The weather during the rainy season was always unpredictable.
Although Ian had spent half a day in the Misty Illusion, not much time had passed in the human world. Yet by the time he returned to the Ravenclaw Common Room, a torrential downpour had already begun outside.
Thunder crashed and lightning flashed, weaving a net of light and shadow across the skyline. Each bolt that tore through the night sky was like an enraged beast opening its vicious jaws in a furious roar. Driven by howling winds, huge raindrops slammed viciously against Hogwarts' ancient windowpanes like angry stones, crackling loudly.
The curtain of rain hung heavy.
Streams of water seemed to gather across the glass, sliding slowly down the ancient panes and leaving winding trails behind, sketching flowing paintings. They blurred the world outside, turning the scenery beyond into something hazy and distant—the flames burning in the fireplace seemed to have joined this midnight symphony as well.
"I hope it keeps raining tomorrow. Then we won't have to go outside for Flying Class." Ian was completely awake after returning. Like a student praying for a power outage before evening study hall, he approached the window, which was steadily letting in waves of cold air, and stared at the lightning flashing amid the gale and torrential rain.
"Clink, clink."
The sound had not come from outside the window. It was the sound of several dark stones in Ian's hand as he kept playing with them. After Rowena Ravenclaw had stuffed a stone from near the volcano into his hand, he had filled his robe pockets to the brim as well, worried that there might be losses while replicating the Resurrection Stone.
They were things that could be found everywhere around the volcano anyway. Even hauling back several truckloads would not affect