Chapter 23 - 23: 23: Oh, naturally—What?!

Beside the desk in Professor Flitwick's office.

The warm aroma of black tea and the sweet scent of pastries filled the air.

Seeing Lucien complete the Undetectable Extension Charm on his own, Professor Flitwick nodded in satisfaction.

"Well done, Lucien."

Lucien looked up from the tea and replied sincerely, "Professor, thank you for your patient guidance."

Flitwick chuckled and gestured toward the pastry stand.

"Have something to eat first, take a break."

Picking up a small pink cake, Lucien ate it gracefully in small bites.

"Lucien, regarding the use of an Undetectable Extension Charm on an object to contain living creatures, what conditions do you think need to be met?"

Hearing the professor's question, Lucien had just swallowed the last bite of cake. He thought for a few seconds before answering:

"Firstly, it's about ensuring a suitable living environment—climate, food, water sources.

Secondly, the stability of the space; there can't be sudden contractions or collapses… But beyond that, I haven't thought of anything else for now."

Professor Flitwick nodded at Lucien's answer.

"You've considered it very comprehensively. Actually, there's another issue when it comes to containing different species.

If their environmental needs differ greatly, you'll need to set up separate spaces, which involves the deeper problem of spatial folding."

After Professor Flitwick's explanation, Lucien grew thoughtful.

Indeed, compared to simply applying the Undetectable Extension Charm to an item, creating one capable of housing living creatures directly escalated the difficulty.

The amount of knowledge and magical skill required was far beyond his current reach.

Professor Flitwick added with a hint of helplessness, "I'm sorry, but regarding the Undetectable Extension Charm for containing living creatures, I cannot help you.

This technique is closer to complex magic arrays. In this area, only the Scamander family has conducted truly in-depth research."

The family name Flitwick mentioned immediately made Lucien look up.

"Scamander? Are you referring to the family of Newt Scamander, the author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them?"

"Yes, that's right—the author of that worldwide bestseller."

Lucien immediately recalled Newt's suitcase from the movie he had seen in his previous life; inside were layers of small worlds, each with its own distinct environment, housing countless fantastic beasts.

That was a true paradise!

"It's a pity. If it were a few years earlier, we could have tried to contact Mr. Scamander. But he has already retired and now lives in seclusion. Few people know where he resides or how to reach him."

Flitwick spread his hands helplessly, his tone full of regret.

"Oh, by the way, Lucien, how did you come up with the idea of trying to use the Undetectable Extension Charm to contain living creatures?"

Faced with Professor Flitwick's curiosity, Lucien scratched his head.

"Uh, actually, I just felt the room in the dormitory was a bit small and wanted to make it bigger."

Hearing that Lucien's grand experiment had begun from the desire to enlarge his room, Flitwick was momentarily stunned—then burst into hearty laughter.

"Hahahaha, you truly are an interesting and proactive young wizard."

Of course, Lucien had another idea he couldn't confess to the professor.

He wanted to contain some fantastic beasts for observation, as preparation for future research into the Transfiguration of magical creatures.

Hmm, if I had a case like Newt's, I could cut down on trips to the Forbidden Forest, and it would be far more convenient.

Lucien and Professor Flitwick then discussed some variant applications of common spells and more advanced techniques.

Lucien also slipped in questions about spells like the Disillusionment Charm and the Tracking Charm, ones he might need later when searching for fantastic beasts in the Forbidden Forest.

As they talked, Lucien noticed the time—it was already nearing noon.

He stood up to take his leave.

"Professor, I won't disturb you any longer. Thank you for clarifying things for me."

Flitwick waved his hand, his expression full of satisfaction.

"Don't mention it. I'm always delighted to see students who love to learn."

He suddenly recalled the conversation he'd had with McGonagall at the Sorting Ceremony.

Yes, Ravenclaw had certainly gained a fine student!

"Oh, by the way, Lucien, wait a moment." Professor Flitwick waved his hand, and paper and a quill floated over to the desk.

The quill quickly scribbled down a few lines before signing Flitwick's name at the bottom.

Flitwick handed the paper to Lucien, who accepted it with both hands.

"These are a few advanced Charms books. If you're interested, take this to the school library and give it to Madam Pince; she'll help you find them."

Lucien's face lit up with delight.

"Thank you, Professor."

He had already planned to go to the library that evening, and Professor Flitwick's recommended book list came at the perfect time.

Lucien left the office with the list in hand.

A few minutes later, Flitwick once again examined the teacup with the Undetectable Extension Charm.

Though he could see room for improvement, for such a result to come from a first-year student was already incredible.

Suddenly, a resonant voice drifted into Flitwick's office.

"Filius, are you there? I have something I'd like to discuss with you."

Flitwick looked up and saw the tall figure of Dumbledore already seated across from him.

"Oh, did you just brew black tea? It's still hot. Filius, your treasured black tea is the best in the whole school."

Seeing the tea on the table, Dumbledore picked up a cup.

He opened the sugar bowl, took several cubes, and dropped them into the teacup.

Flitwick's eyelids twitched at the sight.

Dumbledore took a sip but found it still wasn't sweet enough.

He usually added about this much sugar.

With a quick glance, Dumbledore noticed something unusual.

"Heh, Filius, why did you apply an Undetectable Extension Charm to this teacup and layer on so many little household spells? Still, the effect is quite interesting."

He also noticed the combination of spells wasn't perfectly refined, but he simply assumed it was a small experiment Flitwick had done on a whim.

"Filius, I came to talk to you about that boy, Lucien Grafton. I wonder—has he already attended your class?"

Flitwick nodded, his expression a little strange.

"That makes it easier to discuss, then. What do you think of Lucien's talent? I mean purely in terms of Charms."

At Dumbledore's question, Flitwick's expression grew even more peculiar.

If not for Dumbledore's serious expression, Flitwick might have suspected his old friend was playing another joke—or that he had been eavesdropping outside the door for quite some time.

Gesturing toward the teacup in Dumbledore's hand, Flitwick tried to keep his tone steady.

"Uh, Lucien's talent in Charms, you ask... All the spells on that cup you're holding were cast by him."

"Oh, naturally—What?!"

Seeing Dumbledore's clearly surprised expression, Flitwick was certain he hadn't been listening in earlier.

From Lucien's first questions to the completion of the spell applications, Flitwick recounted his entire exchange with the boy.

As he spoke, Dumbledore grew increasingly convinced of the Sorting Hat's assessment of Lucien.

A talent seen once in a millennium.

"It's a pity. The boy originally wanted to try using the Undetectable Extension Charm to contain living creatures, but I told him that Newt Scamander, who mastered this technique, has already retired and gone into seclusion."

Newt?

At the sudden mention of that name, Dumbledore almost blurted out that he knew him well!

An old friend!

It had been a long time since they had last been in contact—he could write a letter to say hello.

Hmm, and he could also ask Newt about this matter on Lucien's behalf.

"Ahem, Filius, thank you for sharing. I just wanted to tell you—Lucien's talent is quite outstanding.

But he is, after all, from a Muggle family, and his understanding of magic is still insufficient. He might accidentally attempt some dangerous spells.

Such a genius needs proper guidance all the more. You are the Head of Ravenclaw, and I hope you will keep a closer eye on Lucien…"

Flitwick nodded repeatedly; he strongly agreed with Dumbledore's view.

For students of high aptitude who advanced quickly, teachers needed to provide even more careful guidance to prevent them from going astray.

But Flitwick quickly caught on to a particular phrase.

"Wait, Albus—are you saying Lucien is from a Muggle family, with no wizarding elders at all?"

"That's right."

"Then… where did he learn the spells he has already mastered?"

The two old men suddenly exchanged glances, each seeing the same unspoken confusion reflected in the other's eyes.

How did a simple check reveal such a big problem?

At the same time, Lucien was on his way to the Great Hall for lunch.

He happened to pass by the Potions classroom.

The crisp sound of the class dismissal bell rang.

Bang!

The classroom door burst open, and a gloomy old bat walked out.

"Professor Snape, good day."

At the student's polite greeting, Snape only gave a grunt and swept past Lucien quickly.

Hmph, who made him angry again?

Oh no, Snape always seems to be this angry when our MC is around..

Catching sight of Snape's sullen face beneath his greasy black hair, Lucien suddenly had a guess.

He turned his head toward the open classroom door.

Sure enough, among the students slowly filing out…

He spotted Harry's frustrated and resentful face.