Sure luck can't be trained, but by that same token I really don't want to really on it. Luck is for those that need prophecy and metaphysical handicaps here.
Edit: Changing vote as I don't want luck to win. We don't need it.
[X] Plan Personal Growth
-[X] Intelect +1
-[X] Empathy +1
I don't usually answer to questions like this directly. But this is an easy one: You do not give a single shit about the House cup. The other two possible MC's had different game Mechanics that tied to house points - But Jacob does really not care.
Quidditch would have been the only avenue left to get into that direction, but you've clearly voted against it, which is fine. I follow your guidance in the character building.
It's one of the reasons why I rarely talk about house points in the Quest. There are many things he doesn't actively listen to, because it simply does not interest him.
Sure luck can't be trained, but by that same token I really don't want to really on it. Luck is for those that need prophecy and metaphysical handicaps here.
Edit: Changing vote as I don't want luck to win. We don't need it.
[X] Plan Personal Growth
-[X] Intelect +1
-[X] Empathy +1
That seems like flawed logic though, whilst Luck isn't something you should want to rely on it's sort of a safety net. That and we can actually train our other stats, and luck presumably means those rolls where for instance we were seeing what interesting thing other people had brought into the runes club get a bump and we could have more interesting things in the chapters, random things we stumble across in the castle could be of more utility.
Luck is a weird stat. It's largely left alone it seems, but when it gets involved, it gets interesting. Like that Venom from the hugeass spider in the Forbidden Forest. That was due to a luck roll if I recall correctly.
That seems like flawed logic though, whilst Luck isn't something you should want to rely on it's sort of a safety net. That and we can actually train our other stats, and luck presumably means those rolls where for instance we were seeing what interesting thing other people had brought into the runes club get a bump and we could have more interesting things in the chapters, random things we stumble across in the castle could be of more utility.
Nope, it is flawed logic, but I don't want our points to go to this. By bringing up this stat, now people will feel compelled to dump points in this all the time. Meaning, tons of points which could have gone to our other stats now go into a sink.
It only makes sense to do it early on. The moment our stats go beyond 5 any where else it will always make more sense to use levels on them due to the difficulty of training them.
Since it's kinda really easy for us to train stats right now going with this. Also, pretty sure that next month we should convert 2 actions into personal in order to keep up, since we have 3 potions and 5 spells left for the exams, and we prob should get the shield spell soon, since it's a +5 to def, which at the moment is a +/- 50% bonus to our def.
Thank you for the kind words. I do appreciate hearing your guys thoughts, so gladly share your perspective on the story as a whole and on single updates.
While English is only the fourth language I learned, I try my best to be able to put my thoughts about this world and the character we're creating here into words. I can only grow with feedback!
Fagus wood, Phoenix feather core, 12" long - The true match for a beech wand will be, if young, wise beyond his or her years, and if full-grown, rich in understanding and experience. Beech wands perform very weakly for the narrow-minded and intolerant. Phoenix feather wands are always the pickiest when it comes to potential owners, for the creature from which they are taken is one of the most independent and detached in the world. These wands are the hardest to tame and to personalise, and their allegiance is usually hard won. (Wand only available due to chosen origin. +5 to all spellcasting. If too many actions are taken that speak against the ideals of the wand, the wand will mark you unworthy and lose the bonus)
I feel we're in constant risk of losing the bonus. It's hard to not be narrow-minded and intolerant. The biggest issue here is going to be narrow-mindedness towards bigots like Death Eaters, and the biggots on the opposite extreme of those assholes. Also the fact that the Wizarding world does not not treat non-magical people as shit does not help fight off the narrow-mindedness. So this will probably be a constant struggle.
I feel we're in constant risk of losing the bonus. It's hard to not be narrow-minded and intolerant. The biggest issue here is going to be narrow-mindedness towards bigots like Death Eaters, and the biggots on the opposite extreme of those assholes. Also the fact that the Wizarding world does not not treat non-magical people as shit does not help fight off the narrow-mindedness. So this will probably be a constant struggle.
This struggle is part of the fun in this quest, in my opinion. We have to struggle against narrow-mindedness both from in character perspective and player base perspective, and actually fight against some meta knowladge and some of J.K. Rowling more questionable world building, as part of our character build and mechanics.
(And who knows, maybe bunnyhood is the first step in Nott's redemption arc )
Honestly not sure what to vote for as it has been a while. Luck is the only stat that we can't train to increase from what I remember. So it makes sense to try to train the other stats while they are somewhat easy to raise.
Edit: However, Creativity and Intellect are also important for our build. So I'm hesitant to not put some points in them. But they are also low enough that they can be trained.
Honestly not sure what to vote for as it has been a while. Luck is the only stat that we can't train to increase from what I remember. So it makes sense to try to train the other stats while they are somewhat easy to raise.
Edit: However, Creativity and Intellect are also important for our build. So I'm hesitant to not put some points in them. But they are also low enough that they can be trained.
Attributes
Every new level gives you 2 attributes for distribution. You can also train attributes.
The highest attributes cannot be higher than 5 over the lowest attribute (Except Luck).
Training success decreases with each level of that particular attribute.
100% for Constitution 1, 90% for Constitution 2, 80% for Constitution 3 etc.
Luck can't be trained but can be raised through level ups and other methods.
"I love you", your mother said. The memory stopped before she could hang herself. For a moment you felt happiness.
The rabbit was still in your arms as you dashed to your right and ducked under the rotten hand that was extending to you again. One, two, a third step. And then there was a dark figure to your left. A heartbeat later there was a foul figure to your right. Both were reaching for you, both opening their mouths in anticipation.
You looked up at the right figure again. Something started to detach from your body. A white glimmer substance was fighting to stay with you, but was dragged out into the darkness forcefully. Bit by bit it was losing the battle. The cold didn't leave you, but you were still clear of mind. They could not take that away from you.
Nothing could.
Plopp.
A hand grabbed you by the arm. And then darkness surrounded you.
Closing your eyes in reflex you went blind. Everything turned numb. Not even the cold reached you anymore. Another hand grabbed your shoulder. Even deep in the darkness and disoriented, you were still conscious enough to fight. Turning to the side, you tried to forcefully pull back. Neither of the hands could hold against your fast movement, releasing you from the grip as you fell to the ground.
You started crawling back, still holding the rabbit close to your body. When you finally opened your eyes, four figures were standing in front of you.
"… was another one", a voice said. It was female. Definitely. Your brain started to catch up again. Only now did you realize that you were not out on the icy desert anymore. Instead, somehow, you had moved all the way into the Entrance Hall and two individuals were standing right in front of you. One tall – the Hufflepuff girl, who still had one of her hand extended to you, as if she had tried to catch you – and one small; a house-elf. Bobbin's face was pale and sweaty, but there was still strength in her posture as she looked down at the familiar elf.
"Nally has looked for them, Miss", the small house-elf said. For the first time you were seeing her without her usual jovial energy. She looked subdued and sad. "Master Nott was not out there with Master Basques, Miss."
Something caught your attention right behind the two standing figures. A small bundle on the ground, sobbing quietly and still shaking in terror. His green and black robe was dirty and had ripped at his knees. The young Slytherin boy didn't look up, quite possibly still in deep shock about what had occurred.
To the left of the youngest member of your group, you could see the oldest one. He was not making any attempts at comforting the younger boy, instead he was facing you. His eyes not leaving your frame.
Your mind was clearing up again. You still felt the effects of the Dementors, but here inside the castle walls it was only the afterimage that kept your limbs trembling. The visions had disappeared and the shadows blocking your view were nothing but memories of past.
You were still afraid, remembered the assuredness you'd had just moments prior that you'd lost. Even if you kept fighting to the end, there had been no solution in your mind but to keep buying time.
Being confronted with such a terrible loss, it was easy for you to see the world from the Gryffindor's perspective. All the clues had been laid out for you already to understand Neil Nuts. He was not only the oldest of your group, but he was a Gryffindor in addition.
He must have felt the pressure on him from the moment he realized what kind of situation your group had been in. His first reaction had been to call you out and to go for the Stadium and help. That valiant effort had shown first crack seconds later though. Once it was you guys who were in direct danger, it had been him who needed your verbal push to overcome his shock.
Remembering that he had dragged Nott and the Hufflepuff girl, Bobbin, behind him at first you had to give him credit. But it seemed as if something had happened after that, because the next time you looked it was him who was being dragged forward by the girl and Nott who had been completely left behind. There was one obvious answer, even if you were not sure if it was the entire truth; he had tried to be brave, strong and courageous at first. It was the ideal he wanted to live, the personality that he wanted to be. But confronted with the real danger of a life and death situation, he had broken down. Not only had he left Nott behind, but he had needed help himself and that from a Hufflepuff girl younger than he was.
When you looked down at your trembling hands you realized that through understanding him, you were able to identify some of the emotions you were feeling yourself. This was something… you would need to think about in peace. It felt as if there was a truth that could be found under this line of thinking.
"Then we need to contact a teacher!", Melinda Bobbin said, bringing your attention back to the discussion. Your eyes darted to her and then back to Nuts. That was the last factor. She had not only saved him, but taken control over the situation when Nally finally appeared. While Nuts had completely lost himself, the younger Hufflepuff had performed her duty exceedingly well. She had been everything that he had unable to be.
Nuts eyes were still on you. Was he judging you? Trying to comfort himself by the fact that you had left Nott behind as well? That you'd also needed saving? If that was his line of thinking, was it out of hurt? Was he trying to rationalize his mistakes?
"Nally, please go to the Stadium. Tell the teachers to…"
"It's ok", you said instead, interrupting her after finally pushing yourself back up and stepping closer to Nally.
"Nott is safe", you said before you let the small rabbit down. When it finally touched the ground again it didn't immediately dart away, instead it was sitting there calmly and looking up at you. "Nally, thank you for saving us. We owe you our life", you said, before bowing your head to her. Her eyes went wide, when she saw you do that, frantically trying to tell you to 'stop bowing to her, Master Basques' and that 'she had simply done what you said, Master Basques' in half a dozen different variations.
"What happened? Where is Nott?" The Hufflepuff asked, now fully turning to you. Even now, still unsure as to the veracity of your words, the tension was starting to finally fall off of her. The sense of duty started vanishing as it made room for a cautious growing relief. Suddenly she looked years younger.
"Did he escape?", she asked you.
"Not exactly", you said before pointing your wand at the rabbit on the ground. "I had to carry him."
With a flick of your wand, you released the spell giving Theodore Nott back to the human world. The transformation back was not as gruesome. It felt like him snapping back into his true form, as easy as removing a band-aid. His face was paler than usual and you were not sure if his front teeth had come back to the right size, but at least the hair on his head was back to the light brownish tone that it usually had. The only difference in his appearance was a bloody mark of a hand that reached from his face all the way down to his collarbone. Only now did you feel the throbbing pain of your left hand - you had completely forgotten that wound.
Nott was looking up at you from his position on the ground. He looked bewildered sure, but of sound mind. It seemed as if his time as a rabbit had helped him coping with the effects. For a few seconds no one in the Entrance Hall made a sound. Only when all tension had passed, did the Hufflepuff girl allow herself to cry, eventually pulling the young Slytherin up to her and into a tight hug. The rest of you did not speak, simply choosing to watch along. No one wanted to be alone right now.
No words were spoken until the first group of students arrived half an hour later. Group by group they followed from then on, all of them accompanied by a teacher.
It would take you an entire day until the last effects of the Dementors influence resided.
+ 20 Exp → Level Up! Two Attribute points free for distribution.
Trial by Combat, Clear Mind → Occlumency up from 'T' to 'D--'.
Present Date: 25th October 1993
Current Wand: Fagus wood, Phoenix feather core
The weekend passed by unspectacularly from there on. While you tried to start the morning of Sunday in your Common Room, it was soon clear to you that many a student did not feel much thirst for spending time outside the castle this specific morning. The experience with the Dementors may have hit your contraband group the hardest, but it had affected most of the body of pupils. A realization that led you to spent the rest of the day in an abandoned class after a short detour to the library.
With every passing day the castle was becoming more and more familiar to you; you spent half the day scribbling ideas into one of your many notebooks for future research opportunities; your first iteration of the idea you were working on, being as simple as to scribble down all shortcuts, hidden room and passages you'd found already. Simply thinking about what could work had made you fantasize about building something to do exactly the same with magic. Only when you started thinking about what might work did you realize that there was a fascinating option hidden behind those two alternatives … an object that wouldn't only tell you where you had found the corridors, but would even tell you where you could find spots without any people in them.wwhawhat
That idea held your attention until lunch. After that you were finally able to focus again and started reading the book you'd taken out of the library. Before you realized it was Monday again and the week started with a nice lesson with your favorite Professor, after which you needed a little bit longer than usual to clean up your things, because your potion had blown up spectacularly. You suspected that Michael had something to do with it, but you hadn't really been paying too much attention to the brewing this time around. Focused on such interesting other things always made it hard for you to follow along more important, but less interesting subjects. There were a few gasps as you lost your house some points and you found out that whatever you had fucked up, had created a very strong glue. That was kind of interesting.
It made the cleaning part also harder, which meant that you were trying to make up time for it, by using a shortcut to the higher floors and get to your next class. As soon as you turned the next corner, stepping into another corridor, you pulled the hefty and ancient book you had been reading since Sunday closer to your chest. The shady creature you detected in the floor was something that made you rethink your life choices every time you saw him. Peeves the Poltergeist of Hogwarts, was floating upside down in midair in front of a seemingly random door, stuffing the keyhole with chewing gum.
You almost made for a turn to avoid the trouble, but you were already late for DADA class and Peeves seemed unusually focused on his task, humming an unknown melody, while doing his interesting deeds.
There was many a fascinating thing in the world, but even for someone as exceedingly curios as you were, there were no questions to be asked when confronted with the Poltergeist. Without fastening, nor slowing your steps, you continued your journey through the corridor, trying to ignore him to the best of your abilities. If you just paid him no mind, you may be able to pass the floor unhindered. For a moment, your plan was working. Peeves chose not to look up until you were two feet away, as if to rob you of the chance to react to him. Then suddenly and with quick movements, he turned to you, wiggled his curly-toed feet and broke into a song. And just like that you felt like you had been played by him.
Rude and unmanageable as he always was, Peeves knew how to annoy people. By the looks of it there was nothing left now you could do to avoid the situation. So, you chose to take a step back and close the book to make it harder for Peeves to simply snatch it out of your hand.
"Hello Peeves", you said, focusing your eyes on the silvery presence. "Might I interest you in taking a detour and bothering someone else?" Fat chance of that working.
"Lonely Jacob, why would you want me to go? No one is here to be your friend if I go! As soon as I finish this we can play together!"
Your smile was thin, humoring him as you thought about going for your wand. Thinking about it there were not many things you could hit him with. Not for the first time did you curse days being so short; if only you had more time to learn the spells in your notebook. "That is very nice of you. But I am already late for class and I am sure you'd have more fun tormenting someone with friends instead."
Peeves squeaked happily as if you had complimented him. "Yes, yes! We will go together! We will look for friends for you and then I will drop…"
"I'd take that gum out of the keyhole if I were you, Peeves," someone said pleasantly from the direction you had been coming from. You turned your head to find the source. Only then did you notice that Professor Lupin had been walking at a distance behind you. While it was true that you had been focused on other things that were on your mind, you should have heard him. It was his class you were hurrying to in the end.
"Mr. Filch won't be able to get in to get his brooms otherwise", Professor Lupin said, choosing to come to a halt next to you. However, Peeves paid no attention to Professor Lupin's words, except to blow a loud wet raspberry and try to blow it up.
Even though Lupin's confident smile never wavered, you noticed the shadows that had begun building under his eyes again. His face had fallen in and his skin was starting to lose color. You also knew that you were exactly five days away from the next full moon. Which first of all cemented that Michael Corner was an idiot – not that there had been any doubt in that regard. His theory that Lupin had something to do with Dumbledore's illness was as wrong as it was dumb … because Professor Lupin's true secret was a much more interesting one. Remus Lupin was a werewolf.
In response to Peeves' rudeness Professor Lupin gave a small sigh and took out his wand.
"This is a useful little spell", he told you, talking in a tone as if you had been walking down the corridor together the entire time. "Please watch closely, Mr. Basques."
He raised the wand to shoulder height, said, "Waddiwasi!" and pointed it at Peeves. There was no complicated wand movement. With the force of a bullet, the wad of chewing gum shot out of the keyhole and straight down Peeves' left nostril; he whirled upright screaming and shouting obscene things at the Professor as he zoomed away through the ceiling into the corridor above.
Only then did you dare to breath out, relaxing again. Meeting Peeve always ended up touching your nerves. You'd had enough action for a single week already. "Thank you, Professor", you said, turning back to Lupin.
He smiled at you in response, before his wand disappeared back in a pocket of his brown jacket. His jacket looked just as old and weary as he felt to you. Taking his appearance in, it was really only his eyes that were vibrant still. "Would you like to accompany me to our class, Mr. Basques.?"
"Gladly, Sir", you said, now fully closing the heavy book in your hand and packing it into your bag. You still caught Lupins eye, when he tried to read the title of your current literature. 'Dark creatures and how to fight them IV'.
Only when both of you had crossed half the floor, did he speak up again. "That is quite the advanced reading material, Mr. Basques. May I ask you what it is that your studying?" His eyes didn't look at you and just for a second you asked yourself how he would feel about you knowing of his condition. Alas, he was not the reason why you had borrowed the book. While it was an interesting tidbit, you didn't really care about his lycanthropism.
"I wanted to learn how to defend myself against Dementors, Sir."
Lupin stayed silent for a few steps. From your periphery vision you could see that he was watching you, thinking about something, before he spoke up again. "Where you in the stands this Saturday?"
Your answer was to simply shake your head. This event hadn't changed the basics of your personality. Jacob Marvan Basques was not one to talk more than he found necessary.
"Hm. I guess it is understandable still. This is not an unusual time for Hogwarts."
He misinterpreted your following nod as agreement - that this was an exceptionally bad time at Hogwarts. Reality was that you nodded, because there was no monster petrifying children in the castle this year. The danger was outside the castle, so it seemed to be quite the improvement.
"I've read of a Charm to defend against Dementors, Professor", you said, not sure as how to sensibly put it, still unsure if this was the right way to go. You rarely asked for help. "A charm to summon a corporal guardian that will harm an attacking Dementor."
There was no other way to do it though, you had to simply go for it.
"Professor", you said, coming to a halt and looking up at the werewolf. "Could you teach me the spell?
He was smilling at you. For a few seconds you caught a glimpse of hope. It was an advanced spell, sure, but in the end, it was in the hands of a teacher to give his students all the possibilities to grow and develop themselves at the speed they saw fit. That hope ceased to exist, when you realized his smile to be a sad one. It did not reach his eyes, as he looked down at yours.
"I am glad that you grasp for such lofty goals. But I do not think, that it is possible for you to learn it, my boy." His hand pushed against your shoulder to bring you back into movement. You followed his lead and picked your speed up the stairs you had reached. "It is something most adults fight with, you should wait and try again once you have a better grasp over charms and spells, Mr. Basques."
You didn't answer to that. Why would you say anything more, when it was clear that his decision had been felled? In the end the two of you would never be able to agree. Your Professor had shown himself to be a kind but ignorant man. He was without imagination and creativity, not able to see that there was not a thing in the world that had no viable path.
'I disagree, Professor', you wanted to say. 'There is absolutely nothing I cannot do.'
But in the end, you didn't say any of it.
Words were wind.
New Spell Research: What stops an unstoppable force? (Patronus Charm) - DADA. This ancient and mysterious charm conjures a magical guardian, a projection of all your most positive feelings. The Patronus Charm is difficult, and many witches and wizards are unable to produce a full, corporeal Patronus, a guardian which generally takes the shape of the animal with whom they share the deepest affinity. You may suspect, but you will never truly know what form your Patronus will take until you succeed in conjuring (Requires Charm and DADA skill of at least P),DC 500, DC 300. + New trait if learned while Lupin is Professor.
New Spell Research:Waddiwasi (Basic Understanding) – Charm. It was used by Professor Lupin to shoot the wad of chewing gum out of the keyhole and straight down Peeves's left nostril, but if you think about it, it could be used for any kind of other things. Waddiwasi is the incantation of a charm that can be used to shoot a small mass of whatever the caster so desires at the target. DC 50.
Present Date: 25th October 1993
Current Wand: Fagus wood, Phoenix feather core
And then it was already Wednesday. Classes were becoming a bother. Not because you didn't learn new things, but because you were losing time on the really interesting things. You hadn't touched the book your father sent you since that first evening, your notebooks were filling up with things you wanted to research but didn't have the time for and … you were not making any headway in your investigation. This hit you the hardest, because you felt as if there was a hidden truth that you could uncover, if you just found the right questions to ask.
While you had read into the subjects of ghosts per se, you'd found nothing that described the actual process of a human turning into a ghost in any kind of detail. The explanations were vague and unsatisfyingly disinterested in the magical theory behind it. While there were many spells to fight or dispel a ghost, there was no spell to be found to create a ghost, nor had you found a way to at least predict the creation of one.
All true insights you had were those that you'd discovered yourself. Sally-Ann had been a prominent example. It indicated some connection between magic and emotions that could be a requirement. Then there was Binns, who you'd thought to be lesser than a wizard for the simple fact that he wasn't quite there. He was limited in his personality and development. But what if he wasn't seeing the same world you were seeing? What if he wasn't differentiation between this very moment and all moments before? It was a tricky question that you couldn't even formulate right, but you felt as if there might be something hidden beneath those observations. All these questions made you head out of your Common Room when it started to fill up with your house mates.
It was late Evening – half an hour to curfew – when you finally found the person you were looking for. The grey lady was tall and lanky. Her silvery waist-length hair might have been brown or black, you couldn't quite tell anymore. Even in death with her haughty appearance, you could tell that she had been beautiful once. She stood proud in the air and carried herself in a serene manner, her floor-length cloak falling over her transparent body, giving her a surreal look as she levitated in front of a large mirror.
The woman was a mystery to you. You'd known of her since your very first day at Hogwarts, but thinking about it, you didn't know that many things about her. Even the few sentences you'd interchanged with the Ravenclaw house-ghost gave you the impression of a highly intellectual lady though. She'd died unquestionably young as she had maybe not even been in her mid-twenties at the time of death.
Many a time you'd seen her sit in classes with the rest of you, listening to the teachers as they taught their subject; transformation seemed of particular interest to her. Oftentimes you had seen her reading, giving you the impression of a scholarly and cultured woman. Dozens, maybe hundreds of years after her death, she still maintained her curiosity.
"I admire that about you."
Your voice broke through the silence, startling the ghost of Ravenclaw. For a second, you caught a glimpse of real emotion in her face. It was gone just as swift as it had come.
"What is it you admire about me, young Jacob?" Her voice was as calm and controlled as it had ever been. The underlaying sadness you did only hear, because you knew to look for it. First Sally-Ann, then the Dementors; for whatever reason it seemed only negative emotions were strong enough to build a bridge between the here and the… whatever there was.
"Your curiosity", you said. "After all these years, I still see you reading and listening. It is a fear of mine that one day I will not be like that anymore. That I'll chose to rather talk than to listen."
There was no change in expression in reaction to your words. Instead she turned her head again and looked into the mirror as if to observe herself. After a few moments she looked back at you and nodded softly. "That is quite the admirable perspective. I am sure that you'll be able to keep your drive even in old age." She gifted you a short smile, before starting to move to her left, heading straight for the wall. Who would have thought that it would be so difficult to talk to a ghost?
"I have one question left, if you'd allow me", you said, bringing her to a halt. Despite her evasive attitude, she had a thirst for knowledge. Her curiosity defined her. Not it was a matter of how to awaken that curiosity of hers.
"How would one get to be the ghost of one of Hogwarts' four houses, if that person didn't like to talk to anyone?" Only when it was out of your mouth, did you realize how rude you had formulated that question. You tried to add something and soften it up: "We are similar in many things", you said. "The only reason why I've seen you many times more than the rest of my house-mates is because I try to look for secluded corners myself. We are both people that seek solitude."
She was watching you intensely, her face an indecipherable mask. Seconds passed by. None of you spoke. Instead of making it worse, using even more words, this time you waited. In the end, she did open her mouth to break the silence.
"I did not think you to be of the rude kind, young Jacob." The calmness had left her voice, making room for a controlled anger. Her eyes were piercing yours now, but it seemed as if she was keeping her attention on you.
"I did not speak in vain", you said, raising your hands in defense. Even knowing that she'd never hurt you, your heartbeat quickened in reaction to her worsening attitude against you. A third incident with flying dead creatures would be too much even for you to handle.
"As the castle itself is a riddle for the students to learn about the secrets of magic, I think that you are one as well. I haven't heard of ghosts spontaneously ceasing to exist and there were certainly no cases of ghost exorcisms in the castle in any book about the history of Hogwarts. Which means that of all ghosts, those pertaining to specific houses might be the oldest because they might have been around the longest."
You watched her every feature, not sure if she was tensing or if it was a trick of the mind.
"You might think that, yes", she answered the question you hadn't asked.
"Which could mean that you've been selected with reason; someone to represent the house of Ravenclaw. A studious and curious mind, as I said, but one that is just as aloof as I tend to be. Why wouldn't I try to guide the students with someone that participated in their lives instead?"
The grey Lady shook her head, floating away from the wall and closing the distance to you. She was looking down at you with something approaching disappointment.
"What is the point you are trying to make here, Jacob? I am nearing the end of my patience with this conversation."
"I am trying to say, that you have been selected for reasons other than only your personality. I suspect that you have been chosen because you were there at the right time, which must have been early into the school's history. You lived in the times of the founders - or at least very close to them."
And with this you got her out of her reservation. Her eyes shot open in... fear? Then there was a rapid change in expressions; disbelieve, then anger, before it made place for dismissal. Finally, she shook her head. This time more energetical and firm than before.
"I…", she tried to say, before stopping herself. After a few seconds the grey Lady tried again: "Do you know what kind of day this Sunday is?" she asked instead. This was not a question you'd been expecting, so it took you a few moments to think about it.
"It's Halloween, right?" You were not quite sure what she was getting at. Somehow the grey Lady had changed the rhythm of your exchange with a single line that was out of order.
"Yes, and quite coincidently it is also the 500th Deathday Party of Sir Nicholas", she said.
Sure, it took you a few moments to understand. But once you did, you felt like she had thrown you flat on your back. Sir Nicholas, also known as the nearly headless Nick was Gryffindors house-ghost. If his death had only happened 500 years prior, then the basis of your analysis was wrong. The house-ghosts didn't need to be as old as you thought. Maybe the concept of house ghosts wasn't even as old as you'd assumed. She had killed your line of thought with as much as a comment.
Looking up at her, you could see her smile again. Her face was the usual mask of control and pride. "I would love to invite you to it, even if it is a rather gloomy affair. You might enjoy it."
You simply nodded.
There were few things that felt worse than being in the wrong and losing perspective on how to solve a riddle.
The Deathparty Day, ah yes, what a glorious and joyous event that has to be! You've tried different avenues to further advance your current Case but it seems as if things don't want to fall together as nicely as last time. What approach do you want to take?
[] The Riddle has an answer, I know it - Be assertive and try another route with the Grey Lady. You have the feeling that you might crack her with just a few more sentences.
[] A rare Curiosity - You have been invited to a 500th Deathparty. While you'd avoid a similar thing with living people, this alternative might be interesting. Mingle around and talk to whoever. Don't look for the Grey Lady.
[] Just like watching a Painting - Go to the Party, hang back and just watch it. You don't think that you should push this delicate matter anymore. Sometimes you need to let things go, before hurting someone just to get some answers.
