"Perhaps the other party wanted your help in creating or improving a Horcrux!" Lin Mei speculated.
"Horcrux?" Nicolas Flamel's eyes widened in shock. "You mean Voldemort has already torn apart his soul to create one? This is truly terrible news!"
In that moment, he finally understood why Voldemort was so desperate to track him down.
"Have you informed Dumbledore?" he asked urgently. "If Voldemort has indeed created a Horcrux, he is practically immortal unless all of them are found and destroyed!"
"I've warned him," Lin Mei assured him. "I believe he's already working on a way to deal with Voldemort completely."
Nicolas Flamel nodded solemnly. Without another word, he turned and left the secret chamber, leaving Lin Mei alone to continue his research.
As Lin Mei immersed himself in his studies, Christmas arrived quietly. To celebrate, he used his alchemical skills to craft small trinkets and sent them as gifts to professors and classmates at Hogwarts, using an owl raised by Nicolas Flamel.
Meanwhile, at Hogwarts, Dumbledore's desk held two elegantly wrapped gift boxes—one for Lin Mei and one for Nicolas Flamel. After dispatching the presents via owl, Dumbledore made his way to the Great Hall to oversee preparations for the evening's Christmas feast.
However, as the owl flew out of Hogwarts, a shadowy mist trailed ominously behind it.
Inside the Great Hall, a troubling discovery was made—Professor Quirrell was missing from his usual seat.
Dumbledore's expression darkened as he arrived. "Professor Snape," he asked, his voice serious, "do you know where Quirrell went today?"
Snape shook his head. "I've been preoccupied," he admitted. "With Christmas approaching, I haven't kept track of his whereabouts."
Dumbledore felt a deep sense of unease. "Go check the corridor where the Philosopher's Stone is kept. I fear we may be facing another incident—like on Halloween."
Without hesitation, Snape left his seat and strode toward the hidden chamber.
Below the Great Hall, Harry Potter noticed Snape's sudden departure. He nudged Ron and whispered, "Look! Snape just left. I bet he's heading to the chamber where the Philosopher's Stone is kept!"
Ever since Lin Mei's departure, Harry and his friends had pieced together enough clues to suspect that the Philosopher's Stone was hidden somewhere within Hogwarts. Harry had even overheard a conversation in which Neville mentioned Snape's injured foot—something that, to him, confirmed the Potions Master's connection to Hagrid's three-headed dog.
"Harry, you shouldn't jump to conclusions," Hermione countered. "Professor Snape isn't as bad as you think."
Harry frowned. "Hermione, you're always so rational, but sometimes intuition matters too! Just look at Snape—his entire demeanor screams villain. I'd bet anything he's planning to steal the Philosopher's Stone tonight!"
Caught between them, Ron hesitated before offering a compromise. "Harry, you might be right, but Hermione has a point too. We can't judge people just by their looks. How about we follow him quietly and see for ourselves?"
Hermione nodded in agreement. "That way, we can confirm our suspicions without falsely accusing him. But we must be careful—I don't want to lose House points right before the end of term."
With that, the trio agreed to sneak out of the Great Hall and follow Snape.
Meanwhile, far from Hogwarts, Lin Mei briefly emerged from his research chamber to acknowledge the holiday. Though he wasn't particularly interested in Western traditions, he decided to take a break.
"Come on, Lin Mei! It's Christmas," Nicolas Flamel called out. "I got us a fine turkey—why don't you cook it?"
Over time, Lin Mei and Flamel had grown quite familiar with each other. What had truly solidified their bond, however, was Lin Mei's cooking. Compared to Flamel's usual dry roasted dishes, Lin Mei's Kung Pao chicken and braised mushroom stew were an undeniable revelation.
Having had his taste buds thoroughly conquered, Nicolas Flamel had already made up his mind: once Lin Mei had completed his alchemical training, he and his wife would retire to China to enjoy their final years in peace.
Just as Lin Mei was about to take the ingredients into the kitchen, an urgent voice rang in his mind.
"Lin Mei! Something's wrong. There are people approaching—many of them. Their energy is twisted and filled with malice!"
Even without this warning from Lin, the spirit residing in his body, Lin Mei could see for himself. Outside, eerie skulls floated through the air, dissolving into thick, swirling black smoke.
A chilling laughter echoed through the night.
"Lin Mei, come to me at once!" Nicolas Flamel's voice was tense. "Those are Death Eaters!"
His face darkened with worry. How had they been found? By all logic, only three people knew of this location—himself, Lin Mei, and Dumbledore.
And yet, the enemy was here.
Suddenly, Nicolas Flamel turned his head, his gaze locking onto the two Christmas gifts resting on the living room table nearby.
Dumbledore had sent them.
Lin Mei followed Flamel's gaze, piecing the situation together in an instant.
One, two, three…
The floating skulls morphed into four masked figures draped in black robes—Death Eaters. They positioned themselves at the four corners of the manor, their formation suggesting a coordinated effort to encircle Lin Mei and Flamel.
A darker, more sinister energy surged from outside the manor. A swirling mass of black smoke burst through the doors and windows, hurtling straight at Lin Mei!
Lin Mei's eyes narrowed. In an instant, the casual attire he had been wearing transformed into a flowing white mage's robe. Intricate magical runes shimmered along the fabric, glowing with arcane brilliance, their purpose unknown yet undeniably potent.
Without hesitation, Lin Mei channeled his magic into the robe. A luminous blue barrier materialized around him and Flamel, shielding them from the oncoming attack.
Boom!
The barrier shattered on impact, slowing the black smoke but failing to stop it completely. However, before it could advance further, it was met with a blazing fist.
"Damn it! You think you can show off in front of me?"
With a single, fiery punch, Lin Mei sent the black smoke hurtling out of the manor.
The remaining Death Eaters froze in disbelief. Their leader—defeated in mere moments?
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