The judging of the free Alchemy segment concluded with great fanfare, and even as the crowd gradually dispersed, excited whispers still lingered throughout the hall.
Before leaving, Madame Maxime gave Fleur a meaningful look, then departed at an unhurried pace.
Fleur immediately understood and followed in the direction of the Headmistress's office.
The Headmistress's office at Beauxbatons was spacious and magnificent, with bright patches of sunlight falling across the tapestry-covered carpet.
Madame Maxime was already seated in her extravagantly large chair. She gestured for Fleur to sit in the armchair opposite her.
Only the two of them remained in the room. The flames in the fireplace burned quietly, giving off the occasional faint crackle.
Madame Maxime got straight to the point with a question that sounded somewhat abrupt.
"Fleur, in your opinion, judging purely by prestige and status, which is superior, Hogwarts or Beauxbatons?"
Fleur paused slightly, lowering her long eyelashes without answering immediately.
But the answer was actually obvious.
Whenever this question came to mind, one wizard's name would almost inevitably appear alongside it.
The greatest wizard of this century.
And in which school's Headmaster's office was he currently seated?
"Hogwarts, of course." Madame Maxime answered the question herself, her tone calm and free of resentment, even carrying a hint of amusement. "Even though they have to replace their Defence Against the Dark Arts professor every year. Oh, and their latest appointee, Mr. Lockhart, did not even last half a year before... hehe..."
With no outsiders present, Madame Maxime relaxed much of her usual dignified manner while speaking to her most valued student, whom she regarded almost like family.
"In terms of history and heritage, Hogwarts and Beauxbatons were founded around the same period. Over the centuries, both schools have produced countless outstanding figures, so it is difficult to say which is truly superior."
"But looking at the present, Beauxbatons does indeed lack a top-tier wizard capable of commanding respect throughout the wizarding world. Hogwarts, however, has Albus Dumbledore, whose power and reputation are unmatched today."
Madame Maxime leaned forward slightly, fixing her gaze on Fleur.
"Child, with your insight, you must surely see it as well. Lucien's future is limitless. The last person to completely transform the daily lives of wizards was the inventor of Floo Powder. And the influence Lucien may have on the wizarding world in the future will only be broader and more profound."
"He is far too young. Young enough to possess endless possibilities..."
Fleur's heart seemed to skip a beat.
She vaguely sensed where the Headmistress was taking the conversation, but still asked hesitantly, "Madame, do you mean...?"
"What I mean is," Madame Maxime said, sitting up straight, "find a way to... well, kidnap Lucien to Beauxbatons."
"Kid... kidnap?!"
The overly blunt, almost criminal choice of words made Fleur's eyes widen instantly as she stared at her Headmistress in astonishment.
She hadn't misheard, had she?
"Madame, is this... really appropriate?" Fleur felt her cheeks grow warm, though she wasn't sure whether it was from surprise or something else. "Lucien is still officially a student at Hogwarts!"
Admittedly, when Madame Maxime first made the suggestion, Fleur's heart had fluttered.
If Lucien transferred to Beauxbatons, wouldn't that mean they could see each other every day and spend more time together...?
But Fleur quickly came back to her senses.
Wouldn't doing something like that risk Dumbledore coming straight to their door? He was the most powerful wizard alive!
Although Fleur had never met Dumbledore in person, she had grown up hearing countless stories about his legendary deeds.
Madame Maxime, however, only smiled faintly, as though everything was already under control.
"As long as transferring is truly Lucien's own decision, then even if Dumbledore comes looking for an explanation afterward, we have nothing to fear."
"Albus Dumbledore's strength is indeed almost unmatched in the world, but he is also a wizard who strictly abides by rules, perhaps even to the point of being constrained by them. Dumbledore would never rely on his overwhelming magical power to forcibly suppress someone or violate their free will."
In truth, Madame Maxime had another, even more important reason for her confidence.
Lucien's teacher, Nicolas Flamel himself, seemed to prefer that his beloved student study and grow in a safer, more peaceful environment.
However, this was not something she could conveniently explain to Fleur at the moment.
Seeing Fleur's hesitation, Madame Maxime continued coaxing her gently.
"You must have heard about the recent incidents at Hogwarts. They've had Dark Wizards infiltrate the school, hired professors who may have had serious mental problems, and even employed escaped Azkaban convicts under false identities. Most recently, it was discovered that the school had been harbouring a dangerous and deadly thousand-year-old Basilisk..."
As Madame Maxime listed these incidents, each of which had appeared in wizarding newspapers or prompted investigations by the Ministry of Magic, Fleur's expression gradually grew pale.
There was nothing she could say in response.
Every one of those incidents had actually happened.
And most of them had involved Hogwarts's Defence Against the Dark Arts professors.
Madame Maxime's voice softened even further.
"Child, you wouldn't want Lucien to spend another few years at such a 'dangerous' school, would you?"
...
"Achoo!"
After returning to his temporary dormitory, Lucien had just sat down on the sofa when he suddenly let out a loud sneeze.
He rubbed his nose in confusion, pulled out his wand, and cast several diagnostic healing spells on himself.
A soft magical glow flowed over his body for a moment before fading away.
"Strange. I'm not catching a cold, am I?"
________
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