If we reach 30 PowerStones within the next 10 hours, a bonus chapter will be unlocked tomorrow !
And it gets better: for every additional 30 PowerStones, there will be one more bonus chapter!
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The morning sun cast a golden glow over the frosted windows of the Ravenclaw Tower. It was Monday, the first official day back after the holidays. Louis was the first to arrive in the common room, a mug of hot tea in his hands and a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes. His friends trickled in one by one, rubbing sleep from their eyes and clutching parchment filled with notes.
"Morning," Evangeline yawned, flopping down on a velvet armchair.
"Did anyone dream of that room last night?" Cho asked, stretching. "Because I did. And I think it was trying to eat me."
Louis chuckled. "It is a maze of chaos, after all. But we won't find the Diadem just wandering aimlessly through it."
Charles leaned in, brushing crumbs off his cloak. "So what do we do? It's impossible to search it all. Even if we worked every evening for months."
Louis tapped his fingers against his mug, then looked up. "We create a spell."
"A spell?" Evangeline blinked. "To find the Diadem?"
"Not exactly. A spell to organize. To classify and sort every item in the Room of Hidden Things. Once categorized, we can isolate magical artifacts with high enchantment signatures. That's where the Diadem will be."
His friends exchanged glances. Charles smirked. "Of course you'd say that like it's easy."
"It's not," Louis admitted, "but it's possible. I've created spells before. This will just take time."
That week passed in a blur of classes, homework, and whispered discussions about enchantment theory. Louis spoke with Fleur every evening through their mental link. Their conversations brought him calm—reminders of their connection, her teasing encouragements, her faith in his talents.
"You're brilliant, Louis," she said one night. "But don't forget to sleep. Even heroes need rest."
He smiled as her voice filled his mind like a soft breeze. "I'll rest once the Diadem is found. You'll see—it'll be worth it."
"It better be. Or I'm coming there myself to drag you to bed," she replied, mock-stern.
Each day after their classes and assignments, the Secret Seekers met in the common room or in secluded corners of the library. Louis led the sessions, sketching complex runes and formulas on long scrolls of parchment.
"We'll need a series of enchantments," he explained one evening, unfurling diagrams of magical circuits. "Detection, classification, levitation, and tagging. All bound by a focus rune keyed to a mental query."
"And you think we can do this?" Cho asked.
"With enough focus and effort, yes. We're Ravenclaws, remember?"
Three weeks flew by. Their spell took shape—lines of elegant incantations, gestures practiced to precision, a magical syntax refined through debate and trial. The common room floor was often littered with failed scrolls, some slightly scorched, others glowing faintly with unstable magic.
But eventually, they had it: a working prototype.
On Saturday morning, they returned to the Room of Hidden Things. The ancient door shimmered open, revealing the endless sea of forgotten and discarded objects.
Louis stood at the center, wand in hand, the others forming a semi-circle around him. The air was thick with dust and latent magic.
He took a deep breath and began the incantation. The spell surged from his wand, swirling into the air like a silver mist. It expanded, forming threads of energy that spread throughout the room, attaching to objects one by one.
Books stacked themselves. Enchanted items glowed in shades of blue and green. Broken cauldrons clinked softly as they floated into a corner. The room seemed to shift and breathe.
"It's working," Cho whispered in awe.
"Incredible," Charles added. "But... look how slow it is. We've barely cleared a fraction."
Indeed, despite the spell's success, the sheer volume of the room overwhelmed its capabilities. Mountains of clutter still loomed beyond the sorted sections.
Louis lowered his wand, sweat beading on his brow. "We'll need someone casting continuously. And that will tire even the strongest of us."
"So we need to either take turns or... find a way to enhance the spell's efficiency," Evangeline said thoughtfully.
They all nodded. Even the smallest items took several seconds to be categorized.
"Let's split up research," Louis suggested. "We'll study magical amplifiers, spell accelerators, and focus anchors. If we improve the spell, we'll find the Diadem before the end of term."
The team agreed, determination in their eyes. Their trust in Louis—and in one another—had deepened.
That night, as Louis lay in bed, the darkness of the dormitory wrapped around him, he reached out through his bond with Fleur.
"We did it," he whispered silently. "The spell works. It's slow, but it works."
Fleur's presence bloomed in his mind like a candle being lit. "You're incredible, Louis. I knew you'd figure it out."
"We're going to keep improving it. I think we're getting closer. And... thank you. For always believing in me."
"Always," she replied softly. "And remember, you promised to talk to me every day."
He smiled. "As if I could forget."
Despite the long road ahead, their spirits were high. The spell had worked. The impossible now felt within reach.