Inside the Thestral carriage, Lucian and Leman were lounging on leather sofas. Leman couldn't help but sigh in appreciation.
"This is way better than the Hogwarts Express," Leman noted. "Even the Prefect carriages on the train aren't this comfy."
Lucian nodded in agreement. "Definitely. The Thestrals are flying at incredible speeds, but inside the carriage, you can't feel a single bump or draft."
Thestral carriages were essentially a Hogwarts specialty. After all, the Forbidden Forest was home to one of the largest Thestral herds in the UK. During a chat with Hagrid, Lucian had learned that the herd started with just one male and five females. Hagrid had even personally tamed the original male, naming him "Tenebrus."
Listening to Hagrid talk about how he raised Tenebrus and eventually found him a mate, Lucian had found the story strangely familiar. Thinking back on it, it was almost a beat-for-beat carbon copy of how Hagrid had raised Aragog, the Acromantula. You had to hand it to Hagrid—he really had a knack for taking care of magical creatures; whatever he touched seemed to flourish into a massive colony.
"By the way, Leman," Lucian said, "I heard you call Professor Shafiq 'Auntie' when we left?"
"Oh, yeah," Leman replied. "We're actually pretty distantly related. She's the daughter of my mother's second cousin. But hey, don't worry—you're the one who picked me during the qualifiers. I'm not a 'nepotism hire'!"
Lucian chuckled and teased, "So, when Professor Shafiq suddenly asked me to run the exam, do you think she was just trying to avoid a conflict of interest?"
Leman flopped back on the sofa, waving a hand dismissively. "Eh, most of us old families are related one way or another. Honestly, there were two or three other people in that classroom who could have claimed to be related to her too!"
---
Time flew as the carriage streaked through the clouds.
"Get ready, guys. We're almost there."
Professor Shafiq's voice echoed from the doorway. As she stepped out of her bedroom, she had completely transformed. Her messy, curly black hair was now pinned up in an elegant style, and her plain grey-white robes had been replaced by a sophisticated black gown.
Without her hair covering half her face, Lucian could finally see what she actually looked like. She had delicate features and a pair of pale grey eyes that still held a hint of her usual laziness.
Wow, she's actually pretty young, Lucian thought. At least by professor standards. She looked to be in her late thirties or early forties, likely around the same age as Snape.
Leman grinned. "Auntie, I don't see you dressed up like this very often."
This time, she didn't bother correcting his title. They weren't at Hogwarts anymore, after all. She gave a helpless shrug, and for a moment, that suppressed laziness leaked back into her posture.
"Well, we are representing Hogwarts, after all. It's a bit of a hassle, but..." she trailed off. "Never mind that. Look out the window; we should be entering Beauxbatons territory."
Lucian and Leman moved to the glass. Below them, a majestic range of mountains stretched out as far as the eye could see—the Pyrenees, the home of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic.
As the carriage glided through the air, Lucian felt a slight ripple in the magic around them, as if they were passing through a thin, curtain-like barrier. Suddenly, a magnificent complex of palaces appeared where there had been nothing but empty mountain peaks just a second before.
Beauxbatons!
A few moments later, the carriage landed smoothly at the main gates. Professor Shafiq led the two boys down the steps. A few figures were already waiting outside the massive stone entrance.
One lady stood out immediately. She was gargantuan—easily as tall as Hagrid. However, her features were refined and handsome, with olive-toned skin, a sharp, prominent nose, and large, watery black eyes. Dressed in exquisite silks and draped in jewels, she exuded an air of supreme elegance and grace.
Lucian recognized her instantly: Olympe Maxime, the Headmistress of Beauxbatons.
"Welcome to Beauxbatons, our guests from Hogwarts," Madame Maxime said, stepping forward to give Professor Shafiq a light embrace. "It is wonderful to see you, dear Professor Shafiq."
Shafiq was quite tall herself, but standing next to Madame Maxime, she looked "tiny," like a delicate doll being tucked into a hug.
Because of her height, Madame Maxime looked down at the two students from a significant vantage point. When her eyes landed on Lucian—specifically on his rare, dark green eyes—her smile widened.
He really did come, she thought. Nicolas Flamel's student.
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