…Many apologies for updating so gosh darn slowly. School is evil.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter n'est pas le mienne! (I feel french today).
xLady-Helenax, as always, is my wonderful beta.
The temperature was still very hot by the time September came. The four founders were eagerly awaiting the start of the term. This was their first year with students in the school, and they were looking forward to it. They waited together in Hogsmeade, watching in silence for the first group of students to arrive.
Suddenly, Helga let out a gasp of surprise. The others followed her line of vision and spotted the group of little eleven year olds and a few adults appear out of thin air, holding between them a plank of old wood, and all clutching bags and trunks.
The little children were either looking very excited, or were too shy to speak to any of the others. Godric led the way, and the four young teachers went to greet the group.
"Welcome to Hogsmeade," Helga said brightly, smiling at the children who looked frightened.
"Yes, welcome indeed. We are now waiting for the rest of the students to arrive, and then we will proceed to the castle all together," Salazar continued.
Rowena spoke to the adults, who were parents of some of the children. They had wanted to make sure their young ones were safe, before leaving them in the hands of four unknown witches and wizards for the term before Christmas.
"Good Morning," she greeted them with a curtsy. They all returned the greeting respectively. "Do any of you wish to ask a question before we take the children to Hogwarts?"
Some of them looked uneasy, while others looked satisfied.
"There will be…protection... around them, correct?" one timid looking woman asked quietly.
"Of course," Rowena assured, addressing the whole group. "We have placed many Muggle-deflecting charms around the castle and it is also unplottable, amongst other things. There is no way for unwanted guests to get onto the grounds. We assure you that your children and their magical abilities will be safe in our hands."
The timid woman nodded quickly to show she understood and some of the others looked impressed.
It was then that two more groups of the students arrived simultaneously, also accompanied by more parents. Rowena excused herself from the first group so that she could go greet the other groups with her friends.
All four of them were pleased with the turnout so far. They hadn't notified a large amount of students for their starting year, and three of the five portkeys had already arrived.
Before they could do anything more than greet the two groups, the fourth came. Rowena noticed sadly that this group was smaller than the ones before it. The four friends thought nothing of it though. They had many students already and that was enough to encourage them. To give up was not their style.
The groups tentatively came to stand together in one large group. Helga spoke to the children and encouraged them to not be shy, while Godric beamed and moved swiftly through the people and greeted as many as possible. Salazar simply stood before them all, watching and calculating.
Salazar was looking forward to teaching. As much as he tried to keep his cool and seem indifferent, this moment was very important to him. He was not exactly modest, and knew he and his friends held much knowledge to pass on. He looked forward to assisting young people to learn and control their magic.
The fifth portkey then arrived, and two identical children appeared beside someone who had to be their mother. The shock of only two students coming from that area was quickly out-shadowed by the fact that the two children, one boy and one girl, appeared to not be nervous at all. They contrasted immensely with the rest of the eleven-year-olds.
They had auburn hair and deep blue eyes. They turned towards each other at the same time and give the other a smirk. Then they strode confidently to the front of the large group.
Godric smiled at them, looking excited. Rowena understood his satisfaction; these two young ones had a powerful and confident aura, much like Godric himself.
"Welcome here, children," Godric said brightly as he held his hand out in their direction. In turn, they both shook his hand while smiling wickedly.
"Thank you, sir," they chorused.
Then Godric straightened, and address the group.
"Sonorus," he muttered, pointing his wand to his throat. "Welcome, all!" he exclaimed, his voice now amplified several times louder than normal. Some of the kids gasped in surprise, while others smiled approvingly and looked even more excited than before.
"I am Godric Gryffindor," he told them, "and I am one of the founders of Hogwarts. You are our first year of students. This is Salazar Slytherin," he said, gesturing to his side, where Salazar stood with his arms crossed against his chest. Then he moved past Salazar to Helga. "This is Helga Hufflepuff, and lastly, Rowena Ravenclaw," he finished, nodding towards Rowena.
"We are now going to walk up to the castle, where we will meet in the Great Hall. Parents are encouraged to accompany us, and ask any questions they may have. Alright, let us go!" Godric added and swiftly turned on his heel and started up the path that led to Hogwarts.
The twins followed Godric without delay, and their mother immediately followed them. The rest of the group slowly fell into line after them; Rowena and Salazar mixed themselves in one either side, while Helga brought up the rear.
Rowena was reminded of the first time she had walked from Hogsmeade to the place where Hogwarts was now, and how excited she had felt. She hoped that the students felt as she had then. This walk meant more to her now then she thought it would. It was a fresh new beginning.
The weather was still warm and bright. The children chattered with each other, quickly finding common ground with other witches and wizards and making friends. All the four founders noticed and felt proud of their soon-to-be students. It made them all feel as though their dream was really coming true; witches and wizards could be aware of each other, learn together, and befriend each other.
In the front of the group, Godric was getting acquainted with the twin students and their mother.
"Where did you learn to do magic, sir?" the girl asked curiously.
Godric laughed. "It was a mix between my parents teaching me, and reading various books. The four of us have learned a lot of new magic over the past couple of years," he explained.
"Reading books!" the boy exclaimed.
"How can you learn magic from reading?" the girl continued in shock.
"Magic is not just saying a word and pointing a wand," Godric supplied. "There is a theory behind it. There are different ways to hold a wand to get different effects, and sometimes you have to be thinking about certain things for the magic to activate."
The twins were silent in awe until a moment later they both gave the wicked smile they had when they had first arrived in Hogsmeade.
"This is going to be fun," the boy said happily.
"Yes, and very exciting," said the girl.
"When do we start?" they asked together, directing the question to Godric.
The man laughed again, thoroughly enjoying the conversation he was having with the two young children. "Very soon, I assure you. There will be a sorting ceremony and we will have the rest of the day to settle in, and have a feast. Tomorrow, we will start classes."
"Sorting ceremony?" they asked simultaneously.
It was Godric's turn to smile wickedly. "You will soon find out, young ones. Just be patient."
Both of them groaned dramatically, clearly too curious to wait. Fortunately for them, they were distracted by gasps from the crowd as they come closer to the top of the knoll and more than the towers of the castle were visible. They could see it in more detail now, its complex architecture and majestic walls and towers.
The twins bounced around Godric and their mother happily. Godric couldn't help but laugh once again at the happiness and energy the two young ones exerted. It warmed his heart to see the joy that he and his three friends were able to bring to a group of young witches and wizards.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was about to officially begin.
Helga watched, with a tear in her eye, as the students gazed in fascination and amazement when they were all assembled in the Great Hall. Many of them had exclaimed out loud the first time they walked in and saw that the ceiling looked even more magnificent then the sky outside.
Slowly, the children were becoming less nervous. Setting their anxiety aside, they couldn't help but talk to each other and share stories about how they had catastrophically broken things in anger or made objects fly through the air by accident. They all wanted to know if any of the other students had met wizards and witches before. They wanted to explore the idea of not needing to hide their abilities.
The term hadn't even started and the change that Helga and her friends had made in the lives of a few young children was already noticeable. She smiled, watching all the students getting comfortable. She hoped to see many of them in Hufflepuff house.
Her friends were gathering together at the other end of the hall, also watching as the students got familiar with this part of the castle. Helga made her way towards them, falling into line beside Godric.
"This is a joyful moment," she said to her silent friends. "I hope I may recall this memory for all of my life."
"Indeed," Salazar replied quietly. His eyes moved swiftly from student to student, memorizing their faces.
"Shall we get started?" Godric asked brightly. The others nodded, and he beamed. He stepped forward towards the crowd of eleven year olds, and amplified his voice once again.
All the students quieted down immediately, wanted to hear more about how their year would play out. Godric hardly had to say anything to grab their attention.
"Here at Hogwarts, we have four houses," he informed them, pausing for a moment to make sure everyone was listening before continuing. "Each of us here," he gestured to Helga, Rowena, and Salazar behind him, "have a house named after ourselves, and you will all be sorted into them depending on your personality. This way, you will be rooming with other students with the same interests and strengths as you."
A quiet murmur flowed through the students, as they grew excited.
"After you are sorted into houses, we will all proceed to your dormitories," Godric continued. "Your head of house will explain how things work here at Hogwarts, and then show you the main parts of the castle. If you have any questions at all, do not hesitate to ask any of us!" Once again, Godric beamed at them all, unable to hide his own excitement.
Behind him, Rowena held her wand forward and conjured a small roll of parchment. She stepped forward and unrolled it before addressing the students. "I will call all your names in turn, and you will come forward," she instructed, smiling at them. "Salazar will perform some magic that will show us your personality, and allow us to pick the appropriate house for you to reside in."
Godric went to stand with Helga and observed and Salazar also stepped forward while taking his wand out from an inner pocket of his robes. He nodded to Rowena, showing her that he was ready when she was.
Rowena unrolled her scroll and looked down, before calling a name to the crowd. "Black, Cygnus," she said loudly, and then watched as a small, straight-backed boy with dark hair and eyes stepped forward. She smiled reassuringly, and he returned it quickly, before eyeing Salazar.
"Fear me not," Salazar said lightly. "This will only take a few moments, and then you shall be placed in a house." He raised his wand importantly, and pointed it towards Cygnus Black.
"Legilimens." The word sounded smooth being spoken by Salazar's calm, silky voice. Cygnus looking curious, and not frightened at all, but his eyes widened when the magic began to work. Salazar saw past experiences, a home life, friendships, and scenarios flash quickly before his eyes, giving him a clear image of how the small boy functioned, and how he reacted to things. It was over as soon as it had begun, and Cygnus stood before them with a confused, blank face.
Salazar grinned a little, clearly pleased. "A Slytherin for sure," he said proudly, nodding at Cygnus. The boy smiled; relieved to find that the magic had worked the way the Salazar wanted it too. He stepped back to the side to watch the rest of the students get sorted.
Rowena returned to her list to see the second person on the list was related to the first. "Black, Orion," she called. A boy that looked similar to Cygnus came forth, though he was taller than his cousin, and had more defined cheekbones.
Now that the students had already seen the process once, Salazar did not waste time with instructions of reassurances. "Legilimens," he spoke softly. A moment later, Orion Black was defined as a Slytherin as well.
Elgar Bones was sorted into Hufflepuff, and Joseph Burgess went to Ravenclaw, and Rowena and Salazar made their way through the list alphabetically. When Rowena called "Prewett, Jacob," the male of the twins practically sprinted up, eagerly waiting to be sorted. When Salazar declared, "Gryffindor," Rowena was sure she had never seen Godric look happier. "Prewett, Jane," followed suit, and returned to her brother's side.
"Congratulations," Rowena said enthusiastically. "You have all been sorted!" She reminded the students of all their names, in case they had forgotten, and then the group separated itself and formed into four new ones before their respective founder.
"Welcome to the Gryffindor common room," said Godric, walking backwards into the majestic red and gold room backwards so that he could look at his students while he talked to them. He took pride in the way the little eleven year olds face's brightened when they saw where they would be staying.
He watched as the Prewett twins give each other a secret grin; Arnold McKinnon pointed to the fireplaces excitedly to Marshall Newton, and Sophia Evanson and Melody Hurrson chatted animatedly about how comfy and inviting it all looked. Benjamin Fenwick, on the other hand, did not hesitate, and was sitting in a huge red chair instantly, relaxing into it and closing his eyes.
Godric chuckled and waited until his small group of new Gryffindors was settled in and ready for more. "Shall we proceed to the dormitories?" he asked them, with a nod towards the stairs behind him.
There was a chorus of voices exclaiming, "Yeah!" or "Yes, please!" and Godric waved his arm over towards the staircases and the students reacted immediately. They were at his side before he could say a word.
"These are the boy's dormitories," Godric explained, pointing to the right. "Those are the girl's dormitories," he added, shifting to the left. "Your luggage was taken care of during the sorting, and will be sent to the proper house soon. Feel free to go explore!"
The group split, the three girls going one way and the four boys going the other. Jacob and Jane waved goodbye, promising to see each other again soon.
The students were still shy, Helga noted, and she led them through the Hufflepuff chambers. They regarded everything with wide, awed, eyes, but barely said a word to each other. Annie Hykes and Emily Ivan walked beside each other, as if subconsciously gaining moral support from each other. Dorcas Meadowes and Elgar Bones grinned at each other, but aside from that, the group was silent.
"The common room is a place for all of you to spend time together with each other and do homework," Helga told them. They all turned from whatever they were looking at to make eye contact with her while she spoke. "The dormitories are through here," she pointed, "the girls on one side and the boys on the other. Are there any questions?"
None of them had questions, or perhaps they were too shy to ask. A couple of the boys made their way into the dormitories, inspecting the rest of their house's space.
"These look comfortable," said Charles Hehl, referring to the four-poster beds in the boy's room.
Caellum Murray nodded. "They do," he answered. He walked to the window, placing a hand on the cold stone of the castle. He looked out; taking in the view, much the same way the head of his house had done once before.
Rowena was proud of herself when she saw how happy her Ravenclaw students were with their tower. They seemed to like the decorating, and they wandered through the common room, making comments to each other as they went. Some of them were immediately drawn to the bookshelves situated around the edge of the room, scanning the titles and sifting through them.
"The room is designed to be the ultimate convenience while you do homework," Rowena explained. "The books will stay here permanently for your use, although there is a greater selection in the school library. Your beds are located up these stairs." The students followed her gaze to the dormitories.
Little Celeste Dearborn raised a hand nervously. Rowena smiled at her, urging her to speak. "May we go look at the library, miss?"
Rowena's smile broadened. It was good to see that her students were eager. "Would you all like to go see the library?" she asked the rest of the group. Most of them nodded, and walked back towards Rowena. "Alright then, let's all go together."
She held the common room door open for them and the slid back out into the hall until Rowena led them to the grand library, where they separated and searched through the tall bookshelves, happily content with the enormous selection.
"Slytherin, the house of the snake, is where ambitious, cunning students reside. The group you stand with right now is the same you will spend the rest of the school year with. In future years, there will be more students in Slytherin House, but as of now, you are the only ones," Salazar spoke to the small group of boys and girls that he had accepted into his house. "This common room is for you and you alone. Dormitories are through the back corridor. Should you have inquiries, do let me know."
Salazar stepped back, and the Slytherins moved into the front room. Orion and Cygnus Black stuck together, inspecting the area slowly, arms crossed. Norma Keith and Lyra Nott sat at a table and chatted lightly. Another one of the girls strutted towards Salazar, face impassive.
"Carina DeLaras," she said with a curtsy. She stood straight, and then pushed a lock of brown hair behind her ear. Salazar gave a tiny bow in acknowledgement.
"What subjects will you be teaching, sir?" she wanted to know.
"I will teach you Potions and Defensive Magic," he replied briskly. Then he continued on, feeling awkward while addressing his friends in a way that was not their first names. "Professor Ravenclaw will teach Charms and History of Magic, Professor Hufflepuff will instruct Herbology and Astronomy, while Professor Gryffindor will train you in Transfiguration."
"I see. Thank you, Professor Slytherin," Carina DeLaras replied, smiling.
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-D0nQuix0te
