Unlike before, this time Brian had an almost certain intuition-these firefly-like lights seemed able to communicate with him-could these be the house-elves responsible for Ancient Magic?
But he had not performed the ritual recorded in the book yet. Why?
More and more questions filled Brian's head, but the light coming from his body grew fainter and fainter. When he checked himself in the mirror, he discovered that he had successfully stopped being a magical light bulb.
Who had flipped his switch off? He had not even had time to say anything!
Brian had never wanted so desperately to glow.
"Now I really can't sleep." He rubbed his eyes, all his drowsiness gone.
Without a second thought, Brian changed into warm robes and cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself. After a moment's hesitation, he decided not to disturb the sleeping Book and took his wand to the Room of Requirement.
Talking to Dumbledore would have been a good option, but the headmaster of Hogwarts was still absent from the Headmaster's Office at Hogwarts, so he had no choice but to visit the portrait version of Brian.
Every day since his last visit to that strange space, he had made time to go to the Room of Requirement. By now, he had befriended several little unicorns, but the portrait Brian was nowhere to be seen each time, leaving only a pitch-black opening through which he could return to the room.
Brian had even begun to suspect that the suspicious portrait was deliberately avoiding him-if so, why? No one could answer that question. He only hoped the painting would stay put in its frame today.
As Brian climbed the stairs to the Seventh Floor, he immediately heard faint noises and quiet conversation that sounded familiar. Apparently, he was not the only one suffering