To continue…

Harry jumped about a foot in the air and spun towards the voice, wand at the ready and curses on his lips. The room brightened suddenly, as someone – probably Hermione – non-verbally cast an illumination spell.

On the opposite wall, there was a portrait of several snakes – runespoors by the look of them. Standing to the side of the portrait was a man of middle years who did not belong there. He had come from another painting, Harry thought.

The man had long black hair shot through with grey; a small goatee of the same colours, and narrow, silver-grey eyes. He wore robes of forest green, embellished with silver.

Harry's face drained of colour. "Salazar Slytherin." He muttered bitterly. "I should have realised this – room – was your personal lair."

Slytherin's eyes widened in confusion, then narrowed again. He was about to speak when a voice behind him – or perhaps beside him – spoke. "Salazar, are you going to let them in or not? Whether it is a case of mistaken identity or no, all of us deserve to see them."

It was a woman's voice. "Helga…" Slytherin began (the group exchanged looks).
"Oh, come on! Give them a chance!"
"Do not be too hasty in judgement."
Two other voices – male and female – joined in. Harry frowned slightly. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw perhaps? Was it possible all four founders had portraits in there?

Grumbling, Slytherin hissed something at the snakes, before stalking out of the frame. The runespoors began slithering and twisting. They parted to reveal another door, opening. Cautiously (and now somewhat reluctantly) the group moved forwards.

Behind them, the door shut again as the room brightened, seemingly of its own accord. Hermione gasped. This was clearly a personal chamber; there were books scattered around on comfy chairs and low tables; scrolls and notes resting on a desk in the corner; vials of potions and plants on shelves against the wall.

Next to the desk was a long easel-like thing. Upon it rested four portraits; though sitting as they were they appeared to be one.

Slytherin was sitting in the one second from right. On his left (their right) sat a plump lady with long blond hair, tied in a braid, and brown eyes. On Slytherin's right sat a man with wild-looking auburn hair and beard, and warm green eyes. On his right sat a woman whose eyes were blue and her hair a deep black.

Slytherin interrupted their scrutiny. "May I present, Helga Hufflepuff, Godric Gryffindor and Rowena Ravenclaw? Though I suppose you already know them. Or at least you think you do." He said.

Helga put her hand on his arm and squeezed. That gesture shook Harry. It was so familiar… suddenly, he wasn't as sure of himself and his assumptions as he had been.

He cleared his throat and made introductions.

Gryffindor stated firmly, "Explain your business here then. And give us a reason to trust you."

Harry glanced at the others, racking his brains for a way. Then he remembered something from his History of Magic text. He'd been reading it the other day, looking for advice about goblins. Now, he genuflected in front of the portraits, balancing his wand in the flat palm of his raised hand. "I, Harry James Potter, do declare that in this conversation, my words and actions will be governed by Truth as much as possible. If you disbelieve me, take my wand and let it witness my testimony." He glanced at the others and gave a significant nod. They copied him. Harry got the impression Hermione had only hesitated out of surprise. The founders relaxed somewhat. After all, that oath was the equivalent of swearing to break your wand if the words spoken were untrue.

Slytherin waved his hand and all their wands flew out of their palms to rest on a shelf.

Then Harry said, "Forgive me for my reaction, sir, when we arrived here. It has been over a thousand years since Hogwarts was first founded; this is the year 1998, AD. And I'm sorry to say, but I think during those years, some of the story of – of you four appears to have got mixed up."

His friends shot him looks, but Harry kept his eyes on Slytherin. If he was right…

Slytherin blanched. "Damn it all! I suppose I'm seen as some muggle-hating fool, without regard to why…"

Harry nodded. "Worse." He said succinctly. Then paused. "Do you mind if we conjure some chairs and sit down? Explaining may take a while."

The Founders agreed. Hermione conjured chairs for the group, and they sat down. Harry began, "Well. The story we're told – by everyone from the teachers and ghosts through to the portraits and beyond – is that you four founded Hogwarts. The four Hogwarts houses were created when you each had different – views – of what the students of Hogwarts should be like."

Hermione broke in, "The brave at heart, with daring, nerve and chivalry, belong in Gryffindor. Those who are cunning, who would do anything to achieve their ends, are Slytherins. Those of wit and learning will find their place in Ravenclaw. Hufflepuffs are true and unafraid of toil." She swallowed, "That's a verbatim recall of parts of some of the Sorting Hat's songs we've heard over the years."

The founders exchanged glances. "Not too bad…" Gryffindor grunted.
"Well, yeah, except that's not all." Ron continued, "Gryffindors can be seen as rash, tactless idiots. Ravenclaw as being too focused on their theories and study to pay attention to the real world. Hufflepuff are – well – seen as duffers, who wouldn't fit anywhere else. And Slytherin…" he paused, then went on quickly, "They're seen as the Dark, slimy muggle-haters."

The founders were not happy. Gryffindor was grumbling loudly, Hufflepuff looked deeply hurt, Ravenclaw was scowling, and Slytherin had become very pale.

Ginny jumped in, "You see, the common…story…goes that, well, after several years of good work and companionship, something happened. They say that there was an argument – at least between, er, Professor Gryffindor and Professor Slytherin; possibly also between Professors Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff."

She hesitated, and the group looked at each other; no-one really wanted to be the one to explain the last bit. Then Luna took a breath and continued, "The argument between Professors Slytherin and Gryffindor is said to have been about whether or not muggle-borns should be allowed at Hogwarts. It is said that it resorted to wands. And afterwards, Professor Slytherin left Hogwarts, never to return. Then, sometime after that, Professor Ravenclaw fell ill and died. The eventual fates of Professor Gryffindor and Professor Hufflepuff aren't widely known."

The group looked at the founders. Hufflepuff had tears in her eyes, and appeared to be leaning slightly against Slytherin, squeezing his arm. Slytherin was deathly pale, and looked…broken. Ravenclaw was staring fixedly at her lap, glancing every so often at Gryffindor. Gryffindor looked stunned, and kept glancing between Ravenclaw and Slytherin, as well as Hufflepuff. His hands were clenching and unclenching in his lap.

There was a long pause. Then Neville spoke. "That's not what happened, is it?" he said timidly. The founders' heads whipped up to stare at him.
Gryffindor said, "No it bloody well isn't!"
Neville continued quickly, his voice growing stronger, "Thought not. So maybe you can tell us what really happened, Professors?"

Harry smiled slightly. Leave it to Neville to phrase the question they all wanted an answer for.

The founders exchanged glances, seemingly collecting themselves and – Harry realised – deciding how it would be told. Then they turned back to the others. "The first part of the story is true." Gryffindor began, "We founded Hogwarts and – yes – split the incoming students into Houses due to our preferences. Once we had enough, that is. You must understand, it did take a few years to start up. We started with a few handfuls of apprentices."

Slytherin continued, "And yes, there were disagreements. However... I fear another aspect of the story as you rightly put it that has been missed is that of our…backgrounds. Godric was born into a very – black and white Light family, if you understand my meaning. Rowena was similar, if a bit more...aware of grey areas. Helga is a muggle-born. We all but rescued her from persecution. And I…I was born into a neutral family, who were killed before I was eleven by a bunch of muggles because they saw us perform magic. I spent a few years hell-bent on revenge; I apprenticed myself to a Dark wizard, wishing to study all types of magic. Then I met Godric, and discovered that things could be…a little different." He sighed. "However, I see magic in shades of grey. There is no Light or Dark, strictly speaking, to me."

Ravenclaw took over. "We did have many happy years. However, there were…fights. On occasion. These two -" she indicated the two men beside her, "- are very fond of each other, but they do have hot tempers and differing views on certain things."

"Not to mention our own disagreements, Rowena. Our tempers may be cooler, but we had our squabbles." Hufflepuff said, "How much do you all know about the English history of the 8th and 9th centuries? Muggle and wizard?"
"Bits and pieces," Ron muttered. Harry suddenly thought of a muggle answer, but squished it, knowing only Hermione would understand.*

Hufflepuff smiled and went on, "Well, during that time, it was a dangerous time to be a magical person. As I'm sure you know. It was also a time of great challenge and discovery. To shorten a long and painful story, Salazar and Godric argued several times about who should attend the school, or moreover how they should attend. After all, when you educate a muggle-born you must either inform their family – running the risk of discovery and persecution – or all but kidnap the child, so that they are safe. If that is the path that is taken, when does it occur? At the first sign of magic, which can be different for every young one? Or at a set age?" she gave them a piercing look. "Do you at least begin to see how delicate it all is, or was? I was one of those who had to be taken due to the suspicion of my community. I've also seen the effects that the other situation poses." She sighed, and Slytherin sadly reached out and squeezed her hand. She squeezed back and sent him a smile.

Slytherin then continued, "So, we argued a lot. I was – I admit – all for taking the children away as young as possible, for the reasons stated and also due to the, ah, culture differences. Some muggle-borns come to us without even knowing proper hygiene, let alone how to read or write. Also, the younger they're taken, the more likely they'll want to stay. Memory charms were in their infancy back then, compared to today, so you can imagine the problems we had, if and when they wanted out, if and when they couldn't adapt…"

Harry and the others exchanged glances. Gryffindor continued heavily, "Compounding these issues, as Helga has already indicated, was the fact that in both the muggle and wizarding worlds, wars were being fought and ideologues established. There were disputes – within all circles – about how much the magical should interfere with the muggle. Many were all for – well – separating the two worlds completely. Some had rather extreme views about how to do that." He sighed. "Due to various factors already touched on, as well as others, the bond of trust broke down between us. And… I confess, I began to suspect Salazar of being something – someone – he was not. We argued more often and more violently. In the last of these arguments, I became angry enough to accuse him of certain things – which I had tried valiantly not to do until then. You can imagine how that was received. If it hadn't of been for the intervention of Helga and Rowena, we may well have killed each other."

Amid gasps from the group listening, Slytherin continued, "I felt it was a betrayal of the highest order. I didn't stop to think of why the 'betrayal' occurred. Then, when I realised what had nearly happened…I fled."

Gryffindor took over again, "I tried to run after him, realising also what a fool I'd been to let things come to a head instead of talking without wands. Rowena and Helga followed me. I tried to track Salazar's signature after he Disapparated, flinging my own words back in my face as he did so, but it was very hard. Rowena and Helga eventually had to all but drag me back to the castle. Most of the dragging was done by Rowena, actually. I got angry at her, also, for that; but Helga got angry at me for causing it."

Hufflepuff said softly, "We did several other searches. And waited. After several years, Rowena and then finally Godric realised he wasn't coming back. I refused to believe them when they tried to gently tell me that it was time to stop the search. The disagreement became loud and …emotional. After that, it was a subject not spoken of again."

Ravenclaw said, "It wore us all down, however. It was like an open wound, festering, but never healed."

Slytherin went on, "I wanted to return almost as soon as I'd calmed down. But my pride would not let me at first. I refused to believe that Godric – and Rowena and Helga – wanted me back after what had nearly happened. I thought I'd…lost them all. Then, after some months, just as I began to grapple with my pride – I got myself caught in a battlezone, and was killed."

Hufflepuff sighed. "But we didn't know that, and our – troubles – with dealing with it were noticed. By the students and beyond. That was when the rumours began… Though I tried to shelter Salazar's students from it. Some didn't listen."

Harry and the others exchanged glances. Slytherin snorted. "Hmph. Not even that has been preserved properly, it seems." He muttered, "Listen. After I left, a quarter of the students were left leaderless. Or, they would have been, had Helga not stepped up. Godric and Rowena tried to help her, but the students distrusted Godric, and Rowena by extension." He squeezed Hufflepuff's hand and smiled at her.

Hermione gasped. " 'Hufflepuff, she took the rest and taught them all she knew….' Oh my! Of course!"

Gryffindor's lips twitched. "Another line from the Hat, hmm? People really ought to listen to him more."

Ravenclaw cleared her throat softly. "Continuing the story…" she said softly, "As we at Hogwarts struggled with our unacknowledged grief for Salazar and the problems associated, troubles with my own daughter began. She was rebellious. She did not understand the things I tried to teach her about life; all she wanted was knowledge, and to be out of my shadow. She was jealous of my intellect. She did not realise that a lot of knowledge is made, not born within a person. So she, eventually, stole my diadem. I had intended to give it to her when she was older. But she did not know that. I wanted her to earn it. I was desperate to get her back. The diadem mattered not; I loved her more than I could ever love such an object. But she refused to be found. So I eventually enlisted the help of the one who had sworn some years ago to gain her heart and hand. I was fading; my magic deserting me in the last months of my illness – an illness she was unaware of. I wished to see my daughter before I passed on. But it was not to be."

Gryffindor placed his arm around Ravenclaw's shoulders and squeezed. Harry had been waiting for an opportune moment to interrupt, as he realised how hard describing this part would be. Now he quickly cut in. "Forgive my interruption, but we know what happened with your daughter Helena. I heard the story from her own lips recently. It forms part of our story, which we'll tell you after you've finished. So you don't have to revisit that part, if you have no wish to."

Ravenclaw – and Gryffindor – appeared relieved. Ravenclaw swallowed. "Thank you, Harry. It is still a tender subject."
Gryffindor added quietly, "Helena arrived – back – only a few days after Rowena was buried. I was…somewhat sharp with her, in my grief." He gave a heavy sigh, then continued, "Life seemed to go slowly after that. Helga and I continued on as best we could. For some years more. We grew old."

Hufflepuff continued, "Eventually I died in my sleep."
Gryffindor sighed. "So I was left alone. And, thanks to a now-hated precedence in my family, I remained for some time. In the last year of my life, I became increasingly restless. In the summer holidays, I decided to go on a ramble through England and beyond. I had not travelled since Salazar left – as he had been my usual travelling companion – and I desired to do so again. One last time. Or so I said. But the other, unacknowledged reason was the fact that I wanted to find Salazar again." He paused for a long moment. "Close to the end of the summer, I did. I found a hastily made grave, by then full of naught but bones – and of course Salazar's locket. The magical signature was still identifiable, just – it was fading. I arranged to have the plot dug up, and brought back to Hogwarts, where it could be buried with full honour, and the story set straight. I knew there were rumours. If I'd been able to do that, perhaps things would be different. But the shock of finding Salazar's remains in what was obviously a battleground grave, dated to be only a year or so after he'd left, and – seemingly – on the road to Hogwarts, was too much for me. My heart just…gave in, on the road, no less." He gave a bitter laugh. "And so the story was allowed to grow, to change and fester to the point it is today."

The group listening sat in somewhat stunned silence, processing all they'd heard. Finally, Harry spoke. "I think I speak for all of us when I say thank you for sharing your story in full."
Ron said, "I wish you four taught History of Magic. We have a ghost right now who's as dull as anything, and…." He trailed off at Hermione's look, realising his words could seem a bit insensitive. He added quickly, "And that way, I would've known the truth from the beginning. Everyone would."

Slytherin sighed. "The fault, I'm afraid, is mine. I commissioned these portraits in secret, hoping to surprise the other three. After all, while you can engage a painter for a rather princely sum, any old fool can do it with magic paints, memories or some other link, through spells or no, and the right materials. And I, for all my faults, am not usually a fool. However, the suspicions arose before I could gift the portraits, so they are not linked to any others, or properly installed – meaning that we could not travel between other portraits in the castle, of themselves or others. Luckily, the link I was using was a memory spell that – ah – scanned the memories of the subject during sleep. A very mild form of legimency, specially designed to be able to get through shields if need be, and over long distances."

Hermione sat forward, interested. "I was considering asking about that! Wow…I don't believe that method has been used for a while. At least, not in what I've read. The most common form occurs by mixing memories in with the paint, and then updating the portrait manually by talking to it."
Slytherin sniffed. "Typical. I suppose even light, unobtrusive legimency is too much for most. If you want to look at the theory, it's over there." He nodded towards the table.

Hermione's eyes lit up, and she glanced between the table and the others. Ron nudged her. "Go on, have a look. I know you'll be thinking too much about it otherwise." He said, then turned back to the founders. "Do you really know what you're encouraging, sir?" he asked Slytherin lightly. Harry wondered if Ron asked this to try to understand why he would let someone look at the theory, when he'd been so wary before.

Slytherin smirked. "I value it when someone is interested in my work." He paused, then went on, "And you're proving to me that we can trust you."
Hermione gave a squeak, as if suddenly realising it was Slytherin's own work she was looking at, while Harry smiled at Slytherin's last comment. Ron smiled fondly over at Hermione. "Well, we're not going to hear much from her now." He said, "Once she starts on some new knowledge…"
"It's very hard to stop her." Gryffindor concluded. He glanced at Ravenclaw warmly, and said, "But you wouldn't change that for the world."
Ron grinned. "Yeah, I love her anyway." He replied.

Harry glanced across at Hermione to see her face glowing; Ravenclaw looked happy, also. Ron and Gryffindor exchanged a glance.

Then Hufflepuff said, with a sigh, "I hate to break up the moment, but… We don't have all day to talk, unfortunately, and I believe the six of you have indicated you have more to tell us. About more recent things such as your story."

Harry frowned as he realised. "Yes. The others might start getting worried soon. We've been down here a while." He glanced at the others. "So, should we start telling it?"

Hermione nodded and came back over to the group. Ron, Neville, Ginny and Luna also agreed. Harry straightened and readied himself; the others did the same.

Seeing this, Harry turned to the founders. "We'll begin. A word of…warning, though: just as you found certain things difficult to speak of, so will we. The struggle which has defined our young lives has only just recently ended with the death of the main leader, and there are still potentially some of his followers to deal with. Hence, it's very raw. And the experiences we've had…" he shook his head. "So, just be aware that it might take a while."

He looked at the founders. Gryffindor looked stern but approving, and was exchanging a glance with Slytherin. Slytherin, after nodding at Gryffindor, resumed his scrutiny of the group. Hufflepuff looked worried, and Ravenclaw was frowning slightly.

Before Harry could begin, Neville said, "Perhaps I could start by giving an overview of what has changed historically?"
At their words of agreement, Neville explained a brief history of the past thousand years – including such things as the Statute of Secrecy. This of course caused various reactions.

Then, Harry took over, retelling the story in much the same fashion as he'd told the teachers a week or so ago. As he talked, Slytherin's face drained of colour again. Hufflepuff leant into him, her own face ashen. Gryffindor's face grew stonier, and Ravenclaw's lips whitened, pressing into a thin line as her eyes sparked with anger.

For there was much for them to be angry about; from Riddle's manipulations (and appropriations of certain items) through to Dumbledore's secrets (and burdens). The current animosity between the Houses was also hurtful. And harry could tell that the Founders were dismayed the most by the fact that he and his friends were all only seventeen and eighteen, and had been facing danger since they were eleven.

However, the group made sure to share pleasant experiences in their tale. The creation of friendships, the pursuit of truth (with Sirius) and learning (the DA) and the experiences of growing up were shared.

At last, the story was told once again, and silence reigned. Hufflepuff looked close to tears, and Slytherin gently comforted her, whispering to her. She in turn was comforting him; the knowledge of Riddle's use of his name was abhorrent to him, though the story of Snape had restored a small amount of colour to his cheeks. Ravenclaw, reeling from the part her daughter had played as well as all the rest, was nonetheless comforting Gryffindor, who was having trouble swallowing some of Dumbledore's machinations – though he was just as angry about the circumstances that dictated his burdens.

Finally, Gryffindor caught Slytherin's eye. "We need to get out of here." He said roughly.
Slytherin nodded, then turned to Ron. "You mentioned, earlier, something about History of Magic, Ron. I believe that, after hearing this, the job sounds like a good idea."

Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw straightened themselves, and agreed.

Harry looked at the others. "Yeah, we probably should be getting back, also." He said, turning to Slytherin. "Is there a way of getting out from here?" he asked.

Slytherin nodded, and looked around the room. Harry anticipated his words. "Don't worry. At a later date, we'll come back and take care of this stuff." Slytherin nodded his thanks with a thin smile. "Right, well…may we collect our wands?" Harry suddenly remembered to ask. The founders also remembered, and hastily agreed. The group did so, then Harry carefully took Professor Slytherin's portrait. Hermione took Professor Ravenclaw, with Luna's help. Ron took Professor Gryffindor. Ginny took Professor Hufflepuff. Neville meanwhile had gone over to the tables and started carefully shrinking things and putting them into bags. Harry grinned sheepishly when he saw this. "Oh, yes, magic…" he muttered.

Finally, they were ready. Following Slytherin's directions, they walked through a door, and up a steep spiral staircase. Up, and up, and up. Slytherin grimaced. "I'd almost forgot how steep this was." He muttered.

They made it to the top, and came out through a door near the Slytherin dungeons.

As they walked towards the Great Hall, they were hailed. "Oi, you guys!" It was Charlie. "Where have you been? Dinner's about to start, and Mum was getting worried."

Harry glanced around at the others. "We'll explain in the Hall." He said, adjusting his burden. They certainly had been away for a while. Charlie's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.

They headed into the Great Hall. The Weasleys were sitting with Minerva, Augusta Longbottom and Xenophilius Lovegood – and Kingsley. Harry hastily remembered Arthur had mentioned this at lunchtime. Molly had seen them enter and stood up to scold and chivvy them to seats. Harry pre-empted her. "Molly, Madam Longottom, Mr Lovegood, I'm sorry we disappeared this afternoon with no warning. We discovered something that needed our attention, and we just…forgot to advise anyone. We were…quite distracted."

As Neville pulled the easel from a bag and set it up, Harry continued, "We discovered the Chamber's entrance was open, and so decided to go down there. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if Hogwarts…encouraged…us to." The adults blinked in confusion. "You see, whilst down there, we came upon a secret room. In that room, we had a conversation with these four portraits, discovering the legend of the Founders is not quite as true as what we've been told."

Harry gestured to the others and he and the other three holding portraits moved to place them – in the order they'd been positioned in before – on the easel. Amid gasps from the onlookers, Harry said, "May I present Professor Rowena Ravenclaw, Professor Godric Gryffindor, Professor Salazar Slytherin and Professor Helga Hufflepuff?"

There was a stunned silence. "Ruddy hell!" exclaimed Charlie.

Introductions were made. Minerva asked, "What did Harry mean, 'not quite as true'?"
Gryffindor frowned at her. "Can't you guess?" he asked evenly.

Minerva sighed. "I have ideas, but I'd rather hear it from your own lips than guess and accidentally put my foot in it."

Gryffindor laughed. "Good answer!" he exclaimed, then paused.

Harry stepped in. "We heard the full story earlier, Minerva. It might be better if I gave you a condensed version. It was a…hard telling."

Hufflepuff muttered, "Just as hard as hearing what the caricatures of our house have devolved into."

Minerva winced. Harry explained the facts as quickly and succinctly as possible. When he had finished, the shock was palpable. Minerva and Kingsley recovered first. Minerva said, "As current Headmistress of Hogwarts, on behalf of all, I apologise sincerely."
Kingsley echoed the apology. "As Acting Minister, I'll make sure it is known widely."

Dinner proceeded after that. The founders located their own food, and ate with them, listening attentively and occasionally contributing.

Then the meal finished. Kingsley said, "One of my reasons for coming here tonight, apart from the company, is that I needed to talk to you all. Thanks to the takeover, no-one has much of an idea of who's friend and who's foe at the Ministry – there's a mass of department checks and associated paperwork happening... Plus the captured Death Eaters, it's a bit of a nightmare." he paused. "As if that's not enough, there are several major and quite a few minor Death Eaters roaming. They've gone to ground now, but."

They stared. "Who?" Neville and Harry ground out.

Kingsley winced. "The Lestrange brothers, Dolohov and… Greyback are the major ones."

Everyone glared. Bill said, "But I thought Greyback died!"
Kingsley winced. "His spirit left his body, but we're not sure if it passed on. A group of werewolves from some of Greyback's packs were seen fleeing into the Forest after the last stand during the Battle of Hogwarts. The centaurs, and others, report that they were answering to one they called Greyback. A group of centaurs were able to follow them for a time and attempted to capture them, but were unsuccessful. However, they overheard things that suggest Greyback has come back as a wraith – a possessive spirit. If that wraith had gained….access to another werewolf's body…." He trailed away.

The group were disgusted. Bill said, "Kingsley, have you had a look at Remus' journals? They'd probably provide information about who would've allowed access for Greyback into their body."

Kingsley bit his lip. "Right then. I'll have to do that…on Tuesday."

Hestia glanced at him. "Tomorrow's Monday," she said, thinking he'd got muddled. Kingsley nodded. "Tomorrow night is full moon though – Teddy's first and Remus' first since the Battle. I don't want to burden him further. He'll be worried enough as it is; he doesn't remember how safe Wolfsbane is."

The knowledge hit Harry hard. How had he forgot? As he stewed on this, Kingsley got back to the original point of his discussion.

"We need more people. I'm starting a program that will, with Minerva's approval, allow you to take your NEWTs and then go through a shortened training program instead of three years in the Auror program. At least, for those who test high enough."

Minerva put in, "I have supported the program. However, I am also offering all students a chance to repeat last year."

There was a silence. Hermione said, "I'll stick with school. I'll have more options that way."

Harry smiled. "I've wanted to be an Auror for a while. I'll take your offer."

They looked at Ron. He responded, "I'll take the fast-track program." At the curious looks he elaborated, "I feel like I've finished school. I've already started, last year, on the...the...outside of school journey – the growing up and all that."

Hermione sighed then smiled at him. Harry grinned. Neville requested, "Minerva, Kingsley... Can I have some time to think about this?" his eyes darkened in thought.

Minerva and Kingsley nodded, the latter then turning to the adults. "Arthur, Percy? I know you've been through a lot, but the more people do their jobs and go to work, the sooner the recovery will begin."

Arthur nodded ruefully. "I've been meaning to get back. I guess it just took a couple of words from the boss."

Kingsley flushed. Hestia smiled. "He's still getting used to the new position." she 'confided'.

Percy was frowning. "Minister," he said, "I respectfully request a leave of absence at least until December."

Arthur blinked. "Are you sure, Percy?"

Percy nodded. "I need to get my priorities sorted. I just couldn't have faced going in until then at least." he paused and turned towards his brothers. "I need to learn how to laugh again."

George gasped. "You-you mean it, Perce?"

Percy nodded. "Of course I do. I want to help. There still needs to be more than one Weasley working there."

George nodded. "Yeah."

The other Weasleys looked between the two with some confusion. Seeing this, George explained quietly, "I've been looking to start up the shop again, but I-I can't...do it on m-my own. Percy offered to help the other day... I told him to think about it - I thought he'd still want to work at the Ministry."

"But I don't." Percy stated firmly. "Not for a while, anyway."

The others were still a bit surprised and wondered how long they'd missed the change and how they'd missed the talk.

Then Harry asked, "Err, so Minerva, how long until the NEWTs start?" Minerva smiled grimly.

"Six weeks. They begin on the seventeenth of June."

Harry and Ron exchanged glances. Six weeks until the exams that would help decide their futures?

"Oh great," Harry groaned; he could see he had a lot of study coming up. Ron sighed and they exchanged a glance with Neville as everyone else laughed.

Monday dawned bright and clear at Hogwarts. Harry attempted to start organising himself for study, but he couldn't settle. His thoughts rested on Remus. During the past week, he'd thought of him quite a bit, but had decided to give him and Tonks space to work things out before he barged in. Now, however…it was full moon, and Harry felt as if he ought to go see how things were. But he didn't want to impose…

Finally, Ginny had had enough of his 'indecisive moping' as she called it. "Go to them, Harry. After all, you're not going to know unless you do. And if you don't you'll regret it tomorrow."

Harry agreed. He told Molly where he'd be going, then set off. The Lupins, when released from the Hospital Wing, had not returned to Picnic Cottage. For Tonks and Andi, particularly, there were too many memories. Hence, they'd gone to Willowwood – the cottage Remus and his parents had lived in since he was fourteen. Both parents were dead now (another thing for Remus to adjust to), so the house was empty.

Tonks and Andi were pleased to see Harry when he arrived, waving away his concerns about intruding. Remus was also pleased; however, he looked a little uncertain about something.

Harry observed them as they sat down to lunch. Teddy was about a month old now, and Tonks and Remus seemed much improved, though Remus did have a couple of problems with movement in his left side. He had regained a few more memories – until Christmas 1971. Beyond that, there were a few flashes, but nothing concrete.

Given Tonks made a point of warning Harry quietly not to help Remus "unless he asks for it, whatever happens" and the fact he caught Tonks wince and touch her chest briefly at one point, Harry did wonder if there was more going on than they had been told.

Harry had brought Teddy a 'Mood-Blanket' - a magical one that actually worked. "You don't have to use it for moods - I just thought he might like it because it changes colours." Harry said. He'd bought in Diagon Alley when he'd been there for the meeting at Gringotts.

They sat and talked for a while, then Andi left to sort out something in the study, and Tonks went off to see to Teddy. Remus and Harry were left alone. Harry hesitated, not quite knowing where to begin. Then he decided. "I notice you've got several boxes of journals, there. How many have you read through?"

Remus smiled thinly. "Most of them, actually. Or at least, I've skimmed them." He bit his lip, then continued, "And…there are some things I want to say to you, Harry. Losing a large chunk of my memory, and having to regain knowledge of events through reading my journals, has given me a somewhat more – objective – view of…certain things. I…I wish to apologise. I feel I should have tried to contact you when – well, before you went to Hogwarts, or at least before we met there. I know there is no real excuse, but – well – it seems I was treated rather badly by the Ministry of the day, after Sirius'…supposed betrayal. I was beaten down by it all, and when one of the edicts enacted 'for your protection' meant that I couldn't go within a certain distance of you, I got so fed up with it all that I left England for a while. I lived a very hand-to-mouth existence for quite some time – I didn't want to burden anyone with the problem that is me."

Remus licked his lips, and Harry said gently, "But Remus…you could never be a burden. And…I'll accept your apology if it makes you feel better, but it's not needed. Hearing your explanation is good, but I do understand that there must have been hard circumstances. And you're not the only one who made mistakes."

Remus blinked. "You'd forgive me, just like that?" he asked. Harry nodded and smiled. It was true, he'd thought about similar things before…but Remus didn't need to worry about that; it was in the past. Though it was still good to know, given some of the nightmares he'd been having.

Then he said, "So, ah…what are the circumstances for tonight?"

Remus hesitated. "I've been taking Wolfsbane. And I'm going to lock myself in one of the rooms here. Dora will be with Teddy, though we don't expect anything bad to happen. Apparently, tests after he was born showed that he wasn't a werewolf. However, we're not quite sure of what the effects will be."

Harry smiled slightly. "That's good to know."
Remus nodded. "The Wolfsbane will be safe, won't it Harry?" he asked quietly.
Harry nodded. "It should be. You told me some time ago that it helps you keep your mind when you transform. It won't stop the change, but it will let you control the wolf."

Remus smiled.

Harry looked at him, then made a decision. "I'll stay tonight." He said, "If it won't inconvenience you, Tonks or Andromeda, I'll stay here while you change. After all," he met Remus' eyes properly, "Someone connected to the original pack should be here."

Remus hesitated, then, seeing Harry's earnest face, agreed.

Harry sent a Patronus to the Weasleys, to let them know what was planned. Ginny replied with encouragement, and Harry wondered if she had expected it.

The afternoon dragged on. Harry learnt that there was an actual pattern to when the transformation occurred. It always happened an hour to an hour and a half after the moon rose.

Remus took his last dose of Wolfsbane and had a light dinner. Then he went into the prepared room to wait. Tonks sighed, watching him go. "Thank you, Harry, for being here. It means a lot to him, I think." She said softly, "I'm just worried about what the lost memory will mean for the wolf."

Harry frowned in thought. Then Tonks straightened. "But I'll need to see to Teddy." She said.

So the wait began. At the appointed time, Harry went and sat down with his back against the door of the room. He could hear muffled sounds, but no more. Andi was with Tonks and Teddy. Suddenly, there was a small scratching noise and a snuffling sound. Harry jumped, then said, "Remus, it's me. I'm sitting outside the door, okay?"
He got a small whine as his response. Harry continued talking, and shifted into a slightly more comfortable position. It was going to be a long night. But it would be worth it.

Finally, dawn approached, and the moon set. Harry got to his feet, stretching out his back, then considered his options. He then walked towards Teddy's room and peeked in. Tonks was dozing lightly, Teddy beside her, secure in his bassinet. Andromeda was awake, if only just, and smiling. She followed Harry out of the room. "No change," she whispered, "But he was rather …fascinated by the moon."

Together, they crept towards Remus' room. Harry knocked lightly on the door, then peeked in. Remus was half-clothed and looked drowsy. Andromeda repeated her message, and then they left to allow Remus to get some well-earned rest.

Shortly after, Andromeda sat down with Harry for breakfast. Harry ate quietly, puzzled by the look on Andi's face. Andi was watching him closely, and seemed to come to a decision. "Tell me, Harry... Have you sorted anything out with regards to the ownership of the Elder Wand?" she asked.

Harry stiffened. "Err, no." he admitted.

Andi nodded. "Then I have a suggestion. I am some twenty-five years older than you and a woman. I presume you're probably having a copy or something made. Have you tucked the other one away safe somewhere?"

Harry nodded, eyes narrowing as he began to realise what she wanted. Seeing his expression, Andi said, "There were Death Eaters in that Hall, Harry. Someone will eventually connect the dots. No woman has ever boasted of owning that wand - I will not boast of it either and they won't suspect me. I will die before you. As I've said, I'm twenty-five years older. And besides, you want to be an Auror. That sort of job would put you directly in line with the people who'd love to get the wand."

Harry sighed. "All right." he said, "Disarm me."

Andi flicked her wand and it was done. Andi was the Master - or was that Mistress? - of the Elder Wand.

When Remus and Tonks joined them, inevitable questions were forestalled by Remus. "I can now say I remember until Christmas 1972. I gained a full year, as well as a few new rather strange 'flashes' of what I think were James, Sirius and…Peter, in their animagus forms."

Harry grinned. "That's great!" he said, delighted.

Later that day, Remus had a proposition for Harry. "Harry, I know you're staying with the Weasleys now. I understand that's at Hogwarts, but from what you said yesterday, it will soon be a place called Blossom House." He hesitated, glancing at Andi and Tonks, then said, "I know you consider them family, but I would be delighted if you would consider us family as well. In that regard, I – we – would like to extend an offer of you staying here."

Harry blinked and thought. Remus continued, "You don't have to decide now. But just think about it. At the very least, you're welcome to come back for full moons."

Harry hesitated and thanked them for the offer. After some more time spent talking, he took his leave and went back to Hogwarts.

Once there, he went for a walk on the grounds. Arthur had decided to take Harry up on the offer of Blossom House and the Weasleys had begun small renovations to have the house ready to move into. Harry had given Muffy official permission to leave his and go into the Weasley Family Service.

Those renovations would be completed relatively quickly. When discussing it yesterday, Harry had not questioned the assumption of Molly (and by extension, the rest of the Weasleys) that he would go with them to Blossom House. However, his mind had been largely taken up with thoughts about Remus and the impending full moon.

Now…. Harry wondered. Staying with the Weasleys would be nice, but somehow it didn't seem right. He couldn't exactly say why. Possibly it would be the fact that he felt a need for space right now. At least, for some of the time. At Hogwarts, it was all right as he (provided he told someone where he was going) could wander about the castle with minimal risk of running into someone if he chose. But at Blossom House….it would be different. While spacious, the house was by no means a mansion, and it would feel positively close.

On top of that...all the family members were grieving. Harry understood this; but he knew instinctively that he needed to sort out his own heavy heart before dealing too closely with other peoples. This week, even with the extra space Hogwarts provided, had rubbed Harry's nerves raw. Especially as one of Molly's ways of dealing with her grief was to practically smother everyone else. Harry needed space. And he wouldn't get it with the Weasleys.

But would he get it with the Lupins?
Harry weighed his options carefully. One thing was certain; he couldn't stay at Hogwarts. It was smothering in its own way; there were too many ghosts – real and imagined.

And he didn't think living at Potter House would be an option, either. After all – rattling around by himself in a big old house with only his elves for company? That wouldn't hold water with several of the adults, even if he was convinced he could do it (which he wasn't).

Harry hesitated. But living with the Lupins…. He didn't want to be a burden on them. However, they'd invited him. Would he get the space, as well as the security, there?

Harry deliberated for a while. Then he thought, Remus has his journals for memories. He surely recognises I've told him all I can. He doesn't need me for that. He wants me, though. And I think the place would meet the other conditions…

Harry decided. He would accept the offer.

Telling the Weasleys was hard. He managed to explain his reasoning to Ginny first, before anyone else. Ginny looked upset, but agreed eventually. "After all, I'll still see you regularly. If you need to do this to…heal, then you'd better do it."

Ron, and Hermione, were also accepting. Hermione seemed pre-occupied by her own thoughts, Harry noticed.

The other Weasleys were more difficult; however, eventually it was sorted. He would move to the Lupins.

Oh, Harry… Everyone is a little fractured by the war, some more than others. And they all deal with it differently.
The information about the Founders (backstory and such) is drawn heavily from the author Isilarma