Daphne Greengrass didn't waste words.
She simply looked at Lucian quietly, her cool blue eyes studying him as if trying to see through his very soul.
Then she extended a slender, pale hand and handed him a neatly folded piece of paper.
A faint scent lingered on it—something crisp and cool, like cedar in winter.
Lucian met her gaze calmly and accepted the note.
"The Greengrass family has always respected true strength."
Her voice was as cool and composed as her demeanor, without any unnecessary emotion.
After saying that, she gave Lucian one final look.
She did not wait for any reply.
Turning gracefully, she walked away.
Her back remained proud and distant, as if that brief approach had merely been the completion of a formal gesture.
It was the first time she had ever initiated contact with a Gryffindor student.
Lucian unfolded the paper.
There was only one thing written on it—
An address.
The address of Greengrass Manor in the wizarding world.
Lucian quietly slipped the note into his pocket.
He understood that it was more than just an address.
It was a significant gesture of goodwill and investment from an ancient pure-blood family.
When the Hogwarts Express finally departed, carrying students home amid laughter and excited chatter, Lucian had no idea that stories about him had already spread far beyond the castle walls.
Guarding the Philosopher's Stone.
Driving away the mysterious Dark Lord.
Creating multiple powerful spells of his own.
These astonishing achievements had spread quietly through carefully chosen channels.
Channels that seemed casual—
But were, in fact, extremely precise.
And the person behind them was none other than Albus Dumbledore.
Soon, the news began circulating among senior officials of the Ministry of Magic and the ancient pure-blood families who held deep influence in the wizarding world.
In the lavish office of Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, a confidential file labeled "Lucian Thornwick" was placed in the most prominent position on his desk.
Meanwhile, deep inside the cold stone cellars of Malfoy Manor, Lucius Malfoy slowly tapped his snake-headed cane against the floor while listening to Draco's embellished retelling of events.
His expression shifted between calculation and uncertainty.
And in many other hidden corners of the wizarding world, forces both visible and unseen began mobilizing their resources.
They all asked the same question:
Who exactly was this mysterious genius who had appeared like a comet across the night sky of the magical world?
Overnight, the name Lucian Thornwick appeared on the desks of many powerful figures.
At the beginning of the new school year, warm sunlight bathed Diagon Alley in a lively golden glow.
But outside Flourish and Blotts Bookshop, the usual bustle had turned into near chaos.
The shop and the street outside were packed with people.
Most of them—over ninety percent—were witches of all ages.
Their faces were flushed with excitement.
They waved quills and notebooks, shouting enthusiastically while camera flashes lit up the air.
The scene looked less like a bookstore—
And more like a celebrity event.
At the center of the frenzy sat the man responsible for it all.
The new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for the year.
Gilderoy Lockhart.
He was seated behind a towering stack of his own books, dressed in a dazzling lilac robe.
His carefully styled golden curls shone under the magical lights.
A dazzling smile revealed perfectly white teeth as he waved to the crowd and signed autographs.
He soaked in the admiration like someone basking in sunlight.
"Oh Merlin, he looked this way!"
"Professor Lockhart, we love you!"
Harry and Ron were shoved around by the crowd, nearly losing their balance.
Both wore expressions of complete disbelief.
They couldn't understand why a wizard could cause such an enormous commotion.
Meanwhile, standing beside Lucian—
Hermione Granger clutched his arm with one hand while holding a tall stack of Lockhart's books with the other.
Every cover displayed moving photos of Lockhart posing heroically.
Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
She had to stand on her toes just to catch a glimpse of her idol.
At that moment, Hermione looked exactly like any enthusiastic fan meeting a celebrity.
The extravagant atmosphere followed Lockhart all the way to Hogwarts.
During the opening feast, when Dumbledore introduced him, Lockhart leapt to his feet with theatrical enthusiasm.
He blew an exaggerated flying kiss to the entire hall.
Then he launched into a dramatic speech.
With energetic gestures and frequent hair-flipping, he passionately described the thrilling adventures from his books.
Finally, he proudly declared:
He—Gilderoy Lockhart, five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award—would personally teach the students how to fight the darkest magic and lead them toward glory.
His speech was wildly successful.
The Great Hall erupted with cheers from many of the girls.
Their applause nearly lifted the ceiling.
Hermione clasped her hands excitedly in front of her chest.
"Oh my goodness… he's amazing! Everything in his books must be true!"
Harry and Ron exchanged a look.
Both immediately made exaggerated gagging expressions.
At the teachers' table, Snape's face was darker than the bottom of a potion cauldron.
Professor McGonagall pressed her lips into a thin, stern line.
Only Dumbledore seemed amused.
Behind his half-moon glasses, his blue eyes twinkled with the unmistakable look of someone enjoying a very interesting show.
Lucian, however, remained completely calm.
From the moment Lockhart stood up, Lucian had already seen through him entirely.
To Lucian's perception, Gilderoy Lockhart was like a beautiful glass bottle placed under bright lights.
Shiny on the outside.
But completely empty inside.
Lucian could easily sense the man's magical power.
It was weak—shockingly weak.
Even someone like Mrs. Weasley, an ordinary adult witch, possessed far stronger magic.
Lockhart's ability barely reached the level of an average Hogwarts graduate.
But more importantly—
On the surface of Lockhart's soul, Lucian sensed something else.
A tangled, murky residue.
The unmistakable traces left behind by repeated use of Memory Charms.
Those magical scars clung to his spirit like stains that could never be washed away.
Layer upon layer of them intertwined, forming a disturbing aura made of lies and stolen achievements.
Lucian glanced calmly at the man performing theatrically on stage.
In his mind, the conclusion was already clear.
Nothing more than a fraud wrapped in glittering packaging.
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