Among the four Hogwarts houses, aside from their respective colors, their most iconic representatives were undoubtedly the house ghosts.
Such as Slytherin's Bloody Baron.
Gryffindor's Nearly Headless Nick.
Hufflepuff's Fat Friar.
And Ravenclaw's Grey Lady.
These ghosts had existed within Hogwarts for hundreds of years.
Beyond them, however, an even older ghost was Professor Binns, the History of Magic professor.
As someone taking all thirteen subjects, John had the freedom to move between different classes as he pleased.
He headed to History of Magic. Though the subject was dull, quite a lot of students chose it.
It was also the only subject that did not place importance on magical ability. As long as you had a good enough memory, you could earn a certificate from the class without much trouble.
That made it a fairly popular course.
John's appearance surprised many people, because he almost never came here.
After class ended, John approached Professor Binns.
This ancient wizard was so devoted to teaching that he had even forgotten his own death.
To be honest, John was rather curious whether Hogwarts paid salaries to ghosts.
In terms of seniority, the only people at Hogwarts who could probably outrank Professor Binns were the four founders themselves.
"Professor Binns," John said after approaching him, "I wanted to ask about Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff."
"Ah, Wick."
When Professor Binns saw John, he spoke in the same wheezing, drawn-out tone as always.
At the same time, John was one of the very few students whose name he could actually remember throughout his teaching career.
Even Hermione's name was something he occasionally got wrong.
That was because his mind was filled with history, and John was someone who would one day become part of history.
"Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. What is it you wish to know?"
John asked, "Among the four founders, both Slytherin and Gryffindor left behind secret chambers. I wanted to know whether the other two founders did the same."
"Sorry, Wick. I don't know anything about secret chambers belonging to those two founders," Professor Binns replied. "However, Ravenclaw was an exceptionally intelligent woman. She once said that knowledge should never be discarded, and that she would secretly hide away certain special pieces of knowledge."
Professor Binns shook his head.
"As for where she hid them, no one knows."
"With her intelligence, if she truly wished it, she could make sure no one would ever find them."
John smiled faintly. "But if that happened, the knowledge left behind would have no purpose."
"A fair point," Professor Binns agreed with a nod.
After all, an inheritance only mattered if someone could eventually find it.
The inheritances left behind by the four founders each reflected the qualities they valued most.
Gryffindor valued courage and a spirit of adventure, which was why his chamber had been hidden within the Room of Requirement. Only witches or wizards who enjoyed exploring could discover that room.
Slytherin valued ambition and bloodline, so his chamber could only be opened by a Parselmouth.
Ravenclaw valued wisdom, so her chamber was likely connected to intelligence in some way.
John rubbed his chin, silently speculating about where the chamber might be hidden.
Professor Binns continued speaking to himself. "Hufflepuff was intelligent as well, but I do not believe she would leave behind a secret chamber."
"She treated everyone equally and cared deeply for all students."
Compared to the other three founders, whose personalities were all very distinct, Hufflepuff seemed somewhat ordinary.
Yet people like her were often the most worthy of respect.
Even Professor Binns believed she would not hide anything away in a secret chamber. She was the most generous and kind-hearted person he had ever known.
Everything Hufflepuff had belonged to Hogwarts.
Hearing this, John revealed a bitter smile. There was not a single clue regarding Hufflepuff.
It seemed he could only begin by searching for Ravenclaw's chamber first.
After saying goodbye to Professor Binns, John headed toward Ravenclaw Tower.
Like Gryffindor, Ravenclaw House was located within a tower.
"John."
Luna's voice rang out.
John stopped walking and saw Luna wearing those exaggerated three large shell earrings again.
Beside her, a Crumple-Horned Snorkack as large as Fang was using its horn to carry a string of dragon fruits.
"It's growing at an astonishing rate."
John stopped and smiled. "You're not in class, Luna?"
Luna looked as though she had just drifted out of a daydream. "I don't have any classes this morning. What are you looking for?"
She was already in sixth year now, and after rearranging her schedule, she had quite a bit of free time.
She had participated in the Battle of Hogwarts and had come through it with barely any injuries.
The protective charms John had given her were all designed according to Luna's tastes, so she almost always carried them with her.
"Your intuition has always been accurate," John said with some amazement after Luna guessed he was searching for something before he even explained himself. "You always seem to know what I'm thinking."
Luna tilted her head slightly. "Thank you for the compliment."
John smiled and raised a hand instinctively, but then remembered that Luna was no longer the little girl she used to be, so he stopped himself from patting her head.
"I'm looking for the Grey Lady of Ravenclaw," he said. "If you know where she is."
"She likes reading in the library section," Luna replied in her airy, sing-song voice. "In the common room."
"Alright then, it seems I'll need you to lead the way."
John stepped aside and bowed playfully toward Luna. "Miss Lovegood."
Luna lifted her chin happily and strode forward.
...
Ravenclaw Tower.
Each house had its own unique method of entering the common room.
Ravenclaw's entrance was a door with a bronze eagle-shaped knocker.
This was actually John's first time here.
Among the four houses, Ravenclaw's entrance method was the most unique, perhaps because Ravenclaw herself favored intelligent people.
To enter, one had to answer the bronze knocker's question, and only answers it considered reasonable would grant entry.
John looked eager to try. "Let me do this."
Luna stepped aside upon hearing that, and John moved closer.
As soon as someone approached, the bronze knocker spoke.
"Which came first, the phoenix or the fire?"
The phoenix or the fire?
John searched through the books he had read in his memory, but none of them seemed to mention an answer to that question.
His expression stiffened slightly, and he coughed awkwardly.
"Do you have any other questions?"
"What is the essence of humanity?"
"How can you prove that the world was not created five minutes ago?"
"If you toss a Galleon, which side is more likely to land facing upward?"
"What were you thinking before you were born?"
"..."
John fell silent and quietly stepped back.
He was beginning to believe what the Sorting Hat said. None of these questions had any standard answer.
What was the essence of humanity?
Was it being a parrot repeating things endlessly?
The important thing was giving an answer that the bronze knocker considered reasonable.
"Luna, I think Ravenclaw really doesn't suit me," John said with a faint sense of sorrow.
But Luna replied, "You're just too attached to finding the true answer, John."
John froze slightly.
Luna stepped forward.
The bronze knocker asked its question.
"Where do vanished things go?"
Luna replied, "Maybe the Wrackspurts stole them."
The bronze knocker paused for a moment before saying, "A reasonable answer."
The door opened.
John stood outside in stunned silence.
The moment he heard the question earlier, he had immediately thought of the Vanishing Charm. His mind had instinctively begun searching through the books he had read, trying to find an answer hidden somewhere within them.
But Luna's answer had been completely unconstrained.
Some questions simply had no answer, just like this one.
Yet the rigor of being an alchemist had made John pursue truth too obsessively.
"I think I should thank you, Luna."
Having figured it out, John smiled in relief and said gratefully, "How should I repay you?"
"We're friends, John," Luna said to him. "The Grey Lady likes reading over there."
Ravenclaw had its own reading area, which suited the image of intellectuals perfectly.
Within the library section, a tall female ghost was quietly reading a book.
A ghost's body resembled faint drifting mist. The Grey Lady possessed a cold sort of beauty as she sat there with dignified composure, reading the knowledge recorded within the book before her.
John walked over to the table and softly called out, "I hope I'm not disturbing you, my lady."
The Grey Lady slowly raised her head. After glancing at John, displeasure immediately appeared on her face.
The last time they met, John had delivered a flower to her on behalf of the Bloody Baron.
Unfortunately, that had only angered the Grey Lady.
So upon seeing John again, Ravenclaw's ghost showed him no kindness.
John did not seem bothered by it and said politely, "If possible, I would like some time alone with you. I have some questions regarding Ravenclaw."
The Grey Lady abruptly looked up, anger flashing through her eyes.
"You intend to be just like him as well?"
John raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Him?"
"Tom Riddle!" the Grey Lady said furiously.
"Then you can rest assured," John replied with a smile. "I already killed him."
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