Chapter Seventeen

Ravenclaw's Common Room was rather quiet. Most students have gone home. Virginia was the only first-year who stayed.

Virginia has now mastered a good number of spells, but she cannot use them very well. She knows it's because of her habits, such as when she scratched herself she first thought of looking for a woundplast instead of using the Healing Spell.

As for self-defense, she believed she has mastered well. This kind of confidence stems out of her recently mastered Patronus Charm. She thought it would be very advanced magic but actually it was not more difficult for her than the Confoundus Charm or the Obliviate Charm. She thought it might be because she always had such a pair of loving parents, who make her feel happy at the mere thought of them. Maybe the wish of protecting others is the first step toward producing a Patronus. She easily summoned her own Partonus.

The tip of her wand first manifested silvery smoke, like a mysterous phantom. When the eagle came out Virginia was shocked. She never thought her Patronus would be an eagle, even though she is a Ravenclaw.

She carefully watched the huge eagle in front of her. Yes, her Patronus eagle was really large in size, about three or four times as big as the normal eagles. It spreads out its wings to float above Virginia, covering all above it from her sight.

Every night before sleep she would summon her Patronus and fell asleep with it. It makes her feel safe. But except for the first summon it never spreads its wind again. The eagle should naturally be flying in the sky. Virginia cannot stop her desire of seeing it fly, but in the castle, she keeps being prudent.

This day she comes to the Astronomy Tower after dinner. She remembers that Dumbledore died here, so it is usually deserted, and it's holiday now. She sent out her Patronus into the sky.

In the sky it flys as though nothing can hinder it. This freedom impacts her and is what Virginia actually wishes for deep inside her heart. Yes, she desires freedom. She wishes she can hover around freely in the sky and do not need to hide or be scrupulous about everything she does.

At this moment, she finds herself jealous of her Patronus.

It has grown dark now. Not wishing to draw too much attention, she recalled her Patronus.

Sitting alone on the Astronomy Tower, her hair immersed in moonlight. The shallow brown-gray hair seems to be a valuable, emiting a particular light under the moon, soft and mysterious.

"You two are very alike." A voice suddenly rang behind her.

Virginia jumped to her feet. She turned around and nearly crashed her head on the windowside. She looked at the culprit and saw it was Bloody Baron, the Slytherin ghost. It hangs in midair. Virginia cursed in her mind. Who is her alike? She doesn't consider it an honor at all, having experienced such a huge shock.

Bloody Baron seemed not to have noticed her embarassment. "She was also a Ravenclaw…." His voice sounds soft and misty. After saying his word he fell into silence. Virginia found that he never looked at her for once since the beginning.

Virginia raised her head and turned away. She has to hurry back, for the curfew has already passed. She cannot stay here for the entire night, especially when there's a quirky ghost beside.

Then, a loud crack sounds in the sky. That sound was quite like the outburst of a balloon. Virginia looked around in curiosity. In the darkness a man in cloak appeared. He strided toward the door in the silent night. Virginia suddenly realized that it was Apparation just now.

You can apparate into Hogwarts? Virginia felt nonplussed. "That was your headmaster." Bloody Baron's voice came, seeming not to be shocked by that.

True. She is convinced about that very quickly. That must have been Severus Snape. Who else would have such strides and pass like wind? And headmaster can apparate in Hogwarts, that was indeed a boon.

He went out so late this time. The Dark Lord summoned him again, maybe? Virginia conjectured, but she suddenly realized that what is most important for her now is to return to her dormitory.

Walking so many times in darkness and you can't avoid meeting a ghost.

This sounds unconvincing for Virginia. Judging from her own experience, the first time she walks in darkness there's a ghost tailing behind her. Bloody Baron followed her as though they were just accidentally walking in the same direction.

Virginia didn't wish to let others know that she has mastered the Disillusionment Charm, even when in holiday it's not actually illegal to walk after curfew. So she still walked her original way back and didn't perform the charm, though it was merely a ghost.

But a shiny ghost in darkness is certainly very obvious. Those people in the portraits seemed extremely curious about that. Bloody Baron and a first-year student.

A midnight castle still makes her feel she was stared at by many eyes. Virginia didn't know how to deal with this, so she walked faster and faster, and it was such a rush at last.

It had been fortunate for her. She encountered no trouble on her way to the dorm, not even those normally disturbing ghosts. Bloody Baron also went away soundlessly. Well, she has to admit that he had been useful behind her.

Having answered the cunning question of the door hook, she finally went in the Common Room and sat down to read for a while beside the warm fireplace. Then she went upstairs.

She thought of her rather monotonous life every day. She does nothing except reading and learning new spells. The new year is coming soon…. She thought and then fell asleep.

Next morning she opened her eyes and found her room rather bright. Ah! She jumped off her bed and ran to the window. She knows why that is! It was all silvery white outside the window. Lakewater and wood are all covered by a layer of white dressing-growns. Virginia now seems like a true child. She hurried to put on her clothes and ran out.

At the next corner she ran into someone.

"Oh! Ms. Winchester! Be careful please!" It was Professor McGonagall. She seemed to just be back at school. She supported Virginia's body and said with slight blame, "Ms. Winchester, you've got to be careful. Look around and walk slowly. Don't be so reckless."

"Snow! It was snowing, professor!" Virginia was ecstatic. She rushed out again.

Professor McGonagall was watching her from behind. Her normally stern expression was now loosened a little. These Hogwarts students are the true future of the wizarding world…. She turned back and left.

Virginia wasn't seeing snow for the first time. In fact that had been abnormal for her, for she was an adult in her born, but if you use that against her, she would refute by saying that adults can still harbor some playfulness, let alone that she was actually seeing such spectacular snow for the first time indeed. Before she was only seeing snow on tall skyscrapers and dirty pitch-covered road. Now it was the forest, the lake, the castle, all seemed to be an unrealistic fairy tale, a paradise.

A rare beauty in an oppresive fairy tale, can't she relax a bit in that?

Virginia lay down on the ground. She looked at clear sky above her and enjoyed the smelt of snow, along with the mixed flavor of forest plants. The snow in her hand was very soft. She took some and let them fall through her fingers. The snow shined in the sun and was blowed gentally onto her face.

Alright it was not that unrealistic. She sat up and thought that she had to strive ever harder. She has to guard everything she owns now, her life, her family, and the occasional beauty of nature.

Hogwarts becomes crowded a week later, for students gone for holiday are now coming back. Virginia knows she has to pay more attention to her study, because it is getting more and more intense around. Everything will pass soon, she consoles herself.

Soon before summer, all will end.

'

Many people would die, but more will live on. She thought of their hook-nosed headmaster, and the evil and malicious Dark Lord. Both will die, and both deaths lack any value.

In the final battle, some people will die of value, at least in the eyes of most people.

But even those valuable deaths are not permittable, thought Virginia, for afterall they died, and nothing is left after death. She has to live on, she tells herself. She will live on.

People's mood is such a fantastic being. It will steer you and influence your judgement. It can both encourage you and crack you down.