December 29th: Professor Binns' whereabouts are really hard to find, especially when there are no classes. I can only look for him at his office, but his office never opens its doors to students.
Terry taught me a few potentially effective phrases, but I can't even see Professor Binns now. Perhaps I should look through those manuscripts in Ravenclaw again. Maybe some curious upperclassman researched this?
December 30th: Ravenclaw's library is truly comprehensive. It's hard to imagine a Ravenclaw would research "crossbreeding Pygmy Puffs and Acromantulas". I think I found the author of Pygmy Puff Adventures.
He also proposed using tarantulas for crossbreeding to create colourful spider pets, claiming he put specific implementation tutorials in the library. For the magical world's mental and physical health, I decided to find it and add several layers of sealing charms. Not destroying it is my final respect for this upperclassman.
With even such bizarre things available, naturally there were also several copies of "Professor Binns's Behavioural Studies", though possibly due to different eras, the records of Professor Binns varied considerably.
I summarised briefly: from his death until now, the longer the time passed, the more bland his reactions became.
The oldest record even mentioned him hosting his death centennial party, supposedly inviting now-extinct necromancers to summon skeletons for some very "explicit" performances.
Who could imagine such an... unrestrained ghost becoming like this now?
The most recent entry, a seven-year-old notebook, recorded a Professor Binns already identical to the present.
His range of movement, besides the "office-classroom" two-point line I knew, also included the kitchen and eighth-floor corridor. Generally, during holidays when he didn't need to teach, he'd stay in his office.
During full moons, regardless of time, he'd invariably appear in the eighth-floor corridor, but he seemed to possess very keen perception. At least that upperclassman was discovered and docked a hundred points.
Eighth-floor corridor... I think that's near the Room of Requirement.
The next full moon is still quite far away. I think it's better not to pin all hopes on this.
This upperclassman also mentioned Professor Binns having private relations with the Grey Lady. I discovered a problem... the Grey Lady's era seems quite ancient too?
December 31st: The Grey Lady isn't much easier to find than Professor Binns.
I thought I could try intercepting a small segment of Professor Binns' "story". At his podium, I indeed obtained a grey thread, but the story contained wasn't the pre-death story I expected.
I "saw" his boring day of lesson planning in his office, but I also found something slightly useful. The full moon timing seemed to have other significance for him.
His office not only had an astronomical telescope but also a calendar with every full moon date circled in blue pen.
Full moon... I can only think of werewolves. Professor Vitam once mentioned that werewolves lose rationality during full moons, but I don't think Professor Binns is a werewolf.
Werewolves didn't seem to exist in his era yet.
I found the Fat Friar wanting to ask about the mysterious Grey Lady and Professor Binns, but unfortunately, despite being Hufflepuff's socially maxed-out ghost, the Fat Friar hadn't established diplomatic relations with either of them.
Supposedly Robert had communicated with the Grey Lady a few times. I plan to ask him how to meet the Grey Lady.
Speaking of which, Robert... I don't know why, but he actually plans to train me as his replacement. Since discovering that Draconic Wingardium Leviosa can also achieve flight, I've lost interest in Flying class.
Compared to flying with tools, flying yourself is more exhilarating, right?
January 1st: I found the Grey Lady.
Sterling put down his pen and stuffed the black notebook into his backpack.
The Grey Lady before him was somewhat different from other ghosts he'd seen. Brighter, with exceptionally brilliant threads composing her body, bound by some strange force.
When Sterling discovered her in Ravenclaw Tower, he pretended to stumble, trying to grab something while passing through her, but couldn't pull off a single thread.
The Grey Lady had long hair almost dragging on the ground. She wore a pure white dress, looking like a daffodil floating in moonlight.
"Little Ravenclaw wizard... I heard you were looking for me."
The Grey Lady's gaze held confusion. She wasn't a ghost who liked public appearances. She couldn't understand what about her would attract a young wizard's specific search.
Unless... he'd noticed some history that should be forgotten...
Thinking of that smooth-talking black-haired boy from the past, the Grey Lady narrowed her eyes, mentally preparing herself.
If he mentioned the diadem...
"Hello, Grey Lady. I heard you have good relations with Professor Binns. I have questions for Professor Binns but can't find him."
Hmm? The Grey Lady raised an eyebrow. So he wanted her as an intermediary.
"Binns... for History of Magic questions, most answers can actually be found in the library."
"Binns won't like anyone disturbing his rest time. If you'd gone back a few hundred years, perhaps he'd happily award points for your thirst for knowledge, but now, he won't want to see you."
Out of her responsibility as "Ravenclaw House's ghost", the Grey Lady tried solving this little eagle's problem.
"Perhaps you could tell me your question? Though I don't delve as deeply into magical history as Binns, I believe I can still answer problems your level of knowledge might encounter."
Sterling thought about it. The Grey Lady's era was also very ancient. Though perhaps not as old as Professor Binns, she was probably from the Four Founders' era, like Slytherin's Bloody Baron.
Professor Binns, the Grey Lady, the Bloody Baron... these were Hogwarts' acknowledged eldest ghosts.
Then perhaps she'd also have clues about Helena? Even just a little?
"It's like this, Grey Lady."
Sterling organised his words mentally. Terry had warned him not to be too direct with questions, or he might frighten unknowing people.
"I read about Ilvermorny School's founder, Isolt Sayre. Supposedly Slytherin blood flows in her body. But in magical history, the other three founders seem to have no records of descendants?"
Sterling knew Isolt Sayre was Slytherin's distant descendant, not actually of the orthodox bloodline, but this error was one Terry had Sterling deliberately expose.
According to him, appropriate errors could stimulate people's desire to teach and correct.
"The founders' descendants..."
The Grey Lady's expression suddenly turned unpleasant. She stared at Sterling for a long time, not missing any minute expression.
Had he noticed something and was now subtly hinting at her?
After Sterling's smiling mouth corners nearly stiffened from maintaining the expression, the Grey Lady tentatively judged he didn't yet know her identity. He genuinely had this question.
"Isolt Sayre wasn't Slytherin's direct bloodline. In fact, records of Slytherin's descendants were never recorded in magical history. This protects the founders' descendants."
"Isolt Sayre never revealed her kinship with Slytherin during her lifetime. Only after her death did her family determine her identity through certain tokens."
"As for the other three founders, they each have surviving bloodlines, but to avoid leaving too much pressure on descendants and prevent prying from interested parties, some children don't even know how great their parents were as wizards."