Disclaimer: I own nothing. This idea has been pottering about in my brain for far too long and this appears to be the only sensible way to get it to leave.

Chapter 1

The first class of third year was double potions. I'm fairly sure there is a god out there that hates me. I saw it before it happened. The whole thing seemed to happen in slow motion and before I could stop it the bloom fell into my cauldron. I reacted on instinct, the liquid hissing dangerously, shoving Hermione out of the way, the next thing I registered was an ear shattering BOOM and my world exploded into light.

"Girl," a voice called, "Girl." This time it was accompanied by a sharp shake. I looked up and met the woman's eyes. She had amber eyes and auburn hair that fell in waves about her chest. She was very pretty. If slightly overweight.

"Hello?" I said groggily, "What happened?"

"You appeared in the great hall," she said kindly, "Did you perform some sort of accidental magic child?" She studied me cautiously.

"I… I was brewing a potion, some idiot threw in a wrong ingredient and it exploded. I woke up here," I explained politely, "Could you be kind enough to tell me where I am?"

"This will one day be known as Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry," she said with a wistful look on her face, "I'm Helga, come on. I'll introduce you to the others." Helga… Helga Hufflepuff? This was going to be Hogwarts? I'd been slammed a thousand years into the past, I was going to kill Malfoy.

The three people I was introduced to where not at all what I had pictured whenever I had pictured the founders in my head. Salazar Slytherin had a sense of humour and currently didn't hate muggles or muggleborns. Rowena was younger than I expected. Helga had a temper, and Godric... He was blonde muscular and was, I believe the appropriate word is morally flexible.

"So she is a foundling?" Godric questioned, eyes sweeping over me as Helga had finished explaining.

"Nay," Rowena said decisively, "She is a future student." Ah, now what the hell was I supposed to tell them about that? Panic surged through me and I inhaled sharply.

"And how can you be so sure, milady?" Salazar said curiously.

"The badge on her robes. A raven, a lion, a badger and a snake, our symbols," she said smiling lazily, "All surrounding an H? I dare say that the potions mishap only sent her backwards in time."

"Then our school shall be successful," Helga said joyfully, "How fair do you hail from child?"

"Far enough that even if I don't ever find a way back, I won't ever have to worry about meeting myself," I said quietly trying not to spill too much information about the future, "I don't think I should say exactly how long."

"You are aware of course that our manners are lacking abysmally," Salazar said after a moment, "We have not asked the child her name."

"Jenifer," I answered before they could ask, "My name's Jenifer."

"Very well, then if you wish it you may stay here in the castle, until such time that you have found a way home," Helga said, "But be warned, we expect hard work." There was a seriousness that I had not seen in the cheerful woman before, so I merely nodded and thanked them. True to their word, the work was hard but I had been a slave of my aunt and uncle for as long as I could remember. It didn't bother me.

The room I was able to call my own wasn't large, but it had a comfortable bed and a copper tub that automatically filled with warm water on demand and that was reassuring. At the end of each day I certainly needed both the bed and the bath.

"I thought that you can't do wandless magic," I said staring as Rowena vanished something with a wave of her hand, "Nobody in my time can, or at least I've never heard of it." Rowena shuddered.

"I will be happy to teach you, young Jenifer, but first we simply must work on your speech," she said staring me down, "I believe in bettering yourself and you should not talk as if a peasant." So that was how I wound up with grammar and etiquette lessons.

"No swearing, unless absolutely necessary, a lady should be able to get her point across without being crass. In circumstances of extreme pain, however it can be allowed," she instructed, "Words such as 'can't', are changed to 'cannot'."

"Alright," I said nodding, no contractions, no swearing. I soon learned that there was a lot to being a lady, but for every lesson in moving, dancing, curtseying, manners and grammar I completed she showed me more on how to connect with my magic. In this time, they seemed determined to prove that a wand was a crutch.

"You look overworked lass," Godric observed from a doorway.

"Lesson's in being a lady," I sighed, "It isn't… sorry, is not as easy as people make it look. Not to mention I… am having a hard time finding my magic." That was the first instruction. My wand had to go, and that meant being able to do without it.

"I believe I can help you with the second thing," he said with a wolfish smile that should have told me straight away that he was up to no good. "Come here," he said as he strode forwards. I stopped dead in front of him and he spun me until my back was turned and wrapped to arms firmly around me. One hand resting on my waist and the other on my hip.

"If this is some kind of ploy to get in my skirts rather than help, just remember I don't… do not need magic to make sure you can never have children," I said blandly. Godric tipped his head back a laughed so hard that the vibrations wracked through my body.

"My wife would be awful disappointed lass," he said amused.

"Your wife would be awful disappointed if she walked in right now," I retorted and then I paused, "I didn't… did not know that you were married."

"To Rowena, as is Salazar to Helga," he replied. Hmm, new information. "In any case do you want my help or do you not?" he asked.

"I would appreciated it," I said happy that I remembered not to say I'd.

"All right then," Godric said calmly, "I want you to take a deep breath, and centre yourself, now." Whatever he was going to say was cut off by magic sharply forcing itself into me. I let out a yelp and my knees buckled, leaving me grateful that he was holding me up, but before my brain could complete that thought something in me pushed outwards. The windows blew out and wind stirred around us.

"What the hell was that?" I asked, to dazed to remember not to curse. He let me go and I stared at him puzzled, he just smirked back for a moment like the cat that ate the cream.

"You felt that something push out of you?" Godric asked, I nodded. "Good, that is your magic. Now you know what it feels like, all you have to do is practise." With that last piece of instruction he left me alone in the room. When Helga came in a few moments later she looked around the room and sighed.

"Godric forced your magic into reacting so you could find it, did he not?" she said in an exasperated voice, repairing the damage done.

"Yes," I said, trying to analyse how exactly I felt about that. I was thankful that I now know what I was looking for but I couldn't help but feel slightly panicky about the whole thing and a little violated. As if he had touched some part of me he was not supposed to.

"I understand, he did it to me to when I was having trouble," she said kindly wrapping an arm around my waist, "The thing about accepting help from Godric is that you are prepared deal with his lack of acceptance to societies moral code. He has his own, so if you want his help make sure you are prepared to take it and do you know what the absolute worst thing about that trick of his?"

"The slightly violated feeling?" I asked rhetorically.

"No, the fact it works," she confided wrinkling her nose.

So this is the beginning of yet another story of mine. I wish I could just keep focus on one long enough to get them finished before I start on another one. Ah well, can't have it all. Review and tell me what you think.