In the Ravenclaw dormitory, Lucien glanced back at his roommate Terry, confirming he was still fast asleep. Stroking Luster, who'd shrunk to the size of a house cat, Lucien read through Newt's letter.
"Expanding space hinges on the nodes inscribed in the Extension Charm…"
Just as he'd suspected. Different patterns and combinations had a huge impact on spatial magic. Figuring it out on his own would've been a slow grind, but Newt's guidance had cleared up so many questions in one go. Now he could start experimenting with crafting objects imbued with the Extension Charm to hold living creatures—talk about a game-changer.
This must be the power of family legacies, Lucien thought, rubbing the letter between his fingers. Whether it was the Potter family's expertise in potion-making and alchemy or the Scamander family's mastery of the Extension Charm, old wizarding families had enviable magical know-how.
He could borrow more magic books from Harry, but if he could get his hands on family tomes from other classmates, that'd be even better. Knowledge was never something to skimp on.
When he read Newt's polite refusal to trade Erumpent fluid, Lucien frowned. He wasn't annoyed—Newt's reasoning made sense: it was best handled by someone with a solid understanding of magical creatures, and Newt's caution came from a good place.
Lucien pulled out a thick stack of notes—observations on Mooncalves, Diricawls, Acromantulas, and Puffskeins. The pile was nearly half his height. This ought to count as "some understanding," right?
If he sent Newt a copy of these notes, would it convince him that Lucien knew his stuff? Maybe he could beef up his credibility by documenting more creatures.
Like that three-headed dog. Sure, there was only one, so the data wouldn't meet the loan requirements, but it'd be enough to impress Newt. And while he was at it, he could head back to the Forbidden Forest to track down another unicorn—those were bound to carry some weight.
"Luster, can you tell me about your chat with Mr. Scamander?" Lucien asked.
The little qilin recounted every detail, from knocking on Newt's door to politely saying goodbye and closing it behind them. As Lucien listened, a grin spread across his face. Newt, a man obsessed with magical creatures, had resisted studying Luster—a rare, possibly unknown species. Despite his social anxiety, Newt's passion for creatures usually won out.
Maybe Luster came off too human-like? With its intelligence and articulate communication, Newt might've been too shy to engage, especially on a first meeting.
"Next time you deliver a letter to Mr. Scamander," Lucien said, tucking the letter away, "try chatting with him a bit. I bet he'd be fascinated by you."
Glancing at the moonlight, he made up his mind. Why not visit that three-headed dog tonight? He could observe it, take notes, and grab some blood for potion-making.
"Let's go see something fun," he said to Luster.
Tucking the qilin into his pet space, Lucien slipped out of the dormitory and left the Ravenclaw common room.
His first nighttime adventure in Hogwarts was underway.
…
Cloaked in a Disillusionment Charm and doused with Invisibility Essence, Lucien strolled through the castle with ease. He glided down corridors and up staircases, following the route Hermione had shared. No obstacles slowed him as he headed for the three-headed dog's room.
"Meow—"
A scrawny, gray cat with bulging, lamp-like yellow eyes appeared at the far end of the corridor. It scanned the area, clearly hunting for rule-breaking night wanderers. Trailing behind was a gaunt, elderly man with stringy yellow hair, holding an oil lamp and peering around just as intently.
Lucien didn't bother hiding. He walked right past them, and neither the man nor the cat noticed a thing. Shaking his head, he smirked. With his form concealed and his sound and scent masked, a regular house cat stood no chance of spotting him.
The school bans nighttime wandering but sends a Squib to catch students? It was practically an invitation to sneak around.
At the door to the room, Lucien whispered, "Alohomora."
The lock clicked open. He pulled a canister of Sleep-Inducing Incense from his pocket, lit it, and gently tossed it inside. After waiting a few minutes for the incense to take full effect, he donned a Wakefulness Mask and stepped in.
With a flick of his wand, he cast a Silencing Charm over the room to muffle any noise. Then, with another wave, he transformed a dusty lampstand into a violin. As he moved forward, the violin began playing soft, soothing music on its own.
Amid the scent of orchids and the gentle melody, the snoring from within grew louder. Lucien's eyes landed on the source: a massive, black beast with three ferocious heads, drooling from all three mouths.
Fluffy, Hagrid's three-headed dog. It loved music—the more beautiful, the more relaxed it became.
Lucien nodded. Between the music and his enhanced Sleep-Inducing Incense, Fluffy should be out cold. Still, he wasn't taking chances. He layered himself with multiple Protego charms and other defensive spells.
Releasing Luster from the pet space, he said, "Keep an eye out, alright?"
"Of course, Master," the qilin replied.
Lucien pulled out a quill and parchment, starting to note Fluffy's physical traits. After a quick write-up, he grabbed an iron vial. Might as well take a bit extra blood—first time making adhesive, so there's bound to be some waste.
Pointing his wand at Fluffy's hind leg, he made a tiny incision. Blood flowed slowly, guided by magic toward the vial.
Suddenly, Fluffy's nose twitched. Its relaxed body tensed, sensing an unfamiliar intruder. Driven by fierce instinct, it didn't hesitate. Without even opening its eyes, it lunged, jaws snapping with faint dark energy crackling around its teeth.
But before those teeth could graze Lucien's protective charms, a golden blur shot from his side. Luster slammed into Fluffy, sending the beast sprawling.
Lucien sealed the vial and continued writing:
Three-Headed Dog.
Highly sensitive perception…
Three furious barks rang out, only to be drowned by a roaring wave of crimson-gold flames that filled the room. Standing calmly in the fiery sea, Lucien's quill and parchment remained untouched by the blaze.
Hearing Fluffy's pained whimpers, Lucien set down his quill. "Luster, that's enough."
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