Unraveling the Mystery with Flamel

An old man found Harry when he was walking outside the next day. He introduced himself as Nicholas Flamel. Harry hadn't heard the name before.

They continued walking in silence for a time. Harry found all of this very strange.

All of a sudden, Flamel said he would be filling in for a time at Hogwarts.

"For who, sir?"

"Professor Dumbledore was attacked and killed yesterday..."

Harry began to shake his head. No, Quirrel had been killed...

"Albus's body was found early this morning."

Harry tried to summon up some emotion, but found that Dumbledore had been so remote in Harry's day-to-day life he really had no thoughts or feelings for the man.

"Yesterday was a dark day," Flamel said.

"Yes, sir."

"A teacher murdered the Headmaster. No duel, just an ambush. Blood everywhere. An old master taken down through treachery. He felt too secure in this castle..."

The man looked back at Hogwarts.

"And particularly dark for you."

"Sir?"

"Attacked by a teacher who had just murdered, attacked with a Killing Curse..."

Harry hadn't reported anything, but this man knew.

"Tell me, Mr. Potter, tell me what happened. What did you see?"

So Harry told. What little he had seen before he was cursed. What little he saw before he responded.

Flamel was interested in that red stone and in those fragments that had appeared on the floor.

"The Killing Curse?"

"Yes, sir."

"You've survived it twice."

"Yes, sir.

"That's it, then. The Elixir of Life cannot tolerate death. The Philosopher's Stone broke with the casting of that vile spell. I'm surprised it let that possessed fool hold it at all."

Elixir of Life? The hairs on his arms and the back of his neck were defying gravity at the moment. What was this feeling? He didn't understand any of it. Fear? Awe? Gratitude for a touch of good luck? It wasn't hope. Harry had felt that plenty of times this year.

He had only one question left right now, though surely others would occur to him in the future. He was still trying not to think of that green spell or those two words used to create it.

"Am I in trouble?" Harry asked.

He had, after all, murdered a teacher and kept silent about it. He'd been in trouble at the Dursley house for burning bacon. What kind of punishment would they have for a murderer?

"In trouble for killing the man who killed Dumbledore? No, I think not, Mr. Potter. I'd say you would become even more famous for that feat, should you wish to claim credit for it."

"I don't."

"Well, you're smarter than Albus ever was. I understand you're planning to remain in the castle over the summer. Made plans, you have."

Harry said nothing.

"In any event, I approve. Do try to keep out of sight. Perhaps a hat or a temporary aging potion if you have to walk around? The castle will be filled with busy bodies, people in fancy robes who believe they understand magic because some fool gave them a fancy job title at the Ministry. I will be able to keep you safe this summer, but they'll want their own man in place soon enough. Sad as it is. Albus was a brilliant wizard though a shocking failure as a schoolmaster, so I can't help but assume that any dimwitted hack sent here will be far worse for the school."

"Sir?"

"I have enough strength to resist them until they're old enough for their death beds, though that is a rather obvious use of my strength. I prefer more subtle means."

Whatever that meant. "Yes, Professor," Harry said.

"Ahh, Perenelle would say I'm babbling. And she'd be right, for my wife is a very clever witch. Enjoy your summer, Mr. Potter."

"Thank you." He meant it in several forms, thank you for relieving his mind, thank you for allowing him to remain. Thank you for chatting and volunteering information.

It was more than anyone else had done, any staff member at least. If Harry had wanted to know something, he had had to buck up the courage and find a way to ask.

"We shall chat again in September," Professor Flamel said.

X-X-X

On the day that the Hogwarts Express was to take everyone back to King's Cross Station, London, Harry gave Hermione a book just before she left to get on the train.

"I've read Hogwarts: A History," she said, although she automatically opened it and began turning pages.

"This one is an old edition. It's quite different. I learned a lot from it," Harry said.

"Where did you find it?" she asked.

"Well, the library has a copy and I liked it. So I wrote to three different used book stores to find this copy for you. To thank you for your Christmas gift. It really was the nicest thing I've ever gotten."

She grinned at him, so pleased. "Thank you, Harry. Thank you."

.....

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