Chapter 1 – I Crashed My Best Friend's Wedding
Godric, usually cheerful and full of energy, was now sulking with his head hung low like a pitiful stray dog on the roadside. Even his dazzling golden curls seemed to have lost their shine.
Beside him stood Salazar, expression stiff and eyes burning with irritation.
"Salazar~~" Godric called out tentatively, testing the waters.
Salazar shot him a glare, full of righteous fury, and turned his head away without a word.
"I was wrong, okay? Please forgive me."
All he got in return was a sharp snort.
Godric had no choice but to look at him with his big, innocent sky-blue eyes. "I'm hungry, Salazar. I even skipped dinner the day before yesterday, and didn't eat breakfast today. I think I've been starving for a whole day."
Salazar finally couldn't hold back his anger. He reached out and twisted Godric's ear—not too hard—but through gritted teeth, he snapped, "Has your brain been soaked in troll spit or what?!"
Godric answered, completely unfazed, "I'm broke. I figured I'd get a proper meal at your place."
Salazar felt the world darkening before his eyes. But there was nothing he could do—he dragged Godric to his feet by the ear.
"Salazar, that hurts!"
"Shut up."
"Okay."
Salazar let go, staring at the pink ear he'd just tugged. His fingers twitched with the urge to do it again.
Godric, sensing danger, wisely stepped back.
With a small sigh of regret, Salazar muttered, "Let's go see if there are any people nearby."
Godric immediately nodded in agreement, happy to move on.
The two of them picked a direction at random and walked. Soon, they found themselves in a peaceful little residential area—a quiet, friendly-looking town.
Strange buildings and unfamiliar objects filled their vision. Both boys fell into silence.
[What the heck is this place? Looks kind of interesting...]
[Damn it, Godric, where did you bring us?!]
Relying purely on gut feeling, Godric grabbed his scowling friend and knocked on the door of a nearby house.
A pregnant woman opened the door, her belly slightly rounded. She looked surprised to see them.
"Wizards? Or underage wizards?"
Fourteen-year-old Salazar and fifteen-year-old Godric said nothing.
In their world, "underage" wasn't inaccurate—after all, they weren't married yet. And where they came from, people usually married at twelve or thirteen. So by those standards, they were actually a bit old.
"Do you need help with something?" the woman asked gently.
"We… got lost," Salazar admitted through gritted teeth.
The woman smiled warmly and invited them inside. "Don't worry, I think you must be students from Hogwarts. I'll contact Headmaster Dumbledore. He'll make arrangements to bring you back."
Hogwarts? Headmaster?
Godric looked utterly confused and instinctively turned to Salazar.
Salazar hadn't heard of any of those names either. He gave Godric a calming look.
The woman paused, clearly picking up on something strange, and studied them more carefully.
Salazar cleared his throat. "May I ask… where are we?"
"You're in Godric's Hollow," she replied.
Godric froze. "Godric…?"
Smiling, the woman rubbed her belly and motioned for them to sit. "Yes, this place was named after the great wizard Godric Gryffindor, to honor his legacy."
Godric's smile instantly stiffened. Having a place called "Godric" was fine. But "Godric Gryffindor"? That was too much—it was him!
He turned pitiful eyes to his now visibly shaken friend, Salazar Slytherin.
"So… we ended up in Godric's Hollow," Salazar said with forced calm. "Godric Gryffindor was certainly a great wizard. You must admire him a lot."
"Of course," the woman said naturally. "I graduated from Gryffindor House myself. I have great respect for its founder."
Then, casually, she asked, "Which house are you two in?"
That question caught them off guard. They only knew of two houses so far.
Godric's eyes lit up mischievously. "Slytherin!"
Salazar nearly lunged at him, but managed to keep his smile plastered on.
The woman's expression turned odd. She looked at Godric, hesitated, and asked, "You're… in Slytherin?"
Godric proudly lifted his chin. If he was famous in the future, surely Salazar would be, too.
"Slytherin…" the woman murmured, clearly conflicted. "Actually, I had a very close friend from Slytherin once. But…"
"But what?" Godric asked before Salazar could stop him.
The woman looked saddened. "He chose a path I just couldn't understand. I'm not even sure if we're still friends anymore."
Godric declared confidently, "If your friendship is real, then no disagreement can break it. True friends never change."
Salazar wanted to groan. Having a friend like this was exhausting. He seriously considered cutting ties.
But the woman brightened at Godric's words. "Maybe you're right. We were really close once."
She looked down at her belly, gently rubbing it. "I always wanted to ask him to be my child's godfather… but I never had the courage. Maybe I should try."
Godric's eyes sparkled. "Wow—your baby looks strong and healthy. It's a boy, right? He's beautiful!"
The woman blinked in surprise, then smiled again. "I actually don't know the gender yet. I wanted to keep it a surprise—whether it's a boy or girl doesn't matter to me."
Godric immediately bowed his head. "I'm so sorry—I didn't realize you didn't want to know. I just assumed you already did."
In their world, there were spells to determine a baby's gender early, so it was usually common knowledge.
The woman waved it off. "It's alright. It's just my own little wish."
Seeing the gentle kindness in her eyes, Godric felt a pang of guilt. He was utterly defenseless against such warmth.
He stood up, walked to her side, and took her hand. Her eyes widened in confusion as he said:
"Please, allow me to bless you."
Salazar turned his head away, unable to watch this display of foolishness.
"A blessing?" the woman asked, expecting kind words. But somehow, she felt there was more behind it. Still, she looked into Godric's clear blue eyes and knew he meant no harm.
"If it's a blessing," she said, "I'd rather give it to my child."
The red-haired witch smiled and accepted his request.
"O wise and clever Viviane, your child calls upon you. Please bless this mother—to be happy, healthy, and able to grow old with her child by her side."
No mother could refuse a blessing like that.
The woman, deeply moved, held Godric's hand and whispered, "Thank you… truly."
Even Salazar's expression softened. Godric had a natural instinct to see straight into people's hearts. And though he could uncover one's deepest thoughts within minutes, his empathy and gentleness made it impossible for anyone to fear him.
This woman must've harbored quiet, unspoken fears—perhaps about her future or the unknown. Godric's words had touched something she hadn't even realized she needed.
In high spirits, the woman invited them to try her homemade apple pie—and without forgetting, she sent a message to Dumbledore to let him know two wayward students had shown up at her doorstep.
As Salazar sipped his lemon tea, he sneakily added sugar cubes to Godric's when he wasn't looking.
Meanwhile, Godric was happily chatting with the red-haired witch. The two of them were already calling each other brother and sister.
That was how they spent the afternoon—until Dumbledore knocked on the door.
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