It was during one of their te-night study sessions in the Slytherin common room that Harry finally learned the real reason behind Bise Zabini and Daphne Greengrass’s sudden interest in his company.

  Harry had been flipping through a book on defensive charms when Bise leaned back in his chair, staring at the enchanted ceiling as if contempting something heavy.

  “Weasley,” Bise began, his voice unusually serious, “do you ever wonder why we started hanging around you?”

  Harry set his book down and looked at him carefully. “I assumed it was the usual Slytherin thing—alliances, mutual benefit, all that.”

  Daphne sighed, closing her own book. “That’s part of it. But... there’s more.”

  Bise shifted uncomfortably. “My mother’s reputation precedes me,” he admitted. “She’s been married seven times, and all her husbands have died under... suspicious circumstances. Every one of them was wealthy and powerful, and now she controls their fortunes.”

  Harry raised an eyebrow but said nothing, letting Bise continue.

  “That kind of reputation makes enemies. People don’t forget, and they don’t forgive. I’ve had threats against me even before I came to Hogwarts. Slytherin’s no different. If someone wanted to get to my mother, I’m an easy target.”

  Daphne chimed in, her voice quieter. “It’s the same for me, in a way. My family is rich, but most of that money comes from businesses tied to the Muggle world. That makes us unpopur among certain pureblood families. And in Slytherin, having enemies with money and power is dangerous.”

  Harry frowned. “So... what does this have to do with me?”

  Daphne and Bise exchanged a gnce before Daphne spoke again. “We’ve seen what you can do, Harry. The wards you’ve pced around your room are practically impenetrable. Even the upper years don’t dare mess with you anymore.”

  Bise nodded. “We need that kind of protection. We want to cim our own rooms, but we need someone who can make sure they’re secure—someone like you.”

  Harry leaned back in his chair, processing their words. “So, you became my... friends because you wanted me to ward your rooms?”

  Bise winced. “It sounds terrible when you put it that way.”

  Daphne shook her head. “It’s not like that anymore. Yes, that’s why we approached you at first, but things changed. We actually like having you around, Harry. You’re clever, resourceful, and, well... you’re not like most people in this house.”

  Harry studied them for a moment, his expression unreadable. “And if I say no? If I decide not to ward your rooms, what then?”

  “We’d understand,” Daphne said quickly. “We’re not going to stop being your friends, Harry. We just... wanted to be honest with you.”

  Bise nodded. “For what it’s worth, I trust you more than anyone else here. And I wouldn’t trust anyone else to do this.”

  Harry sighed, leaning forward. “Fine. I’ll help you. But if I’m going to do this, I need complete honesty from both of you. No more secrets, no more half-truths.”

  “Deal,” Bise said immediately, and Daphne nodded in agreement.

  It was te evening when Harry began casting the initial spells to cim the rooms. A group of senior Slytherins noticed him and approached, their expressions a mix of curiosity and authority.

  “What are you doing, Weasley?” one of the older students, Marcus Flint, asked, crossing his arms.

  “Ciming rooms for my friends,” Harry replied casually, not looking up from his spellwork.

  Marcus raised an eyebrow. “That’s not how it works here.”

  Harry straightened, finally looking at the group. “What do you mean? I’ve seen others share rooms before.”

  Another senior, a seventh-year named Victoria Burke, stepped forward. “Sharing a room is one thing. Once you’ve cimed a room, it’s yours to do with as you please—you can have roommates if you want. But you can’t cim multiple rooms for others. That’s against the rules.”

  Marcus smirked. “If that were allowed, every first-year would be hiring uppercssmen to cim and ward rooms for them. It’s a system of merit, Weasley. If your friends want their own rooms, they have to earn it themselves.”

  Harry frowned, realizing their pn had hit a significant roadblock. “So, if I can’t cim rooms for them, what do they do?”

  Victoria shrugged. “They can try to cim their own rooms and protect them like the rest of us had to. Or they can share a room with you—that’s allowed. But you can’t do the work for them.”

  Harry clenched his jaw but nodded. “Fine. Thanks for the crification.”

  Harry’s visits to the library became increasingly frequent, and it wasn’t long before people started noticing. Every spare moment, he could be found poring over thick tomes, scribbling notes, or muttering incantations under his breath.

  Even his friends—Hermione, Daphne, and Bise—were curious but chose to respect his space.

  “What’s he working on?” Daphne asked one afternoon, watching Harry flip through a particurly ancient book.

  Hermione shrugged. “He hasn’t told me. Just said it’s a secret project.”

  Bise leaned back in his chair, smirking. “Whatever it is, it’s bound to be something impressive. He doesn’t waste his time.”

  Harry, meanwhile, was deeply engrossed in his research. The library’s Restricted Section had proven invaluable, and with special permission from Professor Snape—granted after Harry cimed it was for “house-reted studies”—he had access to books most first years wouldn’t dream of touching.

  Hermione, ever the inquisitive mind, couldn’t help but ask one evening as they walked back from the library. “Harry, you’ve been spending so much time researching. Can’t you at least give me a hint about what you’re working on?”

  Harry hesitated before replying, “It’s not that I don’t trust you, Hermione. It’s just... I want to make sure it works before I tell anyone.”

  She nodded, albeit reluctantly. “Alright. But if you need help, you know where to find me.”

  Daphne and Bise, less patient than Hermione, cornered Harry one evening in their shared room.

  “Alright, Weasley,” Bise said, crossing his arms. “Spill it. What’s this secret project of yours?”

  Harry smirked, not looking up from his parchment. “Wouldn’t be a secret if I told you, would it?”

  Daphne raised an eyebrow. “You know we’re going to find out eventually. Might as well save us the trouble.”

  Harry ughed. “You’ll find out soon enough. Just trust me—it’s something that’s going to benefit all of us.”

  Bise exchanged a gnce with Daphne, who shrugged. “Fine,” she said. “But don’t bme us if we start making guesses.”

  It was a rare, peaceful Sunday morning in the Slytherin common room, and Harry sat quietly on a plush armchair, engrossed in a thick tome. The usual hum of activity was subdued as most students used the day to rex or catch up on assignments.

  Bise and Daphne, however, had other pns.

  Bise casually approached Harry, leaning over the back of his chair. “Alright, Weasley,” he said with a smirk. “You’ve been suspiciously calm tely. Is your secret project finally done?”

  Harry gnced up from his book, a small smile pying on his lips. “Maybe.”

  Daphne joined them, crossing her arms. “Come on, Harry. You’ve been driving us mad with your secrecy. What is it?”

  Harry closed the book with a soft thud and stood, motioning for them to follow. “Alright, you two. I’ll show you. But keep an open mind.”

  The pair exchanged curious gnces but followed Harry as he led them toward his private room.

  As they arrived, Harry pced his hand on the doorframe and muttered a series of incantations under his breath. The protective wards shimmered briefly before the door creaked open.

  “After you,” Harry said, stepping aside.

  Harry opened the door to his private room, and Bise and Daphne stepped inside, expecting to see the same simple setup they’d known before: a single bed, a study table, a wardrobe, and a small attached bathroom.

  But the sight that greeted them was something entirely different.

  “Bloody hell,” Bise muttered, stopping dead in his tracks.

  Daphne’s eyes widened, her usual composed demeanor slipping for a moment. “What... what is this?”

  The room had been completely transformed. The once modest space now looked like a grand apartment. There were four bedrooms—two on each side of a narrow hallway—and the passageway opened into a rge central area.

  At the center of the space was an open living area. A fully equipped kitchen stood at one corner, complete with countertops, a magical stove, and shelves filled with various ingredients and cookware.

  A dining table sat in the middle, surrounded by chairs, while a cozy sitting area with a rge sofa and a few armchairs occupied another corner. Bookshelves lined the walls, packed with magical tomes, artifacts, and notes.

  Even the lighting had changed; glowing orbs floated near the ceiling, casting a warm, ambient light over the entire space.

  Daphne ran a hand along the edge of the dining table, her voice barely a whisper. “Harry, how... how did you do this?”

  Harry smirked, leaning against one of the bookshelves. “It wasn’t easy, I’ll tell you that much.”

  Bise finally found his voice. “This—this is impossible. Your room wasn’t anywhere near this big!”

  Harry shrugged. “That’s the beauty of spatial expansion charms. Took me weeks to figure out the bance, but I finally got it right. The wards keep everything stable, and I added a few reinforcement spells to make sure nothing colpses.”

  Daphne shook her head, still in awe. “This isn’t just a room anymore. It’s... it’s an apartment. A mansion, even! And you did all this on your own?”

  Harry nodded. “I’ve been working on it since the start of term. It’s part of the secret project I’ve been telling you about.”

  Bise flopped onto the sofa, still staring around in disbelief. “You’re insane, Weasley. Absolutely brilliant, but insane.”

  Daphne crossed her arms, her lips curling into a smile. “I don’t even know what to say. This is... beyond impressive. No wonder you’ve been spending so much time in the library.”

  Harry grinned. “I wanted a space where I could work, rex, and, well... invite you two over without being cramped.”

  Bise raised an eyebrow. “So, does this mean we get to crash here?”

  “Within reason,” Harry replied, ughing. “Just don’t touch the wards. They’re... sensitive.”

  As they explored the space further, Bise and Daphne marveled at the details Harry had included. The bedrooms were simple but comfortable, each equipped with a bed, a desk, and a wardrobe. The kitchen was fully functional, stocked with both magical and non-magical ingredients.

  “I still can’t believe you pulled this off,” Daphne said as she examined a shelf filled with advanced spell books. “You’re practically a genius, Harry.”

  “You haven’t even seen the best part yet,” Harry said, his voice brimming with excitement.

  Bise leaned back in his chair, looking completely baffled. “What do you mean the best part? You’ve already turned a tiny Hogwarts room into an entire apartment! What could possibly top this?”

  Daphne folded her arms, her brows raised in both curiosity and disbelief. “Honestly, I don’t think there’s anything you could show us now that would surprise me more.”

  Harry smirked. “Oh, just wait.”

  Harry walked to the farthest and rgest wall of the room, where nothing seemed particurly remarkable. The surface appeared to be just another ordinary stone wall, much like the rest of the dungeon-like Slytherin quarters.

  He tapped his wand on a specific series of bricks, much like the way one would access Diagon Alley. At first, nothing seemed to happen. Then, slowly, the wall began to shimmer, the solid stone rippling like water.

  As the transformation completed, the stone wall turned into a massive gss window that bathed outside of the room in an ethereal white light.

  Daphne and Bise gasped audibly, stepping closer as their eyes widened in amazement. The gss window offered an unparalleled view of the underwater world of the Great Lake.

  The murky depths, often shrouded in mystery, were now illuminated by the magical lights Harry had installed on the outside of the room. The glow attracted countless fish and magical creatures, their scales shimmering in the light.

  A school of silver fish darted past, their movements graceful and hypnotic. Larger, more curious creatures swam closer to the gss, as though examining the three students on the other side.

  “I’ve always wondered what was down there,” Daphne whispered, her face almost pressed against the gss.

  Bise, usually composed and smug, was rendered speechless. “This is... this is incredible,” he finally managed.

  Harry crossed his arms, leaning casually against the wall. “Pretty impressive, huh? It’s a combination of transparency and strengthening charms. Took me weeks to perfect it, but now we’ve got a front-row seat to the Great Lake’s underwater life.”

  Daphne turned to Harry, her eyes gleaming with excitement. “How did you even come up with this idea?”

  Harry shrugged. “I always liked the idea of seeing what’s hidden. Slytherin’s dungeons are near the ke, so I figured, why not take advantage of that?”

  Bise ran a hand through his hair, still staring at the aquatic spectacle. “You’ve outdone yourself, Weasley. This is beyond anything I’ve ever seen.”

  As they stood there, mesmerized by the view, a giant squid zily drifted past the gss. Its tentacles moved with an otherworldly grace, and its massive eye seemed to linger on the trio before it moved away.

  Daphne let out a soft ugh. “I don’t think anything at Hogwarts can top this. You’ve turned your room into a masterpiece, Harry.”

  Bise nodded, still unable to tear his eyes away from the window. “Forget Slytherin politics or house rivalries—this is the kind of thing that makes you a legend.”

  And as the three of them stood there, watching the mysteries of the Great Lake unfold before their eyes, Harry knew that this was a moment none of them would ever forget.