Hogwarts: This holy light is righteously evil.

Following the path to the bottom of the cliff, a low stone hut is hidden among the rocks. Its exterior walls, weathered by the sea winds over the years, are covered with the marks of time. Its color blends perfectly with the surrounding rocks, almost becoming one with the coastal environment.

Without Dumbledore's guidance, the clueless Penny would never have discovered this hidden dwelling.

The cottage has a simple and unpretentious overall design, with understated white stone walls and a low roof covered with a large area of ​​hardy herbaceous plants. Its appearance is no different from that of ordinary seaside houses in Cornwall.

It's hard to imagine that a top alchemist master, renowned throughout the magical world, would choose to live a secluded life in such a simple and unknown place.

"This place is secluded and quiet, far from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. It's the perfect place to rest and recuperate in peace and spend one's old age," Dumbledore explained softly with a slight smile.

He didn't knock, but simply raised his wand and tapped it a few times on a seemingly ordinary rock beside him, while whispering the unlocking password in deep, pure Latin.

"Returning to simplicity and authenticity."

The heavy wooden door of the cabin, made of driftwood and metal, slid open smoothly to one side without making a sound, letting in a warm and soft glow that contrasted sharply with the desolate and empty coastal scenery outside.

The interior space is open and airy, with a comfortable and elegant layout, exuding a strong academic atmosphere and a sense of life.

The stone walls are sturdy and ancient, with a complete star map inlaid with luminous mother-of-pearl hanging on them, as well as several sets of intricate alchemical structural models made of crystal, all with complex and exquisite craftsmanship.

The huge floor-to-ceiling windows face the boundless sea, where the waves surge and roar, but the interior is quiet and peaceful, with only the crackling sound of the fireplace burning.

The air was filled with the crisp scent of sea salt, the stale aroma of ancient parchment, and the unique, subtle fragrance of alchemical potions.

An elderly man stood in front of the fireplace. He was very old, his face etched with the marks of time, but he was upright, full of energy, and his eyes were clear, bright, and sharp, no less than those of a young person.

He was dressed in a loose and comfortable linen robe, with a gentle smile on his face, quietly waiting for the two to arrive. He was none other than Nicolas Flamel, the first alchemist.

His wife, Perena, was also elderly, with a gentle and elegant demeanor. At that moment, she was carrying a pot of steaming hot tea out of the inner room, her manner composed and graceful.

“Albus, it’s been a long time, I’ve missed you dearly!” Flamel said cheerfully as he stepped forward to shake hands with Dumbledore. Then his gaze fell on Penny beside him, his eyes filled with familiar warmth. “This must be the junior you admire. Welcome to our secluded seaside cottage.”

Puni reached out to respond to the greeting, and could feel the weakness and frailty in the old man's palm, his bones withered and thin, revealing his old age and physical weakness.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the Le Maye couple invited the two to sit on the seaside terrace.

Perenaar personally prepared tea and delicate snacks to suit the seaside style. The four of them sat and chatted, and Dumbledore and Flamel naturally talked about the current situation on Hogwarts.

While chatting about school affairs, Dumbledore casually recalled something and began in a relaxed manner: "The Defense Against the Dark Arts course in the new school year may have some changes. Professor Quirrell sent a letter saying that he still lacks practical experience and plans to travel and study during the summer to make up for his shortcomings in practical skills in order to improve his teaching ability."

“It is truly rare to have the mindset of actively striving for self-improvement.” Lemaître looked up at the undulating sea in the distance, lost in thought. “The fishermen of Cornwall often say that to know the full picture of the sea, one must set sail oneself. I hope Mr. Quirrell’s journey will be smooth and worry-free.”

The seemingly simple words concealed a profound and unspoken meaning, causing Dumbledore, who was standing nearby, to feel a slight stirring in his heart.

He knew that Flamel possessed many alchemical artifacts with precognitive abilities and had long foreseen the hidden troubles on Quirrell's path.

At that moment, Dumbledore pondered to himself that he might need to find a replacement in advance in case the Defense Against the Dark Arts course was left unattended in the new school year.

During a brief pause in their conversation, Puni took out the Marauder's Map he carried with him and respectfully showed it to Lemaître.

He fully explained the design concept of a brand-new magical item he conceived, the "Book of Guidance," hoping to create a magical book that can locate objects in real time across regions, freely track any target, and permanently update map information.

After listening, Lemaître became even more interested and leaned closer to observe the flowing and changing ink lines on the map and the names that were updated in real time.

The sea breeze ruffled his snow-white beard as he intently studied the magical structure of the map.

"Exquisitely crafted, a brilliant concept!" Lemaître exclaimed repeatedly. "You have combined the castle dynamic monitoring spell with the trajectory tracking technique, transforming a static map into a dynamic guide that updates in real time, just like creating a nautical chart that never expires. This approach of combining positioning and guidance is of great research value and practical significance."

Over the next few hours, Flamel revealed without reservation the underlying alchemical principles and spell logic behind this magical design.

Under the master's explanation, the obscure and complex magical knowledge became easy to understand, and many of the problems that had puzzled Puni were instantly cleared up.

During the brief exchange, Puni noticed that the two elderly people deliberately avoided him several times, taking a slow walk together along the coastline and talking in hushed tones.

The sea breeze scattered bits of the words, making it impossible to hear the complete content.

Puni knew that the two were discussing a secret matter, most likely related to the situation at Hogwarts and even the wizarding world.

He was very intelligent and did not rush to explore or spy. Instead, he calmed his mind and focused all his energy on the new knowledge he was learning.

He cherished this hard-won learning opportunity, as it was a rare chance to receive direct guidance from an alchemy master.

As the visit drew to a close, Dumbledore prepared to take Penny on their return journey.

Lemaître raised his hand and gently grasped Puni's palm, speaking with gentleness and solemnity: "Child, the future is never certain, and the boundaries of magic have never been fixed. All magic in the world awaits newcomers who dare to break through and explore. The guidebook you have conceived will become an excellent aid for your exploration of the long road of magic, accompanying you to go further."

On the way back, Puni's mind was filled with new alchemical knowledge and magical theories. He needed to calm down and digest these new ideas and principles one by one.

......

The next morning, as Penny was preparing to teach Harry the basic rules and combat techniques of the Golden Dragon Battle, a childish yet highly recognizable voice suddenly called out from downstairs, calling his name directly.

Puni leaned over and looked downstairs, where a striking strand of platinum blonde hair immediately caught his eye.

He knew without a doubt that Draco Malfoy had come again.

Puni felt a sense of helplessness in his heart.

Draco has been idle all day since the start of his vacation, finding no amusement in the dull and boring life on the manor.

For safety reasons, the Malfoys were extremely strict with their only son, keeping him confined to the manor most of the time and rarely allowing him to go out and have contact with the outside world.

Looking back, the only peer Draco could probably interact with during his childhood was Puni, with whom he had a long-standing relationship.

However, Draco's frequent visits in recent days have really given Puni a headache.

He would arrive at the same time every day, just to challenge him to a card battle.

However, in the Golden Dragon Battle a few days ago, he easily won several matches in a row, which made the proud Draco unwilling to admit defeat. He came to challenge him every day, stubbornly wanting to get back at Draco.

This persistent look made Puni feel somewhat restrained, and he could no longer use various fancy tactics to overwhelm his opponent, for fear of hurting the boy's self-esteem.

Harry, who was standing nearby, also heard the shouts from downstairs and casually glanced around.

In that fleeting glance, the relaxed expression on his face suddenly changed drastically, and the ease in his eyes vanished instantly.

So far, Harry has met very few people in the wizarding world, and the only one who could evoke such strong negative emotions in him is the boy downstairs just now.

Harry's obvious emotional shift naturally did not escape Penny's notice.

He instantly realized that the root cause of Harry's sudden change in mood must be Draco's unexpected visit.

He temporarily set aside Draco downstairs, knowing that since Draco had come all this way, he certainly wouldn't leave easily anytime soon.

Puni raised his hand and waved his wand, casting a silent spell on the special dark area of ​​the wall.

The dark patterns that were originally distinct from the surrounding walls gradually faded and eventually blended into the surrounding walls, sealing off the secret passage to the upper floors.

Draco, who was downstairs preparing to climb up the magic wall, immediately let out a dissatisfied shout upon seeing this.

Puni ignored his protests and told Draco to wait downstairs.

He then turned to Harry, who looked dejected, and asked softly, "Do you know that Malfoy downstairs?"

Harry put down the cards he was playing with and nodded slightly, clearly displeased: "We're not exactly acquaintances. We just bumped into each other by chance when I was buying wizard robes. He publicly mocked and humiliated Hagrid."

Chapter 146 Merlin's favor is always on our side!

Puni patiently pressed for details, gradually piecing together the complete story of how the two met.

Inside the robe shop, Draco, who was not accompanied by his parents, ran into Harry, who was the same age.

After learning that Harry's parents were orthodox wizards and that he himself possessed pure wizarding blood, Draco, who had been influenced by the pure-blood ideology since childhood, naturally categorized Harry as one of his own.

In his mind, Hagrid, as a half-giant, was a deserving of criticism and contempt, and his casual remarks and belittling of Harry were just ordinary idle chatter.

He didn't realize that Hagrid held an irreplaceable and important place in Harry's heart, being the benefactor who brought him into the magical world and gave him warmth and kindness.

A thoughtless remark has already offended Harry.

Draco, still oblivious, thought his first conversation with Harry went very well, unaware that he had already left a terrible first impression on Harry.

After figuring out the cause and effect, Puni was both amused and exasperated.

He knew that this was entirely the result of Draco's lack of proper family education.

As the young master of the Malfoy family, he grew up under the aristocratic aura, which fostered his arrogant and conceited nature. He did not know how to respect others, let alone read between the lines.

It seems I really need to find an opportunity to properly correct Draco's distorted views in the future.

Besides this, Puni had another consideration in mind.

He has kinship ties with the Malfoy family, and Draco's bad words and deeds can easily affect how others perceive him.

As Puni looked at Harry in front of him, he couldn't help but compare the two boys of similar age in his mind.

The two men's life circumstances were almost two opposite extremes.

Harry lost both his parents at a young age and lived with his Muggle aunt, where he suffered mistreatment and bullying for many years, living a very cautious life.

Draco was born into a top-tier pure-blood noble family. He had both parents, lived a life of luxury, and possessed everything that others could only dream of.

Harry was born with the legendary aura of surviving a great calamity, renowned throughout the wizarding world, and possessing a reputation that others could not match.

Draco, however, desperately craved fame and recognition, and was determined to prove himself through his abilities and earn a higher status.

The only thing the two have in common is that they are still immature, and their view of the world is based entirely on their own preferences and subjective perceptions. They do not understand human relationships and have their own biases and shortcomings, so they cannot be considered truly mentally sound children.

After much thought, Puni couldn't come up with a suitable excuse or how to comfort the dejected Harry. He could only suppress his own thoughts and quietly stay by Harry's side.

As Puni arranged the cards on the table, he turned to Harry beside him and asked softly.

“Harry, you should know in your heart that what that boy downstairs did was very inappropriate, right?”

This is an obvious fact.

Harry nodded decisively without hesitation.

"But he himself is most likely completely unaware of his own problem."

Puni chuckled softly and patiently offered guidance, "Based on the details of your interaction, I'm sure that in his mind, your first conversation was very pleasant and smooth. If you meet again, he might even take the initiative to befriend you."

These words left Harry completely bewildered. He asked in confusion, "Befriend him? Why would I..."

Before Harry could finish speaking, Puni gently interrupted his question.

"Because he has almost no friends his own age in his world."

Then, Puni asked two questions in quick succession: "When you were a kid in Muggle school, did you also never make any friends? Were you always confined to the house after school and had no freedom?"

Harry nodded gently again, a pang of sadness rising in his heart.

Back in Muggle school, it wasn't that he was unwilling to make friends; it was just that Dali and his companions always targeted and bullied him.

The other students were afraid of Dali's arrogance, and no one dared to approach him or join him.

Not only that, he had to rush back to the Dursleys' house as soon as he got out of school every day, and was bound by complicated housework all day long.