Students and Professors were all very surprised to see the fellow bouncing around in mid-air, whom the headmaster called Peeves.
"Headmaster, what exactly is this? It looks like a ghost, but not really?" Edward, the Vice headmaster, asked Luke with confusion.
The other Professors and students also looked curiously at the headmaster, hoping he could clear their doubts.
Luke didn't answer immediately. Instead, he turned to Gandalf and Galadriel with a smile: "Gandalf, Lady Galadriel, you are both widely knowledgeable and profoundly wise. You must have discerned Peeves' true nature. Would you mind explaining it to everyone?"
"Lady?" Gandalf didn't answer first; instead, he deferred to Galadriel beside him.
Galadriel didn't refuse. Her eyes sparkled with wisdom as she looked at Peeves in the air with interest, saying:
"All things in this world, after being sculpted and nurtured by time, will always give birth to various natural spirits. For example, ancient forests, rivers, and mountains may all give birth to spirits. And this 'Peeves' is the 'spirit' born from this castle."
Everyone understood, but then immediately fell into deeper confusion.
"Lady Galadriel, but this castle was only built a little over ten years ago. How could a spirit be born from it?" Professor Edward, on behalf of the others, asked the doubt in their hearts.
Galadriel smiled and turned to Luke, "This is all thanks to your headmaster. Normally, things that give birth to spirits require thousands of years of nurturing, but this castle is a magic castle. Every brick and stone is filled with magic, which transcends the limits of time. It's not surprising that a spirit was born."
Gandalf nodded in agreement and added, "Moreover, if the castle is a nurturing incubator, then the children's laughter and unvented energy are the sustenance for the spirit. So, it can be said that this Peeves is a kind of 'elf' born between the castle and the children."
Now, everyone completely understood and looked at Peeves with amazement.
They never expected Peeves' birth to have such a reason.
In that case, Peeves could be considered the Spirit of the castle.
And as the Spirit of the castle, perhaps no one else had more control over the castle than Luke, its master.
But looking at Peeves bouncing around and flying, scattering the floating candles, and even flicking candle wax at the students with a mischievous grin,
the Professors couldn't help but twitch their eyes, unable to bear looking directly.
This Spirit of the castle doesn't seem very reliable! Too lively and mischievous!
He truly lives up to being named Peeves by the headmaster. Everyone else had a premonition.
Especially Vice headmaster Edward, who was responsible for managing school affairs.
In his eyes, this Peeves was no different from the most mischievous child; in fact, he had never seen such a naughty fellow to this day.
And he had a premonition that the birth of this fellow didn't seem to be for help, but to cause trouble!
Perhaps from today onwards, the future days might become restless because of this fellow.
Luke looked at Peeves and was also a bit speechless.
Perhaps Peeves was deeply impressed in his mind, so when he helped to catalyze the birth of the castle's spirit, he unconsciously gravitated towards the image of Peeves in his memory.
This caused his personality and image to develop towards Peeves after his birth.
This made him regret it a little. If he had been able to suppress his wild ideas during the spellcasting just now, perhaps he might have had a stable-minded "ghost butler" now.
However, the matter was now settled, and it was impossible to change it.
As the Spirit of the castle, as long as the castle was not completely destroyed, or completely abandoned and uninhabited, Peeves would never disappear.
In fact, as students continuously entered the castle to study, their emotional energy would constantly nourish Peeves, thus making him continuously grow stronger with the passage of time.
It could be said that within the confines of the castle, it was Peeves' domain. Besides Luke, the master of the castle, no one could control him.
Peeves, like a ghost, could ignore any physical attacks and could freely pass through walls and fly everywhere.
Even ordinary magic was useless against him. Even the most dangerous Dark Arts could only restrict his mobility but could not completely kill him.
But Peeves was also different from ghosts; ghosts could not touch physical objects, while Peeves could.
The only restriction was that Peeves, as the Spirit of the castle, could not leave the castle's range.
Putting aside the topic of Peeves, Luke saw that it was getting late and immediately announced the end of the feast, sending students from their respective houses back to their dormitories.
The four deans also no longer bothered to think about Peeves and led the new students of their respective houses to the common rooms.
However, as the students left one after another, they enthusiastically discussed Peeves.
Luke watched Peeves fly out of the Great Hall and explore the castle, but he didn't intervene.
Instead, he supported Arwen and returned to the Amon Sûl Tower with Gandalf and Galadriel.
After Galadriel took Arwen to the bedroom to rest,
in the living room, Gandalf sat on the sofa by the fireplace, poking the Fire Salamander in the flames with a poker while smoking his pipe, his eyes glancing at Luke, who was deep in thought with a heavy brow.
"Luke, something is on your mind?"
Luke nodded, his expression serious, his eyes deep.
"During the feast just now, I felt a malicious gaze coming from the direction of the students."
"A malicious gaze?" Gandalf stopped smoking and looked up at Luke, "Are you sure it came from the students, Luke?"
Luke nodded, "I'm sure. That gaze was very subtle and quickly retracted, but I can confirm it came from the direction of the students."
"And, Gandalf, you know, I have the ability of Legilimency. I tried to read the students' thoughts..." His voice became heavy, and his eyes met Gandalf's, "But the result was nothing, completely normal!"
Gandalf's expression also became serious and solemn upon hearing this.
He naturally wouldn't doubt that Luke had misjudged. He also knew Luke's Legilimency ability, a talent that even he had to constantly seal his mind to avoid being read.
These first and second-year students would never be able to resist Luke's Legilimency.
And now, under Legilimency, the result showed normal, which was the greatest abnormality!
The only possibility was that the lurker hidden among the students was able to evade his Legilimency.
And someone with such an ability could not possibly be a child.
"Luke, are you suspecting that someone is disguised as a student and has infiltrated the school?" Gandalf asked in a grave voice.
Luke nodded: "This is the only possible explanation. Otherwise, I don't think a child would have such great malice towards me and still be able to evade my Legilimency detection."
"Then what do you intend to do?"
"No hurry. I'll first check the new student list in the Book of Admissions for any anomalies," Luke said.
He then grabbed a handful of floo powder and threw it into the fireplace, then walked straight in and disappeared.
After a minute or two, the fireplace flames turned green, and Luke emerged from the flames, holding a thick dragon-hide book.