The Teachings of the Flamels

As a note, Harry knew what happened to Sirius – he's framed and in jail. This was briefly mentioned in Chapter Two. Harry, at this point in time, is the only one living human who can make any difference to Sirius's status. However, we have to keep this in perspective. If he asks the Ministry to give Sirius a fair trial, even through the intervention of Dumbledore, no doubt they would just blow him off. Fudge doesn't take the words of underage wizards seriously. That, and the fact that he doesn't have enough evidence to free Sirius, except for his parent's portraits, who told him that they changed secret keepers. If we can look inside Fudge's mind, we can hear him say, "This wizard is underage, and the only evidence he has is talking portraits of his parents." So, in order for Harry to do anything, he'll need real evidence – Pettigrew himself, whom he knew is a rat with one finger missing.

Harry was waiting at the train station for his mentor to arrive and pick him up. Going all the way to Devon had been a long trip, and he should be tired. However, at the moment, he felt only excitement. He was going to study under the greatest alchemist who ever lived! It was the chance of a lifetime! The only things Harry took with him on this trip was a trunk full of clothes, some books on advanced Transfiguration, and the Sorcerer's Stone, just in case Nicolas wants to teach him about how the stone was created, its properties, how to brew the Elixir of Life, etc.

By the time he had arrived at the station, the sun was already setting. Harry saw an elderly man approach him. White hair reached his shoulders and he had a white beard and mustache, although, unlike Dumbledore's, they only reach his collar bone instead of his belt. He was thin, and despite his old age, he seemed energetic and sprightly. Sharp, dark brown eyes peered over thin rimmed glasses at Harry kindly. "Mr. Potter?" he asked Harry.

"Yes, Sir," Harry said, starstruck for several seconds. The figure of Nicolas Flamel, although he seemed carefree and kind, commanded respect. He was wearing emerald green robes with gold patterns on them, but he didn't receive any stares from the Muggles in the station. It was quite likely that he had cast a notice-me-not charm on himself before he arrived.

"Come with me. My home is not far, so we'll walk and talk if you don't mind." Nicolas gestured to Harry to follow him on a dirt path towards a simple house on the horizon, which surprised Harry, who thought that he would've been rich after creating the Sorcerer's Stone. It was obvious that the man did not care for money or luxuries. After a brief silence, Nicolas asked him, "My boy, why have you decided to learn alchemy?"

"It's mostly for just knowledge, Sir."

"I certainly wouldn't find that answer very common among adolescents," Flamel stated simply. After another silence, he added, "I would like to thank you for going through so much effort to protect the stone. Did you take with you here?"

"Yes, Sir. I thought it might be useful to bring it to the lessons," Harry replied, blushing. "You're welcome, Sir, but I didn't even need to go after the stone. Professor Dumbledore's protection had sufficed. Quirrell couldn't have gotten the stone even if I wasn't there. It was just my doubts…"

"Mr. Potter, I have taught Albus for several years, and I can tell you one thing for certain. He makes mistakes. It had been up to chance whether the protections suffice or not, and I must say, you had done a brave thing – a hard thing, but the right thing. People have always believed that Albus was the greatest wizard of modern times, and he is. However, he is also human. Had you gone down the chambers without first trying the adults, I might have considered it arrogance. However, had you gone down there as a last result?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, Sir."

Flamel smiled, satisfied. "This time, your efforts may have been unneeded. However, you still did the right thing – all efforts were aimed to protect the stone and nothing more, which is the only reason I'm entrusting you with the stone. I trust you shall not abuse its properties?"

"No, I won't, Sir," Harry replied promptly.

Flamel chuckled. Then he said quietly, "My boy, it has been a long time since I taught. Teaching has always been a passion of mine, but I stopped when I was afraid my teaching would result in people creating more such stones – which would fuel their greed and selfishness. You are the best parting gift for me from this world. A student, and not just a student – a student that I am certain will use the knowledge of alchemy for good."

"Sir, I don't mean to be rude, but since the Sorcerer's Stone has already been made and stuff, I was thinking about just learning alchemy for knowledge…not exactly for usage," Harry said hesitantly. "I mean the goals of alchemy has already been achieved and all. I can't really use alchemy for much else."

Flamel laughed again. "My boy, the Sorcerer's Stone was only an end result of many years of work. True, the goals of the alchemists have already been reached. However, the knowledge that was needed to get there can be used for more than just the Elixir of Life and gold. Alchemy incorporates knowledge of muggle chemistry, potion-making, and transfiguration. As such, alchemy is more than just the creation of a stone."

Now, Harry was very intrigued. As they reached the simple house, night had already fallen. Flamel led Harry into the dining room and said, "You must be very hungry."

At that, an old woman came from the kitchen, carrying a plate of some chicken, a loaf of bread, and some vegetable soup. She had white hair tied up in a tight bun and gray eyes that reminded Harry of a stormy sky. However, she appeared kind and friendly as she said to him, "Hello, Harry. After you've eaten, I'll show you your room."

"Thank you," Harry said gratefully. He wondered if there were house elves in the Flamel house. After all, Nicolas and Perenelle, as a family, were very old. As he ate, he conversed with the elderly couple. Afterwards, Nicolas stood up to retire early. Perenelle waited for Harry to finish before leading him upstairs to his room. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you, Mrs. Flamel."

Perenelle's cheeks turned a slight pink before she said, "Please call me Perenelle. Nobody ever calls me by that other name."

"Oh, er, thank you, Perenelle," Harry said, feeling awkward calling her by her first name.

Perenelle beamed at him and left him to unpack. Harry sighed and waved his wand, hanging up his clothes, folding his undergarments into the drawers, and placing the Sorcerer's Stone and some Transfiguration books on the table next to his bed.

As the night sky darkened from dark blue to black, Harry stayed up, casting a Lumos spell over the pages of his Transfiguration book so that he could read. If he timed out his studies correctly, he'll be able to do his full Animagus transformation in about two years, a year earlier than James, but only because he had started his training earlier. According to his father's portrait and, on rare occasions, Professor McGonagall, Harry was quite proficient at Transfiguration, likely as talented as James was. His father had been really good at Transfiguration and was a favorite of McGonagall, though she was often exasperated with his mischievous nature when he was younger.

Harry waved his wand and practiced some advanced Transfiguration spells before going to sleep. His knowledge of Transfiguration should be about beginner's N.E.W.T level at this point. He had been focusing on Transfiguration for several months now, studying it in all his free time, and the fact that he could perform simple human transformation spells at such an early age made him quite proud of himself. However, he still had a long way to go. Despite studying the subject's theory for several years and practicing its spells so often, he wasn't even close to Animagus status.

…

Harry awoke the next day, and after freshening up, he went downstairs. It was very early in the morning, but he heard music ringing through the house. It was peaceful, sweet music done on a piano. He went into the living room and found Perenelle there, her fingers playing the keys as if they were part of her.

The music was beautiful, as if a magic was there. However, there was no wand or any sign of magical traces. Harry had never heard something so good in his life. He played a flute to call Ferdinand the dragon. However, it didn't hold such magic in it; it was just that – a way to call for his dragon friend.

Suddenly, the music stopped and Harry was snapped out of his trance. Perenelle turned to him. "Come over here if you want to learn," she said simply. Harry guessed that she wasn't a woman of many words. He obeyed and went over to sit down next to her.

Perenelle gestured to the music sheets. "Can you read notes?"

Harry nodded.

"Have you ever played an instrument before?"

Harry nodded. "A flute…but I can't play it as beautifully as you can on this piano. It's really emotional."

Perenelle smiled before saying, "First you need to know how to play the piano. It's different than other instruments because it's easy to learn but very hard to master. Learning how to play it is simple, but mastering it takes many years." With that, she began their piano lessons. Harry practiced in all his spare time, addicted to Perenelle's beautiful music and determined to play the instrument as good as she can.

After several weeks of practicing chords and exercises, Harry was able to play simple songs with varying levels of emotional display. Some he could play with much joy and frivolousness. However, on others, the music sounded dead. Perenelle commented, "Your fingers are strong and nimble now, but you'll need to keep doing the exercises to keep them that way. Now that you've gotten simpler pieces down, let's go a little more advanced, shall we?" She gave him several music sheets – "River Flows in You."

Harry took them and asked, "What does it sound like?"

Perenelle took his place in front of the piano and began to play. Again, Harry was in awe of the emotional display. Unlike the simpler pieces that he learned, this one allowed deeper emotions to show through. "Now, you try," she said.

With that, Harry began learning that song. It took him a long time but eventually, he memorized that song by heart.

"Put your heart in it. Allow your fingers to run free and to reflect how you want the music to sound – what emotions you want it to have," Perenelle said when he began to get frustrated by the dryness of the song. "If you allow emotions to fill you up and run to your fingers, your emotions will show through the music. It's like every attempt you make at anything. You have to have heart in it; allow your love of what you're doing to fill you."

Harry closed his eyes. He just wished he could make it as passionate as it can be. "Perenelle, what is this song supposed to be about?"

Perenelle smiled. "Love. Your love for someone."

"Like a romantic love?" Harry asked.

"Usually." Perenelle added thoughtfully, "However, why does it have to be? A river flows in anyone you love. If it helps, think of someone you love as you focus on the music. Synchronize them so that the music reflects your heart."

Harry nodded. He could do that. In fact, he had a feeling he knew of one person who would match the song very much – his mother. He loved her, and he hoped it would work for the song. With that he began to play. At first, the music was empty…however, he tried to feel his mother in the song – as if the song communicates her love for him and vice versa. Harry loved the feeling as he realized that his fingers were becoming one with the instrument; they were all part of him. He could feel a magic coming from such an ordinary muggle instrument. He could feel it charging through his fingers, which were almost moving on their own in tune with his emotions.

After he finished, there was a silence before Perenelle said, "Learning piano songs follows a simple process. Exercises keep your fingers nimble and strong. Then, learn the song with your mind. Then play it with your heart." She handed him a binder. "There are exercises and some more songs for you to continue your learning. I won't need them anymore."

"Thank you, Perenelle."

Perenelle smiled. "If you can put that much passion and heart into everything you do, you will accomplish many things."

Harry widened his eyes in surprise.

"You have the potential to be a great wizard because you have so much passion to do what is right – which is not always easy. Don't ever stop being passionate for your cause."

…

As for the alchemy lessons, Harry was surprised at all the background information he had to learn before they can get to the real alchemy stuff. Due to his knowledge in Transfiguration and potions, he had to focus more on muggle chemistry to bring it up to speed. Nicolas was a good teacher, showing him the logic behind chemistry as well as how Transfiguration and potions utilize that science. By the beginning of August, Harry was relieved when his mentor finally told him that it was time to look into alchemy itself and its applications.

This was accomplished by studying the Sorcerer's Stone that Harry brought along. Nicolas used an unfamiliar style of teaching. He would ask Harry questions, leading up to a conclusion. He didn't lecture. Instead he allowed Harry to form his own conclusions with guidance. It was long and tedious and took about one and a half weeks, but Harry was able to understand how the properties of the stone allowed the creation of the Elixir of Life and the transfiguration of ordinary metals into gold. He also understood how the stone did it. After Harry had been able to figure it out – a simplified overview of how Flamel had actually done it – Nicolas surprised Harry one day after one of their lessons.

"Mr. Potter, this concludes our lessons."

Harry was shocked.

Nicolas smiled at him. "You have gone quite far into Alchemy for a student who has only completed his first year in school. I admit that while you do not know the intricacies of such a science, you have understood the logic and the basic concepts behind it. You may not understand the process I have went through to create the stone's properties; however, you understand the properties needed and how the stone created the Elixir and gold. From this point on, there is almost nothing I can teach you that you cannot teach yourself."

Harry was still in shock. He had loved having Nicolas as a teacher. The man knew what he was talking about and his teaching style allowed Harry to form a lot of conclusions about Alchemy on his own. This would allow him to use and experiment with Alchemical process for his own purposes outside of just Alchemy. He was similar to Flitwick in this way, encouraging experimentation and creativity with magic. According to Nicolas, if you know your end result, you can figure out your solution – after all, there are many different solutions to one problem. The man just doesn't stick to everything a textbook says.

Nicolas continued, "You are a bright student, Mr. Potter. Even earlier on in the mentorship, I saw this. You have already begun experimenting with magic, and I have only served to encourage such experimentation as well as provide guidance for your studies in alchemy. I have been proud to have been the teacher of such a talented student." He reached behind him and picked up a thick book on his desk. He fingered it lovingly before giving it to Harry. "My notebook," he said simply. "Just in case you needed some more guidance into alchemy that the books can't give you."

Harry accepted the notebook reverently. He was speechless for several minutes before he whispered, "Thank you."

Nicolas nodded. "You can stay here for a while longer or you can return home – whichever is preferable to you." As they walked towards the living room, Nicolas chuckled and said, "Oh, by the way, I would like to give you my compliments on finding a way around the Trace."

Harry gawked. "Sir, how did you know…?"

"My boy, I can feel your magic through the door of your room, you know! It was very controlled and could only come from the use of a wand!" Nicolas laughed at Harry's expression. "I assumed you came up with the solution yourself?"

"Yes." Harry was still in shock. Nicolas had surprised him so much by not being surprised that Harry was starting to wonder if it was due to his age. Harry supposed the older you are, the more things you see, and the less you're surprised by things.

"So, tell me. How did you do it?"

Harry told him.

"That is a great example of magical experimentation. You wanted to reach a result, and you came up with a possible solution and tested it. That is how all magic should be done." Nicolas sat down on a sofa and motioned for Harry to sit on an armchair. He peered calculatingly at Harry with sharp blue eyes, reminding him of Professor Dumbledore. "Harry, I have seen many things throughout my lifetime. Such a long life can make one blasé to many things that should give him passion. At the last Wizarding War, I was asked by Albus to join the Order of the Phoenix, an organization against Voldemort. However, I refused because I wanted no more part in violence. I was against Voldemort's ideals. However, I had seen much violence and terror in my lifetime, and I wanted to stay away from all that. I was a coward."

Harry was startled by such a confession. First of all, it was the first time that Nicolas ever used his first name. Second, the subject of conversation was completely off-topic.

Nicolas heaved a great sigh and said with a tinge of remorse, "I was too cowardly to stand up for my own beliefs. I should have joined the efforts against Voldemort."

Harry didn't know how to respond to that.

"Dumbledore had told me much about you, Harry," the old man said. "You are not a cowardly person. You know what your beliefs are and want to stand up for them. Do not change. Such willpower and courage to do such a thing even in the face of opposition are not easy to come by. Do not change, or else, it might give you many regrets later on in your life. You have talent, and you work hard to nurture such talent. However, how you use your gifts are more important than what your gifts are."

Harry was strangely reminded of Hermione when they separated during the journey after the stone. "That was what a friend told me," he said. "But, Sir, why are you telling me all this?"

"You are the son of two of the most prominent members of the Order of the Phoenix," Nicolas said simply. "And your determination to protect the stone from Voldemort reminded me of the war. You reminded me of myself. When I was much younger, Harry, I was like you. I was determined to stand up for my beliefs. I stood up for muggleborns during a time when wizards and witches hated them for their association with muggles, who were persecuting magical folk. But time wore me down. I want to tell you this so that you might not make the same mistake I did. Time will send you obstacles of all kinds – isolation, grief, violence…But never, Harry, lose your determination. You might want to do good in the world, but if you lose your determination, it's no good."

Harry nodded. He already knew that.

Nicolas stared outside a window before saying quietly, "Harry, I give you permission to use the stone. I trust your judgment in using it and that you will not abuse its properties."

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