Helena looked genuinely surprised, and it showed clearly on her face. "Oh, mother would have simply loved you," she said, sounding almost wistful. Then she tilted her head, curiosity sharpening. "Just how far do you have this enchantment method completed in that head of yours?"
She spoke as if she wasn't expecting an answer.
Julian, of course, decided it would be best to keep the fact that there were two more levels beyond this stage of the crafting style to himself for now. Helena might not be able to spill secrets to anyone else, but that didn't mean she couldn't pout about it for an eternity.
And Julian might be able to withstand sad looks for a while, but eventually he would give in. He wasn't heartless.
...
On a separate note, Professor Flitwick had finally managed to get the contract drawn up so he could watch Julian enchant things.
It was a simple magically binding contract, more or less stating that anything Flitwick learned or saw inside Julian's workshop couldn't be used or shared outside of it. The punishment for breaking it was immediate and violently fatal.
Goblins didn't play around when it came to contracts involving craftsmen and their secrets.
...
The tiny professor didn't have much free time, so Julian agreed to let him watch during Christmas break, when he would mostly be caught up on his own work.
Flitwick wasn't terribly shocked to learn that Helena had been hovering around Julian ever since his heritage became public, considering who she was. He did express remorse about the entire situation and apologized to Julian for Dumbledore's actions.
Julian made it clear he didn't blame the other professors. They'd obviously been unaware, and only the old goat himself owed an apology.
...
That was the thing. Dumbledore still hadn't personally apologized, despite having plenty of chances to do so.
If Julian didn't know better, he'd think the man was deliberately avoiding the conversation that was inevitably coming. The reality, though, was that Dumbledore simply didn't have the time for it, not with the amount of effort he was putting into tracking down Grindelwald.
Julian understood that, and it was the only reason he hadn't gotten even angrier yet. Still, sooner or later, they were going to have to speak properly about what had happened, before it festered into something worse.
...
Julian shook himself out of the spiral and pushed up to his feet, unsteady. His body groaned in protest the moment he moved.
"I think I'll spend a couple hours in the library," he said, fatigue heavy in his voice. "Keep an eye on the workshop, will you."
Then he walked out, tired enough that even the air felt thick.
He pulled a vial out of Greed and knocked back the contents, grimacing at the awful taste. A moment later, he sighed as relief spread through him, the soreness in his muscles slowly beginning to fade.
It was a potion recipe he'd found in the "ancient" section, one that accelerated muscle growth and healing after they'd been worked hard.
...
It had originally been commissioned by some muggle lord, meant to drastically speed up the training required for soldiers and knights who needed to handle armor and weapons.
The potion never saw much use, though. Brewing it was expensive, and each batch only produced fifteen portions.
That meant fifteen workouts for one person, or a single workout for fifteen people.
Julian had even been kind enough to donate the recipe to Madam Pomfrey, along with a translated copy of Slytherin's book on healing mind injuries, all anonymously, of course.
...
For himself, Julian had simply paid the twins to brew some of the potion in exchange for a small amount of coin and permission to use the recipe however they wanted.
Julian absolutely did not notice that they'd started flexing at random moments with stupid grins on their faces. Not at all.
Putting their narcissism aside, the potion really did help. His work was steadily packing muscle beneath his robes. He wasn't absurdly bulky or anything, but his body did have clear definition now.
...
The library was fairly empty today. It was Saturday, and most people were either hanging out with friends or heading out to Hogsmeade.
Madam Pince, of course, made sure to glare at Julian with open hatred the moment he stepped inside. He ignored her as if she didn't exist.
He drifted along the shelves without a particular topic in mind for this visit, until a faded red leather-bound book caught his eye.
He pulled it free and read the title on the cover.
{A Compendium of Alchemical Substances PT1}
Julian smiled, then carried it to a nearby chair and settled in to enjoy his find.
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