Snape had never imagined that one day he would have to consider how to teach a student not to use magic "too well."
"Your problem is very complicated and requires deeper, more detailed study," Snape said slowly.
"In any case, you're not in any hurry to use it against creatures like Dementors. Hogwarts won't have such things, and they're not permitted to enter Muggle society."
Lucien silently thought to himself that this was not necessarily true.
Still, he hadn't expected to solve the problem with his Patronus Charm in a single tutoring session.
The magic itself was extremely mysterious, and his own Patronus Charm clearly possessed a rare uniqueness. Since it involved the soul, being cautious was naturally the right approach.
"Professor, may I see your Patronus Charm?" Lucien asked curiously. "I haven't yet seen the complete casting process of the Patronus Charm."
Snape refused without hesitation.
"No."
But the moment he finished speaking, he seemed to realise that his refusal had been too abrupt and might appear somewhat unusual, so he added,
"The form of a Patronus is highly distinctive. Revealing it is almost the same as telling others who you are. Generally speaking, a person's Patronus form is fixed. There are cases where it changes, but those are extremely rare and can essentially be ignored."
He glanced at Lucien and added,
"If you often see Dumbledore using his Patronus for this and that, don't follow his example."
Snape curled his lip, his tone carrying a trace of peculiarity.
"Dumbledore is different."
Lucien more or less understood what he meant.
Presumably, Dumbledore was simply too powerful to care whether his identity was concealed.
Perhaps he could even use his Patronus to announce his arrival in advance.
Look, I'm coming.
Lucien wasn't surprised that Snape had refused to demonstrate. He had only asked on a whim.
He remembered that Snape's Patronus took the form of a doe.
A doe wasn't a specific species of deer, but simply a female deer.
Snape's Patronus and that of Harry's mother, Lily Evans, were both does.
Naturally, Lucien had no intention of bringing that up.
As the tutoring session drew to a close, Lucien took the initiative to ask,
"Professor, what should I prepare as a token of appreciation for your private tutoring?"
Snape gave a slight nod at Lucien's phrasing, clearly satisfied.
At least he hadn't immediately brought up something as vulgar as money.
As a Potions Master, Snape certainly wasn't short of money.
"Your level of alchemy is quite good," Snape said. "Custom-make a few alchemical items according to my requirements."
Lucien nodded.
"No problem."
Snape thought for a moment, then added,
"The Qilin saliva you gave me before was of excellent quality. Get me some more."
Then he emphasised,
"I'll exchange items of equal value for that portion."
Qilin saliva could be used directly for healing, but in Snape's view, doing so was extremely wasteful.
Applying it directly or taking it orally was effective, but far from the best way to make full use of its value.
Only by adding it to a potion and combining it with other ingredients could its effects be enhanced and transformed into something even more remarkable.
In fact, after Snape used the Qilin saliva he had previously received from Lucien to brew a potion, he discovered that its quality was truly exceptional.
The purity alone far exceeded anything he had seen sold on the market.
Snape had never directly asked where Lucien obtained the Qilin saliva.
He might habitually belittle, mock, and look down on foolish and reckless young witches and wizards, but he wouldn't actually steal a child's "possessions."
The Qilin saliva itself was part of a normal exchange.
Lucien obtaining it through his own channels and acting as an intermediary was already part of the favour.
"No problem."
Lucien reached into his pocket, then pulled out a crystal jug and handed it to Snape.
"Professor, do you think this is enough?"
Snape looked down and froze.
It was a completely transparent crystal jug roughly the size of two adult fists, filled with clear liquid that glistened in the light.
For a moment, he simply stared at it.
Shouldn't something like this be stored in a smaller, more delicate container?
A tiny bottle would already last a long time.
And this boy had simply brought out an entire jug?
Snape's expression remained unchanged, but his thoughts were considerably less calm.
What kind of channel was Lucien using to obtain so much Qilin saliva?
An absurd thought suddenly surfaced in Snape's mind.
Surely Lucien wasn't actually keeping a Qilin, was he?
If that were true...
What, was the future Supreme Mugwump of the wizarding world about to emerge from Hogwarts?
Snape shook his head slightly and dismissed the ridiculous thought.
That was far too absurd.
He suddenly remembered that during the previous Order of Merlin award ceremony, Newt Scamander, who had been invited to attend, seemed to have interacted with Lucien.
The two appeared to know each other quite well.
If Lucien had obtained the Qilin saliva through that world-renowned expert on magical creatures, then it wouldn't be particularly strange.
At least, it was a far more reasonable explanation than Lucien secretly raising a Qilin somewhere.
"Enough," Snape said, taking the crystal jug with an expressionless face. "What do you want in exchange?"
"Some potion recipes and books," Lucien replied. "Preferably ones related to curses and counter-curses."
Snape was already accustomed to Lucien asking for books.
The boy possessed an extremely strong thirst for knowledge and almost always chose books or recipes whenever given the chance to exchange for something.
If he could obtain useful knowledge, he rarely seemed interested in anything else.
Snape actually preferred that.
Books and potion recipes were at least things he had plenty of.
But this particular request made him pause.
Curse-related potions were hardly beginner material.
Some were used to suppress the effects of Dark Magic, some to remove lingering magical contamination, while others were designed to stabilise victims before more serious treatment.
Many were difficult enough that even adult Potioneers avoided brewing them unless necessary.
Snape glanced at Lucien.
He knew the boy had recently been studying Dark Arts and counter-curses more seriously, but he still didn't understand why Lucien specifically wanted potions related to curses.
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