Chương 39: Chapter 40 : Plans

Tyson really had to agree with Penelope on that one. The view that unfolded beyond the window was genuinely breathtaking. The Hogwarts grounds stretched before him in all their glory. Morning mist still hung over the grass, drifting lazily across the lawns as the first rays of sunlight spilled over them. The Black Lake in the distance gleamed with a golden glow. Beyond it lay an endless sea of dark green, which Tyson assumed to be the infamous Forbidden Forest.

Off to the right lay the Quidditch pitch, still empty at this hour, while farther beyond, several glass greenhouses glittered beneath the sunlight. Towering over everything in the distance were the mist-covered Scottish Highlands, their peaks half-hidden among low-hanging clouds. Tyson stood there for several minutes, enjoying the view and letting the damp breeze of early September brush against his skin and wash away any lingering sleepiness.

Then Terry unleashed another earth-shaking snore behind him, completely ruining the beautiful moment. Tyson rolled his eyes and let the curtains fall shut. He'd originally planned to wake up at seven, get in an hour-long workout, then head down to the Great Hall for a protein-rich breakfast. Who would've thought his roommate would turn out to be a human alarm clock?

'Since I'm already awake, might as well start now.' Tyson sighed before quietly slipping out of the dormitory. He descended the spiral staircase into the empty common room. The enchanted ceiling had transformed overnight, now mirroring the morning sky outside and bathing the room in soft, natural light.

'Truly magical.' Tyson found himself wondering whether he could learn the enchantment one day and use it on all the ceilings back home. His parents would absolutely love that. He mentally added it to the ever-growing list of magical things he intended to learn before finally beginning his workout. Since he hadn't bought any of his gym equipment, he could only stick to bodyweight exercises. Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Push-ups. Squats.

Lunges. Planks. A handful of burpees to get his heart rate up. The common room was quite large. It gave him plenty of space to move around freely, and the high ceiling made it feel far less cramped than their dormitory. Before long, Tyson settled into a steady rhythm.

'The Room of Requirement is going to be an absolute game-changer,' he thought while holding a plank, feeling his muscles burn under the strain. Since it was said to become whatever its occupant needed, asking for a proper gym shouldn't be too unreasonable, right? Just a few basic pieces of equipment—a power rack, bench press, pull-up bar, barbells, dumbbells, and a punching bag—would be an immense help. All of that, however, would have to wait until he learned the Disillusionment Charm.

There was no way Tyson was wandering around Hogwarts after curfew without a reliable means of concealment. Getting caught would almost certainly end in detention. Aside from that, he also had to start practicing the third year charms, verify if Occlumency could assist in spellcasting, and become as good in Transfiguration as he was with charms. There were other long term projects like blending spells into his combat style, learning alchemy and figure out the essence of magic.

Then there was the matter of the Marauder's Map. He could live with the twins knowing his whereabouts. That alone wouldn't be enough for them to figure out the existence of the Room of Requirement. What truly fascinated him was the artifact's sheer utility. Not only would it let him weave effortlessly around professors, prefects, ghosts, and Filch during his nightly excursions, but he could also try reverse-engineering it to uncover its secrets.

Just imagine a Marauder's Map encompassing an entire city—or even a whole country. It would literally be a watered-down version of a satellite! Its usefulness would be invaluable once he started his company in the Muggle world. Just thinking about keeping tabs on all of his employees and clients made Tyson's mouth water. Yup. He had to get his hands on it at all costs. The question was how. Stealing it from Fred and George was out of the question.

If they ever found out it was his doing, he'd lose any chance of future cooperation with two master alchemists, which, in Tyson's opinion, was worth even more than the map itself. Then there was also the issue of breaking into Gryffindor Tower. It was risky. Even if he mastered the Disillusionment Charm and somehow tricked the password out of the Boy Who Was Naive (Neville), there was no guarantee the dormitories themselves weren't protected against intruders.

Sirius Black had managed to break in years later, but he'd been a Gryffindor himself. Fortunately, there was a much simpler—and significantly safer—solution. He could just negotiate with the twins and borrow the map for a while. It wouldn't be particularly difficult to arrange a meeting through his friendship with Ron and Harry. Everyone had a price. And Tyson knew exactly what two aspiring alchemists who happened to be Weasleys needed most right now.

By the time Tyson finished his workout, he was drenched in sweat. Every muscle in his body ached from the continuous strain, and his breathing had grown noticeably heavier. Wiping his forehead with the back of his arm, Tyson headed back up the spiral staircase toward the boys' dormitory. The moment he opened the door, he was greeted by Terry's loud snores. His mood, which had improved after a satisfying workout, soured again. As Tyson stepped inside, he was surprised to find Anthony already awake.