Chapter Four:

The Fountain of Knowledge

As Harry entered the room the light intensified but he was able to make out a silvery shape, about two meters wide at the base half a meter at the top, in the center of the room. He walked forward and could make out what looked like three silver bowls covered in runes with what could only be described as pure magical energy flowing from top into the middle then to the bottom.

Before he could get any closer to the fountain a wave of magical energy burst from it and enveloped everyone in the room. Harry had the sensation weightlessness, then of falling. He had time to register the weight of his sword in its scabbard before he felt stone under his feet again.

He was in an entrance hall of some kind, a large castle by the looks of it. The others were there as well he once again took Nym's hand.

"Welcome" a deep male voice rang out as Harry spun around he found a tall man almost as tall as Ron but his hair was more auburn than ginger it was shoulder length, he had a neatly trimmed beard. His eyes were brown with a solid build. He was standing in an open set of double doors that lead in to what looked to be the great hall.

"Come in, please we have prepared a late lunch. I have no doubt that you are hungry, look at me I've gotten ahead of myself I am Godric Gryffindor." Gryffindor bowed slightly "And this is the Citadel we..." He swung the doors open completely and behind him stood a man and two women.

Ten minutes later Gryffindor had introduced us to Salazar Slytherin, Rowena Ravenclaw-Gryffindor, and Helga Hufflepuff-Slytherin. They asked us to call them by their given names and asked everyone to have a seat at a large table in the center of a room that made the great hall of Hogwarts look small.

"I know you have question and we will answer them as best as we can. So lets eat and while we have a good meal I tell you what this is all about. Then you can ask your questions" said Godric "Alright this started when my wife had a series of visions. Which lead us to build this castle, help the goblins unit and build Gringotts then entrusted them with the instructions to find and guide you this. Rowena foresaw that the out come of this conflict was a turning point light or dark would rise or fall. You three are here to train not just to fight but to rule. My wife saw that it was not only this supposed dark lord that would lead to the end of the magical world but the corruption of your Ministry. What is ironic is that the four of us had a hand in creating it and that is also part of the solution we put in place certain safe guards. To enable you to quickly take over we will get in to that another time. This place is what Rowena calls null space it's here and it's not, time can be sped up and slowed down we spent more than twenty years working on this place stocking it with food and the other necessities that can't be conjured. You should know that your bodies are here meaning what happens here is real you will need to eat and sleep. Your are all going to be here for five years. However only one hour will have passed in the outside world. Over the years we will cover a variety of physical training, armed and unarmed combat, Battle Magic, Battle tactics, rune magic, Arithmancy, Potions, Law and justice, Occlumency, Legilimency, History Magical and Muggle as well as more advanced charms and transfiguration, we'll also cover wards. Question?"

"Yes, how do you speak modern English, you should be speaking what we think of a old English."

'Leave it to Hermione to come up with a question that no one else thought of' Harry thought.

"Excellent question Miss Granger, the answer will also help answer how we know so much about the modern world. It is very simple we are all connected to the castles library and the library is connected through complicated blood magic...to simplify the library is linked to the libraries of all of our descendants basically if they have a book we have that book."

"Do you know everything in them?" asked Harry.

"Yes, and complete understanding of the subject matter. You need to understand that the four of us are but an echo of what we were. Similar to magical portraits we have their knowledge, experiences and personalities but we aren't really alive we only exist here within the fountain as you can see the four of us all appear as we did in our youth."

"May I see the library is sounds quite wonderful."

"Yes, Miss Granger we will give all of you a tour of castle and you can choose rooms for yourselves just as soon as we finish eating."

As promised after lunch the four founder showed them the their Citadel and talked about their lives. They entered the training room the floor was covered in mats they would be using for armed and unarmed combat.

"Salazar, your not what I expected from what history says about you and you are helping us stop a pureblood supremacists. Why?"

Slytherin looked at Hermione and smirked. He stroked the black hair of his goatee. "History is often biased by ones own prejudges, Miss Granger. Many purebloods thought of themselves better than they were. The truth probably lies in the fact that I didn't want Muggleborns at Hogwarts..."

"SO YOU WERE JU..."

"Calm down young lady..."

"But you just..."

"Try listening for a change Hermione. Just hear him out then you can tell him off if need be" Harry said trying to head her off before she got a full head of steam. He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him. This seemed to pacify her for the moment.

"Now as I was saying I didn't want Muggleborns at Hogwarts and it had nothing to do with blood purity. You have to remember the time in which I lived. Most Muggleborns were from poor families and could not read or write. And even those from wealthy families were little better, the only well educated among the muggles were from the church or royalty. So excepting them would slow down the other students while the teachers tried to get those students up to speed. We did have a huge row over it and I did leave the school. But I returned less than a year later. We started a special program which took muggleborn students two years early into a special program with a teacher only dedicated to teaching them to read and write. Over the years after our deaths, people twisted our argument into a blood feud and for Pureblood supremacist I became someone to emulate for Gryffindors I became the source of all evil. Does that answer you question."

Hermione nodded and we continued the tour. We also found out that there were much to Hermione's dismay, over a hundred house-elves who had volunteered to joined the founders and like them were what Godric had called echoes. Their was also a modern muggle style gym. When Harry had asked about the modern equipment as well as to the Citadel in general. He had be informed that the elves periodically updated the castles appearance. Using the books and Magazines found in the library. Which it took the rest of the group twenty minutes to drag Hermione out of.

Several hours later when the tour was over for the day and everyone had rooms. Nym had insisted on sharing with Harry and to everyone's surprise Hannah had said that her and Neville would be sharing as well. Neville had tried to object but the blond had whispered something in his ear making him blush brightly and he relented.

After everyone had found rooms (well suites would be more accurate) Rowena had asked that they all come to Harry's.

When everyone was present in Harry and Nym's sitting room. She asked Harry to come over to where she was standing near a small table, the other founders standing next to her.

"Now I am going to test all of you for any special abilities then I'm going to scan you for blocks that may be in place finally I'm going use a calingers wand to test your magical strength on the Merlin scale. Do you all know what that is..."

"It is the scale that uses magical stamina, your magical flow rate and the speed at which your magical core replenishes itself and places the person on a scale from one to ten. One being a squib ten being Merlin" interjected Hermione.

"A simple yes will do dear." Rowena said sternly. Hermione blushed at the admonishment "I'm simply saying that everyone here know how intelligent you are there is no reason to keep proving to us. Now as I was saying first the ability test."

She poured a neon blue potion into a small stone bowl. She then picked up a small silver dagger. "I need a few drops of blood please."

Harry extended his left hand. She sliced the index finger then squeezed two drops into the bowl. Waving her hand over the cut on his finger and it was healed. She used a small wooden spoon and stirred the potion. After a minute she took the spoon from the potion and allowed it to drip on a piece of parchment. Seconds later a list appeared.

Aeritongue

Parseltongue

Mage Sight

Perfectusmorphmagus

"The Aeritongue you get from Godric. Since you were unaware of these abilities there are definitely blocks on you Perfectusmorphmagus is similar to a metamorphmagus but instead of being able to change your appearance at will, you are able to heal rapidly. It also should have negated any kind of malnutrition or scaring. Harry how tall was you father?

"I'm not sure in the picture of the old order he was a little taller than Sirius."

"Probably about 6'2 then Harry" Nym added.

"Your mother?" Rowena continued.

"Judging by the pictures maybe five inches shorter so 5'8–5'9."

"Its definitely blocked then it would seek to maximize your potential."

She took her wand and scanned him for several minutes then tapped another piece of parchment. After she examined it she said "Well all your abilities are being blocked. What is even worse is your magical core has been bound almost completely if you weren't such a powerful wizard you would have the magical ability of a squib, as it is your functioning at below thirty percent."

"'oow would do such a 'orrible thing to 'Arry?" Fleur asked horrified.

"Dumbledore"said Harry, Nym, Ginny, Ron and Hermione all at the same time.

"That Bastard that is a serious crime worth five years in Azkaban" said Amelia removing her monocle. Almost shacking with rage the old fool had gone to far this time when she got her hands on him he would pray for death. She felt her niece's hand on her shoulder. She turned and looked at her and brushed a strand of her reddish-brown hair out of her blue eyes. The anger had subsided a little but only a little because she knew that with a binding that powerful Dumbledore could have destroyed Harry's core.

"Before we attempt to remove it I want to check where you would fall on the Merlin scale with it" Rowena said.

She handed Harry the calingers wand and instructed him to start casting spells any spell that came to mind and to push as much power behind it as possible that the spells would not be cast that they would not leave the wand.

Harry began in with a vengeance cast every spell he knew. A few minutes later Rowena said to stop she then got the results from the wand. Harry did not under stand the pulses of lights of what the colors meant but she did as the wand pulsed with light she wrote numbers. After a few minutes she turned to Harry and said

"I do not know why I am surprised but even bound you are a 5.8 on the Merlin scale which unless I am completely wrong and I do not believe I am you will go off the scale once we unbind your core. The irony of this situation is that if Dumbledore had not bound your core you would not be as strong as your are. You had to perform spells against great resistance every time. So you core has expanded beyond what it would naturally, and because you have had to push your magic to over come the bindings once they are removed we will work with you on your control. At your the magical levels we are talking about a simple disarming spell could end up put someone's head through a stone wall. You need to be able to regulate the amount of force behind your spells."

Before removing bindings on Harry, Rowena said that she wanted to check the others first. Two hours later there were several shocking discoveries Tonks of course was found to be a Metamorphmagus no surprise there. Neville was of course an Earth Elemental. Ron and Ginny were both fire elementals Rowena said that was inherited from Godric. Fleur was also what Rowena called a fire shaper she create a flame and shape it into a burning weapons or shields. She explained that this gift was dormant in most Veela was living proof that the Veela were descended from or had cross breed with a race called the Avians at some point. The founder went on to say that it could likely be reawakened in Fleur with some type of unbinding ritual.

What was the most surprising was that by the time Rowena was through both Daphne and Ginny were revealed to be Parseltongues. Ginny's was shown to be caused by her time exposed to Riddle's Diary. When she heard she had broken down and Harry and held her for a few minutes until she had calmed down a bit. Salazar had said in his time the gift, as he called it, was not common but their were a few. Hermione had brought up the fact that he was the first recorded parselmouth. Salazar had shot back "What have I already told you about history young lady." Harry had felt bad about for her, she had always excepted what was in her books as fact. Today however she was hearing history from the people who lived it.

The last tested was Guttawra she like all goblins showed a high tolerance to fire.

Then everyone was tested using the calingers wand including Guttawra. Ron and Neville scored 6.3 and 6.1 which according to Rowena was rather high for a pair of Sixteen year olds considering the average full grown wizard or witch averaged between a 3 to 4. According to Amelia Aurors only average between a 4 to 5. Apparently Dumbledore was a 7.3 and Voldemort was estimated according to Amelia was some were in the 7.3 to 7.8 range his magical strength had been enhanced by dark rituals.

Wizards and witches' cores mature and expands at a predictable rate this is called the three maturities the first is eleven which is why that is the age children attend Hogwarts. The second is seventeen the age of maturity and the largest expansion. The third is twenty-five it strengthens the core and stabilizes it. The fact that only Amelia had completed the final maturity. The result of the calingers wand was so impressive because the second maturity usually expanded the core between ten to twenty percent. Which translates into .5 to 1 full point on the Merlin scale. The final maturity expands the core by five to ten, and increase of .3 to .5 of a point.

Amelia Bones 6.5

Nymphadora Tonks 6.3

Fleur Delacour 6.0

Ginny Weasley 5.5

Hermione Granger 5.2

Daphne Greengrass 5.2

Susan Bones 5.0

Hannah Abbott 4.8

Guttawra 2.8

Guttawra explained for those of who did not know that goblins while having a magical core it is rather small but recharges quickly so they are very limited in their spells. They tended to rely on the goblin equivalent of low powered slashing, cleaving, and bludging hexes. That they could not do transfiguration at all. That is why they were so proficient in using non-magical weapons.

"Harry in order to undo the blocks and unbind your core we are going to give you powerful sleeping potion that will put you in a magical coma until we give you the antidote. Because once the block on you Perfectusmorphmagus ability is released I believe it will be very painful as you bones grow and you body heals itself. It will also give you core time to stabilize" Rowena finished.

"How long will I be out?" Harry asked the worry evident in his voice."

"Your body should right its self in a few day but your core will take at least two weeks to stabilize. Once it does we'll wake you."

"What do I need to due." Harry said.

"You should probably change into some thing comfortable to sleep in. The house-elves have provided all of you with fresh clothing" said Rowena.

"Who knows how they know your sizes. Check your chest-of-drawers" continued Godric.

Harry nodded and headed toward the bedroom.

When he returned five minutes later dresser in a pair of blue silk pyjamas. Almost everyone had left having been shooed off to bed by Salazar say they would need quiet to bindings on Harry's core. Nym and surprisingly enough Guttawra who said that it was her responsibility to protect her Lord-Baron, that honor demanded that she stay.

Twenty minutes later Harry was in a deep dreamless sleep with Nym laying next to him. Guttawra was curled on the stone floor next to the bed with a pillow and blanket.

Fifteen days inside the Fountain

Harry woke feeling better than he ever had. When he open his eyes. He looked into the pale green eyes of Helga who was in the process of running a series of medical scans.

"Good morning Harry. How do feel?" asked the honey-blond founder.

"I'm fine" he said trying to sit up to fast "ahhh."

"Lay back you'll be dizzy for a few minutes" Helga said bending down to check Harry's pupils. Giving him a view down the front of the buxom blond's robes.

"Like the what you see young man?" said a voice from behind Helga. Harry felt the blood rush to his face as he knew he had been caught ogling the man's wife.

"You can try to sit up again now" Helga said helping him into a sitting position. He felt sore all over like after one of Dudley's beating.

As Helga stepped back Harry saw Salazar standing in the doorway and looked awkwardly away. "Don't worry about it my wife always was popular with her young student especially the young men. I think she likes the attenti...Ow" he was cut off as his wife swatted his arm.

"Its not my fault I got the looks in the family. But that is not the point how are you Harry?"

"A little sore like I've been in a fight."

"That's to be expected you've been in bed for almost two weeks and your joints, muscles and bones are sore. You've grown almost eight inches in height."

"And my eyesight is better." Harry said touching his face were his glasses usually were.

"That's to be expected" Salazar paused then add "When your feeling up to it. You should get dressed. You can join the others in this afternoon's lessons."

"'bout time you were up handsome. Girl can't even go to lunch without you trying to slip out of bed" Nym said as she brushed past Salazar and walked over and sat of the edge of the bed. She leaned over and gave Harry a passionate kiss.

"Here this should help with the soreness" Helga said handing him a potion vial. He took it from her uncorked it and swallowed the contents.

Helga and Salazar left him and Nym alone.

"So what has been going on here."

"Not that much the founders didn't want to begin our training without you so they tested what we already new. Oh and we started the physical training since they said you would have an easier time with your new physique." Nym said running her hand down his chest. "You have defiantly filled out, luv."

Harry slowly got to his feet and walked to the full length mirror near the chest-of-drawers, he noticed everything seemed smaller. 'Eight inches Helga said so maybe its just that I'm taller now.'

Standing in front of the mirror he notice that his shoulders were broader and his face and not as gaunt as before. "Nym why do my pyjamas still fit."

"Rowena put an auto sizing charm on them" She paused to collect her thoughts before continuing "I spoke to the other girls about what we said at the bank. Ginny and Hermione said that they were interested even if they had to share you. Fleur said that she would like to get to know you better. Daphne just sat there, not sure what she's thinking. Amelia said in no certain terms that she was to old for you. Guttawra, who by the way has stood over you while you're unconscious the only reason she is not here now is Godric made her go get something to eat, said that isn't necessary as she is already yours. I think you should try to spend time with them and get to know them."

"Even Amelia." Harry said uncertain.

"Even her Harry despite her protests. She still didn't hesitate to follow you into the Fountain as your 'Companion' as the prophesy called us" Nym said.

"And your alright with this" worried Harry.

"We've been through this Harry, I accept it."

"I love you, Nym."

"I love you, too."

That afternoon Harry joined to others for lessons in which Salazar explained that the first thing that they were going to work on was Occlumency. Once they had grasped the fundamentals, their ability to learn and retain information would be greatly increased.

Learning from Salazar was much easier for Harry than from Snape. He actually gave them all a book on mediation techniques and how to create an place in your mind to store all your knowledge, memories and emotion. The founder then left the group alone, after showing them several deep breathing meditation techniques, to work.

Harry with his magic unbound and with a little clear instructions found what he had believed impossible was possible. With in a hour he had created a beautiful oak paneled study with the books representing his knowledge on shelves along the wall. He the sorted the books by categories, magical or muggle, school subject or thing he had taught himself like cooking, and household repairs.

He decide to place his memories into file folders and place them into filing cabinets. He decided that memories have an emotional component. So he sorted into two separate cabinets. One for before Hogwarts the other for after he had started. The memories of the Dursleys' file containing his uncle and cousin's abuse over the years coupled with his aunt's indifference as long as he did not embarrass her, obviously went in the before cabinet; along with all his memories of his primary school. He labeled the top drawer of the second cabinet friends then created individual folders for Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, and Ginny. Harry the created a folders labeled dormmates, Teammates, Weasleys, Professors, Ministry, Order and DA. Sirius, Remus and his parents all were given their own files. He also made a file for his dreams. As he was sorting though the various dreams he came across one he had forgotten...One moment he was in the room of requirement sharing a soggy kiss with Cho the next it becomes so intense his whole body starts to tingle. As his breaks the kiss and holds her close his head on her shoulder he notices that her hair has changed from black to ginger. He pulls away and looks into Ginny's face.

"When did you get here?" Harry asked.

"I've been waiting, Luv" the redhead answered.

Harry had had the dream a few days in mid March; that had been when his feelings for her had began to change he now realized.

He labeled the second drawer companions he placed all of his emotions toward them inside he even placed copies of Hermione and Ginny's files inside.

The third was labeled transitional data, which all new thoughts and knowledge was automatically placed until it can be sorted. There was also a folder labeled random thoughts. They were reviewed and if they had merit they were sorted appropriately if not they were discarded.

Once his mind was completely sorted he began the next step which was to set up layers of defense for his Inner Sanctum as he had christened it. The first thing he did was to create a room as large as the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch only subterranean with a ceiling seventy meters high. With a stone tile floor each square about a meter in diameter. The walls were lined with hundreds of vault doors like he had seen at Gringotts. Each door had been booby-trapped with various spells some would like a real Gringotts vault suck the intruder inside. He had created a walkway two meters wide on top of the vaults. He had created several mindless warrior he made to look like medieval knights in chain mail armor. He created four commanders to control the hundreds of knight. The knights patrolled on top of the vault or stood over their assigned vault with their crossbow or boiling oil. In the center of the room he had created strongest of his guardian a enormous Male Hungarian Horntail. At the entrance to the tunnel that an intruder would have to come through to enter the cavern. Harry had placed a sensor when tripped would spray the intruder with anther male horntail's urine. Further enraging the dragon to attack. On the surface surrounding the cave entrance, was a vast highland plain. Five hundred meters in all directions was a ten meter thick steel wall fifty feet thick and magically reinforced. He had designed the wall to rapidly grow upward to stop someone attempting to go over the wall raise to stop them from going over the wall. It would expand further into the earth to prevent someone trying to dig under the wall. Along the top of the wall was were hundreds of mindless wizard defenders in groups of six each had a leader to direct them for every six groups there was a captain. The twelve captains had a single commander stationed on a tower atop the mound in the center. They were all using a muggle communication ear pieces to coordinate the defenses. The entrance to Harry's sanctum lay not through on of the vaults but one of the stone tiles opened like a trap door revealing a ladder to the Sanctum.

Three hours after he had begun he opened his eyes and saw that every one else had already left. He rose and left to joined the others for dinner.

25 days inside the Fountain

The twelve had fallen into a routine waking up at zero five-thirty Physical Training meaning a ten kilometer run around the lake. Followed by calisthenics and weight training. Breakfast at nine the morning and afternoon lesson broken up by lunch at noon. The group follow this schedule five days a week.

Harry had taken Nym's advise and had tried to spend time alone with each of his companions and had with the exception Daphne who was always polite but kept to herself. Harry made up his mind to make the first move. He had noticed that she liked to go out to the lake near the castle and sit on a boulder. He walked out to her and said

"Hey"

"Hello" was her reply.

"Thank you for coming with me. May I ask why you did?"

"You offered to help my sister." She said still not looking at him.

"I would have helped you even if you hadn't come ya know."

She stared at him for a minute the replied "You would, wouldn't you."

Harry reached over and placed his hand on top of hers at the touch she jerked her hand away in surprise. A second later she returned it and they wove their fingers together. They sat there in silence for hours. They had watched the sun set the moon rise. Then they would walk in together.

Over the next few weeks their routine was simple, every evening they would sit by the lake holding hands. Daphne started to spend more time with Harry, she still remained silent most of the time unless she had something relevant to add to the lessons. She had proven herself to be as intelligent as Hermione.

Six months, twelve days inside the Fountain

Training Room

Ginny silently sent a string of six cutting curses toward Harry. He wandlessly cast a Protego shield and deflected them in to the wall to his right. Making six gashes, five centimeters deep in the wall.

"Tired yet Fury." Harry said trying not to laugh at the expression on her face.

"Stop calling me" she said sending her famous bat bogey hex silently and with a lot of power behind it.

Harry ducked and rolled forward under the hex coming back to his feet. Less than two meters from Ginny. He immediately dove forward tackling her to the mat knocking her wand away.

"I win, Fury"

"Why do you insist on calling me that?" Ginny asked from under him.

"It suit you" he said brushing a ginger colored hair from her face.

"If you say so."

"I do. At least you dueling is improving your still shite with a sword."

Ginny's face scrunched and said "You try swinging a sword and keeping you balance. With these..."

She motioned toward her breast. They had grown from her A cup to a rather large C in the last six months.

"...stupid things."

"Hey, I'm quite fond of them..." He stop and blushed for some reason.

Ginny still laying under him reached over and grabbed his left hand in her right and placed his hand on her right breast. Then raised up and crushed his lips with hers. As the kiss deepened she felt him massaging her breast.

When they broke the kiss she looked into his eyes and said "I love you Harry."

"I love you, too Fury."

He leaned down and recaptured he lips. A few minutes later a crackling sound surrounded them followed by a golden ribbon exploding from exploding from each of their chest and encircled them, entwining around each other. Finally fading into the couple. They didn't seem to notice as Harry ground his growing erection into her.

Harry first new something had happened when he felt something on warm on his on his left hand. He and Ginny again broke apart and he looked at his hand and found a gold band with a red Gryffindor lion on it. He noticed the same ring on her left hand.

"What does this mean?" he asked moving off her and sitting up his eyes never leaving his hand.

Ginny now staring at her own ring answered "It's a soul bond Harry. Do you know how rare this is?"

Harry glared at her.

For her part she slid next to his putting her he on his shoulder and said "I guess not in the last century only two or three couples have been soul bonded. These rings are a physical representation of how we feel about each other."

"Any thing else."

"A Soul Bond is recognized as a marriage so we are...married." The last word was barely audible. "I know you said you loved me but you..."

She never finished as he leaned over and kissed her pushing her back down on the mat. Beginning to unbutton her robes to reveal that she only had a pale blue lace bra on under it. He began to kiss her neck. Ginny had reached be hind her and released the clasp on her bra. Which he helped her remove. Then he took a moment to admire the to perfect orbs. He realized that her body had a fewer freckles than her face.

"We don't have to do anything else if you..."

"No, Harry I want this please I'm yours," Ginny said firmly as she started to grind against him.

He had heard that the first time was painful for the girl so he was going as slow as possible. He push slowly into her until he felt the resistance of her hymen. He pause as he saw his Fury brace herself under him then push through and settled in to a soft rhythm.

Fifteen minutes later they lay there under a blanket that Harry conjured holding each other for over an hour. Harry then carried her back to her room; where they lay in each others arms. Until sleep claimed them both.