7, 1940

Today has been the first day they could escape to the library since they had returned— their classes had been piling on the homework and they wanted to get that done before researching anymore.

Hermione has pushed the boys everyday so they could finish early, and it had paid off. Theodore had just come back from an obscure section of books they hadn't looked at before and found a book— with mentions of Helga Hufflepuff scattered throughout it. He was about to open it when Aldrich stopped him and gestured over his shoulder.

Michael Alders was back to watching them, and now he wasn't even being subtle. He was sitting at the next table watching them and trying to listen in.

"Alders, do you really find us that good looking that you have to stare at us?" Theo asked, while the rest of them chuckled.

"Y-y-you! I'm not… you aren't even good looking, your Slytherin genes make you disgusting to look at," he responded.

"Then why do you constantly try and watch us if we aren't?" Hermione questioned the Gryffindor.

"You know perfectly well what I'm doing here," he replied.

"You need to stop. We don't care that you're Dumbledore's little pet Gryffindor, we won't stand by and let you spy on us any longer," Hermione said in a scathing tone.

"Oh, and what are you going to do to me?" He asked with a scowl.

"You don't want to know what our family libraries have taught us, Alders. Come on guys, let's go elsewhere." Aldrich said, standing up he shouldered his bag and pulled the book Theo had found off the table so they could hide it before the librarian caught them. They didn't want Dumbledore being able to figure out exactly what they were researching.

"This isn't over, Alders. We will be meeting again," Hermione said darkly.

The four Slytherins left the Library and made sure he wasn't following before heading up to the Room of Requirement.

"You know he won't leave it alone now," Tom stated to the room.

"Yeah, we are going to have to be more sneaky about coming up here," Theo said.

"We will just have to come here when we know that he is distracted," Hermione said, "Even if we only leave in pairs from now on."

January 20, 1940

Studying in the room of requirement had become common practice for the four of them in the last month— it was the only place Alders and any of Dumbledore's other little followers couldn't spy on them.

Since the day he had been not even trying to hide what he was up to, they were a bit sneakier in slipping away.

Today they were reading one of their History of Magic texts and having a butterbeer to wash the day away when Aldrich gasped, "Look at this guys."

"What?" The other three said in unison moving to peer over his shoulder.

"Although it is only a rumour— it is believed that not only did Rowena Ravenclaw have a wand especially created for her, the other founders had wands as well that once brought together would change the magic of Hogwarts to whatever the four users of the wand wanted it to be. They were even said to have been more powerful than the elder wand, these wands have disappeared from history but are believed to be hidden within the castle," Aldrich read to the others.

"You don't think that they are in the rooms that we think the founders had, do you?" Theo asked.

"That's exactly what he's saying! This is amazing! Imagine if we found those wands? The power we would hold in our hands.." Hermione exclaimed.

"We need to find those rooms!" Tom added, "It's not just a possibility now. We have to do it."

"I agree, having those wands! The founders wands of all things to have would make us sought out," Hermione said.

"Let's read some more and try and track down some more on these wands, like who made them exactly, what makes them so special and how much power they actually hold," Aldrich said.

The group returned to their reading and notes were passed around to add more— as they came across little mentions. It was hard to find out such information and not have access to the wands straight away but they would make it their priority before they finished school.

February 15, 1940

Aldrich forgot how excited the Nott's got on birthdays— that was until he felt two large bodies fall onto his bed and jump on him.

"Can't you let me sleep in on this one day?" He growled.

"No! This is the most important of days, you were brought into this world! Now come on friend, it's time for presents!" Hermione exclaimed while bouncing.

Aldrich rolled his eyes and then slowly followed the twins out of the common room and up to the Room of Requirement— what he saw was amazing. His parents and their family were standing beside a table full of presents and the room had streamers everywhere in Slytherin colours.

He should be used to it by now but he never got used to the fact that he had two great families he could call his own.

"Happy birthday, Aldrich!" The room shouted.

"Thanks guys," he said a slight blush coming to his face.

"It was all Hermione, she asked Headmaster Dippet if we could come and see you and she got the House Elves help," his father smiled at his son, "Come here and give your father a hug."

Aldrich walked into his father's open arms and then after he had hugged everyone around the room he went off to where Hermione was standing over a cake and pulled her into a crushing embrace, "Thank you Hermione, you are the best friend I could ever hope for."

"You're welcome, you know I love you," she said smiling up at him.

Keeping an arm around her, Aldrich went back to everyone and started unwrapping presents. His parents and the Nott's stayed well into the afternoon and they were all served lunch in the room.

Before they left they did his cake and then it was just the four friends, they sat in the room playing card games and wizards chess for a while until it was dinner time and then made their way down to the Great Hall.

Aldrich couldn't keep the smile off his face as he lay on the floor with Hermione, Theo and Tom with him. They had decided to make it a sleepover so his birthday celebrations could continue.

"Did you really enjoy yourself?" Hermione asked from beside him.

"I did, you know I always end up enjoying myself even if some crazy person wakes me up at a god awful hour," he said laughing when she looked affronted at his words.

"I'm not crazy!" She exclaimed.

"Nah, you're not. Love you Hermione, goodnight," he said cuddling up to his best friend.

"Love you Aldrich, Happy Birthday again," She said kissing him on the cheek.

March 3, 1940

Asking Helena Ravenclaw about Helga Hufflepuff and her mother had taken a lot of time to build up the courage for, the four second years had chickened out several times as they saw her gliding around with a scowl spread across her ghostly features.

She wasn't the picture of friendly— but it was the next step in their plan so they took a deep breath to prepare and walked out into the abandoned courtyard that seemed to be one of her favourite haunts.

"Hi Helena," Tom said in a sickly sweet tone.

"What do you four want? Who are you?" She asked.

"Well I'm Hermione Nott, this is my twin Theodore, that's Aldrich Avery and this is Tom Riddle," Hermione explained pointing to each of them as she said their names, "We just wanted to ask about your mum and Helga Hufflepuff. We've been doing some research on them to get to know who built our amazing school and there were some interesting things come up."

"Like what?" The ghost asked.

"Did they really have a fight with Salazar over who should be allowed in the school?" Theo asked their first agreed question to ease into it and make it seem like they were simply researching for the fun of it.

"Yes, he wished to only admit those that had Pure Blood as he called it," Helena said scowling at the very thought.

"How horrible," Aldrich said, "I have a question about your mother, did she really have a diadem that's could heighten your ability to learn and obtain knowledge?"

"She did, but it has been lost for centuries," Helena shifted her eyes down avoiding their gaze.

"Oh wow, I couldn't imagine where it could be," Hermione said pretending as if she was sad, "What about the rumour that we found that said they had their own secret rooms? Wouldn't that be cool, your own hideaway."

"They did have their own hidden rooms, but I was never allowed to enter one of them, they held immeasurable power and apparently weren't safe," she said, the crease between her brows showing she was still angry at this fact.

"Did you ever follow them?" Theodore asked.

"I think it's time you go now," Helena said suddenly showing suspicion at their questions and what they meant for what these children were up to. She considered telling one of the professors but decided against it, they were just children after all.

Hope you enjoyed! Until next time xox