Chapter 2: Making Aquaintences
By Members of English Elite
Written by ArturoOrcino
Betas: FlooCrookshanks,
Alexia S. Luclwit and Tobias Glass
It was snowing, the sky dark overhead, ominous black clouds billowing in from the north. Truly a horrible time to be outside, even those who revelled in darkness were driven indoors by the fierceness of the storm. And yet two weary wanderers, heavily cloaked and swathed, supported their weight on hand-cut twin staves and trudged along in the knee-high slush that was often referred to as a "road" by the locale. They struggled on for what seemed like forever, hoods blown back by the screaming voice of the wind more chilling than a banshee's wail. Time itself was lost in the driving force of the blizzard. A hailstone the size of a Bludger struck a crooked sign at the base of a hill. The sign was barely legible in the dancing, flickering flame of a lantern:
Travler's Welkum
To Yellownale's Hosstell
Next to the sign, a cobblestone path covered with ice meandered up the hill, seemingly with no purpose, but in truth it led to a building. Another hailstone sliced through the air and struck a dead and dilapidated pine, effectively felling it. A branch, made brittle by the bitter cold, snapped off as the tree fell to the ground with a crash. Hurtling through the air, the branch landed at the feet of the two wanderers.
At the base of the hill, the two figures paused and looked up at the forbidding silhouette of the building, looming large and mysterious in their vision, with not a flicker of candlelight leaking out from between the boarded up windows to betray the fact that a living soul dwelled there.Finally, the taller figure coughed, brought a slightly trembling hand up to his mouth, and, barely audible over the whistle of falling snow, said, "There it is, Rowena. The hostel the Three Broomsticks' bartender spoke of." Adding to himself in a venomous whisper, "Although now I am regretting that I ever gave that fool money for his 'valuable information.'"Rowena shivered, and said to her companion, "Yes, Salazar, this can only be the hostel. Supposedly, this was the only place that had more than one room available, although I wish it wasn't so dreary. Still, we can only hope that what the bartender said was true." She shivered again.Salazar looked down at his shaking companion and whispered, "Come, Rowena. Let us go and warm ourselves by a fire... if there is one."The two then continued up the hill and up the pathway, halting at a single, battered door on the porch. Behind them, hailstones started to fall with increasing frequency. Rowena glanced nervously at them, and moved closer in towards the door. Salazar reached out a hand towards the doorknob, but the door noiselessly swung open before he could touch it.Salazar beckoned to Rowena to go first and she smiled a tired smile at his show of gentlemanly manners. Giving a nod of thanks to her friend, Rowena glided through the door......and gasped in awe as she drank in the delicious sights and smells of the lobby. Salazar, ducking through the doorway, stood stunned as well. The two of them stared in awe at the magnificent view before them.Lush red carpeting covered the floor, and beautiful tapestries sprawled out over the walls as a fire crackled merrily in the hearth. Comfortable chairs and couches were scattered all across the room, and the curtains pulled over the windows were made of the finest velvet money could buy. Scented candles lined the walls, shedding wavering light on the room and filling the air with uplifting fragrances. Rowena and Salazar both deeply inhaled the fragrance and immediately felt their worries disappearing, their limbs loosening, and their aches and pains vanishing."Good that stuff, isn't it?" asked a gruff but friendly voice from the hallway. Rowena and Salazar whirled around to face this unknown threat, but they relaxed when they saw it was just an old wizard, accompanied by a scrawny goblin. "Pleased to meet you, folks! I'm...oh...what was that name again?" The old wizard turned to his goblin companion. "Yellownale, what's my name?"Salazar started with surprise. "Yellownale?" he asked of the wizard in front of him. "But I thought you were Yellownale, sir!"The old wizard chuckled. "Yellownale indeed!" He sounded amused. "You young whippersnappers! Always kidding around!" He began to chuckle, and then started to laugh loudly. Rowena and Salazar exchanged a quick glance. Obviously the poor old man is ill, thought Rowena."Yellownale! Hah!" The old wizard choked, doubled over with laughter. "You...think I'm...Yellownale!" He finally regained control over himself and straightened back up, wheezing. The goblin tugged on his companion's patched and tattered purple and green robes, and then whispered in the old man's ear when he bent down to the goblin's level."Ah-ha! I knew it!" The old man shouted triumphantly. Turning back to Rowena and Salazar, he introduced himself with an extravagant bow (which caused his precariously perched hat to fall off his head). "Miles Mooke Flonatt at your service!" Noticing his hat on the rug in front of him, he lunged for it and missed as the hat magically floated up to his head level. Grumbling about unreliable hats, Miles lifted himself off the floor and dusted himself off. Grabbing the hat floating in front of his face, he jammed it on his head and right over his eyes."Help me! I've gone blind! This stupid hat's blinded me!" He shouted, wandering about and feeling at the air in front of him. Rowena and Salazar glanced at first Miles, then each other, and bit down hard on their bottom lips to avoid laughing at the comical picture the old man presented.Miles stopped in the middle of the room and let his arms limply fall to his sides. "It's no use," he groaned. "I've been blinded by this accursed hat!" Tears started to fall from underneath the brim of the hat and muffled sobs were heard. Staring at his master, the goblin shook his small head and plodded over. Grabbing a firm hold on the point of the hat, the goblin heaved with all his strength and staggered backward as the hat came off of the wizard's head with a small 'pop'.Miles sat down in disbelief. "Yellownale, how did you cure me?" he asked dumbly. Yellownale just smiled sadly at him and shook his head, then beckoned to Salazar and Rowena, now barely concealing broad smiles behind their hands, to follow him. Yellownale started off down the hallway and stopped at two doors at the end. Pointing into one, he motioned for Rowena to go in, and then shooed Salazar into the other before rejoining his master in the lobby.Before closing the door, Salazar looked across the hall to Rowena's room. He saw her eyes droop with exhaustion, and he felt himself yawn against his will. Yawning again, he managed to get out, "Good night, Rowena," before closing the door and falling onto the feather-stuffed bed. Burrowing down into the soft silk sheets, Salazar sighed with happiness, glad to be warm at last. Mulling over the previous day's events, he didn't realize that he was slowly drifting off to sleep.Godric Gryffindor woke up to find the fire in his room had gone out, leaving the stone floor icy cold and the window covered with frost. Complaining about non-magical fires to himself, he grabbed his wand from the bedside table and waved it at the fireplace. Instantly, a blazing fire erupted in the middle of the room, igniting an old wooden chair. Godric leapt out of bed in his pyjamas with an oath and frantically beat at the flames with his pillow, only to find that it, too, was burning. Swearing loudly, he hurriedly began to put the fire out with magic before it caused too much damage. Unfortunately, he was a bit over-enthusiastic with the water, and everything in the rented room was soon drenched - including him. Standing there in his too-tight pajamas with his red hair plastered flat to his head and burly body drenched, Godric had to take several deep breaths to avoid cursing the wretched place into oblivion. Finally regaining control of himself, he stomped over to the chest at the end of the bed, opened it, and pulled out clean – if slightly damp – red robes. Squeezing his large and muscular body into the clothes, he then stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him with a loud crash, which caused owls in the rafters to ruffle their feathers in annoyance.Walking out into the pub of the Three Broomsticks, Godric spotted a young maid armed with a mop and wand hurrying towards him."Excuse me, sir, but might you be Godric Gryffindor?" She begged, shifting nervously from one foot to the other."Indeed I am, young lady," Godric declared. "How may I assist you?""Oh, sir," the maid responded, "There is a fierce owl pecking and screeching at anyone who approaches it, yet it bears your name on the letter it carries."Godric looked at the girl, perplexed. "My name? Surely there must be some mistake!" he exclaimed, looking hopefully at her for an explanation.I'm sorry, good sir," she said regretfully, but the letter clearly has 'Godric Gryffindor' written on the front. There can be no mistake." Godric's face fell."Who could it be?" he wondered aloud, thoughtfully tapping his chin with his wand, which caused his short beard to elongate and curl. "I it be?" He rushed past the girl, his face boyish with excitement. He ran into the owlery connected to the pub and gave a great shout of delight at the sight which greeted his eyes."Milanda, my old friend!" Godric held out his arm to the great horned owl, beaming with joy. The owl swooped down from the rafter it had been perched on and landed on Godric's arm. Chuckling softly to himself, Godric quickly untied the letter addressed to him from Milanda's leg, and then gently stroked the owl's regal head."And how is Helga doing, hm?" He asked the bird. In reply, the bird nudged at the letter with her beak. "Ah, of course – the letter. Up you get, then," Godric said, lowering his arm with the owl still attached to a table. Milanda hopped off and started to preen as Godric started to read:Dear Godric,How have you been? I've been fine, except for a bout of dragon pox. It was nothing serious, just a mild case. How is Salazar doing? I know that he hates the cold, and that it affects his arthritis. Poor dear.........
Godric, I will be in Hogsmeade today on business. I would love to see you and Salazar, if it could be arranged. I will be arriving at 7:30 a.m. and hope to see you in front of the Post Office!
Sincerely yours,
Helga Hufflepuff"Seven thirty? In the morning? Is she mad?" Godric read with disbelief. "I must hurry if I am to meet her!" he exclaimed, running to the door. He glanced out of the window and said thoughtfully, "Perhaps I ought to shield myself..." Whipping out his wand, he pointed it at himself and hollered, "Percalefactus!"He was immediately enveloped in a shield of hot air that circumvented his whole body. "Well, this wasn't what I wanted," He puffed, sweat streaming down his face, "But it will work!"And with that, Godric opened the door and struggled out into the blizzard.Helga Hufflepuff stood inside the Post Office, tapping her foot impatiently. She stared out into the swirling snow, hoping for some sign of either Godric or Milando. Twirling her hair around her short black hair, she fidgeted with the buttons on the front of her coat in impatience. They were a tad bit tight anyways, for Helga had a fondness for sweets that showed, no matter how much she tried to conceal it. Her face was kind, even motherly, though now it was filled with impatience and worry. Straining her eyes to see through the curtain of white outside, she breathed a sigh of relief as she spotted a red-haired man wade through the snow to the Post Office's front door.The door opened, and an icy wind wailed around the room until the door was shut with difficulty. Helga stepped forward and hugged the man who had braved the elements to see her."Godric Gryffindor, you haven't changed a bit!" She laughed, craning her head back to see the big man's face. "Still as impulsive as ever!"Godric smiled down at her. "And you, fair Helga, remain the same as last I saw you!"The two friends then briefly embraced. Gazing up at her tall companion, Helga asked, "And how is Salazar? I noticed he wasn't with you, poor man. This cold must be terrible on his arthritis.""Salazar is well, very well in fact. I will be meeting with him shortly, if you wish to come along," Godric replied. "I know he shall be overjoyed to see you!"Despite Helga's apparent level-headedness, she was nearly as impetuous as Godric. "What are we waiting for, then?" she demanded eagerly, grabbing her suitcase. "The storm's dying, so let's go!"Godric shook his head at her enthusiasm. "As you wish, Helga," he replied with a smile. He opened the door again, and they both headed out into the slowly ceasing winds and snow.
Rowena awoke to the pleasant aroma of sausage and pancakes with a tantalizing hint of pumpkin juice. Stretching, she sat up and breathed in the new day's promise. Lowering herself out of the four-poster bed, she padded over on silent feet to the tray of breakfast foods, carefully balanced on the small writing desk. Sitting down, she assaulted breakfast vigorously, and then got up to wash the previous night's dirt out of her hair. She dressed herself in a short blue dress, and saw Salazar leaving his room as she stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind her. From the looks of it he too had washed and eaten, and he was dressed in flowing black robes.
"Four Founders go forth
Each on their own quest
With much to learn about the others.
Their duty it is
To teach the young
What was not taught to their fathers and mothers.
Bold Gryffindor, I see your House
As one for courage and friendship untold.
Wise Ravenclaw, I charge your House
With keeping alive the knowledge of old.
Sly Slytherin, Your House shall be
The most demanding House of Four.
Fair Hufflepuff, Those in your House S
hall be like you forever more.
The road is long,
Your paths are hard,
But all of you must open the gate.
Support yourselves,
Support each other,
And you will found what is written in fate."
Miles turned to the four friends and nodded to each one of them, he then gestured for his goblin friend to come out of the shadows. Yellownale ran to the old Seer and waved good-bye to the four dumbstruck companions even as he and Miles slowly vanished into thin air. All four of them stood gaping open-mouthed at the spot where the two mysterious figures had stood a moment before. Finally overcoming her shock, Helga pinched herself to assure herself that what she had just seen had actually happened. Finding it to be real, she walked around and snapped everyone else out of the confused stupor they were in. Once everyone was functioning again, she spoke out in a clear firm voice.
"Well, where do we go now? I mean, the Seer did tell us we were destined to do great things. So does anyone have any ideas?"Rowena tentatively raised her hand. "Well, he said we were supposed to teach...so we should probably go to a relatively large city where there will be more wizarding families, right?"Yes, like London," Salazar added. "I know several families of wizards there.""As do I," Godric said."That goes for me as well," Rowena slipped in.Helga looked at each of them in turn and saw their faces brighten at the mention of learning. Deep down inside, she knew she must look the same. She sighed, resigning herself to her fate. "All right." She smiled excitedly, looking forward to being a teacher. "Let's go to London!"