DISCLAIMER: That part of this world and those characters you've seen before belong to their Creator: JKR. The rest is mine - although I cannot quit my day job as I make no $$$
A/N: Enjoy!
CHAPTER TWELVE: HINTS
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19th, 1991 – HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY, SCOTLAND, U.K.
It would just figure, Harry thought, that Hermione's birthday would fall on a Thursday when we have to suffer through three hours of Snape. What little Harry had seen of the man, and fortunately it was a little, told him that the man was probably a fine field Master, but he was a failure in the academic setting. Harry had no idea if the man was capable of research, but as he purportedly held a Mastery, he probably was. Whether he was any good at it was another matter entirely.
Still, things could be worse, Harry supposed. He had heard all sorts of horror stories about Snape as a Professor. He had a taste of the man's petty and vindictive styles the first week and his total disdain for teaching the second, but since that first week, Snape had left him and his friends alone. This class was only worthwhile because most of them didn't need it. Sally-Anne was getting loads of help from her roommates so at least she would learn potions, if not in this classroom. Harry wondered how many potential potioners had passed through this school over the last decade or so to never develop that talent.
Once again, Snape left two potions on the board and sat at his desk as the glorified babysitter not saying a word until time was called, not explaining anything useful, not teaching. Once again, when time was called, he merely checked the various cauldrons. One no knew if you got your potion right, the man frowned and grumbled out "acceptable" and said nothing else. While he was not docking points left and right, as he was said to have done in the past, neither did was he awarding any. The only thing that drew a reaction from Snape was a botched potion, which for now was the forte of three of the Slytherins in the class. At least that Malfoy brat was still in hospital.
All things considered, Harry would rather skive off this class and the rest of Thursdays altogether. The problem was that skipping class would be noticed. He could work on revising some research he and the others were doing in History of Magic and to a lesser extent in Astronomy, but this was a practical class and he could not revise and brew at the same time. Still, he had some time as he could brew the assigned potions perfectly and in less time than required and when his were finished, he would go over his notes.
"This is not a study hall, Mr. Potter," Snape said towering over him. "You're supposed to be making a hiccup potion."
"It's done, Sir," Harry said.
"So I see. So might I suggest reading ahead for the next lesson?"
"Already have, Sir."
"Then perhaps the next one?"
"I've already read the whole book," Harry replied.
"I see. Then tell me what is written on page 417."
"Er…"
"Five points, Mr. Potter, for using this time for something other than potions."
Harry nodded. The legendary Snape had apparently not become extinct. He placed his notes back in his bag, opened his potions book and pretended to read as Snape moved on to loom over someone else.
He chose to think about Quidditch. Seeker tryouts for the school team were on Tuesday. No one was surprised that Harry made the Game Team. Cho Chang from Ravenclaw was the only other. She had played backup to Harry in Juniors two seasons ago. Last year's Senior Seeker, Tamara Marks who was a Fourth Year Puff, had not tried out. She said she had gotten too big to be any good at that position and was trying for Chaser. Harry wondered what the girl had meant by that and decided he really should be too young to dwell on that part of the female anatomy.
McGonagall had allowed Club members to play for Gryffindor as well, assuming they made the House Team. Then again, she knew that most of the Club Members already had at least their O.W.L.s and did not need the same amount of time to study. Harry was told as soon as that notice went up he was Seeker if he wanted it. For reasons having nothing to do with Quidditch he had accepted. As it now stood, the Gryffindor Team was all in the Club. Oliver Wood was Captain and Keeper. Alicia Spinnet and Angelina Johnson were Chasers from last season, and Fred and George Weasley were last season's Beaters. Only Chaser remained and as everyone who was not named McLaggen in the House knew, it would not be McLaggen. Harry's "money" was on another Club Member: Katie Bell. His sister was probably better, but she was a First Year and wanted to wait until she was "bigger" (Harry assumed this meant taller and stronger and not other things) before she tried for a starting position. She was going to try for Reserve Chaser for the school and for Gryffindor if Wood wanted reserves for scrimmages.
Hermione stared at her potions book as well. It was her birthday and she was pleased to find flowers in her part of the dorm when she woke up that morning. It was a little odd having so many people wishing her a Happy Birthday, but she did not mind. Harry had met her in the Common Room before breakfast and had given her a surprisingly big and very nice kiss in front of everyone – for her birthday, he had said. She knew the presents would come later. They were going to hold her party tomorrow at her home in London and everyone was holding off until then. It was a pity she had to have this class on this day.
She stared at the potions book as her completed potion simmered and went over her mental checklist. She was sort of in charge of research for the group, which really meant she made sure the others were moving forward with their projects. Her project was that bloody spell. She was sure it would work one day, but the arithmancy behind hit would fry brains and it would be all but impossible to cast outside of laboratory conditions, just as she had originally suspected. However, it looked like it could be adjusted so that it could be a charged spell, which meant she could pre-load wands with it. Good thing to, she thought. Even if it were possible to cast "in the field" it would be bloody well near impossible to teach to others within the timeframe she was working. It had to be ready and loaded by November 9th, assuming Harry played for Gryffindor or the 17th if he only played for the school. Those were the dates of the matches and unless something had really changed, Quirrell would try to kill Harry during Harry's first match of the year.
Creating this spell all on her own by that timeframe was a long shot. She had to finish the theoretical crafting, conduct "static" tests to determine whether it appeared to be working and all that before any kind of live test. A live test was possible, so long as it was not Quirrell as test subject as the theoretical effect on an un-possessed individual seemed to be both harmless and a known and quantifiable factor. Only then could she begin loading, which probably would take days as the spell looked like it would be very draining. Fortunately, she had help. While Luna might not be a Certified Spell Crafter, she was a student working towards her own Mastery and was quite capable of acting as assistant (for which Luna could get credit in that program.)
There was still the problem of whether Quirrell was under active possession. She thought he was, but had not proof. That was Clarice's job – well, Clarice and Madam Pomfrey. They needed to know that. First of all, unless he was under active possession, they could not justify killing him and could probably use the purification ritual used on Harry to excise that demon Voldemort. The problem with the ritual was the possessed person had to enter into it of his own free will and needed very close friends for it to work. (And there was that whole naked bit and Hermione really did not want to see that.) More critically, her spell would not work as hoped unless Quirrell were under active possession.
While she and Luna had been spending practically all of their spare time running the arithmancy for the "Love Spell" as Hermione was calling it; Harry, Neville and Clarice had been pouring over books, manuscripts and records that McGonagall had been dropping off almost daily. They were going over every document McGonagall could find within the school's library and archives for any information about the Founders, the nature and magic (if any) associated with being a Founder's Heir, what might happen if all four Heirs were reunited and claimed their birthrights and the Founders' Tower. True, of those three, only Harry had a direct interest in the result of that project. The five of them had proven he was the magical Heir of Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin about two years ago. Neville was one of the closest living alternate claimants to the Gryffindor patrimony, but that did not matter as much.
The research that proved that Harry was magical heir of Slytherin also proved that Voldemort was not and could not be that so long as Harry lived. Were Harry to die without having fathered a child, Voldemort was next in line (despite not having a common ancestor within the last 800 years or so.) Legally, Voldemort was known as a disputed or contested claimant. Voldemort had tried to wipe out the entire Potter line during the last War and would have come after Harry without regard to that useless prophecy. But that was an effort to wipe out the Gryffindor heir. The Potters never hid the fact that they were the holders of the Gryffindor line.
Later research showed to the group that either Voldemort or those he used were lousy at genealogical research. Then again, the idiot did surround himself with Pureblood Supremacists and they were the type who would discount anything that suggested Purebloods were not special or, it seems, reach any conclusion that suggested Voldemort might have been wrong about anything. The Death Eaters had gone after two lines: Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Both were lines that were known and public. Even then, they made no effort to take out other more distant claimants. Neville and his family were targeted not because of their connection to a founder, but because of that prophecy. No effort was made to hunt down the Huffelpuff line at all. Hopefully, their sloppy work would cost Voldemort dearly in the end.
Legal heirs had the right to the legal property of their ancestors, Hermione remembered. Legal heirs were determined by the laws of men as they existed when each person in chain died and his or her property passed to the next generation. The laws of men allowed a father to designate his successor so it did not follow that the oldest son was always an heir. It was through the laws of man that a younger son of the direct heir of Salazar Slytherin became the legal heir of that heir. The older son inherited no property. Harry was the most direct male descendent of that older son. Voldemort, the most direct descendent of the younger son.
Magical heirs were always the most direct descendent of their ancestor, but no witch could be the magical heir of a wizard and no wizard the magical heir of a witch. If a magical wizard heir had no sons, but had daughters, the line was "held" by the oldest daughter and her descendants until a son was born and that son would be the next magical heir even if the last one was generations prior. Magical heirs inherited all of the "magical" property of that line and as their status was through the laws of magic or nature, they could never be disowned by any ancestor. Thus, generations ago, a witch who was the "place holder" for the magical line of Slytherin married the wizard who was the magical heir of Gryffindor. They had a son, who became the magical heir of both and Harry was the closest male descendent of that son.
Hermione, on the other hand, was the magical heir of Rowena Ravenclaw, or at least one of them. As her magic was witch magic, only the closest witch descendant could inherit. If a heir had only boys, the oldest boy became the place holder until a daughter was reborn in that line. Where the line sat with a place holder, it was said to be dormant. If a line died out, magic sought the next closest surviving line, even if that line was ten or more generations removed. Long periods of dormancy or the end of the primary line tended to leave the next "heir" ignorant of their status. The Ravenclaw line had no such problems and Hermione had learned about her status when she was told about her blood family three years earlier.
Her question now was how did her great-grandmother fit into the picture? Robert and Rose Granger were and always would be her parents. They had loved, supported and raised her from when she was but days old. But they were her parents by adoption. Her birth mother was for a short time the Heir of Ravenclaw after the remainder of Minerva McGonagall's children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren had been killed by Death Eater in the last War. Her birth parents died as well, barely two weeks before that terrible war ended. Hermione was pretty certain she was now the Heir, as she could produce the next generation (one day) and Minerva could not. But she did not know for certain. The only way to know for sure was to try and claim the "magical property" she was entitled to as an heir.
Hermione had learned that what constituted magical property was nowhere near as clear as the notion of legal property (which was also not simple by any means). Certain magical abilities and been shown to be a specie of magical property. Being a Seer was a gift that only passed to the magical heirs of other Seers, for example. But other gifts were family gifts and passed to all descendants of the magical witch or wizard. Apparently Parselmouth, the ability to speak with snakes, was a family gift such that all descendants of a snake talker had the gift. Slytherin had the gift, as did Harry and Voldemort and Harry's sister Clarice. What was the magical property of the Founders?
The last of the magical heirs was Luna Lovegood. She was the Heir of Helga Huffelpuff. Like the Slytherin line, due to dormancy and the extinction of senior lines many generations removed, the Huffelpuff line had been forgotten. Luna was the first daughter in that line in many generations. Luna would come into her "inheritance" (or at least become able to claim it) in two days. On September 21st, she would turn eleven and as there were no older witches in her line, she could claim all rights at that time, whatever those rights were.
Which left Hermione with a nagging question: how did "Aunt Minnie" fit into the picture. She had been the magical heir. Was she still? Did that matter?
One thing was certain, due to dormancies in the various lines, it had been hundreds of years since all four magical heirs of the Founders were alive at the same time. Even then, they probably did not even know it and were of different ages altogether. This might be the first time since not long after the Founders time that all four heirs were about the same age. Did that mean something?
One nice thing about being Harry Potter was he had his own room in the Club Corridor. Okay, he thought, that was not exactly true. But he had a room he shared with some others for their projects. Other Club members could ask to enter and he and the usual occupants usually left the door open, but there were times such as now when they were working on things that were not for general consumption.
The Weasley Twins had dubbed the room "The Command Center," yet while everyone understood what they meant, no one else said that. The rest of the Club, which meant just about everyone, called it "The Triple Eight Room." Unlimited access was granted only "to those Triple Eight or better." This referred to the numbers on the left collar. The five who had unrestricted access all had three eights on their collars, and Harry, Hermione and Clarice had four. True, Susan Bones and Dora were also Triple Eights and did not have unrestricted access.
In reality, the Weasley Twins might be closer to why they had a room. Harry and the other four were senior Club members who had dealt with all of the Club from the beginning, not just the Hogwarts bit. But unless something actually happened that required their attention, and aside from going public with their Quidditch League nothing had (and that was handled by the faculty advisors. All Harry did was set the schedule, which he had done even before Hogwarts had started), they used the room for their other projects such as spell crafting, the two Sunday meetings and the reason the five had gathered just after dinner.
For now, Harry and Hermione were the only ones in the Triple Eight Room and contrary to speculation, they did not use the room for steamy snogging sessions, although neither said anything to refute the rumors. The others were off elsewhere, but would be arriving to go over the Founders research later.
"So," Harry sighed looking over his notes, "you think Malfoy was like he is the last time?"
It was off topic, Hermione thought, and Harry knew she did not like such distractions. But she knew he was not going to "talk business" until the others arrived. "You mean a brainless, bigoted git," Hermione replied, "or the school leper?"
"I was thinking the brainless bit," Harry said. "From what Sensei said in his stories, Malfoy was hated by just about anyone outside Slytherin…"
"Probably inside as well," Hermione said. "And I would not be surprise if there's little difference in their personalities."
"So he was a loud mouthed, stuck up little snot then too?"
"There was only one change in his life before Hogwarts," Hermione said. "This version of Malfoy's dad is a convicted Death Eater."
Harry nodded. "Yeah. The other one would be one in a few years. Still, you'd think he'd keep his head down with that being known."
"Not if he's proud of it for some reason," Hermione said. "Why do you care about that prat?"
"I don't," Harry said. "I care about our friends who have to live with him. Pity he can't spend the year in the Hospital Wing. Just wondering."
"Okay," Hermione said, "I'll bite."
"If he was the same way last time," Harry said, "then why did Sensei have such problems with him?"
"Sensei knew nothing about magic."
"Still, I mean he also had three more years with the Dursleys, but the kid's useless! The biggest problem with him is he doesn't seem to learn. He was the big bad Slytherin then. Most kids kept out of his way – 'cept Sensei. If he's the same, just wondering what changed. … And don't say me! Aside from that being obvious, he's not been a particular thorn in my side at all. And according to Sensei's stories, Snape let him get away with anything. Now, he can't even sneeze without losing points and getting detentions, from Snape! Even the older kids are saying that Snape's docked more points from Malfoy and his friends this year so far than he had from that whole House last year. Aside from my life – our lives – what else is different?"
"The Club," Hermione said after a moment's thought. "Something like it came to be in Sensei's stories called the D.A., but that was years from now and even then, there were no Slytherins in it at all. Sensei said his Hogwarts was at first four groups of students who only interacted when forced to: the four Houses. Later, it was two groups: Slytherins and everyone else. Here, one could say there are five groups: the Club, which has kids from all four Houses; and the non-Club members from the other four Houses who don't really interact much outside of their Houses. The difference is, when we were sorted, there were more of us than any other single group. And now…"
"Even if the other four groups combined," Harry began.
"Which they won't," Hermione added.
"We are more numerous. And we don't tolerate the way things were, do we? That's it then."
"What is? That we are intolerant?"
"No, or yes maybe. In Sensei's time, the divisions were accepted as normal. Slytherins hated Gryffindors and vice versa because that's the way things had always been. Now, it's different. Malfoy came here expecting the same society he had been told about, one where he was respected just because of his Dad. He lands in a Hogwarts where those attitudes are not tolerated and being the way he is and who he is does not let him do what he wants; it earns him a thrashing from everyone else. Probably's been a bit of a shock for him."
"You're not thinking of helping him, are you Harry?"
"No way. Just not going to do any more than I already have. That little berk needs a serious attitude adjustment, a personality transplant, and a new family before I'd give him a chance. I was just wondering to myself why this place is so different than the one Sensei described."
Any further musings about the differences between the two timelines had to be placed on hold as Clarice, Luna and Neville arrived.
"Guess we can get started," Harry said. "While most of this is about the Founders stuff, Hermione? How's the spell coming?"
"Er … well enough," Hermione said. "I mean, it's not ready or anything, but I'm sure I can make it work. It's just that…" she faded.
"Just what?"
"Honestly! I wish I had more time! I mean, we now have a date certain when it needs to be ready and deployed of November 9th. If I didn't have to act like a student … I mean there are still crafting details that need to be worked out before I can even begin to run tests. Then there's the wand loading. That will take time too. I mean, I think I can have everything ready by then. I hope I can. To be honest, I'd much prefer a month or two with nothing better to do and no distractions and…"
"We're cutting it close," Luna agreed.
"All you need is time?" Clarice asked.
Hermione nodded.
"Any special space requirements? Would any room do?"
"We could do it all in here. We are doing it all in here, why?"
Clarice rolled her eyes. "There is a Time Chamber here at Hogwarts, remember? That place they send the pregnant girls to have their kids over a weekend? I'm sure we could 'borrow' it. They pass through seven months or so in three days or less. You've got all the time you need – within reason, of course."
"I hadn't thought of that."
"Of course people might think you went there for other reasons," Clarice teased.
"Considering no one remembers what went on when they were there, I seriously doubt that," Harry said. "But we do need to make sure no one obliviates Hermione…"
"Or me," Luna said.
"Or Luna. That wouldn't be good."
"It wouldn't be medically necessary," Clarice said. "Besides, I was talking with Poppy…"
"Poppy?" voices asked.
"Madam Pomfrey. She doesn't do the memory charms. Aunt Minnie does."
"Bet she loves that," Harry said.
"Hates it, according to Madam Pomfrey."
"Can you see how soon we could get it?" Hermione asked.
"What's the rush?" Harry said.
"Well, if we could have it in the next week or two, even if just for a few nights or so, we'd be ready all the sooner. Just because Quirrell didn't try anything until the Quidditch match in the other timeline, it does not mean he would not have taken an opportunity if presented. The sooner we're ready for him, the better."
"We still need to find out if he really is…" Harry started.
"We'll know next week," Clarice said. "Poppy's scheduled him for a 'routine' examination."
"Excellent," Harry said. "Right then, Founders stuff. I'll let Neville and Clarice handle this."
"Why?" Hermione asked. "You've been helping, haven't you? Harry James don't tell me you haven't been!"
"Hermione," Clarice said, "he's been busy ever since that Potions detention. Half the school is practically asking for tutorials and my brother can't tell them no, can he?"
"Thanks," Harry said. Hermione calmed down and smiled slightly.
"Right then," Clarice said. "As you may know, Aunt Minnie has given us loads of stuff to go through regarding the Founders, anything about what it might mean to be a Founders' Heir and anything at all about the Founders' Tower. Well, for the most part, anything written after about 1400 is useless."
"Why?" Hermione asked.
"We haven't finished with all of the later stuff," Neville answered. "There might be something. But so far, everything after about that time is so-and-so rewriting what such-and-such rewrote about what so-and-so copied from some Pureblood propaganda rants. None of it is new. All of it is at best slanted. And none of the idiots ever bothered with source material."
"Not that before then is much better," Clarice said. "A lot of the Chronicles before then can best be described as House Chronicles. Each House had its own version about the Founders and the early days of Hogwarts and, unfortunately, not a one of them could be called objective. The different House versions contradict each other frequently so there's not much that truly is useful."
"They are also their own form of propaganda," Neville said. "Each collection of House Chronicles seems to have been written to proclaim why that House and its Founder were great and why the others were not. The earliest ones are probably the closest to the truth as they lack the vitriol that crept in as the decades passed.
"Even in the earliest ones, you'd wonder why there even is a Hogwarts. Slytherin is out for himself and so are all his students. They would throw their own mothers to a dragon to get ahead. Ravenclaw wanted smart students so she wouldn't have to work hard at teaching them, if at all. They're all lost in a world of books can cannot relate to any real person. Gryffindors only care about magic that can be used in duels, battle or dragon slaying. One of the most scathing rebukes of Gryffindor, written centuries after his death so it's probably false, is that he used to throw kids into a pit with vicious dogs to see who was worthy of his House. The ones who lived became Gryffindors. The only Founder who looks good in the eyes of the other House Chroniclers is Huffelpuff. But even those are critical of her lack of any standards."
"And," Clarice said, "the earliest of these Chronicles is from around 1200. By then there was no one alive who had known the Founders. Basically, if you want to know what the Founders were really like based upon what is here at Hogwarts, you're not going to."
"Unless we haven't found it yet," Neville said.
"There is that possibility," Clarice conceded.
"And what did these chronicles say about their own?" Hermione asked.
"You need to ask?" Clarice chuckled. "Their Founder was obviously the greatest of the lot and the others would be lost and useless without them. The earliest story of Slytherin leaving Hogwarts had nothing to do with Muggle Borns and everything to do with showing the others up – and succeeding, if the chronicle is to be believed, which I doubt. Slytherin was said to be the Judge and arbitrator. Without him, there could be no order. Gryffindor is the greatest knight and warrior of all time and could take on armies by himself. He single-handedly defended magical kind against the evils of the world. Ravenclaw invented most all magic known. Before then, magic was crude and undisciplined. Huffelpuff is the mother and teacher of all wizard kind. Without her guidance, the magical world would have disintegrated."
"Is there anything useful about the Founders in those things?" Hermione asked.
"What Sensei told us about their ancestors is bared out in the earliest ones," Clarice said. "Not one of them could be considered a Pureblood. Ravenclaw and Gryffindor had magical ancestors, but they all seemed to have 'married' Muggles or Muggle Borns. Huffelpuff and Slytherin were the first known to have magic in their lines. Huffelpuff was probably the smartest of the lot, if any of this is true, because she had no education yet knew how to read, write and was equal to the others in magical ability and as the Founders had no true peers other than themselves, again if any of this is true, then that's saying something. Gryffindor was born of a titled Nobleman of the Saxon Court who had married a witch. He was raised as both a Knight and a wizard. Ravenclaw was also born to a family that could see to her education, which was unusual in those days. Most women were never taught to read. Slytherin was apprenticed with a famed Potions Master, yet while he was adept with potions, his real talents lay in 'the ancient magics,' which are undefined."
"Anything of the Founders' Heirs?" Luna asked.
"The House Chronicles don't say much," Neville replied. "Just that they're out there."
"Most of the other works were after they would have been perverted by the Pureblood slant," Clarice said.
"But there is this," Neville said holding a small book. "It was written in 1326. It's in Latin, but was translated some time ago. Most of it is useless, but it speaks of the Heirs. It says the Founders' Magical Legacy is in 'two parts.' Each Founder left their magical heir a powerful magical object. And the Founders left their heirs even more to be shared between them.
"Gryffindor left his Heir the magic sword of his fathers to smite their common foes," Neville read, "Huffelpuff to her Heir a garden where all that good can grow. Ravenclaw to her Heir a book from which all knowledge flows, and Slytherin to his, a mirror reflects secrets of all foes. I don't think it rhymes in the original Latin.
"It also says that the four Heirs can inherit what one cannot," Neville continued, "but doesn't say what. It does say that if the Heirs unite and stake claim in their chambers in Hogwarts School or the Tower, they shall receive that which is theirs."
"So the Tower and School are separate places?" Hermione asked.
"It doesn't say," Neville shrugged. "Nor does it say where their 'chambers' are."
"Chamber of Secrets?" Hermione thought out loud.
"Possible," Harry agreed. "But Sensei said it could only be accessed by a parselmouth and the Chamber seemed dedicated to one Founder only: Salazar Slytherin."
"So, clues but we're only marginally better off," Hermione shrugged.
"And," Clarice said, "there is this…" She got up and walked to a shelf retrieving a large book bound in animal hide. She placed it on the table before them. "It doesn't have a title, per se," she said, "but the first words are 'On Heritage.' It's not about the Founders, at least so far as Neville and I have read. It's about Hogwarts and a Legacy."
"Sounds promising," Harry said.
"It seems to be."
"But?"
"It's in Latin. Unlike the Chronicles which have later translations included in the binding, it does not. We've only managed to translate a small portion of it so far, Harry."
"What have you got?"
Neville began to read:
I Tausig, having seen my one hundred and sixth this winter's past, having served my Lords and Kings in peace and War, in plenty and in want, now find my world at an end. My lands are conquered. My farms plundered and towns set to fire by the Usurper. May he die the pain of ten thousand deaths before this vile year of 1066 shall fade!
What was to be glory fell to defeat. I with my King and comrades fell upon the Norse invaders at the bridge, broke their vaunted shield walls, set them to flight and slaughtered and plundered all, including their reviled King, the Invader Harold Hardrada. Then we set for the south to visit similar ruin upon the Usurper and his Armies.
We trapped them! Beset on two sides by swamp, one by sea and their only escape from drowning and starvation lay upon our swords and spears. But an ill wind blew. Dark Magics cursed our cause. Our King lay slain upon the field before thousands of his enemies who breathe no more. But we despaired. Many fled. Too many and those of us who held true were too few to restrain another charge.
I now despair for my land.
I now write so others might know of what could have been, but has been lost.
I write of the Four Clans, their Lairds and Ladies, their teachings and of those such as myself who became what we could be under their protection. I write, my children, of a dream lost. I write of the White Tower shining in the morning sun, rising above the Fair City upon the Hill. I write of Camelot rebuilt. Not the one of myth, but another which stood in my youth and promised so much. I write of a dream passed from the Masters to their Heirs and its fall when their Heirs fell into dispute. I write of how the Dream can be again, but only if the Heirs will it as One. I write of that fair land in the far North. I write of the Land of Hogwarts.
"It's a country?" Hermione asked in shock.
"It appears so," Neville nodded.
"What else does it say?" Luna asked.
"We've only just started," Clarice replied. "That's as far as we've got."
"Well, that helps," Hermione huffed.
"It's a start," Harry said hopefully.
"There's something else," Clarice said. "Something odd."
"Oh?" three voices replied.
She pushed the manuscript over to them. "Can you see the writing?"
"Of course," Hermione said as if this was obvious. Harry and Luna nodded.
"It seems that since it was written," Neville said mysteriously, "or at least since anyone tried, no one can see the writing. It's from the Restricted Section and a note with the book believes it had something to do with the Founders and such, but there was a legend that only the Heirs could read it or cause it to be read."
"Has Aunt Minnie…?"
"She sees something, but nothing that can be read," Clarice replied. "Once we saw the note and that we could see words, we asked."
"But she was an heir!"
"An heir," Clarice said. "The note said Heirs. Neville and I think it can only be read if the Four Heirs either read it together or 'cause it to be read.' You three set this task."
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20th, 1991 – APARTMENT 32A, DIAGON ALLEY, LONDON, U.K.
Luna "Jones" had moved to this flat only a few days before. The only advantage to the Leaky Cauldron was one did not have to cook. But the rooms were cramped for what she wanted to do and the place was full because of whatever was happening within the Wizengamot. Add to it her discomfiture with some of the fellow guests, older men who made their intentions towards the young women disturbingly clear, and she had moved on as soon as she could.
The apartment was small but comfortable. Aside from a kitchen and bath, it had but two rooms. The main living area was where she was now, seated at a desk she had purchased second hand in the Alley, looking at the piles of papers she had obtained over the last week. The papers were copies of the various magical papers. She focused on copying only the sections that dealt with current events or which she felt might contain articles relating to Harry Potter or anyone else identified in her voluminous notebook.
Luna was trying to piece together two things: what had changed from the history she knew and when had those changes began. She knew the fire in Surry was part of the changes. She also knew the story she had been told about her "cousin" was also a part of the change. The problem was when had those events taken place and where did they fit in the changed timeline? The fire had happened "about three years ago" she had been told by a resident of that neighborhood, but that could mean almost anything. Three years ago was September 1988. But the phrase might well mean later or even much earlier.
The easiest thing to do was ask someone. It was also the most dangerous. This was not her time. Engaging in any conversation risked someone figuring out she was not from this place or maybe even this time and risked questions that she was not willing to answer. In this time the magicals had strict laws regarding time travel, most of which she violated just by showing up. Any time travel, however benign its intent, required loads of paperwork in advance and approval from the Ministry of Magic. She seriously doubted the current Ministry would believe such restrictions did not exist in the future. They did not, but that was because there was no Ministry when she had left; aside from her and "Father," there was nothing at all. And using time magic to change the future was criminal misconduct – assuming you were caught of course. It was kind of hard to prove someone had changed a future that had yet to occur. But Luna had no intention of being subjected to any inquiry that would distract her from her mission.
She was posing as a foreign witch who was in London doing research for a book. As the book was not about magic, most people lost interest and let her be. Magicals in Britain were not interested in fiction or books about politics, recent history or such it seemed. The excuse got her into the magical Library and public archives and as she had been doing that now for a few days, she no longer had to worry about questions. It was too bad she still had to deal with the cheesy pick-up lines.
Luna had decided to work her way backwards from the day before she had arrived until whenever. An early event evidencing a change, she knew, was Harry going to the hospital. The problem was she had no idea when that happened and whether it made the papers. She knew the hospital was important and had confirmed it in her notes. In 1986, the Dursleys took Harry to a doctor for the first and only time her Father could remember. He needed to go to get his shots so that he could attend school. Father remembered it for two reasons. The first was that was when he got his glasses. The second was because his Uncle complained about the cost. That was odd. It was Britain and there was National Health Insurance. Why would there be a cost? Father also remembered cash was involved. Years later, he suspected his Uncle of bribing the Doctor and others to keep quiet about Harry's condition. But other changes had occurred and probably would be in the papers even if the reporter did not know the real significance as far as Luna was concerned.
She had copied the sections of interest going back some six months over the last several days, although with her other necessary errands such as buying a wardrobe, renting and furnishing her flat, setting up an account at Gringotts and a Muggle bank and other activities related to settling in for a long term, she had yet to do more than skim them for headlines of interest. She had also made a point to buy each day's copy of the Daily Prophet and several available issues of The Quibbler.
She started with the Daily Prophet from September 2nd. This was the one where on the "Society" page the list of students sorted at Hogwarts the day before appeared. Sure enough, there was Harry Potter sorted into Gryffindor. Luna pulled out her notebook to double check the other sortings. As she knew things had changed, she wanted to see to what level. She needed to know if there were any changes as small as sortings.
She started with Gryffindor. Her Father had listed each and every member of his year and their ultimate fate, but Luna knew what it was in almost every instance. Aside from her Father, they all died. Lavender Brown died shortly after the War in 1999. At the final battle, she had been attacked by a Werewolf. She took her own life less than a year later apparently because she could not bear what she had become. Seamus Finnegan had been murdered shortly after Voldemort's second return along with his family. Hermione Granger died when London was destroyed.
Clarice Jameson … There was no Clarice in Gryffindor. Could she be the sister? And if she was, what was she doing at Hogwarts now? She was supposed to be a year younger than Father. Not only that, Father had never met the girl, not really. There was a Clarice a year behind at Hogwarts, but she looked nothing like the daughter of her Father's parents. There was also another witch named Clarice a year behind father who had gone to another school and died during the War. If this Clarice was the sister, this was a major change from the other timeline.
After Clarice, there was Neville Longbottom. He was Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts when the school was destroyed in the later war. It was said his body was found with over thirty dead Death Eaters before him.
Luna Lovegood should not have been on this list either. She was supposed to be a year behind Harry and a Ravenclaw, not a Gryffindor. The older Luna noted that the children's ages were not included as they were all supposed to be eleven. But at least one and maybe two were not. Luna had left Britain on an expedition just before the last Voldemort War broke out and never returned. Father had hoped she might have survived for a time, but doubted she survived the final Armageddon. Her husband and two sons were murdered by Death Eaters.
So, the older Luna thought, there were now two girls in Gryffindor who not only were not supposed to be in this year, in the other time, they never were even in that House. Obviously and for some reason she did not understand, the changes had affected the composition of that House at Hogwarts. Just what have you done, Neville my Love, she thought. She looked at the rest of the list.
Parvati Patil was next. Father had described the girl as a beauty, but a little too into divination and gossip magazines. She was Lavender Brown's best friend and took her friend's suicide hard. She had been cursed as well during the Final Battle, although she seemed fine at the time. It would take over twenty years for the curse to claim her, but Father had said it was a blessing. Parvati never lived to see that the War she had fought in proved futile in the end.
In Father's time, Sally-Anne Perks never returned to Hogwarts for her Fifth Year. She was never close to any of her roommates, apparently. No one knew what happened to her, although given the times it was quite possible she had been killed. Dean Thomas died in battle just weeks before Voldemort's final defeat. Father never said what happened to the last name: Ron Weasley.
The other Houses were the same as they had been before. But the two additions to Gryffindor were a surprise, although she could not guess how that happened or what it meant. All Luna could think was that it had to be related to the change in the timeline. What it meant in the long run was anyone's guess.
She turned to read the later papers. There was a lengthy piece about the selection process for Minister for Magic and the Sequestration of the Wizengamot. Apparently, this was a custom designed to force the usual lengthy debates to proceed swiftly as the members were all but imprisoned in London until the new Minister was selected. Dumbledore had apparently turned over his duties as Headmaster to his Deputy, at least until the new Minister was installed. This might seem like a good deal for young Harry, but Father had told her he only spoke with the man on two occasions the entire First Year: once during the Christmas Holidays and next after the incident with the possessed professor. While there was no doubt in Luna's mind that the old codger was trying to manipulate the boy, she also knew from Father that the old man rarely intervened directly. His being gone from Hogwarts may or may not be a good thing for this Harry Potter. Only time would tell.
She thought about it. She knew where Harry Potter was. One would think it would be easy to contact the boy and begin her true mission. The problem was, Luna had no idea where Hogwarts was. She new it was far to the north in a place called Scotland, but nothing else. Hogwarts had been destroyed by the time she was born so she had never been there. She could write the boy a letter. She knew the magicals of this time used Owl Post and had passed the Post Office in Diagon Alley often enough. But post could be intercepted, and Father had said he was certain his Post had been intercepted either by Dumbledore or on his orders.
Besides, Luna thought, just what would I say to the lad? Hi! I'm from the future and I've been sent to help you. Like that would work. She needed more information. She needed to know where the boy lived when he was not at school. It would be far easier for her to make contact with him in person. It might even be easier for her to convince him she was being honest in person than through the mails.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20th, 1991 – POTTER HOUSE, LONDON, U.K.
It was a large gathering on Friday night to celebrate the combined birthdays of Hermione and Luna Lovegood. Hermione turned twelve the day before and Luna would turn eleven the next day. The problem was deciding who to invite. Ultimately, it was decided to pick family and those friends they could not see not inviting.
Hermione and Luna were to be the last to arrive as they were the guests of honor. The preparations were mostly the work of Rose Granger and Jasmine Lovegood, as the birthday girls were their daughters after all. The adults who would be attending arrive first for a dinner while the children had their dinner at Hogwarts, at least those children who were at Hogwarts.
The Lovegoods and Grangers sat down to dinner with the Long bottoms (Alice, Frank and Augusta), Amelia Bones, the Weasleys (Molly, Arthur and their youngest Ginny), the Blacks (Lord Black, Sirius, Sophie and little Emily), Remus Lupin and their friends from MI-5 which brought the Greengrass family and Harry and Clarice's Aunt, Uncle and seven of the eight Evans cousins.
Shortly after dinner, the crowd from Hogwarts began to arrive. Soon every first year Gryffindor was present along with First Years from all the other Houses. There were Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones and Ernie McMillan from Huffelpuff; Terry Boot and Padma Patil from Ravenclaw and Daphne Greengrass, Millie Bulstrode and Theo Nott from Slytherin. The only upper years to be invited were the Weasley boys and Dora Tonks. Conspicuously absent was Minerva McGonagall, but as her relationship to Hermione was not yet common knowledge, those who did know understood why she was not there.
Most of the gifts were simple. The Grangers were less than thrilled with the amount of candy. Hermione did get several books, all works of Muggle literature which she liked. She also got a couple of collectable dolls to add to her quite extensive collection. Luna received a fair amount of kit for heading out on expeditions. Both girls appreciated their gifts quite enthusiastically.
Harry watched as his two friends opened their gifts and told the people how wonderful it was and such. He remembered Sensei's stories about how things were in the other time. Hermione never had a birthday at Hogwarts. Sensei never thought to ask, as he had never really had one at all before he turned seventeen. Birthdays were not really celebrated as a rule at the school back then, in that timeline. In the Club, they were. All Harry had to do was look at the smiles on Luna and Hermione's faces, even if it was only for a card, to see how much this meant to them.
Harry was the last to give out gifts. To Luna, he gave her a camera. It was so that the burgeoning naturalist could take pictures of creatures unknown to science and had loads of lenses for such purpose. Luna was practically in tears.
To Hermione, his gift was far less practical. It was a ring. Not and engagement ring, but one he said he bought to remember their friendship. Hermione protested that it was too much, it was studded with real sapphires after all. But her protests did not stop her from placing her "friendship" ring or "girlfriend ring" on her finger, or from causing glares from her parents or cat calls from just about everyone else for the kiss she gave Harry in thanks. It was arguably the best birthday ever for both girls and Harry was pleased that they saw it so.
But now, Luna was eleven. She could now claim her legacy as a Founders' Heir. But they did not yet know how to go about claiming it or what it meant. They knew it might be important. They knew it might make a difference in some way. But they were at a loss as to how to proceed.
A/N: The individual legacies: The Sword is, of course, that of Gryffindor. The Garden is just a place that really lets things grow. (Neville should love that) The book is a spell book. There might be something useful in it, but it is a thousand years old. And the "mirror" is a really good foe glass. Of the gifts, the Mirror is probably the most useful…