Orion when finally reached the 7th floor of the castle, looked around and with the help of Merlin found the room of requirements.
He found the task much harder than just simply sensing the magic fluctuation as he did in the King Cross station.
"By your memories, I can tell that the room of Requirement was made by ancient Magic. You have yet to learn this kind of magic and it will be harder to find, but I have an Idea," Merlin said when Orion couldn't find the exact wall where the room of requirement was supposed to be.
'What?' Orion asked immediately. Not wanting to go around in front of every wall, and wish to open up three times in his mind.
"Use your integration technique, I have seen that your magical ability increases when you are performing that technique," Merlin had this doubt after Orion was able to interfere with Hadgrid's mind in Hogsmeade Station. He was sure that the technique was much more than what both of them had realized.
"Okay," Orion not having any other alternatives just follows Merlin's suggestion.
Lo and behold, the moment he entered into the integration stage he was able to sense a different magic fluctuation from a certain wall which was different than the entire castle.
"Awesome," Orion almost shouted out.
"There is much more to this technique than either of us know. We need to do more testing," Merlin said and Orion couldn't agree more to this.
He quickly walks in front of the wall three times. Thinking for the room to open up and show him two things.
Merlin naturally read what Orion was thinking about.
Even for some reason, Orion's Occulumency shields were ineffective against Merlin's ability to read his mind.
"That's actually quite smart of you," Merlin said with a little smile on his face.
"Of course, I planned everything before coming to Hogwarts," Orion said and entered the room.
In front of him was an impressive room with two lost items.
It was money and Rowena Ravenclaw's Lost Diadem.
"I was expecting that you would go after the diadem. Not only Riddles Souls is a great source of Magical power but the Diaden itself contains ancient magic which you can integrate inside you.
But the money really caught me off guard," Merlin honestly said.
"Haha, what can I say, as an orphan, I always was conscious of money. And considering just how long this school have stood here. There are bound to some rich young masters losing money and gold here and there. Now they are mine, my precious," Orion was honestly excited now and almost laughed out like Gollum.
He didn't even open the box where the Diadem was supposed to be and started counting the coins first.
Merlin didn't say too much. He knew that if there was one thing where he couldn't stop Orion then it was money.
He has read his mind and the child in front of him has an extended plan to become rich in this world.
He can't do anything but sigh.
----
After a painstaking 15 minutes.
"Alright I'm done, a total of 100 and so Galleons if I add up all the Knuts and sickles and convert them to Galleons," Orion couldn't help but laugh out.
"100 Galleons are nothing, don't start flying just with this much." Merlin intervene.
"Shushh*.. Let me live this moment, it's not often I get free money you know." Orion shut Merlin.
Merlin just rolled his eyes. He for some reason was picturing a red crab who owns a restaurant and shouts money every day.
Orion's memories sure are affecting him.
After the insane domaine rush settled down, he finally opened the box and looked at the beautiful piece of jewellery in front of him.
'Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem,' Orion said to himself.
But just when he was about to touch the diadem, he sensed the foul magic inside it.
He immediately retracted his hand.
"Yes, this foul magic is surely a dark magic related to the soul." Merlin chipped in.
"It's powerful, Orion noticed when he finally observed the power of the diadem and couldn't help but say.
"Yes, it's powerful. And you are not strong enough to absorb this magic, as you are right now." Merlin said.
Man, now what? Orion was planning to absorb the power and get stronger here.
"Just store the Diadem with you in your Pendant for the time being. When the time is right, you can just absorb it then," Merlin suggested.
"What, my pendant is a storage device," Orion heard of this, for the first time.
"Oh yes, I might have forgotten to tell you but you can store anything there and no magic will be able to detect it." Merlin response.
"That's pretty cool," Orion said but his thoughts were going in different directions. Like breaking inside Gringotts and putting all that money in.
Merlin Naturally knew what Orion was thinking and wouldn't let Orion do something like that. He made a mental note.
So after quickly learning how to use the Pendant and storing the Diadem and money inside, Orion comes to the last part of why he came here.
"Okay then, let's do that ritual to find out whether I have the trace or not ?" Orion asked.
"Yeah, just follow my instructions," Merlin then told him the simple steps to the ritual.
It was a very easy ritual. And he was done under just 2 minutes.
"Done and congratulations. You really avoided the trace." Merlin said with a smile.
"Awesome," Orion was truly happy.
'Now time to get out of here,' Orion immediately stood and got out of the magical room.
But not before asking the room to give him some books about magic.
He saw the room magically disappearing in front of him and was amazed.
'Ancient Magic is pretty cool,' Orion was in awe.
Merlin senses something.
"Someone is coming," Merlin said.
'What? Who the f*ck come here at this time,' Orion shouted inside his mind.
"Quick, hide now," Merlin said.
Although Orion wasn't able to hear anything even with his excellent senses, he believed Merlin and hid.
Soon he noticed a boy of his height coming towards the room of requirement. His eyes narrowed.
'I have seen this guy before,' Orion thought to himself.
His face was not much visible. The Lumos which he cast were making it hard to see his face with all those shadows forming.
But soon he stopped in front of the room of requirement. And that's when Orion was able to see his face.
"That's Nick Iron," Merlin said standing right in front of the boy. Far away from where Orion was hiding.
Good thing that only Orion can see or hear him.
'I knew that this guy was hiding something,' Orion thought to himself.
When Nick went inside the room of requirements. Finally, Orion came.
"What do you think?" Orion asked.
"Can't say but you better stay vigilant against him. Being a person with Occulumency shields like the Hat told. We just can't directly invade him to find out. And there is a high possibility that he also knows Legillimency.
My best advice is to practice your Occulumency hard from now on and while you are at Hogwarts. Use this time and absorb as much natural magic in the surroundings as you can," Merlin said and Orion too was thinking the same thing.
He can't beat any of the kids when it comes to magic. His magic is very weak. And he has a sneaking suspicion that this Nick guy is stronger than any normal first-year student.
After that, Orion came back to his dorm. He wanted to find out why Nick knew about the room of requirement but he suppressed his curiosity.
----
The next morning, Orion woke up early, his biological clock telling him to practice and exercise.
Still following the rule of the jungle, survival of the fittest.
So he freshened up and was ready to go out to do his daily exercise but Merlin stopped him.
"Don't bother about that right now. You can continue that later when you have a stronger magic. Now only focus on getting stronger magically.
You know, something like all those pointless manga you used to read. About Cultivation and breaking the multiverse with a fart. Do that," Merlin said with amusement.
Orion felt embarrassed as his dark history was revealed.
So after seeing that everyone from his dorm was sleeping. He directly went outside the castle. It was early morning around 5 o'clock.
He felt the cold breeze but it was nothing. He was already used to living in the forest for a long time.
Going towards the green grass, he sat down and started to meditate and activate his technique.
This time he intended to draw all the natural magic in the air and draw it inside him.
And the result was apparent. This time it was much easier to draw magic inside him. He could practically feel magic rushing inside him and at the same time getting out.
Expanding his magical circuits and magical core.
He usually used to have trouble doing this but now it was quite easy. Maybe becuase his newly found magic core and the mana rich place as Hogwarts.
This feeling was pretty addicting.
xxx
A/N: Finally the story is flushing out. Who do you think Nick Iron is ?
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