The bedroom was completely transformed compared to when they left.
Not only had the space increased several times over, but the formerly ordinary dark green sheets and duvet covers on the bed were long gone, replaced by soft, delicate silk products shimmering with a silver-green luster.
Looking around, all the newly added furniture exuded nobility and refinement.
"Excuse me." I must have opened it the wrong way!
Thomas closed the door, and Severus, who was walking behind him, bumped into his back.
"Thomas, what are you doing?" Severus clutched his nose.
"Sorry, Sev. I just…" Thomas stepped back two paces, confirming it was still the old wooden door that was out of place with the surrounding room doors. He looked up, and his and Severus's names were correctly written on the doorplate.
"What? Did a Troll in the room scare you?" Severus looked at his brother's strange behavior.
However, he was already used to Thomas doing some nonsensical things.
Bypassing Thomas, he opened the door. There was no Troll inside, but a conspicuous black snake head stretched out to greet them: "Severus, Thomas, you're back."
Aegis!
Severus was startled and immediately darted into the room, closing the door behind him.
Thomas looked around to make sure no one was there, then breathed a sigh of relief and followed him in, closing the door completely.
The Basilisk Aegis had grown much larger, shaking its head as it greeted them.
Its long body coiled in a corner of the bedroom, and an ugly-looking Goblin wearing a tattered cloth was timidly holding a brush, cleaning its scales.
After Thomas and Severus entered the room, it stopped its movements, holding the brush and standing stiffly and respectfully to the side.
"Aegis, what have you done?" The 'culprit' behind the bedroom's transformation must be this enjoying Basilisk.
Aegis's tone was very smug: "This was Salazar's old bedroom. I unlocked the password he set. I didn't expect you two to be able to summon a House-elf. If I had known, I would have unlocked this magic restriction back then."
The Basilisk's head turned to look at the House-elf, its enlarged head still wearing the green goggles, looking quite comical: "However, it doesn't look much like a Slytherin family House-elf."
The House-elf dared not laugh; its whole body trembled when the Basilisk's gaze swept over it: "I… I…" He had never said he was a Slytherin family House-elf.
"Back then? House-elf?" Thomas interrupted the stammering Goblin, who couldn't speak. What was all this about?
"Didn't I say that before I met you, I met a child with Slytherin blood, but I didn't unlock the password for him." See how good I am to you!
Thomas did remember that this narrow-minded Basilisk had always held a grudge about that child having another snake pet.
"After he graduated, he didn't want anyone else to live here. He ordered me to scare the students who moved in later from behind the walls. Anyway, I was bored at Hogwarts, and the reactions of those children were very interesting, so I agreed."
Thomas's face darkened: What a boring Basilisk. Luckily, its combat power was strong, otherwise, it would have been made into a pot of snake soup by now.
"Aha! I remember now, that boy was named Tom!"
Nine out of ten British children are named Tom, a name of no reference value.
Thomas remembered the current leader of the pure-blood families—Lord Voldemort, also the biggest villain in the original Harry Potter. Didn't he also claim to be a descendant of Slytherin?
Was there any connection between him and that boy named Tom?
"Is this a House-elf?" Severus curiously observed the cowering Goblin in the corner.
Its figure was thin and small, with a pair of large eyes like light bulbs hanging prominently on its sunken cheeks, its gaze filled with a strange mix of terror and adoration, both pitiful and terrifying.
"Yes, Severus. They have been attached to pure-blood wizard families for generations. Not only do they possess powerful magic, but most importantly, they are extremely loyal and obedient, able to help wizards handle many chores."
"But we're not pure-blood." Severus pouted, another argument about bloodline.
"But you did summon it." Aegis didn't know why this was the case.
It was just a Basilisk; you couldn't expect it to be as knowledgeable as a wizard!
A voice as faint as a mosquito buzzed: "My name is Daisy, and I am the House-elf belonging to little master Thomas and little master Severus."
"Hello." Thomas and Severus nodded at it.
Thomas looked at the frightened little fellow, smiled, and released some Wood Element Ability to try and comfort it: "Your name is very pretty."
The House-elf seemed to have heard something outrageous; its bulging eyes widened even further.
Then, he did something that neither of them could understand—he started banging his head against the wall!
"little master greeted me!"
"little master said my name is pretty!"
"little master is so gentle!"
"But I haven't even served little master yet, Daisy is a bad Goblin."
"…" This thought process truly made one speechless.
Thomas's smile froze on his face, but he quickly reacted and sternly ordered: "Stop! Daisy!" With such a commotion, all the students in the common room would probably be drawn over soon.
Daisy did not stop; it seemed completely immersed in its own world.
Aegis, however, interjected: "No, Salazar has set up the strongest defensive array here. Even if it knocks down this wall, no one outside will know what happened! Don't worry!"
That's completely unnecessary!
"I won't let it knock down the wall." Thomas glared at the Basilisk, which felt a chill and obediently shut its mouth.
"I said! Stop!" Thomas raised his voice: "Daisy, I don't know where you picked up this habit. But if you keep banging your head against the wall, then don't appear before us again."
Daisy immediately stopped, its face a picture of misery: "Daisy is obedient! Daisy is a bad elf!"
Thomas felt a headache coming on.
Severus watched the cowering House-elf with his arms crossed, coldly. It was too noisy; he felt he didn't need such a creature.
The atmosphere instantly solidified.
Aegis finally used its remaining bit of intelligence to change the subject: "Severus, there's a potion laboratory in there, would you like to see it?"
Hearing this, he was no longer sleepy: "Of course!"
Severus's eyes lit up. Only then did he notice that several small doors had appeared on the formerly bare stone wall, cleverly concealed in inconspicuous locations by the newly added furniture.
Pushing open the door Aegis indicated, a breathtaking potion room appeared before him.
Although there were no windows around, it was very bright. Its light source did not come from the common magic candles of Hogwarts, but from a stone embedded in the ceiling, making the overall light in the room soft and even.
In the center was a huge tabletop carved from obsidian, on which various potion-making tools were displayed, each sparkling with extraordinary luster.
A mithril dry pot hung quietly on a specially made magic rack, its surface flowing with a faint silver glow.
This precious metal not only had excellent thermal conductivity but could also enhance the potency of potions to a certain extent, making it an indispensable tool for making advanced potions.
There were also precise magic scales, a flame furnace that could automatically adjust temperature... Every tool was a potion master's dream.
Next to it, rows of exquisite glass bottles were neatly arranged.
Inside were all sorts of magic materials, from rare magic plants to precious magic ores, everything imaginable.
Unfortunately, many of these magic plants had lost their medicinal properties due to the passage of time, appearing dull and lifeless.
These once incredibly precious plants could no longer be used for potion making.
Severus's hand gently stroked the obsidian countertop, as if caressing a beloved, his eyes sparkling with ecstatic light.
Although Thomas also liked this potion laboratory very much, he just wanted to cover Siv's eyes now!
With such a place in the bedroom, would he be able to drag Siv out for classes in the future?