Title: The Four Founders' Hunt
Author: Zimagesto
Summary: AU. The four founders celebrate their success in building Hogwarts by going on a hunt. All fun and games until they become the hunted. Alone, they can't survive. And why does everybody think the school remained theirs?
Disclaimer: Don't own any of the founders or Hogwarts or anything else you might recognize from the HP books. But I own the plot and JS.
Story: In perfect accord with 'Harry Potter and the Green Flame Torch', one of my other fics. However, it's not necessary to have read any of them to understand the other. Same world, different times. RER (Read, enjoy, review). Flames accepted.
/*-/*-/*-/*-/*-
"They'll be here soon" said Helga, overactive. "I can't believe it!"
"Do, sister, do!" Godric said and hugged her. "Our first students! And think about them getting sorted into houses, named after us!"
"For now and forever. Amen" Rowena said, in a mock-priest voice. "Soon. Oh, I'm so excited!"
They were all standing in front of the castle on that sunny day, checking for the first signs of the students. Salazar was looking at them amused. He too felt nervous, but he'd be damned if he showed it! And soon, the 'horseless' -for some- carriages would bring the first ever students of Hogwarts. And from the other side of the lake they'd cross it in some boats. And the Sorting Hat was finished. It would sort so well! Oh, yes, everything was going to be -finally- working. The only problem was cleaning the place up. Of course they'd put thousands of self-cleaning spells, but it still was a huge problem to keep the place clean. Hmmm. Had to sort that out later. Along with the 'tons of food' problem. They also needed a cook.
Uh oh. Godric had that mischievous smile. And Rowena too.
"Look what me and Godric put together!" she said and showed what looked like a notebook. "In this we'll record everything that will happen that worth remembering: teachers, students, detentions."
"Brave adventures with lots and lots of danger and rule-braking that need to be remembered." Godric added and Rowena glared at him.
"That-yes, but not from your point of view and I don't want to see you encouraging the students in mischief making. Got it?"
"Yes, yes, my dear Rowena" Godric said. "Of course I won't."
"But he won't discourage them either" Salazar said and smirked. He knew the other too well. "And how about deviously made plans? Will we mark those?"
"Of course. And their punishments, too, as a remembering" Rowena said and smirked when she saw the others' face.
"How about normal life at the castle?" Helga asked.
"Why not? And maybe years from now we'll read and remember" Rowena said.
Salazar smiled. Yep, those were his friends: Rowena 'Athena' Ravenclaw, Godric 'Head First' Gryffindor and Helga 'too Bloody Cheery' Hufflepuff. Well, the 'too bloody' part was added by him. As for he, he was Salazar 'Snaketongue' Slytherin. And they were the Four Founders of Hogwarts. Hey, that sounded good! The Four Founders of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It made them sound like the greatest wizards -and witches- around. Which, by the way, they were.
"They'll be coming soon. I'll go to the boats" Godric said and started going towards the other side of the lake.
"Well, we better go in" Rowena said.
"Are you sure we should?" asked Salazar. "This is Godric we're talking about. He might get them in some dangerous adventure."
The others laughed and went inside.
/*-/*-/*-/*-
The three founders that had gone inside were eagerly awaiting Godric when a person came in. And they all recognized him straight away.
"Jack!" cried Helga.
"Hello!" he cried right back. "What, starting without me? Have you forgotten about me?"
"We haven't seen you since. what June?"
"Yep" he answered cheerfully. "Missed me?"
"Of course!" Helga said and jumped and hugged him. Salazar smiled amused.
"I thought you said we wouldn't make our contract public" Salazar said.
"We're not. I am going to float above your heads in invisible mode."
"What do you mean?" Rowena asked.
Jack smiled and gave the floor a small kick and lifted in the air effortlessly at about half a meter high.
"Holy shit!" Helga said, Rowena gaped and Salazar smiled amused. He should have known.
"Wandless?" he asked. "You're good"
"I should be, at my age" he answered and came closer to the ground. "I have lots of power and, to say it shortly, I can do whatever I like."
"That must be great" Salazar said longingly.
"It is" the man answered. "Godric's coming. I'll just turn myself invisible now"
He did just that and his image faded quickly. The three founders took their seats and awaited eagerly for the students to enter. And they didn't have to wait long. Soon, the doors banged open and Godric lead twenty awed students inside.
"Welcome to Hogwarts!" Rowena said. "You are our first students ever and we hope to have so many more"
The students looked at the beautiful, wise-looking woman in front of them.
"Salazar, will you please bring the Hat?"
Salazar nodded and brought and brought a three legged-chair from a room just behind the Great Hall with an old-looking hat on it.
"Our dear students" Helga said. "This is the Sorting Hat. All of you will be tested by it. All you have to do is place it on your head and you will be sorted into one of the four Houses we will have, each of them being cared after by one of us. To avoid confusions, we named the Houses after ourselves. While you will study here -for seven years, may we remind you- the House will be your family and you will get help from the Head of the House you've been sorted into. So, let the sorting begin with the song our Sorting Hat will sing!"
The students watched awed how the hat started singing.
"Welcome, welcome, first of all!
In front of us stands Godric, tall,
Gryffindor the bravest Founder
His sword powerful as thunder.
The next I'll call is Ravenclaw,
Wise Rowena, she's much saw
And Salazar, the cunning one,
He likes things so greatly done
Hufflepuff, where students good,
Loyal and hard working stood
And as for me, I'm just a hat.
Nothing more, simple as that.
My meaning here is easily said,
I'll take a peak inside your head
And Sort you where you ought to be
And where you will your real friends see.
But remember, oh, young ones!
Friendship and love everywhere runs,
Not just in your House stand friends,
But also in other the other lands.
Of your Heads example keep
And allies have where your feet lead.
And now, as these great Founders say,
All your wishes come true may!
May you be grow up to be great
May you grow up to be straight!
And may your souls stay forever young
As some great people might have sung!
And now, try me on your head,
And your House soon I will have said!
The students clapped happily. What a great song!
"Well? Try it on!" Helga said. "Ashley Amber"
A girl came to the three-legged stool and put it on her head.
"Gryffindor!" the Hat cried and everybody else clapped happily, maybe Godric more than the others.
"Stuart Singer" Helga said.
The boy went to the Hat and put it on his head.
"Ravenclaw"
"Portia Malfoy!"
"Slytherin!"
"Pandora Shirley McKnight!"
"Gryffindor!"
"George Lumber!"
"Hufflepuff!"
It went on and on and on, every single student sitting on the three-legged stool waiting for his house to be cried out. Helga had been a bit saddened by the fact that no student made it in her house, but when George Lumber's House was cried, she had regained her cheer fast.
After that, there was the Feast. They all had fun and ate the dishes that the Founders themselves had cooked and chatted, the students -6 Gryffindors, 4 Hufflepuffs, 5 Ravenclaws and 6 Slytherins- were making friends among their House.
Helga was nearly crying. Rowena was chatting happily with Salazar and Godric. Well, Godric was talking, eating and laughing. All at the same time.
"In one thousand years, our school will have lots of students and nobody will remember this, but some will wonder. What House was the first student sorted in? How was it?" Helga said. "I can see it! It will be more known than any other magic school and children will wonder when they'll be going to Hogwarts. I LOVE MY LIFE!"
"Why a thousand years?" asked Rowena. "Think we won't be just as that before?"
"Oh, yes, but then it will be clear that Hogwarts will never leave and it will have stood against time!"
"It will stand" Salazar said. "It'll stand in a pile of rubbish if we don't find out an answer to the 'cleaning problem'!"
Godric laughed merrily.
"Yeah, what will we do about that?" he asked. "And we need to get a cook. I can't believe we have to cook every single meal!"
/*-/*-/*-/*-
Some time later, they decided it was getting late and lead the students to their dormitories, letting them know passwords and have fun in the common rooms. Then, they returned to the kitchen and started cleaning up.
"Forgot about me again?" asked a voice when they came in the kitchen.
"Jack!"
"Well, you were invisible" Salazar said. "Were we supposed to go in the Great Hall and cry come out, come out wherever you are?"
The other man laughed.
"I guess not. Have you got all this written in that notebook of yours?"
"Yes, we." Rowena started saying. "How did you know that?"
"I know many things" he answered. "It has that wonderful charm you know, Rowena, on it, doesn't it?"
"Why, yes, it does" she answered. "It writes itself. Mostly. We will add a few parts, too"
He smiled.
"Write it all, oh, write it all my children. From beyond time some will read what you write now and all shall be rediscovered."
"What?" Godric asked.
"Babblings of an old fool" he answered. "But I know now that people wish to have writings of the ones who founded Rome or Athens. But I'm afraid I leave you now again. Fare well, my founders. Fare well and farewell."
"Thank you" Rowena said, laughing. "But we'd love to see you soon"
"Maybe you will" he answered and smiled. "Maybe you will"
With a small bow, he exited the kitchens, the Founders saying their goodbyes.
/*-/*-/*-/*-
"Hello again, Jack" said a young girl.
"Kate! My dear Kate!" answered the powerful man.
"Have a new scar?"
He laughed.
"It's nothing. I myself have put it there, you know it's good to keep changing my appearance in front of the Muggles."
"I liked you better without it."
They were in a forest, probably Jack's favorite place. The man was always around those parts. In fact, it was actually said he could be in more places in the same time. How did he do that?!
He decided to answer the girl.
"Me too. And I think I'll stay for green or blue eyes. So, how's Death?"
She laughed.
"Being the Death Guardian at the Gate of Ravens can be lots of fun. If you ever decide to come by."
"No thanks, I'll pass."
"Aw, but why? I'd love to see you there just like a mortal."
"That I'll never be" he said, maybe a bit sad.
"Immortality ain't that bad, oh, Lord of Darkness! Yeah, it's true, you're the most unlucky bastard ever to live forever, with all the save-the-day things, but still."
"Thank you for reminding me of my problems."
"Welcomed. And aren't you going to ask me about the Guardian at the Veil?"
"No."
"Please?"
"I already know"
The man's calm and disinterest was killing her. Well, she had to tell somebody, right? And look! The nerve! He even looked in another direction!
"She's horrible, you know. Rule-obsessed."
"Of course" he calmly answered, still looking somewhere else.
"You're no fun" she said, disappointed in his lack of interest.
"My dearest Kate, do I or do I not know all that happens through the world? What use would it be to ask?" he asked, looking calmly through the forest, talking rarely, like in a dream state.
"You're still no fun" she said. Why didn't he even look at her? "Always calm and collected."
He smiled and suddenly, without so much as a warning, jumped with unnatural speed and grabbed her in his arms.
"No fun, Kate? Calm and collected?" he asked and made his canines grow. She started laughing.
"Ok, maybe I was wrong. Did I ever tell you what a good imitation of a vampire you are?"
"Imitation?!" he asked, mock-hurt. "Why, please, I'm the real thing, the first of all vampires!"
"And some day I might even believe you" she said, grinning.
"Am I that bad at pretending?" Jack asked and she laughed.
"Of course you are. What are you, anyway? I know for a fact that you're not human."
"Ah, personal secret, I'm afraid" he answered and grinned.
"Then, how old are you?"
"Again, a personal secret"
"How many people have you managed to trick into forgetting what they wanted to know with that annoyingly charming smile of yours you're wearing now?"
"Many" he answered and laughed. "You're starting to know me too well. Listen, girl, do you like me?" he asked.
"Yeah, I must say I do."
"If I ask you to do something."
"Uh oh" she said. "I smell trouble"
"You know Galas, the Light Guardian"
"Yes. I really hate the way this is going."
"Tell him to lay off my tracks, I need some free hand in this."
She just rolled her eyes.
"Again, bugging you? Oh, people these days, so freakishly annoying."
"I must say I agree" he answered. "Why don't people trust me?"
"Maybe because. you're the Lord of Darkness?" she suggested.
"Ah, that might be it."
"So, how are you, besides saving the day and being bugged by Light Guardians and all?"
"Fine, just fine, thanks" he answered, his eyes twinkling. "The elves love to have me with them and some people just accepted me as their leader. We shall win the war."
She looked at him suspiciously.
"That all? There seems to be more" she said. "I can tell by the look in your eyes."
He grinned mischievously.
"And my daughter is well and so are my two sons."
"But you don't have. children." she said and a smile spread across her face. "So, who are your disciples?"
He laughed merrily.
"Michael Kane, Roxana Chase and Avalis"
"Isn't Avalis one of the king's I-forgot-his-name-again knights?" she asked excitedly.
"Yes, he is Galathorny's First Knight"
"His name is Galathorny?" she asked and started laughing and even Jack allowed himself to chuckle.
"Yes, that's why he insists everybody calls him Eagle"
She tried to raise an eyebrow, but she couldn't do it right, since she was still laughing.
"Eagle?"
He laughed.
"May I quote him?"
"Be my guest"
""
"Shithead?!" she asked, roaring with laughter. "Remind me, please remind me to call him that when we meet."
"No, can't do that. I wasn't even supposed to know about that."
"Spying, were you?!" she insinuatingly asked.
"Me? Spying?!" he asked, mock-hurt. "Oh, no, milady, I never spy. I have no need for it. As I said, I know everything."
"How come your head hasn't exploded yet into about a thousand pieces because of the huge amount of information?" she asked in a rapid rhythm, but trying to look innocent.
"Ok, so I don't know everything" he admitted" but I can know anything that I like. Like, your secret crush is."
"NO!" she cried and then started coughing. "I mean, I don't have a secret crush"
"Of course you don't" he said, making it clear he didn't believe her. "So, how is Mark?"
"Damn" she said. "You can be annoying at times, did I tell you that?"
"Why, yes you did" he answered cheerfully.
She glared at him.
"So, why did you call for me, o mighty Jack?"
"Because I wanted to ask you to tell Galas about laying off my tracks."
"Riiiiiiight. So, back to my question: why did you call me?"
He shook his head, amused. The girl knew him too well. Well, he had been around her for quite a while and fate made sure they always bumped into each other. Ah, Kate was one great person. She had become one of Death's Guardians when she was young. Right now she was almost seventy. The good part about being the Guardian of either Death or Life was that you didn't die. Well, technically, when you were a Guardian of Death you were dead, but the good part was you could walk around in a body just like a living person, act like a living person and be a living person in every way, except you couldn't exactly die and didn't need to eat and, oh, yeah, you had to work almost all the time for Death.
"I called you because I want you to get the Gate of the Veil to the Ministry of Magic."
"Oh, ok- WHAT?! Are you out of your inhuman mind?!" she cried. "The Gate of the Veil is the only physical gate we have and you want me to give to a bunch of destroying idiots?!"
"Yep" he answered. Did she really think it was the only physical gate?
"Death will not agree. No, no she won't! And you are the one who tells her about this, Jack. Not me. I'm out of here and you, my friend, are crazy and completely out of your immortal minds!"
She turned her back on him and started walking away when he appeared in front of her.
"I'll talk to Death. You just move the Veil."
She glared at him.
"No"
"Please, Kate" he said. Gah! What gorgeous eyes! Why did he have to look like that at her? She felt his being surround her, his request bugging her. She closed her eyes for a second and couldn't open them again. She felt his being, the way she had felt him so long ago. There was something about him, ancient and powerful and dangerous, but not evil. This power he passed to all those who needed it, she knew. It was impossible to describe, the way he felt like.
"Ok" she said, defeated. "How do you do that?"
"It's a secret of mine. Thank you"
"I hate you."
"I love you too"
She left. Death was not going to agree. Nope, no, nix, niet, no, she would not agree. Moving the Veil. And the Guardian there would be pretty upset, too! She would be fuming! Badly!... Kate smiled. Well, for that, it was worth to try.
/*-/*-/*-/*-/*-
Author's Note: Here we are, another chapter! I love my life!!! Hope you like this one as well! -although it was a bit late-
Thank you:
the Red Dragons Order: Hmmm. If I dare think not to continue I get into trouble with you. Why do I get a feeling of déjà vu? By the way, Akvar and I should be finished with the next chapter soon -but as he said once, with humor, soon for him and he's 5000!-
harryforeva: Thank you.
Author: Zimagesto
Summary: AU. The four founders celebrate their success in building Hogwarts by going on a hunt. All fun and games until they become the hunted. Alone, they can't survive. And why does everybody think the school remained theirs?
Disclaimer: Don't own any of the founders or Hogwarts or anything else you might recognize from the HP books. But I own the plot and JS.
Story: In perfect accord with 'Harry Potter and the Green Flame Torch', one of my other fics. However, it's not necessary to have read any of them to understand the other. Same world, different times. RER (Read, enjoy, review). Flames accepted.
/*-/*-/*-/*-/*-
"They'll be here soon" said Helga, overactive. "I can't believe it!"
"Do, sister, do!" Godric said and hugged her. "Our first students! And think about them getting sorted into houses, named after us!"
"For now and forever. Amen" Rowena said, in a mock-priest voice. "Soon. Oh, I'm so excited!"
They were all standing in front of the castle on that sunny day, checking for the first signs of the students. Salazar was looking at them amused. He too felt nervous, but he'd be damned if he showed it! And soon, the 'horseless' -for some- carriages would bring the first ever students of Hogwarts. And from the other side of the lake they'd cross it in some boats. And the Sorting Hat was finished. It would sort so well! Oh, yes, everything was going to be -finally- working. The only problem was cleaning the place up. Of course they'd put thousands of self-cleaning spells, but it still was a huge problem to keep the place clean. Hmmm. Had to sort that out later. Along with the 'tons of food' problem. They also needed a cook.
Uh oh. Godric had that mischievous smile. And Rowena too.
"Look what me and Godric put together!" she said and showed what looked like a notebook. "In this we'll record everything that will happen that worth remembering: teachers, students, detentions."
"Brave adventures with lots and lots of danger and rule-braking that need to be remembered." Godric added and Rowena glared at him.
"That-yes, but not from your point of view and I don't want to see you encouraging the students in mischief making. Got it?"
"Yes, yes, my dear Rowena" Godric said. "Of course I won't."
"But he won't discourage them either" Salazar said and smirked. He knew the other too well. "And how about deviously made plans? Will we mark those?"
"Of course. And their punishments, too, as a remembering" Rowena said and smirked when she saw the others' face.
"How about normal life at the castle?" Helga asked.
"Why not? And maybe years from now we'll read and remember" Rowena said.
Salazar smiled. Yep, those were his friends: Rowena 'Athena' Ravenclaw, Godric 'Head First' Gryffindor and Helga 'too Bloody Cheery' Hufflepuff. Well, the 'too bloody' part was added by him. As for he, he was Salazar 'Snaketongue' Slytherin. And they were the Four Founders of Hogwarts. Hey, that sounded good! The Four Founders of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It made them sound like the greatest wizards -and witches- around. Which, by the way, they were.
"They'll be coming soon. I'll go to the boats" Godric said and started going towards the other side of the lake.
"Well, we better go in" Rowena said.
"Are you sure we should?" asked Salazar. "This is Godric we're talking about. He might get them in some dangerous adventure."
The others laughed and went inside.
/*-/*-/*-/*-
The three founders that had gone inside were eagerly awaiting Godric when a person came in. And they all recognized him straight away.
"Jack!" cried Helga.
"Hello!" he cried right back. "What, starting without me? Have you forgotten about me?"
"We haven't seen you since. what June?"
"Yep" he answered cheerfully. "Missed me?"
"Of course!" Helga said and jumped and hugged him. Salazar smiled amused.
"I thought you said we wouldn't make our contract public" Salazar said.
"We're not. I am going to float above your heads in invisible mode."
"What do you mean?" Rowena asked.
Jack smiled and gave the floor a small kick and lifted in the air effortlessly at about half a meter high.
"Holy shit!" Helga said, Rowena gaped and Salazar smiled amused. He should have known.
"Wandless?" he asked. "You're good"
"I should be, at my age" he answered and came closer to the ground. "I have lots of power and, to say it shortly, I can do whatever I like."
"That must be great" Salazar said longingly.
"It is" the man answered. "Godric's coming. I'll just turn myself invisible now"
He did just that and his image faded quickly. The three founders took their seats and awaited eagerly for the students to enter. And they didn't have to wait long. Soon, the doors banged open and Godric lead twenty awed students inside.
"Welcome to Hogwarts!" Rowena said. "You are our first students ever and we hope to have so many more"
The students looked at the beautiful, wise-looking woman in front of them.
"Salazar, will you please bring the Hat?"
Salazar nodded and brought and brought a three legged-chair from a room just behind the Great Hall with an old-looking hat on it.
"Our dear students" Helga said. "This is the Sorting Hat. All of you will be tested by it. All you have to do is place it on your head and you will be sorted into one of the four Houses we will have, each of them being cared after by one of us. To avoid confusions, we named the Houses after ourselves. While you will study here -for seven years, may we remind you- the House will be your family and you will get help from the Head of the House you've been sorted into. So, let the sorting begin with the song our Sorting Hat will sing!"
The students watched awed how the hat started singing.
"Welcome, welcome, first of all!
In front of us stands Godric, tall,
Gryffindor the bravest Founder
His sword powerful as thunder.
The next I'll call is Ravenclaw,
Wise Rowena, she's much saw
And Salazar, the cunning one,
He likes things so greatly done
Hufflepuff, where students good,
Loyal and hard working stood
And as for me, I'm just a hat.
Nothing more, simple as that.
My meaning here is easily said,
I'll take a peak inside your head
And Sort you where you ought to be
And where you will your real friends see.
But remember, oh, young ones!
Friendship and love everywhere runs,
Not just in your House stand friends,
But also in other the other lands.
Of your Heads example keep
And allies have where your feet lead.
And now, as these great Founders say,
All your wishes come true may!
May you be grow up to be great
May you grow up to be straight!
And may your souls stay forever young
As some great people might have sung!
And now, try me on your head,
And your House soon I will have said!
The students clapped happily. What a great song!
"Well? Try it on!" Helga said. "Ashley Amber"
A girl came to the three-legged stool and put it on her head.
"Gryffindor!" the Hat cried and everybody else clapped happily, maybe Godric more than the others.
"Stuart Singer" Helga said.
The boy went to the Hat and put it on his head.
"Ravenclaw"
"Portia Malfoy!"
"Slytherin!"
"Pandora Shirley McKnight!"
"Gryffindor!"
"George Lumber!"
"Hufflepuff!"
It went on and on and on, every single student sitting on the three-legged stool waiting for his house to be cried out. Helga had been a bit saddened by the fact that no student made it in her house, but when George Lumber's House was cried, she had regained her cheer fast.
After that, there was the Feast. They all had fun and ate the dishes that the Founders themselves had cooked and chatted, the students -6 Gryffindors, 4 Hufflepuffs, 5 Ravenclaws and 6 Slytherins- were making friends among their House.
Helga was nearly crying. Rowena was chatting happily with Salazar and Godric. Well, Godric was talking, eating and laughing. All at the same time.
"In one thousand years, our school will have lots of students and nobody will remember this, but some will wonder. What House was the first student sorted in? How was it?" Helga said. "I can see it! It will be more known than any other magic school and children will wonder when they'll be going to Hogwarts. I LOVE MY LIFE!"
"Why a thousand years?" asked Rowena. "Think we won't be just as that before?"
"Oh, yes, but then it will be clear that Hogwarts will never leave and it will have stood against time!"
"It will stand" Salazar said. "It'll stand in a pile of rubbish if we don't find out an answer to the 'cleaning problem'!"
Godric laughed merrily.
"Yeah, what will we do about that?" he asked. "And we need to get a cook. I can't believe we have to cook every single meal!"
/*-/*-/*-/*-
Some time later, they decided it was getting late and lead the students to their dormitories, letting them know passwords and have fun in the common rooms. Then, they returned to the kitchen and started cleaning up.
"Forgot about me again?" asked a voice when they came in the kitchen.
"Jack!"
"Well, you were invisible" Salazar said. "Were we supposed to go in the Great Hall and cry come out, come out wherever you are?"
The other man laughed.
"I guess not. Have you got all this written in that notebook of yours?"
"Yes, we." Rowena started saying. "How did you know that?"
"I know many things" he answered. "It has that wonderful charm you know, Rowena, on it, doesn't it?"
"Why, yes, it does" she answered. "It writes itself. Mostly. We will add a few parts, too"
He smiled.
"Write it all, oh, write it all my children. From beyond time some will read what you write now and all shall be rediscovered."
"What?" Godric asked.
"Babblings of an old fool" he answered. "But I know now that people wish to have writings of the ones who founded Rome or Athens. But I'm afraid I leave you now again. Fare well, my founders. Fare well and farewell."
"Thank you" Rowena said, laughing. "But we'd love to see you soon"
"Maybe you will" he answered and smiled. "Maybe you will"
With a small bow, he exited the kitchens, the Founders saying their goodbyes.
/*-/*-/*-/*-
"Hello again, Jack" said a young girl.
"Kate! My dear Kate!" answered the powerful man.
"Have a new scar?"
He laughed.
"It's nothing. I myself have put it there, you know it's good to keep changing my appearance in front of the Muggles."
"I liked you better without it."
They were in a forest, probably Jack's favorite place. The man was always around those parts. In fact, it was actually said he could be in more places in the same time. How did he do that?!
He decided to answer the girl.
"Me too. And I think I'll stay for green or blue eyes. So, how's Death?"
She laughed.
"Being the Death Guardian at the Gate of Ravens can be lots of fun. If you ever decide to come by."
"No thanks, I'll pass."
"Aw, but why? I'd love to see you there just like a mortal."
"That I'll never be" he said, maybe a bit sad.
"Immortality ain't that bad, oh, Lord of Darkness! Yeah, it's true, you're the most unlucky bastard ever to live forever, with all the save-the-day things, but still."
"Thank you for reminding me of my problems."
"Welcomed. And aren't you going to ask me about the Guardian at the Veil?"
"No."
"Please?"
"I already know"
The man's calm and disinterest was killing her. Well, she had to tell somebody, right? And look! The nerve! He even looked in another direction!
"She's horrible, you know. Rule-obsessed."
"Of course" he calmly answered, still looking somewhere else.
"You're no fun" she said, disappointed in his lack of interest.
"My dearest Kate, do I or do I not know all that happens through the world? What use would it be to ask?" he asked, looking calmly through the forest, talking rarely, like in a dream state.
"You're still no fun" she said. Why didn't he even look at her? "Always calm and collected."
He smiled and suddenly, without so much as a warning, jumped with unnatural speed and grabbed her in his arms.
"No fun, Kate? Calm and collected?" he asked and made his canines grow. She started laughing.
"Ok, maybe I was wrong. Did I ever tell you what a good imitation of a vampire you are?"
"Imitation?!" he asked, mock-hurt. "Why, please, I'm the real thing, the first of all vampires!"
"And some day I might even believe you" she said, grinning.
"Am I that bad at pretending?" Jack asked and she laughed.
"Of course you are. What are you, anyway? I know for a fact that you're not human."
"Ah, personal secret, I'm afraid" he answered and grinned.
"Then, how old are you?"
"Again, a personal secret"
"How many people have you managed to trick into forgetting what they wanted to know with that annoyingly charming smile of yours you're wearing now?"
"Many" he answered and laughed. "You're starting to know me too well. Listen, girl, do you like me?" he asked.
"Yeah, I must say I do."
"If I ask you to do something."
"Uh oh" she said. "I smell trouble"
"You know Galas, the Light Guardian"
"Yes. I really hate the way this is going."
"Tell him to lay off my tracks, I need some free hand in this."
She just rolled her eyes.
"Again, bugging you? Oh, people these days, so freakishly annoying."
"I must say I agree" he answered. "Why don't people trust me?"
"Maybe because. you're the Lord of Darkness?" she suggested.
"Ah, that might be it."
"So, how are you, besides saving the day and being bugged by Light Guardians and all?"
"Fine, just fine, thanks" he answered, his eyes twinkling. "The elves love to have me with them and some people just accepted me as their leader. We shall win the war."
She looked at him suspiciously.
"That all? There seems to be more" she said. "I can tell by the look in your eyes."
He grinned mischievously.
"And my daughter is well and so are my two sons."
"But you don't have. children." she said and a smile spread across her face. "So, who are your disciples?"
He laughed merrily.
"Michael Kane, Roxana Chase and Avalis"
"Isn't Avalis one of the king's I-forgot-his-name-again knights?" she asked excitedly.
"Yes, he is Galathorny's First Knight"
"His name is Galathorny?" she asked and started laughing and even Jack allowed himself to chuckle.
"Yes, that's why he insists everybody calls him Eagle"
She tried to raise an eyebrow, but she couldn't do it right, since she was still laughing.
"Eagle?"
He laughed.
"May I quote him?"
"Be my guest"
""
"Shithead?!" she asked, roaring with laughter. "Remind me, please remind me to call him that when we meet."
"No, can't do that. I wasn't even supposed to know about that."
"Spying, were you?!" she insinuatingly asked.
"Me? Spying?!" he asked, mock-hurt. "Oh, no, milady, I never spy. I have no need for it. As I said, I know everything."
"How come your head hasn't exploded yet into about a thousand pieces because of the huge amount of information?" she asked in a rapid rhythm, but trying to look innocent.
"Ok, so I don't know everything" he admitted" but I can know anything that I like. Like, your secret crush is."
"NO!" she cried and then started coughing. "I mean, I don't have a secret crush"
"Of course you don't" he said, making it clear he didn't believe her. "So, how is Mark?"
"Damn" she said. "You can be annoying at times, did I tell you that?"
"Why, yes you did" he answered cheerfully.
She glared at him.
"So, why did you call for me, o mighty Jack?"
"Because I wanted to ask you to tell Galas about laying off my tracks."
"Riiiiiiight. So, back to my question: why did you call me?"
He shook his head, amused. The girl knew him too well. Well, he had been around her for quite a while and fate made sure they always bumped into each other. Ah, Kate was one great person. She had become one of Death's Guardians when she was young. Right now she was almost seventy. The good part about being the Guardian of either Death or Life was that you didn't die. Well, technically, when you were a Guardian of Death you were dead, but the good part was you could walk around in a body just like a living person, act like a living person and be a living person in every way, except you couldn't exactly die and didn't need to eat and, oh, yeah, you had to work almost all the time for Death.
"I called you because I want you to get the Gate of the Veil to the Ministry of Magic."
"Oh, ok- WHAT?! Are you out of your inhuman mind?!" she cried. "The Gate of the Veil is the only physical gate we have and you want me to give to a bunch of destroying idiots?!"
"Yep" he answered. Did she really think it was the only physical gate?
"Death will not agree. No, no she won't! And you are the one who tells her about this, Jack. Not me. I'm out of here and you, my friend, are crazy and completely out of your immortal minds!"
She turned her back on him and started walking away when he appeared in front of her.
"I'll talk to Death. You just move the Veil."
She glared at him.
"No"
"Please, Kate" he said. Gah! What gorgeous eyes! Why did he have to look like that at her? She felt his being surround her, his request bugging her. She closed her eyes for a second and couldn't open them again. She felt his being, the way she had felt him so long ago. There was something about him, ancient and powerful and dangerous, but not evil. This power he passed to all those who needed it, she knew. It was impossible to describe, the way he felt like.
"Ok" she said, defeated. "How do you do that?"
"It's a secret of mine. Thank you"
"I hate you."
"I love you too"
She left. Death was not going to agree. Nope, no, nix, niet, no, she would not agree. Moving the Veil. And the Guardian there would be pretty upset, too! She would be fuming! Badly!... Kate smiled. Well, for that, it was worth to try.
/*-/*-/*-/*-/*-
Author's Note: Here we are, another chapter! I love my life!!! Hope you like this one as well! -although it was a bit late-
Thank you:
the Red Dragons Order: Hmmm. If I dare think not to continue I get into trouble with you. Why do I get a feeling of déjà vu? By the way, Akvar and I should be finished with the next chapter soon -but as he said once, with humor, soon for him and he's 5000!-
harryforeva: Thank you.