The Fifth Founder

I left my conscience like a crying child

Locked the door behind me put the pain on file

Broken like a window I see my blindness now

And I need love not some sentimental prison

I need god not the political church

I need fire to melt frozen sleet inside me

I need love

(I Need Love – Sam Philips)

As Rowena was out walking, Godric noticed that a patch of the normally dark forest was glowing, and that the glow was moving. At this minute Oliver came dashing into the room, gasping for breath. ‘Oliver, what is it? What’s happened?’ The state that Oliver was in started Godric worrying. He’d never seen him like this. ‘Has something happened to Helga?’

‘No, not Helga ’

‘What then?’

‘Sa Salazar he’s here I saw him from the window ’

‘Salazar is here? When was this? Which way did he go? Did he get into the gate?’ If Godric had been worried before, he was panicked now. ‘ I mean why would he show up now? After all that has happened.’

‘I don’t know why he’s here, but what happened, and how come I don’t know about it? I am supposed to be one of the founders, Godric.’

‘Yes, I know that Oliver. The important thing now is to find Rowena.’

‘Rowena?’

‘Yes, Rowena. Do you know where she is?’

‘She was with Helga a while ago, but she aid that she had things to sort out and left.’

‘She knows he’s here If she knows he’s here then she’ll have gone to meet him. There’s nothing we can do until she comes back. Go and get ready for the dinner tonight. There’s not much time left.’ And with that last statement, Godric disapparated.

‘Well,’ thought Oliver, ‘that was interesting. I wonder what Godric is so scared about.’ He started distractedly to wander down the hall to Helga’s rooms.

Meanwhile, Helga was sitting opposite her mirror, brushing her long hair, getting it ready to put into braids for the dinner. She was wearing her new yellow and black robes, and was very nearly ready. ‘Tempus’ she muttered. ‘Oh my, it’s nearly time to decorate the hall, I’d better hurry up.’ She quickly spoke another spell and her hair seemed to leap up into braids on her head, and she rushed out of the room and down to the hall.

Had Oliver arrived one minute earlier then he would have seen Helga sweeping down the corridor towards the hall, in the opposite direction. But he didn’t and instead walked into her room and found it empty. ‘Damn it, she must be ready. I know, Cherchos.’ Immediately a map of the castle projected itself onto the wall. He noticed that Helga was in the hall, and was about to put the map away, when he noticed Godric hurrying towards the forest. He jumped to the window. ‘Magnifica’ he said, then, he saw Godric passing through the gate leading into the forest. He looked as if he was on some kind of urgent mission. ‘Oh well, nothing I can do about it now.’ He wandered down to the hall.

He found Helga in the hall, with her neatly braided hair falling in front of her eyes as she muttered spell after spell at what seemed to be the ceiling. ‘Go away Ollie, I’m busy. This needs my full concentration.’

‘Sorry, thought that you could do with a hand, or a distraction, I’m easy either way.’

‘Ollie, not now! Much as I love your kind of distraction, I have to get this finished now, before the house elves have to get in here to sort the tables out.’

‘Why can’t the house elves do it?’

‘Because the ceiling is going to look like the sky is outside, and it’s complicated. You can either help me, or you can get lost!’

‘Calm down, Helga. I’ll help. Incendio!’ As he said that, a bolt of flame shot out of his wand and spread out over the ceiling, which immediately turned a shade of blue with little white clouds flying across it ‘That’s that done it then, thanks Ollie.’

‘No problem. Now, what are we going to do about your hair?’

‘What’s wrong with ’ she put a hand up to touch her hair, ‘oh, right. I’ll go and sort it out.’ She scurried out of the hall, heading for her mirror again.

As Oliver stood there, inanely grinning at the empty doorway, Rowena came in. ‘Oliver what are you doing?’

‘Hmm, what?’

‘Never mind, I’m sure there’s a good reason why you’re grinning at a door’

‘Sorry, Helga.’

‘No, I’m Rowena.’

‘I meant Helga just left, that’s why I’m grinning at the doorway.’

‘Oh, right Well, have you seen Godric?’

‘No, he was looking for you and ’ His voice tailed off.

‘Me and who?’ Rowena’s words were clipped and sharp.

‘Not who, he was looking for you and I don’t know why.’ Said Oliver in what he hoped was an agreeing kind of voice. ‘Oh, well, thanks anyway, I’m going to go and get ready, perhaps you should too’ she looked him up and down, ‘Silver and green really aren’t your colours’ She swooped out of the door.

‘I should probably do as she said, she’s scary.’ Oliver headed towards his room. Rowena searched the entire castle, but there was no sign of Godric anywhere. By this stage, she started to wonder if someone had seen her and Salazar, and told Godric. ‘That would explain his disappearing act, especially as I told him I was through with Salazar ’ Rowena finally arrived at her room, and started to change into her blue robes with bronze trim, getting ready for later.

The four founders entered the main hall for the dinner about an hour later. They went and sat at the head table. The hall was full of all of the wizards and witches who had lived through the past ten years of death and horror. They took their seats, Godric in gold and red at the left, Rowena in blue and bronze next, then Oliver in silver and green and finally Helga in yellow and black. The tables were all bare apart from gold plates in front of every person. Godric stood up.

‘Ladies and gentlemen, witches and wizards, tonight we celebrate the end of years of darkness, and the beginning of the next generation of our kind.’ Here clapping and cheering from the more rowdy members of the wizarding community interrupted him. ‘Thank you. I am glad to hear that you are all as happy as I am today. We are also celebrating to opening of our new school. After much deliberation we have decided to call it “Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry”’ Helga and Oliver stared at each other, then looked in shock at Godric. Before they could get a word in, he continued. ‘This name has not been discussed fully, and therefore could change, but, for now, let’s toast the beginning. Everyone, I give you Hogwarts!’ There was a roar form the wizarding community followed by clapping and cheering. There were only two people who were not standing and smiling at the head table. Helga and Oliver remained resolutely in their chairs while the cheering went on. When the noise subsided Rowena stood up. ‘My fellow wizards and witches, let’s eat!’ Plates of food appeared on the tables in front of everyone and they began to eat. ‘What the hell’s going on?’ hissed Helga down the table towards Godric and Rowena.

‘Nothing, we just decided to announce a preliminary name tonight, so we actually had something to celebrate.’ answered Godric.

‘We couldn’t announce the opening of the school with out a name after all, could we? If you don’t like it we can change it, I don’t mind. Let’s discuss it tomorrow, when we’re in a more agreeable frame of mind, and all this delicious food isn’t sitting in front of us begging to be eaten!’ continued Rowena.

‘Ok, tomorrow then.’ Oliver agreed quickly.

‘You know, I don’t feel much like eating anymore. I’m going to bed.’ With that Helga left the room with as much composure as she could muster.

As the feast finished, the three remaining founders left the room, saying goodnight to their guests. They reached the entrance hall, and Godric headed up the stairs to his room while Rowena and Oliver headed down the north corridor. They reached Oliver’s room first. ‘ Well, goodnight Rowena, see you tomorrow. Don’t worry about Helga, she’ll be fine tomorrow.’

‘Night Ollie.’ She whispered as she wandered off down the corridor. She waited until the door to his room had closed then doubled back to the entrance, slipping out the doors. ‘Rowena, I wondered when you would get here.’

‘Why would I want to miss this meeting with you? Have you changed your mind?’

‘Yes, I have, but I have a better method to get rid of his influence than yours.’

‘Really, and what would that be?’ Rowena said sharply.

‘Bait.’

‘Meaning what exactly?’

‘Meaning you perform Seducta then go to him. He’ll never resist, and then you have an excuse for getting rid of him. In fact, Helga might even do it for you.’

‘That’s brilliant, then you can join as the fourth founder, and together we can make the school go the way we want it to.’

‘Perfect.’

‘Just out of curiosity, why did you change your mind?’

‘Godric found me after you left this afternoon, he told me to stay away from you, and never to show my face around here again.’

‘And ’

‘And then I found Helga.’

‘Helga?’

‘Yes, Helga. She was very friendly, welcomed me even, that’s when I knew that it would work’

‘I see, so she’ll stand up for you as the fourth founder, making two against Godric.’

‘Yes.’ He hissed as he swept into the darkness.

Rowena crept back inside the castle and walked swiftly along to her room. Once she was inside, she pulled out her wand, and murmured ‘Seducta’. She then left her room again and stole along to Oliver’s room. She knocked on the door. ‘Yes?’ came a sleepy voice from inside the room. ‘Vocalat’ Rowena muttered, before answering. ‘It’s me. Can I come in?’ Oliver heard Helga’s voice calling to him from outside the door and got up to let her in. ‘Helga, darling, how are you?’ He then looked at who stood before him. ‘Rowena, I thought it was Helga, sorry. What was it you wanted?’

‘Well, it was, err, well, just this really ’ saying that she leaned in, giving him a full blast of the spell as she did so. ‘Can I come in?’ she asked, in a suddenly husky voice.

‘Sure Ro, just one thing I have to say I mean do I mean oh, I don’t know for some reason I just want to ’ He leaned to her and kissed her forcefully on the lips. She gasped and tilted into the kiss. ‘I think you should come in.’

‘Sure’ she stepped into the room, shutting the door firmly behind her. Two hours later she came out of the room, a satisfied smile playing on her lips.