The Four Figures

Chapter 9

     Godric and Salazar had ignored each other for the following weeks. Godric could never forgive Salazar for what he did. He knew Salazar was hiding something from him. He just couldn't figure out what. Helga and Rowena did final pushes for the school. Creating classes, setting up dormitories, all while Sir Nicholas was happily encouraging them and Peeves the Poltergeist was being horrible. The Fat Friar seemed to grow on Helga, for they chatted every time she was in Hufflepuff Common room or outside or even passing by. The ghosts seemed to have acquired a House themselves. The school seemed ready to take on young witches and wizards, but how would they manage to get each student there? They would need their cloaks and House robes and everything. As if it seemed to be going right, it wasn't.
      "Good Morning, Ms Hufflepuff" said the Fat Friar to Helga, who was levitating a parchment and quill in the air, making checkmarks for everything finished in the school. "Good Morning Friar!" She said, smiling, wand in one hand. She swiftly went up the stairs since the Hufflepuff common room was near the now-called Kitchens. She turned corners and climbed stairs before entering the Great Hall. "Finished!" She said, pointing her wand down to put the parchment and quill on the table. "Oh my, looks LOVELY!" She cried. The tables were neatly in rows. Slytherin on the left, then Ravenclaw and a nice walkway for everyone, then Hufflepuff table and Gryffindor on the right side. "We do need one more finishing touch". Rowena said. She walked down the aisle and stepped up on the tiny step as if the stone was raised to show the students that the professors are going to be superior. Helga followed and they saw Godric enter the hall, looking quite heathy. "Good day, ladies". He said, smiling charmingly. "Just in time" Rowena said. "For what?" Godric asked, taking an exaggerated leap on the tiny raised level. They both smiled and they all back to the corner, watching Rowena. "Specialis Revelio"  Rowena chanted, waving her wand at the open space. In a slow motion, gold sparks and flames started to form a long, dark golden table, wrapping intricate designs around the legs. As if it was ribbon, it moved on to the very centers and started twirling in a circle, created a quite beautiful dark golden podium with a grand owl placed in the center, its wings tucked in on the front. Gaping in amazement, Helga squealed and clapped her hands together and Godric smiled. "Just wait" Rowena said, also grinning. "Helga would you like to do the honors?" She asked, pointing her wand to the golden owl. "Absolutely!" She rolled her dress sleeves up and stood in front of the owl. "Piertotem Locomotor" she said, waving her wand. The owl looked up as if it was alive and stretched out its wide and broad wings and blinked. And returned back to a statue like state. "Don't forget, ladies" Godric said, also walking to the front of the hall. With a wave of his wand all 4 House flags hung over each table. They all stood and stared at the finished hall with approvement. Although, they were missing one.

***

"Ready?" Salazar asked, sliding a satchel around him. Helga threw on her yellow cloak and fastened it, sliding her wand in her hip sack and smiling. "Let's Go". They had one more task to do, but it was difficult. Getting the students there and getting, well, students. The four had began talking like old times and Salazar hadn't talked about the incident. Nobody was brave enough to talk about it. Although, Helga did try to talk about it but everyone objected. In the front of the school was a small patch of land and before that was a long bridge, connecting the school and an unknown forest. Salazar and Helga had accepted the duty of going out to the forest to see if it was safe and if there was any form of transportation. Of course they could Apparate if they pleased, but it was too much for the students and very advanced. The four had found that owls were the best way of communication. They would enchant them to certain people and owls were very smart.
Salazar and Helga had started walking down the bridge with the sun glowing on them while slight breeze made its way across the giant lake. "So why'd you do it?" Helga asked as the two of them made their way down. She stared at Salazar, the sun now fully risen. "Do what?" he asked, looking back and raising an eyebrow. "Oh, don't be foolish. You know what I'm taking about". they were near the end of the bridge. "Godric was antagonizing me. Poking and being reckless. We argued and..." he trailed off and they reached the end of the bridge, where the empty grass met the thick forest. "Well" Helga sighed. She raised her wand and pointed at the dense forest before them. "Mobiliarbus!" she chanted. In an instant, all the shrubs and trees blocking their path were levitating in air, moving to a different part of the forest. Salazar stood, astounded. In tops time theres was a dirt path in front of them, waiting to be explored. "Shall we?" She asked, beaming, and putting her wand back in her hip bag.

The two of them walked down the dirt road, quite interested in the new land they just found. The clouds drifted above and the suns warm glow seeped through the remaining trees here and there. "Nothing! Should we just head back?" Salazar said. Helga stayed optimistic and told him to give it some more time, for they could possibly come upon an opening or clearing that would help them with transportation for students. The both of them came to a halt and Salazar put an arm across Helga. "What are you-" She tried to ask but he shushed her. "Do you hear that?" He whispered. seconds passed, then minutes. A snap of a twig startled them and they whipped their heads around. "its-Its probably just a bowtruckler" Helga said, scared. Both turned back around and Helga screamed, tumbling backwards, but Salazar had caught her in time. "What in gods name are you yelling at?" He said, annoyed, lifting her up. "T-that!" She exclaimed, pointing at what it seemed to be nothing. Her eyes widened with fear and her mouth was starting to open. Salazar was both confused and annoyed, for he did not see was Helga was seeing. A giant horse with bat like wings stood before Helga. Although, it wasn't an average horse. It was black and looked silky and as if all the meat and tissue was sucked out of it only leaving the bones. It's pale white eyes stared intently at Helga, huffing. She was awestruck and staring at the magnificent but frightening creature. The skeletal black horse circled around Helga before stomping its hoof. "Helga what are you staring at?" Salazar asked Helga, who seemed to be gaping at air. She snapped out of her trance of staring at it and turned around to Salazar. "You're telling me you don't see that thing?" Salazar leaned over and squinted. "Nope" he said, folding his arms. She turned around and stared once more at the magnificent creature. Slowly, she stuck out her hand to touch the horse. At first the horse staggered back a bit before willingly coming close to Helga. The horse bent down and Helga pet the silky soft horse. "Different" she whispered. Salazar was very much confused until he realized she could see something he could not. He wondered how she could see it and not him and what it was she was somehow interacting with. "It's called a Thestral" a hallowing voice said from the forest. The voice startled the both of them, causing them to pull their wands out. "Who's there?!" Salazar said. A man with scruffy brown hair and a stubbly beard emerged from the woods, pulling off a cloak that seemed to have hidden his body. He let out a calming laugh. "Do not fret, my name is Ignotus. Ignotus Peverell. Put down your wands". He said, raising a steady hand.