The Founders Four

The Grand Feast

The day had finally arrived. It had seemed to take forever to get here but it had dawned perfectly, as though even the heavens above knew how important an occasion it actually was. The cool autumn air was crisp, the branches of the trees still and the rays of early morning light that had just started to creep their way across the castle and its grounds were bathing everything in a red and gold glow that managed to bring a kind of warmth that the air couldn't quite manage just yet.

Naturally, not many of the residents within the grand castle had gotten much sleep, which was perfectly understandable. Alexis had been milling and fussing about since the crack of dawn just to ensure that everything was perfect for the four founders, simply because she knew they'd be too busy and distracted to mither over the finer details.

The elves were already hard at work preparing for the grand feast that would take place once all the students had arrived – all Helga's idea – and Hubert had been assisting Polly with ensuring that the students' quarters were as homely as they could possibly make them. In fact, by the time they were done, Hubert was certain that most of the students would never have dwelled in such a grand abode.

Whilst Godric, Rowena and Salazar were occupying themselves with carrying out the finishing touches to the grand welcome they would give their students, Helga had travelled up to one of the small studies that lay within one of the tallest towers. It was here that she'd been receiving or storing numerous letters for weeks on end. She smiled around at the small collection of various owls that were perched up in the rafters before unfurling a long roll of parchment that she'd been working on tirelessly for the past few days.

"Miss?"

She spun around as one of the many elves startled her, appearing at the doorway most unexpectedly.

"Well?" She asked eagerly.

"They're all ready."

"Wonderful," she beamed.

"But do you really think - ?"

"This is going to work," she said defiantly, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

*

Belle was positively brimming with excitement as she dashed through the village. It was rarely so busy but everyone was obviously very eager to watch the arrival of all the students. Most were extremely curious to see how this would all pan out. Expecting so many students to arrive within the same hour was quite preposterous but Belle didn't doubt it for a second. It was with an infectious beaming smile that she weaved her way through the crowds, eager to see Salazar before the big event.

"Do you think they'll ride in on dragons? That's what I heard."

"Don't be ridiculous, Mabel!"

"I heard they'd all arrive here on broomsticks," another of the villagers piped up, almost tripping over in his excitement as a stray chicken went scattering across the lane.

"Broomsticks? Don't be daft, lad! What use would a broomstick be!"

"Besides, they'd have to learn the skill first," an older and far wiser lady insisted.

Belle chuckled to herself. Even she didn't know all the details about the school but she was eager to find out. What she failed to spot in her haste was the cloaked man following her step for step through the crowd. Benedick was also very eager to see how this day would pan out.

*

Rowena was finally ready. It had taken her all morning but she intended to make a good impression upon her students. She wore her finest sapphire-coloured gown, which had intricate detailing at the hem and all over the bodice. Naturally, she'd also paid just as much attention to her hair, which was now twisted up into tight curls, some of them framing her pale face. She beamed as Godric appeared at the doorway, unable to hide his shock.

"Well, it was certainly worth the wait," he said appreciatively.

"I'm glad you think so," she smiled, looking over her reflection once more before turning to Godric and passing a scrutinising eye over his attire.

"I know!" He said quickly. "But I've been busy preparing things whilst you've been...doing all this," he said, waving a dismissive hand towards her elaborate hair.

"You ought to watch it, Gryffindor," she smirked. "I've been paying close attention to those books Coen donated, particularly the curses!"

"You wouldn't!" He chuckled, pulling her towards him by the wrist. She grinned up at him. "Besides, I know a few tricks myself."

"I can imagine!"

"Ahem!"

They both jumped as the awkward voice of one of the many elves interrupted them.

"Yes?" Rowena asked eagerly, moving away from Godric slightly.

"Carriages are approaching!"

A split second later a loud bell could be heard ringing out all across the grounds and would undoubtedly be heard down in the village too. Without another word, Godric and Rowena both dashed down towards the entrance hall, trying to hasten but still look dignified at the same time.

*

"Carriages?" Alexis remarked, looking quite amused.

"Why is that funny?" Salazar asked, as they both made their way through the courtyard as they headed to the main entrance of the castle.

"Well, it will certainly disappoint the villagers. They will be expecting far more elaborate things, mark my words!" She added, when he continued to look puzzled.

"Then they'll have to be disappointed. We're created a magical school. What more do they want?"

She chuckled at his expression, adjusting one of the vases as she scooted past, before they emerged into the sunny entrance hall. The doors were thrown wide open in greeting and the moment that Salazar caught sight of the first carriages that were rolling up the driveway his heart skipped with a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

"Do not fear the unknown...or the unknowledgeable," Alexis muttered under her breath, as though she'd read his thoughts.

As they stepped down the entrance steps and reached a crowd of others, Salazar realised that Gwen was amongst them. She was positively buzzing with excitement and he chuckled at her enthusiasm.

"How is everything?" Alexis asked as Hubert moved beside them.

He seemed a lot more comfortably about being in such close proximity to Salazar than he used to.

"All the preparations are complete."

"Was that not seen to last night?" Salazar asked, eyebrows raised.

"Of course," he said, staring determinedly out towards the approaching coaches. "I refer to something else."

Salazar didn't press the subject, as he found that he wasn't all too interested at that precise moment in time.

"This is surreal!" Rowena exclaimed, as she and Godric finally emerged amongst the small crowd now congregated outside the castle. "I'm suddenly nervous."

"Don't be!" Coen insisted, as he strolled past, looking rather pleased about something.

"What's he so happy about?" Rowena asked once he was out of earshot.

Godric simply tapped the side of his nose, his eyes twinkling as he did so.

As the first of the carriages rolled to a stop and gave way to the sight of many more, Godric couldn't help but notice one problem, something that Salazar voiced just a split second later when he moved to stand beside them.

"There aren't enough."

"Sorry?" Hubert said.

"Well, for the amount of students we found...surely there are not enough carriages here," he insisted, frowning out at the procession, which was clearly nearing its end at the foot of the hill. "Did some change their minds?"

"Not that I know of," Rowena said quietly, suddenly looking rather concerned.

"Worry not, founders," Hubert said knowingly, causing them all to stare at him questioningly. "There are always those thinking outside the box."

"What do you mean?" Rowena demanded.

"Where's Helga?" Alexis demanded, shuffling towards them through the gathering crowd. "We can't well present the school with one of its founding members missing, now, can we?"

"I'm here!" Helga trilled, as she dashed towards them down the front steps. She looked flushed in the cheeks and her wavy hair was billowing out behind her, having fallen down from the clip it had been placed in earlier that morning.

"What's happened?" Rowena demanded, looking rather concerned.

"Nothing. Everything is perfect!"

Godric chuckled quietly to himself as he looked along the line, from his own unusual attire which was adorned in red and gold stitching, to Rowena's fine appearance, to Salazar's regal emerald green attire, to Helga's rather dishevelled appearance. She looked presentable enough, what with her beautiful golden gown, but she was still breathless from her run here and it was clear that Rowena wanted nothing more than to hastily repair her ruined hair do.

"Look at their little faces!" Rowena muttered, noticed that the first few to step down from their carriages stared up at the castle in complete awe. "They must be terrified."

"Perhaps some more than others," Godric shrugged, noticing that a few other students seemed deceptively confident about their new venture.

"Where are the rest?"

"Were there not supposed to be more than this?"

People started muttering throughout the crowd, voicing their concern regarding the lack of students. The only person that didn't seem too concerned about this was Helga.

"Just wait..."

A silence fell over the entire surrounding area. There was a slight change in the atmosphere and it was difficult to tell whether it meant anything good just yet. A sudden cracking sound rent the air, followed by another and then another, until there was an entire cacophony of the sounds. Along with these unusual sounds, however, figures appeared all over the sweeping grounds. They did so in pairs, each pair seeming to contain a very small being.

"The elves!" Rowena gasped, her mouth gaping open in wonderment.

The students that they'd brought along with them looked windswept and quite nauseated but otherwise unharmed. Once the shock had worn off the first to arrive, it was obvious that they were not quickly recovering from their shock as they caught sight of the resplendent castle.

A stunned silence followed this, as those within the heart of the congregation up at the entrance to the castle turned to stare in amazement at Helga.

"Told you it would work," she remarked, throwing an amused glance in Hubert's direction.

"I stand corrected," he grinned. "Please forgive me. You are indeed quite the genius!"

*

Once the students had been taken inside and those that had been transported by the elves had recovered from their shock, everyone began to congregate within the great hall. Polly had taken charge of decorating it for this special occasion and she had certainly surpassed all expectations. It looked absolutely glorious and it seemed that the students were in agreement if their gasps and awed expressions were anything to go by.

Once everyone was seated, which took a surprisingly long time, Alexis rose from her seat and called for attention. She smiled warmly around at them all simply to reassure them, as some of the students were looking extremely pale now. Perhaps they thought that something remarkable was expected of them. Gwen, who was sitting amongst a group of other young girls near the front, seemed the only one that looked confident. It certainly made a change from when Godric and Rowena had first met her.

"Welcome, each and every one of you!" Alexis called, as an expectant silence fell across the hall. "You have all come here to learn about your craft in far more depth than you could possibly imagine. All of you must remember that whilst you are here everyone is equal and each and every one of you will be able to call this place home."

As she spoke Godric and the others were quietly observing the students, subconsciously picking out the ones they deemed most attributed to their own traits.

"But enough of my waffle!" Alexis chuckled. "I would like to introduce you to the four individuals that made this all possible. Please be upstanding for our founding four!" She beamed, sweeping her arm around in their general direction.

Godric was the first to stand, closely followed by the others. Helga's cheeks immediately flushed and Salazar looked a little uncomfortable as he nodded in greeting at the students. Rowena smiled warmly and if she was nervous she certainly didn't let it show. She was probably more accustomed to these types of situations than the others were.

"Perhaps you would like to say something," Alexis prompted, glancing between them all.

"Er...yes," Godric piped up, after exchanging a swift glance with the others. "I'm thrilled that you could all be here today. It makes me happier than you could know. The four of us grew up not really knowing what we were for a long time. At one point we all felt just like you do now – excited, nervous...slightly afraid," he added, noticing some particularly pale faces amongst the crowd. "But I want you all to know that that's okay. I hope you will all see a little of yourselves in us and realise that we're not so different. Throughout your time here, we will be like one big family. We stand together and we help each other along the way. What do you say to that?"

A few of the students cheered. A few chuckled nervously, obviously still unsure what to make of everything. Rowena and Helga grinned at Godric.

"Well, I suppose that'll have to do for now!" He chortled. "You must all be starving so let's eat!"

With that the elves rushed into the room, heaving great platters of the most delicious-looking offerings onto the tables. This certainly broke the ice and soon the students chatted merrily to one another and the atmosphere became positively merry.

*

"So...what do we think?" Rowena urged, glancing around at her fellow founders.

They'd now retired to a parlour room just off the great hall and were discussing their vast array of new students over freshly-poured goblets of mulled wine.

"There are an awful lot of them," Helga said at once, taking a large swig of her wine.

"Aye, the more the merrier," Godric agreed.

"I have a feeling that the majority may not be advanced enough to keep up to begin with," Salazar said.

"You can't say that so soon," Rowena contradicted. "You've just met them. Besides, they'll all need time to adjust. You can't expect them to grasp the kind of magic we have in store for them straight away."

"I agree," Godric nodded. "We can assess them with the first set of lessons tomorrow to see how they do and then separate them into ability groups perhaps...?"

"That may seem a little unfair," Helga pointed out, looking a little uncomfortable.

"Never mind that," Alexis said dismissively, who'd come to join them. Salazar rolled his eyes as she perched herself right beside him. "You just need to decide which students you wish to take under your wings!"

"How can we tell so soon?" Helga asked.

They'd long since agreed that they would all choose the students most fitting to themselves to take a personal interest in but now that they were here it was quite difficult to get the feel for their personalities, at least at first glance.

"I usually find that a gut instinct works best," she winked.

"And if it's wrong?" Godric asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Then you have dodgy bowels!" She laughed raucously then left the room, the strong whiff of mulled wine following her.

"Right...that's us told then," Helga smiled.

"How will we do it?" Salazar asked.

"Gather them into a large group and simply choose," Rowena suggested. "I suppose we'll need to do so before bed time – they'll want to know which quarters they'll be sleeping in!"

"Right – let's go!" Godric insisted, downing the rest of his wine and leading the way out of the chamber.

*

Just as Alexis has said, selecting the students with gut instinct alone probably served them well. It took a surprisingly small amount of time and soon every one of the students was placed under the metaphorical wing of a founder. Once this information had been passed onto the students everyone within the great hall was in for quite a treat.

The ceiling high above, which usually depicted the sky outside, was suddenly awash with colour as a magical fireworks display illuminated all the excited little faces. Coen and Hubert exchanged a triumphant grin once their little surprise was executed without a hitch and the students were led to their quarters by the elves.

Godric and Rowena left the hall next, followed by Hubert, Alexis and Coen, the latter two singing drunkenly as they went, their voices eventually fading away. Helga bid Belle and Salazar goodnight as she hurried off after Poppy, who seemed just as eager as she was to discuss the events of the day.

"Shall we leave now?" Belle urged, her eyes looking distinctly tired.

"No. You go ahead. I'll catch you up," he insisted, planting a delicate kiss upon her hand.

She smiled warmly and did so, leaving an eerie but oddly calming silence in her wake. Salazar sighed and stared around at the now empty hall, which was illuminated only by the few remaining candles, all of which were burning very low. A lone figure suddenly caught his attention. One of the boys he'd selected was standing quite pointedly at the doorway, his form half concealed by the heavy shadows.

"What are you doing lurking over there, boy?" He demanded. "What is it?"

The boy slowly approached and Salazar tried to read his darkened face for some sign of what may be wrong. On the contrary, the boy seemed perfectly calm and collected.

"I have a message for you, Sir," he eventually said, his voice even and measured, as though he'd rehearsed every syllable.

"What is it?" He asked impatiently. Was it the eeriness of the scene or the amount of mulled wine he'd consumed that was making him feel so uneasy?

"Please don't forget our agreement, Salazar."

"You will address me as Lord Slytherin, boy!"

"I told you that the magic you have learnt is lacking compared to what I know. Think of all the things I could do, Salazar...all the things you could do." Salazar stared blankly, an uncomfortable chill trickling down his spine. "I can seep into the minds of these young, impressionable things as easily as walking through doorways." A devilish smirk lit up the angelic boy's face and Salazar felt suddenly sick. "Don't make me have to remind you how incredibly powerful I am. Remember our agreement regarding the children and we shall have no problems. You will show them our ways."

"Benedick...?"

The horrid smile he wore remained fixed in place for a few moments longer and then slipped completely. The boy squinted up at Salazar and then looking incredibly uneasy.

"Oh...sorry, Sir," he said quickly. "I – "

"It's okay," Salazar said, somewhat shakily. "You will return to your quarters. You remember the way?"

He simply nodded and dashed from the room, leaving Salazar to feel more uneasy than ever.