[Note: Read up to Chapter - 159 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]
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"Professor, we were wrong!"
"We won't dare do it again. Please, Professor, forgive us this once!"
Harry and the other lad looked miserable, barely daring to lift their heads under Dumbledore's stern gaze.
Aris watched them, a small smile tugging at his lips. He knew the old fox only wanted to give them a scare—he'd never truly punish them.
If this had happened at school, Dumbledore might've even awarded some extra house points for their courage in bending the rules for a friend. But here, away from the school grounds, their apology looked more like shameless theatrics.
"Ahem~"
Aris cleared his throat lightly before speaking.
"Professor, they both sneaked out of school on my behalf. Why not forgive them this once for their loyalty? Besides… it's surely better to spend the holidays at my manor than to sit all alone at school!"
"There aren't many people at school right now, so you should be able to see how they're feeling!"
"So, you're going to go easy on them, then?" Dumbledore glanced at Aris, his expression calm but probing.
"Cough, cough~" The boy cleared his throat. No way was he letting Old Deng lose face here.
Aris shut his mouth decisively. Harry and the others could just hope for the best!
As expected, Dumbledore didn't really scold them. He only said a few words that sounded perfectly reasonable, leaving Harry and the others dumbfounded. Gradually, they felt they'd actually done something wrong and looked at him as if seeking his judgment, ready to accept whatever he decided.
"Since you're already here, there's no need to return to Hogwarts!" Dumbledore finally shook his head, then turned to Aris. "Their safety over the holidays rests entirely with you, seeing as they've come to find you."
"I know—that was the plan all along," Aris replied.
"Yes, Professor!" Aris nodded firmly.
"I'm planning to use this time to give them some intensive training, so they can catch up on their elemental magic studies!"
"Elemental magic?" Dumbledore blinked in surprise. "You've been teaching them?"
"Of course! It's tremendously useful for their learning and growth, isn't it?" Aris said confidently.
"That being said…" Dumbledore hesitated slightly, a shadow of doubt crossing his face, "They are rather young…"
"Shouldn't mastering something like this start from childhood?" Aris patted Harry on the shoulder with a serious look. "Right?"
"Ah…?" Harry looked momentarily bewildered, a wry smile tugging at his lips.
"I thought Aris just invited us to play…" Ronald muttered quietly.
Harry nodded vigorously at that, clearly not keen on being forced into extra lessons over the holidays—even if elemental magic was undeniably cool and powerful.
But aside from top students like Aris and Hermione, everyone else would naturally resist extra tutoring over the holidays!
"I think this is a splendid idea!" Dumbledore nodded approvingly, then fixed Harry with a serious gaze. "The greater the responsibility, the more trials you must endure. Harry, I trust you can overcome your laziness!"
After saying that, he gave Reese a discreet wink.
Old Dumbledore had always worried that Harry's progress wouldn't keep pace with Voldemort's return. Now, with Aris keeping an eye on him, he could finally breathe a little easier.
Although elemental magic isn't exactly orthodox in the wizarding world, Dumbledore had no quarrels with Aris' methods. Perhaps, apart from Aris himself, no one understood better how vital mastering the elements is for a wizard's spellcasting.
If two wizards have the same magical power, the spells they can cast are essentially identical.
The only difference is that one of them can sense the presence of the elements and has some understanding of them, while the other has no knowledge of elemental forces whatsoever.
In a duel between the two, the one who can perceive the elements would easily overpower the other—no exaggeration there.
Hermione and Cho are perfect examples. Their abilities seemed to surge almost overnight, astonishing the professors at Hogwarts. Many were baffled, unsure of what had caused it, though Dumbledore had a fair inkling.
Now that the previous speculation has been confirmed.
It was because Aris had taught them elemental perception that they'd developed a natural affinity for elemental energy.
"Professor, I want to ask…" Harry and Ronald exchanged worried glances.
"If we decide to go back to Hogwarts now, will that be alright?"
The pair looked on the verge of tears. Aris had just mentioned he'd be putting them through intensive training, and they could already picture how gruelling it would be…
At school, Aris's usual exercises were already tougher than eight classes in a day. If this were "intensive training," surely it would leave them completely knackered.
"Of course!" Dumbledore chuckled, a twinkle in his eye.
"But I should warn you, leaving school without permission could mean Gryffindor loses every single house point!"
"No, please…" Harry shook his head frantically.
"We're staying here, not going anywhere!" Ronald said firmly, holding out his hand.
The two poor lads slumped onto the sofa beside each other in silence, the situation laid out crystal clear.
The worst part? They didn't dare mutter a single word.
"Well, now that we've reached an understanding…" Dumbledore turned his gaze back to Aris.
"Remember, I'll take you to see Nicolas in three days. It's best to get things organised beforehand—we may not be able to return the same day!"
"Got it, Professor!" Aris nodded eagerly.
Truth be told, Aris was keen to meet the world's most powerful alchemist. Alchemy fascinated him, and more importantly, he was eager to see what kind of wondrous results could emerge from combining modern alchemy with ancient elemental magic.
Just like with the 'steward of the estate,' there was one thing Aris hadn't fibbed about.
Although Moss had developed most of it, Aris had been involved in nearly every step of the process.
So, in a way, it was half his creation as well.
He'd realised this while studying it. Most principles of modern alchemy were strikingly similar to those of ancient elemental magic.
The use of materials, the methods behind spells, the traits of alchemical items—all of it tied back to the elements. In other words, the underlying principles were basically the same.
This only made Aris even more eager to meet Nicolas Flamel.
"Nicolas Flamel!"
Just as Dumbledore slipped out the living room door, Harry suddenly leapt to his feet.
"I just wanted to say the name…"
He glanced at Ronald, and their eyes locked. The unspoken connection between best mates meant they both thought the same thing at once.
"So… he's an alchemy master?" they asked Aris in unison.
"Well… I'd say so!" Aris nodded slightly. "He's not just any master alchemist—he's the creator of the Philosopher's Stone!"
At that moment, a familiar voice called from the doorway, and Hermione stepped in. "So… what are you lot thinking?"
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Drop power Powerstonessssssssss!
[Note: Read up to Chapter - 159 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]