Chapter 110: Meeting two immortal alchemists

Harry had a spring in his steps as he walked away from Hogsmeade with Daphne. They had an overall neat date. They held hands while they walked, they snogged a lot, he brought her a cute hat, and she made him buy her a mountain of chocolates as usual, like in all their previous dates. Then, they had the exciting adventure of hunting down a couple of Death eaters and foil their plots. It was quite fun to watch Draco Malfoy being dragged out of Hogsmeade under the guard of Aurors, bound and gagged. The entire Hogwarts student body with access to Hogsmeade had come to watch the spectacle. There was no sympathy for Draco Malfoy, especially when everyone had a frontal view of the glaring Dark Mark on his right arm.

Of course, Dumbledore and Snape tried to talk the Aurors out of taking Draco into their custody, but sadly for the dynamic duo, the Aurors were sent with clear orders from Minister Bones. It also helped there were no Order members among the Aurors assigned to the Hogsmeade mission. It left Dumbledore powerless, and he could only watch Draco Malfoy being dragged away by the Aurors.

Harry took great comfort in watching the twinkle in the man's eyes disappear when it was trained on him. It was one of those sweet moments of revenge that he enjoyed watching the level of discomfort he brought upon the head of Dumbledore. But it was never enough for what that man took from him. He had lost the woman he loved, a son and an entire kingdom all because Dumbledore couldn't let go of his favourite pawn. No matter what, there was payback coming for Dumbledore in store, and he wanted to do that with his own two hands.

That was one of the reasons why he didn't allow Draco Malfoy to stumble around Hogwarts in his idiotic mission to assassinate Albus Dumbledore.

'As if that ponce could assassinate a fly.' Harry thought with a scoff.

"You're thinking about some plan to cause more trouble for Dumbledore, aren't you?" Daphne said with a knowing look.

"You know me so well, love." Harry grinned, squeezing her hand as they walked towards Hogwarts with their fingers intertwined.

"I don't think Dumbledore is happy with what you did. He looked like you stole away his phoenix." Daphne said, her shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.

"Oh, I'm going to do much worse in the near future." Harry muttered darkly.

"Leaving your justifiable revenge against Dumbledore aside, who are we meeting?" Daphne prodded before Filch checked them outside the entrance into the castle.

"You'll see." Harry whispered as they neared the Hogwarts caretaker.

Filch allowed them entry after being searched and found nothing untoward in their possession. Immediately, Harry found a secluded spot and called for Dobby to transport them into the Chamber. 

Harry expected Perenelle to greet him with a flashy entrance, but the woman was already there when he arrived with Daphne. The interesting bit was that she was not alone. A man accompanied her, and they were both sitting on a red couch.

"She seems familiar." Daphne muttered. "Isn't she one of my father's guests…? The Lady Lilith?"

"Yes." Harry whispered.

"I don't recognise the man, though." Daphne said. "Harry, what is going on? How did they gain access to the Chamber?"

Harry didn't say anything and merely walked forward with Daphne until they stood before Perenelle and the unknown man. The man beside Perenelle was not dressed in the standard wizard attire of a cloak and a pointed hat. Instead, the man wore a long grey coat, a cream-coloured sleeveless jacket, a dark green sweater, and black pants. Harry would've taken the man for a muggle noble if it wasn't for the dragonhide boots he saw on the man's legs.

He eyed the man and wondered whether this was Nicholas Flamel. But he couldn't be sure because he had never met the famed alchemist. Whenever Perenelle brought other guests, they were foreign politicians, mercenary wizards, or even heads of foreign magical law enforcement.

"Harry. You are right on time. That's good." Perenelle commented.

Harry flicked a finger, and a green couch was conjured before them. He led Daphne to the couch, and he took a seat beside her while staring at Perenelle. If his grandmother had noticed his casual display of wandless magic, she wouldn't have shown it. The same couldn't be said about the man accompanying her. He looked mighty impressed.

"So, this is the first time we've met Mr Potter. My name is Nicholas Flamel." the white-haired man introduced himself.

"The Nicholas Flamel – the alchemist?" Daphne asked with a gasp.

"Yes, the very same." Nicholas smiled genially.

"Oh… I…" Daphne stuttered before she rounded on Harry with a frown.

"Don't tell me this is one of your pranks." Daphne accused.

"It's not." Harry raised his hands in a placating manner.

"He is not pranking you girl. I'm Perenelle Flamel, and your mother was once my student." Perenelle said as if she was talking to a small child.

Harry scowled and barely held back from snapping some choice words at the woman for taking that tone with his girlfriend. He had to endure such a patronising tone in the past because he was unfortunately dependent on the woman to get rid of Voldemort's supporters. But that doesn't mean he could tolerate this attitude indefinitely.

"Have a care how you speak." Harry warned, glaring into an identical pair of green eyes.

"Oho! Or else what are you…"

Harry didn't let the woman go off on a tangent and insult him this time as he brought forth the full might of his magical power upon Perenelle. The raw power that he mustered and enforced upon Perenelle manifested in the form of a bright green aura, a crushing pressure in the air and wave after wave of hostile gales that slowly moved the couch the old alchemists were sitting on.

"You invited us here to talk. You'll be respectful, or I will force you. And trust me, you won't like it when I use force." Harry said firmly.

"Force me? Do you hear that, Nicholas?" Perenelle said with an amused tilt of her head.

"My hearing is quite fine, my dear. But Mr Potter is right. You invited them, and as hosts, we must show proper respect to our guests." Nicholas commented airily.

Perenelle snorted derisively while eyeing Harry and Daphne.

"Do you think this little trick is intimidating, Harry? I have faced many youngsters who thought too much of themselves over the centuries. It didn't end well for them."

"I already have one manipulative, condescending old man to deal with in my life. I will not tolerate a woman of that same calibre in the list." Harry said quite firmly.

He glared into the green eyes of his grandmother, who did the same while countering his assertive power by shielding herself with her own magic. But before it could escalate, Nicholas Flamel intervened.

"This is enough. He inherited your stubbornness, and you know where that'll lead to…" Nicholas said, squeezing his wife's hand.

"Fine." Perenelle snorted derisively but reeled in her magic and turned her eyes on Daphne.

"I was discourteous to you, Miss Greengrass, Mr Potter. My apologies." Perenelle dipped her head gracefully.

Harry pulled his magic into his body and let the pressure drop. There was an awkward silence where all four of them struggled to start again.

"Mr Flamel, you said earlier that Harry inherited Mrs Flamel's stubbornness. Does that mean Harry is related to you?" Daphne asked tentatively.

Nicholas and Perenelle exchanged a look between them and started regaling their tale.

Harry listened, but his other senses were tasked with scanning the Chamber. After all, he wouldn't put it past his grandmother to put some trap in the Chamber. Trust was something that hardly came to Harry, especially from those with comparable power and influence. His eyes landed on Daphne, who was listening intently to the story of how his mother was conceived using a squib line of House Gaunt. When it was finally done, he saw a look of utter bafflement on Daphne's face as she stared at Perenelle.

"Why did you do what you did? I mean, if you wanted a child, you could've… you know…" Daphne blushed and nodded at Nicholas Flamel.

"Because my wife was gifted with the abilities of foresight. She has had prophetic dreams from early childhood, and she saw the need for his existence before the Millenium Conjunction." Nicholas explained, nodding in Harry's direction.

"The Millenium Conjunction? What is that?" Daphne asked curiously.

"It is an event foreseen by the Peverell Brothers. You might've heard of them from the Tales of Beedle the Bard. There are many such stories and folktales spread across different magical communities." Nicholas explained.

"In Britain, the tale of the three brothers spoke of the Deathly Hallows and how the youngest brother, Ignotus, used the Cloak of invisibility to cheat Death and when the time came, he greeted Death as an old friend. Well, in France, the tale is slightly different. The story spoke of the eldest brother, Antioch, who cheated death by casting the most powerful ward with the Elder Wand. In Spain, the story shifts again as it was the second brother, Cadmus, who cheats death with a necromantic spell, binding his soul to his body using the Resurrection Stone." said Perenelle.

"I don't understand what folklore has anything to do with Harry." Daphne said confusedly.

"Because Harry has all three bloodlines of the Peverell brothers converging together in his veins. House Potter are descendants of Ignotus, House Gaunt are descendants of Cadmus, and I am a descendant of Antioch." said Perenelle.

"But that still doesn't explain…"

"Be patient, you little gi...." Perenelle scowled as Nicholas interrupted her by loudly clearing his throat.

"What my wife meant to say is that there is a good reason we want the bloodlines to merge so that the wizardkind may escape the Millenium Conjunction." Nicholas talked over his wife.

"What is this Millennium Conjunction?" Harry asked, breaking his silence.

Perenelle and Nicholas grimaced.

"It is an event that spells the end of all magic." Nicholas said with a sigh.

"You're pulling our leg, right?" Harry said with a scoff.

"We wish we were making this up. But no. The history of magic could be traced back 10,000 years and maybe even more. Every millennium, one of the dominant magical races is selected to prove its worth. If they fail the test, the entire species slowly fades away from the planet." Perenelle said grimly, with her fists clenched in obvious discomfort and anger.

"I don't believe this. You are just making this up." Daphne denied loudly while standing up with a scandalised look.

"If you want proof, look at the Elves, the Mermen, the Dwarves and the Goblins. They were the great four races that dominated our world for thousands of years. The world trembled before their might in the past. Look at them now. They can barely sustain any magic. They cannot even protect their homes and take shelter close to wizardkind in fear of the muggles." Nicholas said, letting out a long-suffering sigh. "The Elves have been reduced to slaves. The Mermen lost their ability to weave magic and live in the deepest oceans or close to wizardkind. The Dwarves and Goblins had the most powerful armies in the world, but now they are glorified builders and bankers."

"But our dominance will not last for long." Perenelle warned, her green eyes darkening all of a sudden. "This is our millennium. Soon, wizards will also weaken, and it's already happening now that we are so close. The wards that protect our communities will collapse, and the muggles will either hunt us down, or we'll have to depend on the Veela community and Centaurs to survive." 

Harry stared at the duo calmly while, in his mind, he was anything but that. He had read some snippets of this goofy story from the scrolls in the Chamber, but he thought it was just some folklore of the past to scare away children. Now that he had the chance to look at the Flamels and their reaction, they seemed genuine and believed this hyped-up story. Even Daphne looked lost as she returned to the couch and fell silent.

"Surely you've started to notice that as generations pass, the lesser we become." Nicholas said with a pointed look at them before explaining further, "The Pureblood families who had developed special gifts in magic have nearly vanished. They think this had been the consequence of breeding with muggleborns. Of course, the muggleborns have nothing to do with it, considering they are offsprings of a wizard or a witch in one way or another. Now, even their numbers are also dwindling."

"Which is why destroying the muggles and appropriating their knowledge into our society was a viable plan." Perenelle grumbled. 

"It's not a viable plan. The muggles and their technology are incompatible with magic and our way of life. Besides, how will we do such a dastardly act and survive knowing that we stand upon the bones of billions? What sort of a civilisation will be that? If we stoop to such a level, we are better off dead." Nicholas said firmly, while Perenelle just huffed and glared in the opposite direction.

Harry eyed the old Alchemist, who defended the muggles so openly. The man looked to be in his fifties with full white hair and a trim white beard. But the alchemist retained a relatively youthful face. 

"The Stone." Harry suddenly said, staring intently at the Alchemist duo. "The Sorcerer's Stone is a remedy to this, yes? You made it to ward off death and maintain your magic for as long as you live."

"You are quite mistaken, Harry." Nicholas chuckled. "We are not the creators of the Stone."

"What?" Harry asked with wide eyes.

"But it's known… you're the famous alchemist…" Daphne was also equally taken aback by the piece of information.

"No, Miss Greengrass." Nicholas chuckled. "The Sorcerer's Stone was created by an unparalleled genius this world has never seen in 10,000 years."

"Then who made it?" Harry asked curiously.

"In the old days, he was known to his people by the name Moros." Perenelle said. "But you'd know him by the name of Merlin."

"But that's impossible. Merlin came after the time of the Founders." Daphne argued.

But this time, it was Harry who corrected Daphne.

"Actually, he didn't." Harry said, "As someone who travelled to the past and had spent three years with the Founders, I can confirm Merlin was before the Founders' time. His legends were known during their time as well. Although, the people of those times called him Myrddin."

"Myrddin, Merlin, Moros. They're all the same. All the artefacts we have collected, all the writing, paintings and carving over the centuries, lead to one man and the Peverell brothers." Perenelle said, taking a scroll from her coat and offering it to Harry.

He unruffled the scroll and looked inside to find just four lines written in the strange language he learned from Professor Babbling's mind.

"It's a clue to reach Elysium. It is the birthplace of all magical creatures, and all legends compel us to visit this place for judgment. We'll have to find the Deathly Hallows and arrive at Elysium with their help before the Millenium is complete." said Perenelle.

"But the Hallows are not real, right?" Daphne asked, looking quite overwhelmed and lost.

"The Hallows are very much real. Your betrothed inherited one from his father's family – the Cloak of Invisibility." Nicholas said with a knowing look at Harry.

Daphne stared at him in disbelief and silently questioned with her eyes, so he just nodded minutely, making her jaw drop open.

"What do you want to do with it?" Harry asked.

"Not us…you." Nicholas said with a pointed stare.

"Me?" he raised a sceptical eyebrow.

"Yes. You are my grandson and your mother's son. If there is one thing I know, it is that you're extremely resourceful. I suspect you already know where the Deathly Hallows are. After all, you have learned most of what we talked about from the Chamber. Am I right?"

Harry stared at his grandmother with a sharp look. He didn't for a moment think those couple of compliments were genuine. After all, Perenelle Flamel was a cranky old woman who insulted everyone as a first response.

"We already know where the Elder Wand is, and I suspect you also do. A brilliant young man like you might've deduced the most powerful wand is with the most powerful wizard." Nicholas said with a knowing look.

"I know. It's with Dumbledore." Harry said with a sigh.

"So, that's why he is so strong." Daphne muttered.

"Don't be so sure, my dear. The Elder Wand was once wielded by Grindelwald. Albus won the wand in a fair duel. The wand is a powerful foci, but it cannot make a wizard invincible." Nicholas said.

"Now, we know the final Hallow should be with House Gaunt. So, it must be with that silly Dark Lord running around here because I couldn't find it anywhere else." Perenelle said with a frustrated sigh.

Harry debated within himself whether he should tell the truth about the location of the Resurrection Stone. On one hand, it was in his interest to stop the weakening of magic in the wizarding community. But at the same time, he was not wholly certain of the intentions of the Flamels. They were immortals, and they could've expertly fabricated this whole story in an elaborate scheme to take possession of the three Hallows. 

Now, even if the Elysium existed, he didn't want these two to take possession of it. This means the Resurrection Stone was his leverage, and no sane person would ever concede the upper hand when there was so much at stake. 

"I'll need everything you have collected so far to ascertain the truth by myself." Harry said after giving it some thought.

"You don't trust our word or the information you gleaned from violating Bathsheda's mind or from the Chamber?" Perenelle asked with a curious look.

"I'd be an idiot to take any information purely based on trust. I need proper time to ascertain certain things before I commit to any action." Harry said.

"That is more than fair. We'll have all the necessary materials moved to the Chamber." Nicholas immediately agreed.

"It goes without saying what we discussed here will not reach another ear." Perenelle leaned forward in her seat, her stare gaining a steely edge. "The only reason we included you, Miss Greengrass, is because you are betrothed to my grandson and my student's daughter. Do not make me regret that trust."

"Of course." Daphne quickly said.

"All right. That's enough, my dear. We have taken up too much time from them." Nicholas said as he climbed to his feet.

After saying their goodbyes, the Flamels left the Chamber, leaving Harry and Daphne on the couch by their lonesome.

Harry leaned back against the couch and tried to relax. To his surprise and approval, Daphne leaned into his side and rested her head on his shoulders.

"Why are you always at the centre of all this intrigue? It's becoming a recurring habit." Daphne muttered.

"I'm the boy-who-lived, love. Battling dragons, dark lords and unravelling thousand-year-old mysteries are right up my alley." Harry said, rubbing her back soothingly.

"Still, it feels like you're not catching a break. We haven't even dealt with the Dark Lord, and another problem is already cropping up." Daphne complained.

"Yes, woe is me. A kiss from my dear betrothed might chase away all the gloom and doom." Harry suggested playfully, making Daphne raise her head and stare at him.

Surprising him, she captured his lips in a searing kiss that took his breath away. When Daphne pulled back, he nearly whined at the loss of her warm lips.

"I suppose you do deserve a kiss for being the hero." Daphne grinned at him, which made Harry throw his arms around her.

"Only one?"

"How many would satisfy you?" Daphne arched an eyebrow.

"Details." Harry said dismissively before their lips met again as he was pushed against the couch while Daphne straddled him.

"Details are…" Daphne gasped out in between kisses, "…important."

Harry didn't heed that as they spent the next couple of minutes snogging the life out of each other.

AN:

To read ahead of the update schedule;pat(r) eon. C (O) M/Dragonspectre

For artworks:https://discord.gg/4hhXR3fAeT