At Hogwarts, the story begins with deconstructing Avada Kedavra.

Chapter 74 The Eve of the Storm

A gentle breeze swept across the lake, carrying the faint scent of aquatic plants.

The trees here provide ample shade, perfectly blocking the slightly glaring afternoon sun.

"Oh, Lucian, you've finally arrived." Parvati Petil rolled over, sprawled unceremoniously on the picnic blanket, her toes dangling in the air, a half-eaten licorice stick clutched in her hand. "Where were you just now? We were just betting whether Professor Flitwick would keep you in his office to discuss 'how to make a pineapple dance Swan Lake.'"

"I think Professor Flitwick prefers Irish tap dance." Lucian smiled, took a box of Dobby beans from his robe, and handed it to Padma next to him. "Besides, I just went to wash my face on the way; the rat poison smell in the exam room was just too strong."

"It's a side effect of the Transfiguration class." Padma took the bean, glancing at her sister with some disdain. "Parvati, watch your skirt. You don't look like an elegant Ravenclaw at all right now—oh, sorry, you're Gryffindor."

.

"It's alright, Snape isn't here anyway." Parvati stuck out her tongue, then turned to Hermione, who was sitting upright. "Hey, Hermione, stop staring at your notes. You've memorized 'A Thousand Magical Herbs and Mushrooms' at least fifty times already. If you keep looking at them, I'm going to throw them into the Black Lake to feed the giant squid!"

"I can't, Parvati!" Hermione's voice was a little high-pitched. "I just suddenly realized that when I answered the question about the causes of the trolls running amok, I didn't mention the potential impact of the 1612 goblin riots on the social environment! Professor Binns will definitely deduct points from my score!"

J

“That’s the history of magic, Hermione,” Lucian interrupted her, pulling a peppermint candy from his pocket and handing it to her. “Besides, the troll riot is in the first part of the test; it’s just a basic question. If you even write down the goblin riot, Professor Binns might think you’re challenging his authority, since he spent a month teaching that chapter, and you’re only going to summarize it in three lines.”

Hermione took the hard candy; the cool sensation calmed her down a bit.

She bit her lip, looking at Lucien somewhat shyly.

"You're right, Lucian. I always—I always can't control myself." She sighed, closed the well-worn notebook, and hugged it to her chest. "You're always so calm. How do you do it? During the Charms exam just now, when I saw you come out, the look on your face was like you'd just finished a relaxing tea party."

"Perhaps it's because I never expect to remember every single detail." Lucian watched the birds skimming across the lake. "Magic is fluid, Hermione. If you treat it like a formula you have to memorize, it becomes as heavy as stone."

"Listen to this, that's what a Ravenclaw genius says." Parvati chuckled, leaning closer to Lucian and whispering mysteriously, "Hey, Lucian. I heard—just heard—that Slytherin's Pansy Parkinson is talking bad about you behind your back, calling you an arrogant 'nerdy genius.'"

But I think she's actually jealous of you, because Draco Malfoy keeps mentioning your name lately.

J

Lucian shrugged helplessly.

Padma, who was quietly eating beans, suddenly spoke up: "But honestly, the atmosphere is a bit strange. Not just the exam, but also—"

J

She glanced around and lowered her voice, "Haven't you noticed? Harry and Ron have been acting all mysterious lately..."

Harry, in particular, didn't even join the cheers after finishing his exam; instead, he grabbed Ron and rushed back to the castle.

Hermione's expression tightened immediately upon hearing this topic.

She pursed her lips, then glanced quickly at Lucien.

That glance contained so much.

Padma caught that look in her eyes, and her back straightened instantly.

Hermione was watching Lucien's reaction—this meant that what was about to be said might be related to that "big shot".

It is related to the chessboard.

"They are indeed doing something—something unusual." Hermione carefully chose her words, her voice extremely low. "I can only say it's related to the right-hand corridor on the fourth floor. That place that the headmaster forbade anyone from entering."

She stopped after she finished speaking and did not continue.

But her eyes remained fixed on Lucien.

In Hermione's mind, Lucien was the chess player who could calculate everything perfectly.

If the events in the fourth-floor corridor truly involved a power struggle between the principal and the Dark Lord, then Lucian couldn't possibly be unaware of it.

What she's doing now is simply confirming whether the "organization" has already obtained this intelligence.

Lucian's hand holding the teacup remained unchanged.

He merely tilted his head slightly and said in a casual tone, "There's usually a reason why Dumbledore forbids students from going near certain places."

This statement is ambiguous, neither confirming nor denying.

But to Hermione, that was the answer.

He knew, he knew everything.

He just didn't want to say too much in front of Parvati.

Padma clearly sensed something amiss; she opened her mouth, but ultimately asked nothing.

Parvati, however, was not as perceptive as her sister. She excitedly pressed on, "The fourth-floor corridor? What's in there? Is it a ghost? Or a cursed classroom?"

"Parvati," Hermione's tone suddenly hardened, "some things are safer to know the less you know."

Hermione learned this line from Lucian, who said, "Once you see through a web, you're already in it."

Parvati was speechless, and the excitement on his face quickly turned into tension.

Hermione was silent for a moment, seemingly engaged in a fierce internal struggle.

"They might be doing something really stupid tonight," she finally spoke, her voice soft but each word clearly enunciated, "Harry has decided to take action tonight, and Ron will be with him."

J

She didn't say "what action to take" or "what it's targeting," but everyone present understood.

"I have to tell you."

"It's not because I'm a chatterbox."

It's because those two idiots can't even use the most basic full-body binding spell properly. If no one helps them out, they'll die inside.

Her voice trembled slightly when she said, "I'll die in there."

Parvati's face turned deathly pale: "Hermione, they've gone mad! They'll be fired! Or worse!"

Lucien remained silent. He held his teacup, his gaze fixed on the lake, as if admiring the sunset.

The silence lasted for a few seconds.

"Professor Binns mentioned a plant when he was talking about the herbalist rebellion in the fifteenth century," Lucien suddenly began, his tone exactly the same as when he was discussing exams—casual and unhurried. "That plant likes dark, damp environments and uses its vines to entangle its prey. The methods of restraint described in the textbook are quite interesting—but by the time Professor Binns got to that point, probably two-thirds of the students were already asleep."

He paused, then popped a Dobby Bean into his mouth.

"I remember it was fire."

Lucian chewed the bean, frowning. "Ugh, it tastes like booger."

Parvati didn't understand at all what they were talking about regarding plants, but Padma did, or at least she thought she did.

She stared intently at Lucien's profile, her heart pounding.

He was giving Hermione hints on how to pass the level.

He already knew what was on that road.

He doesn't take action himself, but he protects every piece on the board in his own way.

Padma felt her hands trembling and suddenly felt incredibly grateful that she was on this side.

Hermione didn't press the matter. She simply nodded.

"Thank you for your extra knowledge of the history of magic, Lucian." Hermione's voice was steady, but her eyes were slightly red.

"You're welcome." Lucien stood up, brushing the grass clippings off his robe. "It was just a casual chat."

"6

He stretched and gazed at the silhouette of the castle in the distance.

"Come on, I heard there's a special lemon pie and roast lamb chops tonight as a reward for finishing the exams. If we're late, the Weasley twins will take the whole plate of pies."

"Oh! I want three pies!" Parvati immediately broke free from the tense atmosphere, sprang up from the grass, and grabbed Padma as they ran.

Padma stumbled a couple of steps as she was dragged along, then glanced back at Hermione.

Hermione followed behind. She seemed to be deep in thought, walking very slowly.

Lucian walked at the back, watching the three girls' backs cast long shadows in the setting sun.

"But to be honest, that bean tasted like booger."

Lucian touched the remaining beans in his pocket and silently decided that he would never buy this brand again.