Days at Hogwarts

There weren't many people in the Gryffindor common room. Loren greeted the ones he knew and returned to the dormitory. He pulled out the black suitcase from under the bed.

The elves cleaned it every day, so there was no dust on the suitcase.

After taking out the two books hidden in the bottom compartment, Loren sat cross-legged on the carpet in front of the window, studying them carefully in the sunlight.

The cover of The General Solution of Pictographic Symbols was dark, featuring only a simple title and Nico's signature in the lower right corner. There weren't any grooves or other marks on it.

He took out the small picture Nico had given him. The paper was thicker than ordinary parchment and had a frosted texture, similar to Muggle business cards. Its background was pure black.

In the image, a young Nicolas Flamel squinted his eyes, as if resting.

Loren placed the picture in the center of The General Solution of Pictographic Symbols.

Red, blue, green, and yellow light paths flowed out from the picture's edges. The glowing lines spread outward, intertwining without ever intersecting, giving it a sci-fi feel.

When the light covered the entire book, Nicolas Flamel in the portrait opened his eyes—silver irises flashing with arcane symbols.

Maybe it was just the light, but Loren thought Nico's hair in the portrait looked a little whiter now.

Hogwarts was full of magical portraits—able to move between frames and converse. Loren's most familiar was the Fat Lady guarding the common room.

He tried talking to the portrait: "Hello? Can we chat?"

The figure's eyes followed Loren's mouth, but he didn't respond.

When that didn't work, Loren remembered Tom Riddle's diary. Maybe it responded to writing? He grabbed a quill, dipped it in ink, and wrote 'Hello?' beneath the picture.

The ink disappeared immediately, absorbed by the page. Nico in the portrait spread his hands, and four rings appeared beneath him.

Each ring was about the size of a Knut and arranged in a line. The first held an open book, the second two crossed wands, the third a bubbling cauldron, and the fourth a weighing scale.

Loren guessed their meanings: theory, spellcraft, potion-making, and alchemy—evoking the principle of equivalent exchange.

It all felt oddly familiar. This was like a mobile app menu. Touch-based?

Loren tapped the first icon—the open book.

Nico's silver eyes glowed, drawing Loren in. As their gazes locked, Loren felt dizzy. Something tugged at his nose, like a finger had reached inside and was pulling him forward.

When he came to, he was standing inside a vast library filled with shelves and books. Bright light poured in, and the floor was white marble.

"Welcome to the world of Nicolas Flamel's fantasy book!" came a voice from behind.

Loren turned and saw a ghostly figure floating in the air—identical to the portrait Nico. The lower half faded into mist like a hologram. His voice was thin, distorted.

"Did you put a whole library into this book?" Loren asked, wide-eyed.

"Of course not. This contains all the books Nico read over the past few centuries. Many can no longer be found in the real world."

"Memory magic created this library. It's similar to a Pensieve, but more tangible and fully explorable."

"This book also includes an alchemy lab, a potion house, and a dueling room. All are virtual spaces made through memory magic and alchemy."

"Right now, you're only a conscious body. When you enter the world of the book, your real body falls asleep. When you wake up, everything here returns to you as memory."

Virtual Nico gave a concise introduction.

Loren was stunned. What kind of thinking is this? Virtual spaces? Realistic simulations? If this thing had Wi-Fi, Nico would've built a metaverse.

Loren asked the obvious question: "What about time? Does it flow the same here as in the real world?"

Virtual Nico smiled. "Sharp question. But this is your imagination—your dream, if you will."

"Time and space don't apply here. When you wake up, maybe only a second has passed—or a whole night. It depends on your mental state."

"Can I bring others in?" Loren pressed. "That feels pretty important."

"This is your dream," said Virtual Nico. "Nico only placed the content here. He didn't impose rules. Everything depends on you."

Loren didn't like systems without manuals, so he began wandering through the library.

There were fewer books than in the Hogwarts library, but many titles here didn't exist at Hogwarts at all. Some were from the Restricted Section, and he could read them freely here.

"I really don't lack books…"

Between the school library and the Room of Requirement, he had enough reading for several lifetimes. Now this? Despair crept in.

After a while, he said, "I want to see the other rooms."

"Of course!" Virtual Nico spread his hands.

Loren heard the turning of gears, and the whole world shifted like a sliding panel. The bright library turned into a classroom.

It looked like an ordinary Hogwarts classroom—high ceiling, gray walls—but no desks or chairs.

Floating in the air, Virtual Nico explained: "This is the duel room, for honing practical skills. Nico believed that combat ability is essential for any alchemist."

"How do I train here? Will monsters spawn?" Loren asked, glancing around.

Virtual Nico blurred, glowing with red, yellow, blue, and green light, and transformed into familiar figures: Professor McGonagall, Snape…

"I can take the form of anyone you remember, based on your impressions and Nico's memories," he said. "I can also…"

At that moment, Professors McGonagall, Quirrell, and Snape all walked out of glowing portals and floated silently around Loren with blank expressions.

Honestly, it was nerve-wracking having four professors hover around you like that. Loren shifted uncomfortably.

"It can simulate multiplayer battles," Virtual Nico added proudly.

"A group fight, huh?" Loren muttered.

Next came the potion room and the alchemy lab. These spaces let Loren simulate brewing and experiments. The ingredients and tools were conjured from Nico's memory but behaved realistically.

Of course, anything Loren made only existed as memory—no real-world items.

Finally, Loren asked, "So… what should I call you?"

The avatar smiled.

"Call me Flamel."