If the old man noticed the tiny twitch in him, he made no comment on it, which Julian was quietly grateful for. He stepped away from the center of the staff table and made his way toward Professor Flitwick, drawing Slugbane from Greed as he went.
The small Charms professor accepted the ring eagerly, holding it up to the light as he examined it with clear curiosity.
"Ha ha ha!" Flitwick let out a delighted laugh. "Yes, that does seem exactly like something Hagrid would want, a slug repellent ring."
He turned it between his fingers, peering closely at the metal and the subtle magic humming underneath.
"The enchantment itself is a bit unusual," Flitwick admitted, "but the craftsmanship is quite good. Thank you for bringing it to show me." He handed the ring back with a cheerful smile.
Julian nodded at the praise, tucking the approval away in his mind as he headed down the table toward the far end, where Hagrid was sitting and fidgeting with impatience.
...
"Here you are," Julian said, stopping beside him. "One slug repellent ring. Remember to hang it in your hut, not wear it. Also, you should probably clean up the dead slugs from your garden once it starts working."
He passed the ring over, and Hagrid's face broke into a wide grin as he took it.
"Thanks, Julian, I really appreciate it!" the half giant rumbled, clearly thrilled.
"Of course. Now, if you will all excuse me, I am absolutely starving and there is a plate of food calling my name," Julian said with a light smile.
He turned away from the staff table and walked back toward Gryffindor's side of the Hall, with more than a few sets of eyes following him as he went.
...
Dinner was largely the same as always.
Julian ate more than usual, but since he always ate a lot, no one really noticed the difference. During dessert, he quietly restocked the snacks he had depleted during his forging session earlier in the day. That sight, too, had long since become normal to those around him, so it attracted no special attention.
After the meal, a small cluster of girls made attempts to butter him up, laying on compliments and charming smiles in an effort to angle for free jewelry.
Julian shut that down without mercy, expression turning completely flat as he put on his best Snape like resting face. His eyes alone could have frozen boiling water.
The girls who had not joined in on that shameless attempt smirked and giggled quietly among themselves at how ruthlessly he dismissed them.
Padma Patil even approached him a little later to apologize on behalf of the Gryffindor girls for their behavior. Julian just shrugged it off.
He had been perfectly clear already. He did not work for free unless he genuinely wanted to give someone a gift, and even then, it had to be a special occasion. If he started tossing out enchanted rings casually, like sweets from a jar, his craft would lose its value.
...
He was therefore not particularly surprised to find a familiar elf waiting for him when he drifted into sleep that night.
This time, they stood together in what looked like a softly lit, half remembered workshop, suspended somewhere between memory and dream.
"I am not upset about the way you have used my inheritance, you know," the elf said, letting out a quiet sigh.
Julian blinked, caught off guard. "You are not?" he asked, honestly doubtful.
The elf chuckled and shook his head. "No. Quite the opposite, actually. Unlike me, who was obsessed with carving my name into history and only used my knowledge to produce what I considered 'true masterpieces,' you have chosen to embrace the real potential of the craft. You help anyone who comes to you, so long as they are willing to pay a fair price. I could not be happier about that."
There was a warm, genuine smile on his face as he spoke.
...
"Back when I was alive, I was arrogant," the elf continued quietly. "I wasted my gifts on foolish things, on pride and vanity. I only realized my mistakes when I was betrayed and forced to watch my family slaughtered before my eyes. By then, it was far too late to change anything."
He let out a melancholy breath, then looked at Julian again, eyes gentler.
"You, on the other hand, chose the path I should have taken. It eases my spirit to see it."
He waved one hand lightly, as if brushing away the gloom. "But enough about that. I assume you have questions for me?"
He fell silent and waited, giving Julian space to speak.
Julian did not waste a second. "How do you forge organic rings?"
The elf stared at him for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Ha ha ha, I have no idea. Wonderful, is it not? With all the knowledge and skill I accumulated in life, I still know less about that particular subject than you do."
He grinned, looking almost proud. "I have no doubt you will eventually figure it out. But when you do, it will be because of your own efforts, not because I gave you the answer."
Julian accepted that more easily than he might have expected. The challenge felt right.
"All right, then," he said. "Since that is a dead end, how about lembas bread? Each forging session takes a huge toll on my energy, and it could really help with that."
"Ah, wayfarer's bread," the elf said, eyes softening with nostalgia. "A truly marvelous creation. Did you know there are actually three different kinds of it?"
"Three?" Julian asked, surprised. "I only know the one that lets a single bite serve as food for a whole day."
"Indeed," the elf said with a nod. "In truth, all three types do that, but their additional benefits differ. What you need is the soldier's ration bread. It is packed with proteins and vitamins, intended to let soldiers keep fighting, or in your case forging, on an otherwise empty stomach. I used that version often myself."
He began to describe the exact process, from ingredients to enchantment patterns, outlining each step of how to craft the specialized bread.
The details settled into Julian's mind like ink sinking into parchment.
The dream faded soon after the explanation ended, and Julian awoke with the method for the wayfarer's soldier bread clearly etched in his memory.