[Dear Mr. Wade Grey,
I sincerely invite you to visit my old residence in Paris at 3 o'clock tomorrow afternoon.
Of course, this eting is entirely informal, and no other guests will be present. I hope my invitation hasn't placed any pressure on you, dear Wade.
Setting aside those exaggerated tales, I am, after all, just an old man who enjoys tinkering with jars and bottles. I imagine we can chat like ordinary alchemy enthusiasts—sip so tea and discuss wild and whimsical ideas.
Enclosed is a Portkey, which will activate at 3 p.m. tomorrow. I look forward to our eting.
Sincerely yours,
Nicolas Flal]
…
As the ti inched closer to 3 o'clock, Wade took a deep breath, adjusted his collar, and fiddled with the coin that served as the Portkey.
The coin was about the size of a Galleon, but without any numbers on it. One side bore a rose with a ruby at its center, and the other depicted a raven.
An invitation from Nicolas Flal was not sothing anyone could bear to refuse—Wade certainly couldn't. But to guard against potential danger, he had made thorough preparations.
His wardrobe space had been compressed into a pencil case, now tucked into his pocket.
The black gemstone cufflinks on his sleeves each had different functions: so could explode, others could ignite flas. Most importantly, one of them was a Portkey to Hogsade—personally crafted by Dumbledore.
Beneath his outer robe, he wore a Jinx-Off vest. Ever since returning from the Alliance's Castle, Wade wore it whenever he went out.
Though it couldn't block the Killing Curse or stop powerful wizards like Grindelwald, it could still buy Wade a few precious seconds in the face of danger.
"It's almost three, Wade."
"It is," Wade said, glancing at the clock. He couldn't help but smile. "I'm about to et Nicolas Flal!"
Fiona reminded him, "Gift?"
"Got it," Wade said, patting his pocket.
"Portkey?" she asked again.
"Right here!"
The gleaming coin spun once between Wade's fingers.
Fiona added, "If you end up staying the night, make sure to check in with !"
Wade said, "Every night at nine o'clock—I won't forget."
Fiona looked at her son with a gaze full of both pride and worry.
Ever since Wade had gone to the magic school, not only did he have to board there most of the ti, but even during holidays, he was often invited elsewhere.
Fiona knew that for Wade's future, she couldn't keep him cooped up at ho forever. But every ti she sent him off, she couldn't help but feel anxious.
"Mum?" Wade looked at her and asked, "What is it? Did I get sothing dirty on my face?"
He reached up and wiped it a couple of tis.
"No." Fiona reached out and brushed aside a ssy tuft of hair at Wade's forehead, and smiled as she said, "I'm just… too proud of you."
She paused, then said with a touch of envy: "Just think—Nicolas Flal, who's lived over six hundred years, might've seen Joan of Arc, Galileo, even Shakespeare with his own eyes! I can't even imagine how many fascinating things you'll be able to talk about with him."
Wade's fingers tightened slightly around the gold coin. He looked up at Fiona and smiled.
"In both the wizarding world and the world of Muggle science, the pursuit of immortality has never stopped.
Maybe soday, either through technological advancent or magical breakthroughs, we'll be able to live very long lives too! They say Flal's Elixir of Life doesn't only work on wizards… Mom, would you want sothing like that?"
"Hmm?" Fiona was taken aback and asked, "Live for hundreds of years?"
"Maybe even longer," Wade said casually.
"I see…" Fiona thought about it seriously for a mont, then hesitantly replied, "I don't know… It sounds kind of scary."
"…Why?" Wade asked, puzzled.
"Because Life cycle is a law of nature—and humans are part of nature too." Fiona's gaze softened. "If the leaves on a tree never fall, how can new ones grow?"
"But," Wade looked at her calmly and said, "there are evergreen trees in nature too…"
Before he could finish his sentence, the clock in the living room suddenly chid.
"Dong—dong—dong—"
The raven-engraved coin in his hand shone with a brilliant light, and in the blink of an eye, Wade vanished from where he stood.
Fiona's outstretched hand grasped only empty air.
She froze for a mont, then slowly withdrew her hand, pressed her lips together, and sat down in the chair thinking for a long ti..
It wasn't until she heard the front door opening that she suddenly realized—it was already ti for Fred to co ho from work.
Fiona ran down the stairs two at a ti. When Fred saw his wife moving so lightly and swiftly, like a breeze, he couldn't help but smile.
"Wade should already be at Mr. Flal's house by now, right?" he asked as he took off his coat.
"Yes." Fiona let out a sigh.
"Don't worry," he said. "Wade has prepared plenty of safety precautions. He'll be fine."
"I know… I'm not worried about that… well, maybe just a little bit. But that's not what's really bothering …" Fiona frowned.
"What is it?" He gently held her arm, looked into her eyes, and asked softly, "Has our son finally reached his rebellious phase?"
Fiona hesitated for a mont, then said, "I was talking to Wade about sothing, and I said… um… that leaves go through the Life cycle, but Wade said that there are evergreens in nature too…"
"Evergreens?" he blinked. "And you've been brooding for… two hours… because you didn't have a coback?"
He glanced at his watch as he said this.
"Help think!" Fiona clenched her fists. "I have to shut him down with a perfect argunt!"
"Oh, co on." he laughed helplessly. "Evergreens grow new leaves every year too, and the old ones fall off—it's just that their leaves live longer than those of deciduous trees, so they look like they stay green all the ti."
"Is that true?" Fiona asked.
"Of course it is." Fred sighed in exasperation. "Wade definitely knows that. He was just teasing you!"
Fiona didn't pay attention to that last part. She was lost in thought for a mont, then suddenly said, "So evergreens don't resist death or aging either… they just complete the journey of life more slowly."
Fred had just poured himself a glass of water when he heard Fiona's softly spoken words, almost like she was talking to herself. He paused and turned to look at her.
"Life cycle?" he muttered under his breath, sighing. "Don't tell … you two talked about more than just leaves?"
He knew that if he pressed, Fiona wouldn't hide anything from him—but Fred didn't ask further.
He simply thought of his son, whose eyes always sparkled with light—and suddenly, he had a strong urge to smoke a cigarette.
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