The real Herry Potter

The first Sunday since Harry started at Hogwarts finally arrived, and unlike most of the other first years who preferred to relax or leave their homework to the last minute, Harry had already completed his assignments. He didn't like procrastination; it made him anxious. By Saturday evening, Harry had tackled all the work the professors had assigned. It wasn't easy, though—their teachers were keen on assigning plenty of homework, especially tasks that required researching various topics in the library.

Harry had quickly discovered the library to be a sanctuary of knowledge, and he spent a lot of time there, exploring its vast collection of books. On many occasions, Hermione joined him. Hermione, with her ever-growing thirst for knowledge, seemed almost glued to her books. Her curiosity was insatiable—every answer she found led to more questions, and it was something Harry appreciated about her. She didn't stop at just understanding something on the surface; she wanted to dig deeper, to know everything she could. Harry admired that quality in her, recognizing it as something they had in common, though perhaps not to the same degree.

During his time in the library, Harry stumbled upon a section that intrigued him—the Restricted Section. There was an aura of mystery about it, with its locked gates and off-limits books. He had learned from Madam Pince, the librarian, that the books there contained powerful and dangerous magic, far beyond what any first-year should access. Entry into the section required a professor's permission, something Harry knew he wouldn't be granted anytime soon. Still, the presence of that hidden knowledge nagged at the back of his mind, but for now, he contented himself with the books available to him.

As he sat at a table across from Hermione, he watched as she hunched over her own pile of books. Her brow was furrowed in concentration, and her quill scratched furiously against parchment as she jotted down notes. Every time she found something new, another question seemed to pop into her head. She leaned over to Harry at one point and whispered, "It's like a puzzle, isn't it? The more you learn, the more pieces you discover... but some of them just don't fit. And the wizarding world—it's full of gaps, Harry. There's so much they don't teach us."

Harry nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's like there's a lot more going on beneath the surface. I mean, Muggle schools… they try to explain everything, even if it's not always right. But here... magic... it's like they just accept things without always explaining why or how."

Hermione smiled slightly, appreciating that Harry understood. The two of them shared a unique bond—both being from the Muggle world and thrust into this magical one. That connection made them close in a short amount of time. Neither of them had had many friends growing up. Harry had dealt with the Dursleys and the bullying that came from being different. Hermione, meanwhile, had always been the "bossy know-it-all" at her old school, with no real friends.

Being at Hogwarts had changed that for both of them. They had each other now, and that made all the difference. As Harry looked at Hermione, he felt grateful to have someone who understood him in a world where everything was so new and unfamiliar.

With their homework out of the way, Harry and Hermione still had the whole Sunday ahead of them. They talked about how they might spend their time. "We could explore the castle," Harry suggested, remembering the vast number of hidden corridors and rooms they hadn't seen yet. Hermione raised an eyebrow but didn't say no, and Harry could tell that even with her love for studying, the idea intrigued her too.

The moment Harry set foot in Hogwarts, his curiosity had been piqued by the immense size of the castle. He'd been fascinated by the idea that there were thousands of rooms in the castle, yet less than a hundred were actively used. The rest? Hidden, abandoned, or locked away by magic. To Harry, the castle was not just a school—it was an adventure waiting to happen.

Now, on this first Sunday since starting at Hogwarts, Harry had completed his homework and felt the urge to explore more than ever. He had been thinking for days about how he could carve out a secret space for himself. Somewhere hidden, somewhere safe. Somewhere he could retreat to, away from prying eyes—a place where he could keep anything important or secret, especially if he had to do things others didn't need to know about. The thought of having a base of operations filled his mind with excitement.

Neville, who had been spending too much time struggling in classes and at the library, was more than eager to leave the books behind. "Honestly, I'd rather explore than sit reading all day," Neville said, pulling on his jacket. "I've had enough of homework for now."

Hermione, initially reluctant, was eventually swayed. She could see the enthusiasm in Harry's eyes, and besides, even she had to admit there was something exciting about discovering parts of the castle no one else had seen. She had read about Hogwarts' history, but reading about secret passages and abandoned rooms was one thing—exploring them was another. "Well," she said, closing her book, "I suppose there's a lot we could learn about the castle by seeing it firsthand."

The three of them set off, eager to explore. As they wandered through the wide corridors, ducking into unused classrooms and peering behind tapestries, they were soon joined by Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott from Hufflepuff. Susan had heard about Harry's plan from a classmate and was keen to join in. "You're really exploring the castle?" she asked, eyes wide. "Can we come with you?"

"Of course," Harry replied with a grin. "The more, the merrier."

Hannah smiled and nodded, quickly falling in line with them. They all started talking about the stories they'd heard about Hogwarts—the secret rooms and the ancient magic that lingered in the stones of the castle.

Before long, Padma Patil from Ravenclaw and her twin sister, Parvati, from Gryffindor, spotted the group and asked what they were up to. "Exploring the castle?" Padma asked, intrigued. "I've heard there are rooms here no one's opened in centuries."

Parvati added, "There's supposed to be a secret room somewhere on the fourth floor that only appears when someone tap Dancing Trolls. Have you heard about that, Harry?"

Harry shrugged. "Not yet, but we can definitely look for it." He smiled, finding their curiosity contagious.

As they wandered further through the castle, the group kept growing. To Harry's surprise, even the Slytherins joined them. Tracy Davis, Daphne Greengrass, Blaise Zabini, and Theodore Nott—all of them first years—tagged along. Despite the house rivalries, Harry's reputation as the Boy Who Lived drew attention, and people naturally gravitated toward him. He wasn't sure if they were interested in the exploration or just wanted to be around him because of who he was, but he didn't mind. It felt nice to be surrounded by people.

Daphne, cool and composed, eyed Harry. "I've always wanted to see more of the castle. My family told me there are parts of it that hold incredible magical secrets. They say some of the rooms are warded so heavily that not even the professors can access them."

"Imagine what we could find," Blaise added, his voice low and smooth. "Maybe treasure from the Founders themselves."

The group ventured deeper into the castle, passing through narrow hallways and up winding staircases. At one point, they found an old broom cupboard filled with ancient, dust-covered cleaning supplies. Further along, they discovered a long-forgotten classroom that had clearly not been touched for decades. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling, and the desks were broken, but the room gave off an eerie sense of history.

"This place is massive," Hermione muttered as she scanned a map she had borrowed from the library. "We've only covered a tiny fraction of the castle."

Harry nodded, glancing around at his companions. They all seemed excited, even Neville, who had been unusually quiet up to this point. But Harry noticed something different about Neville's demeanor—he was more confident, walking with his head held a little higher.

"So, Harry," Neville asked as they walked, "what are you hoping to find? You seem to have a plan."

Harry smiled, glancing at him. "I'm not looking for anything in particular," he said. "But I do think it would be useful to find a place we can use. Somewhere private, where no one else can get in. You never know when you might need a space like that."

The others seemed intrigued by the idea."

A secret base," Tracy said thoughtfully. "I like that idea."

As they continued their exploration, Harry led them down an unfamiliar passage that eventually brought them to a dead end. There was a tapestry on the wall depicting a wizard attempting to teach trolls to dance ballet. Harry frowned and looked around, feeling as though something was hidden nearby.

"Strange," he murmured.

"Maybe it's enchanted," suggested Blaise, studying the tapestry closely.

Harry, remembering Parvati's comment earlier about a room that hidden in forth floor, thought back to how his mind had been focusing on the idea of a secret space. He wondered if it was a coincidence that they had stumbled upon this area. He took out his wand and tapped on the Portrait.

Suddenly, something remarkable happened. The wall beside the tapestry shimmered, and a door appeared where there hadn't been one before.

The group gasped, and Harry's heart raced with excitement. They had found something—what, he didn't know, but this was exactly what he had hoped for.

"Well," Harry said with a grin, "shall we see what's inside?"

Without hesitation, he reached for the handle and pushed the door open, revealing a darkened room that beckoned them inside. The group exchanged looks of excitement and stepped through the doorway, their adventure at Hogwarts just beginning.

The group stood in the dusty, empty room, the faint sound of footsteps echoing off the stone walls. Harry took a deep breath, his mind racing with ideas. The room felt perfect—a hidden place in the castle where they could meet, away from prying eyes. He looked around at the others, who were still examining the vast space.

Neville, brushing off a layer of dust from a corner, was the first to speak. "I can't believe this room has just been sitting here all this time," he said, sounding both awed and curious.

Susan leaned against the wall, her eyes scanning the ceiling for any hidden details. "It's amazing. There's so much space. We could really make this into something, you know? A place just for us."

Harry nodded, his excitement building. "Exactly. We need a place like this. Somewhere we can meet without anyone bothering us. Somewhere we can be ourselves." He hesitated for a moment, glancing at Parvati. "How did you know about this room, by the way?"

Parvati smiled, looking a little proud of herself. "I found it in an old edition of Hogwarts: A History. It was just a short mention, really. Something about forgotten rooms in the castle that could only be found when you tap dancing Trolls. I didn't think much of it at first, but I figured it was worth remembering."

"Good thinking," Blaise remarked, his voice low but impressed. "It's not every day you find a hidden room like this. It could be useful."

Hermione, who had been inspecting the walls closely, stepped back and turned to the group. "This room has been abandoned for a long time. No one has cleaned it in years, maybe even centuries. But that could work in our favor. If it's been forgotten, it'll stay hidden as long as we're careful."

Harry glanced around at his friends. "We should keep this place a secret. Not just because it's hidden, but because we don't want anyone else barging in. If too many people know about it, it won't feel like ours anymore."

Neville, still looking a bit hesitant but clearly intrigued, asked, "So, what are we going to do with it? I mean, we found the room, but what now?"

"I think we should use it as our base," Harry said, his voice more certain now. "For anything we need to do. It could be a place where we meet up, study, hang out—whatever we want. But we have to keep it quiet. Only a few people should know about it, or it won't stay secret for long."

Everyone nodded in agreement. The idea of having a secret space to themselves felt special, something they could keep hidden from the rest of the school.

"Agreed," Susan said, folding her arms. "Only the people we really trust can be part of this. If anyone else finds out, it could cause problems."

"And we'll need to be careful about how we get in," Hermione added. "Anyone could tap the portrait outside and enter the room if they knew about it."

"Exactly," Harry said. "So we have to make sure no one sees us coming in or leaving. And we need to decide who's allowed in."

At that moment, Harry felt the weight of the group's gaze. As the Boy Who Lived, he was already well-known, and it seemed that everyone was always curious about what he was doing. If people found out he was involved in a secret club, it could draw a lot of unwanted attention.

"I don't think I should be the one leading this," Harry said suddenly. "If people find out I'm running a club, everyone will want to join. And that's not what we want."

The others looked surprised but nodded thoughtfully. Harry's reasoning made sense—his fame could bring more eyes than they wanted. But who would lead, then?

After a pause, Harry glanced at Neville. "Neville, I think you should be in charge."

Neville blinked in shock, his face flushing. "M-Me? Why? I'm not sure I'm the right person for that..."

"You are," Harry said firmly. "You've been getting braver and more confident every day. I think this is the perfect way for you to grow even more. You're smart, Neville, and you care about people. You're the right person for this."

Hermione smiled encouragingly at Neville. "I agree. You've come a long way, and I think you'd be a great leader."

"Yeah," Tracy chimed in, giving Neville a nod of approval. "You've got the heart for it."

Neville looked around at his friends, his eyes wide with surprise. He hesitated for a moment, but finally, he gave a small nod. "Alright... I'll do it."

Harry smiled, feeling relieved. Neville was perfect for the role, and Harry knew that leading the group would help build his friend's confidence even more.

"We'll need someone to help keep things organized," Harry continued. "How about you, Susan? You're good at that kind of stuff."

Susan grinned. "I'd be happy to. I'll keep track of everything."

With the leadership roles settled, the group began to discuss what they could do with the room. Hermione and Daphne brainstormed ideas for cleaning up the space, while Blaise and Theodore discussed the best way to keep it hidden from the other students. Padma and Parvati started talking about possible activities they could do together, from studying to exploring more hidden parts of the castle.

As they talked, the excitement in the room grew. The possibilities felt endless, and the group was eager to make the room their own. They knew they had something special here, and they were determined to keep it secret.

Harry, standing off to the side for a moment, smiled to himself. This was exactly what he needed—a place where he could belong, with friends who understood him. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he was part of something that was just his. Something real.

As the excitement of the moment began to settle, the group slowly started to make their way toward the exit. But before anyone left, Harry spoke up.

"Before we go," he said, glancing at the others, "we should set a time to meet again. How about next Sunday, same time, same place?"

The group nodded in agreement. It made sense to keep things regular, and Sundays seemed like the perfect day for them to meet in secret without arousing suspicion.

"Next time we meet," Harry continued, "everyone should come up with a suggestion for the club's name. We'll pick one that feels right, and from there, we can figure out what else we want to do."

Susan, always one for organization, raised a hand slightly. "And remember, we can't talk about this club in public," she said firmly, looking at each person. "No hinting, no acting like we're part of a secret group. If anyone starts noticing, we'll lose our chance to keep this hidden."

Neville nodded in agreement, and the rest of the group murmured their understanding. It was clear to all of them that keeping their meetings discreet would be key to making sure their newfound clubhouse remained their own.

"Right," Harry said with a smile. "No secret handshakes, no strange glances in the hallways. Just act normal, like nothing's going on."

They all shared a brief laugh, the tension breaking as the reality of their little adventure settled in. It was thrilling, but they knew the importance of keeping their new club under wraps.

"Alright then," Hermione said, shifting her books under her arm. "We'll meet back here next Sunday. And bring your ideas for a name."

With that, the meeting officially came to an end. One by one, the group made their way back out into the winding corridors of Hogwarts, careful to leave at different times and through different passages, as to not draw attention.

As Harry stepped out into the cool hallway, he felt a rush of excitement. He had always wanted to explore Hogwarts, but now he had more than just a curiosity—he had a purpose. The room, the club, and his friends gave him something to look forward to, something that was theirs alone.

Next Sunday couldn't come fast enough.