One Song
One song, united in love. There will be no division. Everyone will belong. – "One Song" Peter Choplin.
A cloaked figure made its way out of the thick forest towards a modest sized edifice. The sign above the door read "Tudor Inn". A smile graced the traveler's face as he stepped inside, inhaling the calming aroma of magic. He slowly wound his way through the front chamber and into the smaller areas where seasoned wizards and witches could train their followers and children in peace and safety. Passing through one more set of doors, he came upon the meeting room where he immediately spotted the small group he sought. His smile stretching ear-to-ear, he took long strides to reach the table.
"Sorry I'm late," he said, bowing and kissing the two women's hands.
"We were quite sure you wouldn't come Goddy," Rowena said.
"I wouldn't pass up a chance to see the three of you," Godric replied, taking a seat across from the other man at the table.
"Welcome home old friend," the dark-haired wizard greeted, extending his hand.
"It's good to be home," the blond answered, grasping the other man's hand firmly in his own.
"Looks like you are expecting a siege Salazar," Goddy joked, pointing at the man's armor underneath his robes.
"One never knows Godric. One never knows," Salazar answered firmly.
"Very true," Helga piped in her soft, gentle voice.
"How about a round of drinks?" Salazar inquired, summoning four goblets of mead.
"You and your love of drink Sal," Rowena muttered playfully.
"Does that love offend you m'lady?" he questioned the beautiful brunette to his left.
"If you are inquiring good sir as to whether your affections to drink surpass those for your friends, I would surely hope the latter weighs more on your soul," she answered, taking a small sip from her goblet.
"Indeed. My love of drink is more of a…hobby one could say," Sal replied merrily, having down half of his goblet.
"Honestly you two, why don't you just stop playing about and be wed already," Godric chimed with a chuckle.
It was no secret among the group that Salazar and Rowena possessed feelings for one another. Perhaps though, they did not feel right in carrying their friendship further. No matter, Godric took every opportunity to badger his friends on the matter and tonight was no exception.
"Stop your nonsense Goddy," Rowena retorted from over her goblet.
"Aw. Row, its alright. There is no need to feel shameful about it," the handsome man chortled, taking a large gulp of mead as well.
The group lapsed into silence for some time, Godric attempting to stifle his snickers as he caught Rowena and Salazar exchanging fleeting glances. Aside from her one comment, Helga had remained silent. Her gentle gaze seemed to be off in the distance and she had hardly touched her goblet.
"Helga? Is something troubling you?" Rowena inquired after some minutes.
"Oh. I'm so very sorry Rowena. I've just been thinking that it really is a shame that children in our world must rely solely on their parents for magical guidance," she explained somberly.
"I agree it is a bad circumstance," Row commented, refilling her goblet.
"Yes. Perhaps we could remedy the situation?" Goddy proposed.
"By doing what? Starting a school?" Sal remarked in only partial seriousness.
"That would be wonderful," Helga gushed, her mood lifting quite noticeably.
"Are you quite serious m'lady?" Sal responded, not believing his off-hand remark had been taken so seriously.
"It's perfect! A school where children of all magical families could go and learn and get a proper education," Helga continued.
"I suppose it could work," Godric added, stroking his chin in thought.
"Yes I agree. But we would need a location, away from Muggles," Rowena murmured.
"Some place large enough to accommodate lots of students," Salazar interjected, liking the idea more and more.
"I think I have just the right place in mind," Godric piped, downing the rest of his goblet and refilling it as well.
"Where?" his three companions chimed at once.
"It's an old castle from one of the early wars, about a century ago," Goddy began enthusiastically.
"I imagine it would require a good amount of work for it to be used in such a capacity as a school," he continued, eyeing his friends to gauge any reaction.
"I think I know the one you are talking about," Sal remarked, nodding his head slowly.
"Alright so we have a location. I want to see it," Row offered, downing the last of her drink.
"Alright we will see it," Goddy replied.
"A name. We need a name," Helga proposed, moving on to her second goblet.
"Of course. What school doesn't have a name," Sal blurted, the mead starting to affect his rationality.
"Indeed. Something catchy like…" Row began, suddenly overcome by a fit of alcohol-induced giggles.
"Merlin's Beard Boarding School for Magical Children," Sal finished, consumed by his own fit of laughter.
"Ooh! What about Ye Old Magic School," Goddy suggested, coming up on his fifth drink of the evening.
"What about a name whose letters mean something," Helga proposed.
"Oh yes. Brilliant idea. What about SOCK?" Sal stated, nearly falling from his chair.
"What does it stand for?" Rowena inquired.
"I haven't the slightest idea," he answered, dragging himself back to a sitting position.
"Well it must stand for something Sal," Goddy retorted.
"What about…Hogwarts?" Helga suggested.
"Where in Merlin's name did you come up with that?" Rowena questioned.
"I rather like it," Helga replied defensively.
"Come on Row. It's wonderful. Hoggy warts," Sal slurred happily, sloshing his drink about.
"Well, when you say it like that, it doesn't sound so foolish. But who'd want to go to a school called Hoggy Warts?" Rowena muttered.
"I like it the way it was. How about Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," Goddy proposed.
"Now that has a nice ring to it," Row said raising her goblet.
"To Hogwarts!" she cried.
"To Hogwarts!" the other three echoed and they all chinked goblets in celebration.
The four companions enjoyed several more rounds of drinks chattering about their newly founded idea. They would recruit famed wizards and witches to teach various subjects such as History of Magic and Herbology. The four, themselves, would teach subjects such as Charms, Transfiguration, Potions and Defense. Perhaps, Salazar proposed, they could even have houses based on strengths.
"Oh but how would we figure out where they went?" Helga inquired.
"Well we each have our strengths, maybe we can compare them to ours," Rowena suggested, shaking her head in the negative at Sal's offer of yet another drink.
"That takes too much time for each and every one. Maybe we can…a hat! We can enchant a hat!" Godric erupted, jumping from his seat in enthusiasm.
"Where would we find a hat?" Sal queried drunkenly.
"Oh honestly! We'd buy one you daft git," Rowena scolded.
"Oh," the inebriated wizard replied.
"When can we see this castle?" Helga queried, presently the most sober individual of the group.
"Morning," Godric half questioned half stated.
"I believe that is the best course of action. Why don't you two retire to bed and recover," she suggested, eyeing the two men who were presently trying desperately to out-drink each other.
After several moments of silence, the group slowly got up and dispersed, agreeing to meet back the following morning shortly after the morning meal to survey the proposed grounds for the school.
The following morning arrived quickly and the quartet found themselves back at the safety of the inn. From there, the two men set a portkey to their destination. Feeling the jerk behind the navel, the four magical beings disappeared. They rematerialized, finding themselves staring at an enormous, run down castle.
"You propose we use that as our school?" Rowena bellowed, pointing out just how much work would need to be done.
"Row, we have magic. And we can ward it so Muggles don't know its here," Sal said, reassuring her, catching a playful look from Godric out of the corner of his eye.
"We'll see," she muttered and moved towards the large structure, pulling out her wand as she went.
She began casting repair charms on the stones that had fallen loose. She really was quite handy with charms. Within no time she had one side of the building looking good as new. Helga had started on the far wall, following the same method as her friend. With identical eye rolls, the gentlemen each manned a wall and shortly all the outer stones were back in place and most of the foliage about the castle had been wrangled back into submission and beauty.
"Well let us hope it isn't entirely abysmal inside," Rowena huffed as she threw open the large front doors.
Inside was actually not as bad as any of them had imagined. Ancient magic had preserved much of the original design. They fanned out to cover more ground, fixing small things as they went. Salazar roamed the dungeons, pleased to see that it was almost entirely intact, save a few dead and rotting corpses lying about. With a few muttered spells they were gone and torches lit the corridors. Godric had moved into the grand hall and was hit with how dismal it looked. Having been abandoned for so long, insects and spiders had made it their home. He slowly began to piece together old tables and benches and cleared the cobwebs from all of the tiny crevices in which they existed. Upon finishing, he saw that there were five long tables. Deciding he would wait and ask the others for guidance, he went to explore more of what would be their new home.
Rowena had entered several old chambers and decided they would best be used as classrooms. So, with a few well-placed transfiguring charms, she had an entire corridor of educational space. She was not aware that several floors up, Helga was engaged in much the same task. After converting a sizable portion more, both women met up on their way towards the hall they had seen Godric enter. On their way, they intercepted Salazar coming up from the dungeons. The four convened in the large hall, staring at the work Godric had done.
"This would be perfect for meals," Helga breathed eyeing the five tables.
"Why, that one could be for the staff and then one table for each house," she suggested, her gaze darting among each of her three colleagues.
"Yes. I was thinking. Perhaps we can each have a house," Godric recommended.
"Brilliant old friend," Salazar said as he walked over to one of the tables.
He quickly emblazed his family crest in the middle of table and with another flick of his wrist had a banner hanging behind what would become the staff table. The other three followed suit and soon they all began staring at the ceiling. It was very bland and boring.
"This ceiling is rather dull. I think we should liven it up," Salazar murmured after contemplating it.
"What do you suggest my friend?" Godric inquired.
"We should enchant it!" he bellowed with a large smirk.
So, the four of them set about enchanting the ceiling to mirror the outside sky. Presently, it reflected gray clouds gathering, indicating a storm. Godric's eyes lit up as he suddenly remembered something in his pocket. He extracted a miniature hat, which quickly enlarged itself to its proper size.
"I picked this up before we left. All that's left is to enchant it," he said, placing the hat down on the Ravenclaw table.
Once more, the small fellowship pointed their wands collectively at the inanimate object. They murmured a human quality enchantment spell and watched in amazement as it came to life.
"My oh my. Why you all look quite baffled," it said.
"I think we should make it sing," Helga chirped.
"Sing my dear woman? Well if you insist, do go ahead with it," the hat replied curtly.
She waved her wand and immediately it began to sing. Salazar grumbled and informed the hat that surely she didn't mean for it to sing willy-nilly about any old thing.
"Then good sir, what is it the kind lady wishes me to sing of?" the slightly ragged headpiece questioned.
"Well about the school I suppose and the houses. Oh yes that would do wonderfully," Helga answered.
"I'm afraid I don't know anything about these houses of which you speak," it quipped.
"You shall know soon enough good fellow," Godric replied as he took a seat directly in front of it.
"You see, each house embodies each of our strengths, which of course we are going to share with you so that you may see it in the students," he began to explain, as if conversing with any gentlemen of the day.
"Ah, I see. Shall we commence with enlightening me?" it said, being greeted with a nod from Gryffindor.
In turn, each founder placed his or her wand to their head and extracted memories of their strengths and placed it into the hat, almost as if it were a pensieve. Once this task was completed, the four founders of Hogwarts went in search of teachers and anyone who wished to learn and enhance their knowledge and use of magic. History has begun.