Chapter 815: Alchemy
Chapter 815: Alchemy
The trio walked along the passage beneath the fountain for nearly twenty minutes, and Kyle felt like he had traversed the entire Busbaron.
Strangely, the water above their heads remained constant, as if they were circling around the fountain the entire time.
Until Kyle saw a beam of light ahead that was completely different from the one in the passage... It was a golden door, shimmering under the light.
Fengnu, who was walking in front, grasped the door handle and gently pushed it open.
"I was just wondering who would dare to venture into the fountain's secret passage, and here you are, returning unexpectedly," said Madame Maxim from the other side of the door. "What brings you to the school to see me?"
"It's been a while, Madame Maxim," said Fengnu. "But this time, I'm not the one who wanted to come here; it's him..."
Fengnu stepped aside, allowing Kyle and Conna to emerge from the passage.
"Is it you?"
Madame Maxim seemed surprised to see Kyle, as if she hadn't expected to encounter him here.
"It's a pleasure to see you, Madame Maxim," Kyle said politely, looking up at the Busbaron Headmaster, who was taller than both of them.
He had grown taller over the years, but when looking at Madame Maxim, it seemed like there was no change, and he still had to crane his neck.
"Welcome," said Madame Maxim as she walked forward. "And welcome to you too, beautiful lady. I remember your name is Conna Prince, isn't it?"
"Yes, Madame Maxim," Conna said elegantly, giving a slight bow. "I didn't expect you to remember me."
"It's not just remembering, but a deep impression," said Madame Maxim. "Are you interested in working at Busbaron? We've always lacked excellent Potions professors."
Conna was a bit overwhelmed and instinctively glanced at Kyle.
"Don't worry, you don't have to answer me now. Just knowing that the door here is always open for you is enough," said Madame Maxim, not wanting to make Conna too embarrassed, and she smiled as she spoke.
Then she turned to Kyle and said in a delighted tone, "So, you've decided to come to Busbaron? In my opinion, this is the most suitable place for you. There's no future for you at Hogwarts."
"I might disappoint you, but I haven't considered that much yet," Kyle laughed. "This time, I'm just here to visit and be a guest during my vacation."
"Vacation?" Madame Maxim asked with a hint of doubt. "Have the troubles on your side been resolved so quickly... I didn't hear Albus mention it."
"No," Kyle shook his head. "It's just that due to certain reasons, it's been put on hold temporarily. The Death Eaters haven't made any moves recently, and until we understand their plot, there's some rare free time."
"But there are professionals handling this matter, and I can't be of much help."
"I see," Madame Maxim nodded. "Indeed, wars can bring about various situations, and it's good to take some time to relax. Being constantly tense can lead to more mistakes."
"I think so too," Kyle said with a smile.
"Then feel free to take a tour. I'll ask Fengnu..." She glanced at the girl beside her, seemed to think of something, shook her head, and said, "Never mind, I'll have Gabriella show you around instead, to prevent any of her crazy admirers from holding a grudge against you."
"Just by being nearby, I'd be held a grudge?" Conna was a bit surprised. "That seems a bit exaggerated."
"If you had even half Veela blood, you'd understand that it's not that hard to comprehend," said Fengnu nonchalantly.
"That's true," Kyle nodded in agreement.
The innate charm of Veelas, akin to the effects of a love potion, could cause people to unconsciously perform incomprehensible actions.
This was also why Fengnu would cover her face with a hat in public, as the outside world wasn't as safe as the school, and her abilities weren't sufficient to handle all the potential troubles.
"But isn't Gabriella your sister?" Kyle asked. "Is she different from you?"
"She's younger," Fengnu explained. "And she has more wizard blood, so it's not a significant influence."
"And here, her English is the best."
"There's no need to emphasize that," Kyle forced a dry laugh. "There's no need to make it so complicated. I won't be staying here for long anyway, at most half a day, and they won't be able to chase me all the way to England, will they?"
"I'm not worried about you..." Madame Maxim glanced at Kyle indifferently. "I'm concerned about my student."
"What do you mean?"
"It's not hard to understand," she chuckled. "Even though I'm in France, I've paid special attention to your deeds and actions... How should I put it? I don't want my student to suddenly faint or break a leg for no apparent reason."
"There must be some misunderstanding," Kyle said.
Before he could explain further, Madame Maxim continued, "Additionally, when I spoke with Mr. Dippet, he shared the same opinion as me, believing that you aren't as kind as you appear to be..."
"Of course, I'm not trying to belittle you," Madame Maxim said as she walked around to the side of the desk and took out several teacups of standard size. She pointed her finger, and the cups immediately filled with tea.
Holding the teacups as if they were popcorn, she placed them in front of Kyle and Conna.
In the wizarding world, kindness is a precious quality, but if a wizard only has kindness, he becomes an extremely foolish fool. Likewise, I wouldn't let such a person into Busbaron.
Kyle didn't speak, but silently took a sip of tea.
Even French wizards would enjoy this, he could taste that this was much better than the ordinary stuff he had at Dumbledore's.
After they finished their tea, there was a knock on the door.
"It must be Gabrielle," Madame Maxim gestured for Fengnu to open the door.
"Madame Maxim, the magic mirror said you were looking for me... Sister, how did you get here?"
Indeed, it was Gabrielle Delacour outside. She seemed to have grown taller and more elegant, with a hint of catching up to her sister.
The last time they saw Gabrielle was during the Triwizard Tournament, when she was just a first-year student. Now, she must be in her fourth year.
Gabrielle hugged Fengnu tightly, then noticed Kyle and Conna were also there.
"It's you... Kyle and Conna!" She seemed more excited and exclaimed in a high-pitched voice, "Are you all coming to work at Busbaron?"
Instinctively, Kyle looked at Madame Maxim.
What kind of headmaster teaches what kind of students? Why does everyone at Busbaron want them to come here? Madame Maxim stared straight ahead, choosing to ignore Kyle's gaze... This wasn't difficult for her.
"Gabrielle, what classes do you have this afternoon?" she asked.
"Magic History."
"Take a leave of absence. With your grades in this subject, missing one class shouldn't be a problem." Madame Maxim said, "This afternoon, take them around Busbaron and let them understand the heritage and excellent atmosphere here as much as possible."
"I understand, Madame Maxim. Leave it to me." Gabrielle said seriously, as if she had accepted an important task.
Kyle naturally understood the meaning behind their conversation—it was to make them like this place and stay.
Madame Maxim didn't hide her intentions, and Kyle pretended not to hear anything. After putting his teacup back in its place, he stood up with Conna and followed the excited Gabrielle out of the room.
"What a surprise, I didn't expect you to come to France... and to Busbaron."
Gabrielle was excited all the way, chattering:
"Let me tell you, Busbaron is the best magic school in the world, even better than Hogwarts...
"Sorry, I mean I think it's better than Hogwarts. The castle there is too dark, even during the day, some places need to be lit with torches, but there's no such trouble here."
"It's fine, that's a fact." Kyle said.
Indeed, Hogwarts castle was a bit dark due to its structure, but in a way, this was also a feature.
And Busbaron...
Kyle looked up. The ceiling here was like a huge piece of glass, and the sunlight almost illuminated every wall carved with exquisite bas-reliefs, the clean floor tiles, and the students' fashionable blue silk uniforms.
It had to be said that, at least visually, this place was much better than Hogwarts, especially on sunny days, and one's mood improved a lot when walking here.
No wonder France hadn't produced many dark wizards, and it might have something to do with Busbaron's bright and dazzling campus.
"I'm really happy today." Gabrielle continued walking forward, "I always thought I'd have to wait until my sister's wedding to see you again."
Kyle raised an eyebrow.
"The wedding of your sister?"
"The one with Bill Weasley... Is that his name?" She thought for a moment before saying, "Don't you know?"
"I know." Kyle said, "But I didn't expect 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 always ready to attend their wedding... This way."
Gabrielle led them through a row of huge pillars that looked like jade carvings and arrived at an even more spectacular large platform.
This place was almost as big as the Great Hall at Hogwarts, and the floor was engraved with intricate magic runes.
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Above the platform was a circular corridor, and Kyle counted a total of six layers.
"Where do you want to visit first?" Gabrielle turned and asked, "Or should I take you around? There are so many amazing things to see here, and 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 heard this is the most popular class at Busbaron."
"Yes, many people like Professor Viktor's class, and so do I." Gabrielle nodded. She walked to the platform, cleared her throat, and said in clear French:
"Alchemy Classroom."
The magic runes under their feet lit up, and countless stones detached from the ground, gathering around them to form a simple elevator, carrying them upwards.
"Oh, what an incredible design!" Connor exclaimed.
"It was designed by Mr. Lemay, including the fountain on the square. It's his masterpiece," Gabrielle said proudly. "It's unique, and you can only see it in Busbaron."
As they spoke, the elevator had already reached the third floor. The original railing automatically separated, creating a seamless gap that aligned perfectly with the elevator.
"This way," Gabrielle said, extending her hand. "What you see in front of you is the alchemy classroom, but class is in session now. Professor Viktor has a bad temper, so we can only take a look from outside."
"But when class is over, I can ask the professor to take you inside. You're guests of Headmistress Maxim, so it shouldn't be a problem."
"It's fine, we can just observe from here," Kyle said, looking up.
He swore he had never seen such a large classroom, almost occupying a third of the floor.
Through the windows on both sides, he 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 coming from a large brass furnace in the center.
Whenever a student placed something in the furnace, smoke would emerge from the gaps around it, mostly white but also a faint gray.
But whenever this happened, the professor-like figure would loudly scold the student.
"Kyle, look here," Connor said, pointing to the classroom door.
At that moment, Connor suddenly tugged at Kyle's arm, pointing at three striking lines on the classroom door.
"What does this mean? It doesn't look like French."
"Oh, this is..." Gabrielle was about to explain when Kyle spoke up.
"Upon entering this classroom, remember: Curb your greed, adhere to equivalent exchange, do not cross into God's domain, and human transmutation is forbidden."
"These are the basic principles of alchemy, and every beginner must follow them."
"Can you read this?" Gabrielle asked, wide-eyed with surprise, looking at Kyle as if he were some strange creature.
"I don't know what Fengnu told you," Kyle said, rubbing his forehead. "But this isn't French, so of course I can understand it."
"What is that?" Connor asked, puzzled. "Runes? It's a bit similar, but there's a big difference."
"This is the oldest, untranslated Runic script," Kyle explained. "It's a line from the Jade Annals, copied verbatim."
"Where did this British guy come from, spouting off like he's read the Jade Annals?"
A strange voice came from behind them. "And do we need a British guy to judge the professionalism of our alchemy class?"
Kyle turned his head instinctively and saw a few young men had appeared.
The one who had spoken was their apparent leader, and when Kyle looked over, he immediately glared at him with resentment.
However, Kyle also noticed that his gaze kept glancing in Gabrielle's direction.
"Gafal, what are you saying? They're guests of Headmistress Maxim," Gabrielle said angrily.
But with that, the young man seemed even more excited.
"What guests? Aren't they just a couple of British guys?" the man said disdainfully. "From their looks, they must have just graduated. They're probably afraid of some dark wizard, so they came here for refuge. I've seen many like them."
Kyle couldn't understand as they were speaking in French.
"This scene is a bit cliche, but it seems unavoidable," he muttered to himself.
He could guess that this man was definitely one of Gabrielle's suitors, showing off to get her attention.
The man was leaning in, and Kyle wondered if he should punch him. For example, he could show off his exquisite alchemy skills in class and shock everyone.
Kyle hesitated, rubbing his chin.
Although this wasn't his territory, the scene was too classic. If he didn't fight, he felt like he was missing out on something.
Unfortunately, just as he was hesitating, the bell rang for the end of class.
"Gafal, copy the Basic Alchemy Textbook thirty times, or you won't attend my class again," a gentle voice said.
The previously defiant young man immediately wilted, not even trying to argue, and fled like a fugitive.
A middle-aged man walked out of the classroom.
"Professor Viktor," Gabrielle said sweetly.
"Yes," the middle-aged man nodded at her. "Did you finish your homework?"
"Can I hand it in tomorrow?" Gabrielle asked with a bitter expression. "As you can see, I didn't have time this afternoon. Headmistress Maxim gave me a task."
"Hand it in by tomorrow afternoon at the latest," Professor Viktor said, then turned to Kyle and Connor. "Who are you, and why are you here?"
Kyle blinked.
He couldn't understand what the professor had said, but he guessed that Gabrielle was introducing herself and asking how he was... Yes, that should be it.
"You too, it's nice to meet you," Kyle said in broken French.
The atmosphere became quiet.
Connor covered her face with her hand, pretending not to see Professor Viktor's strange expression.
(End of Chapter)
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