From the Ashes
by somekindofwildgirl
Summary: The Burnings are threatening to destroy the magical community. Four people step forward to shelter and train magical children before they are discovered by muggles. Little did they know that they would create a legacy that would shape the Wizarding World for generations to come.
Chapter 1
"We need to move!" Salazar said as he ran into the room.
Immediately, the cellar was a flurry of activity. They had all prepared for this eventuality but carrying it out was always different, more frightening. Helga started guiding the small group of students down the secret passageway. It would take them deep into the forest where the children could make their way back to the village together. Their absence would not be noticed as Salazar and Helga would draw the muggles away from the students.
With a wave of his hand, the few possessions that they owned were neatly packed up and floated to their wagon outside. There was no time to be discrete. The muggles had found out about Salazar and Helga's magic and had sentenced them to die. He had gotten everything ready by the time she returned.
"How did they find us?" Helga asked.
He ushered her outside and they sat down at the front of the wagon. Salazar grabbed the reins and the two horses started moving. "It was Albert again. I do not know how he found us but he is the one that alerted the townspeople."
"It is very troubling. We have only been here for four months. I do not know how, but he has to be tracking us."
"He is a muggle."
Helga closed her eyes for a few minutes. If he had never seen her do this before, it would have scared him. Her breathing slowed and she was completely still, unnaturally so. Salazar glanced behind him but no one was actively pursuing them. They owed their lives to Bill. If he had not warned Salazar, the muggles would have caught them. He and Helga could handle themselves but not if they had to protect the children.
"The muggles have just arrived at the cellar. None of them have horses either, we should be able to lose them if we keep the horses at a steady pace," she said, opening her blue eyes.
"And the children?"
"Safe. They managed to sneak into the village unnoticed."
Salazar relaxed at this information. Helga was distantly related to a Seer. She did not possess the Sight in the traditional way. The red headed witch could See certain events unfold as they were happening. It came in handy in their many escapes from muggle mobs.
"I bet it was that boy Tommy that betrayed us."
Helga sighed. "You cannot always blame the squib, Salazar."
"Who else would report us?" he asked. "It no longer matters. Do you want to keep teaching the children? These are dangerous days."
"It has been dangerous since the day we started. If we do not teach the young ones to control their magic, the muggles will find them. We have already lost too many to the fire. Are you having second thoughts?"
His dark eyes watched her. "No. I think I would find an ordinary life boring. Being pursued adds a certain excitement to our lives. Where shall we go next?"
"South. I hear that spring has arrived in that part of the country and I am tired of being cold all the time."
Helga was right, the snow had started to melt in the south and the birds had returned to their homes. The last winter had been harsh making travel almost impossible. The feeling of sunlight warming his face was a welcome one. Salazar wanted to stay in the south. The people were friendlier, the warmer weather made sleeping in barns easier, and seeing the sun improved both of their moods.
They had gone to three different villages and there was no sign of magical activity. It was troubling but could be explained away. The amount of Burnings had increased in the past year making the magical community more secretive and paranoid than ever. If the magical family did not know you, they did not trust you. It did not matter if there was proof that you were a wizard, the times had gotten too dangerous to risk trusting a stranger.
Muggleborns were downright impossible to find. They lived in fear of both their magic and their muggle relatives discovering their abilities. The witches and wizards would suppress their power until either their magic overwhelmed them or their accidental magic was too big to hide. Both outcomes led to their deaths. Salazar and Helga had never come across muggleborns, they were always too late.
The redhead joined him at the bar. "No one is interested in our services. Where should we go next?"
"Maybe there are no more children to teach," he said before taking a sip of mead.
"We both know that is not true. And what else would we do? We cannot go home," Helga said dropping her voice to a whisper. "The muggles made sure of that."
Salazar looked away when she reminded him of all they had lost. His parents had died when he was five years old. Helga's parents had taken him in and treated him as a second son. Their childhood had been a good one, full of games and adventures on her estate. Her mother had taught them everything they knew about magic and he had spent many a night reading in their immense library. No one in the surrounding area was privy to the fact that they were magical. Helga's father was a respected doctor and everyone went to him for advice.
There was one man that had been jealous of the Hufflepuffs. Salazar and Helga had been at the market in the next village when it happened. The man – Gregory Bennett – had accused their family of sorcery and by the time they returned, it was too late to save his adoptive parents. The duo had barely escaped with their lives and have never been able to return home. Salazar was thankful that nothing had happened to Helga, she was his sister in every way that mattered.
"We will try out east," he said, draining the last of his goblet.
They found a magical child hiding in a cave. Helga had found the orphan with her Sight and they brought him along to one of the nearby villages. Robert was scrawny but there was a fire in him that Salazar liked. Helga was always fretting over him, worried about how malnourished he was. The first month was dedicated to building up the boy's strength, which he left up to the redhead to sort out.
Long ago, Salazar and Helga came up with a fake story. They were a married couple that had fallen on hard times. He was a blacksmith – a skill the wizard did possess, which lent well to their story – and she knew a little about medicine. The boy had dark hair like Salazar and making it easy to pass him off as their child. The villagers were often relieved to have a blacksmith and someone who was able to help treat injuries so they rarely asked questions.
The wizard had taken Robert outside to practice meditating when someone knocked on the door. Helga opened the door and was surprised to see a noblewoman on her doorstep. The stranger had hair as dark as the night sky and bright blue eyes.
"Are you Helga Hufflepuff?"
The redhead nodded. "Who is asking?"
"Oh thank Merlin," the noblewoman said pushing her way into the room. "You are a hard woman to track down! I missed you in the southern villages by three days before you disappeared."
"Who are you?" Helga asked, shutting the door. She hoped that Salazar returned soon. It never boded well for the duo if someone was searching for them.
"I am terribly sorry for my bad manners. I am Rowena Ravenclaw, at your service."
The redhead shook the offered hand. "Ravenclaw? What can I do for you?"
The Ravenclaws were a powerful northern family only equalled by the Gryffindor family in the west. Both families could trace their magical ability to the dawn of time. The Hufflepuffs and the Slytherins – Salazar's family – could only trace theirs back a couple of centuries.
"Is it not obvious? I would like to join your cause," Miss Ravenclaw said.
"If by cause you mean the instruction of children, it is not an easy life," Helga said, raising her eyebrow at the rich fabric of her cloak and dress. "We do not get paid and we routinely sleep in barns."
Salazar opened the door and entered the room. He was immediately drawn to the beautiful stranger. There was something graceful in the way she moved and an intelligence in her gaze that drew his interest. It was rare to find a smart woman in a society that liked to breed obedient daughters.
"You must be Salazar Slytherin," she said with a smile. "I am Rowena, Rowena Ravenclaw."
"I am pleased to make your acquaintance. What brings you to our humble abode?"
Helga frowned. "She wants to help us teach."
"And what say you?" he asked.
"I was telling her that it is a difficult life," she answered. "Let us talk about this over tea. You are lucky that you have caught us at this place. The town was so relieved for our help that they set us up in this house at a good price."
Salazar guided Rowena to their rickety table while Helga prepared their tea. It took several minutes before they were ready to continue the discussion. The redhead was grateful that Miss Ravenclaw did not comment on the chipped tea set.
"I realize that this will be different than I am accustomed to, but I want to help. Did you know that the muggles burned three innocents in our village last month?" the raven haired witch said.
"That is terrible," Helga said gravely.
Salazar sighed. "It is a dangerous time to have magic. I think you should return home, Miss Ravenclaw. I am certain Helga and I would do the same if we had a home to return to. Our work is dangerous, we face the threat of capture daily."
"There is a muggle that has made it his life's mission to catch us," the redhead added.
"I appreciate your concern, but I am willing to take the risk. Will you accept my help? I can show you my magical ability and knowledge."
The duo exchanged a glance before Salazar shrugged his shoulders leaving it up to Helga to decide.
"That will not be necessary. We only have one student at the moment but we would be honoured to accept your help," Helga said. "I do not know how we will explain your presence. Salazar and I have been posing as a married couple and our student as our child."
Rowena bit her lip. "I can be Mr Slytherin's sister. We both have the same colour of hair."
"Well, I think that settles the matter. Let me introduce you to Robert. We are still teaching him how to control his magic–"
He watched as the two witches left the house, wondering what exactly Miss Ravenclaw was hiding.
Author's Note: Yay, a new story! I'm going to try my best to update this weekly on Wednesdays. I haven't had two stories on the go before, so wish me luck!
Please let me know what you thought of this :).