In the dark dungeon of Hogwarts, there is a four-piece painting known as a tetraptych. It can only belong to one of the four House Ghosts here at Hogwarts. And I, Silver Marvolo am determined to get him to indulge me with an interview, no matter how short-sided or, if possible, extensive it could possibly be.

Silver Marvolo: Hello, sir. If you don't mind I would like to conduct an interview with you for an assignment.

The Bloody Baron: Me? Of all people?

Silver Marvolo: Yes. Would you mind?

The Bloody Baron: No. I'm just a bit taken aback. Proceed though.

Silver Marvolo: Ok, well let's start with the most simple question. While I already know, I must ask either way. What is your name?

The Bloody Baron: My name, young Slytherin, is The Bloody Baron.

Silver Marvolo: How old are you, if I may ask?

The Bloody Baron: So much time has gone by, young one, I don't even bother keeping track anymore.

Silver Marvolo: What is your favorite pastime here at Hogwarts?

The Bloody Baron: Well, I do have a rather habit of just wandering around. I'll groan, but only slightly! I'll also clank together my chains here, you see? I believe a favorite place of mine to do this is in the Astronomy Tower.

Silver Marvolo: I see. Can you tell me any story?

The Bloody Baron: What type of story?

Silver Marvolo: Any story. A story from your past. Maybe while you were still alive.

The Bloody Baron: Well, there is one story I always seem to think about. The day I met my one and only love.

Silver Marvolo: You mean the Grey Lady?

The Bloody Baron: How do you know?!

Silver Marvolo: Everybody knows, sir. But however, I don't believe anyone knows about how you met her.

The Bloody Baron: Well, at least I have some privacy. Now, I am spinning this tale for you on a need-to-know basis. Do you understand?

Silver Marvolo: I understand, sir.

The Bloody Baron: Very well. I remember it as though it were yesterday. My first year at Hogwarts, only being eleven at the time, I was quite a strapping lad. I had a subtle air of what some would call arrogance, although I referred it to be of nobility, which it most assuredly was. I walked into that school readying myself for anything that it or anyone inside of it could throw at me. Although, when it came to her, everything changed. Helena Ravenclaw was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. No one could outmatch her defining beauty. For all of our years at Hogwarts, I tried to impress her and do whatever I could to show her how much I loved her. I even went so far to declaring it for her right in the courtyard in our sixth year when I felt that time was running out to tell her. Alas, she ignored me. She wanted nothing to do with me. But, being the insistent young man I was all of those years ago, I still had not stopped chasing her. The chase was the most exhilarating because while I didn't get her in the end, I at least showed her and I would have regretted my life even more if I had not shown her just how much I loved her.

Silver Marvolo: That's quite a sad story.

The Bloody Baron: From your point of view, I'm sure it is.

Silver Marvolo: What do you mean?

The Bloody Baron: Well, it's a "sad story" for you to hear, but just think about me. I'm the one who had to tell it because I was the one that lived it. For me, I have just revealed to you the source of my inner pain.

Silver Marvolo: Oh. I hadn't thought about it like that.

The Bloody Baron: Well, dear, you are only a Second Year. You'll learn and have your own experiences as time moves forward for you.

Silver Marvolo: I suppose so. So, moving on, I am curious, how did you get your name The Bloody Baron? What is your real name?

The Bloody Baron: I would rather keep the secret of my birth name to myself if it's all the same to you.

Silver Marvolo: I understand. But how about your nickname, The Bloody Baron, how did you acquire it?

The Bloody Baron: Well, it actually involves my dearest Helena once again.

Silver Marvolo: Will you indulge me in another story, if you are up to it?

The Bloody Baron: I am plenty able to tell another story. Where have I to go after all? Dumbledore is handling Peeves at the moment. Well, it involves not only Helena, but her mother and founder of Ravenclaw House, Rowena as well. It is also the story of my death. Are you sure you want to hear it?

Silver Marvolo: Yes, sir. I'm quite sure I would like to hear your story.

The Bloody Baron: Very well then, but you asked for this story. So I will not be responsible for any nightmares.

Silver Marvolo: In all due respect, I'm a Slytherin, I don't have many "nightmares".

The Bloody Baron: Ah, a true Slytherin through and through. Alright, I shall tell you my story. But pay in mind this is a very private story for me, so I may ramble on about something in particular. If I decide to do so, please let me finish. Do not interrupt!

Silver Marvolo: I understand, sir. Go ahead.

The Bloody Baron: Right, then. The story of how I acquired the name the Bloody Baron. As I said it involves Rowena and Helena Ravenclaw. This story will also, hopefully, show you my respect I have for Rowena and the last valiant try to capture Helena Ravenclaw's heart.
It had been a handful of years after I had left Hogwarts when Rowena pleaded for me to come to her. She had been very sick at the time and she was only inches from death. Without even a thought about it, I went right to her side asking what she needed of me. She seemed so frail and desperate at the time. I did feel quite sorry for the poor woman and was determined to do whatever I could to help her. Before I continue, however, you must know that Helena had become jealous of her mother's importance and intelligence. She became bitter and angry and in a fit of rage, one night she stole her mother's treasured diadem. There was a legend that had told how the diadem possessed magical abilities. The alleged magical ability that the diadem was said to hold was that the diadem could increase the intelligence of anyone that wore it. So, Helena stole it and ran far away. She ran all the way to Albania where she knew her mother couldn't find her and even if she did know where she was, she was too sick to come and convince her to return it. Now, as I said, Rowena was fatally ill and there has been a legend that went around that she was dying of a broken heart because she knew of her daughter's anger towards her. It is said by few that Helena stealing her diadem and running off in such a childish manner, was the "final stake" in the heart of Rowena Ravenclaw.
So, as I was saying, I went right to Rowena's side. She told me the entire story as well as she could about Helena making off with her diadem. She told me that as soon as she found out her daughter had abandoned her was when she really fell so ill. She had been experiencing a few health declines, but nothing too serious until Helena ran away. So, without both her daughter and her diadem, she was falling into death's arms quicker than she should have. We both knew that, and she told me to go after Helena and bring her and the diadem back to her. Honestly, though, when she told me that I knew she wanted her daughter back more than her diadem. Helena could have thrown the diadem into the largest ocean and Rowena would want her daughter back more than that silly old headpiece. While Helena envied her mother, Rowena relentlessly loved her daughter. She was her only child and there was no other treasure, she told me, such as her little Helena. So, determined to bring Helena back to Rowena before her dying moment and maybe to remedy such a thing from happening, I ran right off for Albania. But on the way to Albania, I also had a thought that I could have one last chance to win her. I could have one last chance to show her my true love by coming after her and wanting to return her to her mother. I would finally have all of the chances to express my true feelings in more words than I could have even thought of in my school days.
It took me so long to find her. I ran and searched and ran some more for what seemed like years, but finally I found her. She was in the Albanian Forest and she was crying in front of a meadow. Gently, I walked over to her and rested a kind hand upon her shoulder. She was taken aback that someone had found her as she jumped upwards and faced me. When she saw it was me, however, she seemed to be in a rage of some sort. I was determined though as I told her about her mother, about how wrong it was of her to go running off from her mother in her time of need with one of the items that would become a part of Rowena's legacy. She wouldn't listen though, she budged and said that her mother didn't care, how she would be perfectly fine if she never saw either of them again because, as she so sarcastically put it, she was the great Rowena Ravenclaw, the woman who could do no wrong and the woman who was so clever to work her way out of any situation even death. I shook my head at her and told her just how wrong she was, that she should not be acting this way towards her mother and that Rowena wanted her back more than her diadem, but that she would be so grateful for Helena to return it to her regardless.
But, dear Silver, she looked at me and had the nerve to ask why else I had gone to her. At this point, I figured I could tell her my true feelings just like I was planning, and so I did. I told her everything I felt for her, why I felt so strongly for her and why she should be compelled to come back to Rowena's side with me. Helena didn't say anything for a good while, I thought maybe she was thinking over everything I said for both my feelings for her and the possibility of returning to her mother. But, in reality, she was trying to find a scathing comment to throw at me instead. And she did so, telling me to go back to her mother without her or the diadem and to leave her to die in the forest whenever death would come to call on her. With yet another refusal at my feet, a burning and seething ran through me. The next minute, I had found Helena dead at my feet, knowing that I was the one who had caused it. I saw the bloody dagger of mine in my right hand and sank to my knees in front of Helena's body. I apologized until I felt my heart rip in two, then used the exact same dagger that was stained with Helena's blood to mix with my own. And, for me at least, with our blood melded together I had, at least in my own feeble mind at the time, finally gotten close enough to Helena to consider that at least I had died with her even if it wasn't the way that I would have initially chose.

Silver Marvolo: Oh. I'm so sorry that was the way you had to go.

The Bloody Baron: As am I, Miss Marvolo. As am I.

Silver Marvolo: If you wouldn't mind, maybe a more light subject?

The Bloody Baron: If you can find one, my dear, I challenge you to ask me whatever you feel you can to make this interview any more light.

Silver Marvolo: Alright. Well, how did you become a ghost?

The Bloody Baron: Well, a ghost can only become a ghost if he or she has unfinished business upon this Earth. Which I do, as we have already discussed. I had not finished my quest to return Rowena's diadem or Helena to her, and while I can not do that now, I am cursed to be in this ghostly form for however long time goes on for.

Silver Marvolo: I see. You know, I must ask, you have a very elegant look about yourself. All except for the chains, that is. Why are you in chains? Were you in some sort of chains before you died?

The Bloody Baron: No, I didn't have any chains on me when I died. I wear these chains as a symbol. A symbol of penance for what I have done to Helena and for the actions I performed against her to cause both of our deaths. It is something I will forever be remorseful of.

Silver Marvolo: I see. And, as a last question that will hopefully brighten things up to an extent, have you made any friends as a ghost here at Hogwarts? Students or fellow ghosts alike.

The Bloody Baron: Well, I am acquaintances with a few of the fellow ghosts, if that is what you would like to classify as a "friend". But, I don't believe I've ever had quite such an extensive talk with a student such as yourself, Miss Marvolo.

Silver Marvolo: Well, I would be very proud to be able to call you, my own House's ghost, a friend. But I won't count my blessings in such a way.

The Bloody Baron: And I wouldn't consider any student a friend. In my own mind, I don't need friends, if it's all the same to you.

Silver Marvolo: I can understand that. Now, I know I said that was my last question but if you can answer one more?

The Bloody Baron: Well, as I said earlier, where have I to go?

Silver Marvolo: Right. Now I'm sure this question should bring this interview to a pleasant end. What is your favorite color?

The Bloody Baron: Hmm...what an interesting question. Even while I was alive I don't think I was asked such a simple question. You are a quite bright Slytherin, Miss Marvolo.

Silver Marvolo: Well, should you believe it, it is quite a common question now.

The Bloody Baron: I believe I would have to say red would be my favorite color. I mean I'm covered in it after all.

Silver Marvolo: I see. Well, that was a wonderful interview you were able to provide me with, sir. May I come to you again should I ever need another subject? Maybe even an artistic subject?

The Bloody Baron: We will see, Miss Marvolo.

And, with this successfully extensive interview coming to an end, I am happy to say that I know so much more about the Bloody Baron than I thought I could ever learn about my own House Ghost. I am very grateful that he was able to talk to me and share his own thoughts upon any question I have asked today