Chapter Sixty-Three: Unexpected Rebirth

“Congratulations, you guessed correctly!” Xiven curled his lips into a smile as he spoke.

“I’ve always tried to follow your rules, to align myself with your expectations, but my opinions have never been able to break through your stubbornness.” Xiven absentmindedly traced the patterns on the pocket watch in his coat, his tone drifting. “You doubt enough to break the rules and detain a ghost, yet you refuse to interrogate a professor for the same reason—do you call that putting the greater good first?”

“Headmaster, what you cling to isn’t justice or stability at all; it’s merely the authority you wield as headmaster.”

“If that’s the case, then I see no reason to adhere to your so-called rules. I’ll simply use greater authority to overpower yours.”

Having said this, Xiven felt as if all the misunderstandings he had endured as a ghost and the frustration of being overlooked as a young wizard had finally found release. He exhaled deeply, his heart lighter, then quietly stepped aside, yielding the stage to the members of the Board of Governors.

Headmaster Dippet regarded Xiven with a flash of anger, his face contorted in an inner struggle before he spoke. “Mr. Rosier, perhaps my actions thus far have indeed been misguided, but let me make it clear: everything I have done has been for the safety of Hogwarts!”

“And is your idea of Hogwarts’ safety to let the castle descend into a state of semi-paralysis, Headmaster?” Sandrine gently patted Xiven’s back as she questioned Headmaster Dippet.

Mr. Malfoy joined in. “If it weren’t for young Rosier’s letter, I would never have realized how entrenched and out of touch Hogwarts’ leadership has become. Are you only going to be satisfied when the castle is completely crippled?”

Their pointed rebukes left Headmaster Dippet slumped weakly against the back of his chair, looking suddenly far older.

“Then what do you propose we do?” He massaged his brow, his voice hoarse.

“Let’s start by calling up Professor Lorre,” Sandrine suggested.

“As you wish.” Headmaster Dippet nodded.

He then turned to Professor Melus. “Galadia, would you please ask Claude to come to the headmaster’s office?”

Professor Melus glanced at him with some concern. “Armando, you’re not looking well. Should I have Huma come up and examine you?”

“I’m fine. Just have Claude come up first,” Headmaster Dippet replied, his voice faint.

Professor Melus nodded at last and left the headmaster’s office.

“Please make yourselves comfortable, everyone. Forgive me for not being a better host,” the old headmaster said. He did indeed look unwell, his complexion turning alarmingly pale.

…

Soon enough, Professor Melus returned to the office, accompanied by a woman dressed in pristine white wizard’s robes.

“I presume this is not Professor Lorre, Deputy Headmistress Melus?” Mr. Malfoy asked, his tone sharp as he noticed Melus had returned with a witch rather than Professor Lorre.

Professor Melus cast him a cool glance. “Professor Lorre will be here shortly. On my way downstairs, I happened to run into a kind-hearted ghost who graciously agreed to pass the message along for me.”

“You didn’t have that ghost tell Lorre we intend to question him, did you?” Mr. Malfoy asked suspiciously.

“Of course I’m not that foolish!” Professor Melus shot back, her indignation clear at being doubted.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Darrel had already produced some diagnostic instruments, slipping a circular band onto the pallid right arm of Headmaster Dippet. She pressed the device and waited quietly for a moment.

Her expression grew grave as she addressed the headmaster. “Your blood pressure is in a very troubling state. You need to rest immediately!”

“Your emotions have been all over the place lately, and you’ve been worrying over the damaged magic node until you’re utterly exhausted. I suppose you haven’t slept much these past two days either? This is utter nonsense!” she scolded him sternly.

Done berating the headmaster, she turned to the Board, her tone no less displeased. “And as for you, Headmaster Dippet is three centuries old. He refuses to stop working for Hogwarts’ sake. Why must you push such a devoted old man so hard?”

“Madam, we are here for the castle’s safety as well,” one of the elder Board members, dressed in deep blue formal robes, retorted casually.

“One moment,” Xiven suddenly interrupted, voicing his concern. “Is it supposed to take this long for Professor Lorre to come to the headmaster’s office?”

Both headmasters and the Board members realized there was a problem, frowning in unison.

“Could it be that Scholar Angulo hasn’t found Professor Lorre?” Professor Melus muttered to herself.

‘How did Scholar Angulo appear so conveniently?’ Xiven’s brow knitted in thought.

The last time his soul form had encountered Angulo was in the entrance courtyard. His appearance then had been just as timely—as if he were prepared for it!

That night, when Professor Lorre had behaved strangely, Xiven’s curiosity had led him to tail the professor in soul form. As he was using the All-Seeing Eye to discern Lorre’s Disillusionment Charm, Scholar Angulo had abruptly interrupted the spell, preventing Xiven from tracking Lorre any further.

Back then, that encounter with Angulo had seemed a mere coincidence, and the interruption just a stroke of bad luck. He had not suspected anything at all.

Now, Xiven’s frown deepened as he recalled the ghostly attendees at last night’s banquet—Angulo had not been among them!

Given Angulo’s sociable nature, missing the annual Halloween feast was highly unusual. So where had he gone last night?

And today, it was much the same. Xiven had written to the Board, preparing to press for an inquiry into Professor Lorre. Few knew about it, but the route from the deputy headmistress’s office on the third floor to the headmaster’s office wasn’t short. Many students had seen Professor Melus lead a group to the statue that marked the entrance to the headmaster’s office on the fourth floor. Angulo could easily have learned of it, realized the danger, and deliberately waited by the door.

One or two coincidences might be chance, but a third is hard to dismiss as mere accident!

Abruptly, Xiven looked up and blurted out,

“This is bad—Scholar Angulo must be the ghost who helped Professor Lorre locate the magic node!”

“What?!”

…