The Fidelius Charm.
Among supportive magic, it occupies a uniquely special position.
This exceptionally powerful spell, when successfully cast, can ensure that whatever needs to be kept secret will never be discovered.
Its applications are remarkably broad. It can be used to bind agreements, protect critical matters, or even conceal someone's personal whereabouts, all perfectly achieved through this single charm.
Naturally, the more powerful the spell, the greater the cost it demands, along with increasingly complex restrictions.
Not only does it require an enormous amount of magical power, it also demands a binding contract involving specific people, objects, or events. Most importantly, it requires a medium for the Fidelius Charm to take effect.
That medium is the only wizard who knows the secret, known within the spell as the…
Secret Keeper.
The existence of the Secret Keeper creates the spell's sole vulnerability. Though it appears flawless, the Fidelius Charm will fail and be broken the instant the Secret Keeper willingly reveals the secret or dies.
Because of this, the choice of Secret Keeper must be someone absolutely trustworthy. Often, the caster of the spell themselves becomes the Secret Keeper.
For that reason, selecting the Secret Keeper is an extremely critical decision.
And judging by Draco's actions, it seemed he had already made that choice.
No, the moment they saw that parchment, the Secret Keepers had already come into being…
...
"So… does that mean the three of us have all become Secret Keepers?"
"If my understanding of the Fidelius Charm isn't wrong, then yes. That's exactly what it means…"
Astoria, the first to grasp what was happening, cast Draco a rather strange look. Draco, however, accepted it calmly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Pansy, having figured out what was going on, felt no real pressure. Hermione, on the other hand, was clearly displeased.
"I already knew you had an awful personality, but couldn't you have at least told us in advance?!"
"Hm? Didn't I mention it last time? You forgot already?"
"...…"
Of course she hadn't forgotten what he said last time. In fact, afterward, she had deliberately looked into the role of the Secret Keeper herself. Precisely because she understood it, she knew how serious this was.
Trust was certainly something to be happy about, but it also came with the pressure of having to live up to that trust…
While one of the requirements for successfully casting the Fidelius Charm was indeed having at least one Secret Keeper, even though there was no upper limit to how many Secret Keepers there could be, in practice, no one ever wanted that number to be high. The moment a Secret Keeper leaked the secret, it would no longer be a secret at all.
Under that premise, everyone understood that the more Secret Keepers there were, the greater the risk.
Simply put, for the Fidelius Charm, fewer Secret Keepers meant greater security and a lower chance of the spell being broken…
What Hermione hadn't expected was that Draco, himself one of the Secret Keepers, would reveal the address outright without saying a single word.
At the very moment the parchment was handed over, Pansy and the other two girls had instantly become Secret Keepers of the Fidelius Charm as well…
…
Finally.
With Astoria's reminder and Hermione's encyclopedic explanation, everyone finally understood why Draco had invited them here, and why he had shown them the address written on that parchment.
"So that's why you chose this place. The wide field of view keeps others from getting close. I see."
"All secretive like that. No wonder you didn't say anything."
Before long, the girls fully grasped the reason for today's gathering and the choice of location.
"So… just now, the three of us became your Secret Keepers?"
Compared to Pansy, who didn't seem particularly affected, Hermione, who was always brimming with enthusiasm for magic, temporarily set aside her earlier irritation. She dropped the book in her hands and moved closer to Draco, clearly hoping to learn more about the Fidelius Charm from him.
She kept touching herself here and there, as if trying to confirm whether becoming a Secret Keeper had brought about any noticeable changes.
Her slightly dazed, almost adorable behavior made Draco laugh as he spread his hands helplessly.
"Honestly, everything you just talked about is basically all there is to the Fidelius Charm. When you get down to it, there's nothing especially remarkable about it."
It was certainly mysterious, but in the end, it was just a spell meant for secrecy. There really wasn't much else to say about it. Or rather, even Draco himself couldn't fully understand how it actually worked.
Part of that was because his own foundation wasn't deep enough. Draco had no intention of overestimating himself by trying to analyze a spell that involved the soul.
Just then, a small hand tugged lightly at the hem of his robes…
"Draco, Draco! So this address is our… base outside the school?"
"If you want to put it that way, then yes. That's not wrong."
"Really? I can't wait anymore! But why Romania?"
Compared to her curiosity about the Fidelius Charm, Pansy was far more excited about the secret base she was talking about.
At the same time, she couldn't help wondering why Draco had chosen Romania of all places…
"Romania… I remember there aren't many wizards living there. That might be part of the reason."
Astoria's sudden comment made Hermione nod in agreement.
"I see. So secrecy was the main factor in choosing the location. That does make sense."
"Um… if I remember correctly, there's some kind of dragon research facility there, right? Draco, don't tell me you picked it because of that…"
Rather than analyzing things from a technical standpoint, Pansy, as Draco's childhood friend, preferred to judge things based on his personal interests. It didn't take long for her to recall something.
During the summer between first and second year, Draco seemed to have gone to Romania once.
Perhaps he had already started planning all of this back then…
…
After Pansy and the other two girls also became Secret Keepers, Goyle and Crabbe, who had been guarding the perimeter against approaching wizards, became Secret Keepers as well.
It was worth mentioning that aside from them, the rest of the followers were not yet aware of this matter.
Yes, Draco had deliberately chosen not to let those followers know. Or rather, it simply wasn't the right time to tell them yet.
Perhaps the number of people who knew about this base would increase in the future, but it definitely wouldn't be now.
This decision also served as a preliminary framework, establishing a path of advancement among those closest to Draco, the companions he truly trusted, a structure that could lead into the upper ranks.
Slytherin wizards never lacked ambition, and no one was unwilling to become one of Draco's confidants. The identity of a Secret Keeper was precisely the opportunity being offered to those followers.
But that was something to be dealt with later…