In the Beauxbatons dormitory temporarily assigned to the exchange competition contestants, Lucien bent over his desk, his quill scratching across the parchment.
At the very top of the page was a slightly embellished, enlarged title:
"What Are Your Expectations for Valentine's Day at Hogwarts?"
Below the title were several drafted questions:
(1) In your ideal Hogwarts Valentine's Day, what kind of overall atmosphere would you prefer? Multiple choices allowed.
[A] Romantic and warm, with magical decorations and soft lighting everywhere
[B] Lively and fun, with group games or activities everyone can participate in
[C] Free and private, providing more magical spaces suitable for spending time alone
[D] Other. Please describe briefly: _______
(2) If small activities were held, which type would interest you more? Multiple choices allowed.
[A] Anonymous Blessing delivery guided by Magic, ensuring the sentiment is delivered while keeping the sender's identity hidden
[B] A Photo Commemoration Corner assisted by magical creatures or Alchemical creations
[C] Experience stations for making simple magical desserts
[D] Other: _______
(3) What specific magical atmosphere effects would you like to see in the castle? For example, floating candles that turn into heart shapes, mist that changes colour according to the emotions of passers-by, a choir of little Fairies singing love poems, and so on.
Your suggestion: _______
...
Lucien stopped writing and examined the questions.
It felt as if he had returned to his past life at university, designing holiday social practice surveys.
By the time the exchange competition ended and he returned to Hogwarts, Valentine's Day would be very close.
To repay the Fire Element loan and cosplay as Valentine's Day's Cupid, he had to figure out in advance what the students truly wanted.
As for the system's requirement to "use magical means to enhance the festive atmosphere," that was a relatively simple technical matter for Lucien. He could always prepare it properly before the holiday.
He changed the wording of two questions and felt that it was slightly better than before.
Well, once the questionnaire was designed, he would ask Harry and the others to help distribute it at Hogwarts.
This term at Hogwarts, without the threat of the Basilisk and the Diary, it should truly be the safest place in the world...
Thinking of this, Lucien put down his quill and rubbed his temples.
Speaking of which, Riemann had just said in a hurry that he was short on materials. Waiting for an owl to travel back and forth to his home to deliver them would indeed take several days.
Since Lucien planned to use Lumen's Apparition to return to Hogwarts once, and since it was extremely fast, he might as well help Riemann pick up the required materials too.
Lumen had grown significantly over the past two years, and its long-distance Apparition ability had received a direct and obvious enhancement. Now, from Beauxbatons to Hogwarts, it was estimated that only one or two brief transfers would be needed to arrive. Its efficiency was no worse than a Portkey, and it did not come with that nauseating, dizzying experience.
Lucien thought of Riemann's joke about asking him for advice on Valentine's Day experience.
Speaking of which, should he design another questionnaire for that type of student?
Traditional owl mail was indeed rather inefficient when it came to timeliness.
If magical mobile phones could become popular, then in the future, such things could be communicated by sending a text message.
If even objects could achieve some form of instantaneous transmission, creating a Wizarding World version of express delivery...
Lucien shook his head, temporarily suppressing this wandering thought.
Take things one step at a time.
First, perfect and promote long-distance communication magical items, then consider such things that would benefit the Wizarding World later.
...
Hogwarts, Room of Requirement.
Harry checked his notes, added eight grams of Wiggentree bark to the cauldron, stirred five times clockwise and twice counter-clockwise, observed the colour of the Potion, then scribbled down more notes.
"Harry, I see you've been researching that Potion for quite a while now. Why not ask Lucien?"
"Besides, Lucien won't be back for another ten days or so, right?"
Ron asked Harry while poking and prodding a metal owl with his wand.
The new wand in his hand had been bought by the twins during the winter holidays. It was fourteen inches, willow, with a unicorn hair core.
It was quite handy to use, and there was no longer any sense of awkwardness or blockage when casting Magic. Only then did Ron realise what kind of miserable days he had been living before.
Hearing Ron's question, Harry rubbed his somewhat messy black hair and muttered,
"I want to try finishing it independently. It's quite challenging, isn't it?"
The Potion he was currently researching was the one he had promised Hermione, a Potion that could shrink and adjust teeth. However, they had also agreed not to tell Lucien yet, so Harry had no choice but to work hard on it by himself.
Fortunately, after more than a year and a half of tutoring from Lucien, Harry's Potion skills had been steadily improving. He usually flipped through books in the library or the Potter family's magical books, and his progress was quite impressive.
Moreover, the difficulty of this Potion was not too high. Harry did not yet have the ability to develop an entirely new Potion, so he was mainly improving upon existing ones.
As for his reply to Ron, it was also the truth.
After spending nearly two years with Lucien, Harry had gradually been influenced by him and vaguely sensed the joy of making progress through research and learning through exploration.
So Harry did indeed want to take this opportunity to verify his own level in Potions.
Ron continued tinkering with his metal owl and said without looking up,
"I get it, I get it. Keep it up."
Actually, much like Harry, the owl in Ron's hand had also been designed and made by him alone. However, it was quite difficult, and for now, it could not achieve the functions of a real owl at all.
On Christmas Day last year, Ron had encountered a seemingly ordinary yet magical owl that had given him and Harry, who had been racking their brains for clues about Nicolas Flamel at the time, an important hint.
Afterwards, Ron had specifically gone to the school's Owlery to try to find that owl, but unfortunately, after several days in a row, he had no luck and gradually gave up on the idea.
However, when he prepared to make a simple Alchemical animal, his first instinct was to think of that owl, so he made it in its image.
The two of them were each busy with their own tasks, and time passed quickly.
Harry poured the cooled Potion into a bottle, placed it on the edge of the table, and tidied away his tools, including the cauldron and scales.
Ron stretched and leaned over to Harry.
"How is it? Have you tried it on the test toad? What's the effect?"
Harry glanced at Ron helplessly.
"Ron, did you forget that toads don't have teeth?"
Ron said, "Uh... forgot, forgot. I'm busy and confused. How about I try it for you?"
"Anyway, I'm used to testing those new prank items for Fred and George. Hmm, according to Lucien, there's a term for it. What was it again..."
Since the twins had started acting as agents for Lucien's Seventh Workshop at Hogwarts, selling all kinds of magical items, they had earned money and gained knowledge. Many of their original ideas, which had previously stopped at the conceptual stage, had been put into practice.
The prank Potions and Alchemical items made by the twins were emerging in an endless stream, and the best guinea pig for testing new products was naturally their own brother, Ron.
Fortunately, in order to keep Ron steady and stop him from writing to their mother to complain, the twins offered him some Knuts and Sickles as pocket money, or rather, experimental funding.
As for that, Ron naturally...
Accepted it gladly.
Anyway, he had been used to being pranked by his twin brothers since childhood. For example, Fred had once turned Ron's teddy bear into a giant spider. While Ron was hugging it, many long legs had suddenly sprouted from it.
Now that there was pocket money to be earned, why not?
One had to live more optimistically.
Harry thought for a moment and said hesitantly,
"Drug resistance?"
________
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