Disclaimer: I solemnly swear that Harry Potter belongs to the amazing JK Rowling and that I am most definitely up to no good.

A/N: All right guys and gals, I have accepted a challenge from the awesome Draynuy and though it has taken me far too long, I am finally ready to upload the first chapter. Just a heads up, this is my first ever story and the chapter uploads may be a bit erratic but I am hoping to get at least one chapter up every 2 weeks or so. This story will cover all 7 years but I will be uploading each year separately to make things easier. Ok ok, enough chit chat. Lets do this!

A/N 2: A reviewer made a good point about putting the challenge right before the first chapter and how it can turn people away from wanting to read further so I have moved the challenge information to my profile for anybody who would like to read it :). For those that choose not to, be warned that this story will eventually involve a Harry/Luna pairing.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry stood majestically under the blazing June sunshine as wisps of clouds passed lazily overhead. Her many towers and turrets jutted into the bright blue sky and her massive oak front doors were currently opened wide, giving her students unhindered access to the sloping lawns on which she rested. Laughter and quiet conversations could be heard from the groups of students relaxing around the lake and under the occasional tree, trying to find shelter and a cool breeze to relieve them of the heat the suns rays brought. There was the unmistakable feeling of laziness and excitement permeating the air as the students celebrated the end of the school year, the only dark spot being that they would have to wait another week before they could board the Hogwarts Express to go home.

Nicolas Flamel was oblivious to all of this as he walked up the dirt road from the village of Hogsmeade and through Hogwarts gates. Lost in his own thoughts, he made it to the steps of the front door and nearly passed right by Rubeus Hagrid, who had been alerted to his arrival by Dumbledore, without noticing him, which was quite a feat considering his size.

"Mr. Flamel," Hagrid's voice boomed, startling Nick from of his musings, "Professor Dumbledore sent a message down ter let me know yer here and teh ask me ter escort yeh to his office. I'm Rubeus Hagrid, the Hogwarts Gamekeeper."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Hagrid, please feel free to call me Nick." He said, holding his hand out to shake.

Hagrid's hand engulfed half his arm as they greeted each other. "Just Hagrid is fine. If you'll follow me I'll take yeh up ter see the Headmaster." He said as he led him up the stairs and into the Entrance Hall of the castle. "This yer first time at Hogwarts?"

"No, I have been here a few times in the past. It has expanded quite significantly from the first time I was here though." Nick replied looking around at all the paintings adorning the walls as they waited for the staircase leading to the second floor to move back into position.

"Really now! And when was tha'?"

Nick cocked his head to the side as he tried to think back, it was difficult to remember specific events at times. "Let's see, that would have been the first time Nell and I found ourselves in the United Kingdom which would have been around 1410 I believe. Dame Phyllida Spore was Headmistress back in those days and she was kind enough to invite us to Hogwarts and give us a tour when we showed an interest. She even signed a copy of Nell's One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, which she is quite proud of."

Hagrid stopped and gaped. He had known that Nick and his wife Perenelle were old but it hadn't quite seemed so real until that moment, when Nick spoke so nonchalantly about meeting someone who had died over 500 years ago. Nick waited patiently as Hagrid pulled himself together with a shake and as they continued down the left hand corridor of the third floor he could have sworn he heard Hagrid mutter, "Gallopin' gorgons".

They arrived in front of the large stone gargoyle guarding the entrance to the Headmaster's office before Hagrid could ask any more questions and Nick gave a small smile when Hagrid stood straight and in a no nonsense voice stated simply, "Bonbons." As the gargoyle leapt aside Hagrid turned and thrust out his hand, "It was nice meetin' yeh Nick, hope to see yeh again sometime."

"Same to you Hagrid and thank you for escorting me," Nick replied as he shook the giants hand once more then turned to step onto the moving spiral staircase, "Have a good rest of your day."

"You too."

The gargoyle positioned itself back in front of the entrance as Nick made his ascent, which was a bit longer than he remembered from the last time, and began going over the two topics he needed to address with his former partner. The most urgent was of course the safety of the stone but he also intended to discuss the young Potter boy who, Nell had kindly reminded him, would be starting his first year this coming September and he would not allow Albus to hide him away any longer. He had promised Lily that he would take Harry on as an apprentice and he intended to keep that promise, no matter what.

The staircase finally stopped at the landing leading to an oak door with a griffin shaped knocker but before he could even lift his hand to use it, there was a muffled, "Come in," from within.

Nick turned the knob and stepped into the room and as he took in the many instruments of varying sizes and the books scattered about, Dumbledore greeted him from behind his massive mahogany desk, "Ah Nicolas, how very nice to see you again."

"You as well Albus, it has been far too long," Nick stated as he completely ignored the portraits of the previous Headmasters and Headmistresses and went over to one of the silver instruments that was humming softly and picked it up to examine it.

Being quite used to his old mentors inquisitiveness Dumbledore paid no mind as Nick sated his curiosity, "Indeed it has my old friend. Would you care for some tea or a lemon drop?"

"I would love some tea, thank you," Nick said, placing the instrument back down gently and going to make himself comfortable in a very nice squishy armchair across from Dumbledore and taking the tea offered to him.

"Not that I don't enjoy seeing you but may I enquire as to why you have sought me out after all this time? You sounded rather agitated in the letter I received yesterday."

"Well… I must admit, I have found myself in a rather troubling situation as of late." Nick shifted in his seat and set his cup down.

"Oh?" Dumbledore leaned forward slightly, beyond interested now.

"Yes, I believe someone may be after the stone."

Dumbledore paled significantly at hearing this. "Are you sure?"

"As sure as I can be," Nick messaged the back of his neck as he began his explanation, "They have attempted to breach the wards twice already using some rather advanced dark magic and though we do have a lot of things we have accumulated over the years in the cottage, the stone is the only thing worth going through all the trouble for. Now Nell's wards are works of art, but even they won't be able to hold against repeated attempts such as what we encountered last night so I took the stone to Gringotts before coming here and put it in a high security vault. However, I would rather not risk leaving it there for very long."

Dumbledore stroked his beard absently as he sat back and thought on the dilemma his friend had brought before him. "What if we were to bring it here for safekeeping?"

"I'm not sure placing it in Hogwarts would be the wisest choice." Nick replied with a frown.

"Where else would you suggest we put it Nicolas? Save Gringotts, which you don't seem at all inclined to trust the stones safety to for a prolonged period of time, Hogwarts is the safest place in Europe," Dumbledore countered.

"You are right of course, but wouldn't hiding it here put the children and the staff in danger? I can tell you now Albus, eternity wouldn't be nearly long enough for me to even begin to forgive myself if a child were to come to harm because of such a folly."

"I am confident that we could come up with security measures to ensure both the stone and the students safety."

Flamel sat back to ponder his former partner's suggestion but after long moments still felt that it would be too dangerous and shook his head with a weary sigh.

"Then what would you suggest old friend?"

"I came here looking for a possible solution but you have made me realize that there may be only one course left to us now," Nick seemed to lose himself within his own thoughts as he stared unseeing out of the window. Dumbledore was initially set on allowing him his respite but his curiosity got the better of him much sooner than he would care to admit.

"And what course is that?" He asked softly, anxiety washing over him before he even heard the answer.

"It might be best if it was simply destroyed. We cannot allow it to fall into the wrong hands." Nick stated resignedly. He wasn't sure he was really ready to take such measures but if they could not come up with a safe way to hide the stone then he would speak with Nell on the subject and get her opinion. They could save enough of the elixir to ensure he kept his promise to Lily and once he was certain his apprentice could continue on without him, they could simply pass on.

"Are you sure? There is still so much you both could do…"

"So much he could do if he were to get his hands on it," Flamel declared and smiled slightly as Dumbledore stared at him incredulously, "Oh don't look at me like that, we know full well who is attempting to abscond with the stone."

"Whatever do you mean?"

Nick's magic surged within him and though he spoke in but a whisper, his words reverberated around the room and shook Albus to his core. "Don't toy with me Albus. Do you really think that we have missed the signs? Mars is steadily getting brighter, he is preparing for a war and…" He sagged his shoulders and sighed again, "and I fear, he may get his wish before the end."

A feeling of such unrelenting dread passed through Dumbledore that he physically seemed to wilt and fold in on himself.

"That's right you young fool," Nick said softly, "We have both known for quite some time that Voldemort was still alive, biding his time until he could return."

"You seem so certain." Dumbledore whispered resignedly as he reached for one of his ever present lemon drops to try and comfort himself with their familiar sweet and sour goodness.

Nick waved his hand in front of his face as if to banish the silliness of the statement," We are not all as foolish as you seem to think. Nell has heard endless whisperings during her monthly scrying sessions since that night, not to mention the fact that I can hardly gaze at the heavens without seeing whats to come written in the stars themselves.

"I am afraid you are right," He paused to take off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling his advanced age like never before, "For years I have dreaded the day he would return and even knowing it will happen, I still feel wholly unprepared."

"As well you should Albus. If we thought he was bad before, just wait until he shows up again. It took time the last go round, time for him to gain the power he needed, for the fear to spread and set in, but this time he'll have a much easier time of it. Many of his followers are currently out there, going about their normal everyday lives, just waiting for him to return and all they'll need is a whisper, any sign that shows that he is back and they won't hesitate to rejoin him. The Ministry really did the British magical community a great disservice when they allowed those Death Eaters to go free."

"I'm quite aware of the Ministries failings Nicolas, I did my best to push for trials for all those we believed to be Death Eaters at the end of the war but I was thwarted at every turn."

"I know Albus, I did not mean to place blame on you for their idiocy and I honestly don't see how you can stand working for them the way you do. I probably would have blown the place up by now… by accident of course, experiment gone wrong. You know how those things go sometimes." Nick joked, trying to lighten the somber mood a bit.

Dumbeldore's mouth quirked up into a small smile. "Indeed I do." He agreed. "Now, perhaps we can refocus on what to do about our current dilemma and revisit the looming threat at another time. Even if you would have enough elixir for a few more years, I would really rather not see you have to resort to destroying the stone."

Nick nodded and went about refilling both of their teas, "Have you thought of a safe way for us to hide it then?"

"We could secure it within one of Hogwarts' hidden chambers and set some sort of traps." Dumbledore proposed thoughtfully.

"What kind of traps are we talking about?"

"That would depend really. I was thinking I could ask a few of the Professors about setting up their own unique trap, that way none of them would know what the others were doing."

Nick thought on this for a bit, weighing the pros and cons of the idea before shaking his head. "I don't like it Albus. What if a student wandered into one of the traps by accident or the thief is clever enough to not only get into Hogwarts without alerting anyone but also bypass all of the traps before we are able to apprehend them?" He paused then started mumbling to himself. "What if we… that could work… nobody would know…"

"What is it Nicolas, what have you thought of?"

"I'm thinking of a little misdirection. Maybe if we spread the rumor that I have taken the stone elsewhere while actually hiding it here we may be able to throw the thief off, when in reality, the stone is kept safe here as a secret, hidden in plain sight."

It took Dumbledore a moment to realize just what Nick was referring to but when he did he started chuckling and couldn't stop for some time. "How very devious of you. How exactly would you like to go about it?" He asked eagerly once he was able to get himself under control again.

"Well, Nell can cast the Fidelius itself and, if you are willing, we could make you the secret keeper while housing the stone here in the office or your living quarters. Nell and I are planning to go to Egypt sometime in July to attend the International Warlock Convention so we could visit Gringotts beforehand to make it seem like we are retrieving the stone to take with us but instead, it will remain there to be picked up at a later date and brought here."

"I am honored that you would choose me but are you sure you want me to be the secret keeper?"

Nick nodded and smiled, "You would be the most logical choice Albus. You are more powerful than either of us as well as the most influential and it is doubtful that anyone would be brave enough to attempt to coerce you into revealing the secret. Once we make you the keeper you can share the secret with Nell and I just in case, Merlin forbid, anything were to happen to you we would still be able to retrieve it later."

"It is a good plan my friend and I think that it will work." Dumbledore agreed.

"There is, however, two stipulations that must be met before we can fully agree to hiding the stone here."

There was a barely audible sigh from the younger man, somehow he knew he would both like and dislike whatever he was about to undoubtedly agree to, "Of course, what did you have in mind?"

A slight smirk could be seen on Nick's face before he hid it behind his teacup, "Oh don't be like that Albus, at least one of the conditions will be most beneficial to everybody and the other is somewhat linked to the first."

"As you say, Nicolas, I will wait to pass judgment however, until I have heard what both conditions are."

"Very well, the first is that Nell and I come to Hogwarts to teach. I would like to teach Potions to all seven years as well as an Alchemy elective for N.E.W.T students and since you already have a Charms professor, Nell and I could come in to take a look at the jinx on the Defense Against the Dark Arts position. If we are able to get rid of it she can take over there, also for all seven years, and I'm sure she would also want to offer an elective, perhaps Warding or Spell Crafting for N.E.W.T students."

Dumbledore's face lit up at hearing this and he was nodding in acceptance before he even realized it. Having both Flamels coming here to teach was beyond anything he could have imagined Nicolas asking for and the benefits would be immeasurable. He had not received any applications for the vacant Defense Against the Dark Arts position since Professor Reid had outright refused to return after his run in with a rather large cluster of Acromantuala out in the Forbidden Forest back in May. He deflated and shifted a bit at the thought of what to do about Severus but was already thinking up alternative ways of keeping his Potions Master in the castle.

"What's the matter?" Nick asked, having seen the slight hesitation.

"I was just thinking about Severus and what to do with him if he is no longer going to be the Potions professor."

Nick had to force himself not to roll his eyes at that statement, "With all do respect, despite everything he might have done for our side in the war, you should never have allowed him to teach children. He has done more harm than good these past years."

Dumbledore bristled slightly, "And what do you mean by that exactly?"

"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. The number of students that graduate to pursue careers as Healers and Aurors has dropped significantly since that man began teaching here and its mainly due to his unrealistic expectations of his students as well as the way he teaches and bullies everybody that isn't in his house."

"Severus may be a little rough around the edges but he is a very good teacher."

"Oh come off it Albus, anyone who has ever spoken to him about the subject can see just how much he hates teaching, especially children, yet you continue to make excuses for him. He would be much better off simply making and creating his own potions someplace where people wouldn't bother him and you know it."

Dumbledore did know this, but he also knew that Severus would need to stay near him for when Voldemort returned to continue his role as a double agent. "Yes well, I would rather not just throw him out of the castle. He deserves better than that."

Nick did roll his eyes this time, "All right, glossing over the fact that he is a grown man and can take care of himself, why don't you have him brew potions for the Hospital Wing and any excess could be sold to St. Mungo's. He could still have his own quarters with a potions lab and he could even take personal orders through owl post in his down time."

"That is a very good idea Nicolas, I think he would actually prefer it a great deal more than teaching," Dumbledore agreed and he felt remarkably better about having such a proposal to offer Severus when he let him know he would not be renewing his professorship.

"Good," Nick exclaimed, "now onto the second condition. Since he will be starting at Hogwarts this year, Nell and I want to meet Harry beforehand so that we can get to know him a little better and I can gauge how best to prepare him to become my apprentice when he is older. Being his Potions professor and having Minerva McGonagall as his Transfiguration professor will give him a good grounding in the subject until that time comes but we want to know him on a more personal level."

"I don't think that's such…" Dumbledore began but was cut off.

"I'm going to stop you right there Albus because enough is enough. Nell and I have been after you for ten years about this and we will not take no for an answer any longer."

A dark fire burned in Nick's eyes as he stared Dumbledore down and it became quite clear to the silver haired wizard that he would not be able to dissuade him from his chosen course and knowing that should he continue to try he may very well lose his friend. So, he did the only thing he could do, "I understand Nicolas and I will give you young Harry's address so that you can visit him," he put action to his words as he picked up his quill and a spare piece of parchment and began writing, "I must warn you however, that you may have some difficulty with his relatives, as they aren't the biggest fans of witches and wizards, or magic in general, so it might be rather difficult to convince them to allow you to bring Harry into the Wizarding World more than they think is necessary."

"I'm sure we will be able to work something out," Nick replied taking the piece of parchment that was held out to him, "I know we didn't give you much of a choice Albus but thank you for letting us do this. Nell will be very excited to finally be able to see Harry again after all these years."

"I have no doubt that she will. I know that she has been rather frustrated with my reluctance to divulge young Harry's whereabouts these past years but please let her know that I had valid reasons for doing so."

"She may be more receptive of your apology if you were to tell us just what those reasons are." Nick ventured. Both he and his wife had tried numerous times to try and weasel the information out of Dumbledore but had had no such luck so far and they were most curious as to what the old wizard was hiding.

Dumbledore's lips twitched, "Though I feel that letting you in on a few secrets might be most beneficial I'm afraid now is not the time. Perhaps at a later date."

"Oh very well then, keep your secrets. I have some other errands to run before heading home so I should be going anyway. I will have Nell owl you to let you know how the meeting with Harry and his relatives goes… the Dursleys correct?" Nick questioned as he scanned the piece of parchment he had been given and continued at the short nod, "As well as to set up a time to come in and take a look into that jinx of yours."

"We will also need to set up a time to hide the stone."

Nick rose from his seat and stretched a bit, "Yes, of course. How about we fetch it from Gringotts and head here straight afterwards to take care of the jinx and the stone all at once?"

"That sounds quite reasonable to me, just let me know ahead of time and I will clear my schedule." Dumbledore responded, getting up from his own seat and walking around his desk to bid farewell to his oldest friend.

"I will see you soon Albus and thanks for everything." Nick said, shaking his hand and grabbing a lemon drop before turning to leave.

"You're welcome Nicolas and say hello to Perenelle for me."

Nick gave a wave as he closed the door and began his descent down the spiral staircase, already lost in thought once again. He was rather pleased with himself at finally getting Albus to give up Harry's whereabouts and couldn't wait to tell Nell the news. He could remember the few times that Lily and James would ask them to babysit while they went off to do something for the Order and their friends joined them, how happy Nell had been while holding and playing with the toddler. He hadn't seen that spark in her eyes since before their adoptive daughter Julia had passed away at the tender age of eight. So it was rather understandable that she had been quite upset when they found out that Albus had taken Harry to live with his muggle relatives and then refused to allow them to even visit him.

He gave himself a shake as he made his way back down the dirt road towards Hogsmeade and focused on the errands he needed to get done before he could go home to plan with Nell just how they were going to go about persuading these Dursleys into letting them take Harry to Egypt with them. An anticipatory smile spread across his face, it had been far too long since he had taken on a proper apprentice and he was beyond excited to see what the future had in store for them.