The Niffler That Needs to Lose Weight, Thestral Glasses (4000 words)

Upon hearing Newt's reply, Dumbledore raised an eyebrow slightly, but did not immediately ask further questions.

After a few casual words, Newt turned the conversation back to Lucien, his tone becoming more relaxed:

"By the way, Lucien, how are the kids doing lately?"

They are all fine.

Lucien smiled and took out a small, exquisitely crafted box from his pocket—this was the suitcase that had been redesigned and shrunk in size.

"However, some of the 'residents' inside are too big to be released here. Let's go inside the box to check on them later. We can take a look now..."

He opened the small box and gently waved his wand inside.

A moment later, a sleepy-looking Niffler in white-gold fur floated out of the box; it was Jinji.

Newt reached out and caught the little guy.

Jinji rolled around in his palm, finding a comfortable position.

Newt subconsciously weighed it in his hand, feeling its weight, softness, and bouncy texture.

His expression instantly became somewhat subtle, and his tone carried a hint of strangeness.

"Lucien, don't you think that Jinji seems a bit... 'sturdier' compared to other Niffler its age?"

"Perhaps this little guy secretly stuffed a lot of treasure into its nest again, increasing its load."

As Lucien spoke, he reached out a finger and gently scratched Jinji's soft belly.

"Splash--"

With a crisp, melodious sound, all sorts of gold and silver jewelry, glittering cufflinks, and even hundreds of gallons of silver poured out of the pocket on Jinji's belly.

Instantly, the Headmaster's Office was transformed into a dazzling, radiant space.

"Squeak!"

Jinji was completely awakened by the noise. It watched as all the treasures it had "painstakingly" collected ran away. It desperately stretched out its little paws to try to retrieve them, but its paws were too short and it could only wave them in vain in the air. Its little eyes were filled with despair and helplessness.

However, embarrassingly, even after all the treasures were emptied, Jinji's round, fluffy body, resembling a platinum ball of fur, showed no sign of "slimming down" at all...

An awkward silence fell over the Headmaster's Office in an instant.

Lucien silently put the treasure back into his pocket, while pulling Jinji, who was trying to stop him, into his arms and coughing softly.

"Um, I'll be strictly supervising this little guy's weight loss!"

Looks like I'll have to get a hamster wheel for my kid...

Dumbledore's eyes behind his Half-moon Spectacles were full of laughter.

"Haha, it's clear, Lucien, you're very good at taking care of these Magical Creatures. They're very... comfortable here with you."

Dumbledore's gaze fell again on the miniature briefcase, and he asked with obvious interest,

"I wonder if I would have the honor of visiting your Box World?"

In fact, Dumbledore's request was not made on a whim.

A few days ago, during Quidditch Match, he vaguely glimpsed what appeared to be Thunderbird in the clouds, which made him suspicious.

Seeing the same briefcase that Newt had in Lucien's hand, I roughly knew the answer.

"Of course, no problem."

Lucien agreed without much hesitation, since there weren't that many Magical Creatures in the box anyway.

Lucien then led Dumbledore and Newt into the box world he had set up.

Before long, the tour ended, and the three returned to the Headmaster's Office. Dumbledore looked at Lucien and spoke with particular earnestness:

"Lucien, you'd better keep an eye on this box when you're at school!"

Because just now Dumbledore not only saw the expected Thunderbird, but also a Fire Dragon!

The Fire Dragon's appearance was somewhat unusual, but Dumbledore barely recognize it as a Norwegian Ridgeback.

Just thinking about this young student in front of me, who carries a box full of Magical Creatures like Thunderbird and Fire Dragon around Hogwarts every day as if nothing's wrong with him.

Dumbledore's feelings at this moment were somewhat complicated and difficult to describe.

Newt, seeing this, quickly said:

"Dumbledore, don't worry! The box I gave Lucien has been completely upgraded; its protective magic is at the highest level. Those little guys absolutely, positively cannot escape!"

Dumbledore looked at Newt, pondering that this old friend had quite a few "criminal records"...

"Principal, don't worry, I'll definitely keep a close eye on them."

Hearing Lucien's assurance, Dumbledore. Lucien himself could Transfiguration into Magical Creatures, so raising a few Magical Creatures didn't seem like a problem.

Young Fawkes hadn't had a long rest before he was busy taking Newt back, leaving only a few embers lingering in the air.

Now, only Lucien and Dumbledore remained in the Headmaster's Office.

Dumbledore looked calmly at Lucien.

"Regarding the Basilisk, besides what we've already discussed, do you have any other ideas?"

After a moment's thought, Lucien gave his answer:

"I believe it's best to keep the existence of the Basilisk a secret for now, limiting it to the dean and professors. If the news spreads among the students, it could cause unexpected panic. The most urgent task is to find the Basilisk from the castle and eliminate it completely."

"Yes, the most deadly Basilisk is its eyes, which contain the magic of death perception. So far, the victims have only been petrified by chance through mediums such as water, mirrors, and ghosts. You can't expect good luck to last forever."

Although Lucien had previously observed Lockhart and Tom's conspiracy, Lockhart dared not actually kill the young wizard, and Tom promised him he would only petrify him.

But Lucien didn't believe Tom's "promise," which he saw as more of a ploy to keep Lockhart in line and trick him into doing something.

As he spoke, Lucien took out a pair of simple glasses from his pocket and gently placed them on the desk.

"Speaking of which, Headmaster, this is an experimental product I recently crafted. I suddenly thought that it might have some effect on the Basilisk's gaze?"

Dumbledore beckoned, and the glasses flew smoothly into his hand.

He held it up to his eyes, examining the seemingly ordinary glasses closely. After a moment, a look of understanding flashed in his eyes.

"Oh, the ingredients include Thestral tail feathers, right?"

"Yes, Headmaster," Lucien nodded in acknowledgment. "My initial intention was to try and utilize the Thestral ' ability to see only the dead, to see if I could create a special magical artifact. These glasses currently function to blur anything related to 'death' in the wearer's vision. I wonder if this could also block or weaken the Basilisk's gaze?"

Upon hearing this, Dumbledore took out the Elder Wand, touched the tip of the wand to the frame of the glasses, and let the magic flow slowly into it, probing the magical structure inside the glasses.

The room was quiet for a few minutes.

Dumbledore put away his wand, handed the glasses back to Lucien, and looked at him with undisguised admiration.

"A very clever idea."

Throughout the semester, Dumbledore had become accustomed to Lucien's endless inventions, and seeing him produce such an ingenious work now, he felt more appreciation and familiarity than anything else.

Lucien took the glasses,

"In your opinion, what aspects of the design of these glasses could be improved?"

Dumbledore pondered for a moment,

"Perhaps we could try incorporating constant magic that deflects gaze or scatters light, adding an extra layer of protection for the wearer..."

The old man and the young man discussed Alchemy related to the improvement plan for the Thestral glasses.

Before long, Fawkes returned, but instead of going back to the perch, he glided down lightly and landed on Lucien's shoulder.

With its still-small beak, it gently combed his disheveled hair.

Dumbledore watched this scene, and a smile couldn't help but appear on his face:

Fawkes really enjoys being close to you.

Lucien raised his hand and scratched Fawkes's fluffy little head, half-jokingly saying:

"Perhaps it's because I'm susceptible to absorbing Magical Creatures?"

Dumbledore's smile deepened, knowing that this was one of the reasons Newt valued Lucien.

After a brief moment of relief, the principal's expression turned serious again, and he changed the subject:

"Lucien, I'm afraid I'll be extremely busy for the next while, and it's inevitable that I'll neglect some of the school's daily supervision. I'm constantly worried about Harry, and I have a feeling that this year's crisis will ultimately point to him, so..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lucien already understood.

The familiar storyline of a guardian angel.

But surely Dumbledore wouldn't still want to use the Basilisk to "train" Harry, would he?

Speaking of which, that legendary Gryffindor sword...

Lucien's gaze involuntarily drifted to the Sorting Hat in the glass case, which was swaying slightly and from which a few strange hums could be faintly heard.

"I understand," Lucien said calmly, withdrawing his gaze. "If things go wrong, I'll keep an eye on Harry."

Once the Basilisk appears, take it down immediately.

It needed its heart to serve as a key material for the Magic Weaving, to complete the final optimization of Norbert's Magic Circuit.

Once this matter is resolved, we can ask Dumbledore to make contact with the magical core of Hogwarts Castle.

If one can "borrow" some of the emotional energy accumulated from the young wizards over the years, and reach the minimum standard for crafting Sorcerer's Stone, then one can try to craft one...

Dumbledore's face showed a look of satisfaction:

"I'm relieved. However, Lucien, although your strength far surpasses that of your peers, don't push yourself too hard. Prioritize informing the professors; dealing with the Basilisk is extremely dangerous, but the professors are capable of protecting the students, and Hogwarts itself has backup security measures."

"Security measures?"

Upon hearing this, the first thing that flashed through Lucien's mind was McGonagall's Cheering Charm:

Piertotum Locomotor (Piertotum Locomotor)

That magic can awaken the stone statues and armor within the castle, commanding them to fight and protect Hogwarts.

"No problem, I've got it."

Lucien nodded in agreement and asked,

"Headmaster, are you going to deal with those Pure-blood matters?"

"More or less." Dumbledore's gaze behind his Half-moon Spectacles seemed slightly weary. "Their reaction to the previous attacks was lukewarm. But the attack on Zabini caused a huge uproar. So I have to deal with a lot of 'concerns' from the Board of Governors and the Ministry of Magic."

Lucien was not surprised by this.

It's already commendable to remain indifferent or even refrain from taking advantage of someone's misfortune when it doesn't concern you.

Over the years, those Pure-blood have long since figured out Dumbledore's character, knowing that this powerful old wizard is willing to act within the established rules.

Otherwise, could a vote by just a few members of the Board of Governors really drive Dumbledore out of his "loyal" Hogwarts?

Dumbledore just too "reasonable." Because he was well aware of his own immense power, he insisted on using rules to restrain himself and prevent the world from having another "White Demon King."

Lucien remained noncommittal about this; all he wanted was to study peacefully, and he was open to solving problems using either wisdom or strength, whichever would save him the most time.

Yes, the best time for Tom to make his move is when Dumbledore leaves Hogwarts temporarily.

The next day.

The atmosphere in the Headmaster's Office was somber.

The professors of Hogwarts were all gathered here, and when Dumbledore announced that the monster hiding in the Chamber of Secrets and responsible for the numerous attacks was the legendary Basilisk, several gasps of shock filled the room.

Merlin!

McGonagall's face turned pale, and she clutched her chest tightly.

Despite Snape's cold expression, a shadow of gloom still flickered in the depths of his eyes.

Lockhart, sitting in an inconspicuous spot, perfectly portrayed fear and unease, wiping his forehead with a handkerchief as he stared wide-eyed.

However, he was actually quite calm inside.

Basilisk is exposed or not is no longer of great importance to his and Tom's plans.

The hero's script has already been written; all that's left is for the final act to unfold!

"Dumbledore, we must take the strictest measures immediately!"

"Don't be too nervous, Minerva."

Dumbledore's tone remained calm.

"Not nervous?! That's Basilisk; looking directly into its eyes can kill you!"

It was rare for McGonagall to show any annoyance towards Dumbledore.

The other professors present tacitly remained silent.

Everyone knew perfectly well that although Dumbledore was the headmaster, the one who actually managed all the school's affairs and was responsible for the students with the same level of care as a lioness protecting her cubs was McGonagall, the vice-headmaster.

In some ways, she might be Dumbledore.

At that moment, a professor with a silver-gray magical prosthetic arm on his left arm and several scars on his face raised his hand.

He is Silvanus Kettleburn, the former professor of the Care of Magical Creatures.

"Excuse me, Dumbledore," Professor Kettleburn's voice was gruff, "The Chamber of Secrets has existed for over a thousand years. Even the Basilisk left behind by Salazar Slytherin himself, could it really have lived that long?"

Several professors who also knew something about the Basilisk cast similarly questioning glances.

Dumbledore calmly explained:

"I consulted Newt Scamander about this. If there were special methods of hibernation, given that Basilisk typically live for eight or nine hundred years, it's quite possible that they could have survived from the Slytherin era to the present day."

Professor Kettleburn repeated Newt's name in a low voice, his doubts vanishing.

In the realm of Magical Creatures, this name itself represents authority and the answer.

Professor McGonagall quickly returned to the main topic and offered her suggestions:

"We must immediately and strictly regulate students' travel, and absolutely prohibit activities such as nighttime outings!"

"But we shouldn't let the news that the monster is Basilisk leak to the students yet, to avoid causing widespread panic."

"I completely agree, Minerva," Dumbledore said approvingly, then his gaze swept across the room. "Next, we need to work together to find the Basilisk's exact location."

Dumbledore flipped his hand, and a pair of ordinary glasses appeared in his palm.

"Of course, we and the students need some extra protective measures. These glasses were invented by Lucien; they can block the Basilisk's gaze to some extent."

As he spoke, Dumbledore conjured up another small box, inside which were displayed various eyeglass frames and a few thin contact lenses.

"Lucien has been very thoughtful; he has prepared a variety of styles."

The professors stepped forward one by one to receive the glasses from Dumbledore.

After everyone had taken theirs, all that remained in Dumbledore's hands was a pair of rather unique "bee" glasses decorated with wings.

Some professors suppressed their laughter and tried hard to maintain a serious demeanor.

Snape, however, looked rather grim. He had been too slow and had ended up with a pair of exaggerated-looking bat-framed glasses.

Snape stood up almost immediately and flew away without a word, like a giant bat.

The other professors also left one after another.

Dumbledore's gaze lingered for a moment on Lockhart's departing figure.

It must be said that Lockhart was unusually quiet today, completely unlike his usual talkative self.