Ghosting

[Avie Mitchell]

Avie was so excited, he didn't go home for the holidays, nothing really left for him, and he liked spending the time in the castle and ever since meeting Vex who was absolutely his idol, the boy had discovered a fascination for ghosts, partly because he was still holding out that his mother would become a ghost soon and he would be able to see her which would be the best thing ever and after meeting three further ghosts at the yuleball the boy just wanted to meet more. So he was outside the brotherhood room, dressed entirely in grey and white face paint he'd borrowed from the arts room. He'd clearly attempted to put it in his hair also with the clumps of the white paint in his brown hair and he was excited, he had rockie in his pocket and was trying to be serious but giggling excited to himself, "GHOSTIES!" he called out in his loud voice, "WHERE ARE YOU?" he asked hoping that they'd come and see what the noise was. He had tried use a levitation spell on himself so that he could walk like a ghost but it always failed and he would face plant on the ground.
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[Bethany Zanders]

Although she wanted really wanted to see her family over the holiday break, Bethany had decided to stay at the Hogwarts castle instead. She didn't realize how empty it would be though, but found it as the perfect opportunity to explore every nook and cranny of this place. She had only just left the Gryffindor common room and began her exploration when she heard someone shouting. When she saw the person covered in white shouting again, she let out a small scream from being startled, but then started laughing at the boy. "What are you doing?" she asked curiously.

 

[Avie Mitchell]

Avie was very surprised when he heard a scream and he looked directly towards a young girl standing who was now laughing, Avie let out a heavy sigh seeing this person was no ghost, "I'm looking for ghosts," he told her matter-of-factly, as if this was the most obvious thing that he was doing in the world, he pointed to his get up as if that explained that, "I think they'll want to talk to me more if I'm a ghost," he added before slowly side stepping the girl and continuing forward, "You can join me if you want," he didn't mind if this girl did or not, he was still going to be trying to find the ghosts, "GHOSTIES!" he cried out again, "COME OUT"
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[Bethany Zanders]

Beth laughed as he explained what he was doing and nodded her head as if his plan was the most obvious thing in the world and she had been dumb not to understand it from the beginning. Before she could even ask if she could come, he told her she could join. "Okay!" she said excitedly, following him. She wanted to see some ghosts too! "Do they all hang out here or something?" she asked, wondering why he had been yelling on the sixth floor.

 

[Professor Gladys Wright]

The school holidays were one of the rarer, peaceful times in the castle, with much fewer students and staff members roaming the halls and generally being loud. Aside from the occasional events, such as the house meetings and ball, Professor Wright was much happier away from large crowds of people. Perhaps it had been one of the reasons she'd decided to start tutoring over teaching. The ethereal woman breathed a happy sigh as she floated through the seventh floor, appreciating it's open emptiness. That was, until a loud of familiar voice cut through the tranquil silence. Curious as to what the commotion was about, Gladys allowed herself to drift downwards, phasing through the solid ground until she caught sight of two students below. She looked in shock at the Slytherin's dreadful attire, overhearing the end of their conversation. "My dears." She interrupted. "Why are you calling for the partially departed?" Ghosts weren't a great deal of fun to hang around with, as they weren't particularly lively. ​

 

[Avie Mitchell]

Avie looked back round at the girl as she agreed to hang out with him in his pursuit of the ghosts of the school, "I'm Avie," he said quickly before then appearing to think about it, "But maybe for today I should be called Gavie, like Ghost Avie," he seemed to ponder it for a moment before deciding that was indeed the right thing to be calling himself, "I don't know where they hang out, but I figured it was a good place to start," he told her, since he had just picked somewhere to begin and it just happened to be this floor, this corridor, and it appeared just as Avie said this that a ghost appeared, and Avie exclaimed happily, "GHOSTIE!" and he jumped up and down, hoping to give the younger girl a high five, "I wanna meet all the ghosts!"
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[Bethany Zanders]

"Nice to meet you Avie - wait I'm sorry, Gavie - I'm Beth!" she said as she followed the older boy with a skip in her step. It was not long before a ghost suddenly appeared in front of them and Beth gasped. "It worked!" she said, surprised that Avie's calling for them had actually summoned one. She jumped up to reach his hand and give him a high five and said, "Hi!" to the female ghost in front of them. It was Beth's first time actually seeing one. "Is this the floor you haunt?" Beth asked her with a hushed tone, unaware of how rude and ignorant she may be right now.

 

[Professor Gladys Wright]

The energy the boy exerted was a stark contrast to Gladys, who'd never been so energetic even in life. "I'm not certain that raising your voice and demanding their attention is the ideal way to meet all the ghosts." She replied, folding her hands in front of herself. Wright didn't convey a tone of annoyance, but an honest thought. It wasn't often that she came across such lively students. The woman couldn't help but wonder how The Dark Rider felt about having the boy in his house. As the younger girl spoke, she turned on the spot, dress sweeping across the empty space below as she faced her and returned the greeting. "I'm not bound to one particular location. I'm free to roam the castle in its entirety - and beyond. I was just passing through when I heard the two of you." While it was true that she wasn't necessarily restricted to the boundary of the castle, the woman had not left its sanctuary since her arrival. There was little out there in the world for her, and she was content as the Ravenclaw's patron.​

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[Avie Mitchell]

Avie was so very glad that he'd managed to run into a ghost, he didn't know the ghost very well, he remembered her from the Yuleball, and though he hadn't learnt much about the ghosts then, he was very happy to see her again, and while she seemed to almost scold him, he just shook his head, "But, it got your attention!" he began, "Surely it works, I just wasn't yelling loud enough," he wasn't sure how much louder he could yell, sure he had that spell that was supposed to make him shout louder but he wasn't sure he was going to be able to do it. At the other girl's question he just nodded along, he wondered why she was able to roam the castle, why she had come to the castle, but rather than that the teen had a far more pressing question, "How long does it take to become a ghost?" he asked with an eager smile, "Can you tell more of the ghosts to come here? So me and Beth can see them, PLEASE" he practically begged the last part, he just wanted to meet all the ghosts he could.
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[Bethany Zanders]

Beth was surprised to hear that the ghost could go wherever she wanted, she had always thought ghosts were bound to where they had died. At least the Gryffindor hadn't been rude enough to ask 'Is this where you died' and had found a better way to ask it. As Avie asked the woman to tell the other ghosts to come, Beth nodded her head vigorously, her wild curls bouncing around. "Yes please! How many ghosts are there at Hogwarts?!" she asked, unaware that there were so many. "Are some of them hiding invisibly right now?" she asked, looking around as if she would be able to see one suddenly.

 

[Professor Gladys Wright]

It was only natural for the living to be fascinated by the dead, though as a being of the latter, it was difficult to see why. The Ghost of Ravenclaw House was quite often questioned by students, but never had she been bombarded with so many. "It takes a literal lifetime to become a ghost." Gladys informed the boy, frowning at his unhealthy obsession with the subject. "Unfortunately if you wanted to find more, you'd have to search on your own. I don't know where they all are at any given time, but the house ghosts at least are most often found around their respective common rooms. I believe there's a girl who spends some time by the Rosebush, too. That's all I know. The castle has a small number of ghosts, but finding them is up to you." Professor Wright did not socialise too often, and that extended to the other ghosts, too. The few she interacted with most were those of Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, and even that interaction was limited.​

 

[Avie Mitchell]

Avie didn't really understand the answer to the question he'd posed, it took a lifetime to become a ghost, but what was a lifetime, what sort of time measurement is that, he couldn't help but wonder about it and as he didn't really listen to the rest of what she was saying he just frowned at the woman, "I don't understand!" he blurted out unable to stop himself, "What's a lifetime?" he asked her impatiently needing the answer and it didn't matter there was another girl their, "I can never get Vex to tell me! If you don't help I call for someone else," he almost whined with a clear tone of annoyance and seemed to be one step away from stomping his foot, why did ghosts have to be so cryptic.
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[Bethany Zanders]

"A girl as in a young student? As in a student who died here? At Hogwarts?" she asked for clarification, her mouth dropping open a little in surprise. She saw how Avie was reacting and seemed almost upset, all dressed in his ghost clothing. "What if we talk to the girl at the rosebush Gavie, she was a student like us, maybe she'll know more!" she said, trying to cheer him up. It was a little alarming that he wanted to be a ghost but perhaps he was just curious about them. "She can come here into the castle too right?" Beth turned and asked the ghost lady. Maybe Avie's ghost calling could summon the girl here too.

 

[Professor Gladys Wright]

The Slytherin's patronus must have been a brick wall, for the ghost may as well be explaining the concept of a lifetime to one. "A lifetime is the duration of a person's mortality. It can range from mere seconds to years. That is, my dear, the time you are born to the time you die. It is measured by how long you are alive, so is different for each of us." She patiently explained, wishing to avoid the oncoming tantrum. "Vex is not like us, so he cannot, or perhaps simply won't, explain anything to you properly."

Wright turned back to the Gryffindor girl now, a small, almost sad smile on her lips. "She did not die here, but returned to the grounds after her death. I am sorry to say that in recent years she has not been very social, it would be unwise to disturb her. I sincerely doubt you would receive any information you were searching for, or even an audience."​

 

[Avie Mitchell]

Avie didn't care for the girl who had died and was here at the school, he just wanted the answer to the question and the ghost began to tell them, the duration of a person's mortality, did that mean life and while that was exactly what he was asking, it really wasn't. He wanted to know the transition time between being gone and with becoming a ghost, this just told him what happened to the person, "BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT I WANT TO KNOW!" he yelled at the ghost, "When you die, do you instantly become a ghost, if you want it?" he tried to clarify increasingly annoyed at the lack of understanding he was getting and he just wanted to know if his mother might be a ghost yet, or was there no hope of that happening. He looked at the girl he was with, he wanted to hang out with the ghosts, but this had to come first. "After I get an answer we can go find the ghost girl or find Vex," he said, in a far calmer tone to her, indicating that he thought this current ghost useless.
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[Bethany Zanders]

Beth was started to get scared when the older boy started yelling. She didn't know him that way so she had no idea how to calm him down, but thankfully he lowered his voice when he asked again. The Gryffindor tilted her head to the side as she processed his question and then turned to the ghost lady. "I think he's asking how long does it take to become a ghost after you've died," she said, looking back at Avie. "Is that what you mean?" She still didn't understand why he would want to know this, it wasn't a particularly pleasant topic.

 

[Professor Gladys Wright]

The Head of Ravenclaw House narrowed her eyes when the Slytherin boy raised his voice, unimpressed with such behaviour. The woman enjoyed teaching and aiding students, but she refused to be treated with such disrespect. "At this rate, it won't be long before you find that out for yourself." She retorted in a somewhat hollow voice. For someone so academically challenged, she thought he may have been more humble. She was wrong. "I'm afraid I must depart. Good day to you." She turned now to the Gryffindor girl with a much friendlier smile, before floating slowly through the corridors wall.​

 

[Avie Mitchell]

Avie looked at the girl who helped explain his question to the ghost and nodded excitedly at what she was saying, that was exactly what he wanted to say, but he stared at the ghost as it said that it wouldn't be long until he found out and then just left, "COME BACK," he yelled down the corridor, he couldn't believe that the ghost had just walked away, he didn't understand why she hadn't answered his question, couldn't understand why she hadn't told him what he wanted to know. Avie had never felt such pure anger, he had never been so much as annoyed before but once again he hit a wall because he was unable to express himself, because his lack of brains were stopping from understanding. He had been so happy to see the ghost and now he felt nothing but anger, he just wanted answers, he felt like screaming, he felt like throwing rocks at people hard. He needed Lucien, or Bothizar, he needed someone, he turned to the girl he was with, "FINE DON'T, I'LL JUST ASK SOMEONE ELSE," he screamed down the corridor where the ghost had disappeared to, he was so frustrated and he solely blame himself for being unable to ask a question without it needing to be explained because he'd said something wrong.
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[Bethany Zanders]

Despite Avie's somewhat rude nature in asking her his questions, Bethany did not expect the ghost to get so angry and storm off. It was clear Avie had meant no harm in his question, he just didn't know how to express himself, so even after she had helped explain it to the ghost, she didn't know why the ghost was getting so offended. After having invested some time in helping the boy ask his question, Beth had grown quite curious about the answer too and was upset that the ghost hadn't bothered to explain it to either of them. So when the ghost shafted Avie and gave her a nicer smile, Bethany stuck her tongue out at the ghost lady. She did not appreciate how she had blatantly disregarded Avie that way so Beth was no longer a fan of her. "That was so rude!" she commented out loud while crossing her arms over her chest in a huff. "I don't like her anymore," she grumbled. She looked back over at Avie who seemed to be disheartened by the exchange and said, "She probably didn't even know the answer anyway," trying to cheer him up.

 

[Vex]

The poltergeist had been looking for the ghosts, himself, seeing as he had developed a game with them (that none of them seemed to appreciate, for whatever reason). It was no fun to throw bread and pebbles at students, because they would cry and complain, and whilst the added chaos to the atmosphere was always great, he would find himself in Kingy's office, and that was boring. It was much more interesting to have projectiles fly through the ghosts. Twenty points for the head, and five points everywhere else. So far, he had twelve headshots!

Floating upside-down with bells on his shoes that tinkled with every flick of his feet, Vex searched the halls looking for them, as they rarely seemed to want to hang out with him (for whatever reason). He was invisible, to try and sneak up on them, but it hadn't worked so far, but it was nice to sneak around without students interrupting his hunt. Instead, however, he found two students, and not a ghost to be found! Deflating considerably, the non-being decided to occupy his time with the students, instead. He had a large bag of stale bread from the kitchens, and plucked out one about an inch all 'round. The poltergeist then threw the bread at the smaller of the pair, aiming to score twenty points.
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[Avie Mitchell]

Avie was not happy at the ghost leaving, he was not happy about the lack of answers to his questions and he couldn't decide between his anger or just sadness. He was warmed a little by the younger student, Beth who appeared to take his side and not the ghost's side even though the ghost had been nice to her. He nodded at her statements, "Yeah, she looked like a stupid ghost," which came out as an almost childlike whine, but even in saying that it didn't exactly help the situation he was in where he still really wanted to have an answer to the question and just began walking again, stopping when a bit of bread flew past him aimed for Beth, and in that instant he knew who it was, "VEX!" the boy exclaimed happily, knowing who it was and all his prior thought about the earlier ghost were gone, he wanted this ghost to come out of hiding so that they could both enjoy it.
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