Feilier's door stood open, and noise spilled out from within, along with faint sounds of crying.
Georgiana's head buzzed. It felt like that Halloween years ago, after the feast, when everyone had left and discovered words written in blood on the wall outside Hogwarts' Great Hall.
According to the school records, if the Room of Requirement had been a gift from the Ministry of Magic—the Magical Council of that era—to celebrate Hogwarts' founding, then it was a weak point in that castle steeped in the mysterious power of ancient magic. Not only the tree the children used to build treehouses, but also the Vanishing Cabinet, the secret passage to the Hog's Head, and so on were all connected to the Room of Requirement.
The House-elves had known of its existence long ago, while Dumbledore, as headmaster, had discovered it only by chance. It seemed that even the headmaster did not know all the secrets of the castle.
The Romans had no habit of enslaving other Romans. Although Roman citizens were sometimes sold into slavery, they were generally sold across the Tiber River, into areas inhabited by non-Romans.
Yet according to Livy's records, there had once been a centurion who had rendered great service to Rome. He had not died on the battlefield, but had been thrown into a dungeon by his creditors. Tormented beyond measure, his clothes were filthy, and he looked as pale and haggard as a corpse...
When Georgiana reached Feilier's doorway, there were four people inside. One sat apart in a chair as though it had nothing to do with him, dressed in a naval uniform. The other three, including Feilier, were "talking."
Calling it a "conversation" was generous. It was more as though no one knew what anyone else was saying. The tallest naval officer stood