Chapter 301: Memories

Chapter 301: Memories

The Pensive Chamber

Nicolas Flamel gazed around, his eyes curious as he took in the furnishings of the room. He appeared rejuvenated by a few hundred years.

"You possess such magic? It truly astonishes me," he said with a smile. "My preparations seem unnecessary."

Felix's expression remained stern, as if he was meeting an unwelcome guest. He stood before a deep green curtain, which he rolled up to reveal a large portal behind it.

Felix stared at the door, and it swung open automatically. Inside, shadows danced, concealing the contents from clear view. Behind the door lay his inner world, holding his deepest secrets and memories.

They stepped inside, onto a long corridor flanked by towering bookshelves. Each item on the shelvesbooks, scrolls, memory orbs, and various odds and endsrepresented their truest selves.

Against the light, only the brightness of the Pensive Chamber was visible. Felix and Nicolas Flamel's faces were obscured by darkness. Then, Felix's silhouette gestured, and the corridor transformed into a sea of clouds. The bookshelves contorted and transformed into thick, heavy clouds, layer upon layer, claiming the original positions.

The sky seemed pulled beneath their feet as dense clouds hung low. They were enveloped in a sea of clouds, with dark golden clusters extending forward from where they stood, vanishing into the unknown distance.

"Please, come in," Felix courteously said, "Shall we start from the recent days' memories?"

"Felix..." Nicolas Flamel shook his head, burdened by guilt. There were things he hadn't revealed to anyone, not even Dumbledore. He had glimpsed half of a prophecy; the world was on the brink of another transformation, more impactful than anything before.

Regrettably, he couldn't see the conclusion, nor the path ahead. His hopes rested with those who would come after.

The dark golden clouds swirled, displaying images and voices.

Amidst the shifting clouds, a man exuding a sense of elegance raised a palm-sized piece of parchment. With conviction, he declared, "Felix, I will keep watch endlessly..."

Nicolas Flamel briskly moved past this segment and paused before a tumultuous cloud. He observed closely. The scene contained only Felix, seated quietly in an office, perusing a stack of parchment. The images on the parchment made him furrow his brows involuntarily.

"What is this...?"

"The path Salazar Slytherin abandoned. I picked it up for a look."

Nicolas Flamel remained silent, nodding as he continued forward. He wasn't interested in trivial details; his focus was on the roiling clouds that stirred his emotions.

He traversed a not-so-short path, his clothes trailing a mist that caused the gathered images to disperse. "I can only tell you that the person's codename is 'Bigfoot'..."

Near a continuously churning area, Nicolas halted, curiosity in his eyes. "Is this the Three Broomsticks?" He observed the figures in the imageFelix and a middle-aged man with a hooked nosesitting together. The middle-aged man seemed disinterested, numbly downing one drink after another.

"Severus, we should look ahead," Felix consoled the man in the image.

"Can you forget the past?" the middle-aged man asked. "Can you forget Chesteron Avery? Carrow, Nott, Parkinson, Selwyn... and the Shafiq family?"

Felix fell silent, clinking glasses with the man. When he brought the man back to Hogwarts, Felix watched the man lying in bed, muttering drunkenly. Gently, he said, "That's why I'm thankful to you, Professor."

Nicolas Flamel inquired, "Who is this?"

"My headmaster from my school days."

"He helped you?"

"Yes."

"He seems like a warm-hearted person."

"...Perhaps not."

Nicolas understandingly said, "I've oversimplified. People are complex."

They continued forward, stopping and starting along the way. While Felix's chase of Sirius Black and his banishing of Dementors garnered only a brief pause, Nicolas watched Felix's entire speech at the Ministry of Magic.

"What's your view on the Statute of Secrecy?" the old man asked.

"I'm pessimistic."

"Would you work towards its abolition?"

"It's a laborious endeavor with little reward. It won't hold for many more years anyway."

Nicolas sighed, "My thoughts align with yours. The magical world has remained closed off for too long, while the outside changes rapidly..."

Changing the subject, he said cheerfully, "Don't judge me by appearances. I have a safehouse right in the Muggle community, with no magic involved. Though it disrupts all modern electrical appliancesfridges, air conditioners, ovens... even household gaming consoles. Do you know about these? Peeves adores them... I also hold another title: Expert in Mystical Studies!"

...

Inside the Pensieve.

Nicolas Flamel looked around with keen interest, observing the furnishings of the room. His demeanor had aged by several hundred years, yet he appeared curious and lively.

"You still possess such magic? It truly astonishes me," he said with a smile, "My own preparations seem unnecessary now."

Felix Harp stood with a stern expression, as though he was expecting an unwelcome guest. He stood in front of deep green curtains, which were pulled back to reveal a grand entrance beyond.

Felix's gaze fixed upon the door, which swung open on its own. Inside lay a shadowy realm, where the contents remained obscure and concealed. Beyond the door lay his inner world, hiding all the deepest secrets and memories.

They stepped inside, onto a long corridor flanked by towering bookshelves. Each item on the shelvesbooks, scrolls, memory spheres, and various trinketsrepresented his truest self.

Against the light, the brilliance of the Pensieve was visible, with Felix and Nicolas Flamel's faces shrouded in darkness. Then, Felix, with a wave of his arm, caused a surge of wind down the aisle. The bookshelves twisted and transformed into thick, heavy clouds, layer upon layer, occupying the space where they once stood.

"Another one, the one covered in silvery blood."

Nicolas Flamel persisted, "Nevertheless, you shouldn't have delved into dark magic, especially at such a young age..."

"Well, thank you for your concern."

The old man said sternly, "I can tell, it's a lie."

...

Nicolas Flamel stood before a massive black cloud, his mood sour. The cloud exuded a deep black mist, resembling a beast with bared fangs and claws. He felt as if he could hear the beast roaring, but it was all his illusion a scene from the start of their fourth year

Dozens of owls circled above the empty long table. Only young Felix sat with his back turned to them. The owls dropped red letters, which contorted into malicious shapes, spewing venomous words.

"Filthy mudblood! Slytherin's shame. Don't let me see you, I'll crush your bones one by one..."

"Have you heard of the Unforgivable Curses? Mind-piercing agony, mind-piercing agony!" Followed by grating laughter.

"...curse your name, curse your blood!"

The sounds of shouting letters echoed in the hall, intertwining into an incomprehensible cacophony. The whispers of the other three houses, Slytherin students' cold gazes, and the cowering of the younger wizards created a tumultuous scene.

"Boom!"

All the letters exploded into ashes. Felix stood up expressionless, a path forming through the crowd.

"Merlin's beard!" Professor McGonagall rushed over, flustered. The Slytherin table was a mess. She ranted angrily, "Wretched, despicable creatures who only lurk in the gutter! Utterly vile..."

"Are you alright, Harp?" She said cautiously, reaching to touch Felix's shoulder, recoiling as if shocked.

"I'm fine, Professor." Young Felix stated calmly. "Better than ever, actually."

In the corridor,

"This is?"

"The day I received my Hogwarts acceptance letter."

"Let's stop here, Felix." Nicolas Flamel murmured, and they returned to reality.

...

"This way, Felix." Nicolas Flamel strode forward, leaving the annoying voices behind. Felix followed, unhurried. "Slow down, I've realized something. Sharing the past with someone doesn't seem so bad. To be honest, I'm tired of making up lies, but finding the right person is quite challenging."

The old man paid no mind to Felix's chatter. Finally, they passed through that area. Shallow golden sunlight appeared, enveloping them in immense joy.

Golden, airy clouds floated like marshmallows, refracting colorful light. Nicolas Flamel stared fixedly at the scene above:

A black-haired young boy sat in the yard, quietly reading a book. Over a dozen boys and girls played and laughed, working up a sweat around a makeshift basketball hoop.

"Hey, little Felix, come play with us!"

The boy with short black hair raised his book. "After I finish these two pages" He suddenly looked up, eyes bright as if meeting Nicolas Flamel's gaze.

Felix caught up leisurely. "You're not slow at all. Oh? Is this..."

He looked at the boy on the scene. The boy blinked his light blue eyes, his smile radiant. He extended his hand toward Felix.

Felix blinked back and extended his hand too, as if their hands were really touching.

"Pow!"

An owl landed on the boy's hand, holding a letter in its beak.

It was a brown letter crafted from parchment, green ink spelling out an address on one side. On the other, a wax seal and a coat of arms a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake encircling a capital 'H'.

In the corridor,

"What's this?"

"The day I received my acceptance letter to Hogwarts."

"Let's stop here, Felix." Nicolas Flamel whispered, and they returned to reality.

This chapter enriches Felix's past experiences. It won't be mentioned again and there won't be any more extras like this, so if you're not interested, please ignore. It's quite crucial though, marking a key turning point. Subsequent plot should be quite exciting.

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