The Hogwarts Express rolled through the snow-blanketed Scottish countryside, a crimson serpent weaving across the white landscape. Louis sat by the window, chin propped on one hand, his breath faintly fogging the glass. The winter sun cast a pale glow across his thoughtful expression. The holidays had left him with warmth, clarity, and something new—a lightness in his heart he hadn't known before.
Returning to Hogwarts felt different this time. He was no longer just Louis, the brilliant Ravenclaw with an old soul—he was also someone Fleur Delacour cared about, someone who had stepped deeper into the mysteries of magic and himself.
The castle loomed ahead, grand and familiar. Snowflakes danced in the breeze as he stepped from the carriage, his trunk floating obediently behind him. The air was sharp and cold, but it only invigorated him.
Inside the Ravenclaw common room, starlight glittered above the domed ceiling. The fire crackled, casting amber reflections on the marble floor. Louis barely had time to settle his trunk at the base of the spiral staircase before a voice called out.
"Louis! Finally!" Cho exclaimed, closing her book with a snap.
"I thought you'd miss the start of term," Evangeline added with a mock stern tone, though her eyes sparkled.
Charles leaned casually against the fireplace, grinning. "Back from the land of pastries and romance?"
Louis laughed softly and made his way over. "Not just romance. I learned quite a bit—and I have some things to share."
He sat down, feeling the warmth of the fire seep into his fingers. They exchanged stories of their holidays for a while—small tales of family dinners, frosted walks, magical mishaps—and then Louis raised a hand, the firelight dancing in his eyes.
"I visited Nicolas Flamel."
The room fell silent.
"The Nicolas Flamel?" Charles asked, straightening.
Louis nodded. "Yes. I told him about the diadem i found in Rowena's chamber. He believes it was just a prototype. The real Ravenclaw's Diadem, the original one with the full enchantments, might still be hidden in Hogwarts."
Cho leaned in. "Do you think it's... powerful?"
"He says it enhances clarity, focus, even logical thinking. If we find it... it could be invaluable."
A stunned pause followed.
But Louis wasn't finished. "And one more thing," he added, his voice softer. "Over the break, I asked Fleur to be my girlfriend."
Cho gasped. "Fleur Delacour? The Fleur Delacour?"
Evangeline's jaw dropped. "She's practically a celebrity, she even won the last duel tournament!"
Charles burst out laughing. "She's older than you—but of course, Louis, you probably wrote a thesis about the pros and cons before deciding. You always know what you're doing."
Louis grinned, but a hint of pink rose to his cheeks. "It felt right."
After the moment of surprise passed, they leaned in again.
"So, about the real diadem?" Evangeline asked, still clearly processing the Fleur reveal.
Louis took a deep breath. "Flamel said it may be hidden in the Room of Requirement—but only if you enter while thinking of a place to hide things."
Without hesitation, they agreed. They wouldn't wait for classes to begin. This was too important.
The corridor near the Room of Requirement was quiet and cold, echoes of their footsteps bouncing off the stone. Together, they paced back and forth, thinking clearly and deliberately: A place to hide something... to store the forgotten... the unwanted... the lost...
On the third pass, the wall shimmered and a door appeared.
They exchanged glances, then Louis opened it.
Gasps filled the air.
The room stretched endlessly in every direction, an ocean of forgotten items: broken cauldrons, cracked mirrors, old textbooks, faded furniture, lost brooms, and objects whose function could only be guessed at. Some glittered faintly with dormant enchantments. Others thrummed softly with magic that hadn't been touched in decades.
"This... is insane," Cho whispered.
"It's a graveyard of memories," Evangeline added in awe.
"A very messy graveyard," Charles said, chuckling.
Louis reached into his bag and produced the mock diadem he had found in Rowena's chamber. "This is what we're looking for—just, more refined. Possibly glowing. Maybe protected by charms."
They spent the next hour organizing a search strategy. Each of them claimed a section. Louis marked items with magical ribbons that shimmered when touched. He discovered a mirror that briefly showed him an older version of himself—taller, regal, determined. Cho unearthed a grimoire of cursed runes. Charles became fascinated with a trunk that roared when opened, and Evangeline grew suspicious of a marble bust whose eyes subtly followed them.
But there was no sign of the true diadem.
"Maybe it's buried deeper," Cho said, brushing dust from her robes.
"We've barely scratched the surface," Charles agreed. "But at least we know where to look now."
As they sat on a tattered couch pulled from a forgotten corner, Louis took out a small notebook and began sketching a rough map of the room. They all leaned in, murmuring strategies and noting areas to revisit.
"We're the Secret Seekers," Louis said quietly, echoing the name they had given their group before the holidays. "And we won't stop until we find it."
They all nodded.
Later that night, lying in bed beneath his velvet covers, Louis closed his eyes and reached out with his mind. The link he shared with Fleur flickered to life like a whispered breeze.
"Fleur?" he thought gently.
Her voice came back, soft and sleepy. "Louis... I missed you already."
"I did too. I told them about us today. They were surprised."
"I can imagine. Did Evangeline faint?"
He laughed silently. "Not quite. But she and Cho looked like I'd just declared I was dating a Veela—which, I suppose..."
"Watch it," she teased.
"We explored the Room of Hidden Things. No luck yet, but I'm sure we'll find it."
There was a pause, then her voice returned, warm. "Be safe. Think of me when you search. I'll be thinking of you."
"Always."
The connection faded gently, leaving him with a smile on his face as sleep slowly took him.