Chapter 1 - Prologue

 

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry – 963 A.D.

            Something shiny glinted in the grass, just in front of the Forbidden Forest. A small squirrel scampered forward to investigate, only to be frightened away by a “Caw!” cracking the air and a large shape blocking the sweltering sun. A raven with feathers so black that they could be blue, was riding the warm summer thermals. It spotted the object, picked it up, and carried it to the nearby castle: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

            In the Great Hall, a deep voice boomed out, “Rowena, what’re you carrying?”

            The raven swiftly landed onto the smooth stone floor of the vast Hall, and suddenly transformed into a beautiful woman holding an amulet that dangled from a silver chain. The amulet was a beautiful piece of workmanship. The silver chain that held it was very thin and delicate; made of tiny interlinking chains that glinted in the sunlight. The amulet itself was a brilliantly cut stone of aquamarine. The jewel was ovular and unlike most examples of the stone, had other colors running through it like deeper blues and light purples. It seemed that the stone seemed to be a different color, depending on the angle of the light. The piece of aquamarine was embedded in a piece of silver shaped as a pentacle, a powerful symbol of magic. The silver touching the stone was actually molded around the jewel so they fit together as if they were two pieces of matching puzzle parts.

            The woman holding the necklace had flowing black hair that reached the small of her back, creamy skin, and although she was altogether stunning, the woman’s best features were her eyes. Eyes the color of chocolate pools, pools you could swim in forever. The woman was Rowena Ravenclaw, one of the Founders four, who built Hogwarts and instilled in it all of their wisdom.

            Turning, she answered the man who had addressed her. “Godric, it’s an amulet that I found near the Forbidden Forest. I’ve never seen the like of it before.” Rowena handed the necklace over to the tall man with unruly strawberry blonde hair: Godric Gryffindor, another of the Founders and also one of Rowena’s three dearest friends.

            While he examined the amulet with his eyes as well as his magic, an irate Helga Hufflepuff stormed into the Great Hall, followed by a pleading Salazar Slytherin.

            “Come on, love. Please? Just one more piece of your wonderful, delicious, heavenly, magical triple fudge chocolate cake?” Salazar begged, as he licked his lips while imagining the forbidden birthday pastry. Today was the four friend’s 26^th birthday.

            “SALAZAR SERIN SLYTHERIN!” Helga exclaimed exasperatingly. “I have told you time and time again that while you’re with me: No means NO! I swear, sometimes I think you just married me for my cooking!”

            “But a wise man once said that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach!” Salazar retorted cheekily. “Ow!” he yelped when a book flew across the room to rap him on the head.

            “Sal, you really don’t have any tact, do you?” Rowena remarked, obviously amused. “And since when have you been a wise man, anyway? It’s really not wise to make your wife aware of your stupidity when you’re trying to escape her temper.”

            “Fine, fine. I was just kidding,” he grumbled. Good grief, that woman hits hard! Deep breaths now Sal…Here goes nothing. “Darling Helga, you are the most beautiful woman in my eyes. Your long blond hair complements your sky-blue eyes perfectly. Actually, your eyes are perfect anyway. When I gaze into them, I feel as if I’m flying on a broomstick with the wind in my hair and you waiting for me as I land.”

            There was silence. Then Godric started to clap and Rowena joined in. Helga looked stunned and then she said, “Awww Sal… that’s so sweet.”

            “I never knew you had it in you, Salazar,” Godric said.

            “Well, now you know. I’m full of surprises. For example:” Salazar suddenly transformed into a long, emerald green snake and wrapped himself around Godric’s legs.

            “Bloody hell!” His friend exclaimed and dropped the amulet he was holding in surprise. It made a loud clang on the Great Hall’s stone floor that reverberated throughout the air and caused Sal to slither to the necklace, loop his tail through it, and drop it at Helga’s feet. After completing his mission, he transformed back into a human and joined his girlfriend in examining it.

            Helga cautiously picked up the amulet and look at it. “What on earth…” she whispered.

            “What?” Rowena asked. “Do you sense anything? Godric and I couldn’t make head or tail of it.” Helga was one of the most celebrated seers of her time and she was rarely wrong in her predictions.

            “It… it seems to have something to do with time…” Helga thought aloud.

            “Time, sweetheart?” Salazar pondered, slowly stroking the slightly glowing amulet.

            “Yes… time. It almost seems to be like a sentient being; I can sense it,” Helga explained.

            In curiosity, Rowena and Godric also gripped the necklace in order to probe it with their minds. The instant their hands, too, touched the stone, it glowed even brighter than before and the colors within it began to pulse gently while a mild buzzing filled the air. The room began to spin and Hogwarts dissolved around them, only to be replaced by another setting that made the four friends gasp in astonishment.