The Founders of Hogwarts
Chapter One

"Seriously, Salazar," Godric chuckled at his best friend who was still wincing as he dabbed various parts of his body with essence of Murtlap. "You could have been much faster with that Freezing Charm."

"I did not expect that Muggle to come at with an entire bonfire," Salazar winced again.

"Lucky I was there, right?" Godric said. "Now you say, 'thank you, Godric'." He waited patiently for Salazar to repeat the sentence.

"Thanks, Godric," Salazar said, grinning. "I owe you one."

"Yes, you do!" Godric said. "Remember last time when those wizards from Tibet attacked me? What did you do? Nothing!"

"You were outnumbered, whether I helped or not," Salazar said, shrugging. "Plus, you won that duel anyway."

"Yep," Godric said proudly. "I defeated all five of them."

"I could've done it, too," Salazar said.

"And yet you ran away when the duel began? Um... if you say so, Sal."

The two friends, Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin were walking down towards Godric's house in Hollow's Creak at dusk. Though they were both still quite young, only nineteen years old, they were very accomplished wizards. They had both been taught by their fathers, and at the age of seventeen, they had left home to live in Hollow's Creak, a village which was almost only compiled of wizards and witches.

"Hey, Salazar," Godric suddenly said, tapping his best friend on the shoulder and pointing. "There's that girl you fancy."

"I never said I fancy her!" Salazar said indignantly, but he quickly followed Godric's hand to see the girl he was pointing at. When he saw her, he sighed with content.

"What the heck was that then?" Godric sniggered. "If you don't fancy that girl, I'm a centaur."

Salazar shrugged, "Even if I do, and I'm not saying that I do, I don't even know her name!"

"That can be easily rectified," Godric said, and before Salazar could stop him, Godric had Apparated the few hundred feet, and reappeared next to the girl in question.

"Git!" Salazar shrieked, and Apparated next to Godric.

"Hey, pretty lady," Godric was saying. "I'm Godric... Godric Gryffindor."

The girl, who was hanging clothes on her washing line without magic, smiled. "Hi."

"This is my friend, Salazar," Godric continued, gesturing towards Salazar. "Salazar Slytherin."

"Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin," the girl chuckled. "What odd names."

"They are not!" Godric said crossly. "Well, I guess Salazar is..."

"Shut up, Godric," Salazar said in a small voice. Then he said to the girl, "So what's your name?"

"I'm Rowena," she said. "Rowena Ravenclaw."

"Yeah, and that's not a weird name at all," Godric said sarcastically.

Luckily, Rowena Ravenclaw did not hear him.

"I'm Salazar Slytherin," Salazar said.

"Yeah, you told me," Rowena said, laughing softly.

Salazar blushed, having forgotten.

"I've heard about you in the town," Rowena continued.

Salazar's ears perked up, "Me?" he asked.

"Yeah. They're saying you're a Parselmouth."

"Oh," Salazar said. "Well...yeah, I am."

"That's cool," Rowena said. "They usually associate Parselmouth's with Dark Wizards, but I can see you're not one, right?"

"Er... yeah I'm not," Salazar said, and luckily, Rowena did not hear the hesitation.

"He's as soft as a marshmallow!" Godric exclaimed, and leapt onto Salazar.

"Shut up... Gerroffme, Godric!" Salazar yelled, and once he'd gotten his best friend off, using "Depulso", Rowena Ravenclaw had gone back to her washing.

"Why don't you do it by magic?" Salazar asked, and with one swift wave of his wand, all the clothes hung themselves magically on the line. "I could dry them, too, if you want."

Rowena sighed, "No thanks... I've got nothing to do for the rest of the day, so I thought I'd try being like a Muggle for a few hours."

"Why the hell would you want to do that?" Salazar nearly yelled.

"I dunno," Rowena said. "I guess witches and wizards just have it very easy. I wanted to see how much struggle it'd be like to be a Muggle."

"We have it easy?" Salazar scoffed. "Pur-lease. Look at these burns! This is the third Muggle who's tried to kill me this week! And all because I used Wingardium Leviosa in his pub to get the whiskey to me."

Rowena shrugged, and then Godric elbowed Salazar in the ribs.

"What now, Godric?" Salazar asked, moodily.

Godric was mouthing something silently, but Salazar could not make out what he was saying.

"What?" he asked, over and over.

Finally, Godric gave up and yelled aloud to Rowena, "Salazar says he's also not busy today. He asks whether you would like to meet him for some drinks later."

"Oh," Rowena said, then blushed. "Um... sure... It's a date."

At that word, Salazar got up sheepishly and said, "It is?" hopefully. However, Godric elbowed him again and Rowena did not answer.

"I'll bring a friend for you, too," Rowena said to Godric. "My friend Helga."

"Helga?" Godric said, screwing up his face. "That's my grandmother's name..."

Rowena chuckled. "Don't worry... Helga's extremely pretty."

"Better be," Godric said, but only Salazar heard him.

"OK, we'll meet in a hour's time at that new pub in that village Hogsmeade, alright?" he asked.

"Hogsmeade?" Rowena asked. "Where's that?"

"It's a new village that cropped up a few weeks ago. The pub I'm talking about, the Hog's Head, is quite fancy."

"Maybe we should just meet here," Rowena suggested. "Then you two can take Helga and I."

"Okay," Salazar said. "It's a date."

Godric groaned, "Dude, you sound so desperate."

"Shut up."