In his room, Quirrell was looking at the mirror and laughing weirdly. As he touched his head, now free from Voldemort's presence, his excitement reached new heights. Before Christmas, Voldemort had finally decided to change his plan. The details of this new plan remained unknown to Quirrell, but at this moment, he didn't care.
After a few minutes, he began to suppress his excitement and tried to act as he had all year. Despite his efforts, many people at Hogwarts noticed his subtle change in demeanor. Even Snape and Dumbledore sat together, discussing Quirrell's sudden change.
"I don't think Quirrell will give up on the Sorcerer's Stone so easily," Dumbledore said thoughtfully.
"Dumbledore," Snape replied sternly, "we have already confirmed that Voldemort sent Quirrell to steal the Philosopher's Stone. Now, Quirrell's attitude clearly indicates that Voldemort might have found a different way to revive himself."
"Severus, perhaps he wants more than just the Philosopher's Stone," Dumbledore said, taking out a newspaper and pointing to an article.
Snape glanced at the article and immediately shook his head. "That healing potion is useless to him in his current state."
"It's useless for the current Voldemort," Dumbledore acknowledged, "but it could become a very valuable item during wartime. Imagine the strategic advantage of having a potion that can heal grievous injuries almost instantaneously. It would be a game-changer."
Snape leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowing. "You think Voldemort is planning for something bigger?"
Dumbledore nodded slowly. "Indeed, Severus. Perhaps he's diversifying his efforts. This healing potion, though not immediately useful to him, could be stockpiled for future battles."
Snape frowned. "Then we should get the formula before he does."
Dumbledore sighed, a mix of concern in his eyes. "Severus, it's impossible to get the formula for the healing potion from Sasuke Uchiha."
Snape's expression became resolute. "Just a few drops of Veritaserum. As long as he knows the formula, he will speak out."
Dumbledore smiled gently. "Severus, we are teachers, not robbers."
As Dumbledore sent Snape away, he advised him to keep an eye on everything happening around the school.
After this, Dumbledore also left the headmaster's office and made his way to the Magic Research Club. Inside, Sasuke and his clone were sorting out papers and writing together. The room was filled with an air of focused productivity as they meticulously organized everything.
Dumbledore knocked softly on the doorframe, drawing Sasuke's attention. "Good evening, Sasuke," he greeted warmly.
Sasuke looked up, slightly surprised. "Good evening, Professor Dumbledore. What brings you here?"
Dumbledore stepped into the room, his eyes scanning the neat piles of papers. "May I look at these papers?"
Sasuke nodded, and Dumbledore started reading through the documents. As he read, his expression grew increasingly serious. Hours passed, and Sasuke, having finished organizing everything, prepared tea. He placed a cup in front of Dumbledore and one for himself before sitting down.
Dumbledore finally put down the papers, looking thoughtful. "Sasuke," he began, "these notes of yours... they are quite comprehensive and profound."
Sasuke took a sip of his tea and nodded. "Yes, I've been researching the possibilities of bringing someone back from the dead."
Dumbledore sighed, his eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and concern. "Your notes suggest that even if one could bring a person back, their soul might not be the same. Could you elaborate on that?"
Sasuke leaned forward, his expression serious. "Let's say the essence of a person is tied to their soul. If I find the body of someone from their previous life and use my method to bring them back, the question is: what did I bring back?"
Dumbledore absorbed Sasuke's words and shook his head slowly. "I do not know where you learned this method, but you cannot bring back someone who is already dead."
Sasuke replied, "A life for a life. You just need to sacrifice some parts of the person you want to bring back."
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with a mix of sadness and wisdom. "Sasuke, one life cannot replace another. You might think what you are seeing is the moon, but beware—it might just be a reflection."
Sasuke spoke in a low voice. "A reflection," he repeated, then after thinking for a minute, he looked at Dumbledore and finally spoke. "That only means my strength and research are not enough."
"I understand the research, but what does this have to do with strength?" Dumbledore asked.
Smiling a little, Sasuke replied, "If some random god decides to kill them because he doesn't like people bringing back the dead."
"Then I hope you will not lose yourself. Remembering the real reason he came, forgive the old man, I almost forgot the real reason for coming," Dumbledore said as he stood up. "Do you have the formula for the healing potion?"
"No, at least not for now, even I have to buy them."
"Can you introduce me to its creator? I also want to buy some."
"Just like you can't show me your wand creator, I cannot let you meet the creator of these healing potions," Sasuke said, mimicking Dumbledore's way of speaking.
"Then I would say you're very lucky since I haven't met my wand creator," Dumbledore replied, smiling as he left the room.
As Dumbledore exited, Sasuke made all his clones disappear and started to relax, contemplating the day's conversation with Dumbledore.