Chapter Five

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Research on the Ravenclaw Line

As soon as the group arrived back at the castle they went their separate ways to take their new school supplies to their dormitories. They had all decided to meet in the Gryffindor Room in half an hour so they could put the extra books in there with the ones they had bought in Hogsmeade during the holidays. Hermione had also decided on the long walk up to the castle that she couldn't wait to discuss the consequences of what Gallatea had told them before they left. She wasn't prepared to wait until the next day, so Harry agreed to tell them at their meeting.

Twenty minutes later found Harry alone in the Hufflepuff fifth year boys' dorm. Checking no-one was coming; he closed the door and placed his hand on the wall. Whispering, “ Harry Potter, Harry's Room,” he was astonished as a large red door appeared in the wall in front of him. Opening it, he quickly moved inside and closed the door behind him before any of his roommates could come back. Looking around he saw that he was the first to arrive. The room hadn't changed in the 950 years it had been unoccupied. Everything looked the same, from the stacked bookshelves to the practice mats on the floor. Moving over to the armoury, he took out his elven sword, which he had placed there before he left. They had all left their weapons in the room, despite their better judgment, as they didn't know what time they would end up in, and if the natives would have objected to children carrying swords and bows. Moving into the centre of the room, he started to swing the sword in a series of complex configurations. Practicing always released the tension he was feeling. He didn't notice the others entering the room until Ron's voice interrupted him.

“ Harry? Are you ready to talk yet?”

The Boy-Who-Lived sighed, before taking his sword back to the armoury. When he came back into the main room he found the other three sitting in comfy armchairs in front of the fire. Hermione had summoned a tea set, and Ginny was arranging some biscuits on a plate. Sitting next to Ron, he sighed and looked up into his friends' expectant eyes.

“ What do you want to know?”

“ Is what Gallatea said true?” Hermione asked him.

“ I honestly don't know. It was the first I heard of it. I don't see why she would lie, though.”

“ How did it happen?”

“ I can't answer that, either…”

“ Harry! You promised us answers, and now you're sitting there telling us nothing! We're supposed to be your friends...”

“ RON! Stop, alright? I think you misunderstood. I can't answer that because I don't know for sure. The only time I think it could possibly have happened was on my birthday. Remember when we went back to Ravenclaw Tower blind drunk? We woke up the next morning in my bed, half dressed. Neither of us could remember anything past staggering down the corridor the night before. As we were still wearing underwear, we assumed nothing had happened. We must have been wrong…”

“ Oh, Harry! How could you be so irresponsible?”

“ It was an accident, `Mione! We were drunk, and didn't know what we were doing.”

“ Hermione, drop it! It was a mistake. We didn't know what we were doing. It's over and there's nothing I can do about it now. Can we just move on and try to figure out what happened after we left. Please?”

“ Alright,” Hermione said with a sigh, “ I'll let it go. We need to find out the consequences of what you did. Do you know how much this could have changed time?”

“ As I keep saying, `Mione, I think everything that we have done was meant to happen. I'm not going to argue with you anymore about it, so let us just agree to disagree.”

Ron, who had been quiet up until now, was about to suggest they start looking through genealogy charts when a loud cackling rang through the air. Seconds later, a transparent form came tearing through the room, sitting itself in one of the armchairs, laughing uncontrollably. The four friends watched in bemusement as the figure looked up and jumped, startled to see them there.

“ What's this? Students in Peevesie's room? How did the ikkle students get in here? Only Peevesie knows where it is…”

“ Peeves!” Ron yelled, grinning, “ So nice to see you, old boy!”

“ And who are you? Some meddling little student here to cause trouble, no doubt.”

“ Don't you recognise your fellow Marauders? Dying must have addled your brain.”

“ How did you…? Ronniekins? And Harry?”

“ The very same. Long time, no see,” Harry told him back in Anglo-Saxon.

“ Amazing! No-one's spoken that to me in many years! How have you been? Is this where you ended up? I waited for many years, knowing you would turn up, but after a while I gave up hope…”

“ Well, we're back now. I'm assuming you still play pranks.”

“ Of course, Ronnie, I was taught by the best, after all.”

“ So what happened after we left?” Ginny asked the giddy poltergeist.

“ Ahhh, it was very sad. Gallatea had a baby and moved to the country. Never saw her again after that. Her mother taught her alone after the baby was born, from what I heard. I remember Lord Gryffindor and Lady Hufflepuff having a hard time of it trying to keep the school together with just the two of them left. Lolide helped out a lot, though. She took over Lady Ravenclaw's classes. Ardwick and I still played pranks, but it wasn't the same without you two. I didn't really keep track of everyone after they graduated before my fourth year. From what I heard through the grapevine, though, Ard and Chris got married and had a ton of kids. I don't know what happened to `Tea, though.”

“ What about you? How did you get to be a poltergeist?”

“ Well, as you know, poltergeists are mischievous ghosts, and a prankster like me would never be happy not being able to cause trouble. Sadly, I got hit with a stray Killing curse a couple of years after I graduated. I was so angry I didn't get to see you again and plan more pranks. Next thing I know, I'm floating around like this, so I headed back to Hogwarts, and have been causing trouble ever since.”

“ Would you like to play a prank? Just for old time's sake?” Ron asked his old friend.

“ Would I ever! Let's see, there's a certain Malfoy who's been causing trouble…

The following day saw the four time travellers, plus Peeves, sitting in the corner of the Hogwarts library. After hours of searching through the stacks for books about the Ravenclaw family, the boys had given up and were planning their first prank of the year. Surprisingly, Peeves had been helping them earlier, much to the confusion of the librarian and the other students studying in the library. Normally the poltergeist would be ripping the books to pieces instead of reading them. He had been the first to become bored, though, and had roped Ron and Harry into helping him get one over on Malfoy. When asked why he disliked the blond boy so much, he simply told them he had seen generation after generation of Malfoys pass through the school, and they all reminded him of a certain Horatio d'Escargot. Laughing, the boys had quickly agreed to help.

After a while, the library started to get rather crowded with students wanting to improve their holiday homework before the first lessons the following day. As Peeves was arguing with Ron about what to do with Satanus Snape, Harry noticed two Gryffindor first years and a third year come in the door, looking around for a table. Seeing none free, they turned to leave, but the Boy-Who-Lived stood up and went over to them.

“ Hey, you three. Why don't you come and sit with us? We have plenty of space at our table.”

The three younger students eyed the group at the table with curiosity. It was the third year who spoke up.

“ You have a strange group of friends there. A Slytherin, a Gryffindor, a Ravenclaw and a poltergeist. You're a Hufflepuff, aren't you?”

“ Yes, I'm Harry Evans.”

“ Persephone Weasley. My friends call me Percy. These are Eustace Potter and Robert Black. Are you sure you don't mind us sitting with you?”

“ It's fine by me. Hermione and Ginny are just doing research, and the rest of us are planning a prank.”

“ You're pranksters?! Wow! Can we help?” Eustace exclaimed.

“ Sure. Do you all want to help?”

Robert grinned like a Cheshire cat, looking like a younger version of Harry's godfather, and Persephone had a twinkle in her eyes that the Hufflepuff had only ever seen on the Weasley twins. The four went over to the table, and Harry told the others that they were having company. Peeves grinned at the new pranksters, and welcomed them as Marauders.

Dinner that evening was a rather interesting event. The unsuspecting students were startled out of their conversations when loud music started to fill the Hall. Looking around confused, they were surprised when a bright flash came from the Slytherin table, where all of the unfortunate students were now sitting in swimwear. Standing up, they started to dance around as Caligula and Satanus came to the front and started to sing, the former taking the verses, the latter the chorus.

“ She was afraid to come out of the locker

She was as nervous as she could be

She was afraid to come out of the locker

She was afraid that somebody would see

Two, three, four, tell the people what she wore.”

“ It was an itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka-dot bikini

That she wore for the first time today

An itsy teenie weenie yellow polka-dot bikini

So in the locker she wanted to stay

Two, three, four, stick around we'll tell ya more.”

“ She was afraid to come out in the open

And so a blanket around her she wore

She was afraid to come out in the open

And so she sat bundled up on the shore

Two, three, four, tell the people what she wore.”

“ It was an itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka-dot bikini

That she wore for the first time today

An itsy teenie weenie yellow polka-dot bikini

So in the blanket she wanted to stay

Two, three, four, stick around we'll tell ya more.”

“ Now she's afraid to come of the water

And I wonder what she's gonna do

Now she's afraid to come out of the water

And the poor little girl's turnin' blue

Two, three, four, tell the people what she wore.”

“ It was an itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka-dot bikini

That she wore for the first time today

An itsy teenie weenie yellow polka-dot bikini

So in the water she wanted to stay.”

“ From the locker to the blanket

From the blanket to the shore

From the shore to the water

Guess there isn't any more.”

As the song ended, Peeves, who was floating above the Slytherin table, started to throw custard tarts at the yellow polka dot bikini clad students. Blushing bright red in embarrassment, the whole House ran out of the Great Hall, with the exception of Ginny, who was sat at the Hufflepuff table with Harry, laughing her head off. Once the laughter started to get out of control, the other three Houses all thoroughly enjoying the Slytherins' humiliation, Dippet stood up and called for silence.

“ Quiet everyone! Now, I am sure Peeves did not do all of that on his own, and if I ever find out who helped him, they will be expelled immediately. Such behaviour is not acceptable at this school. Now I suggest you all return to your common rooms as soon as you finish your meals.”

Despite what the headmaster had said the Marauders were not dissuaded. Looking up at the head table, one at a time they met the amused eyes of Albus Dumbledore, who nodded to them as if sending his congratulations for their successful prank.

The first day of lessons was rather difficult for the four time travellers. In charms and transfiguration they had tried hard to use their wands for all of the spells, so as to not call attention to themselves, but kept finding their hands hovering ready to perform magic. The spells they were learning, while different from what they had covered in the founders' time, could be performed wandlessly if the witch or wizard knew how. It was frustrating after a year of simply waving their hands to go back to doing such simple spells with incantations and complex wand movements. On top of that, they kept having to pass their future teachers in the hallways and see them in classes. McGonagall was Head Girl, Flitwick was in Hermione's House, Snape's father was running around, and Trelawney was causing mayhem wherever she went. They also had to cope with their future friend Hagrid as the apprentice gamekeeper, Professor Dumbledore for Transfiguration, and esteemed auror Alastor Moody as their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

Their first potions class, which Hufflepuff had with Ravenclaw, was rather entertaining. Harry had taken a great liking to potions over the last year, and their new teacher, Professor Sewell, was shaping up to be a lot nicer than Snape. She took and gave points fairly, and praised those who made their potions correctly. The highlight of the lesson was when Sybil started wailing.

“ Professor Sewell, come quickly.”

“ What is it, Miss Trelawney?”

“ I've had a vision.”

“ Oh, that's nice.”

The class started tittering. Sybil, oblivious, carried on.

“ My Inner Eye is telling me a Ravenclaw must be cautious. An explosion is impending.”

Waving her hand for dramatic effect, the psychotic seer knocked a jar of beetle eyes in a nearby student's potion, causing it to explode and cover those sitting nearby with green goo. The teacher, shaking her head, dragged a moaning Trelawney off to the hospital wing, insisting she needed a sedative.

Later that day, the four met up in Harry's room, where they continued to do their research.

It took until September 28th before and of the four found anything of note concerning the fate of Gallatea and her baby. The library had been practically exhausted over the last month, as most of the books there spoke only of Rowena Ravenclaw and not her daughter. Most of the history books also seemed to cut off after Slytherin was defeated. Eventually, when they were close to giving up, Hermione found just the book they were looking for in a partially concealed bookcase in Harry's room. It was a self updating genealogy of the four founders. While checking to find out of the book was accurate before showing the others, Hermione found the proof she needed. The last entry under Slytherin was none other than Tom Marvolo Riddle, recent graduate of Hogwarts. Ginny, being a Slytherin, had discreetly spent the last month quizzing her older housemates on the former Head Boy, searching for a weakness. So far she hadn't found any, but she wasn't giving up.

That night at dinner she sent notes to each of her friends, asking them to meet her in Harry's room at 8 o'clock. When they were all there, they sat down in front of the fire.

“ This had better be important, `Mione,” Ron began, “ We were planning a really good prank with Eustace, Rob, Percy and Peeves…”

“ Well, I'm sorry to drag you away from something so vitally important, but I thought you might like to know that I found a self updating genealogy of the four founders.”

Harry had gone pale. Although he had been researching the subject for almost a month in order to find out about his child, now that they had the answers at their fingertips, he wasn't sure he wanted to know. Even as little as knowing its name would suddenly make the situation more real. He knew he had had a child, but the reality had never sunk in before. He started to think about it properly for the first time. He had had a son or a daughter. They had had a life, married, and had children of their own. And Gallatea, his love, had been forced to raise an unplanned child alone and out of wedlock, a serious sin in her time. Hermione cleared her throat and opened the book, bringing Harry back to the present.

“ Well, I've found the Ravenclaw chapter. It says here, Rowena and Engelbert Ravenclaw were the parents of Gallatea Ravenclaw. Next it has Gallatea Ravenclaw and Harry James Potter, parents of a son, Glenadade Harold Potter.”

Harry was immediately sucked back into his thoughts. So, he had had a son. Who had a name. His son was real. He was there on parchment. It was undeniable. A tear slowly leaked out of his eye and Hermione flicked through the pages.

“ Here, I have the last page. It says Agnes and Charles Potter, parents of Eustace Potter. We've been assuming that Eustace is Harry's grandfather, and the fact that he is the only Ravenclaw heir would support that fact. It also means that Harry is his own ancestor!”

“ What! That's just…weird!”

“ Ron, don't say that! You'll insult Harry. It's certainly something to think about…”

Looking up to apologise for Ron, she realised that Harry had left the room.

Down on the quidditch pitch, Harry was striding back and forth, trying to slow his rollercoastering emotions. He couldn't stay in that room any longer. He needed to get away from his friends for a while to think. He had unconsciously headed for the place he felt closest to Gallatea. The quidditch pitch. Her quidditch pitch. The one he had built for her. Walking over to the spot he had laid the dedication stone, he was devastated to see it missing. Waving his hand over the spot to clear some of the grass away, he was relieved to see it simply covered over, but still in place. Waving his hand again and muttering the password, he watched as the words he had engraved into the magical surface slowly appeared, the message written in both Anglo-Saxon and English. Underneath it, he noticed a new message, this time written in elvish. Looking closely, he quietly read it to himself.

In Loving Memory of

GALLATEA RAVENCLAW

Mother, friend and beloved daughter.

Shocked, Harry stumbled back from the stone, thinking frantically. Beloved daughter? That means she died before her mother. She must have died young. Oh, `Tea…

His thoughts were interrupted by a soft lilting voice behind him.

“ Hello, Harry.”

Whirling around, tears streaming down his face, he came face to face with the last person he had ever expected to see again.