Foundations

A Story of The Founders of Hogwarts

Chapter 1 Victory

"It's over!" A lilting voice was heard by Salazar Slytherin. He found himself being shaken by strong but gentle hands. "Did you hear me Uncle? We've won."

"Won?" The groggy wizard sat up. "I didn't even know there was a battle."

"There wasn't."

Salazar looked at the person before him. Though dressed in the attire of a male squire, anyone would recognize Samantha Slytherin. "What are you doing here?"

"I - - "

"What am I going to do with you?" The question was rhetorical. "There was no battle, but the war is over; How?"

Samantha smiled slyly. "Europia."

"Europia?" Salazar looked like this were an impossibility.

"She poisoned him." Eyebrows were raised. "Plain and simple. See Uncle, even a 'useless' woman can take care of an idiot like Morwell." The teenager gave her sleepy uncle a peck of affection on his cheek and was out of the tent flap as quickly as she had arrived. "I'll bring back some food from Helga."

"No, I'll be there shortly!" Salazar called after her. 'So neither Godric or I were the one to bring down the dark one,' he thought. He and his best friend were having a debate over magic alone vs. magic and a good sword at your side. This was only one of their 'debates,' they had many others.

Salazar quickly pulled on his robes of dark green and stepped out into the camp of the wizard army. "Europia," he muttered to himself. He'd have to watch out for that one.

"Did you hear Lord Slytherin?" Two young boys jumped in front of the man and shouted in unison, "Did you hear?"

"Yes Fox, and Weasel, I have heard."

"We're going to tell Lord Gryffindor." The two young squires, one with black hair the other with red, ran off towards the tent of said man. Salazar wondered if that wasn't where he should go first, but a rumbling in his stomach told him Hufflepuff was first. That was also where he was sure he'd find Marius Thorburn the leader of the wizards. As Slytherin walked towards the pavilion where Helga would be feeding all manner of wizards and witches another dark haired figure joined him and walked along side.

His name was Toirdhealbhach, but most people called Slytherin's sister's son Torr. "What now Uncle?"

"Perhaps we will take up Rowena's idea."

"A school. A permanent school with the other three?" Part of Torr was excited, the other half leery. "We'd have to learn from them?"

The young uncle stopped walking and put his hand on the teen's shoulder. "They are fine teachers. You will learn a lot form them." Salazar looked deeper into his nephew's eyes. "But you will still be a Slytherin. All of you are 'my' apprentices."

As they walked others joined and fell in behind. There was Ivor the bowman; Skylar and Kestrel the animagus'. There were the proud and noble, looking, Lucian, and the actually proud and noble Modestus. There was also the scruffy Foster and Ebony a witch. The other witches that belonged to Slytherin, Pernella and Senga were already eating breakfast with the Irish wizard Fionn. They raised their mugs of mead and saluted their teacher/master/lord.

"So we are all here," Salazar surmised.

"All but Fox." Samantha pointed out.

"Fox is busy," Slytherin said as he reached for a piece of bread off their table. "Someone has to keep an eye on what those Gryffindors are up to." All of the Slytherins laughed at this. It was a joke among them that their Fox spent more time with his friend Weasel than anywhere else.

"So," Lucian said in his metered voice. "Does that mean Weasel is spying on us when he's under our feet?" Lucian was always a moment-killer. The laughter died down, and everyone began eating. Salazar however did not sit down, he wanted to find Marius. Where was he? Not to be found in the pavilion.

"Salazar sit," the sweet voice of Helga Hufflepuff called out. "Can't start the day on an empty stomach."

"My good witch," Salazar started. "I have now eaten a piece of your fantastic bread, and so no longer have an empty stomach."

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the fur pile this morning. Take the time to enjoy victory." Helga would have kept trying to convince Salazar to sit and eat a full breakfast if his missing apprentice, Fox, hadn't ran into her.

"Uttttt-Ohhhhhhhh," Fox said with a cringe. "Sorry my Lady."

"That's quite alright Fox," Helga said. "We're all a little rambunctious this morning. Sit and have a bit of breakfast."

"I can't Lady Hufflepuff." Fox told. "I was bid to bring my Master to Lord Gryffindor's tent."

"You can stay young Fox," Slytherin told the boy. "I'm sure I can find my own way."

Glad he could have his 'second' breakfast of the day, Fox sat down next to one of Lady Huffelpuff's apprentices. On seeing who the boy had sat next to Salazar asked Helga in a harsh tone, "What is that muggle doing here?"

"Muggles have to eat as well as wizards," Helga said ignoring her friend's attitude. "Berry is one of my apprentices."

"That's your business," Slytherin said with contempt. Everyone knew how he felt about muggleborns. "Fox, get away from her, she's a mudblood."

"But Master, she's got magic - - " the boy protested until he saw the look on Slytherin's face. "Yes my Lord," he conceded and moved away from the girl. Berry seemed to understand by the apologetic look on Fox's face that it was only because he must obey his master. As soon as his was back among their own, Salazar went about his business.

"That wasn't very nice of Uncle," Samantha whispered to her cousin. "But I suppose it is for the best."

"You're right, Fox doesn't need anymore strikes against him," Torr whispered back. "It's only Uncle's conviction that the boy was not a muggleborn that kept him in Slytherin."

"I remember that day. Uncle said, 'no muggleborn would know as many jinxes as that boy does.' I still can't believe he and Weasel slept under that wagon for a year before they were apprenticed. I always wondered why Uncle didn't take Weasel as well."

"Can you imagine the two of them in the same house?"

Samantha thought for a moment. "I see your point."

While breakfast was being enjoyed by his apprentices, Slytherin went to where he was bidden. He was just arriving at Gryffindor's tent as Marius was leaving. "Ah, There you are Slytherin," The chief warlock acknowledged. "I just made your comrade a very generous offer." Not expounding on what that offer was or extending one to Salazar as well, Thornburn walked away.

Tearing into Godric's tent Salazar looked more bear like that it's namesake that had just left. "I suppose you're going to be his yes man now," Slytherin seethed.

"Salazar," Godric addressed in a curious manner. "You believe I'd do that?"

"He had big enough smile on his face when he left here to tell me so."

"Really," Gryffindor sounded sour. "that is unusual for him after hearing the word no."

Slytherin raised an eyebrow. "You told Marius, no?"

"You really thought I'd go with him instead of you and the others?"

Not wanting to tell his friend the answer was 'yes,' Slytherin just glared back at Gryffindor. "I suppose I'm just a little worried about the plan."

"There is nothing wrong with the plan," it was the voice of a woman who said this. Rowena Ravenclaw had just joined the two wizard in the tent. "If Godric got what we need from Marius."

"I did." Gryffindor held up a scroll of parchment. "Permission from the wizengomot to open a proper school to teach witchcraft and wizardry. I had Theodoric write it up last night, and got Marius to sign it just now."

"You had it written up last night?" Slytherin questioned. "How did you know the war would be over this morning?"

"I didn't, it just worked out to be a happy coincidence." He wasn't sure if he didn't hear Salazar growl under his breath.

Rowena went on to say, "And I know just the place to enchant."

"A place where muggles won't find," Salazar put in.

"Of course. That doesn't mean that muggleborn witches and wizards won't be able to."

"Helga is the only one who had mudbloods among her apprentices."

"I wish you wouldn't use that word."

Godric interrupted, "can we not start our first day without Morwell without arguing amongst ourselves? We can't expect Helga to leave any of her apprentices."

"I wasn't insinuating we should," Salazar rephrased. "That doesn't mean I have to trust them."

"You don't have to trust them, but you will have to teach them."

Slytherin knew better than to argue now. He would teach the muggleborns of Hufflepuff, but he didn't have to teach them as well as he taught his own.

tbc