Chapter 246. The Paris Catacombs. Part 2. Stop! This is the realm of death!
As soon as they stepped inside the small building, two men in gray cloaks and hats approached them from the right of the spiral staircase, where a tiny ticket booth stood.
"We're sorry to trouble you, but may we see your documents?" the elder of the two asked politely. He had a mop of red hair and showed his Ministry of Magic identification.
"Oh! Of course, of course, one moment," Flamel said quickly, his face betraying anxiety as he hurriedly patted down his pockets. Perenelle watched Severus with an apologetic smile, visibly embarrassed by her husband's behavior, but he simply shook his head, as if to say it was fine. "Found it!" Flamel exclaimed with relief, pulling out a small card with his photograph. "I thought I'd left it at home."
"Thank you." The Ministry worker took the card and saw a very familiar name alongside a moving photograph of an elderly man whose expressions perfectly mirrored those of the person standing before him. He froze, then went pale, staring in shock at the nervous old man. Flamel rarely left his home, only three times since Grindelwald's attack, so the worker hadn't recognized him immediately. "M-Monsieur F-Flamel?"
"Yes? Is something wrong with the papers? Just tell me."
"Ah! No, no, no! Please, you're free to go. We're sorry for stopping you!" He gave a slight bow and quickly handed back the identification. "You're very lucky today. You're the first visitors, so admission is free, and that goes for your companions as well. Please, go ahead!" The man stepped aside at once, tugging his companion by the sleeve. Only then did the second man snap out of it. "Enjoy your visit!" he added courteously, with his most amiable expression, bowing again. The second man repeated the gesture without looking up.
"Wonderful! Thank you, Perenelle, Severus. We're very lucky today. Let's go." He looked joyfully at his companions, but they were watching him with rather strange expressions. "Is something wrong?"
"No, I was just thinking," Severus replied, doing his best to sound convincing, unsure how to respond to such naivety. This wasn't what he had expected from a man nearly six hundred years old.
"Let's go, dear, let's go." Not wanting to feel any more awkward, she gently pushed the alchemist toward the stairs, then looked at Severus apologetically. "Please forgive him. He rarely leaves the house, so…"
"I understand completely."
"What are you talking about?" Nicholas turned toward them, puzzled, as he stepped onto the stairs.
"Nothing! Please, let's go."
"I understand, I understand. Don't rush me, dear…"
Only after they had vanished from sight and the sound of footsteps had faded completely did the two dark wizards breathe a sigh of relief.
"Louis! You bastard! I didn't expect a setup like this! I'll knock every tooth out of your head!" the elder hissed angrily, already moving toward the exit.
"Are you sure it was him? Maybe someone was impersonating him?" the second asked uncertainly, glancing toward the stairs, unable to understand what someone as great as Nicholas Flamel, the legend of all France, would want in this unpleasant place.
"An old-style document; there are only five of those in France, and they're impossible to forge, plus a photograph that responds to him. If it were a fake, we'd have noticed immediately." With those words, he strode out of the room, clenching his fists.
"True… but what does he need here? And… he looked much younger than in the photo…"
"Gabriel, what are you doing?! That hurts! Stop! Stop hitting me! Ow! Not the face!"
"You little shit! You wanted to set me up?! Huh?! Take my place?! You think I'm an idiot?!"
"Stop already! Gabriel…!"
Listening to the screams outside, the second man smiled crookedly, drew his wand, and slowly pushed the door shut.
*Perhaps I won't interfere…*
After descending the spiral staircase, they found themselves in a rather gloomy tunnel with walls of large stone bricks. The floor was slippery in places with dirt and mold from the high humidity. Lanterns stood at five-meter intervals, illuminating the passage.
"This place has changed a bit since I was last here," Flamel murmured thoughtfully, leading the way. "It seems lighter, somehow, and cleaner?"
*Cold, damp, and gloomy… Too bad Nagini didn't come with me. She's missing this.* Severus smirked to himself, picturing her frightened expression. *I should show her this place sometime.* He pulled out a glowing blue rhombus.
"What is that?" Perenelle asked as the strange artifact brightened, flew forward, passed the surprised old man, and stopped a meter ahead.
"A recording artifact. It captures everything within several meters. It's more convenient than constantly extracting memories and using a Pensieve. I'm still working on it. I want to increase the range to at least thirty meters, but I haven't found the right materials yet." Three more crystals appeared before Severus, fanning out around the group in a square formation.
"That's… interesting," the alchemist said, his eyes gleaming as he studied one of the rhombuses. "You surprise me more and more, Mr. Prince. Will you give us a couple later? In exchange, I'd be happy to share other knowledge."
"Of course, but they aren't ready yet. They still need refinement."
"No matter. I'm simply curious to see how you created such an artifact."
"Dear, please watch where you're going," Perenelle chided him with a tired sigh, seeing that he was paying far more attention to the strange artifacts than to the path, which was becoming uneven.
"Yes, dear." Flamel nodded with an awkward smile, taking note.
Along the way, they passed many other tunnels blocked by grates and took numerous turns. In places, strange inscriptions bearing labels and dates appeared on the walls. After a few minutes, they emerged into a small but more open area with several branches that looked somewhat more presentable.
In the center stood a pillar decorated with marble-like material. The passages were painted black and white, and above one in particular hung an inscription: "Stop! This is the realm of death!" From there, Severus sensed a powerful flow of death energy.
Besides them, two more dark wizards stood in different corners, not counting the three they'd already passed along the way, who were guarding certain passages.
Flamel didn't linger. He headed straight into that "realm of death." After passing through the entrance and walking several meters, they found themselves in a place that could rightly be called a crypt.
Bones and skulls were stacked along the walls almost to the ceiling, which vanished into darkness above, creating an eerie sight. Plaques marked the cemeteries from which the remains had been moved.
While Severus looked around with mild curiosity, the couple walked calmly onward, paying no attention to the sight; they had passed through here before and knew the way well.
Anyone else in their place would have felt anxiety, perhaps even panic, at the sight of human bones and skulls arranged in bizarre patterns.
As the group moved forward, Severus finally decided to ask about what had intrigued him when he first saw Flamel the day before.
"By the way, I've been meaning to ask: how did that happen?" He looked at Flamel, who was walking ahead.
"I… please forgive my distrust." The old man slowed his pace slightly and let out a heavy sigh. "People have tried to poison us more than once, so I always check every gift. Yours was no exception."
"That's understandable. I do the same. There's nothing wrong with that. On the contrary, it would have been strange if you hadn't checked." Severus shook his head calmly. "But what does that have to do with it?"
"I used the Philosopher's Stone and transformed your honey into an elixir." Severus's eyebrows rose; he had already guessed the implications. Flamel continued with an awkward smile. "Transformation into an elixir doesn't just grant immortality; it also purifies all filth and impurities, including poisons and dark charms."
"So your artifact was able to improve it? Will you let me examine the honey?" Severus didn't care about their surroundings. He knew his limits, of course, and didn't ask to study the stone itself; the honey would be enough to gauge its effectiveness.
"I knew you'd say that." Stopping before a large round pillar that supported the ceiling, one surrounded by shin bones and skulls, Flamel produced a small hundred-gram jar and handed it to Severus, who accepted it calmly and uncorked it.
Perenelle sighed wearily to herself, wondering how she had fallen in love with such a madman. She glanced at the human bones surrounding them, feeling the unpleasant, oppressive atmosphere. The semi-darkness only deepened the feeling, but these two didn't seem to care, as if they weren't in a crypt strewn with bones, but somewhere far away, in their own world.
*Two idiots… If Nagini were here right now, she would certainly agree.*
"Almost twice as effective!" Severus exclaimed, unable to contain his amazement. Much as he might want to study the Philosopher's Stone, he understood they weren't close enough yet for Flamel to entrust him with such an artifact.
"I'm willing to let you examine it, in exchange for a couple of your recording artifacts." Nicholas looked at him with an understanding smile; he knew that look all too well.
"Really?" Severus asked, his excitement plain. Flamel nodded. "Thank you very much, Mr. Flamel! Do you mind if I keep this and study it more thoroughly at home?" He raised the jar slightly.
"Of course. I hope you'll share your findings later?"
"No problem…"
With that, the conversation ended, and they continued through the tunnels until they reached a small fork where they could either follow the tourist route or turn into a restricted area behind a locked grate. The elderly wizard simply flicked his wand toward the closed passage. With a sharp click, the lock sprang open and the grate swung aside. After they entered and started descending, the lock slid back into place and clicked shut, as if no one had ever passed through. The group had already disappeared around the corner…
------------------------------------------
Chapters on Patreon progress: Currently at;
1. Harry Potter: Satan? Nah, Just My Family Crest = CHAPTER 430
2.Harry Potter: Beyond Good and Evil in the Wizarding World = CHAPTER 445
3.Harry Potter: Reborn as Draco Black = CHAPTER 234
support me on Patreon for instant access to the 120+ advance chapters: patreon.com/redofic