AUTHOR's NOTE-----Oh I meant that I hoped you didn't think I was JK, that would be weird...😮
Sorry it's a short one, but I guess it was the best I could come up with at the top of my head. 🙁
Kingsley sat back. "Might this be some person illegally importing things, who by coincedence, just happened to take residence inside the Forbidden Forest?"
"Nah, not with the amount of nasty creatures I'm seein' in the Forest," Hagrid said. "There are a lot, believe me."
"And if they were importing, they wouldn't have chosen Hogwarts as their grounds." Elphias Doge said.
"But if You-Know-Who is really massing an army in or near to the Forbidden Forest, he would've had more control over them, he's a lot more powerful than that," Hermione said. "He certainly wouldn't let a few loose, he knows how important the element of suprise is."
"You already know that he likes to let his Death Eaters do the dirty work for him," Harry reminded her. "He might've done just that."
"And knowing his Death Eaters, they're considerably less powerful than he is," Professor McGonagall spoke up. "And they certainly have more of a chance to let some slip."
"Some?" Hermione repeated, ignoring the protocol that she was contradicting her very own Transfiguration teacher. McGonagall did not seem to mind, however. "What Hagrid described is that there's a lot more than just some...he said there were a lot - "
"What this means," Snape said calmly. It was the first time Harry had heard him talk in a while. Everyone fell silent. "On the circumstances that Mr. Weasley's theory proves to be correct, that is. If the Death Eaters had indeed let some 'slip' as you might say, the number that Hagrid described would have been the few that 'got away'."
The meaning of Snape's words sank in. Harry swallowed as he realized the magnitude of the creature army that Snape had described so.
"Well, tha' means we're facin' a lot now, eh?" Hagrid said quietly, breaking the silence.
AUTHOR'S REPLY----I guess that's the way it is, oh well. 😬 Damn it, your birthday's on April Fool's Day(some people get all the fun).
There followed an uncomfortable silence.
Dumbledore finally spoke up about this subject.
"If Voldemort certainly is planning a creature army of that size, it would mean that Hogwarts is in danger. However, we do not have proof of this yet, and I must beg of you not to spread information. I assure you all that I will look into this manner...in the meantime, I suggest that you(he looked at the Weasley children, Hermione, and Harry) train yourselves up a notch. Just in case."
They nodded at their headmaster.
"Very well, very well." He leaned forward and rested his chin on his hands, looking around. "Any other issues?"
Everyone else shook their head, no.
"Well, it is getting late, I must call this meeting to an end." Dumbledore beckoned everyone to stand up. "Goodnight, everyone."
Everyone said their various goodbyes, and disapparated.
***
Harry and the Weasley brothers bid farewell to the girls on the second landing. Charlie and Bill had a bedroom to themselves while Ron, Harry, and the twins shared a bedroom at the top floor.
The moment that Fred close the door, he and George lit their wandtips and sat down.
"Care to tell us what you were going to tell us when you were ready?" George said, in one breath.
"No." Harry replied.
"Let me put it this way," Fred grinned nastily. "If you don't answer us, we'll shove a Dungbomb where it's not exactly desirable."
By the limited light of the wandtips, Harry could still see that Ron was torn between the desire of knowledge and the instinct to defend his best friend.
"Oh, fine." Harry said, irritably. "But by the time I've finished telling you, you won't be laughing. And didn't you know already?"
"We knew a bit about it, yes." George said.
"But not the exact details," Fred finished. "Now come on and spit it out, Harry."
Harry told them everything he knew.
He figured that it was better for them to know sooner or later. Actually, he didn't even know if he himself was ready to tell them, but he found himself doing it anyway.
He told of Godric's inherited armour and the legend behind it, where it was hidden. He told them that the founder of Gryffindor had left it for the next remaining heir who had the greatest will of all time, his one and only heir. And that would be named the Emerald Knight.
Harry was right about one thing; Fred and George didn't seem to think it was all much of a joke anymore. They were frowning seriously, George staring at the wall.
"So Dumbledore reckons you're the so-called Emerald Knight." Fred said. It was not a question.
"Yeah," Harry said, and leaned his head against the wall."I don't know why he thinks I have 'the greatest will' of all time, though. A complete load of waffle if you ask me."
"Doesn't sound like waffle," George mumbled. "Harry, if you really set your mind on something, I mean really set it to focus...you can do whatever you want."
Harry snorted derisively, sure they were joking him.
Fred took a deep breath. "Think about it, Harry. George is right. We've heard about you throwing off the Imperius curse entirely. Rarely anyone can completely resist it. Even rarer at your age."
"And it happens too in Quidditch." Ron added as an afterthought. "A pity that you never used it for lessons."
Fred and George shot a sharp glance at Ron, who realised he'd said something wrong.
It was the first time that Harry had seen the Weasley twins so serious.
"Why hasn't Dumbledore taken you to those Pyramids of....Format...Felmut..." Ron said.
"Furmat," Harry corrected. "I don't really know why he doesn't take me there, either."
"Maybe it's because he doesn't think you're ready." George thought.
"Maybe it's because he doesn't think we need it yet." Fred said.
"Bull honky!" Ron exclaimed. "We 'don't' need it yet? I mean - "
"Ron, keep your voice down!" Fred said in alarm.
They could hear footsteps coming up the stairs, and the twins swiftly put out their glowing wandtips. It was undoubtedly Mrs. Weasley, and everyone flung themselves under their covers.
"What's going on in here?" Mrs. Weasley opened the door.
"Oh," Harry yawned, thinking fast. "I think Ron accidentally kicked Fred or something, I'm not sure."
"Well, if that's all," Mrs. Weasley said. "Ron, you have your own bed, let your brothers sleep."
"Yes, mum."
As soon as she left, the wandtips glowed again.
"Now as I was saying," Ron muttered in a low voice. "We need it now. You know what it's like, bad things are starting to happen. It would make more sense to go and get Harry's inheritance now, before chaos breaks out."
No one spoke for a few seconds, then George faced Ron.
"Well, what are your theories then, little bro'?"
"I say that it's only possible to get at a certain time," Ron told them. "Like, solstice, or New Year's Day, or something."
Both the twins and Harry agreed that this could be possible.
"There could be much more reasons than those." Harry told them.
"Like what?" Ron persisted.
"Like....another prophecy, maybe."
Personally, Harry was sick of having prophecies made about him. But he felt better to talk with the three youngest Weasley brothers, it felt like getting a burden off his shoulders.
"Another one?" Fred said, bewildered.
"Didn't Dumbledore tell you of the other one?" Harry asked.
"Not that we know of." Fred glanced at George, who also shook his head.
"It said that the heir of Slytherin, Voldemort," Harry began. "Would face off in a final duel with the heir of Gryffindor. And one would be killed by the other."
Even in the dim light, Harry could see George turn pale.
"But...Harry..." Fred thought very quickly. "The first one - it states that you or You-Know-Who would kill each other...and now this one...it must mean that you're Gryffindor's heir!"
Both the twins stared at Harry. Ron wasn't suprised, since he knew already.
" 'Oi, how come you're not suprised?" Fred accused him.
"Because I already know." Ron replied.
"Why didn't you tell us?" George demanded of him indignantly.
"Because," Ron said hesitantly. "I thought it needed to be kept a secret."
Harry beamed at him.
For a long time, they just sat there. Finally, Ron broke the silence.
"I'm going to sleep - night, all."
And one by one, the rest muttered their goodnights and fell asleep.