Chapter 146: The Right Thing to Do—and the Most Shameless (Patreon)

“What you say isn’t wrong, but even this imperfect form of immortality is something countless people could never obtain despite desperately seeking it.”

Nicolas Flamel smiled freely. With the help of a house-elf, he struggled to his feet.

“Child, what brings you here specifically to see me?”

“Alchemy,” Wade answered bluntly.

“You’re here for the Philosopher’s Stone as well?” Nicolas Flamel asked tentatively.

“No. I’m not particularly interested in the Philosopher’s Stone.”

Wade decided to show off just a little.

“The only thing it can extend is lifespan. I suspect the Philosopher’s Stone is merely a medium—a medium for storing and transferring life force. And the conversion efficiency probably isn’t particularly high.”

A sharp glint flashed through Nicolas Flamel’s eyes.

The principle was actually easy enough to understand, yet in all these centuries, countless alchemists had failed to think of it from this angle.

Perhaps some of them had.

But none had dared to experiment so easily, because doing so would require an enormous amount of life force.

Compared with the price of failure, stealing that “one-of-a-kind” Philosopher’s Stone from him was obviously far more cost-effective.

Of course, none of them had succeeded either.

“Over the past few centuries, many people have come looking for me because of the Philosopher’s Stone. Some of them were exceptionally skilled alchemists, yet none of them saw through it as clearly as you have, despite being so young.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“Are you really here solely for alchemy?” Nicolas Flamel asked again.

“Yes. Dean Griffin is usually far too busy and rarely has time to teach me personally, so a large part of my knowledge of alchemy has been self-taught.

“I have a clear understanding of my own abilities. In the field of alchemy, I’m still only a beginner. I’ve learned a little about many things, but I lack depth. If I want to go further down this path, I need proper guidance from someone who truly specializes in it.

“So when I learned that the legendary alchemist of the wizarding world, Nicolas Flamel, was still alive, I felt that I had to meet you.

“I simply didn’t expect you to be a friend of Mr. Scamander. I suppose that makes this meeting a fortunate coincidence.”

“Newt...” Perenelle smiled helplessly. “Within the limits of what he can do, he always tries his best to help others.”

“I’m afraid I’m going to disappoint you, Enzo.”

Nicolas Flamel looked somewhat embarrassed.

“As you can see, we’re currently making our final arrangements. At most, the Grim Reaper will come for us within two months and take us to the underworld, so...”

Wade froze for a moment.

His face appropriately displayed three parts regret and seven parts relief, but none of it escaped Nicolas Flamel’s sharp eyes.

“I’m sorry, you two. I shouldn’t have disturbed you.”

Wade sighed softly, his voice filled with genuine remorse.

“If there’s anything you need help with, please let me know. I’m still not very familiar with the wizarding world, but I’m in reasonably good health. Perhaps I can at least reduce some of your workload.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll leave now and won’t cause you any more trouble.”

“Young people these days really are... interesting.”

Nicolas Flamel teased him.

“Listen to me first. What I meant was that I can only teach you for one month. How much you can learn during that month will depend entirely on your own talent.”

A flicker of surprise appeared in Wade’s eyes.

He was delighted, but at the same time, he felt that something about it wasn’t quite right.

Whether it was the persona of Enzo he was playing or Wade himself, neither would want to occupy the time of someone who was already approaching the end of his life.

“Don’t feel bad about it. Our condition isn’t going to get any worse. At this point, we’re simply waiting peacefully for the Grim Reaper to arrive.

“However, I can’t teach you for nothing. There are some things I need you to do for me.”

“Please, tell me.”

Wade felt slightly more at ease.

If this was an equivalent exchange, then there was no need for him to feel guilty about it.

Nicolas Flamel’s expression became much more serious.

“Dumbledore wrote me a letter. You should know who the Fool is by now, right?”

Of course I know.

But judging from Nicolas Flamel’s attitude, Dumbledore must have firmly decided that Harry Potter is the Fool.

Wade desperately suppressed the urge to throw his head back and laugh.

With the help of his Clown abilities, he kept his expression under strict control.

“You mean Harry Potter?”

Wade pretended to ponder for a moment.

“You want me to help him?”

“Can you?”

“I’ve already helped him once. Besides, I have my own affairs to deal with. It’s impossible for me to revolve my entire life around him.”

“I know, I know.

“I’m only asking that whenever you happen to encounter him, you help him out as much as you can.”

“Sir.”

Wade looked troubled.

“I won’t be staying in the wizarding world for very long. Once I feel the time is right, I’ll return to my kingdom.

“Besides, Harry Potter studies magic at Hogwarts. He spends most of the year at school and his holidays at home. I doubt I’ll have many opportunities to cross paths with him again.”

“That may not necessarily be the case.”

Nicolas Flamel sounded remarkably certain.

“Based on my experience over the past several centuries, the Fool’s growth will certainly not be peaceful.”

Wade remained silent for several seconds.

“I’ll do my best.”

“There’s one more thing.”

Nicolas Flamel added,

“I hope you can help Dumbledore once.”

Me? Help Dumbledore?

Have you forgotten to take your medicine, or did you take the wrong one?

I’m only Sequence 6! I’m not even a demigod, while Dumbledore’s level is at least Sequence 2.

“Sir, are you sure you haven’t made a mistake?”

“Dumbledore is the strongest White Wizard of the century. What could I possibly do to help him?”

“Not now.”

Nicolas Flamel slowly shook his head, his tone becoming earnest.

“I possess the bloodline of a Seer, which allows me to divine the future to a certain extent.

“You may not believe me, but I foresaw Dumbledore’s death.

“However, that future seems to have changed.”

“You mean someone who was originally supposed to die may no longer die?”

“Yes. I believe it may have something to do with the Fool. Only that great existence possesses the power to change the future.

“But the future remains full of uncertainty. Dumbledore may still die. It’s simply that there is now another possibility—a possibility in which he survives.”

Wade finally understood.

For a moment, he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“Sir, are you asking me to make sure Dumbledore has a chance of surviving?”

“Think of it as an extra layer of insurance.”

As he spoke, Nicolas Flamel glanced at Perenelle.

“People like us are either growing old or already dying. There’s not much we can do to help him.”

“So you’re planning to find him a helper?”

Perenelle teased him.

“A one-time helper?”

“One who can still play an important role at a critical moment.”

“Mr. Flamel.”

Wade interrupted him.

“I’m afraid I can’t promise that.”

“Besides knowledge, I have some magical materials left over that I no longer need. I can give those to you as well.”

“I’m very tempted, but if I can’t do it, then I can’t do it.”

“Just do your best.”

Nicolas Flamel patted Wade on the shoulder.

A cracking sound came from his right hand as the bones fractured.

“It’s fine. My body is simply too fragile now.

“If you can help him, then give him a hand.

“If you can’t, then attend his funeral on my behalf.

“It probably won’t be too far in the future. It should happen within the next few years.”

Dumbledore doesn’t have much time left?

How can that be allowed?

He can die, but he can’t die this soon. Otherwise, who’s going to protect the shield that stands in front of me?

Wade secretly complained to himself, but he had already made his decision.

“All right. I... I’ll do my best.”

“Thank you.”

“Sir, there’s something I don’t quite understand. Why are you still so concerned about Dumbledore?”

“First of all, Dumbledore is simply too exhausted. Even if you combine the more than a thousand years of our lives, Perenelle and I probably haven’t endured as much as he has in his little more than a century.

“Secondly, he is the Fool’s guardian in the truest sense of the word. I sincerely hope he can give Harry Potter more guidance. This is for the sake of the entire wizarding world.

“Because once Dumbledore dies, the person whose ideas will influence Harry Potter next will undoubtedly be Grindelwald.”

Wade instinctively swallowed.

At that moment, he suddenly felt that the most correct—and yet also the most shameless—thing he had ever done was turning Harry Potter into his human shield.