Chapter 815: Alchemy
Chapter 815: Alchemy
The trio walked along the passage beneath the fountain for about twenty minutes, and Kyle felt as if he had traversed the entirety of Beauxbatons.
Strangely, the water above their heads remained ever-present, as if they had been circling around the fountain the entire time.
It was only when a beam of light, distinct from the illumination in the passage, came into view that Kyle knew they had reached their destination. It was a golden door, shimmering under the glow of the lamps.
Fuyong, who was walking ahead, grasped the doorknob and gently pushed it open.
"I was just thinking about who might venture into the fountain's secret passage, and lo and behold, it's you returning." The voice of Madame Maxime echoed from beyond the door. "To what do I owe this visit? Is there something you needed?"
"It's been a long time, Madame Maxime," Fuyong greeted her. "But it wasn't me who wished to come here; it was him..."
Fuyong stepped aside to allow Kyle and Kona to emerge from the passage.
"You?" Madame Maxime's surprise was evident as she laid eyes on Kyle, clearly not expecting to encounter him there.
"It's a pleasure to see you again, Madame Maxime," Kyle said politely, craning his neck to look up at the tall headmistress of Beauxbatons.
He himself had grown quite a bit over the years, but even so, he still had to tilt his head back to meet her gaze, just as he had always done.
"You are most welcome," Madame Maxime said as she approached. "And welcome to you as well, beautiful lady. I believe your name is Kona Prence, isn't it?"
"Yes, Madame Maxime," Kona replied gracefully, executing a slight curtsy. "I'm flattered that you remember me."
"Not merely remembered, but left an impression," Madame Maxime said. "Would you be interested in a position at Beauxbatons? We are always in need of exceptional Potions professors."
Kona appeared slightly taken aback, her eyes flicking instinctively to Kyle.
Sensing her discomfort, Madame Maxime quickly added, "You need not answer now. Just know that our doors are always open to you."
She then turned her attention back to Kyle, a note of delight in her voice as she said, "So, you've finally come to your senses and decided to transfer to Beauxbatons? In my opinion, this is where you truly belong. There's no future for you at Hogwarts."
"I may disappoint you, but I haven't given it that much thought yet," Kyle replied with a smile. "This visit is purely out of curiosity during my vacation."
"Vacation?" Madame Maxime furrowed her brow. "I thought the troubles on your end would have taken longer to resolve... Albus hasn't mentioned anything about it."
"No, they've just been temporarily set aside due to certain reasons," Kyle explained, shaking his head. "The Death Eaters have been quiet lately, and until we unravel their plot, I find myself with some rare downtime."
"Well, there are professionals handling those matters, and I'm afraid I can't be of much help there," he added.
"I see," Madame Maxime nodded. "Wars can be unpredictable, and it's important to take moments to relax. Being constantly tense can lead to mistakes."
"My thoughts exactly," Kyle agreed with a smile.
"Then by all means, feel free to explore," she gestured, then glanced at the girl beside her and seemed to reconsider. "On second thought, perhaps I should ask Gabrielle to be your guide instead. I wouldn't want you to be targeted by her fervent admirers."
"Just being in her presence would be enough for them to hold a grudge?" Kona asked, a hint of surprise in her voice. "That does seem a bit extreme."
"If you had half-Veela blood running through your veins, you'd understand that it's not that difficult to believe," Fuyong remarked nonchalantly.
"True indeed," Kyle nodded in agreement.
The innate allure of a Veela was akin to a perfume laced with a love potion, causing people to act in inexplicable ways without their conscious awareness.
This was the reason Fuyong always kept her face concealed in public with a hat. The outside world was not as safe as the confines of the school, and her abilities were not yet sufficient to handle all potential troubles.
"But isn't Gabrielle your sister?" Kyle asked. "Isn't she different from you?"
"She's younger," Fuyong explained. "And she has a higher proportion of wizarding blood, so it's less pronounced."
"Plus, her English is the best out of all of us," she added.
"There's no need to emphasize that point," Kyle gave a dry laugh. "And really, there's no need to go to such lengths. I won't be staying that long anyway. At most, I'll be here for half a day before returning to Britain. Surely they can't pursue me all the way there?"
"I'm not concerned about you..." Madame Maxime gave him a sidelong glance. "...I'm concerned about my students."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Is it so hard to understand?" She gave a soft laugh. "Even here in France, I've kept abreast of your exploits and deeds... How should I put it? I wouldn't want my students to suddenly faint or break a leg for no apparent reason."
"There must be some misunderstanding," Kyle said.
Before he could elaborate further, Madame Maxime continued, "Additionally, when I spoke with Monsieur Delacour, he shared a similar opinion of you, believing that you're not as... benevolent as you appear."
"Of course, I'm not disparaging you," Madame Maxime said as she moved to a side table and, with a flick of her finger, filled three standard-sized teacups that were now floating in front of her. She plucked the cups from the air as if they were popcorn and placed them in front of Kyle and Kona.
Even he could taste the difference; this tea was far superior to the ordinary blend served by Dumbledore. It was a treat even for those outside the French Wizarding community.
As they finished their tea, a knock sounded at the door.
"It must be Gabrielle," Madame Maxime said, gesturing for Fuyong to open the door.
"Madame Maxime, the magic mirror said you were looking for me... Sister, why are you here?"
Indeed, it was Gabrielle Delacour at the door. She had grown quite a bit since they last met, and her features had matured into a striking, ethereal beauty, almost rivaling her sister's.
After all, the last time Kyle had seen Gabrielle was during the Triwizard Tournament when she was just a first-year student. Now, she was likely in her fourth year.
Gabrielle enthusiastically hugged Fuyong and then noticed Kyle and Kona standing there.
"It's you... Kyle and Kona!" She looked delighted. "Are you both going to work at Beauxbatons?"
Kyle glanced at Madame Maxime instinctively.
It seemed that everyone at Beauxbatons was keen on having them join their school. Madame Maxime stared straight ahead, choosing to ignore Kyle's glance... which wasn't difficult for her.
"Gabrielle, what classes do you have this afternoon?" she asked.
"Magic History," Gabrielle replied.
"Take the afternoon off. Given your performance in that class, missing one lesson shouldn't be a problem." Madame Maxime said, "This afternoon, take them on a tour of Beauxbatons and show them as much as you can about our heritage and excellent environment."
"I understand, Madame Maxime. Leave it to me," Gabrielle said seriously, as if she had been entrusted with an important mission.
Kyle was well aware of the underlying meaning behind their conversation—they wanted him and Kona to like the school and stay.
Madame Maxime made no attempt to hide her intentions, and Kyle pretended not to have heard. After placing his teacup back on the table, he stood up with Kona and followed the exuberant Gabrielle out of the room.
"What a pleasant surprise! I never expected you to come to France, and to Beauxbatons no less."
Gabrielle chattered excitedly as she led the way, "Let me tell you, Beauxbatons is the best magic school in the world, even better than Hogwarts...
"Sorry, I mean I think it's better than Hogwarts. Their castle is too dark, and even during the day, some places need to be lit with torches. But we don't have that problem here."
"That's fine, it's the truth," Kyle agreed.
Hogwarts' castle did tend to be a bit dark due to its structure, but in a way, that added to its character.
As for Beauxbatons...
Kyle looked up; the ceiling here was like a giant glass dome, flooding the intricate carvings on the walls, the spotless tiles, and the students' fashionable blue silk uniforms with sunlight.
It must be said that, at the very least, visually, this place was far superior to Hogwarts, especially on sunny days when being here lifted one's spirits.
No wonder France hadn't produced any Dark Wizards; perhaps the bright and shining environment of Beauxbatons had something to do with it.
"I'm really happy today," Gabrielle continued as she walked ahead, "I thought I wouldn't see you again until my sister's wedding."
"Your sister's wedding?" Kyle raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, to Bill Weasley... I think that's his name." She thought for a moment before asking, "Don't you know about it?"
"Yes, we do," Kyle said, "But I'm surprised she told you about it."
"Not just me, my whole family knows," Gabrielle said, "My sister rarely meets someone she truly likes, and we all support her. We're ready to attend their wedding at any time... This way."
Gabrielle led them past a row of pillars that looked like they were carved from jade to a more spectacular, vast platform.
This platform was almost as large as the Great Hall at Hogwarts, and the floor was engraved with intricate magical runes.
Above the platform were circular corridors stacked one above the other, six layers in total, as far as Kyle could count.
"Where would you like to go first?" Gabrielle turned to ask, "Or should I take you around? There are so many amazing things to see here, an afternoon might not be enough."
"Then let's go to the Alchemy classroom first," Kyle blurted out, as if he had planned it beforehand. "I've heard that it's the most popular course at Beauxbatons."
"Yes, many people do like Professor Victor's class, and so do I," Gabrielle nodded. She stepped onto the platform, cleared her throat, and said in clear French,
"Alchemy Classroom."
The magical runes under their feet lit up, and countless stones detached themselves from the ground, gathering around them to form a rudimentary elevator that carried them upward.
As she spoke, the elevator reached the third floor, and the railing automatically separated to create an opening that seamlessly connected with the elevator.
"This way," Gabrielle gestured. "The Alchemy Classroom is right in front of you, but class is in session, and Professor Victor has a temper, so we can only observe from outside.
"But once the class is over, I can ask the professor to let us in. You're guests of Headmistress Maxime, so I'm sure it won't be a problem."
"That's fine, we can just observe from out here," Kyle replied.
Kyle looked up, marveling at the classroom.
He swore he had never seen such a large classroom, taking up almost a third of the floor.
Through the windows on both sides, one could clearly see what was happening inside.
The classroom was filled with white smoke, and as Kyle took a few steps forward, he could vaguely see it billowing from a huge brass furnace in the center of the room.
Whenever a student placed something into the furnace, white smoke, sometimes tinged with gray, would emerge from the openings around it.
However, whenever this happened, the professor-like figure would loudly scold the student.
"Kyle, look over here."
At that moment, Kona tugged on Kyle's arm, pointing at the three lines of prominent text on the classroom door. "What does this mean? It doesn't look like French."
"Oh, that's..." Gabrielle started to explain, but Kyle cut in.
"Upon entering this classroom, always remember: curb your inner greed, adhere to equivalent exchange, do not transgress into the domain of God, and forbid human transmutation."
"These are the basic principles of alchemy, something every beginner must know," Gabrielle added.
"You can understand it?" Gabrielle asked, her eyes wide with surprise as she stared at Kyle as if he were some strange creature.
"I don't know what Furong may have told you," Kyle said, rubbing his forehead. "But since it's not in French, of course, I can understand it."
"What is that?" Kona asked, puzzled. "Is it Runic? It looks similar but also quite different."
"It's the oldest form of Runic, untranslated," Kyle explained. "It's a quote from the Jade Compendium, reproduced exactly as it was originally written. Very professional."
"Who's this Brit, spouting nonsense at Beauxbatons as if he's read the Jade Compendium?"
A mocking voice sounded from behind them, and Kyle turned to see a few young males who had appeared, likely students.
The one who seemed to be their leader glared at Kyle, his head tilted back defiantly.
However, Kyle noticed that his gaze kept drifting towards Gabrielle.
"Gavar, what are you talking about? They are Headmistress Maxime's guests," Gabrielle said angrily.
But this only seemed to excite the young man further.
"What guests? They're just a couple of Brits," he scoffed. "Look at them; they must have graduated not long ago. They're probably here to hide from that Dark Wizard, just like so many others I've seen."
Of course, they were speaking in French, so Kyle couldn't understand them.
"This kind of plot is a bit cliched, but it seems hard to avoid," he muttered to himself.
He could guess that this guy was definitely one of Gabrielle's suitors, trying to show off in front of her.
The guy had even moved closer, practically sticking his face in front of Kyle's. Should he hit him? Perhaps he could demonstrate his exquisite alchemy skills and shock everyone in the classroom.
Kyle stroked his chin, hesitating.
While this wasn't his turf, the scenario was so classic that he felt he'd miss out on something if he didn't take action.
Unfortunately, just as he was hesitating, the bell signaling the end of class rang.
"Gavar, go and copy the Basic Alchemy Record thirty times. Otherwise, you need not attend my class again," the professor said in a gentle yet authoritative tone.
The defiant young man immediately wilted at the professor's words and scurried away without even attempting to argue.
A middle-aged man emerged from the classroom.
"Professor Victor," Gabrielle greeted him sweetly.
"Hmm," the professor nodded at her. "Have you finished your assignment?"
"Can I hand it in tomorrow?" Gabrielle asked with a pained expression. "As you can see, I don't have time today. Headmistress Maxime has entrusted me with a task."
"By tomorrow afternoon at the latest," Professor Victor said, turning his attention to Kyle and Kona. "And who might you two be? Why are you here?"
Kyle blinked, unable to understand what the professor had said, but he guessed that Gabrielle was introducing them and asking how they were... Yep, that was probably it.
"Ah, nice to meet you too," Kyle replied in his broken French.
The room fell silent.
Kona covered her face with her hand, pretending not to notice the strange expression on Professor Victor's face.
(End of Chapter)
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