ir Nicholas smiled as the trio of first years gasped when food suddenly appeared on the table. The rest of the ghosts had returned from their other duties, and they joined the rest of the merry group, although the Fat Friar looked less jovial than usual, no doubt wishing he could enjoy a dinner again. He knew how he felt, after 500 years of no sensations, he just wanted to remember how it felt to taste a nice steak. The trio quickly finished their food, clearly curious as to what Sir Nicholas had wanted to discuss with them.
"No questions until after I am done explaining," he said, with a pointed look at Hermione, then continued. "Hogwarts was founded by, as I'm sure you know, Rowena Ravenclaw, Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin, the best witches and wizards of their age. Together they could produce powerful magic, and when they created Hogwarts, they combined all of their abilities to produce something utterly unique. Hogwarts is a building, yes, and also an institution, but she is alive, somewhat sentient, and can wield powerful magic. Every object within her walls is part of her being. No ordinary buildings have moving staircases and walls that pretend to be doors. She chooses her headmasters, her teachers, and watches over her students. Being ghosts who have chosen to haunt this place, we have become connected to her. The Sorting Hat serves as her mouthpiece, and through it she can see the minds of every student that passes through her doors. All of this was created when the four founders were in harmony with each other, but when Salazar Slytherin broke off from the others, the remaining three founders knew they needed someone to look after the people within Hogwarts halls and protect them from nefarious influence. So, Godric Gryffindor instructed the Sorting Hat that when it found a student who had loyalty, cunning, bravery, and intelligence, and was willing to fight for the protection of others, it would name them Champion of Hogwarts, and grant that warrior his sword. You, Harry Potter, have been the first person deemed to be worthy of this honor."
"That being said, your unique position comes with quite a few perks," the Fat Friar continued, "All doors are open to you in Hogwarts, and I do mean all. A Champion and his allies are free to pass anywhere, so the Forbidden Forest is open to you. It is actually a sort of preserve for various magical animals. Being Champions of Hogwarts, most animals will accept you when they would normally not. However, there are some dark creatures in there, so I would advise against entering it until you are confident you can face anything you find. While in Hogwarts itself, all ghosts, portraits, and house elves will assist you if you ask for them."
"However, know that Hogwarts does not bestow these gifts upon you lightly," the Grey Lady said, not meeting their eyes. Sir Nicholas was shocked; these were the first non-Ravenclaws she had spoken to in over 5 centuries. "While you are here, you must protect the student body from darkness, whether that comes in the form of a man or a creature, or a state of mind. You may think the instant access to any place within the castle and the personal assistants are simply for your own convenience, but what happens when the castle is under siege by the Dark Lord, you and your allies are trapped and members of the student body are being murdered with every minute that passes? These gifts are not for you, they are for the safety of the student body. As such, any time Hogwarts notices a disturbance within her walls, you must respond to it, or have your position revoked. War is coming to Hogwarts, even now, pureblood bigotry infects her halls and the Dark Lord gathers strength for his return. In the midst of this turmoil, Hogwarts cannot have inadequate defenders. If you are not prepared to give everything, then Hogwarts has chosen wrong." With those somber words, the Grey Lady rose from the table and promptly phased through the wall. The table sat in serious silence for a few moments until the Fat Friar broke the dark mood.
"Well, from what I can see, Hogwarts has chosen magnificently, and so has gifted you with equally magnificent quarters," the ghost said jovially, "Centuries of Headmasters have not even known of this place, and for good reason. Hogwarts does not reveal the Room of Requirement to just anyone."
"I can see how it is magnificent," Hermione said, gesturing at the grand space around them, "But why keep it secret? It's just extra living quarters."
"Harry, what were you thinking of as you paced in front of the door?" Sir Nicholas asked, trying not chuckle at the boy's expression.
"I just wanted a place for us to stay," said Harry, looking shocked.
"Exactly," said the Friar, laughing while he gestured to the space around them, "Welcome, to the Room of Requirement."
"Anything you want, the room will provide," Sir Nicholas continued, "Simply think of what you require before you enter. While you are here at Hogwarts, this dormitory will always be open to you. Simply think "Eagle's Claws, Badger Paws, Lion's Mane, Serpent's Fangs" and you will be able to access this place from any location on the grounds. The entrance on the seventh floor is where others would be able to access the room, by pacing back and forth 3 times whilst thinking of their needs. The doors downstairs can also act in the same way, for instance, if you need a place to hide something, your door will open into such a space. If you find that you require a specific place often, one day you may notice that this tower will have added another floor with such a space."
"I can see why this would need to remain a secret," said Neville, looking a tad awestruck.
"In terms of security, I would rank this among the most fortified places in the castle," the Fat Friar said, "It can't be plotted upon any map, and during the time one person is using the room, another can't access it without the person's permission, if their sole purpose is related to the person currently using the room."
"A warrior can only sleep comfortably when they know they are well defended," Harry said, quoting one of Chiron's lessons, "I'm sure I will have no trouble sleeping here."
"Speaking of which," Sir Nicholas said, "Your first day of classes begins tomorrow, and you will want to be well rested."
"I'm sure you all want to explore your personal quarters as well," the Fat Friar said, and Sir Nicholas grinned as he watched the trio race to the stairs.
-oO0o0Oo-
Harry flew up the steps, so excited that he forgot to hide his strengths. He raced past doors bearing Neville's and Hermione's names, spiraling higher and higher until he came upon a door bearing his own name. He knew the steps continued upward, but decided to explore them another time. Pushing against the dark oak door, he couldn't help but smile as he saw what the circular room contained. The floor was made of smooth flagstones, warm to the touch, and the walls were the blue of the afternoon summer sky over Long Island, with many windows providing views of the extensive grounds. To the right of the entrance was a large dark oak desk with many drawers and a comfortable-looking chair. Continuing along the right wall there was a large cabinet, also in dark oak, that Harry assumed was for his robes. Next to the armoire was a strange suit of clothing that looked like a cross between wizard robes and an old fashioned knight's suit of armor. A silver metal chest piece, with interlocking silver plates continued over the shoulder to just above the elbow, was paired with silver gauntlets, bracers, and boots that went up to the knee. A black belt was adorned with a sheathe and what Harry thought must be a wand holster. The pants and the rest of the outfit was made of some sort of black, scaly fabric that seemed utterly impenetrable yet surprising flexible. The ensemble was completed by a dark purple, floor-length, hooded cape made of a thick, heavy fabric. Harry wasn't sure how practical fighting in the cape would be, but it definitely made the armor look much more impressive. He supposed the hood could be drawn up to protect the head, as the outfit was lacking a helmet. To the left of the suit of armor was a large fireplace providing the space with warmth, which was surrounded by comfortable, navy blue sofas and chairs, and a white rug. To the left of the fireplace, framed by two windows and night tables was a dark oak four-poster bed, complete with navy curtains and blankets and surrounded by another white rug. He noticed that his trunk was at the foot of the bed, and had no idea how it had gotten there, as well as Hedwig, who was standing on a handsome looking perch, which she seemed very proud of. Past a door lay a comfortable bathroom, and another set of stairs led upward.
Harry stood at the entrance of what he supposed was his own second floor, filled with an overwhelming sense of longing and, though he would never admit it, homesickness. Two French doors led out onto an impressive balcony, and even though it was exposed to the elements he felt warm and dry standing outside. However, it was the rest of the room that had elicited his response. There was a spray of water and a pile of drachmas for Iris messaging, his favorite suit of Greek armor from camp, a white, gold, and blue pegasus chariot (even though Harry was unsure of where he was supposed to find a pegasus), and an entire wall of bookshelves filled with his favorite books from camp. Taking a drachma and tossing it into the rainbow made by the falling water he said,
"Please accept this offering, Iris, goddess of the rainbow, and show me Chiron, at Camp Half-Blood."
-oO0o0Oo-
Neville opened the door to his room and was immediately reminded of the greenhouse at Longbottom Manor. In design, it was practically the same as Harry's. The walls were a light sage green, and all the woodwork a dark mahogany. The carpets were a light beige, while the bedspread, curtains, armchairs and sofas were a dark forest green. At one window there was a nice terrarium for Trevor, who was ribbitting happily. At every other window there were lush potted plants in white earthenware pots, so he almost didn't notice a suit of armor matching Harry's next to the armoire. He wondered on how the makers were able to acquire so much dragon hide and was tempted to try it on, but he decided to explore what lay at the top of the stairs first.
At the top the air was damp and warm, and Neville was surprised but happy to find an extensive greenhouse. The walls were entirely made of glass facing the outside, allowing plenty of sunlight to stream in. There was every sort of magical and non-magical plant imaginable, vines climbing the walls, flowers and fruits hanging from the ceiling, and various others sprouting in layers of gardening beds and rich, dark soil. Next to the door hung an extensive array of gardening tools and equipment, and there was a large collection of books explaining how to properly care for each and every plant present in the greenhouse. Pulling on a pair of comfortable gardening gloves and grabbing a watering can, Neville immersed himself caring for the plant life that surrounded him.
-oO0o0Oo-
Hermione thought that she would be content to spend the rest of her life in this room. Although she had the same furniture arrangement as Harry and Neville, the entire walls were covered in red-tinted cherry-wood bookshelves, completely obscuring whatever wall color lay underneath. Her bedcovers, curtains, sofas, and chairs were a deep red, and the carpets were the color of yellowed paper. She admired the armor before continuing up the stairs.
The room she saw at the top of the stairs only cemented her previous feelings. Bookshelves on the walls were packed with her favorite muggle stories, there was modern flat-screen television surrounded by sofas and chairs in the same style as the ones downstairs, stacks upon stacks of board games and an entire cabinet that seemed to contain every movie ever made. There was even a small, modern kitchen, complete with cupboards fully stocked, a fridge containing her favorite foods, and a microwave. Grabbing some popcorn, she started watching one of her favorite movies: Star Wars: A New Hope.
-oO0o0Oo-
Dumbledore paced in his office, loose papers disturbed by the force of his angry magic. Fawkes screeched, concerned but Dumbledore ignored it. How could his carefully planned scheme go so horribly wrong? Any scope of influence he had hoped to have on the boy was torn to shreds, leaving only scraps for him to manipulate. He had interrogated the hat repeatedly, but it would not answer his questions. What was a champion of Hogwarts? How was the castle alive? What powers could influence the boy without him knowing of it? The only thing certain now was that Harry was powerful, and was making powerful friends. He needed to get close to the boy before things got out of hand.
AN:
All rights belong to the wonderful J. K. Rowling and Rick Riordan for the original stories.
The Hogwarts year begins in earnest next chapter.
Thanks for your reviews!