Let's Kidnap Lucien to Beauxbatons

The judging of the free alchemy session ended in a stunning fashion. As the crowd gradually dispersed, excited whispers still lingered in the hall.

As Madame Maxime left, she gave Phoebe a meaningful look before walking away with steady steps.

Phoebe immediately understood and followed her toward the Headmaster's Office.

The Headmaster's Office in Beauxbatons was spacious and luxurious, with sunlight casting bright dappled patterns on the brocade carpet.

Madame Maxime was already seated in her extravagantly sized chair and gestured for Phoebe to sit in the armchair opposite her.

Only the two of them remained in the room, the fire in the fireplace burning quietly, making a soft crackling sound.

Madame Maxime directly posed a question that seemed somewhat unexpected:

"Phoebe, in your opinion, in terms of prestige and status alone, which is stronger, Hogwarts or Beauxbatons?"

Phoebe paused slightly, her long eyelashes drooping, and she did not answer immediately.

But the answer to this question is actually quite obvious.

Almost instantly, the name of one wizard will appear in any thought on this question—the greatest wizard of this century, sitting in the Headmaster's Office at some school right now?

"Hogwarts, of course," Madame Maxime answered herself, her tone calm and without resentment, but rather tinged with a hint of mockery. "Even though they change their Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts every year, oh, and even the most recent one, Mr. Lockhart, only lasted less than six months... heh heh..."

With no outsiders present, Madame Maxime, facing her most valued student whom she almost regarded as her own, shed much of her usual stern demeanor and appeared relaxed and candid.

"In terms of history and heritage, Hogwarts and Beauxbatons were founded around the same time, and have produced countless outstanding figures over the centuries, making it difficult to distinguish which is superior."

"But looking at the present, Beauxbatons does indeed lack a top-tier wizard who can command respect from all sides. Hogwarts, on the other hand, has Albus Dumbledore, whose power and prestige are unmatched in the current wizarding world."

Maxime leaned forward slightly, his gaze fixed intently on Phoebe: "Child, I believe you have the insight to see it. Lucien Grafton's future is limitless. The last person to completely transform the way wizards live was the inventor of Floo Powder. Lucien's future impact on the Wizarding World will only be more widespread and profound. He's so young! So young that he possesses limitless potential..."

Phoebe's heart skipped a beat. She vaguely sensed the direction the principal was taking, but still hesitantly asked, "Madam, what do you mean...?"

"What I mean is," Madame Maxime sat up straight, "To find a way to get Lucien... well, to bring Beauxbatons over."

"Abducted... abducted?!" This overly direct and even somewhat "illegal" wording made Phoebe's eyes widen instantly, and she looked at her principal in astonishment.

Did she hear that right?

"Madam, is this... is this really appropriate?" Phoebe felt her cheeks burning, unsure whether it was from surprise or something else. "Lucien is still a full-time student at Hogwarts!"

Although Phoebe's heart did flutter slightly upon hearing the suggestion—if Lucien could come to Beauxbatons, wouldn't that mean they could see each other every day and have more time together...?

However, Phoebe quickly came to her senses. Wasn't she afraid of being confronted by Dumbledore? He was the most powerful wizard in the world!

Although she had never met Dumbledore in person, Phoebe had heard about his many legendary deeds since she was a child.

Madame Maxime smiled slightly, as if she had everything under control.

"As long as Lucien's transfer is his true wish, we have nothing to worry about even if Dumbledore comes knocking on our door later demanding an explanation."

"Albus Dumbledore's power is indeed unparalleled in the world, but he is also a wizard who strictly adheres to the rules, even to the point of being bound by them. Dumbledore would not rely on his unparalleled magical power to forcibly oppress or violate the free will of others."

In fact, Maxime had an even more important reason, or rather, a "reliance" in his mind— Lucien's teacher, Nicolas Flamel himself, seemed to prefer to place his beloved student in a safer and purer learning and growth environment.

However, she couldn't tell Phoebe the reason at the moment.

Seeing Phoebe's hesitation, Maxime continued to coax her, "You should have heard about Hogwarts ' recent exploits—dark wizards have infiltrated, professors with potential mental problems have been recruited, and even Azkaban fugitive in hiding has been taken in. Recently, it was revealed that they kept a dangerous and deadly thousand-year-old Basilisk..."

As Madame Maxime listed one by one these "feats" that had made it into wizarding newspapers or triggered investigations by the Ministry of Magic, Phoebe's face paled slightly.

There's no way around it, these are all true stories!

Most of these incidents were caused by the Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts.

Madame Maxime's voice softened further.

"Son, you don't want Lucien to stay in such a 'dangerous' school for a few more years, do you?"