As they made their way to Herbology, Seamus couldn't help but grumble to Dean about the previous Transfiguration class. He claimed the only cool thing about it was seeing Professor McGonagall transform from a cat back into a human. This sparked an interesting question in Seamus's mind: could they learn how to do that too? He turned to the group and asked if they thought McGonagall would teach them. Atlas chimed in, explaining that it was unlikely to learn more than the basic theory of it since it wasn't part of their Hogwarts curriculum, and that becoming an animagus required registration with the Ministry. The group looked at Atlas curiously, "Animagus?" they asked. Atlas patiently explained that animagi were skilled wizards who could transform into animals and back again, but the form they took was fixed after their first transformation and to transform into a magical variant of an animal was incredibly unlikely.
As Atlas explained the limitations of becoming an animagus, Seamus's excitement for transfiguration class dwindled. Atlas could understand that feeling as it brought back memories of his early plans for this world while still in the white room. He once had his sights set on becoming an animagus, with dreams of transforming into a deadly basilisk. He believed that the lethal eyes of a basilisk would be the perfect weapon to defeat any hero, and if that didn't work, the raw strength and poison of the creature would be useful as well. However, his hopes were crushed after discovering in the Potionbook he purchased from Diagon Alley that becoming an animagus was a long and difficult process. He also learned that one could not choose their animagus form and the chances of turning into something as dangerous as a basilisk were extremely slim. Atlas abandoned his plan, realizing that spending months on this endeavour just to end up with the ability to transform into a common animal like an otter wasn't worth it. But he admitted he might revisit this plan in the future, if he had plenty of free time and nothing else to do, which was highly unlikely.
The greenhouse was bustling with excitement as the group walked in and was greeted by the ever-enthusiastic Professor Sprout. Today, they were tasked with cutting the delicate petals of the Puffapod plant without triggering a dangerous spore explosion.
Atlas was determined to master the defindo Charm nonverbally, but his tries were shut down by Hermione who told him, like he was a little bit silly, that he would need to use the incantation to cast the spell and that waving the wand alone would not do anything.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, he resorted to using verbal casting, only trying it nonverbally when Hermione was distracted by her own plant. He didn´t want to reveal his attempts and apparently Hermione didn´t know about nonverbal casting yet or dismissed the possibility that he was trying that.
Professor Sprout went on to demonstrate how to conserve the petals for future use, cautioning them about the dangers of consuming too much in a tea or potion. Apparently, it could lead to something similar to drunkenness or even poison the drinker. Atlas grinned at the thought that the Puffapod plant would have been in every Garden in his old world, as it was easier to grow a plant than to brew alcohol.
As the Herbology lesson came to an end, Atlas couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed in himself. He had been so focused on keeping his nonverbal spell casting attempts a secret that he couldn't even successfully cast a single Diffindo spell nonverbally. The rest of the class filed out of the greenhouse and made their way to lunch before diving into their homework.
Ron grumbled to himself as they walked to the library, expressing his frustration with the Hogwarts curriculum. He wished there was more focus on practical spell casting rather than writing endless pages about plants, potions, and planets that no one cared about. Hermione, who had joined them on their way to the libarary, wanted to argue with Ron, but Atlas signalled for her to let it go. He knew that Ron was a lost cause when it came to appreciating the academic side of magic.
The others nodded in agreement with Ron's sentiment, but Atlas understood that a deep knowledge and practical application of spells were essential in the wizarding community. In times of peace, it wasn't about who could shoot the biggest fireball or knew the most spells. It was about being able to use those spells to contribute to society in meaningful ways.
After lunch, the group headed to their favourite spot in the library, happy to see that they arrived before the crowds. To their surprise, Hermione joined them this time, as Ethan's group was nowhere to be seen. They began tackling their Astronomy homework, but Atlas found himself struggling to differentiate between what he knew and what was actually in the textbook. It seemed that he wasn't the only one struggling, as Ron and Neville were babbling about planets without any sense or reason. Hermione, who prided herself on her academic prowess, was close to losing her mind. Atlas felt bad for her, but couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of the situation. Thankfully, Harry was there to save the day with his methodical approach to the assignment. Although he worked slowly, he provided accurate and useful information straight from the books, making him the most valuable member of the group at that moment.
The group finally finished their homework, but there was one subject left: transformation. As Atlas didn't have to do it, the others were a bit envious of him, but they didn't dwell on it for too long. After they were done, Atlas bid them farewell and left. As he walked away, he couldn't help but notice that Hermione looked a bit down. Was it because he left, and she wasn't quite comfortable with the group yet? Or was it because she knew she would have to carry the group through the transformation homework? He had already witnessed Ron and Hermione's clashes a few times during their charm’s homework. Apparently, Hermione wasn't over Ron's comment from earlier and Ron didn't seem willing to apologize, creating a tense atmosphere.
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Atlas sighed. It seemed like there was always some drama brewing amongst his friends, but he hoped they could work it out soon. He thought about staying but he also wanted to use the time to train. As he already said goodbye, he didn´t want to make up an excuse just so that he could stay, but he intended to be more mindful of his new friend the next time, at least until she was comfortable with the rest of the group.
Atlas couldn't help but feel impatient for the day of the troll attack to arrive, hoping it would bring some resolution to the tense dynamic between Ron and Hermione. However, as he thought more about it, he remembered two crucial things. Firstly, in the original story, Quirrell was responsible for leading the troll into the castle. Secondly, the attack happened on Halloween, which was still weeks away. As he pondered this, he recalled the incident in the bathroom where Hermione was crying after overhearing Ron's unkind comment. But something didn't add up. He realized that the incident with the feather-floating spell, which was the only lesson depicted in the original story, shouldn't have been the first lesson since Halloween was still weeks away. Atlas felt like he was piecing together a puzzle but was missing a few pieces.
Before he knew it, he arrived at the room of requirement. The first thing he did was to test what the room would look like if he wished for it to create a room for potionmaking, and gardening.
Before long, a sprawling room appeared before him. On the right side of the room, there were rows of stacked and bare fields, with a gentle stream flowing down from the ceiling and across the fields. It was like a miniature farm in the middle of the Hogwarts castle!
On the left side of the room, there were three potion workbenches, just waiting for someone to light the fires and start brewing. Empty shelves lined the walls, clearly meant for potion ingredients and books. Unlike the dim and dank basement of Hogwarts, this room was bathed in a warm and inviting light.
Atlas couldn't help but smile as he took in the room's grandeur. With a space like this, he could create potions and grow herbs to his heart's content, as soon as he got the materials from the twins. The brightness of the room was a welcome surprise as he always connected potionbrewing to a basement light by candles.
Atlas felt a thrill of nervousness as he considered his next move. He had a plan, he wanted to locate the diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw, the lost artifact that Voldemort had once hidden away. With Quirrell's recent changes, Atlas wanted to have some leverage against the man, and he knew that the diadem could be the key.
He let the room and re-entered directly, into a completely different room with many books and shelves, brooms, and artifacts thrown around.
Atlas attempted to retrieve the diadem with the Accio spell, but unfortunately, his magical abilities weren't quite up to par. After a few unsuccessful tries, he realized he would have to put in some good old-fashioned legwork to locate it. He abandoned his aimless wandering and switched to a systematic approach, scouring the shelves one by one. Along the way, he discovered some intriguing tomes, including volumes on dark magic, but he hesitated to take them, unsure if they were cursed. However, he couldn't help but be drawn to a few other magical artifacts that piqued his curiosity. Despite the distractions, Atlas remained steadfast in his search and, after several hours, finally laid his eyes on the diadem.
Atlas carefully wrapped the diadem in his cape, being extra cautious not to touch it. He exited the room, feeling a sense of triumph for successfully obtaining one of Voldemort's horcruxes. But he wasn't done yet. Atlas knew he needed a secure place to keep the diadem without it influencing anyone. And so he challenged the Room of Requirement once again, with an even more complex request.
This time, Atlas demanded a room that only a Gryffindor could enter, with specific requirements that would ensure the safety of the horcrux. The room had to be a perfect blend of potion-making, plant-growing, spell-practicing, and combat-training facilities. Atlas added more and more requirements, pushing the limits of what the room could do. But he knew that this was his best shot at protecting the diadem.
Atlas had read in the last book of the series about the Room of Requirement's precise abilities to take on specific tasks and to hide someone or something from prying eyes. But he also knew that the room had limitations. Once he left the room, anyone could access it if they knew what to search for. That's why Atlas needed to be clever with his specifications. He needed to outsmart anyone who would try to find the diadem.
With a smile on his face, Atlas waited for the room to work its magic, eager to see what it would create.
As Atlas opened the door to the room, he had so meticulously crafted, his heart raced with anticipation. He had spent hours, depraved of sleep by Rons snoring, trying to figure out the perfect combination of demands to create a space that was not only impenetrable to anyone but himself but also tailored to his every need. And when he finally stepped inside, he was not disappointed.
The circular room was a sight to behold, with its warm fireplace and walls adorned with various doors, each labelled with a different purpose. There was a door for a Horcrux, a garden, a potion workshop, a library, a Bathroom, a sperate toilet, a smithy, a masonry, a wood-workshop, a giant Chess field, several Practice fields for simple spellcasting to adaptability training to mind arts, a door for animal husbandry, and even a door labelled "Cementry"! The room had a few more equally useless or useful rooms and Atlas couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he took in the extent of his creation.
Sure, he knew he probably wouldn't need all of the facilities at his disposal, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Plus, he relished in the knowledge that no one but him would ever be able to enter the room, thanks to the clever combination of demands he had used to create it.
As Atlas explored the different rooms, he couldn't help but feel awe at the sheer size and complexity of some of them. It was as if the Room of Requirement had become a world of its own, with its own rules and possibilities. He marvelled at the magic that had gone into its creation and wondered what kind of witch Rowena Ravenclaw must have been to have come up with something so incredible.
As he moved from room to room, he couldn't help but hope the other worlds would have their own versions of the Room of Requirement, as it was just to practical.
Instead of going into the room to practice his Adaptability in combat he decided he wanted to train his nonverbal castings more. Hermione’s meddling caused him to not master the Defindo Charm. A Failure that he wanted to correct, if only for his own ego.