Rowena was already in the laboratory when Godric arrived. She once more sat at the same workstation where she had been working on their rings, except this time she had different books strewn about and bits of parchment everywhere. Ismanna lay in a loose coil around her, careful not to get in Rowena's way.

Walking over to the ward stone, Godric stared up at the castle and ran his hand over the statue. His fingers itched for the makeshift sword he had created to go through his stances, but Rowena had been there first and he didn't want to distract her too badly.

Perhaps he could go to the Room of Requirements instead. Maybe he could use the paints there. He grinned. He could paint Helga, guarding the goals, utterly focused in her first Quidditch game of the year. Or Rowena like this, the thrill of unravelling whatever mystery lay before her. Perhaps one of Ismanna, wrapped around the other three, a look of utter besottment on her face as she stared at Helga. Or maybe Salazar, concentration on his face as he tried to conjure a patronus and only creating a barrier of white.

Lupin had seemed surprised that Salazar had gotten a reaction first, followed quickly by Harry who had asked to join when he heard where they were going and why. Harry had even suggested using a boggart on him, as his fear was a dementor.

Helga cut Harry's suggestion down and Salazar said that it would only be acceptable if they were all able to cast the spell and produce the barrier at minimum. Lupin had seemed amused and had agreed to the terms. As they could all now cast the white shield, the professor suggested they could try the boggart after the Holiday break, providing they all agreed.

Godric turned to head out of the laboratory, but he caught sight of Rowena and actually looked . She seemed to be a bit harried and almost ready to tear her hair out. Seemed she needed a moment to step back and reassess.

He walked over to the dozing Ismanna. The soft words coming from Rowena got louder as he drew nearer, though they hardly made sense to him the way she stringed them together. He stroked the great snake's scales near her tail and asked, "Might I have a lift, Iss?"

Rowena kept murmuring and barely seemed to recognize he had entered the laboratory, but Ismanna helpfully lifted her tail up to eye level in an almost lazy move, which Godric gripped. Ismanna raised him up and over her large body quite easily, and dropped him on the other side with Rowena. She let out a soft hiss, but otherwise didn't move, apparently still a bit tired from her recent Acromantula meal.

"How's it going, Ro?"

"A puzzle within a puzzle within a puzzle, it seems like," Rowena muttered, the tail end of her quill running over the words in one of the books. "When Helga and I went up to check on Samuel, I could still sense our original wards and spells on him, but others had been added on top and then woven together to create one giant knot of spellwork.

"Looking at it initially one wouldn't see the tied mess it's become because one wouldn't be able to see the foundation. However..."

"As you were the one to cast the base yourself, you can see it for what it is."

Rowena sighed and leaned backwards. "Yes. It's no wonder Samuel is so tired all the time. With the sheer amount of magic done upon him..." Rowena ran a hand across her face and over her eyes. "I may know what has been done to him, but we did not have enough time to write which ones were entangled with what and where. There's not much I can do without Samuel present and that's not even taking into consideration what -"

"Why not get him, then?"

She blinked at him. "What?"

Godric tilted his head and rested his hip against the table, reaching over and gesturing to all her work. "You're brilliant, Ro, but without a reference you would be guessing at what you should try first. And if I know you, you are coming up with multiple first steps in the very likely option that you missed something or Helga couldn't jot something down fast enough."

"There's just... so much on him. I don't even know where to start. Removing one spell that's been bound to another can cause a chain reaction that could cause them to react negatively."

"Explosion?"

"Possibly, and that would definitely cause a stir coming from the Headmaster's Office."

"So it seems my idea has some merit."

"Yes, but how do we create a duplicate that wouldn't cause the Headmaster to notice his absence?"

Godric shrugged. "Ro, Dumbledore doesn't even pay attention to Samuel. Just put... you know what, hold on." He reached out for a blank parchment, transfigured it first into leather and then finally into a replica of Samuel. "There. Done. Bob!"

A grizzled old house-elf with a scowl on his face appeared before them. "Yes, Sir Gody?"

Rowena covered her mouth and tried to keep a giggle to herself. But Godric heard. And he tried valiantly to ignore her.

"Please make sure this hat remains intact, replace Samuel with it, and bring him here. And please bring paint supplies as well."

"Yes, Sir Gody." And he disappeared.

"Sir Gody?"

"Oh, hush, Ro."

- - - - Founders - - - -

"That was horrid." Hermione whispered as she, Harry, and Godric settled into the corner of the crowded Common Room. "I can't believe he even got in."

"I'm surprised Harry didn't attack him with the patronus charm," said Godric.

Harry looked unimpressed. "Why would that even be the first thing that I would think to do?"

"We've been practicing it with Professor Lupin." Godric narrowed his eyes and stared at the boy. "Have you not been practicing outside of that time?"

"Am I supposed to?"

"Why wouldn't you? It's a great attack spell, causing a surprise for those who have to fight it."

Hermione nodded. "I didn't think of that, but it's a good thought. I'm surprised you didn't use the Expelliarmus Spell."

Harry shrugged. "I couldn't get to my wand in time."

"What!?" The two jolted at Godric's harsh word and a few of the kids nearby stopped to stare before Godric glared at them and they hurried past them to another part of the common room.

Harry explained, slowly, "I couldn't get to my wand in time. It wasn't in reach."

"Why not?"

"I put it on the desk."

Godric pinched his nose. "Harry."

"... Yes?"

"Remember first year, how you had a bit of a professor problem and last year you had a bludger chasing problem along with people being petrified?"

"Right."

"And you find out that someone is after you and you don't have your wand near you at all times?"

"Isn't that a bit..." Hermione's words quieted when Godric's attention turned to her. "He can't be worried all the time, Ric."

"I didn't say that. I said that having a wand on you or at hand at all times is the safest bet. It's not paranoia to be prepared, but smart and forward thinking." Godric leaned against the wall, as the sixth and seventh years had taken all the chairs and couches. "They're all going to be upset," Godric muttered under his breath, and Harry apparently heard him.

"Well," he glanced at Godric. "You don't have to tell Tracey, right?"

Godric blinked before a yawn broke his concentration. Once he could speak he asked, "And why wouldn't I tell Sal?"

"Because she would tell her parents and I don't want to worry Heath and Serena."

"Of course she would," Hermione said. "And of course they would worry."

"Nothing happened. There's no point in telling them."

Harry twiddled his fingers, a set look on his face and Godric groaned. He hoped the noise in the common room from all the other children covered the sound.

It didn't, as both Harry and Hermione looked at him.

Leaning forward, Godric flicked Harry on the forehead a bit harsher than he meant, judging by the yelp and the glare from the boy. "Families are supposed to worry about you. You have an escaped convict after you that is determined to get to you." Godric frowned. Black had let a huge chance slip him by. He could have easily killed Harry and knocked out the other boys if he had wanted to.

Yet he hadn't.

Godric needed to let the other three know. He covered his ring with his hand, but didn't send a message, instead twirling it around in thought. It was far too late and he wouldn't be able to meet them anyway. He glanced around before focusing on Ronald, whose angry attention was focused on Harry and Hermione.

Ronald was angry at Hermione because her cat Crookshanks had started chasing his rat and Scabbers had disappeared. He was angry at Harry because... well, Ronald was a jealous prat and was upset because Black had made it into the room, all because he was after Harry.

It was a good thing so many witnesses were around or the redhead probably would have done... something and Godric was too tired and wouldn't have been able to filter his words. Or temper his actions.

"Ric?"

Godric jumped and grinned sheepishly at Hermione, his leg bouncing. "Sorry, just thinking. Anyway, Sal will know before I even send word."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "How?"

"Really?" He gestured to the entirety of the buzzing room, filled with all ages of Gryffindor students. "The Fat Lady is gone, refusing to return to her portrait. The boys in your dorm have already told everyone here who will surely tell all of their friends in other houses which means..." he stretched the word out and Harry sighed.

"That the news will be around Hogwarts and she'll know."

"Exactly. Except you should tell Sal anyway, even if you're not the first to share the news with him." Godric's eyes widened slightly, but the two hadn't seemed to catch his slip.

"What? Why? She'll already know!"

"Let's say, for a moment, that Hermione was attacked."

Harry nodded.

"You hear about it from someone else and you worry, but when you see her she acts completely normal and doesn't tell you. How would you feel?"

"That she doesn't want to talk about it?"

Godric glanced over at Hermione, whose attention had been on Godric with narrowed eyes, but when he gestured she tried explaining to the boy, "You need to tell family these things, Harry. They care about you, they deserve to hear it from you, not from someone else who wasn't even there."

Harry nodded slowly, as if he still didn't quite understand, which was most likely the case. Understanding came after seeing it first hand, though being told multiple times should help. "Does that mean I have to be the one to tell Heath and Serena?"

"Talk with Sal first. Come up with a plan as she knows them best and then enact it. Simple." Godric yawned and stood. He stretched an arm over his head as he walked towards the stairs to the dormitory, sleep shorts and tank top rising with his movements as he waved a hand at the other two. "Right, I'm off to bed."

"How can you sleep after that?"

He had taken two steps upwards when he turned back, confusion on his face at the two baffled looks he was receiving - no, from the majority of the house. "Black can't get back in. No one to give the password to. Plus the entire castle is on alert, he'd get caught before he even got close to the entrance." Godric spoke slowly, but most of the children still seemed confused. Finally he shrugged and left to go to bed, "I'm tired. I'm going to bed. The escaped convict won't be back tonight. Harry, tell Sal or I will. And neither of us will be happy if I do."

"Which 'us' is she referring to? Her and Tracey, or me and Ric?"

Godric never did hear Hermione's answer as he was too far away. At least Harry finally listened and started calling him Ric.