5th year: I Am Godric Gryffindor
The train ride to Kings Cross Station had gone about as well as Godric had expected: Hermione had started asking questions as soon as the compartment door shut.
Rowena and Helga happily answered her questions. When Hermione had turned to Godric, history book in hand and opened on the information about him, she asked him how much of it was correct. Godric looked down at the text about his 'life' and couldn't stop his lip from curling. All they had gotten correct were that his birth family were non magicals, that he used a sword, and that he was friends with the others. Everything else: wrong.
He had taken a deep breath and shook his head, biting back the harsh comment on his tongue. Hermione had seemed surprised and taken aback, but Helga had neatly dragged the girl back into a conversation with her and Rowena. When Harry tried to speak with Godric and the man hadn't answered, Harry quietly turned to Salazar and started their own conversation.
Godric spent the rest of the ride home staring out the window. The hand gripping his trousers tightened and loosened repeatedly as his mind ran through the last moment Tom had been in front of him.
Laughing, jeering, unbelieving. Godric had been so close to stopping the man. Had been merely a second off. And not for the first time, Godric found himself loathing the new body he had been given.
The train jolted to a stop and everyone grabbed their belongings to merge into the crowd. Salazar tilted his head in question and Godric let out a soft sigh before running a hand through his hair. Eventually he shrugged and his best friend nodded.
"I will see you all later this summer," Godric murmured and he glanced at Hermione and Harry. "And I apologize for being snappish. I'll answer your questions later, Hermione. Just don't give me that book, I really will scratch all the incorrect details out."
A few people jostled past them as Hermione clutched her book to her chest, eyes wide and almost tearing up. "Are all of your stories wrong?"
Godric shrugged. "Mostly. It holds an abhorrent amount of incorrect facts."
Hermione nodded before she thrust the book into his arms, but the sound of Dani calling out, "Ric!" interrupted whatever the girl had wanted to say. They all turned and saw Dani hurrying towards them. Helga and Rowena's names were also heard from different parts of the platform. Soon their group separated, promising to send messages over the summer.
Godric, Salazar, Harry, and Hermione walked towards his mother.
Dani wrapped her arms around Godric and kissed the top of his head. She nodded to the other three, her smile waned. "Come on, Ric, let's go."
Allowing himself to be led away, Godric looked back at Salazar who was eyeing Godric's mother with curiosity. The small dragon toy raised its head to watch along. Godric shook his head and sent his best friend a message that he'll figure out what's going on and let him know. Before they disappeared from sight, Salazar glanced down at his ring, lips pursed, but he gave a nod and began leading the other two to a different part of the station.
The two wove around reuniting families. Godric's eyes narrowed in consideration as he studied his mother. She looked tense as they left the station and went towards the car. She barely had greeted Salazar and the other two. She didn't stay to find and talk with the other parents.
As Dani unlocked the car, Godric placed his belongings in the backseat within easy reach instead of the boot. Dani noticed, but said nothing. Her eyes fluttered quickly and the pulse in her neck jumped almost frantically.
"Mum, are you ok?"
"I'm fine, Ric. Just nervous. That man... dark lord? That took you... I'm just... nervous." The inflection of her voice matched what Godric knew, but still, something felt off. The tension he felt skyrocketed when they started in the opposite direction than their home.
"Where are we going?" Godric sat up straighter, his hand falling to land over the ring, twisting it around and around.
"A safehouse."
"In London?"
"Yes, in London."
She handed a piece of a paper over to Godric and he hesitated before reaching out and taking it from her hand. He smoothed it open and read:
The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London.
Dani slid the car to a stop in front of some tall townhouses.
"We're here."
Godric exited the car with his mom and grabbed his items from the back seat. The sound of traffic behind him grated on his nerves, the scent of smog lay thick in the air, and the cobblestone rumbled under his feet from the traffic.
Dani came around and quickly hooked her arm over Godric's shoulder. Together they walked towards the gate and Godric froze at the feeling of the heavy wards. He stepped backwards and looked at his mother.
"Why are we here?"
"To protect you, Ric. Come inside, please."
"Protect me from what?" His tone shortened. Dani's eyes narrowed.
"From what? From what?" Her voice dropped and she stood in front of Godric, upset and furious, her eyes blazing as much as his. "You went up against dragons and a snake and a maze that had man-eating creatures. I could live with that because you chose to do those things. I trust you.
"But Ric, you were kidnapped from the school grounds and sent directly to a graveyard. To where a Dark Lord was waiting for you. Expecting you." She dropped her voice lower as two people came closer to them on the sidewalk. "This place is a sanctuary where you can be safe until Hogwarts starts up again. I have half a mind not to let you go back."
Godric took another step back, nostrils flaring and Dani ran a hand through her hair.
"I won't. I know how much that school means to you, and your friends. I won't take them away from you, but I am so, so tempted to if it means you are kept safe. I'd keep you wrapped in bubble wrap and hide you away. But this man," she stepped closer and reached for Godric. He flinched away from her, "I've been told that if he has someone in his sights he doesn't just let them go."
"I'll still go to Hogwarts?" He asked, eyes narrowing.
"Yes."
He looked up at the house and studied the wards that felt like a prison. He pursed his lips and walked through the front gate, shuddering as he passed through into the warded area. He and Dani went to the door and she knocked.
Both flinched and stepped backwards as loud shouting echoed from inside of the house. A man cursing back had them both grinning as they looked at each other.
Godric asked, "You sure they're expecting us?"
"Yes, I'm sure."
Asking if they had the right house didn't cross his mind as the amount of wards on the building gave the answer away. Still. They waited for a few minutes, Godric shifting his weight from foot to foot.
Finally the door opened and Godric immediately stepped in front of his mother, drew his wand, and stunned the man. "We have to go." Godric stepped backwards, his mother following his lead.
"Miss Dunbar," the familiar voice had Godric glancing away from the fallen man, but only enough to keep both Black and Dumbledore in his sights, "I believe there has been a misunderstanding. Sirius Black is innocent. Please come inside and we can discuss this and I will overlook the use of underage magic."
Dani sighed in relief and squeezed Godric's arm. He grit his teeth and sent a burst of magic into his ring: Dumbledore interfered.
- - - - Bonus Scene - Salazar - - - -
Salazar sat crossed legged as Harry did the same beside him. They were situated on Harry's bedroom floor, sitting with their backs against his bed for support. While Salazar sat still - his chin perpendicular to the floor, his spine straight, his body relaxed, and the toy dragon perched on his knee - Harry fidgeted, huffed, twitched, sagged only for the boy to straighten once more, with his eyes closed tightly. Rinse, repeat, ad nauseum. Salazar kept his voice low and soothing when he told the boy, "Calm your mind."
Harry groaned in frustration. "How?" His head fell back to bounce against the mattress. "I can't stop thinking. Then I have an itch. And all I can think of is that itch that I'm not allowed to move to scratch!"
The laughter was heartfelt and Harry's eyes flew open to stare at his adopted sibling. The sudden movement jarred the little dragon from its resting spot and it flew in small circles until it settled down once again. Salazar's eyes sparkled with mirth when he tried to explain, "There's your problem; you don't stop thinking. Not thinking is impossible. Anyone that tells you otherwise is either an imbecile or doesn't know what they're talking about. To calm or clear one's mind, you simply focus on something soothing - the water in the Black Lake or the wind in your hair when you're flying - instead of trying to think of nothing. The moment you try to think of nothing, your mind fills it with everything. The brain is not an idle muscle. It must be flexed and worked often."
"Oh," Harry huffed, "I can do that."
"I know you can," Salazar agreed. Harry was openly staring at Salazar and the man finally asked, "What is it?"
"It's just… you haven't laughed like that since last summer." Harry shrugged. "Makes me wonder if there was anything more going on than Crouch and the Tournament."
"Hmm... no. Crouch and the Tournament was enough to keep us occupied. It was the first day of classes," Salazar shrugged, "when I made eye contact with Crouch. I didn't mean to catch hold of some of his memories."
"When you disarmed him?"
"Shortly before," Salazar admitted. "I had nightmares courtesy of those memories. One of them, more so than the others. It was Tom, holding Crouch Jr. under the Cruciatus. It is a painful curse. I hope never to experience it first hand. Experiencing the curse through his memory was bad enough."
"You knew all year that there was something off with the man and didn't do anything to stop him?" Harry asked incredulously.
"What could I have done?" Salazar asked. "How do you believe I could have stopped him? Tell a staff member? Because that's worked well in the past." Salazar sighed softly and stared at his hands while he admitted, "We told Snape that 'Moody' enjoyed the Cruciatus too much, but otherwise... no one would believe us and we had no proof that he was doing anything that wasn't already approved by Dumbledore. Just our suspicions."
Harry huffed and nodded. "We told McGonagall first year about the stone, she didn't believe us."
"To be fair, you were wrong about which professor was after the stone," Salazar said.
"Is there anything Ric doesn't tell you?" Harry huffed, half amused, half frustrated.
"Not really." Salazar shrugged before he smirked. "And if there is, I wouldn't know."
Harry opened his mouth, raised his finger, and paused. The boy's mouth snapped shut and Salazar raised an eyebrow in question. Harry huffed. "Yeah, I guess you wouldn't." He frowned in thought and asked, "Do you tell Ric everything?"
"Mostly," Salazar admitted, "but if it's a secret, especially one that isn't mine to share, and I'm asked not to... no, I don't tell a soul."
"Okay." Harry nodded. The boy peered at Salazar and said, "So, I figured out why you didn't want Hermione, Luna, and me in on the prank last year."
The statement took Salazar by surprise, but the man relented, "Oh? I... have to admit, I forgot about that."
"It's because Moody was really a Death Eater," Harry stated.
"That's exactly right." Salazar sighed softly, while he distractedly stroked the dragon's smooth scales. "The man was already given permission to use magic against students, who's to say he wouldn't take advantage of that and seriously hurt someone. While I was concerned for the others, you three getting hurt because of one of my pranks..." Salazar shook his head. "It would have devastated me."
- - - - End Bonus Scene - Salazar - - - -
Grimmauld Place belonged to Sirius Black. A murderer. A member of the Order. Allowed to walk free. The man who had taken to stalking Godric. Bugging him constantly about Harry.
The first time he had seen the man, Godric had cursed Black. Dumbledore had explained that the man had been innocent of the Potters' death. Conveniently leaving out that he had killed Pettigrew. And seeing as his mother had been relieved not to be under the same roof as a murderer, Godric hadn't corrected him, seeing how he shouldn't have known.
Godric had been doing well dodging Black and his inquisition about Harry. At first he had worked on the book Hermione had given him. He went through, taking pleasure in blacking out incorrect sections. He carefully worked through the founders pages, shaking his head. Helga's was the least touched, followed by his own, Rowena's, and finally Salazar's. He supposed the reason his seemed untouched was that his section was also the shortest. Godric wasn't all that surprised as he had no family left alive that remembered him, and that was how most of the more personal stories were passed down.
Thankfully, he didn't grow bored as a few days later some of the Weasleys visited. The father, Arthur Weasley, the two eldest sons, William and Charlie - though they did not stay long - and the twin menaces. Molly had stayed behind with both Ronald and Ginevra. No one mentioned Percy so he didn't ask. Godric had been using the twin menaces as an excuse to ignore Black. Their father seemed amused and slightly terrified that he got along with them while Dani had been ecstatic.
The twins, for their part, had been happy to see him. Immediately explaining they came because they wanted a reprieve from their mother - who, apparently, still could not tell them apart.
There was also Lupin who came for a few of the 'meetings' and when the man was there, Black was sufficiently distracted.
Godric did what he could to communicate via ring with the other three. When he tried to send a letter he soon found out that he could not send it without someone else reading the contents first.
"You must know Harry."
He had been making his way down the hallway to meet the twins when Black caught him and Godric reached the end of his patience.
Godric turned to face Black, the man's shaggy hair lying limply around his shoulders. He looked gaunt, pale, and sickly. He looked at Godric with wide, pleading eyes.
"What right do you have to ask about him?"
"He's my godson."
"You left him."
"To go after the person who murdered his parents!" Black stepped forward, voice rising in a shout.
"And you failed," Godric hissed, falling into a defensive position in case Black tried anything.
Black stiffened and stared at him, "What?"
"You didn't accomplish what you set out to do and got caught in the process. You were put in prison. You could have gone to the authorities and told them that you were not the Secret Keeper. Agreed to take Veritaserum. Had everyone on the lookout for Peter. You would have gone home with Harry. But you didn't. Instead, Harry had to grow up without you. Do you honestly think he'll want anything to do with you? You didn't escape for Harry. You escaped to finish what you started."
"Peter deserved to die."
"And Harry deserved his godfather. But now he has a family and he doesn't need you. Don't beg for information." His lips curled as he repeated, "You escaped Azkaban not for Harry, but for revenge. Don't go changing now that you finally accomplished your goal. You could have left the prison years earlier and gone to Harry, but you didn't."
"I..." Black shook his head, but his eyes narrowed on Godric. "You aren't upset that I actually killed him?"
"Why should I be?"
"I planned it. Premeditated."
Godric shrugged. "He was the reason your best friend and his wife died. If I knew who killed my best friend I would have done far worse."
"You're fifteen," Godric didn't correct him, "you don't know what you would do."
Godric raised an eyebrow, but didn't respond. Helga and Rowena hadn't told him which town Salazar had gone to for a reason. So instead, he had turned to what he had been best at: fighting.
But it wasn't for something as glorified as avenging anyone or dignified as protecting anyone. He didn't know who had killed Salazar, and Helga and Rowena had been killed by something he couldn't defeat. He went to war so he could feel something besides nothing. To be able to breathe and not feel like he was choking. To escape the blackness that had swallowed him, but no matter how hard he clawed or fought, he hadn't been able to.
He failed, no matter how many people he felled and covered the land in red.
He found peace, at last, when he let his hand stop and didn't raise his sword to block that final blow.
"Don't reach out to Harry. The only thing he needs from you is for you to leave him be." Godric walked backwards, keeping the man in his sights until he turned the corner.
Black didn't follow him.
- - - - Bonus Scene - Salazar - - - -
Hermione was over for a week's visit once again. Harry and Hermione had been sitting quietly on the floor in Harry's bedroom practicing their occlumency when Salazar announced from the bedroom door, "We're going to make some soup." When neither of them moved, Salazar clapped his hands twice to gain their attention. "Let's go. Into the kitchen with you two."
Hermione didn't hesitate before hopping up. "Come on, Harry. It'll be fun."
"Fun?" Harry picked himself up off his floor. "How is cooking fun?"
"Because we're doing it together." Hermione waved a negligent hand. "Besides, I'm curious as to what Sal is up to."
"Sal?" Salazar asked the girl. He leaned against Harry's door jamb, arms crossed in a relaxed position. "I'm Sal now?"
Hermione looked at him wide eyed. "I just thought… I mean, but… is it... okay?"
Salazar chuckled. "Yes, Hermione. It's fine."
Harry rolled his eyes at him, as Hermione sagged in relief, and reprimanded Salazar, "Stop giving her a heart attack."
Salazar smirked and led them into the kitchen where there were various items already out on the counter: vegetables, pots, spices, bullion, measuring spoons and measuring cups, spoons, and knives.
Hermione's eyes lit up and she was bouncing on the balls of her feet. "See, Harry? This is going to be fun."
Harry stood in the middle of the room and stared in horror at the display before him. "You're going to make me brew."
"Soup is not a potion, we're cooking," Salazar clarified. "You're an excellent cook, yet you can't brew?"
"I can…" Harry hesitated then shrugged. "Hermione's better."
"Hermione has skill," Salazar agreed, "but she lacks talent." Hermione bit her lip and he shook his head. "Do not take that as an insult, for it wasn't meant as one. You can follow a recipe very well, that is skill. You cannot deviate from the recipe without dire consequence, because that takes talent."
"Oh." Hermione tilted her head in thought and finally nodded. "I see."
"Harry," Salazar prompted. The boy looked away from the vegetables and to Salazar while he asked, "Let's say you've made a soup, but it's a bit bland: what do you do?"
"Add seasoning."
"What would you add?"
"What sort of soup is it?"
"Vegetable."
"Parsley, bay leaf, thyme… I'm guessing there's already salt and pepper?"
"Yes."
"If that doesn't give it enough flavor, there's wine… or Worcestershire sauce."
"That," Salazar said to Hermione, "takes talent."
"But that's cooking," Harry countered.
"What would you do if you accidently put too much salt into the soup?"
"Add a potato. They're rather bland and it would balance… but this is cooking!" Harry reiterated when Salazar smiled triumphantly.
"Yes, and brewing is cooking with different types of ingredients." Salazar stated, "If you could learn what potions ingredients could react like the potato for your potions, or how to spice up a potion, you'd be unstoppable."
"Snape would have to stop picking on your potions at least, Harry." Hermione said, "It could be worth a try."
"Flobberworm," Salazar said.
"What?" the two asked in unison, both looking utterly confused.
"For potions, flobberworm is usually safe enough to add to a potion to keep it from exploding and being ruined."
"You can be so weird sometimes," Harry said with a chuckle.
Salazar shrugged. "I've been called worse."
- - - - Salazar - - - -
Their Hogwarts letters had arrived while Harry was busy cooking breakfast. Salazar paused while setting the table to accept them, giving the owls rashers so they'd go away. He was staring at the envelopes when Harry started to bring food to the table and asked, "Is something wrong?"
"No." Salazar handed Harry his letter then proceeded to open his own. When nothing happened, the man sighed in relief.
Harry frowned and admitted, "I'd have thought he'd make you a Prefect."
Salazar sat in his usual chair, setting his envelope down on the table with his letter so he could focus on something more than his relief. "Absolutely not. Although, to be fair, it was a concern." Salazar sent a wave of magic towards the door to dampen any sound from within the kitchen and told Harry, "Snape knows who we are. I was worried he'd feel as if he should give me the prefect badge because of that knowledge. I'm rather relieved he didn't."
"Why wouldn't you want it?" Harry asked as he sat down in his own seat. "I thought it was supposed to be some prestigious thing. Isn't your house known for being ambitious?"
"The badge itself means very little, the responsibility that goes along with it is what those in my house crave. Yes, they are ambitious and cunning. They are young, eager children. They have a future to plan for and being a prefect or, better yet, Head Boy or Girl would look good on one's CV." Salazar frowned at the envelope as he struggled to make his little brother understand. He slid his fingers over the parchment as he said, "I have lived my life. In my soul, I'm old. Older than our parents. I had two wonderful boys. I have no more ambitions than to safeguard our school from Tom and then... perhaps..." Salazar chuckled as he realized, "I don't truly know what my future holds or if I will have one. There is the distinct possibility that I will forget everything once Tom is gone. It is highly possible that I only have my memories until the danger is dealt with."
Harry shook his head. "That's kind of sad."
"Perhaps it is." Salazar shrugged. "Perhaps it is time's way of balancing life. We aren't technically supposed to be reborn. Life doesn't usually work that way."
"I hope you don't forget."
"I won't forget you."
"You better not." Harry smiled. His smile dimmed when he looked at his own Hogwarts letter. "I think you'd be great-"
"Good morning, Mum," Salazar interrupted Harry.
"Morning, Serena." Harry smiled at the woman, then stood up to get the rest of the food on the table.
"Morning, my darlings." Serena sat down to pour tea and noted, "Oh your letters. It's about time for more shopping."
Salazar joined Harry at the stove and told him, "Thank you for your considerate words, or what I assume would have been kind words. It's something best not to think upon. Though to be fair, I'm surprised you weren't made a prefect."
Harry transferred the porridge into a bowl and grinned. "I'd be happier with quidditch captain once Angelina graduates."
- - - - End Bonus Scene - Salazar - - - -
Godric padded into the kitchen, yawning. For the past month he hadn't been sleeping well. He maybe, at most, only got about four hours of sleep a night. Plagued by nightmares, the boggarts voice - his voice - echoed in his head. He knew his friends were alive, but four years of being around them, being able to talk to them... the lack of contact was slowly eating away at his sanity.
Whenever one of them responded, he could hear Salazar's candid response, see Rowena's eyebrow tick upwards, and almost feel the touch of Helga's hand on his shoulder. He shuddered and reminded himself he only had two weeks to go until the 1st of September.
The sun hadn't risen and he had about two and a half hours before the first person would rise for the day. Godric had avoided the room for the most part as that tended to be where everyone congregated. Whenever a meeting occurred, Snape would appear and Godric was nearly desperate for an actual conversation that he almost dragged the other man into the library. However, that would end up bringing up far too many questions so Godric had restrained himself and instead learned what he could about the group.
The Order of the Phoenix, a name for those who were going up against Tom. His lip twitched and he sent, You-Vol-Tom , through the ring. He chuckled at his own terrible joke. It was probably too early to send messages to the others, but he did so anyway, hoping that he didn't wake anyone up.
Shaking his head, Godric grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and bit into the sweet morsel and happily hummed.
The extent of information he had gleaned from the meetings - the menaces had created something called Extendable Ears which Rowena would find fascinating - had been that the group had stationed themselves somewhere in the ministry to guard a weapon of some sort. When they got back to school he and the others could ask Snape about it, but until then Godric's mind wondered what sort of weapon needed protecting .
Bored, he began to poke through the cabinets to see if anything interesting had been stored in them. He had already gone through the top cabinets a few days before and found nothing, but he would not be deterred so he began hunting through the bottom ones. He made it through half of them before he froze.
His eyes widened and he carefully moved over two cabinets. He held out his hand, fingers inches from the wood. His focus narrowed strictly onto the door and the contents inside.
Enchantments, not human ones, weaved around the door to dilute the magical aura that held Godric's attention. Nothing, though, to keep someone out. He moved his hand to the side and a cloth flew into his palm, which he transfigured into a thick glove to put on.
He gripped the handle and opened the cabinet.
Inside he found a nest. A tattered blanket spread about the bottom of the little room belonging to the house elf Kreacher, who spent most of his time in the rooms upstairs. Using his gloved hand, he began slowly digging about, a headache forming through the concentration he needed to use to find whatever lurked in the cabinet.
There.
A locket. A... familiar locket. "Seanair Eanraig?" He asked softly under his breath as he held out his hand and another, thicker cloth flew into his waiting palm. He transfigured it into a pouch. He reached in, grabbed the locket with the bag, and flipped it inside out so he never actually touched the item. He felt the presence of the house elf, throwing up a shield in time to stop whatever the house elf had thrown at him.
"What is filthy half-blood doing?!" Kreacher's voice screeched from behind him.
Godric cringed at the volume and turned around, sending his magic down to surround the bag. "I'm sorry, but this shouldn't be here."
"Do not takes Master's locket!" The elf's eyes narrowed and the finger came up to point at Godric.
Godric slipped into a defensive stance, small bag held tightly in one hand, and his wand slipping into the other. "It needs to be destroyed, Kreacher, and I will not sit idly by when I can do something about it!"
Kreacher froze, wide eyes landing on the man, finger trembling. "Destroy? You cans destroy it?"
Godric didn't lower his wand and he started edging to the door. "Not the locket itself," he murmured, "but whatever is affecting it, yes."
"Will Miss let Kreacher watch?"
The abrupt change from angry to hopeful caught Godric off guard. He paused his movement towards the exit, but didn't drop his stance. "I will not be able to do anything here. And I do not know if you can go where it will happen. And it's Sir, not Miss."
The ears drooped. "Master asked for Kreacher to destroy. Kreacher has failed."
"Master?"
"Regulus. Master died getting vile thing. Ordered Kreacher to destroy." He stepped forward, eyes wide and watery. He didn't seem to notice the wand pointed at him. "You swears you can destroy vile thing?"
Godric could hear only sincerity in his voice and Godric nodded, "I vow that it will be done."
The sheer relief in the house elf's face could not be faked and tears started rolling down his face. "Thank you," Kreacher only hesitated before saying, "Sir. Thank you."
Godric nodded before asking, "Will you stop calling my mother the -"
Kreacher bowed lowly, "Sir's Mother is now Sir's Mother. Kreacher will apologize when Kreacher sees her next. Thank you, Sir. Thank you."
"Kreacher, may I call another house elf here?"
Kreacher snapped upright and shook his head, "No, but maybes... For keeping vile thing safe until destroyed, Kreacher can?"
"Yes."
The creature nodded, snapped his finger and said, "Two minutes."
Godric quickly snapped out, "Bob!"
His personal house elf appeared before him. Bob stared at Kreacher warily and eyed the house with disgust. "Master has called Bob?"
"Yes. Remember where we kept Ro's possession until we fixed it?" Bob nodded. Godric held out the bag and said, "Be careful with this. Do not touch what is inside and keep it in the room securely."
"Yes, Master, it will be done. Will the house be cleaned?"
Kreacher straightened and glared. "Kreacher will see to it."
Bob took the bag, glared at Kreacher, and popped away.
Godric took a moment before sending another message via ring: Found another.
Kreacher wiped his eyes and gave a frightening smile to Godric. "Kreacher will clean now. Thank you, Sir." And he, too, left.
Godric leaned against the counter, running a hand over his face and letting out a tired sigh. Sound from outside the kitchen caught his attention and his eyes widened. He sent his magic out. He cursed as he felt the two familiar auras.
His ring warmed and he glanced down. Another?
He responded with: Diary
Moments stretched out before: Will call others
Godric stood straight and walked to the door. Immediately two arms hooked through his, and Godric was frog marched to his own room. They went in and the door closed behind the three of them with a snick. Fred and George stared at him. Godric stood his ground and placed his hands on his hips. If they thought he'd start the conversation, they had better be prepared to wait.
"So we were working,"
"As we do,"
"This morning. And got a bit thirsty."
"But imagine our surprise when we weren't the only ones up."
"And having such an interesting conversation with the hateful house elf."
Godric sighed and rubbed his face. "And how much did you hear?" This did not bode well. He had no ability in the mind arts. Salazar had told him in their previous life that he held no affinity towards that specific kind of magic. Just enough to keep his thoughts to himself unless dealing with someone with the ability to bypass them or if he was thinking too loudly.
"You have a personal house elf which is odd as your Mum's a muggle."
"My father was a wizard," Godric countered.
"And there's a locket that needs to be destroyed."
"Jewelry can be destroyed." That seemed reasonable at least. He might be reaching, but it could be excused.
"That Kreacher, a house elf, could not destroy himself."
Bugger.
"But you can. And already fixed something that belonged to your friend Ro."
"An item that Regulus Black, Sirius Black's brother, had died to retrieve. The brother who Sirius swears was a Death Eater."
"So the item can't be any good."
"Which begs the question on why he wanted the item destroyed."
Of course they heard all that. The one time he had to focus on something that he couldn't spare any attention to see if anyone else was around. He either had terrible luck, or the menaces had abhorrently good luck. Perhaps a mixture of both.
The other three would kill him.
"And if I tell you to bugger off, that it's none of your business?" Godric raised an eyebrow.
"Then we'll continue to pester you and Sal."
"And Helga and Ro."
Of course they would. "I can't explain here," Godric finally said. "as it isn't just my story to tell."
"Ro?"
He nodded. "In part. Can you behave the next few weeks before school starts?"
The two looked at each other before facing him. Intelligent eyes and curious minds did not work in Godric's favor on their patience.
However, they did nod, but he knew they would be keeping an eye on him for the rest of summer.
"Beginning of school."
"Or we'll come hunting for answers."
Godric pursed his lips, "Yes, I expected you would. Make a list of questions you may have."
Google Translate Time:
Seanair = Grandfather