"Thank you for the praise. It really was nothing worth mentioning, merely making amends. Our mistake added to Mr. Filch's workload." Allen remained humble and vigilant.
"A pure and kind heart is precious. Such qualities truly shine brightly. All right, child, after such an eventful night, I'm sure you must be tired. Hurry back to your comfortable bed. Sweet dreams, and good night."
Dumbledore had actually not punished him for wandering the halls at night. Allen found it somewhat unbelievable, yet also perfectly natural. The professor had always possessed Gryffindor's fearless courage and love of adventure. Besides, although Allen did not fear punishment, fewer complications were naturally better. He bowed to Dumbledore in farewell, then turned and left.
When he returned to Ravenclaw Tower, he still had to face the magic door knocker's question: "You destroy it merely by saying its name. What is it?"
Though it was already late and Allen was exhausted, after a brief moment of thought, he gave his answer. "Silence." The door opened without a sound, and Allen immediately slipped inside.
Just as he was about to return to his dormitory, Allen suddenly stopped. He felt as though someone was watching him. He looked around, but there was no one there—not even a ghost. Allen did not hurry back to his dormitory. His Auror brother Albert often said at home, "Stay vigilant at all times." Those were not Albert's original words, but the catchphrase of a senior colleague in the Auror Office. At that moment, Allen found them especially sensible.
He believed it was not an illusion. Instead of rushing back to his dormitory, Allen drew his wand. Fortunately, the magical candles in the common room never went out, allowing him to inspect his surroundings clearly.
The blue and bronze curtains fluttered in the breeze, and there was obviously no one behind them. The star-studded ceiling and carpet were visible at a glance, and there was no one there either. Allen quietly circled the rows of bookshelves and examined every broad chair, but found no trace of anyone.
The quiet night, accompanied by the chirping of unknown insects and the cool breeze, should have felt pleasant and comfortable. Yet Allen's hairs stood on end. The sensation of being watched had not faded. He had checked everywhere, so there was only—
Allen quickly approached the alcove opposite the door and carefully examined the white marble bust of Rowena Ravenclaw.
It was an exceptionally beautiful face. Her features were sharply defined, as though carved by knife and axe. Her tightly closed lips, half-lidded eyes, and furrowed brow all revealed that she was not only beautiful, but also an extremely stern person.
One of her hands held a wand across her chest, resting above the left side of her heart. Her other hand seemed to hang naturally at her side, yet its palm was posed as though inviting someone in—or offering an explanation.
The entire statue looked as though it were urging students to study, explaining magical knowledge, and earnestly recounting the experiences of its own life. Most interestingly, no matter where one stood, Rowena Ravenclaw's eyes seemed to be gazing directly at them.
Allen could find nothing unusual about the statue, but the sharpened five senses granted by the Body Refining Technique confirmed that the feeling of being watched came from it.
"I know you're hiding inside the statue. Come out!" Allen pointed his wand at it.
"If you don't come out, I'll smash the statue." Allen lightly tapped the statue with his wand.
"Diffin—" A faint azure glow appeared at the tip of Allen's wand.
"Stop! How dare you?" An extraordinarily beautiful ghost swiftly floated out of the statue.
"Oh, so it's you, The Grey Lady." The Grey Lady was Ravenclaw's ghost. Like her mother, she was beautiful, with waterfall-like hair falling to her waist and a voluminous robe trailing to the ground, yet it could not conceal her graceful figure. But unlike the majesty her mother displayed, she also seemed arrogant and disdainful of everyone around her.
"Allen Harris, I know you. An outstanding Ravenclaw student, praised endlessly by many professors. But I also know that you leave early every day under an invisibility spell. Your behavior is quite strange." The Grey Lady pressed herself tightly against the statue, as if she would hide inside at the first sign of danger.
"So you were watching me from inside the statue. My dear lady, everyone has a few little secrets, but my morning training is no secret. I simply rise early to exercise outside. I use invisibility only to avoid trouble. The school patrols are quite strict." Allen shrugged. He had already concluded that The Grey Lady meant him no harm. As for spying on others, Peeves was far worse than she was.
"But what I'm curious about is this: this is a statue of Rowena Ravenclaw, isn't it? How can you reside inside her statue?" Allen went straight to the heart of the matter.
Staring fixedly at The Grey Lady, Allen did not miss the flicker of panic in her eyes.
"Rowena Ravenclaw is my biological mother. As her only descendant, of course I can reside in her statue," The Grey Lady explained.
Something was wrong! Allen did not believe that explanation at all. It was common for people in portraits to move between paintings, but ghosts residing within someone else's statue was exceedingly rare. Wait—Moaning Myrtle could reside in a toilet because it had pipes and space inside it. Ghosts could not reside within solid objects. For example, they could pass through a thick wall, but they could not hide inside one. That meant—the statue had to be hollow.
In just a few moments, Allen saw through The Grey Lady's lie. That raised another question: why was she lying? What was she concealing?
"Exceptional intelligence is mankind's greatest treasure. Your mother possessed both beauty and wisdom. As her only descendant, you are truly fortunate to have such a great mother." Allen began flattering her. When it came to modest courtesies, no one could surpass the people of his homeland.
"Fortunate? Boy, when you have experienced more, you will understand that exceptional intelligence may not be the greatest treasure. It may also bring immense disaster. Having a great mother adorned with countless honors may not be a good thing either." The Grey Lady seemed to have been reminded of something painful, and her voice became deeply sorrowful.
"My lady, you seem very sad. Is there anything I can help you with? After all, I am a Ravenclaw through and through." Allen tried to comfort her.
"Perhaps. After all, you are a Ravenclaw, a student chosen according to her standards. There was once a boy much like you—equally outstanding, equally charming. He also tried to comfort me, but he deceived me." The Grey Lady grew angry.
"What was his name?" Allen asked, doing his best to look as though he shared her feelings.
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