a/n: Awww... Elissya decided to come out during AP preparations! Just teasing :) Essentially, though you may not fully understand this first chapter, this story will recount the way I imagine the Founders founded Hogwarts and came up with its motto. After all, things don't spring from the dust now do they? You'll see where im going with this eventually and, hopefully, the narrator has the effect wanted

One peculiar evening, a young witch's head appeared in a fireplace. This fireplace belonged to another young witch who would quickly spread the word to two charming wizards. Now what was the word one may ask?

.o.

Rowena's head popped up in the fireplace. It was three in the morning but such petty things should not delay one in the quest to… well, whatever the quested thing may be. In this case it was a peculiar fault line, somewhere along in Scotland. One may ask how it was peculiar. And yet, no one knew but the small and bouncy woman who started screaming in the empty room that belonged to the fireplace.

"HUFFLEPUFF! GET YOUR FREAKIN ARSE OUT OF BED YOU LAZY WOMAN!"

And somewhere along in that apartment, someone woke, though most definitely not pleasantly. In fact, the land they came from was very pleasant. The land they arrived to was one full of screaming banshees and very, very cold floors to lie on. Beds? Up above from which falling when sleeping could be quite horrendous… especially if you landed on the floor and not the carpet. Yes, one could imagine that must be a horrid way to wake up.

Another scream from the banshee startled the poor woman on the floor who leapt up from her previous facedown position and muttered a quick Scourgify on her much abused clothes and proceeded to an adjoining room.

"HUFFLEP – "

"I'm here Rowena"

"Oh! Helga, how pleasant to see you! It's funny how fate works isn't it? Setting up lovely coincidences so that friends may see each other… truly, we must thank him when we meet him!"

"…"

"Okay… fine, I was just trying to be modest but you know me too well. I did help him out a bit… you must meet him one day, he's very pleasant!"

"Yes, I expect that when I do meet him, he'll help me out and help me 'coincidentally' trip when I'm holding my wand and shove it up your nose and into your brain for waking me up so early."

"Well… you know what they say! The early bird gets the worm!"

"The early bird gets tossed out of the nest, Rowena."

"Awww… don't be so gloomy! I'm sure someone somewhere loves him!"

"They will… once he gets beaten over the head thousands of times and loses that atrocious habit."

"Hurmph!"

"Am I wrong in assuming that your oh so welcome visit had a purpose or can I go back to bed?"

"Oh thaaat!"

"Yes, 'thaaat!"

"Well… I'm rather tempted to just say I woke you up for the simple reason of having someone to talk to. You know, I really should stop eating so many Chocolate Frogs before going to bed… yes, that may be a wise thing to do."

"But that would not allow you to gloat about yet another of your genius ideas… that never come true might I add."

"I found a fault line!"

"…"

"You don't get it do you?"

"Last I checked, indeed, I had no interest of plate tectonics. They are of no use since they're just the muggle explanation of why the earth shakes from time to time."

"They're right you know."

"But what's the use of knowing that?"

"Ummm… to avoid too many deaths?"

"Which is why some of the major cities are built right on huge fault lines?"

"Actually, I think I may have found an explanation to that. Have you heard of ley lines?"

"It's three in the morning. What do you think?"

"Don't play dumb with me Helga. It works on others. Not me."

"Magic directing thingys if I remember correctly."

"Thingys no. Magic directing, yes. Basically, these ley lines are kind of like magical connections all over the world connected by thin strings. They hold the most magical potential. Of course, they're not physically there but it's like those muggle phelytone lines that extend across the country. The greatest concentration of them seems to run along fault lines. Somehow, they must have great power and muggles and wizards alike seem to be prone to settle right along them like if they had a sixth sense. And it seems the biggest cities and magical communities like Paris and London are at connection sites of many key lines. I think they tap some of their power from those sites which makes them so impregnable and powerful."

"Not to mention the greatest sites for learning."

"I think you get what I mean?"

"Like hell."

.o.

Yes, it seems some of the greatest revelations are made by single people. And yet, what is the point of keeping a revelation to oneself? Quested things may be found. It is just a matter of using them.

a/n: you seem to know the routine by now but just in case, any feedback is appreciated...even flames ;)