First off, just wanted to say that most of the info below is from the Pottermore wiki, though I added a few touches to serve my own purposes. This is one of my favourite chapters to be honest. As always, please review!

Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter is unfortunately not one I own, but instead is JK Rowling's.

Chapter 11: Hidden History

The next few months flew by and soon it was time for the winter term exams. The Ravenclaws hoped to fulfil their house's stellar academic reputation, spending many hours with their noses buried in textbooks. Belinda and Erika seemed most affected by the stress-filled atmosphere, resulting in a half a dozen spats over the weeks. As a result, Miranda spent the majority of her time in the library, perusing the stacks during her study-breaks.

One particularly gruelling afternoon, which she had spent trying to remember the many dates required for the following day's History of Magic test, she found a grimy book titled "Hogwarts Houses. A Brief History of their Founders." Ever curious about the four famed wizards who had opened her beloved school, the girl pulled down the tome and opened its dusty pages.

Over the course of the next few days she entertained herself with the wealth of information found within, discovering the answers to many of the questions she had had about the founders, but had not wished to ask so as not to emphasize her Muggle status. Finally she reached the chapter she had most looked forward to, related to the life of her own house's namesake.

Rowena Ravenclaw was born in the tenth century in the glens of Scotland. Although it is unknown how she acquired a wand, it is surmised that she purchased it from the Ollivander family or else made it herself. She became good friends with Helga Hufflepuff when both worked against the bubonic plague that affected the Muggles of the town of Hogstagnum. After meeting Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin, the four united in the common goal of creating the world's best magic school, building the Castle in which Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry would be later established in 993.

Ravenclaw was fundamental in the choosing of the name and location of the school, after having dreamt that a warty hog lead her to a cliff by a lake. The ever-changing floor plan was also her contribution. Although Ravenclaw was a witch of great repute, who chose her students according to their intelligence and wisdom, and who had a long and fruitful career she was not so fortunate in her personal life.

She bore a child, Helena, to an unknown father having never been married. Unluckily her daughter, jealous of her mother's famed intellect stole her diadem, which was reputed to enhance the wisdom of the wearer and ran away with it. While her daughter remained secluded and without revealing her betrayal to anyone, Rowena fell fatally ill. In a desperate attempt at reconciliation she sent the Baron in pursuit of her daughter. This man was hopelessly in love with Helena, although his advances had thus far been spurned, and eventually managed to find the younger woman. However, the girl's refusal to return with him caused him to fly into a rage and stab her, though his overwhelming guilt also caused him to take his own life. The news of her daughter's untimely death reputedly caused the demise of the mother, who is said to have died of a broken heart.

The tragic story was also the cause for the loss of one of the greatest wizarding bloodlines in history, as the House of Ravenclaw (shield pictured below) perished with no known descendants alive today.

With a start Miranda stared at the crest pictured on the page, a silhouetted raven in flight surrounded by a peculiar three-cornered knot. She ran her fingers across the page as she unclasped the necklace she always wore and looked at the silver pendant. The resemblance was unmistakable! She could identify the blackfeathered bird and the knot, although her pendant also included an additional element: a sprig of rosemary carried in the raven's beak. Intrigued Miranda gazed at the two, wondering what the reason was. The pendant had been a gift from her mother the previous year, passed down from her grandmother. Miranda decided she would mention the coincidence in her next letter home.