An active, character-driven Hogwarts experience set in the early 2000s. Unique items, plots, and features. Non-canon; this isn't Harry Potter's story, it's ours.
Post by Reena Ashworth on Aug 17, 2020 0:48:02 GMT 10
After her game of gobstones had ended, Reena was adamant to continue her studies. She had heard that students could get a look at the books in Rickards private collection when they helped him organize it and what did she know if it was not organizing. All she ever did at home anyway.
Reena knocked on the door of Hogwarts‘ new headmaster and contemplated if she should wait for Rickard to let her in or just enter. She might have opted for the latter yet remained outside patiently waiting for Rickard to call the shots. He did know to express his authority correctly after all.
Rickard sat at his desk, sorting through various official-looking documents. He glanced at the door when Reena knocked, then stored some of the files out of sight.
'Enter,' he said.
Who'd be visiting him during their free time on Halloween? Intrigued, he gave the visitor his full attention. Hopefully it wasn't a prefect bringing him yet another complaint about flooded bathrooms or loose Pixies.
Post by Reena Ashworth on Aug 19, 2020 1:02:18 GMT 10
Reena opened the door after hearing the headmaster‘s voice for her to enter. She put on her best business-smile as she found Rickard was turned towards her.
“Good afternoon, sir!“, she approached the headmaster after closing the door carefully behind her.
“I heard you needed students‘ help organizing your library. I would like to offer my time and energy for that in exchange for a look at them?“
Reena suddenly did not feel as self-confident as she had when she had first formed the idea.
'Very well,' Rickard said. He indicated to a wall that was entirely bookshelves, though were mostly bare. Some wooden crates sat off to the side, filled with books.
'Navigation charms. The crates may seem never-ending,' he explained, casually glancing at a letter that just arrived via a rather dignified black-banded owl. 'Arrange them Alphabetically, by author. You can work for as short or long as you wish, and leave of your own accord.'
The wall was rather tucked away at the other end of the office, providing Reena with the privacy to work without interrupting Rickard or being overheard. Somewhere around the middle, out of their reach but able to be easily conversed with, was the Sorting Hat. It was still and quiet, yet the folds of its eyes and mouth fidgeted enough to let the Slytherin know it was aware of her presence.
Post by Reena Ashworth on Aug 22, 2020 7:22:38 GMT 10
“Thank you, Sir!“, she said with a smile.
Her confidence returned upon having her request taken seriously. Reena followed the headmaster‘s gesture towards the wall with the books she was to organize.
Taking the first few into hand she read the authors‘ names and upon inspecting the titles she found them not of much interest to her- which displeased her a little.
She sorted the books out for a while before looking around the room some more, slightly irritated that the books weren’t all that she had secretly hoped for.
It was then that she noticed the hat. Reena regarded it with a curious glance, never having seen it outside of the sorting ceremony. Was she imagining it or was the hat watching her?
“Good afternoon“, she said to the hat.
It felt a bit odd to make conversation with a piece of clothing- magical or not. Was she supposed to treat it with the same respect as a fellow witch or wizard and make small talk?
She figured Rickard could not hear her all that well over here when she spoke quietly anyway so why not try for it?
“Is it comfortable to rest up on a shelf when else you sit on every student’s head?“, she asked in a light tone.
The hat did an "eyebrow" equivalent of what could only be perceived as a shrug. It could have explained that it didn't have comfort levels, though the view was certainly better in some locations of the castle, but instead it remained quiet.
Almost as if it was waiting for something - a question more worthy of a verbal answer.
Post by Reena Ashworth on Aug 23, 2020 17:22:03 GMT 10
The hat moved about in a manner that resembled a shrug quite a lot yet remained silent. Reena looked at it, mild curiosity turned into fascination.
When nothing else happened, she was about to turn back to the books, and would have done so if it was not for some sensation in the back of her head. She felt as if challenged to get the hat to talk.
What would a hat even talk about if not heads?
“Did you sit on every student’s head that ever walked into Hogwarts?“, she asked. “Was it you who sorted Merlin into Slytherin or was it Salazar Slytherin himself?“
Reena frowned. It occurred to her that a hat might have no interest in famous historic wizards and did not pride itself with having known any.
“Did you sing a song at the start of the year back then too? Was it much different? It must have been- a lot of time has passed.“
Last Edit: Aug 25, 2020 19:57:04 GMT 10 by Reena Ashworth: typo
Interesting. The hat received various visits and questions since being relocated to a new office at the start of the school year, yet Reena's direction intrigued it. She had a perspective that would take her far in uncovering mysterious, as it had suspected several years earlier when it sorted her.
'Merlin's sorting was before my enchantment,' the hat said. 'It wasn't until the Founders' departure that Godric Gryffindor had whipped me off his head to sort the students instead. But yes, since then, I've sorted each and every one who came to Hogwarts.'
It paused, considering her next question. It was easy to answer, perhaps more than most, yet how it answered mattered too.
'Yes,' it said, but didn't elaborate on the details she sought. 'The song serves its purpose, which also changed over the centuries. It's important, you know, to keep the Founders' legacy alive. Though it lives on through you, so must the story live on through me.'
Post by Reena Ashworth on Aug 23, 2020 21:35:18 GMT 10
She felt a sense of achievement when the hat finally spoke. It appeared she had asked questions the hat deemed worthy of a vocal answer.
Reena figured the hat did not want to talk about Merlin but rather the circumstance it had been in to be enchanted by Godric Gryffindor. She mused about wether she should ask it why the Founders had entrusted a hat over a successor to sort all future students when it had moved along to her next questions.
It somehow answered that question already.
“So you are the narrator of their story and we, the students, are their legacy?“, she inquired.
She looked at the hat, puzzled. Was she supposed to be a legacy of Salazar Slytherin and Jaxen a legacy of Rowena Ravenclaw?
“Wait. Did you say the story changed or the legacy changed?“
If either changed, how could they be true legacies?
'Yes,' the hat said, pleased with Reena's description even if it considered itself to be more than just a narrator. At her next question, or rather bout of confusion, it paused.
'Neither,' it said. 'It is the song's purpose which changed over time. Though yes, the story evolves too, but being their legacy is eternal. You are a part of their story, there's no doubt about that.'
The hat watched Reena, awaiting her next response. Across the office, Rickard frowned at some documents, focused entirely on his own task at hand and oblivious to any conversation going on nearby.
Post by Reena Ashworth on Aug 25, 2020 12:42:51 GMT 10
Reena was surprised about the way the hat could emote for her to understand. Now it seemed pleased with her definition of it as the Founders‘ narrator for example.
She frowned at its next words however, not quite sure what to think of it.
“How am I part of a story that is a thousand years old?“, she asked.
No person alive had met any of the Founders. Looking at the hat she figured it must be the only sentient thing to have known them.
“You say the song’s purpose changes over time, so what purpose does it serve this year?“ Reena paused, recalling the song from the start of the year, wondering if anything has struck her as important or unusual.
“Did you say the story was misunderstood? Are our history books wrong?“
If the books were wrong, what use was it truly learning from them? That was a horrid thought.
“What was it that was left behind?“, she wondered aloud, not quite sure she remembered the song all that well.
'Stories take on many forms,' the hat said. 'I too have the founder's magic within - like Hogwarts itself, oh yes. In the secret tunnels and hidden rooms there are stories woven by magic. Such magic which also lies with you. Their legacies. So long as that magic exists, each student at Hogwarts is a part of that legacy.'
A pause.
'The founders shared many stories during and of their time at Hogwarts, and had just as many secrets after, yet a great many more were never told - intended for those worthy of such,' it continued. 'I suppose they thought it wouldn't take a thousand years to understand.'
Rickard made an annoyed sound as he shuffled some papers, storing away the documents as if he couldn't tolerate them a moment longer. Sighing, he reached for a goblet and sipped, still oblivious to Reena and the hat's conversation. He didn't even check up on her, not concerned with her progress as each student had their own pace. Every bit helped.
'A song has many meanings depending how you hear it,' the hat said. 'If I were to tell you everything about it and its purpose each year, then what would be the point in singing it?'
It went quiet for a moment. Long enough that Reena would either feel the seconds dragging on or may be tempted to sort some books just to pass the time.
'The founders had as many secrets as they did knowledge of magic. They needed far longer than they were given to impart it all to their students, so they left much of it behind,' the hat said, contemplative yet something about its tone sounded important. 'Many Headmasters have certainly tried to devise the meaning and uncover the secret knowledge or magic of their founders but... no, they never did find the founding artefacts.'
Post by Reena Ashworth on Aug 25, 2020 19:56:27 GMT 10
"So there's more magic of Slytherin, Ravenclaw and the others still around today? Their actual own magic aside from what we know like the moving stairs and yourself?", she asked intrigued.
She had heard about secret tunnels and rooms before yet had tried to not get wrapped up in a ghost hunt. But when the hat, actual proof of Gryffindor's magic said that they were real... Reena's eyes darted towards the books in Rickard's library and back to the hat again. Couldn't she learn so much more from the actual magic than from dusty books who may contain huge misinterpretations?
'For those worthy to hear the stories?' Reena looked at the Talking Hat. If they had not been discovered for a thousand years, had there simply not been worthy students? How could that be?
Many great wizards had been educated in this very castle after all! There must have been students who looked into these things. Any Gryffindor would pride themselves with discovering great secrecy. Maybe she should come before them... Or perhaps-
"Could I only unlock Slytherin's secrets?", she asked. Had she chosen Slytherin's legacy over Ravenclaw's when she had made her plea to be given the chance to stand on her own four years ago?
Slytherin's legacy. She had never regretted her choice but there were people in her house she was quite wary of. They were as much his legacy as she was, so what did that say about herself? Was she alike those angry fifteen year olds?
Reena frowned when the hat mentioned the song yet refused to state its purpose. Perhaps it enjoyed being cryptic or maybe Godric Gryffindor hat enchanted it this way- to set students who listened on a wild chase in a thousand years. The hat had stopped talking and Reena wondered if it had fallen asleep- as much as a magical head wear could do that. She looked around the library, a tad unsatisfied, musing wether she should proceed her organizing and probing of books or find answers to her questions elsewhere.
She had not quite decided when to her delight the hat spoke up again.
"Founding artefacts?", she asked. Her intrigue peaked when she imagined the knowledge the founder's secrets could convey- and imagine if she was to be the one to discover it herself!
"But if not even a headmaster like Dumbledore could have- unless they can only be found by students?"
She looked at the hat with hopeful eyes. If she could- but what if it was just a practical joke the hat or someone controlling it was playing on innocent students minding their own business? Looking into the mystery of Hogwarts could cost her quite some time and push her actual plans way back... not that she had made any progress lately...
Reena couldn't determine the exact reason, but the hat didn't comment on anything she said or answer newer questions. It remained still and quiet, as if it were any ordinary hat sitting on a bare shelf.
It had clearly heard her, though either chose not to reveal anything else or perhaps it was not meant to be the source of further information. Wherever the truth and task lay ahead, it was up to her to figure it out if she wished to discover more.
Meanwhile, Headmaster Rickard wandered to peer out the window behind his desk - showing no signs of having heard their conversation or if he noticed Reena was occupied with something other than arranging books.
Post by Reena Ashworth on Aug 25, 2020 22:47:55 GMT 10
Reena waited for the hat to answer, yet it remained silent. From what she had learned of its mannerism over the course of their conversation she had a pretty good idea that it could very well hear her but instead of talking chose its silence. She looked at it for a while longer, puzzled and unsatisfied with her unsanswered questions.
They had been the kind of questions she would have expected a reply to from the hat. Or so she thought- it must have reached a limit of what information it could give away to her about that topic, she figured.
Godric Gryffindor must not have been a very straight forward person then, or maybe smarter than the nature of his students appeared to be, keeping his secrets in small clues here and there.
If it even truly had been Godric Gryffindor who had made the hat the innitiator of this goose chase she could see herself - and perhaps countless students before her - on in a mental image.
"Thank you for the talk", she said politely as soon as she was certain that there truly would not be any more information revealed.
She would have to find a new source. If what the hat said was true then someone over the course of history must have found something, therefore she could maybe pick up where they left off. She just needed to research...
Reena turned back to the books, yet seeing that they were not historical- at least not to Hogwarts itself where she was, she soon lost interest in sorting them, her mind too preoccupied with the hat's words.
She sighed. She would have to find out if there were any mentions of the Founder's artefacts now and if there weren't any she could resume her own research in peace- and if there were...
After a while Reena stopped organizing the books and returned to the headmaster's desk. She noticed he had moved around and wondered if he had overheard.
"Thank you, Sir", she said. "I haven't been as quickly as I would have liked but I'd like to attend other business before the feast."
With a small smile she turned to leave and unless he had something to make her stay she would be going.
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