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Chapter 65: The Room of Requirement
The dormitory was still pitch black when Wade, half-asleep, suddenly felt an unfamiliar gaze upon him.
Alone in the silent dorm, the presence of that unseen watchful eye stood out with unnerving clarity.
Dazed, Wade blinked open his eyes. In the darkness, he saw a row of enormous, shimmering eyes floating in midair—like tiny lanterns drifting through the void.
Thud!
His heart lurched violently. Wade shot upright, instinctively pointing his wand forward. “Who’s there?!”
“It’s Gr—” a high-pitched, sharp voice chimed, “—Mr. Gray has awakened. Zoe knew Mr. Gray would return to the Castle today. Zoe has been waiting.”
With a flick of its long, slender fingers, the house-elf snapped its fingers—and instantly, the oil lamp flared to life.
Three house-elves stood side by side in the center of the dorm, utterly unaware of how startling their sudden appearance was, their faces glowing with cheerful smiles.
Wade’s pulse still hammered against his ribs. He took a deep breath, his cold fingers slowly warming. His scalp still tingled as if electrified.
“Zoe… Habi… Fell,” Wade said, forcing his voice to remain calm. “It’s been a while—what are you doing here, at this hour?”
The tiny creatures bowed deeply, their large ears swaying with delight.
“It’s like this—Christmas, Fell received another gift from Mr. Wade Gray—”
“But Mr. Wade Gray must have noticed—he never received Habi’s gift—”
“It wasn’t that there was no gift… it’s just that Zoe had something better prepared—”
“Fell wanted to give Mr. Wade Gray the gift he truly wanted. But what did Mr. Wade Gray want? Fell thought and thought—”
“While cleaning the Ravenclaw Tower, Habi overheard a First Year student’s conversation… and finally, Habi knew!”
The three elves beamed, speaking in perfect unison:
“Mr. Wade Gray must want a broomstick!”
“I do want one,” Wade said, sitting up on the bed, watching them. “But the school rule says First Years aren’t allowed to bring broomsticks into the Castle.”
Otherwise, he could’ve just bought a new one himself during the Christmas holiday.
“There is a rule,” Zoe said, spreading her arms wide. “But Mr. Wade Gray would never break it. Because the broomstick was already here—Mr. Wade Gray is only using it.”
First Years were allowed to borrow older students’ brooms after a good flying lesson—just for a few laps in the air. And during Quidditch practices, it was common to see young wizards gathered around the pitch, waiting to borrow a broom and fly for a few minutes.
But house-elves couldn’t steal a student’s broom. Nor could they give away school-owned brooms as gifts.
“You… found a discarded broom?” Wade asked, eyes wide with surprise.
“Not just one,” Habi said, bouncing with excitement, ears swaying. “Several! All without a master—”
“Come with Zoe, Mr. Wade Gray,” the tiny elf said, tugging at his fingers. “Zoe wants to show you your gift.”
“Oh… alright—wait, let me put on some clothes first.” Wade pulled back the blanket, sitting up. Then he hesitated. “Uh… could you… maybe step out for a moment?”
…
It was a gray January morning, the sky so dark it felt like twilight. A biting wind howled through the windows, and frost had already crept across the window sills.
Wade followed the three house-elves through the vast, echoing corridors of the castle, his footsteps echoing like distant drumbeats.
It was nearly dawn. Even Filch wouldn’t be prowling now, waiting to catch rule-breakers. The entire castle felt abandoned—empty, silent—like a scene from an ancient oil painting.
Wrapped in thick layers, Wade glanced at the house-elves, still wrapped in only a thin tea towel. “Don’t you feel cold?” he asked.
Fell shook his head. “No. Fell can adapt to any environment—summer, winter, hot, cold—no problem.”
What extraordinary creatures they are.
Wade stared at them.
These beings, so different from wizards, didn’t rely on wands. They were born with innate magic—unrestricted, powerful, capable of wandless spells and endless Apparition.
If not for the deep-seated belief implanted in their minds—absolute obedience, the necessity of wizardly servitude—they might be far more dangerous than a fire dragon.
Throughout history, goblins had rebelled, fought for their rights. But house-elves, even when abused, tortured, or killed, never rebelled. They never defied their masters.
So most wizards dreamed of owning a house-elf—but those who had them rarely treated them kindly.
The house-elves at Hogwarts were among the luckiest. At least students didn’t take pleasure in tormenting them.
Wade lowered his eyes and followed the elves down long corridors, descending two flights of stairs, then ascending a few more—until they reached a section near the Gryffindor Tower.
The corridor was empty. One wall was bare and white. The other bore a massive, vivid tapestry: a wizard wearing a hat teaching goblins ballet. The giant figures turned their heads to watch as the group passed.
Then Wade remembered.
His breath caught.
His heart quickened.
He whispered, “This… this is where?”
“The Room of Requirement, Mr. Gray,” Zoe said. “We also call it the Room of Requirement. It only appears when someone truly needs it.”
“Walk past this wall three times,” Habi explained, stepping forward and murmuring softly: “Habi needs a place to hide things… a place to hide things… a place to hide things…”
He paced back and forth. On the third pass, the wall shimmered—then a smooth, seamless door appeared. The door had a glossy, warm copper handle.
Fell stood on tiptoe, pulled hard on the handle—and the massive door creaked open slowly.
Wade held his breath.
Before him stretched a vast, cavernous space—like a city of towering walls.
Mountains of abandoned items filled the room: broken furniture, rusted weapons, statues shattered by dark magic, a Muggle cannon, thousands of books, forbidden dangerous toys, glass bottles filled with unknown potions.
His heart pounded.
The three house-elves beamed proudly, presenting a broomstick that had been cleaned, polished, and tied with a red, frayed ribbon.
“This is your Christmas gift, Mr. Gray!” they cried in unison. “The best one here!”
“It’s a little old,” Fell whispered gently, “but it still flies beautifully.”
No.
Wade thought.
This room—this Room of Requirement, which I’ve searched for so long—is the real gift.
He reached out, seized the broom, and his face lit up with wonder.
The smile that spread across his face seemed to brighten the entire room.
And the three tiny elves, utterly delighted, grinned back—foolish, radiant, utterly satisfied.
(End of Chapter)
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