Chapter 9

The heirs enjoyed the first two months of school. Halloween was soon approaching and Harry was nervous. Since he had set foot in the magical world something always happened on Halloween. First it was his parent's death, then it was the troll, then the chamber was opened, then Sirius' first attack inside the castle and in fourth year it was his name coming out of the goblet. Last year was the first year since he started Hogwarts that nothing drastic happened. He was secretly wondering if he should just lock himself up for the day. However his friends were not so helpful. When Harry mentioned everything that seemed to happen on Halloween, Ron and Neville just patted Harry on his shoulders.

"Mate I am sure that nothing will go wrong this year."

This was followed by Ron and Neville grabbing each of Harry's arms and dragging a protesting Harry to the Great Hall for the feast. They were soon joined by Hermione and Ginny and the five of them sat down for a delicious meal.

Up at the staff table professor Flitwick was grading his fifth year essays when he noticed a very similar style of writing. He then pulled out the logic problem and read it over. He glanced back at the essay and suddenly screamed "JINKIES". Everyone in the great hall stopped what they were doing, some with forks half way to their mouths, while others had mouths full of food. They all looked at professor Flitwick. Albus Dumbledore leaned forward.

"Filius what has you so excited my friend?"

"Albus I've figured it out. I know who the Heir of Ravenclaw is."

Severus Snape leaned over. "How did you figure it out so quickly? I enjoy logic problems and I have to admit that mine seems to be unsolvable."

Flitwick smiled "I will tell you all in due time. I however will need to speak with the heir to see if she would like me to announce this publicly."

Albus smiled at him "Well in that case Filius do you mind helping me out with mine. I do have two problems to solve and I have to admit I am stumped."

Filius smirked as he stood up on the table. "My good Ravenclaws, as I now know who the heir is would any of you like to put aside the current problem to help our illustrious headmaster solve the two that were given to him."

There was a roar of consent from the house of brains. "I think that the house of Ravenclaw would be honored to help you solve yours headmaster."

Dumbledore stood up and with a twinkle in his eye and a huge grin he said "Thank you to the house of Ravenclaw. For anyone that figures out the answer to one or both of my problems will receive a hundred points for Ravenclaw and a year pass to the restricted section of the library."

There was a roar from the Ravenclaw table and Dumbledore sat back down. Professor Flitwick returned to his meal but gave a meaningful glance to the Gryffindor table. A look that a certain bushy haired girl caught and gave a sharp nod to. She had been secretly hoping that professor Flitwick would be the first teacher to solve his problem. She just wasn't stupid enough to mention that to any of the others.

With the feast over tired students made their way to bed. All except one, Hermione Granger was instead making her way to the charms classroom and the office sitting in the back. When she arrived she gave a polite knock and when she heard the squeak of enter, she opened the door.

"My lady, please do come in and have a seat."

Hermione grinned and sat down on the plush velvet cushion.

"Now according to the instructions we were given with these logic problems. I am to ask you questions about each clue to make sure that I have the real heir and not some student trying to take the credit. So here I go. First off, what do you me by: blessed and cursed by knowledge's kiss?"

"Well sir, as I am a Gryffindor in color. I have learned that knowledge is only half the battle. Growing up I was always bullied by the other students and so I found solace in books. I threw myself into my studies and was always top of my class. This of course gave the bullies something new to pick on me about. Therefore sir, I am blessed to have the knowledge but cursed to not know the proper time and place to use it. It has been my shelter and my prison. My way of hiding from the world that would hurt me."

"Ms. Granger, it has always been a pleasure to teach you. Your insight into the world based off of the knowledge you have, has become one of my fondest memories since I became a teacher. Now I could bore us both with questions related to the other clues from the logic problem but I think that you and I both know that it is not necessary. So my next question is what should I do with this knowledge?"

"Well sir I have to admit that I was very happy that you were the first teacher to find out. Now for what to do with this knowledge is quite simple. I have thought long and hard about this. This Friday I want you to call a house meeting. Everyone must be there. When they have all assembled we will announce me. That way if anyone has any questions they can be answered promptly. Then after that you are free to tell the rest of the staff. You never know it might help them with their own problems. If you know what I mean?"

She gave professor Flitwick a wink "Now is that all professor?"

"That is all for tonight my Lady. I look forward to seeing you in class tomorrow."

Hermione stood and gave a short curtsy to her favorite professor before leaving his office.

Filius Flitwick was not a stupid man by any sense. So as Hermione left his office he thought back to every time he had seen Ms. Granger this year. Naturally she was always around Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter. But this year seems to have added Mr. Longbottom, Ms. Weasley, Ms. Abbott and Ms. Lovegood. Then his slowly closing eyes snapped open. He wrote down all six names of the students Ms. Granger had been hanging out with this year. He then wrote down the six heirs that had not been identified yet. He stared at the two lists thinking.

'Could it be possible?'

He had a plan, first thing in the morning there was to be a staff meeting. He would get a copy of the other six logic problems. If his guess was correct, he already knew who the seven heirs of Hogwarts were.

++++++++++++++++++++++NEXT DAY++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The staff was all sitting in the staff room listening to professor Trelawney ramble about what she had seen in her crystal ball. Filius was about to fall asleep when something that the crazy Divination teacher said caught his attention.

"After what Filius discovered last night during the feast, I went back to my room to meditate. All I kept seeing was silvery blonde hair flowing in the breeze. I wasn't sure what it meant until I woke this morning to gaze at my crystal ball. There sitting next to it was the logic problem that the heir to Madame Celeste had sent me. I am now most positive that her heir is Ms. Lovegood. I have sent a message to her and hope that she will be joining me for tea today. I am sure that Ms. Lovegood will be able to tell me a great deal and I her."

Trelawney sat back down and Filius gave a snort of amusement when Severus gave a grunt as his head fell onto the table.

"This isn't happening to me. I am the one that likes logic problems and yet even the hair brained seer figures hers out before me."

"Well Severus" Filius said smiling "She did kind of cheat. After all none of us has the ability to use our inner eye to find the answer."

Severus just glared at Filius clearly stating that he wasn't helping. Albus stood up and held his hands in front of him.

"Filius my friend, have you talked with the heir of Ravenclaw? Can you tell us who she is?"

Filius stood on his chair so that he could be seen by all those present. "Yes Albus I have spoken with her. A brilliant mind I must say. However she wishes the house to know who she is first. I have sent out notices to all Ravenclaws that there will be a house meeting on Friday. Everyone must be in attendance. So if you give out detentions please see that they are served on a different night. As soon as I announce who she is to the house I will be able to tell you. So I suggest holding another staff meeting Saturday morning. I will be able to tell you then."

Albus nodded his head, his twinkling eyes blinding any who dared meet his gaze. "Very well we shall meet again on Saturday morning at nine. If there is nothing else I say that we adjourn till then. You all have classes to teach today."

"WAIT!" Filius cried out. "I may have also figured out who all seven heirs are."

This stopped everyone in their tracks as they all turned to look at the diminutive professor.

"I have searched through every memory I have of the heir of Ravenclaw and have noticed that she is hanging out with six other students. I wish to have a copy of all of the logic problems. That way I can double check my theory. If I am right I may have the answer to all of our problems by Saturday."

There was a quick summoning of six different parchments. Each one was handed to Filius. Severus was the last one.

"If you figure this out I will personally give a hundred points to Ravenclaw house. Because for once I am completely stumped by this one. When you think you know who it is let me know. I have some questions to ask this young man about his home life and why no one has noticed a problem. I mean 'A broken prince who hides his scars' does not scream happy childhood."

That right there told the charms professor just how desperate the younger man was. After all trying to get Severus to award points to any house but his own was like trying to survive after insulting a Hippogriff. Filius returned back to his office and place the problems on his desk. It would be something he looked at after dinner. Until then he had classes to teach and six students to watch very closely today.

The day progressed quickly for Filius as he was always happy to teach magic to his students. The most fun were always the first year muggleborns as his class was normally the first on they got to do magic in. The delight on their faces when they get their feathers to float was always a real treat for him. At dinner his colleagues all were asking him if he had made any headway on their respectful heir puzzles. The absence of Ms. Lovegood and professor Trelawney told him that they were most likely eating together. He found their downtrodden expressions hilarious when he told them he hadn't even started on them yet. After dinner he made his way to his office. He picked up the two puzzles that Albus had given him. After all he had agreed to help answer these two first. He randomly chose one began to read.

1.) A Kings fool to lead a King.

2.) Potential unmatched by Love's gift

3.) Bravery burning as a dragon's fire

4.) Cursed to know Love but never feel its embrace

5.) Only the truly courageous can see it.

Filius looked over the clues multiple times and then pulled out his parchment from the night before. He gazed at the names of students, then back to the puzzle. He stared between both papers for fifteen minutes before clue number four seemed to jump out at him. He then looked at all of the students and decided that either Mr. Potter or Mr. Longbottom was going to need therapy. Then he remembered what Albus had been telling them from the day after the attack on the Potter's. 'It was Lily's sacrifice that saved Harry. It was the love she had for her child.' That meant that the Neville Longbottom's potential was unmatched by Harry Potter's. As love allowed Harry to have the gift of life.

Filius drew a line between Merlin's heir and Neville Longbottom's name. 'One down and five to go.' He thought as he picked up Albus' second puzzle.

1.) Hidden in the house of the lost, the sun's rays shine through the dark.

2.) Her gentle touch could slay a dragon.

3.) Her beauty goes beyond the skin

4.) The leadership of the royals but hidden in the heart of the servant.

5.) A forgiving heart can be a blessing and a curse.

Filius smiled as he placed the parchment down. He knew from history the stories of the Lady Morgana. He had often wondered if they were true. Now he knew that they most likely were not. He glanced at the parchment again. A gentle, forgiving soul that is not considered to be beautiful by most. Also she sounded like someone that stayed in the back ground. He looked at the first clue. He figured that she would not be a Gryffindor, so that left only Ms. Abbott and Ms. Lovegood. He remembered what Trelawney was saying just that morning and so he drew a line between Hannah Abbott and Lady Morgana D' Ley Fey. He wanted to make sure that he was right so he found the puzzle that Trelawney had given him.

1.) Blessed by eyes that can only see

2.) Sun kissed locks of ambers hue

3.) Pure as the first winters snow

4.) The creatures of myth can my eye see

5.) Touched by cruelty but never felt

'Merlin help me' He thought as he finished reading. If that didn't scream Luna Lovegood to him he was surly a mountain troll. Number four seemed to be the dead give a way as Ms. Lovegood was always going on about some creature or another that no one had ever seen before. He would have to ask his little eagle about number five though. He was curious, as her head of house, just what cruelty she had suffered but never felt. He chuckled to himself as he drew a line between Luna Lovegood and Madame Celeste. He wondered what the rest of Ravenclaw house would say if they found out that Ms. Lovegood was a true seer.

Filius looked at his wall clock and figured he had time for one more before bed. He randomly chose one of the three remaining and opened up the scroll. He stared at the clues before him.

"No wonder Severus is going off his nut with this one." He said to no one. He glanced down at the list of students. Mr. Ronald Weasley and Mr. Harry Potter were the only males left. He also noticed that Ms. Weasley was the only female remaining. He quickly found Hufflepuff's puzzle and scanned it. He laughed at number five and then drew a line between Ginerva Weasley and Lady Hufflepuff. He then held both Gryffindor and Slytherin in his hands. His eyes were drawn to the second clue on the Gryffindor puzzle.

'Hmmm… sixth to the seven. Could it be that Gryffindor and Hufflepuff are related somehow?'

He made a dotted line between Ronald Weasley and Lord Gryffindor. He then turned to Slytherin.

'Well if this is supposed to be Mr. Potter than I should look at this closely.'

He read over the five clues multiple times and grinned. He grabbed the other six puzzles and then began to openly laugh. Each puzzle had one clue that should have been a dead give a way and most of them were on the fourth clue. He turned back to the Slytherin puzzle.

'Well if 'Marked by the wrath of nature' doesn't mean Mr. Potter's cursed scar. Then I will eat the sorting hat with ketchup." He shivered involuntarily 'Oh how I hate ketchup.'

He drew a line between Harry Potter and Lord Slytherin. When he had finished he let out a snort of laughter. 'How Severus is going to flip when he finds out that the child of James Potter is the rightful heir of Slytherin house.' He laid all of the parchment in a desk draw before retiring for the night.

Luna Lovegood had not been able to get to the Divination tower all day, so she decided to skip dinner in the great hall and come see the seer. When she arrived at the ladder leading to the classroom she felt an odd sense of foreboding enter her mind. She quickly dispersed of it with a shake of her head. 'Darn those Nargles' she thought as she climbed the ladder to the classroom. The room was still heavily perfumed but there was a window open to air out the room. Suddenly she heard a voice call her.

"Ms. Lovegood, I was afraid that you weren't going to come see me today."

"I'm sorry professor it was just a very busy day. You know that it's my O.W.L year."

"Ah yes, I forget sometimes just how young you are Ms. Lovegood. Now I was instructed to ask you a question. What do you mean when you say 'Touched by cruelty but never felt'?"

Luna sat there in a daze for a minute. Trelawney was used to her grandmother doing this so she sat back and waited.

"You see that can be taken in one of two ways. One when my mother was killed I was in the room. She died because she only had time to throw up one shield in time. She cast the shield at me to save me. The second way you can answer that question is here at school. I have been ridiculed by my house since I arrived here. They have stolen my belongings and hidden them around the castle for me to find. I have always had to hunt down my things before the end of the school year. Therefore I have been touched by cruelty but I have never really felt it."

Trelawney sat there and smiled at her "I knew you were the one. Now how about some dinner?"

Luna smiled at the dotty older woman and nodded. The rest of the evening was spent with small talk about in sequential things. When Luna returned to her dorm she laid down her bed and smiled. She liked being seen for who she really was by an adult without being laughed at.