https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-368-Why-Don-t-You-Hang-Them-from-the-Ceiling-and-Whip-Them-/13441592/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-370-What-Are-You-Really-Worried-About-/13441594/
Chapter 369: Nicolas Flamel
Chapter 369: Nicolas Flamel
The Phoenix, dozing on an olive branch, opened its eyes and flapped its beautiful wings, flying to Dumbledore's shoulder. It let out a melodic, song-like chirp, and its entire body was engulfed in scorching flames.
The flames quickly spread to Dumbledore, turning him into a fiery figure, but his face remained calm and composed, showing no signs of pain. His robes were also unscathed.
In the next moment, the flames swelled and then abruptly collapsed and disappeared, taking Dumbledore and the Phoenix with them, vanishing from the Headmaster's Office.
Once the flames blocking his view dissipated, Dumbledore found himself in a secluded Outskirts, surrounded by nothing but dirt, sand, grass, and shrubs.
Dumbledore looked around to confirm his direction and then walked toward an open grassy area.
He sensed something obstructing his movements. As he took a few more steps, the space around him changed, and a vast Courtyard appeared before him.
In the center of the Courtyard stood a peculiar, seemingly living House. Several eye-like Windows gazed at Dumbledore, and the massive structure occasionally shuddered, with thick white smoke continuously billowing from the Chimney, giving it a vibrant appearance.
As Dumbledore approached, a square Passage appeared at the front, with saw-toothed Spikes lining its sides.
The strange, large Courtyard had opened its massive mouth to allow the White-bearded Old Wizard to enter its body.
Dumbledore, who had been here many times before, walked in without fear. He felt a wave of heat as he entered, and the flames in the Oven burned brightly, warming the interior of the House.
The right side of the hall was lined with bookshelves, densely packed with numerous books. Parchment papers, adorned with symbols and diagrams, were scattered on the floor.
A group of small, chirping Alchemical Creatures had gathered around his feet, and Dumbledore had to carefully choose where to step to avoid crushing them.
"Albus? What brings you to see me so suddenly?"
At that moment, an aged voice spoke.
Dumbledore turned to see Nicolas Flamel emerging from the inner room.
Compared to their last meeting, Dumbledore noticed that Nicolas's condition had worsened. His face, covered in wrinkles, was almost deathly pale, and his frail body seemed as if it could be blown over by the wind. Only his bright, wise eyes still shone with a vibrant light.
"It's been a long time, Nicolas!" Dumbledore said.
"Yes, it's been more than a year, I believe", Nicolas said, waving away the Alchemical Creatures gathered around Dumbledore's feet, then added with a teasing tone, "I doubt you would come to see me unless there was something important. So, let's talk inside!"
"You know, my job is always quite busy, dealing with mischievous students, of course, and sometimes other troubles outside of work", Dumbledore said, his face remaining unchanged despite Nicolas's teasing. He continued to walk into the inner room.
Upon entering, Dumbledore was surprised to find that the place had changed significantly since his last visit. It now resembled a Muggle living room.
A Television, Refrigerator, Oven, and other Household appliances were present, though they had clearly been enchanted. Dumbledore could easily sense that they were all Alchemical Devices.
"Surprised?" Nicolas Flamel saw the look of astonishment on Dumbledore's face and smiled.
"Yes!" Dumbledore nodded.
Nicolas Flamel sighed and said, "These Muggle-made things are quite interesting, always providing me with a lot of inspiration. It seems that living for a long time does have its benefits, especially in the past hundred years. The world has suddenly become more interesting, unlike the monotony of the past."
As he said this, Nicolas Flamel felt a bit regretful that he couldn't see even further into the future.
"By the way, Albus, did you come to see me because of that person?" Nicolas Flamel quickly composed himself and asked about the main reason for the visit.
"No! Voldemort has been relatively quiet recently, hiding somewhere with no news." Dumbledore shook his head and then placed a broken Time Turner on the table, continuing, "Can you fix it?"
Nicolas Flamel examined it for a few moments, noticing the fine cracks on the Time Turner, and said in surprise, "It's damaged so thoroughly! How did you manage to do that?"
"I was wondering the same thing", Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.
"Hmm, let me take a closer look!" Nicolas Flamel picked up the Time Turner and carefully examined it from all angles.
Without using any tools, his experience allowed him to roughly determine its condition.
"The specific reason for the damage is that the frequency and intensity of its use exceeded its limits", Nicolas Flamel explained, pointing his Wand at the Time Turner and casting an unknown spell.
The golden hourglass flipped over, and the fine sand flowed slowly, stopping after about a third of the sand had passed. After a long while, the hourglass flipped back to its original position.
"It seems the user traveled back three months and stayed there for a long time", Nicolas confirmed. Just as he was about to continue his analysis, his face showed a look of disbelief as the golden hourglass started moving again.
"How is this possible?!"
"What is it, Nicolas?" Dumbledore asked curiously.
"No wonder it's so thoroughly damaged", Nicolas Flamel muttered to himself before explaining, "Due to the immense power of time, Time Turners have Safety Mechanisms to prevent any accidents during use. The safe time limit is Five Hours. Once this limit is exceeded, the device becomes unstable and can easily trigger the Safety Mechanism, sending the user back to their Original Time."
"Generally, the longer the Time Travel, the more unstable the Time Turner becomes, making it difficult to stay for long periods."
"However, this user managed to stay for two whole months!"
Nicolas Flamel had no idea how the user managed to do this, but he was certain that the Time Turner must have been damaged by then. Yet, the user somehow found a way to keep the Time Turner functioning at high intensity, draining its last bit of Magic Power.
"Albus, can you tell me who the previous owner of this Time Turner was?" Nicolas Flamel looked at Dumbledore with great interest and asked.
(End of Chapter)
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