After Valentine's Day came a pleasant, easygoing weekend.
At night, Sean ran into the Grey Lady again.
She was leaning against the stained-glass window by Ravenclaw Tower, a pale crust of frost hanging beneath the curtain.
When the cold wind swept through, Sean wrapped his scarf tighter.
Just as he was about to pass, he heard two Gryffindors—cutting it close on their way back to the castle—saying:
"It's freezing! Finally back inside—I'm going to drink three cups of piping-hot snow-pear yuzu juice!"
One of them shook snow off his robe.
"I'm drinking four!" the other Gryffindor shot back.
Sean suddenly thought: ghosts don't feel cold or heat, do they? Then why did ghosts always turn flames blue and make places colder?
Lost in thought, Sean had already walked past the stained glass.
Passing the fourth floor, he saw the members of the Castle Spirit Cat Club lining up reverently to pray.
They'd set a Christmas tree beside the black cat statue. It was decorated with all sorts of trinkets—from glittering holly berries to a living golden owl that kept chirping.
President Hannah held a small booklet, watching everyone's prayers with satisfaction.
These days, "going to pray" had become a distinctive Hogwarts activity; even witches and wizards who weren't club members would come by out of curiosity.
"Hannah, does the castle spirit cat really respond?" Susan asked beside her.
"Think about Harry, and then think about Ginny… Mm, I think it's just that it isn't the time we truly need it yet…"
Hannah explained patiently.
It was like Susan had swallowed a calming draught. She stopped hesitating and offered up her pumpkin pie.
In front of her, the black cat statue was spotless—and someone had even hung tiny accessories on it.
Sean sighed and slowly blended into the crowd.
He remembered that the club hadn't been anywhere near this big before.
Then Ron's words spread like wildfire—
"Ah—how did we find that terrifying diary? You really want to know?
Then we have to talk about the mysterious legend of the castle spirit cat…
The legend is real. It guards the whole castle… maybe it is Hogwarts's consciousness?
It made Harry dream—in the dream it revealed the culprit, yes, that diary, and it told Harry there was a basilisk in the castle, sleeping under Parseltongue…
Am I a club member? Ha—I'd love to be president…"
After Christmas, Ron's earth-shaking "reveal" became one of Hogwarts's biggest legends.
Even first-years had heard it.
And just like that, the Castle Spirit Cat Club expanded again.
"Excuse me—would you like to join the Castle Spirit Cat Club?"
A tan-skinned, sharp-looking young wizard hurried up to Sean.
In his hand was an invitation—one Sean had seen before.
"No," Sean shook his head.
"Well, fair enough. Still, I'm happy to meet you. I'm a first-year—Rolf."
The boy said.
"Rolf Scamander?" Sean was surprised.
"Ah—ah, you know me—no, you know my grandpa… Yes! I'll become a great magizoologist just like him!
And the first thing I'm going to do is find the legendary magical creature—the castle spirit cat!
Can you believe it? Hogwarts actually has something that incredible… And, just between us, the Castle Spirit Cat Club is a special approval super-sized club from Headmaster Dumbledore!"
Rolf chattered on and on.
"Don't bother. You won't find it," Sean said—thinking of Newt Scamander, and finding himself speaking a little more than usual.
"Respect my dream!" Rolf fumed.
"…"
Sean silently stared at him until Rolf scratched his head.
"I know it's hard. But hard doesn't mean impossible. Grandpa says:
The wind can blow a sheet of paper away, but it can't blow away a butterfly. Do you know why?
Because the power of life is refusing to comply—if everything were that easy, it would be so boring, right?"
Rolf looked like the friendly type who latched on instantly.
"Maybe what you're doing is bothering it?" Sean asked.
"Oh—oh… then…"
Rolf went blank. He clearly hadn't considered that.
"Okay, you've kind of convinced me. But I still have to find it myself. If it really is being bothered, then I'll sincerely apologize to it. Do you think there's time?"
Rolf asked hesitantly, then added,
"No—I need to write and ask Grandpa…"
"Maybe," Sean didn't pursue it.
"Oh, right—are you a first-year too? What's your name?" Rolf perked up again after two seconds.
"Sean Green."
"Mr. Green?!"
"If there isn't a second wizard named Green, then…"
"Mr. Green! Merlin—everyone says you're the most knowledgeable wizard at Hogwarts, you have to know about the castle spirit cat…"
"I don't."
"I don't believe you! Please…"
…
After finally shaking off the enthusiastic Rolf, Sean only just made it back to the Ravenclaw common room before curfew.
As for Rolf—without a broom to help him, he was definitely going to get hauled away.
Snape hadn't let a single night-wandering student off lately.
Still, Sean hadn't expected Newt's shy personality to produce a kid like Rolf.
More like… Gryffindor.
Ravenclaw Tower.
The stars were as bright as ever, snow drifting outside, the castle quiet.
Sean sat by the window. Bai Yi bounced excitedly by the fireplace.
When Sean's gaze slid across the Void Sigil on his chest—
that night, mist slowly rose.
…
The Borderland.
The panther-cat ran far faster than the kneazle.
It stretched out fully, and mottled fog-balls streaked past like flowing light.
Some strange, uncanny fog-balls drifted toward it, only to be dodged with agile ease.
Following the direction of Isolt's "yarn-ball," it sprinted through the hazy dreamscape.
The world beyond the Veil rarely saw anything like this; it seemed to contain only mist—mist like a curtain, drifting and blurred.
Wind roared in its ears. The panther-cat didn't know how long it ran—long enough that the fog had begun to thicken—before it finally saw Isolt's figure in the distance.
Her eyes were no longer pearl-white, not grey like the Grey Lady's.
The panther-cat could easily see the clear shine in her gaze.
"Madam Sayre," the panther-cat steadied its breathing and spoke.
"A rare sight, my dear Green," Isolt Sayre blinked.
Beside her stood an elderly wizard as well.
While Isolt spoke, he stayed behind her like a child, quietly listening.
~~~
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
— Currently You can Read 120 Chapters Ahead of Others!