At Daphne's words, Lucien raised an eyebrow.
Tuition?
She must've talked to Malfoy and found out about his tutoring sessions. Slytherin could be a hassle, but… a book changes things.
And the book Daphne was holding… Lucien's eyes landed on its cover, a deep purple with a faint grayish sheen. Graphorn hide? That stuff was tougher than dragon skin.
Bloodlines and Talents.
Bloodlines, huh. Lucien recalled something unique about the Greengrass family: every head of the family and heir had always been female, no exceptions. Their descendants were mostly girls too, with boys being rare.
Bloodlines… Could this book be tied to that? It also emphasized talents, likely magical ones across various fields. A book exploring the connection between bloodlines and magical gifts sounded incredibly valuable.
But then Lucien's gaze dropped to the elegant, flowing script below the title: Greengrass.
Why would she bring a family magical book? Lucien had seen Potter and Weasley family books before—Harry's case was unique, and Ron's family only lent him one after verifying his progress. Malfoy had gifted him a magical book too, but it was more of a collectible, not something tied to family secrets.
Normally, families like the Weasleys or Malfoys wouldn't let outsiders near their hereditary magical books. Lucien was certain that the truly core family texts—the ones central to a family's legacy—wouldn't be shared unless a wand was held to the heir's head. Even then, some families would rather let their secrets die than share them.
In the Muggle world, families with specialized crafts often guarded their trade secrets fiercely. In the wizarding world, where knowledge literally equaled power, it was even more intense. It'd be like a nation sharing its cutting-edge weapons technology—handing rivals the means to arm themselves while exposing their own weaknesses. At best, it'd cause unease; at worst, it could lead to ruin.
"Greengrass," Lucien said, eyeing the book, "your family knows you brought this out? And that you're planning to use it for… this?"
Daphne gave a light smile, answering without hesitation. "Of course, my family knows."
In her mind, she added, Well, my sister Astoria knows. Her mother knew she'd brought the book to school, at least. Daphne was a strong student and held herself to the standards of a family heir, which made her mother proud. Bringing the book to Hogwarts was a sign of her dedication to studying.
What her mother didn't know was that Daphne planned to let someone else see it. But Daphne didn't think it was a big deal. The Greengrass family was famously open-minded about their sons-in-law. If Draco could see Lucien's potential, how could she miss it?
Over the Christmas break, Daphne had a deep conversation with her mother about purebloods, legacy, and honor. It nearly shattered her worldview.
Purebloods, she'd always been taught, were wizards or families with no Muggle or Muggle-born ancestry, verified by having parents and grandparents free of Muggle blood. But on Christmas night, her mother dropped a bombshell: Daphne's great-grandfather was a half-blood wizard.
It hit her like a thunderbolt, cracking the beliefs she'd held since childhood. As she reeled, her mother said calmly, "Do you really think the so-called Sacred Twenty-Eight could stay 'pure' through generations of intermarriage?"
As Daphne grew older, she'd had faint doubts about how long pureblood lines could truly last. Before she could ask more, her mother continued, "If you trace back far enough, most pureblood families have half-bloods, Muggle-borns, or even straight-up Muggles in their lineage. Only a few obsessive families chase absolute purity—and their members tend to be more… extreme, and look a bit peculiar."
"The author of The Pure-Blood Directory, Cantankerus Nott, pushed the pureblood definition to gain clout. He was trying to get into the Wizengamot, the wizarding world's most prestigious group, which has always been dominated by purebloods."
Daphne, stunned, had murmured, "So, clinging to pureblood ideals… it's just about power?"
Her mother ruffled her hair affectionately and said, "It's about bigger, longer-term gains. Upholding pureblood honor and reputation became an unspoken rule among families like ours."
The words that stuck with Daphne most from that talk were: "What truly sustains a family is strength—exceptional magical ability. No one dared question your great-grandfather's blood status because he was a master alchemist and a ten-time champion of the Wizarding Duelling Tournament."
Daphne's eyes gleamed as she looked at Lucien. She'd studied her family's history. Beyond their grip on the Ministry's Department of Magical Transportation, which kept their wealth and status steady, the Greengrass family's greatest rises always tied back to the husbands of that generation or the one before.
Noticing Lucien's hesitation, Daphne smiled brightly. "Lucien, this book is from my family, yes, but it's not part of our core secrets. I wouldn't be allowed to carry those out of the house so casually."
Lucien nodded, relaxing a bit.
In her mind, Daphne added, Whether you're an outsider in the future is another question.
As she nudged the book toward him, Lucien reached for it. The moment his fingers brushed the cover, a notification rang in his mind:
[Ding! Loan triggered: Circuit Monument]
[Would the host like to borrow?]