It is obviously not easy to restore something that has been destroyed to its original appearance; and it is even more difficult to restore it to exactly the same as before.
For Maka, the former may still be possible, but as for the latter...
"I always feel like... there's still something missing."
He couldn't help but mutter to himself as he walked in the deserted corridor and looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar classrooms.
"Is it because there are fewer people?"
Since it was completely rebuilt according to the remaining memories in my mind, this "new" Hogwarts Castle is no different from the past at least on the surface - every floor tile under your feet and every texture on the wall , and even the tilt angle of each book on the bookshelf, even if Maka were to use the pensieve to retrieve memories for comparison, she would definitely not find the slightest difference.
However, let alone the difference between human and non-human beings, the large number of ancient and modern magic spells originally attached to every corner of the castle cannot be restored by Maka.
"Oh, these stairs should move on their own."
Slowly wandering to the steps of the castle, Maka looked up at the unsupported hanging stone steps and frowned slightly.
The ever-changing staircase was designed and built by Rowena Ravenclaw himself, using many very subtle and exquisite magic techniques.
Now, if Maka is asked to restore this set of movable stairs extending in all directions... I have to say that it is not very difficult to achieve that effect, but it is not easy to keep such complex magic stairs running for thousands of years. If something goes wrong, this is not something that can be solved in ten days and a half of research.
Maka stood at the bottom of the stairs, looked up at them and gestured a few times, and finally shook his head - he obviously didn't have the time to mess with such somewhat unimportant things at the moment.
"Maka, I want to see the greenhouse... Can you come with me?"
Suddenly, Willie, who had been following him, asked softly.
"Greenhouse?" Maka paused for a moment, then nodded, "Yeah, sure!"
As he spoke, he was about to walk back with Willy, but at the moment he turned around, he suddenly felt a slightly unusual, yet quite familiar wave passing above him.
"Wait a minute."
After saying something to Willy, he turned around again and raised his head to take a glance. Immediately afterwards, he suddenly stretched out his hand to grab it gently, and then pulled it back as if he had grabbed something.
The next moment, a white and somewhat transparent shadow was pulled out of thin air by him.
"Ouch... Who is it? What's going on? Where am I? Eh? Isn't this McClain? Oh, and the little mute with white hair... "
The phantom struggled in Maka's hand for a few times, but found that he couldn't break free at all, so he simply stopped moving. However, its mouth was not idle at all, it was still chattering away.
"You've become like this, can't you just shut up and say less?" Makati said, sliding its funny, slightly blurry collar, "Peeves."
"It's because this is the case that I want to take this opportunity to say a few more words... Oh! How can you, a little brat, know this!"
Peeves shook his short arms and legs a few more times, then stuck out his tongue and made a face at Maka, unable to calm down at all.
However, no matter how noisy and mischievous it appears, it can no longer conceal its fundamental weakness. If Maka hadn't taken the initiative to help it condense its appearance, it could barely maintain its self-awareness at the moment.
After all, Peeves is just a spirit monster born from the spiritual energy of teachers and students of all generations.
"Peeves?" Seeing this, Willy couldn't help but come over and take a look at it, "Long time no see."
"Oh, little mute, it turns out you can talk! Haha..."
"I'm not mute." Willy pursed her lips and said.
"Okay!" Peeves curled his lips, "I know, little mute."
Maka watched it and Willy bickering there, and after thinking for a moment, she suddenly realized a possibility—perhaps, it was the former "alumni" who had lived here for a while that allowed it to form that trace of fluctuation again, and Before that, it had probably disappeared because Hogwarts was empty.
"I told you, I'm not mute."
"Didn't I say it too? I know, white-haired little mute!"
Probably even Peeves himself gradually realized that he really no longer had the energy to be as talkative as before. As he talked, he panted slightly and gave up trying to make Willie angry.
Unexpectedly, after taking a few more breaths, he suddenly turned to look at Maka and said:
"Unruly MacLean... you should let go! No need to waste any more energy... Peeves is not afraid of death and will not die... Instead of just talking to you three guys in this empty castle, It’s better to have another good sleep.”
"How about I send you to the ship? The students and professors are all there now." Maka thought for a while and said.
However, I saw it immediately shook its head without hesitation.
"Peeves is the Peeves in Hogwarts Castle, not the Peeves on the ship!"
"Well," Maka looked at it rather feebly for a while, and finally nodded and said, "That's right... Then... just wait!"
After finishing her words, Maka relaxed her hand holding it, and then watched it quickly begin to fade away as if it was about to melt into the air.
"...Boy, let this end as soon as possible! Peeves is not afraid of anything, he is only afraid of being alone... This is too... too lonely."
Listening to the last words that echoed faintly in the empty stairwell, Maka was startled, and then habitually raised her hand to rub her forehead. Then, he turned around and looked at Mr. Blois, who was standing a little further away. He patted Willy on the shoulder and said:
"Let's go! Aren't you going to the greenhouse? Then go and have a look!"
To be honest, Peeves' last words really touched Maka - yes, as long as the teachers and students are still there, anywhere can be "Hogwarts". However, this would be too "lonely".
After turning his head again, Maka took Willy and walked towards the foyer step by step.
Outside the castle, the weather was still very beautiful. Looking up, the sky was clear and blue.