Chapter 205 - The Room of Requirements Ⅱ

The stone room is cool and lit by torches as pillars seem to be holding the roof up much like that of a temple. In the center of the stone floor is a smooth area in a circle where a ritual can easily be held. On the side of one of the walls are rows of silver and precious items as if housing items to be offered.

Walking over to the shelves, Rowan nods in approval as she had requested a place in which to perform a Samhain ritual, where none could enter nor leave the room while the ritual was still in place, but an offering of silver to be used. She knew that if she directly requested the item, Riddle would have no doubt specifically spelled against it being found so easily. But silver treasures now that was entirely different story as it was plural not singular.

Row by row, item by item, she goes as she halts a few times at seeing a tiara, but not the one she was looking for. Finally, Rowan comes to a halt on the second to last row. There shining under the flicking torchlight was a glittering silver diadem with aquamarine stones that shone quite enchantingly. Her hand almost reached out on its own to grasp it, before wrenching her hand back as if scalded.

Trembling, Rowan digs her nails into her hand so hard they dug deep red groves into her palm. Instantly stepping back, she breathed through her nose as she avoided staring directly at Rowena's Diadem. She didn't know what had almost possessed her, but something rather subtle had called out her to take it for her own.

The compelling feeling reminded her too much of the so called, one ring to rule them all. Perhaps good old Tolkien was onto something there. For each of the Horcruxes called out with tempting promises, and she was no saint not to be tempted by said offers.

Nonetheless, still prepared for such an outcome, Rowan reached into her pouch and removed a pair of long silver tongs. Carefully reaching out she clasped the diadem with the tongs. One step at a time, she made her way to the edge of the circle, before gently laying the diadem on it the stone ground. Reaching back into her pouch she began to remove the outer offerings she had prepared for the altar.

With care, all around the outer edges of the circle without entering the circle, Rowan placed nature ornaments, oak leaves, apples, nuts, sage, and pumpkin lanterns. In between each pumpkin lantern she placed a tiny round carved turnip's painted organ and black to hold burning incense. The incenses were nutmeg, mint, sage, and other such harvest scents as she carefully placed them to form a circle that would not break.

Taking the tongs again, Rowan most carefully picked up Rowena's Diadem and stepped into the circle without touch nor breaking the outer circle of the offerings. Right in the center she carefully set down the sparkling diadem encrusted with glittering sapphires. Without turning her back on the wretched thing, she carefully walked backward only pausing once to glance sideways to step back over the line of offerings without breaking them.

With a sigh of relief, Rowan returned the tongs back into the pouch, before kneeling back onto her knees to form a second circle to represent the veil. That the boundary between the living and the dead that does exist but should never be crossed. Taking cut flowers, she placed them perfectly one by one, Marigolds, Chrysanthemums, Amaranthus, Celosia's, Sunflowers, Dianthus, Rudbeckia, Helenium, Witch Hazel, and Monkshood.

Finished and further back she made the third and final unbroken circle representing the boundary of the living. No soul, spirit, or otherwise undead could cross the boundary into the living world which lay beyond. The living boundary was made of untouched harvest foods, pumpkins, pomegranates, squashes, blackberries, squash, and other such harvest time items.

Satisfied, Rowan pulled out the box containing her costume. In ancient times, wizards and muggles alike believed that the spirits escaped into the world as the veil between the living and the dead was thin. Costumes were worn to trick evil spirits or simply for protection from enemies. As the veil was thin, the greatest answers were within grasp, if one was willing to ask the dead. But like the living, the dead have always had their own agendas.

With care, Rowan put on the black leather coat making sure every single button was closed shut. Next, the leather gloves went on and then the plague doctor mask. She paused to study the cruel curved beak in black leather with glittering glass eyeholes that made the mask seem alive. With care she carefully put the mask on as she found to her relief, she could see perfectly out of the eyeholes. And last but not least, she put on the flat, wide-brimmed hat for the finishing touch.

Pulling out her wand from her pouch, Rowan pulls two more items from the pouch, a piece of chalk and a vial filled with white milky like substance. Putting the pouch and vial away in her coat, she pats the pocket once, before taking a deep breath. Clearing her mind, she carefully made sure everything is in place, before closing her eyes. Slowly she envisions in her mind that which she seeks to know on this night where the veil is thin to ask from the dead or in this case a spirit.

Rowan's eyes snap open to reveal her midnight black indigo eyes that seem darker than usual. Pointing her wand at the chalk, she murmurs the proper incantation, "Wingardium Leviosa." With a flick of her wand, the chalk glides over to the center of the inner circle and hovers for a moment over the diadem before darting to the side to draw the rune symbol of mystery in the center around it.

Soon after four more symbols appear, to the North, a Runespoor, to the South, an Acromantula, to the East, a Demiguise, and to the West, a Unicorn. With a flicker of her wand, the chalk flies back into her hand, before being pushed deep into her coat pocket. It was now or never.