26 26. WHAT?!

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"I'm afraid… I did."

"..."

Happy said those words with such ease and calmness that Harry and Dumbledore needed a few seconds to digest his answer.

In a rare moment, Dumbledore's always calm expression looked incredulous. His jaw was slightly open, while Harry's was clearly wide open.

Dumbledore stood up, came closer, and eyed Happy up and down to check if he was fine. He then stretched out his hand and patted Happy's head, shoulders, back, and so on.

Happy felt uncomfortable, but he knew that this was his own fault, so he allowed it. He just hadn't been poked and prodded like that since he was in that hospital in his previous life.

"Why did you do such a thing?" Dumbledore asked him in shock and disbelief.

Happy awkwardly brushed his hair back. "I… I was just interested in knowing what it tasted like on a boring night before exams. It looked like a giant rock candy. That was when someone tried to enter. I jolted and...ended up eating it. I tried to spit it out, but it never came out…"

Dumbledore tried to use all the magic he could to check if Happy had any issues. But, he found no problems.

"Happy, in theory, you should be dead by now. But here you are, alive and doing well days after you ate the stone. I'm afraid we will need to have a thorough checkup done on you. You shall be coming with me to see Nicolas Flamel."

Happy sighed as he had no other real choice. "Understood, Professor."

"Good. For now, I will take some blood samples from you to test them for any anomalies. The faster we find the problems, the faster we can be free from worries. I hope you understand."

"No!" Happy exclaimed almost immediately. "You can't take my blood, Professor."

"But we need it to ensure that the stone hasn't changed anything in your biology. Flamel will need it." Dumbledore insisted respectfully, albeit his old face showed some signs of discomfort.

'Can I even trust him? No, can I even oppose him right now?'

Happy weight his options and decided to go along with him. It wasn't like he could run away from school. As for his blood, if not today, then tomorrow, the old man was bound to find out about it from his spies in Voldemort's ranks. Lucius already knew it, so it was better to let Dumbledore, the opposing faction, know it too.

"If you do, you must promise me something. Only you, and you alone, can test my blood. If you find something strange, then in no circumstances can you share it with someone else without my permission... I really need you to promise that, Professor." Happy, with all seriousness on his face, asked.

Dumbledore, at first, was not very eager to agree with him. However, once he saw the seriousness on Happy's face, he realized there was something Happy was worried about. So, he acted like a good grandpa and agreed. "I understand, Happy. I give you my word. Your blood shall be safe with me."

"Thank you, Professor."

So Happy allowed him to take a sample of blood with a small prick on his fingertip. It was fast and painless, and the process ended in a few seconds as he transferred it into a black vial.

"You two may now return to your dorm room. The school year-end feast shall be held tomorrow, so you should prepare to return home—except you, Happy, of course." Dumbledore quickly sent them away.

....

Happy and Harry walked back to their dorm room in silence.

Harry was worried about the situation and about his friend's health. At this point, anything could happen. Who knows if Happy will grow four more arms and a new head one day?

"Surprise!"

As the two entered the common room, suddenly, a burst of magic erupted from the fireplace, and a loud cheer filled the room. The other Gryffindors shouted and jumped out of their hiding spots. Harry and Happy turned to see that the entire room had been transformed into a festive wonderland, complete with streamers, balloons, and confetti.

As they looked around in amazement, they saw the walls adorned with shimmering banners in Gryffindor colors, and the tables were overflowing with plates of delicious snacks and drinks. Even the chairs and couches had been enchanted to glow in a warm, inviting light. Large letters on the banner said, "Congratulations! Our Champions!"

Happy suddenly felt an overwhelming joy in his heart. For the first time in a long while, no one in the Gryffindor common room cared about his name. No one loathed, feared, or looked down on him.

Instead, everyone was smiling and welcomed him with joy in their eyes.

"Happy, come here!" George called him. "We turned Ron's face into Koko's face!"

"Quack!"

"And he quacks too, but he's a Goose!" Fred added.

Then, Hermione approached him with a big plate of various pastries and a glass full of chocolate milk. "I know this is harmful to your body and turns you fat. But only for once, I will indulge in your bad habits, Happy. Here, enjoy the treat."

Happy smiled widely, seeing everyone be so welcoming. "Thanks, Hermione. But I don't believe I can ever get fat. You see, I have a special body."

Ignoring her worrying eyes, Happy raised his hand with the glass and roared. "Anyone who beats me in eating the cake gets five thousand Gold Galleons!"

"Buzz off!" Dean Thomas' voice echoed in no time. "We know we'll lose and end up vomiting."

Happy smirked. "TEN THOUSAND GOLD GALLEONS!"

"I'm in!" Dean Thomas changed his words faster than Bellatrix's mood swings.

"Quack!" Goose-faced Ron also jumped in to participate. After all, it was more money than his family ever had in their vault.

Happy just smiled and felt his heart overcome with joy. The laughter, the jokes, and some worrying eyes made all the temporary problems he faced disappear from his thoughts.

'This is all I ever wanted.'

Words echoed in his mind before he started the competition—to win, of course.

....

The next day, the year-end feast dinner was held. As expected, it was filled with an abundance of food, and unsurprisingly, Gryffindor won with last-minute additions to the points from Dumbledore. The game sure was rigged, Happy knew it, but he remained quiet as it was rigged in his favor.

Then, the following day, students were scurrying around the castle, packing their trunks, and exchanging hugs and goodbyes with their friends. Finally, the time had come to get onto Hogwarts Express once again.

"Hey, have you guys seen Happy? I haven't seen him since last night." Hermione asked Ron and Harry.

Happy had disappeared after the party in the common room. So Hermione, Ron, and Harry were a bit worried and confused as they left for the train station.

Ron shook his head, "He wasn't in the dorm room last night. I didn't see him when I woke up this morning either. What about you, Harry?"

Harry shrugged as he had some idea, "Happy probably went to see Professor Dumbledore somewhere."

"Why?" Hermione questioned.

Harry shook his head. He wasn't at liberty to say anything as per Dumbledore's order.

Eventually, Hermione and Ron didn't ask anymore and left with the group of students towards the train station. But, of course, a hint of anxiety for their foodie friend never disappeared.

...

Nicolas Flamel was an old man with a somewhat absent-minded demeanor.

He lived in hiding, along with his wife Perenelle, for several centuries. They had used the Elixir of Life that Flamel had created to extend their lives, but they knew that the knowledge of the elixir's existence could be dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands. For that reason, they had kept their true identities a secret and had lived quietly. However, his legacy as an alchemist and the creator of the Sorcerer's Stone still loomed large in the wizarding world.

Nicolas Flamel's home was located in Rue de Montmorency in Paris.

The Flamel House was a marvel of ancient architecture. Yet, despite its grandeur, the house had an air of mystery and secrecy that repelled most from coming close.

Nicolas Flamel was surprised to see Albus Dumbledore arrive unannounced at his doorstep. But he still welcomed his old friend, and they sat in the reading room together. Happy followed behind, curiously looking at the marvelous items around the home.

"So, Albus, what brings you here?" Flamel asked.

Dumbledore's face was grave as he replied, "Nicolas, we have a problem. The Sorcerer's Stone is gone."

"Gone?! How could that be?" Flamel almost stood up in surprise. But since his body was so old and frail, all he managed to do was jolt in his chair.

"Yes, my friend. It happened after I hid it in the Mirror of Erised. It was my lack of vision that it came to such, and I regret it. You see…"

Dumbledore started explaining all that had happened while gesturing towards Happy occasionally. Gradually, as the story of how it happened progressed, Flamel's gaze toward Happy became more and more intense. It was as if he had found a new experimental subject for his alchemy. It ignited the old researching flame in him, passion and curiosity.

"Not only that, his blood is now equivalent to the Felix Felicis potion." Dumbledore ended his explanation with the biggest news of all.

"Interesting." Flamel rubbed his chin as he stared at Happy intently. "You are one interesting, cute little boy, Mr. Lestrange."

"Can you check if he's medically sound?" Dumbledore requested.

Flamel continued to stare at Happy's face, making him uncomfortable. No words were spoken for a long time, and only the burning wood in the fireplace was a source of disturbance.

"Alright, Happy Lestrange!" He exclaimed all of a sudden while clapping his hands.

"Drop your robes and spread your buttocks, boy."

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