Gradion Gryffindor
That morning everything was awkward between Ron and Harry, for a while neither of them spoke and Hermione was getting incredibly worried. Hermione was in the common room and appeared to be scolding the Weasley twins for something or other, Harry and Ron approached to see what the trouble was.
"You can't tell us what to do 'Mione, we're older than you." Said George as he rose to his feet and looked down at Hermione, Fred did the same and said.
"Look, it's our business so don't you worry."
"The thing is, is that we do not need first years turning into great large gnomes and creating havoc for other houses!" The twins laughed.
"Oh please-" Said Fred.
"-That kind of stuff doesn't happen twice 'Mione, we like to be original." Concluded George.
"Original morons is correct." They looked at her dumbfound. Hermione, the prefect, Granger never had a comeback. The world should have exploded on the spot. "Now pack this stuff away or do I need to write to your mother?" To some people the threat would not be much but when you were talking about Molly Weasley you'd know when the time to quit was. "The last thing you two want is a howler right before Quidditch, right?" Feeling satisfied, she walked away and joined Harry and Ron.
"I wish I was a prefect so I could boss them around." Said Ron, in awe, as he watched his brothers pack up and walk out of the room.
"Well you did throw the badge away and told Professor McGonagall you would rather die than be a, in your words, 'a pompous, rule- following, stickler.' Ron's ears turned pink and Harry had to hide a smile.
"Yeah and then I had to buy a new badge as well." He muttered under his breath. The trio walked downstairs and into the great hall. Hermione grabbed a discarded copy of the Daily Prophet and started reading the front cover, a moment later she let out a low squeal which made both Harry and Ron jump slightly in their seats.
"Look at this, Harry!" Harry was about to ask but Hermione said. "It's about Cedric!" Hermione put the paper down on the table and Harry swung it around so he could read it properly. There was a picture of Cedric in his Quidditch uniform- waving to a crowd- on a Quidditch pitch that Harry guessed was taken by his father. The article headline read.
Cedric Diggory's death: What really happened?
"This should be interesting." Said Ron as he reached for a strip of bacon.
Shocking news has swept the wizarding world off its feet as the boy-who- lived claims that he-who-must-not-be-named has returned from the dead and is the reason for the death of sixth year student Cedric Diggory of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry during the Tri wizard tournament with guest schools: Beauxbaton's Academy of magic and Durmstrang Academy. Moments after the third task Harry Potter- fourteen- arrived in front of the crowd, outside the maze, clutching Cedric Diggory and screaming that he had witnessed you-know-who in the flesh and claimed he was the one to murder Mr. Diggory.
"It's all well and good saying that you-know-who is back but wasn't he killed by Harry Potter many years ago? He is simply acting out to get attention." States Pansy Parkinson, a Slytherin student in Mr. Potter's year at Hogwarts. "I don't know what happened with Cedric because I know Potter is just making this up, for all we know... Potter could have killed him himself. Probably didn't want Diggory stealing his fame."
So is Potter really to be trusted? Is you-know-who really back? All these questions and more are being asked. We asked a member of the Ministry of Magic for their thoughts.
"I might not know Harry Potter very well but I know he is not a liar," Says Percy Weasley- Junior Assistant to the Minister for Magic. "I believe what he states about you-know-who returning and I do not believe he would have hurt Cedric Diggory at all."
After the information and assurance of the assistant to the Minister of magic we are hoping the Minister shall investigate further to find out the truth about Mr. Diggory's death.
Rita Skeeter.
Harry stared at the paper in disbelief. Of course he should have expected that not everyone would believe him about what happened with Cedric. He wasn't shocked to find out that the Slytherins did not believe him but he could not hide the anger that boiled in his veins at being called a liar and what's worse is being called a murderer.
"Wow, suppose Percy's not a prat after all." Ron said, staring at the page thoughtfully.
"You don't think he'd be in trouble for saying what he did do you?" Hermione asked, leaning forward to whisper to them. Harry had never told anyone about the conversation he had with Percy before school and he did not find it necessary to share it.
"Why would he?" Ron shrugged his shoulders and looked, confused, at Hermione- who was drumming her fingers on the table in thought.
"Well... The Ministry doesn't want to admit that you-know-who is back, so the Minister doesn't think it's true and doesn't want others to think so either- I can't help thinking that Percy may be singled out for believing Harry." Everyone sat in silence for a moment and eventually Eliza had dropped into the spare seat beside Hermione.
"Harry," Said a voice. Harry was snapped from his thoughts as he looked around to see Angelina Johnson stand before him, wearing a short black skirt, white shirt and loose tie. "I'm sure you've been told that you're the captain this year?" Harry nodded but did not speak. "I won't be joining the team this year, I took some advance stuff for my N.E.W.T's and plan on getting the best grades possible."
"But you're like the best chaser on the team!" Ron burst out before he could stop himself. She smiled at him.
"Thanks Ron, but one player does not a team make. Katie and Alicia will still be there but you'll have to find a new chaser." She walked off.
"Yeah and a new keeper too." Harry grumbled. "I completely forgot about Quidditch try outs, how am I supposed to find another chaser as good as Angelina?"
"Oh I'd love to try out for chaser, Harry." Said Eliza and Harry looked at her and realised that she was being truthful.
"You play Quidditch?" He asked.
"Of course. I do it quite a lot in my spare time, guess which broom I've got." She waited but no-one offered a suggestion. "A Nimbus 2001!" Harry was reminded vaguely of his second year when the entire Slytherin Quidditch team had arrived on the pitch, each one of them smugly carrying a Nimbus 2001 in their hands. He was brought out of his thoughts by Ron's voice.
"Great, and then there's me with a rubbish old Cleansweep." He muttered the last part under his breath. Harry ignored him and began to wonder when he would possibly find the time to schedule tryouts. Perhaps he could arrange to do it at the weekend. Just then Alicia ran up to Harry and quickly said.
"Harry when are tryouts?" Harry sighed but knew that if he told her now she would most likely tell the others, he would have to remember to put a sign up sheet on the notice board in the common when he got the chance.
"Saturday." He replied.
"Thanks!" She rushed off and whispered something to Katie, no doubt was in his mind that she was sharing the time of tryouts with her friend who was most likely to make the team again with her fabulous chaser skills.
"We should get going to class." Said Hermione. Together Harry, Ron, Hermione and Eliza all walked up to their first lesson of the day: Defence Against The Dark Arts. Harry could not contain his excitement as he thought of telling Professor Darkwood all about how he himself had wield the sword of Godric Gryffindor in the chamber of secrets when he was only twelve. They all lined up outside the room to wait for their teacher, Hermione was reading an oversized book behind him and Ron was in front talking frantically to Eliza.
Eventually a man stepped out of the room and stood at the door. The class fell silent as they took in his appearance. He was quite a short man, a foot taller than Harry, he had brown lined hair and wore brown shabby trousers with a white shirt and light brown waistcoat, his tie was black. His eyes were light blue; he looked at the class for a minute and then smiled at them. He spoke not one word but he pointed to the door, welcoming the students with mute nods as child after child pasted through the doorway.
Harry sat at a desk with Ron beside him. Hermione had sat with Eliza. The room did not appear to be anything out of the ordinary; there were pictures around the room, however, of four different people. Two witches and two wizards. As he observed them he did not have any idea of who they could be at all, though he took note on how Hermione and Eliza seemed to stare, fascinated, at their faces- that is until professor Darkwood brought them to his attention.
"Good morning class. My name is Professor Darkwood and I will be your Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher this year. Now then first of I see you have all noticed the four pictures hanging around the room." He said waving a sweeping hand around in the air to indicate the four witches and wizards. "Can anyone here tell me what is special about these people?" As expected Hermione's hand pounded the air before anyone had even realized a question had been asked. "Ah, yes Miss...?"
"Granger sir- they are the four founders of Hogwarts. Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin." She said pointing them out. Indeed these pictures were the four founders and Harry had only just realized this.
"Marvellous, 10 points to Gryffindor!" Eliza patted Hermione on the back and turned to the front to listen. "Now then, I have them here to show you all that they started off as nothing more than you all are now, but with time an effort their names shall be remembered most in death, some... For different reasons." Harry understood of course. This man was Gryffindor's descendent and so must have known all about the different houses and so he must have despised Slytherin for his evil ways.
"Now then, we are going to start off with some nonverbal defensive magic. I assume you have tried before?" He asked and the class nodded. "Excellent, now may I have a volunteer?" He looked around the room and his eyes landed on a boy at the back of the room. "What about you young man?" Harry turned around to see Draco stand and walk, silently, down the row of desks. There was a slight smirk playing on his lips, as he walked past, Harry felt the smallest and almost indifferent pricks in his scar. He winced and looked up, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, perhaps he was imagining things.
"Now then if you would stand there- yes that's right- now then I will attempt to disarm you, all you have to do is use 'Protego' in your mind to prevent this- alright? Fantastic... Expelliarmus!" Harry watched as the spell was said, Draco was staring as though in a trance at Professor Darkwood. The spell instantly rebounded as the Professor's wand was sent flying through the air and into Malfoy's hand. Though something was wrong. Once the Professor's wand made contact with Malfoy's skin, Harry could see thin sparks of red and green dance around Draco's fingers for a moment before it vanished. No-one else had noticed and Harry started wondering whether he was going mad.
"Marvellous, simply marvellous! Well done my boy, five points to-" He looked at Malfoy's tie and his features seemed sharpen as his face darkened slightly. "Five points to Slytherin." He spat the last word out as though it was nothing more than mere filth. Of course Harry knew that their professor being a descendent of Gryffindor meant that his distrust and disdain for Slytherin house must have been very strong indeed.
A few others did not understand this man's disdain apart from a few Gryffindors, of course, Draco did not care much at the Professors turn but merely turned away from him with a bored expression on his face- he reached his desk and sat down, hiding his face behind a rather large book that Harry guessed was not at all being read.
"Now then class, I would like to pair you all up so if you all stand." Everyone got to their feet and with an almost lazy flick of the Professors wand the tables and chairs were stacked neatly at the sides of the room. "Now I have a list here. Parkinson and Malfoy- Crabbe and Goyle- Zabini and Abbott- Granger and Longbottom- Potter and Weasley- Finnigan and Thomas-Blackstar and Nott-" He sorted the rest of the class into pairs, neither Hannah nor Blaise looked at all pleased with their pairing, Hermione was trying to hide her annoyance at being paired with Neville, even though it was hard as Ron was silently taunting her from the spot beside Harry.
Harry and Ron stood a few feet apart and Ron sent a neat jinx towards Harry. Focus Harry, focus. Sadly he was pushed back by the jinx; non- verbal spells had never been his specialty. At least he was doing better than Neville- who seemed to have made his wand float above his head- Hermione sighed and waved her wand with a bored expression. Neville's wand flew back to his hand and he mumbled apologies to Hermione who, politely, tried to shrug them off as nothing.
Harry sent a jinx towards Ron, who was completely blindsided and fell clean off his feet, Eliza laughed as she turned away from Theodore to help Ron stand, he turned to her and smiled. Harry could tell they were thanking and welcoming each other when Theodore grabbed Eliza's attention again and she turned away. Ron grinned at Harry, who just shook his head and carried on attempting to complete the task with no success.
Ron demanded he had a break and Harry was eager to agree because he needed to keep a close eye on Draco because he just knew that something was wrong and he must have something to do with it. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary except for the fact that Draco was excellent at the non- verbal spells which was not good for Harry because it means he can never know when Draco could be planning to jinx or hex him.
"Alright class well done, marvellous work. Especially: Miss Granger, Miss Blackstar, Mr Malfoy and Miss Abbott! Off you go everyone." Ron met up with Eliza and Hermione but turned around when they noticed that Harry was not following them.
"You go on, I'll be there in a minute." Harry assured them. Hermione sighed and gave him a disapproving look.
"We'll tell Professor Burbage that you'll be a bit late." Said Eliza as she grabbed Hermione's arm and pulled her out of the room, Ron following closely behind. The door closed and echoed throughout the large room, Harry looked to the teacher's desk at the front and saw Professor Darkwood shifting through some papers with a sort of agitated look on his face.
"Professor?" Harry said quietly. The Professor gave a jolt of surprise at seeing another student present in the room.
"Oh! I did not know I still had company." He said with a series of short chuckles. "You'll be late you know, you should really- Merlins beard, how could I have been so blind and ignorant. You're Harry Potter!" He scrambled away from his desk to shake Harry's hand. "What can I do for you my boy?"
"I know who you really are, Professor Gryffindor." Darkwood laughed and straightened his waistcoat.
"Indeed I am, though I employ you to not tell others this information, I see you are a true Gryffindor, others are too ignorant to know this kind of information." Harry nodded wordlessly. He was reminded, unpleasantly, of the day the sorting hat had attempted to place him in Slytherin, along with Draco Malfoy. "Now then what can I do you for?" Harry wracked his brain to try and remember exactly what he was planning on telling him.
"I... Err... I found Gryffindor's sword you know. I pulled it out of the sorting hat in the chamber of secrets to save my friend's sister." He pushed out of his mouth quicker than he anticipated. The professor looked fascinated.
"You have found the chamber of secrets?" He asked perplexed. Harry was a little confused; surely Dumbledore would have told him this wouldn't he?
"I'm sorry sir; I thought you'd know that." Harry spoke with such suspicion in his voice that it made his teacher go briefly pale.
"Oh, you see Mister Potter- may I call you Harry? Well, Harry, as you know me being Gryffindor's last remaining descendent means that I must hide from many of Slytherins descendents, you understand? And so I try to not get noticed. Recently I have been so preoccupied with a- let's say mystery- that I cannot figure out and as a result have not being paying much attention to anything else. You understand?" Harry's mind was spinning out of control trying to grasp onto what the professor was saying.
"What mystery sir?" He asked curiously. Suddenly the professors face darkened and for one mad second Harry though he was furious with him but a second later it had vanished almost as quickly as it appeared.
"You should go to your next class Mister Potter. Off you go." Harry took note that the professor had called him 'Mister Potter' rather than 'Harry' he knew he must have angered the professor with his question but the fact that he did not answer him just made Harry all the more hungry for information. If he could get Hermione and Ron alone he could tell them what he had encountered. Right now he had to get to Muggle studies; racing through the corridor Harry opened the large, oak wood, door and stepped into the room.
"Mister Potter, ten minutes late. Though I have been assured by Miss Blackstar, I would hope for you to be in class on time in the future, understood?" Harry nodded and went to his usual seat beside Ron, ignoring the sneers and silent cackling from the Slytherins on the opposite side of the room. He pulled out his book and began to listen to Professor Burbage going on about the muggle invention of solar panels.
-0-
Harry was eager to fill Ron and Hermione in on the strange moment between him and Professor Darkwood. They listened with mounting interest in front of the blazing fire at eleven o'clock, by which time all the other students had retired to the warmth of their beds.
"So, Darkwood is trying to solve a mystery- and you actually asked him about it?" Harry nodded slowly and Hermione thought deeply about the situation while Ron turned to his best friend and said.
"So, he didn't know about the sword or the chamber? What an idiot, I mean if I were Gryffindor's descendent I would keep up to date on every house, not play guessing games about some 'mystery' I can't solve."
"But Ron this could be something serious!" Hermione pressed on, the determined glint flooded Hermione's delicate features. "I think you should tell Sirius, and I'll do some research on Gradion Gryffindor, see if I can get any answers. But until then we should go to bed. Goodnight Harry, goodnight Ronald."