Chapter 244. Farewell.
Five hours later.
The conversation, oddly enough, had captivated even Severus himself. That was hardly surprising, given that Flamel had lived over six hundred years and had more than enough knowledge and experience in many fields.
Severus was particularly interested in runes, which, while not as central to alchemy as potion-making, were still in active use.
Beyond that, Flamel had been able to help him with certain ingredients whose existence he had doubted, explaining whether they truly existed, what their closest analogues were, and where they might be found.
And though the alchemist was already quite old, he answered every question almost immediately. There were, of course, minor exceptions, but even those involved herbs that could hardly be called simple.
What pleased Severus most, however, was the gift of a book on minerals authored by Nicholas himself, one that had never seen the light of day.
It listed over eight thousand varieties in total, including nearly five thousand known to Muggles and another two thousand known to wizards, each with complete analyses down to their possible compounds.
Previously, Severus had considered himself the most knowledgeable person in this world, and at times had even looked down on certain wizards with a sense of superiority. But today, for the first time, he had been truly brought down to earth, albeit in a rather gentle manner.
Yet he was not angry or saddened by this. On the contrary, he was glad.
Glad that in this world there were things he did not yet know. Glad that there were people like Flamel, whose very existence inspired others to work harder and served as an example of what could be achieved by dedicating oneself completely to their craft.
Realizing this, Severus felt some regret at the prospect of losing such a wizard, but even so, he had no intention of giving him water from the sacred spring.
Though the old man had pleasantly surprised him, Nagini was far more precious.
Yet he could not simply leave without offering something in return for the books and knowledge Flamel had shared so freely. He decided to give him ten liters of sunlight honey, which, though it could not cure him, would certainly improve his physical condition.
In addition, he had answered numerous questions related to his field of work and inventions, including hospital equipment, potions, and more, in great detail, as well as the interweaving of runes and charms used.
Severus was not concerned that Nicholas would pass all this on to the French government or attempt to use it for profit. That would have been foolish.
For one thing, Nicholas was one of the wealthiest wizards in the world. For another, since Severus understood that, at worst, all of this would become public knowledge within half a year anyway, what would be the point of ruining relations with someone like him in such a foolish manner?
---
By the time they finished their conversation, darkness had already fallen outside. Nagini had fallen asleep several hours earlier, so Severus had sent her into one of the artifacts that contained a living space with a bathroom and kitchen.
The house itself was shrouded in semi-darkness, with only a pair of oil lamps illuminating Flamel and Severus. Around him floated about a dozen transparent, glowing screens displaying strange objects, unknown symbols, and magic circles. Pointing at one of them, he was explaining something, while the elderly wizard nodded thoughtfully, a gleam in his eyes as if in agreement.
"…but of course, I struggled quite a bit with this artifact. Because of a single function that analyzes blood for familial curses, I had to almost completely rewrite the runes and modify some of the charms as well. But even after all that, I couldn't bring it to perfection."
"Nothing in this world is perfect. But in my opinion, you have already achieved what the entire magical community would have been striving toward for decades. That you were awarded only an Order of Merlin, Second Class for this is nothing short of sacrilege." For the first time in hours, a note of irritation entered the old man's voice.
"It's to be expected," Severus drawled lazily, waving a hand indifferently as he leaned back in his chair. "Aside from the fact that I'm a half-blood, I based all these devices on Muggle analogues. That they decided to award me an Order of Merlin, Second Class at all is already a miracle. I would have been surprised if they'd given me a First Class."
"You are right about that, although if you lived in France, you would certainly have been honored with the highest award." Flamel dropped a rather direct hint, to which Severus smiled slightly and shook his head.
"I would gladly move to France, but I cannot."
"A pity. I would gladly have spoken with you more often." The elderly mage sighed sadly, then looked toward the bookshelf and extended his hand. A white sheet of paper, folded in half, flew out and landed on the table in front of Severus a few seconds later.
"What is..." he began to ask, but fell silent mid-word when he noticed the charms and runes placed on it, strongly resembling those used for the small mirror through which he usually communicated with everyone. *This is interesting work.* Opening it, Severus was not particularly surprised to see only darkness; he had expected something like this.
"You understood quickly what kind of artifact this is," Flamel said with praise in his voice, not detecting any particular surprise in Severus's gaze; on the contrary, it seemed as though Severus already knew what it was.
Over these several hours, not a trace remained of Nicholas's earlier uncertainty and timidity.
The two men had quickly found common ground through their shared knowledge, and when it came to such matters, Flamel had begun to behave more confidently. Severus's open manner of communication had played no small role in that.
He did not try to put on airs, but spoke directly and openly, without any of the double or triple meanings that most local wizards were so fond of.
At the same time, he calmly shared even important information that others would have tried to hoard — something that could only endear him to a wizard like Flamel.
In response, Severus nodded calmly and slipped the sheet into his pouch.
"I have already seen and studied a similar artifact, so I recognized this set of runes and charms at first glance. Thank you for your trust." Then he glanced at the window. "It's already quite late."
Nicholas had noticed as well, raising an eyebrow in surprise before smiling awkwardly at Severus.
"I didn't even notice… Thank you for taking the time to sit with this old man."
"It was my pleasure. Thank you. As for the honey, no more than one small saucer per day. It is very difficult to obtain." Severus pointed sternly at the two large jars, five liters each, standing on the table. Flamel nodded weakly, a look of gratitude on his face, though he did not entirely believe Severus's words about its miraculous properties.
Severus rose from the table and headed for the door. Flamel followed, seeing him out and extending his hand.
"Have a good evening, young man. You're welcome anytime. I would gladly talk more with such a gifted wizard."
"You flatter me. Have a pleasant evening as well." He gently shook the offered hand, mindful of the old man's frail condition. But then
"Mgh…" Flamel groaned, scrunching up his face. Severus quickly released his hand with a look of slight surprise, while Nicholas flexed his own.
"I beg your pardon." Severus was indeed a bit embarrassed; he had carefully gauged his strength and was certain he hadn't caused any real harm, but the old man's expression suggested otherwise.
"It's nothing, nothing." Nicholas waved his hands in front of him. "Everything is fine, don't worry."
"…All right. Then… I'll be going…?"
"Yes… everything's fine, it passed." He tried to dispel the awkwardness hanging in the air by shaking his hand again, but with little success.
---
Once Severus had departed, Flamel returned to the table with an almost imperceptible smile on his lips.
"I haven't seen you this happy in a long time," came a calm but gentle elderly woman's voice. "Did this child really make you that happy?"
"I have no doubt that, in the future, he will surpass even me. And… I simply want to see it happen: to watch from the front row as the new generation surpasses the old, so I can leave this world without regrets." With an almost dreamy expression on his face, he looked toward the window, through which Severus could now be seen walking along a Paris street. "And… forgive me…"
"You again?" The voice came again, now tinged with weariness. After a few seconds, footsteps could be heard.
"You know I will never be able to forgive myself for making you leave your post as headmistress: your dream…" The corners of his lips drooped, and his gaze shifted to the staircase. An elderly lady in a green dress descended, her hair graying, her brown eyes expressing nothing but tenderness. Even age could not hide her former beauty.
"You are still the same idiot, and even six hundred years haven't been able to change that. But… I am glad, because that is exactly how I fell in love with you." When she stopped before him, it was easy to see she was slightly taller than her husband. "…Perhaps it is for the best. If not for Grindelwald, I might have continued serving as headmistress, and you would have lived in solitude." Gently touching his cheek and taking no notice of her husband's frail appearance, she pressed her lips to his for a few seconds. "Remember why you decided to create the Philosopher's Stone?" She winked at him playfully.
"You always find the words to cheer me up… Perenelle, you are the best thing that ever happened to me."
"And you're still the same romantic." She looked over his shoulder, where cups of tea, two saucers with honey, and a single rose in a small white vase already sat on the table. He smiled at her, embarrassed, and took her hand as they headed to the table together.
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