We then chatted with the couple some more, asking about the various things they'd seen and experienced through the years. Learning they'd helped the French Resistance during World War Two had been a surprise, but on thinking about it, made perfect sense. And then there was the time they'd gone to see the launch of the Apollo 11 in Florida, or when they'd walked through the halls of the Forbidden City in China as guests of one of the Ming emperors after traveling the Silk Road.
Eventually, though, the hour grew late, and Harry was starting to yawn heavily in between questions.
"Seems like it might be time for bed," Sam muttered, voice tired.
"Agreed," Delilah said.
"Very well. You four will return tomorrow morning so we may go over the proper method to use when performing Occlumency," Perenelle said in a tone that brooked no dissent.
We all nodded back automatically in response. We were being given an opportunity to learn at the feet of two of the most knowledgeable people in the world. How could we say no?
"You guys go on ahead, I have a couple more questions for Mr. and Mrs. Flamel," I said as the others got up from their seats. "Shouldn't take too long. Just some scheduling stuff."
"Alright. Try not to talk their ears off," Delilah said, before hiding a yawn of her own behind her hand.
"Let me get the floo for you," Perenelle offered, tapping a rune on the fireplace which caused the flames to turn emerald green.
They called out the name of their hotel, and were whisked off. Once they left, Perenelle returned to her husband's side, sitting down to face me.
"Well, your friends are gone. There are no more ears that might eavesdrop or overhear," Nicholas noted. "Now, what did you really want to talk about?"
"What sort of price did you pay?" I asked the legendary alchemist, and there was a faint twitch of his lips at that. His wife continued to smile serenely, but there was a hardness in her gaze that hadn't been there before.
"What do you mean?" he asked, clearly playing dumb.
"Nothing in life is free. It stands to reason that extending your life beyond what is naturally possible should have come with a rather hefty price," I replied, folding my arms across my chest.
He stared at me for a long time. Eventually, after scrutinizing me to his satisfaction, he let out a snort of amusement.
"You are one of the few people who has ever asked me that," Nicholas Flamel revealed. Perenelle nodded in agreement. His smile then turned dark. "Let me show you what six centuries of extended life has cost me and my wife."
He held out his left arm, and took up a knife from the table in his right. He then, without hesitation, sliced his wrist open. I flinched back, expecting a spray of blood, yet what poured from the ancient man's arm was not a liquid, but instead a fine, crimson powder.
"After a few decades of using the Elixir of Life to extend our lives past the norm, blood turns to ash as it leaves the body. So too does sperm, meaning I am incapable of producing life," Nicholas idly revealed, as if it was no big deal. "My beloved was incapable of having children even before we took the Elixir, but even if she'd had the means of reproduction at the time, she too would have lost the ability to have children, just as I did."
Nicholas twirled the knife in his hand, before putting it back down. "Pain means little, as the physical sensations have dulled over time. Food began to taste less and less delicious by the third century of extended life, and by now, even the most sumptuous feasts are like sand on our tongues. Scents have faded, too, and only sight and hearing have remained as clear as they were beforehand. And while wounds do not bleed, they also do not heal themselves naturally, so you must use magic or some other method to stop them from leaking, or to repair the damage."
He demonstrated this by waving his right hand over the wound, and his wedding ring glowed as he did so. The light from it caused the gash in his limb to seal itself in seconds, leaving behind no trace of damage.
"If you seek to use the Elixir of Life, you best make sure you love your hairdo and the way you trimmed your nails beforehand, because those will never grow again," Perenelle added. "And you no doubt see how pale we are, same with the red eyes. Another side effect of our method of longevity."
"We do not age, and thus, we do not change. And without Occlumency to sort and store our thoughts, our memories and mental faculties would be just as bad," Nicholas admitted. "Worse, perhaps, is a sense of apathy that had invaded us. For the last few decades we have found it hard to care about… anything. In time, I fear we would become little more than living statues, just repeating the motions of day-to-day activity without any meaning behind them."
"That… those are quite hefty prices to pay," I admit, not having expected such drawbacks to the Elixir of Life.
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