"What?" Firenze couldn't believe his ears.
"How do you paint?" Lorne, however, was growing more interested by the moment.
How had he not thought of this? If he didn't know any wizards, he could seek out other magical creatures. Some were bound to have exceptional talents in the fields he needed.
"We refer to star charts and paint the paths and changes on wooden posts," Firenze replied. "Why would you be interested in that? But I can't show you. This is a technique unique to the centaurs."
"That's all right. I don't need you to paint divination star charts."
Lorne had the book from the system, which covered every painting method. He wasn't interested in star charts that could be used for divination. He simply needed a talented painter.
Firenze was an excellent candidate for hire. Most importantly, he lived nearby!
That would make commissioning work and chasing up deadlines convenient.
But what could he offer to win a centaur over?
"If I wanted to hire you as my personal painter, what conditions would you ask for?"
Firenze actually considered it. "I don't want to deceive you. To be honest, there's very little chance. Centaurs have lived in seclusion in the forests and mountains for a long time. We don't wish to deal with wizards."
Lorne believed there was no deal that couldn't be made. If there was, the offer simply wasn't high enough.
"Give it a try," Lorne urged patiently. "I don't need you to appear in public or sign any contract with me. I'll commission a painting and pay you a deposit, then pay the balance once it's finished. You can stay in the Forbidden Forest the entire time."
Firenze still shook his head gently. "Galleons are nothing but scrap metal to us."
"But the things Galleons can buy aren't," Lorne continued to tempt him.
At least Firenze hadn't chased him away. There was still hope.
"Fruit, oatmeal, sweets... don't you want to give your people a change of taste? Or silver arrows. Oh, Muggles have something called an 'astronomical telescope.' You'd certainly be interested in that."
Firenze fell silent. Centaurs didn't need anything else to observe the guidance of the stars. Reading the stars from Hogwarts' Astronomy Tower was no different from reading them in the mud of the Forbidden Forest.
But food...
The Forbidden Forest's humus-based ecosystem couldn't sustain so many creatures. The centaurs' territory and food supplies dwindled by the day, and some of his people had already begun preparing to migrate.
For them, migration was a path paved with lives. Besides, he didn't think the centaurs could find a better habitat.
"If you can guarantee that those drawings won't be used for any evil divination that harms living beings or twists fate, I can agree. But I don't need Galleons. I need food. Fruit, meat, anything will do."
Lorne's eyes lit up. In his excitement, he bought another copy of A Hundred Explanations of Magic Painting Techniques from the shop and personally handed it to Firenze.
"This is a book on painting techniques from my collection. You can focus on the section about painting on glass. Most of the pieces I need will be of that kind. If the type of work changes later, I'll let you know in advance and pay you for the time spent learning."
"I don't have any food with me. I'll bring some to you tomorrow night and commission the first piece."
Having solved a problem that had troubled him for so long, Lorne could no longer hold back his smile.
With Firenze on board, could the support of the centaurs be far behind?
His commissions would grow in number and change in type. When Firenze couldn't keep up with both painting and learning, he would surely call on his people to help complete the work.
He was a genius!
But there was still one very important issue: where would he get large quantities of fresh food?
The next day.
Lorne "borrowed" some of Hogwarts' food reserves.
With the approval of Dumbledore and the other staff, the General Affairs Office now had a small measure of actual authority, including purchasing for the logistics department.
Lorne had also placed a suggestion box in a corner of the Great Hall to collect students' suggestions and feedback on the dishes.
Poor him, the creator of a game, actually having to worry about Galleons.
He needed to find a way to introduce paid purchases, though they couldn't affect the game's balance too much.
Outfits, titles, items for engraving names?
He would have to make proper arrangements after the end of term. He already owed Hogwarts a great deal of food.
The end-of-term exams soon arrived.
Lorne wouldn't be taking his exams alongside the other young wizards. Dumbledore had specially scheduled his for the summer holidays, saying it would give the other professors plenty of time to assess his abilities one by one.
Lorne wanted to protest, but Dumbledore had left the school these past few days to attend a meeting at the Ministry of Magic.
"Blimey, the questions on the Potions Class exam were way too obscure. The moment I saw the paper, my mind went completely blank. I couldn't think, and I didn't dare write anything. It was as if Snape had cast an Invisibility Charm on all that stuff inside my head."
After finishing the last of their end-of-term exams, Ron complained to Harry and Hermione.
"That's called not studying, Ron," Hermione remarked.
"I revised!" Ron argued.
"You only spent one day revising Potions. Not everything on the exam could have been something you revised, Ron," Harry said just as mercilessly. "What are the chances of a coincidence like that?"
"Wait!" Harry suddenly stopped in his tracks. Hermione and Ron looked back at him in confusion.
"Exactly! Why would someone give Hagrid a dragon egg?" Sherlock Harry instantly came online. "What are the chances of a coincidence like that? Hagrid wants something, and Hagrid gets it?"
Hermione followed his train of thought. "And Hagrid told him how to subdue Fluffy, too."
The three exchanged a glance and realized it at the same time.
"The Philosopher's Stone is in danger!"
Professor McGonagall was marking the first-years' exam papers, her brow alternately furrowing and relaxing.
Harry and his two friends rushed in frantically.
"Professor McGonagall, where's Headmaster Dumbledore?" Harry was gasping for breath. "We have something important to tell him."
"He's been called away by the Ministry of Magic." Professor McGonagall put down her quill. "Whatever it is, you can tell me, or ask Director Lorne to deal with it."
"The Philosopher's Stone! The Philosopher's Stone is in danger!"
Professor McGonagall slowly raised the head she had bent over her marking, her expression shifting slightly. "Where did you hear that name? But don't worry. I assure you it's quite safe at the moment."
The three remained silent, and Professor McGonagall didn't press them. But she was busy marking papers, so she began ushering them out.
"Go back to your dormitories. Stop wandering about."
Seeing that Professor McGonagall didn't believe them, Harry and his friends shook their heads in disappointment. They walked slowly along the corridor, and none of them knew who spoke first.
"So are we just going to leave it?"
"No." Harry's eyes held an unprecedented determination. "We're going down beneath the Trapdoor tonight."