Dumbledore stepped into the room first, with Snape following close behind.
Snape raised an eyebrow at the sight of Cerberus gnawing on a rib bone.
"Hagrid shouldn't be feeding the dog at this hour, should he?"
Dumbledore chuckled softly. "Perhaps our recent visitor was simply a dog lover?"
Snape ignored the remark.
The two of them approached Cerberus.
Sensing Dumbledore among the newcomers, he didn't raise his guard.
Both Dumbledore and Snape noticed the various burn marks, large and small, across Cerberus's body.
Yet, despite their severity, the burns were healing on their own.
Both men frowned at the same time. Cerberus possessed powerful magical resistance; ordinary spells were useless against it, and common flames couldn't even singe its fur.
"Dumbledore, such methods don't seem like something a student could manage," Snape said pointedly, hinting at his suspicion. He wanted to remind Dumbledore that Quirrell had been acting very strangely—especially since the start of this term.
"Indeed, the power of that Fiendfyre seems considerable. Severus, check the Cerberus's injuries first. See if he needs any potion treatment."
Dumbledore's thoughts inexplicably drifted to an old "friend" of his—Protego Diabolica, a variation of Fiendfyre which had been truly terrifying. Back then, that blue sea of Fiendfyre had nearly consumed an entire city.
Seeing Dumbledore ignore his warning, the gloom on Snape's face deepened.
This old man always had more information than he let on, always keeping part of the picture hidden behind his own plans.
Snape stepped forward to examine Cerberus.
But Cerberus bared its teeth and let out a low growl, shielding the rib bone with its paw.
Snape's expression darkened. Was this dog really guarding its food? I am NOT trying to steal it!!
"Dumbledore, this stupid dog only recognizes you and Hagrid."
Dumbledore sighed, then began to soothe Cerberus, urging Snape to get on with the examination.
With a scowl, Snape examined the injuries. The more he saw, the deeper the strange solemnity in his expression grew.
"These injuries were initially quite severe—possibly deep enough to reach bone and internal organs—but now they're nearly healed."
What Snape didn't say was that, judging by the rate of recovery, if they'd arrived just a little later, the wounds would likely have been fully healed already.
"I recall that while Cerberus's self-healing ability isn't weak, it hasn't reached such an astonishing speed, has it?"
In response to Snape's question, Dumbledore nodded.
"It certainly wouldn't be this strong. It seems that our visitor is also quite skilled in healing."
Snape continued, pointing to Cerberus's teeth.
"You must have noticed that the curses inherent in its fangs have been almost completely eliminated. That's not something easily achieved, is it?"
"No, Severus. Let's first check if there are any other clues around."
Since Cerberus was no longer in danger, the two began to search the room.
When Dumbledore approached the trapdoor, a glint flashed behind his half-moon spectacles, as though he found something amusing.
"Solidified Transfiguration?"
With a wave of his wand, the door panel reverted to a small tin can.
Holding the can and inspecting it, Dumbledore couldn't help but marvel.
"Remarkable Transfiguration skills—and a talent for healing, too. That description sounds rather familiar."
He recalled the information he'd received earlier from the Castle ghosts and Hagrid. Harry had most likely been healed by Lucien, and Lucien's gift for Transfiguration had already been well noted.
Dumbledore increasingly felt that the child was ...extraordinary and planned to have a simple chat with Lucien during this week's afternoon tea.
He casually Transfigured the tin can back into a door panel, reinforced it with a solidified Transfiguration charm, and restored everything to its original state.
"Dumbledore, something just occurred to me. Grafton seems to be tutoring Potter lately."
Hearing Snape's offhand remark, Dumbledore chuckled. "I know."
Snape's tone faltered, and he gave up on continuing the conversation.
No matter what he said to Dumbledore, it always felt like the old man already knew everything.
…
"Gurgle gurgle—"
Lucien added seven milliliters of Cerberus blood into the cauldron.
The potion instantly turned thick and dark red, and its previously bubbling surface suddenly stilled.
With just a few finishing steps left, the potion's effects would be known once it cooled.
While waiting, Lucien kept busy, using Transfiguration to craft parts for a mechanical animal.
Each small component was reinforced with a semi-permanent solidification charm, ensuring that as long as a wizard could replenish the magic, the mechanical creature would retain full functionality.
As for what kind of mechanical animal to make, Lucien glanced at Fang, who was yawning lazily beside him.
"I'll make you a companion to play with, as compensation for last time."
"Woof!" Although Fang didn't understand what Lucien was saying, he still looked curiously at the cauldron.
"Pawo.." Upon realizing there was no scent of braised ribs, he lowered his head in disappointment.
By the time Lucien had finished assembling the parts, the adhesive had cooled.
Following the book's instructions and his own design, Lucien waved his wand.
Various parts and alchemical potions floated into the air and assembled in sequence.
From the core to the torso, limbs, head, and tail, each component quickly took shape.
Within a few moments, a sleek, white mechanical dog appeared in the room.
The sound of gears clicking and parts locking into place came from within.
"Woof!"
A bark came from the mechanical dog's mouth.
Startled, Fang jumped back and scurried away, watching this odd "companion" from a distance.
Lucien flicked his wand, and the mechanical dog immediately began performing various standard actions—rolling, jumping, sitting—flawlessly.
After making the mechanical dog do a few more somersaults, Lucien put away his wand with satisfaction.
Not bad—my "dog" can really do a backflip now.
"System, does this mechanical animal meet the loan requirements?"
[Congratulations, Host. You have created a controllable mechanical creature and have also mastered semi-permanent solidified Transfiguration.]
[Mechanical Transfiguration Pocket Watch loan has been repaid.]
[Given the Host's love for learning and surpassing the loan requirements, you are eligible for one customized loan opportunity, not exceeding the monthly loan level.]
Oh, there's such a benefit?
That's a pleasant surprise.
A customized loan, huh? Normally, only daily loans can be customized by me; anything above weekly level is determined by the system.
Since the maximum is a monthly loan, I'll set it to that. Although the difficulty is higher, the rewards are much better.
Anyway, I've just completed the monthly loan for the Transfiguration pocket watch, and the Diligent Little Gardener loan, which requires planting ten Biting Cabbages, only needs regular fertilization and pest control—the rest is just a matter of time.
Hmm, I recorded Cerberus's information before, but since there was only one individual, it didn't meet the loan requirements. The Pet Growth loan still needs one more magical creature—I'll just head to the Forbidden Forest again.
Lucien thought for a moment and realized he still had the capacity to take on another monthly loan.
As for the content of the loan...
Lucien pulled out the Transfiguration pocket watch. Through analyzing this watch, his progress in Alchemy and semi-permanent Transfiguration had advanced rapidly.
And one of his main goals this year was to master all Transfiguration knowledge and explore new directions in the field.
So, the customized loan should definitely be Transfiguration-related.
__________
11 Advance Chaps- P@treon/DarkDevil1