For: The 2012 Hogwarts Games – Mountain Biking, The School Subjects Competition – History of Magic, The Revenge Competition
Prompts: Founders Era, the past, "Hopefully we can build a rivalry, make a legacy and then retire champions.", "I don't want to lose my name because that is how I know myself. There is a legacy here."
Legacy
By silver-nightstorm
Words:
Summary: I don't want to lose my name because that is how I know myself. Hopefully we can build a rivalry, make a legacy and then retire champions. There is a legacy here: that of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.
XX
"I want to be someone."
"You are someone, stupid. You're Godric."
The man who had spoken rolled his eyes. "Helga, you know what I mean. I want to be more. I want a legacy!" With a muscled arm, Godric Gryffindor lifted his tankard to the ceiling of the pub he sat in with his three greatest friends. Helga Hufflepuff smiled at his antics and took another sip from the mug she had been nursing.
Across the table, Rowena Ravenclaw smirked. "I don't know what you're talking about," she began with a toss of her long black hair, "but I've already left quite the legacy, thank you very much."
"That's our Ro," Helga laughed. "Brightest witch of this age!"
"What's wrong, Salazar?" demanded Godric loudly at the thin man who sat across from him. Salazar Slytherin was deep in thought, his thick black brows furrowed while one hand stroked his long thin beard. After a few moments, he replied to his friend.
"Names are important," he simply said.
Rowena rolled her eyes. "Of course they are," she retorted. "It's why I refuse to take yours. My name is how I know myself."
"No, not that," said Salazar, sitting up straighter. "After we're gone, that's all that's left of us. Our names! But who'll remember us? Sure, we've done good things. We've left small marks. But, we've done nothing big! We need to build a legacy! We need to do something memorable!"
"We could build a monument!" roared Godric. "A monument to the greatest witches and wizards of this age!"
"Monuments crumble," retorted Rowena. "A monument is worthless unless it does something for people to remember it."
Helga's eyes widened. "I've got it," she said. "I've got it!" The rest of her friends leaned in and she spoke. "Let's build a school."
Rowena beamed. "Brilliant."
Salazar smirked. "Perfect."
Godric grinned. "Yes."
They all woke the next morning with horrible hangovers, but they all remembered what they had planned. They were going to build their legacy. They would build it with their heart and soul and infuse it with their blood and their friendship and their rivalry. They would build a lasting monument to the world.
XX
R&R.