Genesis: The untold story of the founders

I. Flight

The woods were dark, darker than he had ever seen. Godric had explored these woods every day throughout his childhood. He would argue that he knew these grounds better than the interior of the Gryffindor Castle. However, that night there was a darkness, which had masked the once familiar trees in the absence of light and a coat of thick fog.

That night even the owls stayed silent. Normally their hooting would cascade throughout the entire forest. Their sound was one Godric knew well. He would often lie in his bed with the window cracked open, imagining the birds perched on their branches as their calls resonated in the distance, the eerie noises sounding and then disappearing into the thin night air. However, that night there was only quiet, the owls seemed to sense a malevolent presence lurking in the trees.

Godric was not the type of boy who would easily take to fear. He had broad shoulders and strong arms, legs built for travel. But running through this forest in the gloom created a horrifying dread in the pit of his stomach. Everywhere he turned there was a new shadow, a moving object of darkness. Closing in.

The only source of light came from the small movements of auburn, a reflection of light on the curls of the girl in front of him. As she bobbed up and down and weaved gingerly around the tree roots her hair, every so often, would catch a glimmer of starlight. That was his guide.

Then the girl in front of Godric halted quickly. He crashed into her and the woman behind crumpled onto his back. The three of them collapsed to the ground, just as a ray of green light streaked above them.

Godric felt the girl beneath him writhe and push herself away from him. He saw her silhouette break from their pile of bodies and merge into a bush nearby. He quickly followed her example, breaking from the woman and slinking underneath a shrub. The third party noticed what was happening and joined the two in hiding. She was whispering furiously. Her sister jabbed her in the ribs. The woman pushed her sisters hand away and finished the inaudible phrase. And then three sat in echoing silence, waiting for any sort of movement or noise.

Nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing.

They sat and waited, waited for another sign of life.

Finally a twig snapped inches from Godric's face, which was pressed to the ground.

"Their bodies aren't here, my Lord."

"How did we miss," another voice hissed angrily. "They can't have gotten far."

Godric and the two sat in dead silence. They knew one small move could mean their death. Those chasing them seemed to know this too, as they also kept quiet. Waiting for any tiny breath that would break through the night's silence.

"Do you smell anything?" the Lord's voice asked softly.

Godric felt his breath catch. Suddenly all of the sweat on his body seemed much heavier. After running for miles he knew his smell must be strong. The night was dark and everything was dry and cold. There wasn't anything that could possibly dampen his scent.

Then a face with a seething snarling smile appeared inches from Godric's face. He stifled a scream. It took every ounce of control not to move. He stared directly into the face of the monster. The eyes of the beast were black, his skin pulled tightly across his skull with hair protruding out of every crevice.

"I can't see or smell anything," the monster spoke in deep hushed tones, a voice that chilled every bone in Godric's body.

"You are useless to me then," the Lord's voice was louder than before. A blast of green light shook all of the bushes and tree's around them as the Lord shouted an incantation Godric had never heard before. The monster dropped to the ground. His eyes glassed over and Godric slowly realized the man in front of him was dead.