"Lesser Used Genres"
Summary: "You will earn your Knighthood and achieve training in the magical arts."
Prompt(s): Fantasy
Rating: K+, Genre: Fantasy, Characters: Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, OC, World: Founders
Word Count: 2,218
Beta: natida, TheNextFolchart
The Lion and the Serpent
Godric and his twin brother Godfrey were born to the extremely minor noble family of Gryffindor one stormy night in September, in the small village of Muddy Hollow very close to its largest house. Their parents were delighted. They could only hope that at least one of their children could restore some recognition to the family name.
The brothers were identical, both with waves of crimson curls, emerald eyes and dimpled cheeks. But the older they grew, the more their differences became noticeable.
"Take that! And that!" four year old Godfrey cried, as his stick collided with Godric's in a frenzied battle of pretend swords. They were playing Knights, inspired by the stories they'd been fed, and knowing that their parents planned to push them into Knighthood and bring honor to their house.
Despite Godric's best efforts, his twin had the upper hand. Maybe it was because Godfrey had chosen a thicker stick then he had; maybe it was because Godfrey was higher up on the small hill they stood on. Godric didn't know; he just knew that he was losing and he didn't like it. He didn't want to lose. Knights didn't lose.
Without warning, Godfrey's stick burst into flames.
Godfrey screamed and leaped back, dropping the flaming stick as Godric staggered back in shock, throwing down his own stick lest it, too, catch fire. Breathing hard, the two boys stood back and watched the fire consume the stick, and eventually die out.
Whenever their sparring grew particularly intense, one of them caused the other's stick to light up like a torch. And that one was always Godric.
When Godric got mad, things tended to burn. When Godfrey got mad… well, he just tended to be told off. Godric didn't understand why these things kept happening around him, although a scullery maid did quit once, raving about witchcraft and Black Magic.
"Do not concern yourself, Ric," Godfrey offered comfortingly when Godric confided his concerns to his twin. "If anything, be pleased. Is it not better to be able to accidentally burn your foes alive than to not?"
"I suppose…" Godric admitted.
"Suppose yes, because you need all the help you can get, given that I'm a better Knight than you," Godfrey told him with a smirk before getting up and breaking into a run, laughing.
"You are not!" Godric called after him, "I'm better!"
"I can't hear you, and thus I am still the best!"
"Not fair!" Godric cried as he scrambled up to run after him. "I shall be the best, Frey! Come back!"
But though he could easily speak to his brother about it, his parents made no comment on his unusual ability. Sometimes Godric thought he and Godfrey were the only ones who noticed these things, even though the servants often had to clean up the mess. He tried to ignore it more as he grew older; he was to become a Knight, after all, so childish games and their consequences were irrelevant.
"Now that you have turned seven, the time has come for you to begin your journey to knighthood," their father told them on their seventh birthday, and the two exchanged an excited look. "On the morrow, you shall be taken to a noble house, to be apprenticed as a Page to a Knight of noble lineage."
"Which house shall we go to, Father?" Godfrey asked excitedly, and the older man's face twitched slightly.
"You, Godric, shall go to serve the Pendragon house. And Godric, you shall go to the Slytherin house."
"Pardon?"
"We're to be separated?" Godric spoke over his twin; their faces falling in identical dismay.
"Surely you didn't believe you would be kept together?" their father stated, as if it was obvious. The pair exchanged a look. The thought of being separated had not occurred to them. "Besides, Godric, your skills may be better served in a special house."
"I don't understand, Father," Godfrey insisted.
"It's not necessary for you to understand; only that you obey my rules."
"Sometimes I despise the rules," Godric muttered unhappily.
There was nothing more to be said on the subject. The servants packed up their things, and as promised, the next day brought two separate carriages to take them away. Godfrey gave Godric a final hug, his head hung low; the gesture managing to capture more than words could say.
They bade their parents goodbye before climbing into their respective carriages. As the horses pulled them further apart, Godric fought against the tears building behind his eyes. He didn't want his first day as a Page to be ruined by tears.
He was thankfully distracted, though, by something strange about the horses.
"Do… do those horses have wings?" Godric questioned in confusion.
"Aye," the driver answered plainly before tugging on the reins.
The horses began to gallop, and Godric watched in a mixture of awe and fear as they unfurled their wings and took flight. Godric screamed and clutched the doorframe desperately, clinging to it in terror at the thought of falling to his death. He screamed and screamed, expecting to feel himself plummet to the ground. But he didn't.
Ever so cautiously, he let go of the door. Nothing life ending thus far. He looked out and saw the horses still flapping their wings; the driver still watching on disinterestedly. Amazed, he realized that they were in the air. They were flying! He was flying in the sky! He could see clouds all around him.
"What magic is this?" Godric gasped to himself, forgetting he wasn't alone. The driver chuckled.
"You shall learn."
Godric was mesmerized by the flight. He just wished Godfrey was there to see it with him. He wouldn't believe it when he found out! Godric was suddenly feeling more optimistic about his new position; would everything be so unbelievably amazing?
Finally, the driver steered the horses down, and Godric found himself bouncing impatiently on his seat for a servant to get the door, desperate to see his surroundings.
Oh, nevermind the servant, Godric thought to himself, and clambered out of the carriage on his own to take in where he'd be staying.
It was a rather unimpressive castle that looked very much like it was crumbling. Godric thought they'd be much better off just knocking the thing down and rebuilding it entirely; surely they could do better? It overlooked a large lake that looked as if the water a vial of black ink had been spilled over the grounds. An ominous looking forest was situated not too far away.
"Muggles are so impatient," a voice complained.
Godric tore his eyes away from the scenery and turned to the people that he hadn't noticed until that moment: the servants that were scurrying to get his things and, presumably, the Slytherins.
The speaker had been a boy around his own age. He had neat jet black hair and piercing gray eyes that watched Godric disapprovingly. There was a man, as well; tall, with a graying mustache and goatee. He bore a strong resemblance to the boy, and both were dressed in fine robes. Godric guessed that they must be father and son. The third person who stood to greet him was kitted out in a full suit of impressive armor, his face masked completely.
"You're not much better, Sally," the Knight said teasingly; voice echoing through his helmet. The boy's face went scarlet.
"I am not a muggle," Godric stated defensively as he held his head up high, refusing to be intimidated just because the others were richer than him. At least his house wasn't falling apart.
He had no idea what a muggle actually was, of course; the boy's tone had just seemed insulting.
"Correct, he's a wizard," the man announced, only managing to startle Godric even more.
"I am not a wizard, either."
"Actually, we have it on good authority that you are, which is why you've been invited here to the great House of Slytherin," the man said grandly, and gestured to the sorry excuse for a castle. "You will earn your Knighthood and achieve training in the magical arts."
"But I am not magic. I think Father would've had a servant inform me if I was."
"Are all muggles this foolish, Father?" Sally questioned.
"Are you aware Sally is a girl's name?" Godric countered, and the boy's cheeks went red again while the Knight chuckled.
"I'll have you know that it's short for Salazar. Salazar Slytherin. Which is a boy's name."
"Play nice, Sally," the Knight taunted and Salazar's face only reddened further.
"Be silent, my sons," the man hissed, and the pair fell silent as the attention returned to Godric. "Have you or have you not experienced strange occurrences throughout your life? I'm told you have a penchant for fire?"
"Well… yes," Godric admitted, and the man smiled.
"Now that, my boy, is magic. Thus, you are a wizard. Thus, you will be taught to control your power while also apprenticing to my elder boy here."
"I do not see why we have to teach the muggle," Salazar complained, and the man rounded on his son while Godric tried to process the new information.
"Not everyone has those to teach them, Salazar: it's not like there is a school for magic. If we do not teach those with magical blood then the magic and knowledge we have accumulated will be lost. I have told you this before. Why don't you show our new guest around? I have things to do," the man said, before giving Godric another smile. "I shall see you for supper."
"Thank you, Sir," Godric offered politely as the two men left; leaving him alone with the boy who continued eying him with dislike.
"Alright, so the first rule is that you must address me as Salazar or Master Slytherin, and since you're just a Page you have to do what I say," Salazar told him pointedly and folded his arms crossly. Godric didn't think he liked him very much. "Do you understand, Page?"
"Yes, Sally," Godric nodded and walked past the boy.
Flushing angrily, Salazar had to rush to keep up with him.
"I never gave you permission to enter!"
"Well, then, do not waste so much time standing around doing nothing!"
"Show me some respect, if you do not, then I will hex you."
"Hex me?" Godric repeated in incredulous amusement and stopped, facing the boy, who nearly walked into him. Godric noticed that he was actually bigger than Salazar.
"Yes, it's something that we real wizards do," Salazar said in such a serious tone that Godric couldn't help but laugh. He doubted Salazar could do anything remotely useful, let alone hex someone, whatever that was.
"Go ahead," Godric scoffed in amusement and folded his arms; a smile slithered onto Salazar's face.
The boy withdrew a stick that was both too short and too thin to be of any use as a practice sword; like the castle, it was quite unimpressive. Salazar seemed uncomfortable holding it as well, as if he wasn't used to it, but cleared his throat before pointing it at him.
"Flipendo!"
To Godric's immense shock, a streak of light shot out of the stick. He leaped out of the way instinctively and the light soared off into the distance. He could feel his heart thundering in his chest; what in the world?
"Hey! You're not supposed to move," Salazar complained as Godric scrambled to his feet, looking rather upset as he lowered his wand. "How did you avoid that anyway?"
"I just… did," Godric replied, and continued to eye the stick warily, though his caution faded as intrigue seeped in. "What… What did you try to do to me anyway?"
"It's the Knockback Jinx. It knocks you back—or just to the ground, if you're not very good at it yet," Salazar answered before his eyes bulged in panic. "Or so… so I've heard. Obviously I'm a pureblood so I'm good at spells."
"How many spells do you know?"
"Erm… just that one, but I've only started learning," Salazar said defensively while Godric found his mind filling with exciting thoughts. Would he get to learn to do that? What else could magic do?
"Well… it was pretty impressive," Godric admitted, which seemed to restore Salazar's confidence.
"Well of course you would think that, muggle."
"I'm not a muggle!" Godric snapped and stomped his foot.
Somewhat predictably—and for once, Godric was pleased—a tree stump near Salazar caught fire. The boy leaped back frantically while Godric folded his arms confidently.
The fire only blazed brighter, and Salazar ogled it in amazement.
"Well I have to admit, that is pretty impressive. With some control you could be rather good," Salazar said hesitantly and looked back to him. He seemed immensely thoughtful for a minute before offering Godric a reluctant smile and his hand.
Godric shook it politely. Maybe Salazar wasn't so bad.
"Welcome to Castle of Serpents, Godric Gryffindor."