Prefect Percy

"Interesting. They marked the key point on the very first day of school," he thought. "Looks like this year's 'dungeon' entrance is right there."

"Finally, tryouts for the Quidditch Cup will be held in the second week of school. Students interested in joining their house team, please contact your respective Head of House."

"Now, it's bedtime! Everyone back to your dormitories!"

At the command, the entire Great Hall erupted into noise again.

"Gryffindor first-years! Follow me!" a tall boy wearing a prefect's badge shouted in a tone that brooked no argument.

His hair was combed immaculately, his expression stern—this was Ron's brother, Percy Weasley.

"The prefect's here, everyone, hurry up and follow!" Percy cleared his throat, strutting like a proud rooster as he led a group of dazed little lions out of the Great Hall.

Hogwarts at night was even more bizarre and fantastical than by day.

They weaved through the noisy crowd and climbed the marble staircase leading upstairs.

"Watch out, the stairs move on their own," Percy warned without turning back, a hint of smugness in his voice. "You'd better keep close—I don't want to be picking anyone up from the hospital wing tomorrow morning with the excuse that 'my first-year got lost on the stairs.'"

No sooner had he spoken than the staircase beneath them shuddered violently, slowly swiveling to connect with another flight of stairs.

"Whoa!" the first-years gasped in unison.

"Merlin's beard, this is even cooler than I heard!" Ron said excitedly.

Lin Yuan, meanwhile, studied the stone steps with keen interest.

"Not a mechanical structure—some kind of alchemy imbued with 'animation' properties. The entire staircase system seems controlled by a unified but somewhat randomized scheduling array. What's its logic? A fixed timetable, or does it react to specific passwords or crowds?"

His mind worked like a supercomputer, frantically recording and analyzing everything around him.

The walls were lined with countless portraits, and the figures within—whether plump monks or stern-faced witches—whispered among themselves as they passed, even pointing at them.

"Look, this year's new students," a knight in one painting said to the lady beside him.

"That dark-haired one—is that the Potter child? Looks just like his father," the lady replied, fanning herself.

"And that one from the East—Gryffindor's really branching out this year."

"This is incredible!" Harry's eyes were wide with wonder. "They actually move and talk!"

"Of course they do," Percy said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Why else would they hang here? For decoration? Mind you, don't stare too long—some of these paintings have terrible tempers."

Just then, a series of whooshing sounds came from above, followed by a rain of walking sticks clattering down.

Percy's wand moved in a flash: "Protego!"

A transparent barrier appeared instantly, deflecting the falling canes.

"Peeves!" Percy shouted furiously at the ceiling. "Get out here now! Or I'll fetch the Bloody Baron!"

A small, ridiculous man in a feathered hat materialized midair.

He had an obnoxious face and was making faces at them.

"Ohhh, it's nasty prefect Percy!" Peeves sang in a shrill voice. "Leading a bunch of dumb little newbies! Off to sleepy-bye, are we?"

He made an exaggerated gagging motion, then whoosh—vanished through the wall, leaving behind a trail of fading, mocking laughter.

"An overactive low-level spirit entity," Lin Yuan diagnosed. "No physical form, but capable of minor influence on the material world. Its energy structure is chaotic—seems to be a pure concentration of 'mischief' obsession. Interesting. Could serve as a basic sample for studying spirit-reality interaction."

Percy's face flushed red with anger. He straightened his robes and forced composure: "Just a low-level poltergeist. Pay him no mind. We're almost there."

He led them through a corridor hung with a massive tapestry, finally stopping before a painting.

It depicted a very fat lady in a pink silk gown, her expression somewhat impatient.

"Password?" the Fat Lady asked, her gaze sweeping over the first-years.

"Dragon's Breath," Percy said clearly.

"Correct." The Fat Lady nodded, and the portrait swung open like a door, revealing a circular hole in the wall.

"Alright, go on in." Percy stepped aside.

One by one, they crawled through the opening, and the view opened up before them.

They had entered a cozy circular room.

Everything inside was bathed in warm red and gold.

Portraits of illustrious Gryffindor alumni hung on the walls, and a roaring fire in the hearth lit the whole space brightly.

Plush armchairs and tables were scattered about, giving the room a warm, lived-in feel.

"Wow... this is amazing!" Ron exclaimed sincerely.

Harry looked around too, his eyes filled with novelty and a sense of belonging.

This place was a world apart from the cold, dark cupboard where he'd grown up.

Lin Yuan's focus, however, was entirely different.

His Soul Power spread like liquid mercury, instantly covering the entire common room.

"I see..." He immediately grasped its secrets.

This so-called common room was not merely a room.

It was, in itself, a continuously active "Calming Barrier."

The flames burning in the fireplace were not ordinary firewood, but a magical fuel mixed with Salamander Blood Powder.

The heat it emitted was not just physical warmth; it carried a magical fluctuation capable of soothing emotions and relaxing the mind.

The plush armchairs lining the walls had their padding blended with Mooncalf fluff, a material from this magical creature that naturally possessed properties of comfort and joy.

And those talking portraits...

Lin Yuan's gaze swept over the past Gryffindors who smiled and nodded at them.

"This isn't simple spirit attachment magic, but something akin to a Collective Consciousness Projection."

He realized these portraits were not independent individuals.

They were connected through an invisible magical network to the entire Gryffindor Tower, and even to Hogwarts Castle itself.

They shared a portion of their memories and "computational power."

The personalities of the figures in the portraits were based on their traits from life, but their "intelligence" was supported by this vast network.

"So, the Fat Lady isn't just a 'gatekeeper'; she's more like a 'firewall' and an 'identity verification system.' The password is the access permission code. And the entire common room is a massive 'charging station' and 'psychological therapy room,' continuously providing spiritual support to Gryffindor students, subtly enhancing their courage and sense of belonging. Brilliant, truly brilliant. Using environmental magic to shape students' character, moistening things silently."

Lin Yuan was utterly impressed by the designer of Hogwarts.