The War Begun

There are whispers and glances as soon as I enter the main courtyard, I realise it has nothing to do with Isaac by my side, though his hand lingers warmly on my back. There is something nervous about the children, the Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs and most of the Gryffindors look worried, the Slytherins skirt around the edge of the courtyard, watching and murmuring amongst one another. Their eyes remained trained upon me and as I pass they fall silent. It unnerves me more than their words. But as I come across a group I recognise the boy from earlier and Myrabella Rosier. Myrabella looked at me with nothing but intense hatred. I straightened my back and kept my head held high, I did not need her loathing.
"Mudblood scum!"
The whole courtyard falls quiet and there's a soft gasp from some of the other students. I can feel myself shaking, tightening my hands into fist as pure anger pulses through me.
"Helga, come, keep walking." Isaac says, but I turn and walk back to the Slytherin students. I lock eyes with the boy who had been sat next to Myrabella. My students watch me as I march back across the courtyard and stand directly in front of the Slytherin group.
"What did you say?" I ask, daring him to say it again.
"I said…" the boy begins, not even ashamed of what he said. His eyes gleaming with triumph and his lips wet, as he runs his tongue over them. I do not let him finish.
"Twenty points from Slytherin and I will see you in my office for your punishment." It is harsher than any punishment I have dealt before, but too many of my students are from muggle homes and families. Too often I, and my friends, have risked everything to encourage their parents to not see witchcraft and wizardry as an evil. To let us take their sons or daughters into safety and to teach them to control their powers.

"Who says you're a teacher anymore?" Myrabella sneers.
My mouth feels dry, but I keep my gaze level with her's, "Would you care to join him, Myrabella?"
She gives a shrug and bite my lip fiercely, but before I can speak Godric's voice calls to me from the steps of the Entrance Hall, "Helga."
I turn and see all three standing there, Rowena looks fearful, her face lined with worry, her mouth no longer soft. Godric looks calm and controlled, but his concern is obvious to me, his hand rests on the pommel of his sword. Salazar's eyes are cold and yet curious, I see his hand linger by his belt and grip around his wand. A shudder runs through me and I try to walk with the same pride back to them.
"Godric, Rowena." I greet them and I see Isaac give a small nod at my impoliteness to Salazar. Rowena glances at Salazar then down at me. I slowly step onto the first step, desiring to be on the same level as they. But as I mount them, I cannot help but feel strangely reflective on how I have always felt beneath them. How they sometimes, either indirectly or directly, treated me as an inferior. How my students and lessons were inferior to theirs.

I come to the top-most step, looking at my two friends and one past friend framed in the doorway.
"And have you forgotten my name, Helga, or is it distasteful to you?" Salazar asks.
"We should not discuss this here." I say boldly, looking at Rowena and Godric, "Let us go somewhere else, where the students can't hear us."
"Why should they not hear? Why should they not hear how you drew your wand on me–"
"I did not…"
"And threw me down the corridor, into a wall, Helga?" Salazar glares at me and I feel my heart lose all resolve, it slams against my chest, all fear of him renewed.
"Perhaps we should speak of something else, entirely then?" Isaac asks, I had not noticed he had walked up the steps, "Perhaps we should speak on how you abused this woman's affections for you, how you hurt her beyond all measure…"
My legs begin to shake uncontrollably, I cannot bare to look up, too afraid of how Rowena will look at me. How anyone will look at me. I lied. I lied. If I hadn't lied none of this would have happened…
"Helga?" Godric's soft voice is nearer to me than I thought it would be, and I suddenly look upwards into his worried expression. He shakes his head, "What happened?"
"I–"
"You would believe her? You would believe her word over mine?" Salazar growls, I hear the soft hiss of his wand being removed from his belt. Godric turns on him.
"Helga would never hurt anyone, not if she could help it. I couldn't understand why she would attack you without provocation; even with your offensive words and thoughts, she would not do such a thing. Tell me, Salazar, what did you do?"

Salazar stares at him, his eyes narrowing with anger and for a moment I believe them to flash vividly with green, "I did nothing."
"What reason would Helga have to lie?" Isaac says. My heart leaps into my throat when Salazar brings his wand up and points it at Isaac's throat. Godric swiftly pulls out his own wand and steps in front of Isaac. Rowena lets out a terrified, 'No.' and there's another gasp from the students. Isaac looks grimly back at Salazar, saying nothing. He clasps Godric's shoulder, "My Lord Gryffindor, please, let us talk inside; away from the children."
Godric glances at Isaac, slowly nods and puts away his wand. He moves up the steps.

"Crucio!" the cry is so guttural and angry, I barely recognise it as Salazar's voice, but when Isaac falls, writhing and screaming on the steps I run to him. He had no time to pull out his wand or bring up a shield charm. Rowena runs to my side; Godric in front of us, wand outstretched, eyes fixed on Salazar.
"Next time, Helga, you should warn your filthy mudblood lover not to interfere." Salazar says.
"He did nothing, Salazar. He had nothing to do with this, he was trying to protect Helga, which is more than you've ever done." Godric swears.
Isaac gasps with pain, the terror and agony slowly leaving his eyes.
"Helga, help Isaac inside. I will get the children away." Rowena says.
I look up at her confused, till I hear Salazar cry, "Bombarda Maxima." And Godric reply with, "Protego."
I look up to see Salazar thrown back into the wall, it cracking under his weight.
"Helga, get inside!" Rowena calls and then pulls me to my feet, slinging Isaac's arm around my shoulder and then pushing us inside. She brings up her own shield charm and then gestures for the children to go.

I rest Isaac on the main stairway and look up to see the children gathering outside the main hall and above the staircase.
"Mistress Hufflepuff, what is happening?" a boy, in my house, called down the stairs.
"Everyone, go to your dormitories. We will explain later. Hurry!"
My voice boded no argument and they all left quickly, I pulled off Isaac's cloak and wrapped it around him.
"I am fine, Helga." He muttered and smiled up at me.
"Stay here, I will return." I said, touching his cheek gently.
"No!" he grabbed my arm, "Stay."
We could both hear the sounds of curses and spells ricocheting off the walls, loud cracking noises as the stone outside crumbled and the students' now frightened screams. I prayed Rowena was getting them all to safety.
"I need to help Godric and Rowena, I will be back soon." I promised.
"Helga…"
I gently knelt by him and kissed his forehead, I could feel and hear him breathe out in a sigh of relief and contentment.
"You've been so brave for me, now I need to do what is right for Hogwarts, my students and you."
He cupped my face gently in his hand, "Stay safe, don't let him hurt you."
"I promise."

I bring up my shield charm before I leave the safety of the hall, Salazar's curses and Godric's counter curses flash brightly against the grey sky. I see Rowena pushing a small group of students away from the fighting, taking them down the hill and urging them toward the other side of the castle. Salazar's eyes are fixed on Godric. I bring down my shield charm and use his focus on Godric to my advantage.
"Expelliarmus!" I cry, the wand in his hand flying away from his grasp and landing on the ground. Godric grabs it and both Rowena and I come to his side, pointing our wands at Salazar. He pants heavily, his hair sticking against his forehead, an excited smile on his face.

"Leave." Godric says coldly.
"Not without my wand." Salazar says.
"We will escort you to the boundaries of the castle and then you will swear to never return."
"You have not even questioned Helga, what example will you set to the children, when you teach them to never question their expectations?"
"I know Helga, I know she would never lie, she would never hurt you…she would never hurt you if she believed herself to love you or at least, had done at one point. Forgive me, Salazar, if I find it hard to believe she would not hurt you without fearing for her life or virtue. And forgive me, for believing you would willingly hurt her, to gain what you wanted." Rowena spits at him.
Salazar looks directly at me and I can feel myself tremble under his gaze.
I try to not hear him speak, but his voice echoes loudly in the empty courtyard, "You are too much of a lover of the hearts of muggle men. They are the scum of the earth and each one deserves to die. I will not have this place polluted by their filth. I will curse this place to war, if ever a mudblood's bastard enters these walls."
"Then do so," Godric growls, "We shall fight you every day and every year if we have to, if you threaten our children and their learning."
Salazar smirks, his eyes glinting in the cold, grey light, "So be it, Godric. But you must be content to know, Hogwarts will never be at peace."