Founding Features

by notnecessarilyinbetween

Helga, a young lady with the ability to create. Godric, a knight who fights for magic. Rowena, a street urchin with the most brilliant mind. Salazar, the last heir of a noble house left in the gutter. The story of how they meet, and the amazing world they create. Please read warnings in each chapter.

1. Perseverance

This series is my interpretation of the background of the Founders. Their lives, how they came together, how Hogwarts was formed etc. That being said, a lot of the things that happen in this story are correct for the time period, which is from about 500 to 800 CE. The beginning chapters are each founder's life story, and the start of it all is Helga Hufflepuff.

Please read warnings for every chapter, as they will all be very different.

Warnings: Appropriate aged marriage for the time period, appropriate aged motherhood for the time period, postpartum depression, miscarriage.

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Chapter 1: Perseverance

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"Helga! Helgaaaaa!" a high pitched voice called out from nearby.

Helga rolled back onto her knees, and dropped the small buds she had been digging holes for onto the ground. She tilted her head in curiosity, and then giggled into her hand.

Her little brother Cledwyn came blazing around the corner, his normally pale hair a bright blue.

"Helgaaaaa," he sobbed and ran into her, nearly knocking her into the garden, "BETRYS TURNED MY HAIR BLUE AND SHE WON'T TURN IT BAAAAACK." His little body heaved with sobs as he pulled at his hair. Helga shuffled a bit and gathered him into a hug.

"S'okay Cled, I'm sure mum or pop can fix it back,"she smiled at his bleary face, got to her feet, and lead him inside the house, with him grasping onto her hand

She walked back to the front of the house, and was met with a timid faced red haired child hiding in the bushes.

"I didn't mean to," the girl let out a quiet noise, and tried to push herself back further.

"It's fine, Betrys. It's just an accident, come on, we can ask mum to fix it," Helga held out her other hand for the second small twin, and dragged them both inside the house.

~~.~~

Helga was the oldest of the Hufflepuff siblings. She had three younger siblings,her brother Einion, and the twins, Betrys and Cledwyn. They lived in a wizarding community just off the coast. Her parents were well known in the community for her dad's inventions and her mother's herbs. Their house was of moderate size, and covered with wards to keep the grounds fresh, and the people safe. It wasn't the largest house, and they weren't nobility, so her parents had to work to keep the family fed. Einion was the heir to the house, so he spent a lot of time with their father, Garreth, while Helga was learning how to be a proper young witch with their mother, Tegan.

Or at least that was how it was supposed to work.

~~.~~

"Mum," Helga peered around into the kitchen, and saw her mom looking over her shoulder and placing the roots she had been chopping to the side.

"Yes, Helga-oh my," a grin slid across her face as Cledwyn detached from Helga's hand, and rocketed over to grasp at her skirts.

Betrys moved further behind Helga, but clung tightly to Helga's hand.

"Shh, calm down sweetie, it's all right, here," her mother reached into her pocket and drew out her wand, a beautiful wand of willow with cat sidhe hair, and waved it once over Cledwyn's head. His hair then bleached back to his bright yellow, and his tears trailed off into sniffles.

Betrys fidgeted behind Helga, drawing their Mother's attention, "Betrys, did you do this?"

The girl hid herself in Helga's skirts, "I didn't mean to. I was just mad," she sniffled again, and peeked her head around to look around.

Tegan just laughed, "Come here sweet, it is fine, it was accidental magic, I know you can't control it. But you should apologize to your brother."

Betrys moved forward, and snagged onto Tegan's skirts, " 'm sorry, Cled."

Cledwyn grinned, "S'okay, can you make other colors?" He shifted and grabbed his twin, and they both disappeared out of the workroom.

"Those two," Tegan shook her head, and turned back to Helga, "Are you all finished outside dear?"

Helga shook her head in response, "Almost done, I just need to finish planting the Woundwort."

She moved back to the door, "Do you want me to come in and help with dinner after?"

Her mum smiled, "Yes please, and if we finish early, you can sit in with Einion and your father, but only after we finish!" She gave a fake glare, and Helga giggled, heading back outside to the garden.

She moved back to the planter, and ruffled her skirts under her knees to make sure they wouldn't land in the dirt. She planted the last of the Woundwort, and closed her eyes. She placed her hands into the dirt, and focused on what she could feel in the soil. With only a little thought, she purged the soil of weeds, and made it more secure for the plants to grow. She followed the trickles of water through the soil, and watched as they moved upward into the plants. She giggled from the rush of the magic, and drew back, her hands coming to rest in her lap.

"Well that was quite some talent, young lady," A voice spoke from the other side of the hedge, and Helga jumped from where she had been sitting, nearly tripping over the hem of her skirt.

Helga looked up and took a breath, as the man who was looking over the ledge was the talk of the town.

Sir Blevins and his son came from a long line of wizards, trailing back nearly as old as the Slytherin Family. They had recently gotten a house in the village, but had not been around for long before they had gone to one of their other homes.

Helga and her friend Eirwyn had giggled over the idea of the Blevins travelling all over the world, and even around the unconquered lands far to the East.

Helga realized she should probably speak, or be taken as exceedingly rude, "Umm...yes, sir, my mother taught me."

The man nodded and grinned a gleam in his eye, "Ah, you must be one of the Hufflepuff's then, your herbs are said to be the finest."

Helga's face heated up, "Ah, yes sir, I'm Helga Hufflepuff."

The man nodded again, "and how old are you, Helga?"

"Seven, sir," the girl replied, her hands grasping her skirt.

Sir Blevins smiled, "and to have such control so young, you have quite a future ahead of you." He looked back over his shoulder, and then moved away from the hedge, "Well, it was a pleasure meeting with you , Miss Helga." He gave small bow, and she curtsied with a giggle in response.

She watched as he moved away from the hedge, and back down the street. She giggled again, and moved to the front of the house to wash her hands quickly, and then inside to help her mother with dinner.

~~.~~

"Fine, fine, get out of here you rascal," Tegan shook a bit of water at Helga, causing her to laugh, "Go annoy your father then, he is probably starting the last lessons for the day."

Helga hummed and skipped out of the room, she moved down the hallway to the last door, which was her father's work room. She knocked at the door and waited for her father to call her in before entering.

Her father's room was her favorite in the entire house. There were scrolls everywhere, and little odds and ends that floated in place, some not having been moved from their precarious perches for years. The windows were glass that changed color depending on the amount of sunlight that came through them, though one would always turn bright pink instead of working correctly, which gave her no end of giggles.

"Have you finished in the garden, Helga?" her father had splotches of ink all over his tunic, and she grinned and nodded, "Finished helping with dinner too!"

Her dad nodded and ruffled her hair, and then pushed her over next to Einion, who was sitting on the floor.

"So Einion, can you explain to Helga what we did today?"

Einion squirmed and grabbed the notebook he had been slowly writing in, he placed it gently next to her and pointed at a line, "Dad and I started to move onto different writing styles, like comparing Latin and Cu-cumb," he squirmed, and their father interrupted gently, "Cumbric."

Einion nodded and continued, "Cumbric, and common tongue, and we looked at how the spells changed when we changed the language." He nodded brightly and looked back towards their father.

"Indeed we did, good job Einion. We found that depending on the medium-excuse me- what we wrote the words on, we found out that some spells work better on some than others. Interesting, it might have to do from where the materials originally came from, or how they interact with nuances of the words..." their father trailed off, and looked into the air for a time. He then shook his head, and gestured for the two to move to the workbench.

Helga loved playing with all of her dad's tools, learning how to scribe into leather, how to slowly shape wood with magic and intent. She wasn't allowed to spend a lot of time in there, though, as she had to learn from her mum how to be a proper Lady. She was learning how to cook and clean with magic, how to make herbs grow, and how to make a home. She was slowly learning how to sew as well, in which she was really glad she had magic, because she had tried it by hand, and it was very difficult.

In a few more years she might be able to get a wand, and she was couldn't wait until then!

Helga was a bit confused at times, when she heard her parents talking late at night. They seemed to think that doing so much magic without a wand was impossible, but it wasn't, because Helga could do it easily! Maybe they just got so used to the wands that they didn't want to use their hands? That seemed like a nobler thing to do. Using your hands for tasks seemed sort of like a peasant past time, and so Helga couldn't wait until she had a wand.

That night she drifted off to the snores of the twins, and the light breaths of Einion, and she dreamed of wands, and adventures, of flowers and long lost cities.

~~.~~

The next day, Helga got up early and whirled out of her room. Dydd Sadwrn was her free day, and she wanted to spend it exploring the forest on the edge of town. She grabbed her boots, and tugged them on, piling her hair up, and then whirling away out of the door. She quickly turned back, and grabbed a sweet from the counter, where they had been kept warm over night. She grinned and packed it away into her bag, and was off in the early morning light to the edge of the town.

She moved through the town, until her feet hit the edge of the forest. In an instant everything changed, and she breathed deeply. She bent down and undid the clasps on her boots, and threw them over her shoulder. She pulled her stockings off as well, and carefully folded them into her sack. Her toes wiggled in the mossy loam and she sighed. Whenever she entered the woods, she felt safe. As if nothing there could hurt her. She could explore and run and jump and fall into creeks, and climb trees like a street urchin, and she would never get dirty or hurt. She grinned and sprinted through the woods, today her goal was a lake in the middle of the forest. She hadn't been there yet, and really wanted to see what she might find nearby.

Eirwyn always scolded her when she went off into the forest on her own, but nothing ever happened in there, so she was fine.

After all, she was a witch! She could take care of herself.

She giggled and jumped over a fallen log, her feet landing gracefully into the mud on the other side. She moved through the trees, and stopped in front of new flowers that she would ask her mother about later. She hurtled through the woods, only stopping hours later as she heard the gentle sound of ripples, and water washing against the shore.

When she poked her head out from behind some bushes, her mouth opened in awe at the sight around her. The lake was large and clear, extending into murky blue depths off to the distance. The shore was rocky, with pebbles that gleamed in the late morning sun. Wildflowers dotted the edge of the rocky shore, and she could smell sweet berries nearby.

She giggled again, and hiked up her skirts, placing her boots onto the rocks. She jumped into the water with a yelp, and splashed around, looking at all of the fish swam away. She explored the lake until the sun was high in the sky, and then she sat with her feet in the cool water, and ate the sweet she had taken. She munched happily and hummed a tune to herself, when she felt the magic of the land shift, and the surge from the lake.

Something dark was headed to the surface, near where she was sat. She pulled her feet out of the water, but didn't move away from the shore.

A head emerged from the water, it was sleek and striped, with matted fur. The rest of the body soon followed. It was a strange creature, scales and fur interchanging on it's back and legs, with a fish like tail. It moved onto the dry land of the shore, and turned to stare at Helga.

Who stared back.

And then slowly placed the last part of her sweet next to her.

The creature moved over the ground, and as it drew closer, Helga felt a bit of nervousness at how large it was. I was easily longer than she was tall, maybe even taller than the Miller, and he was the tallest person she had ever met!

The creature sniffed the sweet, and then lunged and grabbed it into it's mouth. Helga saw the gleam of sharp pointed teeth-this creature ate meat- but could feel the magic wrapping around it, and knew it would be safe. The creature snuffled, and carefully slowly, placed it's head on Helga's lap.

Helga began to gently pat it's ears.

"Why hello there," she spoke lightly, and the creature seemed to huff.

"I've never seen anything like you before, you look like a fish but you also look like," she stared at the long snout and short ears, and the stripe that went down it's body, "you sort of look like a badger."

The creature snuffled again, and curled closer. Helga moved her hand from patting the soft fur on it's head, to rubbing over the scales that overlapped near it's legs, "Well you look like a badger, so I am going to call you Badger. If that is all right, of course."

Helga took no response as an agreement that yes, that was the perfect name, and she could continue to call the creature Badger.

"Well, Badger, this is my first time out here to the lake, and I guess this is your home, so I'm sorry if I disturbed you. You have a very nice home, lots of fish and berries and pretty flowers. Would you mind if I came back here sometimes?"

Badger raised it's head from her lap, and gave her a small lick on her chin, which made her giggle. She continued to pet its fur.

"Thank you Badger!"

She petted Badger for a time, but saw that the sun was beginning to move again down to the coast.

"I'm sorry, I'm going to have to go now, maybe next time I come I can bring some food from home and we can eat together?"

Badger nodded in assent, and slowly moved back into the water, disappearing without a sound.

Helga waved at the lake, and then ran back home, flying through the woods, and shoving her feet into her boots before she hit the road.

When her house was in sight she rushed forward and shoved the door open.

"Mother! You will never guess what-"

"Helga, dear, can you come into the sitting room please?" Her mother's voice drifted through the house, and Helga quickly shed her boots, and straightened her hair. She moved through the house, and knocked on the door to the sitting room.

"Come in, dear, we were just talking about you," her father was in the sitting room as well, and Helga quickly stepped in, only to have her eyes widen at the last guest.

Sir Blevins gave her a small smile, "Hello again, Miss Helga."

"Hello sir," She nodded, and took a seat next to her mother.

"So Helga, you already met Sir Blevins, yes?"

"Yes mum, I met him yesterday."

"You see, your daughter is quite gifted with magic, as I am sure you have noticed, and I believe an engagement between Helga and my son Brayden would work out well for both of our houses. I am aware that there is a lot we must talk about, but I would like you to know that I am personally interested in this endeavor."

The man nodded and stood with a smile. Helga's father escorted him out of the house, and Helga looked up at her mother with wide eyes.

Her mother smiled and ruffled her hair, "Look at you, already have the possibility of a marriage! Don't worry dear, it won't actually happen until you are older, but I guess it is time to start you on some more the homemaking work."

Her mother stood up and smoothed out her skirt, "From now on in the afternoon we are going to have to work together instead of you going off to listen to your father, all right?"

Helga's eyes widened even more, "But, but mum! I like learning with dad!"

Her mother nodded, "I know dear, but you have so much to learn, if you can keep up a good schedule, mayhaps you can sit in on some of the lessons, but not until I say so, understood young lady?"

"Yes mum," Helga deflated, and went back to her room to lay on her bed with a huff.

After some time the door creaked open, "Helga?" a quiet voice called out into the room, and shuffling footsteps moved toward her bed. A small finger poked at her side, and then she could feel the bed dip as two small figures fidgeted their way onto the bed, and laid down next to and on top of her.

"Helga, what's wrong?" Betrys spoke again, and lay a small hand on her cheek.

"I'm fine, Betrys, I just ... I am going to be busy from now on so I can't play with fun magic as much," she spoke quietly, and saw Cledwyn and Betrys exchange looks.

"No more fun stuff?" Cledwyn spoke from where he rested on her shoulder.

"Yeah."

Betrys nodded, with all of the stubbornness of a four year old, "If you can't have fun stuff, then we will make you fun stuff! I can turn Cleds hair lots of colors now! I could do that."

"I won't even cry!" Cledwyn spoke, and he fidgeted so he laid closer, "I promise, so don't be sad, please?"

Helga laughed a little, and then turned over, catching Cledwyn in her arms as he let out a yelp, "If you two promise to practice your magic, and learn as much as you can, I promise I will be happy, yes?"

"You s-s-swear it?" Betrys face was stern as she stumbled over a new word.

Helga hid a grin, "I do."

"Good!" Cledwyn clung closer, "I don't like it when you are sad."

She hugged the twin closer to her, and then they three got out of the bed, with the twins hanging off of her arms. She roared at them, and chased them around the house, until the three of them collapsed in the main room in a pile. After dinner, Helga helped clean up the dishes with a flick of her hands, and then went to her room to read.

Einion soon went to sit on his bed as well, "Is it true? That you have a suitor?"

Helga closed her book and nodded, "Yes, apparently Sir Blevins thinks I would be a good match for his son."

"But you haven't even met him!" Einion shouted, his face grim.

Helga swallowed, "Mum didn't meet Pop before they got married, and they worked out fine."

Einion didn't look convinced.

"It isn't fair, and mum said you weren't going to be doing work with me and pop anymore either! That isn't right at all! You can write quicker than me, and you can do the spells better, you should keep working with Pop!"

Helga sighed, he heart twinging, "Mum says if I can learn everything then I might still have time to learn with Pop."

Einion continued to frown, "I still don't think it seems right, if I am going to get married, I want it to be to someone I like!"

Helga smiled, and ruffled his hair, which caused him to make a disgruntled noise and try to get the red locks back down.

"It will be fine, Einion, it is a good match, anyway, the Blevins are a well known family, and I should be really happy to get this chance," Helga laid down in her bed, and as she closed her eyes, was barely able to hear her brothers response.

"Just cause you should doesn't mean you are."

~~.~~

"Really! Brayden Blevins!" Eirwyn gasped, and moved over the lawn to sit next to Helga, "That is so lucky!"

Helga shrugged, "I don't know, I haven't even met him yet! I don't think anyone in town has met him, and I have to study with mum now instead of working with pop."

Eirwyn shrugged, "Well I mean, he is the only son of the Blevins line, so he can't be all bad! And I think learning to be a Lady is fun, mother and I spent yesterday going over the noble houses and different kinds of curtseys."

Helga grimaced and let out an aggravated sigh, "But I don't want to know that! I want to learn how to transcribe spells and make things out of the Earth! I don't want to be trained to be some noble wife."

Eirwyn just shook her head, "Helga, if this works, you will have a good life! A noble family as old as the Blevins will be very stable, and you won't have a need for anything! My mother started talks months ago with the Smith's son, and they are very reputable as well, I see nothing wrong with having an arranged marriage."

"But you already know Drystan, and he has been smitten with you for years, it only makes sense that you two be together," Helga sighed and shuffled in the dirt, checking the leaves of the plants for bugs.

"Oooooooh, that's it is it!" Eirwyn burst out, a smile crossing her face. She shifted so the basket she was carrying rested against her other side, "You are afraid he won't like you! Oh, Helga you have nothing to worry about!"

Helga let out a sigh at her friends laughter, "I'm not afraid he won't like me, I'm afraid he won't like me. I know even you find it odd how much time I spend in the woods, and you are my best friend, how is a complete stranger going to react?"

Eirwyn placed her basket on the ground, and kneeled down, making sure her skirt didn't get stained in the early morning dew, she leaned over and gave Helga a hug, "Don't worry, it is years away anyhow, and that is only if it works out. Just try your best, and if the worse comes, you can enchant some trees and go live in the wood and become some kind of forest sprite or something."

Helga giggled and leaned into Eirwyn's hug, "Thank you."

"No matter what happens you are my best friend, and I will stand by you always, especially if Sir Blevins son doesn't deserve you!" She giggled, and stood up, fluffing out her skirts, "I have to go now, Mother will want to see these new clothes that were brought in, she says she is going to make a new tunic for father."

"Bye Eirwyn!" Helga smiled and turned back to her work.

~~...~~

Helga worked with her mother everyday, learning the proper ways to walk and talk and curtsey, how to address people, and how to run a home. She worked tirelessly, and after a year of training, her mother grudgingly agreed for her to be able to return to working with her father on his inventions. Every week she would go down and see Badger, and she would tell him about all the amazing things she had seen that week, and how her magic was growing and growing, a lot like the plants she had worked with. When she sat by the lake, she would sometimes close her eyes, and place her magic into the ground. She was slowly learning how to form things from the ground, and use the wild magic running underneath her fingers to make them do different things. She had a small collection by the lake that she hid in a cubby she had made. A small oblong bowl that made anything put into it fade into ceramics. A tree sprout that had leaves of all different colors. A small goblet that could turn any water put into it clear. She worked tirelessly to try to find out what kind of magic she was using, but never seemed to be able to bring it up properly when she was at home.

Her mother always looked at her oddly when she went out to work with the plants, and even her father had commented on how well the herbs and flowers were growing, and how their lawn was the envy of the town. Someday's her mother couldn't keep up with the orders, and Helga had to help her all day and into the night to make sure that the herbs were ready to be sold. After the first year, Tegan took Helga to the market days, and she helped sell all of the herbs.

Helga had only been to the market a few times before that, and it was always amazing. It was filled with witches and wizards, buying and selling, and all kinds of strange odds and ends. If there wasn't a rush at their stand, her mother allowed her to move between the other stalls and see all of the amazing things that were for sale. Some days, the entire family would come if their was festival during the week, or some of the olde holidays that needed to be remembered.

Helga was officially engaged to Brayden Blevins when she turned nine, but she still hadn't met him. She had heard that he was 13 years old, and that he spent a lot of time studying magic. Other than that no one really knew anything about the young Lord.

~~.~~

Helga grinned as she watched the flowers she cared for bloom larger and larger, until they stood nearly as tall as she did.

She closed her eyes, and let out a large sigh, and then looked back at the plants which had frozen in their rapid growth.

"Mum! Mum!" She laughed and ran back into the house.

"Hmm?" her mother was sitting in the family room, fixing some holes that Betrys had gotten in her shift. Betrys was always wilder than Cledwyn, and more free with using her magic. Cledwyn seemed to have more control, but sometimes had very violent reactions to situations.

"You have to see what I just did! You know those roses that you wanted to grow, but were going to have to wait for the fall harvest?"

"Yes?" her mother gently placed the shift to the side, and allowed Helga to pull her outside. when they got in sight of the planter box, her mother froze.

"I did it!" Helga laughed and spun to pet the sunset flower petals.

"Helga..how?" Tegan's hand covered her mouth, and her eyes were wide.

"I just asked nicely! And then I..I pulled and then they grew! Now you can sell them in the market to that nice Lady who is always asking about them!"

Helga suddenly found herself in her mother's arms, "You have no idea how amazing you are, do you?"

"Mum?" Helga squirmed in the embrace until she could see her mother's face, which was shining brightly.

"You just..Helga, no one can do this, no one should be able to make flowers bloom out of season, and I see the way you have been making some of the flowers dance, and the trees move. I swear if you wanted to you could make the very earth work for you."

Helga looked at her mother with a pout, "I already do that, and I can make them magic too!"

"What?" Her mother stiffened, "What do you mean?"

"I can show you?" Helga made grabbing motion at the ground, and her mother smiled, but held up a hand.

"Let me get your father first, if you can really do that..."

"Of course I can, I don't lie you know!"

"I know, dear heart."

A few moments later, and Einion and their father joined them in the yard.

"What is going on?" Einion moved forward to where Helga was standing.

"Helga is going to show us something, " Tegan spoke and gave her daughter a small smile, "if you would."

Helga nodded and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and tried to think of something to make. What did her family need? She thought back to weeks before, when her mother had been looking over things that she could add to the garden. There had been a really pretty fountain that they looked over, but it was too expensive to put in. The fountain itself was gorgeous, but the important part was that it had enchantments in it to purify the underlying magic where it was placed.

That kind of magic was important for any herbalist, because magic would slowly seep into the soil where it was practiced a lot, and they would have to pay for someone to come out every year to make sure the underlying magic wouldn't affect the potency of the herbs.

She took another deep breath, and called to the Earth. She moved over to the corner of the garden, and allowed her will to reach into the rocks far below. As she called, the earth began to rumble, and she heard gasps from behind her. She called the rocks upward, and allowed them to form a basin and a spout.

She focused then, because she hadn't ever worked with pure water before, and searched the ground to find it running underneath. She pulled the water up, and focused her thoughts of purity, of clean, of safe, and then felt the trickle of magic spread throughout the ground underneath her feet.

She opened her eyes with a gasp, and would have fallen backwards if her father hadn't caught her.

She smiled at the sight before her. The fountain itself was made of pure quartz crystal, sparkling in the sunlight at every angle. The basin was gently sloped, and it made the water inside glow with the sunlight that was reflecting off every surface. The middle of the basin pitched up in stair steps, and water flowed from the one on top, and down the sides of the spiral down into the basin.

"See!" she sighed out, and then was whirled around into her father's arms.

"Helga..this is.."

"THAT IS GREAT!" Einion burst out and went over to the fountain, "How is that even possible, sister, this is amazing!"

Helga giggled, "I never made anything that big before! She tried to stand up by herself, but her legs wouldn't follow what she wanted to do.

"Oh dear, you used lot of magic for that," Her father swung her up on his hip, and she let out a yelp of indignation at the childish treatment.

"You are going to need to rest after doing something like that," her mother helped them back into the house, and Helga felt her eyes close.

She woke up with eyes blurring, and a cup of water placed gently into her hands, "Here dear, drink this."

She drank and grimaced at the taste of pepper up, "ugh, gross."

"That is what happens when you over reach yourself," her mother smiled and patted her head.

"You've been asleep for an entire day, it s almost supper now," her father spoke from where he was standing in the door frame.

"Oh no!" Helga gasped, and tried to get out of the bed, but her mother gently pushed her back in, "I need to see Badger!"

Her father chuckled, "We know dear, we are going to the market tomorrow, but if you hurry you can meet your little friend in the morning, and then head over."

"You mean I can go to the market by myself!" Helga grinned widely, and her shoulder shook with anticipation.

"Well, I dare say you can handle yourself!" Her mother laughed and laid a hand gently on her head, " Come on now, let's get some food into you."

~~.~~

"And then I made a huuuuge fountain, and the lands all clear, and it feels amazing, and I bet we are going to have the best harvest ever!" Helga flailed her arms widely as she patted Badger on the head, "and Mum says she is going to go look for a tutor for me, because my magic is apparently really awesome!"

A pout crossed over her face, " How was I supposed to know? I was just using magic, it isn't like there are set rules to what someone can and can't do!"

She gave Badger a small smile, and began to stand up, "I have to go now, Badger, I need to meet my family at the market."

She was halfway out of her crouch, when the magic around her changed. She shivered, and suddenly Badger was half on top of her, stopping her from moving.

"Badger! Badger, what are you doing?" the magic gave another violent tremble, and she shivered at the force of the malevolence she could feel.

"Badger, what is going on?" She whispered, fear touching at her for the first time.

Badger growled low in his throat, and circled around her, making is so she couldn't see anything besides his pelt.

"I need to go! I can't stay here!" She tried to shuffle against his fur, but he just grumbled and nudged her head with his snout.

"Why won't you let me go?" She grumped.

After a few more minutes of struggling, she relaxed back into his side with a sigh.

"Fine, I will just stay here and not move, does that work?"

Badger gave an affirmative snort, and closed his eyes.

After a few more minutes, Helga felt her eyes close as well, and soon lost herself to the oblivion of sleep.

~~.~~

When she woke, it was early morning and Badger was nowhere to be found. She crawled up from the rock she had been leaned against, and reached out for the magic underneath her. It had settled during the night, but there were still violent twirls the shifted through the usually calm ground.

She shuddered and walked back to her house in the early morning light. She opened the door and spoke, "I'm sorry! Badger wouldn't let me leave!"

She waited, but there was no response from anywhere in the house.

"Mum?" Helga poked her head into the kitchen, and saw that not even the fire was lit.

"Did they spend the night over at that inn near the market?" She sighed, and placed her sack onto the floor. She moved from room to room, dread begin to roll in her stomach.

"They...they would have told me, right? If they were planning on staying?" She shuffled a bit, and walked back to the front door. She took a few steps outside, and moved over to the garden.

"I guess I can start on the chores for the day then, they probably just stayed at the inn overnight for the festival," Helga moved to sit in the dirt, when a loud gasp came from the front lawn.

"H-Helga," Eirwyn gasped, and rushed forward, pulling Helga to her feet, and holding her in a tight hug.

"You-you, oh I was so worried! I thought you were dead, when we heard what happened!" Eirwyn was pulling her closer and closer.

"Eirwyn? What, what do you mean?" The dread in the pit of her stomach grew, nearly choking her.

Eirwyn pulled back, eyes wide, and tears streaming down her face, "Oh...oh oh Helga, you don't? Oh, hurry!"

Helga allowed herself to be pulled forward, rushing towards the town healer, "E-Eirwyn?"

Her friend just pulled her forward, until she was shoved unceremoniously through the door, "Father! Father! Helga is here!"

Eirwyn's father strode quickly from his patient room in the back, and his eyes saddened at the sight of her.

"Helga...come, Einion is in the back."

Helga moved forward quickly, "Einion was hurt? What happened!"

He grimaced, and gently escorted her to the back room.

Einion was sitting up in the bed, his face white, and his eyes staring at the wall unseeing. He had bandages wrapped around both of his arms, and up his neck.

"Einion?" She moved forward, and her voice seemed to shock him out of his stupor.

He looked at her as if she couldn't have existed.

"H-He-Helga," His shoulders started to shake, and she rushed forward to gather him into her arms.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't-," He trailed off and began to sob, Helga holding him tightly.

She wasn't sure how long she held him, but after a time his breath began to even out, and she gently placed him back into the bed.

She moved from the room back to the front, where Eirwyn's father was seated, his head held in his hands.

"Sir?"

"There was an attack at the market."

Helga nearly stopped breathing.

"Some sorcerer, going on about how muggles should pay for what they had done, about how none of us would stand against them..." he trailed off and took a shuttered breath, and then spoke in a whisper.

"I've never heard of the spell he used, black fire, everything burned," he breathed out a sigh and took Helga's hand in his own, "I'm sorry, Helga, your family...Einion was at the edge of the market, so he wasn't in the direct blast, but..."

"No..." Helga whispered out, a haze seeming to crash over her vision, "Don't joke, please, this isn't funny."

"Helga, I'm, by the gods Helga I am sorry, but they are dead."

Helga stepped back, tugging her hand from his grasp, "No, no, nononononnononono, I- I don't believe you, that isn't possible. They are fine, they just spent the night in the inn is all, you can stop the joke now-"

She was cut off as she was abruptly brought into a hug, "I'm so sorry Helga, but they are gone."

Helga's world slowed, and she felt her knees disappear from underneath her.

Her world was gone.

~~.~~

She and her brother stayed at the Healers for three more days before he allowed them to go back home. Helga had insisted the entire time, and she would not have them stay any longer.

She wanted to go home.

Einion's wound were healing well, and he would soon be able to move about again, he wasn't speaking as much, and clung to Helga wherever she went.

She didn't mind.

When he would finally sleep, she would sneak off into the garden, and stare at the fountain in the corner.

If she had been there...

If she had fought harder against Badger...

She was powerful, she had control of the earth, she could have saved them.

It was her fault, she should have gone to the market.

It was all her fault.

Her breathing grew louder and louder, rage slowly filling her figure.

If she had magic, what good was it if she couldn't protect her family, what good was it if it was useless.

Her breathing grew rapidly, and her magic swirled violently from her into the ground. It built and and built, and finally she let out a wordless scream, making the ground quake underneath her feet. The trees trembled, and the ground shook, massive cracks were heard all around.

A gentle hand on her shoulder cut her short, and she whirled around in anger, her magic ready to fight against whoever dared disturb her.

"Calm down, Miss, we don't want you taking the village down," Sir Blevins spoke calmly from where he stood.

Helga froze and her anger slowly dissipated back into the ground.

"That's it breathe, slow breaths, good," He moved to crouch next to her, "You have to control it, not let it control you."

Helga closed her eyes and let out another slow breath, the final violent swirls dissipating. She slowly sunk to the ground, and didn't even notice when Sir Blevins had sat beside her.

"We just got back, when I heard the news," Sir Blevins was speaking quietly, "I came over here as soon as I could, and it seems that is a good thing."

Helga looked up at his face with bleary eyes, and saw true compassion in his own, "Helga, you and Einion should not be on your own after this. Come to my house. You both can live there. It is large and quiet, and you both can continue your educations."

Helga stared up at him, breath hitching, but she shook her head, "N-no sir, it's fine we can stay here."

His eyes steeled, but he still spoke gently, "Just because you can doesn't mean you should, you and your brother deserve to be somewhere safe, somewhere where you can learn and not shoulder all of the responsibilities of adulthood yet," then a small smile flickered across his face, and disappeared quickly, "but if you want me to come up with some kind of logical reason..." he trailed off and thought for a moment, before nodding, "It wouldn't be right for my son's fiancee to be off on her own, it would be best if you were to live at my house until you were wed, and this way you could get to know each other."

He quickly got to his feet, and helped Helga to hers. He moved them back in front of the house.

"You don't need to answer yet, but please think about it, I think it would be good for both of you. I will come back in two days, and if your answer is yes, I will have you moved over straight away," then he stopped and smiled, "and if it is no, then the option is always open. Good night, Miss Helga."

She gave a small sniff, and then gave a curtsey as he left.

She closed the door behind her, and sank to the floor again.

She sobbed quietly into her arms, and then slowly made her way back to her bed.

~~.~~

The Blevins' estate was expansive, the house itself was huge, with wings that extended beyond the main building. The grounds were impressive as well, well maintained, and with a menagerie of creatures that Helga had never seen before.

She wasn't really paying attention to them at the moment, though.

She and Einion walked through the main doors behind Sir Blevins as some of his house elves were taking care of their luggage.

"Well, here is the main hall, off to the left is the family wing, and to the right is the guest wing. There are quite a few rooms left open in the family wing, as it is just Brayden and I, so you can choose whichever rooms you wish. Gimble can give you a tour, I am sorry I can not stay longer, but we are in a state of emergency at the moment."

Helga and Einion nodded, and followed the house elf through the mansion. Helga had never seen a house elf before but made sure that she was polite. She and Einion ended with room right next to each other, that had a door that connected the two. They could lock and unlock the door with spells, but left it open for the time being.

"What is going to happen to us?" Einion spoke up for the first time. Helga crossed over to him and gave him a hug, "Sir Blevins said that we would still be educated, and we can probably still work on what we did before, but we have to be polite."

Einion nodded, and curled closer to Helga, "I miss Mum and Pop, and the twins, even though they kept causing explosions. I expected to wake up this morning to Cledwyn whining about Betrys dumping water on him again."

Helga's eyes grew moist but she held back the tears, "I know, Einion, I know..."

~~.~~

A couple weeks later, and Helga had gotten use to how the Blevins mansion was run. She moved through the rooms with ease, and continued lessons with the Housekeeper, who had been a close friend of the late Lady Blevins.

Brayden had been working out in the country for the past month, and so Helga had still not met him. She and Einion practiced basic magic together, but she had not found the time to work on her own skills (and was also afraid of messing up the garden).

But today she had a mission, she had moved to the large library near the back of the mansion, and was searching through all of the bestiaries she could find.

She really wanted to know what Badger was.

She created a large pile of scrolls and books that she gently placed down on the table, and began to flip through them. Hours passed without her noticing, and she slowly turned page after page. She sighed, and began to flip faster and faster, and stopped.

The drawing on the page showed a large beast, a square head and large buck teeth, but it was the rest of the drawing that made her pay attention. It was almost exactly the same as Badger!

" 'Afanc, a magical creature that is said to live in lakes, it drowns and eats anyone who dare draw near,' well that is just silly!" Helga huffed and moved back from the book.

"And how is a large man eating magical creature capable of causing massive floods out of whim 'silly?' " a voice spoke from nearby, and Helga startled out of her seat.

A teenager was sat nearby, one eyebrow raised with a small smile on his face. He had dark hair that was pushed back over his ear, and striking grey eyes. Helga felt herself blush a bit, but managed to push it back.

"It is silly, because the Afanc I met is completely nice, and enjoy lazing about in the sun more than eating people! He does like dried meats, though," she trailed off and pursed her lips, but the teenager moved forward, delight in his eyes.

"You've seen an Afanc? Do you know how rare they are?"

She shrugged, "I've known him for years, I just didn't know what he was! He lives in the lake in the forest nearby."

The teen's eyes glittered, "Really? Could I meet him? I mean, I mainly study magical creatures, so it would be amazing to meet an actual Afanc, especially if it isn't going to try to eat me..." he trailed off, and flushed, "Oh, right, I should probably introduce myself right? I'm Brayden Blevins."

Helga's face flushed as well, "Helga Hufflepuff."

Brayden's face immediately flamed up, "Ah...umm...n-nice to meet you then, I mean, Father has spoken about you, and he told me that you were here, and I should have guessed because I never see anyone in the library, I mean, I use the library but...I'm just going to stop talking now."

He turned his face to look at a wall, and Helga finally gave into the giggles she had felt, she calmed herself quickly, and spoke again, "I can take you to meet him if you want, I haven't seen him since...since the day of the market attack. He wouldn't let me leave...I think he knew something bad was happening.." she trailed off and stared at her hands.

"I'm sorry about what happened to your family, well I guess sorry doesn't mean much does it?" Brayden shuffled his hand through his hair, "I-I hope that that bastard pays for what he did a thousand times over."

Helga looked up, and was surprised at the fire that burned in his eyes.

"Me too."

~~.~~

"It is just a bit further, this way!" Helga hopped over another log, and rushed forward to the lake.

"Fine, fine, let's just ask Badger if he wants to eat me or not first please!" Brayden called from right behind her, as he vaulted over the log as well.

When she got to the shore she took a deep breath; she moved towards the shore, and jumped into the water. Then she waited.

Brayden moved to one of the rocks that dotted the shore line, and stared at all that surrounded them.

"This is amazing, how did you find his place?" Brayden look around in awe,

"I always knew it was here, I can just...tell" Helga shrugged, "From what I can tell, my magic is connected with the earth, and I can feel the magic that runs through it. So I can just tell."

"That's amazing," he trailed off, and straightened, and Helga turned as well. A dark blur started to come close to the shore, but stopped far enough out not to breach the water.

A sad smile crossed her face, and she moved even deeper into the water, "Hey Badger, I brought some food for you, if you want to come out?"

The blur moved closer, and his snout peeked out about a foot away from her. Helga leaned forward and began to pet it.

"I missed you, I'm sorry I couldn't come before now," She carefully hugged him under the water, "thank you for saving me, oh!" before she could even move, she slid onto his back as he trundled out of the water onto the dry land,

"Well, thank you Badger, the water was nice though!" She giggled and slid off of his back onto the shore. She then gestured at the rock where Brayden was sitting, looking in awe at the Afanc.

"Badger, this is Brayden, he is a good friend of mine, and he wanted to meet you, is that fine?"

Badger whuffed and waddled forward skirting around the edge of the rock until he was able to press his snout against Brayden's hand.

"Hello to you too, Badger," Brayden moved slowly and calmly, and began to pat Badger's head.

"I want to thank you as well, for taking care of her," Brayden spoke quietly, but his voice echoed around the lake just the same, causing Helga to blush as red as her hair, and Badger to make a contented noise.

The three of them stayed there for hours, Helga showing Brayden her magic, and Brayden telling her all about the magical creatures he had seen on his adventures.

They went back every week.

~~...~~

"Come on Helga, come on!" Einion tugged at her sleeve as they hurried down the busy street.

"Yes, yes, I'm coming!" Helga smiled, she hadn't seen Einion this happy in a long time.

They finally stopped in front of a small shop at the end of the row,

"Ollivanders-Makers of fine wands since 382 B.C." Helga read out, and the smile on her face became even larger.

"Oh, come on, Helga, let's get our wands!" Einion opened the door, and she followed behind him.

The place had rows upon rows of boxes held in shelves, and a very small desk set up near the front.

There was a couch to the side, where a young man around Einion's age was sat. Helga hid a laugh because the young man had red hair that was about as vibrant as her own.

He looked up at the noise, and a small smile flitted across his face, "Well, that is an unusual shade."

"To you as well," Helga laughed back, "Are you here for a wand?"

The boy's face fell, "I was, but so far none have worked for me...I'm not quite sure what it means, honestly..."

"Sometimes it happens, child, it is nothing to worry about, rather, you will probably find something else that is more in tune with your nature," a voice from behind Helga made her jump, and she whirled around to see a strange looking man leaning against the shelves.

"Two customers, lovely, you must be the Hufflepuffs, yes, I can feel your magic in the earth even now,now, which one wants to go first?"

Helga gave Einion a nod, and soon he was trying wand after wand.

"So if you aren't getting a wand, what are you doing here?" Helga asked the boy.

"I'm waiting for my mother, we had to sneak out, you see. Father doesn't...well... let's say if he found out I was a wizard it would be unpleasant," the boy shrugged with nonchalance.

"I'm sorry," Helga frowned, how could someone live while hiding who they really were?

"It isn't to bad, honestly, mother makes sure I can control myself, and we haven't had any problems."

"And that is the one, Eleven inch, willow, with unicorn tail, surprisingly swishy," Ollivander finished with a grin, and Einion looked at the wand with awe.

"Next is you, young lady."

Helga stepped forward, and the man asked her to hold out her wand arm. He then stopped and stared at her.

"Oh my, well this is such a surprising day, hold a moment please," he then vanished into the back.

He came out with a small twig, and handed it to her, "Make that grow."

Without a thought, leaves started to appear on the twig, and the old man sighed, "Who would have thought for two in one day."

"Excuse me?" Helga asked, still holding the branch.

"You can't have a wand, young lady, none of them could possibly work for you. You magic is tied into nature itself, every one of these wands would only be able to handle a portion of your magic. Such as the young lord there, you will have to find your own balance. This is the first time in over four hundred years since this has occurred. And twice in one day," the man looked thoughtful, "your futures will change the way of the world, no doubt about that."

Helga frowned a little, but nodded and handed the twig back to the man, "Well, thank you all the same."

"No problem, no problem," the man vanished back into the rows of wands, and Helga turned around to find a matching look of disbelief on the boys face.

"Weird."

"Yes."

The boy turned, and stood suddenly as he saw someone standing outside, "Oh, that is mother, I have to go, it was a pleasure to meet you..."

"Helga Hufflepuff," she held out her hand primly, and he skimmed his lips over her knuckles.

"A pleasure, Miss Hufflepuff, I'm Godric Gryffindor, good day to you both," He nodded to Einion, and left.

Einon watched the boy leave, and tugged on Helga's sleeve, "Sister, while we are here, can we stop by the bookstore?"

Helga laughed brightly, "Of course, let's see if we can find anything interesting!"

~~...~~

When Helga was twelve, she bled for the first time. Brayden was sixteen at the time, and according to customs, it was time for the two of them to be wed.

It was a surprisingly large affair, as the Blevins were a noble family, and even after the attacks the Hufflepuff name held a large amount of weight.

Nobles from all over the land came, with presents, and stories, and Helga found herself swamped in all of the amazing wizards and witches that had appeared.

The wedding took place on the Summer Solstice, the day of growth and light, which Helga and Brayden found hysterical, as Helga's magic was found to wax and wane with the seasons, and was at it's peak that day, making everything so much brighter.

In place of her father, Einion was the one to set up most of the had grow tall and strong, had settled in his own skin, but was quiet for an eleven year old. Helga knew that the fates of their family still rested heavily on his shoulders, and she was constantly trying to help him move on, to learn more about magic, or travel, but she could see the silent weight.

In the morning it started with the chase, of Brayden having to find her in the large manor, where the multitude of guests milled about, using spells and charms to hide their presence.

It was said that if the groom could find his wife within the first hour, that they would have a life of good luck.

Brayden made the time limit, mainly because Helga's magic was overshadowing most of the spells, which later on she jokingly accused him of cheating because of it.

The wedding was grand and luxurious, flowers floated in the air, and magic rang heavy over the large groups of witches and wizards who had helped prepare.

At dusk, Helga and Brayden completed their vows.

The after party was pure chaos. It was the first time many large noble families had seen each other in years, and soon festivities filled the entire town.

Helga smiled and danced and twirled with many of the guests, and was finally able to rest along the sidelines as she found herself near the edge of the dancing.

She leaned against the wall, and smiled at the laughter and purity that surrounded her. Her magic was thrumming with life, and love, causing beautiful patterns to appear in the air and ground, often startling people as the trees themselves seemed to dance along with the music.

"Your magic is strong!" a small voice spoke gravely from nearby, and Helga looked around to find the voice.

A small child was standing near her, his brilliant green tunic making his vibrant green eyes stand out even more against his black shock of hair.

"Oh, you can tell?" Helga crouched down, making sure to keep her dress off of the ground.

"Mmhmm," the boy nodded, and he patted her hand, "I can always tell, are you the lady this party is for?"

Helga let out a small laugh, "Yes, I just got married you see."

The little boys eyes widened, "Oh! Wow, I mean," He coughed, and Helga held back a giggle as she watched him gather his thoughts, "Cong-congratulations." He nodded seriously.

Helga smiled, "Thank you, by the way, my name is Helga Blevins, what is your's?"

The boy smiled widely, "Salazar Slytherin! Mum calls me Sal, though..." suddenly his eyes widened, and he whirled around, "Ooops..."

He twisted about, and Helga saw the beginnings of panic filling his eyes, "You're one of the Slytherins from Ireland, yes? I think I saw a relative of yours near the pond, would you like me to help you find them?"

The little boy looked up with pleading eyes, and nodded quickly.

Helga smiled, and stood up, her hand outstretched. Salazar quickly took it, and the two of them walked to the pond.

Right as they reached it, a young woman, only a bit younger then Helga, appeared, and grabbed Salazar in a hug.

"Oh, Sally! We were so worried! You just vanished!"

"Don't call me Sally!" The little boy squirmed, but the girl just laughed and swung him around.

"Thank you so much, Lady Blevins, he gets into so much trouble!" The girl laughed, and hoisted Salazar over her shoulder, much to his annoyance.

Helga laughed, and was able to hold back the small amount of pain the domestic scene was causing her, "It was no problem, he was quite the little gentleman, it was lovely to meet you, she held out her hand, and Salazar reached out and shook it vigorously.

"You magic is still amazing! But why isn't your thing here?"

Helga looked at the boy in confusion, "What thing?"

The boy fidgeted again from his perch, "Your...animal thing, you must have one if you are so powerful, so why isn't it here?"

Helga laughed brightly, not noticing as the fireflies that were flitting over the grounds grew even brighter, "Oh, he is much too big to be here, and he would rather relax in his lake then be at a party."

Salazar nodded gravely, and his sister excused them with a polite nod.

Hands slipped around Helga's middle and she felt a chin rest on her head, "That was the Slytherin family heir, just so you know, they are calling him a prodigy."

Helga leaned back into Brayden's grip, "Really? He is surprising young, I thought the Slytherins were one of the oldest families."

"They are, they had three older daughters before him, and were beginning to despair from what I heard."

"He is sweet," Helga smiled, and then whirled around and grabbed Brayden's hand, "Come on, we can't stay out here too long, people will talk!"

Brayden followed Helga with a laugh, before sweeping her up, causing her to let out a startled yelp.

~~...~~

"Mum! Mummy!" A voice called out, and Helga set down her book, and moved into the nearby living room carefully.

Deri stood in the middle of a gigantic mess, a large mischievous smile lighting over his face.

"Oh dear..." Helga smiled down at the three year old, and soon copied his smile, "How have you managed to make such a mess."

"Magic," the three year old deadpanned, starling a laugh out of Helga, "But look mummy, I drew badger!"

Helga gently placed a hand on her rounded stomach, and knelt down to look at her son's drawing, "Well it certainly looks like him, but I never knew he could grow wings."

The four year old nodded with hidden wisdom, "But he should."

A hand appeared at the edge of Helga's vision, and she gently grasped it as Brayden pulled her back to her feet.

They had been married for five years, and Helga was heavily pregnant with their second child.

Brayden had taken to working at home, instead of going out to catalogue newly found magical creatures, and Helga was honestly thankful for all of the support.

"I believe Badger likes water more than the air though, Deri," Brayden spoke with a large smile.

"But he could fly! I bet! If he wanted to!" Deri grumbled, and latched onto his father's leg.

"Well...maybe..." Brayden trailed off with a shrug, and Helga sighed with a smile.

"I don't think he would want to, and if people saw Badger flying around it might terrify them," Helga added, and Brayden blanched a little at the thought.

"I agree with that completely."

Later that night, after Deri had finally fallen asleep, Brayden and Helga were reading quietly in their room.

Brayden let out a sigh, and placed his book down on the small table, "I heard some things today, dear..."

"Has the plague spread?" Helga looked up with alarm, and Brayden sighed heavily.

"Yes, that is part of it...it seems to be spreading quickly, and Mr. Morrin from two towns away was found dead just this morning."

Helga flinched, and nodded, " I can get some more of the pain relievers out by tomorrow, I believe. I am quite glad that Einion decided to go on that adventure of his, I would hate for him to be around for this plague."

Brayden shook his head with a smile, "Don't work yourself too hard, dear we don't want you getting hurt."

Helga shrugged, already thinking of what else she would need to stock up on.

"There was something else as well...I heard that, well, you remember little Salazar right?"

"Slytherin? Of course...you are not saying the plague?" She gasped into her hands, and Brayden flinched.

"No, but...I'm not sure what happened, but their house was found burned to the ground...and no survivors have been found."

Helga's book dropped, "You..you can't be serious? Don't they have wards up?'

Brayden nodded, "Yes, and from what we can tell, it was muggles that burned the place down, and that doesn't make any sense either..."

"What color was the fire," Helga's voice broke, and Brayden looked up with alarm, "I hadn't even thought to ask... you aren't thinking that it could be the same man?"

Helga's hands were shaking, but she soon found them grasped in a gentle grip.

She calmed down, and leaned forward carefully, resting her head on Brayden's shoulder.

"If it was that man, he will be punished for what he has done."

~~...~~

Helga spent the next few weeks hard at work, mixing potions and creating poultices. The plague had hit their town, and hit it hard. Deri was no longer allowed out of the house, as everyone was afraid of catching it.

Helga wiped some sweat off of her brow, boiling in the small chamber she used for her potions. The world was beginning to get fuzzy on the edges, so she stepped out of the room, and laid down on the couch.

She coughed quietly, but soon oblivion overtook her, and she knew no more.

It was dark, and hot, and hands were grabbing at her, and pushing her around. People were screaming, and yelling and crying, and she couldn't do anything. She couldn't even move

She tried to grab onto her magic, but it kept slipping out of her fingertips. She tried to ground herself, but could only feel the air rushing around her, pushing her to and fro without a thought of which direction she wanted to go.

Why fight it? She sank further under the dark water, falling into the pitch, not even struggling against the fluid that filled her lungs.

She opened her eyes slowly in the murky depths, watching as the shadows danced on the surface.

A jolt rushed through her body, and she pitched forward.

A long sleek body was floating beside her, its tail fin swishing back and forth, and it's head nuzzling into her shoulder.

'Badger...' she couldn't even find her voice, but he must have heard her.

He swam beneath her, and she felt herself being pushed towards the surface, suddenly breaking free with a wild gasp.

~~...~~

Helga woke to blurry edges, and soft noises. She blinked her eyes once, then again, the blurriness fading.

Her throat screamed abuse at her, and her head was pounding. She took a breath, and soon coughs were all that escaped from her lips.

A cup of water was gently lifted up, and she drank from it relaxing back as the cool water helped her scratchy throat.

Her eyes followed the hand back, and she was surprised to see her father in law looking at her.

"Sir?" she whispered quietly, but he just shook his head.

"Hush child, the fever has just broken...don't move," he leaned back and ran a hand over his face.

Helga blinked at him, and allowed herself to relax back into the covers, something didn't feel right.

Her brows scrunched, and she shifted again, shoulders fidgeting, and toes feeling oddly numb.

"Don't," a hand rested on her shoulder, "Please don't move...you barely survived as is, please."

"What do you mean?" she asked quietly, and then stopped in utter fear at the tears that appeared on the older man's face.

"What is going on?"

He laughed out a sob, and wiped his eyes,"I'm sorry, Helga, I had hoped to hid it from you until you were better but..."

He took a breath and stared at the ceiling, "You caught the plague, Helga, it seems you had it for a time before it was found, we found you unconscious in the lounge...the next day, Brayden came down with the sickness as well. We kept Deri away from both of you, he is fine," the man added quickly,"but you two...were hit hard...it was one of the worst cases that the healers had seen and..."

He took a breath, "Brayden is...he couldn't keep up his strength...he never regained conscious...it was a week after you both took ill and he..."

"No," Helga stared at the man next to her, willing this to be some ploy, some joke, "no, no, he was healthy, he was fine he couldn't..." She stopped, and her eyes suddenly filled with even more fear.

She heaved forward, and tears started prickling in her eyes, "...where is my baby?"

The man shook his head, and whispered, "I'm sorry Helga...he couldn't be saved..."

Helga was frozen in shock, unable to move the mantra of the word no running through her head.

"Deri is still here though, you can't see him yet...the plague is winding down in this area, but we want to make sure he doesn't catch it,do you understand Helga?" a voice was speaking through the haze that was surrounding her.

She nodded, once, as it felt it was the right thing to do, and hands gently pushed her back into the pillows.

"Rest, please, I...I can't lose you too, so please rest Helga."

Helga closed her eyes, and allowed herself to fall into dreams that would hopefully replace the nightmare called reality.

~~.~~

Helga didn't remember a lot in the years after that...it had all blurred together into some large ball of pain.

She had slept for a time, after hearing the news, and a few weeks later, was allowed to see Deri again.

He had immediately curled up in her arms, and clung onto her tightly. She held him as well, and they both wept for the life they had once had.

Helga tried her best to be there for her child, but some days she would just stop, her mind, her thoughts...she couldn't even move.

She would be sitting next to the fire and make a comment, waiting for Brayden to respond, and then her mind would catch up to the silence that surrounded her.

Sir Blevins spent less and less time at his manor, going further and further in his adventures, and one day, he stopped coming back all together.

Helga was numb.

She couldn't even feel her magic, not that she even tried. She was empty of the constant wave, the constant push and pull of the earth.

She was nothing.

She learned months later, that she would never be able to bear children again, that the sickness and miscarriage had left her barren. She didn't feel anything at the words, and thanked the healer for her help.

Helga wandered around the house like a ghost, sometimes she could swear she heard the voices of children happily playing in the halls, or the sounds of people sitting by the fire in relaxation.

The manor was feeling less and less like a home, and more and more like a mausoleum.

Deri, her sweet child of six, was the only reason she was able to get out of bed in the morning. He was her sole light in that small world.

And in the end, he was the one that saved them both.

"Mom?" he asked, tugging on her hand to get her attention.

"Yes dear?" she knelt down on the ground, and he rested his head on her shoulder.

"This place is too big," the boy spoke muffled into her gown, "I don't wanna be here."

Helga ran a hand through his hair, agreeing with him entirely, "It is big..." Suddenly her hand froze.

"Mum?" the boy peeked up through his lashes, looking so much like Brayden that Helga hugged him even closer.

"I...I may know a place we can go."

~~...~~

Helga looked over the papers that were piled in front of her.

If she signed them, she would officially be taken as the head of the Hufflepuff house, leaving the name Blevins to her one and sole heir.

She closed her eyes, but gripped the pen tighter, signing her name at the bottom.

Helga Hufflepuff

~~...~~

Moving back into her old house had been easier than she had thought, the old pain dimmed by the passage of time.

She had kept all of the house elves that had helped them in the Blevins manor on, and had even moved some of them over to the Hufflepuff household, mainly the ones that Deri was used to having around.

Mimsy, Gimble, and Tulgey all made the transition that much easier, helping her get back into the rhythm of taking care of a small house.

She had smiled again, for the first time in a long time, watching Deri play in the small fountain that still stood in the corner.

She spent the rest of the night staring at the fountain, a foreign feeling growing in her chest.

The next few weeks, the feeling continued to grow, and Helga began to reach more and more out of her shell.

She returned to gardening, and began to teach Deri all that she knew. He was a natural, amazed at the plants, and the things that had been made.

There was one room, though, that Helga had not been able to enter. Her father's workshop in the back of the house stood untouched.

One day Helga woke up, and felt a drive in her blood that she hadn't felt in a long time. It was thrumming through her veins, pounding in her heart.

It was as if the world was reaching out to her, drawing her back in, drawing her close. Comforting her in its hold.

And she ran.

Clad in her night shift, she ran through the woods like a child, not caring about the dirt or the mud, not caring about branches whipping by and tearing her dress.

She ran through the woods, and felt the power swirling in her wake, violent twirls being awoken by her footsteps.

She ran all the way to the shores of a very familiar lake.

And let go.

Magic burst from her, from around her, filling every inch of sky and land with power. Clouds rumbled overhead, and lighting danced high in the air, a response to the leaking dam of the ground.

A roar filled the air, and Helga was startled to find that it wasn't that of thunder, but of something much closer.

Badger stood by her side, roaring into the sky, his own power joining with hers in a wild dance of rebellion against all that had stood against her.

Helga Hufflepuff laughed wildly against the growing tremors that shook through the forest.

She had forgotten that she was always meant to be free.

She walked home, using charms to hide her appearance from passers by, and when she entered her house, she immediately blasted open the workshop door.

Parchment flew around excitedly in her wake, and Helga grinned, she had a lot of work to do.

~~...~~

Deri giggled, as he rode on top of Badger's back, "Muuuum, what are you looking for? We've been walking through the woods forever!"

Helga gave him a look, "Really, because it doesn't seem to me like you have done much walking at all, and been having Badger carry you around this entire time."

Deri fidgeted, and let out a groan, "Fiiiiiiine, but what are you looking for?"

"I'll know it when I see it," Helga replied, and they walked further into the woods.

After half an hour of more walking, Helga stopped under a large oak tree.

She looked up into the branches, and allowed her magic to wash over the tree.

A crack was heard from above, and a large branch landed, straight into the ground, directly in front of Helga.

"Whoa," Deri whispered, and Helga smiled.

She gathered her magic in her hands, and then grabbed the branch.

Her magic rolled up and down the freely given branch, twisting through the still living veins. The branch twisted and jumped in her grasp, the bark melding together to form a smooth surface. Crystals grew up the side of the staff, twirling along the veins and whorls of the wood, until they joined at the top, creating an orb of light.

Helga picked up her staff, and whirled it around in her hands.

Her magic hummed around her, and she finally felt herself be filled with joy.

She could do it, she could live.

She would live.

~~...~~

Helga whirled her new quill in her hands, smirking as the ink stayed in the nib, and continued to scribble with it. She smiled as she wrote and wrote and wrote, and didn't have to dip the quill once.

She tucked the quill into a large pocket of the desk, and grabbed one of the books she had been working on.

After beating her depression into submission, Helga began to follow more and more in her father's work, trying to create new spells and tools that could be used. She had started writing a book about household charms, and then moved on to herbs and spells that could be used with them.

She then jumped from that book, and started combining those spells in some new one she had been testing out in the kitchen, and she and Deri were having a wonderful time trying to see what they could do to the food before the house elves tried to usher them out.

Which had led her to trying to come up with a quill that she would not have to constantly re ink. She had tried multiple ways, and in the end found that inscribing a spell on the nib to drain directly from a large pot of ink had worked the best.

She began pacing back and forth in the room, wondering if she always had to pair to the pot, or if there was a way she could maybe let the quill just use whatever ink was around, that might have interesting results...

She trailed off, and grabbed the aforementioned quill and began to write again, watching as the moon rose on the horizon.

The magic in the earth suddenly jolted through her, causing her to stumble to her feet and run outside. She planted her bare feet in the ground, and focused on the magic around her.

"No, please, help!"

Helga froze as she heard a pleading voice whisper into her ears, and tried to focus even harder on the strange feeling of fear.

"Someone, anyone, I can't do this anymore, please..."

Helga felt a pull on her magic, and she immediately responded to the pleading voice, and pulled back.

A flash of light occurred, and Helga watched in awe as a young girl apparated before her, falling to the ground in a heap.

Helga rushed forward, hands outstretched to help the child, but froze as the girl threw herself backwards.

The girl was covered in bruises and scars, her feet were bare, and she was bleeding through her thin shift.

Her face was set on a scowl, and her arms were raised to cover her torso, littered with scratches and burn marks.

Her mouth was drawn back in a snarl, but her eyes were the most fearsome of all, a deep blue that reflected the rage, pain, and fear that she was feeling.

"Hello," Helga didn't move from where she was crouched, but the girl struggled to move back away from her, "My name is Helga Hufflepuff, what is yours?"

The girl's eyes widened in disbelief and she continued to stare at Helga.

"This is my house," Helga sat down on the ground, treating the frightened girl much as she would a wild animal, "in Wales. My magic felt you calling out for help, so it brought you here, did you feel it?"

The girl slowly nodded, and her shoulders lowered a miniscule amount.

"You are hurt," Helga kept her voice calm, and movements gentle as she slowly stood, "I have potions that can help, if you want. But you would have to come inside."

To be honest, Helga wasn't going to leave her out in the yard as she was, but she figured she should try to gentle her inside before spelling her unconscious.

The girl remained huddled on the ground, but her eyes had become less and less rage filled, and Helga watched as they were filled with exhaustion.

"Please let me heal you, you can leave whenever you want, but I can't in good conscience leave you here like this," Helga held out her hand, and slowly the girl reached out and took it, flinching as she stood on her bleeding feet.

Helga gently led her into the house, and sat her down carefully on one of the chairs in the living room, near to the door so the girl could leave if she wanted.

She rushed to the potions lab, and after looking for a while, grabbed all of the potions, poultices, and bandages she had, and piled them into a basket.

She slowed herself before she entered the living room, and knocked on the door. The girl must have heard her coming, because she didn't startle at the sound.

Helga held out a potion to the girl, "This is a pain reliever, I would suggest you take it, but I understand if you don't want to."

The girl shook her head, and Helga nodded.

"Let's start with your feet," Helga carefully moved forward, and summoned a bucket of warm water and some rags.

The girl's feet were bleeding freely, branches and brambles caught in a number of scratches. With the utmost care, Helga began to pick out the dirt and debris, and started carefully cleaning the blood off of them. She grabbed some of the bandages, and carefully wound them around the girl's feet, up to her ankles, and spelled them to stay in place.

The girl moved forward suddenly, and a small questioning noise came from her throat.

"Hmm?" Helga looked up, and saw that the teenager was staring at her hands, "Oh, a wand? I don't need one. I have a staff I use for large spells, but this kind of stuff can be done easily."

The girl nodded, and Helga was awed to see her hold out her hand, and small flame burst into life.

"Amazing, fire is one of the hardest elements to control!" Helga beamed at the girl, who suddenly flushed and hid her expression.

Slowly, the girl snuffed the flame, and carefully grabbed the pain reliever, and drank it.

Helga gave her a small smile.

"Can you show me where else you are injured that you would let me treat?" Helga asked, and then began the slow process of healing burns and cuts and lash marks all over the girl's body.

She was dreadfully thin, and Helga expertly held back the anger that was beginning to fill her at whoever had done this to the poor child.

"You have quite a few broken bones that healed incorrectly...if you would let me, I can fix them...but they would have to be rebroken and set, it would mean you would have to stay here for a time. I have a spare room that you can use?"

The girl leaned back against the chair,her matted hair crackling,and Helga placed a hand on hers, "I can help you get cleaned up, too, and some clothing that you can use. Please, I can't bare the thought of leaving you like this. I live here with my son and some house elves, it is quiet, and you wouldn't have to worry about being disturbed."

The girl stared her straight in the eyes, and Helga returned her gaze respectfully. Whatever the girl had seen there caused her to nod, and Helga carefully helped her hobble to the guest bedroom.

Helga had her sit on a chair, and she began to run water through the girl's hair, cleaning it, and casting charms all the while to get rid of snarls, tangles, and lice. She dried it with a wave of her hand, and smiled as the ebony locks that had looked like a squirrels nest spilled down to the middle of her back.

The girl was nodding off where she was sat, so Helga carefully levitated her to the bed, and used a spell to switch her clothes. The went about the task of re breaking the girls bones, and setting them, and then moved to sit by the bed with a book, making sure to stay a distance away in case the girl woke in a panic.

Helga had told the house elves to let her son know of the guest, and she could hear them moving around the house the next morning, but staying away from the guest room.

Helga listened as Deri giggled about something or another, but stopped when she felt a prickling up her spine.

Her guest was awake and staring at her, fear marring with hope on her face as she looked around the room.

"Good morning," Helga smiled, "How are you feeling?"

The girl continued to stare for a time, before a small sound, less than a whisper, broke the silence, "Better...thank you."

Helga beamed, "I'm glad, the potion from last night should have worn off by now, do you need another one?"

The girl shrugged, and Helga carefully placed it by the bedside, "I will leave it here then, are you hungry?"

The girl's stomach answered that question, and she hunched her shoulders.

"I can get you some light food if you want, I don't think a large meal would sit well right now. You should be able to walk if you are careful, the privy is just out this door and to the left, if you need to use it."

Helga carefully stood and the girl nodded.

"don't have one," the girl mumbled, and Helga looked at her in confusion, "Hmm?"

"A name, " the girl played with the end of the quilt she was tucked under, "I don't have one, she always called me girl."

Helga froze momentarily, and she hid her fists as they clenched, "Well, then you could come up with one couldn't you, a name for yourself?"

The girl looked at her with wide eyes, and Helga smiled, and left to go get started on a light soup.

~~...~~

Helga smiled as she watched Deri teach her guest how some of the herbs were grown, her guests eyes riveted with interest.

That was one of the first things Helga had learned about her, that she wanted to know everything.

She watched as spells were cast, and read every book she could get her hands on. Helga was surprised at the amount of knowledge she had, mainly from their stilted conversations about the books she was reading.

From what Helga could tell, she had studied a lot of the theory, but hadn't been able to practice any of it, so Helga began to teach her and Deri spells, and how to use their magic.

She had looked so small when they first met, that Helga had believed her to be a young teen, no older than fifteen, when in fact she was already seventeen years old.

Helga didn't ask her about her past, and she seemed happy for it. In fact, she had smiled for the first time a few days ago, while practicing her spells. She had called fire to her hand, and had it dance around the room, lighting up in different colors and sparking cheerfully in the air.

She had given a small smile, and Deri had whooped with excitement, chasing it around the room.

"Hey mum?" Helga looked down as Deri pulled on her gown, "Can we go see Badger?"

Helga's eyes lighted up, and she turned to her guest, "Badger is my familiar, he lives in the woods, would you like to come meet him?"

Her guest nodded slowly, "Yes, if I can..."

"Of course, I will go grab some food, you two can get ready, it is a bit of a walk, are your feet well enough?"

Her guest nodded, and Helga was shocked to be gifted with another smile.

They reached the lake by the afternoon, and Helga watched with joy at the light that entered her guests eyes as she first spotted the lake.

"This is...beautiful..." she took a step forward, and knelt down to run her hand through the water.

Helga smiled, and strode into the water, Badger immediately swimming up to greet her.

Soon, he waddled over to the girl, and she stood still as he gave her a small sniff, and carefully licked her face.

She giggled, and Helga's heart almost stopped at the pure joy she could feel.

The four of them enjoyed their day at the the shore, and Helga smiled as she saw that her guest was practically skipping on the way back.

That night, she and the girl were reading quietly in the sitting room, when she spoke.

"Those birds we always see around here, the large black ones, what kind are they?"

Helga looked up from her book on levitation charms, which she had been trying to use to try to find a way to easily transport one object without disturbing the content inside, and saw that her guests face was still stuck in an old book about ogham spells.

"Ravens, if they are large, crows if they are smaller. Ravens are intelligent and cunning, as you can tell when they try to steal my hat!" Helga smiled, and the girl across from her muffled another smile.

The room was filled with quiet again, and Helga started to hum and she flipped to another spell in her book.

"Rowena Ravenclaw," the girl spoke, and she glanced up at Helga.

"Hmm?"

"You...you said I should make my own name. That is what I want...Rowena Ravenclaw."

Helga smiled, and placed her book down, walking over to sit next to her...Rowena. She carefully wrapped her hands around the waif of a girl, and smiled as she felt her being clutched closer.

"It is lovely to meet you, Rowena."

The girl let out a small sound, before beginning to sob into Helga's shoulder. Helga held her close for the rest of the night, petting her hair, and listening to her story.

~~...~~

Rowena had left, a month after that, to go on an adventure. She asked if she could come back afterwards, and Helga told her that she could always had a place there.

Helga soon found the quiet of the house unsettling, and began to start teaching children in the neighborhood how to do magic when she found the time.

She greatly enjoyed teaching them spells, and how to control their magic, and helping them find what they were good at.

Deri enjoyed the lessons as well, and was the first one to bring up the topic.

"It is like a school, mum! You should make a school! Where you can teach everyone!"

Helga had started to think on that idea more and more, and soon found herself searching around the properties that the Blevins' had owned.

If she was to make a school, though, she would need a lot of help. She would need to find teachers, and a way to get students there, and a way to keep it safe from muggles, and people who might hurt those in the school.

The list began to grow and grow, and Helga began reaching out to see if she could find anything useful.

It was a bleary day, when a sharp knock was heard on her front door, and Helga opened it quickly to find a beaming Rowena standing there, her hair held back in a loose braid, and a phoenix sitting on her shoulder.

Helga welcomed her back warmly, and Rowena introduced ælif, her familiar that she had met on her travels.

The two went inside and sat down, Rowena seeming much more excited then Helga had ever seen before.

She was still quite composed, though.

"I want to help, and I think I know two other people who can help!" She grinned, and ælif trilled.

"Excuse me?" Helga looked at her in puzzlement, and Rowena had a small smile playing on her lips.

"I...I saw what you are planning, and I saw you, and me, and two others, and it was beautiful, and I want to help, I want to teach. I know where you can find those two, as well," Rowena spoke quickly, but was careful in her speech.

"You...you saw? You are a Seer?" Helga looked at her in bafflement.

Rowena's small smile widened, and she ducked her head, "Yes...when I was young I didn't realize what was happening, but sometimes I can get glimpses of the future, just enough to see what could happen. It is how I lived to see this day..."

Helga nodded, and smiled, "Well then, I am glad for it...but can you tell me more about what you saw?"

~~...~~

Helga smiled as she walked into the small inn, and moved to the area where a few people were relaxing.

"I'm telling you, you really shouldn't go charging in like that, it makes you seem to be an idiot. Now, I already know that, but you might try to fool your enemy for at least a few seconds," a young voice drawled, and the man who was sitting next to him started to laugh.

"Call me a fool, but I think giving them fair warning that they have no hope of winning is better for it," He grinned a the aggrieved sigh his companion made.

The man had a sword with rubies embedded into the hilt, and a large shield with a lion rampant embossed on the front. He had bushy red hair that framed his head, but was held back with a band.

His companion was much younger than he was, lithe where the other was muscular. His long black hair was held back in a tail, and he was wearing a deep green tunic, not armor as his friend was.

He had gloves on his hands that glinted and gleamed in the light, and seemed to have a permanent smirk on his face.

His eyes were bright green, and they zeroed in on Helga instantly.

She walked over to the table the two were at, and then smiled as the older of the two invited her to sit.

"Hello, my name is Helga Hufflepuff, and I heard from a friend you might be interested in something I am working on."

---

This story has been built up in my head for quite some time, and I am glad it is finally being posted. As these chapters are much longer then my usual, it will take longer for them to be uploaded.

Godric is next, followed by Rowena, then finally Sally~
After that, it will get into how these four start up Hogwarts and try to get along...sort of.

Please leave a review on your way out. I tried to get this right for the time and area, but if I have any huge mistakes, please let me know.

Helga's song is : "Stand in the Rain" by SUPERCHICK

~Not Necessarily in Between