The room was an eerie and gothic medieval-style living room.
The tapestries displayed moving figures and strange runic symbols. In the corner stood a large crystal ball, though it had lost all its luster.
William sat on the sofa, holding a thick book in his hands.
The book had a lock, and the raised design featured a phoenix.
Through this book, William was conducting a cross-continental video call with Nicolas Flamel.
William and Hermione hadn't returned to their hotel in Leeds. After being chased by Aurors all afternoon and narrowly escaping, it wasn't worth walking into a trap.
They were currently staying in Nicolas's safe house in Paris.
"Nicolas, the décor of this house really doesn't seem like your style," William joked.
"Why do you say that?"
Nicolas was lounging on a recliner, wearing oversized sunglasses with a beach umbrella overhead.
He was clearly on vacation at the beach!
It was already nighttime on William's side, while it was still daytime for Nicolas.
"It feels lifeless," William said after some thought.
"That's because this house hasn't been lived in for ages. The only upkeep is done by house-elves who clean it periodically," Nicolas replied, sipping from a coconut. He smiled and added, "Even I think it's lifeless, which is why I rarely come here."
"The décor is so outdated." William critiqued, "Look at this place; it's still stuck in medieval style. It feels like some crazy museum."
"Well, that was the aesthetic back then. When I first had it decorated, it was actually quite avant-garde," Nicolas reminisced.
"It's not that I don't want to redecorate. It's my second portrait that won't let me. He's absolutely in love with that style."
Nicolas's second portrait had been created and nurtured during his years between 100 and 200, reflecting his personality from that era.
At present, Nicolas had six portraits, each representing a century of his life. Over time, his personality had naturally evolved.
His current self was far more playful, vastly different from his first portrait.
William thought for a moment. The concept felt somewhat like that of the Doctor from Doctor Who, each regeneration retained the same essence but came with a different personality.
"By the way, why are you back in Hawaii again?"
"There's a rather unique meteor crater here. The material composition of the crater impacts the properties of alchemical creations, so I wanted to come and take a look," Nicolas said nonchalantly.
William suspected that the meteor crater was merely an excuse and that Nicolas was more interested in water fights.
"Tom should have arrived in the United States by now, right?"
Nicolas gazed at the sparkling ocean and nodded. "More or less. I imagine he's figuring out how to infiltrate Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
"Did you intentionally want Tom to find Salazar Slytherin's wand?"
"Exactly, William," Nicolas admitted without hesitation. "I've searched Ilvermorny countless times and never found it.
"That means Slytherin must have left some enchantments on the wand that I can't decipher, only his heir can access it.
"If Tom doesn't retrieve it, how else can I get my hands on that wand?"
Nicolas was waiting to acquire the Deathly Hallows in order to unlock his alchemical compendium.
"As for Albus, he wants Tom to find Slytherin's legacy to sever his connection with Voldemort on a soul level. Otherwise, neither young Tom nor old Tom can truly die."
William nodded slightly, having already guessed the Headmaster's plan.
Dumbledore was of advanced age and refused to use the Philosopher's Stone for longevity. He was determined to resolve the Voldemort issue before his death.
Thus, Tom's rise and Voldemort's resurrection were necessary evils, otherwise, the Horcrux symbiosis couldn't be destroyed.
"All right, I won't interrupt your vacation with Hermione anymore. You young people should cherish your time together," Nicolas said with a wink.
"By the way, you've shown such blatant disregard for the French Ministry of Magic, they definitely won't let this slide.
"Those people are notoriously petty. Back in my day, I was once declared a fugitive citywide. So, be careful," Nicolas warned.
William nodded.
"But don't worry too much," Nicolas added calmly. "If anything serious happens, Albus and I will have your back."
William closed the book and placed it inside a cabinet.
Surveying the room's medieval decor, he felt as though he were sitting in a haunted house. After a brief moment on the sofa, he returned to the safe room he shared with Hermione.
Hermione had just finished her shower. Damp strands of dark hair clung to her flushed cheeks as she dried her hair with a towel in their room.
"What did Nicolas say?"
Noticing William enter, Hermione handed him the wooden comb on the table.
William took the comb and began brushing her hair with practiced ease. As he did so, he explained softly, "I got some information. Nicolas knows both the witch and the snake we encountered.
"The snake's name is Nagini. She's a witch who inherited the Blood Malediction."
"Blood Malediction?" Hermione tilted her head in confusion.
"It's an extremely sinister form of dark magic. Wizards cursed with it are known as Blood-Cursed Beasts.
Those afflicted can alternate between human and animal forms but eventually devolve completely into animals, losing all memories of their humanity."
Hermione's eyes widened in disbelief. "There's magic that cruel?"
"Yes." William nodded slightly. "Sixty years ago, Nagini was still a witch.
"She was forced to perform as a slave in a traveling magical circus. Later, she escaped with a powerful Obscurial named Credence."
Young wizards, in an attempt to escape misfortune, would suppress their magical powers. Without proper guidance to control or channel this energy, the repressed magic could manifest as a parasitic force known as an Obscurus.
Obscuruses were immensely powerful but highly unstable forms of dark magic, capable of separating from their host and attacking others.
William continued, "Eventually, Grindelwald took Credence under his wing, using him as a weapon against Dumbledore.
"As for Nagini, she sought help from Newt and Dumbledore at Hogwarts, but even the Headmaster couldn't lift the Blood Malediction.
"After Grindelwald was defeated, Nagini disappeared. She's likely completely transformed into a snake by now."
With a wave of his wand, William conjured golden smoke, forming the elegant figure of an Asian witch. The image flickered back and forth between human and serpent forms.
Hermione sat silently for a moment before asking, "What about the witch who was with Nagini?"
"The witch?" William's expression turned mysterious. "She's a big deal. Her name is Ellia Vida Grindelwald."
"Grindelwald?" Hermione's tone became sharper. "As in that Grindelwald, the Dark Lord Dumbledore defeated?"
"Apparently, Ellia is the daughter of Vida Rosier and Gellert Grindelwald."
"Grindelwald had a daughter?"
"It's unclear. She might simply have been adopted by Rosier," William said. "Nicolas told me that Grindelwald's true love wasn't Rosier."
Vida Rosier had been one of Grindelwald's followers and his most loyal devotee. Their dynamic resembled that of Bellatrix Lestrange and Voldemort.
Then again, even if Grindelwald didn't love Rosier, it wouldn't rule out the possibility of them having a child.
Loving someone and having a child with someone were two entirely different matters.
"So Grindelwald's daughter took Newt's case. What could she want?" Hermione mused.
Once William finished brushing her hair, Hermione sat cross-legged on the bed while William used his wand to dry her hair gently.
Leaning close to her freshly tied curls, William took a deep breath, catching the faint, sweet scent of her shampoo.
"It's still unclear. Maybe she's carrying out some sort of plan, perhaps even planning to destroy Paris," William joked.
Could Grindelwald's daughter be aiming to achieve what Grindelwald himself never could?
It was a thrilling prospect.