Inside Hagrid's Hut, silence reigned except for the crackling of the fire.
Fudge was the first to break it.
His smile toward Lucien was extraordinarily warm, so warm that Lucien found it slightly uncomfortable.
"Lucien, truly a hero despite your youth! Ha ha, we all owe you for slaying the Basilisk and protecting everyone!"
"If possible, could you show me the Basilisk's body? Of course, it's not that I distrust you, but I need some evidence to reassure the public. I trust someone as intelligent as you understands, correct?"
Fudge no longer felt he could treat Lucien as an ordinary child.
In fact, it was not only because of the Basilisk incident.
After calming down, he remembered something else.
Recently, the Aurors had petitioned him to purchase a batch of magical items, most of them focused on defensive functions. They supposedly activated protective Magic automatically in response to incoming attacks.
Such items could significantly improve Auror safety during missions.
Although this was a relatively peaceful era, with fewer dark wizards and fewer dangers overall, nobody would refuse an extra means of survival.
Aurors were certainly skilled combat wizards, but even they could fall victim to unseen ambushes or hidden traps. The value of magical items capable of providing automatic protection was obvious.
As the governing body of the magical world, the Ministry naturally wanted to establish a stable supply source.
That was when Fudge learned that all of these magical items had been created by Lucien.
A twelve-year-old wizard.
How had he learned such extraordinary Alchemy?
Fudge remembered that Hogwarts did not offer Alchemy classes to second-year students, and Lucien was Muggle-born with no family inheritance to draw upon.
After much thought, he concluded that Dumbledore must have been teaching him personally. Considering Dumbledore's obvious regard for Lucien, it did not seem impossible.
The more Fudge learned, the more he felt that Lucien's future was brilliant.
No, not just his future.
Lucien was already someone worth befriending.
"No need to go to that trouble. I've already brought it."
As he spoke, Lucien casually waved his wand, causing the already cramped room to expand temporarily.
The next moment, the sound of something massive crashing onto the floor echoed through the hut.
The Basilisk's head was enormous and grotesque. Its mouth hung slightly open, revealing razor-sharp venomous fangs.
Its eyes had already been removed by Lucien.
Slightly dried blood stained the empty sockets, and they happened to be pointed directly at Lucius by the door, giving him quite a fright.
Even in death, the snake's head radiated a terrifying presence.
Fudge gasped aloud at the sight.
A politician who spent most of his time behind a desk had never witnessed anything like this before. He instinctively stumbled backward several steps, nearly collapsing into a chair.
"The Basilisk... this is the Basilisk..."
Fudge wanted to move closer for a better look, but fear held him back, causing his voice to tremble slightly.
Dumbledore, who had been lost in thought, also found his attention drawn to the Basilisk's head.
The Ministry of Magic's sudden appearance to make an arrest had already been somewhat unexpected.
Lucius's presence was even more suspicious.
Dumbledore glanced toward Lucius by the door, and a sharp glint flashed through his blue eyes.
Recalling the parchment scroll Lucius had produced earlier, Dumbledore knew he had come prepared.
Perhaps this incident...
Sensing Dumbledore's scrutiny, Lucius quickly shifted his gaze away from the Basilisk's head and did his best to maintain a natural expression.
"Lucien, would you mind if I took a photograph? It would help make the situation more convincing. The parents are deeply concerned about their children."
Lucien had no objection to Fudge's request.
It was also a good opportunity for publicity.
Seeing Lucien agree, Fudge called one of the Aurors into the hut.
Bang!
The door swung open and slammed directly into Lucius's back.
Clearly, the Auror outside had not expected anyone to be standing so close to the entrance.
Faced with the Auror's apology, Lucius tried his best to maintain a dignified appearance and calmly stated that he did not mind.
In truth, he only wanted this entire affair to end as quickly as possible so that he could return home.
Following Fudge's instructions, the Auror took out a camera and began photographing the Basilisk's head, the shutter clicking repeatedly.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Fudge casually struck up a conversation with Lucien.
"Lucien, what an eventful night. You've resolved such a major crisis. It wouldn't be right if we didn't give you some sort of award..."
Hearing this, Dumbledore suddenly remembered something.
That's right.
It had already been decided that Lucien would receive the Order of Merlin, Second Class.
This had been the conclusion reached by the Wizengamot after extensive discussion regarding Lucien's innovations and contributions in the field of Transfiguration.
Lucien was still very young, and awarding the Order of Merlin to someone of his age would be unprecedented.
At the time, some members had objected, arguing that the award should be postponed for several years.
However, Lucien's pioneering work in Magical Creature Transfiguration was simply too remarkable.
The Wizengamot consisted of dozens of witches and wizards with extraordinary achievements, and naturally, many of them specialised in Transfiguration.
They had been utterly astonished by Lucien's accomplishments and immediately launched fierce opposition against those who proposed delaying the award.
Dumbledore had naturally supported granting Lucien the honour, and as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, his vote carried significant weight.
As a result, the decision had been finalised without difficulty.
Lucien would become the youngest recipient of the Order of Merlin in history.
But at the time, no one had suggested awarding the Order of Merlin, First Class.
That was because, aside from the occasional Minister for Magic awarding himself a First Class Order before retirement, receiving this honour generally required one of two achievements: resolving a crisis that threatened the Magical World or saving a large number of lives.
Dumbledore's gaze settled on Lucien, and a faint light gleamed behind his half-moon spectacles.
Hadn't Lucien just done exactly that?
Saving the students of Hogwarts and protecting the future of the Magical World...
In an instant, many thoughts passed through Dumbledore's mind.
He was genuinely pleased whenever Lucien received recognition and honours, not only because the boy deserved them.
Dumbledore also believed that the more positive affirmation Lucien received from the magical community, the less likely he would be to stray from the right path.
After all, happy people often have greater affection for the world around them.
Countless times, Dumbledore had wondered whether Tom might never have become Voldemort if he had not grown up surrounded by pain and loneliness.
Thinking of this, Dumbledore considered his words and began to speak.
"Cornelius, I think..."
But before he could finish, a slightly excited voice suddenly interrupted him.
"I think we should nominate Lucien for the Order of Merlin, First Class!"
Dumbledore looked at the person who had stolen his line with obvious surprise.
Lucius.
Lucius's grey eyes were shining brightly, as though he had suddenly been struck by inspiration.
________
(^///^) Please support this fic and also read 12 chapters ahead at Patreon.com/DrakDevil1