"...Because of the trust you've placed in me, I can't stand the idea of passing on sloppy or wrong info to you."
Lucien's words hit Harry like a bolt from the blue, leaving him frozen in place.
Before stepping into the wizarding world, Harry had been stuck at his aunt's house, just a kid who was constantly belittled and mocked.
Once he discovered magic, he suddenly became "The Boy Who Lived," and most folks treated him more like a walking legend than a person—curious about the myth more than the boy.
Harry sometimes just wanted to yell, "I'm Harry! Just Harry!"
He never expected Lucien to value his trust so much, to respect him like that.
"Lucien, I... I'll study hard!"
"Thanks!"
Harry wasn't sure how to put his surge of emotion and joy into words, so it all boiled down to a promise and a thank-you.
Lucien clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't overthink it—let's keep going with the lesson."
Harry nodded eagerly and dove back in, adding ingredients to the cauldron one by one under Lucien's guidance.
This time, no hesitation or confusion—he brewed with real focus.
In the end, a pot of softly glowing pale blue potion came together perfectly.
Lucien gave it a once-over, then a quick sniff. He nodded. "Give it a try—your first potion."
Harry was buzzing with excitement. With slightly shaky hands, he scooped up a spoonful and poured it into a small metal vial.
That was probably a single dose. Harry swallowed hard and downed the Clarity Potion he'd brewed himself in one go.
Watching Harry's dramatic chug, Lucien couldn't help but grin.
How did the kid make drinking a potion look like he was shotgunning a bottle?
A faint blue light flickered in Harry's eyes, then faded.
He whipped off his glasses and scanned the room, his voice thrilled:
"I can see clearly! The potion I made worked!"
"Thanks, Lucien—thank you so much!"
Maybe it was the potion kicking in, or ditching the glasses, but Harry's emerald eyes looked even brighter now.
Lucien felt a warm satisfaction. Besides Harry, Snape probably owed him one too.
A potion like Clarity wasn't tough, and Lucien was sure Snape could even brew a permanent fix for nearsightedness.
So why not slip Harry a bottle?
If pride was the issue, just mix it into his food on the sly.
What, was the old bat too scared to gaze into those green eyes without the glasses in the way? Afraid it'd remind him of her—the one who couldn't open her eyes anymore, the one who'd passed those eyes down to Harry?
"You did great, Harry. You're actually pretty good at Potions."
Lucien laid on the praise right away. He knew for kids this age, a little positive reinforcement went a long way.
Sure enough, Harry's face lit up with excitement.
"Ah, thanks! I—I mean, Lucien, you're just a great teacher!"
Lucien nodded with a small smile. Kid was teachable.
"Alright, now without me watching—brew another Clarity Potion on your own."
Harry blinked, letting out an "Oh."
"Strike while the iron's hot. Practice a few times to really lock it in."
Lucien knew kids this age could get cocky quick—repetition was key.
Harry didn't question it anymore. He jumped right in, scrubbing the cauldron to start fresh.
Meanwhile, Lucien headed over to the massive basin-sized cauldron Hagrid had provided.
In his mind, he pinged the system:
"I'll take the Junior Finished Potion loan (Daily Loan). Custom order: five each of Growth Fertilizer, Weed-B-Gone, and Bug-Off Quick potions, plus one Stealth Essence Oil."
Lucien figured since fertilizer, weedkiller, and bug spray were all high-volume needs, might as well brew extra in one go.
Plus, Hagrid's huge cauldron made it efficient.
[Items delivered to system storage—access anytime.]
[Task: Successfully brew five each of Growth Fertilizer, Weed-B-Gone, and Bug-Off Quick potions, plus one Stealth Essence Oil.]
Lucien got to work on the ingredients. He'd memorized the recipes for these gardening potions—and the Stealth Essence from Snape's trade.
He moved fast, thanks to his precise magic control. A quick spell to process the raw materials, then levitating them into the big cauldron to simmer in sequence.
Of course, this kind of wand-waving shortcut wasn't allowed in Snape's class.
But it's not like the guy was gonna swoop in on his billowing robes to stop him.
By the time Harry had finished his solo brew of Clarity Potion...
Lucien had already whipped up all four types.
[Ding! Host has successfully brewed five potions. Improved Potion Recipe (Weekly Loan) repaid in full.]
Whew, nothing like clearing a debt to feel free.
Lucien checked Harry's work, pointing out the flaws and how to fix them.
With both of them finally wrapping up and things quieting down...
Hagrid, who'd been hovering and watching the whole time, rubbed his hands together and piped up: "You two... you really know how to brew potions, huh?"
He didn't quite say it, but he'd half-thought the young wizards were just messing around. Never figured they'd actually go through with it.
Harry glanced at Hagrid, puzzled about what he meant.
Lucien just handed over the freshly made gardening potions.
"Hagrid, these are fertilizer, weedkiller, and bug spray."
"I saw you've got that veggie patch out back—you could probably use 'em."
"Thanks for the space and supplies."
Lucien hated owing favors. If he could pay it back, he would.
And since he'd basically gotten the extras for free via the system loan...
Why not gift them to Hagrid as a thank-you?
Hagrid tried to wave them off but held back, worried his giant paws might squish Lucien. He just flapped his hands: "No, no, no—Harry's my friend, and you're Harry's friend."
"I'm happy to help. You don't need to give me anything."
Lucien chuckled. The half-giant was as straightforward and kind-hearted as they come.
"Heh, Hagrid—I'm Harry's friend, Harry's your friend, so that makes you mine too."
"What's wrong with helping a friend grow bigger, tastier veggies?"