Chapter 135: Nicolas Flamel’s Alchemy Notes (Please Subscribe)

Information regarding alchemical items is not widely circulated within the wizarding world. Aside from the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic, such items are primarily traded among dark wizards.

However, most of the merchandise found among dark wizards consists of fraudulent trinkets or harmful cursed artifacts. Trying to purchase a genuinely useful alchemical item from them is, to put it mildly, extremely difficult.

Furthermore, curse-resistant alchemical items are exceptionally precious to dark wizards. If they were to discover that Kahn was spending large sums of money to acquire such objects, they would undoubtedly resort to every possible means to fabricate fakes and swindle him out of his Galleons.

After leaving the potion ingredients shop, Kahn paid a visit to Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley. When it came to trading alchemical goods, Borgin and Burkes retained a shred of reliability. Moreover, Borgin knew how ruthless Kahn was; if he dared to deceive him, that very shop in Knockturn Alley would be razed to the ground by Kahn.

"Anti-curse items and other marvelous alchemical objects? Sir, your requirements are quite specialized. I cannot guarantee whether I will be able to source them for you..."

Borgin said cautiously. Although trading with Kahn allowed him to earn a handsome amount of Galleons, the person standing before him was a madman who would slaughter several dark wizards without a second thought. If he were not careful, who could say whether he might be next?

"Then I will have to trouble Mr. Borgin to collect as many as possible. If they are genuine, I will not be stingy with my Galleons. But if they are fakes..."

Kahn did not finish the sentence, but Borgin knew precisely what he meant. Upon leaving Knockturn Alley, Kahn had failed to secure any curse-protection items, but his trip was not entirely fruitless; he had acquired a few items capable of cursing others instead.

One was a book capable of recording the Imperius Curse. If Kahn cast the Imperius Curse upon this book, anyone who subsequently opened it would instantly fall under the control of his curse.

There was also an item capable of cursing the soul, both of which were exceedingly dangerous to handle. Knowing the potential hazards of these objects, Kahn did not even touch them directly, instead sweeping them straight into his spatial storage pouch.

These two items were rather interesting and might prove useful in the future. Besides, Kahn was not short of Galleons, so he simply bought them.

If he wished to acquire more alchemical items, apart from seeking out alchemical masters, his only other option was the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic. However, rumors whispered that the wizards within the Department of Mysteries were the most formidable in the entire Ministry, completely outclassing the Aurors.

Kettler had opened a potion shop in Diagon Alley, though the scale of the business was modest. At present, it sold only potions brewed by herself and Hermione, alongside a small portion acquired from other wizards and resold.

"It seems I will have to make a trip to Hogwarts to find Dumbledore. I hope he can introduce me to a few true alchemists."

Kahn felt a tinge of regret that Nicolas Flamel had passed away rather too soon; otherwise, he might have made his acquaintance or had the opportunity to learn a bit of alchemy from him directly.

In a couple of days, Hogwarts would break for the holidays, and Dumbledore was not currently at the school. Owing to Sirius Black's prison break and the truth regarding events from over a decade ago, Dumbledore had recently gone to lobby members of the Wizengamot.

He had written to Kahn a few days prior, hoping Kahn might leverage the influence of the potion ingredients shop to assist him, but Kahn had not been present at the time. He had replied to Dumbledore upon his arrival, knowing that if a matter was truly difficult to resolve, Kahn would not simply stand by and watch.

...........

"Godfather!"

Following the start of the holidays, Hermione did not take the Hogwarts Express; instead, she had Isaac bring her back directly via Apparition. Having received Kahn's letter, she had grown somewhat impatient to return home.

"Hermione, I didn't expect you to be back so soon?"

Kahn set aside the book on alchemy he had been reading and smiled as he spoke to Hermione. He had thought it would take a little longer; he never expected her to appear right inside the house.

"Godfather, where did you go this past year? So many things happened at Hogwarts, and even events from thirteen years ago were dragged into it. You simply cannot imagine—Ron actually spent years sleeping with a middle-aged man..."

Accustomed to chattering away, Hermione's mouth began running through her experiences. She spoke continuously for nearly half an hour. Only when Kahn handed her a cup of black tea did she pause to rest for a moment, though she took a sip of the tea and immediately added one more sentence.

"Your Animagus form is still much better-looking, Godfather. Harry took in Sirius as his godfather—he was a good friend of his father's—though Harry is always somewhat regretful about Sirius's Animagus..."

As she uttered these words, Hermione gazed at Kahn with eyes full of anticipation, her thoughts practically written across her face, falling just short of outright stating that she wanted to ride a phoenix.

However, Kahn's Animagus form was far too conspicuous, and under normal circumstances, he was disinclined to transform. He therefore smoothly changed the subject, ignoring Hermione's expectations. After all, what goddaughter spent every day plotting to ride her godfather?

Peter Pettigrew had already been delivered to the Ministry of Magic. Barring any accidents, he would soon be interrogated regarding his crimes, effectively swapping places with Sirius—Pettigrew would go in, and Sirius would walk free.

In truth, Peter Pettigrew had been rather unfortunate to cross paths with Hermione, who was being guarded by Isaac. Both Isaac and Phil were house-elves granted permission by Kahn to practice combat magic, and two or three Aurors combined would likely have been no match for Isaac.

Peter Pettigrew, who had not used magic in over a decade, was sent flying by a single spell from Isaac. When Dumbledore delivered him to the Ministry of Magic, his arm had not even been reattached yet... This was a detail Kahn had read about in the Daily Prophet.

After chatting for a while, Hermione suddenly asked, "Godfather, the Quidditch World Cup is going to be held. Let's go watch it together."

A few days prior, Ron had invited Hermione and Harry to attend the Quidditch World Cup with him. Harry had agreed on the spot, but Hermione had not given an immediate answer, unsure whether Kahn would return. Now, it seemed her hesitation had been the correct choice.

"If you want to go, then by all means go take a look. I will ask the Department of International Magical Cooperation if they have any better seats available. Do your friends want any tickets as well?"

Hearing this, Hermione beamed and said, "I'll go write them a letter right now to ask." With that, she trotted out of the room, taking Kahn's teacup with her as she left.

Kahn's potion ingredients shop was well on its way to becoming the premier potion materials trader in Europe, making him a regular fixture at the Department of International Magical Cooperation. Although Minister Fudge, influenced by various factions, had sought to introduce a series of policies to curb the expansion of the potion shop, Kettler had hired people to subject him to a brutal campaign of public ridicule.

The principle that money talks held true in many arenas. A few days earlier, Kahn had even instructed Kettler to pay for a permanent, dedicated advertising slot in the Daily Prophet to insult Cornelius Fudge every single day, while using an entire page to lambast him through The Quibbler.

Hermione spent two days at home during the holiday before spending the remainder of her time in Diagon Alley. Kahn took her on a trip to the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary for a few days of leisure, taking the opportunity to hatch the dragon egg into which Orochimaru had injected dragon genes.

Rearing dragons privately was illegal, but Hermione was hardly going to report her own godfather. Moreover, during those few days in Romania, she witnessed an even more wondrous side of Kahn—he was far more endearing to the dragons than many professional dragon handlers.

Even the notoriously vicious Hungarian Horntail within the sanctuary behaved with absolute docility in Kahn's presence, going so far as to nuzzle him affectionately with its snout.

Thanks to Kahn's influence, even without riding a phoenix, Hermione spent quite a while flying through the air upon the back of a dragon, snapping numerous photographs that left the nearby dragon handlers green with envy. They had tended to the dragons for years without managing so much as a single pat, yet Hermione had transformed into a dragon rider mere moments after her arrival.

After spending roughly a week enjoying themselves in Romania, Kahn brought Hermione back to Britain. His own dragon had hatched as well; it was a hybrid dragon into which Orochimaru had even woven the genes of the White Snake Sage, leaving Kahn uncertain just how large it might eventually grow.

However, he had prepared in advance a portable pouch enchanted with a permanent Undetectable Extension Charm. To accomplish this, he had specifically paid a visit to Newt Scamander, expanding the pouch's internal space to the scale of an entire city and simulating a variety of weather systems within it.

Upon learning of Kahn's intention to raise a dragon, Scamander had excitedly agreed on the spot. In his youth, he had also desired to raise a dragon for close observation, but adult dragons possessed formidable strength, and handling one entirely on his own proved somewhat strenuous, forcing him to abandon the idea at the time.

Though he had raised wondrous beasts as formidable as a Thunderbird within his suitcase, never having raised a dragon had remained a lifelong regret for Scamander.

Upon their return to Diagon Alley, Dumbledore paid Kahn an unexpected visit.

Spotting Dumbledore, Kahn could not hide a trace of surprise. "Professor Dumbledore, what brings you here? Is it regarding Sirius...?"

"That matter has already been resolved. Although Cornelius was somewhat reluctant, the majority of the Wizengamot members were willing to believe the truth. I have come to see Professor Ponted today regarding an entirely different matter..."

Dumbledore drew a collection of weathered parchment books from his pocket. With sharp eyes, Kahn caught sight of the name "Nicolas Flamel" inscribed across numerous covers.

"Upon receiving your reply by post, I was reminded of these books entrusted to me by Nicholas. He once stated that he did not wish for the art of alchemy to be lost to history. If Professor Ponted holds an interest in alchemy, he is welcome to examine Nicholas's legacy of notes."

A flicker of delight surfaced in Kahn's eyes. The personal notes left behind by the greatest alchemical master in the wizarding world constituted a rare and invaluable treasure indeed.

"Professor Dumbledore, I am truly grateful for your generosity. Is there anything I might assist you with in return?"

"I am now certain that Professor Ponted will master the art of alchemy admirably, seeing as equivalent exchange remains one of its foundational principles."

With a lighthearted joke, Dumbledore transitioned to the purpose of his visit. "Next term, Hogwarts will host the Triwizard Tournament alongside two other schools. The Ministry has already finalized the details, but due to certain unforeseen circumstances, Lupin is no longer able to teach the Defense Against the Dark Arts post. I am hoping Professor Ponted might return to Hogwarts... In truth, the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor has always been yours; Lupin merely served as your assistant for a year."

Hearing this, Kahn nodded in assent. "Very well. I shall return to Hogwarts at the start of term. Hermione, you may come inside now; the tea is growing cold..."

Having concluded his discussion with Dumbledore, he used magic to unlatch the door, revealing Hermione standing outside with a flushed face, holding a tray of tea and pastries. The faint aroma of tea had been drifting from the hallway for a while, making it obvious she had not just arrived at the threshold.