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The Founders

Godric Gryffindor - Founder of Gryffindor

Godric Gryffindor was born in 1081, 10th August. He was born unto Sarah and Arthur Gryffindor, in a small village near the Scottish border. In the village there were both those of magical blood and muggles. The Godrics lived in a hut near the forests that bordered the village so they did interact with muggles but where slightly isolated from the muggles. The Godrics were valued as good friends by the villagers as Arthur was a great warrior and the village had many problems with a tribe of barbarians, they were located on the moors near the village.

The few muggles that lived in the village, which was then named Firwood, were aware of the magical world and those that lived in the village who were of magical blood. So they knew that Arthur had magical powers but they didn't fear him and his powers, as they knew it was these powers that kept them safe from the murdering thieves of the barbarian tribe. Godric had a good childhood, he would often venture out into the moors exploring with his wizard friend, Benjamin Huntiggle and his muggle friend Sam Baker. He would also spend his days learning about his wizarding background from Ben's father who was a scholar.

Godric likes his subjects that he was taught, which were very varied (most of which you are taught) though his favourite was Defence Against the Dark Arts, as he was very adventurous and loved to hear about dangerous magical creatures. Even though Godric enjoyed his subjects he would often create simple sleeping potions, so he could escape!

When Godric was 14, he became tired of his surroundings and became eager to travel the world outside Firwood and it's surroundings. He became so eager to leave, when the opportunity arose he took it, Ben's uncle was a specialised in magical beasts and had and especially dragon breeding, which was then not illegal. So when Godric heard that James (Ben's uncle) was preparing to go to Romania for a year to further his study of dragons, Godric begged to go with him.

James had been fond of Godric and was in debt to his father as Arthur had once saved his life when he had stupidly gone wandering outside the village borders and had been caught by a few of the barbarian tribe. Because of this James allowed Godric to accompany him. So Godric said his farewells to his friend and family and set off to Romania with James. They had been in Romania a year when, James money had ran out so they both travelled back to England, full of stories about their adventures anyone guess where they went next? Yes to London, Diagon Alley.

It was customary for James to go to Diagon Alley after his exploits as it gave him chance to write up his founding's also he could sell any artefacts that he had acquired. So it was to Diagon Alley they went, Godric was happy about this, as he wasn't ready to go back to Firwood… And as you should know from previous lessons that, Godric met many new people here including Rowena Ravenclaw, who he connected with as she too didn't feel satisfied staying in the place she was born.

Helga Hufflepuff - Founder of Hufflepuff

Helga Hufflepuff was born a few years earlier than Rowena in 1074. Her exact birthday is November 1st, 1074. Her parents too played an important part in her life. Helga, her mother, Mary and her father, Joseph lived in Hogsmede, where the post office is now in fact Now Helga had a different upbringing to Rowena, friends of magical blood surrounded her, for Hogsmede was then protected from the muggle world. In her whole life, Helga never left Hogsmede, not needing to as all she could need was there, and unlike Rowena she never had the desire to leave.

Her parents were very loving and had plenty of time to spend with her. Her father worked with magical creatures healing those found injured in the then Hogsmede Forest. It was renamed a few years after Hogwarts was built due to an incident that happened there but we will look at the later on in the course. Helga's mother would grow special magical plants that helped people. Helga loved watching her parent's work but she also loved spending time with her best friend, Fredrick Migglelong. Fredrick and Helga would spend their spare time exploring the forest and the land nearby. They also loved going to the nearby lake and playing with the other children.

As it was a tight knit community, Helga would learn what she knew about magic from the adults around the village. But Helga always remained interested in Herbology and when she was 17, Helga began helping her mother growing magical plants. She gave her plants so much loving care that her plants often grew and blossomed at abnormal speed. One night a stranger came to Hogsmede, he was the fourth founder, Salazar. He was covered in burns and on his face he had cuts and bruises. Helga realized he needed desperate medical attention and took him back to her house and use her magical healing plants to heal him. He had a fever and Helga was worried that he may not survive; yet after a few weeks after his cuts had healed and his bruises faded he came out of his fever. For the next month Helga spent all her free time looking after him and he recovered with only a few scars.

By the time this had happened he and Helga had become good friends and he decided to stay in Hogsmede as it was away from muggles. More about Salazar will be told in a later lesson. Salazar showed an amazing talent for potions and became the local potions master making healing potions. Helga and Salazar soon became the best friends as her calming and patience nature subdued Salazar's quick temper and angry nature. Most of his anger was aimed at Fredrick who had become annoyed and jealous of Salazar, which made Salazar frustrated.

Rowena Ravenclaw - Founder of Ravenclaw

Rowena Ravenclaw was born May 27th, 1079 and lived in the village of Ottlan near Suffolk in England. The village Ottlan was based in a valley and gave protection from the outside world. She was born unto Sampson and Catherine Ravenclaw, both of magical blood. Sampson Ravenclaw was a powerful wizard and used his skills in Charms to protect his family from prying eyes. Her mother was a scholar and would record spells and stories on rolls and rolls of parchment.

Rowena from an early age would sit upon the moor surrounding her house and read her mother's parchment and other scrolls that she had bought on one of their frequent trips to Diagon Alley, in London. Which was found in an inn called T'Leake Cauldron. It still stands there today, as I am sure you all know. It was situated between houses and a blacksmith in those days though. When Rowena's mother was not busy she would teach Rowena about magical plants and creatures as well as the history of magic Her father would teach her transfiguration and charms. But it was her father's talent for charms she inherited and she excelled at this subject.

She would often practise with her wand, which she received for her 11th birthday. It was 12 inches, and rosewood with a unicorn hair for a core and it specialized in Charms. Rowena had a happy childhood but felt isolated from the magical community in her valley, so at the age of 15 she said her farewells and left to go to Diagon Alley. She got a room at the Inn, T'Leake Cauldron and got a job working in a small shop selling parchment and scrolls. She learnt a lot about the world here and met another powerful wizard called Godric Gryffindor who had previously returned from Romania and had many tales that Rowena liked to sit and listen to. They became good friends and remained friends for a long time...

Salazar Slytherin - Founder of Slytherin

Birth date of Salazar is August 5th, 1076. Salazar had a different life to the other founders. His mother, Vensuis and father, Johnus were pure bloods and had a lot of money. They lived in a large house away from the muggles that lived in the nearby the village. Large outer walls guarded the house as the muggles had a different opinion of the Slytherins, than those muggles that lived in Godric's village. And because of this the Slytherins disliked the muggles and wanted nothing to do with them.

Unlike those muggles that lived in Fellwood, the muggles in Salazar's village of Easton Gate in Scotland were not aware of the Slytherins’ magical talents. They feared them as they were very isolated in their house and were seen as strange strangers. The village children would often go and venture up the hill seeing how far they could go without being scared. Often Johnus would use magic to scare them away giving the Slytherins the reputation of being evil and practising the "devil's work". Salazar was alone, apart from his mother and father and his younger brother Marcis, who was 3 years younger, so he was isolated from the outside world completely during his childhood. And had plenty of times to improve his skills in potions.

Salazar was a masterful potion masters something he inherited from his father, Johnus. His mother would teach him charms another skill he excelled in. Another talent Salazar had was that he was a parselmouth and was talented in the handling of snakes and owned several snakes including a large serpent. Salazar was a quick learner from an early age and had a hunger to learn. He would leave the house for hours venturing into the small woods that had been grown in their grounds, centuries ago by his ancestors. It was in these woods that the Slytherin's kept their vast collection of magical beasts. Salazar would go into the forests and try to tame these beasts often he was successful but normally he would gain injuries. Over the years the tensions had rose between the villagers and the Slytherins and vicious rumors began to spread about the Slytherins practising evil magic.

Story tells it that these rumours brought unease into the village and the fear and anger towards the Slytherins. This anger and fear erupted one day after an incident involving Salazar and a muggle boy that had climbed the outer walls and was standing on top of them. Salazar had a very short temper and was angered when he saw the boy and having left his wand in the house began to angrily throwing stones at him. The boy startled quickly jumped down of the wall, Salazar heard a yell as he landed. Salazar still angry decided to go and find some tracks he could hunt in the forest. Having found some tracks Salazar had followed them deep into the forest. He had come to a dead end when he realized it was getting late and decided to turn back. As he was getting nearer to the edge of the forest when he heard screams and shouts, worried he began to run, the noise getting louder.

As he reached the edge of the forest he began to see flames. He heard laughter and realized it was a large group of the muggles from the village. He looked frantically for his family when he realized that the house was completely alight. He reached for his wand and realized he had left it back at the house. His panic increasing when he noticed a group of muggles with large sticks alight walking towards the forest. Petrified, he ran into the forest not knowing what to do. He had ran into the forest when he looked around still running, the forest was alight and Slytherin could feel the heat behind him. It was then he slipped and fell down a slope cutting himself on rocks and hit his head on a small boulder that he would often use as a seat. The fire was nearing him when he dizzily got to his feet; it was then he remembered the back gate. This gate was used when they received fellow wizards and witches who would bring them news of the wizarding world. Knowing the forest extremely well Salazar began to run towards the gate but the fire was surrounding him by then. There were blazing branches falling onto the forest floor.

Yet Salazar was a fast runner and the gate wasn't far, he made it to the gate receiving a few minor burns form falling branches. He ran out of the gate, scared, confused and exhausted. Not knowing where to go he just ran away as quick as he could. He had been running for a while when he came across some muggle horses. Salazar had been taught how to ride these beasts at an early age so he jumped on one and suddenly remembered, a friend of his fathers talking about an all-magical community near Easten Gate. Remembering been told this is where the stream that ran through the Slytherin estate led to a huge lake in which a giant beast lived. Salazar desperate for protection from the muggles urged his horse on further following the winding river, until they reached 2 small hills. When they approached the hill the beast began to panic and spooked, bucking Salazar off. Salazar, already traumatized by the fire, felt shaky and began to desperately run through a small gap that was in the two hills. As he passed through the gap he first got his first glimpse of Hogsmede, knowing he had reached the wizarding village he collapsed with exhaustion.

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