Man of Archives

Chapter 26

The first country I wanted to visit was France, and the reason for that was the news that swept across the magical world: Nicolas Flamel had peacefully passed away. This was truly extraordinary news, as Flamel had long been one of the pillars holding the magical world together. His death marked the end of an era. No other topic could dominate the front pages.

That's why I chose France as the first destination for my travels. The chance to witness an event like the funeral of the oldest wizard, a name known by everyone from children to the elderly, was invaluable. I learned that the funeral would take place in the commune of Les Baux-de-Provence, with the burial to be held at Château des Baux.

Les Baux-de-Provence is located in the southeast of France on the rocky ridge of the Alpilles. It is one of France's small magical villages, founded in the 10th century. According to legend, this was the base of Emperor Otto II's battle mages during the Holy Roman Empire.

After the funeral, I plan to take a short trip through southern France, finishing in Paris — unless something else interesting comes up, of course. With these thoughts in mind, I began my preparations. I needed to brush up on the French language because, to blend in with other wizards in France, I had to speak the local tongue.

For wizards, learning languages isn't much of a hassle. There are many potions and self-study guides that can reduce learning time by dozens or even hundreds of hours. And for those skilled in mental magic, the process is even quicker. In fact, a wizard's proficiency in mental magic is often measured by how many languages they speak. For example, Headmaster Dumbledore, one of the strongest known mental wizards, can fluently communicate in the merfolk language, which is notoriously complex in both lexicon and grammar.

So, learning French wasn't a significant challenge for me. While I didn't speak it like a native, I could understand what others were saying and ask simple questions.

As a wizard of legal age setting out on a world tour, I followed tradition by informing all the wizards I knew. It's customary to notify everyone when you embark on the path of self-discovery to become an experienced wizard. I received replies filled with advice and well wishes, as expected. This, too, is part of the tradition. By the same custom, I had only a week to set out on my journey.

After packing my things, I said goodbye to my parents and made sure to call Tamara and Maggie. They were quite sad we wouldn't see each other for a while. I advised them to keep working hard and take care of themselves, promising that we'd meet again soon.

Early in the morning, I Apparated to a small magical village near the town of Dover. There, I pulled a broom from my traveler's bag. Classic.

"Heading out on a journey?" came an elderly voice just as I was about to take off.

Behind me stood a short, old, slightly hunched wizard with an incredibly long beard. He wore small black-framed glasses. In his hand, he held a broom, even older than mine. He was dressed rather formally, which didn't quite fit the fact that we were standing by the ocean. But, that's his choice.

"Yes," I nodded. "You are too, I see?"

"Of course, Mr. Jody," he chuckled. "I never thought I'd meet the young genius of Transfiguration here, of all places, and not at some grand reception."

"What can you do?" I replied calmly.

"Right," the old man agreed. "The name's Xander Burke."

"Nice to meet you," I nodded again. "Are you headed anywhere specific?"

"The same place as you," the old man chuckled again. "To France."

"And how do you know?" I asked.

"The earth is full of rumors," he answered cryptically, then chuckled once more. "But honestly... I saw it in the tea leaves."