Chapter 57: Bloody Baron

Only those of the same kind truly understood each other. So, if you wanted to find out the whereabouts of a ghost, the best way was naturally to ask another ghost.

As the sky darkened, the sunset had completely vanished, leaving only a faint afterglow on the horizon, illuminating the sky with patches of colorful clouds.

The evening glow was beautiful, though Luke had no heart to appreciate it. But there were always some who would stop to admire the scenery.

Luke found him in front of the window of the Astronomy Tower—pearly white all over, slightly transparent, with a gaunt figure and wide, staring eyes. Of course, the most striking feature was the silvery-white stains on his body.

Anyone familiar with ghosts knew those were bloodstains.

Luke approached the Bloody Baron, the pitiful yet not quite sympathetic ghost.

"Hello, Baron"

Luke greeted him.

Bloody Baron stiffly turned his head, glaring at Luke with fierce, angry eyes.

Luke wasn't intimidated by his gaze, showing only indifference.

After a moment, the Bloody Baron turned fully around and bowed to Luke. "Good evening, Lord Gaunt"

"Lord?"

Luke knew the Bloody Baron's identity. As a student of Salazar Slytherin, his seniority was such that Luke calling him an ancestor wouldn't be out of place.

"You carry the bloodline of Lord Slytherin. Though I do not agree with your ideals, your ambition is worthy of respect. By proper principles, I should address you as 'Lord'" the Baron coldly replied.

"But it's pointless to dwell on titles. What is it that you wish to ask?"

Luke could sense the Baron's sincerity but also his irritability. In life, he was notorious for his volatile temper, and it seemed that even a thousand years in death hadn't changed him much.

"What was Gryffindor's talent?"

Luke asked straightforwardly, causing the Baron to pause.

(T/N: Talent and Innate magic will be used interchangeably, both means one and the same)

The cold expression on his face seemed to crack, as if struck by a hammer. His whole expression turned unpleasant and complicated.

After a long silence, he finally spoke.

"I'm sorry, my lord. I don't know Lord Gryffindor's talent. In fact, I don't know much about any of the four founders. I was merely Lord Slytherin's apprentice."

It was clear the Baron felt a bit helpless as he said this. He genuinely wanted to help Slytherin's descendant, but Luke had asked a very difficult question right off the bat.

Luke didn't seem disappointed. If the question was answered, that would be good. If not, it didn't matter. His main goal was to calm the Bloody Baron down, to get him to organize his thoughts and emotions.

"What exactly is Peeves?" Luke asked next.

This time, after another long silence, the Baron replied, "He is a special spirit, formed from the mischievous thoughts of students at this school. You could say he's a manifestation of one side of Hogwarts' personality."

"As for his origin…" The Bloody Baron pondered for a moment, then said, "I once heard Lord Slytherin mention that Peeves might be the creation of one of the other three founders."

This answer surprised Luke. He hadn't expected Peeves to have such a backstory.

Was Peeves an experiment by one of the other three founders? Or something connected to the school's legacy, like the Chamber of Secrets?

"Why is Peeves avoiding me?"

Luke asked again.

"Perhaps it's because you carry Lord Slytherin's aura. Slytherin was never friendly toward him," the Baron said.

The Bloody Baron was, in fact, puzzled by his own respectful attitude toward Luke. It wasn't just due to his bloodline and ambition. Luke carried a strong aura of Slytherin, suggesting he had either been in contact with Slytherin or was in possession of something that had belonged to him.

But he died too early to know what it might be.

Luke thought of the Slytherin wand he carried. Sometimes, he would take it out at night to maintain it and nurture a bond with it. So it made sense that it carried his aura.

Luke took a deep breath and gazed intently at the Bloody Baron.

"Do you think I resemble Gryffindor?"

The Baron quickly answered, "Yes. The way you're looking at me now is almost identical to how Lord Gryffindor looked at me when he questioned me after I returned to Hogwarts as a ghost."

"It's like you can see right through my soul. But you're not using Legilimency."

As he spoke, his tone was heavy, because this question touched on the sorrow of his past.

Luke remained silent for a moment.

"One last question," Luke said, "Where can I find Peeves, who's been hiding from me?"

"You can try waiting for him in the Great Hall. That's his favorite spot."

The Bloody Baron didn't hesitate for a moment. Over the years, he had dealt with Peeves more than any other ghost.

Thanks to his violent and aggressive nature, Peeves had a healthy fear of him. After all, while human spells had little effect on Peeves, ghostly punches and kicks hit hard and left their mark.

Luke nodded and bowed to the Baron. "Thank you for your help."

"No need to thank me, my lord," the Baron replied with a bow of his own. Then, with a somewhat complicated tone, he added, "If you still have more questions, you might want to seek out the ghost of Ravenclaw, the Grey Lady. She is wiser than I am and knows much more…"

"I know, Helena Ravenclaw"

Luke interrupted him.

The Baron raised his head in surprise. At that moment, he looked at Luke's cold expression and felt something familiar. It was a look Salazar Slytherin would occasionally show.

"If needed, I will find her"

With that, he left. The sky had already darkened, and he needed to return to his dormitory. Although he planned to wander at night, he still needed to attend roll call.

Of course, Luke knew it would be wise to limit his nighttime excursions.

After all, for a child, a regular sleep schedule was important. Although his soul was mature, his body was still just eleven years old.

The Bloody Baron watched his departing figure in silence.

His cold, wide-eyed face, which should have been expressionless, now seemed lost in thought.

For a moment, he couldn't tell if this young wizard named Luke Gaunt was truly a descendant of Slytherin or perhaps a descendant of Gryffindor.

"Never mind. That's not something the dead should worry about."

After a long pause, he shook his head and coldly muttered. Then, he turned around, staring blankly out the window at the sky, as if he had just seen off the sunset but was now waiting for the stars to appear.

He muttered to himself, though what he said was unclear.

Was he perhaps confessing?

Luke glanced back at him from around the corner.

"Never mind, confession... that's something only the dead care about."

He shook his head and walked away.

*****

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