The Founders Four

Complete

After working for so long on the castle it seemed strange to now look at it in a fresh new light. It had once been crumbling and decrepit, with vast sections left in complete disrepair, not to mention the wild and overgrown grounds that surrounded it. Now, however, it had been restored to its full glory, and then some. Numerous repairing charms had been used to magically strengthen all the foundations and entire new sections had been added so that it was now more splendid than it had ever been before. The turrets and towers now framed the sky-line beautifully and made it something of a landmark. It was all the locals could talk about. The grounds had been preened to perfection; the grass seemed to glow a delicious green in the sunlight and the lake sparkled invitingly. The only thing that didn't appear quite as welcoming was the outskirts of the dark forest at the edge of the land but no one tended to go anywhere near it.

Hubert Dumbledore stared up at his pride and joy, which he'd been working on for years. He had never been so proud of anything he'd created. He smiled serenely to himself. After working long and hard and accumulating quite a few premature silver hairs in the process, he was relieved that it was all finally over. With a few finishing touches the job would be complete. With this thought came a small pang of sadness. He knew he'd feel quite lost after working on such a big project. Perhaps the founders of this school would find some other things for him to create.

"Excuse me, Sir?"

Hubert turned to see a young teen from the village trotting towards him. It seemed strange even to himself to be called Sir. It made him smile in amusement.

"Is there a problem?" He asked.

"Not exactly," the young Scot replied. He started to unrolled the parchment that had the finalised plans for the castle scrawled upon them. He shoved them in front of Hubert and indicated a small room on one of the many floors.

Hubert squinted down at it and felt his heart perform a little skip. That room had caused him a lot of bother over the recent weeks. He didn't know what to do with it, if truth be told. That room was the only available entrance to the chamber Salazar had ordered him to construct. The chamber was complete and, as Salazar had asked him not to divulge its existence to the other Founders, he guessed that he'd want the entrance concealed and magically protected in some way.

"What seems to be the problem?" He asked, trying to sound casual.

"Well, we need to use this room as a...er...well, a room of passing certain bodily fluids - "

"Yes, I get the picture," he chuckled.

"You did say you wanted one - for both males and females - on every floor. This is the only room left that we can use for such a place."

"Oh, I see," he nodded, feeling his stomach roll uncomfortably. He doubted Salazar would be too pleased that the entrance to his secret place within the castle would be concealed by such a room. He poured over the plans for a moment or two before realising this would take a lot of time and attention to rectify. "Just leave it with me, Ted. I'll take a good look and get back to you," he smiled, taking the parchment and rolling it back up.

"Thank you, Sir," the lad nodded, hurrying back up to the castle.

Hubert took another look up at that beautiful castle and was about to make his way back down into the village when his name was called across the grounds of the castle. He looked over towards the gates, which had been topped with a pair of winged boars carved from stone earlier that day, and saw a young woman waving in order to get his attention.

"Hubert, hurry!" Polly called, chuckling to herself as he scrambled towards her, beginning to look a little anxious.

"What is it?" He demanded. "What's happened?"

"Nothing," she assured him. "It's Salazar and Belle. They are to return this evening!"

"Oh, that's wonderful," he smiled, trying to mask his anxiety about seeing Salazar again. "The castle is almost prepared. What of the others?" He asked eagerly. He was most keen to see Helga after all this time, whom he saw as a younger sister.

"Helga is due tomorrow morning," she replied, as they started to walk down into the village together. "I'm not sure about Godric and Rowena."

"This is great news," he smiled. "They will all be reunited once again. I do hope they have found as many students as possible."

"I'm sure they have. Oh, this is the most exciting thing in history, don't you think?" She burst out suddenly, actually jumping with excitement. "These children will be taught magic in a way no generation has before them. To offer young magic folk such a thing is...well, it's the best gift in the world!"

"I couldn't agree more!" He smiled, watching her skip through the grass and greatly admiring the way the bright sunlight brought out the coppery tones in her hair.

*

The carriage was now passing over the rockiest parts of the pathway that led towards Hogsmeade and, although Salazar had felt perfectly fine for most of the journey, he was now beginning to feel a little nauseas. Of course, it wasn't just down to the motion of the carriage. As he glanced over at the snoozing Belle he felt a stab of guilt in his guts. He knew he'd have to do exactly as Benedick had asked and, besides, what difference would learning a bit of dark magic really make?

"We're here," he murmured, tapping Belle gently upon the shoulder.

Her sparkling eyes flickered open and she had to blink a few times before she sat up, squinting out into the darkening evening; the sun had just begun to set.

"It looks just the same as I remember it," she said, smiling at the very sight of the little village.

"Yes, it hasn't changed a bit," he agreed. "But let us hope that the castle has."

Once the carriage had rolled to a stop he and Belle jumped out, relieved to finally be able to stretch their legs. What they hadn't anticipated was such a large welcome. A great mass of villagers flocked around them, welcoming them and hugging them. It was quite a bizarre thing to experience but Salazar supposed that these sorts of reactions would be common now. He was, after all, setting the blueprint for the future of teaching magic.

After they'd endured the crowds of people it was a welcome relief to reach their room at the inn. It was utter bliss to be able to rest but, whilst Belle decided to take a lie down, Salazar had other things he needed to do. Once he'd eaten his evening meal and night had well and truly fallen he went out into the village again. No one was around but this suited him perfectly. He was looking for one particular individual and he assumed that he would live in the same house as he had three years ago.

Not long after he'd begun making his way towards Hubert's house, however, he became distracted by a dark figure in the distance. The sight of it made him flinch. Something immediately told him that whoever it was, they were waiting for him. He cautiously approached, ready to strike, but as he drew closer he realised who it was.

"What are you doing here?"

"Careful, boy," Benedick warned. "You'll make me think you're not pleased to see me." Salazar gritted his teeth, determined not to retort to this. "I just thought it would be wise to make sure you arrived here safely."

"You came all the way here just to ensure that I'm safe?" He asked sceptically.

"Now, you know me better than that, Salazar," he chuckled. "I wanted to make sure that you're not having any second thoughts about our little agreement. You're not, I trust?"

"Of course not," he replied monotonously. It wasn't as though he had a choice!

"Good...good. Then we will begin very soon."

"When?"

"A week from today - "

"So soon?" He asked, feeling a little panicked by the prospect.

" - And I will meet with you every week after that."

"Do you think it wise to meet so often? Surely people will start to notice?"

"Notice what, Salazar?" He asked calmly, bushy eyebrows raised. "Are you planning to tell anyone about our meetings?"

"Of course not but - "

"Or do you think I am foolish enough to allow anyone to find out?"

"No."

"Then do not worry yourself about such things, my boy," he said with a cold smile. "Everything will come together, you'll see."

"Where will I meet you?" He asked reluctantly.

"I will contact you in due course."

"But wouldn't - ?"

"Do not let me down, Salazar," he said seriously. "Or I may need to remind you of our last encounter."

Salazar stood there and it was taking all his strength and willpower not to lunge towards that repugnant man and curse him into oblivion. The threat he'd made upon Belle's life was enough to bestow enough hatred upon him for a lifetime. As he watched Benedick's black cloak melt away into the darkness he felt uncomfortable chills run through him and decided to return to the inn. Finding Hubert could wait until the morning.

*

The moment the sun had started to rise the birds began their merry chorus. Only a select few in this village woke so early. Hubert was one of them, naturally. He had a few things to finalise with the castle and was always the first one there and the last one to leave whenever there was work to be done. He was even more determined to set things in order today, simply because he knew Salazar was back. He knew it was only a matter of time until he came to speak to him about the chamber he'd commanded him to build. The thought made him a little apprehensive and far more jumpy than usual.

Throughout the course of the first half of the morning Hubert was so highly-strung that he ended up snapping at a few of the younger workers that were trying their very best to help. He'd also been giving out his orders in a manner that was very much unlike his own. By the time the rest of the village had fully woken he felt quite exhausted and decided to go for a walk in the grounds, realising that fresh air was probably what he needed right now.

No sooner had he started walking around the sparkling lake than he was darting back up towards the castle. He had been able to see Salazar approaching from the other side of the grounds by the gates. Needless to say, he was quite happy to avoid the man. Luckily, he managed such a feat, ordering anyone near the castle that might be asked to say that he was not around right now. When Salazar finally gave up and left, he didn't look best pleased, as he'd also been informed that he wasn't allowed to see the finished castle until it was...well, entirely completed. Or at least until Hubert could figure out a way to conceal his secret chamber in a satisfactory manner.

*

Helga was unable to prevent herself from grinning as her horse trundled calmly along the dirt track that led towards Hogsmeade. It had been a long few days of travelling but she was filled with a new lease of life at the mere prospect of returning to her old home. She felt her stomach swooping excitedly every time she thought about seeing her three closest friends once again.

She had intended to go to the village first but was sidetracked by the castle. Over the brow of the nearest hill she was just able to distinguish one of the highest turrets. Her curiosity and eagerness got the better of her and she urged her horse into a brisk canter, heading straight for the manicured grounds.

A few minutes later she skidded to a stop; the sight of it was positively breathtaking. It was beautiful and bold, standing strong against the clear blue sky. She could tell that so much of it must have changed without even needing to look inside. It was almost unrecognisable, along with the grounds. She felt such pride and gratitude towards Hubert that she got the urge to find him at once. She could hear people working inside and dismounted her horse, guessing that he was probably inside with them.

She had barely taken a few steps towards the entrance, however, when someone called out to her across the large expanse of grass. She turned to see Polly hurrying towards her and beamed happily.

"Polly! It's great to see you again!"

"You too!" She smiled, giving her a friendly hug and then latching onto her arm. Helga couldn't help but notice how she was leading her away from the front doors. "You've changed so much!"

"Yes, I have," she agreed. "The journey has been good for me. Polly," she said quickly, before she could be sidetracked. "Why are we heading back to the village? I was keen to see the castle."

"I realise that," she nodded, looking a little awkward. "But Hubert thought it would be best if you all saw it together."

"The others are here?" She asked excitedly.

"Salazar has returned but we've received no word from Godric and Rowena yet," she replied. Helga felt her good mood diminish slightly. What if something had happened to them? "I'm sure they'll be here soon. They're probably on their way as we speak."

"I hope so."

"It's so exciting for everyone," Polly said suddenly, as they passed through the gates that were flanked by the winged boars. "Your return is all anyone can speak about. It's almost like having royalty in the village."

"Technically, that will be the case when Rowena returns," she chuckled.

"I know that but...oh, it's just so exciting!"

Everything Polly had said was true. Helga witnessed the adoration of the villagers first hand when they all came to greet her. It was quite a bizarre thing to endure after spending so much time travelling. After fending off most of the excitable villagers Helga managed to locate Salazar and Belle, who greeted her warmly.

"I can't believe how long it's been," Belle smiled, after hugging her.

"It's wonderful to finally be back."

"How was your homeland?" Salazar asked.

"Mostly how I remembered it," she replied. "I found many students with families willing to send them here. Others were not so keen on the idea."

"We met parents like that," Belle assured her.

"How was it in London?" She asked anxiously.

"Not the most welcoming of places," Salazar answered. "But it was better for us to go rather than you or Godric and especially not Rowena!"

"No, certainly not!"

"It's rather warm out here," Belle commented. "Would anyone like a drink?" She asked, pointing towards the inn.

"Yes, thank you," he and Helga replied together.

"I'll be right back," she smiled, before gliding across the sunny expanse of grassland and disappearing into the establishment.

As Salazar watched her go he didn't notice Helga watching him intently. She had picked up on his peculiar expression straight away.

"You look worried," she pointed out.

"What do I have to be worried about?" He said quickly, hoping he'd now arranged his face into a more neutral expression. "The school is almost ready, I have Belle and my friends," he smiled, patting her on her arm. Helga couldn't help but notice that his smile seemed a little forced, though.

"I just thought...well, you looked a little...unlike yourself," she shrugged.

"Perhaps it's just the worry of the students getting here," he said quickly. "It would be a shame if most of them couldn't come."

Helga nodded in agreement but continued to watch him. Salazar had never appreciated how very observant she was before but now realised how much this could endanger his agreement with Benedick.

*

"Are we nearly there?" Gwen asked excitedly as she sat perched on the edge of her seat, looking out of the carriage window.

"Almost," Rowena assured her.

She could barely contain her own excitement as the carriage rolled towards Hogsmeade and Godric was positively grinning from ear to ear. The little cottages soon came into view, peeking between the branches of the tall fir trees. The very sight of the place filled Godric with a warm, fuzzy feeling.

"Where's the school?" Gwen asked.

"Nowhere near here," Godric chuckled. "It's all the way up the hill over there, hidden behind the mountains."

"I can't wait to see it!"

"Neither can we," Rowena said, exchanging a glance with Godric.

They had been so eager to see it that they very much wanted to go directly there. It would have seemed awfully rude if they didn't greet the villagers first, though. When they finally rolled up into the heart of the village a large number of locals began gathering around.

"You're back!"

"Look, it's Godric!"

"We didn't expect you so soon!"

"It's just great to be home," he beamed, as he jumped down from the carriage and then helped Gwen down from the step.

"There you are!"

He turned around and was delighted to see Alexis Dumbledore rushing towards him. He was a little shocked when she pulled him into a rib-cracking hug, however. She then proceeded to hug Rowena.

"Look at you both!" She chirped. "You look so different. So much older! In a good way, of course," she added with a chuckle.

"How is the school?" Rowena asked eagerly.

"It's coming along beautifully," she assured them.

"We can't wait to see it," Godric said.

"That'll have to wait until tomorrow, I'm afraid," she told them. "Hubert wants to complete all the finishing touches before he shows you around. You know what he's like - a true perfectionist!"

"I'm sure he's made a wonderful job of it," Rowena smiled.

"Oh, he has," she winked.

"Has there been any word from the others?" Godric asked anxiously.

"Yes, they're here," she replied.

Godric and Rowena looked at each other and simply grinned with relief.

"Thank goodness!"

"Who's this then?" Alexis asked, flashing a friendly smile towards Gwen, who was looking a little overwhelmed.

"I'm Gwen," she said uncertainly.

"It's lovely to meet you. My name is Alexis," she said, holding out a wrinkled old hand.

Gwen shook it and managed a small smile.

"There's no need to be shy!" She insisted. "We're friendly enough around here. We've got some powerful lungs on us too so you best raise that voice of yours if you want to be heard!" She laughed.

"Where are the others?" Godric asked, after giving Gwen an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

"Probably in there," she replied, shoving a thumb in the direction of the inn.

After saying farewell to Alexis, Godric led the way towards the inn, which didn't seem to be as busy as he thought it might be. He heard the low rumble of voices and entered the dim bar, which smelt strongly of ale and tobacco. He had only just made it across the threshold when an excited squeal rent the air.

"Godric!"

He just about managed to steady himself before a mass of golden hair shot at him from across the room. Helga hugged him so tightly that he could scarcely breathe. He patted her on the back, hoping that this would encourage her to ease her grip a little.

"I've missed you so much, both of you," she beamed, turning towards Rowena and hugging her, though with a little less force.

"We've missed you too," Godric grinned. "You look so...grown up," he chuckled, admiring her features, which seemed to have changed so much.

"Come and sit. Salazar and Belle are here too," she insisted, leading them over to one of the rickety round tables over in the corner of the room.

Salazar hadn't changed much aside from the fact that the stubble on his chin had grown into somewhat of a beard. Belle looked exactly as she had done the last time they'd met.

"Salazar, it's good to see you, my friend!"

"And you," Salazar replied, shaking his outstretched had and then planting a kiss upon Rowena's cheek.

"You both look so well," Belle smiled. "I take it that the travelling went well?"

"It did indeed," Rowena said, as they all sat down at the table. "Far better than expected. We found Gwen whilst we were there," she added, indicating her.

"Oh, hello," Helga smiled. "You must think we're so rude, we didn't spot you there."

"Hello," she said, smiling around at them all in a very shy manner.

"How was London?" Rowena asked.

"Not as comforting as it once was," Salazar explained. "We didn't feel too secure whilst we were there. We thought it best to keep moving around."

"We found a fair few students there," Belle reasoned.

"That's wonderful."

"It looks like we'll have a lot of work on our hands when the fall comes," Godric chuckled.

Once they'd all gotten drinks they began exchanging stories about their travels. Hearing about all the students they'd acquired made things feel so much more real. Knowing that the whole idea of Hogwarts was actually going to happen filled them all with an intense buzz of excitement. Being together again felt like old times and it was almost as though they could forget the troubles they'd faced over the last few months.

"I was worried for you at one point," Helga said to Godric and Rowena. "I heard terrible stories about a dragon that was terrorising towns in the west of England. I knew you had to pass through there."

"Yes, we heard about that too," Belle piped up. "But it was all seen to, wasn't it? Did you not hear about Sir George, whoever he may be! According to some, he saved the town from the dragon's attacks and managed to slay it with his bare hands!" Godric and Rowena exchanged an amused glance at this point.

"I heard the same but I thought it was just a story!" Helga gasped. "Is it really true?"

"Yes, it is," Gwen said matter-of-factly.

When they all turned to look at her in confusion she turned towards Godric, who was now grinning.

"It was me," he revealed.

"What?" Helga yelped, half amused, half terrified.

"I told him not to get involved," Rowena explained, with a roll of the eyes. "But he wanted to make sure the dragon couldn't hurt anyone else."

"But you're all anyone can talk about, Godric!" Belle gasped, looking impressed. "Good word certainly travels fast. I wouldn't be surprised if they're still talking about this in years to come!"

"Yes, the tale of Godric and the dragon," Helga laughed.

"George and the dragon," Gwen corrected her.

Salazar remained quite silent. He was staring between the women as they gushed about how brave and wonderful Godric was. Salazar could tell he was loving every moment of this adoration; that was just the sort of person he was. Whenever fame and glory found him he lapped it up. In truth, Salazar guessed that Godric had probably just acted too rashly, too foolishly, like always. He always let his heart lead instead of his head and one day it would be his downfall. It made Salazar highly frustrated to see him sitting there and absorbing all this attention when he'd probably saved that village by accident. Yes, it was always Godric that got the glory and the admiration. He couldn't understand why. If he would be spoken about as a legend in centuries to come then what was to say he wouldn't be known as the sole founder of their school? What was to stop him taking all the credit for Hogwarts?