Harry Potter and the Heir of Slytherin

The Bane of Teenage Existence

I was once more standing within Nicolas Flamel's alchemy lab. The many oil lamps along the walls cast their light into the room, their luminescence casting shadows on the ground.

Standing before me was my teacher, who was looking at me with a smile that was one part amused condescension (which I had grown used to) and one part proud. I could tell he was pleased with my work. Not that I expected anything less.

"Well, my young apprentice, it has been a very eventful summer." Nicolas Flamel's smile broadened with an almost childish enthusiasm. "I am pleased to say that you have surpassed my expectations magnificently."

"Thank you, Master Flamel," I accepted the praise graciously, nodding my head and allowing a small smile to play on my face, even when all I really wanted to do was bask under the praise.

I had never realized how good being praised for your hard work truly felt until after becoming apprenticed to Nicolas Flamel. Sure, I had always been praised by my teacher's at school at my Professor's at Hogwarts, but it was different here. I wasn't learning information I could lecture on in my sleep or simple spells I had mastered wandlessly before even coming to Hogwarts. I was learning Alchemy, one the most challenging magics in the world.

According to Flamel, at least.

"And I can't help but notice that you have once again created furniture," the twenty looking six hundred year old immortal said slyly. His eyes once more glanced over at my creation. A rather nice looking bed.

The bed was a combination of modern utilitarian design and Renaissance style extravagance. It was a large king sized bed made with gentle curves that flowed together in a seamless fashion and had motifs of the Potter family crest and motto imbedded into the wood.

The wood was made of a dark oak that bordered on black. Under the bed, instead of there being a space where someone could hide under if they were so inclined, there were several drawers that could be pulled out. This not only made it easier to put items 'under' the bed, but would also save up space in my room by allowing me a place to put some of my items away that did not involve laying them against the wall or leaving them on the floor.

I also looked at my creation, before shrugging.

"I figured if I was going to be learning to use alchemy to create objects, I might as well create objects that will be useful to me."

That was why I had been spending so much time making furniture. While the furniture in my room was nice, it wasn't what I wanted. Even if no one from the magical world ever saw my room, I wanted it to look as nice as the ones I had seen at the Flamel Estate. Call me vain, but I had come to enjoy the renaissance styled rooms and wanted that for myself.

Aside from my sword that I first made, all of my creations to date have been furniture of some kind.

My teacher looked amused.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again; you are the most unusual child I have ever met."

I like to think I showed great restraint when my right eye didn't twitch at the way he commented on my age. That, or I was just growing used to the man making jabs at how young I was.

"And now, my young apprentice, I am afraid our time has come to an end. You have taken what I taught you and applied it to your work. There is nothing more for you to learn from me."

It was hard to tell whether Flamel was actually disappointed or just hamming it up. He seemed genuinely regretful that my time learning under him was ending, but at the same time the way he was holding his forearm over his eyes, rubbing them as he sniffled made me think he was just trying to screw with me.