The Founders Four

The Fight

It was daybreak and the early morning sun was streaming in through the window. The birds started to sing loudly outside, causing a great cacophony of merry sound. It was amazing that the boy, asleep for the moment on his hay-filled mattress, hadn't woken already. He was having a rather pleasant dream about living a far grander life than the one he'd so far been blessed with. He always had to wear ragged clothes and serve the lords and ladies, and sometimes even royals, that passed through the castle he worked at.

He slept in the peasants' quarters, where a number of small bunk beds were crammed into a room just off the kitchen. Thin cloth was wrapped around bales of hay as a mattress and equally thin blankets were all that kept the children that slept in this room from freezing. All the other children were already up and working, the boys in the stables or the fields and the girls in the kitchen or the yard.

"Godric!"

One thing could be said for Godric Gryffindor, if nothing else - he could sleep through a storm; he could sleep anywhere at any time and would still be utterly oblivious as to what was going on around him. It wasn't that he was lazy. In fact, he was a very energetic, hyperactive boy.

"Get up, you great lump!" Mr Walker called from the kitchen. After there was still no sign of movement from the childrens' bedroom he made an agitated noise and stormed in, the door banging loudly against the stone wall. He walked right over to Godric and shouted loudly down his ear. "GODRIC!"

This certainly had the right effect and Godric was torn from his dream immediately. He jumped as though he'd been hit by a bolt from an electrical storm and cracked his head painfully on the bunk above. He grimaced as the pain blurred his vision and rubbed it gingerly, staring up angrily at Mr. Walker.

"What did you do that for?" He asked, scowling.

Godric Gryffindor had certainly changed since the night he'd been born. Ten years had passed and he'd obviously grown quite a lot. He was tall for his age and rather lanky. His eyes were as blue and sparkling as they ever had been but his dirty blonde hair was messy and sticking out at odd angles because he'd been rolling around in his sleep. He'd also adopted the Scottish accent, as he'd been surrounded by Scots since he was just a boy.

"Well, how else was I supposed to wake you?" Mr. Walker said, in equal measures of anger. "You were meant to be up hours ago, you foolish boy!"

"Ah, I was tired!" He retorted. "I'm a growing lad and I need my sleep!" Godric had always been rather cheeky and had received rather a lot of scolding in his short lifetime.

"Aye, you need your sleep but you also need food, which you won't be getting from me if I hear any more of you cheek again! Now, get up!"

Mr. Walker suddenly grabbed Godric by the ear, making him grumble in protest as he led him from the room.

"What are you doing?" Godric said quickly. "I need to get changed first!"

He was still wearing his ragged trousers that he slept in, his bony chest exposed as he was forced outside into the chilly morning air. He threw his arms around him, shivering slightly.

"This'll teach you then, won't it?"

"Where are you takin' me?" Godric demanded, trying to look dignified as he was dragged past a group of young girls that laughed at his skinny upper body.

They stopped by the water pump outside the stables and Mr. Walker bend Godric's head beneath the jet of water that began streaming out as he pumped it. Godric spluttered and writhed as the icy jet cascaded down his face and down his spine, making him shiver as a cruelly cold breeze ruffled his hair. His body erupted in goose bumps as Mr. Walker allowed him to stand up straight again. Godric looked up furiously at him, clamping his arms across his chest and rubbing them in the hope of getting warm. He was shaking uncontrollably and his teeth were chattering.

"Now boy," Mr. Walker said, looking amused at Godric's shaking form. "I want you to go and get dressed in your best stable wear. You're going to be helping me get the horses ready for Lord Schreiver's hunt later on...and if you're good I might just let you hand a horse over to someone important."

Godric stared, trying to hide his excitement by scowling, as he was still angry.

"Well, get going then!"

He did as he was told, feeling his face burn red as he passed the giggling girls again.

"Ravin' lunatic!" He hissed as he entered his room again.

Godric hurriedly peeled off his soaking wet trousers and started to put on his best working attire. They weren't as grand as what the royals got to wear but the workers had to be presentable when they were to be in contact with people of a higher status than themselves. Once Godric was dressed he rushed out towards the stables and hurried over to a small crowd of other boys he had to work with.

"Oh, so glad you could join us, Mr. Gryffindor!" Mr. Walker joked, a few of the boys laughing at this. "Now, I want Billy, Simon and Jeremy to take care of me three prized steeds. The rest of you - mucking out duty please!"

"I thought you said I could work with the hunting horses today?" Godric said angrily.

"All in good time, m'boy!" He laughed, ruffling his hair.

Godric scowled and then followed the other boys towards the stables where the other horses were kept.

He spent all morning shovelling great piles of horse muck out of the stables. Even after he'd done that, by which time his back felt like it'd been snapped in two, he still had more work to finish. He had to feed the horses, groom them and exercise them. Finally, at one in the afternoon, Mavis, an old and wrinkled lady who'd worked at the castle since before Godric was born, called everyone in for lunch.

"Nice outfit, Godric!"

Before Godric could leave the stable he'd been working in he found his way blocked by a very unpleasant boy called Robert, who was a little older than himself.

"What do you want?" He retorted.

"There's no need to be rude, Gryffindor!"

"Get outta' my way!" Godric said angrily, trying to push past him.

"You think you're better than the rest of us just because you've got a fancy name?" He laughed, pushing Godric so that he was flung backwards and thrown into the back wall of the stable. "What kinda' name's Godric Gryffindor anyway?

Robert was considerably bigger then Godric and it would have been foolish for him to take him on but, as he started to laugh in Godric's face, he lost it and flung himself straight back at him. Robert obviously wasn't expecting this and fell backwards onto the hard stone outside, with Godric on top of him, punching every bit of him he could reach. For a small boy Godric was rather agile and could throw quite a good number of punches before Robert had gathered his wits.

"Get him off me!" Robert called, a dark bruise forming over his left eye.

Godric heard hurried footsteps across the stone courtyard but didn't care. He then felt himself being dragged to his feet and, looking up, he realised that it was Mr. Walker.

"What the devil are you doing?" He shouted angrily. "How dare you fight in a royal courtyard. Lords and Ladies will be here later!"

"He started it!" Robert said quickly, pointing aggressively at Godric, who now had a bleeding lip, his clothes all messed up.

"No I didn't. He was mocking my name!"

"I don't care!" Mr. Walker shouted, spit flying everywhere. "You do not fight like common tramps! You work for Lord Screiver's castle. You must behave in a dignified manner!"

For the rest of the week both boys had to do the most unenviable chores around the castle. They did not exchange one word as they worked. The reason Godric had gotten so mad was because he knew that his Mother had named him with her last breath and he didn't want anyone disrespecting his mother.