The Room of Requirement had never felt quite like this before.
It was not the space itself that had changed, but something about the atmosphere was different and heavier in a way that had nothing to do with the room and everything to do with the people inside it.
Gilderoy stood near the centre of the space with his arms crossed over his chest while his gaze moved across the gathered students. It was a full house tonight, and not just the usual faces. The seventh years were all here. The younger students had come too, and they filled the space with their quiet energy and eager faces. Cedric Clearwater stood near the front with his younger sister Lysandra beside him, while Dennis and Ellie were at the back with their wands already in their hands and ready for whatever came next.
Most of the Muggle-borns and half-bloods had come in casual Muggle clothing, while some of the purebloods wore full black robes, with the exception of Amelia, who knew how to dress comfortably like Muggles.
This was the last session. He had known it would come eventually because they all had, but knowing something and feeling it were two different things. They had done over thirty sessions, and the weight of it pressed against him with quiet insistence.
Fabian broke the silence first as he stepped forward with his chest puffed out and his voice carrying across the room. "Before we start," he announced, "I want to say something."
Gilderoy raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"
Fabian grinned. "I want to say that Rita Skeeter is a hack and the Daily Prophet is utter rubbish."
A ripple of laughter and whistles spread through the group while Gideon joined his brother with an expression that matched Fabian's enthusiasm.
"And I want to say," Fabian continued, "that what happened to Lockhart was a load of dung. He was framed and arrested, but he still came back without complaining. So I think we should cheer for him."
Gideon stepped up beside his brother. "For defending the students and for not giving up."
"For defending the students," Fabian repeated, louder this time.
The room erupted into cheers. It was not the polite applause of the Great Hall or the forced enthusiasm of a formal gathering because it was loud and genuine, and it filled the space with a warmth that settled in Gilderoy's chest. The sound of their voices, the energy in their clapping, and the way they looked at him with something that was not pity or guilt but genuine respect was more than he had expected. Over these sessions, he had interacted with almost everyone present, so this was personal to him.
He raised his hand to quiet them, but the grin on his face was impossible to suppress. "Thank you. Thank you all."
"I have heard that everyone from United who was present in Hogsmeade that day helped protect the students," he said as his voice cut through the noise. "So give yourselves credit too because I was not the only one fighting."
"You were the only one who got arrested for it though," Emma called out, and a few students grinned.
"Fair point," Gilderoy admitted.
Alex stepped forward, and Gilderoy was suddenly struck by how healthy he looked. The dark circles that had shadowed his eyes in their last session were gone. His skin had colour again, and his posture was straight and confident. He moved with an energy that had been absent before, as if someone had replaced the weary student with a new version of himself.
"Because of this group," Alex said, his voice steady and clear, "we were able to do so. Do not sell yourself short, Lockhart."
More voices joined in and called out Gilderoy's name, and he laughed and shook his head.
"Alright, alright, alright," he said as he raised his hands. "Thank you for your compliments. Now we should start our last training session."
The word hung in the air.
"Last?" Cedric Clearwater stepped forward with his brow furrowed and his expression confused. "Why last?"
Gilderoy met his gaze. "We seventh years are leaving soon because we have our NEWTs coming up. We cannot keep this up forever."
Amelia nodded beside him. "We have to focus on exams because we have been lenient with revision for too long."
Cedric looked at the students in his year and then back at Amelia and Gilderoy. His jaw tightened, and for a moment, he seemed to weigh something in his mind before he exchanged glances with Lysandra and other peers in his year, who nodded encouragingly.
"We would like to continue this group," he said. "Even after you leave."
"You want to?" Gilderoy's eyes lit up. "Please do because the more students learn how to defend themselves, the better. This group was never about me or Amelia because it was about all of you."
Bathsheda spoke next as her voice remained quiet but firm while she stepped forward from the shadows near the wall. "If we establish this as a former group, then why can we not fight directly? Why do we have to stop just because we leave Hogwarts?"
Fabian raised his hand eagerly. "Please, yes. We could actively continue the group and take it beyond Hogwarts."
Gideon nodded beside him. "We could take it forward and keep training and keep fighting because the war is not going to end when we graduate."
Gilderoy looked at them, surprised by their enthusiasm. "Do you really want to continue this group? There already exists the Order of the Phoenix."
Emma stepped forward with her expression serious. "We could be another group that fights against the Dark Lord. Different people and different methods, but the same goal. The more groups fighting, the harder it is for them to win."
Alex interjected as his voice rose above the murmuring. "Gilderoy needs to found the group officially because it started with him, and it should continue with him."
Gilderoy looked at Amelia. She met his gaze and nodded with a small smile playing at her lips.
"Since Amelia is the leader of this group," he said slowly, "and if everyone wants me to step up, I co-found this group officially with Amelia on the fifth of April, 1981."
The room erupted into cheers again, louder than before, and some of the younger students jumped to their feet with their faces alight with excitement.
Amelia pulled out a fresh piece of parchment and a quill. "We need a new list," she announced. "For the official United group."
One by one, the seventh years came forward to sign their names. Gilderoy watched them approach, and each signature felt like a small anchor that tied them to something bigger than themselves. Fabian signed with a flourish while his letters remained bold and oversized. Gideon followed with neat, precise strokes. Emma signed firmly with her name clear and legible. Adrian signed without hesitation. Regulus came forward from behind him and wrote his name. Benjy signed quickly, almost as if he was afraid to hesitate. Alex signed last with his hand enthusiastic and his eyes bright.
When the last name was written, Amelia handed the list to Gilderoy. He read through the names and then looked up at the non-seventh-year students.
"I will still be in contact with some of you at Hogwarts," he said. "If you wish to join after Hogwarts ends, you can because this is not goodbye. This is just a new beginning."
Fabian stepped forward as his expression shifted from cheerful to serious. "We need to be more ruthless than the Order of the Phoenix."
Gideon added, "I heard they have a no-stun rule and a 'no lethal force unless absolutely necessary' policy. That is going to get people killed."
Gilderoy considered this for a moment. "If the person in front of you is using extreme lethal force, then only you can cast it. Use self-defence as an excuse."
He paused and then glanced at Amelia. "If you need legal Auror help, co-leader Amelia will be an Auror soon, and you can contact her directly."
Amelia's eyes burned with determination as she straightened her shoulders and met the gaze of the group. They could come to her for help anytime.
The session passed quickly after that because they decided to have fun duels between the students, and Gilderoy found himself facing Dennis and Ellie in a two-on-one match. He held back, of course, but they still gave him a challenge, and when their duel ended with them on the ground and their wands flying away from their hands, he pointed them toward the other students.
"Keep duelling," he said. "You are only going to get better, so practice with each other and push yourselves."
Gilderoy walked toward Alex, who was standing at the edge of the room with his arms crossed and a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Alex," Gilderoy said as he approached. "How are you feeling? You look much better than before."
"I have been feeling pretty weak recently," Alex admitted. "As if the energy in my body was draining away because I do not know how to explain it. It was like something was pulling at me and taking my strength."
Gilderoy frowned. "That sounds serious."
Alex shook his head. "But since a few days ago, I am suddenly full of vitality. I feel like I could run miles without stopping. It is strange, but I am not complaining."
Gilderoy studied him for a moment. "It is good to see you back healthy."
Alex smiled. "Thanks, Gilderoy."
Gilderoy patted his shoulder in a friendly manner and then turned away.
The session drew to a close as one by one, the students began to filter out of the Room of Requirement while their voices faded into the corridor beyond. Gilderoy stood near the centre of the room and watched them go.
They came to shake his hand, and some hugged him while others simply nodded.
"Thank you," they said.
"Good luck with the NEWTs."
"Take care of yourself."
"See you around."
Tearful goodbyes mingled with warm smiles because they had really become a part of something, even if it was only for six months. The group had grown closer than he had ever expected, and watching them leave felt like watching a family scatter to the winds.
Gilderoy watched the last of them disappear through the door, and his eyes fell on Alex, who waved back as he left.
Alex Summers.
The name pricked at the back of his mind like a memory he could not quite grasp. He had heard it somewhere before, and he was sure of it, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not place it.
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