"We must steal it and return it to its owner!" Harry Potter declared firmly.
"Yes, but..." Ron said cautiously. "It's Dumbledore. What if we get expelled from school?"
"We still have to do it," Potter continued to insist.
"Gentlemen," Richard interjected, "I agree with you on the first point. I disagree with you on the second. Why should we return the Philosopher's Stone to someone else when we can use it ourselves, taking it from the villain? Don't you want your parents, brothers, sister, or uncle to live happily ever after? Don't you want to live long enough to see the future of humanity?"
"What about Flamel?" Potter asked indignantly. "He'll die without the Philosopher's Stone."
"Harry, don't be silly," Richard shook his head from side to side. "If Mr. Flamel made one Philosopher's Stone, that means he's capable of making another. I'm pretty sure he has a whole bunch of them hidden all over the world. If you were in his place, would you rely on just one stone, on which your life depended?"
"Richie's right," Ron immediately agreed, his eyes gleaming with greed. "Flamel knows the recipe for the Philosopher's Stone, so who's to stop him from making a few more?"
"The Philosopher's Stone," Richard thought, "could it really exist? Considering that magic can do anything, then yes."
Richard had every reason to believe that the boys' guess, seemingly foolish and delusional, might be true. After all, in the holoseries, Harry Potter had somehow encountered a villain. And what could have attracted him to the school? Surely not a small boy. Surely the villain was attracted by the power, longevity, and wealth that could be obtained through the Philosopher's Stone. A huge amount of gold would allow him to overcome the competition, after all, in war, the richest usually wins.
And who's to say the villain will infiltrate the castle? After all, the transmigrator only vaguely remembers bits and pieces of the series' plot. It's entirely possible that the Headmaster himself is the villain, keeping the Philosopher's Stone for himself or using it to set a trap for a competitor.
In any case, Richard had no intention of allowing the rise of an unknown, evil mage who could destroy the world. That's why Earl Rich readily agreed to the theft of the stone.
And, of course, there were ulterior motives. Richard didn't care about gold; he'd get it anyway by exchanging base metals (iridium, palladium). But an elixir of life wouldn't hurt. Nanorobots and genetic engineering, which would allow a wealthy person to live for about a thousand years, were still at least a couple of centuries away from being fully implemented in medicine. And yet, he wanted to live. Yes, Richard wasn't at all embarrassed to admit to himself that he wanted to live long and happily. And who wouldn't? It's unlikely that such a person would exist, and even if there were... it's not for nothing that psychiatrists claim that mentally healthy people don't exist-only those who haven't been properly examined.
But there's a big problem with this whole Philosopher's Stone thing-you can't trust anyone with such a task. Absolutely no one!
The Philosopher's Stone is such a valuable and coveted object that almost anyone would want to possess it. Therefore, hiring mercenaries and asking them to steal it is not an option. Forming a large group of enthusiasts "to save the Philosopher's Stone" and raking in the heat is not an option, as the secret would quickly cease to be one, and a real hunt would begin for the stone. The only option is to take matters into your own hands and try to take measures to preserve the secret. And this means using any means possible to persuade Harry and Ron not to spread the word about the Philosopher's Stone and to persuade Harry to "save the Philosopher's Stone from the villain," but not to give it to anyone (except perhaps to Richard himself "for safekeeping"). Ron doesn't need any persuasion; it's clear he's already agreed. And convincing Potter wouldn't be a problem either-the young lord didn't have rhetoric tutors for nothing. The problem is different: how to pull off the theft without getting caught and without leaving a trail that Dumbledore could follow?! A non-trivial problem.
"Guys," said Richard, "don't you think it's a little unsafe to discuss such matters in the hallway?"
"Oh, yeah," Ron agreed.
"We need to look for some abandoned classroom," Harry suggested.
"Right," Richard agreed. "And you'll also need a means of communication, Harry. Ron already has a Magiphone, and so do I. Just wait a minute, I'll run and get one for you."
Richie returned to the dorm and took one of the two spare Magiphones from his bag, which he handed to Harry Potter upon returning to the corridor.
Hogwarts had many abandoned classrooms and rooms. It's likely that many more people lived there in the past, not just wizards. The history of magic tells us that goblins and house elves appeared in this world about six hundred years ago, and the castle is at least a thousand years old. Simple logic suggests that the young wizards were once served by ordinary people or Squibs. Perhaps the school had more subjects, teachers, and, consequently, classrooms. This can be suggested by the fact that wizards once created new magical animals, as well as ghosts flying around the castle. All this subtly hints at the existence of chimerology and necromancy.
Richard spoke like never before, like a god of rhetoric. The boy utilized all the persuasive skills he'd gleaned from Rich Group's top managers and from negotiations with major business partners.
Ronald didn't need convincing; the key to his greed was quickly found-greed, the desire to become rich, despite the fact that their family was no longer poor. But convincing Harry Potter of the need not only to save (steal) the Philosopher's Stone, to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands, but also to keep it for himself, was a real challenge for Richard. Ultimately, however, the boys agreed to keep everything secret and wait for an opportune moment to enter the forbidden corridor.
After chatting with Harry and Ron, Richard headed toward Ravenclaw Tower. He reached the top and stopped in front of a door with neither handle nor keyhole: a solid panel of antique wood with a bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle.
Richard extended an aristocratically pale hand and rapped the knocker once on the door. The soft knock seemed incredibly loud. The eagle's beak opened, but instead of a bird's caw, a soft, melodic female voice issued from within:
- What is heavier: a pound of feathers or a pound of iron?
"Nothing," Richard answered without hesitation. "They weigh the same."
After the answer, the doors swung open welcomingly.
The Ravenclaw common room was a large, circular chamber. The walls of the spacious room were pierced by graceful arched windows with silk curtains shimmering with blue and bronze. Students of this house had a marvelous view of the mountains surrounding the school. The domed ceiling was painted with stars, matching the ultramarine floor. There were tables, chairs, bookcases, and a white marble statue stood in a niche opposite the entrance.