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***
I sighed, rubbing my eyes to shake off the drowsiness. Three years had passed since that night with Dobby and the children's book. Three years of small advances, of persuading the elf to bring more useful books, of studying in secret in the silence of my room, with only the flickering light of a candle to illuminate the pages.
They had been fruitful years, despite the sleepless nights.
Convincing Dobby to overcome his initial fear had been a challenge, but little by little, he became a loyal ally. Each book he brought from the Malfoys' library was a step forward: basic spell manuals, stories of the magical world, about magic schools, magical creatures, and wands.
The most important, however, was what I discovered about two of the names Death had given me: Nicolas Flamel and Herpo.
About Nicolas Flamel, besides being a legendary alchemist and the creator of the Philosopher's Stone, I found out—according to the Chronicles of Ancient Alchemy—that Flamel was born in the 14th century and, thanks to an elixir made from the Philosopher's Stone, achieved immortality, as long as he drank it regularly.
He and his wife, Perenelle, were mentioned as discreet figures, living away from the curious eyes of the magical world. A passage in Extraordinary Lives suggested that Flamel was a master of transmutation, with deep knowledge of potions and protective enchantments.
There were rumors that he kept the Stone hidden in an enchanted vault, protected by spells so complex that not even the best Gringotts break-in specialists would dare try. The book also mentioned his connection with the Beauxbatons school, where he and Perenelle supposedly helped finance the palace's construction and possibly its alchemical studies.
Unfortunately, I found nothing that indicated where he might be now, but the mention of Beauxbatons and his friendship with Albus Dumbledore led me to theorize that he could be in France or perhaps here in England.
A disturbing thought also crossed my mind with all this information. Death gave me three names who had "defied" its laws, but why wasn't Perenelle Flamel on the list? She also drank the elixir and defied death.
That led me to two hypotheses: either Death assumed that by killing Nicolas, Perenelle would die as well; or there were other targets Death hadn't revealed yet. The possibility was somewhat unsettling, but there was no point in getting worried or obsessed.
It wasn't something I could control.
As for Herpo the Foul, he did send chills down my spine. I found references to him in Forbidden Magic: Origins and Dangers, a book that discussed the rise of dark magic and the damage it inflicted on a wizard's psyche.
Herpo was mentioned as one of the first known dark wizards, an ancient Greek who lived centuries before Merlin. He was described as a genius of magic, but with a tendency toward evil. The book said Herpo experimented with forbidden magic, defying natural laws. The details were vague, almost as if the authors were afraid to write too much.
I believe there must be more information about what those experiments were in the library, but they're probably outside of Dobby's "safe" category.
What was perfectly clear, though, was that I wasn't screwed because of Voldemort, but because of this guy! Herpo had been alive for at least a millennium, probably the most powerful and experienced wizard in history. And I was supposed to find a way to kill him?
Impossible.
How was I supposed to do that? Wizards like Gellert Grindelwald, Albus Dumbledore, and Voldemort could take on multiple witches and wizards on their own — they were in a completely different class. And Herpo had to be a level above even them, right?
"CASSIUS, DAD'S HERE!"
Draco's shout made me close the wardrobe with a sigh. I adjusted the black cloak over my shoulders, trying to ignore the irritation of having to watch a Quidditch match. Not that I didn't like the sport — the brooms zooming at full speed, the bludgers whizzing through the air, some players falling and breaking bones.
Definitely more exciting than some Muggle sports, but compared to my problems, it felt like a waste of time.
I left the room and walked to the stairs, where Draco was drumming his fingers impatiently on the railing. "Finally," he muttered, glancing at me and making a face when he noticed something. "Hey, you forgot your glasses!"
"Oh." I stopped, raised a hand to my face, and realized I really had forgotten them. "Be right back." I turned and headed back to the room, ignoring Draco's exaggerated sigh behind me.
Unfortunately, that was the result of spending sleepless nights forcing my eyes to read in low light. I developed nearsightedness — a small prescription, but it still affected my distance vision.
As soon as I got back to my room, I scanned the area, searching for the silver frame of my glasses. For a second, I considered trying an Accio to summon them. But I discarded the idea almost immediately.
If there was one thing I'd learned about wandless magic, it was that it felt like trying to tame a storm with bare hands. Hard, exhausting, and for someone my age, dangerously unpredictable.
Sometimes the magic burst out uncontrollably; other times, it simply didn't work. And in the worst cases, it took strange paths, doing things I hadn't intended — like the time I tried to light a candle and nearly set the curtains on fire.
Luckily, Dobby was with me that day to put out the flames. Either way, since that incident, I gave up on trying spells without a wand until I turned eleven.
I spotted the glasses on the nightstand. I walked over and put them on. 'Guess I've got everything now.'
I left the room and returned to Draco, who was still in the same spot. "Quick as a slug, huh, Cassius?" he teased, throwing an arm around my shoulders.
It was a bit of an awkward gesture — Draco was slightly taller, and he seemed to enjoy reminding me of that. "Come on, before Father gets mad at us."
We headed down the stairs toward the front door, where Lucius's silhouette was already visible at the mansion's entrance.
He turned as he heard us arrive, his eyes scanning us from head to toe. "Let's go. The carriage is waiting."
***
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, images or songs featured in this fic. Additionally, I do not claim ownership of any products or properties mentioned in this novel. This work is entirely fanfic.