The Founders Four

Chapter 09: Salazar's Tale

"I never abandoned you lot. You were right in your assumption that I had gone out to cool my temper down." Salazar paused in his explanation and chuckled without humour.

"I knew that 'Ric would never agree on my idea of having Muggleborns taken away from their families at an early age after wiping the memories of the parents and then raising them in our society. I also knew that you and Helga would side with 'Ric on this one, 'Row. It was cruel, I agree. That was the reason I never pushed that idea further. But what really got me was that your proposal of having the parents of Muggleborns visit Hogwarts! You refused to listen to me and also refused to let me put any security spells to repel Muggles! I knew that whilst most parents of Muggleborn children were not fully against the idea of magic there were some who wanted nothing but to kill those people who had magic inside them. I just wanted to protect the students and other residents of Hogwarts. I wanted to avoid a full out war between the Muggles and ourselves. Was that really such a bad idea?"

Finally Salazar looked at Godric and Rowena, with questions in his eyes. Both Godric and Rowena couldn't meet his eyes and looked down to their laps. They remembered the time when there was a full out war between the Muggles and wizards at Hogwarts. That was after Salazar's disappearance. It was then they realised that what Salazar was suggesting was right. They realised that they had made a mistake in understanding their friend. But the milk was already spilled and there was no point in crying about it.

After a few moments of silence Salazar looked at the fire again and continued with his story

"The security of the residents of Hogwarts was on my shoulders, and I did not want to risk that by inviting Muggles to visit the castle. But you never gave me the chance to explain myself properly. Instead you always shouted at me, and blamed me of being corrupted by my use of the hidden arts. You thought that the hidden arts and the rituals that I used were the reason behind my heartless behaviour. You forgot that to be a Lord of the land, you have to be able to keep your emotions in check. That is what I was taught since my childhood. Never to show my emotions and think about the security of my people first."

Salazar sighed heavily

"You knew everything, you knew the reason behind my behaviour, yet you chose to ignore it." he continued bitterly. "I never had a brother, you know and I always regarded you as my brother, 'Ric. But when you said such things to me, it hurt… it hurt very deeply. I always veiled my hurt feelings behind anger or put on a neutral expression. That was why you thought that I was heartless."

Salazar chuckled lightly at the irony of the situation and looked down at his hands on his lap.

"I was never angry after our fights, I was hurt and lonely. I would always seek solitude after that. Hence I would leave the castle from a hidden passage inside my chamber and go into a Muggle village where no one knew me."

Salazar paused with a faraway look in his eyes as if he was reliving his lonely trips to the Muggle world away from magic and everything related to it.

"The same thing happened that day. You shouted at me in front of everyone in the castle and I felt insulted and hurt. So I went to seek solitude. I went to my chamber and after locking it went out of Hogwarts through one of the hidden passage. I had left my wand behind in my bed chambers. Helga would have murdered me if I had taken the wand with me. I had learnt that lesson from my previous experience."

All three of them chuckled fondly at the thought of an angry Helga threatening the mighty Salazar. All of them clearly remembered the day Helga had hexed Salazar badly for taking his wand with him to a Muggle village. That day Salazar was upset at something and took off to the Muggle world. He got drunk and had set off some pranks on some of the Muggles in the bar. Helga had reached there in time to save the Muggles and no one was hurt and there were no dire consequences of the situation. However, Helga was extremely angry at Salazar and had hexed Salazar to Mars and back. It had taken Salazar a week before he could walk properly.