Chapter One
The Beginning
"Are we ready to begin?" came the malicious voice of Salazar Slytherin.
"I'm not sure...this can't be right," said the timid Helga Hufflepuff.
"I agree, it's not natural," said Rowena Ravenclaw with uncertainty.
"Here it is," came the confident voice of Godric Gryffindor.
He had just entered the top Astronomy Tower on a cold, full-mooned night. He had with him his own hat and a small, wooden stool. He placed the stool in the middle of the four gathered, and the hat on top. The wind blew ever so slightly, making their robes billow a bit, and the hair of Rowena and Helga dance slightly. There was a tense air of foreboding among the Four Founders of Hogwarts.
Then, Salazar moved forward, took his wand, and pointed it at the hat before them, casting looks of absolute contempt at each of the other founders. He was the only one who actually consented to doing this, and dragged the others along...with great reluctance. They were all just so tired of the arguing and the bickering, that maybe...just maybe...this seemingly evil act would stop the feuding and save their school.
"How could it have come to this..." said Rowena in a breathy voice, more to herself that to anyone else.
Some years earlier...
It was finished! It was finally finished! After a year of construction, Hogwarts Castle was now completed! Thanks to the labors of four best friends, their dreams had come true. It was Helga who chose the charming lakeside location, Godric and his laborors for most of the construction, Rowena for the ever-changing floor plan, and Salazar for most of the school's security. They gazed at their creation, standing before the great oak doors, the laborers behind them also pleased.
"A fine job," Godric said, beaming.
"Completed earlier than we thought!" added Helga.
"Shall we?" Salazar said, offering Rowena his arm.
"Indeed." she replied.
Together, the four founders walked up the stairs to the great oak doors, as two laborers pushed them open. They walked into the magnificent entrance hall, beaming at their new home. Other staff members already hired to teach subjects filed in behind them, very much impressed.
"Oh good show!" exclaimed an older, rounder wizard.
"Truly spectacular!" commented a positively ancient looking witch.
The four founders, now standing on the marble staircase, turned to face the teachers.
"Hogwarts may have been born of our own desire, but now it falls to you to help us educate young minds," Gryffindor began, "Help us enlighten the brave–"
"...The clever," Ravenclaw added.
"...The loyal," Hufflepuff continued.
"...And the most pure of blood," Slytherin ended.
The four founders all looked at each other and smiled in spite of themselves. They knew they each valued different things, but it was the education of students that mattered, and to that end they all remained true.
That night, they inaugurated the Great Hall with a feast strictly for the faculty. The scores of house elves collected from all over Britain happily took up their new posts within the castle, and truly cooked a magnificent supper. There were four long tables arranged in a square, with the founders all seated in large, golden chairs at the top side. Godric and Salazar were both laughing heartily together, Godric pounding his fist on the table, while Rowena and Helga held their own conversations...
"It's all surreal, isn't it?" Helga said, politely sipping her goblet, "Our dreams come true."
"It's exciting," Rowena said, dabbing her mouth with her kerchief, "And it will only get better once our first pupils arrive."
"Speaking of which, where did you decide to place the dormitories?"
"Well Godric and I both wanted something lofty, so I placed one dormitory in the West Tower, and another in a tower off the seventh floor corridor," Rowena began, "And I know how you so fear heights, so I placed one for you underground, near the kitchens. Salazar made an unusual request and asked for a dormitory under the lake. Strange, but I agreed, so I placed rooms near the dungeons."
"Salazar has always favored the more unusual over the conventional," Helga said, smiling, "Not at all surprising that he would want a more secluded dormitory to manage."
By this time, dinner was almost done, some of the staff members had conjured a few musical instruments and began to play. They even moved one of tables away and began to dance in the center floor. At this moment, Godric rose from his seat and extended his hand to Rowena,
"May I have this dance?" he asked her.
"Of course," she replied taking his hand, grinning broadly and blushing.
Godric and Rowena both rose from their seats and joined the other teachers on the impromptu dance floor. Then, Salazar stood and took Rowena's seat next to Helga.
"To Hogwarts," he said, raising his goblet to Helga.
"To Hogwarts," she replied, as they tapped their goblets together and drank.
"I'm going to do it," Salazar said, gazing at the dancing Rowena, "I'm going to tell her that I love her."
Of all the things to say, Helga certainly did not expect that, "Excuse me, Salazar?"
"Rowena...ever since the first day we met, her beauty struck me, and I knew I had to have her," he said, taking another sip from his goblet.
Helga sat there speechless. She was used to men starring at Rowena because she was the more beautiful of the two, but Salazar threw her completely off guard.
"What do you think Helga?" he asked, "You're her best friend, what should I do?"
Helga pondered this for a long moment. She knew that Rowena had been taken with both Salazar and Godric, but this information was privy to neither. Ever the Hufflepuff, she tried to solve the situation diplomatically,
"I think," Helga began, "that now is a time for celebration. Love can come later."
Salazar was not to pleased with this answer, but Helga was right. The rest of the evening past in peaceful celebration. Once the festivities died down, the Founders and staff members retired for the evening. The following week students would arrive, classes would begin, and the Hogwarts Experiment would begin. But for now, Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin would all rest in the glory of their own ingenuity and teamwork. Tonight, the world was perfect.