Call it what you want {Theodore Nott}

Chapter eighty

There were many places Amy didn't like.

Her grandparents manor in the countryside that definitely had something haunting at least three of the upstairs corridors.

The forbidden forest after sunset.

Snape's classroom when he is in a bad mood.

Any room containing Bellatrix Lestrange for more than five minutes.

But the Room of Requirement at night lit only by dim candlelight while four sixth years tried to repair a cursed magical cabinet for Voldemort was rapidly climbing the list.

The room felt wrong after dark. Too quiet, too aware. Dust floated through the air in the weak light covering piles of abandoned furniture and broken objects stacked endlessly. Somewhere far deeper into the room something creaked every few minutes loud enough to make Amy's skin crawl. And nobody even acknowledged it which somehow made it worse.

She stood near the Vanishing Cabinet with her arms folded tightly across herself, watching Theo and Mattheo argue over the damaged enchantments of the wood.

"It's unstable because you keep forcing it" Theo said, crouched beside it with his wand raised.

Mattheo leaned against the opposite side visibly unimpressed. "That's usually how fixing things works"

"No" Theo replied flatly. "That's how breaking things works"

Amy rubbed her eyes tiredly. This is how it has been for four weeks now and they still haven't seemed to have gotten anywhere.

The cabinet sat looming infront of them, dark wood cracked down one side, magic flickering faintly beneath the surface every few seconds like a pulse and every time it made a noise Amy felt her stomach tighten.

Draco sat a few feet away against one of the dusty cabinets watching which was probably best because when he gets involved argument occur very quickly.

"You know." Amy muttered, staring at the cabinet suspiciously. "I think it just moved."

Mattheo didn't even look up. "It's a cabinet"

"It moved threateningly"

"That's not a thing"

Theo snorted quietly and Amy pointed at the cabinet immediately, "See? Even now it's laughing at me."

"It probably reacting to fear" Theo teased.

And just as the room sensed some positive atmosphere it quickly removed it as the cabinet suddenly let out a splintering crack making all four of them jump.

"Brilliant." Draco said from the corner. "We've made it worse."

Theo stood up immediately, annoyed now. "Nobody touch it"

Mattheo raised an eyebrow. "Helpfully instruction considering that's why we're literally here."

Theo ignored him and stepped closer to the cabinet to inspect the inside edge.

Amy watched him carefully. He looked calm, Theo always looked calm. But she knew him well enough to notice the tension in his shoulders and the sharper edge underneath his voice when he was stressed. He was scared too but he just hid it better than most people did.