I opened the door before stepping aside.
"Ladies first."
Blake walked inside, her eyes immediately scanning every corner of the room.
The room itself wasn't particularly grand.
It resembled a modest research laboratory. Two sturdy worktables stood near the center, shelves lined one wall, while another held drawers filled with blank parchment, engraving tools, measuring instruments, and various pieces of workshop equipment.
Everything appeared exactly where it would be most useful.
A few moments later, Blake slowly turned around.
"This is amazing!"
She ran her fingers across one of the worktables before looking back at me.
"What is this place?"
"This," I said as I entered and closed the door behind us, "is the Room of Requirement."
"It is also called the Come and Go Room."
She repeated the name quietly.
"The Room of Requirement..."
"Just as the name suggests, it becomes whatever its user truly requires."
Blake's eyes widened.
"So... it can become anything we need?"
"Within reason."
I nodded.
"If someone needs a place to practice magic, it becomes a training room."
"If they need a hidden workshop, it becomes a workshop."
"If they need a library, a meeting room, or even a place to rest, the room will reshape itself accordingly."
Blake looked around once more, clearly impressed.
"If it's this incredible..."
"...then why hasn't everyone discovered it?"
"There are two primary ways to enter."
I walked toward the now-closed door.
"The first is knowing the room exists."
"If you already know about it, you simply walk past this wall three times while concentrating on exactly what you need."
I tapped the stone wall lightly.
"The room will answer."
"And the second way?"
"The second is how almost everyone discovers it."
I smiled.
"The room occasionally appears to someone who genuinely needs something while passing this corridor."
"A lost student needing a bathroom."
"Filch looking for cleaning supplies."
"Someone desperate for a place to hide an object."
"The room responds to genuine need."
Blake nodded slowly.
"But because they don't know what it really is..."
"...they assume they remembered the corridor incorrectly," she finished.
"Or they simply chalk it up to Hogwarts being magical."
"Exactly."
She fell silent for a moment before asking another question.
"So... besides us, who else knows about this place?"
"The Hogwarts house-elves certainly do."
"They know the castle better than anyone."
I paused thoughtfully.
"Other than them not even Professor Dumbledore knows."
Blake smiled.
"Well..."
She looked around the laboratory with sparkling eyes.
"For now, it looks like we've just found the perfect place to experiment."
We didn't spend much time admiring the room.
There would be plenty of opportunities to do that later.
Instead, we immediately got to work.
Blake continued refining the command enchantments while I began constructing the first prototype using the new interchangeable disc design. Every few minutes one of us would run into a problem, discuss it with the other, scribble down a new idea, and begin again.
Hours slipped by unnoticed.
Before either of us realized it, the enchanted windows of the Room of Requirement had begun reflecting the pale light of dawn.
I cast tempus.
"...It's morning."
Blake followed my gaze.
"We worked through the entire night?"
"It seems so."
I stretched my aching shoulders and immediately regretted it.
Every muscle in my body protested.
"We should go."
"Breakfast starts soon."
She nodded.
"Otherwise everyone will start looking for us."
We hurried out of the room, watching the laboratory disappear behind us as the door melted back into an ordinary stone wall.
By the time we reached the Slytherin common room, several first-years were already gathered there.
Montague was speaking with the Head Boy, who glanced in my direction before quietly saying something and walking away.
The moment our group spotted me, they all stood up.
"Alastair!"
"Where have you been?"
"You weren't in your dormitory this morning."
"We thought Gryffindor had started something again."
I shook my head.
"Nothing like that."
"Give me five minutes."
"I need to freshen up first, then I'll explain everything over breakfast."
I smiled tiredly.
"And preferably before the house-elves stop serving food."
A few minutes later, after a quick shower and changing into fresh robes, I joined everyone on the way to the Great Hall.
As we ate breakfast, I finally explained.
"I've found a place where Blake and I can continue researching the projector."
"I'll probably be working there at night for the next few weeks."
Adrian frowned.
"So that's where you disappeared?"
I nodded.
"Exactly."
"If something like this happens again, don't report it to the Head Boy."
They looked confused.
"If Professor Dumbledore learns I've been sneaking out every night, he'll almost certainly stop the project before it even gets started."
Understanding quickly dawned on their faces.
"We won't say anything."
"You have our word."
I smiled.
"Thanks."
Our first lesson that morning was Transfiguration.
Normally, Professor McGonagall's class demanded complete concentration.
Today...
The moment I sat down, I realized just how badly I had underestimated the effects of staying awake all night.
I tried to focus on the lesson.
I truly did.
Professor McGonagall was explaining the finer points of switching spells while demonstrating elegant wand movements across the classroom.
Her voice gradually became softer.
Then blurrier.
The next thing I knew—
"MR. SALVIUS-P!"
My eyes snapped open.
I immediately sat bolt upright.
The classroom was completely empty.
Only Professor McGonagall remained, standing beside my desk with her arms folded.
"Professor..."
I rubbed my eyes, suddenly realizing what had happened.
"I'm sorry. I—"
She raised a hand, stopping my explanation.
"Mr. Salvius-P."
"I am already aware of your research project."
I blinked.
Her expression remained stern, though there wasn't any anger behind it.
"That does not, however, give you permission to spend your nights awake experimenting."
I lowered my head.
"No, Professor."
She was right.
I had made a fundamental mistake.
In my previous life, staying awake through the night before an important deadline had been almost routine.
But that had been as an adult.
Now...
I was an eleven-year-old boy.
My body simply couldn't keep up with that pace.
McGonagall's expression softened slightly.
"I also know about Professor Flitwick's arrangement."
"If you continue maintaining excellent results and pass the monthly practical assessments, I am willing to extend the same privilege during my lessons."
My head lifted in surprise.
"You may conduct your independent research during class."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"But only on one condition."
"I won't fall asleep again."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
"I was hoping you would say that."
"Yes, Professor."
"I promise it won't happen again."
"See that it doesn't."
She gathered her books before adding one final sentence.
"Great talent is admirable, Alastair."
"But even great minds require sleep."
I nodded seriously.
"I'll remember that, Professor."
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