Chapter 14 – The First Mystery Part 3

POV: Godric Gryffindor

I open my eyes and walk to the head of the long coffee table closest to the door taking a familiar stance with my shoulders back, hands clasped behind my back, and genial smile in place. 

"Great to meet you all, as Jordan said, I am..." I start in the dual-layered voice I had on when taking over Jordan's body. Before I could continue, however, many things happened at once.

"Stupefy!" "Impedimenta!" "Petrificus Totalus!" Mrs. Granger-Weasley, Mr. Weasley, and Mr. Potter were to their feet, wands out, and blasting incapacitating spells as soon as I spoke. Mr. Potter pulls a serrated bone dagger out from his robe and holds it ready. Several more of the Ministry Group were on their feet with their wands out and pointed towards me, but with looks of confusion on their faces. Our family was screaming in horror from their place on the couch at this sudden attack. 

The bolts of multicolored light flew towards me, but before they could hit, a wind chime-like voice quickly and calmly says, "Scutum Inferioribus, 03-124 spell activated." A barrier of shimmering silver envelopes me and the spells clash with it, but ultimately are dispelled into nothing. "Activating restaining spell..."

I raise my hands quickly and yell, "Stop! Everyone, Stop!" Now, I may be a simple soul fragment living inside of a magical journal, but I was still the soul fragment of a 9th circle wizard, one of the best of my time. My shout was not so much a verbal command as it was a magical one. It carried with it a bit of my soul's magical power and was enough for everyone in the room to flinch and freeze, staring at me with wide, scared eyes.

Sighing, I try again giving my best-winning smile. "Please put down your wands and let us talk. I am not sure why you would attack me, but I am certain we can talk through this without violence. Am I correct in assuming this has to do with an incident regarding dark magic? I can assure you Jordan is safe and I will even prove to you now. Rest assured, I have not completely possessed him nor do I have complete control over him."

Saying so, I think back to Jordan, 'I am switching with you again. Please talk to them and show them you are yourself. Once they are mollified, switch back with me, alright?'

'You got it!' Jordan says, with no sense of the seriousness of what just occurred. Oh, to be young and naive again... 

Jordan switches back and has a short conversation with them all. The result was us both agreeing to be tested by Headmistress McGonagall and Mr. Flitwick. They will be checking for mind-altering spells or other dark magics. After a few minutes of testing, nothing was found. This was obviously the case, but it was still a tense few minutes as spell after spell were cast on Jordan and my journal-self. Mr. Potter was the hardest to convince, even after the tests, and was the last to sheath his wand and the ornate bone dagger he wielded. He finally sat down after much convincing and threats to be removed from the room by the Minister. The Head of Magical Law Enforcement is still looking at us with mistrust clear on his features and a glare centered on the journal in Jordan's hands.

Switching back, I greet them all again, "Sorry for the confusion, I had thought a surprise would be fun... Seems I was very wrong... *Cough* You all know by now, but just to observe formalities, I am Godric Reynold Archibald Gryffindor one of four headmasters and founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry." I give a short bow, before rising quickly to ask, "Before we continue, would you please tell me what the reason for your attack was? Know that I am not angry, I am just curious as to what could call for such drastic actions and wanting to know what I can do to prevent that from happening in the future."

With uncomfortable looks on their faces, they all turn to look at Mr. Potter. He stares at me for a long moment, fire and determination to do what has to be done burning within his eyes before he nods once and begins a truly epic story. One, I dare say, that could be recorded and told in several books...Let's say seven! Seven sounds right. 

*  *  *

After Mr. Potter's tale, I get a full understanding of what the problem was and sigh deeply. This is not going to be an easy conversation. 

"I see," I say after a pregnant pause, "So, because a piece of my soul is imparted in this journal, you assumed it was one of these Horcruxes and, therefore, a very powerful and evil entity, yes?"

"That's right." Mr. Potter says, grinding his teeth and glaring at me, "I have had to deal with more than enough of them for multiple lifetimes. I don't need a new set returning to Hogwarts and unleashing more ancient and untold horrors onto the school." He pats the side of his leg and continues, "I even had a special knife made from the fang of a thousand-year-old Basilisk. A Basilisk I personally killed in the Chamber of Secrets. I used this fang to put a stop to many such Horcruxes. I always carry it with me so that I can quickly deal with such evil items whenever I ever run across them!" He stares daggers, probably Basilisk daggers, at my journal as he finishes, and I am in no doubt of his words. A weapon made from such a beast, as long as it was old enough, could certainly destroy most magical artifacts.

I sigh again and rub the bridge of my, or rather Jordan's, nose, "Mr. Potter, your views on soul magic and enchanted items are skewed. I do not mean to question your dedication or belittle the circumstances you have been through, but your understanding in this field is lacking and might cause you to destroy precious items that could otherwise help the world." I look him in the eye, habitually taking on the guise of a stern teacher giving a lecture, "Tell me, are all magical items enchanted with soul magic inherently evil?"

"Yes." He says with certainty and stubbornness. I simply nod and look at the rest of the room.

"And what do the rest think? Do you share Mr. Potter's point of view?" Several people look at the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement uncomfortably before looking back at me. 

"Not... not all of them." Headmistress McGonagall says cautiously, thinking about something before sharing a look with Mr. Flitwick.

"Indeed," he says gravely before looking back to me, "Otherwise the Sorting Hat would be evil too, no?"

Mr. Potter looks taken aback for a moment and seems uncertain before the headmistress puts another nail in the coffin with, "The school records are quite clear that the magical paintings in the castle all contain part of the painted's soul...that is why they are able to talk, even briefly, about their lives..."

"But Professor...err, sorry, Headmistress, doesn't that make them Horcruxes too?" Mr. Weasley says looking to the world as the picture of confusion.

"Not at all, Mr. Weasley," I say with a smile, "Not all objects enchanted with a part of a soul are evil. In fact, I would argue that the majority of items enchanted this way are neither good nor evil, even if they were made by a dark witch or wizard. They are simply not powerful enough magical items to be aligned with either good or evil. Only the strongest enchantments can be made to make an object completely sentient, such as myself, Sir Sortsalot, and the founder's paintings at Hogwarts. I was, in fact, created by the real me's dying wish and the entirety of his magical reserves, otherwise, an object such as myself would have needed several powerful witches or wizards to enchant it. Furthermore..."

"Hold on," Mrs. Potter stops me, raising an eyebrow and smirking a bit, "Sir Sortsalot? That...that can't be the name of the Sorting Hat, can it?" Several other people in the room look at me with varying looks of curiosity, amusement, or even trepidation at what my answer might be.

"Of course it is! It is a school for children, after all. Who doesn't love a funny-named mascot? Getting the rainbow spider's thread was tough, but it really completed the..."

"The Sorting Hat is rainbow-colored!?" Bill Weasely shouts and starts laughing. Others in the room share in the laughter and the absurdity of it all, finally dispelling much of the tension in the atmosphere.

After the laughter dies down, I smile and ask, "Before we continue, I have a very pressing question."

The room's light mood evaporates somewhat and they turn to look at me seriously.

"Is the school anthem still the same?" I ask and the tension dissipates completely from the room as weary smiles can be seen on all of their faces. Mr. Potter is still somewhat tense, but he seems to be coming to terms with his views not being 100% accurate. 

"It is the same as it has been for as long as I have been there, my student years included." Headmistress McGonagall says with a sigh. She obviously doesn't care much for the song.

"How does it start?" I ask with a growing smile.

The Weasleys and Mrs. Potter mirror my smile and share nostalgic looks before they begin the tune slowly. As they gain more confidence, the tune expands in octaves as Hagrid and Mr. Flitwick join in. Midway through the song, Mrs. Potter elbows Mr. Potter, who smiles sheepishly and joins in as well. Now everyone, except our family, starts to sing the familiar school anthem in unison. Even the headmistress and Kingsley Shacklebolt give subdued performances. It is just the same as I remember it...well the different pitches and tempos are new, but the words and the feelings are all there. I smile widely and pull out my old wand to direct them, just as I used to from the headmaster's table all those years ago. Ah, nostalgia. It hits me right in the bookish feels. 

[A/N The song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I6cJnQQsWc]

After the song ends, we all laugh together and I provide, "Helga and I came up with that. Salazar and Rowena absolutely hated it...which just made us love singing it all the louder!" I wipe a tear from my eye and smile at them all. "I cannot tell you how happy I am that our legacy has lived on. For all the bad that may have occurred in the last 80 years, Hogwarts stands and that is a testament to you all and the work you have done. On behalf of the founders, I thank you for your work and dedication to keeping our school safe and performing well. Thank you." I bow to them all and to Mr. Flitwick, Hagrid, and Headmistress McGonagall especially.

As I rise, they nod to me with smiles and I was just about to start the conversation back when Mrs. Granger asks, "Wait, is that a wand? Jordan has a wand already?...and what's with the metal band on it?"

"Ah!" I exclaim, looking down at the wand in my hand fondly, "Yes. This was my gift to him. It was my personal wand and is bound to our family bloodline. Only the heir of the family may be able to wield it. As for the band, it is a simple ring of mithril that holds the bloodline enchantment and several other beneficial runes. This wand got me through much..." I trail off, my mind taking me on trips to fond memories of better days.

"Mister Gryffindor?" Mrs. Granger asks tentatively after a few moments of silence.

"What?...Oh! Right, sorry. I got lost in thoughts of the past... Where was I...? ...The wand! Right. It was made Salazar a hundred or so years before we founded the school. He was an excellent wandmaker and, as you might expect, was considered to be the best of our time."

"Salazar Slytherin was a wandmaker?" Hagrid asks from the back, astonishment clear in his voice.

"Indeed! He was a master of many things. Wand making, potion brewing, counter curses, cursed item disposal, dark magic protection...honestly, he was the best wizard I have ever known. Each of the founders were masters of many fields, but, of all of us, Salazar was the master of most. Hell, he taught half the classes when we first started! Not to mention his groundbreaking work on Legilimency and Occlumency that earned him worldwide fame... For all the bad decisions he made in the end, The Chamber of Secrets, and his views on students from non-magical families, he was my best friend and blood brother. We fought in wars together, saved each other's lives on multiple occasions, and laughed or cried together in the best or worst of times. Never forget that he was a founder of Hogwarts and that we would not have started a school with him if we doubted him, even slightly."

"How can you defend someone who released a Basilisk onto innocent children?" Mr. Potter exclaims, standing again in outrage. "I don't care how great a wizard he was, that cannot be forgiven." He crosses his arms and looks hard at me and the rest before sitting back down with a huff. 

"Mr. Potter," I growl, "the number of lives he saved with his counter curses, antidotes, or healing potions in the wars we live through are in the hundreds of thousands. We lived and fought together for over 100 years before founding Hogwarts. Even before then, Salazar had cured several diseases, defeated countless dark witches and wizards, and saved thousands of villages from monsters and evil creatures. At the time of our death, he was far and above the most known and popular of any of the founders. His works and contributions to magical society, too great for the world to ignore!..." I reply, anger rising and boiling over before I sigh and concede, "But...even still. What you say is the truth. He lost his mind at the end, due to reasons I cannot speak of... He was not the same man he was when we founded Hogwarts. Not the same brother that I once knew and loved..." I close my eyes and sit down heavily in a nearby chair, my hand rubbing my forehead.

A long and pregnant silence takes over the room.

*Cough* "Mr. Gryffindor, we got off-topic, could we return to your journal please?' Bill Weasley offers, trying to move the conversation along. 

"Yes, of course." I say standing again, and offering a weary smile to the group, "And would it be too much to ask for you all to call me Professor? I am about to teach you all many things and...well...I miss it greatly."

"Not at all, Professor Gryffindor, please continue," Bill says with a nod and I beam at him.

"Right, so we were talking about soul magic. I will speed this up a bit and get to the core of the matter. Soul magic is not evil, but nor is it good. The same can be said for all magic. A spell that can heal a wound can, instead, harm someone if it is inverted. There is a balance to everything in the world of magic and every spell or type of magic has its opposite, a counter if you will. Imbuing a part of one's soul into an object or spell is not inherently evil, however, it can be done in an evil way. It all comes down to power and intention. The more powerful the enchantment is and the stronger the intentions of the enchanter are, the more aligned in a certain morality an object is. That is the key. I would say that Horcruxes are, in fact, the very opposite of what my journal is."

"Opposite? How so?" Mr. Flitwick asks, cocking his head to the side and looking completely invested in this conversation about magical theory.

"If a Horcrux is created by though the selfish process of killing another and imbuing a piece of their soul into an object so that it might prolong their life, then my journal is the exact opposite of that. I created it selflessly to pass my knowledge on to my family and by sacrificing my life and all of my remaining magic power. Though...I suppose you could argue it was selfish in its own way..." I trail off, shaking my hands in a so-so gesture. 

"Regardless, both required highly advanced magics of at least the 7th circle to cast and immensely strong intentions behind creating them. Once I had learned of the bloodline curse, my intention was to sacrifice myself to save my family and to use all my remaining power to do it. Thus, this journal was created based on that power and intention. Do you understand?"

"We will need to revisit the 'Circles' you keep mentioning, but first, why does it matter that your journal is the opposite of a Horcrux if it functions in much the same way? Your soul is still here and has still taken over a body, even if it is only temporary. Couldn't you be brought back to life with his journal just as Voldemort was through his Horcruxes?" The Minister asks.

"An excellent question Mrs. Granger!" I exclaim and she smiles at me then smirks at Mr. Potter and her husband, obviously reliving an inside joke, "If we were at Hogwarts in my time, you would have earned some house points and a spot in the monthly dueling tournament for that! Do you all still do those...? Ah, another time. I am excited to talk more about the school and how it is progressing, but this is important." I center myself again with a breath and answer her.

"That's the thing! Remember, intentions. My intention was not to live on forever or to prolong my life, but, rather, to give my knowledge to my future family. As such, I do not believe I have the capabilities to revive as one could from a Horcrux. That was not the intended purpose behind the enchantment. In fact, I believe that I am not really Godric Gryffindor, but rather, a memory of him. His soul has long since passed on and should not be able to come back... That gets a bit confusing, however, so, since I have all his memories and still hold his dying intentions, I might as well be him at the time of his death. I am not an object of evil, as I was never intended to be one nor was I produced in an evil ritual of dark magics. I am as Good as any dying man's last wish of a happy and prosperous family can be." I end with a smile and offer my journal to Mr. Potter. "But don't take my word for it. Cast whatever additional identifying spells you need, I will wait until you are satisfied."

Mr. Potter takes the journal from my hand and...*Poof* I am back in the journal itself, away from Jordan who returns to his body and is looking nervously at Mr. Potter. I still have some magical senses in my book form, so I can 'See' what goes on around me. As such, I can clearly see the look of hesitation on Mr. Potter's face. He still holds some reservations and has a bit of reluctance to let this matter drop. He has been through a lot, and I honestly can't blame him for his caution. Long minutes of conversation go by as the Ministry conducts more tests on me. Jordan returns to his family and they all sit waiting to see if their last hope of restoring my legacy will be destroyed or not. I can see Reynold has veins throbbing in his head, but Cassandra holds him back.

Finally, after what seems like hours but is more likely 30 minutes or so, Mr. Potter sighs and says, "Enough. He wouldn't have given himself to me to be destroyed if he was a Horcrux. We all know that. I...I guess I have been too narrow-minded." He says and slumps back into his chair. Mrs. Potter wraps her arms around him and hugs him tenderly. I can see why Jordan found her attractive. She is rather pretty in a spunky-girl kind of way. Mr. Potter hugs his wife for a moment and then stands to hand the journal back to Jordan, who, in turn, smiles up at him as only an excited kid can. Though I have to admit, it is far more powerful a move on such a fine-looking, young man. I could not be prouder.

'Ladies, you better watch out! Ha!' I think as I can already see the problems he might get into.

'You good to keep going?' Jordan asks with a hint of worry in his voice. 

Damned brat....he is too kind to this old man. If I had eyes, they would be tearing up. As I don't, I simply respond back, "Yes Jordan, I will be fine. You are doing fantastic and I think we are almost done. There are only a few more things I want to confirm."

Saying that, I take back over and stand before them all once more. "Now, before I explain what circles are, I need to know what marks a wizard or witch as particularly powerful in today's day and age."