Two months passed in the blink of an eye.
Lucien's life during that time had been unbelievably fulfilling. Every day after classes, he would head straight for the library to continue studying advanced magic. Once evening approached, he would report to Snape's office and endure several hours of brutal verbal abuse disguised as potion instruction.
Every Saturday, he visited Quirrell's office to learn Dark Magic directly from Voldemort himself before taking a leisurely stroll through Diagon Alley afterward.
The results of that intense schedule were astonishing.
With his max-level talent and relentless work ethic, Lucien's strength improved at an absurd pace. His mastery of Potions and Transfiguration advanced rapidly, while many spells he practiced regularly had already reached Level Four or even Level Five proficiency.
As for Dark Magic, especially the three Unforgivable Curses, Lucien had become terrifyingly skilled in their practical application.
Meanwhile, his businesses in Diagon Alley continued expanding aggressively.
With Dumbledore secretly acting as his bodyguard and Fudge practically serving as his political shield, Lucien's chain of shops had devoured nearly half the commercial market in Diagon Alley within only two months.
The pure-blood families losing money were furious beyond belief, but there was nothing they could do about it.
It was another Saturday when Lucien arrived at Quirrell's office as usual.
After spending some time studying Dark Magic, he could clearly tell that Quirrell's body had become far weaker than before.
At the beginning of the semester, Quirrell could lecture for an entire afternoon while personally demonstrating advanced spells. Now, even speaking for more than a few minutes left him visibly exhausted and gasping for breath.
Lucien, however, didn't particularly care.
After all, the dying person wasn't him.
He continued asking questions and seeking instruction exactly as before, showing neither pity nor concern for Quirrell's worsening condition.
Once the lesson ended, Lucien began reporting everything he had learned about Harry over the past week, just as he normally did.
But this time, Voldemort didn't hand him the enchanted notebook afterward.
Instead, he slowly lifted his head and stared directly at Lucien.
His pale, skeletal face looked horrifying beneath the turban, while his sunken eyes carried an eerie coldness that made the atmosphere inside the office instantly oppressive.
"Lucien," Voldemort said softly, "your task from now on will no longer involve gathering intelligence."
"I have something else that requires your cooperation."
Lucien's heart immediately sank.
His mind raced rapidly, and after considering the current timeline, he instantly understood Voldemort's intention.
The Philosopher's Stone.
Halloween was only a few days away.
According to the original story, Voldemort would unleash a troll inside Hogwarts during Halloween night in order to create chaos and distract the professors while he attempted to steal the Philosopher's Stone hidden on the third floor.
The movie never explained the details clearly, but one thing was certain: Voldemort ultimately failed, Snape somehow injured his leg, and Harry accidentally became famous for defeating the troll.
But things were different this time.
Without Hermione crying alone in the bathroom, Harry and Ron would have no reason to wander into danger.
Wait.
That old monster isn't planning to make me steal the stone, is he?
Lucien slowly raised his eyes toward Voldemort.
Sure enough, Voldemort's next sentence confirmed everything.
"On Halloween night, I will create a disturbance within Hogwarts," Voldemort said calmly. "Every professor and student will be drawn toward it. During that time, you will go to the third floor and retrieve the object hidden there before bringing it to me."
"Do you understand?"
Lucien nearly cursed aloud.
You expect an eleven-year-old wizard to deal with a fully grown Cerberus?
You really think highly of me.
Frowning slightly, he said carefully, "Teacher, there's a three-headed dog guarding the entrance. Are you asking me to deal with it alone?"
Voldemort's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Are you refusing me?"
"Teacher," Lucien replied calmly, "plans should always account for possible complications beforehand."
"If chaos breaks out inside Hogwarts, every professor will become highly alert. Every painting and magical mechanism in the castle will likely be activated. Even if I somehow bypass the three-headed dog and obtain the item inside, I cannot guarantee I won't be discovered."
"And if Dumbledore notices anything unusual, all your plans will fail."
Lucien originally thought those words might convince Voldemort to abandon the idea.
Instead, a strange smile slowly spread across Voldemort's face.
"My dear student," he said softly, "I've already prepared an excuse for you."
"How about searching for a missing friend? While everyone else deals with the disturbance, you can secretly search the castle."
Voldemort tilted his head slightly.
"That Ravenclaw girl following you around all the time seems rather suitable."
"If I remember correctly, she's a Mudblood."
"There's nothing unfortunate about such a death."
"Before you leave, simply inform your prefect. The professors won't question your actions afterward."
Lucien's expression nearly cracked.
Voldemort, you absolute bastard.
Do you have any idea how difficult it was for me to slowly build stable relationships with those people?
And now you want to ruin all of it in one move?
Lucien's eyes turned ice-cold, but he understood perfectly well that Voldemort wasn't asking for permission.
This was an order.
Even if he refused outright, Voldemort would still carry out the plan and force him into the situation anyway.
At worst, Voldemort could personally move against Hermione while the troll distracted the professors.
Hermione would still end up in danger.
But that wasn't the real reason Lucien hesitated.
The true problem was something else entirely.
He knew perfectly well that the so-called Philosopher's Stone hidden on the third floor was most likely bait prepared by Dumbledore from the very beginning.
There was a high chance the real stone wasn't even there anymore.
Unfortunately, Voldemort didn't know that.
And Lucien had absolutely no way to explain it.
More importantly, if he went anywhere near the forbidden corridor during Halloween night, suspicion would immediately fall on him.
Unless…
Someone could prove he had never entered the hidden chamber at all.
Voldemort's patience was clearly running thin. His gaze toward Lucien gradually became colder.
"Do you have any other questions?"
"No, Teacher."
Lucien lowered his head calmly.
"Good," Voldemort replied softly. "Do not disappoint me, Lucien."
The fake smile on Lucien's face disappeared entirely the moment he stepped out of the office.
Halloween was only three days away.
He needed to finish his preparations before then.
As Lucien walked toward Snape's office, countless thoughts rapidly flashed through his mind.
Hermione absolutely needed protection. If Voldemort managed to capture her, there was no telling what kind of Dark Magic he might secretly place on her.
But protecting Hermione alone wouldn't solve the problem.
If Voldemort failed to target her, he could simply shift his attention toward Draco, Daphne, Pansy, or anyone else close to Lucien.
The result would be exactly the same.
What he needed was a long-term gathering point.
A place where everyone would naturally gather together during the evenings.
And most importantly, the establishment of that gathering place could not be connected to Lucien in any obvious way. Otherwise, Voldemort would immediately grow suspicious.
In addition, he needed someone strong enough to act as a witness—someone capable of fighting him for at least a short time while also doubting their own conclusions afterward.
According to the original story, Harry and Ron would have been ideal candidates. Unfortunately, because of Lucien's interference earlier in the semester, the two of them had never accidentally discovered the hidden corridor after their duel with Draco.
With their current abilities, they probably couldn't even survive several exchanges against Lucien, much less successfully track him through Hogwarts.
One by one, possible candidates appeared in Lucien's mind.
Eventually, his thoughts settled on a certain red-haired figure.
"I've found someone capable of tracking me…" Lucien muttered quietly to himself. "But how exactly am I supposed to create a long-term Halloween gathering…"
Still deep in thought, he eventually arrived outside Snape's office.
The moment he saw Snape's permanently sour expression through the half-open door, Lucien immediately pushed all other thoughts aside.
Because failing to concentrate around Snape carried consequences.
Very loud consequences.
....
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