So, here's my hand at a newer story since I love HP, and decided to include the Founders in this one because...well, it just came to me. Be sure to tell me what you think of this new one, and I'm working on another chapter of Blackest of Souls now.

Two wizards and witches watched as the muggles held a dueling tournament, standing on the hill just above prying eyes. It was quite brutal, really, but anyone could see that the burlier of the wizards was itching to fight, the way he twitched every now and again as he looked on giving him away.

There was a smaller knight about to fight, now, going up against another of a much larger stature.

"He is sure to lose," Godric Gryffindor was unable to stop himself from saying. "The other has the advantage in build."

"That does not matter," retorted the other wizard, Salazar Slytherin, with disdain. "You are larger than I, and I have bested you countless times."

Rowena Ravenclaw shushed them both with a scowl, and Helga Hufflepuff hid a smile as they turned their attention back to the match.

The smaller knight had been knocked to the ground, and his sword had been knocked away, and was lying a few feet away in the dirt. As the larger knight advanced, the smaller scooted back, obviously attempting to reach the sword, but was stopped by a roughly placed boot to the ankle.

"He's done for," whispered Helga sympathetically, while Rowena narrowed her eyes. However, before the sword could strike, the smaller knight's sword skidded across the dirt and flew into his hand. The light haired woman gasped. "Oh!"

"A wizard," remarked Salazar, suddenly interested. "Do you think this could be the one that was prophesied to us?"

"Perhaps," said Rowena, eyes not leaving the match. The smaller knight was quite good, and the larger had to parry very hastily as the other advanced, leaping nimbly forward to strike again. Except, this time the strike was feinted, and the larger knight's sword was knocked from his hand and clattered into the dust. The smaller knight swiftly struck him with the hilt of his own sword, and the larger crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

The crowd cheered wildly, but the knight did not remove his helmet. Instead, he swung his sword about in his hand, turned, and strode away.

They could not see him after that.

"We need to find him," Godric tensed. "Surely he can't have gone far."

"I agree." Rowena had already begun to walk away, and she turned to glance back at them. "Are you three coming?"

Helga laughed lightly and followed along, the men quick to trail after.

~~~xxx~~~

When they caught up with the knight, he was already on the outskirts of the village, in the forest, and was now leaning against a tree, watching some birds flutter about.

Godric cleared his throat and stepped forward before the others. "Hello." The knight did not seem to hear, and he repeated again, louder, "Hello!"

The knight turned, and the glove covered fingers tapped the hilt of the sword in its sheath as he waited.

"We saw what you did back there," the burly man watched the knight's fingers tighten around the hilt, and the other hand twitched. "We mean you no harm-we are like you, my friend. We can use magic as well."

"Show yourself," commanded Salazar, also stepping forward to stand by the other man's side. "We wish to know who you are."

The knight did not move for a moment, before both hands slowly reached upward and removed the helmet; a tangled mess of long, brown hair fell out, and the mens' eyes widened.

Green eyes appraised them.

"Surprised?" said the woman, who tucked the helmet under an arm. The twitch of her lips gave away her amusement, however, and Helga decided it would be best if they stepped in now as well.

"Only a bit," she told the other witch kindly. "We are quite used to seeing men as knights, you see. Have they not found you out yet?"

"No." The new woman shook her head. "They wish to know who I am, surely, but I cannot let them for fear they discover I am a woman and hang me for impersonating a 'true knight.'" She tilted her head to the side. "Now, who are you and why have you come to find me?"

"I am Helga Hufflepuff, and these are my companions, Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, and Rowena Ravenclaw. You are?"

"I apologize, but before I give away my name, I would rather like to see this magic of yours."

"Fine," it was Rowena who spoke, and she drew her wand and flicked it at the woman, whose helmet had been transformed into a large rock.

The other woman sagged a bit under the weight, but caught herself just as quickly. "I see you do not like to waste time." She waved her hand over the rock, which slowly melded back into a helmet. When she cast her eyes upon Rowena, a grin that yet again betrayed her amusement spread across her face. "Regan Shade, milady."

"So I see." The darker haired woman eyed her, wondering if, quite frankly, she could be the one. Not one to beat around the bush, she began to speak. "We were given a prophecy a few years ago, from a woman—a seer—that we trust. It spoke of a person, a witch or wizard, who would jump forward in time, hundreds of years forward, to help the future generations of magicals overcome a great evil. Someone to guide them. We believe that person is you."

"Me?" Regan adjusted her helmet under her arm and raised her brows, suddenly seeming very skeptical. "I believe you have the wrong woman."

"Do we?" Rowena stepped forward, and there was no resistance met when she pulled off the glove of her right hand, and pushed up the sleeve above it. "It said in the prophecy that this woman would have the tattoo of a griffin."

And, behold, for all their eyes to see, on the woman's forearm, was the dark tattoo of a griffin.

"You are the one," breathed Godric, taking a step forward to inspect the tattoo. When his fingertips brushed it, Regan flushed and pulled her arm away, taking a step back and jerking the sleeve down. "Madam Shade, please—"

"—oh, why do we not just send her through a time rift and be done with it?" snapped Salazar, obviously growing impatient with this. "It would certainly get the job done without having to spend all day explaining things to her!"

"Salazar!" scolded Helga, before carefully approaching the younger woman. "Please, do you not want to do some good in this world? You could escape the restraints of our time, see all that the future has to offer...but, if you do not want to, we shall not force you. It would be unjust."

"I think being a time jumper sounds quite fun," they could all hear Godric mutter to himself in the background.

"You're right," conceded Regan. "You cannot force me. But from what I know of prophecies...it is set in stone, is it not? Either way, inevitably, I will choose to go, be it now or later. I am already Regan Shade: knight. Being Regan Shade: time jumper, would be an interesting development, would it not?"

"There would be dangers," Rowena warned, stepping forward so that she could meet the green of the other witch's eyes. "Grave ones. If there is a prophecy that speaks of the future needing a guide, they will surely have done something to ruin the magical world that would require them to have one. And not everyone would believe you to be so-if they knew, they would cast you out, make you out to be insane, try to fight you...are you sure you could handle that?"

The knight let out a breath. It was strange, how accepting she was of this, but then again, she seemed to be quite a reasonable person and believed in the power of prophecy and in magic just as much as they did. She would be a good ally.

"I believe I could. But I need to know more. I need to know what will happen when I get there, how I will get there, and what I am really supposed to do. I'm no goddess, I cannot solve all their problems, or just come crashing in and announcing my role as the guide of future magicals from the past."

"Very true," murmured Godric. "Perhaps you could come stay with us at Hogwarts?"

She was too old to have gone herself, because it had only been built a few years prior (it had taken much time, too), and she had to have taught herself just as much as they had. They could figure it out together.

Regan frowned further and bit her lip. "You do realize how mad this sounds, do you not?"

"Yet you believe it," Salazar reminded her, no longer so impatient as he was curious. "And you have not yet attacked."

"I would be a fool to do so, especially considering who you are. Besides, there are four of you and one of me—what chance would I really stand?"

The wizard smirked at her, showing his clear approval of her wit. "Will you be accompanying us back, Madam Shade?"

The woman raised her eyes to the sky for a moment. "I suppose." She shook her head and reached out to grasp the offered hand of Salazar. "Let us go, then."

The others all shared looks, before they all disappeared with four faint pops.

~~~xxx~~

It was a great many days later, weeks, even, perhaps months, when they decided it would be the right time for Regan to had figured out how to open a time rift to allow her through, and discovered that she would be reverted to her eleven year old self and sent in as a first year at Hogwarts.

Quite frankly, she had grown fond of the Founders, even Salazar. He was a good man, though rather paranoid with his Basilisk and Chamber of Secrets; the others knew, of course. How could they not? Their magic was tied to the school, and though they had objected at first, could not stop him from keeping the large, dangerous reptile locked below the school in a slumber until it would need to be defended.

"We may need her in the future," he had argued. "And she cannot harm them so long as I am around and she is asleep."

She had spent some days studying with Salazar and Rowena, sometimes together and often separately, while others were spent walking about the grounds and speaking to Helga, and the days that she wasn't with the other three, she was sword fighting with Godric for the fun of it. It certainly amused the large man, and he loved a challenge.

They had...bonded, really. They couldn't not have, having been spending day after day together when the Founders were not teaching their classes.

And so, she was reluctant to leave, though she knew she had to. So, here she was, standing in front of the time rift it had taken them three days to create, staring back at them as they offered their last words.

"I believe the year will be 1968. It will be nearly a thousand years from now," said Rowena, studying the parchment she had marked over. She hummed to herself. "So you will have to be prepared. Their customs and terms are sure to be different than they are now."

"And you shall become a little pipsqueak," added Godric, chuckling at Regan's glare. "I would love to see you attempt to best me then."

"Attempt?" came the interruption from Salazar, who rolled his eyes. "Godric, she bested you on numerous occasions."

"But not every time!" The burly man crossed his arms stubbornly.

"Good luck to you," said Helga as the men bickered, pulling her in for a hug. She peered back at the others. "Ro, Sal, Ric, get over here!"

Regan did not move to struggle out of her hold, and a rather stoic looking Rowena joined in, while Godric pulled a reluctant Salazar over as well and wrapped his arms around them all; Salazar grunted in displeasure. He did not like physical contact, and though Rowena was not much for it, either, when she pulled away her eyes were shining. Godric's, too, were the same, though Helga was openly spilling tears, and Salazar merely squeezed Regan's shoulder briefly.

"Farewell," he told her, though not unkindly. She offered him a half smile and turned back to the rift, which was glowing blue and already making her feel the pull.

"Goodbye," she responded to them all, feeling as though this moment were a bit too bittersweet. "I shall miss you all."

And then, as she took a step back into the rift and it dragged her through, the last thing she saw was the four standing there, watching, and she knew no more.