Chapter 142: Miranda at the LeMay House

“What is that?” Miranda stared open-mouthed at the ring of light Xiven had opened, which shimmered like golden sparks, her face filled with astonishment.

“It’s a rather useful spell. It can transport you anywhere you wish to go.” Seeing her amazement, Xiven smiled with delight. “What are you waiting for? Come on in!”

Beyond the dimensional door lay the second floor of Flamel’s safe house.

The reason Xiven had chosen the second floor was that the Flamels’ dining room was located there. He intended to take Miranda to the Flamels’ home for breakfast first.

The Flamel couple were already standing beside the old-fashioned dining table, which was laden with an abundant feast.

“Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Flamel!” Xiven greeted them with easy familiarity.

Miranda, who entered behind him, was considerably more restrained.

She nervously bowed to the couple and greeted them stiffly. “It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Flamel!”

“Little one, there’s no need to be so nervous.” Mrs. Flamel smiled kindly and looked at Miranda with grandmotherly warmth. “What’s your name?”

“Her name is Miranda Goshawk, a genius witch from Ravenclaw!” Xiven introduced her before she could answer. “She’s simply too reserved. The moment she heard she would be visiting you, she became terribly nervous.”

“Listen to you. Were you not reserved the first time you came here?” Flamel teased with a sly smile. “If I remember correctly, you were even more nervous than she was when you first came here with Newt.”

“If my memory serves me, it was during last Christmas break, when Albus introduced you to me so that you could study alchemy.” Flamel chuckled. “You followed Newt here with that prim little smile plastered all over your face. I could hardly resist making fun of you!”

Xiven gave an embarrassed laugh. From the corner of his eye, he saw Miranda covering her mouth as she quietly giggled, which only made him feel more awkward.

“Ahem. Your memory is truly remarkable!” Xiven coughed heavily twice, attempting to steer the conversation elsewhere.

“Actually, it isn’t quite as good as you imagine,” Flamel said softly. A trace of sadness appeared on his face, and he let out a faint sigh. “At my age, there are many things from several centuries ago that I can no longer remember clearly.”

“Xiven has brought a friend to visit today! Why are you sighing over such things?” Mrs. Flamel reached out and patted him on the shoulder, interrupting his melancholy. She then smiled at Miranda. “Miranda, was it? Pay no attention to this old man. Come and try the food. Xiven is very fond of it!”

Flamel immediately set aside his melancholy and said with a smile, “Living too long makes one prone to grumbling. Pay me no mind. Eating comes first!”

Xiven nodded with a smile and said to Miranda, “The alchemical constructs in the Flamels’ home are excellent cooks. You should try the food.”

Miranda nodded shyly and walked over to the old-fashioned table.

As she looked around at the empty space, a puzzled expression crossed her face.

“Oh, right. Because of their bones, the two of them generally don’t sit down,” Xiven explained when he noticed her confusion. “We can simply eat standing up.”

“You could always bring chairs up from downstairs, or conjure some yourselves,” Mrs. Flamel said. “There’s no need to accommodate us two old geezers.”

Miranda shook her head and smiled. “It’s all right. Standing is perfectly comfortable!”

…

After finishing breakfast amid enthusiastic praise for the food, Xiven told Flamel that Miranda wished to speak with Professor Hicks.

“The Phoenix Relief Book is on the table over there. You may take it and use it yourselves,” Flamel said casually after hearing Miranda’s request. “You know how to open it, don’t you?”

Xiven nodded and led Miranda over to the Phoenix Relief Book.

He moved his fingers twice across the cover of the finely bound volume. The relief on its surface then parted in two, revealing the pages within.

Xiven quickly turned to the page bearing Professor Hicks’s image.

Fortunately, Professor Hicks’s two-way mirror seemed to be nearby, and she soon sensed the change in the mirror.

A beautiful dark-skinned witch then stepped into the picture frame of the relief book.

“Flamel… Oh, it’s Xiven!” Professor Hicks exclaimed in surprise when she saw him behind the mirror. “What can I do for you?”

“I have a friend who would like to speak with you. She’s the author of The Book of Spells—Miranda Goshawk.” Xiven drew Miranda a little closer and gestured toward her.

“Oh, so you’re the author of The Book of Spells!” Professor Hicks said quickly, her face lighting up with delight. “Your book is truly comprehensive and groundbreaking. I’ve read it many times.”

“I’ve actually wanted to exchange thoughts on spellcraft with you for a long time. But I never imagined you would be so young—and so beautiful!”

“Your Advanced Spellcasting is the truly groundbreaking work,” Miranda replied with an embarrassed smile. “I’ve been studying it lately. I never imagined I would have the chance to discuss magic with you!”

The two of them soon launched into an impassioned and intense discussion of spellcraft, leaving Xiven entirely unable to get a word in.

He had no choice but to quietly return to the Flamels’ side and prepare to begin that day’s alchemy assignment.

“Has that little girl already gotten in touch with Lally?” Flamel asked, glancing at Xiven when he saw him return alone.

“Yes. The two of them are so engrossed in conversation that I can’t get a word in,” Xiven said helplessly, his lips pursed.

“You are, after all, only a second-year student. The achievements you’ve made already are remarkable. There’s no need to put so much pressure on yourself!” Mrs. Flamel said with a beaming smile.

Then, with a look of interest, she leaned closer to Xiven and asked, “Now tell me honestly—what is your relationship with the girl you brought today?”

Under Mrs. Flamel’s intensely curious gaze, the corner of Xiven’s eye twitched.

So gossip truly knew no age limit—even when the person in question was more than six hundred years old…

Naturally, he still had to answer her question. Otherwise, it would have been terribly rude.

Xiven thought for a moment. Before he knew it, he recalled a day shortly after the beginning of the previous school year, when he had told Miranda about his family’s French branch and she had insisted on sharing the details of her own family with him.

A smile curved his lips.

“I suppose you could say we’re good friends who know each other well,” Xiven replied.

“Of course, she’s also an outstanding senior student. For the rest of my time at Hogwarts, I’ll be relying on her notes!”