The Room of Requirement and Helga's Portrait

Jon woke up from his bed.

He raised his wrist and the fluorescent clock hands showed that it was already past 3 a.m., almost dawn.

The mechanical watch on his wrist was considered a semi-magical item, adorned with precise enchantments and anti-magnetic spells to prevent the powerful magical field of Hogwarts from affecting this Muggle item.

Of course, this watch violated the "Prohibition of Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Act."

But in this world, who has the time to bother about such things?

People who like to create trouble and people who are troubled, they are either loved or hated.

Coincidentally, neither of these emotions had anything to do with Jon.

Jon lay on his bed, lost in thought. The bed curtains isolated the sounds of others' breathing in the dormitory, making this small space particularly quiet.

He started contemplating.

Because he had just seen Helga Hufflepuff in his dream, he still had a surreal feeling.

If there really was a God, was He laughing at this moment?

Could God tell him why?

He had made up his mind to pass his seven years of schooling honestly, and now he was being told that Helga Hufflepuff was his ancestor, and he had some kind of "mysterious" magical aura destined for great achievements, but with an unfortunate ending?

How could such a plot, where the protagonist's journey suddenly begins, be written by anyone other than a wise author?

Is it the fan of NZND, MDZZ?

The more Jon thought, the more his head hurt. He always felt that there were invisible hands manipulating everything, and he could only act like a puppet, following the predetermined sequence.

"Of course, it might just be a dream after all, no need to worry."

He reassured himself, trying to calm down, using the composure cultivated over more than ten years to face the current situation, right?

He couldn't remain unfazed like a mountain collapsing in front of him, but accepting new information was just a minor occasion, no need to be so astonished.

After tossing and turning in bed to settle his mood, when Jon felt that he didn't have any major issues, he climbed out of bed and checked the time. It was almost five o'clock.

He took out the underwear he kept in the storage cabinet - these clothes were for convenience in movement - then put on his robe, touched the ring on his hand, and walked towards the common room.

The ghostly Friar Fatuk, who was associated with Helga Hufflepuff, was sleeping on a chair in the common room. Jon tiptoed past him, and as he passed by the portrait of Helga Hufflepuff, the legendary smiling witch blinked at him.

Okay, now he could be sure that last night was not a dream.

Jon politely nodded, then slipped out through the exit. Although it was still within curfew hours, normal people should be fast asleep by this time. After all, Filch was a damp squib and needed rest too.

Surely, the Weasley twins must have given the caretaker a headache.

Jon had no intention of challenging the Hogwarts caretaker. Living in the magical world itself was already painful for a damp squib, so there was no need to make their lives more miserable.

Following the route described by Helga, Jon proceeded without hesitation towards the upper floors of the castle.

Fortunately, today wasn't a "Staircase Vacation Day." In a matter of minutes, Jon ran from the underground floor to the eighth floor of the castle and then found the wall opposite the tapestry where the trolls were bashing Barnabas the Barmy.

Behind this wall was where Rowena Ravenclaw's study, library, bedroom, and bathroom used to be... In short, it was where Rowena Ravenclaw spent her time. After Rowena Ravenclaw's passing, this room became a secret exploration place left by Hogwarts for its students.

Powerful spatial magic, ageless concealment magic, defense magic integrated with Hogwarts... Jon had always been fascinated by this room, and after hearing Helga's words, that fascination became even stronger. He certainly knew how to open the Room of Requirement, but with Helga's guidance, that method seemed a bit troublesome.

He reached into his ring and drew out his wand, pressing it against the wall in front of him, and softly said, "The most important thing in the world is friendship."

The wall in front of him began to change, not into a door, but into a rippling membrane of light. With a slight push, Jon's wand tip penetrated the magical barrier. Without hesitation, Jon walked through the membrane of light, just like entering Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

Inside the room, there was nothing particularly special. Besides some slightly worn furnishings, it resembled Jon's own study: bookshelves, a desk, a chair, paintings on the walls, a quill and a half-used ink bottle on the table, with the ink inside solidified into lumps...

Jon caressed the traces of these objects. After a thousand years, they were still preserved well, as if the original owner had just been there.

He turned around and saw the large portrait hanging on the wall. The painting was spacious, with only a young figure standing in the middle-left. Her flowing purple robe spread like water on the ground, adorned with golden threads outlining a deep and mysterious badger emblem...

After all these years, she seemed unchanged, her smile still gentle and warm.

Jon suddenly remembered the introduction of his ancestor in Hufflepuff House, which stated that she treated all students as if they were her own children.

Someone referred to as a mother by the students must have something special about her.

"Are these blank spaces the portraits of the three founders from back then?" Jon asked, looking at the huge blank areas on the painting. Hufflepuff in the portrait nodded, finally able to speak freely here.

"At first, it was Slytherin who left, and his portrait also left from here. Then Gryffindor and Ravenclaw passed away one after another, and no one knew about the portraits here. In fact, we all knew the password to enter Rowena's study, but no one truly came in until just before my death when magic was performed, revealing this painting."

Helga's voice sounded somewhat sorrowful.

"We were very, very good friends before!"

Jon didn't know how to proceed. In this moment, he couldn't even empathize. This friendship that had lasted for centuries, after being steeped in time, became particularly heavy. He couldn't even say a few playful words to alleviate Helga's sadness.

"Don't feel sad because of me. It's been so long, and I've already come to terms with it."

Helga in the portrait spoke for herself, "You mentioned wanting to learn something, right? You can ask now. However, after the magical world has developed for so long, there might not be much I can teach you."