Gotta build up to something.

And have places to keep reaching. 

Yes!

Giggle.

Does mean they need to focus really hard on this, though, to get started...

Ellie can make schedule adjustments.

Yeah. Their normal homework is going pretty fast, at least, especially since a lot of it is just readings...

And they can cut back on advanced work elsewhere, if they have to. This looks like it'd be more interesting.

She nods.

They'll have time over the summer to get caught up, too...

There is that.

Next thing is probably letting Professor Quirrel know what they've picked. 

Yes, best to get that done with.

He doesn't have everything ready for them - it'll take a bit for him to acquire the articles he doesn't keep here - but he can certainly supply them with readings on Founders-era witchcraft, descriptions of known shapeshifting witches from around that time, and details of what workings they do know about - none of them directly related, but some similar enough.

It's a place to start, at least.

Sadly sometimes all they have with history.

Hopefully this goes a little better than that.

Of course.

They can come to him any time they have questions, as well.

Thanks, Professor.

"You're both quite welcome."

They had best be off to make a start, then.

Of course.

To the dragon room! To read!

Excellent.

According to these articles, a significant amount of magic in the Founder's Era was Dark - either by the 'sacrificial magic' definition or the 'really harmful' definition. Especially non-wizarding magic; Dark witchcraft is generally fairly easy and powerful, which was a major driver of the sheer deadliness of the wars of that time - the Roman wizards never successfully drove out the witches despite superior numbers and education, and Hogwarts was as much a peace attempt as anything. Lots of the workings that have survived include minor through major sacrifices - they actually still have many of the old potions recipes, since Hufflepuff actually preserved her notes (unlike Slytherin, Hogwarts' other witch), mostly not used because 'human blood' is no longer a socially acceptable ingredient. (One article focused on piecing together the early history of magical education notes that the way Hogwarts primarily teaches potions and herbology - a narrow albeit admittedly often foundational part of witchcraft - is likely because those were Hufflepuff's specialties, and Slytherin took his expertise in other fields with him when he left the project.)

Kind of a pity he left, then.

...Where'd he go?

This article seems to assume you already know the story, but -

"Nobody knows," is what Anathema says. "He just. Kinda vanished? The story is he got into an argument or a fight or something with Gryffindor or all the other Founders, stormed out, and no one ever saw him again for sure. Apparently not even his daughters..."