The man's hair was held in a tail, it didn't even reach his waist but
seemed longer because it blended in with his black robes. His bright blue
eyes seemed to dance at the sight of the four dripping children.
"Sit sit," he said, gesturing to the sides of the table where four chairs materialized. Helga and Rowena cautiously sat on his left, while the boys sat on his right. A cry suddenly cut through the room. "Almost forgot," said the man and at the end of the table a stand appeared for Pest, who happily took his seat. "Now, first thing's first. Dinner!" Plates of food appeared before the stunned children. When his guests didn't touch the meal the man said, "I haven't poisoned it, eat!"
"You poisoned Rowena," said Salazar angrilly, "why not poison us all now?"
Suddenly Pest spoke up. "You're the one?" Rowena asked the man when the bird had finished. "You saved my life in the indago room?"
The man looked at the other three children, the bird and Rowena. Finally, in an older manner he said, "Yes, I did. I thought you talked to birds, but I wasn't sure." He then went back to his seemingly younger tone, "You weren't going to finish the puzzle fast enough, so I helped a bit."
"You moved the tiles and fought the poison back," supplied Rowena.
"Yes, yes I did. Now eat! You must all be starving after that. And while you eat I'll explain.
"My name is Archanes. When I came here many years ago this castle was owned by an evil sorcerer, he was constantly after this village down the way, trying to drive them out. He was also the one who put that warning on the door, thought his powers would be lessened if he was constantly surrounded by people. In truth people can only help your powers grow, but that is a lesson for another time. Now, I went through all his tests, and when I had to face him he was cocky, he thought that since I was young my powers weren't strong. Well when he found out that he was wrong he fled into the forest, the only problem was that it was a full moon." All the children whinced. "They ate him alive poor man. Anyway, I took this castle and livened it up a bit. I went down and told the town that that man was gone and I prefered if they stayed, I had to get food from somewhere.
"Now you must be wondering how all of you tie into this, and why I left the tests. I need students. Not just any students, ones that have more than magic. That was that sorcerer's problem: all the power in the world and not a bit of intellect, courage, loyalty or cunning, it was his downfall. Now, I ask you, will you be my pupils? Stay here, study not just magic, but life as well? Will you do it? I won't be angry if you refuse."
"I'll stay," said Helga, "I've no where else to go."
"Nor have I," said Godric, "this seems to be just what we need. What about you two?"
Rowena and Salazar looked at eachother. "Well?" Salazar said, turning to Pest. "What do you think?" Pest let out a cry.
"He thinks we should stay."
"Well then, it's settled," said Salazar, "fill us with intellect oh master Archanes."
"I will," said Archanes, "starting tomorrow. But first," he motioned with his hand for something to come through the closed door. The door opened a bit and through it floated four pairs of shoes, a shawl, a cloak, a ripped piece of cape and a feather which stayed floating above the table. "Now I think it would be better if it spoke don't you?" he asked as the items began spinning together. They spung so fast that none of them, even Pest, could tell what was going on. Then, they stopped, and where they had been now floated a pointed wizard's hat. It didn't look at all new, it looked as old as their clothes had been. The children could tell that the cloth from the shoes, since they were all the same color, had made up the original hat, which seemed to have become torn in all the spinning and their shawl, cloak and cape had filled in the pieces. Rowena's feather was sticking up from one side of the hat.
"Hello," the hat said suddenly.
"Hello," said all the children.
"I am," started the hat, "I am- What am I?"
"You're a hat," said Godric.
"You," said Archanes, "are a hat made from all of the clothing that these children lost while going through my tests. I have made you to help the children, be their confidant when they can't stand eachother. And, since there are only four of them, and Pest tends to follow Rowena, be the one who votes in the case of a tie. Is that all right, would you prefer that I had not made you?"
"Are you joking?" asked the hat. "Watching these children grow will be a pleasure!"
"Wonderful! Now, Pest there is a barn outside the castle, if you wish you may sleep there." Pest let out a cry and took off. "I'll take that as a 'yes.' As for the rest of you, would you like me to show you to your rooms or would you prefer that I just snap my fingers and you're there."
"I think," said Helga, "that a nice walk would help to tire us out and it will help us find our way back here for breakfast tomorrow."
"Right then, if you'll all follow me?"
Archanes led each of the children to a different corner of the castle. Salazar got a dungeon, Rowena and Godric both got towers at opposite corners and Helga got a dungeon, but one not so dark and gloomy as Salazar's.
Late that night Salazar slowly got out of his bed and began to explore, he was sure that there was something he was missing about his new quarters and was determined to find out what. First he began looking behind pictures and things of that sort, finding nothing he looked under all the rugs and when that proved fruitless he collapsed into one of the chairs in the main chamber. He looked into the roaring fireplace for quite some time. Then he saw it, it was barely anything, but it was enough. He slowly got up and removed the grate, he slowly walked around the fire, getting burned a few times in the process, and pushed on the back wall; it gave way. He found himself falling onto smooth marble. He stood and found that he was at the top of a staircase, lined with burning torches. He carefully grabbed one and began his desent. After what had to be at least a half an hour, he reached the bottom and found the floor covered in snakes.
"Could you please move?" he asked tensely. "Excuse me. Thank you. Sorry about that." When he was in the center of the room all of the snakes looked up at him. He began turning around slowly, this place was HUGE! You could have but two dozen elephants in there, and still have had room for at least five dragons, at least. Salazar began wondering what he was going to do with this place.
Suddenly many of the snakes began hissing and spitting at something behind him. "Quiet!" he ordered.
"Salazar?" asked a very familiar voice.
Salazar spun around to see Rowena, holding a torch and looking at the snakes with trepidation. "It's all right," Salazar said, first to Rowena, then to the snakes, "they (she) won't hurt you." This seemed to calm everyone down, and Rowena stepped closer until she was next to the snake charmer.
"So what are you doing down here Slytherin?"
"A better question is what are you doing here? You were poisoned today, you should be resting."
"I couldn't sleep. Now answer my question."
"I found a door in the back of a fireplace in my dungeons and it led to that staircase. You?"
"There was a door behind a tapestry above the fireplace in my tower. It led to that chamber over there," she gestured to dark corner on the side of the room opposite the staircase. "Then there was a tunnel that led here."
"Interesting. How big was your chamber?" he asked, hoping it wasn't as big as his was.
"About the same size as this one. I take it you're claiming this as your own?"
"Oh. Uh, yes."
"Good, that means I don't have to feel bad about claiming that one as my own." She turned and started back for her chamber.
"Rowena?"
"Yes?"
"Just remember to be careful, all right Ravenclaw?"
"I will, don't worry."
"Sit sit," he said, gesturing to the sides of the table where four chairs materialized. Helga and Rowena cautiously sat on his left, while the boys sat on his right. A cry suddenly cut through the room. "Almost forgot," said the man and at the end of the table a stand appeared for Pest, who happily took his seat. "Now, first thing's first. Dinner!" Plates of food appeared before the stunned children. When his guests didn't touch the meal the man said, "I haven't poisoned it, eat!"
"You poisoned Rowena," said Salazar angrilly, "why not poison us all now?"
Suddenly Pest spoke up. "You're the one?" Rowena asked the man when the bird had finished. "You saved my life in the indago room?"
The man looked at the other three children, the bird and Rowena. Finally, in an older manner he said, "Yes, I did. I thought you talked to birds, but I wasn't sure." He then went back to his seemingly younger tone, "You weren't going to finish the puzzle fast enough, so I helped a bit."
"You moved the tiles and fought the poison back," supplied Rowena.
"Yes, yes I did. Now eat! You must all be starving after that. And while you eat I'll explain.
"My name is Archanes. When I came here many years ago this castle was owned by an evil sorcerer, he was constantly after this village down the way, trying to drive them out. He was also the one who put that warning on the door, thought his powers would be lessened if he was constantly surrounded by people. In truth people can only help your powers grow, but that is a lesson for another time. Now, I went through all his tests, and when I had to face him he was cocky, he thought that since I was young my powers weren't strong. Well when he found out that he was wrong he fled into the forest, the only problem was that it was a full moon." All the children whinced. "They ate him alive poor man. Anyway, I took this castle and livened it up a bit. I went down and told the town that that man was gone and I prefered if they stayed, I had to get food from somewhere.
"Now you must be wondering how all of you tie into this, and why I left the tests. I need students. Not just any students, ones that have more than magic. That was that sorcerer's problem: all the power in the world and not a bit of intellect, courage, loyalty or cunning, it was his downfall. Now, I ask you, will you be my pupils? Stay here, study not just magic, but life as well? Will you do it? I won't be angry if you refuse."
"I'll stay," said Helga, "I've no where else to go."
"Nor have I," said Godric, "this seems to be just what we need. What about you two?"
Rowena and Salazar looked at eachother. "Well?" Salazar said, turning to Pest. "What do you think?" Pest let out a cry.
"He thinks we should stay."
"Well then, it's settled," said Salazar, "fill us with intellect oh master Archanes."
"I will," said Archanes, "starting tomorrow. But first," he motioned with his hand for something to come through the closed door. The door opened a bit and through it floated four pairs of shoes, a shawl, a cloak, a ripped piece of cape and a feather which stayed floating above the table. "Now I think it would be better if it spoke don't you?" he asked as the items began spinning together. They spung so fast that none of them, even Pest, could tell what was going on. Then, they stopped, and where they had been now floated a pointed wizard's hat. It didn't look at all new, it looked as old as their clothes had been. The children could tell that the cloth from the shoes, since they were all the same color, had made up the original hat, which seemed to have become torn in all the spinning and their shawl, cloak and cape had filled in the pieces. Rowena's feather was sticking up from one side of the hat.
"Hello," the hat said suddenly.
"Hello," said all the children.
"I am," started the hat, "I am- What am I?"
"You're a hat," said Godric.
"You," said Archanes, "are a hat made from all of the clothing that these children lost while going through my tests. I have made you to help the children, be their confidant when they can't stand eachother. And, since there are only four of them, and Pest tends to follow Rowena, be the one who votes in the case of a tie. Is that all right, would you prefer that I had not made you?"
"Are you joking?" asked the hat. "Watching these children grow will be a pleasure!"
"Wonderful! Now, Pest there is a barn outside the castle, if you wish you may sleep there." Pest let out a cry and took off. "I'll take that as a 'yes.' As for the rest of you, would you like me to show you to your rooms or would you prefer that I just snap my fingers and you're there."
"I think," said Helga, "that a nice walk would help to tire us out and it will help us find our way back here for breakfast tomorrow."
"Right then, if you'll all follow me?"
Archanes led each of the children to a different corner of the castle. Salazar got a dungeon, Rowena and Godric both got towers at opposite corners and Helga got a dungeon, but one not so dark and gloomy as Salazar's.
Late that night Salazar slowly got out of his bed and began to explore, he was sure that there was something he was missing about his new quarters and was determined to find out what. First he began looking behind pictures and things of that sort, finding nothing he looked under all the rugs and when that proved fruitless he collapsed into one of the chairs in the main chamber. He looked into the roaring fireplace for quite some time. Then he saw it, it was barely anything, but it was enough. He slowly got up and removed the grate, he slowly walked around the fire, getting burned a few times in the process, and pushed on the back wall; it gave way. He found himself falling onto smooth marble. He stood and found that he was at the top of a staircase, lined with burning torches. He carefully grabbed one and began his desent. After what had to be at least a half an hour, he reached the bottom and found the floor covered in snakes.
"Could you please move?" he asked tensely. "Excuse me. Thank you. Sorry about that." When he was in the center of the room all of the snakes looked up at him. He began turning around slowly, this place was HUGE! You could have but two dozen elephants in there, and still have had room for at least five dragons, at least. Salazar began wondering what he was going to do with this place.
Suddenly many of the snakes began hissing and spitting at something behind him. "Quiet!" he ordered.
"Salazar?" asked a very familiar voice.
Salazar spun around to see Rowena, holding a torch and looking at the snakes with trepidation. "It's all right," Salazar said, first to Rowena, then to the snakes, "they (she) won't hurt you." This seemed to calm everyone down, and Rowena stepped closer until she was next to the snake charmer.
"So what are you doing down here Slytherin?"
"A better question is what are you doing here? You were poisoned today, you should be resting."
"I couldn't sleep. Now answer my question."
"I found a door in the back of a fireplace in my dungeons and it led to that staircase. You?"
"There was a door behind a tapestry above the fireplace in my tower. It led to that chamber over there," she gestured to dark corner on the side of the room opposite the staircase. "Then there was a tunnel that led here."
"Interesting. How big was your chamber?" he asked, hoping it wasn't as big as his was.
"About the same size as this one. I take it you're claiming this as your own?"
"Oh. Uh, yes."
"Good, that means I don't have to feel bad about claiming that one as my own." She turned and started back for her chamber.
"Rowena?"
"Yes?"
"Just remember to be careful, all right Ravenclaw?"
"I will, don't worry."