Embrace Death; Gone but not forgotten

Professor Esper sent out the invitation to a Death Day Party for Ruby Valentina. For those of us that were able to attend, we had the opportunity to find out why she walks through the corridors of the castle and more.

Upon entering the elaborately decorated and somewhat macabre rooms, you would have first noticed the smells. Many have said that a ghost can ‘almost’ taste food if it was very rotten. Not that this would be the same as when we eat. Yet, it does bring them a certain kind of enjoyment. We had the pre-party planning assignment to go to the kitchen or elsewhere. We were to obtain a food item and allow it to rot until the day of the party. Then, we were to bring it to the Professor’s office. I can tell you that there isn’t a word to describe the smells as you first entered that office on that day.

The office of Professor Edward Esper was filled with rotten food and lilies. It was in Herbology that we were taught about lilies and what they signified in a surprise visit from Professor Esper. We learned that the white lily signified mourning. Additionally, it was thought to signify a soul that has become once again innocent as it has died. Later, in Ghoul Studies, we had a visit from Ruby. She was very forthcoming when she stated, “One thing you can do is give us lilies. Edward often puts lilies in the rooms he knows I ‘haunt’. Most all of us like them.” Thus, it was our project to grow a potted lily from a bulb and bring it to the party. The bunch of them turned out perfectly. And, the ghosts seemed to appreciate all of them.

In a most magnificent display of culture, Professor Esper himself went on to play the harp for the ghosts and their guests. It wasn’t long before it became known to us that Ruby was rather taken with the Professor. Who wouldn’t be? She told us all, “…I’m not one to get caught up on ghost etiquette. That’s why I agreed to letting the students come. Well, that and Edward is rather dear to me.” Obviously, Ruby had only good things to say about him. She was even heard to say that she’d never known another living person to care as much about ghosts as the Professor does. She even felt that he might be spending a little too much time with them. At one point, she told him that he should spend more time with living people. I can’t comment to that. But, I would add that he is a rather accomplished harpist. 

It was a grand ghostly gathering. Many of Ruby’s friends were on hand to chat with. I was sure to pay the most attention to Ruby. She has such a beautiful and moving way about her. She gave us some details of how she’d come to be at Hogwarts. I learned that she had died on her wedding day. It was after her demise that her husband had taken a professorship here. Therefore, she followed him. She mentioned that she would attend the first day’s class of each year that he taught. This was when he would explain his motivation for becoming the professor of defence. To this teen’s ears, it all just reeks of romance.

By the end of the party, we could all see how this had brought some joy to the ghost that is known as Ruby Valentina. As students bid  her a farewell, she was heard to call out a gracious, “Thank you all for coming darlings.”