As usual, we don't own Harry Potter, the excellent JK Rowling does. The only thing we do own is the plot, Heinzl and his followers.
At last, a new chapter. We hope you all had a good Christmas. Drunk sister-in-laws besides, Christmas was generally good.
Chapter Seven
New Pranksters and Discoveries
Vaults 1 to 10 in Gringotts were located thirty miles underground. They were the first vaults installed when Gringotts was established over a thousand years ago. The first four vaults belonged to the Hogwarts Founders, another one was owned by the Potters but there were no records to show it, so Harry was never told about it.
Vault Number Seven has been sealed since the time of the founders. There was never any record of who owned the vault and no one came to claim it.
This particular section of Gringotts was only checked once every twenty years. It is an area guarded by dragons.
Two days after the current Hogwarts term started, the door on Vault Seven unlocked itself and opened…
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Back at Hogwarts, the Furlong sisters were planning a prank on the Weasley twins, who had pranked them the previous day.
"Arwen, you need to visit the kitchens. Promise the house elves that we will provide them with a very messy room to clean if they will put this potion in the Weasley twins' food," Annabeth said, passing a potion to her young sister. They had been told the location of the kitchens by Harry Potter the previous day.
"Serenity, you will need to keep an eye on the twins and let me know when they go into the Great Hall for breakfast. I will deal with the final part of the prank."
Her younger sister nodded. "We'll teach Fred and George not to mess with us!"
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Later that morning, the students poured into the Great Hall for breakfast. Annabeth and Arwen walked into the Great Hall and sat down at the Gryffindor table near the door. Serenity was hiding under an invisibility cloak waiting for Fred and George.
The Weasley twins were among the last to enter the hall. Serenity removed the cloak and gave the thumbs up to her older sister. Without anyone seeing her, Annabeth took her wand and drew an invisible line (non-verbal). Serenity joined her sister and started to eat some toast.
She then walked to Fred and George who had just finished their breakfast. "I hear you are able to charm Muggle items to work here." The twins nodded. "I have a laptop which I would like charming, please."
"Thirty galleons," Fred said.
"I'll give you thirty-five if you do it before class," she replied.
"Done," George agreed.
The Weasley twins got up and made their way out of the hall followed by Arwen. Without knowing it, the twins walked right into Annabeth's invisible line. The two seventh years froze in their steps as they realised they had walked into something.
Slowly, Fred began to change. Hair grew all over his body and he shrank. His hands and feet transformed into animal feet. His ears grew. When the transformation was finished, he had transformed into a red haired donkey. Everyone looked at him and started laughing. But the prank was not over yet. Suddenly, Fred the donkey sprouted wings which started flapping and he started flying.
George slowly turned into a weasel. He also sprouted wings and started flying. A lot of people in the Great Hall started laughing. At the teacher's table, Professor McGonagall was gob smacked. Professor Dumbledore was enjoying a chuckle next to her. Sirius was trying not to burst out laughing. Finally, he couldn't hold it anymore and burst out laughing.
"A hundred points to whoever pulled that prank!" he shouted as he continued laughing. Even Remus couldn't help but laugh. McGonagall gave them a stern look, the look she saved for them when they got into trouble when they were students.
Hermione turned to the Furlong sisters.
"Great prank. How do you reverse it?" she asked.
"You don't," Annabeth replied. "It'll wear off in an hour. I know for a fact Fred and George have a free period after breakfast."
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True to Annabeth's word, the twins turned back to normal sixty minutes later. They went up to the Furlong sisters and congratulated them on such a perfect prank.
"If you want the secrets of the prank, then it'll cost you," said Annabeth.
"How much?" Fred and George asked.
"Fifty galleons, shares in your joke shop and a promise of immunity from pranks for me and my sisters."
The Weasley twins looked gobsmacked as they heard the conditions. They asked to think about it.
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The Gryffindor and Slytherin fifth-years were in their first O.W.L. Potions class. Sirius was standing at the front of the classroom.
"This is a very important part of your education. The results you get from your O.W.L.'s can determine your future career prospects. A good grade from any of your classes will help get you into the N.E.W.T. class should you choose to carry on. I understand that Snivellus, sorry, I mean, Severus would only take students who received `Outstanding' on their O.W.L's into his N.E.W.T. class. I will take people who receive `Exceeds Expectations' into my N.E.W.T class."
"Today, we will be making the Draught of Peace." Sirius tapped the blackboard with his wand and the instructions appeared. "You have one hour."
The students got the ingredients and began work. Sirius explained how the ingredients worked with each other. Hermione, Harry and Ginny sat next to each other as they worked on the potion.
Hermione left the table to collect a few more helibore. She didn't bring enough with her and Harry and Ginny didn't have anymore left. She noticed how Draco wasn't doing well with his potion but didn't see his foot sticking out and tripped over it and fell to the floor with a crash.
"What happened?" Sirius asked.
"I tripped over something," Hermione said. Sirius looked at Malfoy, who was trying to look innocent.
"Mr. Malfoy. Maybe you can shed some light on this subject?" asked Sirius. Draco said nothing. "I think we should go to Dumbledore and ask him if we can use his Pensieve and view everyone's memories."
A hand went up. It was Lavender Brown. "Professor Black, I saw Draco stick his foot out after Hermione got something out of the store cupboard."
Sirius turned to Malfoy. "Okay, I tripped Granger up. She distracted me."
"We had this talk last year. If you spent more time on your work than being nothing but a spoiled bully, you would do better. Detention with Mr. Flitch when all of your other detentions have been complete. Oh, I want your broomstick handed to me in my office before dinner tonight. I don't want you thinking you can violate your Quidditch ban."
"You can't do that, Black! Just wait until my father hears about this! He'll have you out of this school faster than…"
"Fifty points for disrespecting a teacher, Mr. Malfoy. Your father can't do anything about this locked up in Azkaban. As I understand, all the Malfoy money has been confiscated and your mother had to sell the family home. Now get on with your work."
Everyone continued making their potions. At the end of the lesson, they handed them in.
"You will get your grades for this at the beginning of the next lesson. I will be marking them as if it was being marked for your O.W.L. No homework today. Class dismissed," Sirius said.
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Meanwhile, at Gringotts, a goblin came down to check on vaults 1 to 10. Satisfied that there was no one there, he was about to go when he noticed Vault 7 was open. The goblin walked in and saw a small box. He felt compelled to take it.
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At the lobby, the goblin walked into the office of the head goblin and handed him the box.
"I noticed Vault 7 was open. I went into investigate and saw this box. Something made me take it."
"Thank you, Griphook. That will be all," the Head Goblin said. Griphook left leaving the Head Goblin looking at the box. There was a note.
For the immediate attention of the current Headteacher
Of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
The goblin tied the box to an owl and sent her off.
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The rest of the day had seen Professor McGonagall and Remus give stern lectures to the fifth years about their O.W.L. year and how the work was going to get harder.
"Yes, Longbottom. You can get a good grade, too. There is nothing wrong with your work except for lack of confidence. I'm sure Miss Weasley will help you deal with those problems," McGonagall told Neville in the first Transfiguration class. Both he and Ginny went red. "I'm sure you will get at least an `E' in your exams."
The class began learning about Vanishing Spells. The class was given a snail each and were told to vanish it. Half-way through the class, Harry and Hermione had both vanished their snails. Ginny soon followed suit. The trio gave Neville some pointers and soon, he had vanished his. McGonagall gave them all twenty points for their successful work. Harry, Hermione and Ginny also got a bonus of five points each for helping fellow students.
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Harry had to go to the bathroom before the next lesson and Hermione waited outside for him. After he finished and they made their way to the Great Hall for lunch, they could hear screams. They ran and saw Pansy Parkinson standing over Lavender Brown, who was curled up on the floor. Pansy was kicking her. Harry ran over and forced the Slytherin off Lavender. Hermione went to check on the Gryffindor.
"Filthy Mudblood," Pansy said.
"Twenty points from Slytherin for that slur Parkinson," Hermione said, exercising her prefect authority.
"You take Lavender to the Hospital Wing, Hermione. I'll take this cow to Professor Black," Harry said. Hermione agreed and helped Lavender up. Harry began to drag Parkinson away roughly.
Little did they know, but Heinzl was watching in his non-corporeal form. He was outraged to see Parkinson treating Lavender in that way. He remembered what he had read from the mind of the young Malfoy - he has an arranged marriage with the Parkinson girl. Her father was, like Lucius Malfoy, a Death Eater with extreme views on Muggle-borns. But he noted that her father was dead from an attempt to revive someone called Voldemort. He was about to go when he noticed a familiar item in her mind, in the section of mind not normally used. He knew it from somewhere - it would have gone down the generations but remembered. He had seen something like it on one of his followers - Rintain if he remembered correctly. He began to wonder why his descendents would become Muggle-born haters since Rintain was a Muggle-born himself. He made a mental note to deal with the Parkinson girl later.
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McGonagall walked into the Hospital Wing upon being summoned by Madam Pomfrey.
"Ah, Minerva. Miss Granger brought Miss Brown in after witnessing Pansy Parkinson kicking her on the ground. I did some checking and have discovered that Miss Brown was subjected to the Cruciatus Curse in the last ten minutes."
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"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING, KICKING A HARMLESS PERSON?" Sirius asked, shouting at Pansy. She didn't say anything.
"I TOLD YOU THAT I WOULD NOT TOLORATE BEHAVIOR LIKE THIS! ONE HUNDRED POINTS FROM SLYTHERIN AND TWO MONTHS OF DETENTION!"
The door knocked and McGonagall came in.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, Professor Black, but I wish to check Miss Parkinson's wand," she said. Pansy reluctantly handed it over.
"Prior Incantato," McGonagall said. The spell revealed that Pansy cast the Cruciatus Curse on Lavender.
"I've never been this ashamed of ANY student in this school. Two hundred points and I will be recommending your expulsion from this school. Until Professor Dumbledore makes a decision, you are restricted to the Slytherin Common Room."
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Later that day, Dumbledore sat in his office musing on the day's events. He had just authorised the expulsion of Pansy Parkinson for her assault plus use of the Cruciatus curse on Lavender Brown. He was also considering suspending Draco Malfoy for his behaviour.
Suddenly, an owl flew into his office. She was carrying a box. Dumbledore undid it and opened it as the owl flew away. He could see a vial which contained what he recognised as a Pensieve memory. There was also a note:
If you are reading this, then Heinzl has awoken. This memory needs to be viewed by the current Headteacher plus the heads of the four houses.
Godric Gryffindor
Ten minutes later, Sirius, along with Professors McGonagall, Flitwick and Sprout gathered in Dumbledore's office. Harry and Hermione were there along with the rest of the Prefects and the Head Boy & Girl.
"I have received a Pensieve memory regarding the ghost Heinzl from Gringotts. I have been given instructions to show this to the Heads of House. I have decided to allow the Prefects, along with the Head Boy and Girl, to view it because I feel they have the right to know this information," Dumbledore said.
He got his Pensieve out and poured the memory into it. He set it to project so no one would have to go inside it. An image of a tall man appeared - he had red hair along with a red beard. He was wearing what looked like light-weight armour. He looked nothing like what his pictures showed him to look like.
"My name is Godric Gryffindor, and if you are viewing this memory, then Heinzl has been awoken. Unless he is stopped, the whole Wizarding world faces ruin."
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Please review, with thanks if you did
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We know, another cliff-hanger, but the back-story which Gryffindor is about to tell requires much thought, you would be waiting at least a month for this chapter and it would also be the equivalent of 20 pages long. We'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible.
Look out for more pranks involving the Furlong sisters. Their invisibility cloak has nothing to do with the plot or the Hallows.
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