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Chapter Four: In Which Hogwarts Does Dumbledore



The squeezing sensation faded, and Harry suddenly found himself on cold flagstones. The memory of what he had seen and the residual agony of the cruciatus overcame what control he had, and he became violently sick all over the floor.

Before he fell completely flat, he saw the floor somehow absorb the vomit into the stones, leaving not a stain.

"Oh my beloved," a familiar voice whispered.

It was the woman again. Hogwarts, she called herself. She knelt beside him, this time wearing a school robe with all four crests. Her hands caressed his cheek. Where she touched, the pain eased. "How they hurt you, Beloved."

Harry reached for her blindly, and she pulled him into her embrace as any woman would for one she loved. The agony and horror of it ripped its way out of him in such body-wrenching sobs he was almost sick again. Still she held him, crooning and rocking him like a child.

It took perhaps half an hour, but finally the worst of the shock eased. Harry leaned back and looked at her. "You're real," he whispered.

"I am as real as you need me to be," she said with such agentle, loving smile Harry felt his eyes tearing up again.

"I watched them die. I didn't even like them that much, but I watched them die."

"I know, Love."

She pulled his head back to her soft, voluptuous chest. "Are you really Hogwarts?"

"I am."

"You made love to me."

"It was a physical manifestation to help with the bonding,"she said. "Just as my being here with you is a physical manifestation to aid you in your time of need. I am the result of a thousand years of magic, and I have been waiting for you all that time."

He held up a hand and showed the tattoo. "What are these?"

"Your legacy," she said. "I was going to wait to tell you. But I don't think we have time. I'm so sorry, my love."

"But...I don't...when Luna kissed my hand...and Hermione..."

"You'll know soon enough, my love," Hogwarts said. "You will stay here. You must. Tell Albus, love. He is not perfect. He makes mistakes, but he would make a much better ally that an opponent. I am fond of him."

As quickly as before, the beautiful form of Hogwarts was gone. He was alone again in the Room of Requirement, with nothing but blood-soaked pajama pants, a blood-soaked bare chest, his glasses, and his wand. He realized that, just as happened after the battle at the Department of Mysteries, he did feel a little better.

He stumbled out of the room and stared down the stairs and moved to the first portrait-this of a shepherdess and her flock. She stared down at him, aghast. "Please tell someone I'm here," he asked of the portrait.

Not having any other destination, Harry started walking to the Gryffindor tower. At the very least he might be able to shower. Professor McGonagall found him halfway there and nearly fainted dead-away at the sight of him.

"Mr. Potter!" she all but shrieked. "How did you get here? What happened?"

He blinked at her, unable to understand why she would ask such a silly question. "They're dead,"he said, still a little dazed. "The Dursleys are dead. Bellatrix killed them all. She tortured Aunt Petunia for an hour and made me watch."

McGonagall was at his side in an instant, guiding him away from the tower. He really wanted ashower, but for some reason he couldn't quite get the words out. He felt so dirty, soaked in his uncle and aunt's blood.

When they stopped at the gargoyle, he knew where they were going and simply sighed as they went up the stairs to the headmaster's office. She sat him down in one of the chairs and then ran to the floo, where she summoned Madame Pomphrey.

The mediwitch arrived just moments before the Floo burst with green flame and Albus Dumbledore stepped into his office. He was followed a moment later by Kingsley Shacklebolt and Mad-Eye.

"Prolonged exposure to the Cruciatus,"the Mediwitch said with an angry clip. "He doesn't appear to have any physical damage otherwise." She turned to Dumbledore. "I'm going to go get some pain potions and will return shortly."

Dumbledore nodded before he too knelt in front of Harry. "My dear boy," the old man said, his voice shaking. "I am so sorry. So many terrible burdens, and now this!"

"You said I would be safe," Harry said. He was amazed at how even his voice was. He tried to identify what it was he felt, but he couldn't. Everything simply felt numb.

"The blood wards never activated," Dumbledore said. "I didn't realize it because my monitors were destroyed."

Harry's face betrayed nothing. Dumbledore nodded. "The wards simply failed to charge. There is only one thing that would have done that-you're coming of legal age, which hasn't happened yet. I'm so sorry, Harry. I have no explanation for how this could have happened."

Harry considered it a moment. "What if...what if I had bonded?" he asked.

Dumbledore reared back as if slapped. "Bonded? Harry, with everything else going on, surely you didn't...but any such bonding would have been recorded. You're too young to be married."

"Not with a person," Harry said. "She told me to tell you. She told me she was fond of you, even if you made mistakes. But she said you were a better ally than enemy."

"Who, Harry?" Dumbledore asked.

"Hogwarts."

"Don't be silly, boy..." Moody began, but froze when Dumbledore silenced the scarred auror with agesture.

The headmaster reached down and took Harry's hands in his. He stared long and hard at the tattoos there. He then looked down at Harry's bare feet and saw the tattoos there as well. "What did she look like, Harry?" Dumbledore whispered. "How did the bonding occur, and when?"

"It was the morning after the ministry," Harry said. "I fell down, and she was there. At first she looked like Mum, but then her face changed to other people I knew. She said I was the heir she'd been waiting for. That she loved me."

"Harry, you said you bonded," Dumbledore prodded gently.

Even in shock, Harry could still blush as he glanced at McGonagall. "She...we... I thought it was just a dream. But I woke up with these tattoos, and Luna said I looked like I had bonded."

Harry wasn't paying attention to the others as he spoke. When he did look up, Dumbledore's face had paled to the color bone and Minerva was rearing back in her seat as ifUmbridge had stunned her again.

"This isn't possible, Harry," Dumbledore said. "The Potter line is allegedly connected to the Gryffindors, but not to the other houses. And most certainly not Slytherin's line, which is well documented."

Harry pointed to his scar, and Dumbledore suddenly exploded to his feet and stepped around his desk. "Harry, I need to see the memory."

He shook his head. "It's really personal."

"It will only be the two of us, but I must see it." He unlocked his cabinet and removed his pensieve from it. "Please, Harry, I must know exactly what she said."

Blushing furiously, Harry finally nodded. He watched as Dumbledore gently pulled the wisp of memory from Harry's mind, and in moments the two of them were standing within the memory of his encounter in the Room of Requirements.

Only, there was no sign of the bed, or Harry losing his virginity. There was the woman, though, standing calmly as if waiting for them, wearing the school robes with all four crests. "Hello, Albus,"she said with a warm smile. "I've been waiting for you."

"How is this possible?" the old wizard said.

Hogwarts laughed, and it was a gay, happy sound. "Magic," she said. "Harry is bonded to me. He will remain here this summer to learn and grow into his heritage. You will help him."

"Help him how?"

"You will teach him, Albus. You will not manipulate him, or use him. This war is not yours any longer, and the blood of the Founders in his veins will not tolerate him being used solely as aweapon. So you shall teach him all you know this summer."

"There are things I must do," Albussaid. "Things I must find if we are to have any hope of stopping Tom."

"You will train the Heir, it is his destiny. Take him with you if you must, but you will train him. As will the Founders themselves."

Albus stuttered a moment, then nodded. "I must know. Why? Why Harry? Of all the terrible things to befall him, why add this additional burden?"

"He has been the chosen one since he received his scar,"Hogwarts said. "One of my first charges was to protect the Founder's lines. I have been absorbing magic for a thousand years, knowing that the lines would have to be restored one day. And Harry will restore those lines. In him flows the blood and magic of all four, even Slytherin. From his loins the four lines shall be reborn. Make no mistake about this, Albus. Harry is yours no longer. He is mine, and I love him. We will all love him."

Harry was not really listening to what she said. He was watching the headmaster. He had never seen the old wizard so clearly stunned as he did at that moment, listening to afigure within a memory that shouldn't have been there.

A second later, they found themselves staring over the Penseive, where Harry reached in with his wand, snared the memory, and let it slide back into his temple. In his mind, it was still the intense, astounding bit of lovemaking as it was originally. Somehow, Hogwarts had altered their perception of it to communicate with the headmaster.

"That is remarkable," Dumbledore said. He spun to Kingsley, Alastorand Minerva. "You are to repeat none of this," he said with sudden strength. "If I cannot have your wizard's oath, then I'll have to obliviateyou all for your own sakes."

Fortunately, the three were more than willing to give their oaths. Dumbledore turned back to Harry. "I suppose this means I'm going to have to make you head boy after all."

--

--

Harry woke up the next morning not in his familiar Gryffindor room, but in one of the guest rooms near the headmaster's office. The room was as large as his shared dorm room, but seemed huge with only one comfortable bed, a desk and aprivate loo.

He luxuriated in a long shower-much longer than he would ever be allowed to take at the...Durlseys. He leaned his head against the wall of the shower and closed his eyes. Suddenly, of its own accord, the water started falling in waves of increasing and decreasing pressure, almost like a water massage. It actually felt good.

"Thank you," he whispered with a knowing smile.

"You're welcome,"the walls whispered back.

He stepped out of the loo to find his trunk and all his personal belongings waiting for him. Dumbledore had sent Hogwarts elves to retrieve his things from the shattered house on Privet Drive. He climbed into a faded, over-sized pair of jeans and a T-shirt, pulled on his socks and trainers, and went in search of breakfast.

He followed the smell to the faculty dining room off the great hall. "Ahh, Harry, please come in," Dumbledore said as Harry stood uncertainly at the door. Inside he saw Professor's Flitwick and McGonagall, Snapeand Hagrid. The other professors appeared to have gone home or were elsewhere.

"I've explained what has happened to your home," the headmaster said with a solid gaze at Harry. "You will be staying here for your safety for the remainder of the holiday. And since we don't bother with the great hall during summer, please come join us for a bite of breakfast."

"Thank you, sir," Harry said quickly. He took one of the empty seats and stared at the platters of food. Although the quantity was nothing like what they served when school was in term, the school elves still managed to make a filling breakfast of mashers, eggs and bacon.

Snape glared at Harry but said nothing. Harry returned the look, and tried for the life of him to figure out why....

"What are you looking at, Potter?" Snapedemanded.

"You," Harry said. "I should be so mad at you for what you did. But I'm not. I'm just trying to figure out why."

"And I should care about this why?"

Harry shrugged. "You asked me." He went back to his breakfast before glancing at Dumbledore. "What am I going to be doing today?"

"We're going to Diagon Alley,"Dumbledore said. "We have an appointment at Gringott's bank. Also, since I appear to have you at my disposal, I need a favor which we will discuss at a later time."

True to his word, shortly after breakfast they walked up to his office and flooed to the Leaky Cauldron. Tom the innkeeper nodded at the two of them with a serious expression. Dumbledore nodded back and led Harry through the brick wall in the alley.

Things were different. For one thing, there were aurorseverywhere. For another, people moved quickly from place to place. They kept their heads down, as if terrified of seeing anyone else.

Until, that is, they saw AlbusDumbledore walking with Harry Potter down the middle of the alley. The response was overwhelming as people gathered on either side of the two of them, reaching out hands, calling their names. "Has he truly returned?" "What can we do?" "Can the Chosenone really save us?"

The questions made Harry's stomach churn. Dumbledore plastered on what was, even to Harry, a fake smile and merely nodded at the people in a reassuring manner until they reached Gingotts. The goblin guard watched the two arrive at the head of a small mob and darted inside. A moment later, another goblin in 18th century muggle-style clothes stepped out. "Professor Dumbledore. Mr. Potter. Your room is waiting." He led them into the bank, but the crowd stayed outside.

The bank did not seem nearly as busy as the first time Harry stepped into it as a child nearly five years ago. He followed the unnamed goblin into one of several large conference rooms, until he and Dumbledore sat across a table from the goblin. "I am Griphook,"the Goblin said. "I am have been given the honor to determine why four long-dormant vaults have suddenly become active."

Dumbledore sat very still for the longest time. "That is interesting," the headmaster said. "I was under the impression we were here for the reading of Sirius Black's will."

"The will is simple enough," Griphooksaid. He looked at Harry. "Everything goes to Mr. Potter. There is a possible counter-claim on the property at Grimmauld place, but everything else has already been transferred to the Potter family vault. My question is to you, Headmaster. Why have the first vaults become activated?"

"The first vaults?" Harry asked.

"Gringotts bank was founded athousand years ago," Dumbledore explained, though he kept his eyes securely on the Goblins. "By treaty, no less, after one of the many rebellions. Additional treaties gave them amonopoly. But prior to that, Gringott himself was just one of several money lenders, although the only one that was purely magical. Before the secrecy laws and the dominance of the Christians, it was not unusual to see wizards moving openly among muggles.

"But you see the Four Founders of Hogwarts also saw the need of a more organized type of money lending in the form of a bank. It was quite revolutionary-centuries ahead of its time in either the muggle of magical world. And so they hired Gringott, a powerful goblin money-lender, to handle their financial affairs. In return, they would pay him a small fee. Thus, the first four vaults at Gringotts were for Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Godric Gryffindor."

"And those four vaults are now reactivated," Griphook said. "This can only happen in the event the family line is restored. We are concerned about this as all the contents of those vaults had escheated to the bank centuries ago. Now, per our oldest contracts, the funds have been restored with interest. The amount of money in those vaults could easily destabilize the wizardingeconomy not just here, but across the whole wizardingworld. What is happening, Head Master?"

"It appears, Master Griphook, that an heir to all four family lines has been identified."

Griphookblinked. "How can this be?"

"Magic, of course. Assuming this is the case, how would you identify such an heir?"

"By their blood."

Dumbledore looked at Harry. "I believe a drop of blood is in order, Harry."

Griphook made astrange coughing sound, as if he were choking on phlegm. "Mr. Potter is the heir of the founders?"

"Let's find out, shall we?" Dumbledore asked.

Griphook pulled what looked like a microphone out from under the table and spoke a few words of Gobbledygook, and a moment later another goblin entered the room with aparchment and a needle.

Harry did not even wince as he pierced the skin of his middle finger with the needle and let a single droplet of blood fall on the parchment where Griphook pointed. The goblin then stared down at the paper so close that his long nose touched it. "By the ancestor's gold!" the creature muttered. He looked up and glared at Harry.

"By the terms of our oldest contract, you are now the owner of the Hufflepuff, Slytherin,Ravenclaw and Gryffindor vaults. But you must understand that if you attempt to withdraw that gold, it could be disastrous not just for Gringotts, but for everyone in magical Englandand possible wizarding nations around the world."

"I can't imagine what I would need with all that money,"Harry said.

"There is more," the Goblin said. "With the restoration of the vaults, all known heirlooms of the founders in our possession, or in the possession of any of our vaults, was automatically returned to their original place. This includes several tomes written by the founders or their immediate offspring, jewelry, and a well known artifact of Helga Hufflepuff's that was previously stored in the Lestrange Vault."

Dumbledore placed a hand on Harry's arm. "Master Griphook, Ibelieve I can convince Harry to show restraint in his spending of this new wealth, but I should ask for something in return. Something, I should add, that I believe would be in everyone's best interest."

"Which is?"

"Do you not agree this is something that would be better kept between Harry and Gringotts?"

The goblin nodded. "Of course. If word got out that a boy not even sixteen years of age possessed nearly a quarter of the gold in the entire wizarding world economy, there would be chaos."

Harry tried not to gape at that pronouncement.

"We are continuing to review the old contracts," the goblin muttered. "We believe that there may be some lineage requirements, but we will not have answers for at least several days. The contacts are, after all, over a thousand years old."

"Of course, Master Griphook. In the meantime, do you think it possible for us to visit some of these vaults? And to have keeps prepared?"

"The first vaults did not use keys, they used blood," the Goblin said. "I will take you myself."

--

--

Remus Lupinand Nymphadora Tonks stood on either side of Hermione Granger as she watched her obliviatedparents step through the boarding gates of Heathrow for a flight that would eventually land them in Sydney.

She made no effort to hide her tears. "They won't ever forgive me," Hermione whispered.

Tonks pulled her into a one arm hug. The Grangers were out of sight now, on their way into the plane. Hermione hiccupped and wiped her nose with a wadded tissue. "I have no idea what I'm going to do now,"she confessed. She looked over to Remus. "Is Harry okay?"

"He made his way to Hogwarts somehow," Remussaid. "He's there with the headmaster."

She nodded and fought a desire to flee to him.

The three of them started walking out of the terminal. They each stepped into a bathroom, where Remus disapparated from the men's room and Tonks took Hermione in a side-along. A moment later the three of them were walking up the sidewalk to the front door of the Tonk'sresidence. Andromeda opened the door without waiting for them to knock, and in moments they had Hermione on the couch with a cup of tea.

The young witch stared despondently into the cup.

"Hermione," Lupin finally said,"can you tell us how you knew Harry was in trouble? Albus's monitoring equipment was broken-not even he realized what had happened until you contacted us."

She looked up at her former professor and tried to summon asmile. "I felt it."

"What now?" Tonks said. She opened her mouth to speak more, but Remus laid a hand on her wrist. Hermione expected the young auror to snap at him for the presumption, but instead her hair turned pink and she looked down.

"Can you describe what it was like?" Remusasked kindly.

"Like I was feeling the cruciatus," Hermione said. "Like I was there and could see everything he saw. I saw them kill his cousin and torture his aunt until she was scarcely human. It was Bellatrix."

"My dear auntie," Tonks snarled.

The silence was shattered by the shrill ring of the telephone. "That blasted contraption!"Andromeda said. She marched to the phone and answered it. "Yes. Why, yes she is. Who is this? I see. I think that may actually be wise. Thank you."

She put the phone done. "Dora, I think you and Mr. Lupin should escort Hermione to the Weasley home. I understand a classmate of hers is there in a somewhat bothered state."

Hermione nodded with sudden clarity. "Luna," she said.

"Why, yes. How did you know?"

"She would have felt it too," Hermione said.

"How, Hermione?" Remus asked.

"I don't know for sure. But we should go."

One floo later, Hermione stepped into the familiar living room of the Burrow. The first thing she saw was Luna Lovegoodcurled up in a ball in Ginny's arms, still weeping. The rest of the Weasleysstood around in confusion. Molly, Ron and the twins were all there.

A moment later Remus and Tonks stepped out.

Luna looked up, her eyes red-rimmed. "Is he okay?" she said. "It was so horrible!"

"He's okay," Hermione said. "He's at Hogwarts."

Luna picked herself up a little unsteadily from Ginny's arms, and then almost fell into Hermione, clinging to her. "I didn't think it would be like this. I knew it would be different, but not like this!"

"What's she talking 'bout?" Ron asked.

It was Ginny, however, who spoke. "She loves Harry. They both do. And I bet Susan Bones is on the list too. That's why Luna made that weird comment about Harry's feet."

"Harry's feet?" George asked.

"Susan Bones?" Fred asked.

"They love Harry?" Ron asked weakly, as if he'd been struck.

"Nonsense," Molly said. "You're just young, and you've all been through a terrible time. Now, why don't we sit down and have a nice cuppa."

Hermione, though, was looking at Ron over Luna's shoulder. He was looking back at her with a broken expression. She felt something tugging in her chest. Ignoring everyone around them, most especially Ron's mother, she stood Luna gently to one side, stepped to Ron, lifted up on her toes and kissed him. The kiss lasted perhaps longer than it should have, but when they parted Ron had a slightly goofy smile on his face to offset his mother's shocked expression. Ron's smile, however, faded when he saw that Hermione was crying. She backed away, crying hard enough that the sobs bent her frame.

Ginny stood up, alarmed as well. "What's wrong?" she demanded.

It was Luna, however, that placed an arm around Hermione's shoulders and looked at the stunned and confused adults around them. "She's fancied you, Ronald," Luna explained. "Surely you know that's why she was forever bossing you, to try and make you the best wizard you could be. Why she was angry at you when you asked her to the Yule Ball too late. But now she realizes she is not meant for you."

"This is wonkers," Tonks muttered.

"What is all this about being meant for anyone?" Molly demanded loudly. "You're all just teenagers!"

Remus, however, was staring at Hermione and Luna with wide eyes and pale cheeks. He stepped around until he knelt in front of the two distraught girls. "Hermione, can you tell me what's happening?"

She sniffed loudly and took a long, shuddering breath. "Something happened to him, Remus. Something I'm not sure I can explain. He healed me. Dolohov'scurse should have taken three more days before I could even get up, but somehow he healed me. I don't even need the potions. I thought it was just stress over the battle, but every time I touched him..."

Ron finally started to understand, and it was not a happy expression on his face. "So you fancied me, until you started to fancy Harry," he said.

"Ron, I'm sorry," Hermione spun around. "I didn't mean for this to happen. I'm still not sure how it happened. I'm not sure of anything. Except that...what I felt for you has changed. I love you Ron, but just now it felt like the love I'd have if you were my brother."

Ron's cheeks flared a dangerous shade of red. Muttering, he stomped past her and Luna toward the stairs. Molly stared flabbergasted by the whole affair. Finally, though, she threw her hands into the air with a huff and went after Ron.

The twins just sat down and looked from face to face.

Hermione collapsed all the way to the floor, sobbing again after Ron left. Ginny knelt down in front of her as Remus moved to Hermione's other side opposite Luna. "I'm so sorry," Hermione said as she sobbed. "I didn't mean to have those feelings for him. I wish Luna hadn't made me kiss that bloody tattoo! I've been a bloody emotional wreck since then!" She looked up. "Maybe it's a compulsion charm! Maybe what I'm feeling is fake, like a love potion. Ginny, maybe it's all just a mistake. Maybe it's the tattoo that's making me feel this way!"

Ginny tried to smile, but she couldn't. Her own eyes were growing moist. "I don't think that's it," she said. "I remember the way the two of you used to talk when I first started school. I was so jealous of you, Hermione. I remember the look on your face when you told me how Harry saved you from that troll. The way he looked at you when you helped him during the TriWizard Tournament."

"Ron was the one who knocked the troll out," Hermione said.

"Ron was the reason you were there," Ginny reminded her.

"And though we are not in love with either Harry nor Ron,"George said,

"We should point out it was Harry that made Ron go with him," Fred added,

"To save you," they finished in unison.

Ginny shook her head and turned back to Hermione. "Third year and fourth. I watched you. He loved you then, and I think you loved him too. The problem you had, Hermione, was that you never thought you were good enough for him. He was a famous wizard, even if he was just Harry to us. So you befriended just Harry, while convincing yourself you weren't good enough for the Boy Who Lived."

Hermione stared back, her sobs for the moment forgotten. "You love him," she realized. "You love him too."

Ginny felt her eyes sting. "I always have," she admitted. "I loved the thought of him before I even met him, but when I first saw him standing along on the platform, all the stories I'd read about him seemed to just fall apart. This wasn't a famous wizard or celebrity. It was a scared young boy looking for a friend. I was ten years old, and I fell in love with Just Harry right there."

Hermione looked down at her hands. "Ginny, I'm so sorry. I promise I didn't mean for this to happen."

Beside her, Luna hiccupped loudly. "I'm sorry too, though not for falling in love with Harry. He's the only one never to make fun of me."

Hermione paused and waited for the anger to come. Instead, she felt warm hands take hers. "I love Harry Potter," Ginny said very softly as a tear rolled down the freckles of her cheeks. "I love him so much, that all I want is for him to be happy. And if he's happy with you, then that's the best I can hope for."

Hermione turned to the younger girl, and then wrapped her tight into a hug. She felt Ginny sob into her shoulder, and couldn't help but reciprocate. "It's not easy lovingHarry, is it?" Hermione asked.

They parted and simply stared at each other for the longest time. Finally, though, a slender finger reached out and collected a tear from Ginny's cheek. Luna stared down at the tear for the longest time. "Don't give up completely, Ginevra," the pale girl said. "There will always be hope."

"So," Fred said loudly, "does this mean Harry has a harem?"

"Will you have to take numbers?" George said.

"Maybe Harry can have a sign like McDonalds. Now serving number 10."

"Number five hundred."

"Tonks, better get in line!"

"Enough," Remus snapped at the twins. "Ginny, why did you mention Susan Bones?"

"Harry's dream," Hermione said.

"Oohh, a dream about Susan Bones!" The twins leaned forward eager for details. Hermione glared at them.

Ginny did more than that. She jumped to her feet and whipped her wand out before either of her older brothers had a chance to react. "Get out!" she hissed in rage. "Get out now!"

Startled, the twins disappeared with a pair of pops, and for the moment they found themselves alone.

"Now, about this dream..." Remussaid.

"I know what it means. Harry is the heir of the Four Founders," Luna declared. "Hogwarts herself came to him as a woman, and has bonded him to the castle. In his dream, he saw me, Hermione, Susan Bones and Daphne Greengrass."

"Daphne Greengrass?" Ginny asked. She sniffed loudly. "A Slytherin?"

"One girl from each house," Hermione explained. "He has a crest from each house on each of his hands and feet. Hufflepuffwas on his right foot. That's why Luna said what she did."

"But why?"

"Because if you kiss them," Luna said, dreamily, "you have the most delicious feeling. And it doesn't stop. I have been wanting to kiss him since then."

Hermione flushed with obvious embarrassment, but nodded. "Me too," she admitted. "It's just crazy. It's not like he can have all of us. He's going to have to choose one of us."

"Why?" Luna asked with an owlish blink of her eyes. "He's the heir of the Four Founders. Magically he's at least four people. He needs a wife from each house to continue the Founder's line."

Hermione stared in horror. "You're joking! I'm no polygamist!"

Remus suddenly fell down. All the girls stared; Tonks rushed to his side. "Are you okay?" she asked, hovering over him with much more concern than appropriate for an auror and a victim.

Remus shook his head a moment and then buried his hands in his face. His chest started to shake, and Tonks looked stricken as she put a hand over his back. Then they heard it. It was not the sound of crying.

Remus was laughing. He was laughing so hard he was having trouble breathing. He raised his face from his hands, flushed and laughing so hard he was crying. Tonks sat down next to him, obviously confused.

He caught his breath and looked at them all. Four beautiful young woman, three of whom were in love with his best friend's son. "James Potter would be so very proud," he told them. "And Lily would be mortified, much as you are now, Hermione. Luna, do you truly believe he is the Founder's Heir?"

"I heard the castle laugh," Luna said.

Hermione nodded. "The castle made me fall out of my chair when I laughed at Harry for mentioning the idea that the castle was alive. I think...I think I offended Hogwarts. When I said sorry, I got my chair back, and Luna said she heard it laughing."

"Well, I knew the House of Potter had a direct claim to the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor line through the two founder's children. Rowena Ravenclaw'sdaughter had a son out of wedlock before the Bloody Baron killed her. So it's possible they could have interacted somehow. And as for Slythin..."

"Voldemort transferred the magic of Slytherin to Harry as a baby," Hermione said.

Remus nodded. "If all this is true, then legally speaking Harry is four separate people. Five if you count the House of Potter as its own line. If he dreamed about four girls, two of whom he only has a passing relation with, then it seems to me that Hogwarts is telling him he has to restart the lines. Therefore there would have to be a Lady Gryffindor, a Lady Ravenclaw, aLady Hufflepuff, and a Lady Slytherin."

"That's ludicrous," Hermione said. She stood up, shaking. "I'm not going to share a boyfriend!"

"We're not discussing boyfriends," Remussaid. "We're discussing wives and husbands. If he is truly the Heir of the Four Founders, then he will have to have at least four wives. And that, my young friends, is why James would be so very proud, and why Lily would be so very mortified. Harry is going to have to revive a pureblood tradition that we haven't seen in at least two centuries."