Chapter 84: Meeting Nicholas Flamel
July 1st!
Ethan was sitting on the sofa, checking the time from time to time, while the servants in the house had all gone out.
A week ago, Ethan had received a letter from Dumbledore sent by Phoenix, stating that on July 1st, the original agreement would be fulfilled, and Ethan would be introduced to Nicolas Flamel for study.
So, Ethan was waiting at that moment, but it was already afternoon—where was Dumbledore?
Just as Ethan was about to scold Dumbledore, a flash of fire appeared, and the Phoenix materialized in front of Ethan along with Dumbledore.
The words Ethan was about to blurt out were immediately swallowed.
"Headmaster, good afternoon. How about having afternoon tea first?"
Ethan immediately invited Dumbledore to sit down, showing a very enthusiastic demeanor.
It was not shameful to bow one's head when help from others was needed.
"Then I won't be polite!"
Dumbledore smiled and sat in front of Ethan. He couldn't resist the dessert on the coffee table. The sweet elements he had consumed today were far from enough, so it was just right to replenish them.
Ethan poured sweetened black tea for Dumbledore. Needless to say, Dumbledore liked sweets and was not afraid of diabetes.
So, Ethan had prepared Napoleon pastry, macarons, cream puffs, fruit mousse, caramel pudding, and so on today.
All of them were super high-sugar versions that Ethan had ordered from the dessert shop the day before, made and delivered today, and Ethan dared not touch them at all.
"Ethan, how was your summer vacation?"
Dumbledore wiped his mouth after eating almost one-third of the desserts and looked at Ethan with satisfaction. What a good boy!
But he was still old. If he had been 30 years younger, he could have eaten all of these.
"It's been quite fulfilling, but practicing magic isn't easy."
Ethan was telling the truth. Although he had acquired the ability to cast spells without being seen by others, he still had no suitable place to practice some of his spells like Fire God's magic.
And the traceless expansion space was insufficient for training the fire god's magic. Whether it was the fiendfyre or the fire escape, Ethan had tried it long ago. "The powerful magic burst can collapse the space inside."
He really missed the Room of Requirement.
Without the Room of Requirement, the improvement of strength was very slow.
However, this way, Ethan also had time to study the alchemical technology construct obtained after acquiring the Philosopher's Stone and practice it.
"I can't do anything about this!"
Dumbledore thought Ethan was troubled by the inability to use magic because of the trace thread.
"But in the next few days, I think you won't have to worry about this."
With Nicolas Flamel, Ethan could use magic at will. After all, how could one learn alchemy without magic?
Many alchemy techniques require the assistance of magic.
"You can't wait any longer; hold my hand now, and don't let go."
Ethan nodded to show his understanding and grabbed Dumbledore's hand.
Fox swooped down with flames all over his body, looking like a ball of fire. The moment he approached Dumbledore, he grabbed his shoulder.
Then the flames spread to Dumbledore and Ethan. Ethan did not feel the burning of the flames, only a little warmth.
After the flames completely covered them, Ethan and Dumbledore disappeared on the spot.
Only the empty villa remained, with unfinished desserts and half a pot of black tea.
Ethan had handed Onyxia over to Dennis to take care of yesterday. They had become familiar with each other over this period. Although Onyxia occasionally lost her temper, she did not burn Dennis or others.
Similarly, Ethan had called his parents and told them he would be away from home for a while. The servants would return to pack up things at home the next day.
Hermione, Cho Chang, and Penelope had all called. Cassandra sent a letter by owl, expressing that she could not be contacted during this period.
It was more comfortable than Apparition, which was Ethan's first feeling after getting out of the car.
If there were more phoenixes, and if Ethan felt he could persuade Fawkes, he would have considered acquiring one.
Observing the surrounding environment—lush forests, dense weeds, and mountains not far away—it seemed to be in a valley.
He just didn't know if it was the Pyrenees or the Alps.
There was a stone path under his feet, leading to a small courtyard that looked ordinary.
"I have written to Nico, and he knows we will come today."
With that, Dumbledore led the way, and Ethan followed behind him.
It was quite dangerous not to be familiar with this place. Only God knew what an alchemist who had lived for more than 600 years might have done with his home, especially with many people coveting his Philosopher's Stone.
In a simple wizard fight, Nicolas Flamel might not be strong; after all, his body was too fragile, and this was not his forte.
But given time to set up the venue and fight on his home ground, few in the wizarding world would be sure of winning.
Walking all the way to the door of the courtyard, nothing happened; it looked like an ordinary family hidden in the mountains.
It was only when Ethan and Dumbledore entered the house that they discovered its difference.
The interior was cast with a traceless expansion spell, and the space was quite large.
The main structure of the hall was white marble, the ceiling was nearly ten meters high, and the columns were carved with exquisite stone carvings.
There were five scrolls on the wall, showing two particularly old people, a man and a woman. In each painting, a blood-red gem was held, which was the Philosopher's Stone obtained by Ethan.
In the painting, the two old figures appeared thinner and thinner, and the last painting seemed to be blown away by a gust of wind.
Additionally, Ethan saw some Muggle items, such as stereos, televisions, and refrigerators. "Say, can the television here receive programs?"
"You two, welcome!"
Just as Ethan was looking around, a voice sounded, and two old people emerged from behind the curtain.
Their pale hair, loose robes, wrinkled faces, and extremely thin bodies gave them an extremely unhealthy gray-white appearance.
The other lady was in a similar state, except for her different clothes.
If he hadn't been prepared, Ethan would have thought he had seen a ghost.
It could only be said that the effect of the Philosopher's Stone was not as great as imagined. Although it could maintain human life, the body was becoming more and more fragile.
Ethan had no doubt that if they fell down, it would not be as simple as a fracture.
"Nico, I have something else to do. I'll leave first. I'll leave the child to you."
The four of them exchanged brief greetings, and Dumbledore departed in a burst of fire.
"Ethan, I heard from Albus that you are a talented young wizard with a keen interest in alchemy. Could you show me your work?"
To gauge an alchemist's level, one must examine their work.
As he aged, Nicolas Flamel wanted to pass on his alchemical knowledge.
Over the years, for the advancement of alchemy at Beauxbatons, he had donated money and books, but no one had stood out.
"Okay, sir!"
"Let the guests sit down first."
Perenelle interrupted Nico's actions. No host would behave like this.
Of course, she understood Nicolas Flamel's feelings. It was not easy to find a talented young wizard interested in alchemy.
Dumbledore's praise of Ethan's talent was noteworthy. The last one to receive such praise from Dumbledore was Tom, who had turned out to be exceptional.
"Ah!"
Seeing the two engaged in a conversation about alchemy on the sofa, Perenelle sighed.
She didn't have much interest in alchemy anymore. She had fallen in love with vocal art by chance and, later, became fascinated with opera during its flourishing in France. These interests were far more engaging to her than the tedious study of alchemy.
Meanwhile, Nico was questioning Ethan about alchemical knowledge and ancient magical texts, which are closely related.
To excel in alchemy, one needs extensive knowledge accumulation, much more complex than spells, and understanding ancient magical texts is extremely challenging. Memorizing them alone requires significant effort.
If Ethan had only a superficial understanding of these topics, Nico would have been disappointed. A talented young wizard who lacks dedication to alchemy would achieve only limited success.
Fortunately, Ethan had a solid grasp of both basic and advanced alchemical knowledge and ancient magical texts. This was thanks to his exceptional memory, keen intellect, and photographic memory, which allowed him to learn quickly.
Otherwise, for an ordinary young wizard, it would be extremely difficult to recite ancient magical characters, glyphs, words, and their meanings by the end of the first year.
Nico asked several more in-depth questions.
Ethan naturally shared everything he knew and discussed all aspects he was involved in.
Since Nico Flamel corrected some of Ethan's errors during this process, Ethan took the opportunity to verify his knowledge.
The more Nico Flamel tested Ethan, the more impressed he became. Ethan's knowledge base was impressive, and much of it was acquired at a remarkably young age.
At this moment, Nico realized that Dumbledore had not sent him just a genius but a prodigy.
To advance in alchemy, one needs both the sharp imagination and creativity of a genius and the meticulousness and rigor of a scholar.
It is rare to find someone who possesses both qualities, and Nico had only encountered one person who possessed both and was passionate about alchemy: Ethan.
Dumbledore also possessed these traits and had an interest in alchemy, which is one reason he and Flamel became friends when Dumbledore was a student. However, it was rare for someone to quickly form a friendship with Dumbledore.
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