Seventh Floor Corridor

Yukimura Seiichi

The leaves changed color when autumn came. Soon the grounds were a beautiful collage of deep crimson reds and earthy browns, and the Whomping Willow had shaken off the last of its leaves. Giant pumpkins sprouted from the ground near the empty cabin at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Students began to wear scarves on their way to the greenhouses for Herbology, holding their robes tightly across their chests as they walked against the chilling wind. Delicious apple cider was being served with every meal and Yukimura thought apples might spring from his ears if he drank anymore, but he continued to drink it anyways.

The initial shock of first years making the house teams disappeared with time. Older students no longer eyed the Slytherin trio when they walked into the common room and the tin of cookies sent as congratulations by Yukimura's parents lay empty in their dorm room.

Atobe and Akutagawa had made the Ravenclaw team as Chasers. Atobe became somewhat like a celebrity and happily stole the limelight, as if he needed the attention to survive. It was rather annoying and Yukimura was thankful when it finally ended. Tezuka did not make the Hufflepuff team, no doubt due to the incident with the Beaters during tryouts, and Sanada was adamant that Tezuka should have made the team.

"He's better than everyone else who tried out," Sanada said with a bitter look.

"Better than everyone else who tried out in his house," Yukimura corrected.

"That's what I meant."

Yukimura and Sanada's brooms came through the owl post several days after tryouts. On each of their brooms, there was a note from Professor Kurobe with strict instructions to keep their brooms in the broom shed and to not show them to any other first years. The brooms were both slick with dark wooden handles and long trails of neat, straight twigs, though they were different models.

Yukimura had an old Nimbus, a fast but light broom that swayed in the wind if the rider was not careful, while Sanada had a Thunderstruck, a sturdy broom with fast acceleration but a lower top speed than Yukimura's Nimbus. Yanagi picked a broom from the broom shed and made it his own—an old, but durable Cleansweep.

The results from tryouts had just been announced, but their first match of the season was fast approaching. Quidditch practice took up more time than Yukimura had expected, but he did not mind the long afternoons spent practicing catching and dives on the Quidditch Pitch, though their teammates were far from perfect. In fact, they were intolerable at times with the way they spoke about muggle-borns and the other houses. Yukimura never spoke against them because if he was kicked off the team, Sanada and Yanagi would surely quit as well, and both of them loved Quidditch.

On their days off from practice, the three of them diligently studied for their classes. On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons they met with Yagyuu in the library to study for Transfiguration. Sometimes Niou joined them. On those rare occasions, Niou sat silently nearby, sucking on sour Sugar Quills and reading from thick, old books that smelled like mold. Yukimura tried to be friendly and talk to him, but Niou remained stubbornly silent. Yukimura was not deterred. Eventually, Niou began to respond and gave the occasional, but very helpful, hint on transfiguring their rubber balls into pincushions (they lost points if they still bounced).

One morning, when Yukimura was by himself, he found Akiteru hunched over a complex looking book in the common room. Fifth years had important tests at the end of the year and Akiteru spent most of his time studying in the library. This was the first time Yukimura had the chance to talk to him alone in quite some time.

"Do you have a minute to talk?" Yukimura asked.

"I've always got a minute for you, Seiichi. What's up?"

"I have a question and I was wondering if you could help."

Yukimura pulled out Akiteru's map and spread it out on the table in front of them. Yukimura pointed to the seventh floor corridor where Akiteru had written dueling room?

"I checked and there wasn't a dueling room," Yukimura said. "At first, I didn't find anything, but then I found a closet. When I opened the door to leave, I was down in the dungeons."

Akiteru grinned. "I was wondering when you'd ask about that. I've only ever found the room once."

Once? How can a room appear only once? Yukimura had too many questions. He asked, "When did you see it?"

"I was studying for my Defense Against the Dark Arts final during third year and all the rooms in the common room were being used. I was wandering around, looking for a place to practice spells, and the room appeared."

"That's odd," Yukimura said, frowning.

"This castle is infused with magic. Nothing is ever odd."

Yukimura pocketed the map before anyone came by. He thanked Akiteru for his time then retreated to the bedroom where Sanada and Yanagi were getting ready for the day.

"You look like you're going to get into trouble," Sanada said.

"I do not." Yukimura turned to Yanagi. "Do I look like I'm about to get into trouble to you?"

"You do look slightly more mischievous than usual," Yanagi said with a gentle, teasing smile.

"If you say so," Yukimura said. "Now hurry up. We should eat before Herbology."

There were seven greenhouses located on school grounds behind the castle. Each had statues of long, serpentine dragons running along the peaked roofs. Most held exotic and magical plants, though some had sectioned off areas with desks and chalkboards where class could be taught.

As first years, they spent all their time in Greenhouse One, which smelled strongly of dung and dirt and was horribly humid—Yukimura always left with his hair frizzed. Yukimura tried several times to get into the other greenhouses, but he was not successful. Simple unlocking charms like Alohomora did not work. His Herbology partners Fuji and Shiraishi, who had a similar love of the subject, also said that they too had been unable to access the other greenhouses.

Their Herbology professor was a stumpy, fat man with a long gray beard and hands with skin thicker than dragon-hide gloves. Professor Vega paced the greenhouse floor (though his walk looked more like a baby house elf's waddle) as he lectured them on the Fire-Making Spell and stroked his beard, which had bits of leaves and flowers tangled into it.

"The Fire-Making Spell is very useful under the right conditions," Professor Vega said. His face looked like a Mandrake, shriveled and permanently grumpy. "However, the ability to produce fire with the flick of a wand can be dangerous to your fellow students and worse, your garden."

Yukimura, Fuji, and Shiraishi smiled at their professor's perverse sense of humor.

"Today, we will be burning dead, withered plants that would poison our compost. Fire is the only way to dispose of them. At each workstation, I've placed several pots with dead plants and a bucket of water. If one of your group mate's spell becomes too unruly, merely dump the water on their wand to extinguish the flames."

Yukimura, Fuji, and Shiraishi decided that Shiraishi would try the spell first since he was quite skilled at Charms, then Fuji would go, and finally Yukimura. Fuji held the bucket of water and said, "I promise not to let you burn to death," with a pleasant smile.

Shiraishi flashed the Slytherin a grin. "I appreciate it." He rolled up the sleeves of his robes, pointed his wand at one of the pots, and said, "Incendio!"

Small flickering orange flames shot out of his wand, catching the plant's dried and withered brown leaves on fire.

The lesson was going fine until twenty minutes in when a girl screamed. Her high pitch wail got the attention of everyone in the greenhouse. The girl was a Hufflepuff, Sanada and Yanagi's third partner, Amy Holmes, and it very quickly became clear why she was screaming.

Flames were spitting wildly from the end of Sanada's wand, catching several potted plants on fire, including live plants that had not been set-aside for the lesson. Yanagi dumped the bucket of water onto Sanada's wand, but the fire did not stop. If anything, the uncontrollable flames became stronger.

Yanagi and the Hufflepuff girl backed away. Sanada held the wand with both hands as though he was afraid it would shoot out of his grasp.

"Miss Holmes, Mister Yanagi, please step further away from Mister Sanada," Professor Vega said as he approached, quickly waddling from one end of the greenhouse to where Sanada was. The entire class was staring. "Do not drop that wand, Mister Sanada, or the entire greenhouse will be up in flames."

Sanada nodded stiffly.

Without hesitating, Professor Vega grabbed the end of Sanada's wand, smothering the flames with his palm. For several seconds, no one moved, not even Professor Vega, who had to have burned his hand horribly.

"That should do it," Professor Vega said as pulled his hand back. It was not burned red or black with ash.

The professor then produced his wand from his robes and pointed it at the burning plants. A light sprinkle of water came out from the end of his wand, extinguishing the violent orange flames so only the burned stubs of the plants remained. Sanada stood silently, his face redder than fire, and waited for Professor Vega to put out the flames.

"Now, then, Mister Sanada," Professor Vega said, turning to look at him, "I daresay you have had enough practice for today. Fetch another pail of water and assist Mister Yanagi and Miss Holmes for the remainder of class."

Sanada nodded, grabbed the bucket off the ground, and quickly headed towards the hose.

Professor Vega looked at the rest of the class. "Is there a reason you've all stopped?"

Students hurried to get back to work. Several kicked their buckets of water and joined Sanada at the hose at the corner of the greenhouse, though they lingered several feet away, as though they were afraid Sanada would set them aflame. Tezuka walked over with the empty bucket one of his partner's had knocked over and stood next to Sanada. Yukimura could hear their short exchange.

"Tezuka."

"Sanada."

Yukimura smiled.

"Yukimura," Fuji said, "it's your turn to try the spell."

The rest of the lesson was uneventful. They emptied their pots outside then washed the pots with hoses before returning them to the shelves in the greenhouse. Students gathered their things and prepared to leave.

"Mister Sanada," Professor Vega called out. "If you would stay behind for a moment. I have something which I would like to discuss with you."

Sanada looked at Yukimura and Yanagi.

"We'll wait for you outside," Yukimura said.

"Take your time," Yanagi added.

Sanada nodded.

Yukimura and Yanagi waited outside of Greenhouse One, staying on the side where the cool autumn wind did not hit them. They had Transfiguration in ten minutes and the rest of their class had already returned to the castle.

With only a few minutes before their next class, Sanada walked out of the greenhouse with a glum expression. Together they began to walk towards the castle for Transfiguration.

"What was that about?" Yukimura asked. He had no doubt Professor Vega had wanted to talk to Sanada about the mishap, but he had no idea what the professor would say about it. Professor Vega was a grumpy man who was quick to lecture them on proper greenhouse behavior, but Yukimura thought he was quite soft underneath his layers of dirt and thickened skin.

"He said I may have Elemental Affinity," Sanada said, frowning deeply and pinching his eyebrows together.

Yukimura was frowning nearly as much as his friend. There were very few people he considered himself close to and Sanada was among the few. He did not like to see people he cared about distraught.

"What does that mean?" Yanagi asked.

"He said I was good at elemental spells, things like Fire-Making or Water-Making. He told me not to try Water-Making or I'll drown half the castle."

Sanada's eyes shifted nervously from Yukimura's face to the ground where they remained. His shoulders seemed tense and rigid, and he walked stiffly besides them.

Yukimura smiled and said, "Thank Merlin we took swimming lessons when we were children."

Sanada did not relax like Yukimura had hoped. His eyebrows seemed to press even closer together. "Professor Vega said that if I practiced, I could learn really difficult spells that most wizards can't master, and that I could control things like water and fire without spells. He said Elemental Affinity is a lot like being a Seer or a Parselmouth—it's something you're born with."

Sanada looked hesitantly at Yukimura as they entered the castle.

"You're staring," Yukimura said, frowning. "Do I have dirt on my face?"

Sanada shook his head and averted his eyes again.

They arrived late to Transfiguration. Yukimura explained what had happened and Professor Saito did not dock points from Sanada, but he did take five points from Yukimura and Yanagi each, stating that there was no reason for them to be late as well. Their head of house had no sympathy for tardy students, even those in his own house.

Sanada was acting strangely, Yukimura noticed rather quickly. All his life, Sanada had been by his side, looking toward him for answers, following him no matter where he wanted to go. Now, Sanada's eyes flicked nervously to the side whenever they met Yukimura's and he looked at Yukimura with hesitation instead of subservience. The behavior was so unlike Sanada that Yukimura could not even begin to figure out why Sanada was acting the way he was.

They ate a rather uneventful lunch of sandwiches with juice and pudding in the Great Hall. Yukimura sat near Niou, who did to say anything even when he finished eating, stood up, and left.

"Why do you keep trying to talk to him?" Yanagi asked.

"Because he's interesting," Yukimura said. He had no reason to lie.

The three decided to use their free period to finish their Astronomy homework; Niou had turned down Yukimura's offer to join them without giving a reason why. They cleared their plates and took the last sips from their goblets then left the Great Hall.

As they walked, Akiteru's map felt heavier in Yukimura's bag. He knew that was impossible, that it was all in his head, but curiosity was getting the best of him. He wanted to return to the seventh floor corridor and the mysterious, disappearing room.

He made his decision when they reached the grand staircase.

"I need to go to the bathroom," Yukimura lied with a perfectly believable smile. "You two go on ahead. I'll meet you back in the common room."

Sanada glanced at Yanagi, who said, "I will wait for you at the bottom of the stairs," and descended into the dungeons. Yukimura wondered if they planned that, or if Sanada and Yanagi were close enough to understand each other's subtle hints, though Sanada's strange behavior was quite obvious in Yukimura's opinion.

Once they were alone, Sanada asked, "You're not jealous, are you?"

"Jealous of what?" Yukimura said.

"The elemental thing. You don't hate me because I have it, do you?"

"No, of course not," Yukimura said honestly. "I'll become strong my own way. Besides, the stronger you are, the more support I'll have in the future. I could never hate you, Genichirou—unless you betrayed me, but you won't do that, will you?"

"Never."

Yukimura smiled, happy with Sanada's determination. "Good. Will you stop acting so strangely now?"

"I was acting strangely?"

"You're easier to read than a mirror," Yukimura said lightly. Sanada flushed red. "Now, I really do have to use the bathroom. I'll meet you and Yanagi in the common room in a few minutes and we can do our Herbology homework."

Sanada nodded. Now that that was over and done with, Yukimura could focus his entire attention on the magical room.

When Sanada had gone down the stairs, Yukimura went up in the opposite direction to the seventh floor. The room had appeared on the wall opposite of the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, who was trying to teach trolls ballet with little success. When Yukimura arrived at the corridor, the wall was blank, with no door or obvious entrance.

When Akiteru found the room, he had been looking for a place to study and the room appeared as a dueling room. When Yukimura found it, he needed a place to hide and was given a cupboard that led him to the dungeons.

"A room that comes and goes when someone needs it," Yukimura thought out loud.

The only problem was that he did not need anything—not an escape route, or a place to study, or anything else. What he desired was not anything physical, it was more of an idea.

He wanted a goal to strive towards. He wanted to test his limits. He wanted to find everything these magical walls had to offer. He wanted to prove himself.

Before his eyes, a door appeared where the stones were. It was a common wood door not unlike the rest of the doors within the castle, with a black handle that was heavier than it looked. With great difficulty, Yukimura opened the heavy door, the wood creaking and aged metal hinges resisting every inch. He opened the door enough to slip his small, slender body inside. The door closed behind him. Yukimura nearly jumped.

The room was small, barely the size of the room he shared with Sanada and Yanagi, and plain with a wooden floor and bare stone walls. Dust settled in the corners of the room and spiders scurried between his feet back to their webs. There was a lone pedestal in the center of the room on which a dusty scroll was seated.

Yukimura approached the pedestal with caution, half expecting the structure to sink into the ground and spells to fly at him, or worse. He took one final step to the pedestal. Nothing happened.

He lifted the scroll off the pedestal, paused a moment to see if that would force a reaction, and when nothing happened after several moments, he unrolled the scroll.

"Now that is interesting," Yukimura said. He tucked the scroll into his robes and left the room. The door disappeared behind him.

Yukimura found Sanada and Yanagi in front of the fire in the common room drawing their star charts for Astronomy.

"That was a long bathroom break," Sanada said. "Where did you actually go?"

"Not out here," Yukimura said, looking around the crowded common room. "In the room. I found something interesting."

The two gathered their belongings and they made their way to their room. Yukimura sat on his bed, Sanada and Yanagi sitting on either side of him, and unrolled the scroll. Age and time had bitten away at the edges of the old, faded parchment. The ink, however, looked brand new, most likely enchanted to withstand time.

At the bottom right hand corner was a familiar bronze sigil. An impressive, yet gorgeous bronze eagle outstretched its wings beyond the outline house crest where 'Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure,' had been written in cursive.

"That's Ravenclaw's sigil," Sanada said.

Yukimura and Yanagi nodded in agreement.

In the center of the scroll, in the same bronze ink and handwriting as Ravenclaw's philosophy, were two lines of text that Yukimura presumed were a riddle.

Breath of fire shall uncover another,
The first clue to that of great wonder.

With a confused look at Yukimura, Sanada said, "This makes no sense. Where did you find this thing, Seiichi?"

Yukimura explained the note on Akiteru's map to Yanagi, though kept his promise to Akiteru and did not say who the map belonged to, as well as the room and how he found the scroll.

Partway through, Sanada said, "I knew your late night walks were going to get us into trouble."

When Yukimura had finished, Yanagi said, "You found the Come and Go Room."

"The what?" Sanada asked.

"The Come and Go Room, or the Room of Requirement. A person can only enter when they need something. It's not always there, but when it is, it is always equipped for the seeker's needs."

"Where did you hear that?" Yukimura asked.

"I read about it in this obscure book I found in the library," Yanagi said. "It was a strange book with random bits of history about the school. Did you know that Helga Hufflepuff beat each of the founders in a duel, or that Rowena Ravenclaw designed the castle?"

"I get why the Sorting Hat wanted to put you in Ravenclaw," Sanada said.

While this was fascinating, Yukimura was more interested by the scroll. "Why would this have Ravenclaw's sigil? And what does the riddle mean by 'great wonder'?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Yanagi said. "I would need time to think about this."

"We should look in the library," Yukimura said.

"No," Sanada said quickly. "This is going to get us into trouble. We should put the scroll back and focus on our school work."

"Aren't you curious?" Yukimura asked. "What if this leads to something, or unlocks some long lost spell? It could be a map."

Yukimura looked to Yanagi, who said, "I think this could be an interesting project. We can work on it between classes and after Quidditch practice."

Yukimura smiled at Sanada. "See, Yanagi's on my side."

"I'm not changing my mind," Sanada said stubbornly. "I think it's a bad idea."

"But you'll help, won't you, Genichirou?"

Sanada did not refuse so Yukimura knew he had won.