Hogwarts: a history

Helena was reading a book in Ravenclaw common room when Chris entered the Ravenclaw tower after dumping her trunk in her room.

"Hey, Hel— Grey lady," Chris said.

"Good afternoon," she said without looking up.

"Do you have a minute? Because we really need to talk," Chris said impatiently.

"We? I do not think that," Helena gave a smug smile still looking at her book. 

"Fine, I need to talk. Can we talk?" 

Helena just smiled. Chris knew Helena was going to behave like that. She was too proud and arrogant if nothing else. So finally Chris lost her control, there was no time to butter her up.

"Where were you when Rowena Ravenclaw fell ill? And do you know or knew the Baron?" Chris burst out. 

Helena froze, clearly, the question had caught her off guard.

"Well?" Chris continued looking at Helena's almost transparent expressions.

"How did you —?" Helena's eyes widened but she snapped out of it. "If you tell anything you know then — "

"I wouldn't be interfering in your personal life if it wasn't had any connections with me," Chris sighed. "But unfortunately I have. So now, can we talk? Are you going to tell me what exactly had happened?"

Helena looked at Chris for several minutes. They stood in complete silence which was broken by a few Ravenclaw students. Chris heard a few footsteps coming downstairs. Helena did too.

"Come with me," she said to Chris. "We can not talk here."

Helena glided out of the common room through the wall, Chris followed her through the door. Chris had to practically run to keep up with Helena's gliding figure. After some time they reached the far end of the North Tower. Chris realized that Professor Trelawney's classroom will be around the corner but they didn't turn right towards the Divination classroom, Helena went to left.

"Where are we going?" Chris panted, jogging beside Helena.

"You will see," Helena said and they abruptly met a dead end.

Chris stared at the wall then turned to Helena.

"Sorry to break it to you but I can't glide through walls like you," Chris said as Helena glided forward towards the wall.

"You don't have to," Helena said in a bored voice. "Just tap your wand and cast the revealing spell."

"Alright, I can do that," Chris rolled her eyes and pulled out her wand. She tapped the wand on the wall and said in her mind, "Revelio."

The wall melted and a door appeared. Chris opened the door and entered.

The room was an old classroom. Few charts and writings were hanging on the wall, few chairs and tables scattered around and some different kind of cup, dishes, clothes, mirrors etc.

"What is this place?" Chris said, surprised.

"An old hidden classroom," Helena replied simply.

"So no one comes here?" Chris said looking at a dusty mirror.

"No, not many know about this place," Helena said looking around. "Not at least the students. Few teachers do, who can detect hidden magic. Though by now you should know, Hogwarts have many secrets."

"Yeah I know," Chris said waving her wand. The dust disappeared and she sat down on a chair.

"Now tell me, how do you know about my mother and the Baron?" Helena asked sharply.

"I saw them in my dreams," Chris replied earnestly. "Also I didn't mean normal dreams."

"Good," Helena said with an irritated voice. "Dreams! Why don't they tell you everything?"

"Helena please, I didn't ask for those dreams," Chris retorted. "You've no idea, how stressful they feel sometimes, not to mention confusing. Sometimes I feel like I'm lost in a maze and going around in circles for years."

"They are supposed to be like that, I guess. No one really understood them, the founders. Not even me or any other students who were close to them, I doubt even their kids understood them. It was difficult to understand four Genius," there was a bitter note on Helena's voice.

"So will you start from the beginning this time?" Chris suggested.

Helena turned away from Chris, and after a few moments, began to speak.

"It was so long ago that I pretend not to remember but — I still remember — I wasn't born in this castle. It was deep in Scotland, our home. I don't remember my father but I had heard he was the chief — almost a king actually. His people were wizards. All wizards and witches. My mother had run away from the country she lived in. The King of that country had discovered that she was a witch so she had to hide. That was how she met my father and married him. They lived in a deep forest in Scotland. At that time she first met Helga Hufflepuff. I don't know what happened to Madam Helga's family at that time but she was also on a run. She and her mother was hiding in Wales. My mother and she met and instantly became friends and then Madam Helga told my mother that she knows another gifted, talented wizard. She had met him while he was travelling around there. Do you know who it was?"

Helena suddenly threw the question, looking back at her. Chris was too engrossed in the story that at first she felt startled but then answered, "Salazar Slytherin."

Helena again looked surprised, so Chris quickly added, "I heard in my dreams that Salazar Slytherin first met Helga Hufflepuff."

"Anyways, after Madam Helga introduced Sir Salazar to my mother, and they shared their life story, they came to the conclusion that they need a school were young wizards and witches can be themselves, use their powers and learn to control them, freely. So they decided to make Hogwarts. Meanwhile, I was born and my father had died — don't ask me how? I don't know — Also at that time, my mother met Sir Godric Gryffindor and so the quest of Hogwarts making started. My mother was very familiar with these lands so she found the place to make the school and soon four of them created Hogwarts. Every wall of this castle holds their powers and the proof of how much gifted they all were."

Helena stopped for a few minutes, Chris didn't interrupt.

"After creating the school they decided to seek out the young wizards and witches to teach. The first ones were their close friends or family kids, whom they knew. I, Genevieve Gryffindor, Sir Godric's sister, Madam Helga's cousin were the first students in this castle. Soon there were more students, everyone wanted their children in a safe place and Hogwarts was the safest place at that time. That was when — the founders found — Malgino, a poor farmer's son, living near Ireland."

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To be continued. . .