Harry Potter: I started checking in from Diagon Alley

The house-elf leading the way slowed down and walked over, whispering a few words in Nicolas Flamel's ear before snapping his fingers and Apparating away.

After the house-elf left, Nicolas Flamel opened his eyes and looked at Eric and Dumbledore.

"Albus, welcome, and this little friend, please have a seat."

Nicolas Flamel, sitting in his chaise longue, laughed as he beckoned to the two men, his arm swinging with a crisp, bone-clinking sound.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry, it's inevitable to have these kinds of problems when you get old."

Dumbledore introduced, "This is Eric, Eric, and this is Nicolas Flamel, the owner of the Philosopher's Stone."

Nicolas Flamel laughed and said, "The Philosopher's Stone no longer exists. You destroyed it yourself, but that's also why I did it."

Nicolas Flamel pointed very slowly to the spot on his body where the sound had just come from.

"I am simply too old. Even if we extend the lifespan of this body in various ways, it has reached its limit."

Eric asked curiously, "No offense intended, but how much time do you have?"

Nicolas Flamel said dismissively, "In less than six months, do you think it's a good thing or a bad thing for someone my age to die?"

Eric said, "This is bad news."

"why?"

"Because if I were in that position, I certainly wouldn't have lasted for over six hundred years."

Nicolas Flamel thought for a moment and then said, "Could you share your thoughts?"

Eric honestly stated, "Six hundred years, during which I witnessed the departure of countless friends and relatives and constantly became familiar with new environments, I do not think this is happiness, but rather a form of torment. The feeling of loneliness gradually intensifies over time, and one needs to constantly seek out new things to maintain basic emotional needs in life, but the sense of novelty will eventually fade."

Eric said, “I imagine you were very proud when you first created the Philosopher’s Stone and the Elixir of Immortality. That was the most triumphant time of your life. But after that, the quality of your life gradually declined, like a downward curve. Once you fall from the peak, there is no possibility of rising again. For the first hundred years, you may have felt that you were different from ordinary people and lived a carefree and free life.”

Eric said, “After your two-hundredth birthday, the feeling of satisfaction with life begins to fade. You can clearly feel your body aging. After that, a sense of frustration gradually takes over. Three hundred years old, four hundred years old... You know you won’t die, but the changes in your surroundings keep reminding you that your era has passed. You are no longer omnipotent, not because of limitations in ability, but because your mindset has completely aged.”

Eric said, "It's sad that you've only now decided to accept death."

Nicolas Flamel said with a wry smile, "In fact, I had similar thoughts when I turned 113, by which time most of my friends and family had already died."

"Then why have you persisted until now?" Eric asked.

"There are many reasons: my magical research, my career, and my exploration of alchemy. Of course, most importantly, I am not alone. My lover has always been with me, but even so, the ravages of time cannot be erased."

After saying that, Nicolas Flamel pointed at Eric and smiled at Dumbledore, saying, "I like him very much."

Upon hearing this, Eric frowned slightly, while Dumbledore wore an understanding expression.

Nicolas Flamel turned to me and said, “You are one of the few people who dared to ask me when I died on our first meeting. Others are either very respectful or keep their distance from me, and they avoid the topic of death. They never think that I have lived for more than six hundred years and have seen more dead people than they have eaten potatoes.”

Nicolas Flamel said, “The length of a person’s life has nothing to do with the greatness of their character. Otherwise, I would not have been able to become friends with Albus. They don’t understand this, and Eric, you have already surpassed most people by being able to say that you died too late.”

Nicolas Flamel then changed the subject: "However..."

Eric asked, "But?"

“However, this also means that Eric, you are not the person I am looking for,” Nicolas Flamel said regretfully.

Eric asked, "What exactly do you want me to do? And what kind of person do you want?"

Nicolas Flamel asked Dumbledore, "Didn't you explain it to him clearly?"

Dumbledore smiled and said, "Time is of the essence, so I brought the person over to you first."

“Alright,” Nicolas Flamel said. “Simply put, I need someone to carry on my legacy, to inherit all my research and achievements. I have no descendants, so this person will be like my descendant, responsible for managing all my assets.”

Dumbledore added, "Nicole will leave behind a vast collection of books and manuscripts, covering a wide range of research areas, containing the fruits of his life's work. Accompanying this are various properties, including estates, companies, and several castles around the world. This is a treasure trove that needs someone to organize and maintain it. It is no exaggeration to say that whoever takes over Nico's position will instantly become one of the most renowned figures in the wizarding world."

Eric said, "If there has to be someone like that, then Professor, you are the most reasonable choice."

Dumbledore chuckled, “I’m not young anymore, Eric either, and I don’t have the Philosopher’s Stone. Like you said, life is a journey, and if you want the best experience, you should stop before you are disappointed. I have a feeling that I don’t have much of my journey left.”

Eric was taken aback; Dumbledore was behaving strangely today.

He felt that his relationship with Dumbledore wasn't close enough to discuss life, but Dumbledore was unusually talkative today.

There was also a vague feeling that he was making his final arrangements.

Ignoring Eric's surprise, Dumbledore asked Nicolas Flamel, "Can you tell me why you think Eric is unsuitable? He should be the perfect candidate."

Nicolas Flamel said, "If we hadn't had that conversation, he certainly would be. I don't have a standard for judgment; I only consider whether it's appropriate for me. Eric's abilities and character are not in question, but I value what he can gain from this opportunity more than what I give him."

Nicolas Flamel said, “Giving this position to Eric would do more harm than good to him, because he is not the kind of person who is willing to be bound, whether the binding is good or bad. He is also not the kind of person who can endure doing only one thing for a long life. His ambition is not in this. So I am just wishful thinking. Besides, we did not ask Eric if he was willing to accept it, did we?”

Chapter 122 Eric's Wand

Nicolas Flamel's eyes were gentle and bright, not at all like someone about to face death.

Eric said, "I'm really not interested."

Nicolas Flamel asked curiously, "My manuscripts include part of the method for making Philosopher's Stones. Aren't you interested in that? You might become the next truly immortal person."

“Yes,” Eric said.

“That’s such a shame,” Nicolas Flamel said.

Despite saying that, there was little regret on his face.

Eric's refusal was within his expectations.

Dumbledore glanced at Eric and said, "Even if you don't want immortality, you can still learn how to make the Philosopher's Stone and try to recreate it."

Eric laughed and said, "If I'm not mistaken, the Philosopher's Stone cannot be reproduced. It's destroyed, and that's it."

“Hahaha.” Nicolas Flamel laughed, pointing at Dumbledore, “Your little tricks won’t work on him; he really doesn’t want to accept it.”

Dumbledore looked helpless before saying, "Alright, Eric, how did you know?"

Eric said, "There has only ever been one Philosopher's Stone, the one that Mr. Flamel once possessed. If such a magical item could be replicated, Mr. Flamel would have tried it without success. He spent six hundred years trying and failed, so my attempt would be in vain."

Nicolas Flamel nodded and offered to explain, “Alchemy was not perfect in my time. There are many areas that I explored later. The birth of the Philosopher’s Stone was just a coincidence, the product of one of my experiments. You’re right. Although I tried my best to record all the factors at that time, I still couldn’t create a second Philosopher’s Stone.”

Nicolas Flamel said, "Because I added the power of the 'soul' to the Philosopher's Stone, which is impossible to reproduce."

The power of the soul?

Eric felt a slight stirring in his heart and silently memorized those words.

He did not ask what this power was.

The fact that Nicolas Flamel revealed this information-packed secret demonstrates his trust in Eric and Dumbledore.

Since Eric has already decided to reject Nicolas Flamel's offer, there's no need to keep asking; that's a matter of respect.

After talking for so long, Eric had basically figured it out.

Nicolas Flamel's legacy has both good and bad aspects.

The benefits are obvious; as Dumbledore described, the person who receives this inheritance will instantly become one of the most renowned figures in the wizarding world.

Nicolas Flamel lived for over six hundred years, and the wealth he left behind was astronomical.

Dumbledore also mentioned that Nicolas Flamel had estates all over the world, and even several castles.

As the greatest alchemist, Nicolas Flamel's knowledge of alchemy is a true treasure.

Unfortunately, this aspect didn't appeal to Eric much either.

Having spent so long in the magical world, Eric has some knowledge of alchemy.

Alchemy is not, as many people believe, a technique specifically for creating various magical items.

On the contrary, it is a profound magic that combines philosophy and chemistry.

Alchemy focuses on studying the essential forms of various objects, and the objects of study are usually various metals and materials.

If we had to draw an analogy, alchemy is more like an alternative form of potion-making that incorporates guiding principles.

The work environment typically revolves around crucibles and distillation apparatus.

It is a job that requires spending a lot of time in the laboratory.

Overall, this won't be of much help to Eric at the moment.

This inheritance is indeed very tempting, but the price of accepting it is also very high.

Eric needs to spend a lot of time sorting out and digesting this legacy.

It is conceivable that Eric must fulfill this responsibility.

The time it takes is unpredictable.

It's even possible that Eric might not be able to achieve this in his entire life.

Eric didn't believe in free lunches.

Even if there were, it's unlikely to hit him.

It's impossible for Nicolas Flamel to hand over a fortune that could easily change a person's life trajectory to Eric without making any demands.

If Eric chooses to accept, then there will inevitably be various forms of oaths to restrict Eric's behavior.

Nicolas Flamel needed someone, like a disciple, to help him with his affairs after his death.

To some extent, those who accept this legacy are essentially binding their lives to Nicolas Flamel.

From then on, he lost his own time and life, focusing on managing everything related to Nicolas Flamel.

This is something Eric must avoid.

This is not a job, but a lifelong responsibility.

A person like Eric would not refuse the responsibilities he should bear.

However, Eric was unwilling to accept being given a responsibility out of thin air and asked to make a commitment.

The main reason was the clash of values, which made it impossible for Eric to accept Nicolas Flamel's terms.

Eric is still young; he doesn't need to decide the next few decades of his life now.

One strolls through life, the other forges ahead relentlessly.

These are two completely opposite choices. It's not a matter of who is right or wrong, but rather that they simply cannot agree with each other.

This is why Nicolas Flamel felt regret, but it wasn't unexpected.

He could tell that Eric wasn't the best choice.