46 Classes

The third year introduced electives, from which Lucas chose Study of Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures. Divination and Arithmancy was a fancy way of wasting time in his opinion, because he didn't have the gift for visions. The future was far more complex and unpredictable, so that him forcefully bashing his head against the wall didn't amount to much.

Anyway, regardless of who chose what elective, the first lesson was a special one, which every head of house held for their respective house:

Sex ed.

Sex Education was a topic of great nervousness among the Hogwarts students. Lucas, along with his fellow Hufflepuffs, gathered in their common room, awaiting the arrival of their Head of House, Professor Sprout.

As she entered the room, she greeted the students with a warm smile before clearing her throat to address the class. "Good morning, everyone. Today, we'll be discussing a very important topic: sexual education."

The room fell silent as the students listened attentively, some feeling a bit uncomfortable with the subject matter.

"You are now at an age where your bodies are changing. Just like stubborn weeds growing everywhere you don't want them, there might be places on your body where hair will grow," Professor Sprout continued. "It's important to ..."

Lucas stopped listening.

----

"... as well as any mind altering potions or spells." She finished sneakily looking at him, which did not go past Hannah, who had been listening intently and now was staring at him, yet still avoided his eyes.

'What did I miss?' Lucas was confused at the sudden attention. Not hesitating for long he invaded the mind of a fellow student and quickly replayed the last few sentences: "Now that that's done, I have to warn you against the use of any magic that could be understood as sexual harassment, like: enlargement, shrinking, vanishing, disentigrating or transparency spells, dissolving animals like Vestifectus Larva or Textilaerugo Crawler, dissolving potions, as well as any mind altering potions or spells."

'Really? So little faith in your own students?' Lucas was not really hurt, but he did wonder if Dumbledore had told her or she found out through another way.

Professor Sprout paused, scanning the room to ensure that her message had been received by all the students.

"Also don't ever think we won't find out, especially don't take advice from your seniors that will only get you in trouble. Believe me the consequences won't be pretty." She finished the lecture. As she was about to open the door and leave she looked back one last time, "But if anything were to happen, however minute, don't hesitate to come to me."

——

Lucas walked through the empty corridors of Hogwarts, his magic continuously giving him information about his surroundings. He could have closed his eyes and he wouldn't have any difficulty navigating the ever changing castle. The unregularities in the portraits' paint, the miniscule unevenness of the stone floor as well as the accumulated dust were just a few things he could clearly feel. The warmth from the morning rays were especially pleasent. 'It feels good being back.'

It was the next day and he was on his way to his first elective, Study of Ancient Runes. Elder Furthark had proved to be rather useless, just like incantations. That is why he did not want to get all hopeful and optimistic that it would be different this time. Nevertheless, he looked forward to learning something new.

Entering the Study of Ancient Runes classroom, Lucas was greeted by the sight of intricate symbols adorning the walls and shelves filled with ancient texts. The room looked like it wanted to intimidate every student entering it, a strange way for a teacher to decorate their classroom.

Taking a seat near the end of the empty class, Lucas looked out the window to the Forbidden Forest, which he would be visiting soon, once he figured out how to trick the bracelet. It was harder than he expected to reverse engineer it, without giving Dumbledore any hints to what he was doing. 'Maybe I don't need to trick it directly?'

Lucas leaned back in his chair, his mind wandering as he waited for the class to begin. He couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement at the prospect of exploring the forest.

As the other students trickled into the classroom, Lucas couldn't help but notice Hannah and Susan taking seats not too far from him. The former's expression was inscrutable, her gaze flickering between him and the window with a hint of suspicion. The other students were also stealing glances at his desk and whispering. The rumours had started to spread.

Ignoring their presence, Lucas focused his attention on the front of the classroom where Professor Babbling, the ancient runes professor, was preparing for the lesson.

"Good morning, class," Professor Babbling greeted them, her voice crisp and authoritative. "I trust you're all eager to begin our exploration of ancient runes."

Lucas nodded along with the rest of the class, his curiosity piqued as this professor avoided eye contact with him too.

"Now, before we begin," Professor Babbling continued, "I want to make one thing clear. The study of ancient runes is not for the faint of heart. It requires dedication, patience, and a keen eye for detail."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the classroom as if assessing each student individually. "But for those who are willing to put in the effort, the rewards can be great. Ancient runes hold the key to unlocking some of the deepest mysteries of magic."

Outwardly Lucas listened intently, but in his head he scoffed at ther remarks. All magical subjects were capable of 'unlocking the deepest mysteries of magic', because in reality there was no clear distinction between them. For example if you delved far deeper into potions than the curriculum allowed, then you would come to the conclusion that brewing a potion was not that different to a ritual. A ritual was alchemy with the help of sacrifices and alchemy was permanent transfiguration. An animagus was a prime example for the last comparison.

To him, magic was like a vast, interconnected web, with each branch influencing and intertwining with the others in ways that were not always immediately apparent. He only noticed this once he reorganized his mind, but it helped him tremendously in all magical.

As Professor Babbling delved into the history of ancient runes, Lucas found himself nodding along absentmindedly, his thoughts drifting to various other topics.

Lost in his musings, Lucas barely noticed as the lesson drew to a close and the other students began to pack up their belongings. As he gathered his own things, he caught Hannah's gaze lingering on him once again, her expression unreadable.

Sighing audibly, he made his way over to her, "Is there something you need, Hannah?" Lucas asked, his voice gentle but tinged with curiosity.

Hannah looked up at him, her expression guarded. Ever since she had found out that he was a Legilimens, she couldn't help but mistrust every word he spoke. Her gut told her that this was all just an act to get inside her head. This bias coupled with her past, made her hate Lucas to the core. 

"Yeah, everything's fine." finally escaped her mouth through a clenched jaw, while she hastily packed her things and stared at the door. 

Lucas studied Hannah's side profile for a moment, sensing the tension in the air between them. He could feel her distrust, like a barrier standing between them.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his tone soft but persistent. "You seem... tense."

Hannah's jaw clenched even tighter, her eyes narrowing slightly. "I said everything's fine," she replied curtly, her voice hostile, as she stormed out of the classroom leaving Susan behind.

Watching Hannah leave with a mixture of concern and hesitation, Lucas turned his attention to Susan, who had been silently observing the interaction between them. Her expression was a mix of discomfort and sympathy, as if she wanted to say something but wasn't sure how to broach the subject.

"Susan," Lucas began, his voice gentle as he approached her. "Is everything alright with Hannah? She seemed... upset. More than she should be."

Susan turned to him in her chair, staring at the floor while fidgeting with her hands. She opened and closed her mouth repeatedly but never spoke anything.

Lucas waited patiently, giving her the time she needed to gather her thoughts. He could sense her unease, her inner turmoil evident in the way she wanted to, yet avoided meeting his gaze.

Finally, after a moment of hesitation, Susan spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's... it's complicated, Lucas," she admitted, her words hesitant, ultimately choosing to keep looking at the floor.

"I understand," he replied softly, his tone sympathetic. "But if you ever feel like talking about it, I'm here for you. Just make sure no one sees you talking to me."

Susan now looked up at his chest, her eyes brimming with gratitude and a hint of sadness. "Thank you, Lucas," she said quietly, with a deep blush colouring her cheeks.

With a small nod, Lucas offered her a reassuring smile before gathering his things and making his way out of the classroom.

As he made his way to the Great Hall for lunch, he greeted passing students with a nod and a smile, but all he got in return were suspicious looks and whispered insults, which he clearly perceived thanks to his domain.

The bustling Great Hall was filled with the usual chatter and laughter, which immediately stopped when the first student spotted him entering through the doors. 

'I guess Dumbledore was right. It took what? Two days?' Lucas thought as he surveyed the room. It didn't matter which house he was looking at, even his own, they all were deathly quiet. Some even stopped breathing. 'They reek of fear.'

He sat down at the Hufflepuff table, noticing his fellow Hufflepuffs moving away from him, their eyes darting nervously between him and their plates of food as they ate. 'I should eat somewhere else in the future.'

"Hey, Lucas," one brave soul yelled, before coming closer and talking normally to him. "Did you hear what they're saying about you?"

Lucas sighed, already knowing what was coming. "No Dean, but I can imagine."

"They're saying you're some kind of dark wizard," Justin chimed in, his voice filled with concern. "That you can read minds and control people."

"It's true," Lucas said firmly, meeting their gazes with unwavering determination. "I could control people, but I wouldn't do it to my friends."

Dean and Justin exchanged uncertain glances, clearly unsure of how to respond to Lucas's admission. They had known him for years and couldn't reconcile the kind-hearted friend they knew with the rumors circulating about him.

"But... why would you want to control people?" Dean asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

Lucas sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I don't," he replied lying through his teeth. "I mean, I can, but that doesn't mean I do it. It is a skill I have, but it's not something I use lightly. And I would never use it to manipulate or hurt anyone, especially not my friends."

Justin and Dean exchanged another glance, this time tinged with relief. "So, you're not going to... you know, use it on us?" Justin asked tentatively, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

Lucas shook his head emphatically. "Never," he said firmly. "But I would recommend you two distance yourselves from me. People are already looking."

Dean and Justin exchanged glances once more, their expressions conflicted. They didn't want to abandon him just because of some unfounded rumors. But at the same time, they couldn't ignore the fear and suspicion that seemed to surround him now.

"Lucas, we've known you for a long time," Dean said earnestly, his voice filled with determination. "And we trust you. We know you wouldn't do anything to hurt us."

"Yeah, you're still our friend," Justin added, nodding in agreement. "And we're not going to let some stupid rumors change that."

"That's very sweet of you, but I think you should reconsider. I will manage just fine and I don't want you two to be ostracised just because we remain friends."

Dean and Justin exchanged another look, their expressions reflecting a mix of determination and reluctance. They understood Lucas's concern for their well-being, but they couldn't bear the thought of abandoning their friend in his time of need.

"Lucas, we appreciate your concern for us," Dean said, his voice earnest. "But we're not going to abandon you just because of some rumors. You're our friend, and we'll stick by you no matter what."

"Yeah, besides, we don't care what other people think," Justin chimed in, his tone resolute. "If they want to believe the worst about you, that's their problem. We know the truth."

'You stupid fucking Hufflepuffs!' Lucas thought with a genuine smile as he forced them to accept his proposal. At the same time he also copied the books he had asked them to read last year.