The Ravenclaw dormitory was eerily quiet that stormy, moonless night. Rain lashed against the tall windows, and thunder rumbled low in the distance like a growling beast. In the shared room of Simon, Tobi, and Josh, the boys had gathered, a single enchanted lantern casting flickering shadows on the walls.
Jason leaned back on his chair, rubbing his temples. "Man, I'm bored out of my mind. Chess again? Really?"
Simon raised an eyebrow, his tone defensive. "Jason, this is the only magical game we know of!"
Josh, chimed in, "Well, then why don't you suggest something, Jason? Something... muggle, perhaps?"
Tobi perked up, clearly curious. "Yeah, let's hear it. I want to see what kind of games muggles play."
Jason grinned, the flickering lantern light casting sharp shadows across his face. "Alright. In the muggle world, we're terrified of ghosts. We think they're not real, so we play games to scare ourselves—games to summon them."
Vik, who was sitting on the bed nearest to the door, frowned. "Jason, we know ghosts are real and cant touch anything. How's that supposed to scare us?"
"Let me finish," Jason said, his grin widening. "There's this game. It's called 'Bloody Mary.' You go to the bathroom, stand in front of the mirror with a candle, and say her name three, seven, or thirteen times. Supposedly, her ghost appears in the mirror, and if you say it thirteen times, she steps out and… well, let's just say she's not a fan of friendly conversation."
Tobi's face paled slightly. "I heard from my dad that vengeful spirits can interact with the physical world. If you're not prepared, you're in trouble."
Vik shook his head quickly. "I'm not playing this game, there no point in this."
"Don't be a scaredy-cat," Simon said, rolling his eyes. "We're wizards. What's a ghost going to do to us?"
Josh smirked, pushing himself to his feet. "Let me go first. I'll prove it's nothing but a silly muggle game." He turned to Jason. "What else do I need to know?"
Jason leaned forward, his voice low and deliberate. "Take a candle. The bathroom must be completely dark. Say her name three times, and you'll feel a gust of wind. At seven, you'll see her in the mirror. And if you dare to reach thirteen…" Jason paused for effect, letting the tension build. "...you won't live to tell the tale."
Josh scoffed, waving a dismissive hand as he rummaged through his suitcase for a candle.
Jason, seeing the opportunity, slipped out of the room and headed to the bathroom. He muttered a simple charm he'd read in a book, extinguishing all the lights. "Let's see how brave you really are, Josh," he murmured to himself before returning to the group.
Tobi was already trying to talk Josh out of it. "Don't do it, mate," Tobi said, his voice wavering. "What if it's real?"
Josh chuckled as he lit the candle. "Relax, nothing's going to happen. I'll prove it to you lot."
Jason leaned against the wall, feigning nonchalance. "Just remember, Josh—don't say it thirteen times."
Josh shot him a confident grin. "Don't worry. I'll be back in five minutes."
Josh's pov
The hallway leading to the bathroom was dim, the flickering shadows of the candle casting eerie shapes on the walls. Josh walked with confident, measured steps, but his heart began to pound as he reached the bathroom door.
This is ridiculous, he told himself, pushing the door open. The bathroom was pitch black, the only light coming from the trembling flame of the candle. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him, the sound echoing ominously.
Josh approached the mirror, his reflection barely visible in the gloom. Taking a deep breath, he began.
"Blood Mary," he said, his voice steady.
"Blood Mary," he repeated, his confidence holding firm.
"Blood Mary," he said a third time.
A sudden gust of wind extinguished the candle. Josh froze, his breath catching in his throat. "It's just the storm," he muttered, trying to reassure himself.
He relit the candle with trembling hands and continued. "Blood Mary," he said for the fourth time.
"Blood Mary," a fifth.
His reflection in the mirror seemed to darken, the edges of his face blurring. He hesitated before the sixth. "Bloody Mary…"
On the seventh utterance, a silhouette appeared behind him in the mirror. It was faint but unmistakable—a woman's figure, her head tilted unnaturally to the side.
Josh stumbled back, the candle nearly falling from his hand. "It's not real. It's not real," he whispered, backing toward the door.
Back in the room, Tobi and Vik fidgeted nervously.
"Why's he taking so long?" Vik asked, his voice high-pitched.
Simon waved him off. "Relax, mate. It's all a prank."
Jason smirked. "You never know," he said lightly.
Suddenly, the door burst open, and Josh ran in, slamming it shut behind him. His face was pale, and his hands trembled as he clutched the candle.
"I saw her," he whispered, his voice shaking. "Blood Mary... she's real!"
Tobi and Vik gaped at him, their eyes wide. "What happened?" Tobi asked.
Josh recounted everything—the gust of wind, the silhouette in the mirror, the way his reflection had seemed to warp and shift.
Jason leaned back, a satisfied grin on his face. "Told you it was real."
Vik narrowed his eyes. "You two planned this, didn't you? It's all a setup."
Josh shook his head furiously. "No, Vik, I swear. It's real. I saw her!"
Jason shrugged. "Well, who's going next?"
Tobi shook his head violently. "Not me. Count me out."
Simon gulped. "Let's... draw lots or something."
--
The room felt colder now, the dim light of the enchanted lantern casting long, eerie shadows on the walls. Tobi sat on the edge of the bed, his hands fidgeting with a loose thread on his robes. His heart thudded in his chest as the boys around him argued about whose turn it was next.
"I-I'm not doing it," Tobi stammered, though his voice lacked conviction.
"You are next," Simon said, smirking. "Come on, mate. Don't chicken out. It's just a muggle game."
Tobi glared at him, his voice shaking. "Just a muggle game? Did you see Josh's face when he came back? He's terrified!"
Jason, lounging against the wall, grinned mischievously. "Relax, Tobi. You just have to say her name three times. Nothing happens until seven, and no one's gotten to thirteen. You'll be fine."
Tobi swallowed hard, glancing at the flickering candle Josh had used. He didn't want to go, but the weight of their expectant stares made it impossible to refuse.
"Fine," he muttered, snatching the candle. "But if I die, I'm haunting all of you."
The boys laughed nervously as Tobi trudged toward the bathroom, his legs feeling like lead.
The hallway seemed longer than usual, the shadows stretching out like grasping hands. When he finally reached the bathroom, he paused outside the door, taking a deep breath. "It's just a game," he whispered to himself. "Just a stupid game."
Inside, the bathroom was dark, the faint glow of the candle barely illuminating the mirror. Tobi's reflection stared back at him, wide-eyed and pale.
"Blood Mary," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Blood Mary," he repeated, clutching the candle tighter.
"Blood Mary," he said for the third time.
A sudden gust of wind blew out the candle. Tobi let out a yelp, stumbling back as his heart leapt into his throat. He didn't stop to relight the candle. He didn't stop to think. He bolted out of the bathroom, his footsteps echoing loudly as he ran back to the room.
Bursting through the door, he slammed it shut behind him. "Oh my God," he panted, his face drenched in sweat. "Why did I listen to you guys? Oh God, save me!"
The simon burst into laughter, though Jason's grin seemed more amused than concerned.
Simon teased. "You didn't even seem to make it halfway."
Vik watched Tobi's retreat with a sinking feeling. Tobi looked shaken, and Vik could feel the nerves crawling under his skin. The laughter around the room did little to ease his dread.
"Alright, Vik," Jason said, passing him the candle with a smirk. "Your turn. Think you can do better?"
Vik hesitated, glancing at Tobi, who was still muttering prayers under his breath. "This is stupid. you're all in on this, aren't we?"
Jason raised an eyebrow. "Oh, absolutely. It's all in your head."
Simon chuckled. "Prove it, then. Go on."
With a groan, Vik grabbed the candle and stood. "Fine. I'll prove you're all just messing with me."
The bathroom felt colder than it should have. The flickering flame of the candle cast strange shapes on the walls, and Vik's reflection seemed... off. The way his eyes moved felt unnatural, like the mirror was watching him.
"Blood Mary," he began, his voice steady.
"Blood Mary," he said again, his grip on the candle tightening.
"Blood Mary," he said a third time.
The air shifted, a cold gust brushing against the back of his neck. Vik froze, his breath hitching. "It's just the wind," he muttered, though the words felt hollow.
He continued, his voice faltering. "Blood Mary."
At the seventh repetition, the mirror changed. A shadowy figure appeared, her head tilted unnaturally, her dark eyes boring into his. Vik dropped the candle, stumbling back. He didn't look again. He didn't dare. He ran.
When he returned to the room, he slammed the door shut and leaned against it, panting. "It's real," he gasped. "It's bloody real!"
Simon watched Vik with a smirk, though he could feel his own confidence waning. Tobi was still pale and mumbling, Vik was visibly shaken, and Josh hadn't spoken a word since his turn.
"You lot are pathetic," Simon said, grabbing the candle. "I'll show you how it's done."
"Good luck," Jason said with a grin that made Simon pause for a moment.
Simon shook it off and strode confidently to the bathroom. He wouldn't let the others see him falter.
The bathroom was unnervingly quiet, the flickering candlelight barely reaching the edges of the room. He stared at his reflection, forcing himself to smile. "You've got this," he whispered.
"Blood Mary," he began.
The first few repetitions passed without incident, but by the seventh, the shadows in the mirror seemed to deepen. A figure appeared, her face obscured but her presence unmistakable.
Simon's bravado crumbled. The room felt suffocating, and his reflection seemed... wrong. He didn't wait to see more. He ran, nearly tripping over his robes in his haste.
Back in the room, he dropped onto the bed, his heart hammering. "Okay, fine," he admitted. "It's real. I saw her too."
All eyes turned to Jason, who sat calmly against the wall, his expression unreadable.
"What have you done, Jason?" Simon demanded, his voice shaking.
Jason smiled faintly. "It's all in your mind. Troxler Effect. When you focus on one thing in dim light, your brain fills in the gaps. That's all it is."
"Don't do that again," Tobi said, his voice trembling.
Jason shrugged. "We're wizards. We shouldn't be scared of ghosts."
Josh, still wrapped in his blanket, finally spoke. "If it's not real, Jason, prove it. You go. Show us."
Jason sighed, grabbing the candle. "Fine. Watch and learn."
The bathroom felt heavier now, the darkness pressing in around him. Jason lit the candle and faced the mirror, his reflection staring back with unsettling clarity.
"Blood Mary," he said, his voice steady.
The gust came at three. The silhouette appeared at seven. Jason's pulse quickened, but he repeated to himself, "Troxler Effect. Nothing more."
By twelve, his hand was trembling. He placed the candle on the sink and muttered under his breath, "Fuck this game blood mary."
As he turned to leave, a gust of wind extinguished the flame. Jason froze, a chill running down his spine. He didn't look back. He walked back to the room, his steps measured but his heart racing.
Back in the room, Jason sat down without a word. The others watched him, waiting.
"Well?" Simon asked.
Jason smirked faintly. "It's all in your head," he said, though his hands were still trembling.
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author
---- man 69 collection at least give one power stone each