Adam's footsteps echoed softly on the cold, stone floor of the seventh-floor corridor, each one a drumbeat to the excited thrumming in his chest. The Ravenclaw girl's subtle hint, her mention of a "peculiar room" for practice, spun in his head. Finally, after all this time exploring Hogwarts, he was here, on the cusp of finding the Room of Requirement. He'd wanted to find it for a long time since coming to Hogwarts, and now he finally had the clue to it. With his heart beating at the rate of 100 miles an hour, Adam arrived at the location.
And there it was. The peculiar portrait of Barnabas the Barmy, looking utterly bewildered as he tried to teach a line of lumbering trolls to pirouette. Adam stopped in front of the stretch of wall opposite the tapestry of the dancing trolls. He closed his eyes for a moment, picturing it – a vast, empty space, perfect for casting spells, for flying, for anything he could imagine. He walked three slow, deliberate passes back and forth, focusing, willing the room into existence. On the third pass, a faint shimmering appeared on the plain stone. Then, as if painted by an invisible hand, a smooth, unadorned wooden door materialized, seamlessly blending with the wall.
This was it. The entrance to the Room of Requirement. A wave of relief washed over him that the corridor was empty. No one else seemed to wander this far, but he still cast a quick glance around before practically leaping towards the door. He twisted the handle, pulled it open, and slipped inside, the heavy door clicking shut behind him.
The sight that greeted him was nothing like he'd expected. He'd pictured the massive, cavernous space from the old movies, the one Dumbledore's Army had used. But this… this was different. This room was just for him, perfectly tailored to his needs. It was a long, sweeping space, ideal for riding a broom, with a ceiling that stretched so high, perfect for practicing steep dives and climbs. It was beyond anything he could have dreamed.
His gaze immediately fell upon a training dummy standing patiently in the middle of the room. A grin spread across his face. He pulled out his wand, the silvery patterns on its dark wood seeming to gleam in the soft light of the room. This was his chance. He began to practice, a series of spells he'd been itching to master. He had learned the Disarming Charm, Expelliarmus, and now, finally, he had an opponent to cast it on. He focused, trying to channel his energy through the wand, to control the spell completely. The memory of the duel still lingered – that disarming spell hadn't felt like his own. It was as if his wand had taken over, acting on its own will. It was beautiful, yes, and undeniably cool, but it also felt incredibly dangerous, a power that could determine whether he lived or died in the trials to come.
Sunday melted into evening, and Adam, feeling both invigorated and utterly drained, finally stepped out of the Room of Requirement. His stomach, protesting loudly with hunger pangs, reminded him that he'd been completely lost in practice for an entire day, forgetting meals and the world outside. He made his way to the Great Hall, the enticing aromas of roasted chicken and freshly baked bread pulling him along.
He barely had a chance to sit at the Gryffindor table before Hermione was on him, her arms crossed, eyes narrowed. "Adam Taylor! Where in the world have you been all day?" she demanded, her voice a hushed but intense hiss. "I've been looking for you everywhere! We also had a study session planned, and you just vanished! Harry and Ron were worried sick, and honestly, so was I!" Her concern was clear, but it was heavily wrapped in irritation.
Adam mumbled an apology, rubbing the back of his neck, feeling a bit like a scolded house-elf. "Sorry, Hermione, I just… I found a new place to practice, and I got a bit carried away. Lost track of time."
Just as Hermione was winding up for another lecture, a new voice cut through the hubbub of the Great Hall. "Taylor!"
Adam looked up, surprised to see Daphne Greengrass standing by the Gryffindor table, a rare sight indeed. Everyone from both Gryffindor and Slytherin were already surprised by this scene, but she didn't seem to care.
Her usual composed demeanor seemed a little ruffled. She looked at him, her gaze sharp, taking in his slightly disheveled appearance and the dark circles under his eyes. "Are you alright?" she asked, her voice softer than he expected, laced with genuine concern. "You look like you've seen a ghost. I tried to find you all day to discuss some new… things I found out. I even had to ask Granger here where you were."
Daphne gestured vaguely towards Hermione, who visibly bristled at being referred to simply as "Granger." A faint, almost imperceptible gleam, however, flickered in Hermione's eyes when Daphne admitted she too had failed to find Adam. It felt like a small victory for Hermione, knowing that even the usually unflappable Daphne was stumped by Adam's disappearance.
Adam just offered Daphne a weak smile. "Yeah, I'm fine, just tired. Got a lot of practice in." He kept his explanation brief, not wanting to reveal the Room of Requirement's secrets, especially not in the middle of the Great Hall. Daphne's eyes lingered on him for a moment longer, a flicker of suspicion there, before she gave a short nod and turned to leave, presumably to return to the Slytherin table.
"A new place to practice?" Hermione repeated, turning back to Adam, her voice now dangerously calm. "And you couldn't tell anyone? Couldn't send a quick note? Do you have any idea how worried we were?"
Adam looked directly at Hermione, shaking his head. "No, I didn't." His gaze flickered past her to Ron, who was shoveling mashed potatoes into his mouth with an almost surgical precision, seemingly oblivious to Adam's presence or disappearance. And then to Harry, whose face was mostly hidden behind the daily Prophet, clearly engrossed in a story about their ongoing investigation. Adam knew without looking what Harry was reading about; it was always the same lately.
Adam quickly looked back at Hermione. "I'm really sorry for worrying you both," he said, offering a tired smile. "But seriously, I'm starving and absolutely knackered. Can we talk about this after I've eaten?"
Hermione sighed, a gust of exasperation, but the rigid set of her shoulders softened slightly. "Fine," she conceded, though her expression still held a hint of lingering annoyance. "But you're telling me everything after dinner. Every single detail."
As Adam piled his plate high with roast beef and vegetables, his eyes drifted across the bustling Great Hall. His gaze skimmed over the Hufflepuff table, then briefly paused on the familiar green and silver of the Slytherins, where Daphne had just rejoined her housemates. Then, almost subconsciously, his eyes moved towards the Ravenclaw table. He scanned the faces, a silent search for a cascade of dark, rich brown hair or a pair of eyes the colour of deep sapphires. He found himself looking for that striking, almost luminous white skin, that air of quiet confidence that had left such a strong impression. The Hall was a blur of chatter and movement, but she wasn't immediately obvious. He continued to search, subtly, as he took his first grateful bite of food.
He ate quickly, the food disappearing from his plate with a speed that startled even Ron. All the while, his eyes kept darting to the Ravenclaw table, trying to catch a glimpse of her. He recognized a few familiar faces – the diligent boy who always had his nose in a book, the quiet girl with braided hair – but the one he was looking for simply wasn't there. Perhaps she ate early, or perhaps she was too busy with her own "more important matters." The thought brought a faint, unbidden smile to his lips.
Even amidst Hermione's continued, though now gentler, chiding about his disappearing act, his mind kept drifting back to the ethereal Bluebell Flames and the girl who controlled them with such effortless grace.
Dinner finally wound down, the last of the puddings vanishing from the tables. Students began to trickle out of the Great Hall, heading to their common rooms. Hermione, now looking less exasperated and more genuinely curious, gave him a pointed look. "Right, Adam. Common room. Now."
Ron, having finished his last treacle tart, merely burped contentedly. Harry, finally lowering the Daily Prophet, stretched and yawned. "Ready when you are," he mumbled, his eyes still a bit glazed from the news.
Together, the four of them joined the flow of Gryffindors making their way towards the Fat Lady's portrait. As they walked, Adam couldn't help but cast one last hopeful glance back at the emptying Ravenclaw table. Still, nothing. A small wave of disappointment washed over him, but it was quickly replaced by a renewed sense of purpose. He had found the Room of Requirement, and with it, a perfect place to push his own boundaries, just as she had suggested. He had a lot to tell Hermione, even if he couldn't reveal everything.
Back in the Gryffindor common room, the fire crackled cheerfully, casting dancing shadows on the worn armchairs. Harry and Ron had settled into a game of wizard chess, the clack of pieces and Ron's triumphant shouts filling the air. Hermione, however, pulled Adam to a quieter corner.
"Alright, out with it, Adam," she said, her voice softer now, but still firm. "Where were you?"
Adam sighed, trying to formulate a believable, yet not entirely truthful, explanation. "I was exploring, Hermione. Really. I found a lot of quiet corridors, met some interesting senior students along the way and got to know a lot about herbs and potions." He decided to lead with the impressive part. "Actually, I also saw this Ravenclaw senior student... her magic was incredible. She was practicing Bluebell Flames, but she was changing their colors, their heat... with such control, it was like nothing I've ever seen. She was almost... dancing with them." He leaned forward, genuine awe in his voice.
"She said it was about understanding the 'undercurrents' of magic, about bending a spell's core properties."
Hermione's eyes widened, momentarily distracted from her lecture. "Changing their properties? That's... advanced, Adam. What year was she?"
"Even I want to know," Adam admitted with a shrug, careful to keep his face neutral. "She was pretty mysterious. Anyway, after that, I just kept looking for a place to really practice without disturbing anyone, and I found this secluded classroom. It was perfect. I just lost track of time, honestly. Once I started casting, the hours just flew by." He hoped the vague description of a "secluded classroom" would be enough.
Hermione still looked a bit skeptical, but her own curiosity about the Ravenclaw girl seemed to have softened her. "Well, next time, please send a message! We were genuinely worried. Especially with everything else going on." She then leaned in conspiratorially, her voice dropping. "Speaking of which, you won't believe what Harry, Ron, and I have been up to. We think we've figured out what's under the trapdoor guarded by that three-headed dog."
Adam listened, feigning surprise as Hermione eagerly recounted their deductions, the hints from the sorting hat, the mystery of the Gringotts break-in. She explained how they believed the hidden item was something extremely valuable that was moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts for safekeeping.
"...and that's why we think it's got to be something incredibly important that Dumbledore wants to protect," Hermione finished, her eyes shining with the thrill of their discovery.
Adam nodded slowly, pretending to ponder. "Hmm, that's quite a theory," he said, tapping his chin. "You know, Hermione, you mentioned that Harry and Hagrid went to Gringotts vault before the robbery, right? To get whatever's now under the trapdoor?"
Hermione nodded, "That's right! Harry said Hagrid collected a small, grubby package from vault seven hundred and thirteen."
"Have you," Adam continued, trying to sound casual, "have you asked Hagrid about it directly? About what exactly was in that vault, or why it was so important that he had to get it out himself?"
Hermione paused, her brow furrowing in thought. "No, we haven't," she admitted, a flicker of realization crossing her face. "He's probably the only one who knows the full story. That's a good idea, Adam! I'll talk to him first thing tomorrow!" She looked genuinely impressed by his suggestion, momentarily forgetting her earlier annoyance.
Later, tucked into his four-poster bed, the last whispers of the common room fading, Adam felt the weariness of the day finally settle into his bones. He had managed to skirt around the truth of the Room of Requirement, but the thrill of finding it, and the progress he'd made, still hummed beneath his skin.
As his thoughts drifted, the image of the Ravenclaw girl resurfaced. Her sapphire eyes, the controlled dance of her Bluebell Flames, her tantalizing questions about bending magic. He wondered who she was, what her name was, and if he would ever truly understand the depth of her unique magical philosophy. But then, her parting words echoed in his mind: "Perhaps, if we meet like this again, when you're not 'exploring' so... inconspicuously, and if you manage to control your own curiosity, then I might just tell you."
He smiled to himself in the darkness. Maybe she was right. He'd leave it to fate. If they were meant to cross paths again, they would. With that thought, Adam quickly drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Monday morning arrived, bringing with it the familiar bustle of Hogwarts classes. Before heading down for breakfast, Adam caught Ron and Harry in the room.
"Hey, guys, quick thing," Adam began, drawing their attention. "Hermione's birthday is this coming Thursday. I'm planning a small celebration for her."
Ron's jaw dropped, and Harry's eyes widened. "Hermione's birthday?" Ron exclaimed, looking genuinely surprised. "Bloody hell, I had no idea!"
"Neither did I," Harry added, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Exactly why I'm telling you now," Adam said with a slight grin. "You're both invited, of course. Figured you'd want some time to sort out gifts."
Both boys immediately perked up, a flurry of ideas already seeming to spark in their minds. Harry, ever helpful, offered, "Do you need any help with the preparations, Adam?"
Adam quickly shook his head. "Nah, I've got it covered. Just focus on your gifts. I've got a specific vision for this, and it's mostly magic stuff, so it's easier if I handle it." He didn't want to risk revealing the Room of Requirement just yet. But his words were enough to make Ron feel as if he had made fun of him, but he kept quiet about it.
With the plan set, the three of them joined the rush to the Great Hall, ready for another week of lessons. Adam even noticed Ron occasionally chatting with him now, not important, yet a pleasant change.
After classes ended each evening, Adam would head straight for the Room of Requirement which was different from his practice room, this time the room appeared to be small, the size of a classroom which surprised Adam, but he quickly recovered after thinking about spatial magic that's available in this world.
Adam's plan was to decorate this room for Hermione's surprise on his own as he saw it as an excellent opportunity for spell practice.
Adam started with the balloons. He wanted to use the Wind-Making Charm to inflate them, carefully channeling air from the tip of his wand. At first, it was a disaster. His control was all off, and he kept sending gusts of wind that instantly burst the delicate rubber. Pop! Pop! Pop! The sound echoed in the vast room. It took him around sixty attempts just to properly fill a single balloon. Luckily, his System Shop was a lifesaver; he could buy more balloons anytime he needed them using his special points. He could have just bought a pump, but that wouldn't help his magic, would it?
Once he had a decent collection of inflated balloons, Adam moved on to the Sticky Charm. He wanted to attach them to the walls and ceiling, but some spots were really high up. That's when he got an idea, a crazy one he'd never even thought of before: using two charms at once. He'd try the Floating Charm to lift the balloons into position, then simultaneously use the Sticky Charm to fasten them.
It was ridiculously difficult. He'd manage to float a balloon only for his concentration to break on the sticky charm, sending it drifting back down. Or he'd try to stick it, and the floating charm would fail, making the balloon plummet and sometimes burst on loss of magic control. This constant failure was frustrating, and more than once, he ended up bursting entire batches of balloons, forcing him to start over with the Wind-Making Charm.
This went on for two solid evenings. The Room of Requirement became his personal training ground for dual casting. He could feel himself getting better, the threads of magic becoming slightly more obedient and malleable with each failed attempt.
On the second evening, just before he would normally head back to the common room for sleep, he finally managed it. A balloon floated perfectly into place, and with a focused thought, it stuck to the wall, right where he wanted it.
An instant rush of elation surged through him, wiping away all the exhaustion. His efforts had paid off! He felt a burst of energy, thinking he could finish all the decorations tonight. But the very next try, his balloon burst again. He chuckled at himself. His excitement had clearly gotten the better of his control. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down, slowing his pace.
As he continued, the occasional bursts became rarer, his control sharpening. Soon, his speed caught up with his precision. One by one, balloons found their places. The room slowly transformed, its stone walls and high ceiling covered in a colorful array of floating spheres. He even managed to stick some to the ceiling, creating a vibrant canopy. There were so many, he realized he'd probably gone a bit overboard.
Chuckling softly to himself, Adam then started on the final touches. He used the same combined floating and sticky charms to place small, light candle holders in the deliberately left-open spaces, planning to add actual candles just before the celebration. By nearly 3 in the morning, the Room of Requirement was filled with a festive, magical atmosphere.
He finally stumbled back to the common room, knowing he'd only get a few hours of sleep before classes began again. But he wasn't worried; he still had one more evening to make any final adjustments. As he drifted off, his mind moved past Hermione's upcoming birthday to his plans for after. He'd been waiting for this. Once the celebration was over, he had much more important matters to attend to, matters that he couldn't wait to delve into, as he briefly glanced at his system's map window in his mind's eye which mapped all the nearby secret spaces that already existed and also new ones that later appeared during this time period.