Chapter 79: "Room of Requirements and Ravenclaw's Diadem Part - 1"

In the cozy Ravenclaw common room, Harry retreated to his own space and breezed through the History of Magic assignment. Having aced his OWLs in the subject not long ago, the task was a piece of cake for him. Once done, he dedicated some time to write letters to Sirius, Emma, and Susan, sharing the news of his sorting into Ravenclaw and his experiences on his first day at Hogwarts. With the letters sealed and ready, he then made his way to the Owlery.

The Owlery, perched high in the West Tower of Hogwarts Castle, served as a home for both the school's owls and those owned by students throughout the year. Harry found his way there without difficulty, entering a tower room designed for the owls' easy access to the open skies. The ground was layered with straw, generously sprinkled with owl droppings and the remnants of their meals - bones of mice and voles. About fifty owls were either circling the space or resting within it when Harry arrived.

Hedwig, Harry's own snowy owl, didn't make him wait or search. She glided gracefully towards him and landed softly on his extended arm, nipping at him lightly as if to chide him for something. Harry couldn't help but laugh at her antics, reaching for the owl treats he'd brought along. The moment the treats made an appearance, several other owls showed interest, but a stern screech from Hedwig sent them back, establishing her dominance. Harry observed, amused and somewhat bemused, as Hedwig signaled for more treats. When provided, she didn't keep them all to herself but shared them with four other owls that approached at her call.

This little display of leadership from Hedwig left Harry both surprised and immensely proud. It seemed Hedwig had not only adjusted to her new home but had also quickly established a network of sorts among the other owls. Harry made a mental note to bring extra treats next time, half-jokingly considering the possibility of Hedwig forming her own owl army.

With a fond smile, Harry attached his letters to Hedwig's leg, instructing her on the delivery order: Emma first, followed by Sirius, and finally, Susan. After wishing her a safe journey, Harry watched her take off into the sky before he exited the Owlery, his thoughts lingering on the remarkable scene he'd just witnessed.

Harry had something special planned for the day, something he'd been eagerly anticipating for many years. The time had finally come for him to visit the Room of Requirements.

This mystical Room of Requirements, also known as the Come and Go Room, was a hidden gem within Hogwarts Castle. It had a unique and incredible ability: to morph itself into anything the user needed at that moment. While it couldn't conjure food, the room's capabilities were still astonishingly versatile and powerful, making it a coveted spot for those in the know.

However, before Harry could embark on his adventure, he had to attend dinner. He knew his adventure might take a significant amount of time, and he didn't want to worry his friends by disappearing without explanation. So, after enjoying his meal in the Great Hall and making a plausible excuse to his friends, Harry set out for his destination.

Slipping on his trusty invisibility cloak to ensure his movements went unnoticed, Harry stealthily navigated towards the seventh floor. His heart was full of excitement and anticipation for what was to come.

A short walk later, Harry found himself in front of the tapestry depicting Barnabas the Barmy attempting to teach trolls ballet. Recalling the details accurately, Harry paced in front of the tapestry three times, each time concentrating deeply on his need for a place where he could hide something.

Upon his third pass, the wall before him began to shift, unveiling a door that hadn't been there before. Harry glanced around to ensure the corridor was empty before he stepped through the door, entering the Room of Requirement, which had transformed into the Room of Hidden Things.

The sight that met his eyes was one of chaos and clutter. Mountains of objects, ranging from broken furniture to forgotten trinkets, filled the space. Everything was piled haphazardly, indicating that searching for anything specific in this mess would be no easy task.

With a specific goal in mind, Harry called out, "Accio Ravenclaw's diadem."

Harry hoped to summon the diadem to him directly, but that had failed. Harry's interest in the diadem was to see if he could replicate the success Sirius had with absorbing the soul fragment from the locket Horcrux. The diadem, being one of the more accessible Horcruxes of Voldemort, located within Hogwarts, had been on his mind for a while.

However, his spell yielded no results, confirming Harry's suspicion that the items in the room were protected by an anti-summoning charm. This meant he would have to search for the diadem manually, an endeavor that promised to be time-consuming and laborious.

Undeterred, Harry began to sift through the mountains of forgotten items. Among the sea of discarded objects, he spotted the vanishing cabinet that Draco Malfoy would later use to smuggle Death Eaters into Hogwarts during canon Harry's sixth year. The potential uses for such a device sparked ideas in Harry's mind, and he made a mental note to acquire its twin from Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley.

After an hour of diligent searching, Harry finally spotted the object of his quest. Resting atop an old wooden box, next to a stone statue of a wizard, was a seemingly mundane tiara.

Yet, this was no ordinary piece of jewelry; it was the Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw, adorned with sapphires and bearing the famous quote from the house's founder: "Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure." This was the same diadem Harry had seen replicated on the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw in the common room just the night before.

Although the diadem was reputed to enhance the wisdom of its wearer, Harry's interest lay in its darker aspect: it housed a fragment of Voldemort's soul.

With a deep breath, Harry approached the diadem cautiously, checking for any hidden curses or protective enchantments that might have been placed upon it. To his surprise, he found none. It seemed Voldemort's confidence that the Room of Hidden Things would remain undiscovered had led him to forego any additional protections for the diadem.

Carefully levitating the diadem into a bag made of moonskin, Harry prepared to leave the Room of Requirement. The task of dealing with the Horcrux had to be undertaken outside this chamber. With the room's eclectic collection of objects, Harry couldn't risk an unexpected dark artifact interfering with the delicate process of destroying the soul fragment contained within the diadem.