Super Double

Good heavens, so many years have passed, and the France still hold a grudge about Paris almost being burned down back then?

But if anyone's to blame, it's Gellert Grindelwald. Why is it always Newt Scamander who gets hurt? He's being unfairly blamed.

Tom complained as he recounted his experiences from his trip to United States to Phoebe.

The contest with the Thunderbird, the ambush by the Acolyte, and the transformation by lightning filled Phoebe with astonishment, her eyes sparkling.

Her summer vacation was dull and boring; besides doing homework, she spent it taking care of her little darling, Gabrielle.

Watching her younger sister diligently stacking building blocks not far away, Phoebe felt both doting and helpless.

But now that Tom's here, he can go out and play tomorrow. Can't the two of them control this little brat?

Phoebe enthusiastically introduced Tom to the sights of Paris, including secret hideouts of the wizarding world.

They also showed him famous tourist attractions from the Muggle world, and chattered on about planning their itinerary for the next few days, their eyes full of anticipation.

Tom felt a pang of pity seeing her so excited, but still gently interrupted her:

"Phoebe, actually, there's something else I wanted to tell you during this trip..."

"What? You're actually learning alchemy from Mr. Nicolas Flamel and living in his house?"

Phoebe's eyes widened, and her pink little mouth opened into a perfect "O" shape, big enough to fit a cherry.

His shocked expression made it seem as if Tom had said he could slay a dragon with his bare hands (which he actually could).

It was so outrageous that she wondered if she had misheard. If someone else had said that, she would have scoffed and accused them of bragging.

But hearing these words from Tom's mouth, she could only repeatedly ask, "You're not lying to me? It really is that Nicolas Flamel who has lived for hundreds of years?"

"Otherwise what? Could there be a second one?" Tom chuckled at her exaggerated reaction, scratching his head with a puzzled look. "Is this really that shocking?"

"That's Nicolas Flamel! The pride of France wizards!" Phoebe exclaimed excitedly, grabbing Tom's arm.

He listed the old man's achievements at lightning speed, spitting almost onto his face, and then urged him on at the end.

"Tell me quickly, what happened? You just came from his house?"

Tom had no choice but to focus on the key points and briefly recount the background of his encounter with Nicolas Flamel and how he became Nico's disciple.

Only then did he realize that he had underestimated Nicolas Flamel's standing among France wizards, which was even greater than Albus Dumbledore's in the eyes of the Britain.

But what Phoebe said next made him realize that he had underestimated this "old rascal".

Not only because Nicolas Flamel was the most powerful wizard in France for centuries, but also because of his great kindness to Beauxbatons.

Before Nicolas Flamel, Beauxbatons was, to put it bluntly, a small private school for Pure-blood nobles.

It wasn't until Nicolas Flamel stepped in, donating a large sum of gold and expanding the student body, that wizarding children from France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg began to come and study.

This solidified Beauxbatons' position as one of the three major magic schools in Europe.

Tom was taken aback. "He only donated money?"

"It wasn't just about money." Phoebe shook her head. "He designed defensive formations for the school, improved the alchemy curriculum, and even made many teaching aids by hand."

To put it bluntly, Nicolas Flamel held the same position in the eyes of France wizards as Gryffindor and Slytherin did in the eyes of Hogwarts students.

It is a living legend, a god-like existence.

After Tom finished describing the grandeur of Nicolas Flamel's house, Phoebe's eyes were practically overflowing with envy, and she tugged at his sleeve and shook it.

"I'm so jealous of you, Tom! To have Mr. Flamel as your teacher, you've got a super cheat code in the Wizarding World!"

"Super Multiplier?"

"It's... it's even more powerful than the most powerful."

Tom laughed. "I know what 'super double' means, I just didn't expect you to use that term."

Phoebe blushed. "Gabrielle taught me."

"Then shouldn't you call me 'Grandpa'? After all, I'm a disciple of a legend." Tom deliberately put on airs, looking like he was asking for a beating.

Without a second thought, Phoebe reached out and pinched Tom's soft arm. The force wasn't strong, but it precisely hit his sore spot.

Tom immediately lost his composure and repeatedly raised his hands in surrender. "I was wrong! Phoebe Furong, please spare me! I'll never do it again!"

He wasn't afraid of pain, he was genuinely ticklish, and Phoebe had this weakness completely under her thumb.

After a while, Phoebe calmed down and looked at Tom seriously.

"Honestly, Tom, this is such a rare opportunity. You must learn from Mr. Flamel and not waste it."

"Next time you come to France, let's go on a proper trip together."

"It's not as exaggerated as you say." Tom reached out and played with Phoebe's smooth silver hair, smiling gently.

"I'm going there to study, not to go to jail. I can come and go as I please."

"Although I can't come to see you every day, it's no problem to come every few days."

"Besides, studying all the time will make you stupid. You need to relax sometimes, otherwise how can I play with you?"

Upon hearing this, Phoebe beamed with joy and nodded repeatedly, "That's right! You're so thoughtful!"

"Brother Tom! My carriage is all set up!" Gabrielle skipped over, holding up the assembled magic blocks.

Her little face was full of pride as she urged Tom to admire her masterpiece.

Tom walked over, sat down next to the little girl, stared at the crooked block carriage, and nodded seriously.

"Not bad, not bad, the design is very creative, but why are the car doors mounted on the ceiling?"

Gabrielle blinked her big, round eyes, staring blankly at her work, and muttered to herself:

"Yeah, how did the car door end up up there?" His bewildered look made Tom and Phoebe burst into laughter.

Seeing the two of them getting along harmoniously, Phoebe smiled contentedly.

When the Delacour returned home from work in the evening, they were especially happy to see Tom.

Tom left in a hurry last time and didn't have a chance to properly thank him for saving the Phoebe sisters.

Mr. Delacour immediately booked a fancy wizarding restaurant to welcome Tom.

When the couple learned that Tom had become Nicolas Flamel's apprentice, their reaction was exactly the same as Phoebe's: both shocked and relieved.

He held Tom's hand and gave him a long lecture, repeatedly emphasizing that he must cherish this opportunity and learn from Nicolas Flamel.

The meal lasted for more than two hours, and Tom didn't leisurely return to Nicolas Flamel's estate until after nine o'clock in the evening.

Starting the next day, Tom fully entered study mode, strictly following the reading list given by Nicolas Flamel, and began to systematically relearn alchemy.

Even though the first few books were the most basic introductory textbooks, he didn't dare to underestimate them at all, and read them very carefully, word by word.

To improve efficiency, Tom projected the book onto the Study Space and then went into the Meditation Hut to read, instantly doubling his learning efficiency.