Having no idea what time it was, Harry returned to the castle late that night. He had spent several hours accounting for the students that were in custody at the Ministry. Unspeakables, as well as Aurors, asked several questions about what had happened. Especially about the spell he had used. They were very interested in the wards that he had placed on Hogwarts to keep them from seeing the school. They wanted to know if it could be manipulated at Azkaban, keeping those with the Dark Mark from leaving. After a lengthy mental conversation with Hogwarts, Harry went to Azkaban and set the new wards. Then as an after thought he returned to the Ministry and manipulated the wards again. Allowing those with the 'mark' to enter the building but to set off several silent alarms and hold them in a certain area. Kingsley Shacklebolt was more than pleased with everything that had happened that day, particularly that no one died. As well as several wanna be Deatheaters had been captured and the Dementors had been annihilated. All those that had been captured were now in Azkaban awaiting trial, and Shack was fervently hoping that there would be a jail break attempt so that more would be captured.
Harry, himself, caught Amanda Sheffield trying to find the castle so that she could sneak back in. She said that she was lost and tried to convince the Aurors that she was still teaching at the school. When asked why she didn't just go to the castle, she admitted that she couldn't find it. This led to the discovery that she was a Deatheater and had the mark. Harry was a little more than stunned. She had caught him off guard because she didn't fit the Deatheater type, but then again she had acted like Umbridge.
As he walked through the front doors, Hogwarts greeted him and gave him an overview of what had happened while he was gone. Winky greeted him as he walked thru the lion portrait, then forced him to sit and eat something, before heading off to bed. Harry first went to check on Michael. The baby was sprawled out on his stomach and had kicked the covers off. Harry covered the baby back up, slightly wishing that he would wake up. Harry wanted a cuddle. Instead he leaned over and kissed Michael's head and left the room.
Harry tried to be quiet as he entered the bedroom, knowing that Hermione was asleep. He undressed in the dark and climbed into bed. After placing his glasses and wand on the nightstand he tried to settle down and sleep. Hermione must have sensed that he wanted or needed a cuddle because she turned over and wrapped herself around him. He sighed in contentment and fell asleep.
The next thing that Harry knew was that something wet was hitting his cheek. A giggle soon followed then another feeling of wetness. Michael was trying to wake his daddy up. As soon as the baby saw his Daddy's eyes he squealed with delight and launched himself onto his daddy, giving him more wet kisses on his face.
"Hey now let me breathe" said Harry, laughing. Michael giggled and continued his attack. Harry allowed a couple of more minutes before counter-attacking by tickling the baby, then placing several kisses of his own on Michael's face and neck, adding a few raspberries to his tummy. Michael shrieked with delight.
"How did Michael get in here?" asked Hermione from the doorway, smiling, after watching the latest round of attacks. She had heard the baby shriek and hurried to investigate, only to find Harry and Michael having a tickle fight.
"No idea. Maybe he crawled."
"That doesn't explain how he got onto the bed. It's too high for him to just crawl."
Harry saw the marauder gleam in his son's eye. "I have a feeling that magic was involved."
"You think he used magic to get on the bed?"
The baby's gleam didn't go away. "I'm almost positive. What we have here is the newest generation of Marauders. His grandpa and god-grandpa would be proud and probably try to get him to do it again. Look at what he's doing already."
"We are going to have so much trouble controlling the 'I want' stage. I wonder if he realizes that his magic will give him what he wants when he wants it."
Harry looked Michael in the eye. "He knows."
"We're in so much trouble."
"Yep." Both parents looked at each other before bursting out into laughter. Michael looked mystified as to why his parents were laughing. His Mama came over and picked him up so that his Daddy could get dressed. She played tickle monster with him as they left the room.
Harry quickly showered and dressed and found breakfast waiting for him when he came out of the bedroom. Hermione was waiting to hear all the details about what had happened but was patient so that Harry could eat in peace. Especially after he said that he wanted Godric and Rowena to hear about it as well. That just intrigued her more, but she changed the subject as she fed Michael.
Winky came and took the baby, to give him his bath, and to place him in his room to play. An invisible gate was placed in front of the door way so that little 'Houdini' couldn't escape. At least not until he figured out where the barrier ended.
"Well, what happened? I'm dying of curiosity" said Godric.
"Let him tell it in his own time, dear" Rowena chastised gently.
The portrait sighed. "Fine, whenever you feel like telling us, we'll listen. Was that better?"
"Yes dear, but keep practicing." Harry grinned. Even in the portrait afterlife, the women were in control. He wouldn't have it any other way. To put Godric out of his misery Harry launched into the story of what had happened the day before, leaving nothing out. When he reached the part about using Helga's spell, both women gasped and Godric looked stunned.
"Are you telling me that you 'bound' those things and it stuck to them?"
"Yeah. They shrieked like they were in pain as well. The sound made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It was like they were being tortured or something."
"They probably were considering that they were made using some of the darkest magic, by mistake, in existence at the time. It would take a great deal of light magic to counter it. If I may ask, what were you thinking about when you cast that spell?" asked Rowena.
Harry blushed a little. "Hermione and Michael. Of when he called her 'Mama' for the first time." Hermione reached over and hugged him, kissing him gently.
"You must have a great capacity to love, Harry, for that would be the only way for you to have used that spell."
"Dumbledore always told me that it was my strongest defense. Even Voldemort had a hard time possessing me because of it. But why I should believe anything that old man told me, I don't know, but I do believe that."
"I don't think that he lied to you all the time, Harry" said Hermione, giving him another hug.
"I don't know what to believe anymore about him, Hermione."
Seeing that the subject needed to be changed, Hermione wanted to know something that was burning for an answer. "Rowena?"
"Yes?"
"You mentioned the Dementors were created using dark magic. How would you know that? I have never found a single reference to how they were created. Was it Slytherin?"
Harry had never seen a portrait blush that much before. This was going to be interesting.
"No Salazar didn't create them, I did." That was not the answer that Harry and Hermione were expecting. Out of all the witches and wizards throughout history, Harry would have never picked Rowena Ravenclaw as the creator of such a vile creature. Even Godric looked surprised at her admission. Harry wondered if she had ever admitted to it before.
Rowena looked at all three of her family members, sighed and said, "I created them before Salazar found Helga and I. My husband, Edward, was a lesser son to the Duke of York, part of the royal family. They were at war with another faction of the royal family, the Lancaster side."
"The war of the Roses" said Hermione.
"Yes. I really had no idea of the political turmoil. Edward had approached my father for my hand in marriage and he agreed. I didn't have a choice really but I found him to be attractive and good company to be around. I was scared that he would find out that I could do magic. My mother had taught me in secret, as my father and brother had no idea that she was a witch. They had never showed signs of magical ability. It was our secret. My father had allowed me to be tutored along side my brothers as I had shown signs of actually being smarter than any of them. He knew that my mother could read and write and thought that his daughter should be allowed the same. Most fathers would never allow such a thing. Edward was surprised but also very pleased that I could. I felt that I had to tell Edward of my magical abilities and to my surprise not only did he accept them, he encouraged them and my research into all things magical. He even insisted that I spend a few hours a day just researching. I was beyond happy. He was always asking what I had learned and was willing to be my test subject for spells that I had created. But then I became with child. I slowed down the research and when Stephen was born I had almost stopped. Edward understood that my attention was turned towards our child but he was constantly asking when I would return to my research. Finally I asked why he was so insistent on it. He had become obsessed with death. I told him that I didn't have the fortitude to kill anyone. He actually laughed at my misunderstanding. He didn't want me to kill anyone, that was his job. No he wanted to know if there was a way to cheat death or to bring someone who died back to life. The human part of me was appalled but the researcher in me was already thinking and putting possibilities together."
"For three years I researched and tried to figure out the answer to the ultimate question. Could life be brought back from death? Finally I thought I had come up with the ritual that would work and was ready to try it out. Edward wanted to see the results himself and asked that I wait for his return. I didn't know that he was going to be in a battle, along with my father and brothers. He hadn't wanted me to worry as I was about six months with or second child. They never returned. I found out that they had been killed in battle and in my shock and grief I miscarried the babe causing her to be born stillborn. My mother had placed her in her father's arms, inside their tomb. Later that night I snuck out of the manor and started the ritual. I wanted them back. All of them. But something went wrong. Instead of bringing them back, their bodies turned to dust and reformed into the creatures that you call Dementors. Their shrouds became their cloaks. When I realized what I had done, I tried to seal the crypt but they escaped. I was terrified at that point and watched as my baby took my mother's soul, killing her. I quickly packed everything and left with Stephen, leaving the protection of Edward's family. Salazar found me about a month later, living with Helga in a small village. When he presented his and Godric's idea of a magical school, I jumped at the chance. I needed a place to hide and try to find a way to undo the damage that I had caused. The rest you know."
Never in a thousand years would Harry forget what he had just learned. His whole perception of the founders had just been thrown out the window. It was Godric who recovered first.
"That explains so much. Why you were always looking over you shoulder, as if you were looking out for an enemy. I thought it was because of the crown being after you, but it was because of those creatures." He went over to her frame and held her. "I would have understood why you did it and I would have helped you in trying to find the answer to destroy them if you had told me."
"You had your own problems by then and I didn't want to add a new one, especially after Johanna was born. I was afraid to tell you and lose you too."
"I can't say that I wouldn't have done the same thing in your place, but I never would have left you. You were in pain from losing so many of your loved ones. Anyone would have understood the reasons for it."
Harry had to ask a question. "Did you create the Patronus Charm then?"
Both portraits looked at Harry then each other. Godric actually looked angry. "No Salazar did. He wanted to control them. The charm only drove them away." Harry didn't ask or say anything else about it. He knew why Slytherin wanted to control them, just like Voldemort wanted to.
Hermione was in deep thought, but heard every word around her. There was something that she wanted to talk to Rowena about, an idea. "Rowena, could the reason that Harry destroyed the Dementors using Hufflepuff's spell be because he is your descendent, the creator of them?"
Rowena's eyes widened as her portrait's brain went over the possibilities. "That is a very real possibility. The combination of the spell and his bloodline could be the real factor. I am just relieved and happy that they are gone and hopefully at peace."
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Lord Voldemort was impatiently waiting for news of his victory at the home of his muggle father. The place was reasonably comfortable and the local muggle population left the place alone because of the history involved. That suited his purposes just fine. He couldn't just kill them all off, it would raise to many suspicions.
While he waited for news, he, Lucius, and Bella were planning on how best to openly attack Azkaban and release his followers there. Most of them deserved to remain as punishment for being caught but he needed Severus' services as a Potions master. The plans were agreed upon and the others left their Lord to his wait.
He tried breaking into Potter's mind only to find a wall that reminded him of the Great Wall in China. There was no way to climb, dent, or destroy such a thing. He vaguely wondered at the reason Potter needed such a strong wall. What else was he hiding?
Finally Lucius offered to go to the Ministry and see what was going on. He never returned.
Not being able to sleep at all during the night, Lord Voldemort was not in the best of moods the next morning. Wormtail had gotten a hold of a copy of the Daily Prophet. There was no mention of his victory only a mention of an attack on Hogsmeade and that the situation was under control. Lord Voldemort flew into a rage as he read the simple story. Somehow Potter had figured out a way to completely destroy the Dementors themselves. Even in his rant, the Dark Lord wondered how he had done it.
Several Deatheaters fled the manor as their Lord's rage exploded.