Chapter 144: Shock
*** Outside Perspective. ***
"Hm..."
Rowena looked at her naked body, but she was barely interested in her nudity. What concerned her far more was how her pseudo-flesh body reacted. Yes. This was not true resurrection. The real Rowena had reincarnated long ago and was living a new life, while she was merely an imprint of personality and soul summoned from the planet's informational field, but... If she remained the only one, then she would be the real one.
"Interesting..."
Rowena pinched herself.
"Well?! What?!"
"Have you... looked... at everything?"
Rowena slowly turned toward Godric and Salazar, and they immediately spun around. Their friend's voice could make even ghosts sweat.
"As for your question..."
Rowena continued speaking as if she hadn't just threatened to murder her friends for not turning away.
"...this is very strange. The memories of a real body are not fresh, but..."
She shook her head.
"...the sensations are somewhat muted. On the other hand, after existing as a portrait or a ghost, this is simply a fairy tale..."
The girl smiled happily.
"...how good it is..."
She stretched, and her bones cracked.
"...y-e-e-e-s..."
An erotic moan tore from her lips.
"Mom, perhaps it would be worth helping Draco?"
Helena flew up to her mother, examining her with admiration. But at the same time, she spoke of the young boy who had completely changed her existence... or rather, perhaps now it could truly be called life. She wondered if she would ever be able to repay this boy, who essentially had everything.
"Of course, daughter... one second..."
Rowena approached the small table where the wands lay in a row, wands that Draco had specifically bought from secondhand shops for the Founders. They weren't custom-made, of course, but they would do for now.
She passed her hand over them smoothly and grimaced.
"They're all so weak..."
"And what did you expect?"
Helga replied.
"This is rubbish. We'll make proper tools for ourselves, not go to that jester Ollivander, who, by all appearances, has lost all his family's knowledge..."
"That's true..."
Rowena nodded and took a wand. She approached the fabric lying nearby and, with a wave, transfigured it into a neat robe and leather boots. She put the robe on her naked body, and only then did she approach the boy lying on the floor.
"Wake up..."
A short wave, and the boy opened his eyes with a heavy sigh.
"Khh..."
I sighed heavily and opened my eyes.
"...Did I... lose consciousness?"
It was difficult to speak, but seeing Rowena standing before me fully dressed, I understood that we had succeeded.
"Yes, but by that point nothing depended on you anymore, so everything ended well."
The girl's voice was velvety, and I very much wanted to say something foolish, such as, "Be my lady!" However, I only smiled.
"That's good..."
"You're right, it is good. We won't need your help in the near future, but I won't forget that you helped us. You can be certain that I'll help you if you ever need it."
"I..."
I carefully shook my head, making it buzz slightly.
"...I'd rather have the opportunity to call you a friend."
"Ha... sly little one..."
Godric loomed over me in his ghostly form.
"...You certainly have done a great deal for us..."
"Godric, he wasn't addressing you, but me..."
Rowena cut her sworn brother off.
"I... cannot say that I consider you a friend, but you are definitely not a stranger, especially after what you did for me and my friends. So I can call you a comrade, and perhaps someday a friend."
I nodded.
"That's more than I could have counted on."
"Now, now..."
She wagged her little finger at me.
"Do not say foolish things. You could have counted on a great many things, but friendship stands apart from all that, and it is not for sale."
I smiled in understanding.
"Will my help still be needed?"
"I will not refuse it, especially since rituals like this help you... right now, in terms of power, you're already nearly equal to that unpleasant, greasy-haired boy. And he continues to train, though not as much as you do."
"I... what?"
I looked at Rowena in complete surprise.
"And what did you expect?"
She smiled.
"Such an energy-intensive ritual was bound to affect you. And it did. Of course, there are negative consequences as well, since such abrupt growth would inevitably impact your control. However, you will hardly feel that."
There was probably a great deal of surprise in my gaze.
"If the ritual had been performed on you, it truly would have seriously compromised your control, but you conducted the ritual. You tried to regulate the flows of magic, restrain some while strengthening others, direct them..."
Rowena shook her head.
"In short, you also trained your control. So you already have a subconscious understanding of how to control such volumes of magic."
"I see..."
I nodded.
"And when is the next ritual?"
"I think in a week... You'll recover just in time. By the way, during this week, you'd better focus on training your control. And in a week, we will bring Helga back to life."
"And why her specifically?"
Godric looked at Rowena in surprise.
Because you idiots will need to be restrained, and I am too lazy to do it. Helga, on the other hand, has always loved swinging her fists and turning you into pandas.
I snorted quietly and tried to get up when a graceful little hand appeared before me.
"Grab on..."
Hesitantly, I took Rowena's hand, and she yanked me to my feet.
"Thank you."
"Uh-huh... your physical strength is clearly greater than I remember... I'll need to take several more measurements."
"Should I warn Dumbledore to have a place set for you at the staff table at dinner today?"
"Hm? Yes... please warn him..."
After saying goodbye, I left the Room of Requirement and headed straight for the Headmaster's office.
"Draco?"
"Headmaster."
I respectfully nodded to Dumbledore, who looked at me with slight surprise.
"You do not look very well."
"I feel even worse, but I was told it will benefit me."
"Good... do you need anything? Perhaps a day off?"
"No..."
I shook my head.
"...I'm here simply to warn you that at the staff table today, it wouldn't hurt to set one more place, and not at the edge."
The Headmaster looked at me very intently.
"Any explanations?"
"No..."
I shook my head.
"...just be ready for anything."
"All right..."
Dumbledore sighed.
"...I'll arrange it, but you should still go lie down. You have a couple of hours until dinner."
"Thank you."
Nodding to the Headmaster, I left his office and soon reached my room, where, after setting my alarm, I simply fell asleep.
The alarm blared unexpectedly, ringing inside my skull, so without thinking, I snatched my wand and cast a Repelling Charm at the clock. But I shouldn't have. A second too late, I realized the alarm clock was enchanted...
Then, after absorbing the spell's energy, the ringing became even worse.
"Agh-h-h-h..."
I grabbed my head.
"Draco, are you all right?"
Penny appeared before me and carefully turned off the alarm clock.
"Yes... just... I overdid it, and now I'm not feeling well."
"Then maybe..."
"No."
I shook my head.
"I'm going to dinner, and then I'm going to sleep... right after dinner..."
I yawned.
"All right, then come on, get ready. Dinner will start soon."
"Yeah..."
I nodded and carefully got out of bed... wait...
"How did I end up here?"
"I moved you here with a spell. I was surprised, actually, because you didn't even snore when I picked you up, and at first I'd thought about joking around and turning you upside down. But... I felt bad for you, so I just laid you on the bed."
"I see..."
After quickly pulling myself together, I still went to the Great Hall, where we sat in our places and helped ourselves to chicken and buckwheat.
When the hall was nearly full, bells rang through the Great Hall. The sound came from the entrance, and everyone looked, and there...
Rowena walked in, no, she strode.
"Hmm... to find myself here in my own body after so many years..."
She stopped after stepping over the threshold of the Great Hall.
"...yes, the sensations are better than hanging here as a painting."
"Lady Ravenclaw?"
Dumbledore quickly gathered himself.
"Yes... thanks to Mr. Black, I was able to regain a physical body, so..."
She looked at the staff table.
"...would you mind if I took my place here from today onward?"
"Of course..."
Dumbledore nodded.
"...a place has already been prepared for you."
"That is good..."
There was silence in the hall... though when Rowena reached her seat and elegantly sat down, the hall erupted in whispers and shouts. It nearly came to blows, but Rowena waved her wand, and the toll of a loud bell silenced everyone.
"Are you in the Great Hall or a lousy tavern? Kindly conduct yourselves with decorum."
"Thank you, Lady Ravenclaw..."
McGonagall gratefully nodded to the Founder and looked out over the hall.
"Twenty points from each House for that ruckus."
"Minerva..."
Dumbledore looked at his Deputy with slight disapproval.
"...there is no need. They are children, after all, and today's events are clearly unprecedented. Their excitement is understandable... Therefore, no points will be deducted."
McGonagall closed her eyes.
"And you, please restrain yourselves. I believe many of your questions will be answered soon, so I ask for your patience."
"He is saying that to children?"
Fleur looked at me in shock.
"Yep... well, it's Dumbledore. He's always been a bit lost in his own thoughts. He forgets that you can't calm children down that easily. Though..."
I shook my head.
"...his influence will probably last twenty minutes or so..."
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