The Founders Four: Their Tale of Greatness

By SamGryffinclaw

AN: I somehow see last chapter as somewhat of a prologue, but this chapter really gets the story going. Any comments, questions, or concerns (LOL!) are welcome and can be left in a review, messaged to me here on FFN, or emailed to me at Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with J. K. Rowling or her books, other than fondly enjoying them. Neither is this story. Anything you recognize belongs to her, and anything you don't know belongs to me.

Dedication: For Ashley, my super awesome buddy from Spanish class who said she was going to read this! If you are reading this, HI ASHLEY!

Chapter 2: The Findings Four

"Where have YOU been?"

Salazar looked up to see the menacing glare that was bearing down upon him. To his dismay, he would know that horrible face anywhere; after all, his father's face was very similar to that of his own.

Trying to think of a good lie, Salazar mumbled, "Well, there was rain last night near our hut…so I went further away to find dry wood…and then I was running home and hit a tree and got knocked out…so I just woke up and ran home (more carefully)…and here I am!" Salazar returned his gaze to his father's face to see his reaction.

Sabir Slytherin said nothing, but turned down to the snake that was tightly wrapped around his left arm as it had begun making horrible hissing and spitting noises. When the snake's little speech was complete, Sabir flicked his head back to look upon his son, a disgusted look upon his face. "You are lying! Selena says you lie! I can't believe you would lie to your own flesh and blood, especially your father!" Salazar stared at his feet. "I don't know what has gotten into you, boy; your little sister is obedient, she does what she is told!"

Just as the angry man completed his sentence, the daughter whom he mentioned walked into the hut. "Hi Father! Hello, Salazar!" she sang, flashing her beautiful smile at the men of her family.

Sabir's fiery face softened as he saw his beautiful daughter. He had always been so proud of her; not only did she have her mother's perfect features, but also was always compliant to whatever her father asked.

A loud complaint from his eldest broke him out of his silent fawning for his daughter. "Father! That is not fair. I get in trouble for coming in late, and yet all she gets is a cheerful look. I'm your child too, father. I should get equal treatment." Salazar fell silent, surprised that he had had such an outburst, and against his father no less! However, he knew that all of what he said was true and that it needed to be said.

"That is IT!" Sabir yelled. "I will not be berated by my son. My punishment for you is that you are not allowed to leave the house for an entire month, except to go to the lake, and that is only to fish. My decision is final." With that pathetic excuse for a salutation, he stalked off to the bedroom shared by him and his wife.

Salazar sulked back to the room he shared with his sister, knowing that he was about to have a very boring month.

RRRRRRRRRRR

Rowena opened her eyes to see the bright blue eyes of her mother within inches of her face. "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" she cried in surprise. "Mother, you scared me! What happened? I had the strangest dream…and why on EARTH does my head hurt so badly?" Rowena spewed out all of these words in one breath, and then fell back to her pillow realizing that there was a rather violent pain emanating from everywhere above her shoulders.

With a quiet laugh in her voice, Cassidy replied, "Slow down little one! Your head hurts because of what happened, I assume. You were found knocked out just behind our cottage, and I brought you in here for you to rest properly." Noticing the wet cloth that had fallen off Rowena's head in her sleep, Cassie replaced it and continued. "The odd thing is, no one has any idea how you got there!"

Some large and rather rusty wheels began turning in the tome of unnecessary knowledge that was Rowena's brain. How had she gotten home? The last thing she remembered was running in the forest…because the boy in her dream had been just that, a dream, right? She didn't think she had ever seen the boy before… his long, dark hair and his pale face were rather unique, and there were so few people living in the Glen! She silently decided that, had she ever seen him before this, she would remember who he was. Deciding to speak aloud, she said, "That's odd, Mother…who exactly found me?"

"It was your little friend, um… let's see, what's his name… Ashton, Aaron? Yes, that's right. Aaron!" her mother replied, proud of herself for having remembered the name.

"Aaron, was it? Interesting…Mother, my headache has almost gone away now. Can I go for a walk, get some fresh air?" Rowena decided that her mother wouldn't need to know specifically to where she was walking.

Mrs. Ravenclaw paused, then nodded slowly and said, "Fine. Don't stay out for too long! And don't do anything reckless, or you'll agitate your headache again!"

Rowena instantly hopped out of bed, and nearly fell over from the dizziness. Trying to hide this from her mother, she pecked her cheek and said, "Bye, mum!" and was out in a flash.

The girl knew exactly where she was going, and it wasn't a random walk. No, she was headed to one of her best friends' house, that of Aaron Ashen. If he was the one who found her, then he likely knew much more than she did at that point.

Rowena hopped up the Ashens' stoop, skipping every other stair, and knocked rapidly on their door. To her relief, it was Aaron that answered the door. "Rowena! Come on in! Are you feeling any better?"

Aaron had a surprisingly deep voice for a boy of 16. It was very warm and soothing, and flowed into a listener's ears like water through a fountain. He was also quite tall, measuring up to be about 6 feet tall. His dark skin was the color of chocolate, and his short black hair was cut to perfection. His eyes, in contrast to his other features, were a striking shade of green.

Rowena started to ask a question, but before sound came out, she found herself being ushered into the sitting room. To her delight, her other closest friend, Tara Thorpe, was seated on the floor, playing with a few twigs and pebbles, making random patterns.

Tara had long, auburn hair that was rather all over the place. Her eyes were a soft light gray, like snow that had just started to melt. She wore an elaborate dress, which was odd for a citizen of the Glen. However, as her mother made clothing for the village, it was likely that she spoiled herself and her daughter every so often. Suddenly feeling the eyes that rested upon her, Tara looked up to see her closest friend staring down at her.

"Rowena! Hi! Oh, I am so sorry I haven't seen you before this, but your mother wouldn't even let anyone in the house! Goodness, I've been so worried…" she sighed, and then pulled her friend into a tight hug. "Don't ever get hurt too badly again, m'kay?"

Rowena attempted to laugh, but then realized that Tara's hug was limiting her ability to inhale. She pulled herself away and said, "Sorry Tara, but if you don't want me hurt, you may not want to break my ribs…" She began to laugh quietly as she massaged her (possibly bruised) side.

Aaron let out a low rumble that the others accepted as a laugh, and then turned to Rowena to pose a question. "So do you know what happened that had you out cold?"

"You know, I was just going to ask the same thing," remarked Tara.

After a moment's thought, Rowena said, "Well, I seem to remember an oddly placed tree with an inconvenient branch, and me falling…and there was a boy. At least, I think there was. I might have just dreamed him up." Rowena stared at the ceiling thoughtfully. "If he does exist, then he had long dark hair and pale skin. That's all that I saw before I blacked out…"

Aaron, who seemed to have been fit to burst had she not stopped long enough for him to talk, responded. "Dark hair and pale skin? I'm almost positive that I saw a similar boy just as I found you!

"You see, I had just walked over to your house to ask where you were, as I was hoping to go out into the woods sometime. Just as I was about to knock, I heard a rather severe thump from the other side of your house. I walked over to investigate, and saw you sprawled unconscious on the ground and saw the boy you described dashing away! I wonder who he is?" Aaron stopped, and found himself deep in thought.

As Aaron thought, Tara decided to give her two cents. "I think we ought to meet this guy. From what I can tell, he is either your savior that brought you home, or the reason your hurt. Either way, I think we ought to know just what happened the other night."

Tara was not usually the one to take the initiative necessary to make such a plan, no matter how vague. The others could tell that she was right, however.

Rowena voiced her approval before Aaron could. "I completely agree, Tara. I say we go out to the forest tomorrow and try to find where I was the other day, and find this boy! At the very least, I'd like to thank him!"

Aaron was quick to agree. "I'm all for that!" Tara nodded in agreement as well. "Well then, see you guys tomorrow?"

"Definitely," was Tara's reply, and the girls headed out of the Ashen house.

GGGGGGGGGGGG

The older man unsheathed his sword. It was not the most perfect blade, but it was quite impressive all the same. The hilt was made of a silver-like metal and embedded with three small red garnets. The blade itself was about a foot and a half long, and was quite sharp.

The younger man pulled out a similar blade, and looked his father in the eyes. Without losing eye contact, both men nodded slowly in what seemed to be accepted as a semi-courteous bow. Without a word, the older man started swinging and twisting his blade with surprising agility for a man of his age. His son reacted almost as quickly, countering almost every blow. They stopped, however, when the flat side of the elder's sword lay lightly against the temple of the face upon which he continued to stare.

"I've killed you. Your village is failed and occupied by the enemy. Your wife and daughters are raped, beaten, and left for dead. Your sons are taken as slaves for the small army that you attempted to oppose. You lose." The man stated these as though reading a history book that told the future. He lowered his blade, and leaned upon it. "What did you do wrong?" It was not often that someone asked their dead opponent such a question, but as the opponent was his son, the fight was just practice, and his death is simply hypothetical, more sense is found in the man's query.

"I thought you were an overconfident enemy. I expected you to play cat and mouse, and toy with me, both physically and mentally, until I was worn out. Instead, you were a straightforward leader that came to win, and not for the fight itself. You went for the kill as soon as you could, and I didn't expect it." In a similar fashion, it is uncommon for one to describe to his killer why and how he died, and how he might have lived in different circumstances. The fighters regroup, reform their plans, and attack once more.

Godric continued trudging up a hill towards the plateau he and his father had seen a little ways back on the trail that he followed. He was keeping a steady pace, and held his head high. His father, however, was not in quite as good form.

Godric stopped to laugh at his lagging parent. "Father, surely you can go faster than that! If you were once a knight who defeated many, surely you can conquer a simple hill!"

Galway Gryffindor caught up to his youngest son, and grabbed his shoulder for support. "You… come… tell… me… when… YOU… turn… six…-ty… and… you've… climbed… this… hill…" he panted.

"Come on!" called Godric as he slipped his burly arm underneath those of his father. "We're almost there. Want some water when we get up?"

"Water…would…be…nice…"

They made their way up the remainder of the hill and sat down on some conveniently located rocks. Godric removed a large bottle of water from his rucksack and handed it to his father.

After a few unhealthily large gulps of water, Galway turned to his son and said, "Alrighty then. Now that I have a few liters of water in my system… let's get down to business. We're out here to practice swordsmanship, not to discuss my age and its effects…"

After their more serious practice, the two Irish men continue to smash their weapons against that of the other, though in a much less severe fashion. Before long, some light conversation arose. After the usual meaningless paternal small talk having to do with the weather, the father's job, and family news, several far more interesting topics came up. The first was another fatherly favorite: the future.

"So Godric…I don't mean to seem forward, but I must ask you about something," started Galway Gryffindor. "Although you do very well in your studies and your handling of the sword, I have yet to see any initiative from you. What exactly do you intend to do?" Seeing the look of doubt and slight embarrassment upon the face of his son, he continued, "Obviously, as mayor of Calaway, I have connections beyond belief. I could get you any apprenticeship, any entry level that you wished for your career. In fact, with my help, you could end up the next mayor when I step down from the post!"

For once, Godric felt small and rather meek. As a rather pathetic response, he muttered something about "not knowing what he wanted to do."

His father gave him a reassuring slap on the back and jovially said, "That's alright, I guess! A boy of 19 years needn't know what he is to do with himself! After all, I didn't find myself as a mayor until I was almost 40! You've got time, young man, especially as the son of a noble." His tone changed from one of light cheerfulness to a slightly more serious one. "Speaking of nobility, however, there is one thing that I am becoming rather concerned about." He paused for a moment to think, and then continued. "You see, a man of your status is expected to marry, have strapping young boys to continue the line, and to honor his family. You are very near the age at which that process is expected to start. I, personally, believe in marriage as a union of lovers, not just of two people of opposite genders. My soul was one with that of your mother, and I am now very much in love with Galinda. However, as far as my knowledge goes, you have not courted a single woman in all of your 19 years! Godric, you are very quickly becoming an adult! Your closest friend approaches the date of his marriage with your younger cousin, and yet you remain thoroughly unmarried. Couldn't you… you know… follow their example?" Galway looked at his son hopefully.

Godric sighed. "I don't know, Father. You speak of true love and the binding of souls; what if I haven't found that yet? I haven't courted a girl because I haven't found one that is of my liking. Is that so horrible?" When his father stayed silent, Godric continued in a rather stern voice. "If we don't head back soon, it'll be quite dark before we get home. Let's go." And without another word, the two men started their journey home.

HHHHHHHHHH

'Oh, come on!' Helga thought. 'I wouldn't care if four hundred of me light their backsides, they aren't still burnt, and certainly not dirty!' Letting her maternal instincts kick in, Helga sighed and opened the door to the garden, then the gate from the garden to the rest of the valley. She pulled up her skirts slightly as she walked into the slightly muddy area beyond her precious garden.

The girl began to walk with surprising speed towards the river in which she was sure her little brothers were now rambunctiously playing in. Another boy's game, no doubt...

As she entered the radius within which one could hear the unbearably raucous activities of the eight year old twins in the river, she slowed significantly. She tapped her wand to her throat and whispered, "Sonorus."

"HUDSON! HUGH!!!!! GET OVER HERE NOWWWWWWW!!!!" Helga hardly needed to scream due to the spell that magnified the level of her voice twenty-fold, though it certainly added to the terrified looks upon the faces of her little brothers. A rather strangled yell of "coming—yes—just a minute—!" came from each of the twin boys. Helga pocketed her wand with a look of pleasure that, was this story describing lines and not faces, would be completely perpendicular to those of her brothers.

The aforementioned brothers appeared just before their older sister, sopping wet, though (luckily) fully dressed. Before they could spew out their perfectly prepared excuse for why they were playing in the river, she pointed her wand at each of them in turn and said, "Silencio!"

"I don't know why you were playing here rather than washing, nor do I care. What I DO care about is the fact that you are no longer covered in mud, no matter how wet you are in return. Now, put on your shoes and run along home for those cookies you were so desparate to steal earlier. Though, please try to dry off a little before you enter my kitchen!" The boys saluted their older sister in perfect tandem, and then scampered off toward their parents' cottage, laughing madly as they went.

Their older sister chuckled a little bit herself, and turned to follow them in a much slower and refined manner. Before she had taken two steps, however, she saw a speck of red and a much older looking speck of blue walking down a hill just a little up the valley. Much to her surprise, the specks seemed to be rather human-shaped! Visitors never came to Calaway Valley. Heck, hardly anyone ever visited the city! Wanting to investigate this quite rare occurrence, she changed her course and began to trot in the direction of the ever-wandering blue and red specks. As the specks and the girl neared each other, she began to get a much better look. The specks were indeed men, and men of quite an amount of wealth, if their clothes were anything to go by. The younger of the two specks was not older than 20, and had hair almost the color of a ripe peach. The older man, whom Helga took to be the father of the younger, was likely around the age of 60.

The specks approached the bridge that would bring them across to Helga's side of the river. Helga cautiously strolled up to the pair, each of whom stopped quite quickly as they realized that a 17 year old girl was approaching them.

"I'm sorry," said the younger man pompously. "I'm not sure I know who you are. I, obviously, am Godric Gryffindor. This is my father, Galway."

Helga scoffed at the arrogant manner with which this man spoke. "I'm not quite sure what you mean by 'obviously,' but I don't think I know any Godric or Gryffindor. I'm Helga Hufflepuff though." Helga grabbed his hand and shook it with noticeable fervor.

Galway seemed quite taken aback. "Don't know...any Gryffindor? I don't mean to be rude, miss, but where have you been for the past 25 years? I'm one of the founders of Calaway, and I've been its mayor for years as well! Have you never been to the city?"

Helga thought for a moment, and then responded, "Well, come to think of it, I think I went once when I was quite little...Although, I certainly haven't gone since. Only my mum and dad go into the city; I stay here to watch my brothers. Having not been there much, I guess I haven't stopped to learn the history of the city..."

Galway's mouth remained agape, so his son pushed his index finger against his father's lower jaw to encourage it to return to a less ape-like position. Godric's gaze returned to the girl he had just met. "Well, it has been very nice to meet you, Helga. Maybe you'll change your mind and come to the city some time? It's really quite nice...I'd love to see you there!" Godric gave a rather regal light wave and flashed his rather toothy smile. Helga returned with her own, which outshone the former by a very long way and seemed to sparkle in all directions, regardless of the light upon them. Galway nodded, and ushered his son away.

All three of them set off towards their homes, each with VERY different ideas about the people they had just met.

A/N:

Well, what did you think? As you may be able to tell, I made the decision about the question I asked this time, this place, last chapter. Any other comments, questions, or concerns can be left in a review, in a message here at FFN, or in an email to I am still looking for someone to beta-read my chapters, so if anyone interested would drop an email to the aforementioned address, that'd be great.

I'm so sorry for the wait between chapters; I'm 99 positive that it won't be anywhere near as long for the upcoming chapters. I've already got through Chapter 5 strictly planned, and through about Chapter 10 vaguely planned, so they should be pretty much churning out now.

I can't reply here to the reviewers, but thanks so much to those who reviewed!

UPDATED A/N!!!:

I've added two questions with FFN's "Polls" feature. If you would vote in them, I'd really appreciate it! It might make reading my story more fun: (see my profile) UPDATE: I guess I lied/was misinformed... apparently you can't vote directly from my profile, and I'm not too fond of the forums here, so... yeah. I guess the polls will have to wait until the beta is over.