Chapter one - The Midnight Wait
Godric Gryffindor felt exhausted. He had been camping in the muddy, root infested forest with Salazar Slytherin, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Helga Hufflepuff for a day and he could swear every time he heard a sound it was a giant. He once had to fight one, despite his high esteem for them.
He turned to his right and saw Salazar, lying peacefully under his blanket. He was muttering gibberish, which Godric assumed was parseltongue. Earlier that day the four of them had come across a couple of snakes in the forest, and Salazar talked with them for at least an hour, while Godric played with his sword impatiently. The snakes had conveniently known of a suitable camping ground, and they set up an hour later.
Now it was midnight and Godric was yawning loudly.
Godric thought about what Rowena had said. She said she had dreamt that a "warty hog was leading her to a cliff by the lake." She highly valued education and the four of them were looking for a place far away to safely build a magical school away from muggles.
If they found this place, assuming that it even existed, he was going to apparate back to the West Country of England and bring the architect to start designing the school.
The year was 993, and much was going on in the wizarding world. Flying broomsticks were becoming more and more popular, having been around for about 30 years. They had four in the tent, ready for use. He had heard of broomstick riders trying out new games on them, such as the annual broom race, and a few lesser known games like Stichstock, Aingingein, Shuntbumps, Swivenhodge, and Creaothceann, which he had seen himself.
Also, the muggle's fear of witches and wizards was increasing. The four of them had decided that witches and wizards should be better prepared for the hostile world around them.
Rowena stirred and mumbled something, but next to the wind howling and Salazar's muttering he couldn't make out what she was saying.
His stomach growled. He looked to his right and spotted the bag of food Helga had prepared for them. She was brilliant at preparing and locating food so they had no fear of running out. Even if she couldn't replicate the food, together they would make excellent hunters. She could even summon food from back home.
Rowena's tent had an extension charm, making the inside look almost like a small house. Blankets hanging from the ceiling hid separate rooms like a bathroom, a kitchen, and a study room.
An hour ago Rowena was pouring over the architect's ideas for school rooms. She seemed most set on the idea of a magical school, discussing it endlessly with the three of them. When Rowena had mentioned her dream, Godric saw her determination and suggested they go into the forest to search for the cliff by the river.
His stomach growled again. He sighed and looked through the bag. There was some bread and various other foods, but Helga was the master at cooking, so he settled with a piece of bread which he then started nibbling on. The food started making him sleepy, and before he knew it, he was asleep.
He woke up violently to the sound of Helga's shrieking. He stood up awkwardly and looked around.
The tent was in ruins surrounding them. The roof of the tent was lying to the right of them and the walls were torn. It was still somewhat dark, but the sky was starting to turn blue and the trees were becoming easier to see. Salazar and Rowena were up as well, looking at the mess.
"Whose turn was it to keep watch?" Salazar asked angrily, looking disgustedly at his belongings as if they no longer deserved to be in his possession in their condition.
"I believe it was Godric's turn." Rowena answered, eyeing him. Godric brushed himself and nodded awkwardly. Salazar dipped his head and sighed. Helga held her forehead in frustration.
"The food was stolen by centaurs. They burst into the tent and stole what they could, including most of Rowena's notes." Helga said.
"I saw this in my dream." Rowena said miserably. Salazar shook his head. "What are you, a seer?" He grumbled.
Godric raised his hands up in defense. "I apologize for sleeping past midnight. Now, I'm sure Helga can just make more food, can't you?" Godric asked, picking up the bag that had held the food.
Helga shook her head. "I can't make food appear out of thin air, and I suppose someone at home must have eaten the rest." Helga said. "We'll have to hunt." Godric said.
Salazar sighed and leaned against a nearby tree. Rowena looked through her belongings.
"I still have it." She said happily, lifting up a diadem. Godric read the quote "Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure" written on it. "My diadem." She said happily, holding it carefully. Salazar squinted his eyes. "For what?" He asked. Rowena put it on her head. "I hope to give it to my most fantastic first student Helena Ravenclaw one day." She said, caressing it gently into her hair.
"And where is your daughter?" Salazar asked in confusion. "back at home being taken care of." She said, continuing to look through the mess. After a moment she had a pile of their belongings.
"Well, the only things left are Salazar's locket, snake egg and pensieve, Helga's cup, Godric's sword and hat, and my diadem." Rowena said.
"We should look for food." Helga said. "I wonder if centaurs are edible." Salazar said casually, looking around for any sight of them.
"They were probably more hungry than we were." Helga said, looking disgustedly at Salazar.
"Perhaps we could fry your snake egg." Godric said, pointing to it. Salazar looked unperturbed by this suggestion. He didn't say anything and continued to lean against the tree. Suddenly, a bird flew down and tried to peck at Salazar, who tried to catch it unsuccessfully.
"It's a snidget!" Helga said, eyeing the bird as it flitted in all directions.
"Or, perhaps we should look for snidget eggs." Helga said, eyeing the bird. The snidget started flying through the trees and Godric chased after it, followed by the others.
He tried to keep sight of the little bird as it flitted through the narrow openings in the branches. He found himself getting deeper into the forest, where the trees seemed tighter together as he moved farther away from the camping ground. The snidget kept flying ahead, but Godric ran right behind it, fascinated by it's beauty. It had a golden color, rotational wings and it was in a ball shape. Finally, he ran out into a an open area and saw a river, with a cliff overlooking it.
He gasped.
Rowena burst through the trees, followed by Salazar and finally Helga, who was panting for breath. "This should be called the forbidden forest." Helga said tiredly.
"Look!" Godric said excitedly. Rowena's eyes widened.
The cliff was huge, and so was the river. Mountains could be seen for miles. The snidget chirped and headed back into the forest, but they didn't follow it.
"Should we send for the architect? I can apparate from here. This is a simple place to return to." Rowena said, looking around.
"Do you remember the architect's location clearly? If not, I would happy to see him for you." Godric said. Rowena shook her head. "I'd rather do it. I've seen this place in my dreams long enough. I can apparate in my sleep." She said jokingly, taking a moment then apparating back.
Godric started walking around the edge of the cliff, nodding every once and awhile, as if confirming ideas in his head on where certain things should go.
Salazar looked at the cliff approvingly. "No muggle would dare come this far into the woods." He said confidently, sitting in the grass.
After a moment Rowena reappeared with the architect. He was carrying many scrolls which he dumped onto the grass where he stood. Godric looked him up and down. "This isn't the architect I was going to send for." Godric said. Rowena shook her head. "No, but he is just as good. Just call him 'the architect' he doesn't want his name plastered on his creations." Rowena said, eyeing him admirably.
"I have decided on four main areas of this magical school, to represent the founders, which are you four. I'll go over my ideas with each of you." He said.
"No need. I'm skilled enough in legilimency to know your ideas. I'll be going back to sleep. Accio!" Salazar said, pointing to the trees. Moments later his blanket swooped up next to him, and he wrapped it around himself and lay down. "Salazar, surely you can't be too tired, you could stay up and discuss ideas with us." Rowena suggested, nudging him under the blanket.
He shifted himself away from his blankets and slowly stood up. Rowena smiled then frowned when she noticed Salazar's expression.
"Godric knew of a better architect." He said unforgivingly, looking disgustedly at the man who was now pouring over his scrolls.
Rowena opened her mouth in shock. "Salazar, he's a fine architect. He's designed many of the neighborhoods across the lands." Rowena said.
"He's a squib." Salazar said simply, turning around and going back under his blanket.
Rowena's face turned bright red and she turned to the Architect quickly to see his reaction. He had looked up for a brief second but had now gone back to organizing his scrolls calmly, as if nothing important was said.
"You disgust me Salazar." Rowena said, kicking Salazar who was covered in his blanket.
Salazar hissed something in parseltongue, but didn't get up from his blanket.
"Well, Rowena, how about you and… architect start planning all the little rooms and corridors as well as main rooms and water systems. meanwhile I'll make dinner." She said, apparating and returning minutes later with a bag of food.
She started a fire. With the light, Rowena and the architect worked late into the night, designing the ever changing floorplan of magical castle.
Chapter 2: The Centaurs Return
The next morning Godric awoke to see a dead campfire and scrolls littering the grass. He took a peak at some and was impressed at the sketches. It looked like a magnificent castle, overlooking a magnificent river. He couldn't wait to claim one of the many towers sketched on the scrolls. He looked over at Rowena and smiled when he saw her still holding onto a quill while asleep.
He looked around for Helga, but could only see Salazar, Rowena, and the architect.
He stood up and looked around. He heard rustling in the trees behind him. He spun around and saw Helga coming into the clearing.
"Morning Godric." Helga said cheerfully, carrying large logs with her wand. "Why up so early?" Godric asked, watching her set the logs down in the clearing.
"I'm a hardworking person." She said simply, magically laying the logs into neat rows.
She turned to the architect. "Of course, not as hard working and humble as our architect here." she said smiling, covering him with the blanket that had fallen off him during the night.
"I wonder why Rowena chose him." Godric said, eyeing the architect amid the pile of scrolls. "I recommended Rowena to this architect." Helga said, raising her wand and starting another fire.
"Why? Wasn't my guy just as good? And not to be rude but my architect was pure blood. As much as I hate Salazar's prejudice, how would a school like this look if it was designed by a squib?" Godric asked.
Helga raised her eyebrows. "Didn't you hear? He nearly single-handedly built the neighborhoods where we live. I welcome people from all backgrounds." Helga said, opening her bag of food.
The rustling in the trees got louder. Godric took out his sword apprehensively. Suddenly, centaurs burst through the clearing, looking angrily at the group of them. Helga spun around. "Centaurs, you must have seen the smoke." Helga said, pointing to the fire.
The centaurs remained silent with fixed expressions of anger on their face. Godric gripped his sword tighter but Helga merely continued smiling.
"Would you like some breakfast? I have enough for everyone." She said, gesturing around the clearing.
The centaurs now looked more confused than angry, but anger still clearly showed on their face.
"What are you doing here?" One of them finally asked. "I'm making Snidget fried eggs, along with some vegetables." Helga said with a smile.
The biggest of the centaurs came to the front and eyed her menacingly. She looked unfazed.
"These are our forests." The centaur said, leaning dangerously close to her. Godric moved closer to the two of them with his sword.
"We won't take too much space. Just this cliff here for a castle. We're looking for someplace safe to live." Helga said, indicating the clearing.
"What purpose will this 'castle' serve?" The centaur asked cynically. "We're making a school! A magical school for witches and wizards to learn safely away from muggles." Helga said, putting an egg and some vegetables on a plate.
"Would you like some? I'm Helga by the way." She said, offering the plate to the biggest centaur. "What will your students do with their knowledge?" The centaur asked scornfully, ignoring the food.
"They will be wiser, and thus better suited for the world that surrounds them." Rowena said from a few feet away.
She was up along with Salazar and the architect. She was pointing a wand at the centaur closest to Helga and Salazar was muttering something under his breath.
"We would welcome centaurs to study here as well." Helga said cheerfully, still showing no sign of fear.
"Would we?" Salazar said moodily, momentarily stopping whatever incantation he had been building up.
Rowena turned to Salazar angrily. "Sure we would. Wisdom is a gift to share among everyone, including the centaurs." Rowena said.
Salazar narrowed his eyes. "Oh? And I suppose the elves and the goblins and the trolls and the muggles should be allowed here too?" He asked patronizingly.
"That's enough Salazar." Rowena said grumpily.
"And perhaps the dragons and gnomes while we're at it. We'll have to use 'aguamenti' a lot to get rid of the fires but I'm sure we could handle it, couldn't we?" Salazar said.
"Oh just stop Salazar!" Rowena shouted. Everyone, including the biggest centaur, now had their eyes on the two of them.
Salazar chuckled. "Typical. You claim wisdom but when your argument doesn't hold through you go into a temper tantrum. I am the descendent of pure blood witches and wizards and I intend to keep my child's ancestry pure as well." He said.
Rowena bit her lip. "Your family line got messed up a long time ago when it got paranoid with pure blood status! You're obsessed with family history, who cares who your great great grandfather was? All he did and all you do is whine and complain and talk to snakes!" She shouted, flailing her arms and making sparks fly off the tip of her wand.
After a moment everyone had gone silent. The only sound heard was a Snidget chirping on a nearby tree. After a moment the biggest centaur walked over to Rowena, his face expressionless. Godric followed carefully. The centaur stopped a foot away from Rowena, who held onto her wand tightly.
"You show wisdom beyond your years, along with Helga. I will allow this space for you five to build, on the condition that Helga continues to make food for our group. We will no longer put sleeping potions into your food." The centaur said, nodding to the other centaurs and then heading back into the forest.
"Well, that explains why I fell asleep while I was guarding." Godric said annoyed.
When they were gone, Salazar sighed. "I had been attempting to control the minds of the centaurs. While I was unsuccessful, I did open a couple of their memories." He said.
"What did you see?" Godric asked. "A lot of stars, and quite a fascinating view of the castle finished." He said.
Helga frowned. "But it hasn't been finished yet." She said confused. "Centaurs are clairvoyant." Rowena said.
"So that means our vision will become real?" Godric wondered aloud. Rowena raised her eyebrows. "I certainly hope so." She said.
Chapter 3: Salazar's Secret
The sun peaked through the mountains in the early morning. The five had been 'on the cliff by the river' for three months and the construction results were magnificent. Rowena had developed her end of the magical castle very well, and was continuingly trying to make her part of the magical building as intelligently built as possible.
Godric spent his time building what was deemed 'Gryffindor Tower' and would share ideas with the architect who would offer a list of magical spells Godric could try.
Helga spent her time creating what she called the 'Great Hall.' She was also working out a kitchen and different meals for when the students would be hungry. Unlike the other four, she was outsourcing constantly to anybody who could help her. She had a way about her than allowed people to like her. Even the centaurs would offer her advice on her cooking.
Salazar spent his time deep in the dungeons of the castle. The others rarely saw him, and so tensions between him and the others had lessened. In fact, they knew nothing of what he was doing anymore. The one time Helga bumped into him while heading to the kitchens, she had caught a glimpse of an emerald common room, with snake designs all over.
When Godric, Rowena, and Helga were mostly satisfied with their individual houses, they met in the Great Hall and had a dinner that Helga had prepared.
"Now what we need are classrooms." Rowena announced, biting into a piece of corn.
"Where's Salazar?" Godric asked, looking around. Helga shrugged. "Probably talking to snakes, and perhaps other creatures. I saw him a couple months ago by the lake picking up a toad." She said.
Rowena looked uncomfortable. "That egg…the one he had a few months ago…are we sure it was a snake's egg?" Rowena asked apprehensively. Helga laughed. "I doubt it was a Snidget, if that's what your guessing at." She said. Rowena shook her head, but then continued eating. She then shook her head and stood up.
"I have to check something in my room." She said running out.
She didn't stop until she made it to the Ravenclaw Common room. Once there, she noticed the door was already opened when it shouldn't be. She heard ruffling noises and turned to see Salazar looking through her stuff.
"SALAZAR!" She shouted, pointing her wand at him. Salazar looked more angry than frightened at the idea of being caught.
"What are you doing here?" She asked. Salazar looked around for a moment. "I was searching for your diadem. The secret to all that 'wisdom' you speak of." He said.
"My wisdom did not come from a diadem. I built the diadem from my wisdom." Rowena said, her wand pointed straight at his chest.
"Well, you seem very anxious today." Salazar said, slowly walking towards her.
"I swear. If you touch that diadem, you will experience the cruciatus curse." Rowena said, her eyes wide with fury.
"I reckon they'll make that illegal soon with people like you so ready to use it." Salazar said yawning and heading towards the door. Once he was gone, she continued to search for what she had gone up for in the first place.
After carefully looking over her scrolls, she came across one that read "Dangerous beasts"
She got to a paragraph about basilisks. "A basilisk egg is a chicken egg hatched beneath a toad." She read aloud. She took a deep breath and looked at it again. It couldn't be. Salazar wasn't that insane. Yet all the clues seemed to fit into place. The seclusion, the chicken egg, the toad, his love for snakes…
"No." She said aloud. Salazar was not the best of people, but he couldn't be raising a basilisk in the middle of the school they had envisioned.
Chapter 4: The Magical Castle
When Godric awoke one morning in the bed he had placed in the Great Hall, he could smell breakfast on one of the four long tables. Helga had just materialized it from the kitchens downstairs.
Rowena was already at the table, as well as the architect, but Salazar was again not there. Godric got up to sit at the table.
"We need a name for this school." Godric said. The architect nodded. "How would you go about naming it? Shall it be called 'the academy of magic'?" He asked. Helga shook her head. "I believe it should be Rowena who names the school." Helga said. Godric and the architect nodded.
"A Warty hog led me here in my dream, so why not…Hogwarts?" Rowena said. The four of them laughed. "Very well, Hogwarts it is, if you're quite sure." Helga said, nodding in approval.
"We're almost ready to open." The architect said excitedly. Rowena nodded. "The classrooms are built, the common rooms, the Great Hall…the Ravenclaw common room has a door with a password, to keep out Salazar. To get inside you have to answer a riddle." Rowena said.
Godric nodded. "My common room is blocked by a painting. Only a Gryffindor student will be able to enter." He said.
After a few weeks the school was ready to open and forty students were confirmed. Godric stood at his table in the Great Hall, Helga at hers, Rowena at hers, and Salazar at his. The architect stood on the raised platform behind them. After a few moments the first student came through the fireplace. It was Helena Ravenclaw. "Mom!" She said happily, running over to her mother. Rowena hugged her tightly. A few seconds later another person came through. He was a red haired boy. "I'm Hengist of Woodcroft" the boy said eagerly, offering to shake hands with the guy who was closest to him which happened to be Salazar. Salazar didn't extend his hand.
The fireplace lit again and another boy stepped out. He looked curious but calm, taking in his surroundings with an air of maturity.
"I'm Merlin." The boy said, offering to shake hands with Salazar. Salazar frowned before extending his hand.
After fifteen more minutes all the students had come through. Rowena did a quick count and counted 42 students.
"Well, welcome to Hogwarts! I suppose we should sort you all into the various houses." Rowena said, looking at the group of students.
The four founders stood awkwardly, twiddling their wands in their arms wondering what to do next. The students seemed just as awkward looking at the four of them.
Salazar looked at the various students with a very judgmental look. "I will choose the first student of my house." He said, scanning the crowd of students.
"Merlin, you have been accepted into my house." Salazar said, pointing to his table. Merlin smiled and walked over to the table.
"I suppose I'll go next. You there, what's your name?" Godric said, pointing to a fierce looking boy who seemed ready to take on any challenge.
"Andor." the boy answered. Godric gestured to his table and Andor went up proudly.
"Well, I suppose I'll choose you Helena, come on up dear." Rowena said, pointing to Helena. Helena went over to the table and sat down. After Helga had chosen a student, the cycle continued until there were ten people per house. The last two was a red haired boy, and a black haired one. After checking family history, Salazar immediately chose the black haired boy.
There was nothing particularly interesting about the red haired boy. He was chubby and clumsy, tripping over the fireplace when he arrived. His parents were muggles, which kept Salazar from accepting him, Godric found no bravery, which kept him from choosing him, and Rowena seemed unable to find any intelligence or wisdom. Helga however, saw potential for him to become something great. "What's your name?" Helga asked.
"Hengist of Woodcroft." He said, waving by himself. Helga gestured to her table and he went over happily.
Chapter 5: The Seventh Year
Much had happened in seven years, and Hogwarts was getting ready for its first stream of Hogwarts graduates. The top student in slytherin house was Merlin, who had turned out to be an expert in charms. Andor was the bravest of the Gryffindors, and Helena was the top student of Ravenclaw house, trying desperately to outwit her mother at any chance she could, with no success. Hengist of Woodcroft, while he didn't show a particularly high grade level for any of his classes, was told by Helga that he could become anything he set his mind to. Salazar had laughed at this answer, and Helga had merely looked at him with distaste.
Tensions between the other three founders and Salazar had grown stronger in the four years. Salazar was very insulting when choosing, sometimes speaking out the 'flaws' of other students he looked over.
This year, because of the increasingly negative comments from Salazar, Godric had taken off his hat and enchanted it with the personalities of the other founders, so Salazar could no longer make negative comments. It was also so the hat could continue to sort people into the various houses after the founders had died. It was called the sorting hat.
It was spring semester and it was almost time for graduation. After a couple students deaths and one werewolf incident, the forest by Hogwarts was appropriately titled "the Forbidden Forest" and only the founders were allowed.
The architect had left long ago, but a statue had been made in his honor.
Rowena continued to remain suspicious of Salazar, ever since that time he went into her room and tried to retrieve the diadem. On top of that, she was suspicious of the toad and the 'snake egg' which might be a chicken's egg.
The graduation went smoothly, with Salazar prizing Merlin as his favorite student, leading to jealous looks from the other slytherins.
One day during the summer after graduation she cornered him in the dungeon.
"What are you doing?" She spat angrily, watching him staring at the walls intently, tapping them with his wand. Salazar sighed loudly and turned to her.
"Just because you were the first to think up a school like this does not mean you are the headmaster of Hogwarts." Salazar said, returning to the wall.
Rowena stepped closer. "Whatever happened to your snake egg?" She asked loudly. Salazar yawned. "Surely you couldn't have possibly developed an interest in snakes over the last week." Salazar said, focusing closer on the weal.
"Expelliarmus!" Rowena shouted, pointing her wand at Salazar. His wand flew across the room. Salazar for the first time in awhile, looked shocked and turned to Rowena.
"You dare use my student's charm against me?" Salazar asked. Rowena continued to point her wand at Salazar. "A wise person has little pride, and will eagerly learn from the students that they teach." Rowena said.
"But Merlin was my student, when does he talk to you?" He asked sharply. Rowena raised her eyebrows. "I talk with all the students of Hogwarts, as I'm curious to see what they're learning from the various houses. I'm particular grateful Merlin hasn't adopted your view of muggles." She said.
Salazar went to pick up his wand in a dignified attempt that made his leaning down appear more awkward. Rowena waited patiently.
"Now, tell me what you do." Rowena shouted. Salazar fingered his locket awkwardly and avoided gazing at Rowena, who looked fiercer than usual, especially considering she could generally see right through lies.
"Why must you know? I believed it died seven years ago." He answered tiredly. "Liar! You adore snakes, if one had died under your possession I would have known about it." Rowena said.
"So what are you doing to do, expelliarmus me again to get the truth?" Salazar asked, returning to the wall.
Rowena was silent for a moment. "Perhaps I could use the crucio curse." Rowena said.
"You wouldn't." Salazar said, not turning from the wall. "It's not illegal. I just might." Rowena said, waving her wand threateningly.
"Tell me, if you pay such close attention to your students, then where is your daughter?" Salazar asked casually, turning from the wall to look straight at Rowena.
Rowena's eyes widened. "What did you do to my daughter?" She shouted, almost stabbing him in the chest with her wand. Salazar laughed. "What would I do to your daughter? Nothing! The girl just walked off this morning, carrying your diadem, heading into the Forbidden Forest. I might try it too since this school seems hopeless if my most prized student betrayed me." Salazar said.
Rowena slowly dropped her wand and began quivering. "Well, if you're going to cry could you do it in your room please? I've got business to do." Salazar said.
This seemed to snap Rowena back to the moment. "No! Tell me what you're doing down here." She said, tears running down her face as she pointed her wand at Salazar again.
Salazar narrowed his eyes and walked up to Rowena menacingly. "Did I ever tell you how much I hate mudbloods and half bloods?" He asked suspiciously. Rowena's eyes widened.
"And what relevance does that statement have?" Rowena asked. Salazar grinned before pointing to the walls.
"These are big walls you and that architect designed. Just think about all the secret rooms and large plumbing systems in there." He said mysteriously, staring at the wall.
Rowena was now more confused than ever. "And your point being what?" She asked, turning to the wall and then Salazar.
"Many secrets could lie in a chamber, wouldn't you say? Behind the walls, in the plumbing…under the school." He said, raising his eyebrows as if this just occurred to him, though Rowena could tell it hadn't.
"And…?" She asked, determined for a straight answer.
"I could potentially hide anything in this school, couldn't I? Giants, dragons, a troll…"
"Or a basilisk." Rowena said horrified. Salazar tilted his head and continued to smile. "Well now, I didn't say that now did I? The mind loves to jump to conclusions doesn't it?" He said, walking off.
"Where are you going?" Rowena shouted, raising her wand. "I'm going to keep my secret a secret and perhaps you should go look for your daughter." Salazar said continuing to walk off.
Rowena shouted angrily and dropped her hand. She then ran upstairs to check Helena's room. Helena stayed in Hogwarts over the summer with Rowena, so normally she would still be asleep this early morning, but by the time she got upstairs, she couldn't find Helena anywhere.
"Helena!" Rowena shouted, looking around. She checked to make sure her diadem was gone. It was no where to be found.
Chapter 6: A Broken Heart
Rowena had continued to search for Helena over the summer with no luck. She had deduced that Helena had wanted to make herself the cleverer one, to outwit her mother.
Rowena had become increasingly depressed and would rarely talk with the others. One late summer day they were all gathered for dinner, except for Salazar who had left a few weeks before. Before he left, he angrily announced that mudbloods should be killed and that he was returning to a "purer" society of witches and wizards.
Helga excitedly spoke of how Hengist of Woodcroft had built a small village called "Hogsmeade" over the summer after being harassed by muggles in his home town with the new magic he had learned from seven years at Hogwarts. Godric spoke of how Andor was venturing into giant territory and befriending the giants residing there. Rowena, however, spoke little about Helena and when she did they were lies.
"But surely the daughter of Rowena would be out using her intelligence in a myriad of ways." Godric said, eyeing her curiously.
"Oh she is. She is." Rowena said simply, munching on a corn cob to avoid talking. "You really like that corn don't you? My elves found it from across the globe! The muggles here don't even know it exists yet! It's made fresh by the elves a-"
"Yes wonderful Helga, I'm going to bed," Rowena said, starting to get up and leave. Helga watched her curiously as she left.
"That's strange. It's not like Rowena not to listen to knowledge," Helga said, eyeing the doorway.
"I haven't seen Rowena with her diadem in a awhile, do you know what happened to it?" Godric asked. Helga shook her head.
"Probably hid it after so many students would try to wear it. I believe that's it." Helga said.
By the time school arrived, Rowena was too sick to present herself at the student sorting, so the hat filled in for Salazar and Rowena. Over the next year it was unclear to the other founders how Rowena was doing. One day Rowena called someone into her room. The Baron.
The Baron had fallen in love with Helena, and Rowena knew this. The Baron had been a part of Slytherin house, so she originally had not wanted Helena to speak of him until she was sure that the Baron wasn't too tightly in line with Salazar's ideals.
The Baron had made himself look much older, with a wig that was whitening and a mustache. Rowena doubted Helena would return his love, considering that he was never a particularly interesting student at Hogwarts and seemed a bit schizophrenic when it came to love.
Still, it was her only shot at finding her. The Baron went off in search of Helena. As the weeks went on Rowena was getting increasingly ill. Helga would come up with various foods from the kitchen and Rowena would eat in bed.
The day Rowena was on her deathbed, she heard a soft voice. "Mother?" the voice said. Rowena looked all around the room and spotted a ghost.
"Helena?" Rowena asked. The ghost nodded sadly. "Who did this to you?" Rowena asked.
"The Baron did. He tracked me to the forest. I said I wouldn't go back with him, so he stabbed me. He then killed himself." Helena said.
Rowena's eyes widened in horror, then she looked as if she was about to cry. "Don't pity me mother. I'll fulfill my wish of becoming wiser than any human alive. And I get to see your magnificent creation long after I've turned to bone." Helena announced, leaning down to hug her mother.
Helena stayed for the next few hours until Rowena finally died.
Chapter 7: Hogwarts
Rowena and Helena's death was mourned by the Godric, Helga, and the students. Rowena had been a huge part of the founding of Hogwarts, and the others would never forget that.
Godric continued to use his hate to sort students, and Helga would take in students that the hat had a difficult time choosing. Eventually, many years later, Helga died as well leaving behind her elves to continue cooking Hogwarts meals. Godric, now the only founder left, would hire different professors to teach at the school. The day before he left, he found a note left by Rowena in his room. "Godric Gryffindor, I am writing to tell you that I believe Salazar is using the chambers of the castle to house a secret monster. I've deduced that this monster is geared to attack muggle-born students and I hope that you can trust me and search for this monster," the letter read.
Godric had warned the next headmaster and the caretaker, Hankerton Humble, about the monster, and hoped that one day it could be found. As he left to return to his first home he looked one more time at the majestic castle and stood in awe at it. He could stand for hours looking at the towers. He could easily see Gryffindor tower. It was getting dark outside and the lights were starting to come on in the building.
He could imagine students centuries from now taking classes and living together in the school. "What a magnificent school," he said before apparating to his hometown. The town that would become known as Godric's Hollow.
The End