Fic Challenge #198: Possibilities
Title: Possibilities
Summary: Godric Gryffindor wishes for something more exciting than the day-to-day managing of Hogwarts. Written for the prompt “the grass is always greener”. Set in a universe of the Founders sketched out in Hogwarts: Origins.
Characters/Pairings: Godric Gryffinor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, Salazar Slytherin
Genre: General, Humor
Rating/Warnings: G
Medium: Fic
Word Count: 722
Can the Order post to Tumblr?: Sure
If yes, your Tumblr username: N/A
Helga looked at Godric and sighed. “No one said founding a school would be easy, Ric.”
Godric crossed his arms. “Yes, but I barely have time for anything fun at all.”
Salazar arched an eyebrow. “You’d rather be off on some great adventure, wouldn’t you?”
“Wouldn’t you?”
“Ric,” said Salazar, “do you remember the last discussion we all had about adventures?”
Godric looked slightly grumpy. “I might.”
“Adventures are marvelous in the telling, and usually wretched in the actual doing,” Rowena supplied.
“Too true,” said Helga. “Insufficient food, warmth, and shelter as a rule. Wretched.”
Godric ran his hands through his hair. “But let’s be honest - running a school is pretty wretched in its own way. With far less excitement.”
“The basilisk isn’t exciting enough?” asked Rowena.
“He’s fairly tame now,” said Godric.
“If you speak Parseltongue!” Helga crossed her arms, still not quite pleased with their resident attack basilisk.
Salazar tilted his head. “He actually responds pretty well to whoever brings him nice chunks of fresh meat. You should go visit him, Hellie. You might like him.”
Godric snorted. “Like I said: tame. Boring.”
“Oh honestly, Godric!” Rowena snapped. “It’s like you want there to be a crisis just so you’re entertained.”
“Well, something besides obedient little children practicing their spells would be nice…”
Rowena sighed. “The success of this school is signaled by us not in fact having a crisis.”
“Maybe you just need a sabbatical,” said Helga. “You know, go have a runabout somewhere, rescue some innocents, slay some slavering monsters-“
“-go be miserable on your way to doing something heroic-“ muttered Salazar.
Helga continued blithely on, “-and then come join us back here where it’s quiet when you’re finished. We can surely manage for a while without you.”
Rowena tilted her head. “Can we? Who will head his house?”
Helga scrunched up her face for a moment. “We can split them among our houses while he’s gone.”
Godric‘s eyebrows jumped. “Wait, what do you-“
“He does have a few ambitious ones that would fit well in my house,” said Salazar, “and those with a flare for the dramatic.”
Godric’s eyebrows jumped higher. “Look, I haven’t said I was-“
“And I’ve seen a number who clearly value fairness and compassion,” said Helga, “so they’d fit right in with my badgers.”
Godric’s brow dropped precipitously “Now, hold on just a-“
“And there are quite a number who value knowledge.” Rowena nodded decisively. “I could take those.”
Godric tried again. “I don’t think-“
Helga cut him off. “We might want to let the Sorting Hat do a secondary house for them, just to make sure we haven’t misjudged any of them, especially the younger ones.”
“Stop breaking up my house!” Godric’s voice thundered through the room.
The other three looked at him.
“Well, someone has to care for your charges while you’re away, Ric,” said Rowena.
“If you’re going away,” added Salazar, a decided twinkle in his eye.
Godric eyed Salazar. “You sly bastard. Did you set this up?”
“Rowena may have mentioned your adventurous nature was starting to chafe here at Hogwarts.”
Godric leveled an accusing look at Rowena.
Rowena shrugged. “What? The sensible thing to do was to present you with clear reasons why you should stay.”
Godric crossed his arms. “You are all three of you conniving scoundrels.”
“Well,” said Rowena, “it was for the greater good.”
“And besides,” said Salazar, “I do have something a bit more exciting I could use your help with. Requires someone of unwavering bravery.”
Godric perked up immediately. “What?”
“I’ve discovered that the adolescent witches of my house have decided they need adult advice on their moon cycles, and they have come to me about it as head of their house. I could use some help dealing with them.”
Godric wilted. “You’re an utter blackguard for getting a man’s hopes up like that, Sal.”
Salazar shrugged. “There’s also the small matter of importing a sufficiently terrifying sea creature into the lake as an amphibious deterrent to intruders. Said creature would also need to be trained enough to distinguish between intruders and legitimate Hogwarts residents.”
Godric stared at Salazar for a long moment. “You could have mentioned that first.” He grinned. “Conniving scoundrels, the lot of you.”
Helga smiled back. “Conniving scoundrels who’d miss you if you left.”
“There’s that,” said Godric.
29 Points
Summary: Godric Gryffindor wishes for something more exciting than the day-to-day managing of Hogwarts. Written for the prompt “the grass is always greener”. Set in a universe of the Founders sketched out in Hogwarts: Origins.
Characters/Pairings: Godric Gryffinor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, Salazar Slytherin
Genre: General, Humor
Rating/Warnings: G
Medium: Fic
Word Count: 722
Can the Order post to Tumblr?: Sure
If yes, your Tumblr username: N/A
Helga looked at Godric and sighed. “No one said founding a school would be easy, Ric.”
Godric crossed his arms. “Yes, but I barely have time for anything fun at all.”
Salazar arched an eyebrow. “You’d rather be off on some great adventure, wouldn’t you?”
“Wouldn’t you?”
“Ric,” said Salazar, “do you remember the last discussion we all had about adventures?”
Godric looked slightly grumpy. “I might.”
“Adventures are marvelous in the telling, and usually wretched in the actual doing,” Rowena supplied.
“Too true,” said Helga. “Insufficient food, warmth, and shelter as a rule. Wretched.”
Godric ran his hands through his hair. “But let’s be honest - running a school is pretty wretched in its own way. With far less excitement.”
“The basilisk isn’t exciting enough?” asked Rowena.
“He’s fairly tame now,” said Godric.
“If you speak Parseltongue!” Helga crossed her arms, still not quite pleased with their resident attack basilisk.
Salazar tilted his head. “He actually responds pretty well to whoever brings him nice chunks of fresh meat. You should go visit him, Hellie. You might like him.”
Godric snorted. “Like I said: tame. Boring.”
“Oh honestly, Godric!” Rowena snapped. “It’s like you want there to be a crisis just so you’re entertained.”
“Well, something besides obedient little children practicing their spells would be nice…”
Rowena sighed. “The success of this school is signaled by us not in fact having a crisis.”
“Maybe you just need a sabbatical,” said Helga. “You know, go have a runabout somewhere, rescue some innocents, slay some slavering monsters-“
“-go be miserable on your way to doing something heroic-“ muttered Salazar.
Helga continued blithely on, “-and then come join us back here where it’s quiet when you’re finished. We can surely manage for a while without you.”
Rowena tilted her head. “Can we? Who will head his house?”
Helga scrunched up her face for a moment. “We can split them among our houses while he’s gone.”
Godric‘s eyebrows jumped. “Wait, what do you-“
“He does have a few ambitious ones that would fit well in my house,” said Salazar, “and those with a flare for the dramatic.”
Godric’s eyebrows jumped higher. “Look, I haven’t said I was-“
“And I’ve seen a number who clearly value fairness and compassion,” said Helga, “so they’d fit right in with my badgers.”
Godric’s brow dropped precipitously “Now, hold on just a-“
“And there are quite a number who value knowledge.” Rowena nodded decisively. “I could take those.”
Godric tried again. “I don’t think-“
Helga cut him off. “We might want to let the Sorting Hat do a secondary house for them, just to make sure we haven’t misjudged any of them, especially the younger ones.”
“Stop breaking up my house!” Godric’s voice thundered through the room.
The other three looked at him.
“Well, someone has to care for your charges while you’re away, Ric,” said Rowena.
“If you’re going away,” added Salazar, a decided twinkle in his eye.
Godric eyed Salazar. “You sly bastard. Did you set this up?”
“Rowena may have mentioned your adventurous nature was starting to chafe here at Hogwarts.”
Godric leveled an accusing look at Rowena.
Rowena shrugged. “What? The sensible thing to do was to present you with clear reasons why you should stay.”
Godric crossed his arms. “You are all three of you conniving scoundrels.”
“Well,” said Rowena, “it was for the greater good.”
“And besides,” said Salazar, “I do have something a bit more exciting I could use your help with. Requires someone of unwavering bravery.”
Godric perked up immediately. “What?”
“I’ve discovered that the adolescent witches of my house have decided they need adult advice on their moon cycles, and they have come to me about it as head of their house. I could use some help dealing with them.”
Godric wilted. “You’re an utter blackguard for getting a man’s hopes up like that, Sal.”
Salazar shrugged. “There’s also the small matter of importing a sufficiently terrifying sea creature into the lake as an amphibious deterrent to intruders. Said creature would also need to be trained enough to distinguish between intruders and legitimate Hogwarts residents.”
Godric stared at Salazar for a long moment. “You could have mentioned that first.” He grinned. “Conniving scoundrels, the lot of you.”
Helga smiled back. “Conniving scoundrels who’d miss you if you left.”
“There’s that,” said Godric.
29 Points