A certain Hogwarts professor of runes

Chapter 132 Choice

"You... what kind of magic is this?" Helena's expression was priceless.

"It's an application of memory magic," Felix explained, a fine layer of sweat beading on his forehead. "Can it stay there temporarily? To be honest, I'm not very good at this magic yet."

She stopped.

Felix felt a little dizzy. He had just constructed a large number of memories and then used them all at once, leaving his mind feeling heavy.

Helena looked at him with concern.

Felix took a few deep breaths and felt much better. He said to Helena, "We're friends, right?"

"certainly."

"Please forgive my bluntness, madam. From your story, it's less that you hate others, and more that you hate yourself."

Her expression suddenly fell silent, and she turned her body slightly to the side, hiding half of her face in shadow.

Felix softened his tone as much as possible: "Why did you become a ghost? Is it out of fear of death? From my interactions with you, I don't think so. What truly troubles you is your inability to let go of your guilt towards your mother."

With an extremely serious expression, he said, "The Blood Man Barrow has been shackled for a thousand years, and so have you. I hope you can try to forgive yourself..."

Night fell over the castle, and after a long silence—

"The one who could forgive me is gone forever, on the third day after I became a ghost," Helena said coldly, then turned and floated away.

This time, Felix did not stop him.

……

Ghosts are born from obsessions, and the thoughts of those on the verge of death are the most brilliant and intense. Therefore, the obsessions of most ghosts stem from their fear of death and their desire to escape it.

Cases like Helena, Barrow, and Professor Binns are extremely rare.

For Helena, her obsession was one of guilt and remorse—regret for her ignorance that led to such a terrible mistake, regret for not believing Barrow's words, guilt for not seeing her mother one last time, and guilt for not apologizing to her in person...

That evening, he appeared in front of the white wall of the Room of Requirement.

Through his conversation with Helena Ravenclaw, he suddenly thought of a perspective he had never considered before.

He silently repeated to himself, "I need to find the room Rowena Ravenclaw left for her daughter Helena Ravenclaw... I need to find the room Rowena Ravenclaw left for her daughter Helena Ravenclaw... I need to find the room Rowena Ravenclaw left for her daughter Helena Ravenclaw..."

Will it succeed? Logically, such a vulnerability shouldn't exist...

Felix slowly opened his eyes, and an ordinary blue door appeared in reality, its lines drawn from the white wall.

A silver-white handle protruded from the gate.

Felix's hand was on the doorknob, but at that moment, he suddenly hesitated.

After a long while, he resolutely pushed open the door.

Inside the door was a very simple room. The room was small, furnished with a few simple tables and chairs, a few potted plants, and books. It was spotless and gave people a sense of tranquility and warmth.

"Is anyone home?" he asked.

After a long while, he received no response. He tapped his forehead with his finger and changed his perspective.

The colors faded rapidly, and ripples spread outwards from him.

Felix saw a materialized source of magic and something as smooth as silk residing in the deepest part, with a dozen magic channels extending into the air like chains.

'This is the true heart of the Room of Requirement.' A thought crossed his mind.

……

For the next few days, Felix remained indecisive and struggled to make a decision.

He had realized that the core of the Room of Requirement was that room.

He also guessed that the silk-like thing deep within the magic was most likely a memory left behind by Lady Rowena Ravenclaw.

He didn't know why he was able to go in; perhaps it was because he had mentioned the name Helena Ravenclaw? And the memories left behind by Lady Ravenclaw were still dormant, which led to his discovery.

Logically, he should tell Helena immediately, as it would benefit both of them—Helena could reconcile with her mother, and he could take the opportunity to inquire about some of the mysteries of magic, and if he was lucky, he might even inherit Ravenclaw's legacy.

But he found that he didn't have much expectation for it.

For a ghost, continuing on means liberation, but what does it mean for the person in reality who has formed a friendship with the ghost?

Felix felt confused; his past experiences could not help him, so he chose to ask someone wiser.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, what is your view on 'death'?"

"Hmm... Felix, why are you suddenly asking this question?" Dumbledore looked at him with some confusion.

"This was inspired by some events."

Realizing that Felix didn't want to explain, Dumbledore considerately didn't press the matter. He thought for a moment, then clicked his tongue and said, "Everyone has a different view of death—fear, avoidance, disgust… but for some, like me, it's welcome."

"Welcome?" Felix wondered if he had misheard.

"Felix, for an old man, there is nothing in the world that he fears. Death is just an unknown, new and interesting thing to him, like a ticket to a great adventure."

Felix shook his head. This was different from his own beliefs. He might not be afraid of death, but he didn't look forward to it either.

He asked the question that concerned him most: "So, what do you think the existence of ghosts means?"

"Ghosts? They're stuck in reality because of their intense obsessions..."

"No, no, Headmaster Dumbledore," he interrupted Dumbledore, "please forgive me, perhaps I wasn't clear enough..."

Dumbledore looked at him understandingly, giving Felix time to reorganize his thoughts. This time, he asked cautiously, "A ghost exists because of its obsession, and it is freed when its obsession disappears. Right?"

"That's right," Dumbledore blinked and agreed.

"What does this kind of relief even mean? Another death? Especially for her living friends in reality, I mean... it's a permanent separation, no different from death."

"Her?" Dumbledore asked.

Felix remained silent and did not answer.

Dumbledore thought carefully for a while before saying, "Different people may have different understandings. I can only offer my thoughts for your reference."

"That's exactly why I came here, to have your wisdom help me see things more clearly," Felix said.

"For ghosts, 'keeping going' is undoubtedly a relief. Staying in reality does not bring them happiness. In fact, although they can continue to talk and move, they cannot enjoy anything and are always bound by their obsessions—few people choose to prolong their existence in such a meager way."

"What about the living? What about the ghost's friends?"

"Only blessings," Dumbledore said calmly. "Perhaps I've been through too much, so I always see things very clearly, in some ways..." he said softly, "even a little cold-hearted."

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(End of this chapter)