It's OK To Not Be Ok...Right?

83. Healing

The duo dropped the shopping off in Sloane's dorm and headed for the 7th floor to check on the cleaning crew. Sloane wasn't sure exactly what damage was done to the room during the battle. She knew it there was a fire. Cursed fire, but she wasn't sure if that would have any effect on its magic. They were happily walking down the hallway towards the room when Ginny came running to meet them. "I am so glad I found you," she gasped. "We have a slight issue."

"SLIGHT?" Sloane gasped as she stood in the centre of the Room Of Requirement. Her mouth hung open as she looked around.

"Every time we try to clean, the ash and dirt just come back," Harry sighed. "We've been at it for hours."

"We are going to need to come up with a plan, B," Ginny said, tapping her foot on the ground. "And quickly."

"That's a shame," Luna said quietly. "This room would have been perfect."

"Well, we have time to make another room perfect," Blaise said sadly. "Somewhere private. What about your common room, guys? It's quite spacious, and we could all fit comfortably?"

"Yeah, that would work," Harry said, wiping the sweat off his forehead but leaving a huge black mark. "I can't believe there is no more Room of Requirement. This place was a big part of Hogwarts Legacy."

"I think the room was too badly damaged during the fire," Hermione said sadly. Her hair was pushed back into a bun, and she looked like she had rolled around in a fireplace. Poor Blaise was wearing a light grey shirt at breakfast, now looked like he had been inked by the giant squid.

"It's magic is dying," Draco said, feeling the wall.

"Dying?" Luna asked, her hair the same colour as Sloane's now covered in soot.

Draco nodded. "Some say, this room was alive. That the magic it possessed was alive. And it died in the fire. It's too badly injured to heal itself." Draco had used this room quite a bit during his time at Hogwarts. It was a shame no one else would get to see how truly amazing it was.

"Heal itself," Sloane repeated as she walked around the room. She closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of the room. She wasn't sure what she was listening for exactly, but she could hear faint little whisps of noise. Almost like a whisper echoing around her. As if the room was in pain. "If the room were alive, that would mean -" She trailed off, not finishing her sentence. She wasn't sure what she was planning exactly. But if the room needed healing, well, that was something Sloane could do. And it was at least worth a go. She stood in the very centre of the room and looked up at the large candelabra. It was roughly the size of a large round dining table, and from what's he had read, it was the only consistent thing in the room that never changed. Like the heart of the room.

"Draco," she smiled at him. "Give me a boost, will you?"

Draco looked confused. "Sorry a what?"

"Levitate me up to the light. I have an idea." Draco was still not sure what she was up to, but he stood in front if her and lifted his wand out of his pocket.

"Blaise and Harry, give me a hand, will you?" He looked to Sloane. "Just to be safe. I don't want anything to happen to you." All three boys made a circle around Sloane and together lifted her off the ground and raised her up to the light fixture.

Sloane took a deep breath and closed her eyes, placing her hands on the fixture. She wasn't sure where to start. Usually, when she was healing, there was a wound to focus on. This time, it was a large room, so she focused on thinking of it as a burn on the skin. She imagined the ash vanishing, leaving behind the room that once was. She pictured a glow spreading iverbthe walls, ceiling, and floor, removing all traces of the fire. She could feel it so she knew something was happening. Actually, it was better than healing a wound as it wasn't draining her energy. But it must have worked as she heard Luna giggle and clap her hands, and Hermione was repeating "extraordinary" over and over.