In Nicolas's private library, Kyle sat at the table as usual, quietly leafing through a book on alchemy. Tata, the House-elf, stood nearby, and as Kyle finished reading the last page, she handed him a glass of freshly made lemonade.
"Thanks," Kyle said, finishing the drink with a satisfied sigh.
It had been a month since his arrival, and in that time, he had practically lived in this library. Sometimes Tata even brought him his meals. Though Nicolas Flamel hadn't personally taught him any alchemy, he had recommended numerous books ideal for beginners. This guidance alone had led to a marked improvement in Kyle's understanding of alchemy, and he could feel his skills advancing significantly. The progress he'd made left him deeply content.
But, unfortunately, today was his last day here.
Kyle reluctantly handed the book he was reading to Tata and left the library alone. In the lobby, he found Nicolas Flamel still enjoying an opera performance from his memories. As Kyle approached, the orchestra in Nicolas's mind seemed to finish the last note.
"I was just wondering when you'd come out," Nicolas remarked, putting away his memories and slowly rising from the beach chair. "Perenelle has already called for us several times. It's time to head back."
Perenelle, Nicolas's wife, had stayed behind in Devon to tend to the garden and hadn't joined them on this trip to Paris.
"Are we leaving now?" Kyle asked.
"No rush," Nicolas replied with a smile. "First, I need to see if you've been keeping up with your studies."
"Alright then... Professor Nicolas."
Kyle took a folded piece of parchment from his pocket and unfolded it in front of Nicolas. The parchment displayed a map of the entire estate, with every room labeled, and in the center of the hall, Kyle's name was clearly marked.
"A map?" Nicolas asked with interest.
"Yes," Kyle said. "The original map was drawn by Tata. I studied the tracing magic behind the Summoning Charm, along with a few other techniques, to produce this."
He pulled out his wand and tapped it on the map, softly saying, "Library!"
Instantly, a clear dotted line appeared, connecting Kyle's name in the hall to the library on the parchment.
Nicolas's eyes gleamed for a moment. Without a word, he flicked his fingers, and the hall around them seemed to come alive. The corridor behind Kyle began to shift, gradually sealing itself off until it had become a solid wall. Doors and windows throughout the hall slowly faded, until the room was completely enclosed, with no visible exits.
Nicolas looked back at the parchment. The layout of the rooms had changed, but, curiously, the dotted line connecting Kyle to the library was still present—only now, it pointed in a different direction.
The line bent towards the newly formed wall on the left, where it vanished into the solid surface.
"It seems your work has failed," Nicolas remarked, looking up at Kyle with a smile. He pointed toward the wall where the dotted line ended. "There's no exit there."
"Not necessarily, Nicolas," Kyle replied, smiling back. He walked confidently toward the wall, took a deep breath, and then dashed forward, crashing straight into it.
Just like Platform 9¾, Kyle passed through the wall effortlessly, emerging into the familiar corridor beyond. Nicolas followed him with an approving look.
"Allow me to retract my previous comment," he said with a chuckle. "It's excellent work—you really haven't slacked off." He paused, then asked, "Shall we head back now?"
"Of course." Nicolas pulled out two crystal shards, one blue and one red. "These are the keys. Channel magic into them using alchemy, and they'll open the way."
Kyle stared at the blue crystal, which was identical to a shard of the Philosopher's Stone. He opened his mouth, about to ask a question, but decided against it.
Nicolas continued, "The red one will send you home. The blue one will allow you to return to this library if you ever need to."
"Back here again?" Kyle asked, glancing up instinctively.
"Yes," Nicolas replied. "I imagine you've been wondering why I invited you here."
Kyle nodded after a brief silence. Initially, he'd thought it was connected to the Order of Merlin medal. But if that were the case, he wouldn't have been invited to stay so long. He recalled that ten days ago, during a meal, Perenelle had urged Nicolas to return home. Kyle had been ready to leave then, but Nicolas had insisted on staying to watch an opera—a plan that had kept them confined to the house for days.
"It's because I saw you coming here—about two months ago," Nicolas said.
Two months ago? Kyle thought back; Hogwarts hadn't even gone on break yet. "Was it a prophecy?" he asked cautiously.
"Not exactly," Nicolas replied, winking. "But you could think of it that way. Do you want to know what I saw?"
"No!" Kyle shook his head at once. Prophecies in the wizarding world were tricky; if you didn't know about them, there was a chance to avoid their outcome. But once you were aware, it was said they would inevitably come to pass.
"Don't be so tense." Nicolas waved his hand, restoring the room to its original state. "All I saw was you coming here twice. That was it. But there was this strong feeling—a voice, even—that insisted you needed this knowledge, and that I should help you."
Kyle's face softened. As long as it didn't involve Nicolas himself, he doubted it was anything too severe. After all, the last time Nicolas had lent a hand, it had been to... oh, right, save Paris.
They returned together to the lobby, where Nicolas gestured to a small box on a table nearby. "Just one last thing... A bit late, but happy birthday, kid."
Kyle's eyes widened, realizing that it was August 5th, and he'd completely forgotten his birthday had been five days ago.
"Thank you, Nicolas. What is it?"
"Didn't you mention you needed a box for storing magical items?" Nicolas said. "I put this together for you while I was listening to the opera."
Kyle picked up the box, inspecting it with fascination. It had a dark gold finish, and along the opening were golden symbols he recognized as preservation runes.
"This is perfect," Kyle said, grinning.
"I'm glad you like it."