After saying goodbye to everyone, Leo headed toward the Headmaster's office with anticipation bubbling inside him.
For Leo, every weekend spent with Nicolas Flamel was priceless.
Two and a half days of uninterrupted lessons from the greatest alchemist in history—
That kind of opportunity simply didn't exist anywhere else.
Still, before leaving Hogwarts, Leo felt he should at least visit Fawkes first.
After all, the Portkey Nicolas had given him only worked one way.
Returning to Hogwarts still required the phoenix's assistance.
Leo climbed the spiral staircase leading to the Headmaster's office.
When he reached the gargoyle guarding the entrance, exactly as expected, the stone statue didn't ask for a password.
Ever since the previous week, Leo had visited every Friday.
Clearly, Dumbledore had already instructed the gargoyle to let him pass freely.
The stone guardian merely shifted aside in silence.
Leo stepped into the office.
Just as expected—
Dumbledore wasn't there.
Leo glanced around thoughtfully.
The Headmaster possessed enough titles to fill an entire bookshelf. It wasn't surprising that he was constantly busy.
Before approaching Fawkes, Leo politely greeted the portraits lining the walls.
Some former Headmasters merely nodded calmly.
Others smiled kindly.
One elderly wizard slept straight through the greeting, snoring loudly in his frame.
Meanwhile, perched elegantly upon his golden stand, Fawkes was grooming his magnificent crimson feathers beneath the warm lamplight.
Each feather shimmered with an almost mystical brilliance.
Leo approached slowly.
"Fawkes," he said softly, "could you pick me up at five o'clock Sunday afternoon?"
As he spoke, he placed several strips of dried meat beside the phoenix.
Fawkes slowly raised his head.
His golden eyes studied Leo quietly for a moment before he delicately pecked up a single piece of jerky and swallowed it.
Afterward, he simply resumed grooming his feathers as though nothing had happened.
Still aloof as ever.
Leo merely smiled helplessly.
He had already grown accustomed to the phoenix's personality.
Taking out the silver key Portkey Nicolas had given him, Leo immediately infused it with magic.
At once, space distorted around him.
Ripples spread outward like water disturbed by a stone.
Leo felt as though he had stepped into a narrow tunnel between worlds.
The surrounding space twisted gently around his body.
Then—
His figure blurred.
And vanished completely.
The office fell silent once more.
Several seconds later, an annoyed voice suddenly broke the stillness.
"That troublesome little monster is finally gone."
The Sorting Hat trembled slightly on its shelf while staring toward the place where Leo had disappeared.
Its tone carried faint irritation.
And something deeper.
Fear.
Fawkes merely glanced at the Sorting Hat calmly before returning to his feathers.
—
When Leo arrived at Nicolas Flamel's residence, Adam welcomed him at the door as usual.
The alchemical servant still looked perfectly human.
If Leo hadn't known the truth, he never would have guessed Adam wasn't alive.
Entering the manor, Leo quickly spotted Perenelle sitting gracefully beside the fireplace with a book in her lap.
The moment she saw him, her eyes softened warmly.
"Leo."
She closed the book and rose to her feet.
Then she gently embraced him.
"Nicolas went out earlier today. He should return tonight or tomorrow morning."
She smiled kindly.
"Would you like to rest first? Or continue studying?"
Leo felt slightly puzzled.
According to Dumbledore, Nicolas hadn't left the manor in over a century.
Still, he wisely chose not to ask questions.
Instead, he bowed respectfully.
"Madam, until Master Flamel returns, I'd like to continue learning the Patronus Charm from you."
Perenelle nodded approvingly.
"Very well."
She slowly led him toward the practice area.
"The Patronus Charm is an exceptionally powerful spell," she explained calmly. "It can repel even the darkest forms of magic."
Then she looked directly into his eyes.
"But more importantly..."
"You must possess unwavering faith."
Her voice remained soft yet firm.
"When casting it, your heart must be filled entirely with positive emotions."
Leo tightened his grip on his wand.
Perenelle continued patiently.
"Focus on your happiest memories."
"Remember the moments that brought you genuine joy."
"Then allow those feelings to guide your magic."
Leo inhaled deeply.
Then slowly raised his wand.
"Expecto Patronum."
As the incantation left his lips, he instinctively began recalling his happiest memories.
The warm days spent with Harry, Draco, Hermione, Rose, Ron, and Neville.
Studying together.
Laughing together.
Sharing meals beside Hagrid's hut.
The lively chaos of Hogwarts.
His parents' gentle smiles.
The warmth of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
The feeling of finally belonging somewhere.
A faint silver glow slowly emerged from the tip of his wand.
Perenelle smiled encouragingly.
"Good."
"Keep going."
"Hold onto those feelings."
Leo concentrated harder.
The silver light gradually intensified.
Warmth spread through his chest.
For a brief moment, he felt surrounded by something soft and comforting.
Then—
Inside the sea of his consciousness—
Something changed.
The Yang Spirit that had remained dormant for so long suddenly erupted with dazzling brilliance.
The once-calm sea of stars exploded violently.
Massive waves surged across the endless celestial ocean like a storm tearing through the heavens.
The silver mist forming at the tip of Leo's wand trembled violently.
Then shattered.
At the same moment—
The fragmented memories buried deep within his soul resurfaced completely.
Like shattered mirrors reassembling themselves piece by piece.
Memories from his previous life flooded back.
He saw himself as a child once more.
His grandfather patiently teaching him traditions passed down through generations.
The difficult years of training.
The lonely years of study.
The desperate determination to become extraordinary.
The applause.
The stage lights.
The obsession with creating a performance that would astonish the world.
Then—
Darkness.
The final performance.
The moment of death.
Leo suddenly felt as though he had returned to that stage.
The blinding lights overhead no longer felt glorious.
They felt cold.
Terrifying.
His body trembled.
His breathing became ragged.
He could hear the audience gasping.
His heart pounded violently.
Then came the suffocating sensation of life slipping away.
His limbs grew heavy.
Cold.
Powerless.
Darkness swallowed everything.
He remembered the despair.
The helplessness.
The overwhelming fear of death itself.
He remembered regretting everything.
Not spending enough time with family.
Not cherishing the people around him.
Not truly living while he still had the chance.
The footsteps of death echoed closer.
Cold.
Merciless.
Absolute.
Then—
A tiny light appeared in the darkness.
His desire to live.
His yearning for the future.
Instinctively, Leo reached for that light.
Desperately.
And suddenly—
He snapped awake.
The Patronus collapsed instantly.
The silver mist vanished.
Leo stared blankly at his wand.
Cold sweat covered his forehead.
Confusion and disappointment filled his eyes.
Perenelle immediately stepped forward and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't force yourself, Leo."
Her voice remained calm and soothing.
"The Patronus Charm is difficult even for many adult witches and wizards."
She studied his expression carefully.
"You were pulled into painful memories."
"That disrupted your concentration."
Leo lowered his head quietly.
"I don't know what happened..."
He frowned.
"My thoughts suddenly became uncontrollable."
Perenelle smiled gently and stroked his hair comfortingly.
"You've already pushed yourself harder than most people ever could."
"You study Hogwarts lessons throughout the week."
"Then spend every weekend here studying alchemy."
Her eyes softened with genuine affection.
"My child..."
"You're already more talented than most."
"And far more hardworking."
Then she spoke softly.
"Sometimes, stopping to rest is important too."
....
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