Disclaimer – The world of Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling and various publishers. I make no claim to ownership. I'm just here, living in her world.
A/N: In this alternate universe, Nymphadora Tonks is only two years younger than the Marauders and Lily. Her and Lily have become good friends over the years and their two oldest children are in the same year at Hogwarts.
The Founders Return
by blackrhino
Chapter 2
"They are coming from this exact spot" told Dumbledore. A smile on his face.
"The device takes people through time and across whole dimensions! How marvellous!" Albus exclaimed, the excitement showing on his face.
At that exact time, the orb started to pulse. It started to expand and lightning arched from it. The teachers jumped back.
In the blink of an eye, the orb exploded making a loud 'BANG'. A pulse was sent through the air, toppling the professors like dominoes.
In the orb's place lay 4 forms. Lily crawled closer. What she saw were people. Mere children.
Lily was the first to jump into action.
"Help me! They're hurt!" she yelled. Teachers lurched forwards toward the children. As she got even closer, Lily could see that the four children, well, teenagers were covered in sweat, mud and blood. They all sported horrendous injuries, ranging from gashes to spell burns.
She quickly cast an observational charm that she had learnt during the war. It showed whether they were seriously hurt and if so, how badly. She noticed that one of the teenagers, the furthest away from her, had more injuries than the others put together. She dashed to his side and grasped his hand. She felt a prickle run up her arm. She went ridged and dropped the boy's hand. Lily shook her head and cast a levitation charm on him and dashed in the direction of the castle.
James, Dumbledore, Sirius and Remus followed in her wake. The rest of the staff sauntered up to the castle, even though they realised that they wouldn't know what had happened until later.
As soon as the professors left, excited chatter broke loose as the students discussed what they had seen. It's not everyday that 4 unknown travellers come to Hogwarts by yellow exploding orb. But then, this is Hogwarts.
Lily rushed into the hospital wing. Poppy was sat down drinking tea. She jumped up.
"What the hell happ…" she started as the other three travellers floated in.
"No time. Help them. This one's seriously hurt" Lily gasped as she motioned towards the raven-haired boy. Poppy burst into action, casting an observational charm on the teens and running to her store cupboard.
As Poppy rushed back with a bottle, the brown-haired girl wearing blue started to stir. She groaned and all attention was on her. Poppy rushed to her side as she struggled to sit up.
"Wh-where a-am I?" she choked.
"You're as Hogwarts, my dear" cooed Poppy.
"H-hogwarts?" she cried. "It c-can't be! Th-that's impossible!"
"I can assure you, we're definitely at Hogwarts." comforted Albus.
"W-what the hell happened? I feel like I hit my head. Really hard."
"We were hoping you could tell us that" muttered James.
The girl slipped into unconsciousness and James wandered over to her side. He slumped down next to her. He wasn't looking for anything in particular. He went to look away when a glint of gold caught his eye. He lifted up the girl's midnight blue overcoat to get a closer look.
At the girls side was a dagger. It was a dagger of fancy design with an ornate eagle adorned on the handle. It wasn't the lavishness of the dagger that caught James' eye, but the eagle on it. It had onyx eyes that seemed to stare straight into him. Underneath it was a dainty capital R. James stared at the initial for some time. Could it really be?
"Albus, I think you should see this…" James murmured.
"What is it James? What have you found…" Albus trailed off as James showed him the dagger.
"Do you think…?" James mused. "Do you think we should check the others?"
"I'll do that red-head. You do the other" requested Dumbledore.
James ambled over to the other female. He checked her belt, only to find nothing. He noticed the strap over her shoulder and pulled the bow case out from underneath her. He plucked the bow out of it's casing. And there, on the upper limb was a badger, carved out of the very wood. Underneath it, in the same dainty writing, was a letter H.
James put the bow back in the case and placed it on the bedside table.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore strolled over to the other red-head. He unsheathed the teenager's sword. The hilt was decorated with rubies and the blade proudly said GODRIC GRYFFINDOR. Dumbledore knew that this sword was safely stored in the old sorting hat in his office. He replaced the sword and sauntered over to the final person. This, Albus thought to himself, must be Slytherin.
James was having similar thoughts as he meandered over to the ebony-haired teen.
The pair stopped at the boy's bedside. The teen's face was a void of emotion. James went to touch the sword hilt that was garnished with emeralds instead of rubies but a sudden enraged hissing stopped him.
A thick ebon snake unwound itself from the teenager's thin, delicate body, revealing him to be much thinner than he seemed to be. The serpent positioned itself so it was at eye level with James. He took a step back. The snake's menacing glare never leaving James.
Dumbledore whispered a translation spell he had found in an ancient book that translated Parseltongue into English.
"Who dare goess near my master?" the snake hissed. Everyone shuddered, not being used to the serpentine language.
"We are sorry. We are just trying to help" Albus answered.
"He needss no help" the snake snapped back.
"He's seriously hurt!" cried Lily.
"He'll be jusst fine"
"Sorry for asking, but what are your names?" Albus stepped in before Lily could argue.
"You do not know my masster's name?"
"No… I'm afraid I don't" Albus lied.
"My name iss Lae. He hass many names. Ssome call him friend, others foe. We call him Ssalazar or by hiss real name."
"His real name isn't Salazar?"
"No. Hiss real name iss… I cannot ssay anymore." The serpent hissed.
"I understand. Thank-you very much." finished Albus.
Poppy rushed past him and cast a diagnostic charm. The boy's aura was smothered in black so that you couldn't see a thing. Everyone in the room turned to look.
"Black?"
"That isn't possible!"
Poppy noticed that underneath the black was a hint of green and red. Pain and malnutrition. Interesting, Poppy thought.
"Albus, how much is known about the Founder's backgrounds?" Poppy asked.
"Next to nothing. If they talked about it, none of them wrote it down. All that we know of these individuals has come from indirect sources. Filius will be pleased. He is very interested in the Founders."
"I don't think Slytherin was treated very well as a child… No wonder he turned out so bitter and twisted." murmured Poppy.
"What makes you say he was mistreated?" Lily asked, becoming quite interested.
"His original aura is red and green. They signify pain and malnourishment and they are quite strong so, I expect that it all started a long time ago." Poppy finished and glanced at the floor.
"These people have some nasty wounds" stated Remus, looking at a nasty cut on the brunette's arm. "What could have caused them?"
"I'm not sure…" answered Poppy.
"Hufflepuff is waking up!" gasped Sirius from the bed on the far side of the room. They all gathered round the red-head expectantly.
"Urgh… Where are we Ric? RIC? Where am I?" she gasped glancing around. She stared at the people around her.
"Where's Ric? What about Rena?" she gulped from the bed.
"Sal?" she squeaked. "Where are they? Urgh my head hurts." She muttered cradling her head in her hands.
"It's ok Miss…" started Albus.
"I don't care what you call me" she grumbled.
"Well, your friends will be fine. They are hurt though. You're hurt as well. What happened?" Albus asked.
"Umm, I can't exactly remember. It's all a muddle at the moment. I remember lots of blood and bodies… It was a battle. The last one, I think."
"It's ok Miss. You need your rest. Go back to sleep." commanded James and, as if by magic, she fell asleep straight away.
"Come on. Everyone out. Out, now! My patient needs her rest." Poppy pulled back the curtains and sighed heavily.
"I think we should go to my office. I think some tea is needed quite desperately…" groaned Albus.
A/N: Here you go! Chapter 2! Sorry it took so long... I've had a lot of homework. Next week is the half-term holidays. I should be able to update a lot quicker. Thank you everyone who has reveiwed and thank you for reading!
blackrhino