Alchemy Research Center

"Kappa is Egypt kebabs? And flatbread and naan, I want to eat that! Roasted pigeon? Or roasted squab, I'll have that too! Shawarma, it looks like a roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), I'll have one, I'll have one." Loren held the menu, shaking his head with delight.

The food above gave him a sense of familiar comfort.

After ordering from Caleb, he handed the menu to the others and sat down expectantly, his eyes sparkling.

"Shall we rent a few hot air balloons tomorrow?"

Watching the sunrise from a hot air balloon is one of the activities arranged by the hotel.

"Two, Monica and I will share one, and Hermione will ride in a hot air balloon with you," Wendell said, a smile creeping across his face.

Watching the sunrise with his wife in a hot air balloon was a romantic experience they hadn't had in a long time.

"No, I want to ride in a hot air balloon with Mommy, ladies in one, gentlemen in one, that's how it should be!" Hermione grumbled, clinging tightly to Monica's arm.

Monica calmly withdrew her arm. "Hermione, you're all grown up now. You can't cling to your mom and dad like you did when you were little."

Hermione stared at her incredulously, and the little Witch's expression made the others at the table laugh.

Monica pulled Hermione into her arms and whispered a few words in her ear, making the girl blush.

How could Mom say such embarrassing things... Hermione glanced at Loren beside her.

He held up a meter-long kebab of grilled lamb, gestured to his mouth several times, and finally realized it was too difficult to eat. Unable to eat the kebab, Loren regretfully removed the lamb from the skewer, placed it on a plate, and dipped it in an Egypt barbecue sauce called "Tahini." He took a bite, a look of delight spreading across his face. He closed his eyes in satisfaction, seemingly lost in the deliciousness of the grilled lamb kebab.

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.

At this point, Loren took the meat off the other skewers and distributed it to the people at the table. "Try it, although it's different from the lamb I roast, it tastes better than England roast."

The XJ lamb skewers that Karab and Loren are familiar with are different. They only use lean meat from the leg and back of the lamb. The selected lamb is brushed with a seasoning made of salt, pepper, ginger, scallions and olive oil. Then it is cut into four or five centimeter square pieces, skewered on a meter-long skewer, and placed in a special oven. It is taken out of the oven when the meat turns yellow.

"Really? Let me try it."

Wendell's eyes lit up. He had eaten Loren's roasted lamb before and was very interested in this kind of kalabu.

Bates ate slowly. "I asked around, and they said people my age shouldn't ride in hot air balloons. They're worried that if something happens to me, they won't be able to get me to the hospital in time."

"Huh?" Wendell was taken aback. He knew better than anyone how strong his neighbor was; sometimes Bates would help him carry fishing gear that he couldn't lift.

"We can add a little money; the hotel should be able to accommodate us."

"Never mind, I don't want to cause trouble for others, and I don't want to get up before the sun rises."

Seeing that the Mr. and Mrs. Granger wanted to persuade him again, Bates shook his head firmly, "There are staff on the hot air balloon to look after Loren and Hermione, so you can just enjoy your time together."

"But..." Wendell scratched his head and could only accept Bates's suggestion.

After dinner, I went back to my room to sleep.

The next day, at three in the morning, Loren dragged Hermione out of bed. He ate breakfast in a daze and got into the hotel's private car. The temperature was very cold in the early morning, so they had to wear the coats provided by the hotel.

The deep blue sky was like a curtain. The sun had not yet risen, but its light shone through the sky, giving the deep blue night a sense of clarity, like Sapphire in Ravenclaw, illuminating a patch of yellow rocks and desert.

About half an hour later, the group of four arrived at the Hot Air Balloon Square. Staff were inflating the hot air balloons, and the sound of the air pumps echoed across the plaza, carrying far in the quiet and empty desert.

Wendell and Monica handed their two children to Caleb and ran off towards their hot air balloon without looking back.

Leaning against a pillar, Loren yawned and looked at Hermione, who was beaming with excitement, with some confusion. "We're wizards, you know. If you want to watch the sunrise from the sky, we'll fly up on flying broomsticks."

"This is different!"

"What's different? The flying broom flies higher, is more agile, and can adjust its position at will."

"You!"

Hermione was momentarily stunned, and surprisingly, she felt there was some truth to what he said. Oh well, she'd ignore this snotty-nosed boy who only knew how to sleep.

It was a bit chilly to doze off against the stone pillar, so Loren got up and walked over to Hermione, intending to use her as a pillar for a short nap. Hermione tried to push him away a few times, but couldn't shake off this snotty-nosed brat, so she had no choice but to let him lean on her.

A cool desert breeze blew across the open field, carrying with it the noisy clatter of the air pump. Hermione watched quietly as the hot air balloon's canvas gradually filled, eventually becoming larger than a house.

From a distance, the gondola only occupies a small part of the space below, and the staff look like ants, circling around the hot air balloon.

"It's time for us to get on the hot air balloon!"

Loren was startled and was pulled into the pod by Hermione.

The balloon pilot silently operated the flamethrower, like a transparent person, without saying a word... Early romance, it's normal.

With a powerful ignition sound, Loren felt a lifting force rising from beneath his feet. The feeling of weightlessness made his still-sleepy head spin for a moment, and they swayed and rose into the sky.

When the balloon was first lit, tourists around exclaimed and marveled. But when the balloon completely left the ground and the figures on the ground disappeared from sight, it was as if they had entered another dimension and the world became quiet.

Numerous hot air balloons, shimmering with fiery light, create a picturesque scene, contrasting beautifully with the Nile River and the desert landscape of Luxor, filling the view and the heart with a sense of tranquility and joy.

Loren's drowsiness dissipated, and he and Hermione looked eastward together.

A bright red sun, as translucent as a salted duck egg yolk, slowly rose, radiating a soft glow that dyed the entire sky a fiery red. When the red transformed into a dazzling gold, the world suddenly became radiant.

Hermione stared intently at the rising golden sun, her eyes gleaming with golden light. Loren's heart calmed, and he experienced something completely different from flying on a broomstick.

The space above and below was empty, as if no one was there. The glow of the sunset flowed past them like water, and the clouds were like a dream.

They gazed into the distance from the gondola, as if the whole world had shrunk to just the two of them. Loren wanted to say something—about the golden sunrise, about the hot air balloon—it seemed like he could say anything. But when he turned and met Hermione's gaze, he suddenly understood—

There's no need to say anything.

Boom boom—

The sound of the flamethrower continued for a long time. Hermione recognized her parents' hot air balloon by the colorful spray paint on it. They were kissing in the gondola, oblivious to everyone around them.

Even after soaring to a certain height, the sea of clouds remained above them, untouchable. Below were rolling sand dunes, and in the distance, the Nile River shimmered like a silver ribbon, winding its way around Luxor.

Hermione stood in the swaying gondola, yet felt incredibly at ease.

It was the same when she first arrived at Hogwarts. Everywhere was unfamiliar scenery, everywhere were unfamiliar people, and the gazes of those around her were like gondolas, lifting her high, making her feel precarious. Loren was like a hot air balloon, allowing her to land safely.

A year has passed in the blink of an eye. Many things have changed, yet it seems like nothing has changed at all.

Hermione gazed at the scenery of the entire world, her eyes involuntarily drifting to the people around her.

He stared longingly at the balloon pilot, tentatively exchanging glances with him, hesitating about how to persuade the man to let him play with the flamethrower.

The balloon pilot turned his head away without making a sound, avoiding his gaze.

Hermione couldn't help but laugh.

The world is like a painting, and the scenery here is especially beautiful.

Ancient Egyptian City of Luxor located on the east bank of the Nile River, is famous for the ruins of the ancient Egypt capital of Thebes, among which the Karnak Temple is the most complete and largest. Construction of this structure began more than 4,000 years ago and was completed during the reign of Ramesses II in the New Kingdom period.

After visiting the temple, the group traveled by car to a seaside resort hotel in Hurghada.

Hurghada, located on the Red Sea coast in Eastern Egypt, is the capital of the Red Sea Governorate and a popular tourist destination. As a livable city in the desert, it is also a gathering place for Egypt sorcerers.

Looking at the scenery along the Red Sea coast, Wendell couldn't help but rub his hands together and said eagerly, "They say the fish here are silly; they'll deliberately burrow into the sand."

Hermione interrupted warily, "Don't even think about it. Loren won't go fishing with you. We're going to visit the wizarding community here."

"What a pity..."

Bates, who had been resting with his eyes closed, turned his head. "Is it safe? The wizards here shouldn't be under the jurisdiction of the England Ministry of Magic, right?"

"Don't worry, Grandpa Bates," Loren explained. "Most wizards abide by the conventions of the International Confederation of Wizards. Even if we encounter some unruly dark wizards, Hermione and I can teleport away immediately."

Hermione nodded smugly. "Apparition, we can get back to the hotel instantly."

Loren smiled slightly and said nothing more.

His pendant still contains the Sorcerer's Stone, and the Deluminator still stores Basilisk Magic Power. Unless it's a wizard of Dumbledore's caliber, it's hard to say who's afraid of whom.

Hurghada, on the shores of the Red Sea.

As Loren and Hermione walked through the streets of the seaside city, without their guide and parents, the country seemed much closer to them.

Some people were shirtless, wearing only shorts, while others wore white robes and heavy red hats in the scorching desert.

Camels with unusual humps passed by them, chewing on some unknown dry grass.

"Loren, do you really know the way?" Hermione suddenly hesitated. "I mean, you've never been here before. Can you really find the entrance to the Wizarding World?"

"Hmm, I may not know the way, but I certainly know the destination." Loren's eyes shimmered with a crystalline blue, reflecting the Magic Power light in the distance. In the open desert, nothing was more dazzling than the sun.

After crossing several streets, they finally arrived at a small shop selling handicrafts.

In front of me was a somewhat dirty and dilapidated little shop with a crooked sign that read ' Hermes Goods Shop ', and the exterior walls were covered with yellowed and blackened stains.

It seemed like passersby couldn't even see the bar.

Looking at the scales representing Alchemy on the sign, Loren smiled and said, "Looks like we're in luck."

"The Egyptian Alchemy Research Center." Flamel's illusory figure appeared beside him, his eyes filled with distant reminiscence.

Pushing open the door, the shop was empty except for an old man dozing behind the counter. He was wearing a long, cylindrical coat made of a white, semi-transparent rectangular fabric, with a wrap-around apron tied around his waist.

In Loren's eyes, the old man was radiating a surge of Magic Power, and judging from the amount of Magic Power, his strength was roughly the same as Professor McGonagall's.

Hermione, however, seemed not to see the old man. Looking at the empty shop, she asked in confusion, "Isn't this a shop? Why can't I see any items?"

"Hahaha!" The old man chuckled at the question. "Because someone bought out all the alchemical products; they're eager to enter the newly discovered tomb."

Hermione stared wide-eyed at the figure that had suddenly appeared in the corner.

Loren noticed the implication in his words: "You mean they only sell alchemical products here?"

"Yes, yes, the pottery jar that can curse others by writing their names on it, the cat's eye for finding treasure, the water-repelling scepter... but all of these are sold out."

The old man shook his head, looked up at them, and said in a strange accented English, "Although many wizards have come recently, young wizards your age are quite rare."

Hermione at Loren and whispered, "Professor McGonagall said that Professor Babbling was in a hurry to come to Egypt because of the newly discovered ruins."

Loren didn't reply. His eyes twitched as he stared at the old man in the corner. Flamel's phantom was floating behind him, excitedly shouting in a voice only he could hear, "He's from the Alchemy Research Center. Just reveal your identity as Alchemy!"

Loren was speechless, having never seen Flamel so carefree before.

He hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward. "Without a doubt, this is not a trivial lie, but the most certain truth."

This sentence is the opening line of the Emerald Tablet, the first sentence translated from it. As the site where the Emerald Tablet Emerald Tablet stele was unearthed, this sentence represents the core tenet of the Egyptian Alchemy Research Center and embodies the truth of Alchemy.

The old man chuckled and shook his head upon hearing his words: "Young man, if you had come here a month ago, I would have been happy to introduce you to our alchemy lab and show you our latest research findings. Perhaps three months later would have been fine, but not now."

Feeling somewhat embarrassed Flamel vanished into thin air.

"Hello sir, we don't need to go to the Alchemy Research Center. We just wanted to ask for directions..." Loren didn't mind. He was only interested in the Alchemy Research Center and didn't necessarily want to go there.

This is not a fan-made creation; the fact that Egypt has the world's largest Alchemy Research Center is a setting established by Rowling.