Although Nicolas also seemed to quite enjoy that kind of work, when Kael compared it with the things Professor Snape had prepared, he still felt something was a bit off.
But Kael didn't think too much about it. The two of them went to the Auditorium together, and they ran into Harry, who was pacing back and forth in the entrance hall.
He didn't want to attend Slughorn's party either, but couldn't think of any decent excuse, though Ron beside him was rather excited.
The Christmas feast was as lavish as ever. Even though there were fewer people in the Auditorium and it felt much emptier than in previous years, that didn't affect everyone's mood at all.
…
The next day.
Because of Voldemort and the Death Eaters, most students chose to stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas holiday; only a small number decided to go home.
Draco Malfoy was one of them, and he was the most anxious to leave, having left the castle at the crack of dawn.
There were also Harry and his friends; Mrs. Weasley had already invited them back to No. 12 Grimmauld Place for Christmas before term even started.
Of course, none of this had anything to do with Kael.
While everyone else was heading to Hogsmeade Platform, he had already brought Conna to a field on the side of the castle.
"How are we getting there…?" Conna looked a little nervous. "Apparition, or a Portkey?"
"Neither," Kael said. "Nicolas's manor is like Hogwarts; Apparition is forbidden. And Portkeys aren't allowed either, unless they're made by Nicolas himself, but Professor Dumbledore didn't give me one of those…"
He glanced into the distance. "Oh, here comes Hagrid."
Conna turned her head and, sure enough, saw Hagrid walking toward them in his enormous moleskin overcoat.
Beside him was a carriage pulled by a Thestral.
"Hey, Kael!"
Hagrid started waving from far away, and when he came over he handed Kael the reins straight away.
"Same Thestral as before, it knows the way." Hagrid lowered his voice. "I was actually thinking of inviting yeh to come help me teach Grawp over the Christmas holidays. He's really making progress now.
"But yeh'd definitely rather be goin' there, wouldn't yeh?"
Kael just smiled and didn't say anything.
In fact, even without Nicolas Flamel's invitation, he would most likely have gone back with Harry and the others, or stayed in the castle to keep Conna company, rather than go with Hagrid to see that Giant brother of his.
Setting everything else aside, the smell around Giants was not something an ordinary person could endure; maybe Fluffy would like it, though.
Kael took the reins, and once Conna had climbed into the carriage, he jumped up as well.
Hagrid leaned toward the Thestral's ear and murmured something; the Thestral immediately trotted forward a few steps, spread its wings, and took off.
"Well then, Merry Christmas!" Hagrid waved from below.
"Merry Christmas," Kael said.
The Thestral flew higher and higher, and soon Hagrid's figure had shrunk to a tiny blurry black dot.
At that point Kael went into the carriage behind him.
Conna was gazing out the window, her face lit with barely contained excitement and delight.
"I've never ridden in a Thestral Carriage like this before," she said. "This feels amazing."
The Thestral carried them quickly, soon catching up with the Hogwarts Express puffing steam below, and in almost the blink of an eye, it left the train far behind.
Yet even so, the two people inside the carriage didn't feel any jolting at all; it was so steady it was as if they'd never moved from their spot.
Kael had already taken a Thestral Carriage once before, so he was much calmer than Conna.
The carriage cut its way through the clouds, and before they knew it a thin layer of ice crystals had formed around them.
Perhaps feeling a bit cold, Conna closed the window, turned to Kael, and asked, "What kind of place is Nicolas's manor?"
"Very interesting," Kael thought for a moment. "Everything you see there—walls, ceilings, tables, chairs, fireplaces, even the watering cans for the flowers—are Alchemy Items.
"They're like the paintings at Hogwarts; they can talk and move around on their own."
"That's incredible." Conna's eyes were shining.
"I'm a little nervous," she suddenly said.
"What's wrong?"
"What kind of person is Nicolas Flamel?" Conna said. "What's he like? He's over six hundred years old, will he be very serious? Should I change into something more formal?"
She looked down at her clothes… She'd originally been wearing a not‑too‑showy dress robe, but before they left, Kael had insisted she change into ordinary clothes.
"No need to fuss over that, Nicolas doesn't care," Kael waved a hand. "If anything, wearing dress robes would just make him feel uncomfortable."
"But that's not what Professor Snape said…" Conna muttered. "He told me yesterday that the older a wizard is, the more they care about that sort of thing."
"Snape…" Kael said coolly. "Has he ever met Nicolas?"
Conna shook her head.
"Exactly. He's never met him, so what's he doing giving you advice?" Kael said disdainfully.
"What he said only applies to ordinary wizards. Nicolas has lived for over six hundred years; there's nothing he hasn't seen, he stopped caring about those so‑called formalities long ago. He just does whatever's comfortable. That includes how you talk to him—there's no need to call him 'Mr. Flamel,' he actually prefers people to call him Nicolas."
"Really?" Conna sounded doubtful—not because she didn't trust Kael, but because it was so different from what she'd imagined.
"Just trust me," Kael said. "Besides, you've already met him before—you just don't know it yet."
"What, I've met Nicolas Flamel?" Conna's eyes went round. "When? How come I don't remember!"
"You'll know when we get there," Kael said with a smile.
…