Legacy of Magic

Chapter 8

Eloise and Sebastian arrived in a whirl of emerald flames, stepping out of the Floo Network and into the Room of Requirement. The moment his feet touched the ground, Sebastian stood in place, blinking in disbelief at the sight before him. His mouth hung open as he took in the massive room, every corner brimming with bookshelves, enchanted lights, and various magical objects. The space seemed to stretch on forever, with more secrets and surprises around every corner.
"What in Merlin's name..." Sebastian muttered, still gobsmacked. He spun in place slowly, eyes wide with wonder. "Where are we?"
Eloise, a satisfied smirk curling on her lips, turned to face him. "Believe it or not, we are in Hogwarts. Welcome to the Room of Requirement," she announced proudly.
Sebastian whipped his head around to look at her. "You're joking. This place is real? I thought it was just a myth!"
"It's very real," Eloise replied with a soft laugh. "Professor Weasley gave it to me last year so I could have a place to study and practice magic. I had a lot of catching up to do when I started Hogwarts."
Sebastian was about to ask more when the air in front of them cracked, and with a small *pop*, a familiar house elf appeared before them.
"Deek!" Eloise exclaimed happily, stepping forward. The elf bowed politely but smiled with genuine warmth.
"Miss Eloise, it's good to see you again!" Deek said, his voice filled with enthusiasm. "Deek is always happy when Miss Eloise visits."
Eloise introduced Sebastian, gesturing toward him. "This is my friend Sebastian. I hope it's alright that I showed him this place. I trust him completely."
Deek looked up at Sebastian, his large, orb-like eyes studying the boy briefly before nodding. "If Miss Eloise trusts him, then Deek does too. It is good to meet you, Sir"
Sebastian managed to tear his gaze from the room long enough to give a polite nod to the house elf. "Nice to meet you too, Deek."
Eloise smiled warmly at the elf. "So, how are things? Have you been well? Is everything alright here?"
Deek nodded excitedly. "Yes, yes! Deek has been happy caring for the creatures and watching over the room while Miss Eloise is away. Deek has also great news: the he hippogriff's egg has finally hatched!"
Eloise's face lit up, eyes gleaming with excitement. "It has?! Oh, I have to see it!" Without warning, she grabbed Sebastian's hand and dragged him up the stairs before he could protest, her excitement contagious.
They entered through the door and the moment they stepped inside, Sebastian stopped dead in his tracks. His jaw nearly hit the floor. The place looked like a glass greenhouse from the outside, but inside, it was a breathtaking shoreline. The sky above shimmered with enchantments, and magical creatures roamed freely—hippogriffs, puffskeins, diricawls, even a towering graphorn. It was like nothing he had ever seen before.
"Bloody hell..." Sebastian whispered in awe.
Eloise, beaming from ear to ear, ran ahead to one of the hippogriffs lounging on the sand. "Highwing!" she called out joyfully.
The majestic creature lifted her head and nuzzled her baby affectionately. Eloise knelt beside them, petting Highwing's feathers tenderly.
"Oh, Highwing, this is wonderful! You're a mother now! I can't wait to tell Poppy, she will be over the moon." She glanced back at Sebastian and chuckled, noticing his gaping expression. "If you don't close your mouth, Sebastian, you'll end up with a diricawl nesting in it."
Sebastian snapped his mouth shut, shaking his head in disbelief. "Eloise... this is... unbelievable."
She waved him over. "Come on, don't just stand there. Come meet Highwing and her mate, Calico. You do remember how to greet a hippogriff, don't you?"
Sebastian nodded, though his nerves spiked as he approached the regal creatures. He took a deep breath and gave a low bow, just as he had learned in Care of Magical Creatures. His heart raced as Highwing regarded him with intelligent, golden eyes before bowing back.
"Go ahead," Eloise urged. "You can touch her now."
Tentatively, Sebastian reached out, brushing his fingers over Highwing's soft feathers. "Where did all these creatures come from?" he asked in awe.
"I rescued them," Eloise explained, her voice full of pride. "I spent all of last year freeing them from poachers and bringing them here. It wasn't safe to release them yet, so this became their sanctuary. The room has three more vivariums like this one."
Sebastian shook his head, unable to fathom how Eloise had managed such a feat. "How did you do all of this?"
She simply smiled at him, her eyes sparkling in the enchanted light. "It wasn't easy, but someone had to and I had Deek's help, of course."
Before Sebastian could respond, the ground seemed to tremble slightly as the massive graphorn approached. His instincts flared, and without thinking, he placed a protective hand on Eloise's waist, pulling her slightly closer. Her cheeks flushed at his touch, but she quickly reassured him.
"It's alright," she said softly, resting her hand on his arm. "This is the Lord of the Shore. We met during one of the keepers' trials. He's a bit intimidating, but really, he's just a big softie."
"Well, at this point I don't know if you are incredibly brave or just insane" Sebastian relaxed but kept his hand where it was, his heart thudding in his chest.
"Maybe a little of both" she teased
He compared this magical haven to his own secret hideout, the Undercroft. The comparison was almost laughable now. The Undercroft seemed so small and dreary next to this.
As if reading his thoughts, Eloise smiled and said, "You showed me your secret place, so I thought it was only fair to share mine."
As they finished setting up the picnic on the soft sand, the afternoon sunlight streaming through the clouds. The air was filled with the soft sounds of magical creatures milling about, the occasional rustle of wings or the gentle purring of the puffskeins nearby. The atmosphere felt dreamlike—safe, comfortable, as if the world outside didn't exist for just a while.
Sebastian couldn't take his eyes off Eloise. She looked radiant under the sun's soft light, her auburn hair catching the glow and reflecting it in deep red and her gray eyes sparkling as she interacted with the creatures. When she smiled, it lit up something deep inside him, a warmth that he never felt before
They sat side by side on the picnic cloth, their hands occasionally brushing as they reached for the food Mrs. Bickle had prepared. Each touch sent an electric jolt through Sebastian, a sensation that was becoming harder to ignore.
Sebastian relaxed, his gaze sweeping across the lush shoreline nursery of the Room of Requirement. The sunlight filtered through the enchanted clouds, casting a warm, golden glow over the water's edge. He was quiet for a moment, taking it all in, deeply impressed by the sanctuary Eloise had crafted.
"What are you staring at?" Eloise asked with a playful grin, noticing his thoughtful expression.
He turned to her, his eyes warm and teasing. "You," he said softly. "You are amazing, do you know that? You created this place, is one of the best students in our year, even being so may years late and even bested me in dueling. Is there anything you can't do?"
She laughed, brushing a stray lock of auburn hair behind her ear. "Oh, plenty. For starters, I can't cook to save my life, I'm a dreadful singer, I'm absolutely terrified of snakes, and—" she paused, a little embarrassed, "I can't ride a bike."
"A bike?" Sebastian echoed, confused, a small smirk tugging at his lips. "What in Merlin's name is a bike?"
Eloise laughed again, eyes twinkling. Sometimes she simply forgets that wizards don't know what some muggle stuff is "It's a Muggle thing. I'll have to show you one day."
"I'll hold you to that," he replied, still slightly amused, but intrigued. "I can't imagine you being bad at anything."
"Oh, you you'll see. If watching me fall on my face sounds amusing to you, then you're going to have the time of your life" she laughed, lightheartedly
Then the infant hippogriff came closer to them, curious about the picnic basket, "Why don't you give this little one a name?" Eloise asked, her voice light and playful as she motioned to the small creature.
"Me? Are you sure?" He replied surprised
"Yes, I have named all the creatures in this place already, except the Lord of the Shore and Highwing. I'm sure you can come up with some nice name ideas"
Sebastian glanced at the tiny hippogriff, its silvery feathers shimmering in the light. But when he turned back to Eloise, he found himself captivated by the way her eyes seemed to reflect that same silvery glow. "Silvershine," he said quietly, almost as if the name had been pulled from his thoughts without him realizing.
"Her feathers... they remind me of your eyes".
Eloise's lips curled into a soft smile, her cheeks flushed with warmth as she repeated the name, "Silvershine... That's perfect."
For a moment, everything around them seemed to fade—the creatures, the gentle lull of the waves on the shore-like nursery, the sunlight filtering through the enchanted ceiling. All Sebastian could focus on was her—the way her hand rested just inches from his on the blanket, the way her lips parted slightly as she smiled at him.
His heart pounded in his chest, loud enough that he was sure she could hear it. He swallowed hard, a nervous energy filling him as he reached out, tentatively slipping his fingers around hers. Merlin, what was this that he was feeling? That girl was messing with his head and making him feel things he never experienced before and he thinks she didn't even realized that. Eloise looked down at their entwined hands, then up into his eyes and just smiled.
His thoughts drifted to the first time he saw her. She had entered the Great Hall looking so lost, like a frightened bunny in a sea of strangers, yet there had been something about her that had caught his eye even then. He had always thought she was beautiful—more than that, intriguing. In such a short time, she had become one of the most important people in his life—more than a friend, though he wasn't quite sure what that meant yet. There was something about her presence, the way she could make him feel both calm and restless all at once. He glanced at her, the sun catching the auburn strands of her hair, and for a fleeting moment, he felt an overwhelming desire to kiss her. It was as though the world had narrowed to just the two of them, and the space between them felt insignificant, easily bridged. But something deep inside him held him back—perhaps it was the guilt that still festered within him, or the fear that someone like him, someone so broken, didn't deserve someone as remarkable as her. So, he swallowed the feeling, letting it pass with the breeze, and simply smiled, masking the whirlwind of emotions that stirred within