Saturday's Dessert Plan

After leaving Professor McGonagall's office, Lucretia felt both excited and grounded.

At the end of the corridor, the figure of Little Barty appeared.

He was walking from the direction of the Charms classroom, carrying a few books in his arms.

Upon seeing her, his pace quickened.

Little Barty's gaze fell on the ancient book in her arms, and his eyebrows arched slightly. "Professor McGonagall's tutoring session is over? How was it? Detailed Explanation of Magical Power Control? That book is quite rare."

Lucretia blurted out, her eyes brightening. "It was amazing! Do you know, Professor McGonagall is an Animagus! I only saw a cat when I walked into the office, but that was her! She turned back into a human right in front of me!"

Seeing Lucretia's excitement, Little Barty's expression softened. "I've heard of that. It's said she mastered that skill before she even graduated, which is extremely rare."

Lucretia's voice trembled slightly with excitement. "And she completely understood my problem! She said I don't need to force a change, but rather learn to guide and transform it! She even taught me a brand-new way to think about Transfiguration, and then had me try to transform a petal—I actually succeeded halfway!"

A look of pride appeared in Little Barty's eyes.

"I knew you could do it. Professor McGonagall is very fair. Although she is the Head of Gryffindor, as far as Transfiguration goes, she is truly the best teacher at Hogwarts. Come to think of it, the seventh chapter is a bit difficult to understand, especially the part about intent guidance."

Lucretia asked curiously, "You've actually read this book?"

Little Barty gave a light cough and pulled a small green velvet pouch from the inner pocket of his robes.

"I read it while preparing a paper last year. As it happens, this might be of help to you."

Lucretia took the pouch and opened it to find an exquisite metal pin inside.

It was shaped like a combination of a leaf and a needle, the craftsmanship so fine that she couldn't take her eyes off it.

"What is this?"

Little Barty shrugged, pretending to be indifferent as he explained, "A Transformation Guiding Pin. I saw it at an antique shop in Hogsmeade. It's said to be Goblin-made. The shopkeeper said wearing it helps a wizard maintain a connection to nature while transforming. It might be superstition, but... perhaps it's worth a try?"

Lucretia held the pin, feeling a faint magical pulse against her fingertips.

"Thank you, Barty!"

Little Barty turned his face away and scratched his hair. "So, see you at the library this weekend? Regulus and I can help you sort through some of the concepts."

"That would be great. Oh, but I promised Sophia I'd meet her at the library on Saturday morning."

Little Barty raised an eyebrow. "Sophia? Your roommate? The one who doesn't talk much?"

"Yeah, she said there's something she wants to talk to me about."

Little Barty frowned, then relaxed his expression. "Then let's do the afternoon. Regulus and I have Quidditch training; we can meet at the library after that."

Quidditch training, huh?

Lucretia paused. "By the way, Barty..."

"Hm?"

Her voice softened. "Your Quidditch training... can I come watch?"

Little Barty froze for a moment, the tips of his ears turning red instantly.

But he quickly regained his composure, putting on a serious expression. "Suit yourself. But Slytherin's training tactics are confidential."

Lucretia smiled and raised her hand as if taking an oath. "I promise I won't tell anyone."

Little Barty nodded. "Alright then. Saturday afternoon at three, at the Quidditch Pitch... dress warmly. It gets very windy in the stands."

"I will."

Lucretia nodded, her mind already wandering to what kind of dessert she should make.

Lemon Tart?

Or perhaps Lemon Cookies?

Or maybe she should flip through those cookbooks Headmaster Dumbledore gave her; perhaps there were other lemon-flavored desserts in there.

The two of them walked toward the castle together.

After walking for a while, Lucretia pretended to ask casually, "Right, did you hear about that Gryffindor, Jasper, falling down the stairs?"

Little Barty remained expressionless. "I heard. Madam Pomfrey will likely be busy for a while."

Lucretia thought about her wording. "It really is... a coincidence, right after he almost bumped into Emma."

"The stairs at Hogwarts have always had a strong sense of justice, don't they?"

Little Barty countered, using the exact words she had said to James.

Lucretia looked at him in surprise. "How did you know I...?"

Little Barty spoke indifferently, though there was a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Potter's mouth is big enough to stuff a Golden Snitch into. The entire Gryffindor Common Room has heard how you responded to him."

Lucretia's face heated up slightly. "I was just..."

Little Barty took over for her. "Very clever. You expressed your stance without saying too much."

They arrived at the entrance of the castle.

Little Barty suddenly asked, "Want to go check out the kitchen?"

"Kitchen?"

Lucretia repeated. Although her mother had told her where the kitchen was before she arrived, she hadn't been there yet.

Little Barty turned and headed toward the stairs. "Follow me. If you want to keep up the tradition of making snacks for Regulus and me, you should at least know where to find the tools and ingredients after coming to Hogwarts. You'll want to, right?"

Lucretia followed him, a slight warmth spreading in her heart.

They descended a few flights of stairs and arrived in front of a painting of a bowl of fruit.

Little Barty reached out and tickled the pear in the painting, which giggled and transformed into a door handle.

He pushed the door open. "Come on in. One of the treasures of Hogwarts."

The kitchen was a hive of activity, with dozens of house-elves preparing dinner.

Seeing students enter, the house-elves swarmed over, enthusiastically asking what they needed.

Little Barty looked at Lucretia and said calmly, "Perhaps you might want to borrow an oven when the time comes?"

A house-elf wearing a neat tea towel bowed. "Hello, Miss, Sir. I am Wibby, the kitchen supervisor. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Lucretia smiled as she looked at the house-elf, then back at Little Barty.

The latter nodded slightly, encouraging her to voice her request.

"I would like to make some snacks for my friends on Saturday. May I borrow the kitchen?"

Wibby's large eyes lit up. "Of course, Miss! The Hogwarts kitchen always welcomes students who love to cook! We can prepare all the ingredients you need, or help with..."

"She wants to make them herself. She just needs the space and the materials."

Wibby nodded. "Understood. What time on Saturday, Sir, Miss?"

Lucretia asked, "Is around twelve noon alright?"

Wibby said excitedly, "Perfect, Miss! We will ensure everything is ready."

As they walked out of the kitchen, Lucretia tugged on his sleeve. "Did you guess that I wanted to make snacks for you two, which is why you specifically brought me to the kitchen?"

The corner of Little Barty's mouth curled upward, and he gave a soft hum in response.