The Headmistress's office at Beauxbatons was dominated by shades of ivory and pale gold. Exquisite magical portraits floated gently against the walls, and the air carried a faint, sweet scent of flowers.
It felt less like an office and more like the elegant drawing room of a noblewoman.
Madame Maxime, tall and imposing, sat behind a wide, carved desk, looking perfectly at home in the grandeur.
"Madame, I've always admired Beauxbatons' Alchemy program. If I could attend classes following your school's curriculum..."
As Maxime listened to Lucien explain his purpose—specifically noting his interest in their Alchemy courses—a flash of satisfaction, barely perceptible, crossed her large, dark eyes.
"No problem at all," she replied, almost without hesitation. "Beauxbatons' classrooms are naturally open to you."
In her eyes, this young man—Nicolas Flamel's final apprentice and a budding genius who had already begun to make his mark—taking an interest in Beauxbatons was a victory in itself.
Part of her motivation for agreeing to host this Tri-School Tournament was to seize this very opportunity: to observe Lucien, and perhaps, attempt to convince him to stay at Beauxbatons permanently.
Lucien's future potential was immeasurable. No, forget the future—he had already been awarded an Order of Merlin, First Class, and was pioneering entirely new fields in Transfiguration... his brilliance was already undeniable.
As one of the three great magical schools of Europe, Hogwarts held a transcendent status not just in Europe but across the world for one singular reason: they had Albus Dumbledore.
Judging by Lucien's current trajectory, the wizarding world might see another "Dumbledore" rise in a few decades.
If Lucien were truly willing to transfer to Beauxbatons, the significance would be indescribable!
Madame Maxime gave a casual wave of her hand, and a periodical appeared silently on the polished surface of her desk.
The cover displayed the title Journeys in Transfiguration, featuring the abstract of Lucien's groundbreaking paper.
"Actually, given your level of expertise, Lucien," Maxime said with a smile, her fingertips tapping lightly on the journal's cover, "you could attend classes in any year you wish. How about starting with the fifth year? The Alchemy classes prior to that are mostly foundational, after all..."
Lucien wasn't surprised to see his paper had circulated abroad; it had been two or three months since its publication.
He had heard that Beauxbatons scheduled their O.W.L. equivalents for the sixth year, meaning their overall teaching pace was slightly slower than Hogwarts. Following the fifth-year curriculum would be just right.
Lucien responded politely, "I'll leave the arrangements to you, then."
He paused for a moment before bringing up his true objective.
"Madame, I have another favor to ask. I am quite curious about the principles behind the Fountain of Beauty that my teacher, Nicolas, constructed. I was wondering if I might be permitted to study it and perhaps make a few modifications?"
Before Lucien arrived at Beauxbatons, Nicolas Flamel had mentioned him in a letter, so Madame Maxime had already guessed Lucien's identity.
So, when Lucien openly acknowledged the master-student relationship, she wasn't shocked.
Maxime didn't look surprised. She pondered for a moment, then the corners of her lips curved upward into an elegant arc of understanding.
"A student studying his master's work," she said slowly, her tone warm. "Naturally, there is nothing inappropriate about that."
In her view, since Lucien was Nicolas Flamel's student and had clearly earned the legendary alchemist's approval, he certainly wouldn't go around destroying the Fountain of Beauty.
With Maxime's permission secured, Lucien felt a sense of relief. It seemed the title of "Flamel's student" carried significant weight at Beauxbatons.
Otherwise, for an outsider to abruptly ask to tamper with the Fountain of Beauty—a landmark asset of the school and a magical construct of great prestige—would have been a difficult request to grant.
It looks like there's hope for that debt-repayment quest after all, he thought. Now I just need to figure out how to improve it—add new functions or enhance the original effects...
"Madame, thank you for your generosity."