Chapter 173: Nicolas: Do You Want to Be My Student?
Inside Nicolas' workshop.
Under the guidance of the legendary alchemist, Leonardo corrected the puppet's flaws.
"Yes. Remove one ring of energy gathering runes here, replace it with one and a half rings of magic transfer runes, then forge the component from mithril with good conductivity…"
Once Nicolas offered a suggestion, Leonardo grasped it quickly and put it into practice at once.
"Then at the end of the transmission line, where the channels are thinner, should I reduce the rune layering and adjust the material properties…"
Leonardo's ability to draw inferences pleased Nicolas greatly. It was not rigid imitation. His mind stayed active, and he brought his own ideas into every experiment.
"Very good. Very good, Leonardo. You learn remarkably fast. What alchemy books have you read before?"
"There are not many alchemy books sold on the market," Leonardo said. "Most of mine came from the Hogwarts library. Introduction to Alchemy, Principles of Material Conversion, The Magic of Equivalent Exchange…"
He rattled off more than twenty titles. Last year, his focus had not been alchemy, so he had not read that much in the field.
"Building a solid foundation first is the right choice. Most of these were recommended by Albus, were they not?"
Leonardo nodded.
"Yes."
Nicolas had Leonardo put the puppet away. Then he spoke a single word aloud, but Leonardo could not identify it at once. The pronunciation was harsh and strange.
The instant Nicolas finished the word, glowing runes lit up beneath their feet. A pillar of magic surged upward and wrapped around them.
When the light vanished, the scene had changed completely.
The magical spacesuit was gone. In its place stood rows of towering shelves, packed with books both ancient and newly bound.
A teleportation spell?
That flash of runes had formed a magical array, faster and more comfortable than Floo powder.
Was it another kind of ancient magic? Nicolas, a wizard who was practically living history, truly had knowledge as vast as the sea.
"Want to learn it?" Nicolas asked. "That array just now."
"Yes!"
Leonardo answered without hesitation, making no attempt to hide his hunger for knowledge.
Nicolas smiled. Talent alone was common. Talent that stayed hungry was rare. The boy had not turned arrogant or lazy just because he was ahead of his peers.
With a flick of his hand, a book flew off a shelf and into his grasp.
Leonardo took in the library. It was broader than the Hogwarts library, a true ocean of books.
Only someone who had lived for centuries could have amassed a collection like this.
Nicolas let the book hover in front of Leonardo.
"This is Ancient Hebrew. Start with this."
"It is the foundation for learning that kind of teleportation array, and it is also a common script in many old alchemical texts."
Leonardo accepted the book and thanked him.
Even if Nicolas had grabbed it casually, it was certainly not an ordinary text.
Alchemy was difficult to enter. It required resources, in other words, money. Some witches and wizards could not truly attempt it until adulthood.
And there was another obstacle. Language.
Few people studied alchemy, and even fewer passed it down. Many lineages traced back to antiquity, so the scripts involved were naturally ancient magical writing. Modern languages often cannot explain the magic clearly.
Nicolas conjured a blackboard and tables and began teaching Leonardo properly, filling the gaps and firmly laying down a complete foundation.
Whenever a reference was needed, Nicolas simply summoned it from the shelves.
Leonardo threw himself into it with everything he had, like a dry sponge drinking greedily, absorbing knowledge and nourishment without pause.
An opportunity to learn from a legendary alchemist did not come often.
Though Nicolas had lived for over six hundred years, his teaching style was not stiff in the slightest. He quoted widely, yet explained each point clearly and simply.
As he taught, Nicolas found himself more and more satisfied with Leonardo's performance.
It had been a long time since he had taught anyone like this.
The last time might have been more than a hundred years ago.
And through this process, Nicolas gained a far clearer sense of Leonardo's alchemical talent.
The boy was, without question, a true genius.
What delighted Nicolas even more was that Leonardo excelled in other areas as well.
Alchemy touched many branches of magic. To pursue true, comprehensive alchemy, aptitude was a threshold that could not be crossed by effort alone.
It was frustrating, and it was real.
Nicolas had even prepared himself. If Leonardo was weak in Charms or Potions, he was willing to spend extra time patching it up. But reality proved that worry unnecessary.
Leonardo stayed with Nicolas. His days settled into a steady rhythm.
In the mornings, he worked on his Transfiguration thesis or developed alchemical tools and potions. In the afternoons, he studied alchemy with Nicolas. At night, he either continued working or joined Nicolas and Perenelle for leisure, such as opera.
The fuller the days, the faster time passed.
Leonardo had already been there for more than half a month.
One day, he played wizard chess with Nicolas.
"Beauxbatons starts teaching Alchemy in the third year?" Leonardo asked, glancing up from the board. "That's a bit early, isn't it?"
Beauxbatons Academy of Magic was France's great magical school, alongside Hogwarts and Durmstrang, as one of Europe's three largest. In France, its authority was much the same as Hogwarts' in Britain.
Nicolas had mentioned that Beauxbatons students could take Alchemy in third year, and it was compulsory, at least until the upper years. There were no special entry requirements early on.
At Hogwarts, by contrast, Alchemy could only be chosen from sixth year, and only with high enough marks. In some years, if too few students met the standard or chose it, the subject was not offered at all.
Nicolas frowned at the board, tangled in the game.
"Yes. I have funded Beauxbatons," he said. "I have provided some help and guidance in alchemy as well, so they can offer broader education. Of course, the true threshold for serious study is still not low."
Hearing that, Leonardo was not surprised. With Nicolas Flamel backing them, Beauxbatons' Alchemy course was probably the best in the world.
"So, Leonardo," Nicolas said, eyeing him and then eyeing the board as if wondering whether he could somehow make a piece disappear, "would you like to transfer to Beauxbatons? Their Alchemy is certainly stronger than Hogwarts, and…"
He leaned closer, voice lowering conspiratorially.
"Beauxbatons also has plenty of pretty girls. I built a beauty fountain there. Very useful. If you go, you will get an eyeful, heh."
"And it might not be only looking. You are a good-looking boy. You would not lack for admirers there. Speaking of which, have you found a little girlfriend at Hogwarts?"
After spending this time with Nicolas, Leonardo was no longer as guarded as he had been at the start. He had learned that Nicolas occasionally acted like this on purpose. According to the old man, it was how he kept his spirits up, so the weight of the years did not crush him.
"I think Hogwarts has a wonderful atmosphere," Leonardo said, still staring seriously at the chessboard. "And this is the age for studying. By the way, that beauty fountain you mentioned, what is the principle behind it?"
Seeing that Leonardo had not been distracted, Nicolas quietly pouted.
"Finish this match first," he said. "I will teach you tomorrow."
Then, as casually as if asking what Leonardo wanted for dinner, Nicolas added, "Leonardo, do you want to be my student?"
Leonardo, sitting opposite the chessboard, looked up in shock.
Nicolas' tone was light and natural, but his deep eyes were filled with seriousness. There was not the slightest hint of a joke.
Become Nicolas' student?
To follow a living legend, an ancient wizard who had endured six centuries, a master standing at the peak of alchemy itself…
To learn under Nicolas Flamel?
Even with Leonardo's composure, the question shook him. Thoughts churned and surged.
Seeing Leonardo's startled, complicated expression, and understanding why he could hardly believe it, Nicolas smiled gently.
"No need to be nervous," he said. "Teacher and student. Not the old master and disciple relationship from ancient times, with all that severity."
"I can tell," Nicolas continued. "You want to learn many things. And you can learn many things. It will not be limited to alchemy. I only…"
His voice paused. His eyes turned wistful.
"I only want to pass my knowledge on."
Over these days, Nicolas had thought about it at length. He planned to fly into the region Muggles called space, hoping to do what they had done and see the Moon for himself.
But one thing weighed on him. The alchemy he had spent his life mastering.
Over the centuries, Nicolas had had children and descendants. He had taken many disciples and students.
But alchemy demanded too much talent. If someone wished to climb to its summit, the requirements were so strict they bordered on cruel.
Far more demanding than most other fields.
So Nicolas had never found a successor that truly satisfied him. Even when he poured everything into their training, those young people could not carry his hopes.
Yet just as Nicolas was preparing to give up, to focus entirely on reaching the sky and stop involving himself in worldly matters, a "surprise" appeared.
This boy called Leonardo had talent enough to move him. And the time they spent together had allowed Nicolas to understand his character far more fully.
The more Nicolas watched him, the more he admired him. The more he admired him, the more satisfied he became. In Leonardo, he saw hope.
Hope that the legacy could be carried on.
Now Nicolas was grateful, grateful that Albus and Newt had written to him and recommended this child.
Grateful as well for the moment of curiosity that had made him want to meet a boy he had never seen before.
There was anticipation in Nicolas' gaze. And a trace of unease.
He believed that in alchemy, he was second to none. He could be the best alchemy mentor in the world, providing the finest resources and guidance.
He also knew that Leonardo was a boy who thirsted for knowledge to an extreme degree, and should not refuse such an offer.
Even so, Nicolas could not be certain.
And Leonardo's heart was pounding as well. He had not expected Nicolas to truly offer to take him as a formal student.
He had already been learning from Nicolas for some time, but with an official teacher-student bond, he would surely learn even more.
On the road of alchemy, Nicolas was the known end point, the summit.
No matter how great one's talent, a mentor mattered.
In alchemy, it mattered even more. The field demanded too much. Money, aptitude, inheritance.
Without a good teacher to guide the way, one could only stumble like a headless fly, taking endless detours and wrong turns.
So there was no question how Leonardo would choose.
"It would be my honour," he said.
"Teacher."
At the word teacher, Nicolas finally relaxed. A wave of relief washed through him, clean and almost exhilarating.
"Good. Good. Good," Nicolas said, pleased. "Finish the chess match first, then we will go eat."
Nicolas felt deeply satisfied. Perhaps he could delay the Moon plan a little. First, he would teach Leonardo properly.
He had plenty of time. Waiting a bit longer would be no trouble.
Now that Leonardo was his student, Nicolas could teach without holding anything back. The secrets of the Philosopher's Stone. The brewing of the Elixir of Life. Lost magic from antiquity.
Leonardo lowered his eyes to the board again and prepared to continue the game.
Hmm…
These pieces… were they in the right places?
He was fairly sure they had not been set like this just now.
…
"Headmistress Maxime, will this really work?"
A tall, slender girl spoke nervously. She had a cascade of golden hair, and her beauty was striking, almost unnervingly so. Stranger still, a faint silvery glow seemed to cling to her.
"Fleur," said the woman beside her, "you have met Mr Flamel before. You left a good impression."
Standing next to Fleur was a woman of towering height, truly enormous.
Even the already tall Fleur looked like a cute doll in comparison.
This was Olympe Maxime, Headmistress of Beauxbatons.
Seeing Fleur still tense, Maxime comforted her.
"The chances are not small. You are the most talented alchemy student Beauxbatons has produced in a hundred years. Just do your best and let Mr Flamel see your strengths."
Maxime did not say the rest, afraid it might shake Fleur's confidence.
Even if Fleur could not become Nicolas Flamel's formal disciple, being accepted even in name would be enough to make others envious.
Among the witches and wizards Nicolas had personally taught, none had been a nobody.
And an opportunity like this likely would not come again.
Maxime looked up at the silver ship that vanished into the clouds and could not help marvelling at Nicolas Flamel's wild imagination.
A beam of light wrapped around Maxime and Fleur, slowly drawing them up into the silver ship.
The moment they stepped aboard, they saw Nicolas Flamel and a young boy.
Nicolas was patting the boy's shoulder, looking very close to him.
As if sensing someone had arrived, the boy turned and looked their way.
Fleur only had time to notice his dark green eyes before he vanished, teleported away.
Curiosity stirred in her despite herself, but Fleur still followed Headmistress Maxime and greeted Nicolas Flamel politely.
After exchanging greetings, Maxime asked casually, "Mr Flamel, the child just now was…?"
Nicolas smiled.
"That was my student," he said. "My last student."