That evening, after the group had wrapped up their search, Alaric revealed that he had a new idea. He took Hermione and Cho Chang to the Chamber of Secrets.
The Chamber, now with an altered method of access, had become their secret base.
Alaric had made extensive renovations, tearing down the old facilities, including the massive Slytherin statue and the serpent carvings.
He had divided the space into multiple rooms: bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room, a study, and a laboratory.
The Chamber had effectively become a second home for Alaric.
If it weren't for the restrictions imposed by the Ministry and Dumbledore, he might have even considered installing a fireplace connected to the Floo Network.
With the Room of Requirement not being the most practical for his experiments, Alaric used the Chamber for his research.
Hermione and Cho Chang, on the other hand, found themselves somewhat idle.
Alaric's research focused on modifying old spells rather than creating new magic.
After a productive night in the Chamber, where Alaric managed to alleviate some of the boredom accumulated from the search for Horcruxes, he was finally satisfied.
The next day was the weekend. Alaric woke up early, eager to put his new idea into practice in the Room of Requirement.
However, Hermione and Cho Chang seemed unusually reluctant to leave the Chamber.
They lingered in the bedroom, seemingly disinclined to get up.
Alaric, not too concerned, left the Chamber on his own, leaving the two girls behind, who breathed a sigh of relief.
Perhaps due to their exhaustion from the previous night, Alaric saw them joining him at the Ravenclaw table for breakfast well after the usual time.
Yet, when he greeted them, Hermione and Cho Chang gave him synchronized, exasperated looks and chose a different corner to sit in.
It seemed Alaric's actions the previous night had displeased them.
"What's going on? Did you two have an argument?" Anthony, sitting beside Alaric, asked quietly.
"No… not exactly," Alaric replied awkwardly. "It might be because I did something that upset them."
"What could you have done to make them so upset? You've never had this kind of reaction before.
I mean, you're practically a heartthrob—other people are usually trying to get your attention.
Or maybe… you have a new target that they found out about?" Anthony speculated.
Alaric looked at Anthony with surprise. It was the first time he realized his roommate had such a keen intuition.
He didn't recall being particularly close with Luna in front of others.
"Actually, it's not about a new target. They're upset about something else," Alaric said honestly.
"Oh, so you do have a new target…?"
Michael, who had been eagerly listening, almost shouted before his roommate Terry quickly covered his mouth.
Michael managed to wriggle free and whispered, "You're making our lives miserable!
Every Valentine's Day you hog 80% of the chocolates, and older and younger students line up to confess to you.
We can't even get girlfriends, and now you're talking about having a new target!"
"That's right," Terry agreed.
"You've already captured Hermione and Cho Chang's attention.
You shouldn't be aiming for another girl.
The two best girls in the house are already revolving around you.
You should pick one so we can go after the other."
"Actually, it should be three to choose from," Michael added.
"Don't forget about Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons. She was after you last semester."
"It's four," Anthony corrected.
"Don't forget Penelope Clearwater. She graduated but had a good relationship with you."
"Yes, four," Terry said, looking at Alaric. The other two also stared at him expectantly. "So, who will you choose?"
—Choose one? Only kids do that. Adults want them all.
If you knew I've already chosen all four and am planning to start on the fifth, how would you feel?
Alaric thought they might be jealous enough to take drastic measures.
But such matters were not meant to be revealed, so he merely deflected with, "I'll deal with it after graduation."
"Why wait until graduation?" Terry lamented.
"I also want to try pursuing Hermione and Cho Chang.
Why do girls care so much about looks? It's so superficial."
At that moment, a voice interrupted.
"You're just jealous."
Terry, taken aback, almost jumped. He turned to see Luna, who had come over eagerly after breakfast.
"Luna Lovegood?" Anthony, Terry, and Michael exchanged puzzled looks.
Luna was a year younger than them and wasn't known for having many friends due to her eccentric views.
Apart from Ginny Weasley, who grew up in the same village, she didn't have a wide circle of acquaintances.
Her reputation as a "crazy girl" preceded her, but they weren't very familiar with her.
Suddenly, Anthony seemed to remember something and whispered to Alaric, "Your new target wouldn't be… 'the crazy girl,' would it?"
Alaric frowned at the suggestion.
"Luna is not crazy. She just thinks differently from others," he said, defending her.
"It's not a flattering nickname."
"So, it really is her?" Anthony seemed surprised.
"I thought your new target would be someone more like Parvati Patil. Luna… isn't she a bit too ordinary?"
"Luna is anything but ordinary. She's a unique girl," Alaric explained earnestly. "You'll understand one day."
With that, Alaric waved at Luna, who had come to join him.
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