Outside the Quidditch pitch.
Today was the Quidditch match: Gryffindor versus Slytherin.
Students were gathering in small groups, heading toward the stands.
"Lucien, Malfoy's studying with us now, isn't he…?"
Ron rubbed his hands together, his breath forming a white mist in the cold air, and asked cautiously.
Not long ago, they had gone to Hagrid's for dinner—mainly to eat the tasty dishes Lucien had prepared—but to their surprise, Malfoy had also been there.
Ron and the others had been stunned; they never imagined that annoying Malfoy would show up at Hagrid's hut.
What shocked them even more was that Malfoy had later joined their tutoring sessions!
"What's wrong? Did he bother you during tutoring?"
"Uh, no, not really. He's actually been pretty quiet. It's just… weird, you know?"
Ron scratched his head. He still didn't like Malfoy, especially his usual air of superiority.
But during their study sessions with Lucien, Malfoy had been surprisingly well-behaved—no arrogance, no insults.
At least, that's how it had been for the past few days.
Lucien shook his head, glancing at the nearby Quidditch pitch and the distant, misty mountains.
After November, the weather had grown colder and colder here.
The mountains were blanketed with a thin layer of ice and snow.
All around, the young wizards were bundled up in gloves and scarves.
"As long as it doesn't interfere with your studies, it's fine," Lucien said calmly. "Prepare well—I've arranged an exam for you at the end of the term."
Ron didn't react much to that, but Hermione's eyes immediately lit up. She asked eagerly,
"Lucien, what subjects will be on the exam?"
"All of them—Charms, Potions, Transfiguration, and History of Magic. Every first-year subject will be covered, so it's fair to everyone."
"There'll be written answers, practical magic, and even some bonus questions from different sections."
Lucien adjusted his Ravenclaw-blue, star-patterned scarf, pulled a book from his pocket, and waved it in front of Ron and Hermione.
"This will be the reward for the highest score on the final exam."
Ron recognized the title at once.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? "But that's a textbook we'll be using later…"
Understanding what Ron meant, Lucien tossed the book to him.
"Check the first page."
Ron was a bit confused. Weren't all books the same? This one looked identical to the copy he had borrowed from Percy—same cover, same Flourish and Blotts design.
Still, he opened it, and his eyes landed on the preface—on the signature above it.
"Newt Scamander…"
"Newt Scamander!"
Ron's sudden exclamation drew curious looks from the nearby students.
They didn't understand why he was shouting. Wasn't Newt Scamander a famous expert on magical creatures? Why get so worked up over his name?
To get that excited just by seeing a book—was it a new release or something?
Ron quickly clamped a hand over his mouth and snapped the book shut.
A few seconds later, he cautiously opened it again, just to confirm the signature.
Then it hit him—he'd seen this before. At Flourish and Blotts, there had been a special collector's edition of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them personally signed by Newt Scamander himself, displayed inside a glass case.
That copy, as the clerk had said, wasn't for sale.
And why did Ron remember it so vividly?
Because the day he'd gone to the shop with his brothers, he overheard someone trying to buy that signed edition.
The shop owner had refused—and the final offer that man made… Ron still remembered thinking it was enough pocket money to last him for several lifetimes.
Newt's signed books were extremely rare—only a handful were ever released each time a new edition came out.
Ron had never heard of the famous magizoologist making any public appearances for book signings.
"Hermione, Hermione, look—this, this seems real!"
Ron excitedly patted Hermione's shoulder, but she brushed his hand away and said helplessly,
"Hmm, the handwriting does look just like the one on the collector's edition at Flourish and Blotts."
"Newt Scamander is a well-known figure, but his signa—"
"Shh!"
Ron quickly shushed her, glancing around to make sure no one else was listening.
Then he leaned closer and whispered,
"Oh, you're new to the wizarding world, so you don't get it."
"His personally signed books almost never make it to the public."
"Newt doesn't do signings—he's not like Gilderoy Lockhart, that peacock who signs hundreds of books a week. Hmph, I don't even know why people like him so much…"
Ignoring Hermione's expression, Ron turned back to Lucien, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"This—this is the real thing, isn't it?"
Ron's voice trembled slightly. He knew Lucien wasn't the type to joke about something like this—
But still, he could hardly believe it.
That was Newt Scamander!
The greatest magizoologist in the world—and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was one of the best-selling books in the wizarding world!
Ron couldn't even imagine what it would feel like to own a copy signed by him…
Hearing Ron's question, Lucien smiled faintly.
"Heh, do you remember what we talked about on Halloween night?"
Ron's mind started racing, and after a few seconds, he finally remembered—
"…The letter was sent to me by Newt Scamander…"
At that, Ron's eyes widened, his jaw dropping.
"R-really? You actually have… contact with him?"
Lucien nodded.
"I told you before, but you didn't believe me."
Not only Ron but even Hermione looked astonished.
"Lucien, how did you get in touch with him personally? I thought you just bought this book."
Hermione, being new to the wizarding world, had only a general idea of its famous figures.
She hadn't quite realized at first what it meant to own a personally signed copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander.
And since Lucien didn't seem short on money, she had simply assumed he'd purchased it.
But to actually correspond with Newt directly—!
Hermione knew perfectly well how incredible that was.
To draw a parallel in the Muggle world, it would be like Lucien casually saying he'd had afternoon tea with Audrey Hepburn.
"Then—then this book is really for me?"
Ron's face flushed bright red with excitement, his expression completely unbothered by the cold wind as he asked in disbelief.
He suddenly remembered that he'd once jokingly asked Lucien if he could get a personally signed book from Newt Scamander.
He'd never imagined it would actually come true!
Lucien's lips curved slightly as he glanced at him.
"Last time, did you score above ninety on your monthly exam?"
The question hit Ron like a bucket of cold water—especially in this freezing weather.
Ron mumbled under his breath, speaking so softly it was almost a whisper.
"Almost… almost. Seventy-nine is close to ninety…"
"But if it's for the highest score on the final exam…"
He glanced secretly at Hermione. When it came to grades, who could possibly beat her?
Of course, that was without counting Lucien himself.
Noticing Ron's thoughts, Lucien chuckled and pulled another book from his pocket.
"That one's for the excellence award. This one's for the improvement award."
"Besides first place, the student who shows the most progress will also get a book."
Hearing that, Ron's spirits lifted immediately.
There was still hope!
If that was the case, his only real competition would be Harry… and maybe Malfoy.
That meant he had a good chance of winning!
At that moment, Ron completely forgot his earlier complaints about studying alongside Malfoy.
Now he wanted to study—he wanted to improve!
Lucien gave a faint nod. Diligent study was the right attitude to have.
"Alright, hand me the book," Lucien said.
"Let's look forward to Harry's Quidditch performance first."
________
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