"Rowena and I have finally started planning the outline for the school. Salazar has been working on his own individual common room for the Slytherins. He seems very distant, lately. He's stopped telling me things. He didn't even mention it when he and Helga discovered the small colony of merpeople in the Lake. I actually heard it from Rowena who was told by Helga.

"I think he doesn't like the idea of letting Muggle-borns into the school, but they have just as much a right as any to be accepted. It may have to do with the recent burning of his mother.

"Helga seems to be here more for moral support, but Rowena keeps assuring me that she's doing something important, so I'll bite my tongue. I somehow can't help thinking, though, that she's up to something … dangerous that she doesn't want me or Salazar butting in on."

Godric set down his quill and rubbed his eyes. He was exhausted. He had spent the last year and a half planning the setup of the school he was going to create with Rowena, Helga and Salazar. But the more they worked on it, the more they seemed to grow away from each other. He was so confused. He picked up the quill and again, began to write, hoping that it might help clear his mind.

"At the beginning of this project, the idea was to unite the wizarding world, but we're just separating each other. Salazar has enclosed himself in his room at the inn we've occupied and has been working tirelessly on parchments that he won't let me see. I'm afraid he's planning on leaving us and our school to start his own.

"One where Muggle-borns aren't accepted. Helga has tried countless times to get him to understand our purpose, as have I and Rowena, too. But I can still remember the night when his mother was burning, screaming out to us to help her and there was nothing she could do. They had captured her in her sleep, she didn't even have time to cast the Flame Freezing Charm on herself before tying her to the post and setting fire to the hay around her.

"That night still haunts my dreams.

"I can only imagine if it was my own mother.

"Rowena, however, is always there when I wake up from the nightmares. How I love her. I always knew she was a bright witch, but she really is exceptional. Her handiwork with the quill as we plan the school is amazing. We will, of course, have to burn the map when we're done constructing it, for we want it to keep some sort of mystery to it, and such a shame. No one will ever be able to come close to creating a map of this place. I'll eat my boot if someone can map it."

Godric laughed at the expression, remembering when his father had actually taken a bite from his leather boot because Godric strung his old bow. He dipped his quill in the ink and continued writing.

"I'm planning on asking for Rowena's hand in marriage tomorrow night after the full moon. She loves the full moon. Salazar will be taking Helga out to give us the evening in peace and I'll just ask her. Her father and mother both died a while ago, so all I need is her acceptance. I know she'll say yes. I bought her a ring. It's moon diamond. They say it's very rare and it cost me a limb to buy it, but I know she'll love it.

"She's calling me now to come help her with the planning of the Astronomy Tower, so I must go. I'm chuckling at the thought of it. It is like we are already married. Tomorrow couldn't come faster."

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James smiled as he read Godric Gryffindor's thoughts. He could almost smell the fresh ink as his hero wrote whatever was going on through his mind. He could see the man as he wrote by candlelight. James pictured him with red hair and gold eyes, just like the colours of his house. He had a certain lion-like quality to him, and several scars as proof of past adventures and bravery. He saw the man with his love, with Rowena Ravenclaw. She had bronze hair and blue eyes. Her own house colours. A sharp, pointed face like that of a hawks.

Perhaps all of the Founders had the qualities and colours of their houses. Of course, Slytherin would be that to have white hair and green eyes with a slimy, snake disposition, and Hufflepuff would have yellow hair and black eyes with the friendly manner of a badger.

James laughed at himself.

He was imagining the Founders. It was understandable. After all, they were the greatest wizards and witches of all time, perhaps even exceeding Dumbledore. He rolled up the parchment and ran upstairs to his dorm, pausing only slightly to look at a certain red-headed Gryffindor, talking animatedly with her friends by the fire.

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"James?" said Remus, looking his friend in the eyes. He looked terrible, more pale than ever. James thought it might have been the stress, but it was only the third day of school and Friday evening. No one is stressed on Friday evening.

"Yes?" replied James pleasantly.

"You can't actually be serious?"

"What?" He took another helping of steak off of the table. He loved dinner time.

Sirius raised a hand, his mouth full of mashed potatoes. "That would be me, mate."

"You actually want to put on a play?"

James nodded enthusiastically.

"Of the founding of Hogwarts?"

He nodded again.

Remus set down his fork and rubbed his eyes.

"I," said James, taking a big bite of meat. "Would, naturally play Gryffindor."

"Who says you get to play Gryffindor?" said Sirius.

"I do. Since it was my idea."

"Well, then, who am I?"

"Do you want to play a woman?"

"What!" screamed Sirius, backing up and knocking over a few other first years sitting next to him. "Of course not! I have to create a reputation for myself, don't I?"

"Then you will be Slytherin."

Sirius opened his mouth, as if to rebuttal, but closed it defeatedly. "Yeah, alright."

James turned back to Remus, obviously very pleased with himself. "You will be Ravenclaw."

Remus coughed into his pumpkin juice. Peter slapped him on the back a few times before he said, "I'm Rowena Ravenclaw?"

"Yup." James ignored Remus's stunned silence and turned to Peter who was oblivious to the conversation and clearly enjoying his dinner. "You won't mind being Hufflepuff, will you, Peter? Thanks, mate, I knew you'd pull through."

Peter looked up, a dribble of gravy making its way down his chin. "Huh?" he said.

Remus crossed his arms and turned his head away from James. "There is no way I'm playing a woman in a play in front of the school. Nor are you putting me in a dress."

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"I can't believe I'm playing a woman in a play in front of the school and wearing a dress."

"I think you look rather smashing," said Peter.

James had somehow dug up a few old cloaks from the room they had discovered and was dressed in a red and gold cape with a fake beard drawn on his face. He looked somewhat silly, the beard being a sunflower yellow and crooked, showing clear signs of having been scribbled on with the equivalent of a Muggle magic marker.

Sirius had been elaborately dressed in a green cloak with a silver lining. He had pulled back his dark hair in a pony tail and charmed a beard on his face, being more talented when it came to Charms than James. He was trying to get into character, looking over the script that James had written during History of Magic on Friday, and was doing so splendidly well. His chin was high in the air and he looked at everything with a sullen boredom, muttering his lines and double checking with the script to ensure he had everything right.

Remus and Peter were both dressed in old dresses five times too big for them. Remus was staring blankly at the fire in the dorm where they were rehearsing, his uniform visible under the v-neck of his dress and Peter was adjusting it in random places and observing himself in the mirror.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but does this dress make my butt look big? Now, be honest," said Peter, inspecting himself from all angles.

James was making a few final adjustments to the script and handing the final copies to Sirius, Remus and Peter.

"OK, let's start rehearsing."

Peter raised his hand very quickly and the sleeve of his dress fell down his arm to rest in a small pile on his shoulder.

"Yes, Peter?"

"When are we putting this on?"

James smirked knowingly. "I have to make arrangements with Dumbledore, but I'm going to try to get us a spot for the final feast."

Remus groaned.

"Cheer up, Rowena!" said Sirius spectacularly, slapping Remus's shoulder. He waved his hand across the horizon and said, dramatically, "All's well that ends well."

Remus turned his head ever so slightly to look at his friend. "You've gone made, haven't you? I mean, you've actually gone insane.

Sirius leaned down to whisper in Remus's ear. "Those who are insane are merely misunderstood by the rest of the world."

Remus looked to James and said, "He's lost it, James. He's officiallylost it."

James waved a hand carelessly, dismissing the observation. "He lost it a while ago, he has. Don't worry about him."

Remus sighed and looked at his watch and jumped. "Oh no!"

"What is it?"

"I'm late!"

"For what? It's Sunday."

"Uh, I mean, I- uh, I have to go."

"Where do you have to go?" James shouted, but Remus was already out the door.

There was a small pause before Sirius and James started laughing hysterically.

"What?" asked Peter, confused, looking from one to the other. "What is it? What's so funny?"

Sirius was unable to respond, rolling on the floor and convulsing in manic fits of laughter, but James pointed at the doorway where Remus had run off, clutching his stomach. "He's- he left- wearing—"

James was spared the chore of finishing his sentence when Remus's hand appeared in the doorway and threw the dress back in the dormitory before disappearing again.

When the laughter had subsided, the three boys continued rehearsing under the light the full moon cast into their room, filling in for Remus, only slightly curious about his strange departure.

They had no idea that it was the first time the small town of Hogsmeade was haunted with the chilling screams of aboy in agony. They had no idea it was the first shriek issued from the house soon to be christened as the Shrieking Shack.

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Hope you liked it. Sorry, but no time to respond to reviews right now. Hopefully, though, this chapter will get more, and ... then I will.