Inside the Headmaster's office, Dumbledore listened to Lucien's remarks, nodding slightly. A faint trace of regret flickered in his eyes, almost imperceptible.
"Quirinius's theoretical knowledge is exceptional. He was an outstanding Ravenclaw graduate, you know—your senior, in a way," Dumbledore said. "But his personality… well, it's not exactly suited for teaching students, is it?"
Lucien didn't elaborate further, nor did he mention the unexpected incident during his dueling practice with Quirrell. What was he supposed to say? That a first-year wizard had brought a professor to his knees? Besides, if he had to explain, it wasn't even him—it was his wand's doing!
"By the way, Headmaster, is there a classroom in the school that's usually free?" Lucien asked. "I've been helping a friend with Potions, and when I practice alchemy, I've been using Hagrid's hut. It feels a bit inconvenient to keep bothering him, so…"
Lucien was also thinking ahead. Teaching Harry Potions was manageable for now, but if Ron started learning alchemical mechanics, the group would grow. Who knows—maybe his little tutoring sessions could turn into a proper "Lucien's Study Club." He wondered if Ron's family had replied yet about borrowing some magical books…
With more people involved, they couldn't all keep crowding into Hagrid's hut.
Sure, he could try finding a quiet corner and create an Undetectable Extension Charm space for a private classroom. But Lucien had another place in mind—one already built into Hogwarts Castle.
"Heh, a free classroom, you say?" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Well, the school does have a rather remarkable place. It can transform perfectly to suit the needs of whoever uses it."
Lucien's guess was spot-on: the Room of Requirement! It could shift and adapt to the user's desires. Someone desperately needing a bathroom might stumble in and find an array of toilets waiting.
"Headmaster, can I use that place?" Lucien asked.
"Of course! The school exists to help students learn. Come on, I've got some time—let me show you the way," Dumbledore said, rising to his feet and gesturing for Lucien to follow.
Lucien was a bit surprised. He'd expected Dumbledore to delegate the task to Professor McGonagall or Flitwick, or maybe even a house-elf. But the headmaster himself? That was unexpected.
As they reached the center of the office, a voice called out, "Hey, good afternoon, Lucien!"
Lucien turned to see the Sorting Hat in its glass case. "Good afternoon," he replied.
"Could you do me a favor?" the hat asked.
A favor? What could he do for the Sorting Hat? Lucien glanced at Dumbledore, who just shrugged.
"I told you, the Sorting Hat's gotten rather lively lately," Dumbledore said. "It comes up with odd requests now and then."
"Oi, Albus, what's this about 'odd requests'? I've served this school for over a thousand years!" the hat protested. "Can't I have a bit of fun?"
Dumbledore gave a helpless smile, clearly used to the hat's antics.
"Lucien, could you… put me on again?" the hat continued. "Ever since you wore me at the Sorting, I swear I've gotten smarter!"
Lucien blinked, caught off guard. Wasn't the Sorting Hat crafted by the four Hogwarts founders, a remarkable alchemical artifact imbued with their thoughts to communicate? A hat getting smarter? Had sorting him been so challenging that it boosted the hat's… processing power? No, wait, a magical hat didn't have processing power…
He glanced at Dumbledore again, who just chuckled. "What did I tell you?"
With a wave of Dumbledore's hand, the glass case vanished.
"Come on, come on! It's for the good of future students!" the hat urged. "If I get smarter, I'll sort them into the right houses even better. I'll make sure they know to thank you!"
Lucien gave the hat a skeptical look. It was acting less like a magical artifact and more like… well, not a hat.
"Er, no need for that," he said, reluctantly picking up the Sorting Hat and placing it on his head.
A few seconds passed, and thankfully, no smoke poured out.
"Still can't see much clearly, but you've learned a ton, haven't you? Worthy of Ravenclaw!" the hat declared. "I knew I sorted you right!"
Lucien wanted to point out that he'd been the one to push for Ravenclaw, but he let it slide. He placed the hat back on its stand, where it kept chattering, "Come back and visit anytime!"
"…"
Dumbledore and Lucien left the office. As they passed the stone gargoyle guarding the entrance, Lucien realized something. "Headmaster, about the gargoyle…"
"Oh, my apologies—forgive an old man's memory," Dumbledore said. "This week's password is 'Butterbeer.' Next week, let's say… 'Lemon Drop.'"
Wow, classic Dumbledore—always sweets. No surprise there.
"Got it, Headmaster," Lucien said.
"Speaking of which, fancy a Lemon Drop?" Dumbledore pulled a candy from his pocket and offered it to Lucien.
Looking at the sweet, Lucien couldn't help but think of the pile of sugary treats in the office. Good thing this world had magic and potions—otherwise, the greatest wizard alive might've been done in by diabetes long ago.
He took the candy, thanked Dumbledore, and unwrapped it. The frosted lemon sweet was pleasantly tangy, not overly sugary—a rare normal treat from the headmaster.
Dumbledore popped one into his own mouth, crunching happily. "Heh, I love sharing sweets with you young folks. You never turn them down."
Lucien glanced at the tall, lanky wizard. Kids might love sweets, but most people probably just didn't dare refuse Dumbledore.
They arrived on the eighth floor of the castle, standing before a tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy being clubbed by trolls.
"Lucien, focus on the space you need," Dumbledore instructed.
He led Lucien back and forth in front of the wall three times. When Lucien looked again, a smooth door had appeared out of nowhere.
The Room of Requirement.
Pushing open the door, Dumbledore let out a soft, "Well, now, that's… unique?"
The room was clean and orderly, with a large, sliding blackboard at the front. A black-and-white clock ticked on the wall. About thirty to forty wooden desks and chairs were neatly arranged, spaced half a meter apart.
What stood out most were the banners hanging on the walls, emblazoned with slogans:
Work hard, and all O's on your OWLs will be within reach!
You can restart life, but NEWTs only come once!
Only magic and your wand will never let you down…
Lucien stared at the familiar yet surreal classroom setup, feeling like he'd been transported back to high school. The number of desks might be a bit much, but that was fine—maybe one day they'd all be filled. He might even need to expand the room.
"Fascinating setup," Dumbledore said, eyeing the banners curiously. "What's with the slogans?"
Lucien glanced at the magically flavored motivational quotes, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "Guess it just creates the right vibe for studying."