In a quiet corner of the Beauxbatons dining hall, Lucien and Riemann were enjoying their dinner.
"Just talking about the food, Beauxbatons beats the old Hogwarts hands down," Riemann said, slicing a small piece of foie gras and popping it into his mouth. "If you hadn't taught the house-elves all those new recipes, we'd probably still be gnawing on fish and chips or baked beans in tomato sauce every night..."
"Speaking of which, Beauxbatons is surprisingly strict. They even have etiquette classes for the lower years. I have to say, Hogwarts is much better in that regard."
Lucien nodded silently in agreement. After observing the school for the past couple of days, he noticed the Beauxbatons students held a certain "awe and fear" toward their professors and the Headmistress. By comparison, Hogwarts was much more laid-back.
"Hey, right. How does it feel jumping straight into fifth-year classes?" Riemann asked.
Lucien considered his words carefully. "It's not as hard as I imagined. The teaching pace at Beauxbatons doesn't feel quite as fast."
The corner of Riemann's mouth twitched. He desperately wanted to point out that Lucien couldn't be judged by normal standards.
"Cough, well, I heard Beauxbatons is a bit unique. Their O.W.L.s are held in the sixth year, so the pace is naturally slower. When I was in fifth year, Hogwarts was already in full exam-cram mode."
"We've still got the N.E.W.T.s to deal with when we get back. Tsk, coming to this exchange tournament actually feels like a vacation."
Lucien resonated with what Riemann said. Generally, as the end of the school year approached, the fifth and seventh years were the busiest people in the castle. Not only did they practically live in the library, but you could see them frantically studying in every corner of the school.
It was essentially the wizarding equivalent of the SATs and bar exams rolled into one high-pressure nightmare.
Hmm, when I get back to Hogwarts, I should develop some potions that improve mental stamina and focus for studying. The 'Drudge Draught' I brewed before didn't have enough of a kick, and the effects were a bit too one-dimensional...
Riemann continued, "Also, I don't know if it's just me, but I feel like the professors at Hogwarts explain things much more clearly and thoroughly. It's faster to understand."
Although Riemann sounded uncertain, Lucien could clearly sense it. In terms of the overall quality of the faculty, Beauxbatons was still a cut below Hogwarts.
Perhaps it didn't matter much during their school years, but if a student wanted to pursue research in specific magical fields after graduation, the perspective and horizons broadened by their professors during school would be crucial.
Riemann suddenly remembered something. "Oh right, Professor Shafiq said he wants to give the two of us remedial lessons. He probably thinks the alchemy standards here at Beauxbatons are too high and wants to cram some knowledge into us last minute?"
Lucien was genuinely surprised that the professor, who usually loved to loaf around and do the bare minimum, was actively volunteering to "work overtime."
They had arrived at Beauxbatons early, and the exchange tournament hadn't officially started yet.
The first round—the written theory section—was scheduled for the day after tomorrow. It was actually quite normal for Professor Shafiq to want to top up their tanks; relying on short-term memory was a valid strategy.
After finishing their meal, Riemann glanced at the students around them and suddenly grinned.
"People told me before I came that there were a lot of beauties at Beauxbatons. Turns out, it wasn't a lie."
Lucien laughed, shaking his head. He recalled Nicolas Flamel saying something similar to him.
"I recall you have a fiancée, don't you?"
In wizarding society, scions of noble houses often considered marriage early, especially among the pure-blood families who valued heritage and tradition.
Whether for carrying on the bloodline or securing family interests, wizards from pure-blood backgrounds like Riemann often had their engagement partners settled very early on. It was quite common to marry right after graduating from school.
Hearing this, Riemann's face straightened, and he spread his hands helplessly.
"Exactly. That's why I'm just feasting my eyes. When I get back to Hogwarts, I still have to prepare for Valentine's Day. Even though we've celebrated it so many times..."
As he spoke, the slightly frivolous grin that had vanished from Riemann's face reappeared. He looked at Lucien with a teasing squint.
"Speaking of which, does the famous Lucien Grafton, the handsome and charming star of Hogwarts, really have no plans for Valentine's Day?"
"There are plenty of girls in Ravenclaw, and even in my house, Slytherin, there seem to be quite a few young ladies who can't stop thinking about you."
Lucien intended to brush the topic off with a vague answer, but suddenly, a system notification chimed in his mind, making his expression turn peculiar.
What in the world is "Operation: Valentine"?