Hi, everyone! I'm so sorry to make you wait so long for this chapter!
Update on Real Life first - My dad is doing well. He's finally doing his best to stick with a healthy diet and take care of himself so cross your fingers for us! After helping my parents out in January and February, my job got a bit crazy because one of our workers left. So the rest of us had to pitch in and cover her hours. This left me with less time to write. I hope the boss finds someone new soon but for the moment, my posting schedule will be a little erratic. Sorry!!
Thanks for sticking with me!!
Lori94
Chapter 39
"I'm sorry..." Delores Umbrage stared at the Hogwarts medi-witch. "What exactly do you mean... 'the hospital wing is full to capacity'?"
"I'm afraid the infirmary is completely full - not a single bed is free." Poppy Pomfrey cringed inwardly. "I hate to say it but... something appears to be going 'round."
"I see..." Umbrage took a deep breath, horrified. "And well... What is it that's wrong with the children?"
"More than half of the first year students are in the infirmary with a mixture of cold and flu symptoms - which is common this time of year." Pomfrey told her frankly. "But several students of varying ages have visited my office recently for headaches and body aches and pains. There are also an assortment of other ailments such as the stomach flu and female troubles."
Delores Umbrage stood up and pretended to fret. "You say it's not uncommon for this to happen?"
"You misunderstand me. It's the usual ailments for this time of year but the volume of occurrences is anything but common, Headmistress." Pomfrey explained furtively. "I've also had quite a few patients complaining of anxiety. They cite panic attacks, fainting spells and the like."
"Anxiety?" Delores sneered inwardly at that. If the children were that emotionally fragile they shouldn't even be enrolled in Hogwarts - the weaklings! "The poor dears! Well, what is it that you need from me?"
"I'll need some of the unused classrooms near the infirmary to be repurposed as sick rooms in case more children come down with whatever this is." Pomfrey explained patiently. "An elf would also be helpful to assist me in keeping track of my patients."
"Very well." Delores sniffed but nodded graciously. "You may speak with the elves about the arrangements."
"You know, of course, that if the cases get worse, I'll need to contact St. Mungo's." Pomfrey sighed as she stood up to leave.
Delores tilted her head, narrowing her eyes at the medi-witch. "I beg your pardon?"
"If we have an epidemic on our hands, St. Mungo's must be notified, Headmistress." Pomfrey stated incredulously. "Surely you don't think I could treat the whole school by myself?!"
"I wouldn't dream of making you try, dear lady." Delores' lips curved into a slight smile. "I'll contact the minister if it seems dire. I'm certain he will send healers. Please keep me informed."
With a firm nod, Pomfrey took her leave and went to call the elves.
As the door closed behind the older woman, Delores allowed her true feelings to show. Her mouth dropped into a frown and then she glowered at the door as she attempted to mimic the medi-witch. "'St. Mungo's must be notified!' Not likely!"
Just then, someone knocked.
"Yes?" She called. "Ah, Filch -"
"My office 'as been invaded!" The squib screeched as soon as the door opened. "Mrs. Norris is in a sorry state and the 'ole room is a pigsty!"
Delores fixed a level stare at the old man. "Is there evidence as to who is responsible?"
"Well, no, Headmistress, but they was always good at coverin' their tracks!" He sneered at the door. "It was them Weasley twins what did it! I know it!"
"Well, unfortunately, I can't do much." She sighed and made the effort to access the wards. "The wards can't tell me specifics, only that something happened in the ground floor hallway around an hour ago."
"I want to see some punishment!" Filch whined loudly.
"Then find proof! Or a witness!" She snapped. "If you don't want them to be able to argue it with Minerva, I can't just give them detention without proof!"
He pouted but didn't argue as he turned to leave.
What else could go wrong? She sighed to herself unhappily and snapped for an elf, vaguely wondering which one she'd get today since Dumbledore took his with him.
"Hello, Missy Headmistress, ma'am!" The creature squeaked at her. "How is Maddy to be helping you today?"
"Tea!" Delores snapped. "And be quick about it! I have things to do and plans to make!"
"Yes, Ma'am." Maddy said hurrying to summon the teapot from the kitchen. "Is Missy Headmistress not going to lunch in the great hall today?"
"Not that it's any of your business, elf, but no, I'm not." She grimaced and proceeded to ignore the elf until it left.
"A muggle notebook and a pen..." Harry was gathering his props for the visit to Ravenclaw Tower. "Luna! Are you and Ginny ready?"
Luna grinned as she and her girlfriend entered the room. "Yes but we can't leave yet. Tonks has just entered the secret passage and Maddy is on her way, too."
Harry gave a sigh, ending in a chuckle. "I'll go open the door."
"No need, Dobby is there to meet her." Luna replied in her lilting, airy voice.
Harry shook his head and just sat down beside her to wait.
"You'll get used to it, Harry." Ginny giggled.
"And don't worry, Harry. Tonks will be able to pull it off." Luna assured him as the person in question popped into existence next to Harry's head elf. "She's very good at it."
"Who's good at what?" Tonks asked as she'd only heard the last sentence.
Harry explained that Luna was their resident seer and had answered a question he hadn't asked. "She was saying that you are good at impersonating people so I shouldn't worry about your ability to blend in as a Ravenclaw student despite the fact that you were a Hufflepuff."
"Oh, we deal with seers all the time at the ministry." Tonks laughed as Dobby popped away. "Of course, some are better than others."
"Well, Luna's usually right on target..." Harry smirked at his blonde cousin briefly before bringing the subject back to the purpose of her visit to Hogwarts. "So, what do you need from us to get you in place and prepared for this?"
"Ok." Tonks grinned, nodding in approval of his take charge attitude. "So here's the deal, hot shot - Madam Bones spoke to Mrs. Edgecombe personally so she'd understand exactly what was being asked of her family."
"And...?" Harry asked eagerly.
"I have a couple of signed letters." She explained. "One is a private letter to Marietta, but the other is addressed to Professors Mcgonagall and Flitwick in the event that we need to reveal our operations, and they'll get it anyway on my way out - whenever that ends up being. It gives Marietta a clean slate on all tests whether I pass or fail in classes while I'm here. That will safeguard her education, but then we need to get her to safety." She waited for Harry to nod in agreement before she continued. "To that end, I'll need a good half hour with her. I have several questions for her to answer and then I'll need to interact with her for a little bit so that I can learn her speech, mannerisms and any odd habits she has. Then she'll go out through the secret passage to Sirius and Remus who will be waiting to take her to her grandmother's place."
"Half an hour?" Harry was astonished. "That's it?"
"Well, it's like Luna said, kid..." Tonks winked. "I'm good at what I do!"
"You're cocky, too... I like it." Harry laughed, winking back. "So, here's my plan - I'll enter Ravenclaw tower with Luna and Ginny. Marietta and her best friend, Cho, will come to the common room or be there when we arrive. They'll see me looking around and then they'll notice Luna and Ginny making a lovey-dovey scene." He paused, looking over at Ginny. "I'll make a show of calling them to join me but..."
"I will tell him I want to see Luna's old room first, so he should go without us and we'll join him in a bit." Ginny inserted.
"One of them will protest and the other will suggest they follow me when I open the door and say I'm going into Rowena's rooms all by myself." Harry explained. "And since Luna can't open the door..."
Luna smiled placidly at the auror. "He will remind us of that so I can bring Ginny back just in time as Harry opens it."
"And we'll follow them in." Ginny chimed in.
"Anyone who witnesses my interaction with them will be able to attest to their distrust of me and my intentions." Harry grinned. "As soon as we're inside alone, Dobby can bring you to meet us in the tower and you can watch Marietta interact with all four of us for however long you need."
"One thing makes me nervous." She said, holding up a finger. "You're going to be alone with potential hostile parties."
"Not really." Harry shrugged. "Cho will be there and one of the elves is always nearby, if invisible."
"Hmph. Sirius was right, kid. You've got quite a handle on this leadership thing." Tonks chuckled as Harry blushed. "Speaking of things that make you blush, where's my little cousin Draco? I've been dying to meet him."
"He's with his friends in the Slytherin common room." Harry told her, glaring lightly. "He won't be back until just before dinner."
"Oh well." She shrugged. "I guess family introductions have to wait a bit. Go on and get this little show going. Hey, wait! What's with the notebook and pen?"
"I might want to take notes or something!" Harry shrugged with a chuckle and motioned for the girls to join him but they were interrupted by his elf Maddy.
"Oh, Master Harry, sir! She is being awful, Master Harry!"
Harry's eyes widened as she fell down at his feet. "Who?"
"Missy Headmistress!" Maddy cried. "Since Dumbles took his elvesies, the rest of us must take a rotation to serve in her suite and office, but she is being the type to ignore us elvesies! She be treating Maddy as if she wasn't even there!"
"Unfortunately, many witches and wizards do that." Tonks winced sympathetically.
Harry relaxed. "As long as she doesn't physically harm you, I don't have grounds to formally protest her treatment of you." Maddy sagged and Harry's heart twisted so he chewed his lip for a moment. "Is there a head elf here at Hogwarts?"
"It was being Kempy for almost eighty years, Master Harry." Maddy nodded sadly. "But he was being a Dumbles elf. Wabry is being in charge now."
"I'll visit with him as soon as I can, Maddy." Harry assured her. "Once my classmate, Marietta, is safe, I'll make it my first priority but for now it's actually best if she doesn't notice you."
Tonks was nodding.
"Just remember, Maddy - I'm the true owner of the castle and therefore the elves." Harry smiled at her. "I notice you."
Maddy's puffy purple eyes widened as she looked up at him. "Maddy is seeing why Dobby and Winky love Master Harry."
Harry blinked in surprise as she popped away. Hearing a sniff, Harry glanced at his human companions to see Ginny dabbing her eyes. "Oh, stop."
"No! Harry, it's true." She smiled softly. "You make the ones you care about feel that they really matter."
He sighed, blushing. "C'mon, let's go!"
Tonks watched them walk away, smiling in amusement.
As soon as the door to Ravenclaw Tower opened, Harry felt like he was taking the stage. The first part of the room was shaped like a pentagon with a dark cherry wooden railing and there were two steps down into the rest of the common room. The room as a whole was an irregular shape with seven walls, five of which were made of exquisite stone brick but two more walls were covered by panelling and one of them hid the secret staircase. The statue stood in the east corner of the room facing the west wall and that was where the bookcase stood. The panel that would reveal the narrow spiral staircase was on the wall next to it.
Luna led the way with Ginny holding her hand. "Gin, isn't it lovely in here?"
"Do you miss it?" Ginny asked fondly as Harry began looking around. "I miss Gryffindor, but only a little. C'mon, Harry, what are you doing? Don't you remember where the door is?"
"Of course I remember where the door is." He glared at her while dodging students who were going about their business. "I'm just... looking around to take in the atmosphere because I didn't do it during the first visit." He vaguely noticed some Ravenclaw boys sitting near the stairs that led to one of the dormitories.
"And why was that, Lord Potter?" Cho ventured as she and Marietta arrived from the opposite direction.
Harry looked at her and a barely noticeable nod showed him that she'd spoken with her friend and they were ready.
"I'll bet you didn't care about us Ravenclaws nearly as much as the other houses, eh, m'lord Potter?" She asked, adding a smirk for effect.
"For your information, I want to connect with all sides of my ancestry, thank you very much." He gritted his teeth. "Unfortunately I only have one cousin representing each of the bloodlines other than Gryffindor and only so many hours in the day."
Cho shrugged, glancing over at Luna and Ginny who were canoodling on one of the couches.
"Lovegood is obviously the Ravenclaw rep..." Marietta frowned. "And Smith is Hufflepuff..."
Harry nodded and met her gaze, daring the girl to voice the suspicion he knew was sparking in her mind.
"Does that mean...?" She murmured slightly above a whisper, tugging at one of her strawberry blonde curls.
"You want to know if there's a Slytherin cousin ...don't you?" Harry smirked as he dropped his notebook on the long table and turned to face her. "The answer is yes... Care to guess who it might be?"
She swallowed visibly. "No, thank you."
Cho looked at him uncomfortably. "Can't you just go into Lady Ravenclaw's rooms and leave us alone?"
"I will... as soon as I look around." Harry sighed and began to look at each tapestry. "Hey, Luna, is there anything you can tell me about these tapestries by the study table?"
"I'm sorry! Luna's busy right now! Please ask again later!" Ginny joked as they climbed the stairs behind the statue. "She's taking me up to see her old room. Go in without us!"
"We'll join you in a bit!" Luna sang, waving as she disappeared.
Marietta looked horrified but before she could speak a word, Roger Davies instantly stepped into the space between Harry and the bookcase. "Like hell."
Cho let out a long-suffering sigh and stepped forward pulling Marietta with her. "We'll go in and watch him."
"I don't like it." Roger gritted his teeth but nodded.
"The headmaster allowed it when he was here," Cho pointed out. "His permission hasn't been revoked by the headmistress."
"True... I guess I can't interfere this time, but let's get something straight, Potter - you're no Ravenclaw." Roger spat, poking Harry three times in the chest, hard.
The young lord knew better than to touch the newly sore spot in front of the bully but his chin rose slightly in stubborn pride. He wanted to punch the little bastard but knew he shouldn't so he took a deep breath and relaxed slightly, allowing one eyebrow to rise as he attempted to de-escalate the tense situation. "Nobody is claiming that I'm a member of this house... but I am a member of Rowena Ravenclaw's bloodline and therefore I'm entitled to visit. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to go about my business."
Roger sneered but stepped back for Harry to pass him.
"Luna!" Harry called out. Keeping his eyes steady on Roger's while refusing to take the bait, Harry silently picked up his notebook and walked over to the bookcase, hoping Ginny and Luna would hurry up. His hand touched the book and the panel moved as he lifted it. "Luna, you can't open the door to the room! Come now if you're coming."
The girls hurried down the stairs and past him into the spiral staircase. He waited a moment before following them.
Cho and Marietta ducked in behind the young earl with a dark glance at their housemate to hopefully communicate that they were in agreement with his stance.
As soon as he heard the entrance close, Harry called out for Dobby to bring Tonks, but then he made a swift turn. Since they'd never been in these rooms before, Harry wanted to see their reactions to the large round room.
The dark wood bookcases that lined one side of the space were impressive and Cho pointed them out to her friend as they joined Harry and his cousins. Marietta, in turn, pointed to the musical instruments littering the opposite wall on their floating shelves.
"I play some of those instruments, Cho... or at least, I play the modern version of them. What a wonderful assortment!" She said softly. "Look at them! The pan flute is one of my favourites! I play that and the skalmejen but I know the others by sight. That's a tagelharpa and a lyre..."
"Does anyone inside Hogwarts know you play those instruments, Miss Edgecombe?" Harry interrupted as Dobby arrived with Tonks who was dressed in a Hogwarts uniform.
"I was too shy to try out for the band." She blushed, shaking her head. "You can use my name, by the way... I don't mind. You're saving me from this horrible situation, after all."
"So how is all this going to work, Harry?" Cho asked, continuing to hold her friend's hand.
"This is Dora Tonks." Harry waved Tonks closer, then turned to face Marietta. "She's an auror and she's going to take your place to be part of the resistance with me, Draco, Cho and Cedric, and the rest of my cousins. You are going to be safe at your grandmother's home. I have an escort waiting to take you."
"I dunno... Maybe this isn't such a good idea, Cho! What about school and what about Umbrage? What about my mum?" She asked, getting upset. "Umbrage asked me for tea last month and she knows Mum is a ministry worker and sh-she said things and... what if mum gets sacked for whatever happens here because it looks like I'm not being supportive?" She started to cry. "It's just us since Da passed! Granny is up north and we visit once in a while but it's really just us against the world!"
"I can help with all your worries, Miss Edgecombe. Here," Tonks handed her a letter. "It's from your mother."
Her eyes lit up and she snatched it before sitting on the nearest object which was an upholstered ottoman. After a few minutes, she heaved a sigh of relief. "I'd forgotten that she'd planned a visit to Granny. She's going to keep to her plans and meet me there."
"No matter what happens, you three will be safe." Tonks nodded reassuringly. "I'll be here helping the rebellion and I'll send you the assignments so that you don't miss anything but I'll be doing the assignments as well. We don't want to have to tell Professor Flitwick until I'm on my way out."
Marietta stared up at her. "My grades have been a bit erratic with the stress of the last couple of months but if I get more than two acceptable grades in a row, he'll know something is wrong."
"That helps." Tonks nodded, handing over a scroll of parchment. "The answers to this list of questions will help me even more."
Marietta seemed relieved as she unravelled it to find a quill. "Looks like one of Professor Flitwick's tests."
Tonks guided her over to a table. "Now what I want you to do is ignore us. Just answer the questions as best you can while Harry wanders the room looking for whatever it is he is looking for. Then I'll observe you all together for a little while."
"It would freak me out to be watched like that... Maybe if you were invisible..." Ginny said apologetically.
"If you want, I can disillusion myself..." Tonks chuckled and disappeared.
"This is weird." Marietta shivered. "Can't you just be here with us?"
Tonks was smiling when she reappeared. "I just want to make this as easy as I can... Speaking of which, do you have any questions for me?"
"I didn't think about it except to consider what you'd ask me." The young strawberry blonde replied, confused.
"I just thought you'd want to ask questions too." Tonks confirmed with a shrug. "I know I would, if I were in your position."
"I guess..." Marietta chewed her lip with a shrug. "I don't know."
"Well, that's ok." Tonks nodded. "Take your time and just let me know if you think of something."
Harry, Luna and Ginny wandered the rooms not finding anything new and not really looking.
Cho sat with her friend and twenty minutes later, Marietta finished and looked up at the others. "I've thought of something I'd like to ask..."
Tonks nodded encouragingly. "Sure!"
"How are you going to take my place?" She asked hesitantly. "It can't be glamours or Polyjuice. What if she uses Revelio on you?"
"I'm a meta-morph-magus." Tonks smiled at her. "There is a spell that will reveal my true identity but it's not like Revelio. It can be repelled by an amulet that's made with a specially enchanted crystal and my mother gave me one when I went into auror training."
"Wow!" Marietta's eyes widened. "I've heard of that kind of thing but never met anyone who could do it!"
Tonks smirked, waggling her eyebrows daringly. "Wanna see?"
The girl perked up and nodded.
Tonks' smirk widened into a grin as her hair changed from the pink, shoulder length style she'd been wearing into a turquoise bob.
Wide-eyed, Marietta became fascinated as Tonks shifted into a taller form before taking on masculine features with a pale blue mohawk.
From there she transformed into an old man with white hair and then an old woman. After a moment, the old woman laughed and shook her head, suddenly becoming Cho's twin.
Marietta gasped as she looked between them.
Cho, who'd been enjoying the show, now blinked nervously.
"My last question is..." Next, Tonks changed into Marietta. "Do you have any birthmarks or moles, tattoos or piercings that one of your roommates has seen and it would be odd to be missing?"
She thought for a moment and nodded. "Yes, there's one here." Pulling up her left sleeve, she revealed a strawberry coloured blob the size of her pinky nail that was in the crook of her elbow. "And then there's this..." She said as she opened the collar of her button up shirt to show a small raised beauty mark four centimetres below her clavicle.
"Don't forget the scar on your knee from when we were nine!" Cho exclaimed.
Tonk nodded encouragingly as she adjusted her morph. "Which knee?"
"Left." Marietta lifted her skirt slightly to show a thick scar.
The others chose that moment to return and only Luna was unsurprised to see two identical Mariettas.
"If one of you didn't look incredibly nervous right now, I'd think you were twins." Harry said, fascinated.
"I - on the other hand - have seen her several times over the years." Ginny smirked. "Since she's friends with my brother Charlie, I know her well enough to have seen her duck impression as well as just hung around the house with her. I can tell that the one on the left is Tonks because of her necklace."
"Speaking of which..." Tonks smirked and used a disillusionment charm on her amulet before mimicking the nervous expression on Marietta's face.
"Wow." Harry murmured.
Ginny grinned. "I'm impressed."
"Me too." Cho whispered.
Harry patted Cho's arm comfortingly. "I think it's time... unless Tonks needs more...?"
One Marietta chewed her lip and shook her head. "No. I think that's good enough. Get her to her escort."
Cho hugged her friend and stepped back towards the auror in disguise who held her hand out.
"Dobby?" Harry called before turning towards Marietta. "Dobby is my elf. He'll bring you to the entrance of a secret passage that ends in Hogsmeade. The defence teacher from my third year... Do you remember Remus Lupin?" At her nod, he finished. "He's waiting there for you with my godfather, Sirius Black, and they'll escort you to your grandmother's home."
Marietta stepped forward slowly and paused as she was about to pass Harry. Suddenly, she surged toward him and shocked him with a hug before rushing to the elf's side and taking his hand.
When they'd disappeared, Harry cleared his throat and turned to the others. "To protect everyone involved, nobody outside of my family will be told the exact points of entrance or exit of the passage."
Cho nodded sadly. "I understand."
"If you want to send a letter, you can approach anyone living in my suite with the code phrase 'here are the notes Harry asked for." Harry told Cho and Tonks. "If you're asking for news from outside, it's 'where are the notes Harry borrowed'."
They nodded.
"Tonks, did Sirius tell you about the internal passages?" Harry asked.
She nodded. "I was given a list - passwords included where necessary."
"That's great, but..." Harry frowned. "I'm going to ask you to teach Cho and Cedric about them so you can all get away from anyone who might follow you."
Tonks nodded grimly. "I'll do it first thing."
"From here on out - unless it's an emergency - the only contact we'll have is through Cedric." Harry told them. "Good luck."
"Wait! You were looking for something in here, right?" Cho protested. "Roger's going to ask what we saw!"
"Hmmm... I guess you're right." He frowned until an evil idea popped into his head. "You can tell him that we looked all over but didn't find anything new. Tell him you and Marietta followed us around and saw all the things we told the school about the first time we were here. We'll make a spectacle of ourselves leaving and I'll figure out a way to make it clear that I have no reason to return."
"Oh... that's..." Cho murmured in surprise.
"The things you say will be true - if only partially." Harry smirked. "I'll be the one outright lying to him and even my statements will be somewhat true but I'll be speaking about the Ravenclaw common room rather than the hidden rooms because, you see, my elves can pop me in here anytime I want."
Cho blinked. "That's diabolical..."
Harry winked and offered Ginny and Luna his arms. "Shall we?"
Cho and 'Marietta' followed Harry and his cousins out of the secret staircase and looked on disapprovingly as they sat down at the study table.
Harry opened his notebook and quickly jotted down some things he'd seen the first time.
Roger was still skulking in the sitting area beside the fireplace and, although he didn't come closer, his expression showed his displeasure that the young lord didn't leave immediately.
"The books inside are wonderful!" Ginny gushed to Harry. "It's a shame there weren't any new compartments or hidden rooms! Oh well, maybe next time."
"Next time?" Roger protested, storming over to them. "That's it! Just because you're a lord, it doesn't mean you get everything you want, Potter!"
Harry sighed and stood up to look him in the eye as the other Ravenclaw students froze in alarm, wondering what would happen. "I suppose the fact that it isn't something I 'want' wouldn't matter to you...would it?"
"You're here, aren't you?" He shot back. "If you don't want to be here, why are you standing in front of me causing trouble?"
"My purpose here is only to find out about my bloodline, Davies." Harry sniffed.
"It has nothing to do with you." Ginny snapped. "Why do you care?"
"I only 'care' that you're in my common room and you don't belong, Gryffindor!" Roger sneered. "As far as I'm concerned, even Lovegood doesn't belong here!"
Luna's expression changed subtly.
Harry could sense the coldness in it and this enraged him but he refused to let it show beyond the flare of temper in his eyes. "And what do you propose to do about it, eh, Davies?"
"You want to know? I'll tell you! If I find you in my common room again, I'll take this to the headmistress!" Roger glared at him. "You aren't a member of the house! You don't belong! Now, you've had two visits and that should be enough. There's obviously nothing left to find so stay out!"
Harry snorted derisively knowing that nothing could keep him out if he wanted in. He eyed the other boy and glanced back toward the girls. "It's quite obvious that we're not wanted here, ladies, and since there seems to be nothing else here that's useful, I think we should go."
"It is a sad day, indeed, when Rowena's descendants are barred from the tower which bears her name." Luna pronounced coldly as she stood. "You'd best hope she doesn't recall her gifts."
Roger's hostile glare followed them every step to the door.
Luna was silent as they left the tower and after returning to the suite, where they found Draco deep in conversation with Zack, she told Ginny to go visit her friends. "Harry and I will fill Draco in on our adventure."
Ginny nodded solemnly and left looking worried, but once she was gone, they settled in around the fireplace to tell their story.
"So, wait..." Draco snickered as he pictured Harry and the girls waltzing out of the hidden staircase and performing the scene he'd described. "So, you flat out let him believe he was running you off and you'd never darken his door again?"
Harry chuckled. "Yup."
"I can't believe he said that to Luna." Draco shook his head, still mildly amused. "I'll bet he seemed quite proud of himself, didn't he?"
"Yes." Harry nodded. "And he'll likely try to lord it over us all so we need to act humbled."
"If we don't," Zack agreed grimly. "He and whoever is pulling his strings will know you lied."
"And the only way in anymore is by elf?" Luna asked sadly.
"The entrance will always be there, Luna... It's just locked by the blood-lock to only open for me." Harry pointed out, squeezing her hand. "That's a good thing. If you could open it, they might try hurting you to make you let them in."
"I know." She sighed.
"Any of the elves can pop you in there if you want to visit or explore Rowena's rooms." Harry tried to reassure her. "I'd never bar you from them."
"I know that too, silly." Luna replied, smirking at him. "I suppose I'm just sad that the potential in Roger is wasted. If he would allow the other houses' influence into his life, he could be such a powerful wizard."
Harry blinked in amazement. "What did you just say?"
"Why do you think you're so powerful, Harry?" Luna smiled softly. "Some of it is explained by blood but it's truly because you're embracing all of the houses that make up your background."
"Is that why Fred and George are getting more powerful every day?" Harry asked.
"Mhm, and why, although Ron has started gaining power, he still hasn't gained much compared to his siblings." Luna explained.
"His progress stops and starts..." Draco jumped in. "As he accepts some aspects of the other houses but also rejects some."
Luna nodded.
"So..." Harry frowned, considering the implications. "You're saying that if he embraces some more of the aspects of the other houses..."
"He would begin to feel more powerful magic through his core." Luna nodded.
"How can we help him with that?" Harry asked excitedly.
Draco began to see the potential in Harry's best friend. "He's brave to a fault, but he's begun to embrace his creativity and cunning. So that's Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin..."
"That's a shocker." Zack interjected sarcastically. "I was certain he'd fight his Slytherin tendencies to the end."
Harry glared at his Hufflepuff cousin.
"So how do we get him to tap his inner Hufflepuff?" Zack blinked innocently.
"He's very caring..." Harry growled. "And he's loyal too."
"To a chosen few." Draco muttered.
Harry's focus turned toward his betrothed. "He believes in fair play..."
Draco pursed his lips and suddenly it occurred to him. "But he isn't very open minded or patient."
Knowing he couldn't really argue with that, Harry just sighed. "He's working on that..."
"True, but he needs to interact with people from all walks of life." Draco pointed out.
"He's not the only one." Harry fired back at the blond. "You and Zack need to work on it too."
"I?" Draco blinked innocently, glancing at the other boy in question who shrugged.
"I won't say you're not doing well, Draco, but you don't socialise much with my cousins - aside from Luna and Zack." Harry pointed out. "You have more tolerance, it seems, for Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs than Gryffindors."
"You're right." Draco winced. "I had more patience for Dudley on the few occasions that we've met than I have for Ron and the others."
"Going back to Ronald's Hufflepuff traits..." Zack suddenly sat up straighter. "As you just pointed out, he does have traits from all the houses... I think what might be blocking his progress is the stuff he's rejecting."
That's when it hit Harry. "We have to accept all aspects of our nature."
Luna confirmed with a nod. "We don't have to embrace and cultivate them all but we must at least accept that they are part of us if we wish to advance our magic."
"That means we need to accept that there are dark aspects as well as light ones in us all. I don't know if Ronald and his family will be able to accept that." Draco frowned.
"We have to find a way to help them." Harry sighed. "I'll ask Padfoot and Moony to bring it up with Molly and Arthur and maybe I can arrange to have a talk with some of them this summer."
The others all agreed and Harry followed Draco up to their room.
That night at dinner, Harry looked across the table at an unfamiliar face and frowned. He could've sworn the girl seated beside Ginny was a Hufflepuff. He shook his head and blinked when he saw the Gryffindor tie around her neck.
"Seeing things, Harry?" Susan asked as she passed by on her way to her table.
Luna giggled loudly at the Ravenclaw table and Ginny answered in kind, confusing Harry further.
The young lord sharpened his gaze and looked down the table. Most of the first year kids were missing but a few familiar faces were scattered through the great hall.
Colin and Dennis Creevey were sitting at the Hufflepuff table wearing black and yellow ties while this girl and a few others were wearing Gryffindor scarlet and gold ones.
The girl across from him smirked. "Cedric said this was a great second step. What do you think?"
"I love it." Harry chuckled. "I wish I could take part but it would be a little obvious."
She winked and went back to the chat she'd been having with her friend.
Harry's eyes went to his conspirators' and he smiled. With the others involved, the element of surprise had come into play and he couldn't wait to see what happened next.
Several weeks later...
Since it wasn't clearly against the Hogwarts charter, Harry had instituted a new tradition for those living in the Heir's Suite. Once per week, everyone would have breakfast there together.
Draco looked around as the others began to join them and sighed softly when they began talking amongst themselves.
"I get it, mate." Ron said as he sat down, leaving one chair empty between them for Harry.
Draco blinked.
"It's Valentine's Day." Ron nodded slowly. "I'm not happy we can't celebrate properly either."
Draco bit the inside of his cheek to keep from saying anything sarcastic. Nodding silently, he started to pile the food on his plate.
He knew it was for a good cause, but he couldn't help being disappointed that they couldn't do anything to celebrate. He'd wanted to go to the Mediterranean restaurant and order French chocolates for Harry. He wanted to visit his favourite spots in Hogsmeade and find a special place to hide and make out with his fiance. Suddenly, he heard a gasp and looked up.
Harry stood in the doorway dressed in black trousers with a green silk button up shirt and holding a rainbow of roses in his hands. He looked up from the bouquet and didn't even glance at anyone else as he walked around the table. "Did you really think I wouldn't do anything for our first Valentine's Day?"
Draco bit his lip to keep his composure. "I didn't know if I should bother to hope... with everything going on..."
"There's a table in our sitting room." Harry said quietly. "Won't you join me?"
"A private table for two?" Draco smirked. "I can hardly resist."
"Dobby will take your plate up." Harry replied as the dish and bouquet both disappeared.
They walked back up to their room hand in hand and, when they arrived, Draco's jaw loosened. "That wasn't there when I left!"
Where the couch usually sat, there was now a small table with two chairs and at the centre of the table sat a vase with his bouquet.
"More surprises await..." Harry replied mysteriously.
"There's more?" Draco asked softly.
Harry nodded once as he held Draco's chair for him. "After DADA, I have Creatures but then I have something set up for lunch."
"Oh?" Draco murmured as he dug in to his scrambled eggs.
"You see, when we didn't find anything new in Rowena's quarters, I went into her journal again and I found a hint at another secret in the castle..." Harry leaned forward. "It was something I had to ask Helena about."
"Colour me intrigued." Draco smirked.
"I haven't gone there yet as I was waiting for this day as my opportunity to take you with me for a Valentine's treat..." Harry said stringing him along.
"Do get on with it, Potter." Draco huffed. "As much as I enjoy a bit of anticipation, this is a bit over the top."
Harry chuckled but gave in. "The journal entry said that the seventh floor of the castle holds a magical trove of treasures that would appear for those who required it." He pulled out the journal and flipped to the page he'd marked with a scrap of parchment. "It was apparently something the other three thought of after Salazar left the school."
Draco scanned the page and found the words. "If you have to ask, you'll never know but if you know, you need only ask..."
"Unfortunately I did have to ask, but Helena was agreeable to letting me in on one of the family secrets." Harry told him. "There's a room there that is hidden until one asks for something."
"Like what?" Draco wondered.
"Dumbledore once told me he'd been in a remote part of the castle and suddenly needed a bathroom when a door appeared that was miraculously filled with toilets..." He suggested with a shrug. "Maybe that was it?"
"Hmm... very interesting..." Draco muttered, continuing with his meal.
"You is speaking about the Come and Go room!" Dobby peeked out from under the table. "It be useful for many things, Master Harry Potter, sir!"
"You know it?" Harry asked, eyes sparkling with mischief.
"The elvesies have been known to find cleaning supplies when the usual storage rooms are out!" Dobby said excitedly. "There be tales of students with forbidden objects looking for a place to hide them!"
"Harry!" Draco's eyes widened. "Think of the mayhem our rebellion could cause if we had access to that kind of magic!"
Harry nodded. "I'll meet you here after my Creatures class. We'll go find it."
Draco agreed and polished off the rest of his breakfast.
The time spent in class dragged on and the time spent while Harry had his Care of Creatures class was even worse because Blaise and Pansy were in that class with him.
Draco's choices consisted of visiting his godfather or hanging out with the Weasley twins and Uncle Severus had made it clear that they should only have one visit per week to hide his collusion.
"Bored?" A voice spoke from the doorway to the rest of the suite. It was George - which he knew because Harry had pointed out a small cluster of freckles that were slightly darker than Fred's.
"A bit." Draco sighed. "Harry has promised me an adventure and I'm impatient."
"Mmhmm." George nodded understandingly.
Fred poked his head into the room. "We totally get it."
"Wanna hear the latest news on the grapevine?" George asked.
"If it has anything to do with the rebellion, of course I do!" Draco frowned at them as he thought he heard Harry call his name.
"Draco?" Harry's voice called out again.
"What's going on? You're supposed to be out by the forest!" Draco called back.
"Have you heard?" Harry demanded as he entered the sitting area of their rooms.
"We were just about to tell him." Fred piped up.
Harry seemed to be fuming. "She's going to use her authority to evaluate the teachers!"
Draco's eyes widened.
"It's alright, everyone! Don't worry!" Luna reassured everyone,appearing out of nowhere. "With the escalation of hostilities on our part, she was bound to find a way to get back at us."
"But she's not getting back at us." Harry protested. "She's going after innocent parties!"
"Is she, Harry?" Luna asked airily. "Did Professor Flitwick not turn a blind eye the other night at dinner when he saw a first year Puff sit at the wrong table while wearing the wrong tie?"
Harry nodded.
"Did Professor Mcgonagall not give points back to a group of third years who'd lost them for walking out of the Library when the Headmistress entered it?" Luna pointed out. "And what about Professor Sinistra who pretended to misunderstand the Headmistress when she made a comment about how few fourth year students were attending meals lately?"
Harry frowned. "Even Professor Trelawney has gotten in on it by not predicting death as often as she used to."
"Yes." Luna nodded. "And since she doesn't know exactly what's going on or who is behind it, she's coming down on the teachers."
Draco looked at Harry. "We need that room."
"We need the room for many reasons." Luna agreed. "I know you had plans but I suggest you draft Fred and George to help find it and then we'll discover its secrets."
Harry sighed but took her advice and soon they were standing in the seventh floor corridor.
"Everyone, pick a section of wall and think of something you need." Draco directed them.
Dobby appeared beside his master and huffed. "Silly wizards should just ask someone who knows where the door is!"
"I didn't think of that." Harry was chagrined. "Dobby, would you please show us where the door is?"
Dobby nodded excitedly and popped himself down the hall to a tapestry depicting Barnabas the Barmy. With a snap of his fingers, a door appeared directly across from it.
"Oh good!" Luna's voice echoed from the stairwell. "Now that you've found it, we need to ask for a room with equipment for printing a newspaper!"
Harry didn't know what to make of his little cousin. He just followed along behind as she paced the hall three times and when she opened it, a newsroom had formed.
"Run along, now." She said as she shooed them all out. "A newsletter doesn't write itself, you know!"
Draco felt very put out. He'd been promised an adventure and cheated out of it.
Harry's arms wrapped around him slowly. "There's another surprise in your room."
"Really?" Draco asked, pouting.
Harry smiled, kissing his ear lobe. "A package from your mum arrived with a message to save it for this evening."
His mother's care package would contain chocolates! "Wait! This evening?" Draco scowled. "But it's only lunch!"
"That is what Lady Malfoy be saying." Dobby shrugged.
"Let's go for a walk. The grounds are beautiful right now." Harry cajoled.
Draco took him up on it and they strolled the halls side by side because one of the newer rules forbade public physical contact with anyone other than blood relatives.
When the evening arrived, the young couple went back to their suite and had a cuddle before opening the package from Draco's mother which turned out to be take out boxes from the Mediterranean restaurant with a box of french chocolates for dessert.
"She apparently read my mind. I'll have to send a note of thanks." Draco was touched. That's when he noticed the time and hurriedly grabbed his things. "Shoot! Astronomy Class!! Wait up for me?"
"Of course!" Harry shouted after him.
When Draco returned Harry had the bed set up for bundling and Draco joined him for the night.
The musical instruments Marietta mentions are real. The Pan Flute, Skalmejen, Tagelharpa, and Lyre were traditional instruments in Scandinavian culture. Google them for a visual.
Paraphrased Helena's word to Harry in The Deathly Hallows part 2.