Malfoy's Flying Training, Slytherin's Propaganda

The Room of Requirement.

"Harry, this thing works much better than a wand!"

"No incantation is needed, just a light press, but unfortunately the effect is a bit limited."

Ron held up something that looked like a hairdryer and excitedly told Harry about its effects.

As the training dummy swayed over, Ron aimed the "hair dryer" at it and pressed the button.

Magic runes flashed, and a transparent air cannon shot out, sending the doll flying.

Hearing the commotion, the others who were practicing Defense Against the Dark Arts and dueling techniques all turned their gazes toward it, their eyes filled with curiosity and confusion.

Ron ran up to Lucien, holding the "hair dryer".

"Lucien, do you think my work is alright?"

Lucien took it and began to analyze its structure.

This was his general idea, along with some answers and guidance along the way. The rest was a simple alchemical tool that Ron made himself, and he just casually called it the Air Gun.

It involves using basic breath-holding, compression, and acceleration spells to condense air before launching it. The power is decent; it can blast away puppets and even people.

Air Gun can't maim, but their rapid-fire capability makes them faster than an inexperienced wizard using spells.

This semester Lucien began formally teaching Harry and the others Defense Against the Dark Arts. They also practiced one-on-one, two-on-two, and even one-on-many combat with each other. Only by applying what they had learned in practice could they truly master the knowledge.

The others are making good progress; some are talented, and some have a solid foundation.

Aside from the fact that Ron was indeed held back by his wand—after all, he was using his brother's old wand, which wasn't well-suited to his skills and definitely affected his spellcasting—Ron's performance was definitely affected.

However, thanks to Lucien's previous reinforcement and modifications to the Flying Ford Anglia, Ron's wand did not break, and the spell did not bounce back onto him.

Ron had been troubled by his wand problem, and Lucien thought that maybe he could get a new wand sooner, since his twin brother had already made money.

Lucien could tell that although the twins often teased their little brother Ron, they still cared for him a lot. He estimated that they would buy Ron a new wand around winter break, a wand that would truly suit him.

So let Ron try out this simple alchemy technique that can be adjusted at any time first, and then he can formally practice spells and duels after he gets a new wand.

"Hmm, it's well done, but the magic runes here and..."

With Lucien's explanation, Ron clearly understood the problem and eagerly went to make the changes.

After making the changes, he tossed the wand aside and started shooting the doll with Air Gun.

He was muttering something about how convenient it was, and that Muggle also have something similar, something called a metal wand...

The tutoring session ended quickly.

After the others left, Malfoy approached Lucien and asked a question:

"Lucien, I remember you're a great flyer. How about you play Quidditch, like Seeker?"

Looking at Malfoy's expression, which seemed to want to laugh but couldn't, Lucien thought to himself, "Isn't this kid from Slytherin? He can't be like my own house's senior, Qiu, who's always trying to drag me to the house team to play Quidditch."

Oh, right, Malfoy is supposed to sponsor Slytherin this year, and have his dad Lucius buy the team a few Nimbus 2001, so he can naturally join the team. I think his position is Seeker.

"What, are you planning to go head-to-head with Harry on the court this year?"

Upon hearing this, Malfoy's smile finally broke free of his restraint.

"Haha, Lucien, you're absolutely right! Gryffindor won't have another chance to kiss the Quidditch Cup this year!"

"I've got Flint's approval, the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch Team, and I'll be the team's Seeker soon. Since you're such a good flyer, could you give me some pointers and practice with me a bit?"

As Malfoy recalled something, he added:

"Of course, of course," tutoring fees are separate.

Malfoy pulled out a spellbook and stuffed it into Lucien's pocket.

As he casually opened his pocket, Lucien thought to himself, "Who says foreigners don't have social niceties? That's just prejudice."

"You need to practice. Don't the college teams organize practice sessions?"

Hearing Lucien's words, Malfoy pursed his lips, feeling both annoyed and embarrassed.

"Lucien, do you remember Slytherin's playing style? I'm not quite there yet, so..."

Slytherin's playing style?

Lucien quickly recalled that among the Quidditch Match he had watched last year, Slytherin was arguably the wildest.

It's less about playing ball and more about hitting people with the ball.

The key Quidditch rule is that the Beater can Bludger towards the opponent, which is a clearly defined attack method.

Only the Wizarding World can do this, since here, comminuted fractures and concussions are just minor injuries.

Lucien also had some impression of Flint; he was burly and looked quite rough, and as the captain, he naturally dictated the style and direction of the entire team.

Looking at Malfoy's thin frame, well, he really doesn't fit well with Slytherin's team style.

However, for Seeker, agility is certainly important, but in addition, quick reflexes and skillful flight techniques are also necessary...

Lucien believed he could easily coach Malfoy in Quidditch; flying skills were only one aspect, but the exaggerated vision granted by the Eye of Magic Sight was absolutely overwhelming at high speeds.

Moreover, I've recently been working on designing and inventing Flying Broomstick, and I even bought several popular brooms on the market for reference.

This also provides an opportunity to collect data and test new products.

Flying Broomstick represent a huge market.

First, there's the demand. Quidditch is practically a sport for all wizards, and their enthusiasm for it is undeniable.

Leaving aside professional teams, some wizarding families play Quidditch regularly. For example, when Lucien visited the Burrow, he played a few games with Ron and his twins.

Secondly, there's the level of competition. The strongest broom on the market is the Nimbus Series, which surpasses the Comet and Cleansweep by several levels. As for the even stronger Firebolt, it hasn't been released yet.

Lucien is confident that he can develop Flying Broomstick that is faster and better than the Nimbus.

This confidence stems from being a student of Nicolas Flamel, and also from his confidence in his SS+ alchemy talent.

"OK, no problem."

Malfoy was overjoyed at Lucien's agreement.

"Oh right, this is the custom-made map you requested. Shall we check it?"

Seeing the map lying in Lucien's hand, its understated yet exquisite quality made Malfoy's gray eyes light up slightly, and he immediately felt that the money had been well spent...

It was worth it!

Slytherin Common Room.

A group of young wizards surrounded Malfoy, curiously observing the exquisite map spread out on the table.

"There are so many routes! And I can choose the fastest one?"

"So there's a secret passage in the school. Let's go check it out tonight."

"Hey, why is there a name displayed here, Argus Filch... Filch?"

"And Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat can also be shown."

Some energetic and adventurous young wizards were no strangers to nighttime exploration and immediately realized the purpose and value of this map.

Although magic could be used to fool the Squib and the ordinary house cat, they would still be caught if they weren't caught in time.

"The patterns and designs on it are so exquisite, how come they're different from the map I bought?"

"Exactly, why isn't mine showing Filch and the cat's locations either?"

"Draco, didn't you buy it from the Seventh Workshop?"

As Pure-blood wizard is not short of money, some of them have bought the most expensive and comprehensive map, and are now comparing it with Malfoy's map.

Enjoying the feeling of being the center of attention, and hearing the envious glances from others, Malfoy curled the corners of his mouth and coughed lightly.

"This was custom-made by Lucien; it's definitely not some mass-produced item."

At the same time, Malfoy took out his wand and tapped it lightly on the map. After the magic covered the map, the Malfoy Family crest appeared in the most conspicuous position:

The overall design uses black, green, and silver colors, and is decorated with Fire Dragon and snake patterns.

Miniature Latin characters were written on the silver silk:

"Sanctimonia Vincet Semper"

It means "Pure-blood will always prevail".

Another feature is the Slytherin crest encircling the graceful serpent, with its subtly shimmering gold trim...

Despite the numerous elements, the combination is quite ingenious, avoiding a cluttered feel and instead adding a touch of luxury to the map.

Those who bought the regular maps were suddenly dismayed; compared to them, theirs seemed like a truly generic product.

"Here, this was made by Lucien himself, and it even has a custom logo."

Malfoy flipped the map over, revealing the emblem in the upper left corner that had materialized as magic was infused into it:

The book, transformed into a hawk, flaps its wings, with the words "LG" printed on it in large letters.

Someone muttered under their breath, "Why is even the logo on the custom-made one better looking than mine...?"

The younger students were just watching the show, but some of the sixth and seventh graders who chose the Alchemy Class actually glimpsed some of the secrets.

They couldn't understand the alchemical techniques depicted on the map, but they could vaguely sense their extraordinary nature.

Lucien Grafton, they remember, set the Great Hall on the Great Hall last Halloween and won the House Cup for Ravenclaw at the end of the school year.

"Draco, how many Galleon does this map cost?"

Upon hearing this long-awaited question, Malfoy grinned slyly and arrogantly raised his chin.

"Galleon?"

He repeated the word lightly.

"For a Malfoy, value is never measured by Galleon, but by taste. What I approve of is naturally a unique masterpiece."

Many people think Malfoy is pretentious, but they also feel that his words resonated with them.

Yes, noble Pure-blood, respectable aristocrats—isn't that what they all want: to be different?

Suddenly, Malfoy glanced at Zabini and said with a smile:

"Blaise, what do you think of this map? Look at the workmanship on it."

Malfoy reached out and tapped the "VIP Map No. 1" marker, its gold and emerald green threads making it very eye-catching.

Blaise Zabini is a boy with dark skin and narrow brown eyes. He is in the same grade as Malfoy and is also a Pure-blood.

Although Malfoy's question was somewhat abrupt, for some reason, his tone and expression made Zabini a little uncomfortable. He frowned; what was so special about a map?

Although the map has a tasteful appearance and convenient display functions, it does indeed match the elegance and dignity of Pure-blood.

Zabini stood up abruptly, said nothing, simply straightened his collar, and walked straight towards the lounge door.

It's just a map, does it? Does it mean anyone can't afford one?

His mother had seven husbands! Seven!

After the deaths of Zabini's adoptive fathers, his enormous fortune was naturally inherited by his mother, Mrs. Zabini.

The Malfoy Family certainly has a strong heritage, but don't underestimate the bond between Zabini and his adoptive fathers!

There are quite a few Pure-blood who share similar ideas.

Although the Malfoy Family does well among Pure-blood, other families know that it's because they chose sides in time; to put it bluntly, they're Wind-Swaying.

However, that map does look quite good; the workmanship is exquisite and elegant, and most importantly, it has a unique mark. How could a true Pure-blood not have such an item that signifies their status?

The upperclassmen who had chosen Alchemy Class were genuinely curious: could such alchemical tools really have been made by a second-year student?

Even Ravenclaw, known for their erudition and wisdom, shouldn't be this outrageous.

It's certainly worth buying a copy to study; after all, money is just a number to most Slytherin.

Seeing Zabini leave without a word, Malfoy felt a sense of satisfaction and was glad that he had a relationship with Lucien, which was why the Weasley family brothers had let him cut in line.

Otherwise, wouldn't this treatment of being the center of attention just benefit that kid Zabini?

After receiving the new custom map order and details from the twins, Lucien returned to the Ravenclaw lounge.

He flipped through the stack of papers, browsing the various requirements and designs on them.

Some wanted their names engraved, some wanted their family crests painted, and some wanted a motto written on them...

Oh, and there are even vows of love exchanged between couples.

6.

Lucien felt a little nauseous at the words above.

But I must say, it's actually a pretty good idea: bundled sales.

Or they might associate certain products with love or friendship, like the idea that diamonds are forever, or that a diamond ring can only be customized once in a lifetime...

It's all just marketing gimmicks, but it works.

The ruthless Lucien the Merchant Grafton available.

Lucien put away the papers, marveling at how effective Malfoy's propaganda was.

When I gave Malfoy the map, I only gave him a few simple instructions, asking him to help promote this custom VIP map in Slytherin. The rest was up to the kid to figure out.

Thinking that Malfoy was usually quite high-profile, and that many people in Slytherin knew him, he was also a prime candidate for getting his comeuppance.

It seems he's swayed quite a few Slytherin.

Since they've helped me out, I should give Malfoy some serious intensive flight training in a few days; I can't let their learning go to waste.