Chapter 38

Allen tested a few things, first, he would write down how his wand reacted if he used the charm three times a day, and how expressive it seemed. He would also write down his observations about the Room of Requirements before and after he used the charm on it.

In the case of his wand, it would sometimes react through the day, giving him a little push, using the magic it contained, whenever he casted magic without it, as if telling him to stop that and use it instead. Otherwise, it was normal.

Regarding the Room of Requirements, it would send out more magic whenever it wanted to communicate something to Allen, something that didn't happen before.

Now, regarding the two second years whom he used as test subjects, they were friendly with him, and to make a real test, he didn't use the charm in the other Burke twin, he could finally tell them apart after a while, but only because one was friendlier than the other.

And he would give an extra dose of the charm to Avery, this way, he could test between a person whom he didn't use the charm on, a person who received it, and a person who received it too much.

Of course, he didn't exaggerate it, in case it would cause actual damage, so he would it once a week on Burke, and two per week on Avery.

After a few weeks, Samhain was getting closer, which confused him greatly, since most faculty members called it Halloween, while others, like Professor Snape called it Samhain, and even inside his house, the festivity was called Samhain.

In any case, Avery invited him to a party that was to be celebrated on Samhain. He didn't really know who was gonna host the party, but since it was probably an older student, he didn't want to be in the center of attention more than necessary and refused the invitation.

Allen decided to end the experiment with the second years for a while, since it might get out of hand. And to be honest, it feels weird to have someone who hated me to be so friendly, this confirms the use of the Wand Raising Charm affecting how they see me, at the very least, they see me in a favorable light.

In the following days, Halloween decorations were being put by the groundskeeper all around the castle, giant pumpkins with decorative faces and enchanted black clothes to assimilate the flying of bats. No real bats were brought into the castle since the caretaker complained about their excrement being hard to clean. As if the house elves weren't the ones doing all the work.

Yet, Allen silently thanked Filch, he didn't really want to deal with a swarm of bats going wherever in the castle, not expecting when some would drop their, well, excrement.

He asked Armand the reason as to why it seemed that the castle seemed to be divided between Halloween and Samhain, mostly as to why the rest three houses preferred to refer to the festivity as Halloween, while in Slytherin referred to it as Samhain.

"It's about tradition. Everything related to tradition is associated with the pureblood views, and therefore, its bad, so the other wizards take the muggle festivities and we celebrate them. I am sure that they think that if they get rid of old traditions, the pureblood views will soon follow, but it only creates more resentment since they feel like their culture is not being respected while catering to others.

Instead, what I believe we should do is include them in our festivities, not being divided like this." Finished Armand as he picked up a transfiguration book.

"My dad and mum said they prefer Halloween since they received candies." Said William from the side.

Armand let out a chuckle before answering. "Certainly, I also prefer Halloween because of that, so maybe a mix of the two wouldn't be so bad, that way we could show the muggleborns our culture, without feeling like they don't belong."

"Hmm, so it's like that. Thanks you gave me a lot to think about."

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As the festivity ran closer, Allen could see the ghost around the castle more active than ever, though they still floated away whenever he looked at them with his eyes. Apparently, they were more sensitive than humans and they could, more or less tell that Allen was looking, not at them, but at what composes them, which probably made them fidgety.

One day, as he finished his Occlumency training, he found a certain ghost outside the seventh floor corridor, resting upon the tapestry, as if waiting for him.

Allen raised an eyebrow, wondering what was that she wanted. "Umm, can I help you… my… um… Grey Lady?"

She turned her head towards him, a cold look on her eyes. "I don't know. Can you?"

Allen saw her chest going down, in what he assumed to be a sigh, how could a ghost do that, he had no idea.

Uncomfortable by the situation, Allen tried to get away. "O-kay. Then, in that case, I will take my leave, it was a lovely talk."

As he walked towards the stairs, his steps were interrupted by the Grey Lady's voice. "Wait, we haven't finished talking."

Allen turned back. "What is it?"

"The other ghosts and I were wondering." She floated towards him as she spoke. "How can you have a body when you are also dead?"

A drop of cold sweat fell down his back. "Wha- What do you mean? I'm alive, I bleed, I can taste, touch, eat and feel things."

Of all things to be said to him, this was something he didn't expect. Specially from the Grey Lady.

A small scorn appeared on her face. "You might be able to lie to the others, but not us. We can feel it, you know? You feel like death, and it was stronger on the day of the sorting.

But ever since then, whenever you looked at us it was always with those eyes which seemed to pierce through us, so of course we would be away from you.

Even the poltergeist seems to leave you alone." She turned to the side and put a hand to her chin, resting his elbow on the other hand. "Do pray tell, is that on purpose?" The Grey Lady looked back at him.

"I… don't know what you mean.

I need to get going, otherwise my head of house will give me detention again. It was a lovely talk Grey Lady."

As he turned around, she appeared before him. "Call me Helena, Mr Lionheart"

Allen stayed silent for a moment before speaking. "Then you can call me Allen as well, Helena."

She nodded, accepting the offer. "We'll continue this conversation later, then." And with that, Helena disappeared, leaving Allen alone in the seventh floor.

Wasn't she supposed to be reclusive towards strangers? Allen let out a long breath before walking down the stairs towards the dungeons.

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The following days, Allen was always caught by surprise by Helena, she would appear before he entered the Room of Requirements and after he finished his training inside. Sometimes she would even follow him to the dungeons, until another student appeared, then she would banish like she was never there.

One week before Samhain, Helena entered the Room of Requirements with him, but didn't say anything and let Allen do his training, though he could barely concentrate since she kept on stabbing him with her eyes.

After he destroyed his Occlumency shield and build it back up again, he turned towards her, tired of the routine, he decided to entertain her questions. Hoping to be left alone.

"What is it that you wanted to ask?" Said Allen as he looked towards her.

"Hmm, the same question from days before. How can you have a body, when you are dead like us." She asked, not blinking for one second.

Allen let out a long breath, dropping his shoulders. "Would you leave me alone after I answer your questions?"

"That depends on the answer."

Allen groaned, looking down, massaging his eyebrows. "Okay, but you can't tell anyone the specifics, is that clear?"

"Yes." She simulated sitting down in front of him.

"I…" Allen spoke, wondering where he should start. "I died, then reincarnated. No, I think it would be more accurate to say that I was killed. Then, when I came to it, I found myself here." Fuck, I don't even know why I'm telling her, I wasn't planning on telling anyone, but… if she is like the Grey Lady from the books, she might be good at keeping secrets, and it's not like no one else haven't found out, the Sorting Hat certainly knows about it.

Helena stayed silent for a while, one minute, two minutes, five minutes, time passed, and as she continued to stay quiet, Allen turned back and started his training again, building the same shield for Occlumency.

After destroying the shield a few times he was able to find a bunch of openings in it, openings that he wouldn't find out unless someone tried to read his mind. He was grateful but he was also getting tired from reconstructing the same shield. So he would stop at it today and work on the next shield after today, since he already spent a month on it, and the book did recommend for a wizard to try to build the shield from one to three months.

"I believe you." Helena said from the said after a few hours of silence. "You carry yourself the same way I did when I came back to Hogwarts.

But then, what am I to tell the others, if I can't tell them the specifics?"

"Sorry, just tell them that its a secret, and if they want to know, they can ask me instead of sending someone." He looked at her with a tint of the green light in his eyes.

Helena flinched for a moment before returning the gaze he directed at her.

"Is it uncomfortable when I look at you with my eyes like this?" Allen asked.

"Yes, ever since dying, none of us have been able to feel anything, but when you look at us with that look, it makes our skin crawl. Others have discussed between each other how it makes them feel a primal fear that they haven't felt in years.

In my case, I feel like you are piercing me, looking at something you shouldn't."

Allen turned off his magic and looked up to the ceiling, thinking what to say. "For a guess, it's pretty close to what I'm doing." He looked back at her and gave her a smug smile.

"Are you not going to tell me what is it that you are looking?" Helena asked, with a bit of a frown in her face.

"Why would I?" Allen stood up and levitated all of his stuff towards him, putting them back in his backpack. Then, gave a quick glance at the Marauder's Map, checking to see if anyone was outside, and closed it.

"Well, it was a pleasure talking with you Helena, but I need to leave, otherwise they'll give me detention."

Allen went out of the Room of Requirements and Helena followed behind. "Did… Did you need something else?"

"Tell me, what is it that you see with-" Before she could finish, Allen looked at her again with the same green light in his eyes. This time stronger than before.

She doubted for a moment before Allen spoke. "We've just met, Helena, maybe if we get to know each other and become friends, I might tell you." He turned his gaze away from her, lifting a weight off her shoulders.

"But you told me how you died." She answered back.

"Yes, I did, probably because I wanted someone to know, someone I could share the secret with, even if its a stranger I've just met. Can you relate?"

Helena stayed silent for a moment, thinking back on more than fifty years ago, when she confided her secret to one of the students who betrayed her trust.

Seeing her look at the ground, thinking, Allen took this conversation as finished and walked again towards the common room.

Before he turned around the corner, Helena's voice could be heard. "Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington asked me to invite you to his death day, since he is scared of your eyes, but he hoped you could use them to silence anyone who dared to speak ill of the ghosts at Hogwarts."

Allen remembered the death day from the second book, rotting food and rude ghosts all around, but the prospect of scaring ghosts was entertaining to him. "I'll accept with three conditions: One, I need to eat proper food first before attending the party."

Helena nodded, she knows how gross the rotting food in death days could be, but some ghosts enjoyed them since it gave them a bit of taste, something they dearly missed.

"Two, Sir Nicholas needs to ask permission for me to my head of house. In case the party runs too long."

She nodded again.

"And three, I want Ms Helena as my companion for the evening of that day."

She nodded again before fully processing what he said, then shook her head in disbelief, wondering if she heard him correctly.