Chapter 31 - 31: 31: Knowledge!
Chapter 31 of "Hp: Talented, Powerful, Yet in Debt" opens introducing the plot: "What, you want me to teach you.. basketball?"Lucien's words stunned Harry for a moment, then... Continue exploring!
"What, you want me to teach you.. basketball?"
Lucien's words stunned Harry for a moment, then he muttered, "Ah, no, Potions, Lucien. I want to ask you to teach me how to brew Potions."
Lucien sighed inwardly.
Well, no one ever wants to play along with my jokes.
"So, you want me to tutor you? To learn Potions?"
Harry nodded quickly.
Putting aside his playful thoughts, Lucien seriously considered Harry's request.
Why did this kid suddenly want to learn Potions?
Oh, it must be that he plans to follow my advice, wanting to brew a Bright-Eyes Potion and then take off his glasses during Snape's class.
Haha, the shadow Snape left on Harry really isn't smallâit's even forcing him to study on his own initiative.
Seeing that Lucien hadn't replied, Harry quickly added,
"Lucien, don't worry, I'll pay for the tutoring! How many Galleons do you want?"
Lucien wasn't too concerned about the tutoring fee Harry mentioned; he wasn't short of a few Galleons, after all!
Although the Potter family had a long history and had accumulated considerable wealth in the wizarding world, what about the Grafton familyâLucien's own familyâand its business in the Muggle world?
How many so-called nobles and celebrities in England depended on Aunt Penelope's whims, and how many of their descendants had to curry favor with him, the heir of House Grafton?
Whether Muggle or wizard, families that could endure for hundreds of years through changing eras had accumulated immeasurable wealth, connections, knowledge, and experience.
Waitâknowledge?
Lucien suddenly realized a problem: did an old wizarding family really leave Harry nothing but Galleons and that Invisibility Cloak?
Impossible! Muggle families passed down their ways of survival for generations, whether in politics or business.
Would a wizarding family not leave behind magical secret manuals? Rare spells? Exclusive potion or alchemy recipes?
Immediately, Lucien's gaze toward Harry changed.
It was suddenly filled with enthusiasm and appreciationâenthusiasm for inherited knowledge, appreciation for family collections!
But he still softened his tone, speaking as if heartbroken:
"Harry, how could you insult me by offering money? We are friends! Of course I'd have helped you.. alas.. sigh.."
Harry instantly panicked; he wanted to learn Potions now, and he desperately wanted to escape Snape's torment in the next class!
"No, no, no, Lucien, I was wrong, I shouldn't haveâ"
Lucien directly interrupted his apology:
"However, you know meâI like to read, I like to learn new knowledge.
If you're willing to lend me some books to read, tutoring, Potions, none of that is an issue!"
Harry froze, hardly believing his ears.
"Ah, Lucien, you only want books? And just to borrow them?"
Lucien spread his hands as if it were obvious.
"Otherwise? After reading them a few times and learning the knowledge inside, aren't books, as carriers of knowledge, just for collection and commemoration?
Oh, of course, displaying them on a bookshelf at home, filling it up, and showing them off in front of othersâthat's also a use."
Harry nodded rapidly.
"Yes, yes, yes, you're right! But, but, I don't have any magic booksâŚ"
Thinking of this, Harry anxiously pushed up his glasses again.
Seeing Harry like this, Lucien couldn't help but want to sigh.
This kidâwhen he visited the Gringotts vault, he probably just grabbed a big bag of Galleons and ran, not even checking if there was anything else.
"Don't worry, Harry. Do you really think your familyâthe Potter family, a wizarding family that's lasted for hundreds of yearsâwouldn't have left you some intellectual wealth?"
Harry scratched his head, a little embarrassed, and said,
"Um, IâI didn't notice. It seems there were a few books in Gringotts, behind a pile of Galleons."
Hearing this, Lucien muttered to himself: As expected, this kid really did just take the Galleons and leave.
"Don't worry, Lucien. Even if my family didn't leave me magic books, I have moneyâI'll buy books for you!"
Tsk.. Lucien raised a hand.
"Say it againâit's a loan. Those were left to you, the descendant, by your family. Intangible knowledge is far more precious than visible money."
Harry nodded rapidly, like pounding garlic, showing deep agreement.
"Lucien, what you said makes so much sense. I don't quite understand it, but I just feel it's right!"
"You really are a kind and warm-hearted person, willing to help me by tutoring and teaching me Potions, and you only want to borrow books to read. You're a true Ravenclaw!"
"No, you should come to Hufflepuffâoh no, a good person like you who helps his friends should be in Gryffindor with us!"
Listening to Harry's endless praise and seeing his loyal expression, almost ready to go through fire and water for him, Lucien couldn't help but sigh. This child truly belonged in Gryffindorâthe Sorting Hat hadn't been wrong.
"Alright, that's enough. Thank you for the praise. Harry, have you thought about where we should tutor and brew Potions?"
Harry answered without hesitation:
"I have, actually. We can go to Hagrid's place, um.. Lucien, do you remember Hagridâthe one who led us across the lake?"
Lucien nodded and replied casually,
"Of course I remember. His presence is hard to forget."
Harry's suggestion about going to Hagrid's actually reminded Lucien.
He needed to plant ten magical Chomping Cabbages, and he needed a plot of landâpreferably somewhere away from people, where he wouldn't attract attention.
It seemed Hagrid lived on the edge of the Forbidden Forest; perhaps he could ask him for an empty plot there.
If it was just at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, it would be convenient for him to reach and easy to care for.
Lucien knew Harry had a good relationship with Hagrid, so if Harry helped persuade him, the chances of success would be quite high.
Hmm, planting should be done as early as possible.
To shorten the two-month growth cycle of the Chomping Cabbage to one month, no time could be wasted.
"Let's go."
Lucien walked toward the Forbidden Forest, waving to Harry.
Harry quickly said, "But I haven't got my Potion brewing tools yet."
Lucien pointed to the items floating beside himâhis cauldron and other equipment he hadn't had time to put back in his dormitory after Potion Class that morning.
"Just use mine."
"Harry, since you've chosen to learn from me, let me make one thing clear first."
"Learning means seizing every minute and second. If you don't compete, others will compete with you."
Harry, following behind Lucien with a bewildered expression, didn't realize he had chosen a "teacher" who would change his life.