AD 959

The funeral procession slowly made its way down from the manor house on the cliff to the shore of the loch. The body of the dead man was borne on a bier by four stout men of the household. Behind, the mourners walked, dressed solemnly, their heads down. Last came the priest, his prayer book clutched in his right hand, his elderly legs treading uncertainly on the steep rocky path.

From high above them on the side of one of the mountains that rose up from the loch, on the north side behind the house and the great forest, two shepherds leaned on their crooks and watched the procession. But their eyes were not focussed on the dead man, nor on the silent mourners, nor the stumbling priest, but rather on the woman who walked directly behind the bier.

She was wearing a long fine dress of dark blue that swathed her like a robe. Her head was not bowed but looked proudly straight ahead, so that the morning sun shone on her white face, a face of youth and beauty that struggled to hold back the tears that dared to stain it. Her long hair, black as midnight, fell about her shoulders. Beneath the blue dress her swollen belly could clearly be discerned.

“Aye, there she goes,� said the first shepherd, the older of the two. “The Raven’s Claw. She still can’t resist being the centre of attention, even at a funeral.�

“Show some respect, Calum,� said the second. “The woman just lost her husband. And her so young, and with child, ’tis a tragedy no matter how high-born you are.�

“That it is, Duncan,� replied Calum, “but I’ve no fear for her. The laird’s lands come to her now, and with a face like hers, she’ll not struggle to find a new husband.�

“Aye, but if any lass could survive without a man, I reckon it’d be her,� said Duncan. “They don’t call her the Raven’s Claw for nothing. Hair as dark as a raven’s wing, mind as sharp as a raven’s claw, so they said of her when she first came here. She’s as smart as any Scots man, I’ll wager. She could run the laird’s lands alone, if she wanted.�

“A lass as laird? I’ll believe it when I see it. She should go back to Fife. This is our land, Duncan, Highlanders’ land. We have been here since before the Scots, before the Norsemen, before even the Roman legions. Let the Scots, with their kings, their nobles and their taxes keep to the Lowlands. Let them make their Scot-land there. The Highlands should be for us, the free people of old.�

“The day will come when we shall all be Scots, I think,� mused Duncan, but Calum merely snorted.

The procession had reached the shore of the loch, and the grave was being dug by the men who had carried the bier. “’Tis a strange place for a laird to be buried,� observed Calum.

“It’s what he wanted, so they say,� said Duncan. “He used to spend a lot of time down by the loch. He loved to walk about his lands.�

“They found his body on the edge of the forest, didn’t they?�

“Aye. Not a mark on him, so I heard. His heart failed and he fell where he stood.�

The two men paused in silence for a moment as the body was laid into the grave and the priest began to recite the prayers for the man’s soul. “He was a good man, the laird, wasn’t he?� Duncan said at last.

“That he was, as fair a laird as you’re likely to find. He always respected us common folk. There was always something strange about him, though. Both of them.�

“What do you mean?�

“I don’t know. I’ve seen many lairds come and go in these glens in my time, but this one was different. Just a feeling I got, that was all. I can’t explain it better. But her, there’s few like her in the whole of Britain, I reckon. If she does go, we’ll not see the like of her again in our lifetimes. It’s not just her education, her languages and her highfalutin words, you know. She understands everything. Everything. I remember the first time I spoke with her. I was just tending my flock down there on the lower slopes. Two minutes speaking with her, and she knew me better than I know myself. The Lord above has blessed her with strange gifts.�

“And cursed her with sorrow, it would seem,� Duncan replied.

“Aye, well, no doubt He has His plan. Perhaps death is the one thing none of us can ever understand, not even her.�

Down below, the funeral party was beginning to disperse and return to the house. The woman had not moved, and continued to stand over the mound of earth that now covered her husband’s body. “This place seems so small for one with such talents,� said Duncan. “Maybe she will leave. But will even the coasts of Fife and her father’s lands be enough for her?�

“Perhaps she’ll return to England,� suggested Calum. “She spent much of her childhood there. That’s where she got her education, so I heard. She’s as much English as she is Scots. Her mother was English, I think. After all, Rowena, ’tis a Saxon name.�

“Well, whatever happens to her, the world has not heard the last of the Raven’s Claw, I reckon,� said Duncan, and the two men turned away to re-gather their straying sheep on the mountainside.

On the shore of the loch, Rowena, daughter of Malcolm of Fife, still stood motionless over the grave of her husband. The other mourners had long since departed, but she remained, unwilling to leave behind the man she had loved. Her rational mind told her it was foolish, that Donald was gone, that what now lay beneath the earth was just an empty shell, but still she could not move. The tears that she had fought so hard to hold back in public now ran freely down her face.

She felt the baby stir within her, the child that would never know its father, the last reminder of the brief joy that they had shared. They had been together less than two years. For those few months, it had seemed that their happiness would last forever. Now here she was, but twenty-three years old and a widow.

Instinctively, her right hand moved to feel an object concealed beneath her dress, beside her hip. It was a thin carved stick of wood. She clutched at it like a lifeline, as she thought of all that had happened.

Rowena knew many secrets, of the land and of the sky, of birds and beasts and of the ways of the human heart. But there were two great secrets that at that moment dominated her thought; two secrets that alone of everyone in the glen she knew.

Firstly, that Donald had been a wizard, as she was a witch. And secondly, that he had been murdered.

Like so many in the magical community, they had kept the truth about themselves hidden. It had been five centuries since the days of Merlin, and magic was considered by the general population of Britain as little more than legend, and few openly declared their powers for fear of being misunderstood or causing alarm. Persecution of magic folk was rare, and many by secrecy hoped to keep it that way.

The wizarding community in Britain was small, perhaps only two thousand across the island, but it was growing. It crossed tribal and national boundaries, as witches and wizards sought out those of their own kind for fellowship together, but it was also bitterly divided. It was split into numerous cliques and factions, each vying for power and pursuing their own agendas. Some wanted the community to declare itself openly and take power for themselves, whilst others wanted to withdraw completely into secrecy. Some favoured rights for magical beings, whilst others wanted to cull and contain them. And there were many other disputes besides.

For every viewpoint, there was a faction, and each group set themselves up in opposition to the others, and strife and violence were common. Donald was far from being the first innocent person to die.

Rowena did not know for sure which group had murdered Donald, or even why, but she had strong suspicions. When they had found his body down near the forest, she had at once recognised the signs of the ancient Killing Curse. She had had to listen in silence as those around her pondered how a man so young and strong could suddenly be struck down, whilst all the time the truth burned hot within her.

Her hand gripped at her concealed wand tightly. She could feel nothing but hatred for the men who had taken her love from her, and anger and the desire for revenge swelled in her heart.

But her head as always was master. Rowena understood, as she ever did. She understood that revenge was worthless, a brief all-consuming craving that in the end only brought greater misery. Revenge begat only revenge, rising in a never-ending spiral until none were left alive to continue the hatred. It was revenge, and the fear of revenge, that were consuming the wizarding community. Rowena knew what she had to do.

She looked down at the grave. “Donald,� she said haltingly. “Donald, I’m sorry. I should have known. I should have been able to save you. Everything I know, everything I can do, and I still couldn’t save you.� She swallowed hard and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

“Donald, this madness must end. This tearing apart of our community must stop, or it will destroy us. Witches and wizards must find a way to live alongside each other in peace. I cannot let our child grow up in a world of such fear and hopelessness.

“So, Donald, I make this vow upon your grave. I will not rest until a way can be found to bring our community together. I will do everything I can to make a world in which our child can live in peace and happiness. I will dedicate my life and my talents to ensuring that no one else in future will have to suffer as I have suffered. For I must believe that reason and understanding can make a better world. They are all I have to give.�

Rowena knelt down at the head of the grave, in front of the simple wooden cross which had been fixed there. A seal bearing the emblem of Donald’s house had been hung upon it. Rowena unclasped a brooch that was attached to her dress, a brooch that bore another emblem, that of her father’s clan. She held the brooch to the cross, just below where the seal hung, and, taking out her wand, she tapped it against the brooch. It grew hot and embedded itself into the wood, fixing itself in place.

“The promise I have made will no doubt take me far from this place in time,� she said quietly, “so I leave this as a token. Wherever I am, my heart will always be here. I will return as often as I may, and I will bring our child, so that he or she may learn of you and the wonderful man you were. Farewell, for now, Donald, my love.�

With great reluctance, Rowena rose to her feet and, once more concealing her wand, she slowly walked away from the loch, and returned to her house on top of the cliff.

Behind her, she left the grave, marked by the simple cross and the two symbols thereon: her own, a swooping bronze eagle set amid a field of blue, and Donald’s, a pair of great hogs standing as wardens on either side of a tall gate.

AD 960

It was early in the morning when the watchman at the north gate of the city saw a remarkable sight coming down the road towards him. It was a young woman, all alone; she was finely dressed and walking with a proud and purposeful stride. She bore a heavy bundle at her chest, wrapped in a large cloth tied up behind her neck.

The watchman considered the woman to be either exceedingly brave, or foolhardy in the extreme. Young women, especially ones so attractive and obviously wealthy, did not walk the roads of Northumbria alone. He wondered where she had come from, and why he had only spotted her coming just now, barely a mile from the city. The north road from Jorvik ran very straight, being in its origin a Roman road connecting the town they had called Eboracum with Hadrian’s Wall, some eighty miles to the north. The watchman, who prided himself on his long sight, should have been able to first see her approach at least an hour earlier, as the road was otherwise empty.

As the woman approached the gate, he noticed that her clothes, which should have been stained from long travel, were unmarked. Aside from the bundle wrapped at her chest, she carried nothing else, no supplies, provisions nor wares. Puzzled and intrigued, he leaned out from his vantage point, in a room above the gate, to listen to what she had to say to the gatekeeper below him. He was shocked to see that the bundle was actually a child, a small baby no more than a few months old, surely far too young to take on a long journey.

“State your business here,� said the gatekeeper, a gruff man of little imagination, the watchman knew.

“I am here to meet with an old friend,� replied the woman. “She lives on Wool Street, close to the river.� A Scot, by her accent, thought the watchman, but she speaks English excellently. Scots were not unheard of in Jorvik, but they were usually merchants or tradesmen. He hoped the gatekeeper would demand further information from her, but he just accepted the toll, opened the gate and let her through. She passed through the gate, under the arch and out of sight.

Strange woman, thought the watchman. I wonder who she was. Probably a witch. The watchman didn’t believe in witches, but he was prone to occasional flights of fancy. On this occasion however, though he never knew it, he was absolutely correct.

Although it was still early, the streets of Jorvik were already busy. Rowena strode calmly through the crowds, all hurrying about their morning business, none of them giving her a second thought. Shops and markets were opening up for trade, food was being transported and processed for sale, boats were loading and unloading on the river. Rowena smiled to herself. She had been eight years away, and so much had changed for this city in that time, and yet so little seemed different. Life carried on as always.

Jorvik had always been a hub of trade and industry. The Romans had originally founded it, Rowena knew, as a military base, but it had quickly grown into a powerful city in its own right. When the Angles had come to Britain after the Romans left, they had Anglicised the name of the place from Eboracum to Eoforwic. It had been the chief city of Northumbria, the Angle kingdom that stretched from the Humber to the border of the lands of the Scots. That was, until the Vikings came.

At first they had been content to raid the coastlines, and harry monks and local farmers. But around a hundred years ago, a huge invasion force from Denmark had landed on the east coast of Britain. The Vikings had swept all before them, and it had seemed that the kingdoms of the Angles and Saxons would become nothing more than Danish provinces.

But, as every Englishman and woman knew, one kingdom held firm, the kingdom of Wessex. The Saxon kingdom of the south-west had been the last to be attacked, and it was there the tide turned. Led by King Alfred, who men now called Alfred the Great, a fightback began. The Danish armies were halted, and driven back.

But Alfred had been unable to retake all the Anglo-Saxon lands, and at the end of his life they had been left divided in two. In the south and west was the united Anglo-Saxon kingdom, with its centre in London, the great city of the south. To the north and east lay the Danelaw, the lands under Danish rule, encompassing Northumbria, East Anglia and much of Mercia. Its centre had been at Eoforwic, which the Danes renamed Jorvik, after their own fashion. Jorvik had flourished under their rule, a centre of trade with the wider Viking empire.

In the decades since Alfred, his descendants had slowly driven back the Danes and retaken the northern lands. With those reconquests had grown a new idea: a single Anglo-Saxon kingdom united under one king from the line of Alfred. And so England was born.

Jorvik had been the last of the Viking possessions to submit to English rule. When Rowena had been living in the city, between the ages of twelve and sixteen, it had still been under nominal Danish control, an island in a unified England. But not two years after she had left, the English king had driven out the last Viking ruler, and England was now completely unified.

But the legacy of the Vikings could never be erased from the city or the area. Most of the inhabitants now had Danish blood to some degree or another and, though the English were back in charge, nobody was thinking of changing the name back from Jorvik. The mark that the Vikings had left on England would be part of the country for ever.

Yet, as Rowena observed, the ordinary folk of Jorvik seemed largely unaffected by the tumultuous events around them. The average citizen cared not who their rulers were, so long as they remained free to pursue life, and profit, as before.

As she approached the river, the stench of the city grew greater. Rowena, who had lived for years in the clean air of the Highlands, had forgotten how foul the city could be. With a cough and a splutter, her baby awoke and began to cry gently. “Ssh, Helena,� she said gently, stroking her finger across the baby’s forehead. “Come on, we’re nearly there, then we can get you inside. You must be getting hungry, I know. Just a few more minutes.� Helena didn’t stop crying, but she didn’t get any louder.

Rowena turned into Wool Street. It was just as she had remembered it, long and narrow, with the ramshackle wooden buildings looming over the street, so that they almost blocked out the sunlight from above. The house she was looking for was just a short way down on the right hand side. It was no different from the rest; there was nothing to mark it out as anywhere special. But that had been just how its owner had wanted it.

Rowena had spent four happy years there, indulging her greatest passion: learning. The house had been a school. Most witches and wizards schooled their children at home, for fear of accidental exposure of their abilities to the wider community. However, in the larger cities, one or two enterprising souls had established small schools, taking only a handful of students, although only the most prosperous families could afford to send their children to such places. As the daughter of a noble family, Rowena had been lucky. Still, her father had been reluctant to send her so far from home, until she convinced him she was more than capable of looking after herself.

It was a strange feeling to be back in a place of so many childhood memories, returning now as a grown woman. She stood, taking in the front of the house for a moment, before stepping forward and knocking on the door.

A young man she didn’t recognise opened the door. He was slimly built, with long, straw-coloured hair and a thin beard. He stared at Rowena in puzzlement. “Hello, can I help you?� he said.

“Yes, I’m here to see Helga,� replied Rowena.

The man’s expression changed from one of puzzlement to concern. “There’s no one called Helga living here,� he said brusquely.

It was Rowena’s turn to be puzzled. “Yes there is,� she insisted. “She’s a middle-aged woman, red hair. I know I’ve got the right house. She runs a school here.�

The man stared more intently at her, seemingly trying to figure something out, or decide on something. “Who are you?� he asked carefully.

Rowena looked into his eyes, and realised what the question meant. She leaned forward and whispered, “Engorgio.�

“Reducio,� replied the man. “You’d better come inside.� He stood aside and allowed Rowena to pass into the house. An exchange of spell-words was a common method amongst witches and wizards to identify themselves to each other.

Inside, the house bore little resemblance to what Rowena remembered. The whole place seemed to have redesigned and redecorated, with entirely different furniture. Any trace that this had once been a school had completely vanished. It was now obviously just a home, albeit a large one for just one person.

The man ushered her into the front room, which had once been the classroom, and they sat down. Rowena undid the cloth from around her neck and laid Helena in her lap. “I’m sorry about that,� said the man. “I get nervous if ever non-magic folk come around asking questions. I’m afraid if you’re looking for the Helga that used to own this place, you’re about five years too late. She’s gone.�

“Gone? Gone where?�

“Some village in Wales, from what I gathered. She sold this house to me before she left. She seemed quite keen to get away. I don’t know why. My name’s Edwin, by the way.� He offered out his hand for Rowena to shake.

Rowena shook his hand. “I’m Rowena,� she replied.

Another strange look appeared on Edwin’s face. “Not Rowena of Fife? The Raven’s Claw?�

“Why, yes, they do call me that. I had no idea I had a reputation that stretched this far, let alone my nickname.�

“You’re too modest, Rowena. I hear a lot of stories from the people who pass through this house, and your name has come up on more than one occasion. The finest wizarding mind in all of Britain, so some say. Besides, I knew you husband, back before you were married. I heard about his death. I’m sorry.�

“Thank you.� Rowena felt a lump in her throat, which she did her best to hide. “How did you know Donald?�

“We did some business together, a few years ago. Unicorn foals. You know how into magical creatures Donald was.� Rowena nodded. “If you don’t mind me asking, how did he die?�

“He was murdered,� stated Rowena plainly.

“My God,� said Edwin. “By whom?�

“I don’t know.�

Edwin sighed. “I run a guesthouse and meeting-place for travelling wizards here,� he explained, “so I hear a lot of the gossip going around the community. These days it seems every week I hear about a new poor soul in the community murdered, or missing. Half the time it seems there’s not even a reason for it.�

“A lot more than half,� replied Rowena. “There’s never any good reason for murder. Life is everything that we have. To destroy it is an act so monstrous, it can never be condoned.�

There was a brief uncomfortable silence, which was broken only when Helena began to cry again. “So this must be his child,� said Edwin.

“Her name is Helena. She’s five months old.�

“She’s beautiful. You must have had a very long tiring journey carrying her. How many days have you been on the road?�

“Oh, none. I Apparated.�

“Seriously?� said Edwin, shocked. “You Apparated with a five-month-old child? Isn’t that incredibly dangerous?�

Rowena shook her head. “Not for me. It’s all a case of balance and determination, really. I certainly wasn’t going to leave Helena behind, and it’s the safest and easiest way to travel.�

“Amazing. They were right, you are remarkable. But what brings you all the way to Jorvik, with a baby in tow, looking for this woman Helga?�

“As I said, Helga ran a school here and was my old teacher,� explained Rowena. “I’m looking for her because I need her help.�

“To do what?�

“To change the world.�

Edwin started to laugh, but something in Rowena’s expression made him stop. “You’re serious, aren’t you?� he said. “By Merlin, you do aim high. And how are you going to do that?�

“I don’t know. But I have to try. I made a promise.� Rowena told Edwin about Donald’s funeral and about the vow she had made over his grave, and the cause to which she was now committed. “I had to wait until Helena was born and was strong enough to travel of course,� she said, “but now my journey has begun. I do not intend to rest until it is complete.�

“Well, I don’t know how I can help,� said Edwin, “but anything I can do to aid your cause, please let me know. It’s about time something was done. You are welcome to stay here tonight, free of charge, before you set out to find this Helga. I have a good room suitable for a mother and child. And if you ever return, be sure you have a friend and a place to stay in Jorvik.�

“Thank you, you are most kind. Do you remember the name of the place to which Helga moved?�

Edwin racked his brains. “It was some place near the English border. Some typically Welsh foreign-sounding name. Ah, that was it: Hufflepuff.�

As dawn broke over the quiet valley, the badgers, their nocturnal foraging over, hurried to return to their setts. The valley had always had a large colony of badgers, indeed it was for what this particular valley was chiefly famed. It had little else of any note to mark it out. Just one small nondescript village, no different from any other in the area.

The wise woman of the village, who had risen early as always, watched the badgers disappear underground as she walked through the undergrowth on the edge of the wood. She was looking for herbs and other plants, which she collected in a small basket she was carrying. Every now and then she would stop and bend down to examine a leaf or flower at her feet, before carefully extracting the plant if it was what she sought. She whistled to herself contentedly as she went along.

The villagers all referred to her as the wise woman, no matter how much she deprecated the title, or tried to persuade them to use her own name. Everyone knew she was the person to go to if you were sick, or one of your animals was in trouble, or you feared a poor harvest. She delivered babies, watched over the dying and counselled those who grieved. If you came to her in need, she would never turn you away, no matter how great or small the problem, and the villagers revered her for it.

She had arrived in the village some years before, and no one knew why she had come to such an obscure place, nor where she came from. Despite her obscure past, she was friendly and welcoming, and the villagers had quickly accepted her as one of their own, as if she had lived in the valley all her life. Most could now not imagine the village without her.

Passing westwards, with the rising sun at her back, she moved a short way into the wood, to where she knew a cluster of wild berries were growing. The air was still under the trees, and all around was silent and peaceful, as it always was in the valley.

Reaching the thicket of brambles, she bent down to pick some of the berries. Suddenly, there was a flash of light over her head, and a shower of bright sparks burst from a tree behind her. Desperately, she threw herself to the ground as another stream of light shot through the place where she had been.

“Idiot, you missed!� she heard a deep voice yell from somewhere to her right. “Move in.�

Terrified, the wise woman scrambled behind the cover of a tree. She knew she was under attack. She frantically pulled out a wand from where it was hidden in her skirt and clutched it tightly. She heard a different, snarling voice from not far behind her. “Where are you, old woman? Come on out and play.�

She stuck her head and arm out from behind the tree. “Who are you calling old?� she said furiously. “Stupefy!� The spell, however, flew straight over the advancing man’s head. She caught a brief glimpse of a well-dressed man with a thick black beard and narrow eyes, before retreating once more for cover as the man levelled his wand and returned a spell of his own.

“Come on out, I promise it’ll be quick,� the man snarled.

“Who are you? What do you want with me?� she begged.

“Not much,� said the man. “Just your life. Reducto!� The curse blasted into the tree trunk just behind which she was sheltering. It sheared through the trunk and the tree toppled forward as she dived out of the way.

She climbed to her feet, her legs shaking, her wand arm unsteadily out in front of her. She was out in the open now, and the two men advanced on her slowly; the man she had seen and his colleague, a tall young man with a scar on his right cheek. “Nowhere to run, old woman,� said the man with the scar. “Lower your wand and we promise it’ll be painless.�

The wise woman did not lower her wand. She prepared to cast one last defiant spell, for if she was going to die, then at least she would die fighting.

Then, from nowhere, a jet of red light burst through the trees and struck the man with the scar. He fell, Stunned. His colleague wheeled round to confront the new assailant. A young woman, her long dark hair flowing behind her, was sprinting towards him, throwing out hexes and curses as she went. The man stood his ground and did his best to deflect the barrage of spells coming at him, but he was soon all but overwhelmed. Realising he was totally outmatched, the man dived to the ground, seized the ankle of his fallen colleague and Disapparated before either woman could stop him.

The wise woman stood in shock, her shaking arm still outstretched, unable to believe what had just happened, as her rescuer rushed up to her side. “Helga, Helga, look at me,� she said, seizing her shoulders. “Helga, are you all right? Helga, tell me you’re not hurt. Helga, it’s me. It’s Rowena.�

* * *

The village of Hufflepuff was a very close-knit community, so it was no surprise that news that the wise woman had been attacked out in the woods had spread through the village before she had even returned to her home. When she did at last reach the village, there was a large gathering of people there, ready to offer whatever help they could. They were surprised, however, to see that she was accompanied by a young woman that none of them recognised. The young woman was carrying a baby in her arms. “Who are you? What happened?� demanded one of the men.

To his surprise, the woman replied to him in Welsh, as he had spoken, though her accent was clearly one of a foreigner. “I am an old friend of Helga’s, come to visit her. She was set upon by two men in the woods. She is shaken but unharmed. The men fled; I would be on your guard in case they return, but do not go looking for them, they are very dangerous. I will take care of Helga.� Helga nodded her agreement and the crowd dispersed to let them past.

They reached Helga’s home. It was a tiny structure, built of rough stone and consisting of just a single room. It was cold and draughty, and Rowena was amazed that Helga, a highly accomplished witch, would live in such a poor house. They went inside and Rowena laid Helga down on her crude bed. She set a fire in the hearth and sat down next to Helga, cradling Helena in her arms.

Helga’s state of shock was beginning to fade. She sat up in her bed and looked at Rowena. “What are you doing here, Rowena?� she asked. “I haven’t seen you in eight years. Who were those men? Why were they after me?�

Rowena sighed. “I think the answers to those questions are all bound up together,� she replied. “I am afraid I may have brought you into terrible danger, Helga. If I guess right, those men were the same ones who murdered my husband.�

Helga gasped in horror. “I had not even heard you had married. Your husband was murdered? Why?�

“Why else?� said Rowena angrily. “Because he was on the wrong side of some disagreement, with the wrong person. You know what it’s like among us at the moment.� Helga nodded sadly and looked down at the baby in Rowena’s arms. “Her name is Helena,� Rowena told her.

“May I hold her?� asked Helga. Rowena passed her over. Helga gently stroked her forehead and Helena giggled softly. “She’s beautiful.� She looked up. “So what became of you, Rowena? When you left Jorvik, you were destined for great things. Tell me everything.�

“There isn’t much to tell. I travelled for a while, and helped my father with his estate. Then I met Donald. From the moment we met, I knew I would marry him. We loved each other, so much.� Rowena stifled back a tear.

“I’m so sorry.� There was no more Helga could say.

“What of you?� Rowena asked. “When we parted, this is not where I pictured you ending up. Why would the finest witch of her generation want to live in a place like this?�

“You always overestimated my talents,� said Helga with a smile. “But this is all I ever wanted, really. I couldn’t bear to stay in Jorvik. The school was dwindling; fewer and fewer parents were willing to entrust their children to a stranger. Plus I couldn’t watch our community fall apart and have to deal with the petty politics, the recriminations and the senseless violence. I wanted a fresh start.

“Here, among ordinary folk, away from the chaos, I can actually do some good. I can put my skills to good use and really help people live their lives. These are good people, Rowena, and they made me welcome almost from the day I got here. This is a real community, of men and women who trust and care for one another, and support each other throughout their lives. I consider it a privilege to be one of them. I have truly found a home here.�

Rowena sighed, and reflected on why she admired Helga so much: how little interest she had in those things most prized so much - money, status, power. Here she was, living in near-poverty and obscurity, and she was content. “Then I feel guilty for coming here at all; for what I am about to ask you. You see, I want you to leave this place behind, if just for a while. I need your help.�

“What do you mean?�

“I made a promise.� Rowena told Helga about the vow she had made. “Something must be done. Our people need to be brought back from the brink. But I cannot take on this task alone. I need people of like mind to join me. I want you to be the first.�

Helga sat back in silence for a moment, gently rocking Helena in her arms. “You realise you are attempting the impossible,� she said. Rowena nodded glumly. “Good. Then I am with you.� The change in Rowena’s face to an expression of utter delight and joy was so sudden that Helga burst out laughing. “I see I am going to have a lot to live up to,� she said. “If anybody else had asked, I would have said no. But you were born to do the impossible, Rowena. I would be honoured to help. Besides, if your life is really under threat, then you will need someone to watch your back. I will do what I can.�

“Your own life will be in danger, too,� said Rowena. “After what just happened, I did not think you would agree so easily. But there’s something else, isn’t there? Something you’re not telling me, that made you decide to say yes.�

“You always know, don’t you Rowena. Yes, but it is personal. You know how I don’t like to talk about my visions.�

“You have Seen something?� Rowena asked. “Something about my mission?� Helga was a natural Seer, though she had never cultivated the craft, being unwilling to trust to vague prophecies and predictions. Rowena agreed with her, but she also knew not to dismiss them out of hand.

“Not about your mission, no. But for the last few years I have steadily been getting disturbing and confusing visions of war and upheaval. Not just in our community, but across Britain. The strong impression I get is they are from quite far in the future.�

“The millennium?� asked Rowena. “But that’s just a superstition.�

“No, further into the future than that. Into the next century and on, perhaps a hundred years from now. But the overall feeling I get is that a storm is coming to Britain, a time of chaos and change that will alter this land for ever. We live in relatively peaceful times, Rowena. But the generations after us will not be so lucky. If our community is not united and strong when the storm comes, it may not survive. This is our chance to be ready.�

* * *

The news that the wise woman would be leaving Hufflepuff with her friend the stranger was greeted with sadness and dismay throughout the village, and all the inhabitants turned out to see her off. “What will we do without you, wise woman?� they asked.

“First, know that I will never forget you,� Helga answered. “This place will always be in my heart wherever I am, and I one day I will come back, I promise. Second, you need not fear my departure. You are good and able people, and you have taught me far more than I have taught you. Third and last, lest fate should be unkind to you, I leave you this.� She held up an ornate golden cup that gleamed in the sun, and handed over to the chief village elder. “This cup is extremely valuable, but do not sell it, for its value does not lie in its gold. Keep this cup, and you shall never lack for a harvest. Whatever you grow, place but a small amount in the cup, and the rest shall be plentiful and healthy. Farewell.�

“A Cup of Plenty?� asked Rowena as they were leaving.

“A version of my own making,� Helga replied.

“What was that you said about me overestimating your talents?� said Rowena.

Helga smiled modestly, but did not reply. Instead, she asked, “So, where do we begin?�

“We must seek out allies,� said Rowena. “People of high status and respect in our community that others will look up to. They will be gathered around the seat of greatest power. We must travel to the court of the King of England.�

The Saxon kings of England did not have a single fixed place of residence. They preferred to live a mobile existence, travelling across their lands, staying at various royal houses and estates, where they would be richly entertained by the local earls, eager to curry favour with the king and outdo their rivals.

This meant that the king’s court, such as it was, travelled with him too. It was a modest affair, in contrast to the more lavish and formal courts to be found elsewhere in Europe, being limited to the king’s closest advisors and friends. However, wherever the court went, the Witenagemot would most often be assembled.

The kings rarely ruled purely by decree, rather they exercised their power through an assembly to which all the nobles of England belonged. This was the Witenagemot, an advisory and law-making council that formed the supreme decision-making body in the country, answering only to the king himself. It had been a fixture of English governance since well before the country was unified; each kingdom had had their own witenagemot in the years before the Vikings.

The current English king was Edgar, who had come to the throne only a year before. The years immediately prior to his accession had been troubled, much of the trouble caused by Edgar himself, who had seized control of the north of England from his unpopular brother and ruled it himself. Now his brother was dead, Edgar was king of all England, and had set about establishing himself as a strong ruler, intent on cementing the unified kingdom together.

When Rowena and Helga arrived in London and made discreet enquiries as to the whereabouts of the king, they learned he was staying just outside the city, to the west, a short way up the River Thames. This area had long been an important religious or monastic site, and the presence of a monastic church, or ‘minster’, together with its location west of London, had led the locals, in typically English straightforward fashion, to name the place Westminster.

The king had just appointed a new Archbishop of Canterbury, a man who had been exiled during his brother’s reign, and plans were afoot to greatly expand and formalise the monastic order at Westminster, making it one of the more important centres of Church power in the country, so the king had come to inspect the area and discuss the plans with his Witenagemot.

Rowena paid a ferryman to row her, Helga and Helena the short distance up the Thames. As they approached, Rowena saw Westminster sat mainly on a small island in the north bank of the Thames. As a much smaller river approached the Thames, it divided into narrow streams, which entered the Thames at different points, so creating the island between them.

Close to the mouth of the first stream, the ferryman moored his boat and the witches stepped ashore. They had barely gone a few strides forward when Rowena stopped. Helga looked back at her. “What is it?�

“Don’t you feel that?� said Rowena.

“Feel what?�

“This place, it has known magic. Very, very strong magic, I am sure of it. The ground cries out with it. I can feel it in my bones. Can’t you?�

“Not all of us are as magically attuned as you are, Rowena. All I feel is a slight sense of uneasiness, but I’m sure that’s more to do with what we’re trying to do here. Are you sure?�

“I’m certain. Somewhere near here is a source of extremely powerful magic. But it’s strange; I can’t be sure exactly where the source is. I should be able to tell, but it’s as if the feeling is coming from everywhere. I don’t understand it.�

Helga smiled. “Well, there’s a first. Come on, we’re not here searching for strange sources of magic. Do we even have a plan for what we’re going to do?�

“We’ll infiltrate our way into the gatherings around the king’s court,� said Rowena as they started walking again. “There are always plenty of hangers-on wherever the seat of power goes. The Witenagemot is meeting here as well, so many of the earls, nobles and senior clergy will be here too, along with their retinues. We must find those among them who are wizards and witches, then work out which of those would be prepared to work with us.�

“What if there aren’t any magical folk? And how will we know the ones that are?�

“There will be one or two, I am sure. Our community may be small, but not too small that there won’t be those among us with political ambition. As to finding them, we must use our intuition. Once we have, the usual exchange of spell words will be enough to be sure.�

They passed into the small village that had grown up around the monastic centre, and approached the monastery itself. They found it to be a complex of rough, wooden buildings, with a large wooden-built but stone-clad church at its centre. It was very modest by the standards of many Church properties in England, but if the new archbishop got his way, that would all change.

There being no great hall, or similar sized building, the members of the court and Witenagemot were gathered outside the church, in the monastery’s grounds. There were maybe a hundred present, and more were still arriving. Indeed they seemed to have quite swamped the small village which was their current host.

“If anyone asks, we’re with a group from Jorvik,� said Rowena, as they joined the latecomers approaching the gathering. The noise woke Helena, who had been napping, still wrapped in her travel blanket secured about Rowena’s shoulders. She began to cry and Rowena did her best to soothe her quiet but so many people and the unfamiliar surroundings were making her agitated.

Rowena and Helga split up and moved into the crowd, striking up conversations where they could and seeing what they could discover. The king was not present, he was apparently inside the church praying and talking with close members of his household. The formal opening of the Witenagemot that day was not due until early afternoon.

The chief earls and bishops were unapproachable, well guarded by their attendants. But as Rowena had expected, there were many present with connections to nobility, or seeking to advance themselves, who were happy to talk, and for an hour and more Rowena moved among them, testing them out, but none she could detect were wizards.

After a while however, she began to suspect she was being watched. Standing guard at the entrance to the church was a tall strongly-built man with thick red hair and an equally thick beard. An ornate sword was sheathed at his side. Every time Rowena glanced over, she could swear the man was looking at her, though she couldn’t be sure. She moved deeper into the crowd, hoping to lose his attention.

There was a commotion, and Rowena looked up. The king had emerged from the church, flanked by two guards. He moved to greet some of his nobles. Rowena noticed the tall man had gone. She was about to breathe a sigh of relief when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to find herself face to face with the tall man. “Come with me,� he said gruffly, his hand taking a tight grip on her shoulder.

He led her into a barn and sat her down on a hay bale. Rowena clutched Helena tight to her. “Stay here,� the man ordered. “I’m going to find your friend.� He called over another armed man and told him to stand guard over her, then left. Rowena sat nervously, wondering what would happen. The guard stood impassively watching her.

A couple of minutes later, the tall man returned with Helga and sat her down next to Rowena. “Leave us,� he said to the guard, who departed without a word. The man pushed closed the door to the barn and drew his sword, which gleamed brightly. He stood over Rowena and Helga, holding the sword point downwards, touching the ground. “Who are you and what are you doing here?� he demanded.

Rowena met his keen gaze. “I am Rowena, and this is Helga,� she replied. “We are from Jorvik and are here to observe this session of the Witenagemot.�

“You would do well not to lie to me,� said the man. “I know a Scots accent when I hear it, though you are doing well to disguise it. And I find it highly unlikely you have come from Jorvik. There was no party from Jorvik at the last meeting of the Witenagemot, and I doubt you would have come all that way for just this one session, especially as the matter at hand is one that does not concern you.�

“Who are you and what right do you have to demand such answers from us?� said Rowena.

“I am a Marshal in the King’s Guard and military advisor to the Witenagemot. I am sworn to protect the king from all dangers and threats I might perceive. I have been watching you ever since you arrived. You came alone, that is clear. Two women travelling alone, one with a child, is not a common sight at the king’s court. If you had a cause or petition to put to the king or one of his earls, you would have made it known publically. Rather, you have attempted to blend into the crowd. So I say again, no lies, why are you here?�

“Our business is private and our own. It does not concern the king.�

“You are at the king’s court. Everything here concerns the king. Will you not answer?�

“And if we refuse?� said Rowena. She slowly began shifting her hand to the folds of her skirt, where her wand was concealed.

“Don’t move,� said the man, and Rowena’s hand froze. “As I said, I am sworn to protect the king against all dangers: those he knows about, and those he does not.� He reached into his tunic and to Rowena’s astonishment extracted a wand of his own, which he rolled in his fingers. “Reducto,� he murmured, almost to himself.

“Reparo,� replied Rowena in amazement.

The man immediately levelled his wand at Rowena and Helga, whilst his left hand took a tight grip on his sword. “So I was right,� he said. “Take out your wands, both of you, right now. Do it slowly, and lay them on the ground.� Rowena and Helga both did as they were told. “Two women alone, totally unworried amongst such powerful men? You could only be witches. With our world the way it is at the moment, don’t think you’re the first of our people to try to get close to a king. My family have served the kings of Wessex and England for generations, always on the lookout for people like you. Who do you work for?�

“We mean no harm to your king, I swear,� said Helga. “We work for no one.�

“Then why are you here?� said the man, not lowering his wand.

“In truth, we are looking for people like you,� Rowena said. “This is Helga of the village of Hufflepuff, and I am Rowena of Fife, known to some as the Raven’s Claw.�

“I have heard that title before,� the man said, doubt creeping on to his face.

“I am on a mission,� Rowena explained. “I want to change our society, to break the cycle of violence in the wizarding community. I need help to do that. I need wizards of power and influence. Wizards like you.�

The man seemed unsure. “A noble sentiment, but how do I know I can trust you? How do I know you are who you say you are?�

“You don’t, not unless you have a truth potion to hand. But if we witches and wizards cannot trust one another at all, then my mission is doomed from the start. Will you at least hear us out?�

Slowly, the man lowered his wand. “If what you say is true, then I wish you all the success in the world, though I am not sure I am the man to help you. I am but a soldier, not a leader. Yet we are crying out for guidance and peace, I know. I protect the king from ordinary threats, yes, but though he does not know it, he is fortunate to have a wizard in his guard. Those out to prove themselves, or make some grand statement, who better to target than the King of England? If the violence that besets us spills out into the wider non-magical community, God knows what the response will be.�

“What is your name?� Helga asked.

“I am Godric, son of Godwin, of the house of Gryffindor,� the man answered.

“Gryffindor? You are one of the Lions of Wessex?� exclaimed Helga.

Godric smiled. “The house of Gryffindor has borne that title ever since my great-grandfather fought alongside King Alfred against the Vikings. We have been proud to serve the royal house of Wessex ever since.�

“Then you are the Godric who single-handedly defeated the Dark wizard Ulred...�

“It wasn’t entirely single-handed...�

“...and tamed the Exmoor Dragon...�

“I didn’t tame it, I merely helped relocate it.�

“The deeds of you and your family are renowned, Godric. I have heard stories about them since I was young. It is an honour to meet you. Rowena, this man may be modest, but he is exactly the sort of person we are looking for. Will you help us, Godric?�

“If I can, though I don’t know what I can do personally. I may know others you can speak to, though. I am on duty, but is there anything I can do for you right now?�

The strange feeling that Rowena had been experiencing all day rose up in her again, like a tingling at the back of her neck. “This place,� she asked, “is it a magical site? I am sure there is an intense source of magic nearby, although I don’t know where.�

“Not that I know of,� said Godric, “though now you mention it, I have had a similar feeling since I’ve been here. But I’ve never heard of magic being practised here. Although, there is that old tale...�

But at that moment, the guard they had seen previously put his head round the door and said, “Godric, the king is calling for you.�

“I have to go,� said Godric. “I’ll be needed for the rest of the day. Can you find a place to stay tonight? Meet me in the village at sunrise. I think we have a lot more to discuss.�

He departed, telling the guard to let Rowena and Helga go. Rowena was delighted they had found such a worthy potential ally, but her mind was preoccupied with the magic she had felt. It was as if it was calling to her, and she knew she would have to find out what it was.

Rather than search the already overcrowded village of Westminster for a place to stay that night, Rowena took Helga and Helena back to London by Apparition, and they stayed at the same lodgings they had been in the previous night. Rowena’s supply of English coin was running low however, and she knew they’d have to make other arrangements soon, or she’d have to return home for a while and sell more of her possessions. In their room, after Helena had been put down to sleep, Rowena pressed Helga for information on Godric. “You seem to know this man. What can you tell me of him?�

“I know more of his family than I do of him,� Helga replied. “You know my mother was born and raised in Wessex before she headed north as a young woman. She told me stories of the Lions of Wessex. They are perhaps the oldest and most famous wizarding family in southern England. It’s said their ancestor came over from Brittany to Devon several centuries ago, bringing with him the name Gryffindor, which has been passed from father to son ever since. Every one of them has been a warrior, and a campaigner against magical threats. My mother claimed half the practitioners of Dark magic in England fell to a Gryffindor in their time.

“After one Gryffindor fought alongside Alfred in the war against the Danes, bearing the emblem of a lion on his shield, he gained the nickname the Lion of Wessex, a title that has stuck with his descendants. They have a reputation of being fierce and hot-headed, but with an unshakable sense of justice.

“Godric himself I know less about, but one can’t live in Jorvik for years without picking up a great number of rumours. From what I hear, he follows very much in the footsteps of his forefathers, but that remains to be seen.�

“Could he really help us?� Rowena asked.

“The Lions are well known and well respected, certainly, but they’ve never really been leaders or statesmen. But a man that close to the king must have some influence and standing, surely.�

Rowena slept poorly that night, and for once it was not Helena’s fault. She was both excited and nervous at what finding Godric might mean for her cause, and was plotting what their next move might be. But also the strange feeling she had picked up in Westminster niggled at her, like an itch she couldn’t scratch, keeping her from feeling comfortable.

They rose early and Apparated back to Westminster just before dawn. Helga continued to be amazed that Helena suffered no ill effects from their journeys, but Helena was quite unfazed, smiling happily wrapped in the bundle secured about Rowena’s shoulders.

They waited on the edge of the village for Godric. While they did so, Rowena took out her wand and began tracing shapes in the air, muttering to herself. “What are you doing?� asked Helga.

“Seeing if I can pin down this magical disturbance,� said Rowena. “The strange thing is, if I’m right it’s very close to where we are now, but the sensation should be much stronger in that case. It doesn’t make sense.� Helga just smiled as Rowena returned to work. When Rowena got set on solving a problem, everything else was put to one side, and Helga knew it was best to just leave her to get on with it.

The sun rose up above the river behind them and shone its first rays of the day down on the village. Before long, Godric arrived, coming down the path from the monastery. He still had his sword strapped to his side, but was now wearing a simple brown tunic, and on his head sat a pointed hat with a broad brim. He raised the hat in greeting as he approached. “Good morning, ladies, I trust you slept well.�

“Excellently, sir,� replied Helga. “That’s a fine hat.�

“Thank you. I always wear it when on wizarding business. It’s kind of the symbolism of the thing, you know, having a proper wizard’s hat. Shall we go somewhere more private to talk? There’s a grove of trees just over...�

Suddenly Rowena, who had barely acknowledged Godric’s arrival, concentrating on her spell-work, interrupted. “Godric, weren’t you about to say something about an old tale about this place yesterday, before you got called away?�

“Sorry?� said Godric, momentarily confused by the sudden change in conversation.

“Rowena’s got a bee in her bonnet about this nearby magic she says she feels,� explained Helga. “Trust me, it’s best if you answer her, she won’t give up until she gets an explanation.�

“Oh, all right,� said Godric. “Have you ever heard of the names Marcus and Blandus?� The two women shook their heads. “The story, as I’ve heard it, goes back to the days shortly after the Roman conquest in AD 43. Marcus and Blandus were two wizards from Rome who came to Britain soon after the legions. They were supposedly the first ever Roman wizards to arrive here. They came to learn what magic existed among this newly conquered people, and to teach Roman magic to the locals.

“They based themselves in the new Roman capital of Londinium, but shortly after they arrived they learned of an ancient source of magic away to the west of the city. It is said they travelled out to this place and found a deep cave, into which they went and were not seen for days.�

“Of course!� exclaimed Rowena. “It all makes perfect sense. I am such an idiot!� She punched her thigh in frustration at herself. “Sorry, finish your story.�

“Well, so it goes, several days later Marcus emerged from the cave, but not Blandus. Marcus refused to say what had happened to Blandus, or what they had found in the cave, as if terrified at the very thought of it. He went on to found the first Romano-British community of wizards, but took the secret of the cave to his grave.

“That’s the story. Personally, I’ve never put much stock in it. It’s most likely mixed up with the story of Ollivander the Greek who brought wandmaking to Britain four centuries earlier. Or the legends of Stonehenge, far away west of here, towards my home. Are you really saying that Marcus’ cave is real, and that it’s around here somewhere?�

“Whether any of the legend is true, I can’t say,� said Rowena. “But the idea of this source of magic being located underground makes perfect sense. That’s why it seems so close, yet faint. It could be right under our feet. We must find this cave.�

“Sorry to bring you back to earth, Rowena,� said Helga, “but haven’t we got more important things to do than hunt for caves? Besides, if the legend’s at all true, it could be dangerous.�

“The fate of the wizarding community can wait another day, Helga. This is just something I have to find out. What do you say, Godric? I’m sure a man like you would not turn down the chance of a dangerous quest.�

Godric laughed. “You know me too well already it seems, Raven’s Claw. I accept your challenge of a quest. But where do we begin? The legend is nearly a thousand years old.�

“Follow me,� said Rowena. She led them away from the village to the highest ground she could find. There, handing Helena over to Helga, she knelt on the ground and drew a series of symbols on the earth all around her with her wand. They each glowed briefly as she whispered incantations to each of them in turn.

Godric and Helga stood watching her as the minutes ticked by. “Do you understand what she’s doing?� Godric asked.

“Not a clue,� answered Helga. “You just learn to trust she knows what she’s doing. She always does.�

“Where did she learn such magic?�

“Not from me, I can tell you. I can honestly say I taught her everything I know, but not one quarter of what she knows. It all comes out of her own head, I think. Even at sixteen she was well beyond me.�

“I had heard rumours of the Raven’s Claw,� Godric admitted. “I doubted they were true. But today seems a day for legends to come to life. Maybe she really can make this dream of changing the world a reality.�

“I’d remind you that you and your family are legends too, Lion of Wessex,� replied Helga. “Between the two of you, I do believe.�

“I am just a soldier,� said Godric with a shrug. “But I will use such influence as I have. I have already sent a message to one old friend of mine in particular who may have the means to help.�

At that moment, Rowena stood up and pointed with her wand. “That way.� She set off at a brisk march down the hill and the other two hurried after her, Helga hampered as she was still carrying Helena. Rowena did not stop, nor vary from her course until they came to a ridge, where the ground dropped steeply away in front of them. Below was a wooded area, the trees growing right up to the ridge, so that the tops of them were level with Rowena, Helga and Godric.

Rowena headed along the ridge until they could find a safe way down, and having found one returned along the bottom of the ridge, weaving between the tightly packed trees. Eventually they came to the sheer face of the outcrop of rock, and sure enough, there was a narrow opening in the rock, just wide enough for a man, leading down into darkness. “Remarkable,� said Godric as he stared at it. “Lost for a thousand years and you find it in the space of a morning.�

“Hand me Helena,� said Rowena to Helga. She took her and secured her back in the sling about her shoulders.

“Are you sure it’s safe to take your daughter in?� asked Godric. “One of us could wait here.�

“The safest place for my daughter is right here with me,� said Rowena, and that was the end of the matter. “Light your wands.�

They entered the cave and passed out of sight into the darkness. The silent observer up on the ridge watched them go, then watched the other two men follow them a couple of minutes later, before setting off after them himself.

* * *

The passageway was narrow and the ceiling was low, forcing Rowena, Helga and Godric to stoop as they made their way along. Rowena took the lead, the light from her wand cutting only a few feet into the darkness, moving slowly and carefully on the uneven ground. Helga came next, with Godric at the rear, the point of his hat scraping along the ceiling. He impatiently urged the others on, eager to explore.

The tunnel sloped steeply downwards, taking them further and further into the earth. It twisted this way and that, so that very quickly all orientation was lost. Yet the tunnel did not branch, there was only one way forward, and they were compelled to follow it, waiting to see where it would lead.

Eventually, though how much time had passed none of them could say, they saw what appeared to be a light ahead of them, a dim, diffuse light in the far distance. “How is that possible?� Helga asked.

“Let us see,� said Rowena. They edged closer, and the light seemed to grow wider, but no brighter. As they approached it, they realised what it was, an opening in the tunnel into a wider cave.

They stepped through the opening and each gasped at the sight in front of them. ‘Cave’ was too poor a word for the sight they saw, it was a vast cavern, so vast that the light from their wands could not stretch all the way to the far wall. The light they had seen was the reflection of their own wandlight in an array of silvery translucent crystals spread across the walls and up to the ceiling high above them. They broke up the light and spread it out thinly, revealing massive stalactites and tall ornate pillars carved out in stunning and eye-catching shapes by the action of water on rock.

The three stood and looked out on the cavern in awe. “This space is vaster and more beautiful than anything built by Man,� said Helga. “Truly a wonder. And to think we may be the first to see it in a thousand years.�

“Come on,� urged Rowena, carefully picking out a safe path across the cavern. “There is more yet to see.�

“How can you be sure?� asked Helga, following.

“This may be wondrous, but it is not magical. That source of magic is yet further on.� Rowena headed right from the tunnel and followed the line of the wall. The others followed. They came across further openings and passageways, leading perhaps to yet more caverns, but Rowena ignored them and pressed on.

Godric was assisting Helga in keeping up with Rowena when he suddenly stopped and looked behind him. Helga looked back too and saw nothing, but Godric took her by the arm and whispered, “Come on, hurry.� They rushed to catch up with Rowena. On reaching her, Godric pulled her down behind a pillar and put a finger to his lips. “We are being followed,� he whispered.

“Are you sure?� said Helga, as quiet as she could.

“I would stake my reputation as bodyguard to the king on it. How many, I cannot be sure, but I think it is more than one. They must be persistent indeed to have followed us down here.�

“More likely they saw the advantage to do their work where no-one would find the evidence,� said Rowena. “They are here for me.�

“We must prepare to fight,� said Godric.

“Not here,� replied Rowena. “Too open. We need an enclosed, defendable location where I can cast an anti-Disapparition charm. I mean to capture them, and I don’t want to permit them any means of escape.�

“Then we should take one of these side passages,� advised Godric. “We should move quickly. So long as they don’t know we are aware of their presence, we have the advantage, but they may choose any time to strike. You go ahead, I shall watch the rear.�

They moved on, Godric keeping one eye looking behind him at all times. He knew their pursuers had not lit their wands, to avoid giving themselves away, but there was enough light in the cavern reflected through the crystals that they were able to gain ground nonetheless, and if they got close enough, they might attack. Godric mentally prepared a list of defensive spells for use as soon as they were needed.

Up ahead, Rowena reached the opening to another side passage and stopped. “It’s here,� she murmured. “I can feel it.�

“Rowena, no, not now,� whispered Helga, but Rowena had already turned down the passage, the intense force of magic calling her. She noticed as she went that the walls of this tunnel were smooth and carven; this passage was at least to some extent man-made. The tunnel sloped further downwards and the light from the cavern’s crystals passed out of sight.

“They will have seen us go in here,� Godric said to himself. He tried to keep facing back up the passage as he descended at the rear of the group. “I hope this tunnel comes out somewhere soon.�

Fortunately his wish was shortly granted. The tunnel opened into another cave, but one much smaller than the one above. It was roughly rectangular in shape and sunken in the middle; the ground on all sides sloped down to an outcrop of rock in the middle. Standing on the outcrop was a stone arch, tall, roughly carven, but still seeming man-made. The arch led nowhere, it just stood on its own in the centre of the cave. “What is that?� said Godric.

They scrambled down the slope to the rocky outcrop and slowly approached the arch. “Do you hear that?� asked Rowena.

“Hear what?� asked Helga.

“Voices,� said Rowena. She could hear them clearly, low, quiet voices whispering to her through the arch. She could not make out what they were saying, but they seemed familiar.

“I hear them too,� said Godric. “A host of voices, as if quietly calling from very far away.� He moved closer to the arch to hear better, but Rowena put her hand on his shoulder. “No,� she said urgently. “Don’t get any closer.�

Reluctantly, Godric turned away from the arch, though the call of the voices was strong. “They will be coming,� he said. “This place will suffice, the only way out is the way we came. Get down behind this outcrop. Rowena, you had better start working on that charm.�

They crouched down behind the rock, and Rowena began slowly chanting the incantation. But barely had they got into position when two men burst into the cave. Godric fired off a spell at the first man as quick as he could, but in his haste he missed and the man dived out of the way. The second man jumped in the other direction, and both slid down the slope to the rock. Helga stood up and fired at one, but he blocked it.

Helena began to cry, distracting Rowena briefly. As Helga engaged one of the assailants and Godric the other, Rowena tried to begin again. But as she looked up, she saw that Helga was being driven back under the barrage coming from her opponent. The men’s tactics were crude, but vicious, they were fighting to kill. Rowena could not let Helga stand alone. With Helena still strapped to her chest, she stood up and called out, “Hey, coward, I’m the one you want.�

She fired off a jinx, but the man was too quick and blocked it. Faced with two opponents at once, the man backed away slowly, up the sloping floor of the cave, hoping to gain the high ground and keep both Helga and Rowena in his field of vision. The two witches saw they had him on the defensive and moved in to press their attack.

Below, Godric and his attacker were circling each other on the rocky outcrop in front of the arch. Godric was an experienced duellist, and the man knew he was overmatched, and was waiting in hope that Godric would let down his guard for a brief moment, allowing him to get in a crucial strike.

Godric knew well what he was doing, and sought to manoeuvre the man into an awkward position where he would find it difficult to defend. As the man took a step back towards the arch, his foot slipped slightly on a loose stone, and Godric saw his chance. He aimed his first spell, which the man barely blocked, but Godric followed it up with more in combination and the man was overwhelmed. The last spell struck him square in the left shoulder and the man wheeled round, stumbled forward and with a cry fell through the arch. He vanished.

Rowena, Helga and the other man stopped fighting and stared down at the arch in horror. The last cry of the man hung in the air before fading away like it was receding into the distance, joining the throng of other quiet voices that Rowena could still hear. Everyone was frozen in place for a moment, as if time had stood still, and the only sound other than the whispers was the crying Helena, clinging tightly to her mother.

Then the other man gave a loud scream of anger, and turned furiously on Rowena. With no regard for his own safety or defence, he charged forward, flinging curses out wildly. Rowena at first was still too stunned to respond and the man was on her, knocking her to the ground, her arms wrapped tightly about Helena on top of her.

“I’ll kill you!� screamed the man and raised his wand. But at that moment there was a blinding flash and the man was sent hurtling across the cave. He hit the far wall hard and slumped to the ground. Dazed, he raised his head and, seeing he was alone and hopelessly outnumbered, with Rowena’s anti-Disapparition charm incomplete, he Disapparated.

Rowena sat up to see who her saviour had been. Yet neither Helga nor Godric had moved. Instead, standing in the entrance from the tunnel was another man. He was elderly, wizened, with sloping shoulders and a high, domed bald head. He held a wand firmly outstretched in his left hand. “Who are you?� Rowena demanded.

But Godric ran over to the newcomer and embraced him warmly. “Salazar, Salazar, my old friend,� he said. “Your timing as always is impeccable.�

The news of the discovery in the caves under Westminster spread rapidly through the wizarding community. It was not long before dozens of witches and wizards were coming to see the caves and look upon the mysterious arch. Helga had taken a length of black material and fixed it over the arch as a curtain or veil for, she said, staring into the gap was an uncomfortable and disconcerting sight. But Rowena was not sure if she preferred the veil, as it swayed and fluttered as if in a gentle breeze that was not present in the stillness of the cave.

It had been Salazar’s idea to make the discovery of the arch public to the wizarding community. Salazar, Godric’s friend, the enigma, who had appeared so suddenly and somehow had immediately become a permanent fixture in their group. It had also been he who had suggested using the caves as their base; the headquarters for making Rowena’s vision a reality. “If you want to affect a great number of people,� he had said, “don’t go searching each of them out. Let them all come to you.�

It had been wise advice, Rowena had to admit, and finding the arch had certainly given them a reputation in the wizarding community, but Rowena was still not sure about Salazar. The man seemed to cultivate a deliberate air of mystery about him. The first question Rowena had asked him, after he had saved her life, had been “Who are you?� and when he had finally replied, he had said, “My name is Salazar Slytherin,� and nothing else.

Godric had been a bit more forthcoming. Salazar was an old friend who had helped him in many of his prior quests and battles. He was well connected in the community and highly informed on just about every subject. Godric had immediately thought of him after meeting Rowena and Helga, and had sent him a message at once. “I had not thought he would come so quickly,� Godric had said, “but I’m glad that he did.�

It was plain that Godric trusted him implicitly, and Godric was such a plain and honest man that that should have been enough for Rowena. Yet it wasn’t. There was something maddeningly frustrating about Salazar, which Rowena could not pin down. “It’s almost like he wants to be mistrusted,� she told Donald as she knelt by his grave.

Although she was now more or less living permanently in the caves beneath Westminster, she still made time to make regular visits home, to check on the running of the estate in her absence, and to keep Donald informed of her progress. Though her rational sense objected to talking to a mound of earth, she nonetheless felt it her duty to tell Donald how she was keeping the vow she made.

“Living in the caves is not nearly as bad as it sounds,� she said. “They are vast and extensive and we have filled them with lights and many of the comforts of home. Above all, they are secluded and safe. I have even built a nursery for Helena. She wants for nothing, I can assure you. Helga is with her at the moment.

“It has now been three months since we found the caves. In that time we have certainly achieved a standing in the community. The question now is what we do next. We will at least be assured of an audience when we have something to say, even if they do not listen, but what is our message? That is something the four of us need to discuss.

“The four of us... even I’m saying it now. It seems we are a four whether I like it or not. I am going to have to overcome my doubts about Salazar if we are to move forward.� She sighed, and stood up. She looked around her for a brief moment. All was quiet and still on the shore of the loch. “I have to go now. I’ll be back soon.� She closed her eyes and Disapparated.

Her ears were immediately filled with the sounds of dozens of voices. She had arrived in the great cavern at the centre of the cave complex. It was being used as an arrival point for witches and wizards visiting the site. She opened her eyes. People were milling to and fro, gazing up at the beautiful ceiling and marvelling at the pillars and stalactites. Rowena caught sight of Godric talking to a group of them and went over. “Godric, I need to speak to Salazar. Is he around?�

“I haven’t seen him since this morning,� Godric replied, “but if I see him, I’ll tell him you’re looking for him. Oh, by the way, somebody arrived a while ago who said he knew you. He’s down at the arch, I believe.�

“Did he give a name?�

“Not to me.�

“Tell Salazar I’ll be down by the arch then.� Rowena wasn’t expecting anyone and headed off at once to find out who it was. She went down the narrow passage to the deep cave and found as always a number of people standing or sitting around the arch, looking up at it, lost in thought, as the veil swayed in the non-existent breeze. That was more or less all anyone did at the arch. No-one ever dared approach it too closely.

They had cut steps in the sloping floor of the cave to allow visitors to walk around more easily. Rowena made her way down the steps and looked around for someone she recognised. A voice called to her left. “Rowena, over here.� Rowena turned and did not immediately recognise the man before remembering where she had seen him before. It was Edwin, the man she had met in Jorvik, who had bought Helga’s old school. “It’s good to see you again, Rowena,� he said warmly.

“Welcome to Westminster, Edwin,� said Rowena.

They sat down together on the steps. “When I heard about this place and about you, I knew I had to come and see for myself as soon as I was able,� Edwin told her. “This is the talk of the whole community right now. When you said you would change the world, I hardly expected you to begin so quickly.�

“I haven’t changed anything yet,� Rowena replied. “But give me time.�

“I don’t doubt it.� Edwin fell silent for a moment, looking up at the arch. “It makes me feel so cold somehow, like a chill running right through me. Are the rumours about it true, then? Is it really a gateway to Death itself?�

“I prefer to describe it as a tear in the fabric of the world, joining the realm of the living with the realm of the dead. I’ve been studying it for three months now, and there’s still so much left to be discovered about it.�

“Who built it?�

“That we may never know. It predates the Roman invasion and record-keeping in this country, so there’s no history to search for. The old ways of magic were largely wiped out by the Romans, so whatever people built this are likely long gone. But it may not have been built at all.�

“What do you mean? The arch has obviously been carved.�

“Yes, but if you look closer, the carving is much rougher on the inside of the arch, close to the edge of the tear. Also, if you look at the base, you’ll see the arch has not been built onto the outcrop, the whole thing is one seamless piece of stone. The arch may well have been carved after the tear was formed.�

“Are you saying it’s a natural phenomenon?�

“Possibly. I know of no magic that could create such a thing, nor would I wish to. Another possibility is that it was created by accident, the result of some ancient wizard meddling with forces he couldn’t control. As I said, there is still much to learn.�

“It’s the voices that frighten me the most. The voices of the dead calling from the next world.� Edwin leaned forward, listening. “I can’t make out what they say. Can you?�

“No, no-one can. Everyone hears something slightly different, though, and some hear nothing at all. I sat here for days after we first found this, trying to see if I could hear the voice of my husband, but I never did. The voices are too faint.�

“Is it true that one of the men who killed your husband died falling through the arch?�

“Yes, he or one of his fellow thugs. They have turned their attention to me now, fearing what I might do, or what I might discover.�

“Still, at least you have a modicum of revenge.�

Rowena turned to look at Edwin. “I don’t want revenge,� she said firmly. “I want justice. The desire for revenge is one of the things I want to stop.�

“You are a remarkable woman, Raven’s Claw,� said Edwin. He stood up and stretched his arms. “I’m feeling hungry; I’d better head up top. I think I’ll stay around here for a while, though. With so many witches and wizards coming and going, there are some good opportunities for business here. It was good to talk to you Rowena. I’ll see you around.�

He headed for the exit of the cave, but as he did so, Salazar entered, and Edwin stopped for a moment. The two men eyed each other suspiciously, they passed in silence, and Edwin looked back over his shoulder as he left the cave and Salazar approached Rowena. Edwin’s expression was a mixture of puzzlement and concern.

“That was Edwin of Jorvik, wasn’t it?� said Salazar.

“We’d met before. We were talking about the arch,� Rowena explained.

“A common cobbler’s son,� said Salazar, stiffly sitting down in the place Edwin had just vacated. “Not a man to be trusted.�

“Why do you say that?�

“I have my reasons,� said Salazar inscrutably. “You wished to see me?�

“I thought it was about time we got to know each other properly.�

Salazar’s wizened face crinkled into a thin smile. “You don’t trust me.�

“I don’t know you,� Rowena replied.

“And knowledge is what you must have in order to determine all things, young Raven’s Claw. Very well, if it is knowledge you seek, I will impart what I can. My name is Salazar Slytherin. I was born and raised in East Anglia, ere this century began. My trade is information. It is my business to know all there is to know about any and every person in our community, witch or wizard, young or old. Such knowledge, as you can no doubt appreciate, is highly valued.�

“You know everyone?� asked Rowena.

“I have lived a long and well-travelled life,� said Salazar. “Perhaps you would care for me to demonstrate?� He pointed to a man on the far side of the cave. “Over there is Farmon of Sussex, a descendant of a long line of magical folk on his mother’s side. He is a talented potioneer, and has recently become engaged to girl named Edrys from Kent.� He pointed again. “That is Tilian, from Coventry. His father advocated the elimination of all centaurs in England, and was killed in a duel just outside Warwick when Tilian was twelve years old.� He indicated a witch sitting over to their left. “Lynna, daughter of Odel the Wanderer. She makes a living selling magical wards and charms, and has to date spurned the advances of every wizard who has sought to woo her.�

“Impressive,� said Rowena. “Since you cannot have met every witch and wizard, how do come by such information?�

“I travel, I observe and I listen. For instance,� Salazar turned to point his finger at Rowena, “Rowena, daughter of the nobleman Malcolm of Fife, and Wilona of Northumbria. Reputed to be the cleverest witch in Britain. Known as the Raven’s Claw on account of her dark hair and sharp mind, a nickname she picked up on her travels between leaving school in Jorvik and marrying Donald of the Highlands. Now widowed, with...�

“I think that’s enough,� interrupted Rowena.

“My apologies; I did not mean to intrude on private grief. But the circumstances of your husband’s death are common knowledge, after all; they are the reason you are on this mission, are they not?�

Rowena looked up into Salazar’s dark eyes. “Do you know who killed Donald?�

“No,� replied Salazar gravely. “There are perhaps half a dozen known groups, and still more unknown, that could have carried out such an attack, or the one on us in this very cave. My knowledge is not without limit, and many of these groups number only a few individuals and operate in utter secrecy. That way they know the king’s law cannot touch them, for their crimes remain unknown to those without magic. If your husband had private dealings with any of these people, you would be more likely to know than I. I’m sorry I cannot be more help.�

Rowena fell silent for a moment, and gazed over to the arch and the fluttering veil. Eventually, she spoke. “You still haven’t told me much about yourself.�

“There is little more to tell. I am a widower myself, many years long since, and I have a son who is approaching middle age. Also I am a Parselmouth.�

“A snake-talker?� said Rowena. “I have never met anyone who possessed the gift before. I did not even know any dwelt in Britain. Is it true you hear the language of snakes as if it is your own?�

“Quite so, and I speak it in the same way, without realising I am so doing. Snakes are very misunderstood creatures. There is a nobility and a strength of purpose to them that is not recognised by most.�

“I have but one further question,� said Rowena. “Why do you support my cause?�

“Because it is in my interest to do so. The chaos and destruction in our community benefits no one, least of all me, who has spent a lifetime cultivating friendships and alliances that could be broken at any moment with the single wave of a wand. Magic is a precious thing, and should not be squandered or wasted. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a terrible loss.� Salazar scratched at his wispy white beard. “So, what conclusions have you drawn about me?� he asked.

Rowena paused for thought. “I have a few deductions,� she said after a while. “You say you were born in East Anglia last century, which means you spent the early years of your life under the Danelaw. So you will have seen at first hand the ravages of occupation and war, which makes your desire for peace and security wholly understandable. You take no decision without first deciding if and how it will benefit you, which makes you cautious and calculating, and also highly ambitious. You see your connections with others as a way of furthering that ambition. There is more to your past than you care to admit, for instance your name is not English but Iberian, and you have not said how you came by it. Also, every person who you pointed out, you named their parents or ancestry, which suggests you regard lineage and background as extremely important in a person. How close is my analysis?�

“It is as astute as I expected from you. On your last point, I believe in the integrity and value of magical bloodlines, and the need to preserve them from outside influence.�

“You’re an isolationist?�

“More or less. Withdrawing the community from society entirely is impossible at present; we lack both the skills and the unity we would need to make it work. But I believe it will be necessary and desirable eventually. Magic is a gift for a select few, and we need to ensure it is protected as such. It belongs to us, and to our heirs.�

Salazar paused, as if waiting to see Rowena’s reaction, but Rowena was impassive. “So, do you trust me yet?� Salazar said at last.

“Trust is earned, not given, and that will take time,� answered Rowena. “But I do think you will prove to be very useful. I believe your Parselmouth ability is prescient, Salazar, for I see you as being able to speak with snakes. Not just the reptilian kind, but the human kind too. You are the person who could take our message to those who would not otherwise listen, and convince those who might be hostile. You know what people want, and what they fear. Noble words alone will not turn our community around, and I suspect your skills will be much needed.�

“I am at your service.� Salazar offered a wrinkled hand and Rowena shook it confidently.

“I should return to Helena,� she said and got up to go. But at that moment Godric rushed into the cave and ran over to the two of them.

“Salazar,� he said breathlessly, “I’ve just been told, Tolan is dead.�

Salazar looked shocked. “Who’s Tolan?� asked Rowena.

“A close friend of mine from home,� said Godric. “They say he was murdered. The conflict among us has claimed another victim.�

It was a particularly cold November and a thick frost covered the surface of the moor. The gravedigger had a great deal of trouble breaking through the ground of the churchyard to dig the hole in which the body was laid to rest. Most of the village had turned out for the funeral, and they gathered around the grave in the shadow of the church and watched as the body was covered, the grave filled and a simple wooden cross set in place on top of it. For one young woman present, carrying a small child in her arms, the sight was especially uncomfortable, as it reminded her of the grave of her husband, far away. Rowena wiped a solitary tear from her eye.

No one present was more affected than Godric however. He wept openly over the grave, and it was a strange sight to see for Rowena as this was a side to Godric she had not expected. He was a warrior, and must have seen much death in his time, yet the loss of his friend seemed to have devastated him.

The four of them, Rowena, Helga, Salazar and Godric, had all come to pay their respects to Godric’s murdered friend. They waited in silence until Godric was ready to leave the graveside, before moving inside the church for shelter. The small church was of wooden construction and really little more than a barn, but it provided some respite from the cold winds that whipped across the moor and into the Hollow.

Godric’s home village, located deep in the heart of Wessex, sat in a small depression in the midst of moorland, and was known simply as “the Hollow�. It was a small and isolated community and for that reason, plus the presence of the ancestral home of the Lions of Wessex, it had attracted a number of wizards and witches, who dwelt peacefully alongside the non-magical inhabitants. It seemed such a quiet and tranquil place to Rowena, yet the wizarding conflicts had reached even here, with tragic results.

The four sat down in the church and Salazar placed a comforting hand on Godric’s shoulder. “You and Tolan must have been very close,� said Helga.

“We grew up here alongside each other as neighbours,� replied Godric. “We shared everything together. We played together, learned together and eventually fought together. Though my service to the king took me all across the land, I always looked forward to returning here, to see him again. We had many adventures together. It was he who helped me tackle the Exmoor Dragon. He aided Salazar and me in our search for the killer stalking Gloucester. He was the best and bravest friend I ever had.�

There was a long silence before Rowena spoke up. “I want to visit the place he died.�

“Why on earth would you want to do that?� asked Salazar.

“Don’t you want to find out who killed him?� said Rowena.

“Rowena, he died from the Killing Curse. It leaves no mark, no damage, nothing that might point to the killer. What evidence might you find?�

“We don’t know until we look. Godric, you just said you’ve stalked a killer before. You know it can be done. Let us at least see what we can find.�

Godric looked up at Rowena, and then got to his feet. He wiped away his tears and his expression turned to one of determination. “You’re right,� he said. “I owe it to Tolan to at least try. Come on.�

He led them out through the village towards the house where Tolan lived. But as they passed down one street, Helga stopped, let out a slight cry and rested against a wall. “Are you all right?� asked Rowena.

“I had... I think I had a premonition,� she answered hesitantly.

“A vision?� said Salazar, full of curiosity.

“No, more like a brief flash, an echo through time.�

“What did you see?� pressed Salazar.

“Death,� said Helga. “A family, a tragedy. Nothing more. But this place, this very spot, something of great significance happened here, or will happen here, something big enough to be felt right now by someone such as me.�

“Is it connected with Tolan’s murder?�

“It’s impossible to say. It may just be an echo from far off, as I said. I’m sorry.�

“Tolan had no surviving family,� said Godric. “Let’s keep going.� Rowena looked at Helga, who nodded and said nothing more. Helga was always sensitive and wary when it came to her gift of the Sight, and she did not like to discuss it with anyone. Rowena knew better than to press the issue.

Shortly, they arrived at Tolan’s home. It was a simple cottage, no different from those around it. The front door had been left ajar. “Who knows how many people have passed through here since he was found?� pondered Salazar.

“A good number,� said Rowena, pointing to the path up to the door. “You can see how last night’s frost has frozen over the trampled ground from dozens of footprints. It would be impossible to make out an individual person. But murderers rarely enter through the front door. Let us scout around the house.�

Sure enough, at the side of the house, Rowena discovered frozen footprints clustered around a side window. The shutter on the window was half ajar. “This is how the killer entered,� declared Rowena. “Look at the window; in this cold and wind, no man would fail to latch the shutters throughout his house. But the murderer could not close them from the outside when he made his escape. The tracks lead both to and from the house. Let’s look inside.�

They entered Tolan’s home. Most of his belongings were untouched, but some things had fallen or been overturned with the comings and goings since the discovery of the body. “With no family, it will fall to me to sell on this house and its contents,� said Godric sadly. “I shall not look forward to that day. Too much does this place remind me of him.�

“The murderer entered from that side of the house,� indicated Salazar. “It seems Tolan slept over here, on the other side. It seems the murderer knew where in the house to enter to avoid waking his victim.�

“So he may well have been a local man and not a stranger,� said Rowena. “Godric, would you know if anything is missing from the house, something the murderer may have come to steal or destroy?�

“I couldn’t possibly say,� replied Godric. “Tolan was not a wealthy man, he had little of great value worth stealing.�

Rowena went over to examine the hearth. The fire had long since gone out, and a heap of charred ash lay on top of two almost burnt through logs. “This is not the typical remnants of a fire,� she stated. “From this quantity of ash, I would say that a large amount of parchment or similar material was burnt on this fire. It seems the murderer did come to destroy something, though what it was I cannot say, nothing survives here.�

“Tolan was skilled in writing, and recorded much of his trades and business dealings. The murderer must have known that,� said Godric. He sighed, and looked about the room. “There seems nothing else that might aid us.�

Just then however, a young boy burst into the house. “Lion,� he said breathlessly. “We have him.�

“You have who?� demanded Godric.

“The murderer,� gasped the boy. “It is Atelic. From what I hear, when he heard you had come back to town, bringing friends with you, he took flight and struck down the gatekeeper on the east gate in his escape. A group made after him and captured him a mile from the village. They are bringing him in now. There is talk of a hanging.�

“Wait, how do they know he is guilty?� asked Helga.

“An innocent man would not flee. The men seemed sure. They sent me to tell you.�

“Go and tell them at once to bring Atelic to my house, Wregan,� said Godric. “He shall be judged justly. There will be no summary hanging, do you hear me? Go at once.� The boy left as fast as he had come.

“Who is this Atelic?� said Rowena.

“A tradesman and wizard from the village,� said Godric. “A surly fellow, but I had not thought him capable of murder. He may be wholly innocent. I must go. As head of the House of Gryffindor and member of the King’s Guard, I am recognised as the lawful authority in this village. I must go and see that justice is done.�

“We will go with you,� said Rowena. They left the house, and as they did so Rowena stopped and went over to the footprints the murderer had left. Whispering a spell, she cut an outline in the frost around one of the footprints and turned the resulting section of frost and earth to stone. She lifted it out and carried it with her. “We can see if the man’s boot fits if nothing else,� she explained.

Godric’s home, the home of the House of Gryffindor for many generations, was a fine house located at the north end of the village. When the four arrived, there was already a large crowd outside, shouting angrily. At the front of the crowd, held firmly by two strong men, was Atelic. A well-dressed man, he was short and dark haired, his eyes were narrow and his mouth twisted in an angry snarl.

Godric opened his house and had the two men bring Atelic inside. They sat him in a chair while Helga set a fire going in the hearth to warm the cold house. One of the men quietly handed a wand to Godric. “I took this from him when we cornered him,� the man explained. “I think he would have used it on the non-magical folk in our group if I had not, and the Lord only knows what would have happened then.�

“Thank you,� said Godric, taking the wand. “Wait outside. We shall question him.�

“Do not take too long,� said the man. “Tolan was well loved in the village, and the crowd are restless and eager for justice.� The two men left. Outside the crowd could still be heard shouting.

Atelic sat silent in the chair in which he had been placed. Godric called the others aside out of his earshot. “How shall we proceed?� he asked. “Even if he is guilty, we have no evidence against him.�

“Do you have a truth potion in the house, or the ingredients to make one?� suggested Salazar.

“No, and fresh ingredients would take too long to find,� said Godric.

“Then we must bluff him,� said Rowena. “Let me try.� She handed Helena over to Helga and strode over to Atelic, a calm, cold expression on her face. She dropped the stone footprint at Atelic’s feet. “Put your foot in that,� she stated firmly.

Atelic looked up at Rowena in contempt. “And if I refuse?� he snarled.

Salazar drew his wand. “Then we may be forced to persuade you,� he said darkly.

Atelic snorted, but lifted his right foot and placed it in the footprint. It fitted exactly. “That proves nothing,� he said at once. “Any number of people might have the same size and shape boot as me. You’re just like them out there, you’ve decided I’m guilty already. You can’t wait to put the noose around my neck.�

Rowena stared firmly into Atelic’s narrow eyes. “We don’t have to assume you’re guilty, Atelic,� she said calmly. “You see, the fire you left didn’t do its job.�

At this, a flicker of doubt moved across Atelic’s face, just briefly, but enough for Rowena to catch it. “What are you talking about?� he said quickly.

“You know very well. The fire died out too quickly in the cold. Some of the parchment was still readable. Your name was there plain to see.�

Atelic was getting agitated. “So what if it was? I’ve done business with Tolan in the past, everyone knows that.�

Rowena looked Atelic up and down: his fine clothes, his neatly cropped beard, the silver ring on his finger, and made her final bluff. “It always comes down to money in the end, doesn’t it Atelic? Greed got the better of you and you were caught.�

Atelic snapped. “Greed? You call it greed when a man uses his wits to make the best of his life? Most of us aren’t like your friend Godric, born into money. We have to make what we can get. So a few people got less than they were due from me, it serves them right for being such fools. Tolan was no different.�

Godric advanced on Atelic in a rage. “And Tolan found out, and you killed him for it.�

Atelic laughed coldly. “The naive fool actually wanted me to pay back to everyone I owed. He had it all neatly recorded and written down. He thought he could persuade me privately. He never thought to tell anyone else, the stupid...�

Atelic never finished, for Godric leapt at him furiously and had to be restrained by the other three. It took some time before they managed to calm him down. “What shall we do with him then?� asked Salazar.

“Trial and execution, as he deserves,� answered Godric.

“Oh yes, a public trial,� said Atelic scornfully. “And what will you tell the crowd out there? That I killed a man with magic, with a single curse? You know how thin the thread is on which peace between magical and non-magical hangs. We keep ourselves to ourselves and they leave us be. Do you really think they will continue to do so if they know what we are capable of? Do you think they will understand? You would not dare risk it.�

“This is what they all say,� said Salazar. “Violence between magical folk goes unpunished, because no one dares expose the truth to the world. That’s why so many think they can get away with it.�

“He will not be allowed to get away with it,� said Godric. He thought for a moment. “The crowd already believes you guilty. They will not miss a public trial.�

Atelic looked up at Godric. “So a summary execution it will be after all,� he sneered. “How just of you, Lion of Wessex.�

“Godric, no,� said Rowena. “This is wrong. You cannot abandon justice. There must be another way.�

“I do not see one,� Godric answered. “We are all assured of his guilt, yes?� They each nodded. “Then by the law of the land, he must die. If we are in agreement on that, then that is all the justice we can give him. Are we agreed?�

“Agreed,� said Salazar

“Agreed,� added Helga

Rowena could see that Godric was right, despite all her misgivings. At last, and with great reluctance, she said “Agreed.�

Godric conjured ropes and bound Atelic’s hands and put a gag in his mouth. He drew his sword. “You will be spared the noose, Atelic. This is something I must do myself. The responsibility and the consequences are mine.� He led Atelic out of the door to the waiting crowd. None of the other three followed him. They had no wish to watch. Rowena heard Godric speak. “People of the Hollow, I bring you Atelic, who has confessed to the murder of Tolan. Therefore, by the authority of the House of Gryffindor and by my hand, he shall be put to death, in accordance with the laws of England.� There was a long pause, followed by the swish of Godric’s sword and a great cheer from the crowd as Atelic’s head was severed in one blow. Helena, on Rowena’s knee, began to cry softly.

“There should have been another way,� Rowena said to herself softly, cradling Helena. “There will be another way.�

AD 961

The vast cavern was thronged with people, all talking at once. Debates and arguments raged, bargains were being struck, promises (and threats) were being made. The cavern floor had been smoothed out as best as possible to accommodate the crowd, and on a raised outcrop at the north end a table had been set up. Behind on a chair sat Helga of Hufflepuff, in a yellow robe, quill in hand, recording each name as it was agreed upon. Through the crowd moved Godric and Salazar. Godric was striding about with his air of confident authority, making sure order was kept and any violence prevented. But Salazar moved quietly and furtively from person to person, whispering in ears, making suggestions and offers and subtle hints. Salazar was in his element; to watch him was to watch a master at work.

Off to the side, alone, unremarked, one woman was doing just that. Rowena sat on a rock with Helena on her knee, observing all that was happening. This day was the culmination of ten months work by her and her friends, and the time had come to sit back and interfere no further.

Her mind wandered back to the previous winter, to the day shortly after the incident at the Hollow on which she had first made her proposal to the others. “It is now clear to me,� she had said, “that what our community most urgently needs is law. The laws of our lands are either unworkable or simply unavailable when it comes to witches and wizards. We must find a way to govern ourselves in such matters, to create a system whereby ultimate authority remains with the king, but we can manage our day-to-day affairs ourselves, in our own fashion.�

Salazar had been particularly intrigued by this. “What did you have in mind?�

“An assembly,� Rowena had replied. “A gathering, or a court, drawing members from across Britain chosen by the community. They would have the power to settle disputes between wizards, bring justice to wizarding criminals and set laws appropriate to our community.�

“A sort of Witenagemot for wizards, you mean?� said Godric.

“Exactly. Such a thing has been common for communities both large and small across England for centuries. There is no reason why it cannot work for us.�

“The king may not react well to such a suggestion if he perceives us as a threat,� Salazar had warned. “And there will be those who will say this is nothing but a power grab by the four of us.�

“Then we must persuade them otherwise,� Rowena had said. “Or rather, you must persuade them, Salazar. This is a task for which you are ideally suited.� Salazar had merely smiled.

Having all agreed to this plan, the four friends set to work at once. It had fallen to Godric to arrange an audience for him and Salazar with King Edgar, to lay out their proposal. The king, as it turned out, was well aware of the existence of magic, being a man who prided himself on knowing all there was to know about his kingdom. However, it did come as something of a shock to him that a member of his own guard was a wizard. Nonetheless, he listened patiently as Salazar spoke eloquently of the need for wizards to manage their own affairs. Salazar stressed how the strife within the magical community could spread to affect non-magical folk if it was left unchecked. He pointed out the tradition among Saxons of assembly and respect for law, and he assured the king he would not be giving up authority, merely deputing it along the same lines as the Witenagemot. “We are few in number,� Salazar said, “and though we are scattered across your land, our identity means a great deal to us, and this would provide us the opportunity to share it in peace with one another. We ask only your blessing.�

The king had listened in silence throughout Salazar’s speech, and when it ended, he dismissed Salazar and Godric for an hour and thought alone in silence. Then he recalled the wizards and said, “I expect you took a great risk coming before me today and revealing the extent of the trouble among your people. If our histories and legends are any guide, magic has long been mistrusted, and no doubt you feared I might see you as dangerous and act against you. Yet any man can be dangerous if he is not constrained by morality and justice. You have asked for law, and that is the one thing above all others I am happy to grant. You may form your assembly, under the following two conditions. First, it shall make no law that flaunts the law of this land or the principles of natural justice. Second, it shall acknowledge me and my heirs as sovereign, and in token of that, whatever person you appoint to speak for this assembly shall meet with me, and my heirs after me, as often as seems appropriate, to discuss its proceedings. So it is decreed.�

With the king’s blessing secured, the four friends took up the task of travelling the length and breadth of the island, spreading the word of this new assembly among witches and wizards and calling on them to join. From Cornwall to the Orkneys they travelled, and from Anglesey to Norfolk, and all points in between, seeking out magical communities and passing on the message. There was, as expected, plenty of opposition to be found. To stave off any claim that they were only seeking power for themselves, the four agreed that none of them would sit on the assembly, only help to establish it. Despite that, there were many other objections. Scots and Welsh wizards objected to participating in an ‘English’ assembly, established by the English king. Rowena pointed out that the assembly was to be gathered on English soil, so needed the permission of the English king, but the Scots and Welsh were free to join, and as a Scot herself she had no objection to this arrangement. Fortunately, Rowena’s family was well respected among Scots wizards, and most accepted her word.

Predictably, many wizards belonging to one of the numerous factions in wizarding society refused to join any assembly alongside those of opposing factions. Even though many accepted that the infighting had to stop, they still had their own entrenched positions. Rowena knew it was vital to have all sides on board if the assembly was to work. Under advice from Salazar, the four used every argument they could to persuade each group to join up. Foremost, they could use the threat that the assembly could go ahead without that group’s involvement, and that group’s voice would not be heard. Then came the long process of agreements, bargains and concessions, until they felt they had enough groups signed up to go ahead. The call then went out across Britain to come to the Westminster caverns, where the assembly, inevitably nicknamed the Wizengamot, would be convened, and its members chosen.

It had been ten months of arduous travelling and endless meetings, but Rowena regretted none of it, except for one thing. Helena was now approaching her second birthday, and it had become impossible to take her everywhere Rowena went. Rowena hated spending any time away from Helena, but it was unavoidable. She had found a kind witch to act as a nanny, and Helga helped out whenever she herself was available, but it was hardly the same, in Rowena’s eyes, as time spent between a mother and daughter. She lavished all the more attention on Helena whenever she returned.

From early in her travels, Rowena became aware that she was being followed. Everywhere she went, her movements were tracked, and there was always one shadowy figure or another observing her from a distance. Yet none ever approached or attacked her. Rowena knew they must be from the group that had murdered Donald, yet it seemed after the incident in the cave they were more fearful of her, and were content to watch and wait, biding their time.

This suited Rowena perfectly, for she had begun to make her own plans. Secretly, she began to collect the information she needed, speaking to Salazar and others as she sought to confirm her suspicions. An idea, a scheme, had begun to form in her mind, and she was almost ready to carry it out.

Sitting, watching the proceedings from the side of the cave, Rowena caught sight of someone she had expected to see: Edwin, hotly debating some issue with another man of Jorvik. She sought to catch his eye, and he noticed her and came over. “I knew you’d be here somewhere, Rowena,� he said with a smile, “but I thought to find you amongst the crowd.�

“Such politics is not for me, Edwin,� she replied. “I am content to watch. I am not surprised to see you here, though. Wherever wizards gather, there you will be found, seeking new business. Are you doing well?�

“Well enough. There are one or two prospective members of the Wizengamot with whom I hope to curry favour. And there is always the potential to make new friends and find people of like mind. I can see what a clever idea this Wizengamot of yours is, Rowena. There are great opportunities for someone like me here.�

“Then I should let you get back to the crowd,� said Rowena. “Oh, be sure to wait around after the Wizengamot is sworn in. I have something special planned.�

“I will,� said Edwin, and rejoined the throng. Rowena watched him go until he disappeared from sight amid the hundreds of waiting people. The negotiations and nominations were almost over. Rowena waited as the last decisions were made. Helena was squirming on her lap; she didn’t like being held in one place for too long. “It’s all right, Helena, not too long now,� whispered Rowena. “Soon this will all be over.� But, she thought to herself, that’s when it really begins.

The last name was agreed upon, and one by one the new members stepped forward to swear the oath of allegiance to the king and to pledge to uphold the law. Salazar, his work done, came over to talk to Rowena. “How went it?� Rowena asked.

“As well as can be expected,� answered Salazar. “Most of the more extreme individuals failed to gain enough support to win seats, but there are still some I would keep an eye on, and several factions are still well represented. Their numbers are split evenly though, and that should keep things balanced.�

“I have watched you at work out there, Salazar. I see I was right about your talents.�

Salazar shrugged modestly. “It’s all a matter of knowing what people want. Some men are only interested in money. Some may want power or status. Others have a cause they will do anything to advance. Everyone wants something, and as such everyone has a price.�

“And often what someone wants is not the best thing for them,� mused Rowena. A few lines of poetry spontaneously formed themselves in her mind, and she smiled to herself at the thought of them.

“Do you still intend to go through with your plan?� asked Salazar.

“I do.�

“I can’t deny it may be exactly what is needed to establish the reputation and authority of the Wizengamot. But only if you can prove your case, Rowena. Are you certain you can?�

“I am sure. I have all the evidence I need. It must be now, Salazar. This moment must be seized.�

“Well then, good luck, Raven’s Claw.� Salazar headed off across the cave to speak with Godric. Rowena stood up and carried Helena over to where Helga was standing. She passed Helena over to her and they stood and watched as the oaths were completed and the Wizengamot voted to choose its Chief Warlock, the wizard who would chair its meetings and represent it to the king. A London man named Egbert was chosen, and there was much applause as he climbed up onto the outcrop to give a short speech, promising to be a faithful servant of the new assembly and to act justly and fairly at all times.

“The Wizengamot belongs to you, the people, and to all magical folk across this island,� he concluded by saying. “We are here to serve you, so do not fear to approach us when you have need. Help us, work with us, support us, and together we shall see justice brought to this land.� There was further enthusiastic applause. “Right,� he added as it died down, “is there any business for us to discuss now, or shall we convene for our first meeting tomorrow?�

Rowena stepped forward and spoke in a loud, clear voice. “I have a matter I wish to bring before the Wizengamot.� The crowd immediately hushed, and all eyes were turned towards Rowena.

“Rowena of Fife,� said Egbert in surprise. “What do you wish to bring before us?�

“I have a charge I wish to have the Wizengamot’s justice upon,� said Rowena calmly. “An opportunity for the Wizengamot to demonstrate its integrity and commitment to the law. As many of you know, a little over two years ago, my husband, Donald, was killed by wizards. I wish to bring a charge of murder, to be tried by this assembly, against the man I believe ordered his death.�

A murmur swept around the cave at Rowena’s words. Egbert lifted up his hand for silence. “Against whom do wish to bring this charge, Rowena?� he asked.

Rowena pointed into the crowd. “Against Edwin of Jorvik,� she said.

Rowena gently laid Helena down into her cot and stroked her forehead as she murmured softly and drifted towards sleep. She covered her over with a blanket and turned to Edyth, her nanny. “Could you watch her for a while in case she stirs again? I have to step out for a while.� Edyth nodded and Rowena left the cave where she had made her temporary home in the past months and headed out through the tunnels. High above, under the sky, it was now night, but here the torches burned constantly, lighting visitors through the tunnels. A few members of the Wizengamot and other hangers-on were out and about, looking for somewhere to stay overnight, but Rowena passed them by in silence and they let her go, leaving her to her thoughts.

She passed into a deep part of the cave complex and came to a narrow tunnel, which led to a dead end. A few feet from the end of the tunnel, a heavy wooden door had been erected across it to create a makeshift cell. A tall, thick-set and heavily bearded man stood in front of the door as a guard. “Raven’s Claw,� he acknowledged gruffly as Rowena approached.

“I’m here to see the prisoner,� said Rowena.

The guard looked uncertain. “Are you sure?�

“I will not harm him, and he cannot harm me, not any more. I only wish to speak with him. It will not take long.�

The guard thought for a moment. “Very well,� he said at last, “but I would ask you surrender your wand before going in there.�

Rowena handed over her wand, and the guard raised his own and unlocked the door. He opened it and beckoned Rowena inside. The cell was only a few feet square and empty except for a crude wooden bench set up to act as both seat and bed. Sitting on the bench, staring at the ground, was Edwin. He looked up and there was a glint of fire in his eyes as he saw Rowena.

The cell door clanged shut behind Rowena. She stood in silence for a moment and the two stared at each other, unblinking. Then Edwin spoke, and his voice was soft. “Rowena, whatever did I do to you? How can accuse me of such a monstrous crime?�

“Save your protestations, Edwin,� said Rowena coldly. “I know you are guilty. I know everything. I would not be standing here otherwise.�

“How?� demanded Edwin. “What can you possibly think you know?�

“I suspected you right from our first meeting in Jorvik, in fact. You let something slip when you admitted you had known Donald in the past. You said you had done business with him involving unicorn foals. The trouble is, my husband would never have traded in unicorn foals. He was passionate about magical creatures, that is true, and he cared a great deal about their welfare. With unicorns, separating a foal from its mother at any stage is not only dangerous but highly damaging to the foal and its wellbeing. Donald would not have countenanced that, so he would never have traded in them. So you had to be lying.

“I knew Donald’s killers had been English; the only strangers seen by the locals in the area in the last couple of days before his death had been heard speaking English. He was killed by the forest on the edge of our lands. There are small colonies of magical creatures in the forest and visiting them was his main reason for going down there. I know he wasn’t killed for money as I oversaw our finances and would have known if something was wrong. But he liked to keep his hobby private. So my assumption was his death had something to do with his hobby. The fact that your lie was in the same area attracted my interest.

“Still, that was hardly evidence; I only had suspicions. Plus it was coincidence of the highest order that you happened to own Helga’s old school. But then Helga was attacked as I arrived to see her. The attack had to be related to Donald’s death, that was obvious. But why target Helga and not me, and how did they know where to go? Only one person other than me knew I was going to Hufflepuff, and why I was going. That person was you.

“So by then I was convinced, but I needed proof. If I had succeeded in capturing one of those thugs that attacked me in these caves then I might have found proof much earlier, but alas I failed. After that, you became more cautious, sending people to follow me, keeping an eye on me yourself, to find out what I knew. So I had to act equally carefully. My travels promoting the Wizengamot gave me just the cover I needed. Your spies couldn’t follow me everywhere, nor overhear all my conversations. I have spoken with a great number of witches and wizards who have had much to say about you. I know all the details of your criminal operation: the thefts, intimidations and violence conducted over many years. I know many of the names of those you employ. You’ve turned my old school into a nexus for magical criminals from across Britain, all the while hiding behind your veil of respectability. Tomorrow I will stand up in front of the Wizengamot and reveal everything and you will be exposed for what you are: a crook, a thug and a murderer.�

Edwin opened his mouth as if to protest, but looking into Rowena’s eyes seemed to think better of it. Instead, he said, “I admit nothing. But if you are so certain of my guilt, why are you here at all?�

“To seek the answer to one last question: why? That you had a dispute is plain, but what exactly happened between Donald and your gang? What made you decide he had to die? These are the only unanswered questions I have left, and only you have the answers.�

Edwin’s mouth twisted into a cruel half-smile. “You will get no satisfaction from me. As I said, I will admit nothing, I will confess nothing. If I can perhaps deny you some knowledge, then it is a small victory, Raven’s Claw. But I will say this; no man takes the life of another if he does not profit by it in some way, be it through money or power or the righting of some wrong done to him. As a man’s life is measured by his worth, so is his death. Such is the way of the world, as it always has been.�

Rowena recalled the poem she had thought up earlier when speaking with Salazar as the Wizengamot convened. Some men dream of power, and some dream of glory... she thought to herself. Aloud, she said, “You’re wrong, Edwin. As I said to you once before, all life has value, and value beyond price. The true measure of a man is found in his wisdom, his honesty and his fairness towards others. And if a man should fail to meet those standards, then justice will find him out.�

“Justice!� said Edwin, almost spitting the word out as if the taste of it disgusted him. “There is no such thing as justice. There is only power, and those that have it, and those that don’t. Right now, you have the power, and so you can exercise it and take the revenge that you believe is owed to you. You are no different to anyone else. But you will not have the power for ever, Rowena, and one day your turn to be measured will come.�

“I do not believe in revenge,� said Rowena firmly. “It is a cancer that has infected our community, and it is my mission to stamp it out. That is why the Wizengamot was created, to ensure that justice is done, and to make revenge unnecessary.�

“Believe what you want. Your Wizengamot may lay down laws, but it cannot change people’s hearts and minds. In the end, you will have changed nothing.�

Rowena stood silently for a moment. Then she turned and banged on the cell door. “Guard,� she called out, “I’m done here.� The cell door opened. “Goodbye, Edwin. I suggest you find whatever peace you can.�

Edwin did not rise from his seat, but looked up at Rowena coldly. “Remember what I said, Rowena. I have many friends out there. One day you may regret what you do here now.�

Rowena did not reply, but stepped out of the cell. The guard closed and locked the door once more and returned her wand to her. Rowena left and headed up towards the great cavern. Try as she might, she could not stop herself thinking about some of what Edwin had said. Was he right? Would the Wizengamot really change nothing?

She entered the cavern. The vast space was almost empty and echoed with the sound of her footsteps. Two men stood alone in the centre, talking. They were Godric and Egbert, the new Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. Rowena approached them. Godric greeted her warmly. “Is everything all right?� he asked.

“Yes. I have been to see Edwin.�

“You did?� exclaimed Godric. “Did you learn anything? What did he say?�

“Nothing, nothing of consequence. He refuses to confess. At least that will ensure that a full and proper trial will take place.�

“Godric and I have just been discussing the trial,� said Egbert. “It is likely to be highly charged in here tomorrow and I was looking to Godric to help keep order.�

“Above all remember this,� said Rowena. “The trial must be fair, scrupulously fair down to the last detail. I would rather Edwin were acquitted than this trial harm the reputation of the Wizengamot in any way. There are people on the Wizengamot who will speak up for Edwin; let them be heard, and heard fully. Question every piece of evidence I and others bring. Tomorrow may well be the day the Wizengamot defines itself. Do it well.�

“I understand the responsibility, and it is a heavy burden to bear,� said Egbert. “Now it comes to it, I wonder if I was right to accept the appointment. There are surely others wiser and stronger than I who could have taken the job.�

“But I doubt anyone so humble. We may only just have met, but from everything I have heard of you, I think the Wizengamot made the right choice. We are starting something new here, Egbert, and there is no guide to direct us. All we can do is each make the choices we believe to be right and trust they will be vindicated. Come, tell me something about yourself.�

The three of them sat in the centre of the cavern and talked for some time, about Egbert, the Wizengamot, the trial and the state of the wizarding community in general. But all the time at the back of her mind, Rowena kept thinking of what Edwin had said, and of the poem that had been going around her head all day. What was her mind trying to tell her?

Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted as Edwin’s guard burst into the cavern. He rushed over to them. “He’s gone,� he exclaimed breathlessly.

The three of them leapt to their feet. “What do you mean, he’s gone?� said Godric.

“I was standing guard at the cell when a man I didn’t recognise approached,� explained the guard in between gasps for air. “I challenged him and he held up his hands to show he wasn’t holding his wand, but when he got close he must have got the jump on me somehow, because I was knocked out. When I came to, the cell door was open and Edwin was gone. I don’t even know how long I’ve been out. God, what have I done?�

“Don’t be too hard on yourself,� said Godric. “Concealing a wand so it looks like one’s hands are empty is an old trick, but hard to spot quickly. Somehow one of his accomplices must have found out where he was.�

“Rouse every man you can and start searching the caves,� Rowena ordered the guard. “We must catch him quickly.�

“If he had help, surely he’s Disapparated and long gone by now,� said Godric.

“I don’t think so. I have to go,� said Rowena and ran off as fast as she could.

“Wait, Rowena, where are you going?� asked Godric, but Rowena didn’t hear. Fear had grabbed her and all she could do was hope she was wrong. Edwin was ruined whatever happened, he would know that. The truth about him would come out whatever he did, and he would be a hunted man the rest of his life. But the one thing above all that drove him was revenge. Rowena knew that, and if she read him right, there would only be one thought in his mind right now: to take revenge on her. She ran down the tunnels as fast as she could.

She burst into her home. There, at the entrance to the nursery, lay Edyth on the floor. She was alive but unconscious. Rowena leapt over her into the nursery. Helena’s cot was empty.

A searing spasm of pain shot through her and her knees buckled as she stared down at the empty cot. A cloud of darkness spread in front her eyes and for a moment she thought, she hoped, that the ground would open up and swallow her whole and take her down into darkness. Edwin had known how to hurt her the most. To lose Helena would be the one suffering she could never hope to endure.

She fell to her knees in front of the cot, desperately trying to regain control of her thoughts. Her mind raced. Where would he have gone? she thought. What would his next move be? Think, Rowena, think! Then, all of a sudden, it came to her. She knew. Edwin could not pass up such an opportunity. There may still be hope, still be time. She jumped up and ran out.

So often had she taken the route that she could have done it blindfolded. She knew every stone and obstacle as she ran, and could avoid them all. She ignored the pain in her legs and the tears in her eyes as she sprinted on. Within a minute, she was there. She tore into the Chamber of the Veil.

Edwin and his accomplice had climbed up on to the outcrop on which the arch stood. Edwin had Helena in his arms. “Edwin, we can’t do this,� his accomplice was saying. “Come on, we have to get out of here before...� He never got a chance to finish his sentence because Rowena’s Stunning spell struck him in the side and he collapsed to the ground. Edwin wheeled round immediately, his back to the veil. His right hand held a wand pointed at Rowena, his left held Helena to his chest. She cried loudly and struggled in his grip.

“Damn you, Raven’s Claw,� he snarled. “How did you get here so fast?�

“This is where that lackey of yours died. A man like you would think it only fitting to take your revenge here.�

“That ‘lackey’ was a close friend of mine. The man with him was his brother. Would that have occurred to you? A life pays for a life, Rowena. Yours is too hard to take, but hers...� He took a half step backwards, closer to the veil.

“No!� screamed Rowena. Her wand arm was shaking and she fought to keep her wand steady. “What sort of monster are you, to take an innocent child’s life?�

“What else have you left me? I have no life to return to, no future to look forward to. All I have left is my revenge, and at the least I can take that.�

Rowena’s mind was racing, trying to think of some spell she could use, but there was nothing she could do that wouldn’t risk harm to Helena. Edwin was just one step in front of the veil. “Only one man is responsible for your friend’s death through that arch, and you know it,� she said. “That man is you. You sent him here, to launch an unprovoked murderous attack on us. His death is on your head, not mine.�

Helena was continuing to struggle in Edwin’s grasp, and Rowena began to fear Edwin might drop her. She could crack her head or slip through the veil. “What about my death, then?� Edwin snapped back. “Even if it be by a hangman’s noose, you have surely ended my life.�

“But right now, your life is still your own, Edwin. You still have a choice to make. Your life up to now may have been made of poor choices, but you still have a chance to turn away and do a good thing at the last.�

“Poor choices? I don’t regret a single choice I’ve made in my life. I was born with nothing, the son of a cobbler, with no magical ancestry. My family rejected me. I had to fight my way up, battle for everything I could get. You and your friends, born into privilege, you have no idea what it’s like. You live among people like Slytherin, who despise the likes of me.�

Perhaps if I just keep him talking, he may see reason, or more help may come, Rowena thought. “I know all about the bad blood between you and Salazar; I have talked to him long. He may not have known all the truth about you, but he rightly suspected you. He told me many stories about you which led me on the path to the truth.�

“Ha! I bet he did. And, oh, the stories I could tell you about him in return. How well do you think you know that man, Rowena? Tell me this, did you really think he knows so much about everyone simply by travelling and meeting people? No, he can see their thoughts. He can read minds. That’s where he gets his knowledge. Can you really trust a man like that?�

Rowena hesitated, unable to think of an immediate response, but at that moment Helena nearly wriggled free from Edwin’s grasp. Edwin looked down briefly as he sought to regain his hold on her and Rowena took her chance. “Expelliarmus!� she cried, and the wand sprang out of Edwin’s hand.

Edwin cursed, but took hold of Helena in both arms. “Don’t move,� he commanded, but instead Rowena took her own wand and sheathed in inside her robe, and began to walk down from the entrance. “No more magic now, Edwin,� she said. “No one else, just you and me. This is your free choice now. Whose life will you take? I offer you mine, in exchange for my daughter’s. Spare her and do what you have to do. But first let her go.�

Edwin looked from Helena to Rowena, a cloud of doubt appearing on his face as Rowena continued to advance towards him. Rowena saw it. “Look at her,� she said firmly. “Look at Helena. Have you ever looked into the eyes of anyone you’ve killed? From a distance with a wand, or from far away with an order to someone else, that is quite different. Face to face, to kill is not so easy. Look at her, Edwin. Look at her. Now look at me.�

Edwin looked down at the crying infant in his arms, then up at Rowena, open armed, still walking towards him. His resolve had gone; he was paralysed by doubt, unable to act. “I will not face the gallows,� he said, his voice cracking.

Rowena reached the bottom of the outcrop on which the arch stood. “Be a man, Edwin,� she urged, “and make your choice.�

Edwin’s legs seemed to buckle beneath him and he slipped to his knees. He let Helena slip to the ground in front of him and she tottered forward a few steps as Rowena dashed up the outcrop to embrace her daughter. She looked up at Edwin. “Thank you,� she said and held out her hand. But Edwin did not take it. Instead, he got to his feet again and turned to face the veil.

“Can you hear them?� he said. “The voices, they’re calling to me. I think they’ve been waiting.� He looked back. “I meant what I said. I will not suffer the noose.�

“Edwin...� said Rowena weakly, but Edwin held up a hand.

“My choice is made. Go, live. Make your better world. It is not for me. But I leave you with one last warning. Do not trust Salazar Slytherin. One day, I promise, you will regret you ever made alliance with him. Farewell.� He turned, pushed aside the veil, and stepped through the arch. He gave a last gentle sigh, and faded into nothingness.

When a group of wizards, led by Godric, arrived in the chamber a few minutes later, they found Rowena sitting on the outcrop, sobbing uncontrollably, Helena clutched tightly to her chest, all her composure that she had fiercely held in front of Edwin gone. For an hour they could not move her and she remained, pouring tears onto Helena’s head and wrapping her in her arms, unable to imagine ever being able to let her go.

Winter had come to the Highlands, and the snow lay thick across the glen. A thin layer of ice covered the loch and icicles dripped from the trees in the forest. From afar, smoke could be seen rising from the chimney of the manor house on the cliff, indicating that its owner was at home.

Following the death of Edwin, Rowena had left behind the Westminster caves and had returned home to the Highlands. She still had to travel south at times because, although Edwin was dead, the rest of his gang was still in the process of being rounded up and put on trial, and Rowena was needed to give evidence at those proceedings. But for the most part, she remained in the north. She had much to think about and found that the quiet and open air helped her. She also wanted Helena to spend time in more peaceful surroundings, away from noise and crowds.

She sat in the main hall of the house, in front of the fire, and watched Helena at play. Helena was toddling around the room in circles at incredible pace, deliberately making herself dizzy. Occasionally she would fall over, but always landed softly and would pick herself up immediately and start all over again. She seemed to find the whole process thoroughly amusing and Rowena smiled to watch her having fun.

She glanced out of the window. The sun was rising high; the others would arrive shortly. She thought over again all she had to say, and what the response would be. Would they think their work was done now the Wizengamot was a success, or would they embrace this new challenge? She had to try at least. She knew it had to be done.

A short while later, she heard a loud knock at the door, and her housekeeper showed Godric into the hall. Rowena embraced him warmly. “How fares the king?� she asked.

“He’s in excellent health and full of energy,� Godric replied. “He is a strong and decisive ruler; I expect in time he will be one of England’s most successful kings of our era. He is staying in Winchester at present. I have been neglecting my duties towards him of late. I hope whatever you have called us together for will not take me away from him for long.�

Rowena smiled. “I’m afraid it may, Godric. But I will wait until the others arrive to explain.�

“All right, you can keep your secret for a little longer,� said Godric with a laugh, and went to play with Helena as Rowena waited. Helga was the next to arrive, not long after. She had recently returned to visit Hufflepuff as she had promised, and was happy to report that the village was thriving.

“I expected no less, after the gift you left,� said Rowena.

“They have used it well. I am glad I could give something back to a place that has given me so much. It will always be a home to me.�

Last to arrive was Salazar and Godric was the first to greet him. Rowena stood to the side watching the reunion of the two friends and pondering, as she had done for many days, Edwin’s last words. Had they been the last ravings of a desperate man with a grudge, or was there truth to them? She cast her eyes over Salazar’s wizened features, his high domed head, his dark deep-set eyes that betrayed so little emotion. Could he really read minds? Rowena knew of a magical skill known as Legilimency practised by some wizards in lands bordering the Mediterranean, but she had never heard of anyone with the talent in Britain before.

But Salazar was, and still remained, unique, an enigma. The mystery of who he was still frustrated Rowena, like any puzzle she could not solve. What was his ancestry? Where did he come by the strange epithet Slytherin? Had he given it to himself, was it given to him, or had he inherited it? The name Salazar, his gift of Parseltongue and, if true, the skill of Legilimency all pointed to his origin or heritage lying beyond Britain, yet he firmly claimed to be a son of East Anglia.

In the year and a half Rowena had known him, he had proved to be nothing other than a trustworthy friend and a loyal ally, Rowena had to admit. If it had not been for what Edwin had said, she would have been happy to trust him without reservation now, but Edwin had reawakened her old fears. Still, if she could not fully trust him, Rowena needed him, she knew. Her plan needed all four of them.

“Please sit down,� she said, and the four took seats in front of the fire. Helena continued to play happily by herself. Rowena took a deep breath, recalling what she had rehearsed to say. “Well, the Wizengamot is up and running, and I think we can all say that so far it has been a success. But the trouble is, it is not enough. Law can only go so far in shaping a people. It can provide a framework for society, and ensure that people fear breaking those rules, but it cannot change society. We cannot hope to see a better wizarding community unless its very culture can be changed. Our community is broken, and it must be rebuilt. It was Edwin who showed me that.�

“Edwin?� exclaimed Helga. “What could you have possibly learned from him?�

“A great deal in his last words to me,� said Rowena, with an unconscious glance across at Salazar. “Evil men are rarely born, Helga, they are made. Edwin was a product of our society, and we know well he is far from the only one. He was born into poverty, with no wizarding ancestry. He faced scorn or fear from all sides. He thought the only way to improve his lot in life was to take whatever he could, without thought to others. He fed on the fracture in our community, able to cajole others similarly disenfranchised and to threaten and even kill with impunity. He could not see any other way of living.�

“It is tragic, to be sure,� said Godric, “but what else can be done other than what the Wizengamot is doing?�

“There is a way, a simple way, to reform our community and to lessen the likelihood of such people arising again. Salazar, do you recall on the day the Wizengamot was constituted, you spoke to me as the members were being sworn in? We discussed the ways you had negotiated with the different groups.�

“Indeed,� said Salazar, puzzled, “but what of it?�

“Something you said about knowing what people want caused my imagination to form some lines of poetry on the spot, and they have been running around in my head constantly ever since, as if my mind is trying to tell me something. I would like to share them with you.� Rowena sat back in her chair and recited:

“Some men dream of power, and some dream of glory
And some dream of money, and others of fame.
But wit beyond measure is man’s greatest treasure,
And those that possess it put others to shame.�

She paused, before leaning forward once more and continuing more earnestly. “I understand what those words mean now. Never mind strength, or wealth, or popularity, the most powerful tool any of us can possess in our world is knowledge. The more we know, the stronger we are, and the better we can understand and appreciate others. Wit and wisdom, and an enquiring mind, are the greatest gifts we can have.�

“That may be true, Rowena, but not all of us have been blessed with those gifts to the amount you have,� said Helga gently.

“But within everyone lies the potential for greatness, if their minds are but unlocked; I firmly believe this. And there is a way to do it. Education.� Rowena paused briefly again, letting the word hang in the air for the others to consider. “Imagine this - a school, one great school open to every magical child in Britain. A microcosm of the whole magical community gathered together in one place, at their most formative age. We take them, we teach them, we mould them, we unlock their potential. They live together, they learn together, they grow up together as one community. We can build a united society through our children.�

Godric interrupted. “Sorry, but we teach them?�

Rowena smiled. “Who else? The four of us represent the whole of Britain, north, south, east and west. We have a standing in the community, but no ties or affiliations. We have more experience than just about anybody. Helga, you’ve been a teacher before. Salazar, you’ve spent a lifetime working with people and learning to understand them. Godric, you’re a natural leader who commands authority and respect. As for me, I think I was born for this, to pass on the knowledge I have gained to the next generation.� She looked over to Helena, still playing happily.

“You ask a great deal, Rowena,� observed Helga. “This would be a lifetime’s commitment. And where would we make such a school?�

“We would build it,� answered Rowena. “I envisage it as more than just a school but a centre of magic, a focus for the community. It would house the accumulated knowledge of our society, and be a store of magical artefacts. Creatures of magic would live in its grounds under its protection. There would not be a home of magic like it in the world.�

Rowena could see the eyes of her three companions drift as they imagined such a place, and she knew her words had hit home. Salazar leaned eagerly forward in his chair and was the first to speak. “A home of magic, you say? That is a wondrous idea. A place we who have magic can call our own, away from all others. We would take in those of true magic, the best, the wisest, and make them the future leaders of our people.�

“Yes, the greatest and strongest of us,� said Godric. “Those of true heart, eager to learn, to make the best of themselves. What greatness we could forge!�

“A place for all those of magic, however humble,� added Helga. “We could raise them up, make them more than they could ever hope to be otherwise. A place of inspiration to all of what they could accomplish.�

Rowena too could imagine it in her mind’s eye: bright, enquiring minds flocking to the greatest seat of learning wizardry had ever known, their minds open to discover all the wonders of the world. “So, my friends, will you join me? Shall we make this place and change our world forever?�

Salazar looked up, straight into her eyes. “I say yes,� he stated firmly.

“As do I,� said Godric.

“And I,� said Helga. She stretched out her right hand. Godric placed his hand on top, then Salazar, then finally Rowena. “So it is pledged,� said Rowena, and smiled with delight as she looked around the group. They were truly four friends, united as never before, ready to make a new world. It was all she had hoped for. The warnings of Edwin seemed meaningless now.

Godric, always the first to get down to practicalities, did not let the moment last long. “The question now is where to begin. It is one thing to say we will build this school, but quite another to make it actually happen. How would we construct such a place, and where would we build it.�

“It would need to be somewhere remote and hidden from non-magical eyes,� said Salazar. “Charms exist to disguise a building, but it could certainly not be built in any town or city, not for the size of place you envisage, Rowena. I would suggest the Westminster caverns, but they belong to the Wizengamot now.�

“Not even they would be big enough,� replied Rowena. “I have already given thought to the location of the school, and the perfect place was clear to me. Here.� She stood up and went over to a window. “Think about it. This land belongs to me, so we would not need to purchase land from anyone else. It is certainly remote. We can knock down this house and build the school in its place.� She pointed eastwards out of the window. “That forest is part of my land. It would make an excellent safe home for a range of magical creatures. Aquatic creatures could live in the loch. This spot on the cliff is good solid ground on which to build and dominates the landscape. It’s perfect.�

“Are you really prepared to give up your home for this school?� asked Helga.

Rowena looked over at Helena and then out of the window down to the shore of the loch, to the place where Donald was buried. “This land is far more my home than any building,� she said. “This will still be my home - this will always be my home. It would be my privilege to make it yours too, and a home to hundreds more, for generations to come. I can’t wait to begin.�

AD 967

The young girl played happily at the water’s edge, paddling barefoot in the shallows and throwing pebbles as far as she could out into the loch. Her mother finished her short vigil by the mound of earth close by and came over to her. “Come on, Helena,� she said, “there’s something I want to show you.�

Reluctantly, Helena came out of the water, dried off her feet as best she could, and put on her shoes. She followed after Rowena as she headed off away from the loch. To Helena’s surprise, she found they were not taking the direct route back up the cliff to the castle, but rather a less steep route upwards, to the east of the castle, skirting the edge of the forest.

Helena did not care too much for the forest, it seemed dark and forbidding, so she hurried to keep up with her mother as they followed the line of trees. “Where we going?� she asked.

“Where are we going,� corrected Rowena instinctively, then instantly regretted it. She had promised herself she wouldn’t keep jumping on every little mistake Helena made; it would just make Helena feel insecure and picked on. She was a normal, average eight year old girl and would learn at her own pace, Rowena kept reminding herself. Sometimes, however, her instincts would leak out. It would be something she would have to learn how to control if she was to be a good teacher. “Not far,� she said quickly to answer Helena’s question. “There’s a place up here where you can get a great view of the castle, and then I want to take you on to something we’ve just finished building.�

They climbed up the hill to the top of a high mound and, with the forest at their backs, looked down upon the castle. It looked beautiful in the morning sunshine. “Well, there it is, in all its glory,� said Rowena. “All but finished now. A year in the planning and five years in the building, and it seems like no time has passed at all. I wanted you to see all of it properly. It’s a wonderful sight from up here.�

Helena looked down on the sight in awe. “It’s so big,� she exclaimed. She had never realised it from close up. It filled the space on the cliff above the loch, and its towers extended so high, Helena could almost imagine they touched the clouds.

Rowena smiled. “It is indeed, Helena. Far bigger than we need now, or will need for generations to come for that matter. But that’s exactly what I told Dunmore I wanted when we designed it.� Dunmore was the architect Rowena had hired to be in charge of the construction. “I want this place to last for centuries, whatever future wizarding needs may be, and to be just as grand and imposing then as it is now. I want it filled with wonders and mysteries, so that a lifetime of searching would not uncover all its secrets. A treasure trove of magic, to stand for all time. Five years it took to build, and without magic it would have taken fifty, but it was worth it.�

She crouched down next to Helena and pointed to the furthest right of the three tallest towers of the castle. “See that tower? That will be our new home, once the finishing touches are made to it. Those students under my care will live in rooms throughout that tower, and you and I will have a place at the very top. The Raven’s Claw Tower, the builders have taken to calling it. On the left, that will be Godric’s tower. The tallest in the centre belongs to us all, and its summit will be used to study the heavens.

“Helga insisted she didn’t want a grand tower to herself, so she will have more modest dwellings on the ground floor. We have delved down into the cliff as well as built above it, and Salazar wants to make his home deep under the castle, perhaps even below the lake. The grand entrance to the castle is in front of us there, and under that high-arched roof is the great hall, where feasts and gatherings will be held.

“The four of us will each have a quarter of the students under our care, living alongside us, but they will all come together for lessons and for meals. One day, in a few years when you’re a little older, you’ll be one of them, and I’ll expect you to join in all the activities of the school as much as any other student. For now though, you’ll continue to live with me in the tower.�

“When will everyone come?� asked Helena.

“The school will open in a few months. We still have a few things to finish off, plus we will need to hire the all the necessary support staff. We expect the number of students to increase gradually, as the school gains a reputation and parents get used to the idea of sending their children here. A lot are still sceptical this venture will work; we need to show them that it will. For now, the plan is that we will accept any young witch or wizard between the ages of ten and sixteen from anywhere across the island of Britain. They will be expected to live here continuously, except for over the Christmas and Easter festivals, if they wish to return home then. We will provide for all their needs while they are here.�

She stood up and took Helena by the hand. “Come, I’ve got something special for you to see now.� She led her further away from the castle and the loch, heading on north towards the mountains. Ahead to their right, the forest ended as the roots of the mountain to their immediate north rose out of them. Extending across from the edge of the forest east to west, Helena saw that a high wall had been built, curving away far into the distance.

“That wall marks where our old lands ended, and is now the edge of the school’s grounds,� Rowena explained. “It eventually curves round and runs south down to the loch, enclosing the grounds on two sides, the third side being the loch itself, and the fourth the forest. Only witches and wizards will be permitted within this wall. Charms have been set in place to keep out non-magical folk and to discourage them from approaching. Other wards will prevent magical incursions. This school will be the most secure and protected place anywhere in this island. The only way into or out of it is up ahead.�

As they approached the wall, Helena saw that a massive gate had been built into it, and that was where Rowena was leading her. The gate was made of bars of iron and was secured on either side into tall stone pillars built onto the wall. It towered over Helena as she came up to it, as tall as the entrance to the castle itself.

Rowena raised her wand and the gate parted in the middle and opened. “I want you see it from this side,� she said, and they passed through and the gate closed behind them. From this side, Helena could see that set into the gate, two on each side, were four large emblems, each finely painted in bright colours.

“These are the emblems of the four of us, the founders of this school,� said Rowena. “The red Lion of Wessex on gold is for Godric, the symbol of the House of Gryffindor. The silver snake on green was Salazar’s choice. Salazar is a Parselmouth, that means he can speak to snakes,� she explained, unable to resist a little educating. “Helga of course said she didn’t want an emblem, but we persuaded her there should be one for all of us, so she chose the badger. It represents Hufflepuff, she says, the village that is dearest to her of anywhere. The bronze eagle on blue is the symbol of our family, Helena, mine and my father’s, and his father’s before him. It is also yours, and a part of your heritage of which you should be proud. But this gate should mean more to you than just that emblem. Look at the whole gate. What do you see?�

Helena did as she was told and stepped back and looked up and down the gate. Apart from the emblems there seemed nothing else of note. But then she looked up to the top of the stone pillars on either side and stopped and pointed. “Animals!� she exclaimed. “Animals with wings on the top there!� Two sculptures made of stone sat on top of the two pillars.

“Yes, Helena,� replied Rowena. “Can you tell me what animals they are?�

Helena stared closely. “They look like boars,� she said.

Rowena sighed. “Unfortunately they do, Helena. Dunmore may be extremely talented in many ways, but the man has no concept of the difference between a hog and a boar. Plus he thought the wings gave them a nice ‘artistic touch’. I didn’t push the issue because building them at all was a bit of an indulgence of mine and I didn’t want the real reason known. So winged boars is what we got. But I want you to pretend they’re hogs, not boars, Helena.�

She took out a small object and knelt down to show it to Helena. It was a finely engraved pendant. “This belonged to your father. It shows his own emblem, the symbol of his family. I want you to have it. Look at it.� Helena did so. The pendant showed a tall gate made of iron bars, and two giant hogs standing guard, one on each side of it.

“This land was your father’s land before he died,� said Rowena. “I swore on his grave I would make a better world for you to live in, and this school is the result. This is his legacy as much as mine, and so this symbol of him will stand here for all time, to welcome each student and each visitor to this place. You never knew your father, and I cannot change that, but take this pendant, look upon this gate and think of him. Know that he was a good man, a kind man, and the best of companions anyone could hope to have.� She pressed the pendant into Helena’s hands and hugged her. “The true meaning of this gate will be our secret, Helena. To everyone else, it will be just a gate, but we will know.�

Helena looked down at the pendant again. “What’s it mean?� she asked.

Rowena resisted the urge to correct her grammar again. “The symbol? It’s a guarded entrance, such symbols are common in many places. It usually means both openness, but a sense of protection and security. Perhaps the guarding of a boundary, between one land and another, or between one world and another. Why hogs in this case, I don’t know, but they may represent wards over the boundary, either in the physical sense of wardens, or wards as in charms designed to offer protection. Think of them as hog wards.�

Helena had not really followed Rowena’s rather academic explanation, but she was used to that. However the last words made her chuckle. “Hogwarts!� she said in between giggles. “Hogwarts!�

“No, hog wards, Helena,� Rowena said patiently.

“Hogwarts!� said Helena again, insistently. “Hogwarts sounds better. Hogwarts, Hogwarts.�

“All right, Helena,� said Rowena. Despite herself, she couldn’t help but smile. “Hogwarts. You know, it does have a good sound to it. Hogwarts.� She laughed to herself, then stood up and took Helena by the hand again. “Come now, we have to be going back. It’s approaching lunchtime and Salazar has called a meeting for this afternoon. Apparently he wants to discuss admissions policy or something. Anyway, let’s go.�

She raised her wand again, the gates parted, and mother and daughter passed through. Hand in hand together, they walked down to the castle... to Hogwarts.

THE END