Title:

The fourth house of Hogwarts

Timeframe:

Four years before Harry's first year at Hogwarts

Summary:

An artifact was missing. A house was missing. And the sorting hat will have to sort it out. It makes its own decisions together with the castle. Will two persons within find their freedom after a long time of terror?

Disclaimer:

Well ... I do not own Harry Potter, Severus, or Hogwarts, nor any their friends or belongings ... J. K. Rowling owns them all ... I am just about to mess around a bit in her books ...

I will try to write legible ... and well ... I promise I will not mess around with the ink ... and I will not use her quills and inkpot either, nor her parchments … I have some of my own …

Rating:

M – Not suitable for children or teens below the age of 16

Author's Notes:

Öhm ... ok ... I have to admit ... English is not my language by birth ... so ... please do not kill me while reading ... neither for the bad English I use, nor for what I am writing ... as there is Harry Potter being abused by his relatives …

don't like it, don't read it …

Added note:

I know that the Weasley twins were attending Hogwarts two years before Harry's first year, but I need them there now, two years earlier than in the original books written by Rowling and thus I just decided to make them two years older and place them there this year.

Warning:

Story contains child abuse

Child-abuse is a really serious thing, it is an evil thing ... and there are a lot of children in our world that really would need help without being helped ...
I think, a lot of readers do not really grasp the meaning behind the words in all the stories here written about an abused Harry, they read the words, maybe they feel sorry for poor Harry ... but I guess just a few are really able to know what they mean, those words, what they mean for those children in our world ... Yet, closing our eyes and pretending it does not exist, is no solution ...
So I write this not only because it was a crazy idea of mine, but also to remind all of you who will read this, that there are children in our world which are enduring just such ... and worse ... to remind you of your feelings, of your sympathy, and of your understanding ...
Maybe it will help some of you to handle people, children as well as adults, which are showing any signs - whichever - of once being abused ... with understanding and with help ...

what does not mean I am not as evil as I pretend to be ... ^.~ ... believe me - I am ...

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The fourth house of Hogwarts

Chapter one

Prologue

"I have enough!" The sorting hat growled angrily, more to himself than to the headmaster and the three teachers who were present in the circular room that was the old wizard's office.

Well, it wouldn't have worked anyway as his voice was heard neither by Albus Dumbledore who currently was sitting at his desk in his office, nor by Minerva McGonagall, the deputy headmistress and head of Gryffindor house who was sitting across the headmaster, discussing the curricula for the new term that would start in less than a week. Not even Pomona Sprout, head of Hufflepuff noticed the hat's voice and Filius Flitwick, head of Ravenclaw looked as if he would be rather back at his brother's estate, drinking a glass of wine.

All the teachers had already handed in their curricula and just now the head of houses were about to hold the first staff meeting before school started in September. The first of many staff meetings in fact, and only the head of houses were present now during this very first gathering. The other teachers would attend the meetings that would be held during the next few days. Every year, it was the same.

"What exactly are you referring to?" The old castle asked, a bit perplex. It wasn't quite like the hat to complain during a meeting in the headmaster's office.

"Oh, come on, Hoggie." The hat growled. "Don't you feel it too?"

"Some of the student's gloom?" The castle answered, nearly laughing at the nickname the hat always addressed her with. "Their misery? Or the fear and pain some of them feel during the terms?"

"All of those!" The hat answered. "And I won't have it anymore! I have enough!"

"You can't do anything against it, my dear Muckout." Hogwarts frowned.

"Can't I now?" The hat asked, smirking. "I wouldn't be so sure about that, my dear lady."

"Well, as it is, it has been Albus' decision."

"A decision lightly made, without thinking of the consequences."

"Well, yes, that might be, but you can't go against the headmaster's wishes."

"Can't I now? Are you so sure?" The hat's voice was nearly indicating a smirk and for a moment the old castle chuckled lightly.

Albus Dumbledore looked up and blinked in confusion, looking around the room as if searching for something before he concentrated back onto the heads of houses and the conversation they were holding.

"No, you can't, Muckout." She then said. "He's the headmaster and one of the greatest wizards."

"One of the greatest meddling fools, you surely wanted to say." The hat growled.

"Yes, maybe. But he had the ministry backing him up in this."

"Of course he had." The old hat shook itself. "As they are as stupid fools as Albus is one. Never looking ahead and if, then coming to the wrong conclusion."

Again the old castle chuckled, causing a deep humming sound silently reverberating through her corridors.

"And what do you have in mind?" She asked. "You do not have a lot of options."

"I'm the one who always has to deal with the sorting while at the same time I have to deal with one house missing. And an important house too. Each year I have to sort students into houses where they don't belong to and cannot be cared for as they should be. No other house is as much needed as our missing one."

"Well, yes." Hogwarts answered, her voice concerned now. "But – Dumbledore had made his decision years ago and he had the minister quite in his hands back then. You know him, he always gets what he wants."

"Not anymore!" The hat growled darkly. "I can't do this any longer, placing students in the wrong houses just because the house they belong into is missing. You know, if Gryffindor were missing, it wouldn't be such a trouble because a brave student can go into each and every house."

"I know, I know, my dear Muckout." The castle tried to calm the hat. "I know what you mean, but honestly …"

"And if Ravenclaw would have been closed, then that wouldn't be a problem either as each house can profit of a clever student. Those children honestly would be welcomed in each other house …"

"Calm down, Muckout, calm down." Hogwarts sighed, sensing an outburst from the old hat. "I know that you're right, but …"

"And even if the house of Hufflepuff would be the one missed, well, it wouldn't be such a great deal either. Those friendly students too would be welcomed in every other house. But no … no!"

"Muckout!" Hogwarts called out.

"No! It had to be Slytherin!" The hat growled darkly. "And now I have to sort it out. And now I have to deal with the lost children who are abandoned, homeless and alone. Misunderstood and even mistreated. In no other house than in Salazar's those children can be kept safe and given a home and assistance. And I won't sort them into the wrong houses anymore!"

"But – Salazar's house isn't available anymore." Hogwarts slowly said, knowing that somehow the hat was up to something, to something big.

"And you think I care? I just won't sort those children into the wrong houses anymore. I won't have it. Long years I have done so and no good will come out of it."

"So, what would you suggest?"

There were a few minutes of silence before the hat gave an answer.

"Hm." He made. "I have thought about it since two years now. You do not accidentally know where Salazar's book is?"

The castle laughed silently, causing the headmaster to look around in startled surprise again.

"Of course I know where it is." She answered. "It would be a shame if I didn't know where within myself the founders kept their belongings."

"Well …" The hat mused. "There had been four houses once …"

"And now you want to reintegrate the fourth house of Hogwarts." The castle simply stated.

"Indeed."

"But – whom to give responsibility over this house?" Hogwarts asked. "We need rooms, and furniture and we need a head of house and we need … oh, it won't be as easy as you suggest."

"Well, I am sure the old Slytherin rooms are still there? In the dungeons?"

"Yes, they are, but they are abandoned now. Maybe I should ask the headmaster that he has the house elves cleaning them out and …"

"Oh, no …" The hat immediately growled. "I won't have you informing the old meddling coot. He would do all he can to keep things the way they are."

"You wish to keep this secret from the headmaster?"

"Of course." He hat turned to look at Albus Dumbledore who just now tried to persuade Minerva and the other two heads of houses of whatever scheme he was coming up with now. "If we wish to be successful, then we have to keep this secret from Dumbledore. And besides, honestly, he has no say in this anyway. You know the rules, Hoggie. He might be the headmaster, but he is not the one in responsibility. Responsible for the student's well-being are the heads of houses from the moment they are sorted until they graduate, you – the castle – from the moment they set foot at Hogwarts grounds until they leave, and I as I have to sort them into the houses that would be best for them. And honestly, while abandoning one house, Albus Dumbledore kept me from doing so."

"Hm – yes." The castle mused. "Yes, I think you are quite right. Sometimes I forget that the headmaster is not the one who has all say. Albus makes me believing and trusting him all the times and it is hard not to do as he wishes. He is not a bad person after all."

"I know, dear Hoggie." The hat sighed. "I know. But he is a foolish person. However, I too feel too often giving in to the old coot's meddling. Once, long years ago, he really tried to intrigue me into putting a student into a house where he wished him to be rather than where he belonged to."

"And you did?" Hogwarts asked.

"Of course not. But that incident is prove enough that Dumbledore goes all length if he has to."

"Well, then I guess we really will have to keep this secret. But won't you think we should warn the new head of house so he or she can prepare?"

"No." The hat answered. "I won't have word of this spread to anyone and least accidentally to the headmaster."

"Well, then be it. I will prepare the castle."

"Ensure that the house elves are sworn to secrecy."

"I will. When will you announce it? And how?"

"At a time when we have enough witnesses and the headmaster is startled enough so he cannot back out quickly enough. The moment I announce it, the headmaster has only moments to reject and he won't dare doing this in front of the great hall."

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Next time in Tears falling in darkness

A new term begins with a new sorting

Added author's note

thank you for reading - and yes, I would be glad if you took the time to review this chapter, thank you …