Ghosting Reprise

[Bethany Zanders]

Avie's death had happened so close to the end of the year last semester that Bethany hadn't spent much time in the castle before the holiday break had started. She had avoided writing anything for his tribute page in the yearbook or going to any sort of memorial service and had especially avoided the Rock that was dedicated to him because she didn't feel like she had any right to any of that. But while all of those things were easily avoidable in her every day life, there was one particular section of the castle that she was afraid of, and it was completely unavoidable. Every day that she walked past or through the sixth floor corridor, she would run straight through it wishing she knew how to Apparate so she would never have to step foot there again.

Since that was the place where she had met Avie, Bethany was terrified his ghost form would show up there. She wasn't scared of him as a ghost, she was just terribly sad he was gone and that he would have to take that form at all. Beth truly believed that since she and Avie had met under the conditions of him wanting to meet ghosts and asking them questions of death, that her chances of running into his ghost form were much higher than normal.

But they were two months into the school year and it was getting ridiculous running past the corridor looking like a fool every day, so Beth knew she would have to face her fears head on to calm her anxiety. So one day, Beth decided enough was enough and she was going to walk through the corridor completely to prove that everything was okay. The small Gryffindor stood at the end of the hall and looked down the length of the corridor. It seemed endless and ominous, and the spot where she had found Avie covered in white powder to resemble a ghost was just at the end. She gulped but squared her shoulders. She was a Gryffindor and she wasn't going to let a stupid hallway get the best of her. So with one last shaky breath she took her first few steps down the hall, going incredibly slow, making a full stop after every step forward to survey her surroundings and make sure no ghosts popped up around her.​

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[Leo Benivieni]

Leo seriously needed to get to know other students more because one death of a Slytherin boy at the end of last year had shocked Leo so much to the point that he didn't even want to remember his name. He didn't even want to remember that it had happened in the first place. So he took off to exploring because he thought that Hogwarts was the safest place he'd ever been to and of course he still thought of the school as safe in itself but he couldn't help but be slightly less optimistic about what happened in the place. Avie Mitchell had drowned. Leo did not want to find out how that had happened or who was involved and so he decided that for the day he would explore the inside of the castle a bit more.

He was in third year now and one would think he already knew his way around but his older brother had discovered some places this year of all years and he was a fourth year. Leonardo had the intention of finding every possible secret hideout and passage and area, whether it is be one room or one corner didn't matter, as long as he discovered everything before he graduated. He ran his hand along the wall of the sixth floor corridor, straining his ears to see if he could hear anything strange. Stranger than usual at the very least. He was about to give up and his shoulders sagged in disappointment. Now what?! Leo shuddered at the thought of going to the lake. He might never go there again for all he knew. Maybe there were - aha! He heard a shuffle - a noise from somewhere ahead.

He tiptoed along the corridor until he found the source of the noise and snickered, quickly putting a hand over his mouth at what he saw. A girl in Gryffindor robes. How convenient. Hiding behind the corner, Leo counted before popping out trying to surprise her. "Boo!" He had no whether it worked but she seemed quite on edge. Hopefully he didn't scare her or creep her out enough to walk away. He wanted to hang out with a new friend today.​

 

[Bethany Zanders]

After a few cautious first steps, Beth began to calm her nerves a little, thinking this wasn't so bad. It was just a hallway after all, and Avie hadn't died here so it's not like he was tethered to this particular spot. Of course ghosts weren't physically bound by any means so if he had assumed a ghost form, he could roam the castle and haunt this place if he chose to. The thought freaked Bethany out again so she shuttered and tried to shoo those thoughts from her mind, but her fear had spiked up again. She had half a mind to turn around and do this another day, but just as she looked over her shoulder to check her surroundings again, something jumped out at her and said "Boo."

Bethany screamed and scuttled back away from the source, trying not to trip over her oversized combat boots. She looked around to see that it was just another student she always saw around the Gryffindor common room and immediately scowled. Her heart was pounding so hard against her chest she was sure he could hear it from where he stood. "Don't do that!" she yelled as she shoved the boy. Growing up with five other brothers had made her particularly violent and she sometimes forgot it was rude to do so to strangers. He was lucky she only decided to shove him though and not punch him, because she was small but she was mighty, since her brothers had also taught her how to throw a punch. She glared at him again as she looked around them to make sure a real ghost hadn't appeared in the midst of their interaction.​

 

[Leo Benivieni]

Leo could not help but burst out laughing at the girl's reaction. "Sorry," he apologised once he recovered from his fit of laughter before he grinned at her. "What ya doing?" He asked, because she seemed pretty on edge when he saw her. He didn't mind her shoving him because it wasn't as if his siblings didn't do it every time he did similar things to them. He was used to it and besides he knew she didn't mean any harm by it. As she looked around he noticed she was looking for someone - or even better, something. He wanted in but he wasn't going to pry, especially because it wouldn't be like Leo to be nosy if this girl was waiting for somebody. He barely knew her. "I've seen you before." He got a good look at her trying to remember whether he knew her name but nothing triggered in his brain so he stopped thinking about it. His excitement of getting to know people sometimes made him sound obvious.

"I'm Leo," he added as an afterthought. He always forgot to introduce himself first before chatting with the person. The Gryffindor hoped he didn't sound like an idiot because she was in his house and as he claimed aloud to have seen her around he remembered from where: the common room. As he considered it Leo wanted to be her friend. If she didn't, oh well, he's just have to convince her he was fun to hang around. He would try his best not to seem happy chappy all the time but when there were opportunities for new friendships it was Leo's cue. It was too late to turn back now and leave even if his housemate wasn't too thrilled by his presence. When Leo set his mind to something he followed through with it, unless it was the worst idea he'd ever come up with but in this case maybe he'd be able to cheer her up a little. She had looked rather hesitant before. Leo was going to turn that frown into a smile (though she wasn't necessarily frowning). "Is that...are those shadows of actual people or am I hallucinating?" From what he had heard imagining things was never a good sign. He squinted, trying to get a better look.
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[Bethany Zanders]

Beth scowled at him as he laughed at her reaction, not feeling particularly amused by the situation as he was. When he asked what she was doing Beth considered her response, recalling when she had asked Avie the exact same thing. "I'm...looking for ghosts," she decided to say truthfully. Except unlike the last time she met Avie on this floor looking for ghosts, he had been completely dressed in white robes and covered in white powder to make himself appear more like a ghost. The thought of that image becoming true almost made Bethany shudder again. Thankfully she was distracted by the boy speaking again. She nodded her head when he admitted he'd seen her before and replied, "Yeah I'm in Gryffindor, third year too, like you." She knew this boy was in the same year as her because she had noticed him in her classes the previous years, not that she paid much attention to lessons. "I'm Bee," she said, giving him a small wave and foregoing the formal handshake as was usual.

When he said he could see something down the hall, Bee whipped her head around immediately, asking, "Where?!" looking alarmed. Her heart started racing and she was afraid she would see the late Slytherin boy standing there but she couldn't spot him. "You better not be messing around with me," she warned Leo. "This is kind of..important to me," she admitted softly. She turned at looked at him, thinking if she was going to get through this long corridor, having someone around might make it less scary - as long as he didn't jump out at her again. "Should we go get a closer look?" she whispered, afraid they would hear her plans and disappear or something worse.​

 

[Leo Benivieni]

Sorry it took me forever to get this posted!

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Looking for ghosts was...different. Leo grinned at his housemate's words. Actually, it was a good different, it meant she was cool and the third year definitely needed more friends who loved to do other things other than study or chat. He was more of an explorer and he put his hands up in surrender, saying, "I am not messing around with anyone, and especially not with you." Leo really had seen something but as he glanced again at the exact same spot he wondered if he was just imagining it. What happened last semester had been scary and made him more paranoid that he'd ever been in his entire life. If he wanted to mess with her, he would have done so already, well, more so than he had when he had surprised her. He sincerely hoped he wasn't hallucinating. It wouldn't be fair on Bee if it meant this much to her. He didn't know how important it was but he wasn't going to ask, it wasn't his business, even though it was in him to be curious about stuff.

He nodded, whispering like she just had. "Yeah. I think we should walk along the corridor really quietly and see if we can hear anything, other than just seeing if there's anything there." Leo began to tiptoe along the corridor, Bee probably following him as he searched and strained his ears. So far, nothing. He was starting to doubt what he'd seen, because maybe the gryffindor really was going mad. He turned to Bee and shrugged, as if saying he couldn't find anything but would be more than happy to continue looking with her if she wanted. Leo carried on throughout the corridor, hoping to reach the end having heard or seen something so that Bee wouldn't be disappointed. He hated seeing others disappointed or unhappy.
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[Bethany Zanders]

[No worries!!]

Bee looked at him skeptically for a moment, still not convinced whether he was not going to try and scare her again. But he seemed harmless and she would prefer a partner on this adventure so she let it slide. Bee stood up straight again and nodded her head at his suggestion and said, "Good idea." Ghosts could be invisible so it would be impossible to figure out if they were there, but if they made noise while invisible they could pin point their location. She tried not to seem scared especially now that he was joining her, so Bee began to follow him closely behind; just far enough away that she could use him as a cover - just in case. As they were walking slowly, the corridor seemed longer than ever. As soon as they reached the exact area where she had met Avie, Bee stopped in her tracks and said, "Wait!" pulling her hand out to stop him. The Gryffindor girl looked around her, expecting to see something, anything, but she couldn't find anything significant. She looked up at Leo and asked, "Do you see anything..suspicious around here?" She didn't know what she was expecting to see so she couldn't give him an example of what to look for. She also didn't want to admit that she was stalling getting to the end of the corridor.
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[Leo Benivieni]

Satisfied that she was following him, Leo kept walking along the corridor slowly, not making a sound and searching for any odd behaviours from corners, walls or on the ceiling. Scratch that. He was straining his eyes and ears everywhere around him. Leo was so concentrated on his search he almost didn't realize Bee had called out to him. Turning around and frowning that she'd asked him to wait, the third year went back to his friend and said, "you okay?" He quirked an eyebrow, curious. "Oh," the gryffindor said, relaxing his shoulders as he noticed she was fine and was simply asking him something. He shrugged, looking extra hard around the area where they'd stopped. He did not want to disappoint her (or himself) because he had yet to see something extraordinary so vaguely, he responded to her. "Should we take a look there a second time, see if we missed something before?" he suggested, pointing to a random area of the corridor which happened to be on his right. There was a window there, but strangely enough it was closed. His finger indicated to a spot around the corner. "Truthfully, I didn't see anything around here the first time," he admitted. Honesty was the best policy in this case. He was now still, something had triggered in the back of his mind. "I swear I've seen Vex here once before. I don't know if he's here now though," he added quickly, glancing at Bee. "Maybe we should just carry on and see if we can find something at the end of the corridor." Ghosts were bound to be lurking in corners or ceilings and although they were invisible, Leo was on the mission to finding just one before the end of the day.​

 

[Evan Faire]

With his hands clasped tightly together at his chest, thumbs twiddling restlessly, the Ghost of Hufflepuff House glided quietly through the sixth floor corridor, humming tunelessly as he floated by the rows of portraits and closed doors, lost in his own thoughts whilst the flaming torches dimmed and turned blue in his presence. A young wizard had fallen from part-way down a moving staircase on the floor above, but when Evan had attempted to assist him and make a recommendation to visit to Hospital Wing to ensure nothing was broken, he was rudely brushed aside, the youth acting too proud to get treatment despite the tears welling up in his eyes. It was upsetting to be stuck, merely able to watch as he limped away, no longer capable of using magic to heal others. It was a common occurrence, one he was used to after so long of being dead, but it still managed to bring a small frown to his usually cheerful face.

With his eyes on his transparent feet, and his mind dwelling on the earlier situation, Fair didn't notice the students present in the corridor until he had passed through one of them, overcoming them with the feeling of being splashed by a bucket of ice-cold water. He raised his eyes, once bright and full of life in his youth, now only pearly and translucent, the laugh lines creasing the corners as the only tell-tale sign of the joy he had once lived. "I am terribly sorry about that!" He exclaimed apologetically, realising what he had done. It was not a feeling he had experienced in his lifetime, but from what the healer had been told, it was not a pleasant one. ​

 

[Bethany Zanders]

Beth was feeling frustrated; she didn't know if she wanted to see something or not so she was constantly battling herself. Whether to give up or keep looking for something. Because of her indecision it was hard for her to answer Leo's questions and she merely shook her head vaguely at the whole idea. However, when he brought up having seen Vex on this corridor one time, her head snapped back up to his. "Really?" she asked, intrigued. Although the poltergeist had sprayed them all with slime in the beginning of her second year, and she momentarily hated the poltergeist, she still wanted to officially meet the ghost out of curiosity. It then reminded her of the time she had met a ghost on this same floor as well. "I met a ghost here too! She was the House ghost for Ravenclaw," Bee told him.

The fact that they had both seen ghosts on this floor immediately made her think that perhaps this area did attract ghosts after all. Bee shivered at the thought, or perhaps it was the drop in temperature that made her shiver, but she hadn't noticed just yet. Just then she saw the torch lights beginning to flicker and she turned around slowly, whispering, "Look," as a grey form glided their way. The ghost hadn't seemed to notice the two Gryffindors were there, so Bee stood frozen, somewhat scared of the being, and didn't say anything. She hadn't thought of what she would do if she had actually run into a ghost and now there was no time to come up with a plan. He was approaching quickly and before she could think to do anything or move out of the way, the translucent man walked straight through her, making it feel as though she had stepped in a tub of ice cold water. Bee gasped in shock and said, "Hey!" just as the ghost began to apologize. The Gryffindor girl shivered as she said, "W-watch where you're going!" It was not like the students had the ability to become non-solid. Bee realized she was being rude, but it was mostly the shock of the feeling which was wearing off already and her nerves at actually seeing a ghost in this particular area. "Wait, I'm sorry," she said afterward. "I was just caught off guard," she explained. The small girl looked towards Leo wondering what to do and then back at the permanently older man. Leo didn't really know what Bee had set out to do when she came here, but now she was about to reveal that. "Do you...mind if I ask you some questions?" she asked as politely as she could.
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[Leo Benivieni]

At first, Leo couldn't believe what he saw. He glanced at Bee but she, too, noticed the floating figure coming their way. The ghost couldn't see them however otherwise he would not have slipped through his friend. He put a fist to his mouth to prevent him from bursting into hysterical laughter. It was the first time that the Gryffindor saw a ghost actually look sorry and not entertained at all in the fact that he had just passed through a person. "Hey! I'm Leo," he said, grinning cheerfully after Bee had recovered from her initial shock. In his two almost three years at Hogwarts the thirteen year old had never experienced what Bee just had and he hoped he didn't have to. It seemed to give an unpleasant feeling to whoever became a victim to such a misfortune.

Getting to know ghosts seemed odd but at the same time, a person was a person so Leo wouldn't mind befriending one. They were awesome, and this guy seemed rather kind. He reminded Leo of his older brother for some reason, his mannerisms when he apologised because he hadn't seen the two when he glided through Bee. When he looked at her, she was already watching him briefly before her attention was on the ghost again. He understood, he knew that look so well - she was wondering what to do now. His curiosity only strengthened when Bee asked the ghost a question that would eventually lead to a series of questions. Leo began to wonder why exactly his mate had come here searching for floating beings in the first place. He remained quiet, wanting to listen for a change instead of him being the one to talk.​

 

[Evan Faire]

Relief flushed the pearly features of the Hufflepuff ghost, pleased that the young girl he had so absent-mindedly flown through did not bear any grudges for his carelessness. "There is no need to apologise, it was entirely my fault. It's easy to grow too comfortable drifting through these castle walls." The elderly spectre tried to explain, hoping that it was something neither child would come to know. There was good reason that few people chose to remain on the earth after passing from their mortal life - it was not a desirable existence. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Leo. I am Evan, Resident Ghost of Hufflepuff House." The man introduced himself with a small smile, nodding his head in the direction of the boy, no longer capable of shaking another's hand. His pale eyes returned to the girl he had passed over as she spoke, smile broadening at her curiosity, more than willing to assist in answering her questions. "Of course, it's the least I could do, Miss...?" He had yet to catch her name, but after showering her in such an unpleasant sensation, it was understandably not the first thing on her mind.​

 

[Bethany Zanders]

Bee was so glad that she had Leo there with her, because if she didn't have his cheerful behavior to balance out her nerves, she would've been too scared to do anything with the ghost around. It wasn't really that she was terrified of the beings, it was just the feelings of unrest about Avie that bothered her. She smiled at the ghost who was apologizing, his sweetness was tinged with a sadness that the Gryffindor couldn't quite place but she was glad he was so polite. "Uh Zanders," she replied, offering her last name, "Bethany Zanders, but just call me Bee," she clarified, smiling at the ghost man. She looked to Leo once more for confidence and then inhaled deeply to gather her courage. "I just had a few questions about death," she said boldly, but the anxious look in her eyes gave her away. "How long does it take for someone to become a ghost?" she asked quietly, her wide doe eyes fixed on the translucent man almost pleadingly. Then she remembered Avie's frustration at the Ravenclaw ghost because she hadn't understood him. Bee had figured out what he was trying to ask though, so she made sure not to make his same mistake and finally get the answer that the late boy had wanted so badly. Probably too badly. "How long after someone dies do they become a ghost?" she clarified.
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[Leo Benivieni]

Leo watched the scene in front of him with as much curiosity that his personality allowed him to have. His brother was a hufflepuff, so he must've surely seen Evan the Ghost around! The third year sent Bee a reassuring smile as she turned to him for confirmation of whatever she was about to do. He didn't miss her anxious expression as she asked...about death? This could not get any odder, not that he minded because it couldn't get any weirder than magic and wizarding ghosts. He didn't interrupt Bee but he did wonder why she asked something like that. Did it have something to do with the student who died the previous year? For her sake he hoped not. The fact that Bee's voice had been quieter than usual was strange. "Yeah, I was also wondering about that," he added to show that he was on her side just in case the answer would upset her or something. You never knew with girls. Girls were emotional at the most unexpected of moments.​

 

[Evan Faire]

As a ghost, the topic of death was one of, if not the most frequent question asked by the living, especially among inquisitive young minds. Even so, it still saddened the man when the was questioned about the subject by some of the much younger students of the academy, children who needn't concern themselves with such worries. The Hufflepuff Ghost fidgeted in the air uncomfortably, unsure of how to answer the girl's question without disappointing her. "Ah...there is no exact amount of time. A wizard's soul imprinting themselves on the earth is not a common enough occurrence to be recorded, exactly. It's not immediate, but it is quite soon after they pass." He stated, hoping it was a good enough answer to satisfy her. "Have either of you...lost someone close to you recently? Few people choose to remain behind. It is best for them to pass on from this life. I'm sure that wherever they are now, they're happy, and you'll see them again soon. As you can see by me, death doesn't necessarily mean the end. Try not to dwell on it too much, simply enjoy life and the people who are with you now."

 

[Bethany Zanders]

Bee waited with baited breath for the ghost's answer to a question that Avie had wanted so badly. She didn't know what she was expecting as an answer, but somehow the Gryffindor was disappointed. She thought perhaps if Avie had heard this answer he too would've been disappointed with the response, but at least it was more helpful than the Ravenclaw ghost's answer. Bee looked up at him with so many more questions running through her mind but he had just asked if they lost someone recently. "N-no not exactly," she shook her head, since she and Avie were not particularly close. But his death still affected her somehow so Bee had to get it off her chest. "You've heard the story about the boy with the rocks who drowned last year right?" she asked rhetorically, just to preface her question. "Well, when I met him he was dressed as a ghost because he was looking for one. When we found one - she was the Ravenclaw ghost by the way - he asked her the same question about how long it takes for someone to become a ghost. At the time I didn't know why he was asking but now...now I'm afraid he was asking for himself. W-what if his death wasn't an accident? What if that was his way of finding out the answer to his question? Because he seemed really upset over the vague answer he got from the Ravenclaw ghost. What if I could've helped stop him," Bee choked on her words, finally unleashing all the guilt that had been inside her all this time and began to cry.
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[Evan Faire]

Evan nodded solemnly in response to the girl's mention of a boy whom had died the previous year - a tragic accident, and unfortunately not the first, but hopefully the last on Hogwarts grounds. As Bethany spoke further, his expression fell, a concerned frown on his lips. "It's not uncommon for people to blame themselves for the passing of others, but know that you are at no fault. As much as we want to, as much as we wish it, we can't change the past. His death was accidental, I assure you. I believe his question, like yours now, came from the loss of someone in his own life, not because he wished to lose his. There is more to living than there is to death, and too much to give up for one small question. Do you think he would have so willingly left behind all of his family, all of his friends? I do not think so. Perhaps you should speak with the school's counselor to help put your mind at ease? It is unhealthy to focus on such negative thoughts." He suggested, knowing she may well be better off speaking to someone more alive. "I however, do consider myself something of an expert when it comes to the deceased, and I will tell you with absolute certainty, young Avie's passing was not something he intended." The ghost would have continued, if not for a young student crashing their broomstick into the castle, just outside the window. "Oh, dear. I'm terribly sorry, but it looks like I'll be needing to contact the Hospital Wing. Just remember, the blame is not yours to bear. For now, goodbye." He nodded quietly to both students once he'd finished speaking, before sinking through the floor to find a nurse.