"Daphne, you were at the library this morning too?"
Lucien's sudden question caught Daphne off guard, and she couldn't help but recall the embarrassing experience of being chased out by Madam Pince.
So Daphne absolutely couldn't admit it. If she did, wouldn't Lucien know that the person Madam Pince had scolded was her?
"Ahem, no, absolutely nothing of the sort... I woke up feeling unwell this morning, went to the hospital wing to get medicine, and then returned to the Slytherin common room to rest."
Daphne deliberately coughed a few times into her fist, seemingly trying to indicate that she was still ill.
Actually, what she said wasn't entirely wrong. Daphne had indeed been sick this morning and had gone to the hospital wing.
However, Madam Pomfrey's medical skills were so excellent that she had Daphne almost completely recovered in just a few moments.
But Daphne felt that since her roommate had already helped her ask for sick leave, there was no need to rush to class, right?
So, with nothing else to do, she took a stroll through the library and just happened to run into Lucien.
When a student finally gets a sick leave, if they don't seize the opportunity to slack off, how can that be justified?
Lucien, however, looked at Daphne suspiciously.
It wasn't a matter of whether he was willing to believe it; the main thing was that the young girl's face was already so red. It couldn't possibly be a relapse of an old illness, could it? And hadn't she been quite energetic during Transfiguration class just now?
Tap, tap, tap—
Malfoy finally caught up, leaning on his crutches.
"Grafton, I—"
Malfoy had intended to speak to Lucien, but when he saw the eldest daughter of the Greengrass family there, he closed his mouth.
As for Daphne, recognizing who had arrived, her eyes lit up. A witness had delivered himself right to her doorstep.
"Malfoy, tell me, did I take sick leave and miss Flying Class this morning?"
"Ah, oh right, your roommate helped you ask for leave."
Malfoy, his mind beneath the bandages, was confused as to why Daphne was suddenly asking this question.
"Malfoy, when I later returned to the Slytherin common room, I happened to run into you. Do you remember?"
This question confused Malfoy even more. He wanted to say, Big sis, I eagerly went to Flying Class this morning. How would I have noticed you?
"I don't—"
Malfoy had just uttered the word "don't" when Daphne gave him a subtle glare, as if saying with her eyes: Hurry up and nod!
Somehow, Malfoy suddenly remembered his father's teachings: never oppose someone stronger than yourself.
Unlike some families that need to flatter others to gain a foothold, the Greengrass family was powerful, holding both wealth and influence. For example, the Ministry of Magic's Department of Magical Transportation had always been managed by a Greengrass.
Passive Malfoy Skill: Adapt to Circumstances, Activated! Malfoy nodded.
"Yes, I saw you when I left. I hope you recover soon, Daphne."
Lucien found the scene before him quite bizarre.
A person with a bandaged head and a plastered leg wishing a "rosy-cheeked" person a speedy recovery?
Slytherins truly were peculiar, and these pure-blood nobles were indeed strange.
If he interacted with them too much, would he become strange too?
"It was nice chatting with you all, but Professor McGonagall needs me for something, so I'll be going now."
…
Inside Professor McGonagall's office.
After Professor McGonagall led Lucien into the room, he took a moment to observe.
One wall of bookshelves was packed with books, mostly related to Transfiguration, including advanced magic texts and wizard research papers.
The shelves on another wall held many small items: delicate metal crafts, complex mechanical tools, various colored ores...
Lucien guessed these were likely aids for practicing Transfiguration, used to broaden its applications by analyzing the properties of materials.
Tsk tsk, it had only been a few days since school started, and how many professors' offices had he already visited?
A check-in enthusiast's delight.
"How are you, Lucien? Are you getting used to Hogwarts?"
Professor McGonagall, no longer as stern as in class, asked in a rather gentle tone.
Lucien replied with a sincere smile, "Thank you for your concern. I think Hogwarts is wonderful. There's magic here, and so much knowledge I've never encountered before."
"The students are friendly, the teachers are knowledgeable, and I feel like I learn something new every day."
Hearing Lucien's joy, Professor McGonagall nodded with satisfaction.
"Haha, that's good. I originally thought you might not be quite used to suddenly entering an unfamiliar world of magic."
"Do you have any questions regarding Transfiguration recently?"
Lucien thought for a moment. There were indeed too many, but his most immediate goal… was still to prepare for the Transfiguration pocket watch loan and learn semi-permanent solidified Transfiguration.
Hmm, there are no more classes later, so I'll find a place to test the effect of that pocket watch.
I'll go to Hagrid's, and check on my cabbages while I'm at it.
"Professor, I'm very interested in semi-permanent solidified Transfiguration, but I don't know where to start learning."
Professor McGonagall gestured with her hand.
A few books and a paper flew down from that row of bookshelves.
Lucien quickly scanned the books in front of him; all of them dealt with solidified Transfiguration.
But the authors listed on that paper were quite interesting: Albus Dumbledore & Nicolas Flamel
This surprised Lucien. It was a paper co-authored by Dumbledore and the creator of the Philosopher's Stone.
It seemed that this paper would involve Alchemy, not just Transfiguration.
Lucien mused that perhaps this paper was a byproduct of developing the Philosopher's Stone.
"Professor, Nicolas Flamel should be the legendary alchemist who created the Philosopher's Stone, right? So this paper…?"
"Yes, that's the legend. This paper focuses on solidified Transfiguration, using knowledge and techniques from Alchemy to assist in its refinement."
Hearing Professor McGonagall's explanation, Lucien felt a bit excited. He had just been worrying about not having any reference materials for Alchemy.
At Hogwarts, Alchemy was an elective course only available to upper-year students.
Books on Alchemy were also scarce in the library. Lucien suspected that some might be hidden in the Restricted Section, and not being able to access them yet made him itch with anticipation.
"Alright, Professor, I will study them thoroughly."
The two chatted for a while longer. As Lucien was about to get up and leave, Professor McGonagall suddenly said with a playful smile:
"Lucien, studying hard is certainly a good thing... But occasionally, you can also relax with your classmates, perhaps by taking a stroll by the Black Lake?"
Lucien felt a bit awkward. So Professor McGonagall had heard.
Actually, he did go out to play and take walks—it was just that his walks were in the Forbidden Forest.
"Lucien, you will be at Hogwarts for seven years. You won't just learn here; you will also grow here... I hope every young wizard can gain both knowledge and happiness at this school."