Chapter 1: The Fifth Founder

Abby's POV

Author's Note: CONSTRUCTIVE criticism and suggestions welcome! Please R&R! I want at least one review before I write the next chapter. Thanks! :)

After a fight with my mom, a plane ride from America, and a run-in with a dark witch, you would probably think that I'm relieved that I finally got to the Hogwarts Express. You would be wrong. This is where my mission is going to start…and probably where I'm going to meet the four that would help me. Now, I know what you're thinking. Harry Potter saved the Wizard World! There are no more threats! Well, to fully explain it you, I guess I have to go a few months ago, in the start of my summer vacation.

My mother owns a school in America. Yes, my mother. Yes, it's in America. It's not as big as what I've heard Hogwarts is. It's one of those kinds of schools that are regular houses with only one teacher. So you can see, with fifty students running around your home, you really need some private space. That's why I used the attic.

Technically, I wasn't supposed to be in there. The school/house has been in my family for who-knows-how-long, and all the stuff that people left behind gets stored in the attic. There are some pretty valuable relics that I'm not supposed to look at, let alone touch. Still, like I said, a girl needs some private space. That's where I was reading when I heard my mom scream.

I panicked. You would too, if you ever heard your mom shout like that. What could it be? Dementors? Death Eaters? Spiders? Any of those could've been a possibility. Instead, I found my mom yelling at a book. That's right, a book. The normal kind which just has words and moving pictures on it, not the dark ones. I was confused. Then she turned to me. She was very, very angry. Angrier than I've ever seen her before, which is saying something since Kyle Davidson really drives her to the max.

"How…HOW….could you bring this….this THING….inside the house!" She was shaking. She held it up. The title was Hogwarts, A History. "You know PERFECTLY well that I don't allow books about OTHER schools n the library!"

"Hogwarts is a school?" I asked. If it was, I've never heard of it. My mom did say that things about other schools weren't allowed, but I honestly didn't know about Hogwarts. She never even mentioned it.

"Don't play dumb, young lady! YOU ARE GROUNDED! TWO WEEKS!" With that, she threw the book out of the window.

I was mad. I was grounded, and it wasn't even my fault! True, I did order it. True, I could've read the description a teeny bit more carefully. Still, it wasn't fair! So I decided to commit the crime I was grounded for. I read the book.

It was easy, really. Mom didn't even check if the book landed in the trash. Instead, it was in the bushes. So I just waved my hands and summoned it. Yes, I did say my hands. That's another strange thing about my family: We're all more powerful when we don't have wands. A bit weird, huh? So anyway, I started reading.

It was boring. I didn't have a clue why my mom banned it. It seemed like something Jane would read, and she would only read school textbooks. It was just like any old magical institution. Any wizards or witches were accepted as soon as they were eleven. It had huge grounds, a forest, a quidditch pitch, a library, and a lake. Not to mention it was a castle. It's boring, I chanted to myself, trying not to think of the small front yard, the squished bedrooms, and shallow pond.

The only thing that was really interesting was the founders. I felt connected to them, somehow. Gryffindor was the brave one; Slytherin was cunning; Ravenclaw was wise; and Hufflepuff was hard-working. They made the school and taught the students themselves. I kind of wondered what it would be like to know them. I mean, there's more to them than that, right? Like, Gryffindor can't be only brave. You can't be brave going to the toilet, can you? So then they started arguing. They only wanted to teach the students that had their aspects. So they decided to divide the school in houses, and for a time, everything was peaceful. Then the fighting started again, this time much worse. They were actually killing each other. Then….something calmed them down. No one knows what. Some people say that it was Salazar leaving that did it. For some reason, I didn't think so. I didn't think he'd just abandon his house to fight everyone. Most likely, he left after the fighting. Then, what caused everyone to calm down? Why did he leave? It made no sense to me.

It probably would have stayed that way, if it wasn't for my mom. The next night, she made me put the little ones to bed. That was the worst chore ever. Did you ever have to put a little sister or brother to bed? If you didn't, just imagine a small but still dangerous animal hopping around the room and if you dared harm her you would be sent to your room and made to stay there. Now imagine about fifteen of those wild little animals, all kicking and wailing for you to sing them a lullaby or read them a bed time story. I was not in a good mood when I was done.

I went in the attic again, and this time I started poking around. I don't do this a lot, only when I'm really frustrated. Then I found a journal. I read the cover. It was written by Abigail Apperisina, my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother, who founded the school and who I was named after. Absent-mindedly, I flipped the page and began reading.

Today, we have finally solidified our plans! I was so excited, I scared the house elf out of the room. The group laughed at my antics. Then Rowena recommended me to start a journal to be able to let out my feelings more…peacefully. This called for another burst of laughter. Still, they could not blame me. We were all glad about our plans. This is it; the thing that we were dreaming for since we were mere children! We will create Hogwarts!

I froze, shocked. My ancestor helped create…Hogwarts? What? I couldn't believe it. Quickly, I kept reading.

I remembered the time when we first discussed it. We had all just but met, so we were a bit shy. Then our parents begged us to show our skills. All of us stepped to the middle of the banquet, each confident that their magic was better than the rest. First, Godric walked up to the stage in a daring stride. A boy with short, brown hair and a broad chest, he was by far the handsomest of us. He made several lions appear out of nowhere. He therefore began wrestling with them until they dropped down, tired. All the while, he used his wit to keep us entertained. That, we were.

Next came Salazar, a thin, wiry young lad with hair as long as a horse's tail with the color of an apple that Midas had touched. He started producing several snakes and coaxing them out of his hat using parseltongue. He made them do a strange dance, coiling and leaping around each other until they, to everyone's amusement, formed the shape of a ribbon.

After that was Rowena. Her fair hair wove around her head beautifully, and her brown eyes shown with determination. I can never remember what she did. She probably recited a poem or played some wonderful instrument that she had made herself. Whatever had happened, we were all in tears when she left.

Then it was Helga, a sweet, plump maiden with a mop of red hair who made a dish so fine that everyone proclaimed that it was the best thing they ever tasted. She modestly curtsied and retreated to the shadows.

So the stage was mine. Me, a skinny girl with long, black hair framing my small face. I probably would have shrunk away with my head hidden in my hands, but for the wanting to prove myself to the others. I sang a simple, sweet song. It told the children's story of 'The Fountain of Fair Fortune.' With it, I made an illusion that we were there beside them. We truly saw the clever witches, the humble knight, the daring obstacles, and finally, the happy ending. They were amazed that I did this with only my hands. It was a strange predicament that my family is more powerful in doing magic using our hands rather than wands. My performance, to my delight, gave me a round of hearty applause.

After that, we all walked out together, arm in arm. None of us had ever found equals in magic. I had revealed my dream of making a school. To my surprise, they said they wanted to do the same. We knew together, we could not fail.

My ancestor was one of the founders? Then, why wasn't she ever mentioned. I scanned a few more pages. It was all about making the castle and planning lessons. I skipped until there were only a few entries left.

It was an absolute war! Godric and Salazar, who were once great friends, turned against each other. With them, their houses joined. Rowena and Helga were forced to choose sides; Rowena accompanied Salazar, Helga went to Godric. They then looked to me, but I refused to make the choice. It was absolute madness! Pure chaos! When I had first pictured Hogwarts in my mind's eye, it did not look like this. We were turning against each other. Students were killing students. I knew it was not a good idea to divide it in to houses. When they did, I decided not have my own, helping all the students, whether they be Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, or Hufflepuff. Tears streaming down my cheeks, I ran up to my chamber. They did not notice, since they were only glaring at each other from across the table.

I knew what to do. Even though it broke my heart, I knew I would have to leave. It was the only thing that would get them to stop. I also knew what would happen. One of them, probably Salazar, would search for me. The rest would take care of the school. When they had given up, they would weave a memory spell so strong so that none would remember me.

Now, after all these months, I had made a small school of my own in America. I only have a few students, but at least they get along. I look for news, and I find bits and pieces of Hogwarts. The war had ended. Salazar has indeed left to search for me, but I know he would fail. They have cast the memory spell. I knew they would rejoice if I had returned, but I knew I could not. It would start the battle all over again. I had failed to unite the school. Still, there is some hope left. There was a prophecy-

It had ended. The rest was lost. Still, I knew enough. I was speechless. Then the moment passed, and, like my ancestor, I knew what to do. I had to go back to Hogwarts.

Persuading my mother to do it was a different thing, however. We had a yelling match at dinner- in front of the whole school.

"WHY ON EARTH DO YOU WANT TO GO T-TO HOGWARTS?" She spluttered.

"That's where I belong," I replied calmly. "If what I've read is true, all of us-including you, mom- belong there, too."

"And where exactly did you read that?" She said her voice dangerously quiet. I gave her the book. In an instant, she tore it all up.

"Mum!" I said, exasperated. I wiggled my fingers slightly. "Reparo!" Instantly, the book mended itself. "You taught me the repair spell yourself."

"YOU ARE NOT GOING TO SOME CHEAP SCHOOL! THERE WAS A WAR THERE ONLY NINETEEN YEARS AGO!" My mom exploded. "THIS IS EXACTLY WHY I DIDN'T HELP! AND WORST, IT'S ON THE VERGE OF HAPPENING AGAIN!"

I gasped. "It's happening…again?"

She put her hands over her mouth. "I didn't mean to say that," she mumbled.

"Mother-"

"Abigail, you are not the only one who tried to do this stupid task," She said, her voice trembling. "Your aunt tried. She had died. Did you know that? There are people who don't want the school in order. There's going to be another war. It would be suicide to stop it."

"How would you know? You didn't even try," I blurted out.

Everyone was watching, wondering what she would say next. Her usually pale face was red. She was shaking, and her hands were curled in to fists. Several minutes passed. Then, she took a deep breath, and said, "No."

That was it. No talking back. When she uses that tone of voice, I never argued. This time, though, I did. I don't know why, but I just really needed to do this. So I said, "Sorry, Mom, but I'm not asking. I'm telling you. I'll get to Hogwarts either with your help…or without it."
Her eyes widened. I've never talked to her in this way before, and I felt really, really guilty about it. Still, I stared at her firmly, until at last she gave a defeated sort of sigh. "Pack your bags. If this school isn't good enough for you, then go."

Even though it wasn't the friendliest thing she's ever said to me, I gave her a hug. This is it! I was really going to Hogwarts! I grabbed my clothes, my Cleansweep 88, my owl, and stuffed them in my bag. Then I opened it again and let my owl out.

"Sorry, Glinda," I said sheepishly.

I woke up early the next day, even though I'm usually a late sleeper. I had to, since the day after that was September 1st. Thanks to Hogwarts, A History I knew how to get in the platform. I planned to grab some bread and butter and wait for my mom to wake up. She was already there.

I expected her to go on a rant, but instead she gathered me up in her arms and started crying. I suddenly realized that I wouldn't be seeing her again for a whole year, since we could only afford a plane ticket once. For the first time, I started questioning on whether uniting the school or whatever is important enough to leave my mom. Then I remembered that line: Students started killing students. Then what my mother said: It's on the verge of happening again. I really had to do this.

Mom drove me to the airport. She walked with me until a security guard said that she couldn't go any farther. Her lip started quivering, and she pulled me in to another hug. She whispered, "Take care, darling. Remember what I said; there are people who are going to try and stop you. The war has only truly just begun. Come back home in the first sign of trouble." Then she turned back and left. First she doesn't tell me anything, then she expects me to know everything, then when I do she gets angry, then when she calms down she warns me that a war is coming. Typical.

I slept most of the flight. In fact, I only woke up when the flight attendant had poked me three times. Blearily, I made my way to a taxi after collecting my bags. It was about 8:10, so it would take a bit more time for the other kids to get to the platform. Hopefully I could get some shut-eye.

When I saw the Hogwarts Express, however, all thoughts of sleep left me. My jaw dropped open. I knew that it was here ever since the school was around, but it shined like a new penny. Steam surrounded it, giving it an air of a ghost-train. All in all, it looked awesome.

I sat on a bench and put my head on my bag. Then-I don't know how it happened- a witch was sitting next to me. I rubbed my eyes. I know that witches can apparate, but there was no way she could have landed next to me so quietly. Her eyes had a cruel glint. She had long, black hair tied up in a bun, with pale face, and blood red lips. Great. Mrs. Dracula.

"Hello, Abigail," She smiled.

I blinked. "Er, hi."

OK, it wasn't that cool, but what else was I supposed to say?

She laughed. She had a sweet, deadly voice. For a moment I actually thought she was nice. Then I found my hands around my back. My head was cupped in her hands, her fingers pointing inward so that her nails dug in to my skin. I blanched. I was the top of my class and she still beat me in less then three seconds!

She put her face really close to mine. "Listen carefully, Daughter of the fifth one," She said in a low voice, as if she was sharing a secret. "Your time is limited. Your mission will fail. You will tear the school apart, instead of uniting it. You will never get them ready in time for the battle."

I sat up straight. "What battle?"

She laughed again. "Voldemort was selfish and impatient. He was a fool. He could never have gone that far if it weren't for me. See all the chaos I made, with just a helping hand-no, finger. Face it, little witch. You cannot win. And I, the Abandoned, will rise again." In saying that, she took out a blackthorn wand, and pointed it directly at me. Gee, I wonder what she'd plan to do with it? I closed my eyes, but she just twirled it and put it in her robes. I blinked, surprised.

She noticed and grinned. "You are not worthy yet of me, my dear. I do not harm defenseless children. After all, I am a mother." She stood up. "But one day you will be strong enough to face me. And when that time comes, I can guarantee that you will lose. I do not underestimate my enemies. Remember that, little one."

With a graceful swish of her cloak, she vanished.

"All aboard!" called a man with red hair and a slightly pompous voice. I hauled my bag to the train, feeling slightly shaken. I knew this was exactly how she wanted to make me feel. Even worse, I don't even know who 'she' is. I've never felt so…discouraged. With a jolt, a realized that it wasn't just because of the lady in black. It's also because of the stuff that I was hearing. While I was walking to the compartment, I heard heated discussions about the houses. I even heard a girl say to another that she would hate her if she ended up in Hufflepuff. I sighed, staring at the window.

Loads of families were saying good-bye. Some kids didn't look back, even when their parents waved frantically. Others were crying in their mother's robes, begging them not to leave. The most interesting family was one with a father with hair sticking all over the place and bright green eyes. Two boys stood next to him. They were clearly his sons, though the younger one was more obvious since he had exactly the same eyes as him. A mother with fiery red hair was there too, with a girl that resembled her. They appeared to be waiting for someone. Then a woman with bushy brown hair arrived, along with who I thought was her husband. He, like the mother of the other family, had hair the color of ginger. He accompanied his two children, one a daughter that looked like the woman, and another, a son that looked like him. They were all chatting animatedly until it was time to go.

I turned back, closing my eyes. The drowsiness had come back, and my eyes were drooping. The train started to move. Okay, now I was really sick. I was about to rush to the nearest bathroom when a voice spoke.

"Hello, can we sit here?"

It was the boy with the green eyes. He had his brother with him, as the girl with bushy hair. I smiled. "Sure."