Kyle and Kanna stayed at Nicolas' manor until the end of the Christmas holiday.
During this time, Kanna was exactly like Kyle when he first arrived—once she stepped into the library, she couldn't bring herself to leave, wanting to stay there from morning until night. The only times she came out were at Perenelle's request for meals, and even then, she never lingered for more than an hour.
Kyle, on the other hand, had it much easier. He spent his time wandering around the manor, causing chaos with the alchemical gadgets that caught his interest. To be precise, he took them apart and reassembled them. Over the course of two weeks, he had dismantled no fewer than 80 items, leaving behind "crime scenes" scattered throughout the entire manor.
From the garden to the attic, in every accessible room, Kyle's busy figure had been seen at work. Of course, most of these alchemical items were eventually restored to their original state—most of them. A few exceptions remained.
For instance, on the ninth day, the room on the second floor where Kyle had once watched an opera developed a small malfunction. If someone had entered to watch a performance, they would have noticed that a corner on the left side of the room flickered intermittently, like a faulty light bulb struggling to maintain contact. Fortunately, no one other than Kyle had entered the room in the following days.
And so, the days passed until the last morning of the holiday.
Early that day, Kyle and Kanna went outside to the garden, preparing to return to Hogwarts on the Thestral.
"It's really rare," Nicolas remarked, watching with a smile as the two of them secured the carriage.
"Yes, it hasn't been this lively here for a long time," Perenelle agreed. "And both Kyle and Kanna are such wonderful children. I can always feel the energy and enthusiasm of young wizards in them. Spending time with them makes me feel younger—by at least a hundred years."
"No, Perenelle, that's not what I meant," Nicolas shook his head. "I mean, it's rare that Kyle hasn't found me extra work to do."
Since when had Kyle's visits become synonymous with disrupting his peaceful, laid-back life?
The first time, Kyle had brought him Ravenclaw's Diadem, forcing him to abandon all his plans and spend months locked away in his laboratory. Before that, he hadn't even opened the lab door in ten years.
Then, the next time they met, Kyle had brought him Hufflepuff's Cup and Slytherin's Locket, keeping him occupied for another long stretch—long enough to make him miss an important opera performance.
Oh, and there was also that time-consuming, painstakingly intricate Time-Turner from a thousand years ago. That, too, had been Kyle's doing.
Yet, despite all this, Nicolas had done it willingly. As he had said before, no true alchemist could remain indifferent to Ravenclaw's Diadem—or to the Golden Cup and the Locket. Unless, of course, they had never laid eyes on them to begin with.
If only he had never seen those things. It was a contradiction, but it was exactly how he felt.
Luckily, after today, things would be different. Kyle hadn't caused any trouble this time, and once they returned to Hogwarts, Nicolas could go back to his quiet life, indulging in beautiful operas without interruption.
He was already looking forward to it.
By now, Kyle and Kanna had finished fastening the carriage cover onto the Thestral.
"We'd better hurry up and leave. You haven't forgotten anything, have you?" Kyle said.
"No," Kanna shook her head, "but don't we need to say goodbye to Nicolas and the others?"
"They're all old friends, there's no need," Kyle replied.
"No, Kyle, even if they are old friends, it's rude to leave without saying goodbye," Kanna frowned. "Besides, I feel like you're acting a little strange, like you want to get out of here quickly."
"No, it must be your imagination," Kyle said. "I just... well, I want to get back to Hogwarts before dinner."
He couldn't tell Kanna that he had dismantled Nicolas's precious room on a whim... If Nicolas found out, Kyle doubted he'd be able to leave today. It was best to escape while no one had noticed.
"But it's still morning, we have plenty of time," Kanna looked at him suspiciously.
Her intuition told her that Kyle was definitely hiding something from her.
"Are you guys ready?"
Just as Kyle was trying to think of an excuse, Nicolas approached with small, quick steps.
"Yes, Nicolas," Kanna said quickly. "Thank you for inviting us this time."
"You're welcome," Nicolas waved his hand. "By the way, this is my Christmas present to you… a bit late, but still on time."
He took out two boxes, one red and one gold, handing the red one to Kanna and the gold one to Kyle.
"Christmas present?" Kanna asked doubtfully. "But I already received one—the book and the manuscript…"
"This is the other part," Nicolas said with a smile. "People would laugh if they knew I traded a book for a precious bottle of Phoenix Potion."
"Especially that McPhail guy—he'd spread the word all over town."
"But—"
"Don't refuse, child, just accept it."
Kanna wanted to say something else, but Nicolas interrupted her. He shook his head and said, "You should learn from Kyle on this one."
Kanna instinctively turned her head, only to see Kyle already stowing away the golden box naturally, as if receiving such a gift was nothing out of the ordinary.
"Well... okay," Kanna nodded after a moment's hesitation, accepting the box just as Kyle had done.
"That's right," Nicolas said with a smile. "But remember, it's important that you open it yourself."
"Okay, I understand," Kanna nodded.
Nicolas then took two steps back, standing beside Perenelle as they watched the two board the carriage.
"Goodbye!" Perenelle waved. "I remember you'll be graduating next year, so feel free to visit again then."
Kyle and Kanna leaned out of the carriage window, waving back to them.
Then the Thestral spread its wings, lowering itself slightly before taking off with a sharp ascent.
The carriage soared into the sky at a steep angle, heading toward Hogwarts.
Looking down, there was no trace of the manor, only an empty field covered in stones.
"This is the Fidelius Charm, one of Nicolas Manor's strongest defensive spells," Kyle explained. "If we don't have someone to guide us, we wouldn't be able to find the entrance again, even if we turned back now."
"I've heard of this before," Kanna said.
Kyle had told her about the powerful magical protections surrounding Nicolas Manor, and after witnessing the magic inside, she wasn't surprised at all.
Not to mention, the private library alone was enough to make countless wizards desperate to visit. If its location were exposed, trouble would surely come knocking. Under such circumstances, strong protective magic was a necessity.
But right now, neither of them was in the mood to discuss it.
Their eyes fell on the two boxes Nicolas had just given them.
"What do you think is in here?" Kanna asked, looking at the box in her hands.
The box was quite ordinary—just common gift packaging, tied with a simple red ribbon, with nothing particularly special about it. If it were placed in a pile of gifts, Kyle was certain he wouldn't have given it a second glance.
"I don't know," he said, shaking his head. "If you want to know, just open it and take a look, right?"
"Can I open it now?" Kanna asked, a little nervous.
"Why not?" Kyle replied. "Nicolas didn't say you had to wait until you got back to Hogwarts to open it."
Thinking about it, Kanna realized he was right—Nicolas hadn't mentioned any such condition.
The journey back to Hogwarts was still long, and curiosity was starting to get the better of her. After only a moment's hesitation, she untied the ribbon on the box.
For a brief moment, the carriage fell into an eerie silence. Even Kyle unconsciously slowed his breathing as he watched Kanna slowly lift the lid.
The box opened a crack, and just as Kyle was about to lean in for a closer look, a red light shot out from inside.
The glowing streak zipped around the small carriage like a nimble Snitch, darting unpredictably through the air before making a sharp turn and landing on Kanna's wrist.
By the time Kyle processed what had happened, the red light had already vanished. In its place, a delicate silver bracelet had appeared on Kanna's right wrist.
The bracelet was exquisitely crafted, shaped like a phoenix with its head connected to its tail. Its surface gleamed a bright silver, while its eyes shimmered a deep red. Kyle immediately recognized the red gemstone—it was a fragment of the Philosopher's Stone.
"What is it?"
"Nicolas said this can help me withstand the Killing Curse twice," Kanna whispered.
"Huh? When did he say that?" Kyle asked, picking up the now-empty box and looking inside.
There was nothing inside—no note, no instructions.
"I heard his voice just now," Kanna pointed to her ear. "When the box was opened."
"Okay," Kyle said, unfazed, before adding thoughtfully, "It looks like he returned the Phoenix Potion to you, just in a different form."
He paused for a moment, considering the implications. There was still a key difference between the two.
Phoenix Potion could bring someone back from death, while the bracelet's function was purely defensive—it prevented death in the first place. Which was better was hard to say, but the bracelet had a clear advantage: it could be used twice.
"An alchemical item that can resist the Killing Curse… isn't that a bit too precious?" Kanna murmured, looking down at her wrist, where the phoenix engraving was spinning ever so slightly, as if alive.
"It's fine. Nicolas doesn't lack things like this," Kyle said. "And even if you wanted to return it, you couldn't now."
"How come?" Kanna asked, reaching out to remove the bracelet.
But the moment she tried, the phoenix sprang to life. It darted between her fingers with incredible speed, slipping out of her grasp before smoothly returning to its place on her wrist.
She tried again. The result was the same.
"Ha!" Kyle couldn't help but laugh as he watched.
"What are you laughing at?" Kanna turned to glare at him.
"No, nothing," Kyle said, shaking his head. Of course, he couldn't tell her that she looked like a clumsy Seeker, repeatedly trying—and failing—to catch the Golden Snitch.
"Come on, just keep it," he said quickly, shifting the conversation. "It was made from the materials you brought, anyway, so in a way, it's just returning to its owner."
"But that was a gift for Nicolas."
"It's fine. He probably kept some for himself," Kyle explained. "If it's just for engraving runes, he wouldn't need much."
With Kyle's explanation, Kanna gradually came to accept the special gift.
She opened the window slightly, letting the sunlight stream in. The light fell onto the phoenix, and in an instant, the bright silver took on a golden-red hue, glowing like a real phoenix in flight.
"It's so beautiful…" Kanna murmured, mesmerized.
Regardless of its ability to resist the Killing Curse, its appearance alone was enough to captivate any witch who laid eyes on it.
"Kyle, I remember you also learned alchemy from Nicolas," Kanna asked curiously. "Can you also make such amazing things?"
"Of course I can," Kyle nodded, but there was a hint of guilt in his voice.
Kanna had so much faith in him, and while Kyle was pleased about that, he had to admit—she believed in him a little too much.
He had only been studying alchemy for a few years at most, and alchemy was different from school subjects. It was more like a narrow bottle— the further in one delved, the more vast and unknown the field became. At this stage, it was far too presumptuous for him to compare himself to Nicolas.
He even doubted whether Dumbledore himself could craft something like this.
But in front of Kanna, he couldn't admit that. After all, they were the only ones here, and Kyle wasn't worried in the slightest about being exposed.
Kanna studied the bracelet for a while, then suddenly thought of something.
"By the way, Kyle, what about your present? Open it and take a look, maybe it's the same as mine."
The moment she said that, Kyle's heart tensed.
Could it be that Nicolas had given him something that could resist the Killing Curse?
Kyle wasn't sure.
He took out the golden box and, taking a deep breath, untied the string with anticipation.
Nothing leaped out, and he didn't hear Nicolas's voice, so all signs suggested it was just an ordinary box.
Inside, resting on a velvet cushion, was a golden object about the size of a small mirror.
"What is it, a pocket watch?" Kanna leaned forward, puzzled. "Strange, it has five hands."
"No, it's not a pocket watch," Kyle's expression gradually grew serious. "It's a Time-Turner."
"Time-Turner?"
"That's right," Kyle said in a low voice. "And it's a Time-Turner from a thousand years ago."
He recognized it immediately. It was because of this very Time-Turner that he had been able to meet the Founders in the Chamber of Secrets.
However, after that encounter, the device had completely broken down. Dumbledore had sent it to Nicolas for repairs.
A few years ago, in order to provide the vast amount of magic required to restore the Time-Turner, Nicolas had even traveled to Hogwarts specifically to borrow Kyle's vial of Ashes of Nirvana.
Kyle turned the Time-Turner over in his hands. Through the slits on the sides, he could see the faint red glow flickering inside.
The Philosopher's Stone...
Though much smaller than before, it was still complete—capable of turning stone into gold and producing the Elixir of Life.
It was clear that after nearly four years, Nicolas had finally repaired it.
But Kyle couldn't understand why he had given the Time-Turner to him instead of returning it to Dumbledore.
Had Dumbledore already used it?
Kyle pondered the possibility, then shook his head.
That was unlikely... If Dumbledore had used the Time-Turner, there would have been some sign afterward.
Whether it was sorrow, joy, or something else entirely, something about him would have changed.
But in Kyle's memory, Dumbledore had always been the same, unchanged.
And judging by the color of the Philosopher's Stone inside the device, there were no signs of it having been used.
That was strange. If this was something Dumbledore cared about, why would Nicolas give it to him instead?
It didn't make sense.
Kyle subconsciously reached into his pouch and pulled out the enchanted parchment that allowed him to contact Nicolas. He was about to ask for an explanation.
But just as he looked down, lines of text began appearing out of thin air across the parchment.
Large passages of words, written hurriedly—and in between the lines, Kyle could distinctly feel just how furious the sender was at this moment.
"What is this?" Kanna asked, peering curiously at the parchment.
"Nothing, just some holiday homework for Charms class," Kyle said casually, shoving the parchment back to the bottom of his Mokeskin pouch. "Grabbed the wrong one."
Forget it. This wasn't the right time for this.
He'd ask about it some other time.