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Chapter 290: Farewell After Half a Month, Time Flows Like a Song
🕑 Added 2025-02-08 20:06:36 +0000 UTCDusk.
The setting sun, like an elderly artist, used its most brilliant strokes to sketch a breathtaking painting across the sky.
At this moment, Ino stood quietly by the window, silently admiring the scenery outside.
Today was the day he would say goodbye to Nicolas Flamel.
...
Time seemed to always flow unconsciously.
Before he knew it, Ino had already spent more than half a month in France. Similarly, less than a week remained until the start of the new school year at Hogwarts.
During this time, he not only exchanged knowledge about alchemy with Nicolas but also learned many hidden stories from history.
Overall, these days had been quite pleasant.
The only regret was the lack of people to talk to. After all, the place where Nicolas Flamel had secluded himself was likely protected by the Fidelius Charm.
Under such powerful protective magic, not even owls could accurately find the location, let alone a phoenix.
Fortunately, the regret was only temporary. On the third day of his stay, Ino remembered another item that he had nearly forgotten—the real Two-Way Mirror.
After Hermione had given him this mirror, they had rarely used it.
In fact, the most recent time they'd used it was during the Quidditch World Cup, when Hermione had contacted him through the mirror to invite him to the match.
However, due to his scheduled performance at the opening ceremony, he had to politely decline. As for the previous time they used the Two-Way Mirror, it was so long ago that he couldn't even remember.
But none of that mattered now. After recalling the mirror, Ino made the most of it.
In his spare time, he would initiate conversations with Hermione.
After all, besides Nicolas Flamel, the only company he had were the little figurines from the beginning.
Strangely, as time passed, these little figurines seemed less lively than they had been.
One by one, they became sluggish, lacking the vitality they once had.
Ino had some theories about this.
After learning about the Philosopher's Stone, he understood why Nicolas Flamel had said that the stone was incomplete.
As one of the top-tier alchemical items, the essence of the Philosopher's Stone was to break or substitute rules.
For instance, according to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration, magic cannot conjure food out of thin air. But with a complete Philosopher's Stone, a wizard could use its magic to create food from nothing.
This simple example revealed the profound nature of the stone's power.
The rule that magic cannot conjure food is a fundamental law. Similarly, magic cannot bring the dead back to life, nor can it create life.
The ability to make the Elixir of Life was just one of the stone's least significant effects.
Unfortunately, Nicolas Flamel's Philosopher's Stone was incomplete, reduced to only its most insignificant effect.
It seemed that all top-tier items carried an inherent imperfection.
...
By the window, Ino's thoughts drifted as he gazed at the darkening sky.
Until a clear voice interrupted him:
"It's time to eat! Come with me!"
Hearing the familiar voice, Ino looked down to find a three-inch-tall figurine standing at his ankle.
The figurine was pulling at his pant leg, its tiny, delicate face full of urgency.
Without hesitation, Ino squatted down and gently picked up the palm-sized figurine.
This was one of the few active figurines left, the same one that had once been scalded by hot tea.
"Let's go eat!"
Holding the figurine in one hand, he made his way to the dining room.
To be honest, even though Nicolas lived in what seemed like a near-apartment room, the place was like a labyrinth.
Each door, depending on the time of day, led to different rooms.
Once, unaware of this fact, Ino had wandered into dozens of different rooms before finally finding his guest room, thanks to the figurine's help.
Since then, this little figurine had become his personal guide—the very one he was holding now.
...
With the figurine leading the way, Ino soon reached the familiar dining room.
However, Nicolas was nowhere to be seen this time, which didn't surprise him.
After all, someone as frail as Nicolas Flamel likely couldn't digest any food.
Usually, during meals, Ino would eat while Nicolas drank potions.
Occasionally changing the location for potion-drinking seemed reasonable. But on this day, when they were supposed to part, Nicolas had chosen to disappear...
Although surprised, Ino didn't dwell on it. Instead, he focused on the present moment.
Dinner, as always, was a lavish French meal.
A fragrant Bouillabaisse, a serving of Boeuf Bourguignon, accompanied by a small Niçoise salad, and a whole pan-seared foie gras.
...
The enjoyment of good food always lifted one's spirits.
However, halfway through the meal, Nicolas Flamel slowly entered the dining room, followed by a figurine resembling a small boy, about three feet tall.
The figurine was carrying a more ancient-looking suitcase.
"Good evening, Mr. Flamel!" Ino put down his utensils and wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin.
"For a moment, I thought you weren't going to see me off."
"How could I not! I was just preparing some parting gifts for you." Nicolas smiled and pointed to the suitcase held by the figurine.
"These are all books for you! I figured leaving them at Beauxbatons would only have them gathering dust, so I might as well give them to you."
"Ha ha, thank you! But after I finish reading them, I'll find a way to copy them and send them back to Beauxbatons."
In the face of Nicolas's generosity, Ino made it clear that he wouldn't keep the books for himself.
"Do as you wish! I've already done enough for my alma mater," Nicolas replied with a smile and a nod.
"The reason I was late earlier was because of this little one! He's always been shy, but I wanted to introduce you to him."
"His name is Rick, and he has been with me for over 500 years! I hope that after I pass, someone will still remember him."
...
Hogsmeade.
With a flash of orange light, Ino returned to the familiar little house.
"This will be my home from now on?"
A clear voice spoke, and Ino saw a tiny head poke out from his robe pocket.
"Yes, this is your new home."
Ino took the figurine out of his pocket and gently placed it on the soft bed.
However, every time he looked at the figurine, he couldn't help but think of Rick, the small boy by Nicolas's side.
He had thought Nicolas would entrust Rick to him, but it turned out Nicolas had only introduced them.
'I just want someone with a long life to remember him—our child, mine and Perenelle's...'
Nicolas must have done some forbidden alchemy, using his life to sustain the figurine.
But regardless, the departed are gone forever. The incomplete Philosopher's Stone had already drained Nicolas Flamel's life.
Thinking of this, Ino couldn't help but chuckle to himself. It wasn't his place to judge the choices of others.
He turned his head, his gaze falling on the calendar on the desk, still stuck on the day he had left.
With a snap of his fingers, the calendar began to flip through the pages automatically.
After a while, it stopped at the number 27.
August 27, 1994.
