Hidden beneath the cobblestone streets of Paris, far from the eyes of wizards and mortals alike, lay the Atelier Éternité — the secret workshop of Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel. Its walls glowed with thousands of softly breathing runes, and the air itself shimmered with timeless alchemical energy.
Roy stepped through the circular sigil portal, his cloak stirring faint trails of light as he entered. The familiar scent of silver dust, melted crystal, and elixir fumes greeted him like an old friend.
"Ah, there's my favorite troublemaker," Nicolas said, emerging from a sea of floating glass retorts. His golden spectacles gleamed. "How was Hogwarts this month? Still turning professors into legends?"
Roy chuckled. "Only the ones who deserve it, Grandpa Nicolas."
Perenelle turned from a cauldron of glowing essence, her youthful face framed by waves of silver-blond hair. "He says that, and yet you know he's been working himself half to death again."
Roy scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Only a little. I've been refining the soul lattice for Rowena's vessel."
"Ah yes," Nicolas said, lowering his glasses. "Rowena Ravenclaw herself. A fascinating case — a consciousness bound by magic, half-anchored by her own enchantments. What you're attempting, mon garçon, is beyond resurrection. It is continuation."
The Workbench of Creation
Nicolas gestured for Roy to follow him to a massive crystalline table. In its center floated a sphere of pure light, pulsing faintly with white and blue hues. Silver veins of runic script twisted around it — the Crystalline Heart.
"This," Nicolas said reverently, "is the culmination of months of your design and our refinement. The Philosopher's Essence forms its shell; the Ope-Ope matrix gives it stability. Together, they can house a living consciousness indefinitely."
Roy reached forward, his fingers hovering over the sphere. "So… it can sustain Rowena's soul without degradation?"
"Yes," Nicolas confirmed, "if the resonance matches perfectly."He looked up, his expression serious. "But the link must come from her will — not yours. A single fragment of hesitation, and the lattice could collapse."
Roy nodded. "I understand. That's why I've been working to attune it to her magical frequency."
Perenelle placed a gentle hand on Roy's shoulder. "You've inherited Darius's focus, but your heart is softer than his. That is your gift — and your danger."
Roy smiled faintly. "I'll take that as a compliment."
The Test Begins
They dimmed the workshop lights.Nicolas raised his wand, tracing a golden spiral in the air — an alchemical containment circle. Runes flared, and the crystalline heart levitated, humming softly.
"Now, Roy," Nicolas said, "channel your Ope-Ope energy — not to control, but to guide."
Roy took a deep breath, extending his hand.The space shimmered — faint white rings appeared around him, symbols of his Surgical Fruit power. Each movement was deliberate, like an orchestra conductor shaping magic instead of sound.
Within the containment circle, the crystalline heart pulsed faster — in rhythm with Roy's heartbeat.
Lines of red light from the Ope Ope field merged with golden alchemy from Flamel's circle, weaving into one luminous stream. Perenelle watched intently, reading the fluctuations on her runic instruments.
"Perfect synchronization," she murmured. "The resonance is stable."
The heart's glow expanded until the whole room seemed to breathe with it. Roy could feel Rowena's faint essence, distant but real, responding through the magical connection he'd built to her. A whisper crossed his mind — soft, melodic, unmistakably hers.
"Roy… I can feel it. The warmth… is this what life feels like?"
His chest tightened with emotion. "Yes, Rowena," he whispered back. "It's your heartbeat."
Nicolas's voice broke the silence. "Hold steady. The lattice is absorbing her essence beautifully. She's ready for transfer… but not yet. We'll need a lunar alignment and a body that can withstand full containment."
Roy's focus deepened, his eyes gleaming violet under the magic strain. "Then I'll finish the vessel. I'll make sure she has a body worthy of her soul."
After the Test
The energy subsided. The crystalline heart floated back down to its containment stand, now pulsing steadily — alive, complete, waiting.
Perenelle exhaled. "It's perfect. You've done what even we couldn't, Roy. You've made a soul container that loves back."
Roy looked at the crystal — his voice quiet. "Because it was made for someone who never stopped believing."
Nicolas smiled knowingly. "Rowena Ravenclaw… she must mean much to you."
Roy hesitated. "She does. She's… more than a legend now. She's my friend. My teacher. Maybe something more."
The old alchemist's eyes twinkled. "Careful, my boy. Souls intertwined by magic often lead to hearts intertwined by fate."
Roy laughed softly, shaking his head. "You sound like Perenelle."
Perenelle winked. "That's because he's finally learning wisdom."
The Gift and the Farewell
Before Roy left, Nicolas handed him a small silver ring etched with intricate runes. "This will stabilize the crystalline heart's aura when you return to Hogwarts. Think of it as a safeguard — or perhaps, a promise."
Roy examined it, the Flamel insignia glowing faintly beneath his touch. "A promise?"
Nicolas nodded. "That creation and compassion are never separate. You carry both, as every great alchemist must."
Roy bowed respectfully to them both. "Merci, Grandpa. Grandma."
As he stepped through the portal back to Hogwarts, Perenelle looked after him and whispered, "He's going to surpass us both, Nicolas."
Flamel smiled, his eyes filled with pride. "He already has."
Back in Hogwarts' secret Ravenclaw chamber, Roy placed the crystalline heart beside the unfinished vessel.It pulsed softly — and for the first time, Rowena's spectral hand flickered into something almost solid.
Her eyes shimmered as she looked at him.
"You've given me a heartbeat, Roy."He smiled quietly."Then next… I'll give you a life."
And as the heart glowed brighter, the faint echo of a heartbeat filled the chamber — the sound of ancient love reborn through alchemy.