As soon as they arrived at the Flamels' house, Noah saw a man and a woman who looked to be in their fifties. The man wore an alchemist's coat, his hair gray and eyes a piercing blue. The woman was blonde, dressed in a dark blue gown, a warm smile lighting her face.
They were Nicolas Flamel and his wife, Perenelle Flamel.
"Nick, Penny," Laura greeted warmly, hugging their old friends.
"You still look as beautiful as ever, Laura," Penny replied, holding Laura's face gently.
The older couple exchanged greetings, and soon their attention shifted to Noah.
Nick ruffled Noah's hair. "I've got something fun planned for us later."
Noah grinned from ear to ear. Whenever he visited, Nick always had some new invention or magical gadget to show him.
"Look at you, growing into a little man," Penny said, squeezing his cheeks, as most people did. "Aunt Penny made your pumpkin tarts! Don't you want a big hug?"
Noah ignored the cheek-pinching and gave her a long, warm hug.
His mother laughed beside him, while Adam, his father, could already imagine the taste of the tarts.
"Soon he won't like being treated like a child anymore," Laura said with a smile.
"And why's that?" Penny asked.
"Don't tell me this young stallion has a girlfriend?" Nick teased, winking at Noah, who rolled his eyes.
Laura laughed. "I think it's better if he shows you himself."
Adam added, "Just be careful not to get too shocked. I don't know if your old hearts can take too much."
"Old hearts?" Nick muttered, now even more curious. What could surprise someone like him?
Noah cleared his throat and decided to give his parents a little surprise, too. Focusing every ounce of his attention, he pointed at two utensils on the tea table.
Nick and Penny blinked in confusion. The next moment, surprise overtook them. Laura and Adam were equally stunned—Noah had made two items float simultaneously.
Noah decided that was enough for now and stopped the magic.
"Incredible, right?" he asked.
Penny clapped her hands, smiling. "Your magic finally showed itself! That's wonderful!"
"Yes, it's amazing. Your new title could be Noah, the Fork Controller," Nick joked, teasing Noah's emerging arrogance.
Adam and Laura then recounted to Nick and Penny how Noah had demonstrated magic the day before, learning it all in just one morning.
Noah listened proudly while enjoying the pumpkin tarts and other treats Penny had made.
They also had lunch there, and in the afternoon, Nick led Noah to his laboratory. Noah had been there before, but now, with his full memories, he could truly appreciate the marvels surrounding him.
The lab was filled with magical items in various stages of construction—a delightful mess. The only clear space was a central table where Nick worked on his creations.
There was another unique area: a sort of altar under a glass dome. Inside rested a red stone atop a metal stand.
Noah stared at the stone, as he always did when visiting. But this time, it felt different. Seeing it, he sensed a memory trying to resurface.
He didn't have perfect memory—far from it. Even with both lives merged, the memories from this life were more accessible than those from his past life.
"Philosopher's Stone…" he murmured, a thought slipping into his mind.
No, it can't be… he thought, glancing at Nick, who picked up an object from among the clutter.
He doesn't look like the Flamel from the movies…
Noah decided to find out for himself.
"Uncle Nick?" he called.
"Yes?" Flamel replied, holding an item.
Noah carefully phrased his question, wanting an answer without revealing what he knew.
"Now that my magic has awakened, do I have to go to a school?" he asked, playing the part of an innocent child perfectly.
Nick laughed, setting the object down and inviting Noah to sit beside him.
"Ah, yes. If you want, of course. But it's too early to worry about that. Schools only accept students at eleven," Nick explained.
Noah's heart skipped a beat. Eleven years? Wasn't it the same in that story?
He took a sip of his drink, then asked the question that would give him a decisive answer.
"Which school should I go to when the time comes?"
Nick scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Beauxbatons, I'd say." Then, pausing, he added, "Though Hogwarts wouldn't be bad either. My old friend Albus is the headmaster there."
Noah almost fell from the chair and could only offer a strange, awkward smile.
It seems I'm in the world of Harry Potter, he thought, recalling the fantasy books he had read in his other life. He had always enjoyed the series about a young wizard named Harry Potter—two orphans discovering their magical abilities. He had never imagined ending up in that very world.
No elves with huge… he sighed momentarily.
But that was Grandpa's dream, not mine. Though I wouldn't mind…
"Are you alright?" Nick asked, noticing Noah's silence.
"Yes, I'm fine," Noah replied, pushing the thoughts aside for later. His focus returned to a strange vial containing a slime-like substance.
"What's this?" he asked, pointing.
"That's magical clay," Nick said enthusiastically. "I thought we could have some fun making enchanted figurines. Want to try?"
"Of course!" Noah leaned forward eagerly.
Nick opened the jar, dividing a portion into two, giving one to Noah. The clay was soft, pliable, with a faint glow that seemed to shift colors.
"The first step is shaping the clay into small figures—anything you like. I'll make a little dragon."
Noah molded his clay, trying a humanoid shape, while Nick expertly crafted a dragon with remarkable details.
"Now that we have our figures, we need to enchant them. See, Noah, this is fairy dust. It's essential for giving temporary life to our creations."
Nick sprinkled a bit of golden powder over his dragon, whispering magical words Noah couldn't fully comprehend.
"Repeating the words activates the fairy dust's essence, allowing the figures to move."
Noah's eyes widened as Nick's dragon flapped its wings and swished its tail.
"Incredible!" he whispered.
"Isn't it?" Nick grinned.
"Now it's your turn," he said, handing Noah the powder. "Sprinkle some on your figure and repeat the words I said: 'Vitae motus'."
Hesitant but excited, Noah sprinkled the dust on his clay figure and murmured, "Vitae motus." To his delight, the figure began moving its arms and head, as if waking from a deep sleep.
"Excellent, Noah! See? The figures come to life temporarily. They'll move while the dust lasts."
Noah watched in fascination as his little figure danced across the table.
"This is amazing, Nick! How does it work exactly?"
"The clay has a metamorphic essence—a rare alchemical substance. The fairy dust acts as a catalyst, activating the latent energy in the clay and enabling it to move temporarily. The spell 'Vitae motus' channels the magic needed to complete the process."
Noah laughed as his figure and Nick's dragon staged a playful battle.
"How do they perform such complex actions? And how long will they keep moving?" he asked.
"For about ten minutes. Once the dust wears off, they return to plain clay. We can reactivate them with more dust and the spell," Nick explained. "As for their movements—it's simple, though not easy to grasp. The spell directs the motions. Only when the clay's shape closely resembles a living being does the spell work best. Half-dragon, half-human? Probably won't turn out well."
Noah absorbed every word in silence.
"So, spells store pre-defined instructions for specific functions?" he asked, making Nick chuckle.
"You've always been clever, sometimes scarily so," the old man said, ruffling Noah's hair. "You remind me of an old friend."
Noah smoothed his hair, guessing who the friend might be.
Nick, unaware, added, "It's early to explain the logic and mystery behind spells. They're complex. But yes—words, wand movements, or deeper understanding—they all store information."
"Let's leave that for later. Come, let's try other shapes."
Noah beamed, thrilled. He felt like a true alchemist, able to create life from simple clay.
They experimented and played for hours. Nick smiled, watching Noah's delight.
Alchemy was both science and art, but its true beauty lay in moments like these.