A spacious, sun-drenched classroom at Beauxbatons had been temporarily converted into a hall for the written exams.
Lucien sat by a window, his quill dancing rapidly across a roll of parchment.
The schedule for this Tri-Wizard Alchemy Exchange was divided into two main components: the written theory exams and the practical application trials. Each of these was further split into two sections.
Currently, they were sitting for the first part of the written exam, which focused primarily on the fundamentals of alchemy—specifically, the properties of magical materials and the interpretation of Ancient Runes.
Tomorrow's second session would cover more advanced alchemical principles and structural design.
As for the main event—the practical application—competitors were required to craft two alchemical items within a set time limit. The first item would be a project designated by the professors, graded on completion and quality.
The second item was a "free creation." Competitors simply had to present a finished product within the time limit. The judges—comprising alchemy professors from the three schools and specially invited renowned alchemists—would score it based on a comprehensive set of criteria, including completion, difficulty, and utility.
For Lucien, the questions on the parchment weren't particularly difficult; they were designed to test the breadth of a student's knowledge and the accuracy of their memory.
The volume of questions, however, was massive. They covered everything from the precise temperature required to process African Boomslang skin, to the common variations of the rune "Ansuz" within energy-channeling arrays.
Lucien wrote without pausing, answering methodically. In less than an hour, he had completed the entire scroll.
After a quick review, he lowered his gaze, appearing to rest. In reality, he was mentally simulating optimization schemes for the magical version of the mobile phone.
With the assistance of the elemental runes he had acquired, the main architecture was already complete; only a few fine adjustments remained.
The alchemy professors from all three schools were proctoring the exam. Professor Shafiq, noticing Lucien's relaxed demeanor, wandered over and glanced at his parchment.
Shafiq nodded to himself, feeling a surge of confidence. This is in the bag, he thought. If he could bring back a championship trophy from the exchange, he might be able to leverage it into a two-week vacation from Headmaster Dumbledore. After all, maintaining a dignified image for Hogwarts in a foreign land was exhausting work.
Precisely when the two-and-a-half-hour mark hit, the parchment scrolls in front of every candidate floated into the air. They magically triplicated mid-flight before soaring into the hands of the three proctors on the podium.
The tension in the room instantly evaporated, replaced by the rustling of bags being packed and the low hum of conversation.
Riemann immediately scuttled over to Lucien.
"Lucien, that last question on materials—'Elaborate on the function of Unicorn tail hair in a Calming Amulet and explain why mane hair cannot be used as a substitute'—did you mention the part about 'stabilizing the core magic pathways to prevent dream intrusion'? I feel like my answer was incomplete."
"I did," Lucien nodded. "The key point lies in the 'Pure Protection' characteristic inherent in the tail hair. It resonates with the powdered moonstone in the amulet to amplify the sedative effect. While mane hair comes from the same source, its attribute is more aligned with 'Physical Defense.' Substituting it would drastically reduce efficacy or even induce lethargy..."
Riemann groaned. "What about the one asking, 'At which of the following temperatures should African Boomslang skin be soaked to maximize the retention of its resilient magic?' The four options were so close. I picked 'Constant 50 degrees Celsius,' but I feel like I've seen 'Slowly heating to 60 degrees' somewhere before..."
Lucien thought back to the exam scroll. "It's a constant 50 degrees. Snake skin is sensitive to sudden heat. Slowly heating to 60 degrees is the method for processing Erumpent horn powder. It's easy to mix them up."
"Phew, that's good." Riemann let out a long breath, a relieved smile spreading across his face. "Close enough! Looks like I did okay on the basics."
Just then, a clear, melodious voice drifted from behind them.
"In that case, if one were designing an amulet that needs to balance 'protection against malicious scrying' and 'maintaining the wearer's mental clarity,' which rune would be a more suitable pairing alongside Algiz? Would it be Sowilo or Kenaz?"
Riemann turned around at the sound and saw the Beauxbatons girl who seemed to glow with a faint, silvery light. He figured she wasn't talking to him—after all, those deep blue eyes were fixed squarely on Lucien.
Lucien answered naturally, " Sowilo is more suitable. It symbolizes the sun, victory, and the power of health, leaning towards a form of protection that is bright and positive, while also lifting the spirit. While Kenaz is also related to knowledge and light, it focuses more on 'fire,' 'transformation,' and active creation. It's not the most direct choice for protection and can sometimes disturb the constant stability of one's thoughts due to its overly active energy."
Fleur nodded thoughtfully, a hint of a smile gracing her lips. "A very clear explanation. It seems the 'basics' part of this written exam was truly just a warm-up for you."
She had obviously noticed that Lucien had finished his scroll long before the time was up.
The two continued to exchange questions and answers, maintaining a flow that felt wonderfully natural, like a casual afternoon chat.
Riemann looked from Lucien to the stunningly beautiful Fleur, and the corners of his mouth began to twitch uncontrollably upward. He let out a fake cough, lowering his voice just enough so that it was still perfectly audible to the person next to him.
"Hey, Lucien, speaking of which... how are you arranging things for Valentine's Day in a couple of weeks?"
Lucien looked up at Riemann. How am I spending it? By planning how you lot spend it, obviously.
Although he had paid off the loan for the high-level Earth Element Rune by improving the Fountain of Allure, he still had the Fire Element loan to worry about.
The System's requirement to "use magical means to make the Valentine's Day atmosphere more intense" was even more vague and abstract than the fountain task.
Once back at Hogwarts, he could replicate the Fountain of Allure. Perhaps it would give those looking for the courage to confess their feelings a little boost of confidence?
Regardless of whether they were guys or girls, if they looked a bit better, the success rate of a Valentine's confession would probably go up. Probably.
Before Lucien could organize his words to reply, Riemann waved his hand dismissively, already turning to slip away.
"Ahem, you two keep chatting! I haven't gathered all the materials for my free creation project yet. I need to write a letter home immediately and have them send it over with their fastest owl..."
The final segment of the Tri-Wizard alchemy competition required competitors to bring their own materials for the free creation piece.
Collecting materials was considered part of the test of an alchemist's capability.
Everyone had brought stock with them when they arrived, but inspiration often demanded new materials, and accidents during experiments could deplete supplies, so last-minute replenishments were common.
As Riemann walked away briskly, he didn't forget to look back, raising his voice with a hint of boasting.
"Oh, right! If you don't understand anything about Valentine's dates, feel free to ask me! I've got plenty of experience in that department!"
Before the sentence even finished echoing, his figure had nimbly darted behind a pillar decorated with ice-crystal roses, vanishing into the palace complex of Beauxbatons.
Lucien watched his retreating back, a bit speechless.
However, Riemann's words did remind him of something. Perhaps... he could conduct a small "market research" study within Hogwarts first?
He could ask the upperclassmen (the ones with dating experience) for advice and find out what the general expectations were for Valentine's Day events.
Or, to be more direct, maybe design an anonymous survey to distribute to the whole school?
Only after Riemann was completely out of sight did Fleur, who had been standing quietly to the side, blink. Her blue eyes, filled with curiosity, turned back to Lucien.
"Lucien, do you... already have plans for Valentine's Day?"
In her view, it would be the most normal thing in the world for a boy as talented as Lucien to have a girlfriend, especially given his outstanding appearance.
Even by Fleur's rather exacting standards, Lucien's looks and temperament were exceptionally striking.
Lucien nodded, a faint smile appearing on his face.
"Yeah. I'm this year's 'Event Planner.'"