Harry Potter : The Archmage Awakens

I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. It was Sunday, and though the temptation to stay in bed was strong, I forced myself to get up and ready for the day.

After a hot shower, I dressed in comfortable clothes and headed to the Great Hall. The usual chatter of students and the smell of freshly made breakfast greeted me as I walked in.

Hermione was already seated, eating her usual bowl of porridge. She'd saved me a spot next to her, like always. I slid into the seat and loaded my plate with pancakes, pouring a glass of orange juice.

"Good morning," she greeted with a small smile, her focus partly on the book she was reading.

"Morning," I replied, taking a bite of my pancake.

Once we'd finished eating, we decided to take a walk by the lake. The winter air was cool against our faces, though our clothes kept the rest of us warm.

As we strolled, I shared my conversation with Sirius from the night before, keeping my tone light.

She listened intently, nodding now and then, her thoughtful expression reminding me of just how much she cared.

It felt good to talk to her about these things though I was really not in much danger, having someone who cared for you was always nice.

"Maybe you are right Harry considering the type of person Voldemort was I don't think he would give second chances not to someone who has betrayed him so deeply." She said after thinking for a moment.

"But if it's not him then who else could it be."

"I have some guesses," I said with a shrug, "but I don't really have proof yet. I'll just have to keep investigating."

"Well, keep yourself safe, Harry. Whoever entered you into the tournament has to be powerful enough to get past Dumbledore and interfere with the Goblet," she said, her voice tinged with worry.

Then I told her about what Hagrid had shown me—the first task involved facing dragons.

Her eyes widened. "Dragons? Harry, that's... that's insane!"

"Yeah, it is," I admitted with a shrug. "But at least now I know. I've already got a plan for it."

"A plan?" she asked, her voice uneasy. "Even if you do, it's still a dragon. You need to be as prepared as possible. What if something goes wrong?"

She crossed her arms, looking concerned. "We should check the library for anything they might have about dragons. It's better to be overprepared than caught off guard."

Then without waiting for my reply, she grabbed my arm and started pulling me back toward the castle.

It wasn't surprising—Hermione worrying was as natural as breathing. She always wanted to cover every possible angle.

After all, even though I'd been doing better in classes and had even tied with her for the top spot, I was still about to face a fire-breathing dragon.

As she tugged me along, I slipped the Marauder's Map from my pocket and quickly checked the seventh floor. It was empty. Perfect.

"Hermione, wait," I said, stopping mid-stride.

"What?" she asked, confused as I started pulling her toward the stairs instead.

"Just trust me," I said, grinning.

She started following me as we went towards the seventh floor. Her expression bewildered as we stopped in front of a blank wall.

"Harry, why are we on the seventh floor, and why are we staring at a blank wall?" she asked, her earlier worry momentarily forgotten, replaced by confusion at my actions.

"Well, you'll see," I said, a hint of mystery in my tone as I began pacing back and forth, focusing on creating the room I'd been working on for over a month.

As I completed my third pass, a door materialized in place of the blank wall. With a dramatic flourish, I opened it and gently pulled Hermione inside.

"Welcome to the Room of Requirement, also known as the Come and Go Room," I said with a grin. "I'm sure this will become one of your favorite places in Hogwarts, just as it's become mine."

Hermione stood in shock, taking in the room. Her eyes traced the books on the shelves, moved toward the cozy chairs, and then landed on the training area.

After a few seconds of silence, I waved my hand in front of her face.

"Hello? Earth to Hermione, Earth to Hermione, come in over."

As she snapped out of her shock, she squealed in joy before turning toward me and giving me a tight hug.

We stayed in the hug for a moment longer than usual, both of us just holding onto each other in that comfortable silence.

 Her arms were wrapped around me, and I couldn't help but notice how perfectly she fit in my arms, like we were just meant to be standing there, together.

I could feel her breaths getting uneven and her heartbeat getting faster as she stayed close to me.

We separated shortly, and I could see a blush lining her cheeks as they had turned red.

Hermione shifted her eyes from me and said. "This is amazing, Harry! I can't believe this room exists in Hogwarts." She looked around the space in awe, her eyes scanning every corner, from the shelves lined with books to the training area where magical items were scattered.

I shrugged, trying to play it cool, though I was pleased by her reaction. "Yeah, it's been here all along. I just stumbled upon it a while ago."

Her eyes widened. "I can't believe something this perfect was hidden here. And all this time, we've never noticed it!"

I nodded, smiling. "It's a pretty well-kept secret. The room appears when you need it most, so... I guess I got lucky."

She raised an eyebrow, looking around again. "What exactly have you been doing in here?"

I gestured toward the space. "Practicing spells, mostly. Some dueling techniques, too... anything I can think of. It's a great place to experiment without worrying about anyone seeing."

"I've been testing this room for the past few days, and it's amazing. This room can become anything you want it to, and not only that, you can even make changes to it while you're inside, making it completely inaccessible to anyone else."

"This is perfect for us to become stronger. Not only for this tournament but for the future as well."

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