On his way out of the great hall Lucas unexpectedly walked into Dean Thomas, another student whom he had helped extensively the previous year. And just like Justin he asked him to read a book.
"Hey, Dean," Lucas greeted him warmly. "I came across this intriguing book in the library, and I was wondering if you'd be willing to read it for me. It's called 'An Introduction Into Wards'"
Dean looked at the parchment with the book's details, the title and the small summary seemed to pique his interest "Wow, this sounds fascinating! I'm flattered that you chose me, Lucas. I'll be sure to read it thoroughly, but for what do you need it, if you don't mind me asking."
"Not at all, I just found the concept of wards interesting. They have such a myriad of uses that it would be a shame not to learn about them."
"Trueeeee."
Lucas nodded appreciatively. "Thank you, Dean. Your help means a lot to me. Let's meet up later to discuss it. I'm eager to hear your thoughts on the book."
Dean nodded in agreement, his excitement mirrored in his eyes. "Absolutely! I'll make it a priority. I'm sure we'll have a lot to discuss."
"Then see you later."
"See you later."
Having another book secured Lucas made his way to the room of requirement. It was time to study his new spells some more.
Entering the room, Lucas stood in the center of a softly illuminated space. The gentle glow cast a tranquil ambiance, coaxing a sense of calmness within him. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, allowing his body to relax and releasing any tension that had built up within his shoulders and jaw. With each exhale, he let go of the worries and distractions of the outside world.
In this serene environment, Lucas redirected his focus from himself to the world around him.
Eventually he entered a state of deep meditation, his consciousness left the confines of his physical being, severing the connection between body and mind.
As his thoughts drifted off, he found himself drawn towards the corners of the room, where the shadows lurked the strongest. Here, in the depths of darkness, a cold and solitary realm, detached from the light and its comforting warmth, greeted him.
In this secluded space, Lucas began his exploration of the shadows. With unwavering determination, he delved into the their depths, trying to unravel the secrets that lay hidden within. It was the prerequisite for the introductory spells the book of shadows spoke of. At first you need to understand what a shadow is, before you may use it to its fullest potential. Even though this was sort of the standart method, Lucas would be able to take away more from this realm than the normal wizard, given his special way of using magic.
Guided by the familiar feeling of solitude and isolation, he honed his understanding of shadow magic, delving deeper into its intricacies and complexities.
Time seemed to stand still as Lucas embraced his current state. The shadows around him seemed to flicker, almost like they wanted to come alive. But alas, before they could escape the confines of the light, Lucas fell to his knees. He was sweating from head to toe and breathing heavily. Still delirious, because his mind had not yet fully returned, he sat on the stony castle floor. A minute later he regained his composure, his eyes sparkeld with the usual glint of cleverness and his skin turned a healthy colour again.
'It's still too much.' he thought as doubt began to settle in. Did he have to torture himself like this every day. Couldn't he let Harry deal with everything and just stand to the side. Or better, leave the country. Go far away from the future dark wizard. He definitley would quickly find empoyment somewhere else with his set of skills. Natural Legilimens were as highly sought after as they were dangerous.
'No, I have to do this. If I give up now, what will I give up next. This is the perfect time to learn everything I get my hands on.' It was true, from the age of 11 till 18 a wizard would undergo the largest transformation, shaped by their training and knowledge. There is a reason most wizards stuck with a few spells they had learned in their teenage years. 'And not like there are no dangers elsewhere. Might makes right after all.'
'This is for my future and for mom's.' He went at it again. This time the shadows moved a little more.
Two minutes later, "Again!"
With every attempt he put a stonger and stronger strain on himself. His body was mostly fine, but his mind was barely hanging on at this point. He needed half an hour to just catch his breath.
At this point he just laid on the floor deliriously staring at the ceiling with not a thought running through his head. 'This should be enough.'
Lucas did not even have enough energy to look at the clock on the wall, instead he asked the room for one right in front of his face. '1 hour after curfew, huh. Guess I will just sleep here again.' It was basically his second home at this point. Ever since he got his hands on those books he rarily returned to his dormitory.
He dragged his exhausted body over to the newly conjured bed and as soon as he reached it fell asleep.
----
The next morning he got up and began his workout routine, before his mind could truly wake up, proving how disciplined he had gotten over time.
Once he was done with that he went down to the great hall to get a quick bite.
It was mostly empty with a few Ravenclaws reading a book, the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables were entirely empty and there was only a single Slytherin students, who seemed to be crying.
'Interesting.' Lucas thought as he felt her currently very weak Occlumency shield. 'Might as well use her.'
With the Basilisk awakened now and the attacks that should be starting very soon, Lucas believed that he could be a little more liberal with his use of Legilimency. 'This time around Dumbledore should be trying to locate the Chamber, giving me some leeway to expand my training.'
Strangely Lucas had run into farely few wizards who practiced Occlumency over the summer, even though he often visited Diagon Ally. Unbeknownst to him almost all of the better off wizards rather used the floo network directly into the shops they needed to visit, rather than walk around. All of the popular shops, like Flourish and Blotts, were connected to it, making shopping very convenient.
Walking over to her he came to a halt next to her. "Do you mind if I sit here."
Lucas's voice cut through the silence of the table, drawing the attention of the distraught Slytherin student. She glanced up with teary eyes, seemingly surprised by his presence. With a nod, she gestured for him to take a seat beside her.
"No, go ahead," she replied, her voice choked with emotion. It was clear that she was going through a difficult time.
Lucas settled down next to her, allowing a moment of silence to hang in the air.
As the moment stretched on, the girl's sobs began to subside, her tears gradually stopped. The presence of Lucas by her side seemed to bring a sense of solace to her, pushing her to open up to him.
Finally, she managed to speak, her voice shaky. "I… I don't know what to do."
Her gaze met his, and one could see a glimmer of hope appearing in her eyes. The weight of her sadness seemed to lighten, if only for a short while.
"How am I supposed to survive this, when I constantly get reminded that I don't belong in Slytherin. That I am not good enough, not pure enough that I don't deserve to learn magic. Daphne always shuts them up and tells me that I shouldn't listen to them, but how can I not when I hear it every single day?" The Slytherin had teared up again.
Lucas at the revelation who this girl and her friend were kept up his comforting and caring facade "I don't know how your house works, but I do know that you are always welcome to spend your time in mine. It doesn't matter if you are talented or not, if you are a muggle-born or from a noble family, everyone is welcome in Hufflepuff."
Tracey Davies even though she was a half blood was sorted into Slytherin, which overall only had a handful of such wizards. Her friend Daphnee Greengrass was heir to the house Greengrass, one of the 28 most ancient and noble houses. Originally Lucas wanted to get closer to her, but he couldn't let this perfect opportunity slip through his fingers. The reason why Daphne was important was her father Peneus Greengrass.
He had amassed enough power in the ministry to have a say whenever Dumbledore, the leader of the light faction, or Lucius Malfoy, the leader of the dark faction, wanted to implement a law that regressed or restricted the future of magical britain. Of course he wasn't almighty and couldn't go against both at the same time, hell, he only recently with the rise of the muggleborns' power in the ministry could go against either one. He was powerless the last few decades when Dumbledore tinkered with the curriculum and both leaders banned most forms of magic outside of already well established family magic, which practically only benefitted the pure-blooded.
Peneus Greengrass believed in the ancient traditions of experimenting with magic and giving people the full freedom of persuing whatever they wanted without any restrictions. If you were to damage someone else's property in a risky ritual for example, he thought that you had the full responsibility and were obliged to pay appropriate compensation.
Back in Hogwarts, Lucas paused, allowing his words to sink in as well as tweaking her emotions, before continuing. "It's unfortunate that your house is plagued by such narrow minded individuals, but remember it isn't what other people think about you that defines you as a person, but your own experiences, feelings and desires. Your friend also knows that, but can't do anything to help you feel differently."
'Not like I can.'
His words touched Tracey, offering a glimmer of hope in the midst of her despair. She wiped away her tears, her determination slowly replacing the vulnerability that had consumed her. "You're right," she said, her voice steadier than before. "I can't let the opinions of others define me. I deserve to be proud of who I am, regardless of what they say."
"Exactly. And if it still gets to you, just prove them wrong. There are thousands of books in the library and hundreds of different fields of magic. There definetly is one you will excel at."
A faint smile graced her lips as she stood up, her resolve visibly strengthened. "Thank you, Lucas. I won't let them bring me down anymore. I will stand up for myself and show them that I belong, that I am worthy."
Lucas returned her smile, proud of what he had done. "I believe in you. Remember, there are people who will support you and stand by your side. And if you ever need a friend, someone to talk to or help in general, know that I'm here for you."
'Come to the library on wednesday.'
"Will do!" she yelled back as she left the great hall with a beaming smile.
Now outside her smile vanished and the color drained from her face, because of the man, who was standing there. "Good morning, professor Snape."
"Morning, Ms Tracey. Do you mind telling me what brought you into such a good mood?" His cold gaze was unnerving as ever.
"I... um... I was just discussing some academic matters with a fellow student," she stammered, trying to regain her composure.
Snape's eyes narrowed, his expression unreadable. "Academic matters, you say? Interesting." His voice carried a hint of suspicion, causing her unease to grow.
"Yes, Professor Snape. Lucas and I were discussing a project for one of our classes," she replied, hoping to divert his attention.
Snape's gaze intensified, seemingly peering into her very soul. "And what project would that be, Ms Tracey?" he inquired, his tone laced with a subtle menace.
Caught off guard, the Slytherin girl searched for a plausible answer. "It's... um... a research project on the history of magic," she improvised, hoping he wouldn't see through her ruse.
Snape's eyes bore into hers, seemingly weighing her words. After a tense moment, he finally spoke, his voice dripping with skepticism. "Very well, Ms Tracey. I suggest you focus on your studies and avoid engaging in activities that may distract you from your responsibilities."
She nodded, feeling a mix of relief and apprehension. Snape's presence always made her uneasy, and she couldn't shake the feeling that he saw right through her facade.
Once Snape was out of earshot, she let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.