@Uniqueorn
Just finished the latest update. Loving the new look of the area underneath the Great Hall and I agree the new mechanism for the Hufflepuff entrance is far superior to the old design. You mentioned replacing the gear with something else and at first I thought maybe if you could find a way to bring the gear a couple bricks up from the floor, then you could make it into a painting that you spin around to reveal the entrance. My other idea that I like a lot more is if you could incorporate Nearly Headless Nick or some other ghost minifigure, and to have them attached to the mechanism sticking outside of the wall somehow so you could spin them around and it would almost look like they are flying while also revealing the entrance. I hope that makes sense and you can picture what I'm saying, apologies if it doesn't. The obvious choice for which ghost would probably be The Fat Friar because he is the Hufflepuff house ghost. Of course the issue is LEGO has not made an official figure for him yet, but I have seen several customs that look good.
Apologies if I am not remembering correctly and if you mentioned it in a previous update... but you said you're going to rebuild the Great Hall once again to make the windows larger? I think that's a great idea and will definitely make the Great Hall appear more "great" with the wider windows, especially from the inside I think that will look very good.
Looking forward to the next update!