Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
This story is written for the Quidditch League Team, Pride of Portree with me acting as their Keeper.
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Trapped in a state of unending death was not all what it was cracked up to be. For some it provided an opportunity to pass on experience and wisdom for a number of generations. Their afterlife had meaning and as such would be of benefit for the young students walking through the hallowed halls of Hogwarts. For others however it gave them far too much time to ponder what had happened whilst alive and how it effectively shaped the afterlife; not necessarily for the better.
Helena Ravenclaw was the only ghost in the castle who had a direct lineage to one of the Hogwarts Founders, but arguably, she was the House Ghost who interacted the least with the students. Still, isolation was her punishment for the crimes she had committed both whilst alive and deceased. At the start of the school year she would be present for the barest of moments at the start of the school festival. Most of the time she remained in one of the highest courtyards where students seldom visited. If a student was to seek her out and ask a question she would be hospitable, answering as best she could before sending them on their way. That was all that she would be helpful for however. The last time she had helped someone on a deeper level, the consequences still haunted her and forever would.
How she wished she could speak with her mother, the wisdom and guidance she could provide in order to bring her some comfort, however little it may be. Would she accept Helena's apology for having stolen her Diadem so many centuries prior? Could Rowena forgive her daughter for the malicious item that it had become? Could Helena beg for forgiveness for having been so foolish as to think the words of a student were true at face value alone?
Helena had had decades to think this over and as much as she wished that her mother would forgive her, she feared that she would never receive such kindness. For the first couple it was very possible but for the corruption that had befallen her mother's treasured possession, for that there was no forgiveness for the weakness she had shown. Nor did she deserve any.
All because of him. All because of Tom.
How she hated recalling that name! A student with the tongue of a serpent who had wormed her way into her lifeless heart, using words that had made her feel special, to feel wanted. Every word from that demon in human form had been a lie, yet that had been so pleasant to hear. For glimpses, she found herself whisked away as he pried at who Helena was as a person, not as the daughter of a Hogwarts founder. In hindsight, it was clear that he was only ever after his own beneficial gain and she had been too blind to have seen the signs. How foolish she had been.
She had to consider why she had done as she had in the first place. The shame of having run away with her mother's priceless artifact whilst she had been alive was painful enough as it was, something that would forever be etched into her very being. While she interacted with others on a minimal level, Tom had been the only one who wished to get to know her. It had been such a change of pace that before she knew it, she was actively seeking out the boy after classes to simply talk with someone who wanted to talk to her. Their interactions had grown and his flattery grew too, utilizing his charm as a weapon that she had been unable to defend against. It was so easy to see in hindsight but at the time, she was simply too weak.
How much she wished she could properly interact with the physical world to unleash decades worth of frustration on an inanimate object. Not even to use magic but to drive her fists into the wall over and over as tears streamed down her eyes. If she was able to access a wand, there was no guarantee that there would be much of Hogwarts remaining once she unleashed her fury. Such a sight would be unbecoming of her but it is what she wanted to do regardless. Her reputation would be decimated but it would be a small price to pay. Anything would be better than simply existing with this knowledge forever circulating through the mind.
It wasn't even as if she could ask anybody, living or otherwise, for assistance. It wasn't as if she could casually mention that not only did she know where an artifact thought lost nearly a thousand years prior was but that it had been corrupted to host a vile entity. The shame was painful enough knowing of her poor actions, let alone if she was to tell someone the truth. She already suffered enough, let alone the ridicule that would be thrust upon her if anybody was to ever discover her secret.
Nobody would know nor would anybody ever suspect. She would forever be the epitome of what was expected of her, what all aspiring Ravenclaw students looked up to. Her legacy, to them, would help push them to be the best they could be. None of them would eve suspect that she was suffering down to her very core on a daily basis. All because of some kind words given to her. All because of how weak she had been when interacting with a single student.
This was her burden to bear, one that she would hold onto for the rest of her afterlife; as painful as it was. It was her punishment for opening up and allowing herself to feel happiness in an existence where no joy was allowed.
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