~I've attempted to write out a story of the four founding wizards of Hogwarts. If I haven't gotten any reviews, I'll understand, this story is gonna go a bit slow anyway. I might just add it to more of my webpage if nobody's interested. But here it is. Note, the four wizards are not created by me, but maybe most of the other characters are.

Chapter 1

"Rowena this, Rowena that," said a young woman barely in her twenties, "Honestly, Salazar, do they expect me to marry someone I don't even know?"

Her friend shrugged, taking a wineglass from a nearby table and drinking its contents. Somehow, this conversation always managed to repeat itself in the Ravenclaw household. "Should it matter to you so? It's always been tradition to be involved in an arranged marriage. At least the woman I'm supposed to marry is a beauty."

"But she's a buffoon!" Rowena protested, "And you don't love her!"

"Nor she does me, Rowena."

"At least you have seen her. I haven't even seen Sir Sauren Took."

"Look at it this way, he's not a Mudblood," Salazar stated, in a matter-of-fact tone. "What could be worse?"

The young woman lowered her head and grumbled, "Better a Mudblood than a boorish idiot."

Rowena's companion had a glint in his dark brown eyes. "If you don't like noble obligation so much, run away. They probably won't miss you. I know I won't."

"Now that is not funny, Salazar," Rowena glared at him. "Will you get serious for once?"

"Rowena, I am serious. There is a possibility of leaving the household, committing suicide, or sending yourself to a wizard's nunnery. Whichever way you do it, those choices will most definitely prevent you from marriage and the like."

Grey eyes glanced at the window, spotting a carriage and two figures. The two figures climbed inside and the carriage drove away. "Their carriage is gone. I could leave now and won't be noticed until later."

Salazar almost choked on his drink. He gave her a skeptical look. "I didn't really mean any of those choices as being possibly easy to do. They are bound to notice. For goodness' sakes, we are all wizards. Your parents will find you eventually."

"Well, they don't know I can transfigure myself into an eagle," Rowena pointed out logically, "And, if you don't let it out that I've left, all will be well."

Salazar raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think I'll be your accomplice?"

His friend gave a mocking smile, "Well, if I left now, Mum and Dad would know that you've heard of my plans. After all, you are still here, are you not?"

"…I…see your point…"

"I knew you would!" Rowena said, triumphantly. She wasted no time and grabbed a bag full of magic powder and a small purse already filled with money. "Remember to send me an owl or a snake, whichever one. Just as long as it doesn't attract too many people to my whereabouts."

Rowena's friend realized that the woman had been planning this departure even before he mentioned it. Why else was the purse already packed with gold and silver? Salazar shook his head and watched as an eagle took flight, bringing with her a small pouch.

A young man ran a hand through his read hair. He looked at the inn and bit his lip. He hoped that there was a job opening available. "Look at yourself, Godric, you're a mess. You're barely four and twenty, yet here you are, already down on your luck. Just because many strange things happen around doesn't mean you're a jinx, right?" he muttered to himself.

Truth to tell, Godric had to leave his parents and his land to find out just what exactly was wrong with him, but to no avail on his part. Or maybe he was looking at the wrong areas? After all, the British Isle is bound to have someone as strange as he was. Taking a deep breath, he went into the inn.

A couple of boisterous people were singing loudly at the corners of the room. Circular tables filled the room as travelers and workers of the inn chatted away to strangers next to them. It smelled of fresh lemons, to Godric's surprise, as though the odor of beer and ale were nothing. He wondered about, amazed to see that the inn held more room than what he thought it would hold. In the center of the room, a beautiful woman was engaging the men's attention with her dancing. If Godric hadn't been busy, he would have tried to relax and keep his emerald eyes on the fair-haired dancer. At the moment, however, he was busy looking for the innkeeper.

Godric approached a large man yelling for his servant to hurry with entertaining the guests. He glimpsed Godric, and gave him a warm smile. "So, what'll it be, monsieur?"

"Er…I was hopin' that you'd have a job or somethin' for me to do for pay? I've kind of come a long mile, sir," Godric replied, hoping for a good answer.

Instead of answering, the man whistled, and the dancing woman stopped. She tilted her head and looked at the innkeeper with a curious gaze. The large man bellowed., "Helga! Venez ici! We have a guest!"

The young woman apologized to her spectators, bowed, and bounded energetically to the counter. Purple eyes sparkled with laughter and merriment. "Yes, papa?"

"Zis young man iz looking for something to do. Aides lui, s'il te plait."

"Oui, papa," she answered, and her father left to help another person. The blonde smiled at Godric. "Are you from around here?"

Godric shook his head. "Eh, no. I've traveled somewhat."

The young woman nodded. "You have your land's language. The Isle of the Loch Ness, yes?"

"Not sure about the legendary Loch Ness, ma'am," Godric chuckled, "But I do come from there. I'm Godric Gryffindor."

"Helga Sommeil. Come, let me show you to your room and later I will have zome dinner prepared for you. Then we can speak of what you are to do. Iz zat okay?" Helga said. She saw his nervous expression and patted his shoulder reassuringly, "Do not worry, Godric. Zis place iz welcome to travelers. My parents came not from here either. Surely, you could tell?"

Godric nodded. The blonde led the way to one of the empty rooms and unlocked it. The lemon scented room was nicely furnished from top to bottom. A small but comfortable bed lay at the corner, right next to a table and a cabinet of sturdy wood. Helga opened the windows to let some fresh air in and placed Godric's bag on the table. "Well, zis room will do. Leave your things here and I'll take you to ze kitchens. By the way, you are not allergic to lemon scent, are you?"

"Er…no, the scent is rather refreshing," the young man said, "Now, about the job…"

Helga nodded. "Of course! I think my papa will place you at the counter. Zat will be an easy job, wouldn't it? I'm sure you'll do fine."

The two headed to the kitchens, where Helga prepared a meal for Godric and herself. She made friendly conversation with the cooks and servants coming in and out of the room. Godric relaxed. He could get used to working here.

After he had eaten, Godric decided he should check his stuff and turn in early for the night. He headed to his room, gazing at the surroundings. Before he opened his door, he glimpsed something at the farthest corner of the hall. It was a mirror, which glowed purple. As he got closer, the image in the mirror shifted here and there, showing him everything but his own reflection. Godric continued to stare at the picture until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He quickly turned around and glimpsed purple eyes staring at him.

"Iz zere a problem?" she asked, surprised.

"I saw a mirror…" he turned around and the object he had been staring at vanished. Godric looked back at Helga, who was still staring at him, and he shrugged, "I must be really tired. It's gone to the point where I'm hallucinatin'."

The young man waited for Helga to leave the halls and opened the door to his room. He walked in, yawning. When he opened his eyes, Godric came face to face with a grey-eyed woman, and he jumped back, surprised. The woman also gasped with surprise. "Oh, excuse me, is this your room?"

"Why else would I be able to open it?!" Godric asked, skeptically, "Who are you? How'd you get in?"

The brunette calmly pointed to the window, holding her blue robe close. "The window was open, and I did not see anyone here, so I came in. Maybe I should have checked the whole room for bags. A bit too late to spot your bag on the table."

"Godric, I thought you would be asleep by now," Helga said, coming in. She saw the blue-robed woman and her eyes widened, "Oh my! Two at one night! My, my, how wonderful! Mademoiselle, pleeze come with me. I will give you a room to yourself."

Godric, in the meanwhile, headed to the window and peered out. To his increasing astonishment, he found himself many a few stories high. The woman must be lying when she mentioned her coming through the window. Or was she? He turned to the two women in his room, "Do you two know each other? Miss, you couldn't have gone in through the window. It's too high for you to climb without any equipment! I'm demandin' an explanation!"

The two women glanced at each other and Helga bowed her head. "Perhaps. I must speak with her first, and I will tell you after."

Helga pulled the blue robed woman out of Godric's room and into the hallway. The dancer checked to see if the hallway was empty and turned to the blue robed woman. "I've not seen you in zese parts. And I thought I knew every wizard in the province. What iz your name?"

"Rowena," the woman said, "Why did you not tell him the truth? He is a wizard, is he not?"

"Yes, yes," Helga furrowed her eyebrows, "But he doesn't know it. And you, mademoiselle, should not have flown in like that."

Rowena raised her eyebrow. "How did you know I flew in? There are many ways to get in that room by wizardry. Honestly, do you not read?"

The dancer looked at her, amused. "Oh, you must be a noble then, or else you would know that zis inn is protected in many ways. Ze doors are locked with magic, you can't Apparate inside, and zere iz no possibility zat you possessed an invisibility cloak without my papa seeing you. Honestly, do you not listen to the people around you?"

"Okay, so I flew in, what of it?" Rowena asked, haughtily, "It's not as if I had been seen by a Muggle. That man we both know is a wizard and he should be told!"

"Muggle? Is that what you call humans who don't have extraordinary powers?" a voice asked from behind the two women.

Rowena jumped and Helga fidgeted with her necklace. "Technically, speaking, yes. Muggles are the term wizards use."

Purple eyes scanned the hallway and found relief in seeing that no Muggle has passed them yet. Helga grabbed Rowena's and Godric's arms and headed back to Godric's room, where she closed the door and window. "You people think that we can just speak of wizardry around here? Zis place iz packed with Muggles! And if they find out we've got magic…"

Rowena scoffed, "They'll attempt to burn us. I've heard. But that couldn't stop us."

Godric shook his head, "Yes, but it might be bad business around here, if most of Helga's customers are Muggles."

"Oh!" Helga cried out.

"What is it?!" the other two asked, alarmed.

The dancer smiled. "Oh la, la, I forgot to introduce ourselves! Godric, zis iz Rowena. Towena, Godric Gryffindor. I'm Helga Sommeil."

Rowena and Godric eyed each other and both hastily said, "Pleasure." The blue robed woman placed her hand inside her pockets and frowned. "Oh, no. I must have dropped it."

"Dropped what?" Godric asked.

"My magic powder. Oh, dear…this is not good…"

Helga opened the window and tried to find a small bag at the bottom. "Non, alas, it iz not down zere. Perhaps you left it in your home?"

Rowena started to look around the room, not caring if she ransacked it. "I couldn't have! I know I brought it with me. It was tied to my neck…"

"Powder…?" Godric asked, unsure of the importance of magic powder. "Is that how you become a wizard?"

The blonde looked at him for a moment and smiled. "Well, for me, my parents were both wizards. It iz only expected that I would be. However, if you were unfortunate enough to be born from those who do not know or those who do not wish to know, then usually if any wizard finds someone promising, magic powder iz given to that person."

"Basically," Rowena said, still looking for her magic powder, "You try to see if they do something strange and then test your theory by throwing magic powder at them. But really, where is it?"

Godric looked up, an idea coming to his head. "Helga, don't you have some magic powder? Can you try and see if I've got any magic?"

Rowena interrupted Helga, "No need to bother, Godric. I felt power in you, so you are a wizard. Why do you think we've told you all this for?"

"You seem so confident that you felt any power, miss Rowena," Godric said, a bit irritated. "What makes you so sure?"

The witch straightened. "Unlike you, I was highly trained to detect magic power from anyone, powder or no. All wizards should know how to do that."

"Eh, Rowena iz half right, Godric," Helga said, smiling, "Some wizards are able to tell by feeling alone, like mademoiselle over zere. I was able to find out from the fact that you were able to see that ever-changing mirror at ze end of ze hallway. We need to get you zome magic powder."

"I need to find mine!"

"You've already looked around my room three times!"

"Mademoiselle, we need to leave Monsieur Godric be," Helga said, pushing Rowena out the door, smiling. "Have a good night, Godric."