Hogwarts cafeteria.
Scattered around several long tables were young Wizards eating lunch.
The air was filled with the smell of fried fish, chips, and steak.
Lucien cut his fried fish, once again grumbling about the food desert of Britain.
He missed Chinese food, the taste of home.
At home, he could have a chef cook Chinese food, but at Hogwarts…
Hmm, House-elves, they should be able to learn Chinese cooking, right?
He'd find a chance to ask them, it would be a good way to improve everyone's meals.
Squeak, squeak—
Lucien looked up at the source of the noise. Harry, sitting opposite him, was still frowning, vigorously cutting the steak on his plate as if it were his enemy.
"Snape is just targeting me!"
Harry said indignantly.
"I clearly said I didn't know the answer, and Hermione was raising her hand wanting to answer, but Snape just kept badgering me!"
"What did I do to upset him?"
Lucien watched Harry bury his head in his food, and suddenly thought of something.
"Harry, when Professor Snape was scolding you, were you also looking down?"
Hearing Lucien ask him, Harry looked up, chewed a few mouthfuls of beef, and swallowed it with a gulp:
"Yeah, Lucien, you didn't see it!"
Harry suddenly put down his knife and fork, took off his glasses, glared with his emerald almond eyes, and put on a serious face:
"Oh, Potter, tell me, what do you get when you add powdered asphodel root to an infusion of wormwood?"
"Can't answer? Then where would you look if you were trying to find a bezoar?"
Pfft—
"Cough, cough, cough…"
Ron, who was drinking mushroom soup, almost spat it out when he heard Harry's vivid imitation of Snape.
But seeing Lucien and Hermione sitting opposite him, Ron quickly covered his mouth, choking and coughing non-stop.
Seeing Harry's imitation, Lucien's lips also couldn't help but curve upwards.
This kid had quite the sense of humor.
Harry spread his hands helplessly and put his glasses back on.
"Lucien, Professor Snape was practically walking right up to me then. If I didn't look down, his spit would have been all over my face!"
"And also, he even sat directly opposite me in the end, just staring at me intently."
"I could almost smell his greasy hair. I really wanted to send him a bottle of shampoo!"
Lucien looked at Harry with some surprise.
He hadn't expected this kid to have a sharp tongue. He'd rather be beaten to death than lose in terms of presence or words, huh?
Ron, who had just calmed down, glanced at Harry and said grumpily:
"Then you can send Potter brand shampoo, the one from your family."
"That way, when Professor Snape kills you, he'll do it a bit more mercifully."
Seeing these two clowns about to start their comedy routine, Lucien promptly interrupted, asking Harry an unrelated question:
"Harry, you wear these glasses because you're nearsighted, right?"
Harry nodded.
Lucien continued to ask:
"Have you ever considered taking off your glasses during class, especially during Potion Class?"
This time, not only Harry was confused, but Hermione and Ron also looked at Lucien in bewilderment, wondering what he was up to.
"But if I take off my glasses, I really can't see the words on the blackboard. Won't Professor Snape target me even more then?"
Hearing Harry's question, Lucien couldn't help but inwardly complain.
Heh heh, you always wearing those glasses that resemble your father's is precisely why Professor Snape targets you even more.
Lucien snapped his fingers.
"That's simple. There's a Potion called Bright eyes potion that can restore eyesight for two or three hours."
"This is part of the first-year Potion Class curriculum and shouldn't be difficult to brew."
Facing Lucien's suggestion, Harry scratched his head:
"Sorry, I'm not very good at brewing Potions."
Lucien looked at him deeply:
"How long have you been exposed to Potions? Why are you so quick to dismiss yourself? And…"
"There's no need to hate the knowledge a teacher teaches just because you dislike the teacher."
"Knowledge has no good or bad."
Harry nodded, slightly bewildered. He couldn't fully understand Lucien's meaning, but he felt it made sense.
"Also, after you take off your glasses."
"If Professor Snape still keeps asking you questions or scolding you."
"Just stare into his eyes!"
"Even if you're scolded to tears, you still have to stare at him."
Now Harry was even more confused. Hermione and Ron looked back and forth between the two.
They wondered if Lucien had some kind of grudge against Harry, to give him such an idea?
This time, Ron asked the question for his good friend:
"Uh, Lucien, will that really work? Won't it…"
Lucien waved his hand and said with conviction:
"When you haven't mastered the knowledge taught by the teacher, you should all the more show your eagerness to study hard."
"And the eyes are the windows to the soul. You need to communicate through your gaze, to express to Professor Snape: even though you're learning slowly now, you are determined to study diligently!"
Lucien's theory left the three little ones stunned.
They felt something wasn't quite right, but couldn't find any fault with it.
Seeing that they had mostly finished eating, Lucien picked up his book, ready to get up.
"Is your first class this afternoon also Defense Against the Dark Arts Class?"
The three nodded repeatedly, their faces showing expressions of anticipation and excitement.
Defense Against the Dark Arts, unlike the more practical magic taught in Charms Class, was a magical discipline specifically for combat.
Harry, in particular, seemed the most excited. The Potion Class this morning had completely suppressed him, and he was eager to experience real magic!
Seeing the longing for this class on the faces of the three little ones, Lucien showed a slightly pitying expression and shook his head.
"Let's go, time for class."
…
Afternoon.
Inside the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.
After the class bell rang, the much-anticipated Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, Professor Quirrell, with his head wrapped in a long cloth, arrived late.
However, as Quirrell himself entered the classroom, a pungent smell was also brought in.
Some young Wizards couldn't help but raise their hands to cover their noses.
Lucien directly tapped his wand, casting a Freshness Charm over his mouth and nose, directly filtering out the strong garlic smell.
"H-h-hello, I am Q-Q-Quirinus Q-Q-Quirrell."
"Your D-Defense Against the Dark Arts T-Teacher."
Hearing Professor Quirrell's stuttering self-introduction, the young Wizards exchanged glances, and the classroom immediately erupted into a noisy murmur of whispers.
"Q-Quiet, n-no, no, shouting."
Ron couldn't help but whisper to Lucien and the others:
"Is this really the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor? Is stuttering allowed? He's not a substitute teacher, is he?"
Hermione said with a hesitant tone:
"Perhaps, perhaps this Professor's theoretical knowledge is very good, and his strength is also very strong?"
Even Hermione herself wasn't confident in her words.
"A-Alright, let's begin w-with, with chapter one…"
And so, Lucien listened as Quirrell spoke about the meaning of Defense Against the Dark Arts, then the forms of Defense Against the Dark Arts, then its development, and then extended to future expectations…
Lucien narrowed his eyes, as if having an illusion.
Isn't this that bald Professor from my university days before I transmigrated, the one with decent academic ability but terrible teaching skills?
How did he end up here?
Is this still Hogwarts?