Potions Class Is About to Begin (The Book Has Fattened Up! Big Shots, Don't Let It Sit!)

"The Gaunt Family cannot sign this alliance with you."

Luke smiled. "But I can sign it with you."

His words made Worm pause. Then he furrowed his brow and began weighing the pros and cons.

Luke did not rush him, merely waiting with a smile for him to speak.

After some time, Worm still seemed unable to reach an answer.

"Meow~"

A sudden meow broke the heavy atmosphere in the office.

Everyone followed the sound and saw a small black cat that had somehow climbed in through the open window.

Luke beckoned to Book, and Book quickly ran over and sat on the desk before him.

Luke picked him up and placed him on his lap, stroking his fur as he smiled. "The kitten doesn't know any better. Please forgive him, gentlemen."

"It's fine." Worm frowned as he looked at the cat. Then, when he saw not a trace of apology on Luke's face, he suddenly froze.

The seemingly equal atmosphere between them had made him instinctively overlook something: the boy before him was only eleven years old, but Luke was not the one asking to form an alliance with them.

They were the ones asking Luke.

Luke did not need this alliance. At most, he would have one fewer ally. Someone ambitious who spent his school years at Hogwarts would never lack allies after growing up.

But without this alliance, the Lans Family would truly become one of those families despised among the Nobles. And to keep themselves from going from being despised to becoming a laughingstock, they could only passively stand against Luke. They did not know what he was trying to do.

But no matter how they looked at it, a family at the Lans Family's level would only be cannon fodder in such a struggle.

"We can accept your terms," Worm said gravely. "But I have one additional condition. If things go wrong, we have the right to terminate the Contract early."

"You may terminate the Contract at any time."

The moment he finished speaking, Luke answered directly.

Under Worm's astonished, scrutinizing gaze, Luke smiled arrogantly. "If I cannot even maintain your confidence, then how can I win over more people and achieve my ideals?"

The almost conceited confidence in his words made Worm fall silent for a moment.

Then he drew a long breath and said to Luke, "Let us leave things here for today, Mr. Luke."

Luke was taken aback. Were they not planning to sign, nor continue negotiating?

Still, he did not particularly care. He nodded. "As you wish."

"We will send you a Letter on Christmas. Along with our Christmas wishes, we will tell you our decision." Worm's expression shifted from resolute restraint to respect.

"This is a matter of great importance. Even as the family head, I cannot decide it alone. Please give me some time to persuade the rest of the family."

Both Lai Ke behind him and Luke before him were somewhat surprised by his words.

What was he thinking? How had his attitude changed so drastically all at once?

I should have kept Taylor by my side...

A Legilimens was far more valuable than a Wizard who merely knew Legilimency. It was not just a matter of rarity. Having used Legilimency since childhood, they had mastered it to an extraordinary degree. Unless they intended otherwise, very few people could notice them reading their thoughts.

"Then I shall await your good news."

Luke's smile faded as he spoke with a serious expression. He did not know what this old man was planning, but the reverence in his emotions and the seriousness on his face told Luke that whatever he intended to do, the old man was already prepared to make a tremendous gamble.

After bowing to Luke once more, Worm turned to his nephew. "Lai Ke, let's go."

"Yes, sir." After answering Worm, Lai Ke hesitated, but still bowed to Luke. "Goodbye, sir."

Luke nodded, then rose and followed the two out, seeing them off from the castle.

Then he watched them board their carriage and leave Hogwarts.

Luke held Book in his arms, his expression calm.

"What are you looking at?"

Professor McGonagall had appeared beside Luke at some point. Or perhaps she had never gone far.

"It feels like the Lans Family's Thestrals are raised quite well. They're a full size larger than the average Thestral described in books."

Luke spoke blandly.

Professor McGonagall fell silent and looked at the eleven-year-old child with an almost pitying expression.

She wanted to reach out and pat his head, but after hesitating, she merely patted Luke on the shoulder.

"Go get something to eat, child. You can have a proper rest today."

A warm smile appeared on Luke's face. "Thank you, Professor."

With that, he turned and walked back into the castle.

Professor McGonagall watched his retreating back for a long time without saying a word.

They had all noticed this child's maturity and obedience. But a mature, obedient child must have gone through something that made him mature and obedient.

Just as Luke stepped through the doorway, Taylor emerged from a corner and whispered to him, "At first, that old man was thinking about how to make you accept their terms."

"But when he left, he was thinking about how to make you accept the allegiance of his entire family, and how to help you clear away some obstacles within the family."

Taylor looked at Luke as if he were a monster. "What exactly did you do to him?"

Luke looked at the Legilimens who had come to him of her own accord and shook his head. "The same thing I do to everyone except a select few."

"Show different people the side of yourself that best suits their needs."

"Basic procedure."

After saying that, Luke ignored Taylor's stunned expression and silently walked on.

It was nice that he did not have class today, but tomorrow would be his doom...

Honestly, how could someone with a Potions Talent of three dare to toss ingredients into a cauldron?

Just thinking about it gave Luke a headache. Should he go to Hagrid first and find some rarer Potion ingredients, then bribe Snape in advance?

But after thinking it over, Luke decided against it.

Leaving himself a harmless flaw was not bad. At least it made him seem more human.

Taylor stood where she was, silently watching Luke's back for a while. A moment later, she smiled and skipped after him.

Now that things had come to this, what was the point of thinking so much?

Her grandmother had said that once you made a decision, you had to see it through unless it killed you.

Besides, Luke was so smart. How could he possibly do anything that would make himself and the people around him face death directly?

At that moment, Luke still did not know that Taylor had just set a flag for him that would come true before long.