Professor Green's Gift

That evening, Nicholas activated the Alchemy Portkey inside the training ground and returned to the outside of Nicholas's cottage.

After leaving Nicholas's cottage, Linley made his way to Professor Green's residence.

"Professor, I have some ideas about improving your Mana Suppression Scepter!"

Linley knocked on Professor Green's door and said this to him.

Professor Green was first taken aback. He did not believe that Linley, having studied Spell Alchemy for only a little over a week, could improve the Mana Stone he had spent decades inventing. Yet neither did he believe Linley would lie to him.

So, Professor Green gestured for Linley to demonstrate his results.

Linley raised his left hand. A flame flashed into existence above his palm, black patterns flickering across it as an eerie aura spread from the Mana Suppression Flame.

Feeling his magic slightly suppressed, Professor Green could not help crying out, "This is... the power of the Mana Stone?! Linley, you actually fused it into your magical flames?!"

Linley explained, "Professor, this is a secret technique passed down to me by my grandmaster. This flame is called the Mana Suppression Flame. It is a special flame created by combining the power of the Mana Stone from Spell Alchemy, the Mana Suppression Runes of Formation Alchemy, and the magical power of Incendio."

Professor Green reached a hand toward the flame. Feeling its scorching heat and its power to suppress magic, he said with emotion, "I never expected my teacher to pass such a secret technique on to you. Is integrating Mana Suppression Power into magic the first step of your improvement to the Mana Suppression Scepter?"

Linley shook his head. "Not just that, Professor. Look!"

As Linley spoke, he designated Professor Green as an ally in his mind. At once, the Mana Suppression Flame's suppression of Professor Green's magic vanished.

As Linley's intent shifted, the Mana Suppression Flame's suppression of Professor Green's magic flickered on and off.

Upon noticing this, Professor Green asked in disbelief, "Linley, your Mana Suppression Flame can distinguish friend from foe?!"

Linley nodded. "Yes. It can judge the wizards within its range according to my will and suppress the magic of hostile wizards!"

At this, Professor Green's body trembled slightly, and his eyes seemed to moisten. "It can actually achieve such a thing... If my Mana Suppression Scepter had been able to distinguish friend from foe back then, then with my magic at its peak and Grindelwald's magic suppressed, even if I could not have defeated him, I would at least have been able to protect myself!"

Professor Green understood. The Mana Suppression Flame's ability to distinguish friend from foe was Linley's improvement upon the Mana Suppression Power he had invented!

Linley continued, "If I can thoroughly understand this power in the future and apply it to the Mana Suppression Scepter, then even if the Mana Suppression Scepter cannot seal the magic of a Demon King level wizard, it will still be enough to reverse the balance between offense and defense!"

As he spoke, Linley drew the Mana Suppression Flame in his hand back into his body.

Professor Green grasped Linley's shoulders. He felt more and more that his decision to take Linley as a disciple had been the right one. "Good child! Good child! Go back and rest first. Let me think more about improving the Mana Suppression Scepter..."

Linley agreed and returned to his residence to rest.

Professor Green stood where he was. Night blanketed the entire estate, and pure moonlight poured down, illuminating the space around him.

Professor Green remained silent for a long time. No one knew how long passed before he finally moved.

With a light wave of his Wand, and a sharp crack, Professor Green appeared outside Nicholas's cottage.

Nicholas Flamel was unexpectedly still awake. He stood waiting at the cottage door. "Valison, I knew you would come."

Green looked at Nicholas, his tone complicated. "Teacher, about that secret technique..."

Nicholas shook his head. "Back then, you had not mastered any silent Wandless Magic, so you did not meet the requirements to learn this secret technique. And your talent for alchemy was considerable, so you were never willing to devote yourself to training your magical power. It was only after that incident that you gradually met the requirements to practice this secret technique. But would you still be willing to learn it?"

Green gave a bitter laugh. "Indeed. Even if you were willing to teach me now, I am afraid I would not be willing to learn it. After all, even if I could master the secret technique now, so what? Wouldn't I still be unable to bring her back?! Let the hope of the future be left to those of the future!"

After saying that, Green fell silent once more.

Nicholas did not speak again either.

The two simply stood quietly at the cottage entrance, facing each other in wordless silence.

When the sky began to brighten, Nicholas Flamel suddenly spoke. "Tell me, was I too hasty when I agreed to that matter with Dumbledore?"

Green froze. "You mean the matter last year, when you asked me to bring the Philosopher's Stone to England and give it to Dumbledore?"

Nicholas Flamel nodded slightly. "To be honest, I originally told Dumbledore that after he finished using the Philosopher's Stone next year, he could destroy it. We have lived long enough, after all, and there is not much left in this world for us to be attached to..."

Green was greatly alarmed. "Teacher, you..."

Before Green could finish, Nicholas Flamel raised a hand and cut him off. "But now, Linley—a dual genius in alchemy and magic, someone I have rarely seen in more than six hundred years—has been brought before me by you. Perhaps he will need the power of the Philosopher's Stone..."

"After you return to England, tell Dumbledore that once next year's incident is over, the Philosopher's Stone..."

Three days later.

It was time for Linley to return to England. After respectfully bidding Nicholas Flamel farewell, Linley and Professor Green used the Cross-border Portkey Nicholas had provided to return to the entrance of The Leaky Cauldron in England.

"I suppose you won't need my help buying the textbooks you need for your next school year?"

After bringing Linley to The Leaky Cauldron, Professor Green asked with a smile.

Linley smiled and shook his head. He took out the parchment Hogwarts had sent him, listing the textbooks required for the year, and gestured with it before saying, "Of course not."

Professor Green said, "Good. Linley, is there any gift you want? As we part, I plan to give you a present. Anything is fine, including something from the Muggle world!"

Linley lowered his head and thought for a while.

The coming school year would be the year Harry Potter enrolled at Hogwarts. It would also be the year when events such as Quirrell, who was possessed by Voldemort, entering Hogwarts as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor; the Troll appearing in the underground classroom on Halloween; Voldemort hunting Unicorns in the Forbidden Forest; and the secret chamber where the Philosopher's Stone was kept being infiltrated would take place.

Although Linley could simply keep his distance from all of it, as someone with the surname Rory, he would inevitably draw Voldemort's attention.

In that case, what he needed most was probably something that could protect him!

With that thought, Linley looked at Professor Green and said, "I want a handgun from the Muggle world!"

Our female lead will make her appearance in tomorrow's chapter! Let us give her a warm welcome in advance~

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