The Silent Bookstore Manager at Hogwarts

The visit to Nicolas Flamel happened earlier than Harry had planned. On the morning of the third day, Red had already packed his backpack. After the two of them had all their luggage, they once again endured a painful journey on public transport. They completely left the British public transport system and began walking to Nicolas Flamel's house, which was so remote that the last part of the journey had to be completed on foot.

"To be honest, if I had walked this path before, I probably wouldn't have been able to move before I reached the halfway point."

Harry wiped the sweat from his brow. His physique had improved so much in the past year that he could now easily pin Dudley to the ground and spank him until Uncle Vernon realized Dudley had become a crybaby.

"Then your workload will be even greater... Harry, we're almost at our destination."

The fluctuations in magic became exceptionally noticeable to Red and Harry. Harry's already keen perception of magic became even more terrifying after being enhanced by the Colonel and the Lionsmith's power, while Red directly saw through this first layer of disguise with [Contemplation of Dawn].

To their surprise, Nicolas Flamel's house wasn't actually disguised much. The immortal alchemist, who had lived for hundreds of years, looked at the two young wizards in front of him with a kind expression.

"Come in, children, I really didn't expect anyone to come and visit me..."

Nicolas Flamel was nothing like Harry had imagined. He looked like a frail old man who could die at any moment, but his strong voice showed that Nicolas Flamel's vitality was not as great as he appeared.

And magic—Harry could clearly feel the surging magic emanating from Nicolas Flamel. Perhaps this alchemist didn't need anyone else's protection; he could protect himself.

"I haven't met strangers in a long time, especially children... So why are you two here? I presume it's not because you're lost or anything else that doesn't matter, right?"

Nicolas Flamel could tell from their luggage that they hadn't come here by chance or because they were lost.

"Yes, Master, my name is Red Maxwell, and this is Harry Potter. To be honest, our visit is a bit presumptuous, and we hope you will forgive us."

"No, no, no, no, it's not presumptuous at all. Being able to chat with some young people before I leave this world is a pleasant surprise for me, isn't it?"

Nicolas Flamel waved his hand repeatedly, gesturing for Red and Harry to sit down, then spoke with some annoyance.

"I'm so sorry, I don't have anything left to entertain guests at home."

Harry glanced at the piles of alchemical artifacts and various books, and suddenly it became clear to him that the kind old man was going to die, not now, but soon.

Aren't you scared?

Harry asked abruptly.

"What are you afraid of, child? I've already lived far too long a life... Although following your path might be one way, I've decided to embark on a brand new journey of my own. Isn't that the best thing to do?"

When Nicolas Flamel said the first part of his sentence, he looked at Red. He was somewhat surprised that Red's soul was that of an immortal, but that was all.

"So before that, we'd like to talk to you about... about the wisdom of alchemy, and also about some things that happened in the past. We both want to take a trip, a precious trip of our own, so we hope to know more to reduce the troubles we might encounter on our journey."

Nicolas Flamel laughed brightly, feeling as if he had become younger, and wiped his glasses.

"No problem, kids... Let's talk. What would you like to talk about?"

Red and Nico talked about many things, about alchemy, about the Philosopher's Stone, or something else. When Red proposed some methods of purification and enhancement, Nico Flamel was completely captivated. He listened carefully to every technical theory and discussed it very enthusiastically with Red. The elderly alchemist seemed to temporarily shed his old age and seemed to regain the vitality of his youth.

"Currently, mercury remains the most stable liquid metal, but if we follow your ideas and add the help of magic, we might actually be able to forge a completely new liquid metal..."

Nicolas Flamel murmured to himself.

"If that's the case, maybe I can die a few years later... Wouldn't it be a shame if I didn't get to see something like this made?"

Red took a breath. He had exerted a great deal of effort, but thanks to his understanding of [Flame Script LV1] and the newly upgraded [Bell and Bronze Crafts LV2], he hadn't become a complete idiot who knew nothing.

"That's really impressive..."

Nicolas Flamel was deeply moved.

"So, it means that all the goals we just mentioned are achievable, right?"

"How can it only be a possibility? Under certain specific circumstances, the process has already been verified and even perfected, right?"

Nicolas Flamel and Reid exchanged a smile. They both understood each other. Reid wanted more than just verification of the technology; he wanted to know if he could replicate the technology and its products in the current environment.

"But what surprised me most was your research on 'light,' the method you described for extracting products from light... It's imaginative and whimsical, yet it doesn't seem like some castle in the air..."

Nicolas Flamel's curiosity began to overwhelm his thoughts.

"What a pleasant surprise! If it weren't for the fact that the last Philosopher's Stone has been destroyed and I no longer intend to continue making them, I would definitely want to see your finished product."

"Perhaps we can finish this project before you leave?"

"I'm really looking forward to it... Here are some things, consider them gifts from me to you two. It's been such a long, long time since I've encountered anything so wonderful." Nicolas Flamel walked shakily back to his room, then took out a package and placed it on the table. Even so, he looked exhausted. His body had aged terribly and seemed unable to withstand any more exertion.

"I... sincerely wish you both a pleasant journey."

Nicolas Flamel calmly saw the two little ones off, feeling as if he had forgotten something, but it was probably nothing important.