65 Ancient Room
The corridor was quiet, with only the faint flickering of torchlight casting dancing shadows on the old stone walls. Lucas moved silently, with his footsteps muffled by the magic that made him invisible and undetectable. He was dressed in plain black robes, the fabric soft and well-worn. His black hair was a touch wild, framing his face as his bright emerald eyes held an intense focus.
Another Horcrux, he mused. But this one will be different from the one in my scar. That one was an accident, a fragment that latched onto me when Voldemort tried to kill me as a baby. It didn't have the full power of a real Horcrux.
He smiled slightly, a wry twist of his lips. Not that it matters much. I'm not scared of Horcruxes anymore. The one in my scar only affected me because it was there from the start, before I knew anything about magic or how to defend my mind. But now? With my Vast Sea Visualization, any other Horcrux would have to be insanely strong to get past my defences.
His steps slowed as he neared the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy trying to teach trolls ballet. It was a silly scene, but Lucas barely spared it a glance. He was focused on his goal - the Room of Requirement.
Stopping in the empty stretch of wall across from the tapestry, Lucas closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath to cast Thermal Currents of the Vast Sea. In his mind, he pictured his Vast Sea - an endless expanse of deep blue water stretching out to the horizon. As he inhaled, he imagined the sun's warmth piercing the surface, creating currents that spread through the cool depths. The wind stirred the waves, carrying the warmth with it.
When he exhaled a second later, his perception transformed, allowing him to suddenly sense the thermal signatures all around, carried to him on the currents of his mental sea. He knew immediately that he was alone in the corridor. The only heat signatures were far below, the distant warmth of other people elsewhere in the castle.
Opening his eyes, Lucas began to pace. "I need a place to store something," he thought as he walked. "I need a place to store something." Three times he passed the blank stretch of wall, focusing intently on what he required.
On his final pass, the stones seemed to ripple and shift, and a large wooden door appeared, the surface rough and weathered. Lucas grinned and reached out, his fingers closing around the iron handle. It was cool to the touch as he turned it and pulled.
The room beyond was massive, stretching out farther than he could see. Towering piles of junk and discarded items filled the space - broken furniture, old books, rusted cauldrons, and countless other bits of detritus. The air smelled musty, thick with the scent of dust and age.
"The Room of Hidden Things," Lucas whispered. Somewhere amidst this vast jumble of discarded items was the Horcrux he sought. But finding it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
He glanced back at the door, still standing open behind him. Focusing his will, he silently requested that it close and lock. A moment later, it swung shut with a muffled thud, sealing him inside.
Turning back to the mountains of junk, Lucas raised his hands, his brow furrowing in concentration. Slowly, the piles began to shift and move, pulled by an invisible force. Broken chairs and shattered desks scraped across the floor, old books fluttered and flapped like strange birds. Gradually, a path began to clear down the centre of the room, the junk compressing itself against the walls on either side.
Lucas walked forward with his hands still outstretched and guided the debris with his magic. Perspiration dampened his fringe as he fought against the mental strain, jaw clenched with effort.
The usual levitation spell would be useless for the next part. It works well enough on objects nearby or right in front of me, but with so much junk piled high and out of sight, I'd be limited. And the wanded Accio spell has its own drawbacks - it's great for summoning a specific item, but trying to summon 'containers' or 'books' from this mess would be inefficient at best. And I don't want to rely on a wand in either case…
He didn't stop until he reached the centre of the room, a wide open space now cleared amid the chaos. Lowering his hands, Lucas closed his eyes, letting himself sink into the peaceful depths of his inner ocean. In his mind's eye, he was standing on a rocky cliff, the salty wind tugging at his robes as he looked out over the vast, blue expanse before him.
Under the gently rolling waves, the ocean floor lay hidden in shadows. But as Lucas focused, small points of soft light began to appear down in the murky depths. Each one glowed with its own unique brilliance, like a magical signature calling out to him.
These were the bags and pouches scattered around the Room of Hidden Things. Lucas could sense their essence within his mindscape, awaiting his command to be summoned forth. Concentrating his intent, he sent out a pulse like sonar, and the glowing points flickered in response, acknowledging his call.
With his targets in mind, Lucas conjured a powerful current to sweep across the ocean floor. This undersea river didn't flow aimlessly but with purpose, guided by his will alone. It curved and snaked around the glowing lights, aligning itself perfectly with their positions.
The current transformed, taking the shape of an delicate, glistening net - the Net of Neptus, woven of the sea's own magical essence. Each diamond-shaped mesh acted as a conduit for Lucas's focused intent, designed to encircle only the desired objects while leaving all else untouched.
Raising his arms, mirroring the rising tide, Lucas envisioned the net tightening around the glowing points, drawing them inwards. He could feel it ascending, pulled upwards by the inexorable pull of the moon's gravity. His mind remained vigilant, guiding the net safely through unseen currents.
At last, the net broke through the surface in a spray of foamy brine. The captured lights now hovered above the sand as physical objects. With a final exhalation, Lucas released the net's hold, allowing the captured bags and pouches to settle in an orderly pile at his feet. As the magic faded, he lowered his arms, the physical motion mirroring the spell's end.
Opening his eyes, Lucas smiled at the gathered objects. The Net of Neptus had worked well, though he could see that the visualization still wasn't perfect. Even from his position here, he could see a couple of left-over schoolbags in the distance. He would need to refine his intent to locate the desired items more in the future.
"Good enough for now," he said, satisfaction warming his voice.
Lucas looked over the pile of bags and pouches he had summoned with a critical eye. Rather than rummaging through them physically, he used precise levitation to lift and inspect each one, carefully checking their insides without making direct contact. Most were small and contained nothing but dust and grime. But then one small drawstring pouch caught his attention, its interior space magically enlarged.
A pleased smile tugged at his lips. Perfect. Can't be too careful when dealing with discarded magical artifacts. Who knows what kind of nasty curses or jinxes might be lingering on these things?
He set the expanded pouch aside with a gentle wave of his hand and continued his inspection of the others, exercising the same caution. By the time he was done, Lucas had uncovered eight expanded pouches and three small bags with similar enchantments, all hovering untouched before him.
These will be invaluable for clearing this place out efficiently. No need to risk touching anything directly if I can just summon and levitate objects into the expanded containers.
Straightening up, Lucas glanced around at the towering stacks of junk still lining the walls. "Time to put that new spell to work," he murmured aloud, rolling his shoulders. The Net of Neptus was still fairly new to him, only developed a couple of months ago. Maintaining the elaborate visualization while also focusing his intent was incredibly draining, especially when summoning multiple objects from amidst all this mess.
But I have to master it. This room is the perfect training ground, with more than enough random debris to practice on. The more I can summon and control with the spell, the quicker I'll loot this room and find the Horcrux.
Lucas slipped back into his mental landscape, the tranquil expanse of the Vast Sea swelling up to greet him once more. This time, he pictured the glittering forms of knuts, sickles, and galleons scattered across the ocean floor...
Over the next few hours, Lucas cycled through the Net of Neptus spell again and again, his mind straining as he summoned and sorted various objects with a complex visualization of ocean currents and glistening nets of magic. Books, brooms, cauldrons, and more streamed through the air at his silent command, guided by trembling gestures as sweat beaded on his brow.
Keep going... almost there...
With each subsequent casting, the strain intensified, a tightness forming behind his eyes and a throbbing ache taking root in his temples. The mental exertion of casting such a intent-heavy spell was taking its toll.
I've pushed far enough for today. Don't want to be a mental wreck when I finally face that Horcrux.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of intense concentration, Lucas lowered his aching arms and let the visualization dissolve. The Net of Neptus faded back into his mind, leaving him slumped on the floor amid piles of sorted items - coins, books, brooms, cauldrons, and more. He had cleared out a significant portion of the room's contents, but there was still more left to go.
Not bad for just an afternoon's work, he thought, glancing around at the remaining stacks of junk. But I've reached my limit for today. That spell is still new, and focusing my intent over such an involved visualization for so long is utterly draining.
Pushing himself back to his feet with effort, Lucas turned his attention to the small collection of expanded bags and pouches he had claimed earlier. With a few deft waves of his hand, the various sorted items began drifting over and packing themselves neatly away, leaving no need for direct contact.
Once the last galleon was secure, Lucas sealed the enchanted pouches, satisfied with the significant progress made - far more efficient than painstaking manual labour.
With a deep, steadying breath, Lucas turned and began picking his way back through the stacks towards the room's hidden entrance. His footsteps were silent and his emerald eyes looked exhausted as he prepared to depart.
Tomorrow, I'll return refreshed and ready to hunt down that twisted fragment of Voldemort's soul. No more delays, no more distractions. It's time to start tearing his defences apart, piece by piece.
Pausing before the seemingly solid wall, Lucas focused his intent once more, and the door materialized with a dull rumble of shifting stone. He didn't look back as he stepped through and let it seal itself behind him, already making plans for the rest of the day.
oo0ooOoo0oo
Thirty minutes later, Lucas found himself standing in a small alcove near the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. His footsteps were silent on the thick stone floor as he approached a carved astronomical clock nestled in the nook. Numerous clock faces of varying sizes covered the device, tracking different celestial cycles with their ornate hands and dials. To the casual observer, it would seem like nothing more than an elaborate timepiece.
But Lucas knew better.
His emerald eyes scanned the clock's facade with both anticipation and satisfaction. Just the existence of this thing within Hogwarts' halls was a tantalizing clue, a breadcrumb leading towards something far greater – the reality of Ancient Magic.
In his previous life, he had played the Hogwarts Legacy game multiple times, exploring every nook and cranny of the virtual castle. He vividly remembered this very astronomical clock serving as the hidden entrance to the Undercroft.
Could the same hold true in this timeline? A sly grin tugged at the corner of his mouth as he considered the possibility.
Raising one hand, Lucas prepared to unlock the entrance through his will. Smashing or destroying the ancient device was out of the question – such a heavy-handed approach risked triggering who knew what kind of protective enchantments or failsafes. No, it was better to solve this puzzle the proper way, to demonstrate his worthiness.
And thanks to his eidetic memory, he could vividly picture the exact sequence needed to unlock the clock's hidden mechanisms. He had watched the game's protagonist and Sebastian Sallow perform the ritual, after all.
With a slow, sweeping motion of his hand, Lucas willed the clock's numerous hands and dials into motion. Dozens of ornate clock faces began to spin rapidly, their hands blurring into bright streaks as they whirled about their axes. All except for two specific indicators – one small minute hand that gradually angled itself towards the four o'clock position, and the large moon phase dial at the bottom right, its pointer settling on the new moon phase.
The entire process took less than five seconds, but Lucas's sharp eyes didn't miss a single detail. He heard the subtle click and groan of ancient mechanisms lurching into life, likely for the first time in decades, perhaps even a century.
A triumphant smirk spread across his face as the astronomical clock's carved front panel swung open like a tiny door, confirming his theory. The Undercroft was real. Ancient Magic was probably real. His past life knowledge had proven itself useful once more.
Even if he didn't yet understand the true nature or scope of this Ancient Magic, the fact remained that it was something distinct and unique – something purer, more primal than the wanded magic currently taught at Hogwarts. A truer form of power, one that could potentially shatter any limits or restrictions placed upon modern spellcasting.
The possibilities were... intriguing, to say the least.
Wasting no time, Lucas quickly slipped through the clock's miniature entrance, pausing only to cast a casual wave of his hand. At his silent command, the carved wooden door swung shut behind him with a dull thunk, sealing off the outside world.
He found himself standing in a dusty antechamber of sorts, the flickering torchlight casting dancing shadows across the coarse stone walls. A gritty metal gate barred his path further inwards, the wrought iron bars gleaming dully in the low light.
Frowning slightly, Lucas studied the gate for a moment, half-expecting to need to utilize another specific method or ritual to bypass it. But to his surprise, the gate simply lifted upwards on its own with a rattling clank of metal on stone, granting him entry.
Quirking an eyebrow, he stepped forward, passing beneath the raised portcullis and emerging into a much larger, cavernous space beyond. The warm glow of candles and torches illuminated a labyrinth of thick pillars and weathered stone arches. Scattered throughout the shadowy room were a variety of artifacts and curios – wooden barrels and crates, faded tapestries and rugs, even a few statues clad in antique suits of armour with their visors down as if standing eternal guard.
The stuffy scent of aged stone and rotting fabric hung heavy in the air, mingling with the smoky tang of the flickering braziers lining the walls. Lucas's eyes scanned his surroundings, taking in every detail as he walked further into the Undercroft.
This was it. The first step on a path that could lead... well, who knew where? But one thing was certain – he intended to grasp Ancient Magic no matter what he had to do.
