"In that dream, I asked Abraham why he chose to give me that mysterious magical book," Flamel paused, his once bright brown eyes now clouded. "He told me that I was just the guardian. When my life was nearing its end, I would encounter the true master of the book, and my duty would be to give it to him."
Nicolas Flamel's aged voice resonated slowly, accompanied by an uncontrollable tremor. His condition has deteriorated daily since he stopped taking the Elixir of Life. He was gradually moving towards the final chapter of his long life. Evan suddenly realized the immense pain of witnessing such a powerful wizard slowly succumbing to his own mortality. The presence of death was unmistakable in the room, the most formidable force in the world.
However, mourning was futile. Nicolas Flamel had lived longer than most wizards and deservedly basked in glory. He was one of the most legendary figures in the world, with his name known to almost everyone, including Muggles. This great wizard seemed incredibly fragile in the face of death, but he faced it with unwavering courage. He knew what awaited him and embraced death willingly.
As Evan looked at Nicolas Flamel, he remembered Dumbledore's words. Dumbledore had always said death was just the beginning of another great adventure. Wise wizards embraced death as a release, confidently accepting it without fear.
Nonetheless, wizards like Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel were the exceptions. "Taking advantage of the help of the Philosopher's Stone and that book simultaneously, I gained unimaginable wealth and eternal life," Flamel continued, panting for breath. "But I never forgot Abraham's commission—a heavy burden that weighed on me like a mountain. Throughout my 600 years of extended life, I sought the true master of this book but found nothing. When I had grown weary of it all and resolved to destroy the Philosopher's Stone, prepared to embrace death, you appeared before me, my child!"
Flamel's voice wavered and continued, "When Dumbledore told me about you, I almost immediately realized that you were the person I had been waiting for. Abraham's prophecy became a reality. As my life neared its end, I finally encountered you, and my mission was fulfilled. I could now taste the bittersweet flavor of death."
Abraham was a renowned ancient prophet, often considered a messenger of God, with legends surrounding his name. However, Evan was cautious when it came to predictions. According to the narrative, Nicolas Flamel theoretically had eternal life, thanks to the Philosopher's Stone. He would never have died if he had not chosen to destroy it. If that were the case, how could Evan be the true master of the "Book of Abraham," as Abraham had predicted? Did Abraham's foresight extend 600 years into the future, or was it merely a person's idea about what would happen?
The prophecy had indeed come to pass. No matter how he looked at it, it was a remarkable ability.
"In that dream," Flamel continued, "I also asked Abraham why he was doing all this and what this book meant. He told me it was the world's hope. During his lifetime, humanity faced unprecedented challenges. Frightening ancient gods arrived in this world, and they delayed these challenges at great cost. But their time would come, and they would break free from their seals, bringing about the inevitable Final Judgment. Then, Abraham showed me what would come: a world of desolation without anger, pain, or joyful cries. There were no gentle breaths, heartbeats, or even the blink of an eye. It was as though all traces of life had vanished."
"Death, everything was dead," Flamel continued, his voice filled with dread. "All living things had perished, and I saw only corpses piled one on top of the other, higher than the tallest mountains. Beneath my feet, the earth could no longer support life, and any possibility of life had been forever extinguished. In the boundless despair, I saw the ancient gods standing triumphantly upon the corpses of the entire world. These corpses and shattered flesh and blood were slowly decomposing, becoming a part of their beings."
Nicolas Flamel described the dreadful vision he had seen in that dream, in which the world faced ultimate destruction. He continued, "The image I witnessed was the future of our world—a present for these ancient gods. Abraham told me this was just one possible future, and then he showed me another possibility. He urged me to move forward through that immense graveyard. After an indeterminate amount of time, I saw a castle: Hogwarts."
"In the dim, eerie light, a massive red-orange sun slowly descended on the horizon," Flamel described, "and before it, countless wizards, giants, centaurs, goblins, and magical creatures fought before the castle. The echoes of spells and battle cries filled the air, and the magic's radiance nearly illuminated the entire sky."
Flamel continued with a deep, low voice, "At that moment, the same ancient gods I had seen before arrived. Everyone was terrified, and they fell to their knees, trembling and praying. It seemed that the world was on the verge of destruction."
"But suddenly," Flamel's voice grew more intense, "amid boundless despair, four massive stone columns adorned with ancient magical runes shot into the sky. They gleamed with orange, green, brown, and blue brilliance, and all the lights converged to form shackles that encircled the fearsome monster. In the highest tower of the castle, I saw a blurry figure. I couldn't see his face clearly, but he wore a crown. I distinctly remember the shape of that crown."
"Wait a moment," Evan interrupted, staring at Nicolas Flamel in astonishment. "A crown of Ravenclaw?"
The crown Flamel held in his hand—wasn't he talking about Evan? According to Flamel's description, the fearsome ancient gods matched the evil deities Evan had encountered, and there was more than one of them. However, Flamel had said that their powerful magic had been bound. What had gone wrong here? Evan certainly didn't possess that kind of strength. No matter how he looked at it, he felt he would crumble in front of those ancient gods. But what about the future?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Nicolas Flamel's vision had left Evan feeling uneasy throughout their journey. He had secluded himself in his room, pondering Flamel's words about the terrifying Final Judgement. The ancient gods breaking free from their imprisonment and bringing about the utter destruction of the Earth, sparing only their followers, weighed heavily on his mind.
Evan couldn't help but think there was a significant possibility of this prophecy coming true, given the events of their time. Masters who had once sealed these gods away had become scarce over the centuries, and the evil gods' influence was spreading—Voldemort, the Claw of the Raven, and even corrupted Centaurs seemed to be assisting them. Nicolas Flamel's warning about the Claw of the Raven's resurgence had made Evan cautious.
However, Evan realized he knew little about this fanatical organization besides its name. Flamel couldn't provide much information either, and his only advice was for Evan to be vigilant and cautious around everyone. It reminded Evan of Mad-Eye Moody's advice, and he couldn't help but worry that one of his fellow students might be a Claw of the Raven fanatic. He didn't want to become the new Mad-Eye Moody, perpetually suspicious of everyone around him.
As for the mention of Ravenclaw's royal crown, it seemed like Flamel recognized Evan as the person he had seen in his dream. But in truth, Evan had no idea how to prepare for a confrontation with evil gods. He was as powerless as an ant in the face of such formidable beings. He couldn't help but dread the prospect of the Final Judgement he might face.
Evan let out a sigh as he looked out of the window of the flying carriage. They had just passed a city, and the unique experience of traveling in a flying carriage did little to alleviate his somber mood. If not for the seriousness of the topic of Final Judgement, he might have enjoyed the journey more. But at this moment, he wanted to rest.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and Evan raised his head from the pillow to see Sirius entering.
"Evan, you've been in your room since we left. That's not like you. Are you worried about the giants or the Ravenclaw's test?" Sirius asked.
Evan had been looking at Rowena's memories before Sirius entered, so he decided to share the details of his conversation with Nicolas Flamel about the prophecy and Final Judgement. He didn't see a reason to keep it a secret.
Sirius contemplated the information carefully before responding, "Prophet Abraham? More than 600 years ago, Nicolas Flamel might have had a dream connected to Abraham in the Egyptian desert. But I have to say, predictions like that are often vague and incredible."
"Incredible?" Evan asked.
"Yes," Sirius nodded. "Evan, you're very talented in many aspects of magic, and you know more than I do in many areas, but you're not well-versed in divination. Predictions, in and of themselves, are quite elusive and often unbelievable."
"So, you're saying there's a possibility that there might not even be a Final Judgement or that these evil gods won't come to our world?"
"Exactly," Sirius confirmed. "The main reason predictions are so elusive is that they can change. For example, Flamel's two visions might be two completely different potential futures. Neither of them may come to pass."
"You mean there's a possibility that there might be no Final Judgement, and these evil gods won't arrive in our world?"
"Right, the very nature of predictions is that they can be changed. Our future might be different from what's foreseen. What's important is to focus on the present and not become obsessed with an uncertain future."
Evan appreciated Sirius's perspective. It was a different way of looking at predictions than he had previously understood. He had never paid much attention to divination, considering it a subject of little practical value.
"But what if these evil gods do come?" Evan asked.
"Then we'll deal with them," Sirius said confidently. "But until that happens, there's no point dwelling on the unknown. Now, you have a choice to make. Do you want to stay in your room and worry about an uncertain future, or do you want to join me in preparing gifts for the giants? Different choices can lead to different futures. What do you want to do?"
Evan understood Sirius's message. Instead of dwelling on his fears, he needed to focus on the present and act to prevent any potential disaster. He decided to leave his room and get involved in preparing the gifts for the giants.
"We're preparing magic, not food, for the giants," Sirius explained as they walked down to where the gifts were being sorted. "Giants enjoy magic but don't appreciate wizards using magic against them. Dumbledore has prepared the gifts, and Hagrid is helping organize them."
As Evan dressed and joined Sirius, they walked to a hall in the carriage building filled with packages. Hagrid was sorting through the gifts, preparing them to be taken to the giants.
"Evan, are you feeling alright? You look unwell," Hagrid asked with concern. "Is it your acrophobia acting up? Flying at such a height can be disorienting. Olympe prepared a calming herbal potion for me, and you might want to try it."
Evan realized that his acrophobia had been triggered by the high-altitude flying. Still, it wasn't the primary source of his unease. Nonetheless, he appreciated Hagrid's concern.
"Thank you, Hagrid," Evan replied, "but I'm not feeling well because of acrophobia. I've been thinking about something troubling."
Hagrid nodded understandingly, realizing it was a severe matter weighing on Evan's mind. The group must be prepared for any challenges, whether from giants or other unknown threats.