Inside the Room of Requirement.
The Weasley twins curiously examined the specially arranged classroom.
Fred pointed at the banners hanging around them, glancing left and right before saying, "Lucien, this classroom you conjured is really something—but aren't these banners a bit… rushed?"
George chuckled as he read one aloud:
"'Study hard, and straight Os on your OWLs will beckon?'"
"We still have two years before that exam," he added.
Fred picked up right after him, grinning. "Exactly! That's something Percy should be worrying about."
"You wouldn't know, but lately, besides studying, he's been secretly reading a book called…"
Fred scratched his head, trying to remember.
Then George chimed in, "'Prefects Who Gained Power.'"
"Heh, can you imagine? Only sixteen, and already reading such a boring, dreadful book!"
Hearing the twins' teasing, Ron and Harry couldn't help but laugh.
For kids their age, it was impossible to relate to an older brother or senior who acted so overly serious and mature.
Lucien couldn't help but smile.
He didn't have many impressions of Percy—just that he was a very proper, rule-abiding person who liked to flatter those in authority and was always eager to achieve success in his career.
After chatting for a while, the twins finally seemed to remember why they had come.
One handed a book to Lucien, while the other gave a letter to Ron.
"This is from Mum—she wanted to thank you for helping Ron so much lately."
"Mum found out about Ron's recent progress in his studies, and she was overjoyed!"
"Oh, and Lucien, Mum invited you to visit our house during the holidays. Don't worry—it'll be great fun!"
Lucien accepted the book with a polite smile. "It's my pleasure. I'll definitely visit then."
So, Ron's tutoring fee had finally arrived.
He wondered what kind of magical knowledge the Weasley family's spellbook contained.
Visiting the Weasley home—The Burrow, if he remembered correctly—during the holidays sounded quite interesting.
After all, it was a pure-blood wizarding family, surely very different from the lives of ordinary people.
Lucien didn't rush to open the book but instead looked toward Ron, who had already unfolded his letter.
As Ron read, his eyes grew misty and his nose twitched.
"Why are you crying? Let me see—what did Mum say to you?"
Before Ron could react, his brother snatched the letter right out of his hands.
George began reading it aloud in a high, exaggerated tone, trying to imitate a woman's voice:
"Dear Ronniekins, I'm so happy to hear that you've started studying magic seriously. Mum is truly delighted.
And Mum is even happier that you've made good friends. Remember to get along well with your friends....…"
After reading a few lines, George dodged Ron's grab and burst out laughing. "See? I told you it's fine to call you 'Ronniekins'! Even Mum does!"
"George!"
Ron's face turned crimson—almost redder than his hair—as he lunged at his brother like a starving dog, trying to snatch back the letter.
Unfortunately, being two years younger, he couldn't catch him at all.
"Haha, Lucien, see? Our family's pretty entertaining, isn't it?"
"We're not like those pure-blood Malfoys!"
Fred turned to Lucien and gave him a playful wink.
"Alright, go on and take a look at this magic book."
"To be honest, every time Mum and Dad make us read these things, it's so boring. Only Bill and Percy ever read them eagerly…"
Lucien opened the Weasley family's magic book.
The cover looked like ordinary parchment, though it had clearly been enchanted to resist damage.
Across the front, the word Weasley was written casually in simple lettering.
It didn't look at all like a book passed down through a long family lineage.
But after turning just a few pages, Lucien understood.
After all, the Weasleys were a pure-blood family—one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight.
The appearance of the book might be plain, but its contents certainly weren't. It was filled with knowledge of spells and magical circuits.
This was, in fact, a record of their magical inheritance.
Spells… He recalled that the eldest Weasley son, Bill, worked as a Curse-Breaker at Gringotts.
It seemed that, beyond his own skill and talent, he had likely benefited from this family legacy.
Spellcraft involved knowledge from many branches—Arithmancy, Charms, and more.
It even required a solid foundation in Ancient Runes.
But what interested Lucien even more were the sections on magic circuits.
Magic circuits were the pathways through which magic flowed within magical beings such as wizards and magical creatures.
These circuits varied between different species.
The greatest obstacle in transforming into a magical creature lay in constructing the corresponding magic circuits.
If it was only a superficial change in appearance, that could easily be achieved through Transfiguration.
But without the correct magic circuits, the innate abilities of a magical creature could never be reproduced.
Lucien eagerly flipped through the pages of the book.
Most of it focused on studying a wizard's own magic circuits to improve spellcasting speed and power.
However, it also included some observations and analyses of magical creatures' circuits, meant for comparison with those of wizards.
Hmm, the key was in the theories and methods—it gave him the groundwork he needed.
By now, he had no problem practicing the Transfiguration of living beings; the next major challenge would be becoming an Animagus.
So it was time to begin preparing for the Transfiguration of magical creatures.
Magic circuits were a crucial obstacle he absolutely had to overcome.
This Weasley family magic book would serve as an excellent reference.
And simply using it to refine his own casting ability made it incredibly valuable knowledge.
Once he mastered it, he could even teach this part to Ron.
Alchemy was useful, yes—but a wizard's own magical power was the true foundation of their existence.
Lucien glanced at Ron, who had finally managed to snatch back his letter and was now clutching it tightly to his chest.
Hmm, he had already gotten a good grasp of Alchemy Mechanical; it might be time to raise the difficulty a bit.
As for magic circuits...
It would be best to have stronger observation and perception tools.
Lucien connected to the system in his mind.
"System, check available loans."
[Host, missing me again ƪ(˘⌣˘)ʃ]
[Here are some loans that might meet the Host's needs…]
Ignoring the system's increasingly playful tone, Lucien quickly skimmed through the loan listings.
He finally settled on two that seemed most suitable.
[Loan: Analysis Lens (Weekly Loan)]
[Loan Content: An intriguing piece of alchemical equipment. When worn, it allows the user to see the magic circuits within wizards or magical creatures. Maximum usage time: three hours, with a one-hour cooldown.]
[Loan Task: Observe the magic circuit of a magical creature.]
And...
[Loan: Eye of Peering Magic (Monthly Loan)]
[Loan Content: A magical technique that combines Potion, Alchemy, and Transfiguration to alter the structure of the eyes, allowing direct sight of magic circuits.]
[Loan Task: Locate an Animagus in animal form and perceive, then record, its hidden magic circuits.]
To be honest, the lens loan was quite simple—he had Mooncalves and Acromantulas stored in his gourd. He could easily take one out to complete the task.
However, the Eye of Peering Magic wasn't particularly difficult either.
Normally, finding an Animagus was rare; there were only a few officially registered with the Ministry of Magic.
But Lucien happened to know one personally—Professor McGonagall.
Of course, asking the elderly cat-lady to transform into a tabby cat just so he could study her magic circuits… that would be far too strange.
Then again...
Lucien's gaze shifted toward Ron. Or more precisely, to Ron's pocket.
Wasn't there already one rat—no, one Animagus—right there?
He had originally planned to find some time to study, or rather, to observe Scabbers.
He wanted to see what was special about Animagi, to prepare for his own future transformation attempt.
Now, he could advance that plan while also fulfilling the loan task. With the abilities granted by the Eye of Peering Magic, he would surely gain even more insight.
If it truly allowed direct vision of magic circuits, it would not only aid his studies and research but might also prove useful in actual combat.
In comparison, the Analysis Lens was more troublesome, cooldown or not.
The main issue was that in a sudden fight, he'd have to take it out and put it on, which made it far less convenient.
In that sense, enhancing his eyes directly would be far superior.
However, altering the structure of one's eyeballs might carry risks.
"System, what are the risks of the Eye of Peering Magic modification?"
[Host, have you forgotten? When I first joined you, I swore—]
[System products are always…]
"Alright, stop right there. That meme's ancient—how many years has it been?"
"I'll take the Eye of Peering Magic loan."
[Ding, loan application successful.]
[Loan: Eye of Peering Magic (Monthly Loan)]
[Repayment Deadline: 30 days]
[Evaluation: Please remember to chant the incantation when activating the Eye of Peering Magic…]
Lucien's expression almost darkened instantly.
What kind of chuunibyou-style opening was that? Had he wandered into the wrong world?
Oh, wait—this was the magical world, where incantations were a thing.
[I was just joking.]
"…"
At that moment, Lucien couldn't help but feel a strange sense of anticipation.
He half-expected that, like some overused trope, the system might one day transform into a higher-dimensional consciousness—and that he'd have to face off against it in some grand confrontation.
Not wanting to waste any more time on the system's nonsense, Lucien disconnected after receiving the loan.
After a few more words, the Weasley twins finally left.
As they left, the twins whispered quietly about pranks and lessons...
A few days later.
In the Great Hall.
Malfoy was fiddling with the sticky slug slime in his hair.
"Damn it! Which idiot put dungbombs by the door again? Such a childish prank!"
"Here, Malfoy, let me help you clean it," Goyle said quickly, stepping forward. He didn't care about the slime splattered on himself and reached out to wipe Malfoy's head.
"No need. Clean yourself first."
Malfoy waved him off, his tone unusually gentle toward Goyle.
After his duel with Lucien—where he had surrendered almost instantly—
A group of arrogant fools in Slytherin had started ostracizing him, saying he had disgraced the pride and honor of pure-bloods.
It was the first time Malfoy had faced such ridicule and discrimination.
For the first time, he began to understand—just a little—how Muggle-born and half-blood wizards must feel when looked down upon by pure-bloods.
Of course, only a little.
Malfoy glanced at Goyle and Crabbe—his two dim-witted followers—who were busy helping each other wipe off the slime.
They had continued following him as always, showing no change in loyalty.
Malfoy thought that maybe he should get them a Christmas gift. It didn't need to be anything extravagant, but it couldn't be too casual either—it had to look decent.
A sudden flutter of wings broke through the air.
A grey-black owl swooped over Malfoy's head and dropped a package with a solid thud.
Malfoy picked up a biscuit from the table, intending to feed it.
However, the owl merely gave him a glance before turning its head and flying off.
"Stupid bird."
Malfoy tossed the biscuit after it, and the owl snatched it effortlessly midair.
Looking down at the package, Malfoy noticed it was thick and came with a letter.
The envelope bore the Malfoy family crest.
At once, Malfoy's face turned even paler.
The thing he feared most had happened—his father had found out.
As one of the school governors, it would be all too easy for him to learn about his son's activities at Hogwarts.
Wiping his hands on his trousers, Malfoy nervously opened the envelope.
~~~~~
My dear Draco:
My proud son, you did very well!
~~~~~
Seeing the first line, Malfoy blinked hard, wondering if he had misread it.
His first thought was that his father must not know—must not have heard that he'd surrendered immediately during the duel and brought shame to the family name.
But as he kept reading, his jaw slowly dropped, and his eyes went slightly blank.
~~~~
I already know about you and Lucien Grafton.
Hmm, I also looked into some of the latest information about that student.
Draco, your choice was absolutely right.
'A Malfoy is always a friend of the strong.' It seems you've begun to understand this saying.
I am very pleased…....
~~~~
Staring at his father's familiar handwriting, Malfoy was completely bewildered.
What… what on earth was his father talking about?
Shouldn't he be scolding him for surrendering so easily? Shouldn't he be pointing out how he had shamed the pride and honor of their pure-blood family? Shouldn't he be punishing him by docking his allowance or something of the sort?
Malfoy continued reading.
~~~~
I spoke with your Head of House, and he has a very high opinion of Lucien. You should know how rare Professor Snape's praise is.
Moreover, through certain channels, I've learned some rather interesting things—including how Lucien defeated a troll on Halloween night.
Looking back, I was right to recognize talent early and befriend Severus.
Draco, you are truly my son—so much like me. Go.
Go and apologize to Lucien. Don't worry about "face"; that is something to be used wisely, at the right time, to gain greater advantage.
Building friendships—with the strong and those of great potential—is the foundation of the House of Malfoy.
Reflect well on these words.
(The package contains a gift I've prepared for you. You'll find it useful soon.)
~~~~
Malfoy held the letter, momentarily forgetting to even open the package.
The contents of the letter were completely beyond his expectations.
He quickly picked up the envelope, checked the family crest himself, then held the parchment up to the light to examine the watermark.
He confirmed that it was indeed a genuine family letter—not some forged prank.
Lately, Malfoy had been rather on edge; it seemed every prank in the castle somehow ended up targeting him.
They never caused any real harm, but they were certainly unpleasant.
After a moment, he began to unwrap the package.
"Sigh… what excuse should I use to talk to Lucien?"
__________
11 Advance Chaps- P@treon/DarkDevil1