Chapter Text
Harry didn't go down for breakfast the next morning. Considering the frequency with which he ran into Slytherin in the Great Hall, he thought it best to keep his distance. Hermione frowned when he split off from them, but Harry slipped out the main doors before he could hear another lecture about how he needed to put on weight. No doubt Hufflepuff wouldn't be pleased either, but that couldn't be helped. Harry needed time to think, and he wasn't going to get it with his friends and teachers around.
The weather was just as cold as it had been the previous day, and Harry tugged his cloak tighter around himself as he made his way down towards the lake. He loved Hogwarts, but had the Founders really had to pick the north of Scotland? He slumped down under the same tree his father would sit under in a thousand odd years and stared out over the grey water.
As much as he hated to admit it, Harry could understand where Slytherin was coming from. With so many threats, both magical and Muggle, and very little help, the Founders simply couldn't afford to be as merciful as the Aurors in Harry's time. If they didn't deal with threats immediately and ruthlessly, innocent people, innocent children, would die. With that in mind, Harry couldn't blame them for taking extreme measures.
That didn't mean it was easy to accept. It wasn't easy to see a man he had come to respect talking so easily about shattering another person's mind. It wasn't easy to hear Slytherin and Gryffindor casually talk about how to annihilate enemies most effectively. It wasn't easy to see anyone look so gleeful at how a living person, even an enemy, was suffering.
Harry sighed and rested his head back against the rough bark. He knew his teachers only killed in self-defence, and to protect innocent people, but all Harry had heard since starting at Hogwarts was that they had to be better than Voldemort. Voldemort and the Death Eaters killed and tortured their Death Eaters; therefore Harry must not, under any circumstances, stoop to their level. After all everyone deserved a second chance. Or so they said.
The wind whistled around him, and Harry huddled back into the shelter of the tree. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Mrs Weasley, Hagrid, they all believed that even when Death Eaters were trying to kill you it was wrong to react in kind. Over the past few weeks though, Harry had begun to wonder. If the Death Eaters were anything like the Order, and Voldemort certainly was, then maybe he couldn't afford to be thinking that way.
Harry didn't know. What he did know was that he was angry with the way Slytherin had acted, angry with Gryffindor for not stopping it, and angry with himself for expecting anything else.
"Harry?"
Harry closed his eyes. "How do you keep doing that?"
There was a slight pause before Slytherin replied. "Would you like me to leave?"
Harry looked up at him. The Founder's dark hair was tied back, throwing the sharp planes of his face into stark relief, and highlighting the deep shadows under his eyes. He was wearing dark blue robes, and there was an air of hesitancy to him that Harry hadn't seen him in a long time. Harry thought for a moment, then mentally shrugged. He needed answers. He might as well start getting them now.
Slytherin took his silence for what it was, and gently lowered himself down next to Harry. "I believe I owe you an apology," he began. "It was not my intent to alarm you yesterday."
Harry turned back to look out over the lake. "I know."
There was a soft sigh. "Do you understand why I acted as I did?"
"Yeah," Harry mumbled. "If you don't, people could get hurt, especially your students. I get that." He sighed. "What I don't get is how you find it so easy."
"Easy," Slytherin repeated, and the tension in his voice made Harry frown round at him.
"You said you made sure they knew nothing, and you were grinning. You were pleased with yourself."
Slytherin broke his gaze. "I was angry," he said quietly. "Between the attack at the apothecary, and our conversation yesterday morning, I admit that I got a little carried away. I wanted them to suffer." Harry's stomach twisted, but his interruption died on his tongue when Slytherin looked back at him. "I was overly harsh, and I regret that. However, I maintain that it was necessary, and I have no regrets about what I did. Only how I went about it."
Harry shook his head. "It still doesn't seem right. It's like Ron said, we're the good guys, we're supposed to be better than them. What difference is there between us and them if we go around doing exactly what they do?"
Slytherin's eyes flashed. "The difference is in the why," he hissed. "Do you think I go around using Legilimency on innocent people just for the fun of it? Do you think Godric would ever allow it?"
"Of course not, but-"
"You are forgetting what time you are in," said Slytherin coldly. "Here there are no Aurors, no Ministry of Magic, only individuals. If we do not deal with these threats, who will? That is a responsibility that leaves little room for mercy."
"I know that," Harry snapped back. "But it still feels wrong." His hands had clenched into fists, and he took a deep breath and tried to force his anger down. Arguing wouldn't help.
"Good."
Harry blinked. "What?"
Slytherin still looked grim, but now he looked more tired than angry. "You have only been with us for a few weeks, Harry. I would be more alarmed than pleased if your attitudes changed so suddenly." He pushed some stray strands of hair back from his face and sighed. "When it comes down to it, I cannot tell you what to think. I know things are different in your time, and there you must act as you see fit. But, here and now, you have to trust that we know what we are doing. If not…" He trailed off with an eloquent shrug.
Harry stared at him for a long minute. He had expected shouting, pleas, and demands that he face the reality of what he was doing. It was what Dumbledore would do, what most of the Order would do in fact. He turned to stare at the lake again. A tentacle broke the water, and he drew in a long breath.
"I do trust you. And I do understand why you have to do things like that." He closed his eyes for a second, then the words spilled out in a rush. "I just don't think I should do it myself."
"Why not?" asked Slytherin gently.
Harry opened his eyes, but continued to stare at the ground in front of him. "Ever since Cedric…the graveyard, I've been so angry. I've pushed people away, I've hurt people…I haven't been in control. And that anger…" He looked up to meet Slytherin's eyes. "I know that I could use it to hurt people. When I was facing the Death Eaters and thinking about all they'd done to so many people, like Neville's parents…" He realised abruptly that his voice was rising, and forced himself to calm down. "I wanted them to suffer. And I know that I could do it."
"And you don't want to turn into a monster," Slytherin finished.
Harry could only nod. "I don't want to be anything like him."
There was silence for a minute. Harry couldn't look at Slytherin's face. He felt exhausted, drained by the outburst, but at the same time he felt lighter than he had in a very long time. He had never told any of that to Ron, Hermione or even Sirius. They would instantly have assured him that he was wrong, that there was no way he could be anything like Voldemort, but Harry knew better. After all, hadn't Dumbledore once said that he and Tom Riddle were very much alike? And now that he knew there was a Horcrux inside of him…
"Thank you, Harry."
Harry did look round at that, startled out of his daze. "What for?"
Slytherin gave him a small smile. "For trusting me with that." His fingers traced the patterns on his staff, but his eyes didn't move from Harry's. "It is a risk. I will not deny that. I have seen people become the very monsters they fought to destroy. But you have something that Voldemort does not."
Harry frowned at him. "What are you talking about?"
"You have people who care about you," said Slytherin simply. "Do you think Ron or Hermione would ever let you lose yourself? And once you get home, you will have many other people to help you. You do not have to do this alone."
"I remember you said something like that once before," said Harry.
Slytherin raised an eyebrow. "Then maybe you should listen to me."
Harry almost smiled at that, but there was still too much on his mind. "It's not fair to put them in danger because of me."
"Who said it was because of you?" Slytherin asked. "Death Eaters killed Ron's uncles. Hermione's parents are Muggles. They are involved whether you think it is fair or not." Harry felt his cheeks heat up, but Slytherin wasn't finished. "I'm sure every other person who fights beside you will have equally valid reasons for doing so. You cannot do this alone, Harry, and you shouldn't try to." He hesitated, then reached out to grip Harry's shoulder. "Don't make the same mistakes that I did."
For a moment, Harry couldn't speak. He had known all that. Ron, Hermione and even the other Founders had all told him so, multiple times in some cases. Maybe it was time to start believing them. He looked up at Slytherin and gave a small smile. "I'll try." He paused, then added, "I'm sorry too."
Slytherin's eyes sparkled in the first genuine smile Harry had seen from him in the past two days. "Then let us leave it, for now. In the meantime-"
"Please don't say I need to go and eat breakfast because I'm too skinny," Harry interrupted. "It's bad enough when Hermione and Mrs Weasley do it."
Slytherin actually laughed at that. "I have heard something similar of the sort from Helga and Godric," he said. "Rest assured, I would never subject anyone else to it." He glanced at the cloudy sky, then settled back against the tree. "Rowena wishes to talk to the three of you about what will happen when the rest of the students will return, but we have a little while until then."
Harry nodded and settled back himself. "I can't believe everyone will be back so soon. I hope we don't give too much away."
"You will be fine," Slytherin assured him. "Just stick to the story and don't get too creative."
Harry grinned, but the mention of the students reminded him of something else. "Professor, do all students learn duelling?"
Slytherin raised an eyebrow. "All learn basic defence, and some go on to more advanced classes, like you. Why do you ask?"
"Well, Ron said something yesterday," Harry explained. "He pointed out that there's only so much we can learn if we only duel each other. We know each other so well that we're already beginning to anticipate each other, and we can't do that in a real battle."
"Indeed," said Slytherin. "And I agree with Ron, it would be very useful for you to practice against some of our other students. No doubt it would help them as well."
Harry smiled. He hadn't really thought Slytherin would say no, but it never hurt to ask. "Thanks. He also wants to start working on some group strategies, rather than us just attacking on our own."
Slytherin nodded approvingly. "Godric knew he would be good at this. Make sure Ron suggests this to him."
"I will," Harry promised. He hesitated, but decided it couldn't hurt. "We also ran into Edmund. Nothing happened," he said quickly, when Slytherin show him a sharp look. "Except, well..."
"Yes?"
Harry took a deep breath. "He offered to duel me."
To his surprise, Slytherin just nodded. "I am not surprised. Godric was very eloquent when he asked what you were up to."
Harry stared at him. "Seriously?"
"Of course. He is very pleased with your progress." He frowned when Harry could only stare at him. "Harry?"
Harry shook himself. "You really talk about us?"
Slytherin blinked, then smiled. "We do. You are our students, and we are very proud of how well you all are doing." Mischief danced in his eyes. "As you will soon see."
Harry eyed him. "What are you planning?"
Slytherin just grinned. "Now, what I have told you about patience, Harry? You don't want to ruin the surprise, do you?"
Harry muttered under his breath, which only made Slytherin laugh again. "You will find out soon enough, I promise." He tilted his head to one side. "For now, however, Rowena is looking for us."
"How convenient," said Harry dryly as he got up. Slytherin just smirked at him, but accepted the hand Harry offered him and regained his footing with a soft grunt.
"Thank you."
Harry frowned at him. The Founder's skin was still a little pale, and he was leaning heavily on his staff. Then Harry could have kicked himself; it was only two days since Slytherin had been attacked. No wonder he wasn't back to his normal self yet. He knew better to mention it though, and simply adjusted his pace to Slytherin's as they made their way back up to the castle.
"There you are," said Gryffindor, as they entered the now familiar antechamber. "I was about to come and look for you."
Slytherin rolled his eyes. "We came as soon as Hogwarts told us."
Ravenclaw raised an eyebrow, but Gryffindor just looked between Harry and Slytherin and grinned. "Well, you're here now, and that's what matters."
Slytherin shot him a curious look as he made his way to his seat, but his attention was diverted when Helga immediately leaned over and began questioning him in a low voice. Harry smirked at the sight, but it vanished when he turned round and met Hermione's icy glare.
"Where have you been?" she hissed.
Harry opened his mouth, but Ron beat him to it. "Will you just relax? Gryffindor told us he was on the grounds, and that Slytherin was with him. What did you think was going to happen?"
Hermione glared at him, but just folded her arms. Harry wasn't at all surprised by the display, Hermione had always taken their safety very seriously. He sighed and took a seat between two his friends. "I just needed to think. Clear the air a bit."
Hermione glanced at him, then at Slytherin, and her frown relaxed a little. "Good."
Harry smiled and sat back. Ron shot the Founder a slightly dubious look, but shook his head. "Whatever you say."
Harry caught his eye. "It's all fine," he said quietly. "I don't agree with everything, but things are different in this time. If we don't trust them, then we're not going to get anywhere."
It was measure of how much Ron had matured in the past couple of months that he just sighed. "I know, mate, but it's going to take a while to get used to."
"Tell me about it," Harry muttered, but the conversation ceased when Ravenclaw stood up to face them.
"Now that we're all finally here," she shot a pointed look at Slytherin, who looked as innocent as Harry had ever seen him, "I wanted to see if the three of you had any questions about what will happen when our students return in two weeks time."
"I'm mostly worried about saying something stupid," Ron admitted. "One reference to trains or Portkeys and they're gonna think we're completely mental."
"We will be working on that over the next few days," Hufflepuff assured him. "But as long as you are careful I am sure you will be fine."
Hermione leaned forwards. "I know you said it was usual to get new students over the holidays," she began, "but are they normally as old as us? Will people be suspicious?"
Ravenclaw shook her head. "We are more likely to take in younger students, but we have taken students your age or older before. Many with magic are schooled by their families before being sent to us, and the age at which they are deemed fit to go will vary depending on the knowledge and skill of those families." She gave a small smile. "It certainly makes teaching interesting."
"Agreed," said Gryffindor. "Remember Wulfric?"
Slytherin snorted. "We are not likely to forget." He glanced at the trio. "A genius when came to Charms, but couldn't tell a nettle from a dock leaf."
"He did his best," said Helga reproachfully, as Harry and Ron smothered grins.
"I didn't mean it that way," Slytherin protested. "I was merely using it as an example of how students can join us at very different levels in our various subjects."
"And that reminds me," said Gryffindor. "Have you given any thought to any extra classes you might wish to take?"
Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at each other. Ravenclaw settled herself back in her seat, smoothing her light blue robe. "You will all be continuing the core subjects with us, as well as your Duelling, Occlumency and Apparition sessions, but you may take others if you wish, within reason."
"The animagus transformation?" said Ron hopefully.
Gryffindor laughed. "We will think about it. In the meantime, work on your Transfiguration and nonverbal magic."
Harry and Ron grinned at each other, but Hemione was looking thoughtful. "Would I be able to take Arithmancy and Runes."
Ravenclaw and Slytherin exchanged a look, then both nodded. "On the condition that you tell us immediately if the workload becomes too much," said Slytherin. "We do not want a repeat of your third year."
Hermione blushed, but Harry shot Slytherin a grateful look. He loved Hermione like a sister, but she had been a nightmare that year. The Founder gave him a slight smile in return. "What about you, Harry?"
Harry shifted in his seat as all eyes turned on him. "I don't know. Maybe Runes? That's what you use for Warding, isn't it?"
"It is," said Slytherin. "But I warn you now that it will take many years of study to gain that level of proficiency."
Harry nodded. "I know," he said. "But I'd like to learn anyway." He was doing his best to ignore the slightly fanatical gleam that had lit Hermione's eyes, but he didn't miss the amused look that passed between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff when the young witch shifted to the very edge of her seat in excitement.
"Do you teach it here?"
Slytherin was the only one to keep a straight face at that. "I do, though there are very few who are both capable and willing to learn it." He shot her an appraising look. "Come with me this afternoon, and I will see if it would be suitable."
Hermione actually squeaked with excitement, and Harry had to bite down hard on the inside of his cheek to back laughter. Ron wasn't quite so subtle, and had to disguise it with the most fake-sounding snort Harry had ever heard. Hermione flushed pink, but Slytherin shook his head. "It is admirable that you take your studies so seriously," he said gently. "And Warding is a truly fascinating and rewarding field."
Hermione smiled at him and sat back, pointedly ignoring both Harry and Ron. Harry was just opening his mouth to ask for more details about the level of Runes he would be studying when Slytherin suddenly let out a muffled hiss and sat bolt upright.
"For goodness sake, Salazar," Hufflepuff began, but her words died at the expression on his face. Harry tensed. Slytherin's face had gone bone grey and something was telling Harry that it wasn't just from the pain in his body. His eyes were unfocused and he didn't even seem to have heard Hufflepuff's warning.
"Do you feel that?"
"What?" Harry asked.
Instead of answering however, Gryffindor growled out a curse. "One day's peace, can they not give us that?"
Ron stared at him. "You're not saying-"
"The Order?" Hermione exclaimed. "This soon?"
The Founders exchanged a grim look. "Say what you will about them," said Ravenclaw grimly, "they are not fools. They knew we would not expect another attack so quickly."
"Maybe they were right," said Hufflepuff quietly. "But it is they who will live to regret it." Though her tone was mild, the glint in her blue eyes was enough that no one dared to doubt her. In contrast Gryffindor's face was expressionless as he turned to Slytherin.
"What is the situation?"
Slytherin's eyes were closed now, and Harry knew he was drawing on his deeper connection to the wards. "Far side of the lake," he murmured. "No wizards."
"Good. Trolls? Dragons?"
"No." Silver eyes snapped open. "Dementors."
Harry swallowed as the now familiar fear washed over him. He might be able to fight Dementors now, but the creatures would never fail to horrify him.
"Dementors," Ravenclaw repeated. Her face was very nearly as pale as Slytherin's, who nodded.
"They have done this before," he reminded her quietly.
"And now we know how to fight them," Hufflepuff agreed. She hesitated, glancing at her fellow Founders and Harry watched in bemusement as they shared one of their silent communications. After a moment she turned to the trio. "We would welcome your assistance."
Harry stared at her. "You're letting us help?" He had been planning to offer anyway but had fully expected a drawn out argument on the subject before they agreed.
Ravenclaw grimaced. "You have had as much experience with these particular creatures as we have, and you are far more practised with the spell. Your presence on this occasion would be useful."
"Of course, the usual conditions apply," said Gryffindor. "You will obey our instructions without question."
Harry nodded quickly. "Yes, sir." After what they had seen over the past couple of days he had no intention of getting on this particular Founder's bad side.
"Good." He paused for a moment, as if steeling himself for something unpleasant before turning to Slytherin. "You need to stay here."
Harry winced. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ron sidle further along the couch as Slytherin's grip tightened on his staff. "I know the spell."
The ice in his voice made Harry long for his Invisibility Cloak, but Gryffindor just folded his arms. "You have not yet had a chance to practise. Besides, you are hardly in a fit state to fight."
"I am not an invalid," Slytherin hissed.
Gryffindor's eyes flashed. "These are Dementors, you fool," he ground out. Ron shifted uneasily, and Gryffindor seemed to remember they had an audience. He clamped his jaw shut, eyes flashing with barely suppressed irritation, and jerked his head at Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Hufflepuff sighed and beckoned for Harry and Ron to take her hands.
"Let us go," she said quietly. Harry caught a final glimpse of Slytherin's face, pale with pain and rage, before Hufflepuff's grip tightened and she Apparated them away.
As usual Harry stumbled when they reappeared, but his embarrassment was eased when Ron's landing proved equally ungraceful. Seconds later the matter was wiped from his mind anyway as he became aware of an all too familiar chill.
"They're here."
The morning was foggy, and the sky grey and overcast, but there was no mistaking the shapes advancing through the mist towards them. Harry swallowed, and heard Ron swear next to him. There was a soft crack as Ravenclaw appeared with Hermione, who drew in a sharp breath.
"There are so many of them."
Harry could only nod. There might not be as many as there had been on the night Sirius escaped, but there were still too many to easily count.
"Why aren't they coming any closer?" Ron asked.
Harry squinted, and saw that the Dementors had ceased their slow advance. They floated maybe fifty metres away, as if unable to come any closer. The suspicion was confirmed when Hufflepuff gave a small smile.
"Salazar was determined not to allow any inside the castle grounds. He spent months trying to find a way."
"Brilliant," Hermione breathed.
Harry nodded. Third year would have been much easier if the wards in the future hadn't deteriorated as much. He suddenly realised that he couldn't hear his parents; indeed the only sign of the Dementor's presence was the bone-numbing chill. "I really need to learn Warding," he muttered.
Ron grinned, and Hermione rolled her eyes, but further discussion was interrupted by the appearance of Gryffindor next to Ravenclaw. He looked even more disgruntled than before, but all traces of irritation disappeared under a mask of pure concentration as he set eyes on the Dementors.
"We need to keep them away from Hogsmeade. They avoid settlements under normal circumstances, so as long as we don't drive them directly in that direction they shouldn't be a threat."
Hufflepuff swallowed, but nodded. "So we need to get to the side of them."
"Yes. We will Apparate round and drive the towards the forest." He glanced at Harry. "Do you have anything you would like to add?"
Harry thought about it. "Not really. Just think of your happy memory now, and cast it as soon as you can." He shivered. "It gets harder the longer you wait."
"Understood," said Gryffindor. If he felt at all nervous, there was no trace of it in his face or voice. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were both pale, but it was clear neither had any intention of backing down. Harry's own nerves were remarkably steady; it might be a dangerous situation, and he would never be completely comfortable around them, but unlike with the troll and the fight with the Order, Harry knew exactly how to handle Dementors. He was more worried about Ron and Hermione, but they both what they were doing, and at least they had back up. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. They were as ready as they were going to be.
Gryffindor had evidently come to the same conclusion.
"Then let's go." He gripped Ron's shoulder and the two of them Disapparated. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw followed his lead, and the next thing Harry knew the castle was at his side rather than his back. The Dementors began to move towards them, and Harry reacted on instinct.
"Expecto patronum!"
The silver stag burst from Harry's wand, but as fast as he had been Gryffindor was quicker, and together stag and griffin slammed into the horde of Dementors. The creatures' advance faltered, falling back, but not quite fleeing. At least not until the stag and griffin were joined by an equally brilliant dog, otter, hippogriff and winged horse. The silver light seemed to magnify and brighten until Harry had to shield his eyes, but he kept his wand up and Ron and Hermione's faces in his mind.
"Keep going!" Gryffindor shouted. "They're running!"
"Running requires legs," Ravenclaw snapped. "If anything they are gliding."
Harry exchanged an incredulous look with Ron, then realised the cold was fading and risked a glance up. "They're leaving."
"They're moving away from the wards," said Hufflepuff. She was breathing hard, but her wand was quite steady. "How long should we keep these up?"
"A little longer," said Gryffindor. "We cannot afford to take risks." He glanced at Ravenclaw. "They don't have legs? Really?"
Ravenclaw frowned right back. "Details are important."
"Not that sort of detail, especially not in the middle of a battle," he protested. Ravenclaw merely raised an eyebrow.
"It kept you in the right state of mind, did it not?"
Gryffindor stared at her for a moment, then smiled. "I suppose it did." He tilted his head to one side, then lowered his wand. "They're gone."
Hermione frowned. "How can you tell? I thought we were outside the wards."
"We are," Hufflepuff told her, "the main ones at least. Salazar set up weaker monitoring alarms for another half mile. Just in case."
Ron's jaw dropped open for a second. "Seriously?"
Gryffindor shrugged. "Apparently it isn't paranoia if people really are trying to kill you."
Harry snorted. "Can't argue with that." He looked up in time to see Prongs come to a stop in front of him. "Thanks," he whispered. He reached out to touch the gleaming muzzle, but as usual, it faded into wisps of smoke. Harry sighed and looked round to see the others watching their own Patronuses disappear with similarly wistful expressions.
"I love magic," said Hufflepuff quietly.
Harry just nodded. "It's been my favourite spell ever since I learned it."
Hufflepuff caught his eye. "It may be mine too." She smiled at him, then made her way over to check on Ron and Hermione, though Harry guessed from their animated conversation and Ravenclaw's amused expression that they were both fine. He himself felt a lot better than he expected. Fighting off Dementors was a lot easier with people beside him. Slytherin's words from that morning came back to him, and Harry shook his head. Maybe.
Only one person wasn't sharing in the general excitement. Gryffindor stood a little way apart, staring out in the direction the Dementors had gone with a very grim expression on his face. Harry hesitated a moment, then walked over to join him.
"Do you think they'll be back?" he asked quietly.
Gryffindor sighed. "If not them, then others." He shook himself and smiled down at Harry. "But they are gone for now, and we have you and your spell to thank for it."
Harry felt his cheeks heat up and he looked down at his trainers. "You would have figured it out soon."
"Not soon enough for this," Gryffindor pointed out. "Thank you, Harry."
Harry had to smile back, his heart practically bursting with pride. After everything the Founders had done for them, it was good to be able to give something back.
Ron sat back in his chair, content to let the conversation drift over him as his heart rate slowly returned to normal. He had encountered Dementors before, but never that many, and he had certainly never tried to fight them. If Harry and the Founders hadn't been there he wouldn't have dared. But it was over now, and he had helped. The thought sent a warm glow of pride through his body, helping to banish the last of the terrible icy terror that had gripped him. He let his gaze wander round the room, checking automatically that Harry and Hermione were all right. They were currently discussing the various meanings of the Patronuses with the Founders. Ron smiled and leaned back. Everyone was fine.
Then he realised that he was not the only one not participating in the conversation. Ron hesitated for a brief minute before sliding along the sofa and leaning in towards the fire. "It's getting cold out there," he said quietly.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Slytherin start. "Indeed." He sounded more bemused than irritated, and Ron allowed himself to relax slightly.
"Course, the Dementors don't help. Bloody freezing they are."
Slytherin's face twisted into a grimace. "I've noticed that. Most frustrating."
Ron knew that he wasn't the most perceptive of people, unless they were someone he knew very well. He was more than willing to defer to Hermione in that area. However, it was impossible to miss the despondency in the Founder's voice. "I hate them."
There was a short bark of laughter. "I doubt you will find a single person alive who disagrees with you."
Ron nodded. "Even Hagrid hates them, and this is the guy who thinks dragons are sweet and acromantulas are harmless." He shuddered as the freshly-stirred memories rose up again. "Hagrid's a bit weird."
A faint smile touched Slytherin's lips. "He sounds it. Not even Helga would describe a dragon as sweet. Although she did think it was beautiful." Exasperation was mingled with unmistakeable affection in his voice, and Ron had to smile too.
"Sounds like she'd get on well with Hagrid."
"I agree." He glanced at Ron. "I hope you did not find today's experience too distressing."
Ron shook his head. "Some bad memories, but nothing worse than I usually have nightmares about."
Slytherin's face creased into a frown. "Are the Dream-Catchers still functioning adequately?"
"They're brilliant," Ron was quick to assure him. "I haven't had a nightmare since arriving here."
Slytherin visibly relaxed at that. "Good. I will need to check on them at some point in the next few weeks; though they are simple enough to produce they do require frequent maintenance."
Ron nodded. "Thanks." He glanced over at Harry and lowered his voice. "I know Harry appreciates it too. He never tells us when he's had one, but it's always easy to work it out anyway. We were getting worried about him."
Slytherin gave a slightly bitter smile. "I am glad I was able to help."
"You have," said Ron firmly. "And not just with that. Potions, Occlumency, everything." He fell silent, unwilling to give too much away, but wasn't particularly surprised to see Slytherin's eyes narrow.
"You see a great deal, Ron."
Ron just shrugged. "I'm not completely oblivious, despite what Hermione might think."
After all, when you were best friends with Harry Potter you learned to tell when someone was feeling guilty. It had been laughably easy to guess that Slytherin would beat himself up for not being able to help with the Dementors. Ron got quite enough self-recrimination from Harry. He had no particular desire to see Slytherin going through it too. And after the conflict the previous day, a little reassurance couldn't hurt.
"So I see," said Slytherin quietly. Ron felt his ears heat up. It was quite clear from Slytherin's tone that he knew exactly what Ron was trying to do. But his expression had softened and there was noticeably less tension in his body so Ron decided he didn't care.
"I see someone beat me to it."
Ron looked up with a start. Gryffindor had pushed his chair back from the main group so that he was sitting at a right angle to Slytherin, and Ron's ears blazed even brighter at the unmistakeable pride in his eyes. Slytherin gave a slight smile.
"He has a sensible way of looking at things."
Ron just shrugged again. "I know how it feels," he said quietly. After all, how often did he feel useless because Harry and Hermione were able to do so much more than him? Slytherin looked at him, and Ron wasn't surprised to see complete understanding in his gaze. Gryffindor looked between the two of them and nodded.
"I'm just glad you listen to him, if not to me." He didn't elaborate on who he was speaking to. Ron supposed that it didn't matter. Instead he watched as Gryffindor turned to Slytherin. "I'm sorry."
Slytherin shook his head. "I was being a fool."
"And I was unnecessarily harsh." He shifted uncomfortably. His voice when he eventually spoke was barely above a whisper. "I do not want to lose you too."
Slytherin looked up and something seemed to pass between the two of them. Slytherin nodded and raised his voice. "Harry."
Harry leaned forwards to look at him. "Yes, sir?"
Slytherin's grip tightened on his staff but his voice remained level. "We need to find a suitable time to practise the Patronus Charm."
Harry visibly swallowed. "Um, yeah, I guess so." He hesitated a moment, but took the plunge. "Not right now?" Ron saw his gaze flicker to Hufflepuff, but Slytherin was already shaking his head.
"I need some time. However, we cannot afford to be taken off guard again."
Harry still didn't look happy, but Ron already knew what his answer would be. "All right."
"Thank you."
Ron allowed himself a small smile. They were safe. Everyone was alive, if not entirely healthy. All things considered, that was not such a bad result.
The next two weeks passed in a blur. Harry had been glad of the break when the Founders told them they would be shortening their lessons, but relief had turned to dismay when sessions on modern history and culture had been added to the curriculum. He and Ron struggled through it, but Hermione practically had to be dragged away each evening.
"But don't you see what an incredible opportunity this is?" she had cried, when Ron had once again demanded to know what the fuss was all about. "How many historians actually get to live in and talk to the people of a completely different time period?"
Ron had been left shaking his head. "Told you. Bloody mental that one."
Harry agreed, but he had another problem to worry about. Slytherin hadn't forgotten their discussion on Patronus lessons, and had sought Harry out the moment Hufflepuff declared him well enough.
"They have used Dementors in the past," he had said, when Harry tried to get him to wait. "They know how effective they are, and they are certain to try again. I have to be ready for them."
Considering it was very similar to the argument he himself had used on Lupin, Harry hadn't really been able to say no. Fortunately, Gryffindor had reminded both of them that one of the other Founders would be present during every single session, much to Harry's relief. Slytherin had muttered something about over-protective friends, but the lack of any real protest spoke more loudly than words.
The sessions themselves had gone as well as Harry had expected. Slytherin had no problems with the charm itself, but he simply couldn't handle the Dementor. Having seen Slytherin's Boggart Harry couldn't blame him, but he had no idea what to do to help. Slytherin was furious with himself, and would have increased their sessions but Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw had all put their foot down.
"Working yourself into exhaustion isn't going to do any good," Gryffindor had told him flatly. "I'm not going to tell you to give it up because I know you won't, but I am not going to let you kill yourself."
Slytherin hadn't been pleased, but he had agreed to stick to one session a week. Harry had made a point to thank the other Founders for that; he wanted to help as much as he could, but he knew from experience that overdoing it with a Dementor was not a good idea. Besides, once the term started they would all have other things to worry about.
They had also met some of the other Hogwarts teachers, who had arrived during the last week. They all liked Madam Anwen, a cheerful witch with silver hair and bright green eyes who taught Astronomy, and Master Kentigern, who taught literacy and numeracy, and who Ron claimed was the spitting image of his grandfather. Both were very interested in the trio, but Hufflepuff assured them afterwards that neither had thought anything was wrong.
Of course, it wasn't all smooth going.
It was two days before the rest of the students were due to return. Harry and the others had been in the middle of a duelling lesson when Gryffindor and Slytherin had been called away to deal with a dragon that had wandered a little too close to a Muggle village. They hadn't thought it was the Order, on the grounds that they would have used any dragon other than the relatively gentle Welsh Green, but Harry still found it hard to keep his attention on his duelling while he waited for them to get back.
"Stupefy!"
Harry swerved away from the red light and flicked his wand. "Silencio," he whispered. Ron's eyes widened as he realised what Harry had done, but by that time Harry had caught him with his favourite Disarming Charm.
"Well done, Harry," Hermione called. Ron rolled his eyes, but he was grinning as Harry lifted the charm and handed him back his wand.
"Duelling you is no fun any more."
"Whose fault is that?" Harry shot back.
Ron snorted. "I really want to be there when you duel Edmund."
Harry grinned back, but Hermione shook her head. "I still can't believe Gryffindor and Slytherin are going to let you that."
Harry couldn't either, not that he would admit it, but Gryffindor had been as enthusiastic about the idea as Slytherin. Both were very keen that the trio get as much experience as possible in a non-lethal setting. "You next, Hermione?" he asked.
"Harry-"
"I've only got a week to prepare," Harry pointed out. "Do you really want to see me lose to a Slytherin?"
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "I thought we were past this."
"It's a matter of principle," Ron told her seriously. "We don't want to let Professor Gryffindor down, do we?"
Harry snorted at the expression on Hermione's face, but at the moment a deep shout echoed through the room.
"And who might you three young scoundrels be?"
Harry spun raised, wand automatically coming up to the point at the stranger. The man who addressed them was very tall, with a bald head and deep brown skin. His own wand was in his hand, and a long curved sword hung from his belt, and from the way he held himself Harry had no doubt that he knew how to use both. He felt Ron and Hermione come up to stand behind him and swallowed. "My name is Harry. These are Ron and Hermione. We are students here."
The man took a step into the room, his dark eyes sweeping over the three of them. "Is that so? And do you know how to use the wands you carry?"
"Why don't you find out?" Ron shouted.
"Ron!" Hermione hissed, but the stranger's mouth curved into a wolfish grin.
"A most excellent suggestion."
A week ago, Harry would have stated with complete confidence that no one could move faster than Godric Gryffindor. Now though only pure instinct had his Shield Charm up in time to deflect the three Stunning Spells that had flown at them.
"Move!" he shouted. Ron and Hermione scattered, and Harry prepared a stunner of his own, but he was forced to throw himself sideways as another spell shot by him with bare inches to spare.
"Good reflexes," the man called. Harry stared. If he hadn't know better from watching Slytherin he would swear this man was Apparating too, but no, he was just fast. Really fast. So fast that he looked almost bored as he took on Ron and Hermione. Ron caught his eye.
"Little help here?"
Harry gritted his teeth, and hurled himself into the duel.
They tried everything. Harry ducked, dodged and cast as fast as he ever had, Hermione used spells Harry had never even heard of, and Ron did his best to set up even the most rudimentary strategies he could think of, but all to no avail. The stranger didn't seem to have the uncanny battle instincts that Gryffindor did, and he didn't use tricks and misdirection like Slytherin; he was just fast enough that none of their spells even got near him.
Worse still, he didn't even seem out of breath.
"Obvious," he called, as he dodged out of Ron's trap without even batting an eyelid. "Are you trying to be insulting?" he asked a moment later when he deflected Hermione's curse with an almost contemptuous flick of his wand. "Honestly, I expected more."
Harry's lungs were burning, but at that he dug deep and launched a flurry of curses at the stranger. For a second the man's eyes widened, and Harry felt a gleam of triumph, but then that smirk showed again and the next thing Harry knew he was flat on his back and his wand was nowhere in sight.
"Harry-oof!"
"Gah!"
Twin thumps accompanied the yells, and Harry pushed himself up in time to see Ron and Hermione sprawled on the ground a little way away. Sweat was stinging his eyes, and his heart pound in his ears, but he made out the stranger's tall form rolling their wands in his hands and watching them with an appraising eye.
"Who the hell are you?" Harry managed.
The stranger grinned, and then Harry realised that they weren't alone. He went bright red and sank back to the floor. "Oh, come on!"
There was a familiar booming laugh, and Gryffindor's grinning face swam into view. "Oh I don't know," he said cheerfully. "I thought you did very well."
"Bloody hell," Ron wheezed. "What was that?"
More footsteps approached, and Harry made out Ravenclaw's dry voice. "Really, Safdar?"
"You told me they were good," the man, Safdar, said. "I merely wanted to see for myself."
"By duelling them to the pint of exhaustion?" Hufflepuff asked, but her voice was coloured with more amusement than exasperation.
"At least I know what they are capable of."
Harry stared at him, then at Gryffindor. "He teaches here?" He didn't even try to keep the incredulity from his voice. Gryffindor laughed and pulled him to his feet.
"He does, and we are lucky to have him."
"Lucky," Ron muttered, as he staggered up. "Right."
Hermione was bent over breathing heavily. Safdar shrugged his broad shoulders. "It is always good to see these things for oneself." He glanced at Gryffindor. "They have potential. Now, if you would excuse me?"
He bowed to the Founders and left the room. Harry stared after him, then at the four Founders, who were exchanging fond looks. "Does he do that with everyone?"
"Only those he thinks show promise," said Hufflepuff. "And he was quite impressed with the three of you."
"Impressed by what?" Harry demanded. "How fast we could lose a duel? How easily we could be disarmed?" Ravenclaw raised an eyebrow, but Harry still felt hot with embarrassment. Bad enough that they had been beaten so easily, but to lose in front of an audience, especially this audience, was a hundred times worse. Slytherin glanced at him.
"You were never going to win," he said simply. "But your persistence, adaptability and creativity pleased him greatly. And us."
"But who is he?" Hermione asked, before Harry could say anything. "And how was he that fast?"
"He's the only person we've ever met that Godric can't beat," Slytherin explained. "And he's been trying for nearly thirty years."
Gryffindor mock-scowled at him. "He's never beaten me either."
Ron's jaw was hanging open. "He's that good?"
"He's a genius," said Gryffindor. The pride in his face was unmistakeable. "He has no interest in any other field of magic, but he's practically unstoppable in a duel."
Ravenclaw nodded. "We are very lucky he agreed to come and teach here. He was not pleased to hear about the incident, especially when the children were threatened."
"And he's decided that Godric is not allowed to die until one of them finally beats the other," said Slytherin with a smirk.
Gryffindor returned it. "One day," he promised.
Harry nodded. Now that the embarrassment was fading, he was beginning to see the opportunity. "Is he going to be teaching us?"
"We share those classes," Gryffindor confirmed. His eyes twinkled. "His style is a little different to mine."
"We noticed," Harry muttered, but he couldn't stop himself grinning back. This could be very useful indeed.
"I did it!"
The shout shattered Harry's concentration, but for once he wasn't the slightest bit annoyed. "That's brilliant, Ron!"
Ron was wearing the biggest smile Harry had seen on him in a long time. "I finally did it." He frowned suddenly and looked at Slytherin. "Did I?"
Slytherin smiled at him. "You did indeed, and very well too."
Hermione beamed and threw her arms around Ron. "Congratulations! I'm so pleased for you."
Harry hadn't thought Ron could look any happier, but the glow in his best friend's eyes as he hugged Hermione back proved him wrong. "Thanks." He rubbed the back of his head somewhat sheepishly. "It's about time I stopped holding you both back."
Hermione pulled back enough to slap him on the arm. "Don't be ridiculous," she said sharply. "Harry only did it yesterday."
"Yeah, Ron," said Harry. "How dare you take a whole day long than me?"
Ron's ears went red. "All right, I get it." He let go of Hermione and stepped back. "Let's just hope it wasn't a fluke." He screwed up his face. For a horrible second Harry thought nothing was happening, but then there was a loud crack and Ron appeared next to him, grinning from ear to ear.
"I don't know what a fluke is, but I think we can safely say that that wasn't one," said Slytherin dryly.
Harry grinned at him. "It means he wasn't just lucky," he explained. "We're all finally getting it."
"Indeed you are," Slytherin confirmed. "You have all done very well."
Harry let out a contented sigh. He and Ron had been determined to master Apparition before the rest of the students returned and their lesson time was reduced. Despite Hermione and Slytherin's best efforts, they had begun to give up hope as their self-imposed deadline drew closer, especially as the morning of their last lesson dawned, but their persistence had paid off.
"And you had a whole twenty minutes to spare," Hermione murmured to him. Harry grinned, and she turned to Slytherin. "Does this mean you can start to teach us how to use Apparition in battle, sir?"
Harry and Ron both turned their attention to Slytherin, who smiled. "I don't see why not."
Ron let out a loud whoop and clapped Harry on the shoulder. "Wicked."
"Brilliant," Harry agreed.
Hermione's face was glowing. Harry knew she had been fascinated by Slytherin's chosen style ever since she had seen it. Slytherin nodded approvingly at their enthusiasm. "Godric and I will arrange some sessions. For now, however, you have earned a rest." His eyes gleamed. "You will need it for tomorrow."
Harry nodded. He was looking forward to meeting the other students, and seeing what formal lessons would be like, but his stomach was already a ball of nerves. All the Founders had been encouraging, but Harry knew just how easy it would be slip up. Hermione, however, looked disappointed.
"We don't have anything else today?"
Ron rolled his eyes. "Are you allergic to holidays or something?"
Hermione scowled at him, but to Harry's surprise Slytherin was shaking his head. "As a matter of fact, we do have something in mind. Gather your cloaks and meet us in the Entrance Hall in ten minutes."
Harry stared at him. "Where are we going?"
Slytherin just smiled. "You will see." With that he Disapparated, leaving the trio staring at each other.
"Okay," said Ron slowly. "What do you reckon this is about?"
"They could be taking us into the Forest again," said Hermione dubiously. "Or we could just be having lessons outside. Or, Harry, where are you going?"
Harry glanced back over his shoulder. "I'm going to get my cloak so I can actually find out."
Ten minutes later the three of them came down the stairs to find all four Founders waiting for them. All were wearing thick cloaks, and looked up with smiles as Harry and the others approached.
"There you are," said Gryffindor. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah," said Ron, "but where are we going?"
Gryffindor laughed. "You haven't guessed yet?"
They had tried, but when the Founders were more than capable of taking them all over the country it wasn't as easy as it sounded. At Gryffindor's words though, Hermione suddenly gasped. "Have we been over-thinking this?"
Slytherin and Hufflepuff exchanged grins, but Harry frowned at her. "What?"
"Why would we need to Apparate anywhere?" Hermione asked him.
Harry got it at the same time as Ron let out a startled, "Bloody hell!"
"Ron," Ravenclaw began.
"Sorry," said Ron quickly. "But are you seriously taking us to Hogsmeade?"
"Why not?" said Hufflepuff. "You haven't seen it under the best circumstances."
Harry nodded. "It'll be nice to look round without people trying to kill us," he said seriously. "But aren't you really busy with everything happening tomorrow?"
"We have it under control," Hufflepuff assured him, as they made their way down to the gates. "We haven't been doing nothing while you are in your lessons, you know."
"And we needed to check in on those staying in Hogsmeade anyway," Gryffindor added.
Hermione looked round at him, eyes widened. "There are students here already?"
Hufflepuff nodded. "Some of our older pupils like to gather in Hogwarts before term starts. Fortunately we did not have to bring in any Muggleborns early this year, so the rest will arrive tomorrow."
"Will we get to meet them?" Harry asked. It would be nice to already know some of their classmates before the chaos the next day would bring. There were nods from all their teachers.
"They are staying at Hengist's inn, so we will visit once you have had a look round," said Gryffindor.
Harry had always enjoyed the walk down to Hogsmeade, and this was no different. After all, how many people could say they had been shopping in Hogwarts less than ten years after it had been founded? He could hear Ron discussing the some of the differences with an equally fascinated Hufflepuff in front of him. Hermione seemed no less excited, but from what Harry could make out, for the moment she was busy quizzing Gryffindor and Slytherin on the exact mechanics of using Apparition in battle. Harry shook his head. He had long ago given up on trying to understand how Hermione's mind worked. That did remind him of something he had been meaning to ask though, and he looked up at Ravenclaw.
"Can I ask you something, Professor?"
Ravenclaw blinked at him, and smiled. "Always, Harry. You should know that by now."
Harry smiled back. "Sorry, habit. Asking questions wasn't always encouraged at home. Or at Hogwarts for that really."
Ravenclaw's lips thinned, and she shook her head. "I would dearly like to visit some of your teachers," she said. "Answering the questions is the whole point of what we do."
Harry suddenly had the image of Umbridge explaining her teaching methods to four furious Founders and had to bite back the urge to laugh. "I'd like to see that." Maybe he should tell them about Umbridge at some point. Their reactions would no doubt fuel a very powerful Patronus. "Most of them are really good though," he felt obliged to point out.
"Good," she said firmly. "But enough of that. What did you want to know?"
Harry shifted his gaze from hers. He wanted to know, but asking always felt uncomfortable. "I was just wondering how the time travel research was going?" Ravenclaw sighed, and he winced. "Sorry, I know you've busy-"
"There is no need to apologise, Harry," Ravenclaw interrupted. "It is perfectly understandable that you want to go home. Unfortunately, the past few weeks have been a little hectic, and I have not made as much progress as I had hoped."
Harry nodded. He hadn't really expected anything else. Ravenclaw laid a hand on his shoulder. "I promise I will alert you to any developments."
"Thanks," said Harry. He pulled his cloak around him and looked up at the sky. "You know, I actually think I'm beginning to get used to it here."
Yes, everything was different, from the basics like the food and clothes, to the very magic they used, but they had begun to adapt over the past couple of months. Harry was still anxious to get home, not least to make sure Neville, Ginny and Luna were all right, but he would never regret the time he had spent in the past.
"I am glad to hear it," said Ravenclaw quietly. "We will get you home, Harry. I hope you know that it has been a pleasure to get to know you though."
Harry smiled. "We feel the same way. We've got a lot to tell everyone when we get back." His gaze wandered to where Hermione was giggling at one of Slytherin and Gryffindor's sibling style arguments. "Especially on some things."
Ravenclaw had followed his gaze. "That is good to know." The affection in her voice was unmistakeable. "We will all miss you." She seemed about to say something, but suddenly stopped short, her face draining of colour. Harry froze, heart pounding in alarm.
"Professor?"
There was no reply, and he was just whirling back to shout for Gryffindor when Ravenclaw let out a long, shuddering breath. "I am all right," she said softly.
Harry eyed her. "Are you sure?" She was still far too pale, and when she raised her hand to her forehead he saw her fingers tremble, but she nodded.
"It is nothing." She hesitated a moment, then sighed. "I have the Sight. Sometimes..." She took a deep breath and visibly pulled herself together. "It is nothing. Do not be concerned, Harry."
"All right," said Harry quietly. On impulse he offered her his arm, relieved that he'd finally grown to something resembling a normal height, and was rewarded with a smile. "So you Saw something?"
For a second she was silent, but then she shook her head. "I am not sure. It only lasted a moment, and it wasn't clear." But her eyes were on their group of friends, and Harry felt a rush of foreboding.
"It was something to do with one of us, wasn't it?"
Ravenclaw sighed. "Harry, you of all people know how unreliable the Sight can be."
"Yeah," said Harry quietly. "But you're also as different from Trelawney as its possible to be."
That earned him another small smile. "I will take that as a compliment."
Harry smiled back. "It was supposed to be." They started walking again, though their pace was slower than before, and Ravenclaw was leaning on him slightly. At his comment she shot him an amused look.
"Has Godric been giving you lessons the rest of don't know about?"
"I am a Gryffindor," Harry pointed out. He kept his tone light, but the pallor of her skin was still worrying him. "Are you sure you want to keep going?"
"One vision is not going to stop me," she said firmly.
Harry recognised the gleam in her eye, and knew better than to press the matter. "All right." He hesitated, then added, "Is there anything else I can do?"
Ravenclaw squeeze his hand. "You have already been a great help. Just try not to worry." She gave a slight smile. "Nothing has happened yet, after all."
Harry sighed, but at that moment Hermione happened to glance back. By now they were a considerable distance from the others, and Harry wasn't surprised when Hermione immediately caught Gryffindor's arm. Gryffindor took one look and instantly Apparated to Ravenclaw's side.
"Are you all right?" he demanded. "What happened?"
Ravenclaw laid a hand on his arm. "It is nothing," she insisted. "Just a vision."
Gryffindor's green eyes didn't leave her brown ones. "Are you sure you are well?"
Ravenclaw extracted her other arm from Harry's to take his hand. "I am sure. Do not worry about me."
Harry had to look away from the intensity of their gaze. It was clear his presence wasn't needed any more, and he slipped down the path to where the others were waiting.
"What happened?" Hermione asked as soon as Harry got within earshot. "Is Professor Ravenclaw all right? Should we go back to the castle? What if-"
"She's fine, Hermione," Harry finally managed to interrupt.
Hermione frowned, but Hufflepuff caught his eye. "She had a vision?" Neither she nor Slytherin seemed surprised when Harry nodded. "Then there is nothing to be concerned about, my dears."
Hermione still looked dubious, but Ron nudged her. "I think they know what they're doing," he murmured.
Hermione blinked, then gave him a small smile. "Yes, of course."
Harry didn't say anything, Ravenclaw's cryptic comments about what she had seen were still weighing on his mind. He understood that visions could be unclear and difficult to interpret, he had picked up that much from Divination, but Ravenclaw had seemed badly shaken. Considering how reserved she always seemed, and her reaction afterwards, that could only mean it somehow involved one of the other Founders, and that thought worried Harry more than he was willing to admit.
But there was nothing he could do about it. No doubt Ravenclaw would confide in her friends, and anyway, they were the Founders. Harry would bet his entire fortune that they of all people could handle what was coming. In any case, there wasn't much point in worrying about something that hadn't happened yet, especially when he didn't know what it was, when it was supposed to happen, who it was going to affect...
Harry had to smile at the ridiculousness of the situation. He would keep his eyes open, but there was no point in worrying about something he had absolutely no control over.
Ravenclaw and Gryffindor rejoined them a couple of minutes later. Ravenclaw still looked a little pale, but she assured all of them that there was absolutely nothing to be concerned about. Harry didn't miss the meaningful look she gave the other Founders, but he did his best to keep his mind off of it. Instead he drew Gryffindor and Slytherin into a discussion about Zonko's joke shop that had everyone laughing until they finally got to their destination.
"It really hasn't changed that much, has it?" said Ron.
Harry could only shake his head. It was smaller, certainly, and the architecture was very different, but it was unmistakeably Hogsmeade. The main street curved in exactly the same way it did in the future, and wizards were bustling to and fro with arms full of shopping. Hufflepuff let out a contented sigh.
"Hengist did a wonderful job."
"That he did," said Gryffindor. He grinned at the trio. "There may not be a joke shop, but there's an apothecary, somewhere students can buy new robes, and anything else they might need."
"It's like Diagon Alley," said Hermione. Her eyes were very wide as she tried to take everything in. "How long has it been here?"
"Hengist finished his education four years ago," Gryffindor told her. "His parents run a tavern, and he saw an opportunity here. It's been growing ever since."
"Wow," Ron breathed. Harry couldn't blame him; it was one thing to read about how places like Hogsmeade had grown, it was another entirely to see it for themselves. Slytherin smiled at their reactions.
"We are very proud of all our students," he said. "And some continue to surprise us."
Gryffindor clapped his hands together. "Correct. Now, we imagine you want to look around without us old folks," Ravenclaw rolled her eyes and Slytherin snorted, but his grin just widened, "but there is one shop we would like to accompany you to."
Harry was glad to see Ron and Hermione looked as mystified as he was. The smiles and smirks passing between the Founders were not helping matters. "Okay, but -"
"Excellent," said Gryffindor loudly. "Follow me, then."
He set off down the street without another word. Ravenclaw shook her head. "Always so dramatic," she muttered, before heading after him. Slytherin and Hufflepuff exchanged amused looks and followed. Harry glanced at Ron and Hermione.
"At least they're having fun."
Ron snorted. "We're being teased by the Founders of Hogwarts. No one is going to believe this."
"Yeah," said Harry. "Because this is the strangest thing that's happened on this trip."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Let's just go and see what they've been planning."
Harry nodded, and they set off after their teachers. The four seemed a familiar sight to the villagers; they were greeted by almost everyone they met, and Harry saw a couple of people stop and exchange a few words with Hufflepuff. Both times Hufflepuff took them aside and Harry caught the glow of her healing magic before she returned to the others. It was another reminder of just respected their teachers were.
All other thoughts were driven from his mind though when he realised just which shop they were waiting by.
"No way."
Ron's eyes were wide as saucers, and Hermione's mouth had fallen open. Gryffindor laughed at their reactions.
"I told you, there's no good reason not to have a secondary wand."
Harry finally tore his gaze from the swinging Ollivander's sign to stare at him. "You're serious?"
"Of course," said Slytherin. "Having an extra wand has saved both mine and Godric's lives, and you will need all the advantages you can get when you return to face Voldemort."
Harry certainly wasn't arguing, but Hermione had evidently found her voice. "But we don't have any money."
Gryffindor waved a hand. "We make sure every student has a wand from Ollivander. You are our students, therefore it is our responsibility."
"But-"
"Hermione, it is our decision," said Ravenclaw firmly. "And we are all agree that we want to do this."
Hermione hesitated a moment longer, then nodded. "Thank you."
Harry had to keep himself from bouncing in anticipation. He liked his wand, but having a back up could only be a good thing, and having a back up that no one in the future knew about was even better.
Stepping into the shop brought back a flood of memories. It was much bigger on the inside than it had appeared from the outside, and the layout was very similar to Ollivanders in Diagon Alley, with a small open area and shelves stacked with boxes towards the back. A small work bench sat by the door, upon which lay an array of tools and materials that Harry had never seen before. Most familiar of all though was the prickle of magic that swirled around his skin the second he stepped he through the door. A man stood up from the bench as they entered, and Hufflepuff turned to them with a smile.
"Harry, Ron, Hermione, may I introduce Gervase Ollivander."
Harry would never have needed the introduction. This Ollivander was young, with only a few flecks of grey in his black hair, but there was no mistaking those silvery eyes. He gave a slight bow at Hufflepuff's words. "It is always a pleasure to meet new students." His voice was rich and warm. "Have any of you owned a wand before?"
Harry blinked at the question before remembering what time they were in. "Yeah," he said.
Gryffindor coughed. "They are looking for secondary wands."
Ollivander raised an eyebrow, but otherwise didn't react. "Very well." He turned to Hermione. "May I see your current wand?"
Hermione hesitated only a moment before handing her wand over. "It's made of vine wood, with a dragon heartstrings core," she said. "I've had it since I was eleven. We all got our wands at the same time."
Ollivander nodded absently. He was studying her wand very closely, his eyes wide. "Exquisite craftsmanship," he murmured. "Whoever made this was talented indeed."
Harry grinned. "We will be sure to tell him so." No doubt the Ollivander of their time would be delighted by the praise. Ollivander glanced at Hermione.
"I am afraid I have few wands of this quality," he said. "May I ask how you came by it?"
"It's a long story," said Slytherin, when Hermione went pink. "These three have travelled a very long way."
Ollivander studied him for a moment, then shrugged. "I will see what I can do." His looked Hermione up and down for a minute then flicked his wand. A dozen boxes flew through the air and landed neatly on the bench. He picked up he first one and handed it to her. "Fir, with a hair from a kelpie."
Hermione flicked it then shook her head. Undeterred, Ollivander turned to back to the bench. "Very well. Cedar, with a core of unicorn hair."
It took several more tries, and Harry was beginning to grow restless, when Ollivander's expression turned thoughtful. "I wonder..." He pushed a couple of boxes aside and picked up the one underneath. "If we stay with the dragon heartstring, but use walnut..."
"Walnut and dragon heartstring?" Hufflepuff repeated. Harry glanced at her, and saw she looked taken aback. Ollivander just shrugged again and handed it to Hermione.
Harry felt a shift in the magic at the same moment Hermione gasped. Red and silver sparks erupted from her wand, and Ollivander smiled. "Excellent." He took it from her and placed it carefully back in the box. "A powerful wand for an intelligent witch. Be sure to use it wisely."
Hermione took it from him with equal care, her face slightly uncertain. "I will, sir. Thank you."
Ollivander just nodded and turned expectantly to Ron.
Finding Ron's new wand went much faster. Ollivander seemed to have learned from experimenting with Hermione, and only gave Ron wands with unicorn tail hair cores, like that of his current wand, to try. A few minutes later, Ron summoned a shower of gold sparks with a wand made of larch. Harry had time to catch Hufflepuff's approving nod before it was his turn.
Ollivander seemed taken aback by the fact that his wand contained a phoenix tail feather. "Ingenious," he murmured. "Most ingenious." He glanced at Harry. "I had never thought to use a phoenix feather. How did you come by this wand?"
Harry thought quickly. "My grandfather was bonded to a phoenix," he said. "He donated one of his feathers."
Ollivander nodded thoughtfully. "I will have to experiment. The wands I could make..." For a moment he stood lost in thought, then shook himself. "In the meantime, let me see if I have anything suitable for you."
Harry wasn't surprised when he ended up taking longer than Ron and Hermione combined, but in the end he felt the familiar warmth when Ollivander handed him a blackthorn wood wand containing a hair from a banshee. The wandmaker nodded when Harry swept it through the air in a flurry of red and amber sparks. "A powerful duelling wand, this one. I should warn you though, Harry, that banshee cores do not like to perform healing magic."
"I understand," said Harry, but he didn't take his eyes from his wand. The wood felt warm in his hand, and he somehow knew that he could win any fight he wanted with this wand. Not being able to use healing magic was a surprise, but Harry still wasn't much good at those spells anyway, and he would have his holly and phoenix feather wand. "Thank you, sir."
Hufflepuff smiled and stepped forwards. "Thank you, Gervase," she said warmly. "Kentigern will be down in two days time with any students who still need wands, and he will make the usual arrangements."
Ollivander bowed. "It was an honour, as always, Helga."
The trio thanked him once before, then Slytherin ushered them from the shop.
Once outside, Gryffindor turned to Hufflepuff. "You approve?"
"I do," said Hufflepuff, with a nod. "I studied wandlore under Gervase's father. It is a fascinating art," she explained, when Harry shot her a questioning look. "Though I was surprised by Hermione's wand."
"I noticed," said Hermione quietly. "Can I ask why?"
"Of course." She thought for a moment. "From what I can gather, dragon heartstrings make very powerful wands, and ones that can be used for any sort of magic the owner requires. Walnut is much the same. That wand will perform whatever magic you require of it, no matter what the consequences might be."
Ron frowned at her. "You're talking like it can think."
"In a sense, it can," Hufflepuff replied. "Wands have very different properties, depending on the wood and core, and will perform different types of magic with varying willingness and strength. Hermione's, though, will do whatever she wishes it to."
That didn't sound at all bad to Harry, but Hermione was staring at her new wand with an unreadable expression. As Harry watched, she shared a look with Slytherin, and something Harry couldn't quite understand passed between them. His attention was diverted though when Ron asked, "What about my wand?"
Hufflepuff smiled. "Larch wands are said to bring out their owner's hidden talents. You may find magic you had never expected coming much more easily to you with it."
Ron looked slightly sceptical, but he rested a hand protectively over the box.
Harry couldn't resist. "And mine?"
"Yours is the wand of a warrior," said Hufflepuff quietly. "Once it has fully bonded to you it will perform very powerful magic indeed."
Harry just nodded. It sounded like just what he needed. Part of him felt regretful, he had never wanted to be a soldier, but that couldn't be helped. He had to stop Voldemort and his followers, and this wand would help him to do so.
Gryffindor was talking, and Harry wrenched his attention back to the present. "You will need to practice with these wands to get used to them, but that can wait for another day. You can spend the rest of the day as you wish."
"We will be around should you need us," Hufflepuff added. "And you will no doubt find some of the students in Hengist's tavern."
Ron frowned. "So what happens tomorrow then? Do they all just come up when they arrive?"
Gryffindor shook his head. "I will go and collect them around late afternoon and bring them up to the castle. It has become a tradition of sorts. It's a good way for the students to mingle before being Sorted."
Ron scratched his head. "Yeah, but it must be a bit risky. I mean, if everyone knows you're going to be wandering up to the school with a load of kids..." He trailed off abruptly, eyes going wide as he realised just what he had said.
Gryffindor had gone white. "My God," he breathed.
For a moment, Harry couldn't breathe. The image of dozens of children not even realising they would under attack left him dizzy. Good as he was, Gryffindor couldn't defend them all alone. If this happened...
"No wonder they have been so quiet over the last two weeks," Slytherin whispered. He was gripping his staff so tightly Harry heard his knuckles crack. "All the while they were waiting for this."
Hufflepuff swallowed. "We do not know for sure," she began, but Slytherin shook his head.
"We cannot take the chance." He swore and slammed his staff on the floor. "How did we not consider this?"
"We should have," said Gryffindor quietly. "I should have realised-"
Ravenclaw's eyes flashed. "Godric Gryffindor, don't you dare start blaming yourself!"
Gryffindor blinked. "But Rowena-"
"No!" Ravenclaw snapped. "All the time you spend weeks thinking about what you should have done then, and how you could have prevented that, and I have had enough of it. I don't care how good a warrior you are, you do not know everything, and you are an utter fool if you expect to."
"And that goes for you too," said Hufflepuff sharply to the Slytherin. The dark haired Founder stared at her.
"What? I didn't even say anything."
Hufflepuff continued to glare at him. "Not yet, but you are just as bad as he is. I know you feel responsible-"
"Because we are," Slytherin protested.
"But you cannot continue to blame yourselves for every single thing that goes wrong," Hufflepuff continued as if he hadn't spoken. "And don't think I won't hex you if I hear you say one word otherwise."
Harry didn't know whether to applaud or burst out laughing. The gobsmacked expressions on Gryffindor and Slytherin's faces were absolutely priceless. Ron's shoulders were shaking, and he had stuffed a fist in his mouth, while Hermione was gaping at their teachers as if she couldn't believe her eyes. Ravenclaw placed her hands on her hips and glared at the pair of them.
"You do your best. That is all you have ever done, and all we will ever ask of you. Now, what do you want to do about this?"
For a long minute, neither Gryffindor nor Slytherin spoke, then Slytherin glanced at his friend. "Fair point."
Gryffindor blinked, and nodded. "Indeed." His expression hardened. "We are going to protect our students. We will defend our school." Magic crackled in his hair, and his green eyes blazed. "And anyone who comes against us will wish he had never been born."
Harry found himself gripping his wand. His fear remained, but it was now overlaid with determination. He would help his friends. Gryffindor looked round at them all and have a grim smile.
"This is what we are going to do."
Rowena stood silent as she watched Godric plan their defence. Slytherin stood beside him, his eyes narrowed as his sharp mind plotted their enemies' moves. Both had taken her words to heart, and their focus was now completely on the task at hand. The thought lessened her terror somewhat, but did nothing for her underlying sense of dread. Rowena could defend herself well enough, but she had never liked battles, and waiting for one was nigh on unbearable.
After a vision however, it was a thousand times worse. Especially when the vision was so unclear.
That was the worst part. Her vision might have been of tomorrow's battle, a battle years in the future, or not even of a battle at all. Rowena simply didn't know.
All Rowena did know was that she couldn't lose someone she loved. Not again.