The potions master after finding out about Slytherin's cupboards was very pleased.
But there were two joys in one morning: As Daphne was also very happy while she reported her findings to Rhys.
"The Philosopher's Stone?! Are you sure?" Rhys was extremely shocked to learn that Dumbledore was going to hide such a stone in the last empty room after all the hurdles.
The Philosopher's Stone, or the Sorcerer's Stone, represents the pinnacle of alchemy—without a doubt.
This was a technique that none of the four founders had mastered in their time.
Any alchemist who managed to create the Philosopher's Stone would instantly be regarded as the greatest alchemist of their era, regardless of any other accomplishments.
It is the brightest gem on the crown of alchemy.
Many alchemists claimed they could make the Stone, but Nicolas Flamel was the only one who had actually proven he could do it.
Rhys had considered searching for Nicolas Flamel when he had the time, but he abandoned the idea after learning that Flamel had long since retired. Finding a wizard who had decided to live in seclusion was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Knowing that the treasure Dumbledore was hiding with himself and was going to place in that last level of his game was the Philosopher's Stone made Rhys admit that he was tempted.
He desperately wanted to get his hands on the legendary Stone to study it.
Perhaps I can reverse-engineer the method to create it?
Rhys wasn't just boasting; he genuinely believed in his ability. If he could get his hands on a real Philosopher's Stone, he was certain he could uncover some significant results.
"That's the Philosopher's Stone, granting eternal life," Daphne said, her eyes filled with longing. If she could get a Philosopher's Stone, her sister's illness could be cured.
The Philosopher's Stone could turn any metal into gold and produce the Elixir of Life, making the drinker immortal. However, to Daphne, the former seemed almost like a joke.
Gold? Do I really need that?
Her only priority was her sister.
"Immortality isn't necessarily a good thing. It only ensures you won't die; it doesn't guarantee anything else," Rhys said calmly.
To him, the Stone's two abilities were quite mundane. He wasn't lacking in gold and could achieve immortality by other means. The Stone held value only for research.
Rhys had a gut feeling that immortality might not be a blessing.
It didn't promise eternal youth, did it? That thought alone was terrifying.
A wizard who drank the Elixir of Life could continue to age indefinitely, never dying but continuing to wither away, until their flesh dried out and their soul was exhausted, living in perpetual suffering.
Rhys had done some 'insignificant' research on immortality and was certain that all methods had their drawbacks.
The most common one, Horcruxes, required splitting the soul, leading to an eternal curse and the loss of the chance to become a ghost or move on to the afterlife.
His own invented potion required a thousand-year sleep, eventually reducing the body to that of a ten-year-old, which made it more fragile, but the advantage was the absence of obvious side effects.
The "immortality" brought by the Philosopher's Stone surely had its drawbacks, just not yet discovered by the world.
"(✪<>✪) Rhys, do you want to explore the third-floor corridor? After all, we are talking about THE Philosopher's Stone placed in there!" Daphne looked at Rhys with hopeful eyes.
She resembled a hummingbird guiding travelers to nectar, hoping to use Rhys's strength to gain some benefit, like acquiring a potion made from the Philosopher's Stone for her sister....
"Sorry, I have more important things to do."
Rhys refused her request, causing disappointment to flash across Daphne's face.
If Rhys hadn't already explored the third-floor corridor, he would have eagerly gone there, as the Philosopher's Stone was one of the few alchemical creations that intrigued him.
But Rhys had already delved deep into the corridor and knew there was no Philosopher's Stone inside.
"That Gryffindor, Potter, asked me if I wanted to go on an adventure in the castle tonight. What do you think? Should I agree?" Daphne sighed softly and changed the topic.
She decided she would try her luck there someday anyway. The third-floor corridor wasn't going anywhere.
She didn't consider whether Dumbledore had really hidden the Philosopher's Stone there or if he would keep it there permanently.
She was childish and simply assumed the Stone would always be hidden in the third-floor corridor, waiting for a fated person to find it.
"Why not?" Rhys replied with a question of his own. He was curious to see the "water-like" texture of the Invisibility Cloak that Daphne had described.
"Then I'll tell him." Daphne's enthusiasm was reignited.
As night fell, Rhys and Daphne stood quietly at the entrance of the dungeons, waiting for Harry to arrive. To avoid unnecessary interruptions, Rhys had cast the Disillusionment Charm on both himself and Daphne.
"Later, I want to learn this spell," Daphne remarked, recalling the unpleasant memory of that night. She decided to learn the Disillusionment Charm from Rhys. This way, even without an Invisibility Cloak, she wouldn't be worried about being caught by Filch—wait, why didn't she just ask her father for an Invisibility Cloak as a birthday present?
"Sure," Rhys agreed.
While Rhys was being accommodating, Daphne was still pondering whether to ask her father to send an Invisibility Cloak. However, after simulating the conversation between her and her father, she decided against it.
Asking for an Invisibility Cloak would make it obvious that she intended to sneak out at night, something her father would never allow.
It was better to learn the Disillusionment Charm; it was more practical than an Invisibility Cloak.
Standing still, Rhys, who was feeling a bit sleepy, suddenly squinted his eyes.
Although he couldn't see anything, he could still sense the presence of people nearby.
For those who are sensitive to magic, the effectiveness of an Invisibility Cloak is limited. However, with the evolution of modern magical education, such individuals had become increasingly rare.
Rhys concentrated his magic in his eyes and looked towards the source of the disturbance. Two clusters of magic appeared in his vision, and a whispered conversation reached the ears of both him and Daphne.
"Do you think that Greengrass will be like Malfoy? Agreeing on the surface but secretly snitching to Filch..." Ron's voice made Daphne clench her fists.
"Daphne isn't like that," Harry whispered in her defense.
He simply believed that anyone who disliked Malfoy couldn't be a bad person.
At that moment, Rhys lifted the Disillusionment Charm from himself and Daphne, startling Harry and Ron with their sudden appearance.
"Rhys, what are you doing here?" Harry asked, surprised as he pulled off the Invisibility Cloak. He had only invited Daphne, after all.
"I caught her daydreaming outside the common room," Rhys replied casually, using an excuse to brush off the question.
Daphne raised her fist at Ron, "Weasley, how dare you compare me to Malfoy?!"
Ron gave a sheepish smile, realizing he was caught talking behind someone's back.
Quickly changing the subject, Ron asked Rhys, "Was that the Disillusionment Charm you used just now?"
"Not quite," Rhys replied, "I took a shortcut, borrowing an alchemical tool." He didn't want to reveal too much in front of the other little wizards.
After some casual conversation, Rhys, seemingly offhandedly, expressed his interest in seeing Harry's Invisibility Cloak.
It was a reasonable request, and Harry handed over the cloak without hesitation.
The moment Rhys touched the Invisibility Cloak, he could sense its extraordinary nature.
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