176 Message In-Between

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Calm and composed as he was outside, the shock could never be more real inside as Hadrian absorbed this piece of information.

The connotations alone to such revelation made a part of him feel that things were about to get more complicated for him in the future.

'Not that it already was before this…' Hadrian mused wryly.

In that moment, however, the young mage felt as if he was one of the protagonists with rotten luck in the questionable novels that Astolfo liked to read in his free time.

The imagery and comparison was enough to make him lose control of his magic, which often respond to his emotions.

Before it could appear on the surface, he reigned it in, fearing that the surge of magical energy might harm or destroy something within the vicinity.

If he was an ordinary mage, such a reaction would not have been an issue.

However, Hadrian is a Lucis Caelum, and the magic of those in his family's line tend to respond immediately to their emotions and their intentions.

Without restraint on both, the response of their magic tends to cause issues, particularly in their surroundings.

Hadrian himself had to be trained by one of his late father's retainers (the one from his first life) to control his emotions. It had not been a smooth nor pleasant experience, but he managed to pull through and was able to gain complete control of his magic.

The news he heard was simply shocking and surprising that the restraint he had on his emotions led to his magic almost unchained.

The concerned gazes of his retainers upon him also helped him center himself, causing Hadrian to reassure them through telepathy.

With a deep inhale, Hadrian set aside the news he was just given.

He will have enough time to contemplate the connotations of his vessel's family later on.

For now, the present subject regarding Voldemort requires more of his attention.

Once he regained his composure, Hadrian forced himself out of his musing and focused on the Flamels.

"So… what now? Have you both conjured a plan to retrieve the Horcruxes in Hogwarts?" Hadrian asked, returning to the topic at hand.

The brief glance that the ancient couple shared prompted a raised eyebrow from the young mage, who merely looked on their silent communication quietly.

"We have, but it is still a work in progress." Nicolas answered with a sigh.

"We were planning to have you transfer in Hogwarts as a student." Penerelle explained, taking over for her husband, who nodded in agreement to her words. "That way, infiltrating the institution would not be an issue for you since we do not have an exact idea of where these Horcruxes are located."

"Hmm… as a student, I would have a lot of time to search the school for them in a thorough manner and, given your known relation with the Headmaster, I would not be viewed with suspicion while I'm there. Yes, that is a sound idea." Hadrian mused aloud, absorbing the details of the plan before turning back to the couple and asked. "So what's the issue?"

"Zelretch." Nicolas answered simply, causing Hadrian to raise an eyebrow.

It was a simple sign for him to elaborate, which the ancient alchemist caught as he continued.

"Zel has insisted for us to transfer you to Beauxbatons first. I don't know why, but he mentioned something about giving you some breathing room before we let you go to Hogwarts and that 'there is a clue waiting for you in Beauxbatons'. Whatever that means…" Nicolas shook his head at his old friend's vague words.

With furrowed brows, Hadrian quietly took in his grandfather's message for him.

Since the Flamel had no idea as to who his vessel actually was, their confusion to his grandfather's message was understandable.

To Hadrian, who had been personally trained by the old magician, not to mention being related to the infamous man himself, it was easy to realize what his grandfather meant by it.

Obviously, Zelretch knew what his reaction would be to the news of his vessel's remaining 'living family', and wanted to provide him some time to prepare himself before going to Hogwarts to search for the Horcruxes.

Earlier, Penerelle also happened to mention that Hayden Potter, who is possibly related to Harry, is a student in Hogwarts.

Hadrian had yet to know the complete backstory as to how and why Harry Potter – his vessel – had been sent to his relatives instead of being with his family that night, but he was not naïve nor dumb enough to think of going to Hogwarts right away without knowing anything vital first.

Before, the young mage had thought that Harry Potter was the last living member of his family.

Now, hearing of Hayden Potter, Hadrian would have to deliberate on the possibility that his vessel's parents might be alive as well.

It was a theory that might not be too far off from the truth, seeing as he had not seen the woman with long red hair, who was highly likely Harry's biological mother, murdered by Voldemort in the first lingering memory that he dreamt unexpectedly some time ago.

Complications would undoubtedly arise should he just rush into the matter without proper consideration.

Thus, his grandfather had advised the couple to give him some time to gather information and make certain preparations for the encounter that would inevitably occur in the near future.

Knowing his luck recently, ever since he arrived in this world, possibly encountering the remaining Potters just might happen sooner than he expected.

'It's up in the air in how that would go though…' Hadrian mused with a quiet sigh.

Next, the second part of his grandfather's message made him curious.

Recalling Yan's hostage, the one that he left in some abandoned warehouse (thinking of this part caused him to shake his head, an unconscious move on his part, much to his retainers' amusement and the Flamel's confusion), Hadrian wondered if that was a hint from his grandfather on what he will discover tomorrow.

Considering his grandfather's ability to observe different dimensions through the Kaleidoscope, it was highly likely so.

Relieved that he was at least making progress on finding Prelati's location, Hadrian did feel a bit irritated at his grandfather for not telling him of Harry's family.

The old magician's consideration to his mental health was a kind gesture, but damn it, he would have liked to know that tidbit of information before he needed to know about it.

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