The first rays of Saturday morning sunlight, filtered green through the murky depths of the Black Lake, cast a subdued light across Viktor's private room. He stretched, feeling the unfamiliar stiffness of a new bed, but a pleasant sense of anticipation for his first full day at Hogwarts. This place was even more real, more tangible than he'd ever imagined. He swung his legs out of bed, planning a refreshing shower to truly kickstart his day.
He collected his toiletries and headed towards the communal bathroom, the whispers of flowing water hinting at its proximity. But the moment he pushed open the heavy wooden door, his nose crinkled in disgust. The air was thick with the cloying scent of damp stone and something vaguely metallic. The large, communal showers were less than pristine, the floor wet and grimy, and water seemed to be perpetually dripping from various pipes. It was a far cry from the sparkling cleanliness he was accustomed to.
"Ugh," Viktor muttered, pulling back from the doorway. He absolutely refused to step foot in that. His standards, refined by a lifetime of comfort, simply wouldn't allow it.
"You've seen the bathrooms, then?" Hailey asked, wrinkling her nose.
Claire shuddered. "It's… barbaric. Do they expect us to actually shower in there? It's hardly fit for a house of our standing. There's no privacy, no proper drainage. I swear I saw something growing in the corner."
Viktor suppressed a smile. Their reactions were perfectly in character. "Precisely my thought," he agreed. "And I refuse to endure it." His mind raced, sifting through years of canonical knowledge. Then, it clicked. "The prefects' bathroom."
Hailey and Claire exchanged bewildered glances. "The what now?" Claire asked.
"In the books," Viktor clarified, before a sudden, cold wave of dread washed over him. The books! He'd almost given himself away. His heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic drumbeat. He quickly tried to recover, his voice sounding a little too loud and rushed. "...I mean, I've read about it. In various texts. A very old, very exclusive bathroom for prefects. It's supposed to be incredibly luxurious, with a giant tub and all sorts of magical taps. If it exists, it's our solution." He hoped his hurried correction sounded plausible, a desperate attempt to stuff the genie back in the bottle.
Hailey's eyes lit up. "A secret bathroom? And it's luxurious? Oh, we have to find it!"
"Today's Saturday," Claire mused, "and classes don't start until Monday. We have time to explore." She looked at Viktor, a glint of strategic thinking in her eyes. "How would we find it? It wouldn't be public knowledge."
"We'll follow them," Viktor declared, a mischievous grin spreading across his face, now that his momentary panic had subsided. "The prefects. They'll know where it is. We just need to be discreet." He nodded towards the entrance to the male dormitories. "Lester Thorne is a fifth-year, he's bound to use it. Anna Rookwood too, for the girls."
They quickly formed a plan. Viktor would keep an eye on Lester, while Hailey and Claire would discreetly follow Anna. They agreed to meet back in the common room every couple of hours to share any findings. The thrill of their first unofficial Hogwarts mission, even if it was just about finding a shower, was exhilarating.
Their morning began with a series of elaborate, clumsy attempts at espionage. Viktor, armed with his memories, tried to shadow Lester Thorne. He trailed the prefect through bustling hallways, attempting to blend in with groups of older students, but Lester seemed to have an uncanny sense of being watched. Once, Viktor nearly tripped over a passing Hufflepuff's trunk while pretending to admire a stained-glass window, forcing him to scramble and nearly exposing himself. Another time, Lester abruptly turned into a classroom, and Viktor, caught flat-footed, had to duck behind a gargoyle, only to peer out and see Lester exiting a moment later, having merely retrieved a forgotten scroll. Viktor quickly learned that subtle tailing was far harder than he'd imagined, especially with his ten-year-old body's lack of true grace. He found himself constantly checking his watch, worried he'd lost sight of Lester, only to spot the prefect calmly chatting with another student just meters away.
Meanwhile, Hailey and Claire, working as a unit, found Anna Rookwood equally elusive. They'd tried pretending to be lost, asking older students for directions while keeping an eye on Anna. Hailey, in her enthusiasm, once loudly exclaimed about a portrait of a grumpy-looking wizard, only for Anna to glance over, nearly catching their eye. Claire, trying for a more subtle approach, adopted a casual lean against a suit of armor, only for the armor to creak ominously, drawing Anna's attention. Anna seemed to spend half her time in the library and the other half vanishing silently into quiet, contemplative corners, leaving them staring at empty corridors. Their whispered discussions about Anna's last known location often devolved into frustrated sighs.
By lunchtime, they reconvened in the common room, frustrated and no closer to their goal.
"Any luck?" Hailey whispered, slumping onto a velvet couch.
Viktor shook his head. "Lester seems to prefer the standard facilities, or he's just incredibly sneaky. I followed him to the library, to the training grounds, even past the kitchens, but no secret bathrooms."
Claire sighed dramatically. "Anna Rookwood is like a shadow. She's either studying or just... being invisible. We saw her go into the library and then she simply wasn't there anymore. It's infuriating."
"Maybe it's not in the main castle?" Hailey suggested, deflating.
"No, it has to be," Viktor insisted, rubbing his temples. "It's described as being on the fifth floor, near the statue of Boris the Bewildered."
"Described? In what book?" Claire pressed, her brow furrowing with academic curiosity.
Viktor faltered, his eyes darting between them. "Uh... many books. Old ones. I've read so many... the titles are all jumbled up in my head." He tried to sound convincing, hoping the sheer volume of his supposed reading would deflect further questions. He knew it sounded weak, but it was the best he could do on the spot.
Luckily, Hailey, ever eager for adventure, jumped in. "Well, if it's on the fifth floor, let's just comb that floor inch by inch! We're Slytherins, we're thorough!"
They spent the entire afternoon trying again, more strategically this time, focusing their efforts around the fifth floor. Their initial clumsy attempts gave way to a more practiced, almost balletic stealth as they worked together. Viktor would check one corridor, then signal Claire with a discreet hand gesture; Hailey would peer around a corner and give a thumbs-up or a worried shake of the head. Whispered "over here" and "all clear" became their constant soundtrack. Each time they successfully navigated a busy corridor or avoided an approaching teacher, a silent cheer passed between them. The shared goal, the small victories of successful communication, and the thrill of the hunt forged a new, unspoken bond between them, strengthening their teamwork with every hurried tip-toe.
Then, just as dusk began to seep into the castle on Sunday evening, Hailey let out a quiet gasp. She was positioned near a particularly grumpy-looking tapestry, while Viktor was feigning interest in a suit of armor further down the corridor. Anna Rookwood, looking perfectly refreshed and smelling faintly of rosewater, emerged from behind a plain, unassuming stone wall, just past the aforementioned Boris the Bewildered statue. She adjusted her robe and walked briskly away, presumably towards dinner.
Hailey gave a frantic, nearly imperceptible signal to Viktor. He caught it, his heart thumping. They waited a few moments, then cautiously approached the spot. There was no visible door, just solid stone.
"She just... came out of here," Hailey whispered, touching the cool wall.
Claire, ever the observer, noticed a faint, almost invisible seam in the stone. "There's a subtle groove here... and something that looks like a snake coiled around a tap, but it's flush with the wall."
"It's a riddle," Viktor breathed, remembering the descriptions. "There's a specific password for the prefects' bathroom. And it changes, but less frequently than the common room." He racked his brain, then snapped his fingers. "Of course! 'Dissendium!'"
Claire, without hesitation, tapped the stone that looked like a tap and clearly articulated the word.
With a soft click and a faint hiss, a section of the wall slid silently inwards, revealing a magnificent circular chamber beyond. It was a haven of polished white marble, sparkling gold fixtures, and a vast, sunken circular bath at its center, steam gently rising from the surface of what looked like pure, crystal-clear water. Light streamed in from unseen sources, illuminating a dazzling array of faucets around the tub, each adorned with a different jewel and promising a unique magical liquid.
"Oh, it's even better than I imagined!" Hailey breathed, her eyes wide.
They wasted no time. Stripping off their robes, they eagerly plunged into the enormous tub. The water was perfectly warm, scented with a soothing aroma that immediately relaxed their tense muscles. They giggled, experimenting with the various taps: one gushed out foamy pink bubbles, another liquid emerald, another filled the air with fragrant steam. It was pure, unadulterated bliss. The grime of the communal bathroom, and the exhaustion of their covert operation, melted away. This was luxury. This was Hogwarts, truly revealing its wonders.
Feeling utterly refreshed and utterly pleased with themselves, they finally decided it was time to leave. They dried off, wrapped themselves in fresh towels, and then donned their robes, feeling like conquerors.
As they stepped out of the hidden entrance, the sliding stone door slowly closing behind them, a chilling meow cut through the silent corridor.
They froze. There, at the end of the hallway, a skeletal, mangy cat with glowing red eyes was staring directly at them.
"MRS. NORRIS!" Viktor bellowed, the name bursting from him without thought, his voice laced with pure, unadulterated panic.
The girls let out piercing shrieks of surprise and alarm at the sudden appearance of the ominous feline. "Run!" Viktor hissed, grabbing Hailey's arm and pulling her along.
They bolted, their footsteps echoing loudly in the quiet corridor, a stark contrast to their earlier stealth. Mrs. Norris let out another piercing meow and began to sprint after them, her scrawny form surprisingly fast. They heard a distant, furious shout – "MY CAT! WHO'S BEEN OUT OF BED?!" – and knew Filch was hot on their heels. They didn't dare look back, racing through familiar passages and desperate twists and turns, their only goal the safety of the Slytherin common room. The idea of detention on their first night, discovered emerging from a forbidden prefects' bathroom, was unbearable.
They burst through the common room entrance, gasping for breath, the familiar green light a welcome sight. They collapsed onto the nearest sofa, adrenaline coursing through them. They were safe. Mrs. Norris's indignant meows and Filch's enraged bellows echoed faintly from the corridor outside, before fading into frustrated mumbles.
Hailey giggled, a breathless, slightly hysterical sound. "That... was terrifying."
Claire was trying to compose herself, but a small smile played on her lips. "And exhilarating. We found it! And we escaped Filch on our first day!"
Viktor, still breathing heavily, felt a surge of triumph. They had succeeded. And the chase, while terrifying, had been thrilling. This castle held so many secrets, so many hidden paths. He looked at Claire and Hailey, their faces still flushed with exertion and excitement.
"This castle..." Viktor began, a new idea sparking in his mind. "It's full of mysteries, isn't it? Hidden passages, secret rooms, places no one else knows about... We need a better way to find them. A more reliable way." He thought of the Marauder's Map, a mental image of its intricate details already forming. "This was fun, but it was just luck. What if we could systematically uncover them all?"
Claire and Hailey exchanged a look. This wasn't just about a bathroom anymore. This was about unlocking Hogwarts itself. A shared project.
"Systematically uncover them all?" Hailey repeated slowly, a gleam in her eyes. "I like the sound of that."
Claire nodded, a thoughtful, calculating expression settling on her face. "Indeed. It would be a rather impressive endeavor. And undoubtedly useful."
The three exchanged a silent, conspiratorial pact. Their first adventure was complete, and it had opened the door to a whole new ambition. They would find the mysteries of Hogwarts. All of them.