If Rowena Ravenclaw was a master alchemist, then she likely had not only a private library but also a private alchemy laboratory.
With this in mind, Phineas didn't waste any time and went straight to the Room of Requirement.
However, once he arrived, he realized he had only ever tried to access the inheritance treasure vault before—he hadn't attempted to explore any other rooms.
"I need Ravenclaw's private library," he silently recited, pacing three times in front of the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy.
A door soon appeared on the opposite wall. Phineas stepped forward and opened it. Inside was what looked like the very same private library housed in the Ravenclaw common room.
So the Room of Requirement could replicate her private library—this made sense. After all, that space was likely once her office.
Phineas glanced at his System panel, but the mission to explore Hogwarts and locate the inherited treasure showed no progress. Clearly, accessing the private library through the Room of Requirement didn't count.
He had expected that, but a small part of him had held onto hope. Now, that hope was dashed.
Since the library hadn't helped, he turned to his original purpose.
"I need Ravenclaw's alchemy laboratory," he recited.
He repeated the same steps as before. Sure enough, the door appeared again—proof that his theory might be correct.
But he was mistaken once more. After stepping into the alchemy lab, there was still no mission progress. This wasn't the location of the inheritance treasure either.
Despite that, Phineas couldn't help but marvel at the lab's elegance.
The space contained many alchemical instruments—glass bottles and storage boxes for various materials. Though ordinary in appearance, the substances inside were likely anything but.
There were crucibles, weighing scales, and various apparatuses Phineas didn't even recognize—likely meant for experimental purposes.
Unfortunately, there were no leftover materials or documented notes from Ravenclaw.
The most intriguing container—one labeled for finished items—was empty. Instead, the box labeled "failures" held several broken artifacts. Among them was a shattered hourglass—perhaps an unsuccessful time-turner.
Though it wasn't the treasure chamber, Phineas did find value in the discarded alchemy items. Their presence suggested that even if no finished products survived, Ravenclaw's treasure might include instructions or production methods.
After collecting what remnants he could, Phineas left the lab and returned to the eighth floor of the castle.
He needed to rethink where Ravenclaw might have hidden her treasure. He began by examining the motive behind the founders' creation of Hogwarts and the possible reasons they left behind treasures.
Hogwarts was founded during a dark age for wizards—an era when Muggles, churches, witch hunters, and fire cultists persecuted magical folk. Many young wizards, under extreme pressure, developed Obscurials—manifestations of repressed magic.
To prevent such tragedies, the four founders established Hogwarts—not just as a school, but as a stronghold to protect their kind.
From that perspective, the inheritance treasures may have been left behind to defend the school itself. Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets housed a Basilisk—clearly intended as a defense.
Thus, the other three founders likely left protective measures in their own hidden chambers.
If Ravenclaw was a master alchemist, then her contribution to the school's defenses would logically be powerful alchemical items.
Phineas now considered the animated statues and suits of armor found throughout the Great Hall, entrance hall, and corridors. They all bore faint traces of magic.
Viewed through the lens of alchemy, it was entirely possible they were alchemical constructs.
That raised a new possibility—some location must exist that could control these alchemical creations. Phineas narrowed it down to two likely places: the Headmaster's office or a location he had never considered before.
Ravenclaw's personal office.
Some had theorized the Room of Requirement was once Ravenclaw's office, but its ever-changing nature made that seem unlikely.
No one had asked the more important question: if the Room of Requirement wasn't her office, then where was it?
The idea lodged itself in Phineas's mind. If he could find her true office, he believed he'd be closer to finding her secret chamber—and her treasure.
Coincidentally, he still had an incomplete System achievement related to exploring Hogwarts. He could work on both objectives at once.
The following Monday, Phineas had Defense Against the Dark Arts. Despite his continued suspicion of Professor Jonathan, he figured he could use the opportunity to ask some questions.
"In our last lesson, I taught you the Lumos and Nox spells. You've all grasped them well," Professor Jonathan began. "Today, we'll cover some of the most common dark creatures you may encounter in the wild—vampires and werewolves."
Several students looked confused and murmured in protest. Jonathan raised a hand casually and smiled.
"Yes, yes, I know. Vampires and werewolves are typically third-year topics, so I won't go too deeply into them. What I want to discuss is what to do if you actually meet one."
A Gryffindor student raised his hand. "Professor, what should we do if we do run into one?"
Jonathan waved him off. "I mentioned in our first lesson: I don't expect questions during class. I'll tell you what you need to know."
He continued, "As for your question—if you ever meet a vampire or a werewolf, my advice is: don't. Run."
He paused, letting the words sink in.
"Whether vampire or werewolf, their strength and ferocity far exceed what any young wizard like you can handle."