Letters to The Boy Who Lived

19. Grey- Helena Ravenclaw

Dear Harry~

I'm to teach you about grey in this letter. This is my story.

"The Grey Lady." That's me. Why did I choose Grey Lady? It certainly was my choice, wasn't it?

Well, I guess so. Yes and no. I guess it just seemed like my whole world was Grey and I had to fit that boring, unattractive look all of my life. 

It started when I was just a little girl... my mother, Rowena, was the boring founder of Hogwarts School. 'The smart one,' 'the wisest one,' they called her. And she made a house for the smart kids only, which certainly was not me. I was silly little Helena, tottering around at her mother's heels. When I first stepped into Hogwarts, only 4 or 5 years after it was founded, everyone assumed I'd be in Ravenclaw.

But of course not! I was Sorted into Hufflepuff - which made me look like a stupid child and made my mother become a laughingstock. Rowena Ravenclaw, wisest witch of the time, stuck with a child who could do no better than Hufflepuff!

After the initial shock wore off, things were ok. But the ache to please my mother- be smart enough for her, wise enough, good enough to be educated at Hogwarts (as she thought only the smartest should have been let in) - grew worse with every passing day.

Then, she created her diadem - the Diadem of Ravenclaw. Supposedly, it was the key to knowledge, wisdom, and wit for the wearer.

It was also the key to fixing all of my problems.

I was only fifteen or sixteen when my mother created it, but I was sure that I would take it someday. Perhaps not the very day she announced its existence. Oh no. First, the diadem had to become a symbol of my mother's wisdom.

The time came years later - I was twenty-three when I finally felt as though the diadem had gained enough prestige in the Wizarding world to cause a disturbance once it was gone.

So I took it... and you know what? It made no difference. I had only wanted to be smarter, better than my mother - but the diadem refused to unravel its secrets for use.

Now I was beyond frustrated - I worked to make my mother proud of me for years, finally resorting to her own invention. In a way, I was relieved when the Baron finally ended it all for me.

My whole life was grey- there was very little color to be had in always trying to please someone else.  

Harry, don't live your life to please others. In the end, none of that will matter if you didn't have a life full of color.

~Helena

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Well hey there! It's been a while, huh? I know, my fault. I'm trying but I'm in the middle of Finals so you're lucky I posted at all!

Anyways, let me know what you think. I liked this one. RVC! Thanks(((:

~Tori