"Newt Scamander, the world's most famous expert on magical creatures and author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."
"Professor Flitwick mentioned that the Scamander family is particularly skilled with the Extension Charm," Dumbledore said, stroking his beard with a chuckle. "That's right, that Newt. I thought you'd be surprised to hear his name."
Lucien's calm gaze flickered with a hint of amusement. "The greatest wizard of our time? I'm not surprised you'd know anyone or exchange letters with them."
Dumbledore let out a hearty laugh and handed Lucien the letter.
Lucien opened it, scanning the contents. The opening was blank—likely Dumbledore hiding the usual pleasantries between old friends. He skipped to the main text:
"Using the Extension Charm to house living creatures isn't just about spellwork. It also involves Transfiguration and even Alchemy…"
As expected, creating an object with the Extension Charm capable of containing living beings was incredibly complex. Lucien felt confident in his Transfiguration skills, and analyzing that transfigured pocket watch had given him some Alchemy knowledge, but it wasn't specialized enough. He'd need to hit the library for some proper Alchemy books.
Newt's letter only covered how to create a single, contained space. Building multiple, diverse environments? That was likely a closely guarded Scamander family secret.
Old Dumbledore's really going out of his way, Lucien thought. Writing to an old friend just for a first-year's question? Tsk, no wonder they call him Hogwarts' greatest headmaster.
"Thank you, Headmaster," Lucien said. "I appreciate you going to the trouble of asking about this for me."
Dumbledore waved a hand dismissively, his bright blue eyes crinkling with a smile. "No need for thanks. Helping students pursue knowledge is part of a teacher's duty. So, how are you settling in at Hogwarts?"
Lucien nodded. "I'm getting along great with my classmates, and the professors have been really helpful."
"Oh, and I've arranged with Professor Quirrell for weekly tutoring sessions to work on practical Defense Against the Dark Arts skills," he added.
At that, Dumbledore set down his glass of honeywater, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. Without much hesitation, he said, "Quirrell's a Ravenclaw alumnus, you know—your senior. His theoretical knowledge is solid, though he's not the best at connecting with students. But that doesn't affect his teaching. Tutoring is perfectly fine."
Lucien's face broke into a relieved smile, but his heart skipped a beat.
Wait, that reaction's off.
Hadn't Dumbledore noticed anything odd about Quirrell? Was he really so at ease with him—or rather, with Tom?
Lucien had brought up the tutoring deliberately, as a precaution. So why was Dumbledore acting so nonchalant?
"Lucien, you come from a Muggle family, don't you? The wizarding world must be full of wonders for you," Dumbledore said, shifting the conversation.
"Yeah, that's why I bought a ton of magical books at Flourish and Blotts and borrowed some from the library," Lucien replied.
The two chatted easily, the atmosphere warm and relaxed.
"Lucien," Dumbledore said after a pause, popping a Lemon Drop into his mouth as if he'd just mentioned something mundane, "have you come across any mention of a particular kind of magic in your reading?"
"What kind?" Lucien asked.
"Dark Magic."
Lucien's mind raced.
Dark Magic?
Had Dumbledore misspoken? The headmaster of Hogwarts, asking a first-year if they'd heard of Dark Magic?
Lucien wasn't some pure-blood heir who'd grown up around that stuff. Did Dumbledore think he was studying Dark Magic with Quirrell instead of Defense Against the Dark Arts?
No, that didn't add up. From an outsider's perspective, even if Quirrell was suspect, a student seeking tutoring from a professor was perfectly normal. There's no way it would point to Dark Magic.
So why was Dumbledore asking so directly? Shouldn't he be subtly observing Lucien instead?
What's going on here?
Lucien quickly replayed their conversation in his mind, even recalling the details of entering the headmaster's office.
The phoenix. The Sorting Hat…
The Sorting Hat!
A memory flashed through his mind: "…the most gifted young wizard I've seen in years."
Gifted? Could the Sorting Hat sense a wizard's talents?
Lucien's greatest talent was Transfiguration—exceptional, almost otherworldly. If Dumbledore had learned that from the Sorting Hat, it would explain some things. Like why he'd gone to the trouble of writing to Newt for a first-year's question.
A standout student might not warrant such effort, but what about "the most gifted wizard" the Sorting Hat had ever seen?
If that theory held, and the Sorting Hat could detect his Transfiguration talent, what about his other talents? What was his next strongest gift?
Dark Magic.
Lucien had never shown an ounce of Dark Magic aptitude in front of Hogwarts' staff or students. In fact, he hadn't even studied a single Dark spell. But what if Dumbledore had learned from the Sorting Hat about his unnervingly high potential for it?
That would explain why Dumbledore was so unfazed when Lucien mentioned tutoring with Quirrell—and why he'd brought up Dark Magic out of nowhere.
Lucien glanced at Dumbledore, who was calmly sipping his honeywater.
So that's your game, old man.
Newt's letter was just a pretext. Dumbledore's real goal was to gauge Lucien's stance on Dark Magic. Was he worried? Worried that the world might see another Voldemort—or even another Grindelwald?
Asking so directly made sense if he thought Lucien, as a child, would be easy to read for lies.
Fine. You want my take on Dark Magic? I'll give you the truth.
Lucien settled on his response in a flash. The pause was so brief it only gave Dumbledore time to blow on his steaming cup a few times.
"I've read bits and pieces about Dark Magic in books," Lucien said. "Mostly words like terrifying, powerful, evil."
Dumbledore nodded, his expression neutral. "And what's your view on Dark Magic?"
Lucien's voice was steady as he replied with a single word: "Control."
The answer caught Dumbledore off guard. He set down his cup, eyeing Lucien with keen interest. "Control? How so?"
Lucien met Dumbledore's gaze without flinching. "You know I'm Muggle-born. In the Muggle world, people master knowledge and use it. But when I entered the wizarding world, I realized those rules don't always apply. Here, knowledge is power—real, tangible power."
"Dark Magic is incredibly powerful, but it's also unstable. Worse, it can twist a person's mind. So, the question is: are you controlling Dark Magic, or is it controlling you?"
Lucien paused, his eyes deepening as they locked onto Dumbledore's. "Headmaster, as the greatest wizard of our time, if you used Dark Magic, could you control it completely?"
The question hung in the air, and the headmaster's office fell into a long silence.
Dumbledore, the old wizard, lowered his gaze to the ripples in his cup.
Control. Could he really control it?
How many years had it been? Back in Godric's Hollow, three angry young men had argued, wands drawn in a chaotic duel. In the confusion, a curse had struck, killing Dumbledore's sister, Ariana.
No one there could say for sure who had cast the Dark spell.
Those three young men—Dumbledore among them—had they been in control of Dark Magic back then?
The pain of that distant memory lingered, now reduced to silence.