Hogwarts: I Am an Exemplary Wizard

Chapter 540: Chapter 538: The Elder Wand and the Diadem

When Kael came out of the Headmaster’s Office, it was already evening.

The main reason was that Dumbledore had left in a hurry after obtaining the Nirvana Ashes. According to Nicolas, he needed to prepare other things necessary for the creation of the Philosopher’s Stone.

Nicolas also needed to leave.

At his request, Kael escorted him to the tallest point in the school, the Astronomy Tower.

Nicolas walked very slowly, and Kael accompanied him, matching his pace as they headed towards the tower.

Occasionally, they encountered one or two Gryffindor students in the corridor, who curiously asked Kael what he was doing and why he was walking so slowly, seemingly oblivious to the presence of Nicolas beside him.

”Just a little trick,” Nicolas explained. ”I don’t want my name making headlines in the newspapers tomorrow; it saves me a lot of trouble.”

Kael nodded in understanding.

The name Nicolas Flamel seemed to possess magical power. Even a brief appearance by him could cause a stir throughout the Magic Realm.

For this reason, he almost never left his manor, going only occasionally to the old house in France or taking a vacation at a Muggle beach far from wizards.

As they continued walking, turning the first corridor, Kael couldn’t help but ask, ”Nicolas, is the help you mentioned referring to the diadem?”

”I knew you would ask me that,” Nicolas said. ”The Soul Fragment in the diadem has completely disappeared, just as I mentioned before. It’s now as good as new.

I must say, it’s the most perfect alchemy item I’ve ever seen. Even I find it hard to resist the charm of the diadem...”

”I thought you might bring the diadem this time,” Kael suddenly said. ”After all, we agreed on a six-month timeline.”

”I intended to bring it,” Nicolas replied, unchanged in expression, ”but I overestimated my memory. Yet, we can’t expect a six-hundred-year-old man to remember everything, right?”

”And Tata, you should have reminded me before leaving.”

Tata, who was following behind, twitched his ears, ”Sorry, master, Tata will remember next time.”

Then Tata lowered his head and continued walking silently.

What else could he do? He was just a poor house-elf, left to take the blame honestly.

Kael pursed his lips. He had some understanding now of why Nicolas made a personal visit.

Here, he could forget to bring the diadem, but if Kael went to the manor, there would be no excuse.

No wonder he is a wise old wizard who’s lived over six hundred years, overflowing with cunning.

”Alright, no more jokes,” Nicolas said with a smile. ”I can give you the diadem anytime, but I don’t recommend you engage with it too early... The reason being, I’m not sure if you’ve heard the story of the Deathly Hallows.”

”The Deathly Hallows from The Tales of Beedle the Bard?” Kael replied, ”I’ve read it. It talks about the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and the Invisibility Cloak.”

”Yes, that’s the one.”

Nicolas continued slowly, ”Excessive power can easily lead one astray, much like the story of the three brothers, where Antioch Peverell, who obtained the unbeatable Elder Wand, forgot the caution and vigilance he should have had, ultimately being killed easily.

”The diadem is another form of the Elder Wand. The wisdom it offers can be addictive, and once the diadem is removed, it feels like losing everything.

Without a strong enough heart, one can never escape this sense of loss... unless you can wear it forever, or rather, be enslaved by it.”

Kael listened silently, finally asking after a long pause, ”Nicolas, even you are influenced by the diadem?”

”Oh, certainly not,”

Nicolas replied with a smile, ”I’ve experienced far too much, so many that I can hardly remember them all. They’ve constantly changed me, allowing me to face everything calmly today, even six hundred years later.”

As they spoke, they had arrived at the Astronomy Tower.

Tata hurriedly stepped forward, searching around the tower for something.

Then both his hands pressed down forcefully.

It was as if a large ’Invisibility Cloak’ was pulled down, revealing a hidden... airship.

Yes, an airship, about the same size as the giant squid in the Black Lake, with a cabin beneath that seemed like an overturned boat on the lake’s surface.

It’s hard to imagine such a large airship could be stably parked atop the small tower, but if associated with Nicolas Flamel, it seemed to make sense.

”Here you go,” Nicolas said, handing Kael a blank piece of parchment.

”Once you’ve made your decision, write to me. Use this parchment, and an owl will find the location of the manor.”

”Okay,” Kael replied, taking it, then asked after a moment’s thought, ”But might you have more of this parchment? One might not be enough.”

”What?” Nicolas seemed not to grasp it fully. ”It’s just one letter; it doesn’t need to be long.”

Kael didn’t explain, simply pulling out a box silently.

Nicolas took a few instinctive steps forward.

He recognized this box as the one he had given Kael before, from which Ravenclaw’s diadem had previously been retrieved.

So, what could it be this time? He couldn’t help but be curious, surely Kael hadn’t found another Horcrux?

”I was thinking of visiting Devon again, but it seems I don’t need to now.”

Kael casually opened the box, revealing a small double-handled golden cup and a gem-encrusted pendant box.

Seeing the contents, Nicolas’s mouth twitched slightly, ”This couldn’t be...”

”Ah, it’s Hufflepuff’s Cup and Slytherin’s Pendant Box,”

Kael said, ”But they’ve both been turned into Horcruxes. If the leftover Ancient Magic Potion is still available, could you help cleanse the Soul Fragments from these two items?

It’s such a shame to have them made into Horcruxes being relics of the four founders.”

Nicolas couldn’t help but rub his eyes.

In truth, he had already realized the authenticity of the two items in the box the moment it was opened.

But because it was genuine, it felt incredible.

Kael, by himself, had managed to collect three items of Hogwarts’ four founders. How did he achieve this...

And as for Voldemort, how did he manage to make all these into Horcruxes?

First, the diadem, and now the cup and pendant box. If Nicolas didn’t already know that Godric Gryffindor’s Sword was safely within the trunk of the Sorting Hat in the Headmaster’s Office at Hogwarts, he would suspect that sword too had been made into a Horcrux.

”I can agree to help you,” Nicolas said, lifting his fingers slightly and taking the two items from the box, ”but you’ll need to be patient and wait for a while. At least until the Philosopher’s Stone is complete, I probably won’t have time.”

”That’s fine, I’m not in a hurry,” Kael replied, ”But Nicolas, do you know the function of these two items?”

Although the cup and pendant box were not as famed as the diadem, they bore the names of the four founders, so they couldn’t possibly be mere decorative items.

”Speaking of which, I do know something,” Nicolas pondered for a moment before saying, ”Roughly a hundred and three hundred years ago, I saw them once each.

”The pendant box is a good container; items placed within are unaffected by any magical factors.

”Most importantly, it’s exceptionally sturdy. Without knowing Parseltongue, not even the mightiest Elder Wand could destroy it.

”The cup can produce a steady stream of fine wine, sweet in taste. I had a sip once, and its memory remains vivid; to a wizard fond of drinking, it’s the most treasured artifact.”

”Wait, creating wine from the cup? But Gamp’s Law of Elemental Transfiguration...” Kael frowned in confusion, ”Could it be a Permanent Refilling Spell?”

”No, I’m positive, it’s not a Refilling Spell nor a Locomotion Charm,” Nicolas replied. ”No one knows where the wine comes from, just as no one can explain why Ravenclaw’s Diadem can enhance the wearer’s wisdom.

But this aligns with Helga Hufflepuff’s character.

It’s said that Helga spent her life brewing enough wine to fill all of Hogwarts, but perhaps because the students here were underage wizards, or maybe it was because Godric kept sneaking drinks, all that wine ended up being stored in her favorite golden cup.”

...