Chapter 31

After their little meet up in the library to do homework, Allen decided to start carrying a hand mirror with him all the time now, to check if his eyes shone or not in specific situations.

Since he didn't want to waste money, he remembered a place that has all kind of stuff, lost in time through the years in Hogwarts, the Room of Requirements, or the come and go room, as the elves put it.

In one of his few free periods Allen walked up the stairs towards the seventh floor, he couldn't remember exactly the location of it, or the what the tapestry showed exactly, only that it included trolls dancing in some form.

Allen surveyed the whole area with his eyes, looking to see if there was any source of light (magic) around. Not a lot of people come to the seventh floor since its mostly for portraits and to direct people to other parts of the castle. He walked for a few minutes before finally reaching the tapestry, it was a giant piece which hang on the wall, showing a man teaching trolls how to dance, the more you looked at it the more weird things you'll find.

Finally, Allen walked in front of it three times, thinking about a room with small mirrors which no one will miss if he keeps one. To think that the first time I'm using the Room of Requirements is for something as mundane as a mirror and just to save money. Allen let out a long breath, then a door appeared in front of him, he looked to the sides, making sure that no one saw him and went in.

Inside the room where a multitude of mirrors and even thought he asked for small ones, the room, most likely determined to show off, brought fort all of its arsenal, from giant wall mirrors to small hand held ones, the whole room was practically a house of mirrors, like the ones from carnivals or amusement parks. One difference is that he could tell some of these were enchanted, with what, is something that he didn't know, but some of their lights shone with a warm light, while others shone with a dull and almost dangerous light, he couldn't understand how a simple light could look dangerous, but it did and it scared him a bit so he decided to ignore all of the other mirrors and look for a small one.

After searching for a bit, he found a silver mirror which could be closed and opened like a make-up mirror, there was only one downside however. Why is there a goddamn lion engraved on the back of it…?

While the light in mirror didn't show anything to be dangerous or suspicious, it still bothered him that the first mirror he picks up is with a lion engraved on the back. Is the world really out to get me? Allen continued to search for other mirrors but to no avail, since most of them were broken or he was unable to open them, even with his magic, while the others had that sinister light to them, then resigning himself, Allen took the small silver mirror and pocketed it while grumbling about how he hated the entity that brought him here and his sick sense of humour.

Allen opened the door to the outside, looking for anyone, just no one in particular, he was just making sure that no one was him. After he went out of the room and the door disappeared behind him, he remembered something else, a clock, he was missing a clock.

While it was okay to ask Armand for the time, he wouldn't be with him always and he spent more time than the others outside of the common room because of his detentions, so it makes sense for him to get a clock as well.

He turned back to the Room of Requirement, this time looking for a clock or a wristwatch. He was looking for any type of clock that he could carry. If I had to choose, I would prefer a pocket watch, since I don't really like wearing anything on my wrists. Do wizards even have a wristwatch? Probably not. But maybe a muggleborn lost one.

He entered the room back again, looking for any type of clock he could carry around with his new mirror.

The new room contained all types of clocks, from grandfather clocks to anniversary clocks, even some wristwatches, and yet, one of the few ones which he could carry and worked properly was a small pocket watch, gold in colour, with a snake engraved in the back. Allen didn't know if the gold was just paint or actual gold and he didn't care. "Are you messing with me?! What I'm supposed to do by carrying a goddamn snake and a lion, and what's worse, the colours are all inverted! The snake is supposed to be silver not gold! Goddammit!" He was about to throw the pocket watch but he calmed himself taking long breaths of air.

"Do you get a sense of satisfaction by mocking me like this, Room of Requirements?" Allen asked, looking up at the ceiling of the room and while nothing happened, the light that made up the room shone brightly, as if answering his question.

Allen couldn't tell exactly what the room was trying to say to him, but at least he understood that while it didn't do it on purpose, the room found his reactions funny. "You-" One of Allen's eye twitched a bit before he took another long breath while closing his eyes.

"Alright then, not like I can do anything, I mean, I can waste money and get my own stuff, but since I'm taking it for free I can't be picky, so I'll take it for now, maybe when I get money I can change them." Allen sighed, turning the doorknob to exit the room when the light shone with a bit of intensity, he looked back towards the ceiling again, a quizzical look on his face.

The room continued to shine in multitude of ways, trying to tell him something. "Hmm…" Allen looked at his new pocket watch and it was almost time for him to go to his detention if the time on it was correct, so after much deliberation it looked like the room wanted Allen to come again which Allen nodded, he would continue to come through all of his years at Hogwarts since it was the closest thing to a search engine he had at hand. Man, I miss the internet.

With such thoughts he left the Room of Requirements, promising to visit again. It was until he was walking down the stairs towards the dungeons that he realized. Wait! The Room can talk?! Why did it felt so normal?! No, it didn't talk, but for sure has conscience of some kind since it laughed at me and asked me to come back again. Wait! Did it ask me to go again because it wanted to laugh at me again? Allen let out a sigh. Just let it be, at the end of the day I did got two things I needed for free, it might as well take that as payment, yeah.

Allen convinced himself of the situation as if it were the mos normal thing in the world while he walked towards his detention.

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Armand and William didn't really say anything about his new two objects, mostly because he didn't want to show off but really couldn't hide them forever since they were for a necessity, and Armand already saw his pocket watch, since he needed to synchronize it with the actual time anyway.

One day, William couldn't take it anymore and decided to ask him about them while they were alone in the library, Sophia and Elsie were in class. "mate, I've been meaning to ask, but, didn't you hated anything with lions and all that stuff?"

"Actually, I've been wondering the same thing." Armand put down his book.

Allen sighed before answering. "Yeah yeah, I needed a mirror and a watch and didn't really wanted to waste money on them so I went to a lost and found place, and objects that were there too long could be taken for free, but the only hand mirror and pocket watch that were in good condition were these two." He took out the silver mirror and gold watch, showing it to them.

"Are you cursed?" William asked and Armand just nodded in agreement.

"The only two items are specifically a silver Gryffindor mirror and a golden Slytherin watch?"

Allen nodded. "I know, I know, believe me, I don't do it on purpose!"

Armand and William looked at each other and let out small laughs. "You know, that's okay, since this is better for your image! 'The Lion in the Snake's den' type of thing." William said while making weird movements with his hands.

"Ah, shut up and do your homework! Look, you made a mistake here, it's not lighting-wand, its Wand-Lighting!" Allen tried to change the topic, his face red as a tomato.

"What? But Armand told me its Lighting-Wand!"

"No, I said that you wouldn't want lighting in your wand, and that's why it's called Wand-Lighting charm"

"Argh, now I have to start again!" William scratched his head while the other two laughed as they continued to help him with his homework.

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Allen has been able to cast most of the basic spells in his books, while transfiguration continues to elude him as long as he uses his wand, otherwise he has no problem using his magic without it.

He continued to use his magic at random intervals, for example, he faked lifting his cup with his hand, while in actuality he was using his magic to levitate it, with his hand mirror in front of him, he could see the shine in his eyes appear and also the light covering the cup, yet, everyone around him could only see his eyes shine. So they can see when I activate magic, but not the magic per se, interesting.

Allen tested around other students from different houses, every time doing something different so they wouldn't notice that the shine indicated the activation of his magic or the usage of it.

While doing all of that, two weeks passed, close to his birthday. It would fall on a Tuesday so they wouldn't be really free and Allen didn't know if he should tell his friends or not, and while they are friends, it's not like they have been for a long time. Maybe I can tell them later, its not like I need anything either or will receive gifts, so I guess it's okay. Allen finished his detention while thinking about such things.

The next day, while they were eating breakfast, a small owl entered through the windows and dropped right in front of Allen, with a package in its claws.

It was a medium size package, covered in packaging wrap. Allen looked confused, as well as his two friends. It was normal to receive a package, most students did all around, either from their parents or relatives, but he didn't have either, so Allen wondered if it was actually for him. "Are you sure this is for me?" Allen asked at the owl while pointing at the package, the owl just nodded in confirmation.

"Did you order something mate?" William asked.

"No, not really." I don't have the money for that. Allen scratched his head and gave the owl a piece of beacon so it would leave.

"Well, why don't you open it?"

Allen activated his magic, and a few kids who were also looking at the package flinched, then went away after they saw his eyes. He looked at the package and while it didn't contain any malicious light, he still didn't know if opening it was a good idea or not.

After thinking for a while he decided to open it, mostly because William really wanted to see what was inside, and even thought Armand faked it, he also wanted to see what the package was, so he ripped the paper, showing a black rectangle box with a golden lion on the left side and a silver serpent on the right side of it. Allen quickly covered it up with the paper he ripped moments ago, but William and Armand saw it, and they were coughing, trying to cover their laughs.

He let out a long breath while looking at the box with pitying eyes. Does this world likes to mock me or what?