Author: Jazz
E-Mail: Star2Bee57@aol.com
Exercise #8
Summary: A story about the founders of Hogwarts.
Disclaimer: J.K Rowling owns everything. I'm just having fun. No money is being made.

Godric Gryffindor looked around the staff room, concerned. It was summer and the students and extra staff-were all gone on break. Only himself, Rowena, Helga, Salazar, and the school's permanent residents (House Elves, ghosts, etc) were left.

"He still hasn't returned," he announced, breaking the easy silence in the room.

Rowena looked up from her book while Helga paused her embroidery. "Who hasn't returned?" Helga asked, slightly confused.

"Salazar," Godric said, leaning forward in his chair. "He has been gone for three days now." "He's been out a lot lately," Rowena pointed out quietly.

Godric nodded. "Do either of you know where he goes?" Rowena shook her head but Helga nodded. "I saw him leaving last time and asked. He said he was going into the forest."

Godric stood up and moved to the window to look out at the Forbidden Forest looming black and foreboding at the edge of the grounds. "Three days in the Forbidden Forest," he mused to himself.

He turned to face his companions. "Something may have happened to Salazar while in the forest. We must go look for him."

Helga agreed instantly, her loyal nature kicking in while Rowena began planning what precautions they should take before entering the forest.

Two hours later the three of them were deep in the forest searching for their missing colleague.

"I forgot something," Rowena said suddenly, stopping dead in her tracks. "What would that be?" Godric asked turning back to her. Rowena pointed to the leafy canopy. "It's almost dusk."

Godric looked up in alarm. Sure enough, the small amount of sunlight that had managed to pierce through was fading rapidly. "Then we must find Salazar quickly," he announced, trying to sound cheerful to hide his worry.

Never the less, he unshielded his sword and held it at ready. The two women noted his action and brought out their weapons; a dagger for Helga and a pair of two pronged hand spears for Rowena. The two women had grown up in a time when their kind were hunted and both were well trained in weaponry.

They continued on, moving almost silently through the trees. Now the darkness was complete and Helga lit her wand to provide a little light for them.

A howl was heard in the distance and Rowena shivered as she pulled her cloak closer around her shoulders. "I hate this bloody forest," she muttered under her breath. "I know Row," Helga replied laughingly to her dark-haired friend. "You'd much rather be in the library of yours, reading or some such thing." "To be sure," Rowena replied.

"Keep up, Ladies," Godric called when he noticed they were falling behind. "There is safety in numbers." Rowena rolled her eyes, causing Helga to giggle. "Coming, father," Rowena called in a sing-song tone as she Helga hurried forward to meet him.

Godric smiled tolerantly at them and pushed forward. The trees seemed darker here and seemed to form a open circle. Godric paused to look back to see if Rowena and Helga had caught up yet. They were no where to be seen.

He heard the soft rustle of leaves nearby and turned around quickly. Nothing. Another sound to his left. Godric strained his eyes in the darkness to try to make out any shape hidden in the shadows. The sharp snapping of a stick directly ahead of him.

Slowly a tall, thin figure dressed all in black moved out from the darkness, his light brown hair loose from its ponytail and a painful looking scratch across his cheek.

Salazar looked at Godric and raised his bow, a black arrow cocked expertly in the string. The arrow flew with a soft twang and Godric jumped back only to see a large shaggy-haired beast fall to the ground next to his feet. Godric looked away from the creature to Salazar. "You just saved my life," he told the other man.

A sudden crunch of leaves and Rowena and Helga spilled into the circle. "She tripped," Rowena explained, pointing to her companion. Then she saw the beast laying at Godric's feet. "Good heavens," she gasped, and moved forward to examine it.

Helga meanwhile had moved forward to try to examine the cut on Salazar's face. He pushed her away. "I'm fine," he snapped. She just smiled and made a note to send a healing potion down to him once they got back.

"That creature was right behind me and would most certainly had killed me if Salazar hadn't seen it and taken action," Godric was telling Rowena as she examined the carcass, taking note of the long, curved claws and sharp teeth.

Rowena looked up and arched her eyebrow at the silent man. "Excellent shot, Salazar," she commented before turning back to her work. "Helga, come look at this."

Salazar stepped back and looked at his three colleagues. "What are you taking about," he hissed so softly that they couldn't hear. His eyes fell on Godric and narrowed. "I missed."

~End