The second floor girls' bathroom was colder than usual that night.
Lilith stood alone in front of the central sink, fingers resting lightly on the small serpent carving etched into the tap. The faint thrum of shadow magic pulsed beneath her skin like a second heartbeat. She had spent the last hour testing the mechanism, doing everything she could in order for the entrance to open but it didn't.
The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets was right there.
And yet... she couldn't open it.
Instead, she went over to the last cubicle and sat on the cold tiled floor, knees drawn up to her chest. Moaning Myrtle hovered nearby, watching her with quiet concern.
"You've been staring at that sink for days now," Myrtle said softly. "You finally found what you were looking for, didn't you?"
Lilith didn't answer right away. Her mind felt strangely heavy tonight. She knew she was going to achieve what she wanted soon, but why did she feel so empty?
Why did she want this?
Why did she need this?
She pressed her forehead against her knees and let out a shaky breath.
"I did find it," she whispered. "But… I don't know if I want to go through with it anymore."
Myrtle floated closer. "Then don't."
Lilith smiled bitterly. "It's not that simple. I have a duty I need to fulfill... But I wish I was just dead already."
"Why do you wish that?"
Lilith stayed silent for a long moment, forehead still pressed to her knees. When she finally spoke, her voice was hoarse and raw.
"Because I'm so tired, Myrtle. There's this… thing inside me. A blood curse. It's been killing me slowly for years. The healers said I won't live to see my eighteenth birthday. Every day it gets worse. It feels like my veins are full of broken glass. Like something is eating me from the inside out."
Myrtle's eyes widened, the ghost drifting even closer.
"I just want it to stop," Lilith continued, voice trembling. "The pain never really goes away. Some days it's bearable. Other days it feels like I'm being torn apart piece by piece. I'm so tired, Myrtle. I just… I wish I was already dead. At least then it would be over."
The ghost was quiet for a long moment, her translucent form flickering with sorrow.
Later that morning, around 3 am, long after she had slipped out of the bathroom and returned to the Gryffindor tower, Lilith left again.
She made her way to the owlery and then disappeared into the shadows.
The obsidian hall was crowded today. Shadows clung to the pillars like living ink, and all the twelve masks were seated around the round table. They sat in complete silence.
Waiting.
The ornate throne at the head of the table remained empty. They were all waiting for Lilith's arrival.
Just then the far door whispered open.
Lilith stepped through and walked to the throne sitting down heavily. She was wearing a black tshirt with black jeans. Her hair fell straight down her back and today she looked tired.
After a while she spoke.
"I have found the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets."
A ripple of tension passed through the masked figures. No one spoke, but the air thickened with anticipation.
Lilith continued, her voice calm but edged with frustration.
"The mechanism is there. The serpent carving on the tap. I have confirmed it. But I cannot open it. I believe it needs to be opened via Parseltongue. Without it, the entrance won't budge."
The one with sleek hawk-beak mask, Warden leaned forward slightly.
"I'll start looking for any Parselmouths that we might find, Archon. Discreetly."
Lilith gave a small nod of approval.
Another figure, the one wearing the wooden mask, their youngest member, spoke next, voice low and measured.
"We have made progress on the eastern financial routes. Three more old families have quietly shifted their investments into our shell companies. The flow is stable and untraceable."
Null spoke up next from the left side of the table.
"Our influence in the Department of Magical Transportation has grown. We now have two more officials who report directly to us. Minor adjustments to portkey networks and floo monitoring can be made without raising suspicion."
The member with the cracked porcelain mask, Seer, spoke softly.
"The information network in France is expanding faster than expected. We have two new sources inside Beauxbatons' administration. Nothing critical yet, but useful for long-term observation."
One by one, the others gave their brief reports. Small advances in surveillance, financial control, political pressure, and recruitment. Each update was delivered with precision and restraint. No grand declaration. Just quiet, steady progress.
Lilith listened carefully, her tired eyes moving from one mask to the next. When the last report finished, she leaned back slightly in the throne.
"Good," she said. "Continue as planned. Keep movements subtle. We cannot afford attention right now."
She paused, fingers tapping once against the obsidian armrest.
"As for the Chamber… Warden, focus on locating any living Parselmouths who might be approached or influenced. The rest of you, maintain current operations. Report any anomalies immediately."
The twelve bowed their heads in unison.
"Dismissed."
With that Lilith stood up and left, leaving the shadows standing there watching her back.
On the contrary, Harry stood alone on the edge of a high cliff, the wind tugging gently at his clothes as he looked out over the masterpiece he had created.
The view stretched endlessly before him.
Towering mountain ranges rose in the distance, their peaks capped with fresh snow that caught the light of twin moons. A vast, crystal-clear lake shimmered below, its surface reflecting the alien stars above like a mirror to another sky. Rivers carved elegant, winding paths through lush green plains, while dense forests blanketed rolling hills in shades of deep emerald and mysterious teal. Waterfalls cascaded down rocky faces, their distant roar a constant, soothing hum in the air.
He had taken the spell Sasha gave him and modified it.
The original version required a separate casting for every new biome. He had changed that. Now, a single casting created a self-sustaining engine of creation. The spell drew on the abundant ambient magic in the air and slowly, continuously transformed the landscape according to his will. New biomes would emerge naturally over time. Since the dimension itself was effectively infinite, the possibilities were endless.
He had also tweaked the living beings.
Nothing here would be a direct copy of Earth's creatures. He wanted this world to feel truly new. Strange, beautiful, and full of wonder. The first forests already held trees with leaves that glowed faintly at night. The lake teemed with fish whose scales shifted colours like liquid opal. Small, fox-like creatures with feathered tails darted through the underbrush, curious but cautious.
Harry stood there for a long time, a quiet, deeply satisfied smile on his face.
This was only the beginning.
He had already completed the mountain range and the great lake. Areas he had started shaping before receiving Sasha's spell. With the new version, the work that had taken him now took but hours. The foundation was solid and the world was waking up.
It was incredibly exciting to think about what this world would eventually yield. New species. New ecosystems. New mysteries waiting to be discovered.
But what Harry looked forward to the most were the dragons.
He had completely redesigned them.
No longer would they be simple copies of Earth legends. These dragons would be unique, each variety carrying different powers and temperaments. Some would breathe lightning that arced across the sky in brilliant blue-white chains. Others would exhale freezing mist that turned entire valleys into crystalline winter realms. There would be shadow dragons that blended into darkness, storm dragons that summoned rain and thunder, and crystal dragons whose scales refracted light into dazzling prisms. In short these dragons will have actual magical powers.
He had introduced many other magical creatures too. All born from his own imagination. Winged serpents that sang haunting melodies at dusk. Luminescent deer with antlers that glowed like constellations. Massive, gently sky-whales that drifted through the upper atmosphere, trailing colourful auroras behind them.
One of the best things about the spell was that it allowed Harry to play the role of designer while the magic handled the heavy lifting. He only needed to define the creatures. Their appearances, abilities, behaviours and ecological roles. The spell took care of the rest: placement, population balance, natural integration into the environment.
It would still take time for everything to fully appear. At least 2-3 threes in outside world. Roughly forty to sixty years or more inside the dimension, depending on the complexity of the habitats. But Harry could always adjust the time dilation ratio later.
With a final glance across his growing world, Harry raised his hand and cast a powerful barrier over the central city, protecting it from any early magical fluctuations. Then he headed straight for the exit.
He reappeared in the quiet staff hall behind Dumbledore's office.
The castle was dark and still. Harry glanced down at the watch on his wrist. 3:59 AM. Barely 4 hours had passed in the outside world, while he was almost there for 3 days inside.
Well at least he managed to rest there.
He stood there for a moment, considering what to do next.
A small smile tugged at his lips.
It had been a few days.
"Time to visit Salashra," he murmured to himself.
With that he disapparated without a noise after adjusting the time-dilation to 1:50, and putting up a notice that warned people that the dimension was changing.
Back in Moonstone Dunvegan, the smaller lounge was quieter now, the main celebration having thinned out into the night. Only the younger group remained, sprawled across couches and cushions in various states of comfortable tipsiness. The fire crackled softly, casting warm flickering light across the room. Half-empty bottles of wine and whiskey sat on low tables alongside plates of leftover pizza, crisps, and half-eaten desserts.
Pansy was curled up in the corner of large couch, a glass of wine in her hands, cheeks still faintly pink. The others had formed a loose circle around her, the mood relaxed and intimate.
Ron, lounging beside her with a whiskey in hand, chuckled. "While you are out here trying to fix cancer, me and Hermione have been tearing our hair out over the classification system. We're trying to add new tiers above Grand Sage. Harry basically told us the current system is incomplete, so… yeah. That's been fun."
Draco, surprisingly relaxed with a glass of wine, smirked. "I've been focusing on wandless magic. Proper control, not just accidental bursts. It's harder than it looks, but I refuse to be left behind just because I like using a wand."
Daphne leaned against Astoria, looking thoughtful. "I've been working on a financial project. Long-term investment structures for Nexus. Making sure we're not just powerful, but stable across generations."
Luna tilted her head dreamily, swirling her drink. "Astoria and I have been working on a new charm. It's meant to help plants communicate better with each other. We think it could make entire forests smarter… or at least more cooperative."
Abigail, half-asleep against a pillow but still listening, mumbled. "I've been trying to learn time magic. Not the normal kind. Although there is no normal time magic. The seeing-the-future kind. Divination stuff. It doesn't really exist properly yet, but I'm trying."
Fred and George exchanged identical grins.
"We're the only normal ones here," Fred declared.
George nodded solemnly. "We just make things go boom. No deep research. No grand ambitions. Just chaos. We're basically the ballast of the group."
"Says the ones raking in millions," Ron scoffed, taking a swig of his drink.
The twins laughed.
Fred waved a hand dismissively. "We don't even compare to Harry. The guy probably has more money than all the pureblood families combined at this point."
Draco nodded in agreement. "No one compares to Harry. He's in a league of his own."
Everyone murmured in agreement. Abigail nodded sleepily, knowing it was true in her heart.
Pansy suddenly sat up a little straighter, a determined look crossing her flushed face.
"I'll demand something from him," she declared. "He got me a Lamborghini for my birthday. I think I've earned the right to ask for more now."
Daphne raised an eyebrow, smirking. "You just got a Lamborghini and you're already making demands? I don't think you're in the position to negotiate, Pansy."
Pansy huffed. "But I cured cancer! Or… well, I made a spell that can help cure it. That has to count for something. I'll ask him to set up a proper research wing for me. Somewhere I can work on Singularis properly."
Abigail, reaching for another slice of pizza, mumbled without looking up, "He probably already did something like that."
The group went quiet for a moment, thinking.
Ron tilted his head. "You know… she's not wrong. That does sound like something Harry would do without telling anyone."
Hermione nodded slowly. "He does have a habit of preparing things in advance."
Ginny grinned. "He probably already has a fully equipped lab waiting for you somewhere and just hasn't shown it to you yet."
Pansy blinked, then groaned, burying her face in a cushion. "Why is he like this?"
The twins laughed.
Just then, Ron stood up with a mischievous glint in his eyes. He walked over to a side cabinet and pulled out a different bottle of whiskey — an expensive-looking one with elegant labeling.
"Well, considering Pansy basically cured cancer," he announced, holding the bottle up, "let's have this."
Hermione eyed the bottle suspiciously. "What is that?"
Ron shrugged, already opening it. "No idea. I only grabbed it because I heard Harry compliment it once. It's supposed to be really good. Costs like ten thousand pounds or something ridiculous."
The group stared at him.
Ginny laughed. "You stole Harry's expensive whiskey?"
"No! I got a bottle of my own!" Ron snapped back.
He poured generous measures into everyone's glasses. The rich, smoky aroma filled the air.
Pansy took a cautious sip and her eyes widened. "Okay… this is actually amazing."
The rich, smoky whiskey warmed them from the inside as the conversation flowed more freely, the fire crackling softly in the background.
Ginny leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. "So what are we all actually looking forward to the most? Like… not the big world-changing stuff. Just… personal things."
Ron answered first, swirling his glass. "Honestly? I just wanna know lay back and maybe do some training on my own without having to bother with studies. Or just sleep."
Hermione elbowed him lightly but smiled. "I want to finish the new tiers for the classification system. But also... I kind of want to travel. See the world outside of books and Hogwarts. Maybe actually use that time to experience for myself, instead of just being buried in books."
Draco smirked, surprisingly relaxed. "I want to master wandless magic properly. Not because I have to prove anything anymore, but because I want to. And maybe… I don't know. Actually enjoy being good at something without it being tied to my family name."
Daphne nodded thoughtfully. "I want to learn about business properly from Harry and make Nexus stable. Not just powerful. I want to build something that last generations. So that my great great grandkids don't have to fight to protect."
Luna tilted her head dreamily. "That's quite a lofty goal. If you are thinking of grand children, you must have someone in your mind who you want to marry?"
The boys immediately started snickering.
Daphne's face turned bright red. She opened her mouth, closed it, then stuttered, "I— that's not— I didn't mean—"
Fred leaned forward with a wicked grin. "Oh we know exactly who you mean. Tall guy. About 6'2. Green eyes. Has a bad habit of being spontaneous and casually breaking reality."
George nodded solemnly. "And surprisingly, it's not just her. Look at this lineup."
He gestured dramatically across the group.
Ginny suddenly found her wine glass extremely interesting. Pansy turned the same shade as the wine. Luna just smiled dreamily, but even she had a faint blush. Daphne looked like she wanted the couch to swallow her whole.
Hermione raised both hands quickly. "Oh don't look at me. I have absolutely no feelings toward Harry. To me he is just my friend. Nothing more."
The girls all turned toward her at once.
Ginny smirked. "Oh, we know that. After all, your taste clearly runs toward redheads."
Hermione's face went redder than any Weasley in the room. "W-what? That's not— I don't—"
Ron, who had been sipping his whiskey, blinked slowly. "Wait… who's the redhead?"
The entire group except for Ron and Hermione burst into laughter. Even Draco couldn't hold back a snort.
"No one, Weasley," Draco smirked, leaning back with a lazy grin. "Your sister was just making a guess."
Fred and George were nearly falling off the couch, clutching their sides.
"Oh Merlin, this is gold," Fred wheezed.
George pointed at Ron with a shaky finger. "The densest wizard in Britain, ladies and gentlemen. Still hasn't figured it out."
Ron looked between them all, utterly bewildered, his ears turning a brilliant shade of scarlet. "Figured what out? What are you all on about?"
Hermione looked like she wanted the floor to open up and swallow her whole. She grabbed a pillow and buried her burning face in it, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like "I'm going to murder all of you in your sleep."
Pansy, still flushed from her own earlier teasing, couldn't help but giggle. The sound was light and genuine, "You really are hopeless, Ron."
Luna tilted her head with that serene, otherworldly smile. "The Wrackspurts around you two are doing a very complicated dance. It's quite romantic, actually."
Abigail, half-buried under a blanket, mumbled sleepily, "Even I know. And I'm the youngest."
Ron threw his hands up in defeat. "Know what?! Will someone please explain before I lose my mind?"
George reached over and patted his arm with mock sympathy. "Don't worry, little brother. One day you'll figure it out. Maybe."
The laughter that followed was warm and unstoppable, filling the small lounge like a living thing. Even Hermione eventually peeked out from behind the pillow, her face still scarlet but her lips twitching with reluctant amusement. The fire crackled merrily, casting golden flickers across flushed cheeks and tired but happy eyes. For a while, the weight of Singularis, research, and the wider world felt wonderfully distant.
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In a quieter, more elegant lounge overlooking one of the glowing waterfalls, the older members of Nexus had gathered away after the celebration had ended.
The atmosphere here was warmer but more contemplative. All the parents sat in the lounge drinking and chatting. Petunia and Vernon sat close together. Sirius and Amelia shared a couch, Molly and Arthur were deep in conversation with the Greengrasses, Pandora and Xenophilus were explaining something to the Grangers. Bellatrix was seated with Andromeda and Ted, while the Parkinsons were talking amongst themselves with pride evident on their face.
The topic had naturally turned toward their children.
Percival Parkinson leaned back, swirling his drink with a thoughtful frown. "It's becoming impossible to ignore. The difference in magical growth between us and them is widening faster than any of us expected."
Amaryllis nodded beside him. "Pansy creating Singularis at her age... it's extraordinary. But it also makes you realise how far ahead their minds truly are."
Molly sighed, looking both proud and slightly wistful. "Ron and Ginny are pushing towards Archwizard. The twins have already entered that tier. Percy too. I remember when they were just learning their first spells..."
Arthur rubbed the back of his neck. "And Harry... well. He's in a completely different category."
Vernon, unusually quiet, finally spoke. "Only Sirius and I are proper Archwizards among us parents. The rest of us are still hovering in the high Sorcerer range. Meanwhile, kids who are barely teenagers are leaving us in the dust."
Sirius let out a low chuckle, though his eyes held a competitive glint. "Don't look at me. I'm barely holding my own these days. Amelia is already at a higher level than me. I think among all the adults, only the professors are perhaps holding their own against those monsters."
Petunia pinched the bridge of her nose. "That boy is going to give me grey hair and I just turned 30."
Dan Granger, sitting beside Emma, gave a small, rueful smile. "Well... we can't exactly compete there, can we? Being Muggles and all."
Emma squeezed his hand gently. "It's quite unfortunate, but we knew that coming in. We'll support them in other ways."
Pandora tilted her head, her voice soft. "I could make slow-aging potions for you both. It won't give you magic, but it would align your aging with ours. You'd stay younger longer."
Dan and Emma exchanged a surprised but grateful look.
The conversation drifted back to the children.
Percival looked deep in thought. "I wonder just how far Harry has gone. Is the boy even a Magus at this point?"
Dan spoke up, voice calm but carrying weight. "From what I heard from Hermione yesterday... Harry is a Grand Sage. Over million MPUs. And I heard that he had told her and Ron that Grand Sage isn't the mortal limit. There should be more tiers above it. And Dumbledore seems to agree with it apparently."
The lounge fell into a stunned silence.
Amelia's teacup froze halfway to her lips. Andromeda's eyes widened.
"A Grand Sage..." Ted murmured in awe. "At thirteen."
"Before thirteen," Edmund corrected. "He is still twelve."
Vernon grunted. "We need to step up our game. We can't let our own children leave us in the dust. Not while we're still young enough to do something about it."
"Well, we all have barely hit 30 after all," Adorabella agreed. "We can train the way Harry does. Maybe we've been too comfortable for too long."
Bellatrix murmured, "I wonder if the part where Ron and Hermione say that Grand Sages have more lifespan than normal wizards is true... If it is than unless others can hit Grand Sage level, Harry will be left alone..."
This plunged everyone into deep contemplation. Petunia's heart ached at the thought. If none of his friends reached that same height, would Harry truly be left alone in his long life while everyone he knew eventually faded away? The idea hung heavy in the air. Every parent and guardian in the room felt the weight of it pressing down on them.
Andromeda broke the silence first, forcing a light tone. "It's too soon to worry about that. This is Harry we are talking about. He might just find a way to make everyone Grand Sages if he fears they would die before him."
She said it as a joke to lighten the mood, but the group actually paused to consider it. Knowing Harry, the scenario was not entirely impossible. That boy was capable of things that defied all reason.
Molly spoke thoughtfully. "Maybe Ginny's potion study will indeed make something like that possible one day."
Petunia set her glass down carefully. "Harry will not stay at Grand Sage for long anyway. His magical core is different."
Everyone but Molly, Vernon, Arthur and Sirius turned toward her, confused.
"What do you mean?" Percival asked.
Petunia met their eyes steadily. "He has gone through a core transformation before. That is perhaps the reason he is a Grand Sage now."
They pressed her for details. Petunia explained quietly, "From what Dumbledore speculated, his magical core transformed into something that has no limits. A limitless magical core. Which means Harry's magical prowess will never stop growing. Even if it reaches what we call mortal limits. Which means there is a huge possibility that in the end he would indeed have to wander the earth alone, perhaps as someone who is immortal and undying."
The words settled over the group like frost. Terror and immense sadness warred on every face. Terror at the thought of power that would never stop expanding. Sadness at what it implied for the boy they all loved in their own ways.
Xenophilius Lovegood, who had been listening quietly, spoke up in his usual airy tone. "Yes, that is one possibility. But there is also the possibility that his friends and even we ourselves might gain something unique from similar transformations. After all, the moment one reaches the peak of Archwizard, a core transformation is required. And from the party yesterday we already know Ginny is trying to make a potion that allows one to gather far more magical energy. Since we have heard Harry himself is linked to that project, it would not be surprising if they all blast past Grand Sage level someday."
He smiled gently. "After all, it is too early to say anything. Even if the children do not behave like it, they are all barely second and first years. They are still only twelve or thirteen years old. Barely teenagers."
The adults sat with that realisation for a moment. It was easy to forget. Their children spoke and acted with such maturity, created such groundbreaking things, that it was simple to see them as far older than they truly were. And they themselves were only thirty or thirty-one. They still had well over a hundred years of life ahead of them.
The tension in the room slowly eased. Shoulders relaxed. Expressions softened into something closer to quiet determination rather than dread.
Amaryllis gave a small, wry smile. "We really are getting ahead of ourselves, are we not?"
Edmund chuckled, "It's hard not to forget that our children are much younger than we think. After all they are making things that are barely thought of by adults."
The group shared a collective breath. The fire continued to crackle warmly, and the distant sound of waterfalls provided a soothing backdrop. They were parents watching their children soar. And while the heights those children reached were dizzying, they still had time.