Coming out of the office, feeling a little guilty for the last time, he glanced at Lupin, who was holding his wand, painstakingly cleaning up the "ruins" little by little with the vanishing charm and the repair charm, and Gawain trotted briskly into the hidden corridor on the side of the third floor.

He was usually reluctant to go this way because the passage was narrow and ghosts often walked through. Gawain still can't forget the feeling of running briskly down the passage when he ran head-on into Sir Nicholas.

It was at that time that he understood what it meant to feel cold.

But compared to the feeling of being cold to the bone, even the blood vessels seem to be frozen, what really makes Gawain feel awkward is the kind of experience that can even be seen in the internal organs and blood vessels of ghosts, which is somewhat subtle.

Thankfully, at night at Hogwarts, the ghosts are not as "active" as they are during the day.

The hidden corridor was empty, and on the walls of the two plates, there were torches burning vigorously a few meters apart. The abundance of light, and the warm smell of the air, made Gawain feel extra comfortable.

"Why does the professor look so haggard? That really makes people feel a little concerned..."

Walking lightly, Gawain thought. Through the contact just now, he already has some good feelings about Lupin. But Lupin's sunken dark circles and dense wrinkles between his eyebrows made Gawain even a little worried about whether he would suddenly fall to the ground and never get up again after he left.

As for the fact that he lost in the "duel" just now, Gawain has nothing to complain about. Although Professor Lupin is indeed much older and more experienced than him, it is not fair that he himself has used so many small means and bullied Lupin for not being able to use powerful spells.

To lose is to lose.

That's what he needs to learn as well.

"But I'm really still unwilling..."

Gawain suddenly turned around and kicked the wall hard.

Now, he's angry and aching again.

To make matters worse, Gawain also heard a familiar voice from behind him.

"Gawain?" Turning his head stiffly, Gawain saw that the ghost of Gryffindor, Nick, who was "almost headless", was looking at him with a surprised expression. His lower body was still downstairs, forming an eerie 60-degree angle between his head and body.

"Nick, why are you here?"

Gawain asked hesitantly, while frantically trying to find a reason in his mind that could explain his strange behavior just now, even if it was a little unreliable.

"Fred and George seem to want to do something on the fourth floor, hoping that I will help them keep an eye on Filch's movements, and I was about to tell them that he had finished dealing with the big on the second floor. ”

Nick "pulled" himself out of the ground, straightened his head, and said slowly.

Compared to Hufflepuff's kind but stern Fat Friar, as well as the stubborn Peeves, the formidable Blood Man Barrow, and the haughty Lady Grey, the almost headless Nick is more popular with the young wizards. Because he is not only humorous, but also willing to offer some help to the students.

- Like dodging Filch, dodging Filch, and dodging Filch and Lady Loris.

"Then you'd better hurry up and find them..."

Gawain cautiously persuaded him, hoping that Nick would ignore what he had just done. Even he didn't understand why he suddenly became so stupid and so childish.

"Well, good night, Gawain. ”

Nick smiled and nodded to Gawain, rising to his expectant gaze and walking across the floor.

"It's just a fool..."

Gawain gasped and kicked the wall a few more times, but this time he was smart enough not to use much force. After this action, for some reason, Gawain suddenly felt that his mood was a lot better.

"The ghost is really too—" Gawain patted his chest and muttered quietly.

"What's wrong?" someone asked him.

"Of course it's scared to death!"

Gawain felt incredible, how could anyone not even understand this. Ghosts suddenly emerge from the wall, and they always choose when they are stupid. You know, if he hadn't reacted fast enough, he might have gotten a strange nickname like "The Wall Kicker".

As soon as he thought that he couldn't get angry and almost be seen kicking the wall to vent, Gawain felt a burst of shame.

"Wait, this hallway..."

Gawain suddenly reacted, the hallway was empty, and he hadn't heard footsteps.

"That is to say..."

"I'm so terrible... I'm really sorry. I thought..."

On the ceiling behind him, Nick, who was almost headless with his head stuck upside down, muttered, and the half of his body that was leaking here took on a grayish-white color, as if it was going to dissipate in the next second. Nick closed his eyes and was about to float upward.

"Wait, Nick!" Gawain hurriedly called out to him, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"

Gawain feels even more stupid...

After a few moments, Gawain swallowed his embarrassment and explained to Nick why he was complaining and asked for his forgiveness.

"Mr. White, in your mind, am I that kind of person?!I'm a knight!How could I do that to others!Even..."

Nick, who was almost headless, was indignant and said excitedly, but suddenly fell silent.

"Even..."

Nick's face wrinkled, his head trembling slightly, as if he was struggling to recall some detail that had been forgotten. After a few minutes, he threw up his hands again and recovered his head, which had been thrown to the side.

"yes... I'm dead, so what's there to complain about?"

He said dejectedly.

"Nick, what does it feel like to die?"

Gawain was suddenly a little curious, and on this issue, there is probably no one in the whole world who has more say than Nick.

"Why do you want to know this? Of course it hurts. That morning, the priest said that everything would be very fast..."Hearing Gawain's question, Nick suddenly became interested, "It was a very blunt axe, and he had been chopping it, for Merlin's sake, forty-five times. ”

As he spoke, he even gestured with his hand on his neck, with his head and neck parted little by little, to imitate the process of cutting him with an axe. It didn't feel like a description of how he was brutally murdered, but rather a conversation with Ron and Harry about how Seamus blew up the cauldron and drenched Malfoy in Potions class.

"Eventually, I felt like I was in a place, and suddenly it didn't hurt. It seemed to be all grey, and it didn't seem to be, I don't remember. I felt like I should move forward, but I was so scared, too scared, to make a decision. And then, I became like this. ”

Nick spread his hands in front of him, and with some regret, he made an end to his story.

"Gawain, I noticed just now that you seem to be a little irritable. Did you encounter something bad?"

He shook his head and said, as if feeling a little awkward and trying to change the subject.

"Nothing..."

Gawain shook his head and told Nick what had just happened in the office.

"Gawain, I remember you're only in the first year, right? As far as I know, even Professor Dumbledore, and Professor Deppet, before him, couldn't even use a decent Iron Armor Charm when you're your age. ”

Nick, who was almost headless, smiled and comforted Gawain. Although he knew that he was just exaggerating, Gawain still felt a lot better inexplicably.

"Nick, may I ask you a question?"

A thought crossed his mind.

"Of course!"

Nick lowered his body slightly and floated to Gawain's side.

"If you have a secret that you have been hiding, it is important, but it is difficult to understand and dangerous. Would you tell it to others, especially the people you trust the most? ”

Gawain organized his language and asked with some hesitation. But almost as soon as he asked, he was already regretting it. Asking this question doesn't make any sense to him, and it's even forcing Nick to choose.

But the words have already been exported.

"Hmm... To answer your question, I also need to ask you a few questions. Nick didn't answer immediately, but thought. "Gawain, do you want them to know?" After a moment, looking at Gawain, he asked softly.

This is a very direct question.

It's also very simple.

“... No. ”

After a long while, Gawain replied with difficulty. In fact, he knew it himself, not only because the secrets were incomprehensible and potentially dangerous, but also because he would worry those he cared about.

Seeing his appearance, Nick nodded in understanding. He stretched out his hand and wanted to gently pat Gawain on the shoulder, but he thought that he was already a ghost, and silently took it back.

"So, do you think you're sure to deal with it?"

Nick looked into Gawain's eyes and asked seriously.

"Yes. ”

Gawain replied in the affirmative. While those secrets were the cause of his anxiety, they also forced him to work hard to grow, and he knew that help was always there.

He never neglected the help of others.

"I don't know why, but if I ask, they'll help me. ”

Thinking of this, a warm current surged into Gawain's heart. He believed that Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Harry, Hermione, and Neville were willing to trust him no matter what.

"Finally, Gawain, are you brave enough to take it on your own?"

Nick asked one last question in all seriousness.

"Of course, who am I to ask this question? I am just a coward, not even daring to take a step, trapped in a mark between the two sides. ”

As if realizing that his words were too serious, Nick shook his head, not noticing how terrifying he looked as he shook his head 360 degrees in a secret corridor of a castle.

"Thank you, Nick. ”

Gawain suddenly figured out a lot of things, and inexplicably, a stream of heat poured out of his body, and it seemed that even this somewhat gloomy corridor at night had become colorful.

He thanked Nick and headed for Gryffindor's common room.

"Speaking of which, what was Nick going to do before?"

Suddenly, Gawain remembered that before chatting with him, Nick told him that he was about to do something, but he couldn't remember it clearly.

On the way back, he saw the Weasley brothers following Filch with a dejected look on their faces, wincing at him.

Either way, it was a good evening.

Gawain thought relaxedly.