The Marauders Unite (III)

An Unlikely Trio

September 2, 1975

In one of the upper-floor corridors, EMMA adjusts the bag on her shoulder and hurries down a deserted hallway. She rounds a corner and spots SEVERUS and REGULUS next to a blank wall.

EMMA: There you two are. I thought I got lost for a second.

REGULUS: How's your first day going?

EMMA: Fine. I'm skipping lunch for this little adventure, so you two better have something interesting to show me.

SEVERUS: Oh, you won't be disappointed. Let's get started.

EMMA: (staring at the blank wall) Started?

SEVERUS: All right. So what you have to do is walk in front of the wall three times, concentrating heavily on what you want the room to transform into.

EMMA: (incredulously) Excuse me? Have you been spending too much burning herbs with Sprout?

SEVERUS: Do you want to learn this stuff or not?

EMMA: Yeah, but what's the point in entering this God-forsaken room-

SEVERUS: Sorry, would you rather we do it in the Charms classroom? Or perhaps right outside Dumbledore's office?

EMMA: All right, all right. So I walk in front of it three times. What exactly do we what this room to transform into?

SEVERUS: A secret place to study the Dark Arts.

Together, the three Slytherins stand together and walk past the wall three times, each of them concentrating heavily. In a few seconds, a large doorway becomes to manifest itself from the blank wall.

EMMA: Sweet Merlin.

Once the door is fully formed, SEVERUS reaches forward and pulls it open. Slowly, EMMA and REGULUS enter the Room of Requirement for the first time.

REGULUS: Wow! (He runs over towards the bookshelf and begins to examine the volumes).

EMMA walks slowly throughout the room and gazes up at the cathedral-like ceiling.

EMMA: This is amazing. How on earth did you find this place?

SEVERUS: Friendship with the Black sisters has its benefits.

EMMA: What is it, exactly?

SEVERUS: It's a secret room; legend says that it was originally created by Helga Hufflepuff. It transforms to whatever the user needs it to become.

EMMA: So if you really needed to use the toilet-

SEVERUS: (smirking) Charming. But yes.

EMMA: And this is where Bellatrix Lestrange taught you?

SEVERUS: Yes.

EMMA: How did she get in?

SEVERUS: Oh, right. Over here. (He walks over to the corner, where the old Vanishing Cabinet still stands eerily still). It's a Vanishing Cabinet. One of the few ways to secretly enter the Castle.

EMMA: So there's another Cabinet somewhere else?

SEVERUS: In Borgin and Burke's. They form a passageway.

EMMA: Ingenious. And none of the teachers know about it?

SEVERUS: Nope. Not even Dumbledore knows about this room. At least, not its full extent. But for our purposes, we won't need to use the Cabinet this year. (He closes the door).

EMMA: Well. I certainly am not disappointed with your little adventure, Severus.

SEVERUS: (sarcastically) I'm so relieved.

EMMA: Anyway. I've got to get to Potions or Slughorn will lose his head- Regulus, do you wanna meet on the Quidditch pitch tonight?

REGULUS: Sure.

EMMA: Awesome. I'll see you then.

EMMA and REGULUS depart the room. SEVERUS takes one last nostalgic look around the empty room before he closes the doors and departs as well.