Chapter 396: A Potion Worth 300 Galleons

For the next two hours, Kyle described in detail the events that had unfolded in the Chamber of Secrets last year. While Nicolas didn't ask much about the overall incident, he focused intensely on the beginning and end of the time-travel experience, questioning Kyle about every tiny detail. He wanted to know how Kyle felt as time rewound, if there were any unusual phenomena, and even whether the environment had felt warmer or colder. Some of these things Kyle hadn't even noticed at the time—he'd been too caught up in his exchanges with Riddle to remember sensory details.

After hours of talking, Kyle, now parched, drained the cold black tea in his cup. He had suggested using a Pensieve so that Nicolas could view the memories directly. Surely, an alchemist of Nicolas's caliber would have a Pensieve in his home, and if not, he could probably conjure one on the spot.

But Nicolas shook his head. "I must tell you, my boy, that extracting memories is not so simple—it can only be done by wizards adept in the Memory Charm. And then there's something else…" he continued, "I believe you learned Occlumency long ago, did you not?"

Kyle nodded. Occlumency was one of the magical powers he had spent years perfecting, especially after Rowena Ravenclaw's insistence.

"For those who've mastered Occlumency," Nicolas explained, "no one can extract their memories except themselves—not me, nor even Albus."

Kyle thought about this. "Actually, I could try myself… There was a professor at Hogwarts who was quite skilled in Memory Charms. He gave me his notes on the subject, and I learned a lot from them."

"Oh? Hogwarts had a master of Memory Charms?" Nicolas looked intrigued. "Albus certainly has an eye for talent. I must admit, Beauxbatons can't quite match Hogwarts when it comes to its faculty."

Kyle managed a polite laugh, choosing not to mention that this "Master of Memory Charms" had been a fraud who'd lost his own memory and ended up in St. Mungo's. It felt better to let Nicolas keep his admiration for Hogwarts intact.

Before he could say more, Nicolas waved a dismissive hand. "I can't allow it, Kyle," he interrupted. "Even if you've made excellent progress with the Memory Charm, it's too risky…"

He tapped his own forehead. "Your mind is far more valuable than anything I want to know. So, no. Besides, thanks to what you've described, I already have a pretty clear sense of things."

With a wave of his hand, Nicolas made the intricate blue and turquoise carvings and shelves around them vanish, revealing a wall covered in runes that gleamed faintly in the dim light. One by one, they began to light up, twinkling like stars.

Nicolas murmured, "This Time-Turner doesn't operate like the others—it doesn't snap back to the original timeline as expected. Rather, it's as if it seeks to fulfill some specific conditions."

He waved his hand again, and some of the runes dimmed while others brightened, until nearly a hundred symbols sparkled on the wall. Nicolas began rearranging them into different configurations, creating new symbols and layered shapes.

Kyle watched quietly, realizing he couldn't begin to understand Nicolas's technique. He tried to take notes on each combination but gave up after ten minutes; there were simply too many.

And Nicolas didn't seem close to a final answer—he was just experimenting, trying different drafts. Kyle hadn't expected him to work through the entire night. When Nicolas finally stopped, the sky had lightened, signaling morning.

Kyle, his head aching from hours of watching advanced runes shift and spin, felt dazed and exhausted. Nicolas, on the other hand, looked more energized than he had the night before.

"This is incredible…" Kyle murmured.

"Oh, Kyle! I forgot you were still here," Nicolas said, finally noticing Kyle's worn-out expression. Clapping his hands, he called for Tata, the House-elf, and requested a light red potion.

"Drink up—it'll help," Nicolas said.

Kyle took the potion and drank deeply. The dizziness from before vanished almost instantly.

"What is this?" he asked, feeling clear-headed again.

"A brain-refreshing potion of my own making," Nicolas explained. "I drink it whenever I need to retrieve memories from centuries ago. It's quite effective."

Kyle nodded, then asked, "Is it difficult to make?"

"Not at all—fairly simple, actually." Nicolas tapped his finger on the table, and a piece of parchment appeared before Kyle. "If you're interested, consider this my Christmas gift to you."

"Thank you, Nicolas." Kyle accepted the parchment eagerly. The potion would be useful—not just for him, but for his friends back at Hogwarts. Kanna, who had recently delved into the complexities of Ancient Runes, could benefit from it, as could Cedric, Cho, and the Weasley twins.

But as Kyle scanned the ingredients, he couldn't help a wry smile. While the instructions were indeed simple, the ingredients were another matter. The cheapest item on the list was Unicorn horn, priced at about fifty Galleons per ounce. Altogether, brewing this potion would cost at least three hundred Galleons.

Kyle took a deep breath, folding the parchment carefully before slipping it into his pocket.

As they left the study, Nicolas continued to speak excitedly about his discovery. "I'm on the right track, I can feel it! But it's going to take countless attempts and verifications—this could easily go on for years. Not exactly easy on a six-hundred-year-old, I'm afraid," he chuckled.

They reached the dining room and sat down, and Tata promptly served up a hearty meal.