The judging for the "Free Transmutation" segment concluded with a shockwave of awe. As the crowd gradually dispersed, the excited low hum of discussion still lingered in the great hall.
As Madame Maxime departed, she shot Fleur a meaningful glance before striding away with her usual steady, imposing gait.
Fleur understood immediately. She followed, heading toward the Headmistress's office.
The Headmistress's office at Beauxbatons was spacious and magnificent. Sunlight streamed in through the windows, casting bright patches of light across the tapestry carpet.
Madame Maxime was already seated in her exaggeratedly large chair. She gestured for Fleur to take the armchair opposite her.
With just the two of them in the room, the fire in the hearth burned quietly, emitting the occasional soft pop.
Madame Maxime threw out a question that sounded a bit abrupt:
"Fleur, in your opinion... if we speak solely of prestige and status, which side is stronger: Hogwarts or Beauxbatons?"
Fleur was slightly stunned. Her long lashes lowered, and she didn't answer immediately.
Yet, the answer to this question was actually quite obvious.
One wizard's name would appear almost instantly in any thought process regarding this issue—the greatest wizard of the century. Which school's headmaster office was he sitting in right now?
"Of course, it is Hogwarts." Madame Maxime provided the answer herself. Her tone was calm, holding no resentment, but rather a hint of teasing. "Even if they do have to replace their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor every single year. Oh, and that latest one, Mr. Lockhart? He didn't even last half a year... Hehe..."
With no outsiders present, facing the student she valued most—someone she regarded almost like a daughter—Madame Maxime dropped much of her usual majestic demeanor, appearing relaxed and candid.
"If we discuss history and foundation, Hogwarts and Beauxbatons were founded around the same time. Over the centuries, both have produced countless outstanding figures. It is hard to distinguish a superior."
"But looking only at the present, Beauxbatons indeed lacks a top-tier wizard capable of aweing the world. Hogwarts has Albus Dumbledore. His power and prestige are truly unmatched in today's magical world."
Maxime leaned forward slightly, her gaze burning as she looked at Fleur. "Child, I trust that with your discernment, you must see it. Lucien Grafton's future is limitless. The last person to completely change the wizarding way of life was the inventor of Floo Powder. But the impact Lucien will have on the magical world in the future will be far more extensive and profound. He is so young! Young enough to possess infinite possibilities..."
Fleur's heart seemed to skip a beat. She vaguely sensed the direction of the Headmistress's conversation, but she still asked hesitantly, "Madame, then you mean...?"
"What I mean is," Madame Maxime sat up straight, "find a way to... well, abduct Lucien and bring him to Beauxbatons."
"Abduct... abduct him?!"
This phrasing was too blunt, perhaps even carrying a shade of illegality. Fleur's eyes widened instantly as she looked at her Headmistress in astonishment.
Had she heard that correctly?
"Madame, is... is that really appropriate?" Fleur felt her cheeks heating up, unsure if it was from surprise or something else. "Lucien is currently a properly enrolled student at Hogwarts!"
Although, the moment she heard the proposal, Fleur's heart did throb uncontrollably—if Lucien came to Beauxbatons, wouldn't that mean she could see him every day? They would have so much more time together...
However, Fleur quickly snapped out of it. Wouldn't doing this invite Dumbledore to come knocking on their door? That man was the strongest wizard alive!
Although she hadn't met Dumbledore in person yet, Fleur had grown up listening to his legendary deeds.
Madame Maxime, however, smiled faintly, looking as if she had a plan.
"As long as the transfer is of Lucien's own free will, then even if Dumbledore comes later to ask for an explanation, we have nothing to worry about."
"Albus Dumbledore's power is indeed rare in this world, but he happens to be a wizard who strictly adheres to rules—he is even bound by them. Dumbledore would never use his peerless magical power to forcibly oppress or violate the free will of others."
In fact, Maxime had a more important reason—or rather, a "trump card"—in her heart: Lucien's teacher, Nicolas Flamel himself, seemed to prefer having his beloved disciple in a safer, purer environment for learning and growth.
However, it wasn't convenient for her to reveal this reason to Fleur at the moment.
Sensing Fleur's hesitation, Maxime continued her persuasion. "You must have heard about the incidents at Hogwarts in recent years. Dark wizards sneaking in, professors with potential mental instability, even harboring an Azkaban escapee in disguise... and recently, the scandal about keeping a dangerous, lethal thousand-year-old Basilisk..."
As Madame Maxime listed these "feats"—each of which had appeared in wizarding newspapers or triggered Ministry investigations—one by one, Fleur's complexion paled slightly.
There was no helping it; these were all facts!
And the majority of these incidents were caused by that revolving door of Defense Against the Dark Arts professors at Hogwarts.
Madame Maxime softened her voice further.
"Child, you wouldn't want Lucien to continue staying in such a 'dangerous' school for another few years, would you?"