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Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I make.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 228: The Deal
The door opened by itself, and the Chancellor moved inside, soon followed by James.
The guards stayed outside the room, and James didn't need to wonder for long as to why.
The Emperor was sitting on a tall golden throne at the other side of the chamber. Nine individuals were standing at the base of the throne.
Just by the feeling they gave him, James could estimate that all of these were very powerful wizards, at least 'Warlock' level, and could already be comparable to Albus Dumbledore.
"They are the Nine Ministers," the Chancellor explained as they walked. "Make sure not to stare at the Emperor for long. He would not take it kindly."
"Mmm…" This was why James never liked to deal with rulers. They all thought of themselves as above everyone else and got easily offended if you did or said the wrong thing.
'Not that I have much choice this time. This is the only person who has what I want,' he reminded himself.
As for the Emperor himself, James couldn't say much about his looks. He appeared to be an elderly man with a long white beard and one of those long mustaches that some traditional Asian rulers seemed to like.
He couldn't feel any magic from the man himself, but he did feel something from his luxurious robes, so it was likely that these had some concealing enchantments.
"That's far enough, foreigner!" one of the Ministers shouted at him when he was still over sixty feet away from the throne.
The Chancellor bowed lightly. "Kunlun Di!, I present to you the Maser Alchemist, James Potter."
James glanced over at the Emperor as this one observed him in a way that made it obvious the man was measuring his worth.
He then felt several mental probes trying to dig into his mind. 'That's just rude,' James thought before pushing them away.
"Ahh!" Two of the Ministers yelled and fell to their knees while grasping their heads.
'Perhaps I should have been a bit more gentle,' James considered afterwards.
The Chancellor gave the two Ministers a harsh glare as he had immediately figured out what had happened.
"How dare you!" Some of the other Ministers looked furious and were already taking out their weapons.
James figured that things were about to devolve into a brawl, but then the Emperor spoke for the first time.
"Enough!" His voice resonated across the entire chamber, and it was filled with power and authority.
The Nine Ministers cowered under the pressure of this voice and immediately knelt down.
"Mister Potter," the Emperor addressed him directly. "I was told you were looking for a black phoenix."
"And I was told there was one in here," James responded.
The expression on the Emperor changed slightly. There was now some nostalgia and sadness in his eyes. "There used to be one. It had accompanied my ancestors and helped protect our legacy for over a thousand years… unfortunately, that majestic creature passed away when I was still a child. Despite what many believe, not even a phoenix is eternal."
"The phoenix is dead… but surely you kept its final ashes. That is the only thing I require." James noticed that all of the Ministers were looking outraged right now, but none dared to speak and interrupt the Emperor's conversation.
"The ashes… we did keep them, of course. They are well secured in my treasury. But I'm sure you understand that they are an extremely precious treasure to me. You could say that they are an invaluable family relic. Now that the Black Phoenix is no more, those ashes are the only thing we have as a keepsake. Do you still believe that you can offer me something of such value?"
"I can try." He pulled something from his robes. It was a black box.
The Emperor looked at it with unconcealed curiosity, wondering what he could possibly offer in exchange.
James opened the box and showed it to the Emperor.
Inside it was a potion. The container was made of glass, and a liquid could be seen inside. Its color had a very vibrant red tone, giving it an eerie feeling.
"A potion?" The Emperor looked disappointed.
James felt the hostility in the room rising up. "To be more precise, this is an elixir."
"And what does this elixir do to be worth as much as my family treasure?"
"It prevents death," James simply said.
Soon, he heard loud gasps echoing inside the chamber.
"The elixir of life?!" The Chancellor got closer for a better look. "Could it be?"
"That is impossible!" the Emperor roared. "There is only one person in the world who can brew that elixir. And you are not Nicolas Flamel."
"Then I suppose there are now two people in the world who can do that," James responded.
"You were able to recreate the Philosopher's Stone?!" the Chancellor exclaimed.
"What?! I want to see it!" the Emperor shouted.
"I can show it to you to prove the veracity of my claims, but that is not for sale. And neither is its creation method," James said firmly.
"This is my offer… I will give you enough elixir to last you a millennium. You can use it in any way you want to...drink it all yourself or give it to your descendants. In exchange," James took out a small flask, "I just want enough black phoenix ashes to fill this flask. Do you still believe my offer is not generous enough?"
The room became silent. The Chancellor and Ministers were now looking at the Emperor, waiting to see what he would say next.
The Emperor's sharp eyes landed on James, and then he spoke. "And… what if I just want to take everything you have and give you nothing in return? You are alone, inside my chambers, and surrounded by my best men."
Most would tremble in fear under a threat like that, but James didn't seem affected. He would not have entered this palace if he weren't confident that he could get out.
"You can definitely try, Emperor. But it will cost you… everything."
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