Chapter 301: Memories

Chapter 301: Memories

The Mind Chamber.

Nicolas Flamel looked around the room with great interest, examining the furnishings. He seemed to have shed hundreds of years from his appearance.

"You still have such magic? I'm truly amazed", he said with a smile. "My preparations were unnecessary."

Felix stood with a stern expression, as if greeting an unwelcome guest. He was positioned in front of a deep green curtain that was rolled up, revealing a tall gateway behind it.

Felix gazed at the door, which opened automatically. Inside, the shadows were indistinct, making it impossible to see what lay within. Beyond the door was his inner world, hiding the deepest secrets and memories.

The two of them stepped inside and found themselves standing on a long corridor flanked by towering bookshelves. Each item on the shelves—books, notebooks, memory orbs, and miscellaneous trinkets—represented the most authentic aspects of himself.

Against the light, only the brightness of the Mind Chamber was visible, while Felix and Nicolas Flamel's faces were hidden in the darkness. Then, Felix waved his arms, and a storm of wind swept through the corridor. The bookshelves twisted and transformed into massive, heavy clouds, layer upon layer, occupying their original positions.

The sky seemed to have been pulled down to their feet, with thick clouds hanging low. They were as if standing in a sea of clouds, with dark golden clouds on either side, stretching endlessly from where they stood, disappearing into the unknown.

"Please come in", Felix said briefly and courteously. "Shall we start with the most recent memories?"

"Felix..." Nicolas Flamel shook his head. He was burdened with guilt, having kept certain things to himself, even from Dumbledore. He had seen part of a prophecy, indicating that the world was about to undergo another transformation, one more impactful than anything in the past.

Unfortunately, he could not see the outcome or the path ahead, and could only place his hopes in those who would come after.

The dark golden clouds twisted and unfurled, revealing scenes and voices.

The clouds gathered, forming a man with an air of elegance. He waved a small piece of paper in his hand and said with conviction, "Felix, I'll keep an eye on it..."

Nicolas Flamel walked quickly past this scene and stopped at a place where the dark golden clouds were constantly churning. He examined the scene closely. In the image, only Felix was present, sitting quietly in his office, flipping through a stack of parchment. The images on the paper made him frown.

"What is this...?"

"The path Salazar Slytherin abandoned. I picked it up to examine."

Nicolas Flamel made no comment, nodding and continuing forward. He was not interested in the details but focused on the churning clouds that stirred emotions.

He walked a considerable distance, and the mist from the clouds clung to his clothes, causing the gathered images to scatter. "I can only tell you that the person's codename is Bigfoot..."

Nearly Headless Nick stopped at a place where the clouds were constantly churning. Curiously, he asked, "Is this the Three Broomsticks Inn?" He watched the scene, where Felix and a man with a hooked nose were sitting together. The man seemed disinterested, drinking cup after cup, his expression numb.

"Severus, we should all look forward", Felix advised in the scene.

"Can you forget the past?" the man asked. "Can you forget Chesterton Avery? Carrow, Nott, Parkinson, Selwyn... and the Shaffick Family?"

Felix fell silent and clinked glasses with the man. When he brought the man back to Hogwarts, Felix watched the man on the bed, mumbling in his drunken state, and said softly, "That's why I thank you, professor."

Nicolas Flamel asked, "Who is this?"

"My Head of House when I was a student."

"Did he help you?"

"Yes."

"He seems like a kind-hearted person."

"Perhaps not."

Nearly Headless Nick said knowingly, "I was narrow-minded. People are complex."

They continued on, stopping and starting along the way. Nicolas Flamel paused briefly at Felix's pursuit of Sirius and the Patronus driving away the Dementors, but he watched the entire speech Felix gave at the Ministry of Magic.

"What do you think of the Secrecy Act?" the old man asked.

"I am pessimistic."

"Would you push for its repeal?"

"It would be a futile effort. There's no need for me to do anything; it won't last much longer."

Nearly Headless Nick sighed, "My thoughts align with yours. The magical world has been closed off for too long, while the outside world changes rapidly..."

He changed the subject, speaking cheerfully, "Don't think of me as an old relic. One of my Safe Rooms is openly placed in a Muggle community, without any magic—using magic would make modern appliances malfunction, like refrigerators, air conditioners, ovens... and home game consoles. You know about those, right? Perenelle loved them... I also have another identity as a mysticism researcher!"

...

In front of another cloud, Nearly Headless Nick looked wistfully at Newt Scamander. His words grew more numerous: "The first time I met Newt, he was very reserved and not much of a talker. He probably hasn't changed much..." He said softly, "It's been so many years."

Then he turned to the cloud containing Felix, who bluntly asked, "What family are you from?"

The young man stammered, "Avery—Avery."

Nicolas Flamel, curious, asked, "Is this the Avery that the professor mentioned earlier?" Seeing Felix nod, he couldn't help but ask, "What did he do?"

Felix's expression was enigmatic. "You'll see. Isn't that why you're here?"

...

Not far away, Nicolas Flamel listened to Felix's words from a seventh-year class. He smacked his lips: "The seed of miracles..." He pondered for a long time.

As they continued walking, they heard Felix in a memory say to a freckled boy, "This is the rat, Nicolas Flamel", and Nearly Headless Nick couldn't help but laugh. "A clever metaphor."

Felix looked a bit embarrassed. He hadn't expected to be caught by the real Nicolas Flamel when he said that.

Nearly Headless Nick mused, "So, the notorious Sirius Black is innocent, and Peter Pettigrew is the betrayer? An Animagus... The only question is the Fidelius Charm, but the Secret-Keeper can be transferred, or perhaps the Potters deceived everyone from the start."

Felix replied calmly, "You should have thought of that sooner. You skipped some crucial details."

Nearly Headless Nick smiled, "I couldn't possibly observe you with such detail. Despite the lack of evidence, I still want to salvage some of your image in my mind."

"Is that so", Felix muttered.

At another cloud, Nicolas Flamel asked, "Who is this young girl?"

"Hermione Granger, my Assistant in the Ancient Runes Class", Felix explained.

"Very considerate", Nearly Headless Nick said, watching Hermione place a pot of green plants on a table piled high with books, adding a touch of life to the dim left side of the room. He marveled, "But what happened before? You look like you've been hit hard... Oh, I see, a magic surge. This method... is a bit questionable, but..."

Nicolas Flamel watched the scene on the dark golden cloud. On one side, the Longbottoms were holding Neville, and on the other, Felix looked disbelieving. He stopped speaking.

They walked a long stretch of the path, and Nearly Headless Nick, after commenting on the Golden Rune Orb with "Interesting", didn't stop again until he saw everything that happened at the Muggle conference during the summer.

"An end-all spell, I've used that magic too... Sorry, old age makes one prone to meaningless reminiscence." Nearly Headless Nick sighed, "What do you think of the Reform Society?"

"Young, promising, representing the future."

"Yes, young and promising, representing the future", Nearly Headless Nick murmured.

...

Nicolas Flamel watched with great interest as Felix posed questions during an open class at the University of Paris. At the time, Felix had used hypothetical scenarios to outline the current state of the magical world and probed the professor's thoughts.

The old man smiled, "You're quite bold. No wonder that Auror was after you."

Felix explained, "It was a coincidence, and I genuinely wanted to know what a philosophy professor thought about it."

"Using the wisdom of others?" the old man said, "A smart move."

Later, in the Chamber, Nearly Headless Nick couldn't help but complain about Dumbledore: "I don't agree with some of his methods, but... I'm not him, so I don't know what reasoning led him to make those decisions."

Nicolas Flamel continued walking and entered an office where he saw Dumbledore with his hands clasped, his expression serious, asking, "Why are you so determined to teach at Hogwarts?"

Nearly Headless Nick asked, "Is this your interview?"

"Clearly, I’ve been accepted."

Nearly Headless Nick nodded. The cloud in front of him had silently turned a sea blue, representing Felix’s memories from the past three years since graduation. The old man smiled and said, "The same color as my eyes." Here, he saw a more genuine side of Felix, like a regular person working and living in a tech company, which truly surprised him. "It’s truly astonishing", Nearly Headless Nick remarked.

In the year before that, Felix had traveled the world. Nicolas Flamel blinked and watched as Felix moved through black markets in different countries, selecting and trading various magical items and notes. Most of the people he dealt with were Dark Wizards who operated in the gray areas, engaging in robberies, battles, counter-attacks, and setting traps...

"Does blue represent sadness?" Nearly Headless Nick asked, staring at the blue, shimmering cloud.

"No, I enjoyed this experience", Felix said.

"Uh... well then."

The clouds on either side of the path turned a dark gold, and he saw a younger Felix during his school years. In his sixth and seventh years, wherever he went, people looked at him with reverence, parting to make way for him. Felix smiled and nodded at them.

"Is it because the Zabini Family left Britain, freeing you from any concerns?" the old man thought.

But the next moment, Nicolas Flamel dismissed this guess. He saw Felix visiting several Pureblood Families at the end of his fifth year.

Nicolas Flamel stared at the constantly swirling dark gold cloud, guessing that if the color represented emotions, Felix must have felt joyful, a joy of revenge—

It was a lavishly decorated room, with a bright green and silver-striped sofa where a young man with black hair and blue eyes sat.

A fireplace with golden patterns emitted a soft sound, and a middle-aged wizard emerged from it. He saw Felix and his eyes showed surprise and panic.

"Felix Hepworth... you, what are you doing here!" he roared angrily, "Who let you in? You are not welcome here!"

The young man spoke gently, "I felt it necessary to pay a visit to address our disagreements."

The wizard was furious, "What kind of trick are you pulling? Where is Dumbledore? Is he planning to attack the Pureblood Families?"

But then, his body stiffened, like a tilted statue. His gaze dropped, and he found himself kneeling on the ground.

All he could see were the young man’s shoes.

"Quite a subtle spell, isn’t it? I found it in the Restricted Section... I came here today to formally introduce myself, although we already had dealings last summer. What was that Parkinson’s name? I can’t quite remember. His face swelled up like a pumpkin, hmm, the spell backfired."

"…Jem!" the Parkinson man growled.

A House-Elf appeared abruptly, and the next second, a red light flashed, and the elf fell unconscious to the ground.

Felix stood up, walked past the wizard, and looked at the portraits hanging on the wall. "I did my research before coming. Your family once produced a Minister of Magic, Perseus Parkinson, who tried to pass a bill making marriage with Muggles illegal, but it didn’t succeed."

"Quite a shame, isn’t it? Such ideas can only remain within the family, not accepted by the masses." His wand pointed at the wizard’s head.

The Parkinson patriarch, kneeling on the ground, his face turned a deep purple, transitioning from hatred and unwillingness to despair and fear in just two minutes.

"What do you need me to do, Mr. Heap?"

"Behave yourself and stop jumping around. I promised Headmaster Dumbledore not to hold it against you."

...

Nicolas Flamel whispered, "I always said the Parkinson family has been quiet these past few years. They used to be quite radical." He asked curiously, "All the families that suddenly became quiet in recent years, are they all related to you?"

"Um, I’d need to count them carefully", Felix said uncertainly.

They continued walking, and a massive cloud swirled, releasing wisps of mist. The scene gradually became clear, showing Felix’s memory of the duel he initiated at the beginning of his fifth year—

In a corner of the Great Hall at Hogwarts, after Dumbledore finished his welcoming speech, the young Felix calmly put on his gloves. His seats on either side were empty, making it easy for him to stand and walk to a blond boy.

Felix slowly removed his gloves and said, "One of the Sacred Twenty-Eight Pureblood Families, the Shafficks? Noble, honored... or perhaps just scum, hiding in dark corners to attack from behind. I suspect every inch of your veins runs with dirty blood. I wonder if it’s true..." He threw the glove into the blond boy’s face.

The blonde boy's body was already stiff, drenched in sweat, and his white gloves clung to his neck before falling to the ground, covered in dust due to his constant trembling.

He stammered, “Felix...”

“Come on, I’ve already said it, don’t disappoint me,” Felix’s eyes fixed on him with a mocking tone. “You are a Shafik, after all.”

“I, I—” The blonde Shafik fell off his seat, his body limp.

“Felix Hepworth!” Snape strode over from the professor’s chair, his voice low and fierce. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Professor,” Felix bowed slightly, “as you can see, I want to find out if the blood of this family is red or black.”

Snape’s hands trembled with anger, and he whispered, “Stop your pointless revenge game. Dumbledore has already intervened, even if you can’t see it. Believe me, he will make the Zabini Family pay.”

“I want more,” Felix said, a strange light in his eyes. “Why should this decaying family continue to be an eyesore?”

“Felix Hepworth,” Snape suppressed his inner fear, seeing the shadow of another person in his young student’s eyes. “I forbid you to do this.”

Felix toyed with his wand, remaining silent.

Dumbledore approached and said in a grave voice, “Minerva, take Shafik away. The rest of you—” he raised his voice, “follow the prefects back to the common rooms.”

...

In the memory corridor, Felix asked, “What do you think, Nearly Headless Nick? Do you think I went too far?”

Nearly Headless Nick avoided the unpleasant topic and continued walking. He saw Felix at the end of fourth year, walking out of the school gates and felling those who attacked him with various curses.

Even when one of them had their head swollen to twice its size, it was hard to feel sympathy—because the spell had been cast by Felix himself.

The entire fourth year’s memories were a bleak, monotonous white, filled with scenes of Felix practicing spells in various secluded corners. Thousands of images together formed the entirety of that year’s memories.

In a dark cave in the Forbidden Forest, a brilliant green light illuminated the narrow, damp space, revealing a face taut with tension.

“Killing Curse...”

“Yes, it’s quite effective. I spent a lot of effort to find it,” Felix said lightly.

Nearly Headless Nick shook his head, disapproving. “Unforgivable Curses corrupt the soul. Even Aurors need regular psychological counseling, let alone a child like you were.”

“The situation was special; I didn’t think that much. And you overlooked one thing—my ghost friend stopped me.”

“You mean the lady, Helena?”

“Another one, the one with the silver blood.”

Nicolas Flamel insisted, “Regardless, you shouldn’t have learned dark magic, especially at such a young age...”

“Oh, thanks for your concern.”

The old man’s face was stern. “I can tell you’re lying.”

...

Nicolas Flamel stood before a massive black cloud, which emitted a deep, dark mist like a monstrous beast with bared fangs. He seemed to hear the beast roaring, but it was all an illusion. This was a memory from the beginning of fourth year—

Dozens of owls circled over the empty long dining tables, with only young Felix sitting with his back to them. The owls dropped red letters, which twisted and opened their mouths, spewing vile words.

“Filthy Mudblood! Slytherin’s shame, don’t let me see you, or I’ll crush your bones one by one...”

“Have you heard of Unforgivable Curses? Cruciatus Curse, Cruciatus Curse!” followed by a shrill laugh.

“...Curse your name, curse your blood!”

The voices of dozens of Howlers echoed in the Great Hall, blending together in a cacophony that made it hard to understand, but snippets of harsh words could still be heard.

Young wizards cowered to the side, Slytherin students watched with cold eyes, and the other three houses whispered and chattered.

“Bang!”

All the letters exploded into ashes. Felix stood up expressionlessly, and the crowd parted to make way for him.

"Oh, heavens!" Professor Mcgonagall hurried over, her voice panicked as the Slytherin table erupted into chaos. She shouted angrily, "Vile, despicable, gutter-crawling scum! Absolutely despicable... shameless!"

"Are you alright, Hep?" she asked cautiously, placing a hand on Felix's shoulder, only to recoil as if she had been electrocuted.

"I'm fine, Professor", the young Felix replied calmly. "Better than ever."

In the corridor, Nicolas Flamel furrowed his brow deeply, opening his mouth several times as if to say something, but he remained silent. A long, gray mist enveloped them, with low, swirling clouds making them feel as if they were descending into a deep sea, where black reefs and whirlpools churned, stirring up water and mist.

Words wormed their way into Nicolas Flamel's ears.

"Do you want to fight? I'm just teaching you a lesson, scum is scum wherever it is, Mudblood is Mudblood, am I wrong? Everyone, listen, which word did I say wrong..."

"You're lucky to be here now. If I had my way, you'd have been practice material for magic two years ago. I know a big shot who has a taste for that."

"I have a jar at home, just the right size for a House-Elf."

Nicolas Flamel quickened his pace, trying to leave this stretch of road behind, but it seemed to stretch endlessly. He turned back to see Felix calmly listening, seemingly unaffected by the chaos.

"Felix, don't you care?"

"I'm actually quite lucky", Felix said with a laugh. "None of my peers can beat me, and the older students are restrained by school rules, which were quite severe at the time..."

"But if I were to provoke an older student, I wouldn't be protected anymore. They'd be allowed to defend themselves, right? So for a long time, they just nagged at me, like buzzing, gossipy flies—really, it didn't bother me much."

Nicolas Flamel remained silent as the black clouds on either side continued to torment his ears—

"You put my brother in the hospital, my own brother. I wanted to teach you a lesson... but Professor Snape warned me. What a shame, considering I'm four years older than you. You wouldn't dare hit me, little Mudblood, would you? Do you know which family I belong to?"

"What's your name?" This was the newly enrolled Felix, speaking warily.

"Oh, I'm your prefect, Chesterton, Chesterton Avery. Remember this name. I hope you will address me as Prefect Avery. We'll be seeing each other for at least three years, unless you drop out."

...

Nicolas Flamel strode forward, leaving the annoying voices behind. Felix followed at a leisurely pace. "Slow down a bit. I just realized that it feels pretty good to share my past with someone. To be honest, I'm tired of making up lies, but it's hard to find the right person."

The old man ignored Felix's chatter and finally emerged from the area, where a gentle golden sunlight appeared, enveloping him in a wave of joy.

Golden, fluffy clouds floated like cotton candy, reflecting colorful light. Nicolas Flamel gazed intently at the scene before him:

A black-haired boy sat in a yard, quietly reading a book. Around him, a dozen other children played and laughed, with four older kids sweating around a makeshift basketball hoop.

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

The black-haired boy lifted his book. "Just two more pages—" Suddenly, he looked up, his eyes brightening as if he were looking directly at Nicolas Flamel.

Felix caught up slowly. "You move fast, huh? What's this?" He looked at the boy in the scene, whose light blue eyes blinked and smiled brightly, reaching out a hand.

Felix blinked and extended his hand as well, their hands seeming to clasp together.

"Flap, flap!"

An owl landed on the boy's hand, carrying a letter.

It was a brown letter made of parchment, with an address written in dark green ink on one side and a wax seal and coat of arms on the other. The coat of arms featured a large "H" and was surrounded by a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake.

In the corridor—

"What's this?"

"The day I received my Hogwarts acceptance letter."

"That's enough, Felix", Nicolas Flamel said softly. The two returned to reality.

This chapter delves into Felix's past, which won't be revisited. If you don't like it, feel free to ignore it. However, it's a crucial turning point, and the plot will become more engaging from here on out.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end