"Do you know much about him?"
Voldemort asked, "You're both long-lived. You must have known each other to some extent."
"Not much."
Master Flamel shook his head. "We're not alike in temperament. I like peace and quiet and avoid trouble; he likes excitement and loves to show off. So I know very little about him."
"But you must have discussed longevity, surely?" Voldemort pressed on.
Long-lived wizards like Master Flamel and Barry Winkle always kept themselves well hidden.
At Barry Winkle's banquet, for instance, it was said that when the host gave his speech, it was actually a younger member of his family who had taken Polyjuice Potion and disguised himself as Barry.
Barry had concealed his identity and hidden among the guests at that grand banquet to avoid people with ill intentions.
It had certainly been a clever decision. If Voldemort had attended, he would undoubtedly have been one of those people with ill intentions.
"We did discuss it."
Master Flamel grew serious again. After a moment's thought, he continued, "I should explain my own method of achieving longevity."
Voldemort, who had been frowning in thought, immediately perked up.
He even looked at Master Flamel in surprise, never imagining that the man would volunteer the secret he most wanted to know.
Dumbledore and the others, meanwhile, looked troubled.
Apparently, they didn't want Voldemort to learn this secret.
"Wizards pursue longevity."
Master Flamel noticed the reaction from Dumbledore and the others. He decided not to explain his own method just yet and instead spoke in Voldemort's defense.
"Voldemort may have acted wrongly at times—but if you've lived long enough, that's hardly anything remarkable. He's pursuing longevity, as all wizards do. It's the right choice."
Voldemort nodded in satisfaction and even shot Dumbledore a meaningful glance.
The latter rolled his eyes