Chapter Twenty-Eight:

The Mystery of Nicholas Flamel Revealed


Harry sped through the air at high speeds on his Nimbus 2000, going another lap around the Quidditch pitch. It was the second week into the new term, and despite the fact that they should be getting ready for upcoming final exams, Hufflepuff Quidditch Team Captain Laini was making sure that everyone was on top of their game with practices nearly every day.

Not that Harry minded, he was doing fairly well in classes - well, besides History of Magic and Defense Against the Dark Arts - and Susan took well-enough notes that she helped him out with homework and made sure he, Neville, and even Draco and Regina stayed on top of things.

Below, Harry could see Beau and Zuzana hitting practices Bludgers towards enchanted wooden targets that were flying in random patterns, Laini and Alex were tossing a Quaffle between them to practice their throws and catches, and Cedric was working with Tatiana as she worked on protecting the three ring goals.

And even further below, Harry could just make out Regina, who was sitting in the stands, glancing between the book in her lap and the watch in hand. She had been tagging along to more and more practices, just so she wouldn't be left alone in case the other Slytherin girls decided to make another appearance. Laini had been a little suspicious at first, thinking her a spy for the Slytherin team, but with time (and Harry promising that she wouldn't be telling the other team anything), the captain had warmed up to her, and even gave her a magical timer that would track Harry's time and speed, so they could see how he was improving.

With so much extra practice, it had been hard for Harry to help his friends with all the research they had been doing; not only with looking for the mysterious Nicholas Flamel but starting to gather information on the process of how to become an Animagus. He felt bad about it but wasn't as if he could tell Laini that he couldn't make a practice because he was on the hunt for a mysterious man, or that they were looking for a way to do something that was technically illegal.

A loud whistle pierced the air, and Harry looked down again to see Laini waving at everyone to land. Harry descended a few moments later, stepping off onto the muddy ground. It had been raining for days, washing away the snow and replacing it with mud. This day the first time in a long time that it hadn't begun to pour.

Gathering them around her, Laini clapped her hands together. "Alright, everyone - from what I observed today, things are going great." She pointed at Tatiana, who startled at the sudden attention. "I noticed some really great blocks there, Tee, good job. You've really improved."

Tatiana blushed at the comment, and Cedric leaned over and ruffled her hair. Even though they were almost the same age - Tatiana just a year older than Cedric - they had bounded over the last couple months and were more like brother and sister.

"Beau, Zuzana," Laini pointed to them as well, "nice job with those hits, but maybe take it down a notch when we're going against the Gryffindors. We don't want to send those Weasley boys to the medical ward. Not too much, though."

Zuzana gave a wicked grin, and Beau just nodded solemnly.

"Alex, hate to pick on you but pick up your speed just a little bit. It's been lagging the last couple weeks."

"I know," grumbled Alex, glancing at his broom. "I think the spells on my broom are starting to go. It's getting harder and harder to speed up in a pinch."

"Maybe your parents will get you a new one?" suggested Cedric.

At the mention of his parents, Alex stiffened, barely, but enough that Harry noticed it, along with the sudden rush of sadness, tainted with anger. "Yeah, maybe," he answered carefully, and Beau casually took his hand and squeezed it. Harry had the feeling that Alex and his family didn't get along very well; maybe because of his sexual orientation?

"And finally, Harry," Laini went on, but instead of pointing her finger at him, she pointed to Regina instead, who was waiting nearby. "What was his time and speed today?"

Regina glanced down at the notes she made. "Best speed and time today was... five laps at one hundred forty kilometer's in two minutes and thirty-three seconds."

The team congratulated him, and Cedric clapping him on the back while Zuzana ruffled his hair.

"Great work tonight, everyone." Laini clapped her hands together again, rubbing them gleefully. "I think we'll do great against Gryffindor in the match in two weeks." Then she sighed. "Just fair warning, though - Professor Sprout told me that Snape is going to be refereeing the match, so watch what you -."

"Snape? As in Head of Slytherin, Snape?" questioned Alex suddenly, leaning against his boyfriend, still joined by their hands. "Why would he care about a Quidditch match?"

"Don't know," shrugged Laini. "He just decided he was going to do it."

"And is he going to be a fair referee?" asked Zuzana with a tilt of his head.

"Well, towards us he might," admitted the captain. "He had no resentment towards Hufflepuffs. Gryffindors on the other hand..." She shrugged again. "Nothing we can do about. Let's just have a quick game so that he can't flag us for anything. So," she pointed at Harry, "you have one of the most important jobs of the team. You need to get the Snitch as quickly as possible, so we can end the game. And you two," she turned her finger towards Beau and Zuzana, "need to protect him and make sure that no one takes him down with a random Bludger. And also make sure he doesn't almost fall off his broom again. You two got it?"

"Got it," chimed out the two.

"But, that doesn't mean the rest of us can't work hard," Laini went on to say, gesturing towards her other teammates. "Alex, Cedric - the three of us need to keep the Quaffle away from the Gryffindors much as we can, and maybe score some points while we're at it. Might as well try and get as many extra points for Hufflepuff as possible. And Tatiana." She smiled at Keeper. "You have the most important position. Make sure not a single one of those bull-headed Gryffindors score a point while we're out there. Right?"

"Right!" called out the rest of the team.

"Alright, everyone, go on and get some sleep, and remember, no practice tomorrow. You all deserve a day off."

"See you in a bit, Regina," Harry promised Regina, who nodded and promised to wait outside the changing room.

"And thank the goddess for that!" groaned Zuzana as the team started to shuffle towards the changing tent, which was two changing areas side by side, with a low wall of lockers separating them and a pair of showers on each side. There was a certain amount of trust that no one would peek on the opposite gender, along with a few spells that would block those with ill-intent from entering the opposite sex's side. "I have a paper a mile long to work on," she admitted as the team separated to their appointed sides and started peeling off their gear and uniforms.

"Is that the paper that McGonagall gave us to work on?" asked Tatiana, since she and Zuzana were both in their fourth year together. "She gave us that assignment two weeks ago. You haven't even started it yet?"

"Yeah, well, I work better under pressure," Zuzana said dismissively, and the girls laughed. "Besides, I don't want to work on a paper on some super old alchemist."

"Oh, come on, Zuzana," protested Tatiana. "Nicholas Flamel made some of the greatest advances in transfiguration and transmutation, doesn't that interest you at all?"

Harry froze, his fresh shirt half over his head. Did he hear that name right? Yanking it on, Harry rushed over to the opposite side, throwing his hands over his eyes so as to give the girls some privacy, as human's usually preferred. "Tatiana," he called out, ignoring the small panicked squeals and the questions of what he was doing. "Did you say Nicholas Flamel?"

"Harry - what - yes, I said Nicholas Flamel," stammered out Tatiana. "The famous alchemist. Why?"

"Famous? But -"

"Oi, Harry, aren't you a little young to start peeking into the girl's dressing room?" called out Alex with a cackle until Beau shushed him.

"Leave him alone, Alex, we can take care of this. Harry, you can lower your hands now," spoke up Laini, "We're decent again."

Nodding, Harry slowly lowered his hands, facing his three female teammates in colorful tank tops and shorts. Zuzana crossed his arms. "Why are you so interested in Nicolas Flamel, Harry? I know McGonagall doesn't start talking about him till third year at least."

"My friends and I... we heard someone talk about him, and we've been looking for any information on him, but we couldn't find anything," admitted Harry. "We thought that maybe he wasn't a wizard, and that's why we couldn't find anything in the library."

"You looked for him mostly in recent books?" asked Laini, speaking up to the other two girls surprise. When Harry nodded, she gave a little 'ah'. "See, there's your problem." She waved for Harry to take a seat on the long bench in the middle of the changing area. "Looks like I get to give a history lesson. Thank the goddess I got an "O" on my essay last year when I had to do it."

"Ooh, story time!" said Zuzana with excitement, sitting down on the bench with Harry. "I love story time. Plus, it helps I can use this information for my report - right?"

Huffing and shaking her head, Laini still went on. "Nicholas Flamel is an alchemist, a famous alchemist, and the only one to ever create the Philosopher's Stone. The Philosopher's Stone can create gold and can create an elixir that can extend your life and basically make you immortal."

"Whoa," said Harry, blinking in surprise. "That's amazing. But, if he's that famous, why couldn't we find any information on him?"

"You wouldn't be able to find anything because all of these discoveries were made when Flamel was about forty. And that was about six hundred years ago."

Whistling, Zuzana shook her head. "Wow. I can't imagine living almost seven hundred years... I bet you'd get bored really fast."

"Well, he's private, but he also keeps busy," spoke up Tatiana. "He helped Dumbledore find twelve uses for dragon's blood about fifty years ago. Who knows what he's doing now?"

Harry pondered the information for a moment. The Philosopher's Stone was rare and powerful. Was that what Fluffy was protecting? It made sense, especially if he was friends with Dumbledore. Because didn't Hagrid say that Hogwarts was one of the most secure places in the Wizarding world, along with Gringotts? But that might not mean anything, the bank had already been broken into...

He needed to talk with his friends.

As Harry exited the changing room, running a hand through his wild hair, Regina looked up from the book she had been reading a commented unexpectedly, "I think you need to get a haircut."

"What? And get rid of my beautiful long hair?" Harry said with a fake gasp, tossing his head back so that his hair went flying like he had seen many of other girls do, and Regina laughed. "I do think I need a trim, though." His mother had kept it just above his shoulders, but now it was touching his shoulders and threating to go down his back. "Recommend anyone?"

"Well, I would offer, but I don't I think that I do a very good job," Regina said with a blush as they started walking, touching the ends of the short hair she came back from holiday with. "Maybe Milli? She fixed my hair after I butchered it."

"Mm, I don't think Milli likes me enough for that," mused Harry, trying to hold back a shudder. He could only image the Slytherin girl leaving his hair in ruins with a gleeful smile. "I'll ask Professor Sprout, maybe she'll know someone."

Humming in agreement, Regina looked towards the castle, her expression suddenly mournful. "The school year will be over soon," she said softly. "Just a few more months."

Automatically, Harry knew what she was thinking; of not going home to her mother, and moving into the Malfoy household. "How are you getting along with Draco?" he asked, hoping the blond had behaving been as well as Harry thought (or hoped) he had.

"Better, I guess," Regina replied with a shrug. "I guess... it just feels like he's keeping something huge from me, and is proud of it." She tucked a lock hair behind her ear nervously. "I guess it just has me... I guess worried is the best way to put it, you know?"

Harry frowned, thinking of the way Draco had a tendancy to strut a little more around Regina, and how he held Harry's biggest secret, with Regina the only one of their group not knowing. "Yah, I think I know." And he was going to have a talk to him about that.


Authors Note: Hey everyone! Sorry today's update is later than normal, but I've been so busy the past month like you wouldn't believe! Two part-time jobs, part-time school, helping produce a show that's about to start and preforming in it, and my show from six months ago was asked to perform again at a festival - which is tomorrow by the way - so basically I haven't had a chance to read, write, or even relax for the past month.

And as to the chapter being short than normal, there's a full-length explanation for that on my profile, but believe me, it's for the best at the moment.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this short chapter, and I'll be updating again in two weeks!