Hogwarts: Proficiency Panel

Chapter 534 535: The Fear of Ghosts

The afternoon sun saturated the corridors, casting long, warm streaks of amber

light whenever the wind caught the heavy velvet curtains.

When Justin Finch-Fletchley finally emerged from the classroom, the other

students couldn't help but notice the faint flush on his cheeks.

"What did Professor Lupin want with you?" Hermione asked, her eyebrows raised in

suspicion.

"We were just talking about Sean," Justin said honestly.

"About... Sean?" Hermione frowned.

"Yes. And Professor Snape," Justin added.

His gaze drifted past the ivy-covered stone walls of the castle, looking down

toward the shadowed entrance of the dungeons. He could almost picture Sean

walking out of there at that very moment.

"Stay away from Lupin. I do not wish to see you near him anywhere except in a

classroom setting, Green."

Snape's voice still seemed to echo through the cold stone of the cellars.

Sean understood the root of the Professor's hostility. He walked alone up the

spiraling stone stairs of the basement, his mind focused on the location of the

Bloody Baron. Earlier, Peeves had delivered the Baron's invitation, but the

poltergeist had "conveniently" forgotten to mention where the Baron was hiding.

Suddenly, a group of pearly-white figures drifted through a solid wall, their

upper halves emerging into the corridor.

"—forgive and forget, I say. We should give the lad another chance—"

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves enough chances already? He's given us

all foul nicknames! Honestly, he hardly qualifies as a proper ghost—"

The ghost speaking was wearing a wheel-shaped ruff and a doublet. Sean

recognized him immediately: Sir Nicholas.

"He might improve—" a fat, cheerful-looking ghost added.

"He won't! My dear Friar, I saw him trying to seal the Caretaker's door with gum

just minutes ago. And if I'm not mistaken, he was attempting to harass a member

of the staff!" Sir Nicholas looked quite affronted. "Peaceful coexistence and

mutual cooperation—that is the key! We ghosts belong to different Houses, yet we

maintain a close bond of friendship. Despite the rivalry between Gryffindor and

Slytherin, I would never dream of picking a quarrel with the Bloody Baron. But

you see, we can't even be sure what House he belonged to—"

"That's only because you're terrified of him, Nick," another ghost teased.

Nearly Headless Nick looked profoundly insulted. "Terrified? I'll have you know

that I, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, have never committed an act of

cowardice in my life! I have noble blood in my veins—"

"What blood?" the other ghost asked. "Surely you don't have any left—"

"It is a figure of speech!" Nick barked, his head wobbling dangerously on his

half-severed neck.

"Now, now, Nick. You know he's only joking," the Fat Friar said, stepping in to

play peacemaker. "And besides, who is—"

The ghosts suddenly spotted Sean. Several pairs of grey-white eyes fixed on him

at once.

In an instant, the atmosphere changed. The ghosts began to wail and howl like

mice spotting a cat, scattering in every direction.

"It's him! The Green boy! Run for it! He's going to 'send you off'! Merlin's

beard, I've been dead for centuries and I'm finally learning what it means to be

scared to death!"

Sean stood frozen in the middle of the hallway. He hadn't realized that his

reputation among the Hogwarts ghosts had become so... demonic.

He reached out and gently caught the arm of one of the retreating spirits.

Although the ghost could have phased through him, it seemed too terrified to

try.

"I'm not going to 'send you off' without reason," Sean explained with a weary

sigh.

"Oh, heavens! No! Spare me!" the Fat Friar shrieked, actually beginning to sob.

"You've already sent away the Ravenclaw ghost! Are you going to start on the

Hufflepuffs now?!"

"Friar—" Sean tried to make his voice sound less menacing, though he truly

didn't understand why they found him so frightening.

"Green, dear boy. I know you're the next Headmaster in waiting. Dumbledore lets

you do as you please—but think! How dull would Hogwarts be without us? If you

truly can't stand the sight of us, we'll leave of our own accord once you take

the office!"

The Fat Friar was trembling violently, his plea coming out in a frantic rush.

Sean was speechless. He stared at the Friar, wondering where on earth these

rumors had started. He could understand them thinking he disliked ghosts after

Helena Ravenclaw departed, but the "next Headmaster" bit was pure nonsense.

"Friar, good wizard... I've watched you grow up. Would you really have the heart

to banish me?" the Friar asked, looking at Sean with watery, tear-filled eyes.

"Friar... the Grey Lady chose to leave," Sean said.

"Impossible!" the Friar countered. "I mean, I trust your word, Green, but it's

too much to swallow. You know as well as I do—only those who fear death and

refuse to face the beyond become ghosts."

Sean realized he couldn't convince the Friar with words alone. He reached into

his pouch and produced his Pensieve.

Three minutes later...

"Oh, you good, brave boy! What a magnificent, heartwarming thing you've done..."

The Fat Friar was now weeping for an entirely different reason, one hand dabbing

at his eyes and the other resting on Sean's shoulder. "We've all misjudged you,

child. Can you ever forgive a plump old Friar for his doubts?"

"I forgive you, Friar," Sean said, feeling a weight lift. "But may I ask you a

question?"

"Anything, child! Anything at all!"

"The Bloody Baron... do you know where he is?"

This was Sean's true goal. If anyone knew the Baron's whereabouts, it would be

his fellow ghosts.

"The Baron? I expect he's up on the Astronomy Tower. He likes to go up there and

clank his chains while he stares at the moon. It's his favorite pastime."

"Thank you, Friar."

Sean turned and headed for the stairs. As he walked away, he finally understood

why he hadn't seen many ghosts lately—they had been actively avoiding him.

"Oh, such a wonderful lad," the Friar hummed to himself as he floated away.

"Dumbledore was right to choose him as his successor. I must tell the others—the

dark days are over!"

A short distance away, a cluster of ghosts huddled together, shivering as they

watched the Friar emerge perfectly intact from the spot where he had previously

been "trapped" by the "Executioner."

The Top of the Astronomy Tower.

A thin mist clung to the stone battlements. Sean had spent countless nights here

during his Astronomy lessons, charting the paths of planets to predict the

resonance of fate—a skill taught to him by his Centaur mentor.

For the first time, Sean didn't look at the sky.

He looked at the ghost in the silver-stained robes. The spirit was draped in

heavy iron chains that rattled with every movement. Beneath the highest tower of

the castle, the Baron stood, his hollow eyes fixed on the distant, glowing

windows of the Ravenclaw Tower.

The man who had once been a prince of Slytherin was finally ready to face his

past.

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