Hogwarts: A History: Chapter 2: Elfish Meetings
DISCLAIMER: I am not J. and do not own these characters, however I own this plot
A/N: This FanFiction is written by Mamie. It is about the Founders of Hogwarts, and how it all started.
…...
Helga looked down, her bare feet were sinking into the dewy grass. Daisies, tickling the soles of her feet, ruffling up her gown she danced around the hill, humming a merry tune to herself. A badger was lurking in a near-by tree, she waved to it, and nodded her head to the song playing in her mind. The melody was pulsing through her veins and her heart beat faster, she hummed louder and bent to her knees. She was retrieving ingredients for a potion.
Suddenly she heard distant banging and shouting, interrupting her tune. She got to her feet and swept along the lawns the grass lodged itself in-between her toes once more.
From where it looked the sound was coming, she could see a cave, it was surrounded by tall tufts of grass penetrating the wide opening. As she neared closer she could hear the thumps more clearly, it sounded as though dozens of tiny heads were hitting walls.
When she reached the cave she knocked on the side,the impact was little as she was really just hitting grass besides she was sure whatever it was, was not going to hear her, what with all of the banging, but, none-the-less she would not intrude into someones home, it was a very rude thing to do.
'Hello?' she called. The banging stopped, there was an eery silence. 'I know someones there, may I enter?'
A very high-pitched and squeaky voice replied, 'I, is f'inking that is OK, miss.'
Helga un-ruffled her gown, fixed her hair and put on a bright smile. After all, she did not know who was in the cave.
She peered her head through the split in the rocks. She gaped. There in front of her were dozens of tiny little elves. House-elves. The one standing in the middle was the smallest, it had large, misty blue eyes, and ears that could give an elephant a run for its money. She was surprised the elf was not doubling over with the weight of them.
'Um, hello, my name is Helga Hufflepuff,' she walked over to the one in the middle and held out her hand, still beaming.
'I, is pleased to meet you, Helga. I, is called Pulvis.' The Blue-eyed elf said, in the same high-pitched voice Helga had heard earlier, he shook her hand.
'Well, Pulvis, it is nice to meet you! Who are your friends?' She said taking her eyes from the single elf and averting them to the swarm behind him.
'F'ees are I's fellow house-elves, we were banished from our Master,' he looked to his feet, 'we were just punishing ourselves.' He looked up to Helga expecting her to look happy at the thought of them punishing themselves.
'No, no! Don't punish yourselves!' She bent down to Pulvis's height and said, 'you have no reason to punish yourselves, OK?'
'Oh, but Helga, miss, we do, we been bad, very bad.' Pulvis started nodding his head frantically his ears flapping dangerously, the other elves joined in.
'No, dears, I tell you what, come with me and I'll bring you to a new place to work! It will be much better than your last. I promise!' She beckoned her hand to the group of elves, waving them to follow her.
The group of elves followed her one-by-one. And together they all walked bare-foot to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
XXX
'Salazar! We have already discussed this! Accepting students of only pure-blooded ancestry, will never, ever happen!' Rowena was pointing her long finger at Salazar Slytherin.
'I will not teach, half-bloods!' He shook his head, then looked up, a disfiguring frown creeping on his face, 'and NEVER will I teach filthy mud-blood scum!'
'Salazar! That is NOT an appropriate term! Take it back!' Rowena slowly made her way closer to Slytherin, until they were nose-to-nose, she scowled at him.
'Im…sorry….I mean't those born of dirty unworthy blood.' He spat on her face.
'Slytherin, That is enough! Step away from Rowena, and apologise, NOW!' Godric Gryffindor yelled, whipping out his wand and pointing it directly at Slytherin's chest.
'What, going to kill me if I don't Gryffindor? You need my brains at this school, and you wont get it with filth wandering the halls!' He stared acidly at Rowena Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, then took two steps from her. He turned slightly then in less than a second later his wand was out, and he cried, 'expelliarmus!'
Gryffindor's wand flung from his hand and hit a near-by wall. He fell backwards hitting the ground with a loud thump.
Slytherin was walking towards him, still holding out his wand. 'You cannot boss me Gryffindor, I will not listen.' He prodded his wand into Gryffindor's chest. 'One more word Gryffindor and I'll have you hanging b-'
'Expelliarmus!' Rowena had come to her senses. 'Now, Salazar…Don't be getting too feisty, you don't want to do anything you'll regret, do you?' She edged her way towards them glowering.
'Any damage done to Gryffindor would be long deserved!' Slytherin got to his feet, snatched his wand from the ground and was walking towards the door.
The doors burst open, Helga had arrived and behind her, a dozen house-elves all with beaming faces.
'Well, friends, I bring you, our little helpers! They'll prepare the food for us, wash each dish and tidy all the rooms!' As Helga was saying all this she mimed the actions. Seeing all of the others expressions, she turned. 'What? What happened?'
Rowena stalked away from Gryffindor, took her place in her thrown and said, 'nothing, Helga, Godric and Salazar had…a disagreement, per se. What are…these?' She tilted her head to the elves.
Helga stood for a moment, understanding what the argument had clearly been about and answered, 'they are house-elves, bound to their masters-or mistresses, and desire no pay!' She stopped to beam at the elves. 'He,' she pointed to Pulvis, 'I believe is in-charge, his name is, Pulvis.'
Pulvis looked nervous, then walked towards Rowena, who was still sitting on her throne. 'I, is Pulvis. I, is very pleased to meet you, new mistress.' He turned to the men and continued 'I, is also very pleased to meet new masters.' He bowed so low his long nose scraped the floor. Slytherin made an unpleasant snort.'I, has been brought here by kind mistress, Helga along wi'f my friends,' he pointed to the group of house-elves still standing behind Helga.
'It is nice to meet you Pulvis, me and my friends are glad you are here to help.' Rowena gotten from her thrown strode over to Pulvis kissed his head.
Pulvis looked up to Rowena then let out a loud screech. The other elves scurried over and together they bent down and kissed her feet, over and over.
'Stop! That is enough, you are all very lovely, but, that is enough.' Rowena strode to her thrown ignoring the chuckles coming from both Gryffindor and Helga, Slytherin looked disgusted. She directed her gaze to Gryffindor who stopped laughing at once and she said, 'Godric, I have been thinking of the proposal you made the other day, about the houses. And since I agree with you whole heartedly I was thinking, we should have an emblem for all four. An animal we believe best represents us.'
'That's a great idea Rowena!' Gryffindor said, and he too made his way to his thrown, he sat down, pondered for a moment then he muttered, '…Lion…'
'Pardon me, Godric? I didn't quite catch that.' Rowena said, tucking some loose strands of hair behind her ears.
'I said, "Lion" it represents bravery and courage. Perfect for Gryffindor house…yes.'
'Excellent! Any ideas, Salazar?' She turned her head to the chair beside Godric as Slytherin had trudged over to his own throne.
'I think my animal is really quite obvious,' he said, a smirk sliding along his face, 'a serpent.'
'Of course, I forgot about your ability.' Rowena said nodding her head, she turned and looked ahead to Helga who was standing, still in the middle of the elves. 'And you, Helga?'
'Hmmm…A badger.' She replied dreamily.
'A-a what?' Rowena said confused.
'A badger black and white th-'
'Yes, yes, I know what they are, but why?'
'They're funny animals, aren't they.' She said skipping her way to her throne beside Rowena.
'I-I suppose, very well.' Rowena said straightening her posture.
'And you, Rowena?' Gryffindor asked.
'Well, I don't know yet, it's something that should take a lot of thought.' She glared at Helga, who, again was fiddling with her thumbs.
XXX
'Helena! What do you think you're doing?' Rowena had entered an empty and half-built classroom, to find her daughter, Helena running around.
'Nothing, mother, there was a mouse, so I tried to catch it.' Helena said. She had ovular grey eyes, black hair and a face like her mothers.
'That is hardly nothing my dear. Leave it!' she shouted as her daughter attempted a dive in hopes of catching the mouse.
'Mother! I was hardly doing anything wrong, in fact I was really just helping tidy the school,' Helena crossed her arms over her chest.
'Helena, you are ten. It is not up to you to tidy the school. Besides you are only here because you have no where else to go.' Rowena said gently, she glided along until she was sitting on a step next to her daughter.
'But of course, I forgot. You do not want me here.' Helena said, she was looking at her feet, her eyes were welling up she sniffed silently. She looked around the classroom trying to find something to gaze at apart from her mother, who was staring at her wide eyed.
'Now, Helena, say nothing of the sort! You know I love you.' Rowena attempted to put her arm around her daughter and comfort her but she shifted out of the way. 'Helena! Don't do this to your mother, I love you, sweetheart!' She successfully had wrapped her arms around Helena and was pulling her into a tight embrace.
'Helena, I've got a decision to make, I have to choose an animal to represent the Ravenclaw house. I can think of no one better to decide than you. What do you think?' Rowena had pushed Helena away, and was staring at her sweetly.
'An eagle, mother,' She said in the same dreamy voice as Helga had before, she was smiling now.
'An eagle, you are sure? Not, maybe a raven?' Rowena said tilting her head ever so slightly.
'You heard me mother, an eagle!' Helena looked away slightly disappointed, this was the reaction after all she had expected, but none-the-less it hurt to hear her mother disagree with her once again. 'It's interesting, it will draw attention to your house. Make people curious, you know?' she added.
'Clever, Helena, spoken as a true Ravenclaw,' Rowena's eyes, filled with love were looking into her daughters, whose were filled with hidden jealousy.
…...
So, in this chapter we discover how Helga met the house-elves. Another argument between the founders erupts and it ends with the meeting of Helena Ravenclaw a.k.a The Grey Lady, and we find out why the Ravenclaw emblem is nit a raven.
—Mamie—