20demayo Chapter 142, Section 141: The Mystery of Ian and the Dark Phoenix
Chapter 142, Section 141: The Mystery of Ian and the Dark Phoenix
Chapter 142, Section 141: The Mystery of Ian and the Dark Phoenix
In the underground room, which spans several hundred square meters, the flames had been completely extinguished, leaving scorched marks everywhere. Even the twelve stone pillars in the hall were not spared.
After all, Ian had set fire to Fiery Blaze.
Almost all the metal decorations on it had been burned to ashes, and the fact that the black stone pillars still had a dilapidated appearance was an extremely impressive achievement for Hogwarts' civil engineering.
Fortunately, Ian still had some strength left to protect the Mirror of Erised while he was fighting Voldemort; otherwise, this ancient alchemical artifact would have been reduced to ashes like everything else.
Ian couldn't explain it to Professor Morgan either. He still remembered his promise to Professor Morgan, which was why he had to protect the Mirror of Eris even during the life-or-death battle.
It's just that Voldemort was fortunate to be weakened considerably by the [anti-magic potion], otherwise, since everyone was a wizard with similar magical power, Ian's chances of defeating Voldemort wouldn't have been very high.
Even though his magic had extraordinary characteristics and he had a control over magic far exceeding that of other wizards, Voldemort's title of Dark Lord still carried some real money.
"A love of reading is a good habit, and it certainly aligns with the consistent choices of you Ravenclaw students." Nicolas Flamel racked his brains but couldn't recall anything about "The Legend of Wukong".
He began to think that this might be some kind of best-selling book in the Muggle world, and judging from the name, it should be related to the East, which made it reasonable that he had never read it in his life.
After all, he didn't know much about the Eastern Continent. He had been there before, but he hadn't been able to study it in depth.
There's nothing we can do; the wizards of the Eastern Continent are just exceptionally xenophobic.
"Yes, being able to continuously learn new knowledge is a happy thing for me in itself," Ian quickly replied, and he wasn't lying.
The young wizard still didn't tell the whole truth—in fact, he himself didn't know why he saw such a scene; the book he was reading in the Mirror of Erised was particularly conspicuous.
This clearly shows that the Mirror of Eris has demonstrated its power, unlike Grindelwald's Boggart which was affected by some minor interference from Ian's mental domain.
It's just this longing.
It was clearly different from what Ian had always thought he would see... Don't I even know myself? Ian glanced at the image in the Mirror of Erised several times in a row.
The black phoenix perched on his shoulder, and the little wizard who was flipping through the book even looked up at him, then pointed to that classic line in "The Legend of Wukong".
"How could it not be that after conquering Azkaban, a Galleon production factory was established where no payment was required, no meals were provided, and even accommodation was not a concern?"
"Isn't my dream to have my image printed on Galleons?"
Ian still had some doubts.
And at that very moment.
"Ian has always been passionate about learning. If I remember correctly, he has already borrowed a total of 254 books from the library in just one semester."
Albus Dumbledore took Ian's words at face value and even explained them to Nick Flamel on Ian's behalf, although his precise statistics were somewhat exaggerated.
It is clear.
The old headmaster was paying extraordinary attention to Ian. Ian looked at Albus Dumbledore with some astonishment. The young wizard even suspected that Albus Dumbledore might be keeping track of how many slices of bread he had eaten for breakfast—well, it was alright, as long as he didn't know how many pounds of poop he had in a semester.
"A thirst for knowledge greater than I did in my youth, extraordinary talent, a hardworking attitude, exceptional wisdom... and this incredible luck."
"All of these factors combined clearly destined your name to be more resounding and illustrious in the annals of history than any of ours."
Nick Lemaître remarked with genuine emotion.
"It's alright, it's alright, I'm just a tiny bit better than my peers." Ian scratched his head, seemingly embarrassed, but his mouth was actually grinning from ear to ear.
He gazed at the gaunt, great alchemist before him with a touch of curiosity. "Will you be serving as our Professor of Alchemy at Hogwarts in the future?"
Ian was of course aware that the previous professor, Arthur King, had run away. After leaving the cycle, he had searched every inch of Hogwarts but had not been able to find any trace of Arthur King.
"That's right, for the last part of my life, I will be your Alchemy Professor, all because your Headmaster comes to me every year to beg me." Nick Flamel dodged the question, not revealing that he was there for the amusement. After all, he was going to be a professor at Hogwarts.
He still needs some authority.
"Many established alchemists are eager to receive guidance from our new professor, and I think the students of recent years will benefit greatly from it."
"Ian, you should seize this opportunity too."
Albus Dumbledore was clearly giving a hint.
A Gryffindor student might have just chuckled and offered a casual reply. But Ian, being a Ravenclaw student, was quick-witted and immediately understood Albus Dumbledore's meaning. He then looked at Nick Flamel with a rather anxious expression.
"Professor, I am only a first-year student, not yet at the grade level where I can take alchemy, but I think I am already qualified to learn alchemy from you."
Ian's voice was very confident.
This piqued the interest of Nick Lemaître.
He could certainly understand what Albus Dumbledore meant, but he didn't know much about this young wizard who had clearly stolen the "savior" mission.
Sometimes, having strong magic power and powerful spells doesn't mean you can master alchemy. The world is fair; even the most talented person will always have weaknesses in some areas.
"Your name is Ian Prince?"
Nick Lemaître asked the first question.
The little wizard nodded.
He looked Ian up and down again. "I think you have a talent for potions, well, not just in terms of inheritance, but we can see that from the potion you just threw at that person."
As a powerful alchemist who was six hundred years old, Nicolas Flamel was still trying to concoct an elixir of immortality. He was certainly aware that the potion Ian threw at Voldemort was definitely not something that could be easily concocted. The principles and wild imagination involved were also the reasons why he was interested in Ian.
To become a great alchemist, imagination is more important than anything else.
"Potions are just my hobby outside of class; alchemy is my lifelong passion." Ian displayed his thick skin, always praising alchemy to anyone he met.
This move pleased Nicolas Lemaître quite a bit.
"Do you like alchemy? Good boy."
This is not.
The way Ian is addressed has changed.
"Of course, Professor, I've been teaching myself alchemy since before I even enrolled." Ian said, reaching for his work, but after rummaging through his purse, he only found the [Enhanced Bone-Crushing Ash Box].
If I were to take this out... wouldn't it just lower the other person's opinion of me?
Ian hesitated.
And at that very moment.
With a smile on his face, Nick Lemaître then spoke up.
"From what just happened, I know your extraordinary talent in magic... no, perhaps we should praise your achievements in the field of magic with extraordinary accomplishments."
"I believe that neither Albus nor anyone else I know has such a terrifying starting point as you. Perhaps the brilliance you possess is already comparable to Merlin's."
"However, alchemy will be a completely new challenge for you. Although it is a kind of magic, it is definitely different from what you usually learn."
"Learning the contents of 'Introduction to Alchemy' is the threshold for entering this field. Before learning it, 'The Magic Syllable Chart' and 'A Simple Introduction to Ancient Magic Runes' will lay a solid foundation for you."
Nicolas Flamel was clearly also very good at teaching students, summarizing in a single sentence how to enter the world of alchemy. The two books mentioned by this 600-year-old correspond to the foundations of modern alchemy and ancient alchemy respectively—modern alchemy based on incantations and ancient alchemy using ancient runes.
have to say.
Nick Lemaître's recommendation is indeed very suitable for beginners.
just.
"Forehead……"
Ian hesitated upon hearing Nick Lemaître's words.
He began to ponder how to tell Nick Flamel, in a tactful yet polite manner, that he was now able to use alchemy to create fully automated alchemical guards capable of beating up young wizards.
"Don't worry, take your time learning. I'll be at Hogwarts for several years." Nick Flamel clearly misunderstood, and comforted Ian with a peaceful expression.
He was indeed completely unaware of Ian's progress in alchemy.
"professor……"
Seeing that Nick Flamel was about to turn around and study the Mirror of Erised, Ian hesitated for a moment and decided to choose a more direct way to show Nick Flamel his current level of skill.
"I've actually started researching how to replicate the House of Requirement..." Ian, afraid that Nick Flamel wouldn't know about the House of Requirement, even pulled out a bunch of disassembly formulas he had written down while researching the House of Requirement—he took out thousands of parchment sheets covered with dense runes from his purse.
Looking down at the papers on the ground, Nicolas Flamel was completely stunned.
"??????"
He fell into a long silence.
Nick Flamel suddenly realized that he had probably underestimated the child whom Albus Dumbledore had so highly praised.
Just at this time.
"I told you, he's excellent." Albus Dumbledore, who was examining Voldemort's corpse, suddenly looked up and said to Nick Flamel with a smile.
"..."
Nick Lemaître opened his mouth.
This is more than just excellent.
You must have started learning from the womb!
Nicolas Flamel suddenly realized that he knew almost nothing about the child in front of him.
What grade are you in?
He asked in a complicated tone.
"First year, professor."
Ian tried his best to maintain his obedient facade.
"When did you come into contact with alchemy?"
Nick Flamel's eye twitched noticeably a few times. Clearly, he had assumed Ian would be older, but it turned out he was still a complete novice.
"A week before school starts?"
Ian couldn't quite remember the exact time.
"..."
Nick Lemaître fell silent again.
He couldn't help but take another look at the young wizard in front of him. Somewhat unable to calm his emotions, he muttered to himself, "In my first year of learning magic and alchemy, I only learned ancient runes! How come someone of this age is already studying the room left behind by Hufflepuff at Hogwarts!"
You've mastered magic so well!
Where on earth did they find the time to study alchemy?!
Nicolas Flamel's gaze finally settled on Ian's handsome face—he pondered for a long time, but still couldn't figure out which door Heaven had closed for this little wizard.
What happened to the saying that God is fair?!
"Your little brother will definitely be very small when you grow up." Suddenly, Nicolas Flamel said out of the blue. He admitted that he was jealous, but he still firmly believed that hexagonal wizards did not exist in this world.
"??????"
Now it was Ian's turn to be dumbfounded.
He felt that Nicolas Flamel's "curse" was even more vicious than Voldemort's curse.
"Don't worry, alchemy can solve such problems if you encounter them." Under Ian's wide-eyed gaze, Nick Flamel squatted down and looked at Ian's manuscripts.
"How about it, Professor... I think I should be qualified and honored to learn your alchemy, right?" Ian asked, looking somewhat reserved.
Nick Lemaître's feelings became even more complicated after he looked up.
You've already studied Hufflepuff's Golden House, and you're still talking to me about your study qualifications! If you're not qualified, how many qualified people can you find in the entire wizarding world?
"Of course, no problem. This would be... an honor for me." Nick Flamel looked at Ian deeply, his tone more amiable than ever before.
The old wizard also came to a realization.
Just as countless wizards throughout history have longed for excellent apprentices, he too hoped that someone could walk the path he had not yet completed and see the scenery ahead for him.
This little wizard is incredibly powerful.
Isn't it just that God took pity on him and sent him a successor before he died? Nicolas Flamel has taught many alchemists, but to this day he has not found a true apprentice of his own.
"Perhaps it's him..."
Nicolas Lemaître's heart immediately stirred.
but.
He was also a little curious, "Could you tell me why you wanted to recreate that shopping mall? It doesn't seem like a very appealing idea to me, does it?"
Nick Flamel had this question in order to see Ian’s pursuit of alchemy, as he always adhered to the idea of innovation rather than simply completing masterpieces that others had already done.
"It's because the previous alchemy professor told me that if I wanted to learn alchemy from him, I would first need to thoroughly study the House of Requirement."
Ian gave an honest answer.
In an instant.
Nick Lemaître was stunned again.
What kind of alchemy professor would set such a threshold?
Isn't this just making things difficult for people?
"I think he was just politely declining your request. Yes, that's right, that must be it... In fact, he himself may not even have the skill and ability to replicate the house."
"It's quite obvious that your former professor didn't realize you took his polite refusal seriously..." Nick Flamel gazed at the "naive" young wizard before him with a touch of melancholy.
He generally doesn't belittle others, but when it comes to matters of succession and apprenticeship, he still wants to prevent the possibility of apprentices being lured away by others.
of course.
In Nick Flamel's view, this possibility was extremely low. After all, which alchemist in the world could compare to him? Nick Flamel wanted to teach Ian the lesson of the wickedness of human nature.
Become an alchemist.
Being too naive won't do.
They will be tricked into working in illegal workshops.
A lesson learned in blood!
"Oh? Is that so?"
I'm currently reading the error-free version! This is the first time I've published this novel.
Ian actually thought that Nick Lemaître was wrong, but he also knew that he shouldn't contradict the professor, so he could only blink with a somewhat surprised expression.
"That's right! It must be so! I've asked around about your departing professor, and he's never been a minute early or a minute late for get out of class."
"This is clearly just treating teaching as a regular job. Your request for help will only be seen as a nuisance that adds to his workload."
"He's not like me. I'm always in the office, and you can come to me for help even at night. After all, people my age don't need to worry about sleep quality anymore." Nick Lemaître analyzed Arthur King's personality for Ian on the spot, while also taking the opportunity to put down Arthur King and praise himself.
A 600-year-old man.
A world-renowned great alchemist.
Who would have thought that there was a hint of green tea on him?
"Nick, the last alchemy professor was actually..."
Albus Dumbledore, who had returned, seemed hesitant to speak, but seeing Nicolas Flamel's impassioned and indignant tone, he ultimately did not interrupt Flamel's manipulative behavior.
Albus Dumbledore swallowed some of Arthur King's views and opinions—after all, they were just his and Grindelwald's outrageous conjectures.
"There's nothing to it! I am Albus, the most powerful alchemist of this century. Do you really think I'm incapable of teaching your student properly?"
Nick Flamel, having another misunderstanding, glared at Albus Dumbledore, gesturing wildly.
"Of course I believe in your abilities, without a doubt." Albus Dumbledore nodded and smiled obsequiously. Nick Flamel was also an old man in his eyes who needed his emotions taken care of.
after all.
The older you get, the more childlike you become.
This is evident in many old wizards.
"Did you hear that, kid? Your principal knows my abilities best. Come find me whenever you have free time, and I'll give you extra tutoring."
Nick Flamel only glanced at the parchments on the ground a few times, but he already understood Ian's alchemical skills. He was already glad that he was a fun-loving person who came to Hogwarts.
"Yes, yes! I will definitely come to find you!"
Ian was quite happy too.
Although he could consult Morgan on alchemy, that was an opportunity that could only be unlocked once in a while. It would certainly be a good thing to have the most powerful alchemist of this century to consult at any time.
"I actually have more than just the Philosopher's Stone. I have other treasures too. If your learning progress satisfies me, I'll definitely leave them all to you after I pass away!" Nick Flamel was quite pleased. He looked at the shattered Philosopher's Stone and began to motivate Ian to study harder.
This is clearly different from the empty promises Ian often makes to the Dementors.
"We can't give him that machine."
suddenly.
Albus Dumbledore offered Nick Flamel a somewhat worried reminder.
"What machine?"
Ian looked at the old headmaster with curiosity.
"Some evidence of Nick's past crimes."
Albus Dumbledore was clearly unwilling to say more.
only.
Hearing his somewhat vague explanation, Nick Flamel immediately became displeased. He first glared at Albus Dumbledore and then explained to the young wizard.
"It's really just a metalworking machine, um, it can make some toys that might attract the attention of the Ministry of Magic." Nick Flamel tried to salvage his image.
However, he himself seemed unable to find a better explanation.
"A money printing machine?"
Ian demonstrated his exceptional intelligence.
"An illegal money printing machine."
Albus Dumbledore sighed heavily and corrected Ian's choice of words.
"The Ministry of Magic and those fairies can't tell the difference, and besides, I've never used it before..." Nicolas Flamel's tone sounded somewhat unsure.
Ian could even sense the other person's guilty conscience.
He recalled the five million Galleons bet that Nick Lemaître had just made.
Some things seem to have become much clearer.
"Professor, you've been in that hidden compartment in the wall for so long, you must be hungry. Shall we go to the kitchen and get something to eat? I know some of the things house-elves make are really delicious."
"By the way, we can also discuss... I'd like to ask you some questions about alchemy." Ian immediately began to fawn over him.
"There's still a mess to clean up."
Nick Flamel wasn't tempted by the food. He gestured towards Voldemort's corpse and said, "If this corpse isn't properly disposed of, the dark magic on it will surely kill many people. You're not a magical creature, but this corpse is the result of bio-alchemy."
Nick Flamel's skills were indeed highly genuine and not exaggerated. He had never even had a close look at Voldemort's body, yet he was able to determine that Voldemort's physical body originated from alchemy.
"A body he created for himself using alchemy?"
Ian was also somewhat curious.
but.
Just as he was about to step forward to check, Albus Dumbledore stopped him.
"It's even more terrifying than that. I'm sure you're wondering why Voldemort was able to come back to life and why he did it. I'll answer those questions for you in my office later."
Albus Dumbledore clearly wanted Ian to leave now.
"What I really want to know is whether these runes on my body will keep flashing?" Ian looked down at his still-naked upper body.
The golden runes lit up and then went out like breathing.
"As far as I know, it will stabilize, and you don't need to worry about yourself shining forever." Albus Dumbledore's gentle response carried a convincing tone.
Ian felt much more at ease.
"Alright, Professor, may I take this magic mirror with me? Considering I once again protected our school and worked so hard for the safety of the other young wizards?"
Ian actually wanted to say that he had shed blood for the school, but he couldn't find a single drop of blood on his body, and he didn't know if his mouth ulcers were something to boast about.
"Ian, being overly obsessed with the illusions created by the Mirror of Erised will not do you any good." Albus Dumbledore frowned upon hearing this.
"I'm just doing this to study it. You know I'm an alchemist, so I'd naturally want to study these ancient alchemical artifacts."
Ian spoke with a sincere expression.
Albus Dumbledore was still somewhat hesitant.
At this point, Nick Flamel also stood up for Ian, saying, "Alchemists should have this kind of curiosity. I don't think it's little Ian who's obsessed with this mirror."
He was clearly implying something.
This made Albus Dumbledore feel somewhat embarrassed.
"Alright, I can give it to you, but if I find out you've been affected by it, I'll take it back." Albus Dumbledore sighed heavily before nodding in agreement to Ian's request.
This surprised Nick Lemaître. He first looked at Ian, then at his old friend, and his expression became thoughtful.
He had clearly realized something.
I gleaned some secrets from Albus Dumbledore's willingness to hand over the Mirror of Erised and his subsequent research into the time-traveling device.
"Thank you, Professor!"
Ian hurriedly and happily stuffed the Mirror of Erised into his money bag, which could hold more than half of Hogwarts' money bag and still had a lot of room left.
"I'll be waiting for you in the principal's office!"
Ian bowed slightly.
He immediately started dressing and headed towards the entrance where the black flames had been extinguished. The little wizard was filled with joy, eagerly anticipating seeing Professor Morgan's happy expression.
Meanwhile, Nicolas Lemaître behind him kept his gaze fixed on the phoenix on his shoulder.
Wait until Ian's figure completely disappeared.
"I estimate that the phoenix is the reason why he was able to embark on the path to legend. If the proof of legend were so easy to obtain, so many wizards would not have died with regrets over the years."
Nicolas Flamel's tone was full of certainty—simply defeating a Dark Lord who is not even a legend himself is absolutely not enough to make a wizard embark on the path to legend.
This is clearly contrary to common sense and goes against the world's understanding of the path to legend. Nick Flamel believed that Albus Dumbledore, who had always been kept out of the legendary ranks, must have known this.
"I am somewhat surprised by this, but it has happened right before our eyes." A glint appeared in Albus Dumbledore's eyes.
"I thought you were going to tell me that he was a born legend, so he was born with the proof of being a legend..." Nicolas Flamel gave his old friend a meaningful look.
"Even I can't get you to reveal what's on your mind. Tsk tsk, it seems there really is a huge secret between you two. I think it must be related to why he was able to obtain the legendary certificate."
Nick Flamel did not press for more details. Compared to the bizarre and legendary evidence that Ian had presented, he was more interested in the mysterious black phoenix that Ian had summoned.
"I must have seen it somewhere! At least a picture of it!"
The old alchemist tapped his head.
But no memories surfaced.
He had lived for too many years, with too many memories buried deep in his mind. Seeing Nick Flamel's somewhat frustrated expression, a hint of doubt flashed in Albus Dumbledore's eyes.
to be frank.
He also felt that the thing Ian summoned didn't seem like a purebred phoenix.
……
While the two old men were still in the underground room making various guesses, Ian had already put all the broken stone chess pieces in the hall outside the underground room into his money bag.
"Soul Hall, reduce inflammation! Take me to the principal's office! It's upstairs! Right here!"
Ian grabbed the Black Phoenix by the neck and pulled it off his shoulder, still somewhat resentful that Voldemort's soul had been stolen by the Black Phoenix.
"Hehehehehe~"
The black phoenix let out two more eerie cries, then used its power to vanish from the dark hall with Ian. The next moment, Ian and the phoenix appeared together in a brightly lit room.
"?"
Ian looked closely.
I was completely dumbfounded.
All I saw was...
Inside the warm and bright room.
Another Albus Dumbledore was sitting behind the desk.
He had a smile on his face.
It was as if they had been waiting for a long time.
(End of this chapter)