The Courage to Change: A Harry Potter Fanfic

Chapter 5: Discoveries

Chapter Four: Discoveries 

"We discover in others what other hide from us, and we recognize in others what we hide from ourselves." 

- Marquis de Vauvenargues

~*~

Hermione and Ginny were sitting in the Gryffindor Common Room, books scattered all around them, tattered pages opened to random numbers. For the past week, they had been spending late nights reading reference books on the founders of Hogwarts, but they hadn't found anything of interest, save for the fact that apparently Salazar Slytherin had been quite flighty with women in his day. 

Hermione's fingers ran delicately under the first line of yet another page. It seemed like the empty words never ended, going on forever and never answering any of their questions. But out of the dozens of books they had lent from the expansive Hogwarts library, surely there were a few with information they could put to good use. At the moment it wasn't looking promising, but perhaps they would come across something soon. 

Ginny's eyes were pried from Hogwarts: A History as the steps to the boys' dormitory creaked. Ron descended, looking tired, and came to take a seat next to the girls. When he didn't say anything, Ginny turned silently back to her reading. He looked around at the sea of musty books, wondering how Ginny and Hermione could possibly stay up this late reading. His brain shut down at the prospect. 

"Haven't you two found anything yet?" he said impatiently. 

The girls did not answer, their noses buried in the fold of thick pages, and, with no reply, he rose, deciding to see if he couldn't uncover something himself. As he stepped forward to pick up a small, fragile hardback, his foot caught on another's loose binding, and he fell, pages tearing from the ancient manuscripts and flying everywhere. At the sound, both girls jumped from their seats, dropping the books they held. 

"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed worriedly, scurrying around the chairs to where he lay on top of at least a dozen books. "Are you alright?" 

Ron glowed on the inside at her concerned tone, as she helped him to his feet and brushed the dust from his broad shoulders. 

"Yeah," he replied, blushing as he gawked at the mess he just made. "I'm fine." 

"Hermione, look!" Ginny squealed happily. 

In her hand she held a faded page from the book Ron had just ripped apart. She handed gingerly to Hermione, who grinned as she scanned over it. It was an illustration - moving, of course - of the Founders in the library. At first glance, it seemed to be an ordinary magical drawing, but a closer look disproved this theory. Twisted gracefully around Salazar Slytherin's wrist was a long chain, on the end of which dangled a large, emerald stone. 

"That's the Locket of Slytherin there," Ron said, seeing it too and placing his fingertip on the medallion. 

Hermione nodded, examining the sketch even more closely. Slytherin was leaning casually against the wall, shockingly similar to the way Draco did, with one foot against a bookshelf. He was admiring the emerald rock that was wound about his forearm with a disturbing passion, almost as if he was in a trance. Occasionally, his black pupils would flicker to the others suspiciously, as if expecting them to steal his precious necklace. Rowena Ravenclaw was sitting at a table in the center, a book lain open before her - as was expected of the intellectual woman - but her eyes were not focused on the book. Instead they lingered on the tiara she wore on her head, filled with fear, as her hand gripped the diamond circlet. Helga Hufflepuff sat beside her, sipping every now and then from a ruby-studded goblet, both her hands clutching the cup. Her eyes were focused straight ahead, but she seemed unwaveringly aware of Salazar eyeing her from the corner of the room. And finally, partially unsheathing his famous sword and appreciating the yellow glint it created against the candlelight, was Godric Gryffindor. He seemed fully in control, not noticing - or possibly not caring about - Salazar's untrusting gaze upon his weapon.