The Headmaster was right, and he truly felt guilty about what had happened.
He had treated the Patronus Charm as something relatively safe to experiment with.
Last night had proven that even harmless magic could become troublesome when pushed beyond control.
Sure enough, after offering a few words of caution, Dumbledore changed the subject and said with a chuckle,
"Last night, a large amount of emotional energy suddenly gathered in the core of the castle."
Lucien set down his teacup.
A rare blush appeared on his face.
Partly from the heat of the tea.
And partly from embarrassment.
Emotional energy.
If the mist created by his Patronus Charm really caused those who came into contact with it to recall happy memories, then those positive emotions would naturally dissipate as corresponding emotional energy.
And the magical core of Hogwarts Castle just happened to be capable of collecting that energy.
That was practically ironclad evidence.
There was no point pretending the matter had nothing to do with him.
Just as Lucien was about to explain, Dumbledore spoke again, his tone more serious than before.
"In the future, never attempt to refine a Philosopher's Stone at school. Hmm, even a simplified version is out of the question."
Lucien paused.
That warning had arrived rather abruptly.
Judging from the level of skill Lucien had shown in designing and creating so many alchemical items, Dumbledore suspected that his old friend Nicolas Flamel might already have taught his prized student how to create a Philosopher's Stone, or at least a simplified version of one.
Having known Nicolas for many years and conducted extensive alchemical research with him, Dumbledore was well aware of the consequences of a failed attempt to refine a Philosopher's Stone.
So he intended to use this opportunity to give Lucien a serious warning.
Lucien lowered his head in embarrassment, unconsciously scratching his cheek with one finger.
Dumbledore was worried that he might blow up the school.
Although, with Lucien's current level of alchemy, such a major accident probably, most likely, shouldn't happen...
Ahem.
Hadn't last night's Patronus Charm already served as a warning?
Lucien had thought he could control it perfectly well, yet it had still caused such a huge commotion.
What if something similar happened while refining a Philosopher's Stone?
That was not something he wanted to test inside Hogwarts.
"I'll definitely find somewhere remote first in the future," Lucien promised.
A satisfied look appeared in Dumbledore's eyes.
That was the answer he wanted.
He picked up his teacup, took a sip, set it down again, and looked gently at Lucien with those blue eyes.
"So, how did it feel to use the Patronus Charm for the first time?"
When Dumbledore asked, Lucien didn't hesitate to recount the entire process of his attempt the previous night.
From the abnormal activity of his magic the moment he cast the spell, to his magic pouring out uncontrollably, to his consciousness being overwhelmed by those surging "voices", and finally waking to find that it was already morning.
Dumbledore adjusted his half-moon spectacles and fell silent.
It was also the first time he had ever heard of a situation like Lucien's.
Normally, when a wizard first practised the Patronus Charm, they couldn't produce anything at all.
At most, a few wisps of silvery-white vapour might emerge from the tip of the wand, and even that would already be considered a sign of good talent.
For many people, simply reaching that stage required repeated practice.
So why had Lucien's attempt instead passively drained all of his magic?
That was the strangest part.
Moreover, ordinary spells didn't behave like this.
Even powerful magic generally consumed energy according to how much the caster deliberately supplied.
Only certain unusual forms of Dark Arts might instantly consume such a large amount of magic without giving the caster much opportunity to stop it.
Yet this was the Patronus Charm.
An exceptionally positive form of magic, almost the complete opposite of the Dark Arts.
How could it possibly behave in such a similar way?
Dumbledore thought for a moment before finally speaking.
"There's no need to rush," he reassured him. "This magic is quite profound. For now, don't practise it alone."
Lucien nodded.
After what had happened the previous night, he had no intention of repeating the experiment recklessly anyway.
In truth, Dumbledore was also rather curious about what form Lucien's Patronus would eventually take.
For exceptionally talented wizards, their Patronuses often assumed rarer and more unusual forms, such as magical creatures or even extinct ancient species.
Dumbledore believed that Lucien naturally belonged to that category.
Even though he had yet to condense a complete Patronus, the mist produced by his charm already displayed a considerable degree of uniqueness.
That enormous range alone was unusual enough.
The effect of stirring happy memories and emotions in everyone it touched was even more extraordinary.
Lucien asked, "That silver phoenix that came to notify me this morning, was that the Patronus you summoned?"
Dumbledore replied, "That was a corporeal Patronus. However, using a Patronus to deliver messages is an additional application I developed myself. It's quite practical."
He stroked his beard, his tone casual.
"If you'd like to learn it, I can teach you once you've mastered the Patronus Charm..."
Before he could finish, Dumbledore seemed to remember something and laughed.
"Though with such a convenient communication tool as Instant-Speach, I suppose you won't have much need for this outdated technique."
Lucien couldn't help smiling.
Before alchemical creations like Instant-Speach appeared, wizards relied on owls to deliver letters, making long-distance communication extremely time-consuming.
Using a Patronus to transmit messages was indeed a very convenient advanced application.
Messages could be delivered quickly, and a Patronus was far harder to intercept than an ordinary owl.
But the limitation was obvious.
Very few wizards could cast the Patronus Charm in the first place, and even fewer could produce a corporeal Patronus.
As a result, this method of communication could only ever be used by a small handful of people and had no possibility of becoming widespread.
In that regard, it truly couldn't compare to the significance of Instant-Speach to the wizarding world.
Even young witches and wizards who had only recently awakened their magic could learn to use it.
If everyone could have one, there was hope that the entire wizarding world could become far more closely connected.
As for matters concerning Instant-Speach, Dumbledore didn't even need to ask.
Nicolas had already boasted at length to him about his student's masterpiece.
Lucien grinned.
"One can never have too many skills, after all. It's always good to learn more."
A trace of amusement flashed through Dumbledore's eyes.
________
(^///^) Please support this fic and also read 12 chapters ahead at Patreon.com/DrakDevil1