It was just like any other summer in Wealas, the Dog Days indicated that it was bright and clear prophesying for a happy year. The fruit on the trees were ripening and beginning to weigh down on the branches. It was perfect, just in time for the end of the summer festival where everyone from all over comes to Wealas for a good revel. That was the time that Helga loved the most, meeting new people for just a brief moment before they all scattered back to their places of birth. While she remains here, with her family and everyone she's known since she was a child.
It wasn't that Helga didn't like Wealas but she always wanted something more; an adventure of some sort, to go to practice her magic somewhere else or even find love. She never understood her parents' obsession of finding husbands for their daughters within their town limits. To Helga, it just seemed awkward, she's known these wizards since they were picking their noses and eating them and now her mother wants her to be courted by one of them. It may have worked for her other four sisters but Helga just wanted someone with more mystery, not that it mattered anyways.
Helga was now getting to an age where the town's folk were beginning to turn and talk about the youngest Hufflepuff girl and why she hasn't been paired yet. The older women love to whisper loudly and say she is infertile but she knew the truth, the boys her age are intimidated by her. Every time they try to impress her with their magic, she easily does a more complex spell, even without saying a word.
Her mother often scolds her and tells her to never compete with the boys, especially when they are just trying to win her heart. She often cites Helga's best friend as the cause of her being so "rude" to the men who court her.
But in Helga Hufflepuff's eyes, there was absolutely nothing wrong with Rowena Ravenclaw.
"You are late again, Helga," Rowena said, "What happened? Did you get lost in your gardens once again?"
"If only," Helga sighed, "My mother had a surprise visitor over for breakfast. She was hoping that the wizard would be charmed with the way I cook"
"Oh?" Rowena looked up from her book, "And what happened?"
"What always seems to happen" Helga rolled her eyes, "He kept saying how his bloodline is strong, pure, and powerful so naturally I asked how powerful he was-"
"I am quite certain your mother did not like that"
"Of course not, but who says they are powerful when he could not even turn the just cooked chicken back into the original form, so I did it for him" Helga raised up her chin.
Rowena only let out a melodic laugh as she closed her book and placed it next to her. Sometimes, Helga was jealous of Rowena, her parents did the right thing and arranged a marriage before she could even fly a broom. Rowena Ravenclaw was originally from the glens of Alba but thanks to her marriage to Rodrick in her village, they visit half the year. Rodrick's family is well-known and his father was seen as the leader of their lands which only meant that Rowena doesn't see him that often when she comes to the Wealas valleys. It wasn't long before the pair eventually found each other and became inseparable ever since.
Helga remembered the day that she had met Rowena, she had just snuck away from her duties to read a book that her father had got as a gift for her. She hadn't known that Rowena was nearby, also reading a book and couldn't help but notice another woman who knew how to read. She was also impressed that Helga was reading a book about Herbology, something Rowena had little understanding about. Now whenever Rowena comes to visit, they exchange books and practice spells and charms together to broaden their magic even further.
In their times, magic was only exceeded up to what you need to know in which area you live in and nothing more. Helga was rather disappointed that they only learned from either their family or the old crone and never more than three years. Helga wished that there was more to learn from her peers but they only said that she should stop yearning to learn and start looking for a suitor.
Helga sat down on the grass and placed her borrowed book right next to Rowena's. It came to no surprise that Rowena was already done with the book Helga gave her.
"Does anyone ever think differently about you, Rowena?" Helga asked, "Back in your home?"
Rowena cracked a smile, "Only that I placed Rodrick under some spell in order to reach a higher status"
Helga wrinkled her nose, "That's horrible"
"Only if you pay attention to it" Rowena brushed it off, "You should not give in to those rumors, Helga, you will only feed into the fire of those large nose gossipers"
"But what if they are right? What if I do not find anyone to… love" Helga mumbled.
"You fought this long for your belief in true love and now you want to settle for what you deemed less a year ago?" Rowena questioned.
Helga thought for a moment before she said, "No"
"Then stand firm" Rowena said, "I might not have a choice but you still do"
Helga looked over to Rowena who seemed serious about what she was saying.
Helga smiled and nodded to her friend before she cast her eyes back over to her small village. She was almost certain that she was meant for something more, she just didn't know what that could be. In her heart, she was certain that she was not meant to be just any witch from Wealas but she also knew that people rarely branch out from their hometown unless they belong to an elite society. Helga, of course, didn't and her family had been in this village for generations and weren't going to leave any time soon. Even bringing up the idea of going with Rowena to Alba for half a year brings her mother to tears.
She just wished that her family understood her need to find something more; herbs, animals, magic, love, the list goes on and on. Helga sighed as she turned and was about to go back with Rowena when something made her stop as she felt an emotion she wasn't used to feeling. It was an adrenaline rush, the feeling of being scared, and pain. Helga picked up her dress and moved past Rowena to the other side of the small river.
"Helga?"
"I feel something" Helga responded, "Something unusual"
"Another animal hurt?" Rowena asked, "Last time you were sad that you witnessed a deer being killed"
"This is different" Helga called over her shoulder, "It is not an animal"
"By all means, lead the way" Rowena said, "But next time, do not go through the river in your dress, we are making them dirty"
"Like you do not know a spell that cleans dirt off" Helga paused, "This way"
"I swear, if this is a wolf again, I will never forgive you" Rowena commented.
"It's not a wolf" Helga stopped in her tracks, "It is a human"
A hippogriff was standing on her hind legs and flapping her wings and bellowing at a young man just under him. The man was trying to get away but slowly but the creature still thought of him as a threat. Helga quickly came into the clearing as she felt the hippogiff's rage and need to protect her young that were just off into the brush.
Despite it being so angry, Helga bowed herself down low and kept her eyes to the ground as she felt her heart tingling and pumping as she sensed the hippogriff and eased the creature's panic. She let out a few angry cries before she bowed to Helga, turned and walked away from the young man but not before she flicked him with her tail.
"Bloody chicken," the man grunted.
"Do you have a death wish?" Rowena asked the man, "No one is supposed to go up against a hippogriff without earning the trust of the beast"
Helga knelt down next to the man and checked his chest, noticing that he was bleeding.
"It is not that bad" the man groaned, "I will heal, eventually"
"My house is not that far from here" Helga said, "I can take you there where I can heal you. What is your name? Are you new here?"
"Is it that obvious?" the man hissed in pain, "My name is Salazar Slytherin, I would get up and bow but that… hippogriff really wanted to make me her lunch"
"Hippogriffs do not eat humans" Rowena huffed, "They are proud creatures. Do you not have them from wherever you are from"
"Irland" Salazar said as Rowena and Helga picked him up, "And no, we do not. I wanted to ride the beast and show my friend Godric but I guess two witches on each arm will have to do"
Rowena looked to Helga as she said, "How charming"
"Why are you here?" Helga asked, "The Summer Festival does not start for at least a couple of more weeks from now"
Salazar grunted as he said, "I convinced my family to spend the summer here before the summer festival, they are miserable but Godric and I are happy"
Helga couldn't help but smile at the opportunity, a new friend! Someone who is staying longer than usual and from Irland of all places. Helga couldn't believe her luck as she tried to look at Rowena from the otherside of the injured young wizard but she didn't seem to mind at all. Helga looked to Salazar who didn't seem too keen on how she felt about his vacation. Maybe she wouldn't as well if she was bleeding from her chest.
"Well, I am pleased to meet you" Helga said, "My name is Helga Hufflepuff and this is Rowena Ravenclaw"
"No, it should be me pleased to meet you" Salazar objected, "I would have been dead if you both were not nearby"
"Just do not bleed on my dress" Rowena mumbled, "Dirt I can get out no problem, but blood…"
"Rowena!" Helga said in a hushed voice before she looked up and smiled, "This way, Salazar"