A/n- At last! At long last! A new chapter.
Salazar stayed with Persephone for seven years. She had let him stay with her on one condition- she could place a memory charm on him, to make him forget the events of that horrible day and night. She said that maybe, one day she could lift it. Salazar had reluctantly agreed.
He spent those seven years perfecting and learning how to control the magic that flowed so freely through him and others. He was never satisfied with what he had learned. His transfigurations always had to be flawless, he had to be able to control his charms so they did exactly what he wanted them to do, his potions had to be exact. He studied the history of magic, and Persephone made sure he knew exactly what happened when a dark witch or wizard gained control. He never learned a curse or how to make a poison from Persephone herself.
But there was one thing that Persephone could not change- his ability to talk to snakes. They were always around- they seemed to flock to him. And he talked to them, more then he talked to her.
And then, when Salazar was 19, they traveled to a remote part of the country, in a huge and lonely moor.
* * *
Salazar looked outside the tent. He had only been in the moor for a day, and he already decided that he hated it. It was just miles and miles of grass. Tall, ugly grass.
He went back inside the tent. "Why did we have to come here?" he said, grumpily.
"We're going to visit Godric," said Persephone, who was sitting cross-legged on the carpet. "And you broke my concentration."
"Oh, sorry," said Salazar, a bit distracted. The name Godric was ringing a faint a distant bell in the farthest reach of his mind.
"We might as well go now," Persephone said, getting up. "I'm out of the 'zone'." She grabbed her wand. "Let's go."
The two disapperated.
* * *
Salazar looked up at huge stone building that was before him, as Persephone apparated with a pop next to him.
"Here, put this on," she said, reaching into a pocket, and pulling out a bracelet. It had a silvery band, and an emerald jewel.
She pulled out her wand again. "Tele," she muttered. "Godric, put it on."
Salazar put on the bracelet. "I don't like it. I don't know why, but I don't like this bracelet."
She pocketed the wand. "Come on," she said to Salazar. "This is important."
They walked through the front gate, and into the court yard. Salazar felt the jewel do a sort of twitch.
"Persephone-" he started to say.
"It'll do that," she interrupted.
The two walked in silence through the front door, which was opened by two guards, who bowed respectfully to them.
Inside was a small entrance hall, with two doors. Through one, Salazar could see a kitchen, and through the other a bed room with a familiar looking man, and two women sitting in it.
Persephone walked into the room, dragging Salazar with her.
"Godric, you old bean, we're here!" she said as she barged in. "Hello Rowena, hello Helga, glad you're here.
"Who are you calling old?" the man, who Salazar assumed was Godric, said. He looked to be about 25, and he seemed to be all red. Red hair, and a face splattered with freckles. He even wore a red shirt and hose underneath his tunic, which was red also, with a large golden lion embroidered on it.
Something echoed in the back of Salazar's mind. His own voice- Green and silver, green and silver. Just once I'd like to wear red and gold. And Olga's- You cannot. Those are the Gryffindor colors. He couldn't remember what this was from.
"You," Persephone said, with out missing a beat. "Salazar, this is Rowena-,"
She pointed to one of the ladies. Rowena looked somewhat exotic- she had long black hair, and dark black hair. She was wearing a dark blue shrift and kirtle, but she managed to carry a regal air about her. She looked to be about the same age as Godric.
"- and that's Helga." Helga seemed very different then Rowena. Her hair was dirty blond, and curly, and her eyes were of the dullest colour of brown. She was closer to Salazar's age then to Godric's. She wore a peasant's dress, and looked a bit out of place.
"All right then," she said, suddenly looking a bit sad. "Good-bye, Salazar."
"What?" he said, startled.
"I have to leave you now."
"Why?"
"The time has come, the walrus said."
"What?"
Persephone shook her head. "You wouldn't understand. But at any rate, the time has come. I've done what I've had to do, and it's time for me to go someplace- or rather, sometime else."
"What?" Salazar said, stammering, "I-I don't understand, what do you mean?"
"Good-bye, dear. Be good." And with that, she was gone.
Salazar turned to the others. "What just happened?"
"I'm not sure," said Helga, slapping her hand on Salazar's shoulder. "I don't think we'll ever know. We'll just have to be content knowing that that poor old bird stopped by long enough to show an interest."
"Then, do you know why I'm here?"
"To build a school!" said Godric, sounding triumphant, and smiling at Salazar. "Don't you remember?"
"Remember what?"
"You know!" said Godric. "The whole deal with our powers, and the bracelets?"
Salazar looked around, and realized that everyone was wearing a bracket. All of them were like his, but each had a different jewel- Godric's a ruby, Rowena's a sapphire, and Helga's a black pearl.
"I still don't understand."
"Well, let's start at the beginning." said Godric. "Do you remember me?"
Again, something flickered in Salazar's mind. "You, Godric, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Helga Hufflepuff are mentioned in a prophecy…According to it, if something goes wrong, we could all be destroyed"
"I don't know," Salazar said, worriedly. "I think I should."
Something else came back to him. "One of the powers mentioned in the prophesy was that when either you and Godric, or Helga and Rowena got close enough, and the magic found a host that suited it's fancy, you could turn muggles into wizards"
"I know this sounds odd…but can we turn muggles into wizards?" said Salazar.
"Yes!" said all three, together,
"And we're going to make a school," said Rowena.
"To teach both people that are born magic, and the ones that our magic chooses," said Godric.
"To educate all of Britain, Scotland, and Ireland," said Helga.
Salazar stared at them. "I…I see," he said slowly. "And why are we wearing these bracelets?"
"To stop our magic from…well, I guess the best way to put it is 'escaping'," said Rowena. "Look at the jewel, closer."
Salazar put his wrist at eye level, and studied the emerald. He saw that there was a small snake etched lightly into the stone.
"You see the etching?" asked Rowena.
"Yes…"
"By the by, what is it?"
"A snake. Why do you ask?"
"Apparently, our etchings say something about us. Mine's a raven, Helga's a badger, and Godric's a lion."
"What do you mean 'apparently'?" interrupted Helga. "Your carving makes since- Ravenclaw's your last name. And so does Godric's- the lion is his family crest. I guess mine does too- you three all have the high and mighty animals. I just have-" she blushed. "I just have a lowly, mean little badger."
"Oh, be quiet," said Godric, dismissing her ideas with a wave of his hand. "I doubt that's what Persephone meant. And I haven't finished my investigation into your parents are."
"What do you mean?" said Salazar.
"Godric has this thing that he goes on about- that my parents are simply under a very powerful memory charm. And that we should all be sitting in a castle somewhere."
"Thing?" said Godric, sounding insulted. "I haven't a thing! I have a sound and conclusive theory! All I need now if for Rowena to give me those books on memory charms."
"I told you, I'm not getting into that," said Rowena.
"Are you…" said Salazar. "Are you a peasant?"
"Yes," said Helga, briskly. "But my magic's as good as any witch or wizard."
"Good?" said Godric. "You, m'dear, are better then any witch or wizard in the world, except for the three people standing before you. And the fourth that just left."
"So," said Salazar, sensing that the debate might go on all night, and that he wouldn't get an answer until it was over. "Tell me more about the bracelet."
"Well," said Rowena. "As I said before, it harnesses your magic. You can, however do spells with your wand with it on. But, you can turn muggles magic if you take it off, or tap the jewel right where the etching is, with you wand."
"I see," Salazar said. "I don't like it. I don't like it at all."
"None of us do, Salazar," said Rowena, gently.
"Cheer up, old pal!" said Godric, slapping his hand on his shoulder, in the same manner as Helga did. "We've got an adventure ahead!" He pulled out a sword for a sheaf hanging on a wall nearby, and waved it around as he continued. "A castle to build! A gigantic serpent of the deep to slay!"
"I thought we agreed we weren't going to kill the squid," said Helga.
" Ah yes. But still! A country full of people who fear and hate us to scour through for allies and students! And then, once we're done with all that, we must keep the beasts of fire, air, earth and water at bay as we try to educate young sorcerers! Come!" he yelled, waving his sword even broader. "Let us make haste and leave!" He then went out the door.
The other three simply stared, and ran over to the window to watch him run through the front gate.
He turned to look at then, and shouted. "Don't just stand there, gawking! Come on!"
"Men," muttered Helga, and shook her head. "I think the rest of us were planing on packing. And maybe making some more detailed plans," she called, leaning out the window. "And we're not going by foot either, I don't think. We might apparate. Or use horses."
Even from the window, Salazar could see him blush. "Ah…yes. Indeed!" he called up. "I agree! I'll be back up, in a second!" He jogged towards the gate, and out of sight.
The next few days were a blur of packing and planning. And then, the fateful day came, when all four apparated away to their new home.
Salazar looked around at their surroundings. They were atop a cliff, with a deep lake at the bottom. Everything, besides the lake and the plateau they were on was deep green forest.
The view was awe-inspiring to Salazar. After only seeing swamps and moors, he was spell bound to the beauty of his surroundings.
"Right then!" said Helga, after a few moments. Let's get to work!"