Chapter 45: Add More Fire and the Dragon Egg Will Be Cooked
After exchanging some half-baked dragon taming and breeding tips, Ivan changed his tone and boldly speculated that increasing the temperature might speed up the hatching of the Dragon Egg.
As soon as Ivan finished speaking, he was about to add some firewood to the Boiler and cast a blazing flame, but this bold idea was quickly stopped by Hagrid.
Are you kidding? If the temperature gets any higher, the Dragon Egg will be cooked.
"Ivan, we're not here to discuss how to raise a dragon", Harry quickly interrupted, noticing that the two of them were getting more and more engrossed in their conversation.
I came here to raise a dragon, Ivan silently complained to himself, but he noticed Hermione's strange look and quickly changed the subject by turning to Hagrid.
"Hagrid, can you tell us how you got this Dragon Egg?"
"Of course, I won it. A few days ago, I was playing cards with a stranger in a pub. To be honest, I think he was just desperate to get rid of it", Hagrid said proudly. After all, how many people could win a Dragon Egg at a card table?
"What did this person look like? Was he interested in your three-headed dog?" Hermione asked, realizing something was off.
"Yeah, that's right, but who wouldn't be interested? A three-headed dog isn't exactly common", Hagrid replied, trying to remember.
"I had a few drinks and told him that Fluffy loves music. He'll fall asleep if you play him some", Hagrid said proudly.
But as soon as he finished speaking, Hagrid realized he had revealed something significant.
"Who was that person!" Harry asked urgently.
Hagrid also realized the situation was serious and tried to recall. "I don't know. He was wearing a black cloak, and I couldn't see his face. Plus, I had a few drinks. I only remember that his voice was a bit raspy, not quite normal."
"That must be Snape, or maybe Quirrell. They're definitely up to something shady", Ron said, becoming more convinced that their earlier suspicions in the corridor were correct. The passion that Snape had extinguished in him was reignited.
"Is it related to Nicolas Flamel, like you mentioned before?" Harry guessed, then asked again. "Hagrid, can you tell us what's hidden under the Trapdoor?"
Hermione also looked at Hagrid curiously. She had spent the past few days searching through the Hogwarts library, checking every notable figure over the past two centuries, but found no information about Nicolas Flamel.
This time, Hagrid firmly refused to reveal any more details, insisting that it wasn't their business and that he would tell Dumbledore about his mistake, even if it meant facing punishment.
"It's the Philosopher's Stone!" Ivan suddenly said after a long silence.
"How do you know it's the Philosopher's Stone?" Hagrid was shocked. He hadn't said anything yet.
However, by speaking, Hagrid inadvertently confirmed the truth of Ivan's statement.
"The Philosopher's Stone? What is it? What does it do? How did you know, Ivan?" Harry asked urgently.
"I saw it while making the Wizard Chess and checking the professor's records.
Harry, do you remember the last sentence on the card you got about Professor Dumbledore? It said he and his partner Nicolas Flamel made significant achievements in alchemy. The Philosopher's Stone was created by the famous alchemist Nicolas Flamel", Ivan explained.
Since Harry and the others had already managed to get the information about passing Three-Headed Dog Fluffy from Hagrid, Ivan felt that there was no need to hide anything about the Philosopher's Stone. After all, it wouldn't be long before Harry and his friends found out.
"As for its function, the Philosopher's Stone can turn any metal into pure gold and can produce the Elixir of Life, which allows the person who drinks it to live forever. Its creator, Nicolas Flamel, is already over six hundred years old."
At this point, Ivan was a bit envious. This was something that could grant eternal life once obtained. He wondered what kind of mindset Nicolas Flamel had to destroy such a thing.
If not for the fact that Ivan knew the Philosopher's Stone was a deliberate bait set by Dumbledore, and was under constant supervision by Dumbledore, he would have been tempted to try and steal it himself.
Ivan was like this, so it was even more so for Harry and the others who were hearing about the Philosopher's Stone's immense power for the first time.
Turning metal into gold represented endless wealth, and the Elixir of Life could grant eternal life. In a sense, obtaining the Philosopher's Stone meant obtaining everything they wanted!
"No wonder Snape or Quirrell would risk it to get their hands on it. A Philosopher's Stone that can produce gold—how could anyone resist its temptation?" Ron couldn't help but exclaim.
Fortunately, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were only eleven or twelve years old, and immortality wasn't yet a significant enough attraction for them. Apart from Ron who slightly fantasized about how he could use the Philosopher's Stone to get rich, Harry and Hermione didn't have too many thoughts about it.
"Listen, the Philosopher's Stone is none of your business. Dumbledore will handle it", Hagrid had to interrupt their discussion and remind them seriously.
Ivan also nodded. Although the obstacles set by the professors in the original story seemed like child's play to him—adequate for stopping Hogwarts students but useless against powerful adult wizards—the magic Dumbledore placed on the Mirror of Erised was quite powerful. Only those who wanted the Philosopher's Stone but did not intend to use it could retrieve the treasure hidden in the Mirror of Erised.
In other words, unless Harry himself delivered it, Quirrell and Voldemort could stay there for days and nights, even destroy the Mirror of Erised, but they would never get what they wanted.
Unfortunately, Ivan knew this, but Harry and Ron did not. They felt that the Philosopher's Stone hidden under the Trapdoor could be taken by someone at any moment, and they needed to do something about it.
In the end, it was the sensible Hermione who suggested they go to Professor Dumbledore and tell him the whole story, letting Dumbledore make the decision.
Ivan had originally just wanted to be a passive observer, listening to their discussion, but the more he listened, the more he felt something was off.
Go to the Headmaster's Office to find Dumbledore?
No, no, he didn't want to!
"I think there was something wrong with the cake we ate at lunch", Ivan said, his face suddenly changing as he clutched his stomach with his right hand.
Unfortunately, before Ivan could show off his acting skills, he was dragged away by the hot-headed Harry and Ron.
This was a matter concerning the Philosopher's Stone, a potential threat to the entire school. A stomachache was a minor issue that could be put aside for now.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
