A boy sits on the grass outside of his family's home. He is barely seven years old, reading a book that he found. He grabbed a stick from next to him and waved it in the air, craving the day when he would get his own wand and be able to perform the spells demonstrated in the pages of the book.

"Salazar, dear, come inside. Supper is about ready," his mother called from the doorway. He nodded to her. He stood up, brushing of his clothes. He dropped his twig on the ground and was about to head inside until he heard yelling.

Curious, Salazar walked over to the edge of the woods that bordered one side of their house. He followed the noises a few paces in before he saw two children, not much older than him, squabbling.

"Helga!" the boy complained. "My brother will be so angry if he learns about this!"

"Well," the girl said, arms crossed, staring the boy down, "maybe if you hadn't stolen it in the first place, it wouldn't be broken!"

"You're the one who broke it!" the boy shouted. Salazar finally saw what they were discussing as the boy held it up to the girl, Helga. It was a wand, snapped in half. A strand of unicorn hair drooped out of either of the jagged edges.

"You're the one who stole it!" Helga yelled back, clearly beginning to lose her temper.

"But I-" the boy stopped, seeing Salazar over Helga's shoulder. His blue eyes narrowed and he stalked over. Helga whirled around, blond hair flying, to see what the problem was. She snatched the wand from the boy and hid it behind her back, like Salazar hadn't already seen it.

The boy got close to Salazar, leaning in close to his face. Salazar's knees shook, as this boy had several inches and at least two years on him, but he refused to look away. He was too proud for that.

"How long have you been standing there?" Helga asked, shifting her weight nervously. Salazar understood why. Their town did not accept magic very well, and many witches and wizards were outcasts for admitting to their magic.

"Not very long. Though there's no need to worry, I-" Salazar began, but the boy cut him off.

"How much did you see?"

"Godric, give him some room to breathe. We could stop him if he ran," Helga scolded.

Salazar smiled at her and cleared his throat as the boy, Godric, took a step back. "I was going to say that I'm a wizard, too. My name is Salazar, Salazar Slytherin, my family and I live just there," he said, pointing back the way he'd come.

Godric relaxed visibly, as did Helga, who pulled the broken wand out from behind her back and handed it to her companion.

"Good," Godric said. "It would have been a shame to have to threaten you. I'm Godric Gryffindor." He extended his hand, which Salazar took, appraising him. Godric had dark blond hair, light blue eyes, and a strong build. His clothes indicated a rich family, most likely from the upper class section of town.

Helga extended hers as well. "Helga Hufflepuff." Her hair was blond as well, but much lighter, and it fell in curls down her shoulders. She had light brown eyes and the makings of a slightly curvy frame, and her bright smile shone with kindness. "My friend, Rowena, should be arriving soon."

As she spoke, a rustling sound came from behind her. Another girl, a bit older than Godric and Helga, stepped through. Salazar looked her over.

If Helga was day, this girl was night. Her flowing dark hair reached her waist, her dark grey eyes bursting with intelligence. Where Helga was beginning to show signs of curves, this girl was slender and slight.

"Sorry I'm late."

Godric smiled at her. "Salazar Slytherin, meet Rowena Ravenclaw." She smiled at him kindly, though it didn't fill her features as much as Helga's. "This little wizard stumbled in on Helga and I, er, discussing her breaking my brother's wand."

"You stole Alexander's wand?!" Rowena said, clearly unhappy with him, though her voice did not raise at all.

"Maybe."

"Salazar!" He turned back in the direction of his mother's voice and sighed.

"I need to go. It was nice meeting you," he said, turning away reluctantly.

"Wait, Salazar." He turned back. Godric smiled. "Why don't you come back here tomorrow morning, around ten? We're meeting here again."

Salazar's face broke out in a grin. "Of course." And he ran off towards home, racing to tell his mother of the new friends he had made.

The four would stick together for many years after.

Though none could imagine the consequenses of this small chance meeting...