chapter 1 A Prayer

The land of Scotland was veiled in the early morning haze. There was a woman around thirty years old, who had been observing her people's work. A fitful wind grazed her and her long black velvet hair hanged over a bony gentle face. When she brushed her hair aside, intelligence and mother love were radiating from her face.

Rowena Ravenclaw cast her gaze at a poor kid who had just coughed. He reminded her of her lost son who was just the same age as the kid. Her son had been sick for long. The cursed disease didn't miss him as well as the other kids in Scotland. The idea just occurred to her after she lost her son. Her haunting loneliness after her loss sought for the next vessel to pour in her affection. People around her might laugh at her desperate try, setting aroma bath for her folks to prevent them from having the disease. But she believed that carrying out the plan would lead the better circumstance for her folks to survive. She watched incense smokes rising from raised floor huts.

"I'm very impressed." A low thick man's voice astonished her. It was Godric Gryffindor. He stroked his thick red beard. The color of his hair was a symbol of bravery. Rowena looked back in the past. Many people had been saved by his chivalrous decision. "When you built those statues of Gargoyles, I thought you were insane. I understood your loss, you've grieved over your son, but why Gargoyles? He was not that ugly." He raised his eyebrows.

Rowena said softly, "I hate disease. Those Gargoyles are guardians against all misfortunes. I wish our folks and the future Hogwarts students will be happy. The Gargoyles will protect Scotland from all disasters." Her gaze followed a group of people who was going to enter the raised floor hut. They would survive the disease after they took the herbal bath. The efficacy of the aroma and the sterilizing would continue to let them healthy.

"How could you think of the unique hut on the earth? I'm struck with awe of your wisdom. " His green eyes stared at the wooden floor raised above the ground.

"My love for people in our country let me think of it, Godric." Rowena smiled. Though she lost her son, she still had her daughter, Helena and her people. She was now looking back those hard days to persuade Salazar to join in a start-up Hogwarts. Then she felt a soft hand touch on her shoulder and looked back.

Helga Hufflepuff was smiling at her gently. Some strands of her braided sandy brown hair stuck out and they were glowing in the morning sunshine. Her tips about scheme for Hogwarts had helped Rowena so much. Especially, about Herbology and Study of Magical Creatures.

"I brought you additional mugworts. They have strong sterilizing." She pointed at her students who were engaged in unloading bunches of herbs from a wagon.

Rowena sadly stared at a glossy coated body of the Thestral near the wagon. She felt sad to the fact that she could see the creature because she had deaths in her family. She said to her friend, "Thank you, Helga. I really appreciate."

"Are you okay, Rowena? I worry about your lack of sleep. Promise. You will go to bed after we finish this work load." Helga spoke with emphasis. Her stubbornness to persuade anyone had been reliable since Rowena thought of Hogwarts. Once Helga determined to shower with affection, she would never give up. Even Salzar Slytherin was no exception. It was always Helga who could let Salzar join in the circle to discuss the matters. He used to hesitate to agree with most of the ideas Godoric suggested.

Salzar Slytherin had respected both Rowena and Helga who were from Pure-Blood families. But he disliked Helga's Muggle husband who was a king of Wales. Salzar was deeply suspicious of Muggle-Borns since French Muggle royal bloods confidentially began interfering with his land. Though Godric laughingly dismissed his worry about French Muggle aristocrat's ambition that he would conquer all their lands, Rowena understood what Shalzar tried to warn and was going to send secret messengers to France.

Rowena smiled at Helga and said, "I will take a break after I confirm my nephew's preparations for a journey to France. Please don't say a word anymore, Helga. I promise. I will have a nap after that." She turned to Godric and said, "Could you please watch their work for me, Godric? I have to leave." She pulled over her cotton veil.

"I will. Take care. See you at the meeting tomorrow morning." Godric nodded and took a step closer to the people who had been working on the huts. Fascinated by his brawny back figure, some young ladies stopped their work and stared at him for a while.

On her way to the harbor, she stopped by her castle. A nurse, Mary had taken care of her daughter, Helena while she was busy with Hogwarts stuffs or the other work related to her people since her husband, John died of the same disease as their son did. At some lonely nights, she had an impulse to scream. She had loved her husband so much. It had been hard time for her to carry on the plan about Hogwarts after she lost her husband and her son. Her struggle was not in vain. Salzar made up his mind to join them to found Hogwarts after he recognized her will without being discouraged by adversity. She had an eye for Salzar's conservative perspective, his worry about Pure-Blood's magical decadence, which originated from circumspection for negative aspect of interaction with Muggle-Borns. In those means, they understood each other.

She uncovered her cotton veil in her bedroom and took a diadem decorated with a big sapphire in the middle in her hands. She wore it for a special occasion. She checked if there were no leaves on her indigo blue linen dress after the inspection with Godric and she was going to apparate. Just then she heard a knocking sound. Mary's voice followed.

"My lady. Young lady, Helena woke up. She misses you."

"I'm going, Mary." Rowena opened the entrance door. Her dark eyes caught her daughter in Mary's arms. Her child's eyes were swollen with crying hard. "Oh, Helena. Good girl. I'll be back soon after I see your cousin Charlie to France." She kissed Helena's plump cheek.

Smart blue eyes stared at a sailing boat in the harbor. His black hair was well groomed and two silver rings were set on his slender fingers. Breathing in a sea breeze, Salzar Slytherin chanted his prayer to great Merlin in Parseltongue.

All disasters, get out of here. May the grace of Merlin be with our land.

And he noticed his chant was merged with a female voice. Rowena's clear prayer joined.

We set the big ship with lots of paddles. We'll send our children to France. Merlin, protect them. *1

She repeated the words and swished her sleeves elegantly in the air. Spreading their wings, seagulls answered starboard ahead of the sailing boat.

Salzar was deeply touched by her prayer. He felt her earnest desire to save her people. Struck with awe, he kept looking at her beautiful face full of wisdom from the side. The noble look and her graceful movements seemed to be equal as the rising sun.

End Notes:

I thought of this story based on Empress Komyo (701-760) in 8th century. She gave birth to her first son who died soon after birth. She became an empress at the age of 29, which was the first in historical times.

She encouraged the construction of temples such as Shinyakushi-ji, Todai-ji (Nara). National treasure, the statue of Ashura, which has survived nearly 1300 years, is said its face was made for her lost son. She might have seen her grow-up son in the statue. One of her poems is seen in the oldest existing collection of Japanese poetry and I put it at *1. ^ It was said that she read it aloud when she sent her nephew as a member of Japanese missions to Tang China from political and ceremonial acknowledgment to cultural exchanges.

It was written For Crimson Quill's Strong Female Challenge (hpft).