Chapter 21: Secrets Revealed
Evan slept deeply that night, dreaming of various things.
He dreamt he was in Godric's Hollow the night Voldemort killed Harry's parents, eager to help but feeling powerless.
Later, he dreamt of Ginny, the girl falling helplessly before him, her body as cold as a corpse, Tom Riddle at her side, his face exuding arrogance, mocking Evan's powerlessness against true strength.
Evan quickly drew his wand, but in the next moment, he was sent flying by Tom, and then a green spell was cast towards Evan, jolting him awake and sitting up.
Upon waking, he was drenched in sweat.
It was barely dawn, so he lay back down, realizing his weakness, knowing he was no match for Voldemort.
Fortunately, he had time, and, luckily, they had Dumbledore, the only wizard Voldemort feared.
Evan knew he needed to enhance his strength gradually; he couldn't grasp advanced magic at that moment. Yet, for now, he needed to figure out how to defeat the Basilisk and what to do with the diary.
"I know the Basilisk fears the crowing roosters."
Contemplating how to vanquish the Basilisk, he heard a noise coming from a corner of the room.
"Lumos," said Evan, casting a spell and scanning for someone.
It was a creature with green eyes donning a sheet – a house-elf tidying the room. The light from Evan's wand startled the house-elf, who let out a muffled shriek before vanishing into thin air.
Beside his bed lay Colin, who had slept through the whole incident.
Unable to sleep, Evan pondered Voldemort, wondering if in Voldemort's eyes, he was as humble as a house-elf.
This feeling was dreadful, prompting Evan to robe himself and leave his bed.
The morning at Hogwarts was eerily quiet; portraits slumbered, and shadows were scarce. Evan strolled through the empty castle, pondering why he suddenly craved to witness the sunrise.
He ascended the stairs to the top floor, a place he had never ventured before.
Upon reaching the final floor, he encountered an entrance to the common room of a house with elegant arched windows, draped in blue silk and bronze, a bronze eagle knocker on the door.
It was the entrance to Ravenclaw's common room. Evan moved towards a balcony and beheld the beautiful scenery outside the castle.
In the next moment, Evan noticed someone else had arrived there before him.
As a gentle breeze wafted, the sun rose slowly from the edge of the Forbidden Forest. With the sun's radiance, Evan spotted a stunning girl with golden hair sitting at the balcony's edge. She possessed ethereal qualities reminiscent of a fairy.
"Good morning, Evan," Luna greeted calmly as she turned towards him, as though she had known all along that he would appear there.
"Good morning, Luna," Evan sighed as he sat beside her, "What brings you here?"
"I am composing an article about locating a Horned Snorkack, intending to submit it to your newspaper," Luna informed.
Evan was unsure how to react to her contribution; he should be pleased, yet contemplating the content 'How to Find a Horned Snorkack' left him both happy and somewhat uneasy.
"In the morning, inspiration often flows more easily!" Luna remarked as she set aside her parchment, fixing her wide-eyed gaze on Evan, "Are you seeking inspiration too? You seem to have something on your mind..."
"Well, yes," Evan hesitated, then continued, "I am merely sensing the cruelty of reality, how feeble man's power is—it's too diminutive, even if one knows everything, it can't alter a thing."
Evan was perplexed, hence uncertain if Luna could comprehend him.
Two individuals watched the sunrise for a while; Luna said with a peculiar and entranced voice, "Power is never absolute; those who can confront their own cowardice and remain humble possess a kind of courage, don't they?"
"Yes," Evan nodded in agreement, "courage is important."
"However, I believe more in wisdom than in strength or courage," Luna chirped, "Intelligence above all else is a man's greatest treasure."
This was the second time Evan heard Luna say this phrase; he looked it up yesterday and confirmed its origin was among the last words of Rowena Ravenclaw.
Perhaps a famous saying, Evan doesn't know how this phrase could help defeat Voldemort.
"My mother once told me before she passed away, it's important to choose your own path, and then, no matter how many people oppose you, you must stand firm and follow your belief."
On the balcony, Luna's voice left Evan in a trance.
"Path?" Evan unconsciously inquired, "Your mother?"
"Yes," Luna replied, "She was an excellent witch who enjoyed doing experiments, but one day one of her spells went wrong, and she died; I was nine."
"I'm sorry, Luna."
"Don't worry, Evan," Luna reassured, "I'm fine because I was loved while she was alive, although sometimes I feel down, at least I still have my father. What I mean is, no matter how hard it gets, you will always have someone to help you through it."
"You're right; I'll always have someone to help me," Evan nodded, realizing this.
Since he found himself in the magical world of Harry Potter, Evan has harbored a deep sense of anxiety, always standing on the opposite side of Voldemort while ignoring others' existence.
Upon hearing Luna, he recalled Harry, Ron, Hermione, and all the others who in the original story helped defeat Voldemort, even at a high price, but in the end, they prevailed.
Now that he's here, he must save the lives of those who were lost.
"Believe in your friends; it may not do something spectacular, but it will change many ordinary yet essential things," Luna said, "I think one of the best quotes from Helga Hufflepuff is, 'I will teach all and treat them all the same,' she seems to be the best of the founders."
"Thank you, Luna," Evan said, feeling much better.
"You're welcome; come with me to the Ravenclaw common room," Luna invited, "We can read The Quibbler, a magazine my father writes, it might give you some inspiration."
"No, thank you, I'm a bit hungry, I want to go downstairs and have some pudding," Evan declined politely, although intrigued by the Ravenclaw common room, he wasn't keen to read The Quibbler.
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