Authors Note : Um...Well...This is the last chapter of the story, originally. However, if you would like me write more (if you are unsatisfied with the ending), please do let me know. I enjoy writing, so...Yeah...Thanks! *hugs*
Part 17
"Albus! Albus! Wake up!"
Consciousness slowly crept back into Albus' brain. His vision was a little blurry, but he knew it was Nicholas shaking him and whispering in his ear. He could see nothing beyond that, except that it was dark. Faintly, he heard the sound of voices, and of carriage wheels rattling over gravel.
A very strong smell struck him, and Albus was wide awake. He was lying on the floor of a room of junk, covered in dust, and the curtains were closed. Nicholas left him and pushed them open, so that sunlight suddenly streamed in.
"What are you doing?" Albus asked, "Where are we?"
"Marshwood Manor now get up!"
"Marshwood Manor? Who owns this place?" Albus stood up and looked out the window with Nicholas. There were all sorts of people running back and forth between the house they were in (which appeared very large) and the chapel just over the nearest knoll.
"How did we get here?"
"I took the liberty of giving you a drink of champagne with a sleeping draught in it," Nicholas replied hurriedly, "And brought you here. We are in southern England."
"Why?"
"Marshwood Manor belongs to the Greens."
"The Greens," Albus yawned, then jumped, "The GREENS!?! YOU BROUGHT ME TO THE GREENS' MANOR?!?!"
"Shut up!" Nicholas whispered furiously, "They do not know that we are here!"
"Why did you bring me here, Nicholas? Why now? What is going on?"
"Oh you can not be that thick, Albus! Look out the window, what do you see?"
Albus looked, "The wedding."
"Yes! Very good!"
Albus slammed his fist against the window. Several people down on the lawn looked up, but saw no one, for Nicholas had grabbed Albus by the back on his collar and dragged him down.
"Why? Why? Is this your idea of a joke, Nicholas?" Albus moaned.
"No, you idiot!"
"Then WHY?"
"Shhhh!!" Nicholas clapped his hand over Albus' mouth. There were voices coming up the stairs, foot steps...
"Apparently," A woman's voice said, "He grew very angry when she refused to come to him the other night."
"So he threw a bottle of wine against the wall?"
"He always has had a temper, ever since he was a little boy, you will soon learn that."
The voices passed by their door and disappeared.
Albus pushed Nicholas' arm away, "Why are we here?"
"Albus, I know how much you love Poppy," Nicholas said very seriously, "And the other
night, at the ball-"
"The other night? How long have we been here?"
"Three days."
"Three days?!?! Are you insane Nicholas?"
"No, I am brilliant," Nicholas grinned, "Before I brought us here, I took the liberty of stopping by Gringott's."
"To do what? Drain my account so that you get my parents' money as well as my hospitality?"
"No, but I did borrow a few Galleons to pay for the inns and such, since I am doing this all
for you, but that is not important. What I stopped by to get," Nicholas reached into a pocket inside his jacket, "Was this."
He pulled out the Sorcerer's Stone.
"Are you mad?" Albus almost yelled, but caught himself, "Do you know how dangerous it is to bring that out of Gringott's? What if someone gets a hold of it? What if you accidentally feed someone the Elixir of Life? Do you know what would happen? We would be arrested!"
Albus suddenly paused, and then said slowly, "Nicholas, what are we doing here?"
"I know how much you love Poppy," Nicholas said again, "And, obviously, there is no way
to stop this marriage. It will happen in a few hours and Poppy Pomfrey will be Mrs. Green, mistress of Marshwood Manor."
"Why do you insist on reminding me?"
"Because Poppy Pomfrey will be Mrs. Green, mistress of Marshwood Manor - Until her
husband dies."
"We are not killing anyone, Nicholas!" Albus stood up and brushed his coat off.
"Of course we are not killing anyone!" Nicholas stood as well, "Lawrence Green will live a long and decent life with his beautiful wife and they will have several children and so on so forth. But when he dies, his wife is free to go to whomever she pleases."
Albus rolled his eyes, "What if she dies first, Nicholas? And even so, who says I am going to still be around? We can not choose how long we live, Nicholas. What if I walk out the door right now and get run over by a carriage?"
Nicholas slapped Albus. He actually reached out his hand and slapped his best friend across the face. Albus turned his face, and then looked back at Nicholas, his hand to his cheek.
"You bastard!" Albus whispered, "What the hell do you think-"
"Are you stupid?!" Nicholas exclaimed, "Albus, what the hell are we famous for? We have the SORCERER'S STONE!"
It took a moment for that to sink in. Albus peered at Nicholas, and at the red stone clutched in his hand. Then, he turned on his heel and made for the door.
"Where are you going?" Nicholas asked in an exasperated voice.
"I am not taking the Elixir of Life," Albus said, "I refuse. And I will not make Poppy take it either."
"Why not?"
"Because I do not want to live forever!" Albus turned on Nicholas, his face very red, "And what if the Stone is destroyed one day? Then I will die?"
"Listen to what I have to say," Nicholas grabbed Albus by his arms and pulled him close, looking him straight in the eye, "I have found a spell. In my work, I stumbled across it. Now, if my research is correct - which it always is - then, if you take the Elixir of Life, and then I cast this spell on you, if you live for another thousand years or you live for ten, it does not matter. If the Stone is destroyed, you will not die because of it."
Albus closed his eyes.
The possibility that had just been presented to him was so powerful, so promising...And so dangerous. What if the spell did not work? Nicholas never had been wrong, but there was a first chance for everything. Albus had learned that lesson well enough. What if Nicholas accidentally killed him? What if he grew warts or sprouted fangs? What if the spell did not work at all, and if the Stone was destroyed, he would die?...Something stirred in Albus' stomach. He took a moment to recognize it, and then found it was a perfect indifference. His love for Poppy was strong enough that whatever the risks were, they were more than worth it.
Albus opened his eyes again, and they were sparkling in that wonderful way that no one had seen since May.
"We have a problem though," He said.
"What?" Nicholas asked with a groan.
"How do we convince Poppy?"
Poppy gazed into the mirror, wondering at how lovely she looked and how that could not have contradicted the feelings within herself more. She wore a beautiful gown decorate with beads and silk roses, a circle of the same silk roses about her head, and falling from them a long veil. In her hand, she held a bouquet, and she looked very lovely indeed. The sunlight was blocked out of her windows by the curtains, and if anyone had entered the room, they would have thought her in mourning, so grim was the atmosphere. The only light was from the candles situated about the room.
"Well," Poppy said to her reflection, "This is the day when all of your dreams die. But smile. You will soon be mistress of a beautiful estate and wife to a handsome, clever, intelligent, rich cad."
And upon that statement, she burst into tears. They would have gone on for a very long time, but there was a knock upon the door.
"Enter," She said.
The servant that opened the door was a tall, blonde gentleman. She had not made the acquaintance of all the servants on the manor yet, and was eager to do so. Though she did not enjoy the prospect of being mistress to the manor, she had resolved to do all in her power to do it with a smile on her face, and to be well-loved by all her servants.
This young man, who was wearing a black suit (this was curious to her, for the servants usually wore dark blue), had a tray with a glass of wine on it. He set it down before her, and turned to go.
"Oh, no," Poppy said, "I can not drink this. Not before my wedding."
"I would advise that you do," He said.
Poppy turned to look upon him more clearly, for it was not usual for a servant to speak thus. What a start she had when she saw herself looking at Nicholas Flamel.
"Nicholas!" She exclaimed.
He pulled his wand out of his pocket, pointed it at the door, and locked it.
"What are you doing here?" She whispered, running to him, "Why are you here?"
"I do not have much time," Nicholas replied, holding her. He quickly whispered his discovery into her ear.
"Are you sure it will work?" She asked, eyes wide.
"I have never been wrong," He replied, with an earnest smile, "And I would never dream of attempting anything so dangerous on my closest friend and the woman he loves unless I was absolutely positive that it would work."
"Is he here?" Poppy asked, tears springing into her eyes.
"Yes," Nicholas brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, "He is here, well hidden. He refuses to take the potion until he is assured you have. You will have to write him a note."
"Oh he is here!" Poppy fell into a chair, hand to her forehead, "To think he is here! The man I love, here, at my wedding day! He might get killed!"
"Albus can take care of himself, he is not a fool, now drink that wine," Nicholas picked up the glass and handed it to her.
Poppy looked at it carefully. She considered...And had the same doubts as Albus...And the same resolution. Love was worth the risk.
"Hurry, Poppy!" Nicholas said, "Someone is coming!"
Poppy turned her eyes up to Nicholas, pleading with him.
"Poppy, do you love Albus?"
"Yes."
"Then drink the potion! Now!"
"Poppy, my dear?" A voice said on the other side of the door. A knock, "Poppy?"
"Just a moment!" Poppy called, her voice strangled.
She put the glass to her lips, and swallowed the wine.
"Poppy!" The voice, now sharp.
"Just a moment!" Poppy called again.
Nicholas pointed his wand at her, "Retexo aeternitas!" He exclaimed.
Poppy felt herself shudder, and then..."What about the note?"
"When you get out of the carriage, after it pulls away, drop a flower from your bouquet."
"Alohomora!" Was heard on the other side of the door.
"Go!" Poppy urged.
The door opened, and Poppy's mother stepped through.
"Were you here alone, dearest?" She asked.
"Yes, Mother, why?" Poppy set the glass down.
"I swore I heard another voice."
"I suppose it carried up from the lawn," Poppy smiled, "What is it?"
"The carriage is ready for you."
Mrs. Pomfrey did not notice, as she smiled at her daughter, that the windows in the room were not open, nor did she notice as her daughter loosened one of the flowers from her bouquet
"Did she drink it?" Albus asked, when Nicholas appeared at his side, "Did she?"
"Yes, but I did not have time to get a note," Nicholas replied, "You will have to just believe me. I told her that, when the carriage pulled away from after dropping her off at the church, she should drop a flower to ensure you that she had taken the potion."
Albus ran to the window. The carriage was ambling along the path towards the chapel. He moved a bit to the left, and could just see the door. The carriage rounded the knoll, and stopped.
"Oh there she is!" He sighed, watching as she stepped down, "She looks so beautiful...There! She just dropped a flower!"
"Are you ready then?" Nicholas asked.
Albus could not turn away from the window until she had disappeared inside the chapel, and when he did, Nicholas was holding another glass of wine. Albus took it up, and drank it slowly. It was the strangest feeling, as the potion entered his veins. He suddenly felt so young, so alive, so vital. Nicholas performed the spell on him.
"Is that all?" Albus asked.
"Yes, are you ready to leave?"
"I fear I could stay here all my life and never grow tired of being locked up in an attic," Albus sighed, gazing out the window again, "But...Yes. We will see each other again one day, I know that much."
No one noticed the carriage that turned away from the house, towards the main road.
"Will you go to her as soon as he dies?" Nicholas asked, after an hour of silence.
"No," Albus shook his head, "I think that we will see each other much sooner than that. Remember, she is to take over Madame Corlow's position. I always did want to teach Transfiguration."
Nicholas nodded, "Perhaps you will then."
"And now, at least, there is no need of hurrying," Albus looked straight into his friend's turquoise eyes, "We have forever. And there is so much I can do with my life at this point. I know she will always be true to me. Poppy does not turn her back because someone closes a door in her face. If they do, she will push it back open, even if it takes eternity. She will always be consistent."
With that statement, the conversation ended. The two friends journeyed back to London, to return to their work, and to return the Stone to Gringott's, vault 713.
Part 17
"Albus! Albus! Wake up!"
Consciousness slowly crept back into Albus' brain. His vision was a little blurry, but he knew it was Nicholas shaking him and whispering in his ear. He could see nothing beyond that, except that it was dark. Faintly, he heard the sound of voices, and of carriage wheels rattling over gravel.
A very strong smell struck him, and Albus was wide awake. He was lying on the floor of a room of junk, covered in dust, and the curtains were closed. Nicholas left him and pushed them open, so that sunlight suddenly streamed in.
"What are you doing?" Albus asked, "Where are we?"
"Marshwood Manor now get up!"
"Marshwood Manor? Who owns this place?" Albus stood up and looked out the window with Nicholas. There were all sorts of people running back and forth between the house they were in (which appeared very large) and the chapel just over the nearest knoll.
"How did we get here?"
"I took the liberty of giving you a drink of champagne with a sleeping draught in it," Nicholas replied hurriedly, "And brought you here. We are in southern England."
"Why?"
"Marshwood Manor belongs to the Greens."
"The Greens," Albus yawned, then jumped, "The GREENS!?! YOU BROUGHT ME TO THE GREENS' MANOR?!?!"
"Shut up!" Nicholas whispered furiously, "They do not know that we are here!"
"Why did you bring me here, Nicholas? Why now? What is going on?"
"Oh you can not be that thick, Albus! Look out the window, what do you see?"
Albus looked, "The wedding."
"Yes! Very good!"
Albus slammed his fist against the window. Several people down on the lawn looked up, but saw no one, for Nicholas had grabbed Albus by the back on his collar and dragged him down.
"Why? Why? Is this your idea of a joke, Nicholas?" Albus moaned.
"No, you idiot!"
"Then WHY?"
"Shhhh!!" Nicholas clapped his hand over Albus' mouth. There were voices coming up the stairs, foot steps...
"Apparently," A woman's voice said, "He grew very angry when she refused to come to him the other night."
"So he threw a bottle of wine against the wall?"
"He always has had a temper, ever since he was a little boy, you will soon learn that."
The voices passed by their door and disappeared.
Albus pushed Nicholas' arm away, "Why are we here?"
"Albus, I know how much you love Poppy," Nicholas said very seriously, "And the other
night, at the ball-"
"The other night? How long have we been here?"
"Three days."
"Three days?!?! Are you insane Nicholas?"
"No, I am brilliant," Nicholas grinned, "Before I brought us here, I took the liberty of stopping by Gringott's."
"To do what? Drain my account so that you get my parents' money as well as my hospitality?"
"No, but I did borrow a few Galleons to pay for the inns and such, since I am doing this all
for you, but that is not important. What I stopped by to get," Nicholas reached into a pocket inside his jacket, "Was this."
He pulled out the Sorcerer's Stone.
"Are you mad?" Albus almost yelled, but caught himself, "Do you know how dangerous it is to bring that out of Gringott's? What if someone gets a hold of it? What if you accidentally feed someone the Elixir of Life? Do you know what would happen? We would be arrested!"
Albus suddenly paused, and then said slowly, "Nicholas, what are we doing here?"
"I know how much you love Poppy," Nicholas said again, "And, obviously, there is no way
to stop this marriage. It will happen in a few hours and Poppy Pomfrey will be Mrs. Green, mistress of Marshwood Manor."
"Why do you insist on reminding me?"
"Because Poppy Pomfrey will be Mrs. Green, mistress of Marshwood Manor - Until her
husband dies."
"We are not killing anyone, Nicholas!" Albus stood up and brushed his coat off.
"Of course we are not killing anyone!" Nicholas stood as well, "Lawrence Green will live a long and decent life with his beautiful wife and they will have several children and so on so forth. But when he dies, his wife is free to go to whomever she pleases."
Albus rolled his eyes, "What if she dies first, Nicholas? And even so, who says I am going to still be around? We can not choose how long we live, Nicholas. What if I walk out the door right now and get run over by a carriage?"
Nicholas slapped Albus. He actually reached out his hand and slapped his best friend across the face. Albus turned his face, and then looked back at Nicholas, his hand to his cheek.
"You bastard!" Albus whispered, "What the hell do you think-"
"Are you stupid?!" Nicholas exclaimed, "Albus, what the hell are we famous for? We have the SORCERER'S STONE!"
It took a moment for that to sink in. Albus peered at Nicholas, and at the red stone clutched in his hand. Then, he turned on his heel and made for the door.
"Where are you going?" Nicholas asked in an exasperated voice.
"I am not taking the Elixir of Life," Albus said, "I refuse. And I will not make Poppy take it either."
"Why not?"
"Because I do not want to live forever!" Albus turned on Nicholas, his face very red, "And what if the Stone is destroyed one day? Then I will die?"
"Listen to what I have to say," Nicholas grabbed Albus by his arms and pulled him close, looking him straight in the eye, "I have found a spell. In my work, I stumbled across it. Now, if my research is correct - which it always is - then, if you take the Elixir of Life, and then I cast this spell on you, if you live for another thousand years or you live for ten, it does not matter. If the Stone is destroyed, you will not die because of it."
Albus closed his eyes.
The possibility that had just been presented to him was so powerful, so promising...And so dangerous. What if the spell did not work? Nicholas never had been wrong, but there was a first chance for everything. Albus had learned that lesson well enough. What if Nicholas accidentally killed him? What if he grew warts or sprouted fangs? What if the spell did not work at all, and if the Stone was destroyed, he would die?...Something stirred in Albus' stomach. He took a moment to recognize it, and then found it was a perfect indifference. His love for Poppy was strong enough that whatever the risks were, they were more than worth it.
Albus opened his eyes again, and they were sparkling in that wonderful way that no one had seen since May.
"We have a problem though," He said.
"What?" Nicholas asked with a groan.
"How do we convince Poppy?"
Poppy gazed into the mirror, wondering at how lovely she looked and how that could not have contradicted the feelings within herself more. She wore a beautiful gown decorate with beads and silk roses, a circle of the same silk roses about her head, and falling from them a long veil. In her hand, she held a bouquet, and she looked very lovely indeed. The sunlight was blocked out of her windows by the curtains, and if anyone had entered the room, they would have thought her in mourning, so grim was the atmosphere. The only light was from the candles situated about the room.
"Well," Poppy said to her reflection, "This is the day when all of your dreams die. But smile. You will soon be mistress of a beautiful estate and wife to a handsome, clever, intelligent, rich cad."
And upon that statement, she burst into tears. They would have gone on for a very long time, but there was a knock upon the door.
"Enter," She said.
The servant that opened the door was a tall, blonde gentleman. She had not made the acquaintance of all the servants on the manor yet, and was eager to do so. Though she did not enjoy the prospect of being mistress to the manor, she had resolved to do all in her power to do it with a smile on her face, and to be well-loved by all her servants.
This young man, who was wearing a black suit (this was curious to her, for the servants usually wore dark blue), had a tray with a glass of wine on it. He set it down before her, and turned to go.
"Oh, no," Poppy said, "I can not drink this. Not before my wedding."
"I would advise that you do," He said.
Poppy turned to look upon him more clearly, for it was not usual for a servant to speak thus. What a start she had when she saw herself looking at Nicholas Flamel.
"Nicholas!" She exclaimed.
He pulled his wand out of his pocket, pointed it at the door, and locked it.
"What are you doing here?" She whispered, running to him, "Why are you here?"
"I do not have much time," Nicholas replied, holding her. He quickly whispered his discovery into her ear.
"Are you sure it will work?" She asked, eyes wide.
"I have never been wrong," He replied, with an earnest smile, "And I would never dream of attempting anything so dangerous on my closest friend and the woman he loves unless I was absolutely positive that it would work."
"Is he here?" Poppy asked, tears springing into her eyes.
"Yes," Nicholas brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, "He is here, well hidden. He refuses to take the potion until he is assured you have. You will have to write him a note."
"Oh he is here!" Poppy fell into a chair, hand to her forehead, "To think he is here! The man I love, here, at my wedding day! He might get killed!"
"Albus can take care of himself, he is not a fool, now drink that wine," Nicholas picked up the glass and handed it to her.
Poppy looked at it carefully. She considered...And had the same doubts as Albus...And the same resolution. Love was worth the risk.
"Hurry, Poppy!" Nicholas said, "Someone is coming!"
Poppy turned her eyes up to Nicholas, pleading with him.
"Poppy, do you love Albus?"
"Yes."
"Then drink the potion! Now!"
"Poppy, my dear?" A voice said on the other side of the door. A knock, "Poppy?"
"Just a moment!" Poppy called, her voice strangled.
She put the glass to her lips, and swallowed the wine.
"Poppy!" The voice, now sharp.
"Just a moment!" Poppy called again.
Nicholas pointed his wand at her, "Retexo aeternitas!" He exclaimed.
Poppy felt herself shudder, and then..."What about the note?"
"When you get out of the carriage, after it pulls away, drop a flower from your bouquet."
"Alohomora!" Was heard on the other side of the door.
"Go!" Poppy urged.
The door opened, and Poppy's mother stepped through.
"Were you here alone, dearest?" She asked.
"Yes, Mother, why?" Poppy set the glass down.
"I swore I heard another voice."
"I suppose it carried up from the lawn," Poppy smiled, "What is it?"
"The carriage is ready for you."
Mrs. Pomfrey did not notice, as she smiled at her daughter, that the windows in the room were not open, nor did she notice as her daughter loosened one of the flowers from her bouquet
"Did she drink it?" Albus asked, when Nicholas appeared at his side, "Did she?"
"Yes, but I did not have time to get a note," Nicholas replied, "You will have to just believe me. I told her that, when the carriage pulled away from after dropping her off at the church, she should drop a flower to ensure you that she had taken the potion."
Albus ran to the window. The carriage was ambling along the path towards the chapel. He moved a bit to the left, and could just see the door. The carriage rounded the knoll, and stopped.
"Oh there she is!" He sighed, watching as she stepped down, "She looks so beautiful...There! She just dropped a flower!"
"Are you ready then?" Nicholas asked.
Albus could not turn away from the window until she had disappeared inside the chapel, and when he did, Nicholas was holding another glass of wine. Albus took it up, and drank it slowly. It was the strangest feeling, as the potion entered his veins. He suddenly felt so young, so alive, so vital. Nicholas performed the spell on him.
"Is that all?" Albus asked.
"Yes, are you ready to leave?"
"I fear I could stay here all my life and never grow tired of being locked up in an attic," Albus sighed, gazing out the window again, "But...Yes. We will see each other again one day, I know that much."
No one noticed the carriage that turned away from the house, towards the main road.
"Will you go to her as soon as he dies?" Nicholas asked, after an hour of silence.
"No," Albus shook his head, "I think that we will see each other much sooner than that. Remember, she is to take over Madame Corlow's position. I always did want to teach Transfiguration."
Nicholas nodded, "Perhaps you will then."
"And now, at least, there is no need of hurrying," Albus looked straight into his friend's turquoise eyes, "We have forever. And there is so much I can do with my life at this point. I know she will always be true to me. Poppy does not turn her back because someone closes a door in her face. If they do, she will push it back open, even if it takes eternity. She will always be consistent."
With that statement, the conversation ended. The two friends journeyed back to London, to return to their work, and to return the Stone to Gringott's, vault 713.