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Anthony thanked Nearly Headless Nick and continued toward the library. He roughly knew what Nick was talking about.
Death.
Anthony had also experienced death. Water pressed into his mouth and nose, his vision alternating between white and black, the world slowly retreating far away. But he didn't understand what "that path" meant. He felt this was related to why he'd woken up as a necromancer.
Madam Pince looked up, saw it was him entering, and lowered her head again. Anthony visited the library every few days. When preparing lessons, he'd even sit in the study area all day, practically treating the library as his own study. Madam Pince had reminded him that professors weren't limited in borrowing numbers—as long as he returned books on time, he could take all his lesson preparation materials back to his room.
Anthony had declined. He liked the scent of parchment and ink in the library, and the soft footsteps of students moving through the bookshelves. Even dust settled more gently here.
Hogwarts: A History didn't mention Peeves' origins, only recording several of his more destructive pranks. He seemed to have been here since Hogwarts' founding. Then one day his prank consequences were too serious, and the history writer decided to record it in school history, suddenly slapping their forehead: Hey, when did this guy appear?
Interestingly, Anthony discovered Professor Binns had been the History of Magic professor since the school's founding. He was called "Binns of Great Learning" and "the Youngest History of Magic Master," with high prestige among students. If anyone (or any ghost) knew Peeves' origins, Professor Binns would certainly be among them.
Anthony resolved to visit Professor Binns.
Previously he'd been somewhat worried ghosts could detect his necromancer identity, but now it seemed they actually lacked curiosity. According to Nearly Headless Nick, Hogwarts' ghosts seemed to have taken a different death path from necromancy. Besides... Dumbledore had hired him knowing he was a necromancer. Perhaps a necromancer's identity wasn't such a big deal.
Speaking of which, as he gradually understood the wizarding world, he increasingly didn't understand why Dumbledore had suddenly decided to hire him. Admittedly, the Ministry seemed determined to punish him—whether the Dementor's Kiss or cutting off both hands or whatever—and Hogwarts was an easier option for him, but he didn't understand what considerations prompted Dumbledore to extend the invitation.
Undoubtedly, letting a necromancer who kept a skeletal pet into Hogwarts was the safest arrangement the Headmaster could make. Necromancy? Excellent—he could lead students in a thorough Forbidden Forest cleanup. When Anthony had visited Hagrid, he'd discovered many magic-imbued bones buried deep in the tree-shrouded forest—enough for him to invade Hogwarts once.
...
After pushing the history book back onto the shelf, Anthony stretched and walked slowly toward the Great Hall. The corridors were full of students going to dinner. Since term started, the school kitchen's house-elves had been providing various delicious foods with daily variety—much more than during the holidays. He hoped the elves had prepared steak and kidney pudding tonight, though he wouldn't refuse a treacle tart either.
"Who's Gryffindor's crybaby? Longbottom!" Anthony suddenly heard Peeves' voice. "Who's the unlucky one losing points daily? Longbottom! Who's the forgetful one who only remembers eating? Longbottom!"
Anthony walked over. A very young-looking student was cornered at the corridor's end by Peeves, anxiously and fearfully glancing behind him repeatedly. His face was flushed red with anxiety. Students in twos and threes passed Peeves, occasionally casting helpless glances at the young Gryffindor before hurrying past, pretending not to see, afraid Peeves would switch targets.
"Fat and stupid Longbottom! Nobody likes you, Longbottom!" Peeves taunted.
"Oh, Neville, what are you doing here?" As Anthony struggled against the student tide, a girl carrying two books much larger than herself suddenly said loudly, striding to Neville's side. "Peeves, go away!"
"Hermione!" Neville called gratefully.
"Haha! Nobody-likes-her Granger comes to save nobody-likes-him Longbottom! Granger likes Longbottom!" Peeves cackled, whipping up a gust of wind that made her parchment crackle wildly. "Granger—likes—Longbottom!"
Hermione impatiently brushed brown hair from her face. "This prank is really boring, okay? And you've made a logical error. If I like Neville, then he's not nobody-likes-him anymore. Logic. Think about it, Peeves."
"Well said." Anthony finally squeezed within range to affect Peeves. "Ravenclaw?"
"No, Gryffindor." Hermione said proudly. "Hermione Granger, Gryffindor first year, Professor Anthony."
"Excellent argument. Two points to Gryffindor." Anthony nodded. He'd heard of her—the student who'd apparently previewed all the term's courses—then turned to Peeves. "Alright, Peeves. Prank's over."
"What thing?" Peeves muttered. "Nasty thing. What nasty thing? Professor!" He turned around with a grimace. "Nasty professor is pulling my leg!"
Anthony had dragged him into an empty room next door. Peeves seemed to find this quite fun and didn't resist much, grinning playfully while smashing a crystal lamp in the classroom.
Even with the noisy conversations of students going to dinner all around, Anthony still heard Filch's furious roar from downstairs.
"Off you go." He smiled at the two children. "Eating is very important. Tonight's dinner is supposedly quite good."
After Neville and Hermione thanked him, they hurried toward the Great Hall. Anthony heard Hermione lecturing Neville along the way.
"You shouldn't be afraid of him! Peeves isn't scary. He only pranks."
"I've already lost eight points since term started, all because of Peeves..."
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