Ian Alvin Bones stopped at the end of the shadow. The magic in the air trembled faintly, and a ball of white light gradually appeared, then took the shape of a woman's specter.
She had waist-length hair and an aloof, elegant bearing, with a scholar's reserve and confidence in every gesture. She was none other than the Daughter of Ravenclaw—Helena Ravenclaw.
"Ian," she said calmly, her voice tinged with coldness. "Five years. You just left me here and never looked back?"
Ian smiled faintly. "I told you before I left that this day would come. You can't blame me."
"Oh? With your abilities, couldn't you have Apparated over to see me?" Helena raised an eyebrow.
"Hogwarts forbids Apparition."
"What about the Forbidden Forest? Or you could have had a House-elf bring you here?"
Ian fell silent for a moment, looking a little awkward. The expression made Helena's heart stir, but she maintained her cold demeanor.
"Let's not dwell on the past." Ian stepped closer, his voice gentle. "I'm back, and I'm teaching at Hogwarts this term. We'll have plenty of time together from now on."
He raised his wand and murmured an incantation.
"Corporeal Manifestation."
Magic rippled outward, and Helena's translucent figure gradually solidified. Her skin, hair, and even her tenth-century-style dress became tangible.
She gently touched her arm, feeling warmth and breath return to her. Before she could marvel at it, Ian had already drawn her into his arms.
At that moment, the chilly night seemed to vanish, leaving only the warmth of their reunion.
"Don't dwell on the past," he whispered in her ear. "From now on, all the time in the world is ours."
Helena gave a soft snort, a hint of coyness barely discernible in her voice. "Hmph. If I didn't think you were still rather charming, I wouldn't have forgiven you so easily."
Their lips met, their breaths mingling. Like lovers separated by a thousand years, they released the emotions they had kept pent up during their brief reunion.
Footsteps suddenly sounded—it was Filch on his nighttime patrol.
Ian frowned and cast a spell with a wave of his wand. "Disillusionment Charm."
Their figures dissolved into transparent ripples. Holding Helena in his arms, he rose into the air and flew quietly toward the Professor's Quarters.
That night, they slept beside each other.
For a ghost, this should have been an impossible experience. But under the effects of Ian's Alchemy and Soul Magic, anything was possible.
At the first hint of dawn, Ian woke. Helena was gone from his side, leaving only a faint trace of magic.
He murmured, "Looks like the Corporeal Manifestation Spell still doesn't last long enough... But surely she could've left me a message? Is she sulking?"
After washing up, he headed to the Great Hall for breakfast. On the way, a familiar figure caught his eye—Neville Longbottom.
The boy clutched two gifts, looking nervous but full of anticipation.
"Professor!" Neville hurried over and held out the packages with both hands. "The first one is from my grandmother, and I saved up to buy the other one myself... Thank you for saving my parents."
Ian was slightly taken aback. The gifts were an old book and a bag of sweets.
"Thank you, Neville." He accepted them with a smile. "A gift's value isn't in how expensive it is, but in the thought behind it."
The grateful boy bowed and left.
On the way, he ran into Harry, Ron, and Hermione. After hearing the conversation, the three eagerly asked what had happened.
Neville explained without holding anything back:
"After Voldemort was defeated, Bellatrix Lestrange cast the Imperius Curse on my parents, and they suffered a mental breakdown.
"Years later, Professor Bones developed a new form of Soul Magic that helped them gradually recover. Now they can recognize me and my grandmother. They still can't use magic, but they'll make a full recovery in a few more years."
Harry and the others fell silent for a long while, their expressions complicated.
For the first time, they truly understood how many experiments and risks this seemingly gentle professor had taken on alone.
At that moment, Ian sat at the staff table, his thoughts wandering.
He recalled the research he had done on the relationship between "mind, body, memory, and soul."
That experiment had been what first showed him the countless souls damaged by magic at St. Mungo's Hospital—
Some people had lost consciousness, some had lost their memories, and some had been left with fragmented souls.
He had interned there for a full year. He had even visited Gilderoy Lockhart, who was well versed in the relevant spells, and learned from him the secrets of the Memory Charm.
Afterward, he perfected his system of soul healing and used his own methods to cure several patients.
To outsiders, it was simply charity;
To him, it was another experiment in the "Fusion of soul and body."
Breakfast was not yet over when Ian suddenly received a magical message—it was from Snape.
"I forgot to warn you last night: that biological cloning company of yours in the Muggle world is having problems."
Ian set down his goblet. "I know. I'll go there this afternoon."
"Suit yourself." The voice faded.
He looked up at the morning mist beyond the window.
Sunlight from Hogwarts's high windows streamed over the long tables, glinting softly.
His lips curved slightly.
"Looks like it's time to move the 'plan' forward again."
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