The Great Hall was quieter than usual, even though it was nearly mealtime. With the end-of-year exams looming, students were drowning in their studies. Especially the fifth- and sixth-years, who were prepping for their OWLs and NEWTs—exams that could shape their entire futures. Rumor had it some upperclassmen were so stressed they'd been chugging calming draughts from Madam Pomfrey.
"Don't worry, you've all been studying hard. You'll ace the exams," Lucien reassured the group he'd been tutoring, trying to ease their nerves.
This was their first official big exam at Hogwarts, and whether it was Harry, Ron, Hermione, Malfoy, or Daphne, they were all showing some degree of anxiety.
Hoo, hoo.
An owl swooped over the long table, dropping a decent-sized package right in front of Lucien.
With a gentle wave of his wand, Lucien unwrapped it, figuring it was from his Aunt Penelope. Sure enough, inside was an elegant black box filled with all sorts of jewelry—necklaces, rings, brooches, pins. He opened the attached letter:
Dear Lucien,
Here's the jewelry you asked for. I picked out some styles young girls tend to like. Time was tight, so I couldn't get anything custom-made, but let me know what your friend likes, and next time…
After reading the first line, Lucien's expression turned a bit odd. Did Aunt Penelope get the wrong idea? He wasn't planning to give these to a person—they were for a Niffler named Jinji.
Glancing at the box again, he noticed most of the pieces were indeed feminine, designed delicately without being too flashy. Gold, silver, diamonds, emeralds, sapphires—the variety was impressive, and the styles were perfect. Yeah, Jinji's gonna love these, Lucien thought.
The others at the table noticed the package too, but when they saw it was a box of jewelry, Harry, Ron, and Malfoy quickly lost interest and looked away. Ron lingered a moment, wondering how much it was all worth, but since he wasn't familiar with Muggle currency exchange, he went back to munching on his braised chicken wings.
Hermione and Daphne, however, were a different story. They kept stealing glances—first at the jewelry, then at Lucien's face. The pieces were clearly designed for young women, which sparked their curiosity. Who's Lucien planning to give these to? They could tell he wasn't going to wear them himself.
But Lucien just closed the box and slipped it into his pocket.
Both Hermione and Daphne were itching to ask him about it, trying to figure out how to bring it up casually.
Whoosh!
A ball of crimson fire flared in midair. Fawkes emerged, letting out a clear, melodious cry.
Lucien understood the phoenix's message and nodded. "I've got time now."
Fawkes hovered above him, flames sparking again, and in a flash, both boy and bird vanished.
A moment later, Lucien was back in the familiar setting of the Headmaster's office.
"Good afternoon, Headmaster," he said.
"Good afternoon, Lucien," Dumbledore replied.
Once Lucien settled at the desk, Dumbledore spoke slowly, "With exams approaching, you students are getting busier. And the Ministry's been having some issues—Fudge has been asking for my help quite a bit lately…"
Listening to Dumbledore's casual tone, Lucien realized the big moment of the year was coming. After the exams, Dumbledore would likely leave Hogwarts temporarily. That's when Quirrell—and Tom—would make their move, chasing the goal they'd been working toward all year…
The Philosopher's Stone.
Dumbledore continued, "But Hogwarts has plenty that needs looking after, and I'm an old man now—my energy isn't what it used to be."
Lucien caught his meaning and smiled slightly. "Headmaster, how can I help take some of that burden off you?"
A translucent ruby appeared on the desk.
Dumbledore stroked his beard, tapping the Philosopher's Stone with a finger, his tone mock-troubled. "This no longer holds the power to grant immortality, but some people still want to try their luck. So, I've kept it here, in the safest place—Hogwarts."
"Of course, I've asked the professors to set up several challenges to ensure the Stone's security."
Lucien fought to keep a straight face. Set up the challenges first, then toss in the prize at the last minute? And it's a prize that's past its expiration date. Hogwarts' safety came from Dumbledore himself, didn't it? Without him around… well, good luck.
A long, fiery red feather with golden tips was handed to Lucien. He took it from Fawkes' beak, glancing at Dumbledore questioningly.
"Lucien, that's one of Fawkes' tail feathers. Light it, and Fawkes can bring me back instantly," Dumbledore explained.
Lucien understood. If anything went wrong, he was supposed to call in the cavalry. To let Quirrell and Voldemort make their move, Dumbledore probably wouldn't use any magical surveillance—didn't want to scare them off.
He's so confident because he knows Harry's protected by the magic of love, so Voldemort can't hurt him, Lucien thought. Plus, the Stone's energy was too depleted to fully restore Voldemort.
Looking at the endgame, Voldemort's plan was doomed—neither able to harm Harry nor use the Stone to regain his power. A total waste of effort.
"By the way, Lucien," Dumbledore added, "want to check out those challenges? The professors designed them. You might have some fun figuring them out."