Draco was walking through Black castle thinking on the past few years and how peaceful they had been. True, like all other students of his age he had spent most of the last few years studying hard. He knew that Voldemort would be back, he could feel it deep inside and he wanted him dead and gone. He would never forget what had been done to him in his first year and he vowed to protect others from that kind of fate. Being used by Riddle's diary had done a lot of good for him, he had learned that the dark arts were evil, that they caused nothing but suffering and pain. In fact the term dark should be replaced with evil and less people would be tempted by them. He would only use a dark spell as a last resort himself, there were plenty of so called "light" spells that could be used for defense that he did not need to turn to evil.
He came on the great hall of Black castle and headed in and stopped short his gray eyes went wide. There before him stood the great Albus Dumbledore his face set in grim determination with Harry Potter before him his face set the same way. They had their wands out and were dueling, Draco saw Ron, Hermione, Cedric, Ginny, Neville and one of their newest friends Stewart Ackerley, all standing watching in awe and a bit of fear. Draco had not seen this coming and wondered why Dumbledore would be dueling with Harry. He watched in awe as both used their strengths and he was one of the very few who had ever seen a Shapeshifter in full fighting form. Harry went between using spells to changing to animals that Dumbledore had a hard time keeping up, but keep up he did and then some.
"Come now Harry you need to concentrate." Dumbledore said as Harry narrowly dodged a rather powerful spell.
"Yes sir like this?" Harry said turning into a humming bird as a spell came where he had been standing, he popped back to human behind Dumbledore and shot off several strong spells, Dumbledore called up a wall to head them off, "not bad sir but let's see what you do with this!"
"Ah the enthusiasm of youth." Dumbledore said a smile on his face as he called up a large wave of water just as Harry turned to a cat soaking Harry.
"Ah that is cold!" Harry sputtered completely soaked as he turned human. "You could have used warmer water sir!"
"Well I could, but you will be faster next time." Dumbledore said his eyes twinkling. "You are coming along quite well, nearly at the level that Severus is."
"Only because he is a Shapeshifter." Severus said walking into the room. "Take that away and…."
"I am not as scary and evil as you." Harry finished, "I don't want to be evil you know, and well if you got a talent why not use it?"
"He has a point Severus." Hermione said walking up, "he will be ready to face Riddle when the challenge comes, are you alright sir?"
"Yes, my mail is screened and so far I have got four cursed letters from Riddle, two letters charmed as portkeys and only one attempt on my life." Severus said unbuttoning his robes and shoving up the sleeve of his left arm to show a tattoo of the coat of arms of Slytherin "I have the fact I am the heir to Slytherin on my side."
"And you have the heir of Gryffindor on your side." Neville said showing his tattoo.
"And Hufflepuff." Cedric said showing his.
"And grand Ravenclaw." Stewart, or as he preferred to be called Art added showing his tattoo.
"Wait you are an heir?" The three teens said at once.
Severus smirked, he knew the other heirs as he was the oldest and the old bonds that bound the heirs to centuries of silence had cracked with Riddle going to Hogwarts ironically. Ever since the founders had their falling out not one of Salazar's direct descendants had gone to Hogwarts and the other founder's heirs had either changed their names or married into other families and were bound to silence. It was with Riddle coming to Hogwarts and claiming he was the heir to Slytherin that had started to break down the bonds and now, even though he lost his status of heir of Slytherin as his original body was destroyed, there was another heir. That heir was Severus Snape himself and he had been told by the goblins (who had been bound to silence as well) who they were. He knew that Neville Longbottom was heir to Gryffindor, Cedric Diggory was the heir to Hufflepuff and the youngest Stewart Ackerley was the surprise as the direct descendant of lady Ravenclaw.
"So what does this mean with four male heirs of the founders in Hogwarts at the same time?" Harry asked.
"Not sure, I mean I just found out." Art said, "I would have found out when I was fifteen but seems things changed and well I am needed now though I do not feel worthy."
"Trust me I doubt any of us do." Neville said.
"You are quite right." Severus said, "I am least worthy of all, after all I did."
"Well I am so worthy of this." Cedric said serious for a moment, then he grinned and laughed, "no I know I am not, Merlin what will we all do, I have had a lot of studies and learned much of lady Hufflepuff."
"Same with Lady Ravenclaw." Art said, "so much power and studies."
"I agree, but I do like learning about Gryffindor." Neville said.
"Well I am sure, unlike me you do not have to write essays all the time." Harry said bringing up his least favorite thing to do at school.
"You and your aversion to essays." Severus said, "they are needed, we need to know what you have learned as professors."
"I could just tell you." Harry grumbled.
Severus grinned and Sirius laughed as he heard Harry grumble about having to write essays, his father too had not enjoyed that part of his education but he was not as vocal about his dislike as Harry was. Well Harry did have a right, after all he had so much put on him, he was the defacto leader of his generation after all and was looked up to in facing off with Voldemort, well those that knew he was back, which seemed to be most of the Wizarding world, only the minister acted as if he did not believe it. He stated he needed proof, that since Neville did not remember a thing regrettably he could do nothing and the law had his hands tied. Harry went out to go flying before another training that evening.
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Ron was nervous, and he knew he could not afford to be nervous at a time like this. He had to be calm so that Trelawney did not suspect him at all. She was a seer, but her powers were erratic to say the least and when she gave a prophecy she never did remember it. This was a good thing as she had made one about Ron that he would betray the dark lord and help defeat him. Ron had been in the room luckily and he had told the headmaster who had wanted to call off him spying as he was. Ron would have none of it and refused to back out now, not when he was so needed. He met with Trelawney not at Hogwarts but in Knockturn Alley at a small notorious inn that was nonetheless very clean with booths in the bar cast in shadow for those meeting there.
"What do you have for me?" Trelawney said barely recognizable in a dark cloak with hood drawn over her face.
"I managed to wipe Longbottom's memory." Ron said coldly, his own face hidden by the hood of his black cloak "the minister has no proof that the dark lord is back."
"Very good Weasley, the dark lord will be glad to hear of this." Trelawney said slipping a piece of parchment to him, "he will be glad to hear of it from you himself."
Ron felt the tug of a portkey sweep him from the inn and after a moment or two he landed in a cold dark hall, fortunately on his feet. He was afraid and knew he was about to meet the most terrify wizard alive, two wizards clad in death eater robes and masks came up and made him follow them. He did and after a time came to double doors that opened and he was ushered into the large chamber. He saw a man seated on a throne-like chair clad in black robes a hood over his pale snake-like face. His red eyes glowed and at the sight of Ron his thin lips twisted into what passed for a smile. Hating what he had to do Ron stepped forward and knelt before Voldemort and remained there not daring to look up or move.
"Ah so you are the lion who has helped me so much." Voldemort said looking down at Ron with amusement.
"You are the only one who stands between our world's survival and its death master." Ron said hating the words he was forced to say, "they think I am jealous of them, but why would I be jealous of the doomed?"
"You have aligned yourself with the right side." Voldemort said, "and you are right those who do not stand with me are doomed."
"Yes master." Ron said.
"I have a job for you, you are close with Severus Snape are you not?" Voldemort said.
"Potter thinks I am a friend of his, and professor Snape does trust me." Ron said knowing he was going to be asked to do something horrible. "Well as much as a wizard of his leanings could, he did after all betray you."
"I want you to give him this." Voldemort said handing over a small decanter, "I so want to see him."
"Of course master, when do you wish to see him?"
"As soon as you can manage." Voldemort said, "now you must leave, you have much work to do."
"Yes master." Ron said rising and bowing to Voldemort.
He was allowed to leave and he felt horrible. He had horrible news to bare and he hoped that he would not have to give the portkey to Severus. With a heavy heart he took his own portkey back to Hogwarts and walked from the school. To Voldemort and his followers he looked excited and happy at his task and thanks to his Occlude powers and shields Voldemort did not suspect a thing. Still he would know Ron had lied to him if he did not turn over Severus and he was testing the young man to see if he really were loyal. The war was heating up and a young man was caught fully in the middle of it.