The Reunion

Hogwarts Castle, Somewhere in the Scottish Highlands

December 1st, 1892, 9 PM

Susan was not a happy ghost. While she floated through walls in the direction of the Great Hall, she pondered on the happenings of the last night. Someone, somehow, managed to open uncle Salazar's secret chamber and released his beast. That the message the person left on the wall promised more victims beyond the poor petrified cat just contributed to aggravating her worry. And that a second year student still was the main suspect of the attack even after other ghosts confirmed his alibi, that he was indeed in Sir Robert' 500th deathday party, aggravated her worry even more.

Entering the Great Hall and looking around from the place she floated, some meters above Ravenclaw table, Susan's ghostly eyes observed all the students dining. She heard the murmurs and gossip about the attack and the second year Gryffindor student, and noted the glares that he was receiving when the other kids thought that he was not looking.

That this was the second year in a row that something out of normalcy happened in the school just cemented her resolve. Facing the staff table and looking at the professors dining like nothing happened the previous day. Even the Headmaster, that miserable cunning old goat with too many names, was pretending that nothing happened.

'He could at least address the student population…'

She thought while still floating. Some time passed while Susan continued to observe the Hogwarts population dining. When some students and some of the staff, including the Headmaster, got up to leave the Hall, she approached the staff table, more specifically, she approached the Head of Ravenclaw House, Professor Master Fillius Flitwick.

The Professor noticed Susan's approach and turned to face her with a small smile on his face, that if you asked anyone, they would say that is ever present.

"Susan, good evening, how nice to have your company today, how can I help you?"

Fillius addressed Susan, knowing that she was not the kind of person, or ghost per se, that approached someone without wanting to talk about something. And in fact he could count with both hands the number of times that she approached him to talk.

"Good evening Professor, I was wondering if you know if the Headmaster pretends to address the students about yesternight accident."

At that question, Fillius frowned a little.

"Not that I know, Susan. He said that it is better to take the 'wait and see' method in this case."

Answered Fillius, paying heavy attention to the ghost in front of him. And Susan, without changing any expression on her face, maintaining the perfect poker face that she learned while still alive, just turned and floated in the direction and throughout the nearest wall. Professor Flitwick just observed the departure of the ghost of the daughter of his house founder and noted the behavior in the corner of his mind, taking it just as the eccentric behavior of Susan Ravenclaw. Having finished his dinner, he retired to his chambers for the night.

On that same night, near midnight, Susan could be found sitting in a high back chair that could resemble the throne of a queen. The chair was in a secret room in the castle that had no apparent doors and four windows, one in each cardinal direction. The same room was circular and well decorated in four sections. It contained a big round table in its center and another three high back chairs around it, just like the one that Susan was occupying. Each chair had a Hogwarts House shield at the top of its back that matched the decoration of each section of the room. Red and gold for the Gryffindor's section, yellow and black for Hufflepuff's section, green and silver for Slytherin's section, and blue and copper for Ravenclaw's section. The last one, being occupied by Susan.

As the solitary grandpa clock in the room hit midnight, announced by a low chim, other three ghosts floated from the floor and each sat in an empty chair.

"Okay, dear Susan, what is the motive for this reunion?"

Asked the fat ghost that sat in the chair that belonged to the Hufflepuff section. Fat Friar, that is how the castle's children addressed him, was a portly ghost that used clergyman's garb. That his jolly persona was not present in the room was an important detail. After all, he knew that the ghostly Hogwarts council was in session only when something of extreme importance happened, and could only be called by one the House ghosts.

"I have an idea of the why, but let's hear Lady Susan first."

Complemented the well dressed ghost that sat in the chair that belonged to the Gryffindor section. Sir Robert, or Nearly Headless Nick, that is how the castle's children addressed him, was a well mannered man dressed in elegant and outdated robes. Said ghost was addressing his mustache and goatee with one of his hands, while giving the other ghost around the table a quick pointed look.

The fourth and last ghost in the room, who sat in the chair in the Slytherin section, kept his eyes at the center of the table, waiting for Susan to talk. The Bloody Baron, that is how the castle's children addressed him, was a tall man with a gaunt face and blank eyes. His elegant robes are stained with a silvery substance that most people regard as blood.

"You are certainly correct about the subject and reason, Sir Robert. It's about the incident that occurred on Halloweens eve night. The supposed reopening of Salazar's chamber and the awakening of its beast."

Looking at the other ghosts and noting that their attention was on her person, Susan continued.

"If the chamber was indeed opened, just like fifty years ago, it represents a real danger to all children in the castle, and it's nothing like last year's one."

She paused a little and continued.

"That the headmaster is doing nothing and wants to take a 'wait and see' approach to it just irks me more. I don't want to see another student die because something that was supposed to protect the school was corrupted or went crazy."

That said dead student turned into a ghost that haunted her place of death in the school, and that it was a quirky one, was just another cherry in the cake of the problem.

"If the meddling old goat of a Headmaster continues to do nothing, I will use my rights as a member of this council and summon Lord Ravenclaw back to the castle to fix things!"

At her announcement and mention of Lord Ravenclaw, the other three ghosts seemed to sit more straight at their chairs. After all, being the only living Lord of Hogwarts, he had complete control of the castle and the school.

"Are you sure that you want to do that, my dear? After all, the last time that he was summoned the school was almost closed."

Said the Friar ghost to Susan. The other two ghosts nodded their heads sagely at Friar's observation.

"Of course that I'm sure, Friar Tuck... And he had a very good reason to almost close the school. Those buffoons in the Wizengamot were using Hogwarts as a stage for their political war. That their little political war was affecting students and professors, causing a sabotage in the education of the students and corporal attacks between the castle's population."

This time the three male ghosts nodded at her speech, all three remembering the chaos that erupted at school's grounds in the said time. The 'correction' of the problem saw the school almost closed until all guilty parties were identified and punished accordingly .

Susan looked at each ghost, taking a nod from each agreeing to the summon if the situation escalated a little more.

"If Lord Ravenclaw really is summoned, I will take the opportunity to talk with him about the situation that the education in the school turned to. It's an atrocity what they did to Hogwarts education in the last 90 years…"

Said the Bloody Baron. People would think that he is an aloof ghost that cares about nothing, but his companions of the ghost council knew that he really cared about the level of education that the students were receiving, after all, he was a professor for the school until his untimely demise. Nodding her head in agreement with the ghost of Slytherin's house, Susan turned to address the council again.

"Agreed, Edgar, agreed. Mother would turn in her grave if she knew what became of her dear school."

Pausing for just a moment, she continued.

"Taking in mind that this council is in session, does anyone want to raise any other topic to this council?"

Susan looked at each other member of the ghostly council and received a negative from each one.

"If that's all, then let's finish this session of the Hogwarts ghost council. Dimpy?!"

*pop*

With a low 'pop', a small humanoid creature with rugged leathery skin and pointy long ears appeared at the right of Susan's chair. Said creature was no taller than a meter, and used a white sheet as a toga to dress. The toga had a Hogwarts shield embroidered in the height of the small humanoid creature chest, where the heart would be.

"Did Missy Susan call Dimpy? What can Dimpy do to Missy?"

The creature, a house elf in service of Hogwarts, said to Susan, bowing in her direction. Susan, hearing the form she was addressed at, kinda got flustered a little and her cheeks changed color a little to a lighter blueish gray that she normally has. Fat Friar, chuckled lightly at the trade, while Sir Robert looked amused and the Bloody Baron remained stoic, but if you could zoom at his face, you could notice that one of the corners of his mouth rised a millimeter or two. Retaking control and wearing her usual poker face, Susan answered the house elf known as Dimpy.

"Yes Dimpy, I did call you. Please, get some elves to clean and organize Lord Ravenclaw's quarters. He could visit us in the very near future."

Dimpy, the almost three hundred years old house elf, eyes brightened hearing about the possible visit of Lord Ravenclaw. Nodding her head fervently, Dimpy answered Susan.

"Yes, Missy Susan, Dimpy will arrange Lordy Ravenclaw quarters to be ready for his arrival at any moment!"

"And please, Dimpy, don't forget to arrange an extra large bed for the main chamber bedroom, we all know that Lord Ravenclaw will not come here without his wives."

Fat Friar's jolly comment about Lord Ravenclaw wives, in the plural, gained a pointed look from Susan, and a chuckle from Sir Robert. Dimpy continued to nod her big head fervently at Fat Friar's comment, making her big ears flap.

"Dimpy will not forget about Ladys! Dimpy will arrange a big bed for Lordy Ravenclaw bedroom. Anything more that Dimpy can help with?"

"No, that will be all, Dimpy… And like usual, do not alert anyone about his possible visit."

Nodding her head again, Dimpy disappeared with a low pop sound.

*pop*

Basking a little in the enthusiasm of the little house elf, a comfortable silence took the council room. After some minutes, Susan broke the silence.

"And with that, I finish this session of the Hogwarts ghost council. Let us meet again if the situation with the chamber evolves. And let's pray to the Goddess that it doesn't."

The other three ghosts gave a slight nod and took off from their chairs, floating to the ground and disappearing through it. Susan stood still in her chair for a little more, then stood up and floated through the ground, leaving just a murmur behind.

"... Yes, let's pray that big brother and sister don't have to act… Because if they do, then the Goddess may have mercy on their souls!"