"Not much, I mean-" He stopped himself short and stared at Harry wide eyed. "No way." He whispered inelegantly. Severus snorted which Remus ignored. It would explain so much. Why they smelt the same. Why they seemed to be having silent conversations. They were reading each other's emotions. Wicked.
"We are soulmates." Harry told Remus simply. Remus felt as if his mind blanked. Soulmates. His heart clenched in sorrow at never finding his own mate. The longing had dimmed with Tonks in his life. But with her gone the longing came back full force along with the grief of her absence. But to know that Harry had found his own mate, that was something else. Wild even.
Lily hadn't given much thought into soulmates existing. James had only talked to her about it in regards to when they would tell Harry about it. She had scoffed at the idea. She didn't believe in it. James, Sirius and Remus had tried telling her that it was indeed a real thing in the magical community. Lily was weary and didn't want to tell Harry about it. She said that she managed to find happiness and love without ever finding her other half. She didn't want Harry longing for something that he would never have. She didn't understand that the longing would be there whether Harry knew about it or not. The longing doesn't go away till you find your other half.
James had disagreed. It led to one of their more spectacular rows. Lily said that James would be condemning Harry to a lifetime of sadness if they told him. Sirius suggested that it was because she was a muggleborn that she just didn't understand. That had led to him being kicked out by a furious Lily. Neither James nor Lily would concede in the argument. They agreed to talk about it when Harry got older. Remus had actually forgot that Harry wouldn't know. Soulmates aren't something that come up in polite conversations. Due to the sad nature of never finding your mate, it is a rather taboo subject. Not to mention most people just don't know of its existence anymore. Remus being a half blood with a pureblood mother, she made sure that Remus knew about Soulmates. Especially since he was a werewolf. Magical creatures aren't meant to be without their mate. The longing intensifies in any magical creature. Part of the reason werewolves even howl at the moon is because they are crying out their loneliness They are screaming for their other half hoping that they will hear the cry and come. Remus could feel his own longing for his soulmate and Moonys desperate primal need to be complete. It was like two doses of longing that sometimes became crippling.
But to see that Harry found his soulmate was something else. He envied Harry so much. Part of him wished that he had been the one to find his mate but the rest of him was so ecstatic for Harry and Draco. He could call him that now. Anyone Harry was with deserved his approval. Harry deserved all the happiness and love that he can get. If anyone deserved to find their soulmate it would be Harry. Remus wasn't sure how long he stared at Harry lost in thought.
"I am happy for you cub." Harry sighed in relief. That had been something he was worried about. He knew that Remus cared for him but to accept Draco was asking a lot.
"You mean it?" Remus tilted his head in confusion. Why wouldn't he be happy for Harry? Finding something so beautiful and miraculous as a soulmate was so revered to those who knew. There was no way he could ever not be happy for Harry. Even if you stripped away them being soulmates, Remus had never seen Harry so happy and comfortable.
"It's because of me. He wants to know if you can really accept me." Draco explained. Harry bit his lip. That didn't come out right.
"Harry I wouldn't care who you end up with as long as you are happy." Remus told him. And he meant it to, Harry could tell.
"Thank you." Draco said quietly. He breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that even if Lupin had disagreed with their relationship that it wouldn't have mattered. Harry would always be with him. But after the Weasleys being so difficult, he hated the idea of Harry losing more people. Draco knew how important Lupin was for Harry. He was the only parental figure he had left. Lupin being okay with their relationship was the best news he had heard all day.
Remus was a little taken aback by the gratitude. After everything he had seen today he shouldn't be surprised. Remus could really grow to like Draco. He obviously cared a great deal for Harry. That is what matters in the end when it comes to relationships.
"Now that this sickly-sweet moment is over can we move on?" Lucius drawled. Then pursed his lips slightly when his wife smacked his arm. "What? I find myself curious to find out what the four of them found."
"Keep your knickers on Lucy.-"
"We have the research right here." George finished with a wicked grin.
Many mouths dropped open at the gall they had. Pansy and Blaise winced and shifted slightly in their seats. Damn the twins' lack of common sense. Harry and Remus had to press their mouths in a thin line to keep from smiling. Narcissa's mouth dropped open. Severus snorted openly. Draco groaned.
"Where should we bury them?" Draco whispered to Harry. It was quiet enough that the only person who had heard had been Remus, due to his ears. Remus snorted and had to cover his mouth to stop from laughing. "You are insinuating that there will be anything left to bury." Harry whispered back in amusement. Draco snorted while Remus had to cough to cover his laughing.
Lucius opened his mouth just to close it. He couldn't believe it. These Weasley's had some nerve. No one has ever talked to him like that. Let alone a Weasley! People were afraid of him, they rarely looked him in the eyes and when they did he could see the way they would fidget. Which is why he isn't a people person. People are spineless weak beings. But having someone treat him like this was quite the experience. It was odd but intriguing.
"You know, I think I might just like the pair of you." The twins' jaws dropped. They weren't the only ones. Harry and Draco gaped openly. Severus twitched in surprise. Remus and Narcissa stared at him like he was a stranger. Well to Remus he practically was.
"But do not call me that again." Lucius warned darkly. The twins were still shell shocked so they just nodded without a witty comment or making a joke. Rare moment that is.
Pansy cleared her throat. She decided a change of conversation was needed. "There wasn't much that we could find. We didn't want to attract any attention so George, Fred and I glamoured ourselves. Since the bookstore owner knows Blaise he went uncharmed."
"Francis doesn't sell any books on soulmates in the main store or his license to sell could be revoked from the Ministry. The last store to sell one had been shut down and had to pay a hefty fine, the owner even had to spend six months in Azkaban. So he was a little weary about even mentioning it." Harry couldn't believe it. The Ministry was that concerned about soulmates? He was having an uneasy worry in the pit of stomach.
"There were some books that he had that are not quite legal in the back. He had a few books on soulmates. He let me skim through them but I would have to buy them for anything past that." Blaise said shrugging.
"Were they expensive?" Harry wondered. Between him and Draco they weren't concerned about money.
"Ohhh yeah. But they weren't worth buying. The books only contained the stuff that was already mentioned at dinner. Though one of them did mention something similar to what happened when your cores combined."
Remus choked. "Your cores connected? As in your magical cores?" He breathed in wonder. The whole room nodded.
"It was beautiful." Pansy sighed in delight. Remus's eyes widened. "It was visible?"
"Oh yes. It was a sight to see." Narcissa said proudly. Remus was stunned. He had never heard anything like that happening before. He hadn't thought it could even be possible.
"You said similar?" Draco asked. George was the one to answer. "Yes. It described what Fred and I felt in the shop." Everyone besides those who had been there were confused.
"What happened in the shop?" Lucius demanded impatiently. No one mentioned anything happening before dinner last night. Narcissa patted his arm gently, telling him to be calm.
"It was the first time we acknowledged that we loved each other." Harry said quietly as he brought the hands around him up to his lips to kiss. Draco grinned and kissed Harry's neck. Remus smiled gently as he watched them. They sure were something else. On a first glance they seemed like any other normal couple but there were moments when it was like they were connected. Like they understood each other on a level that no one else could understand. Remus was intrigued, it made him want to openly watch them to see what else they would do. But that would probably be considered creepy. Best not do that.
"What they aren't saying is that the whole room was alive with magic." Severus and Lucius shared a surprised look. That was not expected. The books hadn't mentioned that. Well at least the ones they owned. Remus was floored at the possibilities. He wondered what that had felt like to be an observer. Was it tangible or just like a sense of magic in the air? When they said they could feel the magic did they mean literally or figuratively? If literally, then what did it feel like?
"The two of them stared into each other's eyes and we could feel the magic surrounding them."
"It was really beautiful." Fred said with a little sigh. George rolled his eyes at his brother. You could definitely tell which one of them was the sentimental twin.
Severus furrowed his brows in thought. "It could be that the bond has phases. Phase one would be when the emotional bond begins. Phase two could have been what happened at the shop. It could be that when you declared your love that the bond grew stronger. Phase three would have been when your cores combined." Severus suggested.
"Did you guys find out anything else?" Lucius changed the subject. It was best to stop Severus early on or else they would have sat there all day hearing his theories. Severus glared but turned to give his attention to the quartet.
The four of them shook their heads sadly. Harry hummed in thought. He turned to Lucius and Severus. "Is Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel still alive?"
"Why would they? Their time was close to 700 years ago. I know they were soulmates but why ask about them?" Remus asked as the teens nodded along.
Harry, Severus, Lucius and Narcissa gaped at the remaining members in the room.
"You mean you don't know?" Severus asked in barely contained glee. Finally. The mutt doesn't know something. Remus crossed his arms across his chest and glared at Severus. Merlin, the man could always grate on his nerves.
"Nicolas Flamel was the creator of the Sorcerer's Stone." Remus lifted an eyebrow.
"I know that Harry." Remus said as Pansy and Blaise spoke up. "What's the Sorcerer's Stone?"
Lucius saw that his son was not confused for this part. He hadn't ever told Draco about Nicolas Flamel. And with good reason too. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
"Harry told me about it from his first year." Draco explained. They had been talking about Hogwarts one afternoon when Draco was curious to learn more about Quirrell. Lucius was lost. What would have happened during their first year that would have to do with the Sorcerer's Stone? He didn't want Draco to know anything about it.
"Wait. You actually saw it? I thought that was just Hogwarts rumor mill." Severus said astonished. Dumbledore told him about the fight against Quirrell but he made no mention of Potter ever seeing it. It made him uneasy. Lucius jerked in shock.
"What?" Lucius breathed out wildly.
"Can one of you start at the beginning because I am really fucking confused." Blaise demanded angrily.
Harry chuckled at Blaise's patience or rather lack of. "The Sorcerer's Stone was created with Alchemy. It can turn any metal into pure gold and it also produces the Elixir of Life. Which will make the drinker immortal. You can see why Voldemort would want it. And why the Flamels might still be alive." The room shuddered at his name. Harry rolled his eyes. You would think that they would get over that by now.
Remus was blown away. He had known about the stone. He came across an obscure text that had mentioned it. But they didn't mention that the Flames were still using it. To think that there could be immortal soulmates was an eye opener.
"Harry." Severus said slowly. Harry startled at hearing his first name from Snape. He looked up at was not liking the looks Lucius and Narcissa were shooting him. "Who told you that Alchemy was how the Sorcerer's Stone was created?"
Harry squinted his eyes trying to remember. "It was in a book that Hermione checked out from the library. That and Dumbledore's chocolate frog mentioned that him and Flamel were Alchemist partners. Why?"
"Because that is not how it was created. Perhaps there was a small amount Alchemy involved but the Sorcerer's Stone is a very Dark Artifact." Severus said slowly.
Harry gaped. "What?" Lucius nodded. "Immortality. To a lot of people that sounds like a dream come true. People like The Dark Lord. There is no spell or potion that can just grant you immortality. Alchemy is a lost art. People don't practice it any more. They used to in Flamels time. But spells and potions were quicker and easier ways to accomplish things. So, Alchemy faded into the background long forgotten. Dumbledore tried to become an Alchemist but with Flamel being the only Alchemist left it put a damper on things. He studied under him for a brief time but as far as I know it was always as a hobby." Lucius looked to Severus in question.
"He never actually performed Alchemy to my knowledge. He just liked to read up on the subject. I was always shocked to hear that he was a student of Flamels." Severus added shrugging.
"Why?" Questioned Harry. Lucius, Narcissa and Severus shared a considering look.
"Because Nicolas Flamel is a Dark wizard. A very Dark wizard." Harry's mouth dropped open and he looked incredulously at Snape.
"Did you even think about what it would take to actually create the Elixir of Life?" Severus scoffed. "It's literally made from life. From human sacrifices." Harry thought he was going to be sick. "Immortality is not something to be messed with. To actually be able to live forever. The kind of magic that would take to create would never ever be considered light. People aren't meant to live forever. Very Dark rituals were used to be able to get enough life force to make the stone. I don't know all of the things it required but human sacrifices is definitely one of the basic requirements." Silence engulfed the room.
"Why do you think The Dark Lord wanted it? If the stone had been light like you believed, then why hasn't anyone else made one? If you ignore the fact that Flamel made it nearly 700 years ago. There were other of Alchemists alive in his time. Many famous light wizards were alchemists too. The stone had been a huge scandal back then. It divided the Alchemist community. Many couldn't figure out how he had done it. Because it took more than just Alchemy to make it. When Flamel wouldn't answer their questions the Ministry got involved and it ended with Flamel and his wife fleeing. They came back many generations later when mostly everyone forgot who exactly they were. Many people believed the stone was a myth of fantasy." Lucius added when Severus paused.
"People of Dark families passed down the information with each generation. Some normal dark rituals were used on the stone which is why we even know that it is dark. There were many people who tried to recreate the Sorcerer's Stone. It always failed because of the Alchemy part that was required and also due to the horrendous rituals it required. Despite what some people may think, there is a limit to what a Dark wizard will be comfortable performing. It takes a seriously disturbed individual capable of creating the stone." Severus wrinkled his nose in disgust.
Harry thought about it. Voldemort never went after anything light in nature. With a jolt, he realized that anything that would have helped Voldemort gain his body back couldn't be considered light. What kind of light magic would help restore a spirit? Not that he had been dead but he was close to it. He felt sick thinking about it. Horcruxes had been a way of gaining immortality. In a way, they were similar to the stone. It required to take the life of someone and then once it split the soul you could extract it and place in objects. Elixir of Life. What a fitting name. He couldn't believe that the Flamels literally took lives to make it.
"Why did you ask if they would be alive? As far as I know they are immortal. The stone won't protect them from attacks or spells. It only affects the aging process. So, unless you know of some attack on them then they should still be alive." Narcissa said softly.
"Dumbledore said the stone was destroyed." Narcissa gaped in shock. Severus furrowed his brows. Lucius however, snorted.
"And you believed him?" Harry glared at the insult to Dumbledore. Lucius raised his hands. "I am not implying that he lied to you. But did he say he was going to personally destroy it? Because I highly doubt that the Flamels would allow it to be destroyed. Think about it. Someone who went to the lengths they had gone through to make the stone, why would they willingly destroy it?"
Harry considered his words and then considered them again. "I had woken up in the hospital wing and he had said it had been destroyed but he didn't say he had been the one to do so. He said that Flamel and his wife had enough Elixir to set their affairs in order and they were going to die." The more Harry thought about it the more it raised questions. Without the stone destroyed, how did they have more Elixir? If they made one stone, why couldn't they make another? Had Dumbledore given it to the Flamels and just assumed that they had actually destroyed it?
Lucius smiled smugly. "See. I am finding it difficult to believe that they would just die."
"Why?" Draco asked. He wasn't doubting his father but perhaps the Flamels were just sick of living after 700 years. That is a long time to be alive.
"Dark Wizards like the Flamels knew what they were getting into when creating the stone. The callous disregard for the lives they took to make the stone. If they can take the lives of so many people without feeling an ounce of regret than I doubt they would have regret enough to just die after all this time. They have immortality and an unlimited amount of gold at their fingertips. That is not something that a Dark wizard would just give up. A light wizard like Dumbledore would believe a statement like that. To light wizards it would make sense that after being a live for so long that they would get tired of living. But that is laughable to someone like the Flamels."
"You talk about them like they were just as bad as Voldemort." Remus breathed out.
Severus lifted an eyebrow. "They are worse." Harry jerked in shock. Draco had to hold on to him tightly to ensure that Harry didn't fall out of his lap.
"What makes you say that?" Harry said narrowing his eyes. That was a bold statement.
"Think of all the lives Voldemort took in both wars. I am not just talking wizards either. Include magical creatures and muggles. The number would be pretty high, right?" When Harry nodded, Severus continued. "The Dark Lords goal was in essence a political move based off of wanting to make wizards great again. He believed in our world and didn't like that we had to hide ourselves away. The muggle teachings that are brought into our world when muggleborns enter were causing our traditions to fade. Which is why his ideas fed into the pureblood beliefs. Purebloods are very proud of where they come from and their heritage. They firmly love and believe in our world. To watch generation after generation of muggleborns come in and disregard our teachings and demand that we conform to their beliefs, was too much for them. So when Voldemort started his propaganda it played right into their wishes." Harry furrowed his brows. Why was Snape giving him a lesson on Voldemort's beliefs?
"If The Dark Lord had been a different man he probably could have achieved his means by political advances but he was a violent man. He took the lives of those who opposed him and those he felt weren't going to help in his way to pave the road of his beliefs. He led with an iron grip and no tolerance for others. Whether you believed what he did was right or wrong he did it for a personal belief that many believed in. He did it to change the world. He believed what he was doing was right. Which is why he was better than the Flamels. Can you imagine how many lives it would have taken to create The Elixir of Life? A lot Harry. That's not even counting trial and error. How many attempts before they got it right. Flamel callously took lives for his own benefit. He wasn't changing the world. He wasn't doing this to help out wizards. He did it for himself. He didn't share his findings. He didn't use the stone to help others. He killed hundreds of people so that he could live forever. He was sacrificing people for his own selfish agenda. I don't know about you but I find him more repugnant than The Dark Lord. They were both evil and dark but at least The Dark Lord thought what he was doing was going to save the wizarding world. What can Flamel say? What could he possibly say to justify the lives he was taking?"
Harry's mind was whirling around in many different directions. Snape was right. However misguided and wrong Voldemort had been, he thought he was doing what was best. Voldemort was selfish just like the Flamels though. If Voldemort had won the war, Harry believed that the man would have gotten bored eventually. Once the muggleborn and muggles had been taken care of, what would he do next? If there wasn't war or deaths happening the man would never be satisfied. Harry believed he would then go after the half bloods and any purebloods that annoyed him. Voldemort only cared about himself but he also fought for the political beliefs of the purebloods. Harry wasn't sure what to think. He hadn't known that the stone was dark. Nor would he ever have thought that Nicolas Flamel was a dark wizard. "If he was dark how come he stayed out of the wars?"
Lucius snorted. "He's dark not stupid. The wizarding world still regards him as a myth mostly. His name has been on some shared findings with Dumbledore over the years but most people, like Lupin, don't make the connection to the wizard that lived over 700 years ago. You don't live that long by getting involved with every dispute. He stayed out of the war with Grindewald as well. Like Narcissa said earlier, the stone only protects against aging. He would be risking a lot by getting involved in the wars. Besides I doubt they care what happens to the rest of the world as long as they have the stone."
"I can't believe someone like him found his soulmate." Remus said moodily. The injustice of the situation was daunting. An evil git like that getting to spend the rest of his very long life with a soulmate. Someone so evil shouldn't be allowed to have a soulmate. Narcissa shared a smile with Harry.
"I agree." The quartet said at the same time. Draco rolled his eyes when they all shared grins. Gods they were going to take some time getting used to. He was used to Pansy and Blaise being in synch with each other. And he had finally gotten used to the twins but now he was going to have to get used to the four of them together.
"Why would Dumbledore want to learn from Flamel?" Harry asked the question that had been bothering him the most.
Severus and Lucius shrugged their shoulders. "Your guess would be just as good as ours. It could be something as simple as wanting to learn Alchemy. It wasn't like he had another option. Flamel is the only Alchemist alive. With how firmly Dumbledore was against Dark wizards, I have a hard time believing that he learned from Flamel for any other reason than Alchemy." Severus explained shrugging slightly. Potter raised a good question. He had wondered that for years but Albus never wanted to talk about Flamel.
"Now what does the stone have to do with your first year?" Lucius asked the question that he wanted to know earlier. Part of him would always be the concerned parent of the Board of Governors. Severus said that Harry had seen it? It better not have been in the school. He would raise some hell if he found out that the Ministry allowed the stone inside a bloody school.
Harry and Draco shared uneasy feelings through the bond.
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Authors Notes:
Okay. This chapter is not as long as I would have liked it to be. The entire conversation that they are having was way too long for just one chapter. Tomorrow's chapter finishes off the conversation and is about 2k longer than this chapter. So hopefully that makes you feel better. :)
Thoughts on the stone? Flamel? I would love to hear your thoughts. If you are sitting there saying, 'this is fascinating and all but what does it have to do with anything?' then patience my lovely readers. Foreshadowing. No details will be given but just keep that in mind. This conversation has played an important part that will be mentioned..... later. ;p
Now if you have come across the stone being dark in other stories, I would love to hear how mine is hopefully different. I don't fancy doing something that has been done over and over. Most stories that mention the stone being dark usually don't mention too much detail on the Flamels. Which is why I wanted to show depth to this subject. Hopefully it came across as I planned.
-XxTheDarkLordxX