Lucien looked toward the corner where Snape stood, his gaze slightly unfocused. He wasn't sure where exactly to look.
Ever since he had summoned the full set of Patronuses, his vision had undergone a strange shift.
In his eyes, Snape was no longer a man in black robes. He had become a swirling mass of color in the rough shape of a human.
The colors were wildly mixed—red, blue, yellow…
They twisted and blended together, constantly shifting.
The flow wasn't chaotic. It followed a clear rhythm, like the steady beat of a heart or the rise and fall of breath.
He had seen something similar before—when using the soul-viewing magic Salazar had taught him—but this was different. More complex. More alive. Like living flames or a flowing stream.
The colors were far richer than before.
It reminded him of the multicolored points of light he saw when gathering emotional energy for the simplified Philosopher's Stone—each emotion carrying its own vivid hue.
Almost instinctively, a voice in the back of his mind told him: This is the true shape of the soul.
Not the faint outline revealed by special spells, but something far more direct. More essential.
Lucien suddenly remembered what Salazar had once said—the Patronus Charm could, to some degree, reveal a wizard's natural talent in matters of the soul.
Until now, he hadn't been sure whether he possessed any special soul gift.
If his soul was special at all, it was only because it didn't belong to this world. It was a traveler from another realm more than ten years ago.
Maybe that was why his Patronuses were so different?
Even he had been surprised by the sheer number—more than a dozen.
He thought about how his Patronus mist pulled out emotions and memories from anyone it touched. That might also be a manifestation of soul talent.
Was there a connection to the colorful soul he was seeing now?
He would need more experiments to find out…
His thoughts raced, but Lucien quickly remembered Snape was still waiting.
He raised his wand. The Patronuses scattered throughout the classroom froze at once, then began to blur and dissolve. One by one they melted back into silver mist and faded into the air.
Within seconds, every single one had vanished.
The classroom fell silent.
Snape stepped forward. The protective runes on his robes slid off like tadpoles, flowed across the floor, and sank back into the walls, rejoining the barrier.
"How do you feel? Any discomfort?"
The words were concerned, but Snape's voice stayed flat.
His eyes kept studying Lucien, clearly curious why the boy had summoned so many Patronuses at once.
He couldn't even say whether that had been the limit.
And that fleeting humanoid shape at the end…
Snape didn't ask yet.
He noticed Lucien's face had gone pale, his lips drained of color.
Reaching into his robes, he pulled out a small vial and tossed it over.
"Magic replenisher. Drink it. Lesson's over for today. Go rest."
He turned to leave.
"Professor." Lucien quickly called him back.
He reached into his own pocket and pulled out a rolled piece of parchment, holding it out.
"I've been working on improving another potion. Some of the details still aren't quite right. I'd appreciate your advice."
Snape took the parchment and gave a small nod.
Lucien had been putting real effort into Potions lately. That was good. At least he wasn't wasting his talent.
He unrolled the sheet. His eyes scanned the neat handwriting:
Hair-Growth Elixir.
The name alone made the effect obvious.
Snape's expression didn't change much, but the corner of his mouth twitched downward almost imperceptibly.
Under the hat, his scalp suddenly felt itchy.
He lifted his gaze from the parchment and looked at Lucien.
If the badge on this kid's robes had been a lion, Snape would have been certain he was being deliberately provoked.
But every professor—including Snape himself—knew Lucien was a model student. He might hang around some Gryffindors, but he clearly hadn't caught their arrogance or stupidity.
Snape shoved the parchment into his pocket.
"Practical enough," he muttered, then turned and walked out of the classroom.