Fudge's Enthusiasm, Nicolas Flamel's Invitation

Lucien carried the suitcase in one hand and the letter Fawkes had delivered in the other.

Following the description in the letter, they arrived at a dilapidated red telephone booth.

This is it.

Lucien opened the door and stepped into the phone booth, dialing a number on the dial pad:

62442.

Lucien noticed that the letters corresponding to these numbers formed the word "MAGIC".

"Hello, may I ask your name and the reason for your visit?"

A clear, melodious female voice suddenly appeared; it didn't come from the phone.

It sounded out of nowhere, as if the speaker was standing right across from Lucien.

Lucien was not surprised by this, as Dumbledore's letter had already explained it clearly.

"I am Lucien Grafton, here at the Ministry of Magic to register Animagus."

After Lucien introduced himself and explained his purpose, the woman's voice did not respond immediately.

Could it be that this phone booth has been in disrepair for years, and the magical artifact has malfunctioned?

The Ministry of Magic shouldn't be short of money.

Lucien was just wondering whether he should take out his wand to fix it when the woman's voice rang out again, her tone tinged with surprise and astonishment:

"Okay, processing your request."

In less than a second, the telephone dial dispensed a silver name tag.

It had Lucien's name and the reason written on it.

Then, the entire phone booth slowly descended like an elevator.

Passersby did not react to this, as if they did not see what was happening.

It descended for about a minute before finally coming to a steady stop.

Lucien stepped out of the phone booth and was greeted by a spacious hall with polished dark wood floors under his feet and a peacock blue ceiling with ever-changing gold runes above his head.

"So this is the Ministry of Magic."

On his first visit, Lucien opted to experience the entire process, which is the standard route for people coming to do business.

As for those who work at the Ministry of Magic, they either Apparition directly or flush themselves down from the public restroom.

It's just that very few people choose the latter option.

After registering his wand at the security checkpoint, Lucien followed the instructions in the letter and took the Ministry of Magic's internal elevator to the basement.

A gentle knock on the office door caused it to open automatically.

"Heh, Cornelius, I'm just bringing my child to register. There's no need to trouble the Minister for Magic to come personally."

"Albus, my old friend! You're too kind! How can you call this a 'trouble'?"

Lucien recognized the familiar voice as Dumbledore's, while the other, seemingly giving a speech, belonged to...

Behind the seemingly simple yet expensive desk sat an old man with a head of tousled white hair, wearing a pinstripe suit and a bright red tie.

Cornelius Fudge.

Current Minister for Magic.

Fudge saw a handsome young man standing at the door and matched his dark green eyes and dark blond hair with the information in the file.

Fudge rose from behind his large ministerial desk and walked around, his face beaming with an overly enthusiastic smile, his gaze fixed on Lucien.

"You must be Lucien. You are indeed a handsome man. Please come in."

"Mr. Minister."

Lucien nodded politely in greeting, showing neither flattery nor stage fright.

After the three of them sat down...

Dumbledore, sitting next to Lucien, spoke up:

"Cornelius, your job is tough. The Animagus registration, following standard procedure, should be handled by the Improper Use of Magic Office."

"Normal procedure? Oh, no, no, no!"

Fudge waved his hand vigorously, looking at Lucien with an attempt to project a friendly smile.

"This is no 'normal' event, kid. You're only twelve years old—no, you haven't even turned twelve yet—and you've already become Animagus!"

"Merlin's beard! It's simply... simply a miracle!"

Lucien was used to Fudge's excessive flattery.

Although it was his first time meeting the Minister for Magic, he was already tired of hearing similar comments before going to Hogwarts. Whether people were genuinely praising him or doing it out of respect for Aunt Penelope, they all used pretty much the same rhetoric.

At least in this respect, wizards and Muggle are not much different.

Even though Fudge's words were full of amazement, Lucien guessed that the minister was also rapidly assessing his own worth and the implications of Dumbledore's personal intervention.

Fudge remarked to Dumbledore, his earnestness overshadowing any politeness.

"Albus, we must face this reality. Lucien is no ordinary genius; he is... a talent that the Wizarding World may never see again in the next hundred years!"

"His achievements deserve ministerial recognition and documentation."

He said this to Dumbledore, to show that he recognized the value of the child and was willing to give Dumbledore and the boy face.

It was also meant for Lucien's ears, a preemptive gesture of goodwill and courtship.

Lucien maintained a flawless, polite smile. Actually, the first part, "It doesn't matter," was the key point; he specifically emphasized sincerity.

Although Fudge didn't have the ability or courage to turn the tide, it was enough for peacetime.

Dumbledore.

"I understand your good intentions, Cornelius. So, may we begin the registration process?"

"Of course, of course!"

Fudge immediately responded, causing a document to fly out of the drawer. It wasn't an ordinary registration form, but a more formal document with gold trim.

"The process is simple, child. You just need to be here, in front of me and Headmaster Dumbledore, and perform a Transfiguration. We need to confirm your Animagus form and record it."

Lucien looked up and glanced at Dumbledore, who gave him an encouraging and gentle look.

Then he turned to Fudge and said softly:

"As you wish, Mr. Minister."

There was no chanting of incantations, or even any obvious preparatory movements.

The next second, a soft light flashed in the office, and Lucien's figure disappeared.

Instead, an ordinary-looking owl spread its wings slightly and nodded at Fudge.

"What an amazing Transfiguration! Seeing it in person is still quite awe-inspiring, Animagus of this age..."

As Fudge took notes, he showered Fudge with praise.

After completing the registration, the three chatted for a while, Dumbledore and Lucien took their leave.

While riding the elevator, Dumbledore suddenly handed Lucien a card.

"I heard you just got back from the US. You must have had a great time. I wonder if you'd like to go to France again?"

France?

Lucien took the card with a puzzled look, rubbing his fingertips against the surface.

Oh, it's Dragon Hide, and it's genuine fire Dragon Hide, not some hybrid Dragon Hide.

A golden key pattern flickered in the center of the card, with ethereal runes flashing on and off. The key trembled slightly, but its tip always pointed in a certain direction.

This thing looks like...

Having guessed, Lucien flipped the card over and, seeing the text on the back, thought to himself, "Just as I suspected."

Nicolas Flamel

(PS: I'm so sorry, I'm not feeling well today, so the next chapter will be posted later and will be added after this one. Everyone should rest today. Sorry for the trouble <(_ _*)>)

Sorry, I added it here.

France.

Lucien, carrying the Dragon Hide card, wandered through the bustling streets.

The gold key pattern on the card occasionally turns, leading Lucien to new places.

There was no time to appreciate the exotic scenery for the time being, Lucien thought of Dumbledore's words before he left:

"Lucien, registering as Animagus with the Ministry of Magic reminded me that your Transfiguration have reached such a high level; why not try writing a thesis?"

Thesis...

Those were truly memorable.

Lucien readily accepted Dumbledore's offer.

Being able to systematically organize knowledge is also one of the standards for testing one's own mastery of knowledge.

As for the topic of his thesis, Lucien considered Chimera Transfiguration or Magical Creature Transfiguration.

The former is a combination of Transfiguration Stacking and Fine Transfiguration, while the latter is a new field of Transfiguration that will definitely cause a huge uproar.

Lucien wasn't afraid that others would learn his methods.

First of all, whether it's Chimera Transfiguration or Magical Creature Transfiguration, it's extremely difficult.

Especially with Magical Creature Transfiguration, Lucien felt more and more that this move required extremely high talent.

Secondly, Lucien was confident that by the time others saw his back and tried to catch up with him, he would have already gone much further.

Forget it, only children make choices. I'll just fill out both.

After arriving at a secluded alley, Lucien noticed that the pattern on the card in his hand had changed again; the key was now standing upright, its tip pointing straight towards...

Raising his head, Lucien gazed up at the clear sky.

No way...

Swirls appeared in his eyes as Lucien used his Eye of Magic Sight to observe the sky.

In an instant, the blazing sun disappeared, replaced by a silvery expanse.

The silver almost completely covered Lucien's field of vision.

The vortex in his eyes expanded rapidly, Lucien saw the mysterious patterns on the silver surface, where surging and vast magical power flowed quietly and orderly.

Lucien noticed an object suddenly growing out of the silver surface; it was a rounded hemisphere with a black opening at its tip that was rotating and aiming at him.

The Eye of Magic Sight saw magic gathering at the cave entrance, seemingly about to erupt and burst forth.

But inspiration did not foresee danger, and Lucien began to have some guesses in his mind.

A ball of colorful magic shot out from the cave entrance.

It exploded into a dazzling display of fireworks in the next instant.

Seeing this, Lucien's lips curled into a smile. This guy is really interesting.

The silent fireworks didn't disappear immediately; instead, they floated in the air, forming a word:

"Bonjour"

Lucien recognized it; it's French for "hello," often used as a greeting.

He drew his wand and drew several magical streaks that formed the same greeting word.

Immediately afterwards, a hazy white light shone down, enveloping Lucien's body and carrying him upwards.

Lucien didn't resist, but just thought to himself:

A silver spaceship, a white beam of light—isn't this standard alien equipment?

Neither the silver spaceship in the sky, the silent fireworks just now, nor the ascension to heaven in broad daylight have been noticed by any Muggle.

As Lucien was sucked into the spaceship, the card in his hand automatically disintegrated into dust.

Lucien was just about to think to himself, "No wonder he's a legendary Alchemy; even pure Dragon Hide is a one-time use item."

As a result, a keen-eyed observer noticed that the dust particles instantly blended into the silver floor upon contact.

Recycling?

Alchemy is truly everywhere.

Lucien looked up again and saw an old man standing in front of him.

His first impression on Lucien was that he looked old.

Lucien had never seen anyone so old; his white hair had almost lost its color, turning completely white, and the wrinkles on his face resembled deep ravines.

The old man was wearing a moon-white robe, but one could still see his emaciated body beneath it.

The old man floated toward Lucien.

Drifting in...

Well, Lucien glanced at the long robe that was trailing on the ground and deduced that the other person was probably riding something like a hoverboard.

No wonder Jacob asked him if he was a ghost back then.

Looking at it now, hmm, it looks even more like it.

Despite his many thoughts, Lucien still bowed and greeted them:

"Hello, Mr. Nicolas Flamel."

Yes, the old man before us is the famous Alchemy, the creator of the Sorcerer's Stone, and the immortal wizard who has lived for six centuries...

Hello, Lucien Grafton.

"Just as Albus and Newt said, you are an extraordinary little wizard."

Nicolas's voice was slow and soft. He stretched out a hand, moving very slowly, as if afraid that too much force would break it.

Seeing Nicolas's action, Lucien stepped forward and extended his hand in return.

You have to control your strength carefully, lest you crush this person's hand.

The Elixir of Life that Nicolas Flamel concocted with the Sorcerer's Stone could only ward off death, but could not stop aging; his body was too decaying and too fragile.

Lucien gently grasped Nicolas's hand.

[Bite!]

[Loan triggered: Emerald Tablet Fragment (Annual Loan)]

Emerald Tablet?

I remember it was a stone tablet from Egypt, said to be inscribed with knowledge of the origins of Alchemy.

Annual loan...

Why is it a fragment? This is the first time I've seen a system offer an incomplete loan.

After shaking hands lightly with Nicolas, Lucien withdrew his hand and briefly scanned the loan details with his mind.

Another talent-based loan...

Alchemy, potions...

"Child, your eyes are very special."

Nicolas's words startled Lucien, who immediately stopped examining the new loan.

Will Nicolas be able to discover the Eye of Magic Sight?

this...

Lucien looked at Nicolas, the Alchemy's eyes were very deep, the deepest eyes Lucien had ever seen.

Centuries have weathered these eyes, but this long history has also made them adept at observation.

"Hehe, child, don't be nervous. I'm just remarking that these days very few people use such ancient magic to modify their bodies."

Ancient magic?

Lucien recalled the description of the Eye of Magic Sight loan, combining magical arts such as potions, alchemy, and Transfiguration...

Like the Chimera Manual, is this another legacy from some ancient wizard?

Ancient times...

Lucien looked at the gentle old man before him. Yes, six hundred years ago, wasn't that ancient times?

Those knowledge hailed as Ancient Magic were, for Nicolas Flamel, simply the magic he was used to.

A witness to history itself, an extraordinary Alchemy, a powerful and learned wizard.

It's not surprising that Nicolas could see the unusual nature of his eyes.

Well, since such body-modifying magic existed in ancient times and could bring more convenience, why does Nicolas still maintain an aged body?

With his Alchemy skills, even a partial modification would make the experience much more comfortable, right?

Seemingly noticing Lucien's confusion, Nicolas chuckled and said:

"I miss those days when I was strong, healthy, and full of energy, but aging is also a unique experience, and the feeling of fragility is quite peculiar, isn't it?"