Chapter 14: The Weight of Knowledge

POV: Ronda Weasley

Ronda Weasley woke early that day, her red hair a tangled mess from tossing and turning through dreams of smoky corridors and shadowy figures. She couldn't quite shake the feeling that the day ahead was significant, though she couldn't put her finger on why.

After a quick breakfast filled with light chatter about Quidditch schedules and rumors about a recent prank by the twins, she joined the stream of students heading to History of Magic.

Ronda now sat at her usual spot in the History of Magic classroom, her quill idly tapping against the edge of her parchment.

The classroom was warmer than usual, a low fire crackling in the corner, and the faint scent of parchment and ink lingered in the air.

Around her, her classmates were settling into their seats. Holly Potter was flipping through her notes while Hermione Granger had already laid out three different colored inks for taking notes.

Seamus Finnigan was whispering something to Dean Thomas, earning an exasperated look from Hannah Longbottom.

Ronda let her gaze wander. She often found herself torn during these classes. On one hand, Professor Fawley was undeniably brilliant, his passion for history making the subject more engaging than she ever thought possible. On the other hand, the weight of the wizarding world's history often felt oppressive, especially when Fawley waxed poetic about Hogwarts' role in shaping their lives. She sighed quietly as the professor strode into the room, his presence commanding immediate attention.

The classroom quieted as Professor Alaric Fawley swept into the room. His robes were deep blue, accented with silver runes that shimmered faintly in the light. His presence demanded attention, and the chatter ceased almost instantly.

"Good morning, class," he began, his voice calm yet commanding. "Today, we'll discuss something that lies at the very foundation of our world. Take out your notes."

Ronda exchanged a glance with Hermione, who was practically glowing with anticipation. Dean, on the other hand, gave a quiet groan but dutifully pulled out parchment and quill.

Fawley flicked his wand toward the blackboard, and neat cursive writing appeared: "The Founding of Hogwarts and Its Legacy." He turned to the class, his dark eyes scanning the room.

"Settle down, everyone," he said, his voice steady but full of authority. "Today, we discuss not just history, but the very foundation of your existence."

Ronda leaned forward slightly, her curiosity piqued despite herself.

"In which way is Hogwarts so important?" asked Fawley, his tone challenging as his eyes swept over the class. Instantly, Hermione's hand shot up as usual, while a few others hesitated before raising theirs.

"Miss Abbott?" he called.

"To learn magic?" Hannah ventured.

"Yes," Fawley nodded approvingly. "Miss Granger?"

"It's the first wizarding school in the whole world!" Hermione declared with confidence.

"You're right, Miss Granger. But what does that imply?"

Hermione's hand lowered slightly, and a flicker of uncertainty crossed her face. The rest of the class remained silent, their curiosity growing.

Fawley didn't wait for an answer. "Before Hogwarts, there was no magical community. There were only four ways for knowledge to be learned: to discover or create it oneself, to have it passed down in the family, to obtain a master to teach you, or to steal it from someone else."

He began pacing the room, his robes billowing slightly. "A lot of knowledge was constantly disappearing. There were no magical communities. You must try to imagine the world at the time: Muggleborns needed a lot of luck to survive, let alone start their own families. A few families traded knowledge, like the Ollivanders with their wands, but that was all."

The class listened intently as Fawley painted a picture of a fragmented, chaotic magical world. He described a time when magical creatures roamed freely, muggles encountered them daily, and wizards lived in isolated pockets, their knowledge often lost through conflict or secrecy.

"The wizarding world didn't exist," Fawley continued. "Wizards were mostly working for nobles or as nobles. Everyone knew about magic, but there was no sense of identity for wizards."

"The only groups of wizards living together were because they were family. Some families were warring against one another, and a lot of knowledge was thus lost.

And then you have it, four witches coming together to create a school because they wanted to change the world, to protect children, and to allow them to achieve their objectives. Everyone could obtain access to education and thus to power if they had enough talent!"

"At first, a few families refused to take part in such a project, not wanting to hand over their knowledge, and to this day, some of their knowledge is still kept in their family estates, never to be shared with the remaining wizarding world. But at that time, they didn't want to share anything."

"They had forgotten one thing: only powerful people can afford to have dreams of changing the world, and the four founders weren't any witches. They were the most powerful witches of their time. They didn't all come from Great Britain, but that's the location they chose to create Hogwarts."

"They made every wizarding family in Great Britain—not including Ireland—submit and send some part of their knowledge to Hogwarts. In exchange, Hogwarts protected them for one century. For some time, Hogwarts was the whole magical world."

"After a few years, witches abroad heard of Hogwarts and decided to reproduce it because if they didn't, they would then be left behind by the times. Thus, magical communities were founded. Wizarding folks grew together, and thus some decided to live near their friends, creating villages with only wizarding folks."

"Over time, Hogwarts became a symbol of unity and progress, inspiring the creation of magical communities worldwide."

"So, what is Hogwarts?" Fawley asked, his gaze sweeping the room. "It's the very beginning. It's an idea, an ideal. Hogwarts is a home, a refuge, a repository of knowledge. It's the foundation of the magical world as we know it. Without it, we might have vanished during the witch hunts. Hogwarts is a whole; it's a part of your life. Your very existence is based on Hogwarts. It's the center of magical Britain. Hogwarts is the truth. It's both the beginning and the end: you go to Hogwarts as a child, and you send your children to Hogwarts as an adult."

He leaned against his desk, his voice softening but losing none of its intensity. "Hogwarts is a constant. It hasn't always been here, but the day it disappears, the wizarding world as a whole will have lost something irreplaceable."

As the lecture concluded, Fawley dismissed the class with a wave of his hand. Ronda gathered her things slowly, her mind buzzing with thoughts.

The history of Hogwarts had always felt distant, like something out of a storybook. But Fawley's words made it feel immediate, vital. She couldn't shake the idea that her own presence at the school was part of a legacy much larger than herself.

She caught up with Holly and Hermione as they exited the classroom, the hallway bustling with students heading to their next lessons.

"That was… intense," Ronda said, adjusting her bag on her shoulder.

"Professor Fawley has a way of making history come alive," Hermione agreed, her eyes alight with excitement. "I've read about the founding of Hogwarts before, but hearing it framed like that was something else."

Holly nodded. "It's strange to think how different things could have been. No Hogwarts, no magical community…"

"No us," Ronda added quietly. The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

Dean and Seamus joined them, the latter grinning. "You lot looked like you were in a trance back there. I thought history was supposed to be boring."

"Not with Fawley teaching," Hermione shot back. "You'd know that if you ever paid attention."

Seamus laughed, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "Fair enough. So, what's the verdict? Do we owe everything to Hogwarts?"

"Maybe we do," Ronda said thoughtfully. "But it's more than that. Hogwarts isn't just a school. It's… home."

The group fell into a comfortable silence as they made their way to their next class. For Ronda, the weight of tradition felt less like a burden and more like a challenge—a call to honor the legacy of those who came before and to carve out her own place in the world.

Ronda nodded to herself. The lecture had stirred something in her—a deep appreciation for the school she'd grown up hearing about and now called home.

For all its quirks and challenges, Hogwarts was the center of their lives, just as Professor Fawley had said.

That night, as she lay in her bed in the Gryffindor dormitory, Ronda stared at the canopy above her. Fawley's words replayed in her mind, and she felt a renewed sense of purpose. Hogwarts was more than a school; it was a legacy, and she was a part of it. The thought filled her with determination, her dreams that night filled with visions of the castle standing strong against the tides of time.