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Heavy is the Crown (Harry Potter) Chapter 7: Questionaire
🕑 Added 2025-04-09 21:00:07 +0000 UTC[Third Person's PoV]
Arthur let out a sigh. “First of all, I would like to sincerely apologize for any confusion or misunderstanding my friend may have caused you.”
Perenelle blinked. “So… they were lies?”
Arthur nodded, and Merlin held up two peace signs with her tongue sticking out.
Perenelle’s eye twitched. “That was not amusing in the slightest.”
Merlin pinched her fingers together playfully but froze when Arthur closed his eyes and said, “Mer-lynn. Apologize.”
“Wha—” Merlin started to protest, but Arthur gave her a look. She pouted, looked down, and muttered, “I'm sorry.”
Nicholas Flamel chuckled and patted Perenelle on the back. “Now, dear, don’t be too hard on them. They’re just children—mischief is to be expected at their age.”
He then glanced around. “Where are your parents, anyway? Why are you both here alone?”
“That’s not important at the moment,” Arthur replied with a pleasant smile. “May we come in? I have a personal request, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble.”
Perenelle and Nicholas exchanged a glance before stepping aside and inviting them in.
As they walked inside, Perenelle asked, “Would you two like anything to drink? Water? Juice? I was in the middle of baking some pastries. If you don’t mind waiting a moment, I could bring some out.”
“That would be lovely,” Arthur said politely, remembering one of Merlin’s lessons—that accepting a host’s hospitality often helped build rapport.
Perenelle smiled and excused herself to the kitchen.
Arthur turned to Nicholas with a serious expression. “I hope you don’t mind me getting straight to the point?”
Nicholas, caught off guard by the boy’s unexpectedly mature demeanor, hesitated before responding. “Not at all. I admit, I’m curious as to why you sought me out.”
Arthur took a seat, while Merlin remained standing slightly behind him, observing.
“I came here in the hopes of becoming your student,” Arthur said with a smile.
Nicholas blinked, clearly taken aback. “You… want to be my student?”
Arthur nodded. “Yes. I wish to study under Nicholas Flamel, the creator of the Philosopher’s Stone. That is why I traveled here today.”
Nicholas frowned slightly. “May I ask why? What exactly do you seek to learn?”
Arthur looked confused. “Alchemy, of course. That is your specialty, isn’t it? Or am I mistaken?”
Nicholas chuckled, shaking his head. “No, you’re not mistaken. But I should have worded my question better.” He leaned forward slightly. “Why do you want to learn alchemy? What are you searching for? If you have sought me out personally, are you perhaps interested in the Philosopher’s Stone? Do you seek immortality? Or is it wealth that you desire?”
Arthur grinned. “None of the above.”
Nicholas raised an eyebrow. “None?”
Arthur nodded. “I won’t deny that the Philosopher’s Stone is a remarkable creation, but I have no desire to possess it. And immortality? Look at me—I’m still a child. I have my whole life ahead of me; why would I waste time worrying about death when I haven’t even started truly living?” He waved the idea away with amusement.
Nicholas laughed, both at Arthur’s words and the sheer confidence behind them. But then Arthur added, “However… the wealth aspect of it…”
Nicholas’s gaze sharpened slightly. ‘Is he interested in money? Could he be searching for the Philosopher’s Stone to gain riches? Is he in need of—’
“What do you consider wealth?” Arthur asked suddenly, breaking Nicholas out of his thoughts.
Nicholas blinked. “Excuse me?”
“I’m curious about what you consider wealth,” Arthur continued. “Because I won’t lie—I do value wealth. Most people do. But there are many kinds of wealth, and what people consider truly valuable varies.
“I do want your wealth, Nicholas Flamel,” Arthur said, tapping the side of his head. “But not the monetary kind. I want the wealth of knowledge you carry in here.”
Arthur ignored Nicholas, who appeared too stunned to speak.
“You have knowledge of alchemy that’s worth more than anything money could buy,” Arthur said with a charming grin. “And that’s what I desire—for you to teach me your knowledge. Now, I know what you’re thinking. I still haven’t technically answered your question, and you might be wondering what I could possibly want with that knowledge. Am I wrong?”
Nicholas shook his head, still curious about Arthur’s true intentions.
“I hope I don’t come off as condescending, but I’ll answer your question with one of my own… What’s wrong with pursuing all the knowledge I can get my hands on?” Arthur asked, tilting his head slightly.
“I could think of a few reasons, actually,” Nicholas answered with a wary smile.
Arthur chuckled. “So could I, but what I’m trying to say is that I love learning. I want to learn everything I can, anything anyone is willing to teach me. And I especially love learning from the best. When it comes to alchemy, you are considered the greatest in the field. So I sought you out to learn from you—to understand the intricacies of alchemy, to discover what I don’t know, and to see what I could know…”
Nicholas found himself fascinated by the childish wonder in Arthur’s eyes. The boy’s blue eyes sparkled with curiosity, his words and charm drawing Nicholas in despite himself. Intrigued, Nicholas asked, “If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you? Are you in school yet?”
‘Ah, that’s right—since it’s the beginning of the year, I could just be on winter break…’ Arthur thought before correcting the misunderstanding. “I’ve just turned ten recently, so I don’t yet possess a wand. That’s also why I’m interested in studying alchemy. Before I get a wand, I want to learn as much as I can. Alchemy is one of the few magical disciplines where a wand isn’t strictly necessary. So while I’m without one, I want to make the most of my time instead of wasting these years doing nothing.”
Nicholas let out a sigh. “I wish I could help you, I really do. I would never want to discourage the endless wonder of youth. But, unfortunately, teaching you would be impossible at the moment, and for that, I sincerely apologize, Arthur.”
“Oh…” Arthur muttered, looking slightly downcast. “If I may ask, what’s the reason?”
“Well, for starters, you caught us at a rather bad time. Perenelle and I won’t be staying in France much longer. As you can imagine, you’re not the first person to have sought me out. Unfortunately, most of them didn’t have noble intentions like you do. Many have tried to obtain the Philosopher’s Stone for their own nefarious purposes.” Nicholas sighed, rubbing his temples. “So, I’ve gotten in contact with an old friend of mine, Albus Dumbledore—”
“You’re moving to Britain!?” Arthur interrupted, his eyes lighting up with excitement. “That’s bloody brilliant! Absolutely fantastic!” He had slipped back into English without realizing it. “I’m from Britain! That’s just amazing!”
Nicholas blinked in surprise. At first, he thought Arthur was mocking him, but the boy’s genuine enthusiasm quickly convinced him otherwise. “You’re not from here? But your French was impeccable. You had me fooled.”
Arthur realized his mistake and immediately crafted a cover story, a skill of deception he had honed under Merlin’s tutelage. “Yes, well, as I mentioned, it was my birthday recently, and I decided to celebrate in France. More importantly, I wanted to meet you, Sir Flamel. As for my French…” He grinned mischievously. “I did say I love learning, didn’t I?”
Nicholas chuckled. “Hah! Talk about a coincidence.”
“Yes, it’s almost like we were meant to meet—if you know what I mean,” Arthur said with a mischievous grin, raising his eyebrows suggestively. He was laying it on thick, adding to the childish, lovable persona he was crafting.
Nicholas let out another wary sigh. “And here I was hoping to enjoy a nice, quiet life with my wife…”
“It could still be nice and quiet, my love,” Perenelle said, appearing with a warm smile as she placed the dessert and drinks on the table. “Besides, it’s been a couple of centuries since you’ve taken on a student.”
“Thank you,” Arthur said gratefully, handing Merlin her refreshments and dessert.
“Wait—does that mean you’re agreeing to take me on as your student?” Arthur asked, taking a bite of his dessert.
“Whoa… these are fantastic…” he muttered just loud enough for Perenelle to hear.
She responded with a soft, grandmotherly smile, watching as Arthur turned toward Merlin with an expectant look. She followed his gaze and saw Merlin’s expression melt into pure joy as she savored the dessert.
Arthur chuckled before turning back to Perenelle. “Sorry about her—she has a bit of a sweet tooth.”
“That’s alright,” Perenelle said with a chuckle. “I’m just glad to see she’s enjoying them.”
Nicholas sighed once more before finally relenting. “Alright. I’ll teach you—but on one condition. You must answer this question correctly. This will determine whether you’re truly serious about learning alchemy, or if you’re just someone overeager and biting off more than he can chew. If you answer incorrectly, I’m afraid your journey here will have been for nothing. Are you ready?”
Arthur set his cup down after washing down what he had eaten. He wiped his hands, nodded, and said, “I am.”
Nicholas leaned forward slightly, his expression unreadable. “What is the main principle of alchemy?”
Arthur smiled. “There isn’t one. There are no single main principles—only three essential ones.”
Nicholas’s smile widened. “Continue.”
“The three are Salt, Sulfur, and Mercury,” Arthur explained, his grin growing. “They represent the fundamental components into which all matter can be divided.”
Nicholas burst into laughter. “Hahaha! Good! I see you’ve actually studied and that you’re serious about this.” He leaned back, his eyes twinkling with curiosity. “Tell me, though—why didn’t you say Equivalent Exchange? That’s the answer most people give when I ask this question.”
Arthur raised a finger. “Because you asked for the principle, not the law. Equivalent Exchange is the law that all who practice alchemy follow. It states that nothing can be created from nothing. In other words, to gain something, something of equal value must be given in exchange.”
Nicholas and Perenelle exchanged satisfied grins. Merlin, meanwhile, beamed with pride. She always adored moments like these—when her students impressed others. It was a testament to her teaching ability and skill.
Comments
Morg535
You got me feeling nostalgic for some Full Metal Alchemist
Unhxly
Will he have FMAB level of alchemy?
