Nicolas Flamel was sitting motionless next to the body of Perenelle, just as he had been when they parted. He had used magic to move Perenelle onto the bed and was sitting beside it.
He glanced at Murphy, who was holding Quirrell, showing little interest. He did not respond to Murphy's words, but instead turned back to look at his wife, "Looking at her like this, I can pretend she is still alive. Just like over these hundred years, watching her sleeping, I used to think she was already dead."
"Sometimes, I think life is just like that, barely maintaining actions and thoughts. We eat very little each day, gradually losing our taste and smell. Our bodies hardly retain nutrients anymore, our bones become fragile, and our muscles atrophy. We rely solely on magic to keep moving in these corpse-like bodies."
"Death is really close for us, we've been friends with it for many years. Over time, even the instinctive fear, sorrow, and regret slowly faded."
"We were always ready for death." Nicolas Flamel said, "But actually watching her go still brings a sense of sorrow."
"In this world, no one will know what kind of person she was, the things she did, her beauty, her kind and gentle virtues, her jewel-like sparkling wisdom, those happy times we spent together... all of that will be forever lost, forgotten by everyone."
"My soul is too old, just like this body, barely able to feel intense emotions. I can't be angry, so it's hard for me to feel joy about what you've done."
"But I should thank you for what you've done for Perenelle, although she probably doesn't need it anymore."
Murphy looked at this heartbroken old man, feeling somewhat at a loss for words, "Do you no longer care about anything? What about the Philosopher's Stone? If you care about nothing, why did you give the stone to Dumbledore?"
"Ah, the Philosopher's Stone." A glint finally appeared in Flamel's eyes, "If there's anything in my long life that I am proud of, it would be the Philosopher's Stone."
"But, actually, it was just good luck. It's a miracle that can't be replicated and requires a stroke of divine luck."
"However, yes, I still care about the Philosopher's Stone. I don't want my greatest creation to be used for evil."
"And what about your knowledge of alchemy?" Murphy asked, "You must be the greatest alchemist in the world. Don't you want to pass on your unique insights? Or are you one of those who takes pride in hoarding the truth for yourself?"
Flamel looked at him, for the first time really focusing on the person in front of him, "What do you want, young man?"
"Your knowledge, your wealth, all your legacy," Murphy said, "Rather than them rotting away in a pile of old papers or in the vaults of Gringotts, I can put them to better use."
"You are very ambitious." Flamel observed, "And you don't bother to hide it. You have vitality, Perenelle would have liked you. We have no children, she always loved the youth. Sometimes, seeing people like you reminds me that maybe I am just not dead, not really living."
"Our wealth will be donated to the French Ministry of Magic, the British Ministry of Magic, Beauxbatons, and Hogwarts...," Flamel said, "We have lived in these countries for a long time. If that's what you're after, I'm sorry, that's something Perenelle and I have already agreed upon and I won't change it."
Murphy shrugged, "It doesn't matter. The wealth is just a bonus. Perhaps you are wealthy because of alchemy, but believe me, I might be even wealthier than you."
Flamel looked at him in surprise, "Then what you want is my knowledge and the Philosopher's Stone."
"My knowledge... most of it has already been publicly shared over the years. I haven't been involved in research for many years. If you're after my old notes and thoughts... you can take my collection of books and notes. I was going to leave them to Dumbledore, but he is too busy and rarely has time for alchemy. If someone can inherit this knowledge, I would be happy to see it."
"But, I suppose, what you really want is the Philosopher's Stone?"
"Correct." Murphy said, not bothering to hide it.
"What do you want to use it for?" Flamel asked.
"That's a long story..." Murphy began to explain, "Originally, I wanted the Philosopher's Stone because I had a disease, my cells were dividing too quickly, my body was aging rapidly, and I needed the Elixir of Life to sustain me. However, due to some recent research progress, that has become less urgent. The Elixir of Life is still the most convenient solution, but it's not irreplaceable."
"But besides the direct effects of the Elixir of Life, I am interested in its mechanism for delaying aging. From your situation, it seems not to repair cells, but rather maintains a form. This is different from my current research direction on anti-aging. If studied in depth, it might have a synergistic, strengthening effect."
"To be honest, I want to live forever, but not like you, as a living corpse. I want real immortality, to maintain my body in peak condition forever. Otherwise, immortality is meaningless. Your kind of immortality probably isn't all pleasure, right?"
"I haven't felt the joy of life for a long time," Flamel smiled, "Such an ambitious idea, like my younger days. Anything else?"
"Is the Philosopher's Stone's ability to turn things into gold real?" Murphy asked.
"Through certain rituals, the Philosopher's Stone can indeed turn base metals into gold. The saying isn't wrong," Flamel confirmed.
"That's what I consider the greatest value of the Philosopher's Stone," Murphy said, "An object that can transform matter has unimaginable physical value. The energy consumed in turning the impossible into possible is a massive quantity that can be quantified. Studying the Philosopher's Stone could elevate my understanding of magic to a whole new realm."
"So, you want the Philosopher's Stone for its academic value?" Flamel asked, looking slightly puzzled.
"Exactly," Murphy admitted, "But the Elixir of Life is also very useful to me."
"I understand," Flamel nodded, "I see your determination to obtain the Philosopher's Stone. So, what would you do if I refuse to give it to you?"
"..."
"What do you think?"
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