Harry Potter

The Founders Four

By JadedofMara

Chapter Four: And the Truth Shall Set You Free

Albus Dumbledore leant back calmly in his gilded chair, surveying the four dimension-travelers. This, he decided, was all beginning to make some twisted sort of sense. If you laid out the facts, it was all quite self explanatory:

A) It is impossible to travel to the future

B) The Founders of Hogwarts have arrived

Ergo, they must be reincarnations. Taking into account 'Ravenclaw's' rather amazing bit of on-the-fly Arithmancy:

A) It is impossible for any object to maintain the same magical harmonium as another object

B) The four reincarnated Founders are from the present time in history

Ergo, their counterparts must be dead.

Things like this made such sense to the well organized mind. Such a sorry thing that so few people were in possession of them. This was going to be a highly tricky situation to sort through, once it became public knowledge.

"I see," was all Dumbledore said on the matter for the time being, although there would have to be a rather extensive talk about the handling of the circumstances at a later time. "If it is not being too forward, may I ask who you are now?"

The reincarnated Ravenclaw, apparently the brains of the group—which, Dumbledore realized belatedly, she would be—smiled slightly at the Headmaster. "Provided, of course, that you agree to tell us the manner of our respective deaths?"

Dumbledore nodded, and all, even the taciturn Slytherin, smiled in response.

"I do hope that we don't open up any old wounds by all of this," said Hufflepuff worriedly. "I don't know if I could handle intense sorrow just yet—I find myself rather exhausted at the moment. But I suppose we must carry on. I must say, however, that I would greatly appreciate it if you—all of you—would put up Occlumency barriers if you feel negative emotions coming on." At Dumbledore's frown, she smiled slightly. "I'm an Empath, you see, and traveling dimensions has put a great strain on all of us."

Dumbledore nodded graciously and set up his barriers just in case—though he couldn't help noticing the surreptitious glances that the four passed along.

Hufflepuff, no doubt sensing that he had minimum barriers in place, smiled gratefully. "Thank you," she said. "And now, I suppose I should get on with it."

She took a shallow breath. "My name is Ginny Weasley."

"Disappeared six years ago, taken by the Heir of Slytherin during the opening of the Chamber of Secrets," Dumbledore answered mechanically, tightening the barriers on his whirling mind. Even prepared, that had been a blow. Ginevra Weasley had been only the fourth student ever to die within Hogwarts' walls, and the third to fall to the Monster of Slytherin. There had been talk of closing the school after Ginevra and her brother Ronald had disappeared, the only clue as to their whereabouts a message daubed on the wall in blood:

'Their skeletons shall lie in the Chamber forever.'

Hufflepuff—Miss Weasley—nodded slightly. "Fitting, I suppose," she said, looking down to where her hand was locked in Slytherin's. "That very nearly happened in our world. Caishezia must have turned on me; otherwise there wouldn't be a Hogwarts."

Ravenclaw smiled tightly. "It's 'Kaesseixya', Ginny. Right, Harry?"

Slytherin—Harry—nodded once, a very amused smile on his face.

There was a moment of pensive silence, and then Gryffindor spoke up. "What about me? I'm her brother, Ron."

Dumbledore started. This would definitely require some conversation. He wasn't about the let these visitors leave—if such a thing were possible—until the Weasley's saw their children, alternate versions and reincarnated Founders or no. "The same," said Dumbledore in a shaky voice.

Mr. Weasley grinned at his sister. "Went down together again, Gin, just like last time," he said in a falsely cheerful voice. Slytherin squirmed, though whether it was from the reference to their past lives or the fact that his own Monster—named Kaesseixya, apparently (and Dumbledore knew quite a few people who would kill to get that information)—had murdered two of his friends, Dumbledore could not tell.

"What about my wife?" asked Mr. Weasley, indicating Ravenclaw, who smiled. "Hermione Granger."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. There was a name he knew quite well. After young Hermione's death, the Muggle Studies professor had become her parent's grief counselor, and since then, Thomas and Julia Granger had become regular summer visitors of Hogwarts.

"You were killed by a troll in your first year," Dumbledore said quietly. That incident had been hard on the school as well, the troll having been let in by a Death Eater named Maximillian Quirell. The fact that a Death Eater could get close enough to physically let a Mountain Troll into Hogwarts had shocked and angered many parents, and Thomas and Julia, being Muggles, had posed quite a bit of a challenge, with their threats of going to the police with a report of the 'murder'.

Miss Granger nodded understandingly. "In our world, Harry—" she glanced at Slytherin "—convinced Ron to come and look for me. But if he was already dead, perhaps..?" She trailed off questioningly.

Dumbledore looked to Slytherin, studying him. Come to think of it, he did look rather familiar, with his high cheek bones, strong jaw and black hair. And the eyes, almond-shaped, green and determined, were familiar as well. Dumbledore was sure he'd seen both the face and the eyes before, but certainly not in the same person. Realizing he was getting nowhere, Dumbledore concentrated on Miss Granger's—Mrs. Weasley's—slip. A 'Harry' who had been down for Hogwarts, but had died before coming to the school. A 'Harry' with black hair and green eyes, who had died…

Dumbledore drew in a sharp breath.

"Harry Potter?"

Slytherin smiled and nodded.

Dumbledore's mouth was very dry. "How?" he asked, confused.

Miss Weasley—Mrs. Potter—smiled widely.

"We'll tell you."