Rowan made his way back through the forest, the mysterious box tucked carefully under his arm. His search for moonstone had failed, but he'd gained something potentially more valuable.
A locked box from a Hogwarts Headmistress. Kept hidden for three hundred years. Protected by magic the centaurs couldn't break.
What could possibly be inside?
By the time he reached the castle, the sun was setting. Rowan went straight to his dormitory, grateful to find it empty. His roommates were at dinner.
He set the box on his bed and examined it carefully.
The wood was ancient and dark, possibly oak. The carvings covering its surface were definitely runes, but in a style older than anything he'd studied. Some he recognized. Protection, binding, concealment. Others were completely unfamiliar.
The lock itself was invisible. No keyhole, no obvious mechanism. Just layer upon layer of magical seals pressing against his magical senses like a weight. Anti-Alohomora charms at minimum. Probably curse-work. Possibly blood magic or something even more complex.
Rowan pulled out his wand and cast a basic Alohomora.
Nothing happened. The box didn't even react.
He tried his modified Alohomora next. The variation he'd developed last year, with the adjusted wrist rotation that bypassed standard anti-Alohomora charms.
Still nothing.
Whatever locks protected this box, they were far beyond simple charms.
He needed research. The restricted section would have information on breaking complex enchantments, on analyzing magical locks, on the kind of protective magic that could last three centuries.
But accessing the restricted section required a Professor's permission.
Rowan descended to dinner, his mind already formulating his request. After the meal, he approached Hecat at the staff table.
"Professor, could I speak with you for a moment?"
"Of course, Ashcroft. What do you need?"
"I need access to the restricted section. I found a locked box over the summer. Something with very complex protective enchantments. I've been trying to open it, but the anti-Alohomora charm is more sophisticated than anything I've encountered. I want to research advanced unlocking techniques."
It was true enough. He had found a locked box. He was trying to open it. Just not over summer.
Hecat studied him. "Curse-breaking research. That's advanced work."
"I'm curious about how protective enchantments work. Understanding how to break them helps you understand how to create better ones."
"Fair enough." She pulled out a slip of parchment and signed it. "Restricted section access for defensive enchantment and curse-breaking research. Don't abuse this privilege, Ashcroft."
"I won't, Professor. Thank you."
That evening, Rowan found himself alone in the restricted section, the signed permission slip presented to Madam Scribner granting him access to shelves most students never saw.
The books here were different. Darker bindings, heavier volumes, some radiating faint magical signatures. Many were chained to their shelves, requiring special permission even to remove. But others were accessible, and Rowan worked systematically through titles related to magical locks and protective enchantments.
Breaking Barriers: A Comprehensive Guide to Undoing Magical Seals
The Art of Curse-Breaking
Ancient Wards and Their Weaknesses
He read for hours, taking careful notes. The books described various types of magical locks, methods for analyzing them, techniques for breaking different protection schemes.
One passage caught his attention:
For locks of significant complexity, particularly those incorporating multiple enchantment layers, direct magical assault is rarely effective. Instead, the curse-breaker must analyze the lock's structure, identify the binding pattern, and locate the keystone enchantment—the single spell holding all others in place. Break the keystone, and the entire structure collapses.
That made sense. The box probably had a keystone enchantment. Find it, break it, and the rest would follow.
But identifying a keystone required magical analysis far beyond basic detection charms.
Rowan kept reading.
Three hours later, he found what he needed. A spell called Revelio Complexum. Reveal Complexity. It would show the complete structure of magical enchantments, including how different spells were layered and connected.
With that spell, he could map the box's protections and identify the keystone.
The spell was N.E.W.T. level, complex, but the book included detailed instructions.
Rowan copied them into his journal, committed the wand movement to memory, and practiced the motion several times without casting.
By the time he left the restricted section, he had a plan.
Tomorrow, in the Room of Requirement, he'd attempt the analysis spell. Map the box's protections. Find the keystone. Then break whatever specific enchantment held everything else in place.
Whatever was in that box, he was going to find it.