White mist came and went again, and the scene changed once more.
A bleak wind stirred the robes of the two wizards atop Hogwarts' Astronomy Tower. The man, whose face had grown a little more weathered, stood beside Ravenclaw. Probably to keep their conversation from being interrupted, some kind of magic had sealed off the stairs leading up.
"Thank you for agreeing to my somewhat unreasonable request, Rowena," the man said apologetically.
"It's nothing. At least it's far more reasonable than the things the students usually shout about. You know how young children always dream of making the world bow at their feet." Ravenclaw tapped her wand several times, and an exquisite afternoon tea set settled onto the floor. She sat down with a smile. "It seems that, starting last October, you've always preferred to arrange our meetings somewhere quiet. I'd guess your reason for that choice is probably the same as your reason for changing your face."
The man gave a wry laugh and sat in the chair opposite her. "Oh, Rowena, do you know? Sometimes I really am a little afraid of you-your perception is too keen, and you always manage to ask whatever's on your mind so openly."
"Though I'd love to say something dashing like, 'Keeping things easy for myself and leaving the worries to others is simply my style,'
"I actually only do that with people I know well."
Ravenclaw spoke with poise.
"It sounds as though you can't tell me the reason-ah, that really does make me more and more curious. But I won't keep asking. Respect should always come before curiosity, shouldn't it? If I truly insisted on probing you, wouldn't I be just as ill-mannered as that slippery snake? You'd most likely make the same decision about me then-less contact, more distance."