The next day, after class, the Grey Lady suddenly emerged from the wall, floating back and forth in front of Harry.
It seemed like she had something to say, but she stubbornly refused to open her mouth.
"All right, all right—you just want Ravenclaw's diadem, don't you? I'll give it to you."
The Grey Lady froze, petrified.
Although she had witnessed that scene, her guilt and shame prevented her from bringing up anything about the diadem.
Now she was in utter panic. What's going on? How did he know what I was after?
In her desperation, she tried to leave, wanting to slip back into the wall.
But Harry grabbed her hand and, ignoring her resistance, dragged her to the far corner of the library.
In truth, the Grey Lady didn't resist much. According to the manners she'd learned, behaving rudely was unladylike.
So she let Harry do as he pleased.
Harry pushed her down into a chair. "Sit here and don't move. I'm going to grab you a coupl— I mean, the diadem."
The Grey Lady turned her head and gave a nearly imperceptible nod.
So prideful—she obviously wanted it badly, but her body was being very dishonest.
A group of classmates happened to witness this scene.
"Hiss! Shocking!"
"Did the Grey Lady just get…?"
"Library play."
"The great Harry Potter, seducing even ghosts!"
"Absolutely terrifying!"
"But honestly, with how beautiful the Grey Lady is—even if she's a ghost… Hey, what's with those looks? I swear I'm not a pervert…"
Unbeknownst to Harry, yet another round of rumors about him had begun.
Not long after, Harry emerged from the Gryffindor common room. He pulled a crown out from under his robes and handed it to the Grey Lady.
"Here. I was debating whether to sell it for money, but seeing you looking so gloomy all the time, fine—you can have it back."
The Grey Lady trembled as she took Ravenclaw's diadem, tears falling like rain.
"Damn! Harry just touched her hand and made her cry! That's… that's power!"
"You perv—what are you even saying?" A girl in the crowd couldn't take her friend's crude remarks and kicked him in the shin.
The friend clutched his leg in pain, trying not to cry out, his face contorted in agony.
"What a shame we can't hear what they're saying… what a pity."
…
The Grey Lady slowly calmed down. She said, "Why do I feel like you know everything? Do you know who I am?"
Harry nodded. "Of course. I have the Eye of Insight—it sees through everything. Nothing can be hidden from me."
With her thousand years of wisdom, the Grey Lady should've been sharp enough not to fall for such an obvious lie, the kind that wouldn't fool an eight-year-old. Yet she gasped, surprised. "What kind of magic is that?"
As if suddenly remembering something, she leaned back slightly and subtly placed her left hand on her chest.
Harry: "…"
"Actually… I was just joking. I just happened to know a few things."
"Really?" The Grey Lady breathed a sigh of relief and casually smoothed her wavy hair with her left hand.
"Wait—did you think I was the kind of person who'd peek at your chest?" Harry asked.
"No! Of course not! I was just about to do something… my heart was acting up a bit, and I paused for a second," she stammered, flustered by Harry's bluntness.
"Oh, so your heart is on the right side?" Harry pursued.
Unbelievable. She doubts my morals? I'm only twelve!
"No, it's just that I raised my left hand first, and it would've been weird to lower it and raise the right instead, so I naturally pressed on my heart—see, like this…"
To prove she hadn't doubted Harry's character, the Grey Lady repeated the movement.
If her right hand had been over her chest, that would've been fine.
That's how refined ladies were usually portrayed—graceful and demure.
But pressing the left hand on the left side of her chest looked a bit… strange.
That pose is just way too weird.
She placed her left hand on her chest and deliberately pressed down a little.
"See? Just like that…"
Finally, the Grey Lady realized how inappropriate it looked.
Harry said, "It's big, sure. But don't you think it's a bit much to seduce an underage boy like me? You could at least wait until I'm fourteen."
…
"Would you like to hear my story?"
"Well, I more or less know it already, but hearing it from you might be nice. I'm pretty bored anyway."
…
Holding Ravenclaw's diadem, the Grey Lady fell into memory.
"My name is Helena Ravenclaw. I'm the daughter of Rowena Ravenclaw, founder of the Ravenclaw House."
"Oh—I knew you were her child, but I didn't know your real name. Helena, huh? Much nicer than 'Grey Lady.'"
"…My mother, Rowena Ravenclaw, was the most brilliant woman of her era." Pride lit Helena's face as she spoke of her mother.
But then her expression darkened. "I yearned to be smarter and more famous than her. So I stole the diadem, Ravenclaw's symbol of wisdom… and fled to Albania. I never saw her again."
"That diadem is one of the greatest magical artifacts in the world. If anyone had known it was stolen, I would've been hunted down. But my mother… she kept it secret—even from the other three founders…"
"Later, when she fell ill, she wanted to see me one last time. But I had a quarrel with the wizard she sent to find me… and I was killed." Helena looked dejected, full of regret for missing her mother's final moments.
"After I became a ghost, I returned to Ravenclaw House, taking the name 'Grey Lady.' I hid the diadem in a remote place in Albania."
Harry was blunt: "You and your mum were both brilliant witches, but your naming sense was awful."
Helena was visibly shaken and bowed her head in defeat.
She went on: "I never told anyone where the diadem was hidden. Everyone believed it lost for a thousand years. I kept the secret—until a boy named Riddle came along. He was so kind and understanding…"
"So he sweet-talked you into giving up the hiding place, huh? I bet he flattered you once he learned you were Ravenclaw's daughter and that you'd hidden the diadem. Then, once he got what he wanted, he ditched you cold. And you, full of guilt, didn't dare speak a word about it. After all, you stole it. Exposing the truth would tarnish your mother's name…"
Helena couldn't lift her head anymore—it hung lower and lower until it nearly touched her knees.
"Sniffle… sniffle…" Her shoulders trembled as she cried again.
"Oh, come on! I hate crybabies. You're sobbing like Cai Xukun."
Helena wiped her tears. "I don't know who that is, but I feel insulted."
"How did you know I got the diadem?" Harry quickly changed the subject to avoid a lawsuit.
"That day, when you came out of the Room of Requirement, I noticed what you were holding."
"Oh, so that's why you kept hovering around me—you just wanted the diadem back. I actually thought I was charming enough to enchant a ghost. Ugh, you heartless woman."
Helena: "…"
"Now that the diadem is in your hands, what will you do with it?"
"Of course I'll hide it again—somewhere no one will ever find it."
At those words, Harry turned and walked away.
"Hey! Hey—where are you going?!"
…
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⚡🪄 THE REBIRTH OF HARRY POTTER
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