Earl said angrily, though he was really angry at himself – why did he have to provide Cohen with entertainment?
"Hahahaha..." Nicolas was amused by Cohen and Earl's bickering, laughing so hard he shook – since he was a copy of memories, he didn't need to worry about a frail physical body when making large movements.
"You two seem to have a good relationship," Nicolas said, happy to see Cohen had a companion he could joke around with – even if that companion was an owl. "But we need to address the issue with you as soon as possible – even though it might not seem to have any significant impact on you on the surface... it's this subtle, gradual influence that's the trickiest. Some people will gradually become completely different from who they used to be over time, and they won't even realize it."
"Professor Dumbledore told me about it," Cohen said, also putting away his playful mood. "Said it was to purify my soul, to prevent me from becoming... evil?"
The air fell silent for a moment.
"I'm sorry, but that was the first and last lie I ever told Dumbledore," Nicolas Flamel said sadly. "Child, I'm not sure if you realize this yourself, but I still have to tell you this terrible news..."
"Am I already evil?" Cohen asked.
"Not currently, that's not what I mean. What I'm saying is, there's no issue of your soul being 'pure' or not," Nicolas said gently. "I understood this the moment I saw the Sorcerer's Stone completely absorbed into you – that being that occupied the vast majority of your original soul – the Dementor... has been completely purified by the Stone."
"Why didn't you tell Dumbledore?" Cohen asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Because Dumbledore has some flaws," Nicolas said. "As his friend, I know this clearly – even though the outside world praises him as 'the greatest wizard of this century' – and I certainly agree with that – but he's not a perfect person."
"We used to be pen pals for a while, back when he was young, full of the youthful vigor that belonged to young people in his views on magic, society, and life..."
"But when he proposed the idea of 'for the greater good,' I realized he was going down the wrong path. He's a stubborn man – and back then, he had also found someone who shared his ambitions..."
"Grindelwald," Cohen said. "My owl told me about it."
"Huh? Did I?" Earl blinked his eyes. "When did I say that?"
"Last time you said you were going to help Dumbledore steal Grindelwald's underwear," Cohen reminded him.
"Oh..." Earl suddenly understood. "But he wasn't swayed by that, so I'm guessing he already succeeded..."
"You guys..." Nicolas was a little unsure if he should continue to participate in this topic.
"Ah, it's fine, please continue," Cohen said. "About discussing Dumbledore's character..."
"Dumbledore is very difficult to persuade," Nicolas said, "and very far-sighted."
"'Far-sighted' is a compliment, right?" Cohen asked doubtfully.
"Far-sighted people are always detached," Nicolas said. "Dumbledore believes in love because the loss of his family caused him pain. He fears that pain, and he also fears causing that pain to others, so he covered his eyes, locked himself in Hogwarts, and from then on, trapped his physical body and locked away his soul."
"So the reason you couldn't tell Dumbledore about this..." Cohen pondered. "...is because Dumbledore wouldn't listen to advice, and if I deviate from his expectations..."
"Dumbledore is willing to believe in you because he thinks you have a human soul, even if it's fragmented, it's at least a human soul," Nicolas continued. "I told him I could help you purify your soul so that you could be included in his predetermined future."
"Huh?" Cohen looked at Nicolas in the portrait. "Doesn't that sound like teaming up to trick a villain...?"
"This is my decision, regardless of sides," Nicolas shook his head. "Dumbledore is a good man – perhaps the most righteous wizard you could ever find in this world... Not everyone can have the power to overturn the world and still happily stay in school to teach."
"Are you helping me because I'm the only living 'bottled person'?" Cohen asked curiously.
"It's more than that," Nicolas said. "Dumbledore has concerns about you because if you choose the wrong path... it will be very troublesome. Dumbledore has had similar experiences – the dark wizard known as 'You-Know-Who' in the British wizarding world was once Dumbledore's student."
"I know that," Cohen nodded.
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"He was born from a potion," Nicolas said. "He was a child born to a witch who used a love potion to seduce a Muggle – Dumbledore believes the reason he's cold-blooded and ruthless is his 'birth.' The product of a love potion cannot understand what 'love' is. Dumbledore negated his soul, from beginning to end."
"Coincidentally, in the eyes of wizards, Dementors are also a terrifying, ruthless species. Your soul was taken from one. If you are ultimately assimilated by the Dementor part of your soul, it's easy to deduce the final outcome –"
"But you don't think so," Cohen said.
"That's right," Nicolas said. "I believe that the good or evil of a person, or a creature, is not always determined by the soul or the species. Evil is a human standard of judgment, and its most obvious criterion is 'whether or not there is aggression' – and when this is specified to a single creature, it's 'whether or not there is an uncontrollable aggressive instinct.'"
"Compared to those simple-minded Dementors, you have a way of thinking that is no different from humans, or rather, 'humanity,' and you can control your instincts... that's already enough."
Nicolas looked gently into Cohen's eyes and paused for a moment.
"So, our topic comes to the most crucial point – how to help you maintain this 'humanity.'"
Cohen did feel that his thinking was sometimes quite inhuman – but since his actions were mostly in line with 'humanity,' Cohen didn't pay much attention to it.
"In a deserted place, when an irreconcilable conflict arises between you and a strange wizard, what is the first thing you consider?"
But in reality, if he really encountered such a situation, Cohen would pounce and eat the soul of the wizard who was looking for trouble.
"You are thinking in a 'human' way," Nicolas said. "This shows that you think I expect this outcome – but in fact, disappointing my expectations will not have a negative impact on you."
"You are actively pretending to be human, Cohen."