Ghosts and Statues

"Thank you for your praise. It is truly not worth mentioning; it was merely a way to make amends. Due to our negligence, we increased Mr. Filch's workload." Allen remained humble and vigilant.

"A pure and kind heart is precious; such qualities truly shine. Now, child, on such a lively night, I believe you must be tired. Hurry back to your comfortable bed. I wish you sweet dreams, goodnight."

Dumbledore had actually not punished him for his unauthorized night wandering. Allen found it a bit incredible, yet also felt it was only natural; the professor had always possessed that Gryffindor spirit of bravery and love for adventure. Besides, although Allen did not fear punishment, it was certainly best to avoid unnecessary complications. Allen bowed to Dumbledore to bid him farewell and turned to leave.

Returning to Ravenclaw Tower once more, he still had to face the question of the magical knocker: "What is it that you break the moment you say its name?"

Although the night was deep and Allen felt quite exhausted, after a moment's thought, he provided the answer: "Silence." The door opened without a sound, and Allen slipped inside immediately.

Just as he was preparing to return to his dormitory, Allen suddenly stopped in his tracks. He felt as if someone were watching him. He scanned his surroundings, but there was no one there—not even a ghost. Allen did not rush back to his room. His older brother, the Auror Albert, often said at home, "Always stay vigilant." This phrase was not Albert's original invention; it was the catchphrase of a senior at the Auror Office. At this moment, Allen felt it was particularly apt.

He believed it was not an illusion, so Allen did not rush back to his dormitory but instead drew his wand. Fortunately, the magical candles in the common room burned all night, allowing Allen to clearly inspect the situation around him.

The blue and bronze curtains swayed in the breeze; clearly, no one was behind them. The star-studded ceiling and the carpet were plain to see, and there was no one there either. Allen gently bypassed rows of bookshelves and scanned all the large armchairs, finding no trace of anyone.

The quiet night, accompanied by the chirping of unknown insects and a cool breeze, should have felt comfortable and pleasant, yet Allen felt his hair stand on end. This feeling of being watched had not vanished. Every place had been checked, which left only—

Allen walked quickly to the niche opposite the door and carefully observed the white marble bust of Rowena Ravenclaw.

It was a remarkably beautiful face with sharp, chiseled features. Her tightly closed lips, half-lidded eyes, and furrowed brows all revealed that she was not only beautiful but also a very stern person.

One of her hands held a wand, crossed over her chest, and rested above her heart, while the other hand hung naturally, yet the palm was positioned in a gesture that seemed both inviting and explanatory.

The entire statue looked as if it were urging students to study, explaining magical knowledge, or perhaps earnestly dissecting her own life experiences. Most interestingly, no matter where you stood, Rowena Ravenclaw's eyes seemed to be gazing at you.

Allen could not find anything unusual about the statue, but relying on the keen senses brought by his Body Refining Technique, he confirmed that this feeling of being observed originated from the statue.

"I know you are hiding in the statue. Come out!" Allen pointed his wand at the statue.

"If you don't come out, I will shatter the statue." Allen tapped the statue lightly with his wand.

"Diffin—" A pale blue glow emitted from the tip of Allen's wand.

"Stop, how dare you?" An extremely beautiful ghost floated rapidly out of the statue.

"Oh, so it is you, The Grey Lady." The Grey Lady was the ghost of Ravenclaw. Like her mother, she was very beautiful, with waterfall-like hair reaching her waist and a wide robe sweeping the floor, which could not hide her graceful figure. But unlike the majesty her mother displayed, she also appeared arrogant and aloof.

"Allen Harris, I know you. An excellent student of Ravenclaw; many professors speak highly of you. But I know that you leave in stealth every day; your behavior is very strange." The Grey Lady pressed tightly against the statue, as if she would hide inside at the first sign of trouble.

"So you have been watching me from the statue all along. Respected Lady, everyone has a few little secrets, but my morning exercise is not a secret; I am merely going out early to train. The stealth is just to avoid trouble. The school's patrols are still quite strict." Allen shrugged; he had already concluded that The Grey Lady had no malicious intent. As for being watched, Peeves was far worse than The Grey Lady.

"But I am curious, this is Rowena Ravenclaw's statue, how can you reside within her statue?" Allen hit the nail on the head, pointing out the crux of the problem.

Staring unblinkingly at The Grey Lady, Allen did not miss the flash of panic in her eyes.

"Rowena Ravenclaw is my biological mother. As her only descendant, I can naturally reside in her statue," The Grey Lady explained.

Something was wrong! Allen did not believe such an explanation. It was common for people in portraits to move between them, but for a ghost to reside in someone else's statue was rare. Wait, Moaning Myrtle could reside in a toilet because the plumbing provided space. Ghosts could not reside in solid objects; for instance, ghosts could pass through thick walls, but they could not hide inside them. That being said—the statue must be hollow.

In just a few moments, Allen saw that The Grey Lady was lying. So the question arose: why was she lying? What was she hiding?

"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure. Your mother possessed both beauty and wisdom. As her only descendant, you are truly lucky to have such a great mother," Allen flattered her. When it came to humility and social graces, no one could surpass the people of my Celestial Empire.

"Lucky? Boy, when you have experienced more, you will know that wit beyond measure may not be the greatest treasure; it can also bring great disaster. Having a great mother with countless halos may not be a wonderful thing either." The Grey Lady seemed touched by a painful memory, her tone extremely mournful.

"Lady, you seem very sad. Is there anything I can help you with? After all, I am a Ravenclaw through and through." Allen attempted to console her.

"Perhaps. After all, you are a Ravenclaw, a student selected by her standards. There was once a young man who was very much like you—equally excellent, equally suave. He also tried to console me, but he lied to me." The Grey Lady became angry.

"What was his name?" Allen asked, trying his best to appear empathetic.