Chapter 430: Nicolas Flamel and the Philosopher's Stone
Chapter 430: Nicolas Flamel and the Philosopher's Stone
Why didn't Albert just tell them what the Philosopher's Stone was?
As she lay in bed about to fall asleep, Hermione couldn't stop pondering this question.
Was he being mysterious for the sake of it? That certainly seemed like something Albert would do.
Or was there another reason for his secrecy? Hermione didn't think Albert was one to waste time on trivial matters, so she decided to get to the bottom of it and find out why he had been so cryptic.
However, she soon discovered that just like Nicolas Flamel, any useful information about the Philosopher's Stone was elusive. This only added to Hermione's frustration as she realized how much she still didn't know.
In the end, when all her searches yielded nothing, Hermione took the opportunity after their Charms class to ask Professor Flitwick about the Philosopher's Stone.
Professor Flitwick seemed reluctant to answer and merely told Hermione that the stone was related to ancient alchemy, an art that produced a substance with astonishing powers.
Hermione, one of Professor Flitwick's favorite students, sensed something unusual in his tone. He was usually eager to help whenever she had questions.
Was there something wrong with the Philosopher's Stone?
"Who were you talking to, Hermione?" Harry and Ron asked as they met her outside the Charms classroom in the corridor of armor.
"Alchemy?" Hermione seemed lost in her own thoughts, muttering to herself.
"What's wrong with her?" Ron asked, exchanging confused glances with Harry.
"I don't know," Harry replied.
"I know!" Hermione suddenly sprinted back towards the common room, leaving Harry and Ron bewildered as they watched her retreating figure. With a shared look, they had no choice but to follow.
Once back in the Gryffindor common room, Hermione rushed to the girls' dormitory and returned with a huge, old book that she had retrieved from her bedside table. She reappeared before Harry and Ron, her excitement evident.
"I can't believe I didn't think to look here! I should have remembered last night," Hermione exclaimed.
"What are you looking for? Nicolas Flamel?" Harry asked, confused.
"Where did you get that book?" Ron asked, his curiosity piqued. He wasn't much of a reader, and the sheer size of the book made his head spin.
"I borrowed it from the library a few weeks ago for some light reading," Hermione replied, flipping through the pages rapidly.
"Light reading?" Ron stared at her, aghast. "I'd say you've gone bonkers."
"Ron, do be quiet," Hermione chided, asking the boys to keep the noise down so she could concentrate. She began murmuring to herself as she quickly scanned the pages.
"Found it! The Philosopher's Stone... and Nicolas Flamel! I can't believe it; he's the only maker of the stone," Hermione exclaimed, astonished to discover that the creator of the stone was the very same Nicolas Flamel. Albert's earlier words now took on a new significance.
"Nicolas Flamel? Let me see," Harry said, leaning in to get a better view, only to be pushed away by Hermione.
"Don't keep us in suspense; what does it say about Nicolas Flamel?" Ron urged.
Ignoring him, Hermione lowered her voice and began to read aloud from the book, "'Nicolas Flamel, the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone. No wonder Albert said the content on that parchment was fake.'"
"What stone?" Harry and Ron asked in unison, still perplexed.
"The Philosopher's Stone, of course. Don't you remember the content on that parchment I asked Albert to translate? It had the recipe for creating the stone," Hermione explained.
She now understood why Albert had asked her to look into the stone, but she was still confused as to why he had chosen to share this information with them. "'Ancient alchemy involves the creation of the Philosopher's Stone, a substance with astonishing powers. The stone can transmute any metal into pure gold and create...'"
"It can make gold!" Ron interrupted, his voice rising an octave as he screamed in disbelief, leaning in so close to the book that his nose almost touched the page.
"That's what it says," Hermione replied testily, glaring at Ron. "'It can also produce an Elixir of Life, granting eternal life to whoever consumes it.'"
"Eternal life?" Harry couldn't believe his ears.
"Don't interrupt," Hermione snapped, irritated at being cut off repeatedly. "'For centuries, there have been reports of the stone, but the only known existing stone belongs to the renowned alchemist, Mr. Nicolas Flamel...'"
"Six hundred and sixty-five years old! Is this a dream?" Harry wondered aloud. Could the stone truly grant such longevity?
"It must be true," Ron asserted without hesitation. The wizarding world was full of incredible things.
"That huge dog must be guarding Flamel's stone!" Hermione stated with certainty.
"But why does Dumbledore have it?" Ron asked, his confusion growing.
"I think I know!"
This time, it was Harry's turn to dash off, returning shortly from the boys' dormitory with a Chocolate Frog card in hand—a card featuring none other than Albus Dumbledore.
"I told you I'd seen that name somewhere before," Harry said excitedly, waving the card. "Look at this!"
He handed the card to Ron, who read aloud from the back, "'Albus Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, his discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel.'"
"I bet Flamel asked Dumbledore to keep the stone safe because they're friends, and Dumbledore knew someone was after it. That's why he moved it from Gringotts," Hermione said, her eyes sparkling with excitement as if she had just aced her exams.
"A stone that can create gold and grant eternal life!" Harry breathed, awe-struck. "No wonder Snape is after it, too."
"Anyone would want it," Ron agreed.
Ron's imagination ran wild as he pictured piles of gold, and he had to swallow his drool.
"Albert must have known about the stone for a while. With his abilities, he might even be planning to get his hands on it," Harry mused.
"But it was Albert who told us about the stone in the first place," Hermione countered, disagreeing with Harry's assumption. If Albert didn't want them to know about the stone, he wouldn't have given her the recipe.
"Didn't he say the recipe was fake?" Ron asked, his mind still fixated on images of gold and the stone.
"I agree with Harry," Ron said, turning to look at his friend. "If it were me, I'd definitely try to get my hands on it."
"I don't think Albert would steal the stone from Professor Dumbledore," Hermione said, unconvinced by their suggestions. She felt that Albert might know a lot more than they realized.
(End of Chapter)
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