Disclaimer: Yet again, the characters belong to JK Rowling and whichever individuals or groups shares rights to these characters.

A/N: I would like to thank once again, my beta reader, frustratedstudent for having the patience and the will plus the time to read through and give your thoughts about the various drafts sent. I hope to keep seeing you to the end of the story.

Also, I'd like to give a warm thanks to TheOnlyCeeCeeJ, for sticking through the story and giving your thoughts as well, I appreciate it and it does keep me going when I feel like the re-write isn't worth it.

While I can't expect everyone to be pleased with how I write this, I still hope you enjoy and give your thoughts out on what can be improved.

One last thing, do take time to read the Prologue of the Face of Vengeance.

Until the next chapter,

Lee Chua

Legends:

"Words" – speech

"Words" – thought speech

'Words' - thoughts

Chapter 4 – The Swordmaster and the Master Alchemist

The Castle at Hogwarts was full of preparation for All Hallows Eve with the professors, staff and student volunteers decorating the halls with conjured bats or floating pumpkin lanterns. In the middle of all the preparations was Albus Dumbledore, doing his best The Sorcerer's Apprentice imitation, with scissors, ribbons, bats and pumpkins twirling in the air around him, while balls of yarn bounced around the room, orange and black adorning the Great Hall. To the passerby, it was marvelous, but to Albus, it was controlled chaos, feeling annoyed with the mop that suddenly barged in the Great Hall.

On the third floor corridor, Professor Flitwick was chatting animatedly with two of his newly favorite students, Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood. It was no secret that they are excelling far beyond what was normally seen at Hogwarts since the time of Tom Marvolo Riddle or Albus Dumbledore. What made him more enthusiastic with the two is how the two influenced almost all of the students at Hogwarts to become more involved with their studies, their physical condition or both.

As Filius deftly levitated a decorative skull that cackles occasionally, Luna inquired "But how about swords? Are you very much capable of handling one or teaching students how to use it?"

For the first time in their stay in Hogwarts, the normally cheerful Charms professor face grew grave. Flitwick's eyes narrowed and shook his head. "I used to be known as Fleetfoot Flitwick, a champion duelist in the European meets. In my entire stint, I was undefeated till the time I retired from professional dueling due to boredom. That undefeated streak lasted until the time I went to Hogwarts as a professor. In my years no one challenged me to a duel, not even Albus out of professional courtesy. It was broken when one of the younger professors challenged me. To this day, I still cannot fathom on how I would be humbled so effortlessly by someone younger and lesser capable at the duel magics I knew. Since that loss, I have never held a sword again."

Filius paused, looking blankly at the wall for a moment, before he sighed and continued "Of course, I swore a vow against saying who it is, so I unfortunately cannot help both of you with your swords." The Charms professor glanced at Harry and added "Polish that sword sometimes Harry. I see a hint of a thumbprint on the blade."

Harry shrugged and looked into Luna's eyes. She smiled at him with mirth at the rebuke then nodded. They both knew that they have to find the one who beat Flitwick.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

The chance came a week later, just after Harry caught the Snitch in the first Quidditch game against Slytherin in 15 seconds flat, a Hogwarts record for Gryffindor. "Roderick Plumpton of Ravenclaw holds the Hogwarts record of 14.98 seconds in 1906. At least I got the snitch literally right under Malfoy's nose." Harry muttered to himself while walking back to the quidditch lockers, his firebolt on his shoulders.

In the stands however, a different commotion was about to happen. Luna was just leaving the quidditch pitch when she locked eyes with Severus Snape. Her instincts told her to hold her disillusioned rapier, but Severus saw through it. Luna then took a gamble and did legillimens on Snape. To her surprise, she got past the defenses, perhaps through her vampiric will and saw two memories at the forefront. She reached the first one, a school boy memory of a 16 year old Severus Snape with a polish saber.

*Severus' 1st memory flashback*

A young lanky lad with black greasy hair was surrounded by levitating chairs around him. He then transfigured these into bulky sandbags and started to thrust effortlessly against the mass of sandbags attacking him. He dodged, sidestepped, thrust, parry and slashed. The Princes were known as vicious but methodical fighters by the pureblood society and his mother was no exception. She drilled him constantly on the curses, potions and weapons everytime his father was away. Of course, they had to hide everything when his father was back because he didn't take the existence of magic well.

He always wondered before why his mother had never left his father for all the abuse he gave her and him, but after the Christmas break, everything became clearer.

Eileen Prince-Snape was a powerful fighter, a prodigy in potions and pursued the temptation of the dark arts to an extent, but even she knew that marriage for wizarding families mattered all the more because they didn't have much population to go with since they all marry late into their lives and only have two or three kids at most, with the exception of the Weasleys. That fact along with her undying love for the dashing young lanky soldier she met just as the days of Grindelwald were drawing to a close made her stay for the broken man with her now. And she explained this to Severus, who was mad at her for it. All the hurt bottled up in Severus ended up in a duel that laid waste to parts of Spinner's end and a bloodied Severus below his mother Eileen, making him promise to never reveal his training to any of Slytherin house, destroying his plans for his monumental rise in the house hierarchy.

So here he was, destroying transfigured sandbags with his saber and narrowing dodging the other bags that would leave heavy bruises if it hit him. In between his sidestep, the door suddenly opened. It was Lily Evans, her fiery auburn hair and green eyes calmed his angry thoughts and he stopped everything.

"Severus, I came here to give you those notes on potions properties we had as a project." Lily said, handing him the notes and looking intently into his eyes. "Will you teach me how to fight with a sword? The war outside seems to be going into the school and the pranks are becoming attacks from both sides…"

"The thing you need to remember Lily is our wand movements are based on fencing." Severus said, contemplating for a bit, before nodding and started training Lily how to duel with a saber. From there, she became known as one of the most formidable fighters the Order had ever had and the team of James Potter, Sirius Black and Lily Evans fought Voldemort to a stalemate three times.

*end of flashback*

Getting out of that memory, she knew she was close to finding their swordmaster if Snape had a firm rooting of fencing in his youth. So she plunged into the second memory.

*Severus' 2nd memory flashback*

The first summer of Severus' Potions Master job and he felt very ecstatic for the first time after he challenged Fleetfoot Flitwick to this sword duel. One thing his mother told him before she passed away was to always keep his skills sharp and to always hide his skills from both his allies and enemies alike. But if it could not be prevented, a magical vow would suffice if assassination is not the goal, it was the Prince way.

At the opposite end, Filius was stretching out and was focused in him the entire time. He heard stories from Rabastian that Filius Flitwick was a master of Charms but a prodigy on a saber. He even did an F slash on the opponent's robe to show superiority and a conquest. He was unbeaten on the international stage, never defeated in England. "Finally, a worthy opponent." Severus whispered, pointing his saber at Filius.

"Brave words, child." Filius retorted, venom on the last word. The fight began in a flash, Filius using his mastery at charms to increase all his abilities and advantages of speed and power. To him, it was just another duel, another conquest to the endless list of duelists and mercenaries he defeated.

For Severus however, in between every parry, slash and thrust was a fight for his life. It was drilled to him after that fight with his mother. Every battle is a matter of life and death. It was the Prince way and his eyes lit up, shocking his opponent with the ferocity of his attacks. Severus gave a strong parry, nearly disarming Filius with the swing, moving half of his body into the blind spot of the sword and elbowed Filius in the face.

The charms master got knocked back but summoned his saber and assumed an aggressively offensive stance in wand duels, the saber pointed at Severus.

Severus merely raised an eyebrow and stood still, his saber pointed up in attention. "You bring your charms into a duel, I fight like a muggle. Fair enough, Flitwick?" He commented, correctly anticipating a barrage of slashes and thrusts from Filius without moving from his spot. He knew he had the advantage of being in control of his emotions while his opponent was letting his frustration take control. He ducked a strike, kicked one of the slashes away and swung the hilt of his sword at Filius' stomach.

It knocked the wind out of Flitwick, crashed on the dueling floor and Severus pointed the saber's tip at Filius' neck. "You fight like it's a game, a duel with rules. If this was a contest, I would be defeated by your speed, but I fight as if my life was on the line. Learn your lesson, professor." Severus did three slashes at Filius' robes, shaped like an S. "You will never duel again, that was the price I asked." The Potions master whispered, turning from Filius and walking away.

Filius merely stared at the ceiling for a moment and realized that Severus was right and he had no way to release all his hurt for the magical vow of never dueling with swords again.

*end of flashback*

A moment passed then Snape gathered most of his magic and pushed Luna out from his mind. The mental feedback caused Luna to fall to the ground, clutching her head in agony. She bit back her scream as her fellow Ravenclaws brought her to the Hospital wing, just as Severus recuperated from defending his mind. 'Lovegood…' He thought, bitter at how he was bested in the mental arts by a vampire fledgling and how he would erase those memories from her mind. 'Perhaps I can use blackmail in this segment. I will not reveal her to be a vampire and she will not reveal that I defeated Filius.' Snape contemplated as he briskly went back to his quarters to release the compounding stress of the day.

Neville saw what happened and ran to the Gryffindor common room, looking for Harry. When he got in, he found him, while he was teaching Ron the basics of prizefighting. "Harry, its Luna!" He shouted, giving himself a moment to breathe. "She's in the Hospital wing, clutching her head."

Harry dodged Ron's right hook and held the fist effortlessly while listening to Neville. He then looked at Hermione and said "Let's go."

Hermione, Ron, Harry and Neville found Ginny along the way and the five made it to the Hospital Wing. Harry was on Luna's side while she was restrained by magical ropes due to her violent shaking. He looked straight into her eyes and applied what he learned from Charlus. "Legillimens" Harry whispered and did his best to fix the damage Snape did, while extracting the memory from Luna. From there, he focused only on the most recent one, retrieving the swordmaster's memory.

As he searched, he heard a sob and someone banging on a door in Luna's mind. He found the source and shouted "Luna, is that you?"

Luna replied "Yes Harry! Get me out of here!" She stood back while Harry proceeded to slam the door open. It took a solid two minutes before Harry got through and saw her holding a memory out for him. "Snape locked me in my own mind. I'm trying to gather strength and force myself out of his mind trap but lucky you came along. Snape's the swordmaster we we're looking for." She said, giving him the memory.

"Need any help getting out?" Harry asked, holding his hand out to her while he saw a couple of mental bindings on her ankle.

"I'm a vampire Harry, I have to do this myself." Luna said, gathering all the magics from the recoil magic Snape did to her. With that, Harry was extracted from her mind. "I'm going, keep watch over her, ok?" Harry told Hermione, before anyone could get a word in. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." Harry muttered while holding the parchment of the Marauder's map. He found the name of Severus Snape moving around his quarters rapidly and rushed there.

It took nearly five minutes before Luna broke out of the bindings and her physical self stopped convulsing. She opened her eyes and saw Hermione, Ron, Neville and Ginny at her bed side. Annoyed with the leather bindings, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before pulling her arms free through the metal strap. Rubbing her wrists for a moment, she looked into Ginny's eyes and asked "Where is Harry?"

Ginny shook her head, while Ron and Hermione said at the same time, "He left but didn't say where he was going."

Luna nodded and drank the flask ready at her bedside. Discretely licking her lips at the blood of a deer on that flask, she took off the bindings at her legs and stood up, her body feeling better now. "I'm going after Harry. I bet he's going to do something very stupid right now and I'm the only one who can save him from his stupidity. I'll tell you the four of you everything after this. " 'Idiot, why would you charge after Snape?'

In a blur, Luna was already gone and Hermione's mind went in overdrive at her assumptions at Luna. The flask she was about to investigate vanished in front of their eyes. Neville shook his head at Hermione and said "We all saw what we saw, Hermione." He gestured to Ron and Ginny with their shocked faces. "She'll tell us all at the right time, be patient, Hermione."

When Harry arrived in front of the Potion Master's quarters, he saw that the door was ajar enough for him to peek through. What he saw amazed him. Snape was effortlessly dodging and piercing practice dummies left and right. It was like watching a ballet. "He is a master after all, Harry. Reminds me of the Princes during my time at Hogwarts, I had the honor of dueling one and it was stalemate, even with my abilities as a hunter. One Eileen Prince was the last of them after all the male heirs were killed by Grindelwald on his rise to conquer Europe. Sadly, I don't know who she married." Charlus told Harry, his grandson quickly analyzing the fighting style. What they both didn't realize was that Snape knew he was there.

A wand was pointed at Harry and it summoned him towards Snape. In the nick of time, Harry parried a thrust of Snape's Polish Saber while he was zooming through him. "As I expected, you're as arrogant as your father Mr. Potter. Now, show me what you can do with your butter knife." Severus challenged, his Polish Saber pointed towards Harry from his position.

Harry analyzed the situation, Charlus was telling him to calm down and check the surroundings. "Expect the wand while he duels you with a sword. While I can take over your body to fight this buffoon, I can only do it once and I will disappear from your mind forever. He has slighted my son and grandson for the last time…." Charlus trailed off as Harry shook his head, wordlessly telling his grandfather that it was his fight.

The Excelsior was pointed right back at Snape and Harry's eyes illuminated the magic he wields. "I accept your challenge, Snape. If you are defeated, meaning weaponless, you will teach me and Ms. Lovegood how to use our swords." Harry said and Snape replied "And if you are put in your place, I am released from the Life debt I carry to protect you." Harry paused for a moment and remarked "So mote it be."

From those words, the Potion Master's quarters became a warzone, littered with the sound of steel versus steel and a light show of stunners, neither man backing down from the challenge given by the other. Severus knew he was facing a different Harry from the naïve boy he tormented all these years. The mild Legillimens he did at the start of the year was proof of that. He dueling Potter was icing on the cake. He even tried to fight dirty, sneaking in a punch or an elbow, but that was met with an open palm or the one painful kick to the side of his head.

He looked at the state of his body, keeping his distance from Harry this time. A broken rib, bleeding chest, torn robes was what he got 10 minutes into the fight. 'Maybe blasting Lovegood with an occulumens pulse wasn't such a good Idea after all.' He thought, this time, hell bent on putting Potter in his place.

Harry found himself on the defensive once Snape really started to fight. The strength of the professor's sword blows were giving him less time to move and already felt a sucker punch to his arm. Then he heard "Accio Potter's glasses." His glasses flew away from him and he merely smirked at Snape, sending him an ice lance to distract his opponent.

Snape merely banished the ice lance back at Harry. Harry sliced the ice lance deftly and the two fighters stopped, sizing each other. Harry checked up on himself for a bit, torn robes, a bruised arm and a few cuts on his arms. 'I think Eileen taught him well. Only a Prince fights that way.' Charlus told Harry, proud his grandson had managed to hold his own in 15 minutes of combat in the home field of his own enemy.

Severus glared at Harry and whispered, "Time to end this." Two hands from the broken practice dummies held Harry's legs and latched on to the ground preventing him to move. Snape then walked towards Harry, swatted away Excelsior from his grasp and was about to point the tip of his saber at Harry's chin. "Never assume the enemy's battlefield is to be conquered so easily. Arrogance is your greatest enemy. The life debt is paid. I will not teach you." Snape said before a white blur slammed into him.

As he got his bearings, he saw that the tip of a dark blade on his neck, nicking a drop of blood. And to his horror, it was Luna's cold red eyes glaring at him and a snarl on her lips. "The price of your life is to teach us the ways of the sword, the way the Princes were taught. We know two of your secrets now. People will pay a huge sum for such information. Besides the sword fighting, after all this time Snape, his mother, Lily Evans?"

In between the fighting, Harry made his way to sit down on the only chair left standing from their fight. His eyes intently looking at him, but this time, not anger only sorrow. Lily's eyes staring back at him just as it was decades ago when she first saw him training in that very room.

"Always, Lovegood. Not a day goes by that I don't think about her. And now, I thrice vow to teach you the ways of the sword, the way the Princes know best. So mote it be." Severus whispered, a soft glow of blue on his wrist from Luna's point of view.

Luna nodded and brought Harry with her away from the room. "One week from now, 6pm, do not be late." Snape trailed off, lying down on the floor in disbelief. He heard the door close and he groaned, muttering "By Maeve, Morgana and Morrigan, why me?"

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Later in the evening, the moonlight was glancing down over the balcony of one of the finer classic hotels in Paris. With a hand on her jet black hair, she took a deep sigh, watching Nicholas Flamel argue with her old friend Albus on the full length communicating mirror. "We'll just outsmart him again. Wulfric is always so stubborn" She muttered to herself, readying a piece of parchment and a ballpoint pen for Nicholas.

Just as Albus was about to start his rants, Nicholas effortlessly let a seamless illusion take his place. "Brian was always so set in his ways when he got older. His displays of power however are annoying me." Nicholas said, smiling to his wife Perenelle as she was chuckling from the exchange on the mirror. "You will go there, Victoria Watson. His last debt to me is repaid with this besides the fact that he was already supposed to give me his extra Agrippa and Morgana chocolate frog cards a month ago." The master alchemist retorted, quickly writing on the piece of parchment to safely provide Victoria Watson a safe passage and stay at Hogwarts in order to teach Albus' vampire student on how to stay in the wizarding world.

"I sure know, I had rejected him enough for his efforts to have my hand in marriage, even though I'm a vampire." Victoria has said without looking at Nicholas Flamel. She was surveying herself at a mirror. She had jet black hair, paler skin compared to her original skin which was tanned evenly on all sides. Her heritage as a Native American was still noticeable even after a century or so and she preferred it that way. Her height had remained at 4' 11" ft and while she could still see magic, she could only grab a few strands after she was turned into a vampire. She snapped her fingers and a comb was on her hand, effortlessly brushing and fixing it.

As she scanned the room, she glanced at the three potions for her travel to Hogwarts. 'Sunlight's end, Osiris reborn and an Eye color changer are such useful potions since I still have bits of my magical core.' She noted, remembering that her small core and those potions were the only things keeping her alive during the day. "It had been decades since I've been here and I think they desecrated the Louvre with that glass pyramid." She remarked, still seeing Albus argue. "I couldn't marry you Wulfric, I'm a vampire. Still to this day, you hold the grudge against me… Pity that. Of course you also remember the Tunguska Event…"

*Flashback*

It was June 30, 1908. "It's around 6 to 7 AM in the morning, and being chased in the middle of Russia by the Baba Yaga of all things was not a good way to end my night". Victoria told herself, seeing Albus Dumbledore transfigure trees into vicious wolves in such a short amount of time to delay their pursuers. The wolves were dragged to the ground by roots a few moments later. 'The Magical Cossacks under the employ of the Baba Yaga were proving Drumstrang's education to be no pushovers compared to one of Hogwarts finest.' Victoria thought, keeping her hand on a blindfold she keeps handy for these types of emergencies.

Just when the pursuers were about to catch up, Nicholas decided to up the ante by touching a tree and it became a treant or forest guardian as it was called back in the Haudenosaunee or the Six Nations. It took down the first 5 wizards that were pursuing them for the last 10 minutes. A moment later, it was covered in black flame.

The three looked away from the squeals of pain from the treant and found themselves in the middle of an open field in the forest. In front of them was the Baba Yaga herself and her old house with chicken legs. Her old weathered look, piercing eyes and hag-like features did not betray the depictions given about her. She was floating with a pestle underneath her feet and a mortar at her hand. She smiled which showed her malformed and yellow teeth. In that moment, they found themselves surrounded by 20 of her Cossacks.

"All I ask for your safe passage is that you give me the dark alchemy artifact you wield, Nicholas Flamel." the Baba Yaga said in a crisp tone with a hint of a Russian accent.

Albus looked at the hag in bewilderment and looked to his Alchemy mentor, his wand still trained at the Baba Yaga. "You lie!" Albus shouted and he felt a cold feminine hand on his shoulder in an effort to calm him.

"She isn't lying Albus. The Philosopher's stone is a dark artifact and one Nicholas has kept and carried it like a cross." Victoria whispered, tightening her grasp on his shoulder for a moment. "I should know, my mage sight can see it for what it really is."

"Casse Toi, vieille sorcière!" Nicholas muttered, his eyes glaring daggers at the adversary in front of him. She was older than him, but what he lacked in experience compared to her, he made up in him being the only Master Alchemist in the world. "You'll get this over my dead rotting carcass!" Nicholas screamed, alchemic circles appearing around them and white-hot fire blasts spewed forth towards their enemies.

In a moment, it would appear that the fight would be over that quickly, but after the circles disappeared, the Baba Yaga was unscathed, all 20 cossacks running inside the Baba Yaga's house. With a glint in her eye, she whispered "That can be arranged, deti."

When she said that word, fiendfyre spewed from the Baba Yaga's mortar coupled with killing curses and lightning that almost overwhelmed Nicholas Flamel. It was thwarted by his two apprentices, with Albus transfiguring the blades of grass into granite disks and launching them at the killing curses. Victoria covered her eyes with the blindfold and weaved the magics towards them and slammed it home to destroy the fiendfyre. Nicholas grabbed the opportunity and created a hastily done alchemic circle which sent mercury spikes towards the Baba Yaga.

The Baba Yaga merely waved her hand and it vanished. "So, the children decide that they face me off? Albus Dumbledore, Victoria Watson and Nicholas Flamel, your names will be dust and forgotten after today." She clapped her hands and earth spikes erupted from the around the three, which then turned into tentacles made out of granite which aimed to grab an appendage and wretch it away violently.

Nicholas Flamel took the Philosopher's stone from his pocket and apparated around the Baba Yaga. With that, tentacles focused on the Master Alchemist. Victoria signaled to Albus and they tapped into the power from Albus' bombardment hex and powered it up towards the Baba Yaga. 'Try blocking something that can't be seen, old hag.' Victoria thought, using as much magic around her to strengthen the spell.

Just as the spell was about to hit, Nicholas Flamel was caught by one of the tentacles and flung in the path of the overpowered bombardment hex. Albus stopped it mid spell and it exploded halfway, and sending the three further apart from each other. It felt like hours for something that lasted a minute and Nicholas Flamel got his bearings. The Baba Yaga went towards him, casually hovering over the carnage around them. "I told you little boy, it would not do to defy me. Now give me the stone!" The Baba Yaga commanded, showing the Alchemist that his two students are fighting the Cossacks without his help.

Nicholas looked into the Baba Yaga's eyes and laughed maniacally. "You think it's that easy?" The one speaking turned into a stone golem and dissolved into the ground. Nicholas appeared besides Victoria, summoning Albus towards him as well. "Victoria, you know the one thing I told you never to do? Do it now." Nicholas whispered, scraping off a grain from the Philosopher's stone, much to the sheer astonishment of Albus Dumbledore.

"Master Flamel, but you said to never tap into its' powers." Albus exclaimed, sending a Rhino towards one of the surviving Cossacks. "It's too dangerous."

"It must be done. Stand behind me." Nicholas said, putting most of his strength into creating the same intricate alchemic circle he used to create the stone, incorporating all the main symbols and elements of the Alchemic study. A moment later, it powered up and covered them into a perfect sphere, covering up to the ground below them. "Now Victoria!"

Victoria closed her eyes, took a deep breath and used her remaining magical core to pull the magic from the grain. The same circle Nicholas Flamel created was drawn below her and a small flicker was all that could be seen before the sky darkened.

The Baba Yaga screamed and all that could be seen was a great ball of light that launched itself at her. The hag pulled the magic and barely dodged the attack. It took a bit out of the Baba yaga before Victoria launched a relentless offensive towards her opponent. For a full minute, it battered the Baba Yaga's shields and dodges. Victoria stood there continued to fire up attacks.

However that was a mistake, as the Baba Yaga stomped her foot on the ground and the shockwave shook the ground Victoria was standing on. Without the aid of her eyes, her preternatural abilities were of no help once she focused on spellweaving. The shockwave destroyed the integrity of one of the drawn circles which resulted into Victoria losing control of the power from the grain. It exploded outwardly and it took Albus' summoning her and Nicholas' pouring the power from the Philosopher's stone into their shield that saved them from being incinerated.

The sky lit up once more. "Tempus" muttered Albus. It showed 7:16 AM. "Of all places to have a magical accident that might cause the biggest violation of the International Statute of Secrecy, it had to be in Tunguska, Russia."

*End of Flashback*

"Even to this day, you've never forgotten the result of my arrogance and carelessness, Wulf. Of course the Baba Yaga survived, but she was never the same hag again." She told herself, as she saw Nicholas Flamel slip back into the conversation and took a sip of tea.

"My answer is final, Brian. Your wards will not hold her back and your life debt to me is repaid. Let her teach Luna Lovegood on controlling the very fabric of magic." Nicholas said with finality in his tone, cutting off the connection between him and his student. He strode forward, a letter in his hand and casually gave it to Victoria. "You are to teach a young outcast fledging such as yourself, young apprentice. Your debt to me is paid as well." He said, contemplating at how beautiful the sight on the intersection of Rue Nicholas Flamel and Rue Perenelle was, he remembered his life then when he was working on the Philosopher's stone with his wife. His eyes softened and looked back at Victoria's stern crimson eyes. "I hope you have buried the hatchet with young Brian."

"I have already buried it, but he likes to dig it up. That battle with Gellert had not helped either. He has become a shadow of the bright man I once saw him as. He is someone I love but I had known that it was best not to give him the blood blessing and take away a prominent man from the Wizarding World." Victoria replied, her eyes softened and returned to its original black irises. "He has done much for the betterment of the world, even in my old home. Perhaps it was for the best that I never took him and give him my gift." She looked at the stars and whispered "I must leave now, old friend." And with that, she disappeared into the wind.

Nicholas Flamel's eyed the intersection of Rue Nicholas Flamel and Rue Perenelle once more, to where old home was. "I tapped into the very ghosts that should have inhabited the catacombs and mine shafts below our very City, Perenelle." He whispered, as a soft hand grasped his shoulder. The illusion disappeared and there was a young black haired man with the softest blue eyes, his height of 5'7" was usual of men during his time. The person behind him touching his shoulder was a red haired lithe 5'0" woman with green eyes.

"We did our part mon amour. We carried the burden and tested the soon to be defeater of Voldemort. On that day, I drew the circles while you did the arithmancy and ancient runes. We tapped into the residual magics from the souls and from there we created the Philosopher's stone." Perenelle replied, wrapping her arms around her husband's neck.

"If only there was something more I could do. I mean, we destroyed the only copy of how to create it although I stored half of the knowledge in my mind and you stored half in your mind. We generously gave what we could to the community and hid the stone." Nicholas said and paused for a while, letting the cool Parisian air calm his senses. 'It still feels like home.' He thought, cupping his wife's cheek, while never leaving the area of his old home from his sight.

"We kept it away from any and all attempts to have it stolen. I think we have done enough to keep the Philosopher's stone a myth." Perenelle whispered, leaning her cheek towards her husband's hand and closed her eyes in content.

"I weary of battles and the trivialities of man, Ma Cherie." Nicholas whispered "But they try their best for their intentions, good or bad, Love. Perhaps the young hunter and his vampire friend could lead the way."

Perenelle kissed her husband's cheek and replied "Always my love. I hope the wizarding world in England changes for the better, so you can get those Chocolate Frog cards from Albus. "