In the real world, some things just can't be undone. One misstep, and there's often no going back.
As Dylan was lost in these thoughts, Old Dumbledore on the dais had already moved on to the changes with the Ravenclaw ghost.
"I am delighted to announce that Madam Grey has decided to continue her unfinished journey and will therefore no longer serve as the Ravenclaw House ghost."
"The position will be filled by the Grey Lady, who is also a former member of Ravenclaw."
Hearing this, Dylan nodded subtly to himself. Helena would indeed be leaving soon. He planned to meticulously record all the relevant data and then, as a bonus, whisk her away for good.
Meanwhile, under the starry ceiling of the Great Hall, the chatter from the long tables had gradually faded as Dumbledore began to speak. When he mentioned that "Madam Grey has decided to continue her unfinished journey," the Ravenclaw table went silent for a moment before a collective gasp of surprise. A few younger girls instinctively covered their mouths, while the older students exchanged shocked glances.
Someone whispered, "Madam Grey is leaving? She's been in the tower forever..."
"Merlin's beard, where is she traveling to? Do ghosts even travel?"
When the name "The Grey Lady" was announced, all eyes swiveled toward the open space in the middle of the hall. The Ravenclaw students looked on with a mix of anticipation and curiosity. A few boys from Gryffindor even leaned forward. The Hufflepuff girls were whispering to each other, "Is she another Ravenclaw ghost? I wonder if she's as great as Madam Grey?"
The Grey Lady's appearance was more silent than anyone had expected. Her light grey dress, which looked as though it were woven from morning mist, made no sound as its hem swept the floor. A wide-brimmed hat cast a shadow that perfectly concealed her eyes, revealing only the pale curve of her chin.
As she slowly ascended from the ground, all conversation at the long tables stopped. Even the most mischievous students held their breath. Her movements were as light as a dried leaf caught in the wind, carrying an otherworldly stillness, as if she might vanish into thin air at any moment.
"She looks... so quiet," a Hufflepuff girl whispered to her friend.
"That hat is very unusual." A Ravenclaw boy pushed his glasses up, trying to see her face under the brim. "Her presence is completely different from Madam Grey's, yet there's a similarity. Madam Grey was more like a scholar with a secret, while she's like an unfinished poem—but they're both very quiet."
At the Slytherin table, a few students exchanged a look. One of them said in a low voice, "Another Ravenclaw ghost... seems like that position runs in the family."
Dylan, seated at the Gryffindor table, watched the ghost lady in silence, a stark contrast to the buzz around him. He saw the Grey Lady bow slightly—a gesture that was elegant yet aloof, as if an old ritual was being performed by someone from another century.
When the Grey Lady silently faded from view, a brief moment of quiet was followed by a fresh wave of chatter.
"She didn't even say a word!"
"She seems even less inclined to talk than Madam Grey was."
"Did you see her hat? Was she hiding something? That hat was so strange."
The Ravenclaw students were in the most heated debate. Some were convinced the Grey Lady's silence held profound wisdom, while others felt this new ghost was more mysterious than Madam Grey's sharp intellect, perhaps because they hadn't seen her around much before.
The applause from Dumbledore finally brought the noise down. The students looked up, their faces still full of curiosity. The Ravenclaw girls were still staring dreamily at where the Grey Lady had vanished, while some of the Gryffindor boys were already betting on whether they could run into the new ghost in the tower.
As Dumbledore's gentle gaze swept over the hall, everyone's eyes were sparkling with anticipation. Clearly, the changing of the ghost had become the freshest topic of discussion for the day.
"After all that talk, I'm sure your stomachs are rumbling! So, let the feast begin!"
As Professor Dumbledore spoke, the once-empty long tables instantly filled with all sorts of dishes. The gleam of roast chicken, the aroma of stews, the sweetness of fresh fruit... all the smells mingled and spread throughout the hall.
A round of applause mixed with the clatter of silverware and the sounds of eating followed. It wasn't the most enthusiastic applause, but it was filled with genuine joy. After all, while the return of the Ravenclaw diadem and Dumbledore's speech had been exciting, the students had been starving since the afternoon. At this moment, the lure of food was far greater.
Harry and the others, who had been planning to corner Dylan with more questions, couldn't resist the delicious spread in front of them and picked up their forks and knives, diving into their meal. They figured they still had the evening, and even if Dylan went to bed early as usual, they could always ask him on the train ride home tomorrow.
Later that night, when Dylan returned to the dormitory, he did exactly as Harry and the others had predicted. He went straight for his four-poster bed, drew the curtains, and separated himself from the outside world.
This left a disappointed Harry, Neville, and the others, who had come to his bed to ask him questions. They stared at the flimsy-looking curtains, which seemed to form an invisible barrier, and could only sigh and give up on their mission.
Lying in his bed, Dylan was perfectly aware of what Harry and the others were thinking. But at the moment, he wasn't in the mood to deal with a bunch of overly curious Gryffindors. Whatever questions they had could wait until the train ride tomorrow.
He gave a slight frown and refocused his attention on the system interface in front of him, specifically, the list of achievements. This was what he truly cared about right now.
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Achievement: House Leader
Description: Your actions have cemented your position in the house.
Requirement: Earn 1,000 House Points on your own!
Achievement Reward: Ravenclaw's Blessing.
---
Ravenclaw's Blessing:
Effect One: You will always be able to easily gain the goodwill of witches and wizards from Ravenclaw.
Effect Two: You have the talent and skill of a true scholar. As you learn more and more, you will be able to learn new knowledge at a faster and faster rate, as all knowledge is connected!
Effect Three: When you are studying or experimenting, you will more easily receive flashes of sudden inspiration.
---
Dylan blinked as he read the system prompt. Good heavens. Even the real Rowena Ravenclaw couldn't have given him a blessing like this. The most he had before was the Ravenclaw diadem's ability to boost his learning. But this system just went ahead and gave him Ravenclaw's blessing instead.
This is brilliant!
He stared at the impressive list of perks on the system panel, barely able to contain his surprise. Rowena Ravenclaw herself hadn't given him a blessing, but now Ravenclaw's blessing had been granted to him, and it came with three distinct effects!
What's more, not a single one of these effects was useless. Even the first one, which seemed redundant at first glance, given that the news of him finding the Ravenclaw diadem was spreading... but that's not exactly the case.
Because this perk applies to all witches and wizards who are from Ravenclaw. Even if some of them couldn't care less about his achievement—after all, not everyone values a crown—this effect ensures that they will view him with at least a friendly disposition. At the very least, they won't be immediately hostile.
Everyone knows that the ranking of Dark Wizards among the four Hogwarts houses goes: Slytherin > Ravenclaw ≈ Gryffindor > Hufflepuff. You can't expect Dark Wizards to hold any respect for the founder of their former house.
So, this perk that fills in the gaps is actually quite crucial. It ensures that any Dark Wizards from Ravenclaw won't attack Dylan on sight. This is a significant protection—no matter who it's protecting. It's enough to save Dylan a great deal of trouble.
---
Achievement: Stargazer's Words
Description: Your performance in Divination class has swept all the other students aside, making you the undisputed number one!
Achievement Reward: Acknowledgment as the top student in Divination by a professor.
Achievement Reward: Trelawney's Old Tea.
---
Trelawney's Old Tea
Effect: After drinking, there is a very small chance of entering a prophetic state at night and making a prediction that is guaranteed to come true.
---
"Huh?" Dylan was taken aback by this reward. For someone like him, who was already proficient in divination, this reward was not only useless, but it was also, in some ways, a negative. A "guaranteed to come true prediction" could be good or bad, and there's no way to know for sure.
After all, the main reason Dylan's life was so smooth was his ability to make predictions that could be changed.
And what's this? "Old tea?" He definitely wasn't going to drink that. But he could always hold onto it for a while. If it's old, it shouldn't spoil...
Dylan moved on to the next achievement.
---
Achievement: Professor Flitwick's Lost Mind
Description: Because of your actions, Flitwick has had the runs for three days straight! He was just so happy he couldn't control his... well, you get the idea.
Requirement: Give Professor Flitwick a massive shock.
Achievement Reward: Spell Fluidity +22%
---
Finally, a useful reward.
Dylan's lips twitched as he saw the achievement related to Professor Flitwick. He had no idea if the professor had actually had the runs, or if this was just the system's way of exaggerating. After all, even if a wizard's body was out of their control, they should still be able to use magic to control it... but that was a rather disgusting thought. He decided not to dwell on it.
Looking at the reward, Dylan nodded to himself. So, what is spell fluidity?
Think of it this way: when you cast one spell and then want to cast a different one immediately after, the speed and accuracy with which you switch to the next spell is "spell fluidity."
Compared to power and stability, fluidity is less essential. It's not very useful for wizards who repeatedly use the same spell or who take a break between casting different spells.
However, if a wizard needs to cast multiple different spells in quick succession, this stat becomes incredibly important. When a wizard is casting many different spells in a row, silently, a 22% increase in fluidity is a huge boost. It makes the speed at which the wizard casts the next spell astonishingly fast! In such situations, fluidity can even surpass the importance of power and stability—though those two stats are still crucial and useful.
This achievement reward is for fluidity... it's a good one. It fits with both the Ravenclaw style and Professor Flitwick's character.
After accepting the reward with a slight smile, Dylan moved on to the next one.
---
Achievement: Professor Snape's Accomplice
Description: With the combined effort of your evil self and the vile old bat, you have finally driven away your common enemy!
Requirement: Team up with Snape to get rid of the damn werewolf!
Achievement Reward: The Half-Blood Prince's Occasional Inspiration
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The Half-Blood Prince's Occasional Inspiration
Effect: When brewing potions, there is a chance to have a sudden idea for improving the potion.
---
Well... this achievement...
Dylan smacked his lips and sighed with a hint of disappointment. It wasn't that the reward was useless, since he often brewed potions and experimented with ways to improve them. But still, this reward only offered him a chance for improvement. It's useful, but not as useful as he would have liked.
Still, it's something. Dylan may not seem like he brews many potions, but he is secretly brewing various potions in his suitcase, like ones for toothaches, indigestion, acne, and hair care. After all, his daily life isn't exactly the picture of health and routine. Even with his strengthened body, he still needs to take care of himself. Besides these everyday potions, his suitcase also holds a batch of Felix Felicis that has been brewing for almost half a month.
After sorting through his new rewards, Dylan closed his eyes, ready to go to sleep.
But just then, he heard a barely audible cry from outside the window—or rather, from the Forbidden Forest outside the castle.
Dylan froze, then opened his eyes again.
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