Hello, I originally posted this on AO3 and decided to post this story on this site as well. My handle on AO3 is BozieQuinn. I hope you guys enjoy this story just know that it's going to be a rollercoaster of emotions. Leave me constructive criticism and let me know if you guys have any ideas.
No one knows how they came to be, some say they have always existed, they are the apex predator, the pinnacle of evolution. The humans call them creatures, monsters, beasts, devils, but only one name is accurate; they are daemons. One does not merely become a daemon; it's in your blood, your lineage, it calls you from deep within.
A plague nine hundred years ago almost eradicated the magical community globally, but then the founders appeared. No one knows where they came from or who they were. The people knew the day the founders appeared was their day of salvation. The founders noticed that their fellow wizards were dying, and the plague did not affect the Muggles. The founders researched and did experiments on both muggles and wizards, and they found muggles have a natural resistance to the disease. Wizards, due to inbreeding, did not have the constitution to fight off the disease. The founders created a potion and administered it by air due to the dire state of the magical community. They wouldn't realize until later that the potion caused a strange mutation in most wizards, but not all. The founders distributed this potion they created throughout the magical community globally, and they were heroes for saving people from certain death.
Shortly after, the founders noticed that wizards twenty-one and older were evolving. Why that age? The founders pondered it and could never figure it out. They monitored how they and several other wizards developed. Their senses were heightened, physically they were stronger and more durable, and their magic grew exponentially; they figured the changes ended there, but magic always has a price. The founders found they and the other wizards were becoming territorial, and their mannerisms were changing. Then the physical changes happened. Their bodies went through three transformations: Unus, Duo, Tribus, and the final transformation of Ultimus. The first transformation Unus wasn't noticeable unless you searched; they still appeared human. The only difference being their teeth were sharper, and their eyes were brighter or darker. In the second transformation, Duo, scales or fur formed on parts of the skin, and they grew a tail. They noticed that not every wizard's scales and fur were the same color. In the third transformation, Tribus, talons and wings grew, some wizard's wings were leathery like bats while others had feathers. The last change, Ultimus, they grew horns and fangs, and they could shape-shift into most common animals. Along with one magical creature, not every wizard has this form. The founders and wizards collectively called themselves daemons.
They continued to study their changes and found a hierarchy built on instincts between them. There are five classifications: alpha prime, alpha, omega prime, omega, and beta, and each group can be male or female. Alpha primes are rare, along with Omega primes. Most of the magical community is made up of alphas and betas. Alpha primes, alphas, omega primes, and omegas only become daemons. Betas are standard wizards and form most of the magical community along with alphas.
The founders realized that they needed to reach out to more people to help them through their transformations, so they created Hogwarts, a university for magic and demonism built in Scotland. They were all best friends and split their school into four noble houses. Each founder named a house after themselves. Rowena named her house Ravenclaw, and they are known for their wisdom and intelligence. Helga named her house Hufflepuff; they are known for their loyalty and compassionate hearts. Godric named his house Gryffindor, and they are known for being brave and selfless. Salazar named his house Slytherin, and they are known for their ambition and gumption. Other countries followed the founders' example and built universities to help their people.