Chapter 26: Catching a Spy

After acquiring a disciple, Kevin finally returned to the Ravenclaw Dorm room, dragging his weary feet. Even though it was late at night, he had to face a magical riddle on the door to enter:

"What can you have but can't share?"

Kevin was tired, but he quickly came up with an answer: "Loneliness."

"Correct."

The door opened, and Kevin eagerly stepped inside. After running outside all night and encountering the three-headed dog, he longed for the soft beds in his dormitory.

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. He felt like someone was watching him, but after scanning the surroundings, he couldn't find anyone, not even a ghost. However, Kevin trusted his intuition. After specialising in divination in astronomy class, he developed a peculiar kind of insight that provided him with intuitive hints. This insight had proven to be correct, like when he sensed the Peeves incident beforehand.

That's the power of Divination.

Kevin pulled out his wand. The public lounge in Ravenclaw was equipped with magical candles that burned all night for students who liked to read, allowing them to clearly inspect their surroundings.

The blue curtains by the windows swayed in the breeze, indicating that no one was behind them. The starry ceiling and carpet were also empty. The bookshelves, chairs, and fireplace all seemed undisturbed. Despite having checked everywhere, the feeling of being watched still hadn't vanished.

In the end, Kevin's attention turned to Rowena Ravenclaw's marble statue. From the statue's appearance, it was evident that she was a beautiful witch, and most students found her stern expression intimidating. However, Kevin sensed her deep dedication to knowledge. What was most intriguing about this statue was that no matter from which angle you looked at it, Rowena Ravenclaw's eyes seemed to be gazing at you, just like the Mona Lisa.

After circling around the statue, Kevin was finally sure that the entity watching him was hidden within it.

"I know you're hiding in the statue. Come out!" Kevin pointed his wand at the statue of the founder of his house.

However, there was no response. Unfortunately, Kevin hadn't learned any magic for detection. But he wasn't just a wizard; he was also a Legilimens. What was more suitable for detecting something intangible than Legilimency?

[You attempt to use Legilimency to probe your surroundings. Your insight sharpens, and you learn the skill [Second Sight].]

[Second Sight: Create a finely tuned psychic field based on mental contact, allowing you to 'sense' objects even in complete darkness or when your physical vision is obstructed.]

[Due to your continuous honing of this ability, your Legilimens level has increased by 1, and you've learned [Telepathy].]

Kevin was overjoyed at the sudden surge of his psychic power. He immediately used his new skill, [Second Sight].

In that moment, he felt as if his spirit had detached from his body and expanded into his surroundings. Nothing could obstruct the penetration of his mental power, and everything within the range was under his control.

As the psychic field extended forward, he sensed the presence hidden within Rowena Ravenclaw's half-statue. It was a spirit, along with an unknown magical power.

"Miss Grey?"

Kevin asked with his newfound telepathic ability.

"Is that you, Kevin Green? What kind of magic did you use to communicate with me?"

Miss Grey was startled, even though she was already a ghost.

"It's the power of Legilimency, Miss Grey."

After explaining, Kevin inquired, "Now that I've found you, Miss Grey, can you tell me why you were hiding in the statue and spying on me?"

"Sorry, I was just curious about you."

Seeing herself exposed, the female ghost swiftly floated out of the statue. Miss Grey, like her mother, Rowena Ravenclaw, had a tall and beautiful figure. However, unlike her mother's stern and wise demeanour, Miss Grey seemed somewhat arrogant. She rarely spoke to wizards from other houses, responding only to the occasional riddle posed by the Ravenclaws.

"Kevin Green, I know you. You are one of the most outstanding students in Ravenclaw these years, and many professors have praised you. But I know you're even more talented than they can imagine."

"In this statue, I've witnessed you use magic that I've never seen before. I'm curious about you."

As she spoke, Miss Grey pressed close to the statue, as if she might flee back inside if things took a wrong turn. Kevin's question hit the mark. Decades ago, this female ghost experienced something unpleasant, making her wary of exceptional students like Kevin.

"Never mind, I... I was just here to admire Lady Ravenclaw... I really admire her!" Miss Grey stammered; her tone was much less assertive than before.

However, Kevin quickly saw through her true intentions. "No, you aren't just here to admire Lady Ravenclaw. A ghost can't simply reside in a statue due to admiration alone."

"You're not the real Miss Grey, but rather Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter, Helena Ravenclaw."

"How did you know?" Miss Grey, or rather, Helena, asked in astonishment.

Kevin couldn't reveal that he knew this because he read the original text, so he said, "I actually guessed. I know Muggle history. Jane Grey was Henry VIII's great-niece, the Queen of England, who reigned for only 13 days. Her death date was February 12, 1554. However, based on 'Hogwarts: A History,' you appeared in the castle long before that era."

"You... you can't possibly be the real Miss Grey."

"Considering your resemblance to Lady Ravenclaw and your peculiar connection with the Bloody Baron, I made a bold guess that you are Lady Ravenclaw's daughter."

Listening to this well-reasoned analysis by an eleven-year-old wizard, Helena Ravenclaw recalled a boy from more than forty years ago. They were equally intelligent, handsome, and eloquent.

After a moment of bewilderment, Helena regained her composure. "As you said, Rowena Ravenclaw is my biological mother. As her only descendant, it's reasonable for me to inhabit her statue."

Her tone was self-assured, but Kevin immediately noticed the flaw in her words, or rather, the trap he had deliberately left earlier. He had suggested that he guessed Helena was Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter, which led her to quickly admit her identity and go along with it.

In reality, Kevin knew that ghosts couldn't reside in a physical form for an extended period. Ghosts weren't like the moving portraits at Hogwarts; they could pass briefly through walls, but they couldn't linger inside solid objects, even if it was her mother's statue.

Crying Myrtle in the toilet seemed to be an exception, but she could reside there because the toilet had plumbing, with space inside to possess.

So, Helena was lying. The question was, why was she lying, and what was she hiding? According to Kevin's Second Sight, the statue wasn't hollow. The only possible explanation for Helena being able to hide in the statue was that it had been enchanted with a special magic.

This discovery piqued Kevin's interest. If Slytherin could leave a hidden chamber in the castle, it was only fair for Ravenclaw to leave something as well, considering that the entire castle was designed by her.

{AN: I don't know where the author's going with this, isn't the room of requirements what Rowena Ravenclaw left behind?}