In the small West village of England, deep in the wild moors, there lived a boy called Godric Gryffindor. He was a rather gifted and courageous human with green eyes, wavy red hair, and peach-like skin. Though he was small in stature, his heart was equal to giants.
Now, there was nothing about him that would suggest he was anything but normal, but he wasn't exactly as you would call ordinary. The reason being: Godric was a wizard – born with the powers to conjure flames, levitate objects, and even transfigure them into certain things. Having such power at the tender age of eleven, frightened him. If the other villagers knew of his magic, he would be beheaded for wizardry. Five years passed, and the more lonely life became for Godric. It was hard to be more powerful than anyone he knew, and have to live like a shadow among them.
As Godric hid inside his cottage, he often dreamed of a place where he did not have to hide his magic, or if there were others like him. A place of solitude where he could practice his magic and not have to hide; a place where his magic would be appreciated and respected, rather than looked down on.
The first thing Godric noticed when he woke up one morning was the melodies of birds echoing through the sky around him. He got out of bed and opened the window to see the sunlight hitting the crowns of trees; the golden edges reflecting with brilliant clarity. It was a peaceful morning as the young wizard inhaled the fresh air and stretched his arms toward the sky, letting out a small grunt. Godric left the window, got dressed in his hunting outfit, and reached for the sword hanging above his bed. He grabbed the weapon, put it in his sheath, then strutted out of his cottage; happily trudging his way through the thick wood of the moors, humming his favourite melody.
"Double, double, toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble," he sang merrily, as he made his way on a dirt path through the woods. The quietness of the forest filled Godric with feelings of warmth and serenity. Most people didn't like the woods because they deemed it as scary and dark, but Godric was not afraid. There's beauty in almost everything, you just have to find it.
Perched upon a rock there stood a large coney nibbling on the fallen leaves from trees. Godric crept through the bushes trying to get as close as humanely possible, and pulled out his sword. At first he hesitated, then looked around cautiously. No one was around. Deeming it safe, the wizard put his sword back, and extended his hand. With a swift notion, a green light flashed, and the coney lay lifeless on the ground. Godric skipped over to it, swung the animal over his shoulder, and went back home.
Killing animals was not something Godric liked to do, but it was the only way for him to eat. Living on his own, the first thing he had to do was fend for himself. Over the years he taught himself how to live in the muggle world, and hunt without the use of magic. Not that he had much of a choice, because his father and mother died long ago. It was either that, or die along with them. Godric knew a life was a terrible thing to waste, so he fought for his right to survive.
It was late in the evening, and the stars twinkled brightly under the pale moonlight. The air was cool and blew the trees in a rhythmic wave. Godric was laying in his bed, his head rested against a lovely feathered pillow daydreaming about a world of magic. Slowly he lifted his finger and began drawing in mid-air silver lines of fire in shape of a lion. It began to move ever so slightly, and Godric smiled happily to himself.
Without warning, came a great boom in the distance. Jerking out of bed, Godric ran to his window and saw sparks in the sky, and a line of smoke rising upward. He raised an eyebrow in suspicion. What could that possibly be? He wondered. Having never seen such wonderful colours light up the darkness before, Godric thought it could have been magic.
"Magic," he whispered in awe, leaning against the window sill. "I wish I knew what is causing such magnificence. I could join them and I would not have to be lonely. We could do magic together, and learn new spells. . .oh, the possibilities!"
It was then an idea struck Godric Gryffindor. He would follow the strange light and meet whomever conjured the sparks. After putting on his red cloak, and packing his sword, the young wizard ran out of his cottage and never looked back. With courage on his shoulders, and hope in his heart, Godric ran through the rigged hills of the moors, and passed a trickling stream.
Through the misty night he walked, climbing cliffs and slopes. For a mile he walked south before stopping to camp. Thinking about nothing but the strange sparks in the sky, Godric found it hard to sleep. The wet grass tickled his face and the pollen floating around before him made his nose tingle. Before long, Godric's eyes became heavy with thought, and fell asleep to the silence of the night.
Morning dawned, and swiftly now, Godric pursued his quest. At last he reached the brink of a Fen – a wet grassland filled with bogs and marshes. A slight groan came from the young wizards mouth as he made his way slowly down.
"Bogs, bogs, and more bogs!" growled Godric, struggling down the hill. "No good comes of them, dare I say! Too wet and dangerous, but I must press on if I am to find the maker of the strangeness in the sky."
A stench filled Godric's nose once he reached the bottom of the hill. Covering his nose with the hood of his cloak, the wizard noticed something strange in the distant fog. He halted and squinted his eyes, but he could not make out the faint blue light that glowed in the air. Deciding to ignore the ominous wisps of light, Godric continued on through the vast land that befell him. For a short while he hummed a tune, but the walk seemed to go on forever, and his feet begun to hurt. The deeper he was into the fen, the more the fog rose. "Be brave Godric," he spoke to himself. "You will get through this. Tis' just a little fog, what is the worst that could happen."
Half a day of venturing through the fen and Godric noticed a light from a lantern. A sigh of relief was all the young wizard could muster through his dry mouth. "At last! Civilization!" he spoke to himself in a soft tone.
Following the light of the lantern, little did Godric Gryffindor know that it would be the last thing he'd ever see. Once in the clearing, he tripped and fell into a thick bog. Everything happened so fast, and so suddenly, he could not process what was going on. Trying with all his might to fight the current beneath him, it was unsuccessful. The weight of mud and water crushed his chest, making it harder to breathe. Godric tried to use magic but with all that was happening around him, he couldn't concentrate hard enough to conjure one. No help came from magic that day.
Then a ray of hope shined down upon him. Godric felt lighter, like he was being pulled up.
And he was.
The strange man grabbed hold of the wizards cloak and set him safely aside on flat land. Godric coughed and gagged for the longest time before he looked upon his rescuer. He was a tall, slender young man with a monkey-like appearance. His skin was light with grey hair and pale grey eyes. Godric had never seen anyone quite like him before. "Thank you," chocked Godric.
"You ought to be careful," began the stranger, "you were lured into a bog by a Hinkypunk. Awful creatures if you must know. One-legged creatures who hang around these parts of the world – they carry a lantern to put travellers off their path."
Godric Gryffindor looked up at the dark stranger in confusion. "Why are you in these parts then if it is so dangerous?" the question slipping through his lips so suddenly.
"I live here in the Fen," said the stranger with pride. "Allow me to introduce myself: My name is Salazar. Salazar Slytherin."
The wizard stood up and shook Salazar's hand. "My name is Godric Gryffindor, since we are on the subject of names. It seems I owe you my life."
"Poppycock!" laughed Salazar. "Come, my new friend! I shall bring you back to my home and get you some new clothes!"
"You live in the bog? Don't you have family?" wondered Godric.
"Aye, but they are deceased now, may they rest in peace," replied Salazar. "Died the same way you would have if I had not rescued you. Enough talk, it is a bit away, and if we are to make it there safely we must be on full alert."
"Understood."