Chapter Four

Professor Binns taught History of Magic at Hogwarts for years. Rumour had it, among some who were bored enough to perpetuate such rumours, that he was already dead by the time Professor Dumbledore started teaching at the school. The only thing anyone really knew of him was that he'd left his body behind him one morning, and that none of the staff at the time saw any reason to expel the old man's ghost from the castle. One thing remained a certainty - Professor Binns knew his subject extremely well.

Harry had to wonder, though, if his lectures were this boring when he was alive. Amber mentioned something about not thinking the way she used to. Could she have become trapped within one thought, perhaps of revenge? Could Professor Binns have been a decently fun and kind man when he was alive who just happened to get stuck thinking about the class he taught?

The lecture went on, and Harry's head drooped lower and lower as it rested on his hand. He didn't quite notice it until his chin hit the table with a rather painful thump, which drew chuckles from his fellow Gryffindors and the Hufflepuffs who were present in the class. Blinking, he looked up to see that even Hermione's note-taking seemed to be going slower than usual. Her furious scribble was more of a meandering scrawl at the moment, though at least she was paying attention. Ron, on Harry's other side, was fast asleep.

Hermione barely glanced up in order to note that Harry had come out of his boredom-induced stupor. "Good, you're awake," she whispered. "I've checked the schedule, and Binns has a class after this, so it won't be long before people start arriving." She stopped taking notes so she could look at him again. "You know what you're going to ask, right?"

Nodding, Harry felt confident that yes, this time he knew what he was going to talk about It'd be the first time he stayed after to ask Professor Binns anything, and he couldn't imagine the ghost would be easy to talk to. Still, he knew what he was going to ask. Hermione, with a nod, went back to her note-taking. Harry attempted to write a few things down as well. Most of what he was absorbing from the lecture wouldn't help him with any writing assignments or quizzes... His notes, likewise, probably wouldn't be much help, though at least he could say he had them.

When the class finally let out, Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood in an empty classroom only seconds after dismissal. It was amazing how quickly it cleared out when the students were allowed to go. Meanwhile, Professor Binns floated in the front of the room, book in hand, as if the dismissal of class was no reason to cease teaching.

Ron elbowed Harry and Hermione. "You notice how he can hold things? Like books? Our essays?"

"Amber said she couldn't," Harry mused, heading down the broad steps to the front of the room. Binns didn't even seem to notice anyone still present. "She said she'd go through them and learn things that way."

"Sir Nicholas can, too," Hermione added. "Though it's rare. The last thing I remember him actually holding onto was that note from Sir Podmore. Unless you've seen anything else?"

Ron shook his head, as Harry leaned on Professor Binns' desk, clearing his throat. The old ghost looked up. "Yes? Can I help you, Mister Porter?"

"Potter," Harry said. "Anyway, I was wondering..." He paused as the professor's eyes wandered back to the book he was reading. Just in case, he raised his voice a little. "I was wondering if you could tell me anything about ghosts."

"I should think so, yes," remarked Professor Binns, turning the page of his book. "After all, I am one."

"That's why we're asking," Harry said. His voice still a bit louder than what he'd use in a normal conversation. "I was wondering if maybe you knew of a way to get to..."

It was here he paused, because he wasn't quite sure how to phrase it. Ron continued for him. "A place where people go when they die. There's one, isn't there?"

For a moment, Professor Binns actually appeared surprised, though the neutral, bland expression he usually wore soon returned. He placed the book on the table, and after some thought, he answered. "It's an inherent belief, I suppose, though I've never actually seen it, so I don't know myself. It can't be proven, only debated."

So... It could exist, but it could not? "Er..." Harry said. "So, you're saying..."

"I'm saying I've never been there," Binns answered, and by his tone, he sounded rather final. However, as he looked around in his cabinet for the next class' books, he added, "It can't be proven as a fact, only an idea. Though most of the castle's ghosts, if asked, will say that they feel it."

"Any you?" Harry asked.

Binns considered this. "I have felt something. It could just be that I'd like to believe there's something there, though, as no one has actually been there to report back on this. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

"Do you have any idea how to get there?" Hermione supplied, stepping forward. The professor eyed her strangely for a moment, and she explained. "There's another ghost in the castle..."

"Ah, yes. Well. I'm afraid I can't answer that for you," Binns replied, opening another book. His attention turned toward the reading, and Harry noticed that there were some seventh-year Ravenclaws already arriving. "As I said, it has no basis in fact."

"We'll just be going then," Harry said. The only reply was a grunt, and so he, Ron, and Hermione hurried to get out of the class.

"That wasn't any help," Ron complained as soon as they were safely in the corridor. He walked between Harry and Hermione and just slightly behind, so he could easily hear what they said. "In fact, now we're further from knowing, because he said it might not even exist at all."

"That isn't what Nick told me," Harry said. He tried to remember how the Gryffindor ghost put it. Something about 'Going on,' and that he didn't know the secrets of death because of the path he chose. It wasn't much, but he hinted at there being something. The way Binns put it, it seemed so final. If you were a ghost, it was the last step in your life, end of story. "He said that Sirius wouldn't have come back."

"I don't think I would, either," Ron said. "It's a bit creepy, isn't it? Why would anyone choose that? I mean, it's nice to live forever, but when you can't do half the things you'd like to... Imagine seeing a whole chocolate cake and not being able to taste it."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Well, Amber chose it, in a way. She's not sure how, though. She said she remembers thinking about not wanting to die, and I guess that would do it." Harry shrugged. "It still doesn't make a lot of sense. I'd think the same thing if I knew I was dying, and Nick specifically said you had to choose to become a ghost."

"At least we know a few things about ghosts," Hermione said. "They aren't really who they are... It's just an echo... A piece of that person. And they have to choose to become that, it doesn't just happen. Why do you think Nick chose to become a ghost? Did you ask him, Harry? After all, I think Myrtle stayed behind to haunt that one person who was picking on her. Nick must have had a reason."

Harry shook his head.

"I think we should talk to him, then," Hermione said.

"He's usually not that difficult to find," Harry said. "It might take a while, but he tends to stay out in the open. It's just a big castle..." He turned off down a corridor leading toward the dungeon where Sir Nicholas had his Deathday party. Maybe they could find out a bit more about ghosts from him... Maybe not, but it was worth a try. Hopefully he'd be in a better mood today than he was that time a couple years ago when Harry wanted to talk to him about Sirius' death. Ron and Hermione followed, and though they searched for some time, he didn't turn up. They were just about to give up and go to the Great Hall for lunch, when a voice piped up from behind them.

"Were you looking for something?" it asked. When the three of them turned, they found the exact ghost they were looking for hovering a couple feet off the ground.

"Nick!" Harry exclaimed. "Actually, we were looking for you."

"How very delightful," Nick said pleasantly, falling in step next to Hermione. "There's something I can help you with, then?"

"We were wondering," Hermione started, "Why you chose to stay behind when you died."

The ghost arched pale eyebrows, looking at Hermione as if this might be a joke of some sort. However, he likely reached the conclusion that Hermione wouldn't joke about things like that, because he went on. "This isn't about Amber," he said.

"Well, in a way," Harry replied. Nick nodded, slowly.

"I don't know if I'll be able to stop you," Nick said, "Though I should ask that you leave Amber alone if she wants you to. The first couple hundred years are somewhat difficult."

The trio was silent for a moment, absorbing this, before Harry said, "She asked for help." Which was the truth, in a way.

Nick eyed them for a moment. It didn't seem like he was able to disbelieve Harry or Hermione individually, and when they were together on something... "Very well. I stayed to prove my innocence."

"Innocence?" Ron blurted out, then said, "Oh."

"Well, they tried to cut off my head for a reason, didn't they?" Nick remarked, chuckling rather dryly before turning what Harry thought were sad eyes toward the wall. "I was innocent, too. Though by the time I was able to prove that, the people who accused me were long gone."

"You were a ghost, though," Harry said. "You could have gone anywhere... No one could have hurt you. No one could have stopped you."

"Ability and desire, Harry," Nick said with another sad smile. "And if you'll excuse me..." He lifted his hat off his head, which bobbed a bit before settling back down, and walked straight through the dungeon wall.

The three Gryffindors could only stare after the space he'd been for a moment before Ron said, "What was that all about?" Harry and Hermione shrugged. Ron peered around a doorway and into the classroom where Nick would have gone, but he shrugged. There wasn't anyone there. "It seems as though he didn't want to talk about it."

"It seems to me like he didn't want anyone to see he was innocent," Hermione added thoughtfully, drifting toward the stairway again so they could get back into the warm upper halls. "Which doesn't make much sense, considering that's exactly why he seemed to have stayed behind."

"Maybe we should ask the Fat Friar or the Bloody Baron," Harry suggested. He noticed that Ron shivered at the mention of the last one. Hermione shook her head, though.

"They're hundreds of years old, Harry. I think if we're to find anything recent, perhaps about why someone wouldn't do what they intended to do when they chose to become a ghost..." Hermione paused, looking back at the both of them. "I think we ought to talk to Amber."

"I don't know if she'll want to talk, though," Harry said. "She only talked to me because I almost walked right through her. She's been hiding from almost everyone."

Hermione didn't seem to have an answer to that, and Harry himself was a bit caught up in his own thoughts as they headed toward the Great Hall for lunch. There were new bits of the mystery popping up at every turn it seemed. First Binns partially-but-not-really confirming that there was some sort of afterlife, then Nick being very vague about what he did after he died. Strangely, he hadn't withheld the information about why he'd chosen to stay, which struck Harry as being very odd. Wouldn't your reasoning behind staying be worse than what you did after? Not necessarily. Besides, Nick might not have been telling the whole truth about why he returned as a ghost...

He knew Hermione was right. He'd have to talk to Amber again and see what he could turn up about her reasoning. She claimed she didn't know, but perhaps if they talked for a bit... He'd need Hermione, no doubt about it, and Ron, too, because sometimes he had a bit of insight that no one else thought of. Among the three of them, plus Amber, they should easily be able to figure it out.