The Pacifist Necromancer of Hogwarts

The wind shuttled through the corridor, blowing through the armor reflecting the flickering firelight, and passing through the elongated light and shadow cast by the gentle moonlight. Several portraits gathered together and whispered, discussing a knight next to him who was leaning against the frame and snoring. The knight's horse ate the painted grass in boredom.

Anthony walked carefully in the corridor under the Disillusionment Charm and his cat, trying not to let any portrait notice that he was missing an arm. It wasn't until the cat's claws hooked hard into his shoulders that he tried to hold it higher, only to realize that he had left one of his arms in the office.

Now that the cat was once again lying coldly against his neck, its ears brushing against his, and its whiskers brushing through his hair, Anthony finally felt that his heart had settled.

You scared me. He turned his head and whispered to the cat. Its eyes sparkled in the firelight.

The cat tilted its head, put its front paws on his shoulders, closed its eyes and rubbed Anthony's chin hard, forcing him to raise his neck.

Anthony laughed in this awkward posture: Okay, okay.

The cat almost stood up from his arms, still rubbing its head carelessly against him. Anthony tried to put it down, but the cat gave him a vicious claw on the arm and climbed stubbornly on top of him.

Anthony had no choice but to sit down on the floor and hug the cat.

I know, I know. He whispered, afraid of attracting the portrait's attention. Don't be afraid, you are back. I will never use so much undead magic again.

The cat clung to him, almost shrinking into his arms. Anthony held it in his arms and saw its ginger fur coated with a warm yellow light under the firelight, almost giving the illusion that its fur was transparent and emitting such a comfortable and warm light.

He closed his eyes, lowered his head, and rested his forehead on the cat's cool fur.

In the night, he heard the chirping of a bird that woke up by chance, and then everything became quiet again.

…

A strange sound suddenly came from above him.

Anthony and the cat looked up together. The chained ghost was floating, and his empty eyes looked straight at the man and the cat covered by the Disillusionment Curse.

Bloody Barrow? Anthony asked.

He didn't have much interaction with the ghosts of Slytherin. Most of the time, he heard from Nearly Headless Nick and the Fat Friar about how the Bloody Barrow had been wandering in the corridors gloomily recently, turning a corner into a ghost. An area that is not haunted by ghosts. However, the students seemed to rather put their bags on their heads and rush past Peeves, who was throwing paper balls at them, than get close to Bloody Baron's robes stained with silver blood.

Bloody Barro said softly: Magic comes at a price... He floated down jinglingly, looked at Anthony's shoulder where an arm was missing, and then stared closely at the ginger cat, passing through it with transparent fingers. . The cat arched up and exploded its fur, purring at him, leaning against Anthony.

Anthony put his remaining right arm around the cat and said, Forgive me for being stupid, Mr. Barrow, but I didn't understand what the price you were talking about was.

Bloody Barro said softly: Undead magic... is very useful, isn't it?

Anthony said calmly: If you say so, then I guess that's what it is.

You don't need to pretend, Necromancer. Bloody Barro laughed hoarsely, like a thousand cats sharpening their claws on the glass, That's my notebook.

This time it really exceeded Anthony's expectations.

Excuse me? he said.

The ghost covered in blood seemed to be entertained by him. He looked at the cat carefully and repeated: The notebook that disappeared in the library was mine... I'm still wondering who took it away...

Anthony didn't know what he should say for a moment, so he apologized: I'm sorry, I didn't know its owner still, um, existed. I'll give it back to you right now, Mr. Barrow.

I threw it away. Barrow whispered, There is only price, only futility. Why...why...

Barrow reached out again to touch the cat. The heavy chains passed through Anthony's legs, and his hands went straight through Anthony's arms and cats protecting the cat, all the way into his belly. Anthony was surprised to hear so much anger, pain, and jealousy in his dry voice.

What's wrong? Anthony stood up holding the cat and looked around, If you are willing, Mr. Barrow, let's go to my office to talk. You can do whatever you want with your notebook.

…

This is bound to be a sleepless night.

The cat was very dissatisfied with the presence of a resentful mouse in the room. He arrogantly ignored the mouse and vented all his grievances on Anthony, the instigator.

It ignored Bloody Barro and was still floating in the office, tearing Anthony's room to pieces in the bedroom. The mouse tried to hide in the office, but when he looked up and saw the ghost in the air, he immediately retreated into the corner of the bedroom.

Anthony closed the bedroom door with a calm expression and heard a loud sound of broken porcelain.

I think that's a vase. He explained to Bloody Barrow, feeling a little nostalgic and relieved in his heart.

…

After he took out the notebook, he heard a long story from Bloody Barro.

The haggard ghost told him in a hoarse whisper that he had once been an apprentice in necromancy. Because he was born into a noble family, in addition to studying at Hogwarts, he also followed a necromancer friend from Slytherin, one of the founders of the school, to learn necromancy... In fact, he had known the necromancer since he was a baby, and then Entered Hogwarts under the introduction of the other party.

My mentor always said that I am too irritable. Bloody Barro whispered, It is difficult for me to control myself... and the undead magic makes it even more difficult to control myself...

The Necromancer was being pursued by witch hunts at the time. At the invitation of Salazar Slytherin, the necromancer moved into Hogwarts, and Barrow also fell in love during his studies and began to pursue Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter Helena crazily. .

In Bloody Barro's narrative, everything seems hopeful.

The tutor is a very charming person when he is in good condition... he said. He is always calm, loves students, and is very funny... The dean and I have always felt that Peeves was the one who summoned him, but he Never admit it.

Then things took a turn for the worse. His mentor's body is getting worse day by day, and he is getting closer and closer to dark creatures. In his dreams, he will unconsciously wither things around him - Anthony understands this very well, and there is a reason why he does not raise any living creatures. ——So they moved underground, and Slytherin also moved the college to the cellar for his friends, seizing part of Hufflepuff's storage room.

Finally, one ordinary day, his mentor disappeared quietly.

Then Helena disappeared too. Her mother entrusted Barrow to find her when she was seriously ill. Barrow pursued her all the way and finally found her in a forest... But she refused to go home and said something that Barrow didn't want to recall.

Barrow—overly violent Barrow—stabs her to death.

He desperately tried to resurrect her, but to no avail. Undead magic failed him again and again. It gave him nothing but the side effect of difficulty controlling his emotions. Her beautiful corpse could open its eyes under magic and move around, but that was not her, not the Helena who looked down at everything with arrogant eyes, not the Helena who burned with the ambition that made his heart beat.

In his collapse, Barrow completely abandoned undead magic. He gave up this futile simulation of life and death and followed Helena to death.

Thanks to the tipper, ginger cat: (sorted in chronological order)

Baby Happy Water (2 points), Roger Otalifus (100 points), Book Friends 20180808212111525 (100 points), Ancient Egyptian God in charge of potatoes (100 points), Qingjin Yangzhi (100 points), Junjuntian Hot Sauce (100 points), Shimmering Anemone (100 points), Retired Red Rain (500 points), Do not use until dry (100 points), Aljosud's Pen (2 points), Gooseberry (100 points) ), Tianzhi Martial Master (2 points), Book Friends 20220316180605396 (544 points), neil0reikes (100 points), Lucien's Headshot Classroom (100 points), I gave up my good name to a dog (520 points), kevin fire (300 points), the name Hahada has been registered (500 points), wear a Yan box (1500 points), thank the book friends for the reward (2 points), a good night depends on a dream in the window (100 points), Dr Zuodao (100 points), Xinting Late Event (500 points)