When the Sorting Hat directly stated that Lucien's talent even surpassed Dumbledore's, the portraits of the Principals stopped laughing, their expressions becoming solemn and serious.
The Wizards who became Hogwarts Principals were all exceptional individuals of their era, undoubtedly possessing brilliant achievements in certain fields.
Therefore, they knew even more clearly how powerful the current Principal, this easygoing, bearded old man, Dumbledore, truly was.
But now the Sorting Hat directly admitted that Lucien's talent was even better!
What did that mean?
Even Phineas put away his arrogant expression, staring at the Sorting Hat without a word.
It was Dumbledore who broke the silence, asking with a chuckle, "What aspects of talent are you referring to?"
"Want to know? Then you need to prepare a glass display case for me, and it needs to be placed in the most prominent spot in the room."
Facing the Sorting Hat's demand, Dumbledore did not hesitate at all, immediately agreeing.
"No problem."
The Sorting Hat shook its tip in satisfaction.
"Transfiguration, he's much stronger than you in that regard."
Dumbledore nodded, having expected this; he had already learned about it from McGonagall.
He wasn't surprised that Lucien's Transfiguration talent surpassed his own.
Perhaps because its demands were continuously met, the Sorting Hat was in a very good mood and gave some additional answers:
"Hmm, at least in the field of Transfiguration, Lucien's aptitude is the best I've ever seen, without a doubt."
Silence. The entire Headmasters Office fell into absolute silence.
Dumbledore also reined in his smile, processing the meaning of the Sorting Hat's evaluation.
Although no one was paying attention to it, the Sorting Hat continued to elaborate:
"You know, I've been around for over a thousand years, and I've seen countless Wizards."
"I've never seen anyone like Lucien before."
"Hey, Albus, remember to cultivate him well; Hogwarts will be great again!"
"..."
"Why aren't you saying anything? You don't think Lucien only has good Transfiguration talent, do you?"
"His White Magic aptitude is also similar to yours, Albus. Hmm, perhaps yours is a bit stronger, but only marginally."
Dumbledore, who had recovered his senses, asked casually, "What about Dark Arts?"
"Oh, much stronger than you."
Dumbledore's eyes immediately became obscure.
People respectfully called him the strongest Wizard of this century, even giving him the more reverent title of "White Lord."
However, Dumbledore also possessed astonishing talent in the Dark Arts.
Without an extraordinary understanding of the Dark Arts, how could he have defeated the first Dark Lord and deterred the second Dark Lord?
"Dark Arts..."
"Alas..."
Dumbledore sighed deeply.
For a moment, a strong sense of caution had indeed arisen in his heart.
But perhaps it was precisely this caution that led to there being one less student named Tom in the world and one more Dark Wizard named Lord Voldemort!
He could no longer be wary of a child simply because of their talent in Dark Arts.
Moreover, Lucien had, after all, gone to Ravenclaw; his dominant nature was not ambition.
Feeling somewhat relieved, Dumbledore stood up and walked to the window, looking at the sparse and dim starlight.
Genius needs guidance, not suppression.
"I should talk to Lucien."
...
The faint morning light shone into the dormitory.
Lucien was already awake, opening his system panel while washing up.
"White Magic: S"
"Dark Arts: SS+"
"Defense: S+"
"Transfiguration: SSS"
"Potion: A"
"Alchemy: A+"
"magic: SS"
"Unpaid Loans: loki's faceless (335 days), Unicorn (335 days), Pet Growth (29 days)"
"Tasks: Perfectly master Transfiguration; Brew a Potion using the Philosopher's Stone; Record 5 kinds of magical animals."
Lucien brushed his teeth while contemplating his recent goals.
The study of Transfiguration needed to be continuous; the school curriculum's pace would definitely not be enough.
First, he would go to the library to find some advanced books, and at the same time, he could ask Professor McGonagall for guidance.
He certainly wouldn't be able to access the Philosopher's Stone in the short term, but he could practice Potion brewing in advance.
Hmm, when I go to the Forbidden Forest to look for magical animals, I'll probably need some Potions to assist me.
Such as bait to attract specific magical animals, calming Potions, Potions to eliminate my own scent...
When I go to the library today, besides books on Transfiguration and Potions, I'll also look for any that record the Forbidden Forest's terrain and species distribution.
After organizing his tasks, Lucien finished washing up.
Finding Terry still fast asleep, and seeing that it was still early, Lucien didn't wake him immediately.
Grabbing the textbook needed for Charms Class, Lucien prepared to go to the dining hall for breakfast first.
He casually placed the school-issued magical alarm clock on Terry's bedside table.
He glanced again at Terry's very peaceful sleeping posture.
Lucien pulled out his wand, pointed it at the alarm clock, and cast a simple Sonorus Charm on it.
Done, now the alarm clock would definitely wake him up.
Leaving the dormitory and just arriving at the common room hall, a clear voice called out to Lucien, "Lucien? You're up so early?"
Turning his head, he saw it was Cho, who was also up early.
She was carrying a broom in her hand, and her usually loose black hair was tied into a high ponytail.
"Morning, Cho."
"You're...?"
Lucien asked, looking at the broom.
"You mean this?"
"I don't have classes today; I'm going to participate in the house team's Quidditch training."
Cho waved the broom in her hand, and her ponytail swayed with it.
The girl, who usually looked very quiet, now exuded the vitality of sports and youth.
"I'm going to the dining hall; want to come along?"
Lucien nodded; it was on the way anyway.
Cho picked up her broom and quickly walked to Lucien's side.
The two walked out of the common room together, leaving the tower via the stairs.
Glancing at the book Lucien was holding, Cho asked, "Lucien, do you have Charms Class this morning?"
"Yes."
"That's great! The first class of the school year is with our Dean, Professor Flitwick. He's very knowledgeable, and a really nice person!"
"..."
The two chatted as they walked, arriving at a staircase that shifted intermittently.
Cho kindly reminded him, "Oh, right, Lucien, you probably saw it yesterday."
"Some of the stairs in the Castle change position. New students find it hard to figure out the pattern at first, but you can ask the portraits nearby; they'll all help with directions."
Saying this, Cho waved to a portrait next to the stairs, and the latter responded enthusiastically.
Lucien looked at these moving stairs and the interacting portraits.
He couldn't help but marvel at the magic of Hogwarts Castle.
A magical ancient Castle with a history spanning a thousand years, how many interesting secrets were hidden within it?
These obvious things were already enough for young Wizards to explore for a long time, not to mention the large number of secret rooms and hidden passages; even successive Principals probably couldn't fully understand this Castle.
"Thank you for the reminder, Cho."
Hearing Lucien's thanks, Cho's heart fluttered slightly.
"You're welcome. If there's anything you don't understand in the future, you can always ask me."
Soon, the two arrived at the dining hall, and after breakfast, they parted ways.
Guided by portraits and ghosts along the way, Lucien successfully found the Charms classroom.
The classroom was empty at this hour. Lucien found a seat in the middle, towards the outer side, and sat down.
He took out a copy of "Common Charms for Beginners" and quietly read it.
Patiently waiting for his first class at Hogwarts.