"Where is this?"
Kyle looked up, slightly dazed, and took in the corridor before him.
It resembled a castle, but it was completely different from what he remembered. At the very least, the castle in his memory didn't look so... new.
Everything around him appeared as if it had been scrubbed clean and polished to a shine, as if a fresh layer of wax had been applied. The brightness of it all wasn't just a little noticeable—it was striking.
To put it another way, it was like comparing Sirius's flashy new car to Mr. Weasley's battered nine-year-old Ford. The difference was obvious at a glance. Even the picture frames on the walls had shifted position, and every portrait was new. The gold paint in the corners wasn't the least bit faded, gleaming brightly in the sunlight.
Kyle was certain—this was not the Hogwarts Castle he remembered.
But hadn't he just taken a single step?
"Follow me." A voice—calm and composed, distinctly Rowena Ravenclaw—sounded in his ear.
It wasn't the kind of voice that resonated directly in his mind, but a real, audible voice.
Kyle turned his head and found a tall witch standing beside him.
Her face was cold and serene, exactly like the Rowena Ravenclaw he had seen in the Chamber of Secrets.
"Where is this?" Kyle asked again. A sudden thought flashed through his mind. Could this be Hogwarts a thousand years ago?
"No, this is the place you think it is," Ravenclaw replied.
"The Room of Requirement?"
"Is that what you call it?" she said indifferently. "I left this behind. It is, in a sense, Ravenclaw's own Chamber of Secrets."
She continued, "Its particularity lies in its ability to simulate an environment from my memory. So, technically, you are still in the school."
"This is incredible." Kyle reached out and touched the guardrail beside him. It felt exactly like the real thing.
No—it was the real thing. A perfectly reconstructed Hogwarts within the Room of Requirement.
"But I was just on the second floor..."
"It's just a small trick. Come with me."
Ravenclaw strode forward, and Kyle hurried to follow.
As they walked, he noticed he wasn't alone. The castle was bustling with students, moving about as if they were truly there, acknowledging Ravenclaw with respectful nods as they passed.
It wasn't until Kyle watched his own hand pass through one of them that he was certain—these weren't real people.
It was as if he had stepped into a massive Pensieve, where real and false memories blended seamlessly.
In one of the classrooms, he even saw Godric Gryffindor himself, clad in a red cloak, instructing students in swordplay. In his hand gleamed the silver Goblin-made sword.
"This is where you will take your supplementary lessons," Ravenclaw said. "You may attend any of the classes here…"
"I have also made the necessary adjustments and translated the content to a level you can comprehend. The only restriction is that you cannot ask questions. You may only observe. How much you manage to understand is entirely up to you."
Kyle's eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he headed straight for the nearest classroom—Gryffindor's.
At that moment, Gryffindor had already bested three students in a row. With a triumphant flourish, he swung three cloth ropes—resembling belts—around the tip of his sword, his entire posture exuding the flair and bravado of a victor.
The three defeated students, meanwhile, stood beside him, clutching their trousers in embarrassed silence.
"Hey, Rowena," Gryffindor shouted excitedly toward the door. "Look at me..."
Rowena Ravenclaw who had just returned waved a hand expressionlessly, as if wiping away a stain on the table… Then, the people in the classroom disappeared—Godric Gryffindor included.
"You don't need to learn this." She paused briefly before continuing, "Swordplay is only supplementary for a wizard. Even Godric himself relies on his wand more often. He only draws his sword when he is confident of victory."
"Well, I don't think I need to learn that either," Kyle nodded in agreement and walked toward the next classroom without looking back.
Inside, an unfamiliar professor stood hunched over, bald-headed, resembling an older version of Tom from the Leaky Cauldron.
But they weren't alone.
The professor was teaching Charms, and after only a short while, Kyle found himself growing dizzy.
The reason was clear—this Charms class was entirely different from what he was familiar with. Instead of verbal incantations, spells here required the use of runes.
And it wasn't just a matter of power—Kyle had never even heard of most of the Charms being demonstrated.
He listened for twenty minutes, frowning as he hesitated about whether to leave.
Just as he was starting to feel lost, the old wizard's voice suddenly changed, and the strange Charm from before transformed into the Freezing Spell he was familiar with.
Kyle blinked. So this is what Ravenclaw meant by 'translated'?
To be honest, he was relieved.
Ancient Charms… While they sounded elegant, they were crafted to suit a completely different time and environment—one that didn't align with his era.
Even the "Firestorm Charm" Kyle had learned was an improved version by Dumbledore. The original spell may have had even more exaggerated effects.
Take, for instance, the Ice-Making Charm that had been demonstrated before it was translated.
When cast using runes, it could freeze everything living within a mile in a single second, turning them into ice sculptures.
It sounded immensely powerful… but the problem was that it made no distinction between friend and foe.
This wasn't a game—this was real magic that could alter the environment completely.
When the old professor demonstrated it, his entire body, just like the rabbit before him, became encased in a thick layer of hard white frost.
It wasn't until a magical rune appeared on his skin that the frost melted away.
Kyle had read about this before… Carving runes into one's body was once the most popular magical method in the wizarding world thousands of years ago.
This practice enhanced the potency of spells and allowed a wizard to embody a spell itself, protecting them from its effects.
However, every book he had read marked this method as highly dangerous.
Magical runes carved into the body would inevitably fade—or was it the magic that faded? Either way, this kind of delicate magic was risky. Even the smallest imperfection—losing a corner of a symbol, gaining a little weight and stretching the runes—could completely alter the meaning of the spell.
By that point, it was uncertain whether those runes would still be "protective" at all.
With some luck, a magical conflict could leave a person bedridden for months. But with poor luck…
They could explode on the spot.
To put it bluntly, this was the equivalent of walking a tightrope over a pit of fire.
This was also why magic runes had been quickly replaced by Charms. Though Charms lacked raw power, they were far safer. And if used skillfully, they weren't necessarily inferior to runic magic.
Like a scene rewinding in a film, when the Ice-Making Charm transformed into the Freezing Spell, everything in the classroom began to reverse. Within moments, it had returned to the state it was in when Kyle had first entered.
"Although this Charm is of average effectiveness, it can still play a crucial role in the right moments when combined with the Vigilance Rune," the old professor rasped.
"Remember, Runes are always faster than the eye, and—more importantly—there are no blind spots."
He slowly lifted his gaze, as if he were deliberately directing those words at Kyle.
…
Each class here lasted about an hour.
After finishing one, Kyle immediately moved on to the next.
He wasn't sure if it was due to the way the space was structured or if it was simply how things were designed here, but all the classrooms were grouped together. There was no need to go up or down the stairs—just step through the door, and you were there. It saved a lot of time.
In the time that followed, Kyle attended Transfiguration class, which was taught by a witch.
To be honest, he didn't think she was as skilled as Professor McGonagall. Her transfigurations always seemed to be performed on herself—turning her head into that of a tiger, changing her arms into those of a bear.
But then, when he thought about it, that kind of self-transfiguration seemed to have been popular at the time…
What interested Kyle the most, however, was the Runes class.
Unlike the Ancient Runes class he had taken before, which had only a dozen students in his year, here Runes and Symbols was a compulsory subject for everyone. It was also taught in the largest classroom.
All the students sat together at once—almost thirty of them.
"When you use Runes, you mustn't simply memorize them. You must think about what they mean in this context and why they cannot be replaced by other similar Runes,"
A stern-looking wizard stood at the front of the classroom, speaking loudly.
"When you truly understand the intent of the one who wrote this rune formula, you will use it with ease—you won't even need to think about it."
For some reason, Kyle had a strange sense of familiarity, but he couldn't quite place where it was coming from.
Rather than dwell on it, he quickly gave up and focused on the lesson, listening intently along with the others.
An hour passed, and suddenly, the classroom door swung open.
Having been through this twice before, Kyle understood that this signaled the end of the lesson.
Just as he was about to stand and head to the next classroom, everyone around him vanished.
Rowena Ravenclaw walked in from the hallway.
"How was it?" she asked.
"Very informative," Kyle replied.
This completely different teaching system had been a refreshing experience.
"Good. It seems you were able to keep up," Ravenclaw said. "But today's class is over."
She gestured toward the window.
Kyle followed her gaze and only then realized that, at some point, night had fallen.
"Can I stay a little longer?" Kyle asked. "The house-elves in the kitchen should be able to send food to the Room of Requirement too."
"No. And no," Ravenclaw said flatly, already stepping out of the classroom.
Kyle had assumed she was leading him out of the Room of Requirement, but instead, she was heading quickly upstairs.
As they ascended, they passed by a middle-aged wizard with a grim expression.
Kyle recognized him instantly—Salazar Slytherin.
Behind Slytherin followed a group of students, all with their heads buried in books or parchments, paying no attention to anything around them.
"They are the purest wizards," Ravenclaw's voice came again. "Shouldering the family mission and always exploring the mysteries of magic."
But to Kyle, they seemed more like Ravenclaws. I mean... Ravenclaw House.
"Ravenclaws pursue the truth," came the same flat voice.
Kyle couldn't tell if she was referring to herself or the philosophy of her House.
They continued walking, ascending to the highest tower of the castle. Even the stairs were exactly the same height, making it feel as though he was inside Hogwarts within Hogwarts.
For the first time, Kyle truly realized just how vast a space the Room of Requirement could create.
A minute later, Ravenclaw stopped in front of a door.
"What is wisdom?" the raven-shaped knocker asked, opening its beak.
Kyle vaguely recalled that the knocker on the Ravenclaw common room door was an eagle's head. Had it been replaced?
Before he could think too much about it, he saw Ravenclaw tilt her body slightly to the side, making way for him.
"Me?" Kyle asked, pointing at himself.
"Just a little test," Ravenclaw said. "I always thought you would be more suited for my house."
"Okay," Kyle said, stepping forward. After a moment of thought, he answered, "Ravenclaw represents wisdom."
There was no movement from the raven knocker, but Kyle suddenly felt an invisible gaze settle on him.
Why is this thing so inconsiderate? he muttered inwardly.
Rowena Ravenclaw herself was standing right here—what a great opportunity—and yet the knocker didn't even acknowledge it. No wonder it was replaced by the eagle later.
Despite his thoughts, the knocker remained motionless.
With no other choice, Kyle took a deep breath and, in a more serious tone, said:
"Wisdom is possessed by all living things and is a thinking ability based on physiology and psychology. It includes the capacity to perceive, understand, remember, analyze, and judge..."
Kyle spoke carefully, word by word. With each sentence he added, Ravenclaw's expression subtly shifted.
"So, to sum up, wisdom is the ability to correctly understand, judge, and create or innovate."
Before he could even finish, the raven knocker rotated its head slightly and clicked open.
Kyle turned around.
"That was a very detailed answer," Rowena Ravenclaw remarked. "I believe Godric, Salazar, and Helga would all be pleased to admit you into their houses."
Kyle shrugged. "Forget the first one. I don't want to be forced onto the Quidditch team."
For a brief moment, Ravenclaw's lips seemed to curve into the faintest smile. It was so fleeting that Kyle wondered if he had imagined it.
She did not enter the common room but instead extended her hand, offering him the raven knocker.
"This is the key," she said. "The memory of this place will last for a while, and during that time, there will be—and can only be—one room here. Only the person with the key may enter, so you can return whenever you wish."
Kyle quickly reached out and took the knocker.
"But what about the common room if I take this?"
No answer came. Ravenclaw simply looked at him silently.
Oh.
"Have you forgotten that this is the Room of Requirement, not the real Hogwarts?"
Kyle immediately shut his mouth and scratched his head in embarrassment.
He really had forgotten.
In the Room of Requirement, he could summon a hundred raven door knockers if he wanted. Whether they could serve as keys was another matter entirely.
And then, just like that, Kyle found himself back in the entrance hall.
The great doors were closed. There was no need to say it—this was the exit of the Room of Requirement.
"I will be leaving for a while afterward. Do you have any questions?" Ravenclaw asked.
"One thing..." Kyle spoke quickly. "Can I bring others here for lessons?"
"Yes, but I do not recommend it," Ravenclaw said. "Although I have already translated the content once, these lessons are still fundamentally based on runes. That foundation cannot be changed."
"People who lack sufficient knowledge of runes will struggle to understand, and conflicting interpretations may even lead to a certain degree of magical disorder, making it counterproductive."
"Okay," Kyle nodded.
He recalled how, in the first Charms class, the old professor couldn't stop talking about runes.
If he hadn't already studied the Firestorm Charm or read Merlin's letters, he probably wouldn't have understood much of it either.
"Then that's that. Perhaps another time, I will find you again," Ravenclaw said, waving her hand.
And then, Kyle found himself standing in the eighth-floor corridor of the Hogwarts he knew.
The faded picture frames, the dull-colored railings—everything was familiar.
And in front of him stood three equally familiar faces.
Kyle instinctively touched his head. As expected, the Diadem was gone.
"Ah!"
A sudden scream from behind snapped him back to reality.
"Kyle? When did you get here?" Harry was staring at him in shock, looking as though he had been startled.
"Just now," Kyle answered calmly, glancing at Harry, Hermione, and Ron. "I just came out of the Anything-You-Want-Machine. Didn't you see it?"
"Huh?" Harry and Hermione exchanged glances.
"Is that so?" They really hadn't noticed anything.
Harry and Hermione simply pretended to go along with it, while Ron was the first to lift his head and look at Kyle's hair.
Then, his expression shifted into confusion.
No Diadem?
How is that possible?
Had he really seen it wrong before?
…
"So it was you in there. No wonder I couldn't open the Room of Requirement's door," Harry said at that moment.
"What's that in your hand?"
"Ah, this?" Kyle lifted his hand, glancing at the raven knocker. "I found it inside and thought it was interesting, so I took it out."
With that, he casually slipped it into the pocket of his robe and asked, "Has dinner started yet?"
"It should be starting soon," Harry said.
"Then I'll head to the Great Hall first," Kyle said. "What about you guys? Are you coming?"
"We'll wait," Harry replied.
He wanted to check the Room of Requirement before dinner, hoping to find something.
But what Harry didn't expect was that even after circling the hallway three times, the door to the Room of Requirement still didn't appear.
No matter how many times he tried, the result remained the same.
"That's strange," Harry muttered, scratching his head in confusion. "Kyle already came out, didn't he? Could there be someone else in there?"