Case of the Cintimani Stone: A Hammer Mystery

Chapter 9

The Hammer woke in the dead of night, tears streaming down his cheeks as he struggled to breathe. It was just a dream, he told himself while another part of his brain screamed at him for being a liar. It was a bleak moment of understanding why the last Wizarding War had been so hard on people. His heart seemed to be trying to fight its way out of his chest - was it the magic in the air that was making him remember these things?

The Hammer turned sideways and sat up in his bed, putting his bare feet down onto the cold hardwood flooring. The difference in temperature was a shock to his system, only helping him wake up even more. He groped blindly on the nightstand next to his bed and found a glass of water that had appeared during the night. Harry grasped onto it and drank deeply, emptying it of the cool water before finding his glasses and putting them back on.

The fire in the central area had extinguished itself of light but he could still feel the warmth radiating from it. Moonlight streamed in through the windows, bathing everything in a pale white glow. He was in no condition to go back to sleep. Instead, he rummaged around for his slippers and found them eventually, putting them on and going back down the stairs to the common room. He couldn't tell what time it was, but looking out the window for the moon, he suspected it wasn't that far past midnight.

There wasn't a particular direction or desire to his wandering, just the pull to put one foot in front of the other while his racing mind processed what the dream meant. Rubbing his eyes whilst standing in the dark like a child, he found the form of the Grey Lady in front of him, her wispy silver glowing in the light of the moon.

"What are you doing out of bed?" There was a gentleness in the softness of her voice.

"Can't sleep, doll. I had a nightmare. I think I remembered something."

"They wouldn't understand, would they? Having something you fear and regret, but it's a part of who you are."

"Tell me something, lady."

"What is it you want to know?"

"What are you running from? I might be new at this, but it's clear you're guilty as all get out."

The spectral outline of the woman shimmered like she was bristling with anger, "Impudent child, no one in the history of Hogwarts-"

"Better get used to it, Sheba. I'm here for the truth. Me and the hat had a nice long chat about it and I think you know a lot more than you're letting on otherwise you wouldn't have pulled that stunt at the feast." The Hammer was back in proper form.

"It isn't time for you to know," the ghost stared at him with hardened eyes, "What makes you think I'm running from something?"

"Toots, everyone's running from something. Most of us don't get it so bad we decide to become ghosts after."

"It's your desire to know the truth, no matter the cost?"

"It's only a matter of time."

A beat passed.

"I sought to be more clever. I did not wish to continue living in the shadow of my mother." The ghost seemed to stare at the marble statue that dominated the room in the moonlight, its white glow even brighter than the spirit's.

"No wonder it looked familiar. You're her daughter."

"In life, I was Helena Ravenclaw, yes."

"That makes two of us that had something bigger than ourselves to live up to."

"And in life, I failed. I hope yours will not end the same way, young Potter."

"Is that why you came to test me? To leave the message and see if I would be worthy of your house?"