Room of Requirement

Classes resumed at Hogwarts, and so did Damian's intense duelling practice with Professor Flitwick. It became part of his daily routine—almost as expected as the exhaustion that followed. Flitwick didn't show him any mercy, especially since he had missed some time during the Christmas holidays. The professor made up for it by having Damian practice longer than usual, pushing him to his limits each session. More often than not, he found himself back in the hospital wing, recovering from the strain. Madam Pomfrey wasn't pleased, of course, but it was a necessary sacrifice. He had to keep up with the pace if he wanted to master the skills Flitwick was teaching.

While Damian was drowning in duelling practice, Harry Potter was making a name for himself as a rising Quidditch star. He swallowed his first Snitch in the Slytherin-Gryffindor match, sealing their victory and sending Gryffindor into a frenzy. Draco hadn't stopped complaining about it, claiming that Potter's win was pure luck. It didn't bother Damian much—his focus was elsewhere—but it was clear that Harry was gaining attention.

Meanwhile, whispers began to circulate about the so-called "Golden Trio"—Potter, Granger, and Weasley. They were up to something, always sneaking around, and Damian had overheard them mentioning the name Nicholas Flamel several times.

One afternoon in the library, as he was buried in books about advanced duelling techniques, he felt someone approach. It was Hermione Granger, of all people.

"Hi, Damian," she said quietly.

He glanced up, somewhat annoyed. "Yes? What is it?"

She hesitated before speaking. "I just wanted to thank you again for saving me from the troll back on Halloween."

Damian sighed, trying not to sound too irritated. "You already thanked me, Granger. What do you want now?"

She bit her lip, clearly considering her next words carefully. "Do you know anything about Nicholas Flamel?"

He raised an eyebrow, realising what she was after. "Nicholas Flamel? Alchemist. He's over 600 years old. Famous for creating the Philosopher's Stone."

Her eyes lit up. "The Philosopher's Stone?"

Damian nodded, leaning back slightly. "Yes. It has the ability to turn metal into gold and grant eternal life. But why do you ask? It's not exactly a first-year curriculum."

Hermione looked around, lowering her voice. "Just... curious."

"Be careful, Granger," he added as she walked away. "Curiosity can be dangerous."

She stayed a bit as if wanting to say and eventually said, " I think Snape is trying to steal this stone."

"I know Snape gives a hard time to Gryffindors" he paused looking straight into her eyes " Besides what kind of proof is there that can prove your point?"

"We saw Snape cursing Harry's Broom during the match. He was not blinking and chanting something while looking at his broom." She replied.

"Granger, you are new to this world. There are many things one doesn't know. Besides I think Snape is not some kind of idiot to try and kill an international celebrity like the Boy-Who-Lived, in front of an entire crowd." Damian said, trying to make her understand, " I think he was trying to counteract the curse in a similar way seeing that Harry's broom didn't jerk as much as said in the books. You blaming Snape for a baseless accusation would do more damage than good. Be careful of that Granger."

She paused for a moment, as if considering his words, then gave a small nod and disappeared into the rows of bookshelves.

A few days after the unsettling rumours about Hagrid raising a dragon had started swirling around Hogwarts, the castle was abuzz with even more gossip. Apparently, Draco, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had all been caught out after curfew, leading to some serious consequences. Draco seemed particularly agitated by the whole ordeal, and during one of their group discussions in the common room, he recounted what had happened during their detention.

"They made us go into the Forbidden Forest," Draco said, his voice filled with outrage. "Can you believe it? Dumbledore's mad! We had to follow that oaf Hagrid through the woods, and we saw something—a wraith, I think, drinking unicorn blood. The moment I saw it, I knew it was dangerous. It's unnatural."

The others in their group—Daphne, Tracey, Blaise, and Pansy—were gathered around, listening intently. Daphne leaned forward, her brow furrowed. "A wraith? That's… unsettling. Unicorn blood is supposed to curse anyone who drinks it."

"Yeah," Pansy chimed in, her voice tinged with disgust. "Who would do something like that?"

Draco sneered. "Who cares? What matters is that I'm going to tell my father everything. He'll put pressure on the Ministry, and we'll get rid of Dumbledore once and for all. This place is going downhill under his watch."

Blaise, usually calm and collected, narrowed his eyes. "But if something in the forest is that dangerous, do you really think the Ministry will just act on your father's word? They've ignored plenty before."

"I don't care," Draco snapped. "Something has to be done. Dumbledore's letting all kinds of filth into this school."

As they continued debating the consequences of what Draco had seen, Damian's thoughts drifted elsewhere. The Forbidden Forest and unicorn blood didn't interest him nearly as much as something more personal. While his duelling skills were improving under Professor Flitwick, there was another skill he needed to focus on: Occlumency. The ability to shield his mind was becoming more important, especially with how intense things were getting at Hogwarts.

He'd been practicing basic spells for months now, but he needed a place where he could train without interruptions. Somewhere private and secure. The Room of Requirement. He had read about it, heard rumours, and now it was time to make use of it himself.

That night, after curfew, Damian decided to take a risk. He cast an average Disillusionment Charm on himself, a spell he had learned almost a week ago. Though he could only maintain it for about seven minutes, it would be enough to get him where he needed to go if he moved quickly and stayed close to the shadows. 

Blending into the dim light of the dungeon corridor, he quietly navigated his way through Hogwarts. The stillness of the castle at night had an eerie quality, but he had grown accustomed to it. He made sure to avoid the creaky floorboards and kept an ear out for Filch, or worse, any of the prefects who might be patrolling. Thankfully, luck seemed to be on his side—he didn't run into anyone.

By the time he reached the seventh floor, his charm was wearing off. He quickly slipped into the shadows near the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, waiting until the last bit of magic faded from his body. He took a deep breath, steadied himself, and walked past the blank stone wall three times, focusing on what he needed.

'I need a place to learn Occlumency. A place where I can be alone to practice.'

On his third pass, a door appeared. The Room of Requirement had granted him exactly what he needed. He stepped inside cautiously, the door vanishing behind him as soon as he entered.

The room was small, warm, and comforting. A low fire crackled in the hearth, casting soft shadows on the walls. Bookshelves lined the room, filled with volumes about mind magic, Occlumency, and even a few obscure texts on Legilimency. In the centre of the room sat a crystal ball on a pedestal, gleaming faintly in the firelight.

Damian approached the crystal ball and studied it. According to the instructions, this crystal was designed to show what was on a person's mind, using Legilimency when magic was passed through it. It also had the property to induce a massive headache similar to forced Legilimency. It was a tool meant to help him strengthen his mental defenses and refine his ability to block intrusions.

He knew, however, that he couldn't take anything out of the room. That was one of the Room of Requirement's rules. If he wanted to practice, he would have to return here regularly, using the room's resources. He also realised he might need help sneaking out after curfew again, so he made a note to ask Timmy or Kreacher to assist him the next time.

The room was a sanctuary for improving his Occlumency skills and strengthening his mind. He sat down on one of the chairs near the fire and started to exercise his mind.