Chapter 263: Shafiq: How Should I Know?
Seated beside Laurent Rosier, Professor Shafiq, her black curls neatly pinned back for the occasion, blinked in surprise at her French colleague's sudden question.
But when she saw the keen interest with which Laurent was studying Leonardo, she immediately understood the source of his confusion. A faint trace of awkwardness flickered across her pale grey eyes.
"Er... Leonardo's alchemy isn't something he learned from me."
A look of surprise crossed Professor Rosier's face.
"Then does Hogwarts have another professor of alchemy?"
The words had scarcely left his mouth before realisation dawned on him.
"Oh, I see. Then perhaps Headmaster Dumbledore recognised the boy's talent and has been teaching him personally? If that's the case... that would certainly explain it."
Laurent felt he had found a perfectly reasonable explanation.
On the one hand, between the two written examinations and the alchemical skill Leonardo was displaying now, he was convinced the boy possessed extraordinary talent.
On the other, everyone knew that Hogwarts' headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, widely acknowledged as the greatest wizard of the century, had also reached the very pinnacle of alchemy, having once collaborated with the legendary Nicolas Flamel on numerous landmark achievements.
Put those two facts together, and it seemed only natural that a student like Leonardo could emerge.
Sure enough, Dumbledore himself was Hogwarts' greatest strength and its finest calling card.
Laurent found himself quietly reflecting that, with a figure like that at its helm, Hogwarts truly did enjoy advantages that other magical schools simply could not match.
Naturally, no wizard would ever say such a thing aloud. In conversation, everyone praised their own school instead. French wizards insisted Beauxbatons was the finest in the world, while American wizards would swear that Ilvermorny stood above every other magical school...
Watching the look of understanding settle across Professor Rosier's face, Professor Shafiq opened her mouth, only to find herself at a loss for words.
She could tell he'd misunderstood something, but the problem was that she had no idea who had actually taught Leonardo his alchemy either.
Shafiq had long mastered the art of not overcomplicating life, or, as she preferred to put it, "managing her energy wisely."
She had certainly been surprised that a boy so young already possessed such a remarkable foundation in alchemy, but she hadn't felt inclined to dig into the matter. This was the wizarding world, after all. Strange things happened every day, and there was little point puzzling over every one of them.
Besides, Leonardo was still years away from enrolling in her alchemy classes.
There would be plenty of time to find out when that day came.
Right now, the only thing that mattered was Leonardo winning the Triwizard exchange match, bringing the trophy back to Hogwarts, and sweet-talking Dumbledore into granting everyone a few extra days of holiday.
Then an odd thought suddenly occurred to Shafiq.
Hold on... with me leading the team out here, who's teaching the alchemy students back at Hogwarts?
She remembered that, before they had left, Dumbledore had merely smiled and warmly reminded her to look after the competitors.
As for arranging a substitute teacher...
He hadn't said a word.
Professor Shafiq blinked, then decided it wasn't worth dwelling on. She shifted slightly in her chair, settling into a position that remained perfectly dignified while allowing her to relax as much as possible, before turning her attention back to the competition floor.
Her pale grey eyes passed over the competitors, some visibly tense, others calm and composed, before finally coming to rest on Leonardo's workbench.
From what Shafiq could tell, the flow of magic there and the balance of the various elements were so perfectly ordered, so steady and obedient, that it hardly looked like the work of a boy competing at all.
Well now, this kid's still as reliable as ever.