If the Chamber of Secrets had become a terrifying and dangerous place, then the Room of Requirement was a haven that only the fortunate few could enter.
The Room of Requirement.
It was a truly magical place, for no one knew when or where it would appear.
Legend said that it came and went, revealing itself only to those who truly needed it…
As its name suggested, each time it appeared, it would always be arranged to perfectly meet the seeker's needs, as if it could read the deepest desires within one's heart. That was why it was called the Room of Requirement.
Because so few people ever found it—and even fewer could return once they had—the room remained largely unknown, even more mysterious than the Chamber of Secrets itself.
And so, over time, it became a legend...
Draco's knowledge of the room came only from a few passing mentions in some book.
Had he not seen it with his own eyes, he would have thought it nothing more than a story—something invented rather than real.
Now, it seemed Astoria had not only discovered the room's existence but also knew exactly how to enter it.
Judging from how practiced she looked, this was clearly not her first visit. She even seemed so at ease that she forgot to close the door behind her...
"The Room of Requirement is a magical room that fulfills what you most desire."
"..."
As Draco said this, his eyes swept over the furnishings around them.
His expression of sudden understanding almost made Astoria lose her smile. Though he said nothing, she couldn't help feeling as if she were being publicly exposed.
Despite the embarrassment, a strange sense of relief crept into her chest.
Realizing her secret was out, Astoria rubbed her slightly stiff cheeks with a sigh. "So you found out... Well, at least it wasn't anyone else."
Even though she'd been discovered, she didn't seem too worried. In fact, she looked rather relieved.
From what she knew of Draco, he wasn't the type to talk carelessly. And besides, he didn't seem particularly interested in her other side...
Seeing him standing by the door, studying the tapestry, Astoria felt somewhat ignored. Puffing out her cheeks, she hopped off the sofa and walked over to stand beside him. "What are you looking at?"
"Trolls Beating Barnabas the Barmy. Did you know? 'Barnabas' means 'Seer's son.'"
"Oh~."
Draco's focused profile caught her off guard for a moment. After a few seconds, she blinked, then followed his gaze to the tapestry, as if to hide her reaction.
The moment you opened the door to the Room of Requirement, the first thing you saw was this tapestry of the Trolls Beating Barnabas the Barmy hanging on the opposite wall—a small detail Astoria used to locate the room.
In truth, one only needed to focus on what they required while walking three times back and forth along the corridor where the tapestry hung. Then, as if by magic, a smooth door would appear in the wall—the entrance to the Room of Requirement.
Astoria had never cared to understand how the room's magic worked. To her, it was simply a place where she could unwind.
Clearly, though, Draco cared far more about the mysteries hidden within the Room of Requirement than about any secret she might have been keeping...
Maybe it was a sense of resignation, but Astoria no longer bothered to hide her true self in front of Draco.
Curled up on the sofa with her knees drawn to her chest, she quietly bit into a chocolate bar, her small feet swinging idly. Her bright eyes, fixed on Draco, seemed to shimmer.
Though the gesture was light and playful, if her elder sister saw her now, she would surely scold the younger Greengrass girl for behaving in a way unbecoming of their family's name.
Watching Draco pace back and forth across the room, muttering to himself, Astoria, for some reason, didn't feel bored at all. She licked the corner of her lips. "You look a little troubled."
"I want to know... each time you open the Room of Requirement, is it always empty?"
For reasons she couldn't explain, Draco's serious, focused gaze stirred an unfamiliar sense of nervousness in her chest. Almost reflexively, she lowered her feet and straightened her posture.
Tilting her head slightly, she twirled a lock of hair near her ear. "Hmm... are you suggesting there might be more than one Room of Requirement?"
"Is it possible that when someone is already using the Room of Requirement, no one else can trigger its conditions? And if it can be used, then could it mean that, under the right spell, any room in this castle could become a Room of Requirement?"
"Every room could be a Room of Requirement?"
Astoria's lips parted slightly in surprise. It sounded far-fetched, yet she couldn't bring herself to deny the possibility. Deep down, she even thought Draco might be right.
After all, the Room of Requirement never appeared in a fixed location. Even she couldn't be sure if another version of it—and its tapestry—existed somewhere else in the castle...
Draco, uninterested in an answer, continued muttering under his breath.
"Concealment, need, and uncertainty."
A sudden spark of realization made him stop mid-step. But what troubled him was that he couldn't quite grasp the thought that had flashed through his mind.
His instincts told him it might be something very important...
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on P@treon.
[Upto 50 chapters ahead for now]
[email protected]/BlurryDream