The room where the Mirror of Erised was kept.
A twisted shadow, like water spiraling down a drain, suddenly appeared before Lucien, then quickly took the shape of a tall, silver-haired, silver-bearded old man.
Dumbledore looked at Lucien, who wore a faint smile, and couldn't help but sigh.
"Lucien, you are truly perceptive to have detected this small magic."
Small magic?
Well, in terms of size, yes, it was small.
Lucien had used his Eye of Peering Magic, and even when pushing it to the limit, he had needed to observe the room for a long while before finally spotting a magic cluster no bigger than a mosquito.
But in terms of construction, the remote-monitoring spell Dumbledore used was extraordinarily complex.
At first glance, Lucien saw nothing but chaotic intertwining magic, and only after careful study did he notice the overlapping structures woven through it.
Some of the spells used were ones he had seen only in ancient spellbooks—and only fragments of them at that.
Alas, Dumbledore really was the greatest wizard of the century.
The magic he cast was never ordinary.
"Headmaster, I was just lucky tonight."
There was very little humility in Lucien's tone.
Because during the last Quidditch match, he hadn't been able to detect Dumbledore's surveillance magic at all.
The venue had been too large, with too many people and too much magical interference.
Trying to find a mosquito-sized magic trace that was also moving under those conditions… the Eye of Peering Magic simply wasn't that precise yet.
It was only because the room now was small, with no other magic from other people interfering, and because Dumbledore had left the magic in place for so long, that Lucien managed to detect it.
Dumbledore shook his head.
"Luck… Not many people in the entire school could have such 'luck.'"
"And as for your Animagus form…"
"Lucien, do you still remember that you are only a first-year wizard?"
Dumbledore looked genuinely exasperated. He had no issue with students becoming Animagi while still in school.
After all, more than a decade ago, some impulsive, adventurous boys had attempted it—and all of them had succeeded.
But how old was Lucien?!
Dumbledore remembered that Harry's father, James Potter, and his friends only attempted to become Animagi in their fifth year.
Those teenagers had indeed been talented and blessed with good luck, but they had accumulated years of study and already possessed a solid foundation in Transfiguration… yet the child standing before him was only a first-year, and had been formally exposed to magic for barely half a year.
And he had already reached this level in Transfiguration.
On top of that, Dumbledore had noticed something else.
Lucien did not use a wand when changing between human and animal forms.
This was a skill only a highly experienced Animagus could accomplish.
But how long had Lucien even been an Animagus?
Dumbledore suspected the transformation had happened that Christmas Eve night.
Although he had been visiting an old friend and wasn't at Hogwarts at the time, the accounts from the ghosts afterward said a massive storm had suddenly appeared that night.
It was hard for Dumbledore not to connect the two.
Becoming an Animagus required a solid foundation in Transfiguration—and sufficient luck.
The non-human factors most likely to disrupt the ritual included: letting moonlight shine on the Mandrake leaf during the second full moon (too many clouds could cause failure), and waiting for the right stormy night with thunder and lightning.
This waiting period could easily last weeks or months.
For a wizard with particularly bad luck, it wasn't uncommon to endure several years of waiting.
But how long had Lucien waited?
Had it even been a month?
A rare look of confusion appeared in Dumbledore's bright blue eyes.
He couldn't help but wonder—was this young wizard truly that lucky?
As for artificially creating a thunderstorm… Dumbledore did not believe a first-year student, who had only studied magic for half a year, could possibly reach his level.
Moreover, a storm created by magic would inevitably interfere with the Animagus ritual.
Yet Dumbledore had just observed Lucien's transformation, and it had been smooth and natural, with no hint of stiffness or instability.
"Lucien, if you don't mind, could you demonstrate the Animagus transformation?"
Lucien nodded slightly and skillfully formed the image of an owl in his mind.
His body instantly transformed into an ordinary owl.
And it was true—the more common the animal, the better the camouflage.
In the Muggle world, owls might not be common in some places.
But this was the wizarding world. Owls had served wizards as messengers for countless generations.
Aside from their own pets, owls were the animals wizards were most familiar with.
If Lucien were to transform into something conspicuous, like a crocodile, a brown bear, or a lion, it would hardly be convenient to walk around openly.
What's more, thanks to the ultimate Transfiguration talent granted by Loki's Mask, Lucien's Animagus form wasn't limited to just one animal.
He could freely adjust the external traits of any form he transformed into—patterns, eye color, fur, and more… unlike ordinary Animagi, who usually retained fixed characteristics in their animal forms.
For example, Professor McGonagall's tabby cat form always had square markings around its eyes.
Seeing Lucien transform into an owl without a hitch, Dumbledore couldn't help but clap softly.
"Excellent."
"Lucien, your talent—your Transfiguration talent—is truly rare in this world."
"Hoo-hoot."
Hearing this perfectly ordinary owl hoot, Dumbledore found it amusing, and the eyes behind his spectacles curved into crescent moons.
"Lucien, the owl form truly suits you. Sharp senses, a harmless appearance on the outside, yet still a bird of prey at heart."
The owl that Lucien had become fluttered its wings, rose slightly into the air, and then landed gently.
Seeing this, the smile in Dumbledore's eyes deepened. As if suddenly remembering something, he laughed lightly:
"Lucien, those Christmas gifts we received—surely you didn't personally deliver all of them yourself?"
The owl turned its head halfway around, then back again, and gave a small nod.
Well, there was nothing he could do—he had only just become an Animagus.
He was like a child with a new toy.
Of course he had to try it out thoroughly.
Besides, he hadn't delivered that many gifts, and compared to the hardworking owls resting in the Owlery, Lucien's little delivery run wasn't tiring at all.
Whenever holidays came and the number of letters and packages increased, the school owls often flew from morning until night.
Lucien transformed back into his human form and said, "Headmaster, are you satisfied with the Christmas gift I sent you?"
Dumbledore stroked his long beard, his gaze softening noticeably.
"The socks you sent are very soft and warm. It has been many years since I last received… Of course, the little machine you gave me is also excellent—quite interesting."
As he spoke, Dumbledore turned his palm upward and produced a strangely shaped device.
It looked like a reclining spider holding a ball of yarn at its center, with several slender "spider legs" rapidly moving up and down as they wove the yarn into a wool sock.
Dumbledore pressed a button on the machine.
"Very exquisite Transfiguration, combined with Alchemical application. You learn things remarkably fast."
"That's thanks to the careful guidance of all the professors—and you, Headmaster." Lucien replied politely, "I still have very, very much to learn in magic."
At this, Dumbledore chuckled.
"Everyone appreciates a diligent student. How about it—would you like to learn this small remote-observation spell?"
Seeing the obvious excitement lighting up Lucien's eyes, Dumbledore continued:
"This spell also has its limitations. Its complexity is one thing; it cannot last for long periods, and the number of instances I can maintain at once is limited."
"So it cannot be used to watch every corner continuously."
Dumbledore's explanation didn't surprise Lucien.
The more intricate and precise a spell was, the more restrictions it naturally carried.
"Lucien, when I use this magic, I can only focus on the most important people and matters. You understand what I mean, don't you?"
Lucien nodded.
"I understand. For example—Harry. And for example.. the Philosopher's Stone?"
A flicker of surprise passed through Dumbledore's eyes.
"Oh? You already know about the Philosopher's Stone? That is ..faster than I expected."
Lucien behaved naturally, taking a Chocolate Frog card from his pocket and showing it to Dumbledore.
"I first heard the name Nicolas Flamel from Hagrid, and then I happened to see it again on this card, which also mentioned that legendary alchemist.. Hmm, and I recently read a book that recorded him as well—a man who is already six hundred and sixty-five years old."
Dumbledore listened to Lucien's calm, coherent explanation. It was very clear.
And when he saw his own portrait on the card, he adjusted his glasses and spoke with a tone that was both helpless and amused:
"I know you and Hagrid are good friends. He is very reliable—someone you can entrust your life to. It's just that sometimes, if it concerns a secret…"
Hearing Dumbledore say this, Lucien couldn't stop himself from laughing.
Yes—Hagrid, the walking leak. The half-giant who drank Veritaserum while growing up.
"Headmaster, you actually wanted Harry to learn about this and discover Nicolas Flamel through Hagrid, didn't you?"
Dumbledore sighed softly.
"Lucien, you are very clever. Perhaps a bit too clever."
"With a friend like you, Harry's life will be far too easy. Any problem he encounters will be solved…"
"But sometimes, for a person to grow… they must face difficulties on their own, don't you think?"
Lucien understood Dumbledore's meaning.
The Chosen One training plan, of course.
Let Harry face Lord Voldemort again and again through repeated trials.
While strengthening the boy's magical ability, also cultivate the courage needed to face Voldemort—his lifelong nemesis.
After all, according to the prophecy, only Harry Potter could truly defeat Voldemort.
Dumbledore firmly believed this.
Which was why he had practically stated outright that Lucien shouldn't interfere too much with Harry's growth.
However… Lucien thought of what the centaur Firenze had told him in the Forbidden Forest months ago:
"I dare not look … but you can change the destined paths of those people…"
In this magical world, prophecies were immutable; people truly had fates laid out for them.
But Firenze, the centaur tribe's master of prophecy, had said that Lucien would alter the trajectories of those around him—change their destinies… If that were true, then how far could he change them?
At least for now, looking at Harry alone—
Because of Lucien's tutoring, Harry had made early progress in Potions, instead of waiting until he found the Half-Blood Prince's notes to suddenly improve much later.
"This change is certain—anyone can see it.
As for whether the future Savior will personally defeat Lord Voldemort… that can't be determined yet. We still have to wait."
However, Lucien had caught a key word in Dumbledore's earlier remark.
Very easy?
He did not agree with that at all.
Lucien silently took out a test paper from his pocket—Harry's final exam paper.
"Headmaster, would you like to see Harry's recent performance?"
Dumbledore nodded and accepted the paper from Lucien's hand.
He had long been curious about how Harry was doing under Lucien's tutoring.
Dumbledore already knew that Lucien had been teaching Harry, and Snape had also reported that Harry had made remarkable progress in Potions.
But Dumbledore truly didn't know what specific things Harry was normally learning from Lucien.
As his eyes skimmed the exam paper, Dumbledore grew more and more astonished.
"Harry… does that child usually have to answer questions like these?"
Lucien shook his head.
"Not really. This was the final exam, so it covered a lot of material. I designed it to include everything learned in first year—Charms, History of Magic, Herbology, and so on."
"There was also a practical portion at the time, like brewing potions, planting herbs, or casting spells."
"Normally, when I teach Harry, it's mostly Potions."
Hearing this, Dumbledore couldn't help wiping his forehead.
"This… this is quite a lot of knowledge."
What he didn't say aloud was that he felt Lucien's exam included more content than the school's entire planned curriculum.
Each subject had extra depth, and when combined, it was truly a heavy load.
"Er… the children are still young. Wouldn't it be better for them to learn happily?" Dumbledore asked cautiously. He encouraged diligence, of course, but Harry was only a first-year, just beginning magic—cramming so much all at once might not be suitable.
However, Lucien shook his head, his tone firm and serious.
"Headmaster, I come from the Grafton family. Our opinions can also influence the Queen's decisions. Naturally, as the Heir, I had to learn about many things so I wouldn't be deceived by a power-hungry person, and also to make my deceased parents proud. I was homeschooled from a young age, and I really liked an Indian Professor's saying: 'If one doesn't strive in youth, one will only grieve in old age.'"
"When one is young, one should study diligently."
"Haah.. I just had to be decent and inherit the business after growing up.. but all that changed after I got to know about this magical world and magic itself. Now I just want to know.. everything there is to know about magic—Uh, coming on point.. Harry is also the sole Heir of the Potter family, not to mention his responsibility of being the 'chosen one,' so he must follow those steps. And look—these are Harry's earlier test results."
Lucien pulled out several more test papers and assignments, handing them to Dumbledore in chronological order.
Dumbledore read them from the earliest onward, and as he flipped through each page, he couldn't help but nod.
"Hmm… Harry's progress is very obvious."
"That's right. Harry is actually quite talented, especially in Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts."
Lucien paused.
"Harry has already paid me sufficient tuition. After second year, I intend to officially begin teaching him knowledge related to Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"Headmaster, I believe that practical training is absolutely essential—but the theoretical foundation should be built at the same time, or even beforehand."
These words resonated strongly with Dumbledore, and admiration appeared in his eyes.
"Lucien, Harry is truly fortunate to have a friend like you. Have you considered staying at Hogwarts to work after you graduate?"
"I think you have a great talent for teaching, and your temperament suits it perfectly."
Hearing Dumbledore's suggestion, Lucien did not answer immediately.
To be honest, being a teacher—especially at Hogwarts—was indeed a very good choice.
While educating students, he could also deepen his own knowledge.
However, he might also travel the world after graduation.
There were countless magical ruins scattered across the world, and every region had its own unique knowledge.
Haah… what a beautiful world.
"Thank you for your trust, Headmaster. If I am fortunate enough to stay at Hogwarts after graduation, I will certainly think about it seriously."
Dumbledore chuckled and nodded, clearly pleased with Lucien.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, he reached into his pocket and pulled something out.
Lucien saw Dumbledore slowly open his palm, revealing a translucent red gem.
"Lucien, what are your thoughts on immortality?"
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2550 words
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