Inspiration's Flame

Emerald-green flames flickered in the fireplace as Lin An stepped out of the firelight, lifting his gaze slightly.

The lights in the room were already on.

She was a woman in her thirties, elegant and aloof. Time had not diminished her beauty; instead, it had lent every glance a mature allure.

The instant he appeared, she practically threw herself into his arms. Their lips met, their breaths entwining.

"Lin An, I haven't seen you in five years."

"I know." He smiled and whispered, "But you still look as captivating as ever, as though time has never touched you."

"That's because your rejuvenation potion worked." The woman chuckled, her fingertips tracing his jaw. "It's a shame the effects don't last long. Can't you extend them? Or... make them permanent?"

"If I did that, I'd have no business left."

"That sounds like a Slytherin answer."

"The Sorting Hat did hesitate for a long time back then," he teased. "Luckily, my thirst for knowledge outweighed my ambition."

Amid their laughter, they entwined once more.

Until her breathing grew ragged, he suddenly stopped.

"Where's your husband?"

"He went out. Took the children on vacation. They won't be back for several hours."

As soon as she finished speaking, their clothes fell to the floor in disarray.

Several hours later, night had fallen heavily outside the window.

Lin An leaned against the headboard. The woman in his arms was already asleep, breathing evenly.

He did not sleep.

On the contrary, as the exhaustion faded from his body, his mind became clearer than ever.

The Werewolf Transformation Curse.

The phrase flashed through his mind.

The moment a werewolf bit a human, a virus invaded the bloodline and altered the body—this was a reconstruction at the level of heredity.

If that "conversion factor" could be isolated and controlled...

Wouldn't that mean possessing the key to rewriting the Life Code?

He sat up, his eyes glinting in the darkness.

"If the mechanism of mutation could be controlled artificially, bloodlines could be altered without pain, and even curses could be reversed..."

This was an entirely new direction.

Formulas and the structures of magic circles surfaced in his mind, his thoughts surging like a tidal wave.

If a virus could be used as a medium to rewrite the Life Code... perhaps it could create a form of Controlled Evolution.

Unfortunately, he still needed test subjects.

He would not lay a hand on children, but perhaps—

"Perhaps some Death Eaters should be made to do the dirty work."

He murmured softly, a chill curling at the corners of his mouth.

"Someone like Bellatrix, that madwoman... though her madness would be difficult to control."

His thoughts were interrupted by a soft sound.

The woman had awakened and was watching him.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Research."

"Have you found a way to cure Astoria's blood curse?" She sat up, her expression complicated.

"I've found a preliminary solution," he said calmly. "With enough samples, I may be able to completely remove the Bloodline Curse from your Greengrass Lineage. I just need time."

She nodded, a flicker of hope flashing through her eyes.

Half an hour later, they lay in each other's arms without a word.

After she fell asleep again, Lin An rose and gave his wand a light flick.

The scattered clothes floated up and neatly dressed him.

He fastened his tie and prepared to leave.

Her low voice came from behind him.

"Lin An."

He stopped.

"You know this isn't just a transaction for me."

He did not turn around.

"What do you mean?"

"At first, I approached you to save my daughter. But after all these years... I really have fallen for you. If one day you ask me to leave my husband, I won't hesitate."

Lin An fell silent for a moment, then smiled faintly.

"I know. But once certain things are given a definition, they lose their original beauty."

With that, he stepped into the fireplace. The flames swept up, and his figure vanished.

He returned to his estate.

Everything was quiet.

The dying embers in the fireplace flickered faintly in the darkness. He settled into an armchair and began sorting through his new experimental ideas.

"Momo."

He called softly.

With a light pop, a House-elf dressed in a neat little suit appeared.

Her ugly face looked especially solemn beneath her precise etiquette.

She had been by his side ever since she was six—

She had watched him study, watched him travel, watched him immerse himself in research, watched him wander between darkness and light.

She was one of the few who truly understood him.

"Master, there are two letters this week." Momo respectfully raised the letters. "One is from Hogwarts, and the other is from Madam Amelia Bones."

"Read the Hogwarts one first."

He opened the envelope and skimmed through it.

The contents were brief.

The school had officially appointed him as the new Alchemy professor for the coming term, beginning in September.

He nodded.

"Looks like I'll have to go back again."

"And Amelia's letter?"

Momo opened the second letter and read quickly: "Madam Bones insists that you attend dinner tonight. Otherwise, she will send you a thousand Howlers every day. If you still refuse, she will have Aurors arrest you on fabricated charges."

Lin An smiled.

"She really would do that."

He leaned back in his chair, his eyes carrying a gentle helplessness.

"Reply to her. Tell her I'll be there for dinner on time."

Momo nodded and vanished into the air.

The fireplace flames danced again, illuminating his calm profile.

Lin An looked up at the window, where the moonlight shone soft and pale.

Five years of solitary wandering and research seemed to converge at that moment into a lucid flame of inspiration.

He murmured softly, "The Life Code... perhaps I'm one step closer to Truth."