As Lucien brushed past Lockhart in the corridor, he pondered the information about the Order of Merlin.
The renowned wizard Merlin had founded the Order of Merlin in the mid-11th century, making it one of the earliest magical organisations in the wizarding world.
Merlin's original intention had been for wizards to assist non-magical people.
Any wizard who had made contributions to the wizarding world could potentially receive the Order of Merlin.
After a long history of turmoil and peace, the organisation itself was eventually disbanded.
However, the Order of Merlin medal remained a highly prestigious honour in the wizarding world, and since the 15th century, it had been awarded by the Wizengamot.
Lucien thought about the wizards who currently held Second and Third Class Orders of Merlin, and he happened to know some of them.
For example, Newt had received a Second Class Order of Merlin for his contributions to the study of magical creatures, or Magizoology.
There was no doubt about that. In the global wizarding world, no one would dare claim greater authority than Newt in that field.
As for Lockhart's Third Class medal, it had been awarded for his supposed bravery in facing dark creatures and for the defensive methods he promoted in his books.
The experiences themselves did not belong to Lockhart, but the methods were indeed real and could serve as useful references for others. A reader might apply them when encountering similar dangers.
The award was mainly for Lockhart's dissemination of methods to deal with dark creatures.
That could be considered a contribution to the wizarding world, after all.
As for himself, he had written two papers. One on Transfiguration superposition, and another on magical creature Transfiguration.
The former was a deep exploration of an existing direction, while the latter truly opened up a new path for Transfiguration.
Magical creature Transfiguration could not be mastered by everyone, but the layered principles and structures within the paper alone were enough to greatly benefit those who could understand them, allowing them to explore new directions.
And that was undoubtedly a contribution to the wizarding world.
He simply did not know how the Wizengamot specifically evaluated and graded such contributions.
Speaking of which, Dumbledore was the current Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. Why not ask him?
When he had mentioned the award earlier, Lucien had the feeling that Dumbledore had been somewhat reluctant to continue, as though he had not said everything he intended to.
If he could truly obtain an Order of Merlin, whether Second or Third Class, his reputation would rise significantly.
And with that increase in fame, the sales of his alchemy and potion products would also grow.
Thinking of this, it was about time to Apparate off campus to check on his shops and restock his inventory.
In any case, Apparition was very convenient. He could simply slip out over the weekend.
Lucien had originally thought that purely Transfiguration journals and related awards could indeed make him famous, but mainly within the Transfiguration field.
The Order of Merlin, however, was different. It was something that could shake the entire wizarding world.
As for the corresponding benefits that came with it…
A First Class Order of Merlin was highly unlikely.
After comparing the recipients, Lucien found a clear pattern. This highest-level honour seemed to require, by default, saving a large number of lives or resolving a major crisis in the wizarding world.
Dumbledore's award went without saying. It was for his defeat of the Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald.
Other recipients included Orabella Nutley, who used a Reparo Charm to repair the Roman Colosseum after it was accidentally damaged during a broomstick race, preventing Muggles from discovering the anomaly and avoiding exposure of the magical world.
There was also Tilly Toke and her family, who saved a large number of Muggles during the Ilfracombe Incident in 1932.
In addition, some individuals were posthumously awarded a First Class medal, and in such cases, such a monumental achievement was not always required.
For example, Norvel Twonk received a posthumous award for saving a Muggle child from a Manticore attack.
However, there were also certain "exceptions." Almost every Minister for Magic would award themselves a First Class Order of Merlin before retiring.
In summary, to receive a First Class Order of Merlin while still alive, one either had to resolve a major crisis and save the wizarding world, or become Minister for Magic.
But where were there so many crises waiting to be resolved?
Was he supposed to publicly obliterate Voldemort after his resurrection?
Lucien smiled and shook his head, preparing to head to the twins' shop to check on recent business.
Then, suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him, forming into a thought:
"…control monsters to create chaos… stage a visible, real 'adventure'… rescue a group of young wizards, saving the future and hope of the wizarding world…"
Lucien stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Lockhart's retreating figure.
Ah, right. Lockhart had said that… soon.
...
October arrived.
Cold, damp air spread through the castle, causing many students and teachers to catch colds. The sounds of sneezing and coughing echoed everywhere.
Before long, Madam Pomfrey took action. She brewed a cold potion that proved quite effective, though it caused the user's ears to emit steam for a few hours.
The sneezing and coughing quickly subsided, replaced by sounds resembling train whistles.
Hogwarts became shrouded in mist, which rather suited the atmosphere of a magical castle.
As Lucien entered through the castle gates, he saw many students with steam rising from their ears. Some were used to it and didn't mind, even shaking their heads as if it were amusing. Others, however, felt embarrassed, covering their faces with books or sleeves, or simply wrapping scarves around themselves.
Perhaps he should develop a potion to cure colds. It wouldn't be difficult, as long as it didn't have such obvious side effects.
It would only be a seasonal product, mainly used in autumn and winter.
"Phew, the rain's been so frequent lately. Good thing we've got your Waterproof Charm bracelets, Lucien. Otherwise, we'd be soaked and covered in mud after training!"
As he spoke, Harry raised the azure bracelet on his wrist. Despite the heavy rain outside, he had just finished Quidditch practice without being drenched.
Lucien glanced at the bracelet, thinking, how could it not be frequent? Aethel couldn't stay cooped up. He often let him out of the case world to fly freely in the real sky.
Aethel was the Thunderbird cub Lucien had brought back from Arizona.
When Thunderbirds flew, they gathered storms, which made the already damp and rainy British weather even worse.
Thinking of the difficulties Quidditch players faced during training, Lucien had designed the Waterproof Charm bracelet, an alchemical tool that automatically cast a Waterproof Charm and a Scouring Charm on the wearer, shielding them from rain and mud.
Unsurprisingly, not only had the entire Quidditch team bought them, but many other students had also contributed significantly to the sales.
In any case, it wasn't expensive. Wearing a bracelet was far simpler than carrying an umbrella or constantly casting a rain-repelling charm.
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