translating_wizard
patreon
Chapter 405: The Golden Cave and The Crystal Tree
🕑 Added 2019-02-28 21:02:47 +0000 UTCEvan had seen a lot of Portkeys before, all of them more or less exuding magic.
That was the symbol of magic function, even the special Portkey to Azkaban Wizarding Prison, which was kept underground in the Ministry of Magic, was no exception.
But in front of him, nothing could be felt from the statue of Faust.
It was like all ordinary stone statues. There was no magic in it. Apart from its peculiar shape, nothing about it called for a second look.
"Don't be surprised. Like other statues around here, it's still a common stone carving. Only the right incantation can make it a Portkey." Flamel explained, "The space in which the book is located is protected by ancient and powerful magic, and no one can enter it without using the right method. This statue is the only way to get there. I use alchemy to leave a positioning prop for that space."
Indeed, the Portkey was a magical item that could quickly transport people from one space to another, and really seemed inconspicuous, looking insignificant.
Making a Portkey needs to be reported to the Portkey Office in the Ministry of Magic, and the incantation would be Portus.
As long as one thought about his destination while reading the spell, they would make it there.
But obviously, this one Evan saw in front of him was different from the common Portkeys.
First of all, it most certainly was not under the control of the Ministry of Magic. Moreover, after Flamel’s transformation, the incantation should be different for alchemy prop that was dedicated to the space where “The Book of Abraham” was preserved.
"Have you ever seen the opera Faust?" Flamel asked softly.
Instead of rushing to use magic, he turned and looked at Evan.
Under his gaze, Evan shook his head and motioned that he had never watched it.
"Then I suggest you go and have a look. Although it’s an opera created by Muggles, it’s really a great classic that can help you understand a lot about life and philosophy. When you have time, I encourage you to go.” Flamel said slowly in his old voice. "Remember that when people work hard all their lives, it is inevitable that they would make mistakes. Even if their heart is shrouded by darkness, a good man would still recognize the right way to be honest…”
He recited some famous Faust verses, and then stopped to rest for a while, as if to leave time for Evan to think carefully about what they meant.
"My dear child, you are the heir of my choice!" A few minutes later, with a heavy voice and a solemn look, Flamel said, "I hope that you don't indulge in eternal life, power and wealth as I did, which are of no benefit. Instead, you can go all the way to the end, and learn the true secrets of “The Book of Abraham”."
He had just finished speaking, patted on Evan’s shoulder and walked to the front of Faust and the Devil statue.
"In the Beginning was the Deed!" Flamel said softly.
He looked at Evan again and used his wand to quickly knock on the statue.
A faint blue light flashed and the statue shook.
Now, Evan could feel the faint magic from it. The statue gradually changed from an ordinary stone carving to a Portkey, and the incantation was In the Beginning was the Deed!
This sentence was also from Faust, pointing to the origin of all things.
Literally, it meant that it was not language, nor ideas, but practice and action that implemented and created everything.
As long as one works hard, mistakes are unavoidable….
So don't stop trying for fear of making mistakes, again and again.
“Are you ready?” Flamel put his hand on the statue and motioned Evan to do the same. “We’d better hurry and not keep Albus waiting!”
Just as Evan put his hand on the Portkey, the statue of Faust broke apart in an instant, and a soft blue light came out of it.
The light changed, the world in front of him changed, and he felt a fit of dizziness.
In the strange glorious world, he was pushed forward by invisible forces.
Everything around became distorted, as if he had entered a strange tunnel.
Evan did not know how long it took, and when he regained consciousness, he found himself in an empty, huge cave.
In the dim light before him, the statue changed back from a Portkey to a stone sculpture.
This was what Evan could see at first sight. With its different color, the original small statue of Faust stood out.
Behind the statue, the grotesque vertical downward stalactites of the cave's walls, and the floors and roofs were not made up of rough stones, but were all dazzling gold; gold was everywhere in sight!
The entire underground cave was made of gold!!!
Evan looked at the surrounding with amazement, and only then could he really understand the meaning of “the golden touch”.
Before that, he had no idea that Flamel would actually use the Philosopher’s Stone to turn an entire cave into gold; the idea was actually insane!
If asked, he could only describe the scene before him as shocking. In fact, he had never seen so much gold before. Compared with the gold in front of him, all the wealth boasted by the pure blood wizard families was a joke.
No wonder Flamel warned him repeatedly before entering here.
Even though Evan had made up his mind, he couldn't resist the temptation of so much gold and immortality.
He tried to keep his breath steady, but his eyes could not help looking at the innumerable gold on the walls around him, uncontrollably.
“This is where I tried to work on the Philosopher’s Stone. With countless trials, the overflow of energy from it made this happen.” Flamel explained, “This space is tens of thousands of feet below Beauxbatons. Although it is so far, it is still under the protection of the various magic protecting the school. The original entrance was completely sealed by me. No one can enter this place without using this Portkey."
He walked forward and Evan hurried to keep up.
The cave was very large. Looking ahead, there was nothing but gold…
Evan had a feeling of spinning around and around. After a few steps, he could not even tell which was the bottom and which was the top.
In this golden world, everything seemed to have no boundaries, no limits.
Just when he felt like he was about to faint, he saw a massive old tree.
This ancient tree was not any species that Evan knew. Its trunk was enough for dozens of people to encircle.
The branches and leaves were so thick that it stood there like a huge triangular pyramid.
The leaves emitted a faint glow, which was the only source of light in the cave.
A few steps forward, Evan clearly saw that the leaves and texture of the tree were all fluorescent, transparent crystals.
In the center of the trunk, in an inward hole, quietly placed was a very thick magic book: "The Book of Abraham"!
