Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. If I did however, Salazar and Godric would be in it more often. Actually they would be mentioned almost as much as you can imagine.
Warning: Contains slash and angst.
Farewell Gryffindor
Chapter 1: Home Again
Salazar arrived probably an hour after it had happened. The castle was much as he had left it, only probably more so. He walked into the castle not knowing exactly what to expect. It had been near half a decade since he had been to the place and probably would not have returned if it were not for Helga's frantic letter. He reached into his pocket and looked it over again. It was written far more haphazardly than normal for Helga. He pulled it out of his robe pocket and unwrinkled the paper.
To my Dearest Friend, Salazar Slytherin:
I understand the distress between you and Sir Gryffindor before your departure. However, I beg of you that you come to the castle at once. Godric has become horridly ill of late and he wishes to see you. I fear for Godric's health and I beg of you to come as soon as my owl can deliver this letter and your magic can take you. I wish you safe traveling and that you arrive as soon as is possible for you.
Sincerely and
Graciously,
Madame Helga Hufflepuff ,
Head and Founder of
Hufflepuff House and current History of Magic
teacher at Hogwarts
School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
He balled up the paper and shoved it back into his pocket. He sincerely doubted the severity of Godric's illness and was surprised to hear that she was now teaching History of Magic. She had been teaching Charms when he had left and an older gentlemen warlock had been teaching History of Magic. He had to ask her whatever happened to that gentleman when he saw her next. He walked into the outdoor corridor. It was filled with greenhouses and lined with a stone wall coated in thick emerald green ivy and orchid flowers. This was also known as the Herbology corridor by the students and staff of Hogwarts. It was maintained at an exquisite level by the professor himself, a young druid they had found in north Briton escaping Roman persecution. Rowena had had a feeling about him and she had been right as usual. The druid had turned out to be probably one of the greatest gardeners they had ever seen. He had a kind of kinship with plants and could will them to grow even without the proper conditions. The tropical orchids were a sign of that.
Salazar continued into the castle through the side entrance often used by the young druid. It lead into a corridor of solid stone lined with tapestries depicted to the House of Ravenclaw. He turned the hall leading to the Entrance Hall. At the moment class was in session and the passageways were ringing with an unusual silence. He never remembered it this quiet. Of course, most of the noise had been made by himself and Godric. They had often fought and dueled in the open hallways and in the process broke many an object. However, the castle had never been this quiet. It was almost ominous.
He continued on into the entrance hall. It was mostly bare besides the large staircase and tapestries of all four house hanging with the arched ceiling. They when in the order Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Slytherin, his own house, at the far right. This arrangement had been set up by the four of them after a rather long debate. It had caused probably over a dozen headaches between the four of them at sheer stupidity of the issue and how none but Helga could let it go. However despite the quarrel it had been a very enjoyable place for Salazar.
It was then that Helga walked down the stairs from the higher levels of the castle. She was a shorter woman most often wearing more common clothing of cremes and browns. She was a modest woman despite her abilities with curly hair of a sandy blonde and warm brown eyes. She was the most gentle of all of the founder and was the one who had pushed hardest for the mudbloods to be admitted to the school. Gentle and of cheerful nature was her usual demour, today however she appeared so mournful. It was almost augur. She looked at him for a moment surprised and raced towards him down the stairs trying not to trip over her dress. She then put her arms around him in an embrace. Salazar stood awkwardly for a moment before hugging her in return. She then pulled away gently as was her nature and smiled at Salazar warmly. "Oh, Salazar, I am so happy to see you. You have been gone for a such a time. I thought you might never return."
Salazar smiled a bit. He had not expected such a welcome from any of them. They had been so furious when he had left none more than Godric. Thusly, Helga being far closer to the brute than Rowena he expected her to feel scorn towards him. But the greeting was sincerely warm and unjudging. It was a true greeting worthy of Helga Hufflepuff. "It is a fair time for seeing you as well, Helga."
"It is of shame that you could not have come swifter."
Salazar hissed slightly. "Miss a fit of dear old Godric's, did I?"
"Salazar, I really must speak to you about that." she looked sad, almost unbearably so. "Come into my office."
Salazar cast her a suspicious look. Helga was never one to use her office for anything other than to make potions for headaches, hide during duels and of course rub her forehead repeatedly asking herself why she put up with such biased idiots. However, all of the items above were done in extreme privacy and were to be meet with a well deserved Crucio if interrupted. To be most honest on the subject, Salazar had never actually seen the inside of the small office. He hadn't gone through any trouble in avoiding it or trying to capture a glimpse of the sanctuary of this mild manner woman but he felt an awkwardness being invited into such a cherished and undisturbed place.
He walked into the office. It was a small room adorn with almost anything you could imagine. She garnished the walls with a Greek magic circle printed on tapestry, Chinese dragon tapestries, Norse legend plagues, Gallo-Celtic stone plagues with inscriptions of Epona, Egyptian papyruses, Biblical texts and banners, Gaelic teachings of Maeve, Pict legends, Welsh languages of King Arthur, Maori tattoo signatures, Aztec and Mayan Solar calendars and lastly were paintings of her beloved badger, Lancelot. Around the room was no more cluttered than the walls, her bed was in the corner coated with books, scrolls and papyrus and resting on the end of the bad was the said badger. Opposite the bed was a desk coated in the teachings of Confucius, Plato, Socrates and two lovely wizards named Quetzalcoatl and Imhotep. She also had lying open the Book of the Dead, the Book of Invasions and varying accounts of the Dream Time. In front of the desk sat a chair layered with books of unimagined orgins. She quickly walked into the room and removed the books from the chair and placed them on a nearby bookcase. "I was doing a bit of research for that dear boy in your house, the snowy coloured one. Skin as white was a mare and grey eyes. He claims to be of direct descent of Epona herself. I would not be surprised. She was a witch and pale as snow."
"Helga, enough with the this. Why did you bring me into your room?" Salazar said sitting down into the chair. "You didn't drag me in here to tell me about how you are nurturing my Housemates, did you?"
"I was hoping to delay the arrival of the horrible news I have to address you with."
"Dramatics, Helga."
"I am not overestimating the severity of this occasion. You simply are refusing to..."
"Please Helga, I grow weary of this childish game. Now where is Godric? I have to wish him well and be off. He is ill, isn't he?"
"Salazar, please I am trying to tell you..."
"What? What is it you are so desperately trying to tell me that cannot wait?"
Helga looked desperate indeed. Her brown eyes far duller than Godric's but full of emotion none the less. "Salazar, my dear friend."
"Gods, Helga just say it!" Salazar snapped irritably. "It cannot be that severe to put on such a dramatic presentation! You act as though Godric is dead!"
Helga flinched. "Dear Salazar, I act this way because he is."
Dun Dun DUN! To Green Bird!