The Founders Four

A Most Unwelcome Guest

Five long years have passed since the events surrounding the new lord of southern England. For those years he has lived under the supervision of Benedick Greyson, his personal advisor, and had visited his family so little he could count the occasions on one hand. His work has worn on him for such a young man and now, at the ripe young age of just twenty and with a great responsibility weighing on his mind he doubted whether he did the right thing. He missed his family so much and though his position would always be one of composure, he would remember his parents and lets his emotions flow. He has not had a child's life and now never would. It was the price to pay for being a lord.

Godric and Helga, on the other hand, have grown into very talented young magicians. They were now the best of friends. They had become something of a brother and sister over the years and all because Hufflepuff had been a good man and taken Godric under his wing.

But another addition in this story has not had such a happy life. Now eighteen, Rowena Ravenclaw was due to marry. Her Mother and Father felt the time had come and no matter how much she detested the very idea, she had to do as she was told.

"He should arrive shortly, my dear," her mother informed her excitedly as she fiddled around with the sleeves of Rowena's best gown.

Rowena stood perfectly still. She felt as though the life had been drained from her. For many years she had wanted to run away from this horrid life but knew she'd be worse off away from her family. She compromised by just doing as she was asked, the bubbly and bright young girl she once was now evaporated in her parents' company. They didn't notice. As long as she was betrothed to a well-off prince, they would be content.

"He's here!" The maid called as she rushed into the room, looking beside herself with anticipation.

"Come on then, dear. Let us go and meet your future husband."

Rowena's insides cringed at these words but she ignored them and smiled just to humour her mother. She followed her from the room and down through the castle to the grand entrance hall.

"Presenting Prince Edmund!" A footman announced as a well-built young man stepped through the doorway. He had dark hair and blue eyes to compliment this. He looked up at Rowena and smiled.

She had certainly matured. Her skin had now become very pale, as a true royals' was meant to be, after spending so much time within the confines of the castle. She had grown taller and she was a pure picture of beauty standing at the top of the stairs in that midnight blue gown, her silky black hair falling in loose waves around her face.

"Ah, Edmund!" The king boomed, as he scooted into the hall. "May I introduce you to my daughter, Rowena!"

"It is a pleasure, as always," Edmund smiled as Rowena walked down towards him. He delicately took her hand and kissed it, unable to take his eyes off her.

"And you," Rowena smiled. It was not a true smile. She hadn't worn a true smile for years. For so long she had just made a habit of putting on a false smile like so many people of high status did.

"You shall make a beautiful wife indeed," he said, looking her up and down.

Rowena felt her chest bubble with hot anger. How dare he talk of her like some soulless prize. She gritted her teeth and forced another smile upon her lips.

"She certainly will!" The king chuckled. "Please, come through. We can talk more about this wedding and you can rest."

Edmund gratefully followed the king and as her mother raised her eyebrows Rowena grudgingly trailed after them.

*

Salazar sat at his desk once again. He often sat here in the dead of night, unable to sleep. He had a lot of things to clear...so many paperwork and scrolls to complete. He hated it. At the moment he was quite bored and compromised by staring out into the sky. Streaks of gold and crimson had started to bleed across the horizon line - almost sun rise. He sighed, unable to describe the feeling he was experiencing...regret...sadness, perhaps? He almost fell off his chair in shock, banging his knee painfully on the corner of his desk, as the office door burst open.

"I was just finishing up!" He lied quickly, turning to the paper work and pretending to be scribbling away feverishly. It was Benedick that had entered.

"Never mind that, boy!" He snapped. "Listen, I have important news," he said in a hushed voice. Salazar leaned closer. "Have you ever heard of the Hufflepuff's, m'boy?" He asked.

"No," Salazar replied, looking intrigued. "Who are they?"

"Well, they are old friends of mine. Lord Hufflepuff has kindly said he'd allow you to stay at his castle for a while."

"Why?" He said suspiciously.

"I thought you'd want a break from all this stress!" Benedick said exasperatedly, waving his hands towards the desk.

"Oh," Salazar muttered quickly. "No, I do...it's just - "

"Do you want to go or not?" He snapped.

"Of course."

"Then you'd better get some things together! You leave tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes!"

Salazar had been desperately wanting a break for a long time but it all seemed so sudden.

"Why do I have to go now?" Salazar asked warily.

Benedick looked around in a flustered manner and lowered his voice before replying.

"If you must know, I'm sending you there to meet others like yourself."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, do use your common sense, boy!" He snarled.

"You mean, people that can...do...things?" he murmured. Benedick nodded. "Really? I didn't think there were many others."

"There aren't. Some probably haven't even been discovered but you will go there so that your unnatural powers can grow. You will learn the art of what you are."

"Shouldn't I have started when I was younger?"

He surveyed Salazar with those pale eyes for a moment. "I feel that now the time is ripe. You shall stay there for a while. I shall take charge whilst your gone."

"You?"

"Yes!"

"Will the king allow that?" He asked nervously.

"We shall go to see him tomorrow."

*

Helga Hufflepuff crept through the freezing castle, her cloak swishing along behind her. Though she had changed a lot, becoming taller and more mature-looking, she was still as mischievous and bubbly as ever. She was holding a package that was wrapped up with brown paper and tied with string. It was very early in the morning and the sun had only just risen but Helga was already up and dressed. She tried to quieten her footsteps as she dashed up to the third floor by walking on her tiptoes. As she reached the correct room she grinned to herself and quietly pushed open the door. It was still dark inside the room and the curtains at the windows and around the four poster bed were still closed. She sneaked across the room, trying not to make too much noise, and gently pulled back the hangings around the bed. A tuft of dirty blonde hair was just visible over the top of the duvet.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" She roared, leaning in close.

Godric Gryffindor leapt into the air as though he'd just received a great electric shock and spun around in a very disorientated fashion, tumbling off the bed and landing on the floor with his bed covers tangled around him. He stared with his sleepy eyes for a moment, looking as though he'd just seen a ghost.

"What are you playing at!" He hissed angrily. He was breathing heavily, suppressing an amused smile at the same time.

He sat up, the covers falling down to show his bare chest. He ruffled his messy bed-hair agitatedly, blinking furiously in the hope of waking himself up. Godric had grown to be a fine young man in the care of Hufflepuff. Once a skinny little boy, he was now a tall, strapping individual with rugged good looks. At present he looked a little worse for ware, though.

Helga beamed mischievously and knelt down beside him, holding out the package she'd been carrying.

"You really shouldn't do that. I could have had a heart attack!" He squeaked, still breathing heavily. He had still maintained his Scottish accent but it had become somewhat deeper in the ageing process. "What's this?" He asked suspiciously, taking the package.

"Birthday present!" She giggled.

"You didn't have to get me anything!" He smiled.

"Think of it as all your fifteen birthdays rolled into one then!" She laughed. "I made it myself," she said proudly. "Go on, open it!"

Godric gave her a grateful smile and tore open the brown paper. Helga watched eagerly as he did so. As he gave the paper an almighty tear something light and made of a soft brown material fell into his lap. He picked it up and, once he held it up, he saw that it was a hat - a real wizard's hat.

"Wow!" He smiled. "You made this for me?" Helga nodded happily.

"I thought you'd like it," she said.

"I do, it's great!"

"Try it on then!"

Godric did as he was told and pulled it onto his head.

"Do I look like a proper wizard then?" He asked.

"You sure do!"

"Thanks, Helga!" He beamed, leaning forwards to hug her.

She smiled and patted a cold hand on his chest. "You'd better get dressed. Breakfast will be ready soon."

She stood up and left the room, closing the door behind her.

*

Rowena, having patiently put up with prince Edmund's pompous nature for a good few hours now, was getting rather annoyed. Her face was hurting from all the fake smiles she'd displayed. She sat, only half listening to the conversation her father and Edmund were having. It made her blood boil the way they spoke of her as though she wasn't even there! She took a long sip of tea to hide her angry expression.

"I'm very keen on a summer wedding myself," Edmund said happily.

"Oh yes, it'll be lovely!" The queen trilled. You could tell she very much approved of Rowena marrying him. "You could have the ceremony at the front of the castle, that way the commoners will look up in envy!" She laughed.

Rowena narrowed her eyes and ground her teeth.

"Yes, that is a very good idea!" Edmund smiled. "Then we shall travel back to my home country. I have the perfect castle for us."

Rowena choked on her tea, spattering the cloth on her lap.

"Sorry?" She demanded, looking shocked. "We're going to live in France?"

"Of course!" Edmund beamed. "It is beautiful and very sophisticated. You'd like it very much!"

"Oh, would I?" She said sarcastically. Her father detected the rise in her voice and started to look worried. "I'm quite happy living here!"

"Rowena!" He hissed, widening his eyes threateningly. Her parents were obviously scared in case they couldn't marry her off.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her anger. She looked up again and forced yet another fake smile.

"Would you please excuse me," she said, placing her cup onto the table. "I think I need a little fresh air."

She got up and swept from the room. Her heart was racing. How dare they! She stormed over to the large bay window that overlooked the road leading up to the castle. She sighed. She wanted nothing more than to run away but she didn't have the guts and she knew she wouldn't get far. She had been told that marriage was taken on when two people were in love and she certainly didn't love prince Edmund! She'd met him three times in total and had hated him at every meeting. She jumped as she heard footsteps behind her.

"Oh...shouldn't you be making more plans?" Rowena asked Edmund as he strolled towards her, wearing that smile that gave the impression of great smugness. It made her insides cringe.

"We'll continue later," he said, standing next to her and looking out into the dull grey sky. "I really get the impression you don't like me, Miss. Ravenclaw," he said sarcastically.

"Really? Why's that?" She asked innocently, also looking into the distance.

He gave a fake laugh and turned sharply towards her, grabbing her wrist tightly.

"Don't play games with me!" He hissed, leaning closer but maintaining that annoying smile. "I'm no fool. I know you don't want to marry me but you will!"

"Get off, you're hurting my arm!" She snapped, trying to pull away from his claw-like grip. He compromised by squeezing still tighter and pulling her closer towards him so that he was now whispering into her ear.

"You are a beauty most worthy of me," he murmured, running one of his fingers down the side of her face. Her insides squirmed with anger at this. "It's a shame for you to go to waste, my dear. I will have you. I always get what I want in the end," he hissed, fixing her with a piercing blue stare. She stared back in anger, unable to say anything in reply.

"Get off me!" She whispered, pulling her arm away from his grasp.

He suddenly pushed her painfully against the wall by her shoulders and stared menacingly down at her.

"If you cross me, you'll be sorry. Your father has told me about the way you mingle with the peasants. Not any more. When you're my wife you'll be there to make me look good, to be seen and not heard...unless I say so."

"And what if I don't want to marry you?" She said acidly.

"Oh, you will. You'll be my wife, whether you want to or not."

Rowena was almost crying in anger. She could feel her eyes glazing over. She hated Edmund so much!

"Oh, I see you two are getting better acquainted!" The king boomed, suddenly emerging from the drawing room.

Edmund took his hands away from Rowena's shoulders and smiled at the king.

"Indeed we are, your majesty. Rowena was just saying how wonderful a summer wedding would be! Weren't you, my dear?"

Rowena could only stand there in horror as Edmund leant forward and kissed her. She could hardly push him away in front of her parents. She tried to hide her angry and repulsed expression.

"Ah, very good!" The king smiled, looking very happy. "Shall we continue with the plans then?"

"I think we should!" Edmund replied buoyantly. "Come on, Rowena." He placed a hand around her waist and led her after her parents, her chest bubbling painfully with anger as he did so.