The beginning of Hogwarts
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J. and I just borrowed it, added people from real history and had fun.
The story of Hogwarts starts, as most stories do, with an ambitious person. In this story the name of the ambitious man is Salazar Slytherin.
Salazar Slytherin was born in 960 as a third son of a Sildburand, Viscount of Slytherin, small estate in the south of England. As a third son and thus expendable, future for little Salazar hold no easily acquired greatness or money, which Salazar was determined to change. He made the study of people his forte, made friends with the important people who visited his father and with the help of a few unfortunate incidents (none of which were ever proven to be his doing), made it all the way to the Court. Just few months before the untimely death of king Edward in March 978. And when the young Æthelred became king, at the tender age of 12, Salazar was sitting on his right as a trusted advisor. Not bad for a third son of a small countryside estate, not bad at all.
In 991 the Danish army came to Maldon and threatened the Kent. Salazar asked the king to give him authority to gather all the people who have magic (the Druids of Forest, Sorcerers, Enchanters, Magicians of the Guild, Witches of West and all the Healers from villages as well as Wizards who worked for the Ealdormen and all others who possess the gift of magic) and to command them to fight the Danish. But the king refused and paid for the peace in gold. The Danish still rampaged the kingdom and disappointed Salazar left the Court.
Salazar went to the Scottish king Kenneth II. and after a short conversation, made him see the merits of having a wizarding army. The ruler promised to grant grounds for the 'Castle for Tactical and Strategic Magical Warfare', but had a few conditions.
Firstly, he wanted the best Wizarding knight, a certain Godric of Gryffindor, to join and train the future army. That is why Salazar spent two weeks at the Plains of Morbid Gloom trying to persuade Godric the Courageous, who was there fighting monsters in his spare time, of the noble cause of Salazar's quest. The nobility of said quest Godric the Conceited unfortunately refused to see. It was not until Salazar pointed out the impressionable young one could tell all Heroic, Brave and Valiant stories to, did Godric the Chivalrous, let himself be persuaded. That is how Godric Gryffindor became the second founder of the Tactical and Strategic Magical Warfare Castle.
Secondly, Kenneth II. needed a promise that English Kings will hold no power over the magical army, which Salazar accepted, and which is coincidently why the Ministry of Magic nowadays holds no power over the Castle and its inhabitants.
Thirdly, a member of Kenneth's Court will accompany Salazar and Godric to oversee the construction of the castle and the first 5 years of education. Salazar agreed, but asked the person to be a woman, as he hoped she would be dazzled by the dashing Godric and not meddle in his plans. Thus, Kennet's aunt, the humourless Rowena, wife of Duke Rawenclaw, known in the whole Scotland as Intelligent, Witty and Smart, if somewhat Snobbish and Arrogant, joined the two in the quest to build The Castle.
And so, in the Hogs fields, meadows known for its pigs, the 'Castle for Tactical and Strategic Magical Warfare' the training ground for a Magical Army, started developing. The three companions quickly found themselves in a need of healer and so Rowena went to the nearby villages and came back with Helga, presumed to be the best healer in the neighbourhood and who was Kind, Patient and Enthusiastic woman. Helga, who Stubbornly disappeared any time Godric started his 'My Greatest Stories' narration, was christened by Godric to Helga the "Hupp-le-puff", to the bewilderment of Scots who wondered if it is French, Rowena who thought that maybe Godric drunk one of her incomplete inventions, and Salazar who began to suspect that Magic gave Godric the strength of body and heart but forgot the strength of mind entirely. Regardless, the title Helga the Hupplepuff stayed.
Despite the four's differences and thanks to their common beliefs, far and between as they were, the Castle was build. Scholars were divided into four fields of Military Tactic, according to what the mentors favoured most, and colours were chosen to represent their field of interest:
Godric favoured Direct offensive in Red and Gold (the colour of blood and glory)
He chooses the brave and chivalrous, who went into every fight head on despite or maybe because of the odds against them, most of them lowborn knights and village wizards.
And his lessons were on weapons, transfiguration, runes, curses and creatures.
Salazar preferred Discreet offensive in Green and Silver (for the spies and for its reaction to poison)
Salazar's students were mostly those previous education or highborn, who were determined to succeed as well as ambitious and cunning. He believed battles are won in rooms filled with importance and splendour and as such, wanted his students to blend in anywhere and be able to gather intelligence and undermine the enemy from the shadows.
His lessons were on spying, poisons, verbal attack, charms and curses.
Rowena believed in Advance Strategy in Blue and Bronze (for one cannot forget the sky and sea when planning an attack and bronze as a symbol of firmness and endurance)
Rowena choose mostly scholars with education and noble background, and she surrounded herself with the witty, clever, creative and sharp as she believed that wars are decided in chambers and palaces.
Her lessons were poisons, astrology, arithmancy, transfiguration, history, chess
Helga choose Healing in Yellow and Black (so the Healers will be easily recognisable)
Helga's apprentices were mostly farmers, village healers and druids, as she praised hard work, honesty and kindness above anything else. She believed that everyone deserves a chance to become better and that every villain could grow into a hero under certain circumstances.
Her classes were on healing, charms, herbology, potions, astrology and aura reading.
The Hogs Castle for Tactical and Strategic Magical Warfare was established and the four founders now friends felt accomplished. As they could agree on many things, they decided to add a fifth person, a mediator. As luck, or Magic if you want, would have it, a dragon came to the Hogs fields and after a small mishap involving bored Godric, Rowena's quill, one sleeping dragon and a rather large Pig Farm, a distraught ex owner of the farm became the fifth member of the group. Later known as first Headmaster, Osmund Hruthulf was the brain behind the saying "Never tickle a sleeping dragon", which he was frequently heard mumbling under his nose in the halls of the Castle, and which later became the school's motto. He was also responsible for the change from the rather mouthful 'Hogs Castle for Tactical and Strategic Magical Warfare' to 'Hogs Tactical and Strategic War' and later to 'Hogs TS War' and then finally to 'Hogwarts'. Hogwarts was the best institution for studying warfare for the next few hundred years before changing into a magical school for children.
The four founders taught in the school for five years before leaving to pursue their other dreams. Godric left behind his faithful hat, to help individuals choose the best field to study, and travelled to the Lands of Nightmares, where he unfortunately soon died. Rowena went back to Scottish Court, where she succumbed to a failed poisonous royal assassination attempt. Helga was killed soon after, when she stumbled into an armed skirmish while picking up herbs at night. And Salazar, who travelled in 1002 to visit his brother, perished in Oxford, when king Æthelred ordered the massacre of the Danish.
That is the origin of Hogwarts Castle and the story of four founders, who were for centuries to come proclaimed to be heroes of their time. Numerous books were filled with, often less than truthful, accounts on how they lived, what they believed in and what they managed to achieve. Now the Castle stands as a symbol of hope and dreams for the many that study there and the countless others who wish to study there.