Chapter 64: Nicolas Flamel and the Philosopher's Stone
When Hagrid prompted him, Ethan said, "You're right, Hagrid. What you see isn't always the truth."
"Hermione, you only saw Snape staring at Harry and muttering something, but can you be sure someone else wasn't also staring at him and muttering?"
Hermione shook her head. "Then how do you explain Harry's broom going back to normal right after I set Snape's robes on fire?"
"Are you sure you didn't do anything else at the time?" Ethan was being cryptic again. He didn't want to reveal that Voldemort was possessing Quirrell yet.
"I'm sure!" Hermione said firmly.
"Then stick with your theory." Ethan didn't elaborate, not wanting her to overthink it.
Harry still wanted to know what Fluffy was guarding. After much coaxing and prodding, Hagrid inadvertently revealed a name: Nicolas Flamel.
Harry wanted to ask more, but Hermione stopped him with a look.
Knowing Hermione's scholarly nature, he dropped the subject and went back to drinking tea, chatting about other things.
Hagrid also breathed a sigh of relief and urged them to eat and drink.
On the way back to the castle from Hagrid's hut, Hermione, who was studying alchemy, filled them in on Nicolas Flamel's life.
Nicolas Flamel is a very famous alchemist. He's the only person ever to create the Philosopher's Stone.
The Philosopher's Stone can turn any metal into pure gold and produces the Elixir of Life, which makes the drinker immortal. He celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year thanks to that potion.
"Turn metal into gold?" "Immortal?" Harry and Ron had focused on completely different things.
Harry thought for a moment, and everything clicked into place. "So Snape's after the Philosopher's Stone."
Hermione nodded. "I think so. And according to Dumbledore's Chocolate Frog card, he and Nicolas Flamel are partners who have achieved remarkable results in alchemy."
"The Development of Medieval Alchemy has more details about Nicolas. I can lend it to you if you're interested."
"No thanks. We just need to know what Fluffy's guarding."
Harry declined without hesitation, recalling how Hermione had devoured those thick volumes.
Ron, meanwhile, was lost in fantasies of what he could buy with the Philosopher's Stone. He'd never again need to wear his brothers' hand-me-downs.
"If only we could get the Philosopher's Stone, we'd have endless money and live forever," Ron said longingly.
"Don't get your hopes up. Only one Philosopher's Stone exists. Do you think you're the only one who wants it? Immortality is what everyone craves, but right now, Nicolas Flamel and his wife are the only ones still alive thanks to the Elixir of Life."
Ethan's words shattered his fantasy, leaving Ron disgruntled.
"You Slytherin troublemaker. You must have ulterior motives, especially since you're hanging around Snape like that and defending him right now." Ethan cursed internally but said nothing aloud.
Hermione was still going on about Nicolas Flamel's alchemical achievements, but Ron tuned her out. He was consumed by thoughts of getting his hands on the Philosopher's Stone and what he would do with it once he had it.
He thought, I don't need to keep it forever, just long enough to conjure some gold.
Though Ethan's words had been harsh, Ron had to admit one thing: the Philosopher's Stone truly was beyond the reach of ordinary people. But it was right there in front of him now, practically within arm's reach. Couldn't he at least daydream about it?
Harry longed for it too. He didn't need wealth, and he certainly didn't need immortality at his age. But the thought of foiling Snape's scheme filled him with excitement.
He thought, If I could get solid evidence to drive Snape out of this school, that would be brilliant.
Hermione wanted the Philosopher's Stone too, to be honest. But she didn't want to turn the stone into gold, nor did she want immortality either. As a dedicated student of alchemy, she hoped to get close to this legendary artifact, the pinnacle of alchemical achievement, and perhaps go even further by analyzing and replicating it.
If I could create a Philosopher's Stone, she thought, I could call myself the second greatest alchemist in history, second only to Nicolas Flamel, the first person to create the Philosopher's Stone.
Perhaps of the four, Ethan wanted it the least. He knew perfectly well that Dumbledore had arranged everything long ago. The man wouldn't let anyone actually use the Philosopher's Stone to gain anything.
That afternoon, Ethan continued following Snape for potions instruction, while the other three, who had just uncovered such a major secret, searched the library for more information about Nicolas Flamel.
Perhaps the burning of the robe that morning had put Snape in a foul mood. In Potions class, whenever Ethan made the slightest error, Snape would mock him with biting sarcasm.
Ethan knew Snape was in a foul mood, so he didn't talk back or argue as he had before. He simply kept his head down, careful not to give Snape any opening.
After Potions that afternoon, Ethan left the dungeon with his head full of useful knowledge and the bitter taste of Snape's scolding.
After his evening study session, Ethan went down to the Black Lake and fired off random spells to vent his frustration.
"Much better." He looked at the scorched, cratered earth, then cast Reparo to level the ground, though he couldn't do anything about the singed, blasted grass.
Fortunately, it was already November. The flowers had withered and the grass had turned yellow, so the damage didn't stand out too much.
The next day during spell practice, Harry and Ron arrived late with dark circles under their eyes. The two yawned and practiced spells listlessly.
Ron deliberately kept his distance from Ethan, not wanting to get too close to such a bad influence.
Even Hermione had noticed Ron's behavior, so Ethan had noticed as well.
So while they rested in Hagrid's hut, Ethan spent most of his time chatting with Hagrid and Hermione, only occasionally talking to Harry. He didn't say a word to Ron.
The obvious snub infuriated Ron, but he could only seethe in silence.
After all, compared to Ethan, Ron was completely outclassed:
In terms of strength, Ethan had killed a troll with ease while Ron had fled from one. In terms of wealth, Ethan casually tossed Galleons to Hagrid for candy while Ron had to make do with his brother's hand-me-down wand. As for looks, there was no comparison.
Faced with such a tragic contrast, how could Ron possibly work up the confidence to confront him head-on?
Besides, even if Ron did work up the nerve to be reckless, what grounds would he have, such as that he supported Snape? That he didn't think Snape had harmed Harry?
In the end, Ron's behavior amounted to nothing more than impotent rage.