The courtyard blazed with morning light. Hundreds of apprentices stood in a ring around the fountain of Uneti roots, their faces upturned as the first true sunrise touched the towers of Hogwarts. Above them, banners hung from the spires, four blank cloths, waiting for color and meaning.
Per Te moved slowly through the crowd. Years of building had left his hands scarred and strong; his voice carried with a calm resonance that seemed to vibrate through the Force itself.
"For years," he began, "you have studied together, Jedi and wanderer, scholar and soldier. But every soul moves to a different rhythm. The Force does not make us equal; it makes us unique. Today we give those rhythms names."
He lifted his wand. Lines of light arced into the air, weaving symbols that glowed like constellations, lion, serpent, badger, raven.
"These are not divisions," he said. "They are mirrors."
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POV: Per Te Vivebo - Address to the Four
The Path of Gryffindor A flame flared crimson above the lion sigil.
"To those who burn for courage," he said, "who stand first when fear would silence all others, your path is that of Gryffindor. You are knights not of any empire but of conscience."
He drew his blade, a wand that glimmered with an internal light, and set its point against the stone.
Oath of Gryffindor: I raise my courage as a shield for the weak, My strength as a promise for peace. I fear no shadow, for I am the fire that lights it.
The apprentices in red bowed as one, their breath visible in the chill morning air.
The Path of Ravenclaw Blue light spiraled upward, forming an ever-turning circle of runes.
"To the thinkers, to those who seek the truth even when it wounds, yours is Ravenclaw. Knowledge is your weapon, understanding your armor."
Oath of Ravenclaw: I seek, and in seeking I am never still. Thought is my horizon, wonder my compass. Let my mind be the bridge between magic and the Force.
The Path of Hufflepuff Amber light bloomed like sunrise over fields.
"To the patient hearts, the loyal hands, the builders who mend what others break, you walk the path of Hufflepuff. Through compassion, the galaxy heals."
Oath of Hufflepuff: I stand where others falter. I labor not for glory but for grace. In every act of kindness, the Force breathes anew.
The Path of Slytherin Green radiance coiled upward, steady and deliberate.
Per Te's gaze softened. "And to those who see the world as it is, harsh, cunning, full of chance, you are Slytherin. You understand that will, tempered by wisdom, can reshape destiny."
Oath of Slytherin: I master myself before I master power. Ambition is my map, purpose my north. I walk the shadows, but I do not belong to them.
The final word faded into the air. The four banners ignited with color, fluttering as though the castle itself exhaled.
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POV: Apprentice Elen Tarris
She watched her teacher as if seeing him for the first time. The sun caught in his silver-streaked beard, his eyes alight with both pride and distance. Around her, the crowd murmured the school's universal pledge, the one all paths shared.
The Hogwarts Oath: By will and wonder we are bound. We seek not power but purpose, Not dominion but harmony. One heart, four paths, one Force unending.
Elen felt the words resonate through the ground, through her skin, into the quiet pulse of the planet itself.
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POV: Per Te Vivebo
When the cheering faded, Per Te remained still, feeling the energy settle. A sense of completion washed over him, not triumph, but peace. Hogwarts had found its heart.
He turned toward the horizon, watching the twin suns rise above the Uneti canopy. In his mind he saw what must come next: the refining of wards, the codifying of teachings, the preparation for a future none of them could yet see.
He whispered to himself, "They will carry it further than I ever could."
R6-A7 rolled beside him and beeped, "Designation complete. Institution 'Hogwarts.' Founder satisfied?"
Per Te smiled. "Not yet, old friend. But today, I am content."
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POV: The City Below
That night, music drifted from every street. Families hung lanterns along the bridges, each flame reflecting the four colors of the paths. The citadel pulsed like a living star in the dark of space.
Jedi traveling through the Outer Rim felt a disturbance, not of violence, but of joy. Sith agents recorded strange fluctuations and found their instruments filled with static and song.
High above, the Founder stood alone upon the western spire, robe stirring in the wind. He looked down on the city and whispered:
"We have kindled a light the galaxy cannot yet see… but it will."
And the Force answered him in silence, deep and endless.