The next morning, Ian was woken up by Draco.
"Hmm? Draco? You're back."
Ian looked at Draco in front of him with sleepy eyes and yawned, "You're back early."
"Hermione asked me to wake you up. It's a meeting," Draco shrugged.
"Meeting? What meeting?" Ian asked in confusion as he began getting dressed.
"Regarding Nicolas Flamel. Hermione said she found clues about him," Draco explained.
"Hermione found clues?" Ian paused, a hint of surprise flashing across his face.
Draco nodded. "Yes, Hermione said so. She asked us to meet her in the library."
"Okay, I got it," Ian replied, nodding. "You go ahead, I'll be there soon."
After Draco left, Ian quickly dressed, washed up in record time, and headed straight to the library.
When he arrived, Harry and the others were already sitting in a corner of the library, their attention focused on Hermione.
Hermione slammed a large, thick book onto the table, her voice full of urgency. "It's my fault that you went in the wrong direction. Why is my brain so slow?"
"A few weeks ago, I borrowed this book for entertainment," Hermione said while flipping through its pages. "It contains an introduction about Nicolas Flamel."
"You call this entertainment?" Ronald asked, staring in horror at the massive book in front of him.
Hermione shot Ronald a cold glance before continuing. "Nicolas Flamel, the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone."
"What's the Philosopher's Stone?" Harry and the others asked in unison.
Ian's mouth twitched. Let's not even talk about Draco, who only works when he feels like it. But Harry and Ronald? They've been at this for weeks, and in the end, it's Hermione who does all the heavy lifting.
The Gryffindor trio truly embodies the phrase "future Minister of Magic and her two flaws."
"Come on! Don't you three read books?" Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation. "The Philosopher's Stone, also known as the 'Sorcerer's Stone,' is a magical substance with incredible properties. It can turn any metal into pure gold and create an Elixir of Life, granting immortality to anyone who drinks it."
"Immortal... forever?" Ronald murmured, his face full of disbelief. "There's really something like that in the world?"
Ian raised a hand to stop him. "Don't interrupt Hermione."
Hermione gave Ian an approving look before continuing. "The only remaining Philosopher's Stone belongs to the famous French alchemist Nicolas Flamel. Last year, he celebrated his 665th birthday."
"That's an incredibly long time." Draco clicked his tongue. "Over six centuries old—he dates back to the fourteenth century!"
Cassandra nodded thoughtfully, tapping her fingers on the table. "If Nicolas Flamel is the only maker of the Philosopher's Stone, and if he really has a connection with Professor Dumbledore, then the Philosopher's Stone is probably at Hogwarts!"
"Exactly!" Hermione said, looking at Cassandra with admiration. "I think the dog is guarding it—the Philosopher's Stone must be the treasure!"
"Then we'll go find Hagrid tonight!" Harry said excitedly, springing to his feet. "We'll finally catch Snape red-handed this time!—"
"Silence!" Madam Pince, the librarian, appeared like a storm cloud and glared at Harry. "Mr. Potter, if you make so much noise again, you'll be asked to leave!"
Everyone in the library turned to stare at Harry, who quickly sat down, his face flushed with embarrassment. He smiled sheepishly at Madam Pince before sinking into his chair.
Ian and the others exchanged glances, all of them immediately lowering their heads to focus on their books. Their collective behavior screamed, Quails in hiding.
Oh, this book suddenly seems so interesting!
...
At the appointed time in the evening, Ian led Draco and Cassandra to the meeting point.
"I say, with six of us, won't we be too conspicuous?" Cassandra wrinkled her nose in concern.
"Don't worry," Ian reassured her, pulling out his wand. "I'll cast a Disillusionment Charm on all of you."
With a wave of his wand, he murmured the incantation, and the group's bodies turned semi-transparent, blending into the dark surroundings.
"Don't make a sound, or I'll have to do it all over again," Ian warned, looking pointedly at Ronald.
The group of six moved stealthily toward Hagrid's hut, their invisibility making them nearly impossible to spot in the dim night.
..
Knock, knock, knock.
Harry stepped forward and rapped on the wooden door. Hagrid's gruff voice called from inside, "Who's there?"
"It's us, Hagrid!" Harry replied quickly.
Ian also came to view, shaking off their Disillusionment Spells
"Harry? Ian? What're yeh lot doin' here at this hour?" Hagrid opened the door and peered out, confusion etched across his face. "Sorry, but I don't have time to entertain yeh today."
He started to close the door, but the group blurted out in unison, "We know about the Philosopher's Stone!"
Hagrid froze, his hand on the door, his expression shifting to one of disbelief, as if he'd just seen a ghost.
"What're yeh talkin' about?" Hagrid waved them in with a sigh. "Fine, come inside."
The six entered the cozy hut, settling down near the fire.
"Hagrid, Snape wants to steal the Philosopher's Stone!" Harry exclaimed, removing his cloak and looking up at Hagrid with a determined expression.
Hagrid groaned and rubbed his forehead. "Fer Merlin's sake, why're yeh still stuck on this? Snape doesn't want to steal the Stone!"
"What exactly made yeh so sure it's Snape, eh?"
"Snape wants to steal the Philosopher's Stone, but we don't know why," Harry insisted, his tone resolute.
Hagrid shook his head vehemently, waving his large hand. "It's impossible! Professor Snape is one o' the professors responsible for guardin' the Philosopher's Stone! He can't steal it!"
"What?!" The group exclaimed in unison, their voices filled with shock.
Realizing he had said too much, Hagrid groaned and lightly smacked his forehead. "Blast it..." he muttered under his breath.
Ian, observing Hagrid's flustered state, suppressed a smirk as an amusing thought crossed his mind. If Lily and James had chosen Hagrid as their Secret Keeper, Voldemort might never have found them. Hagrid, with his habit of accidentally spilling secrets, would've likely revealed everything on his own.
Ian concluded that Hagrid must have been raised on truth serum.
"These things aren't fer you little wizards to be pokin' around in!" Hagrid scolded, his face reddening from frustration. "Snape's a professor! He wouldn't steal the Philosopher's Stone!"
"That doesn't rule out the possibility!" Harry shot back, his determination unwavering.
Ian, meanwhile, idly stroked Fang's head, staying silent as he enjoyed the unfolding drama.
Fang, Hagrid's large black boarhound, looked fierce but was incredibly affectionate.
The dog quickly turned to Ronald and licked his face, causing Ronald to grimace and wipe it off with his sleeve.
"Hagrid..." Hermione's sharp eyes sparkled with realization. "You said one of the professors?"
Hagrid froze, his jaw tightening. Hermione leaned forward, her voice growing more insistent. "So, there are other professors involved in protecting the Philosopher's Stone, aren't there?"
"What other methods are there? Spells, magic, or something else?" Hermione pressed.
"I think it's unnecessary. No one can get past Fluffy," Hagrid said proudly, clearly impressed with his own three-headed dog. "Except for me and Dumbledore, no one knows how to get past Fluffy b—"
Hermione's sharp instincts kicked in immediately. "You and Dumbledore?" she asked pointedly.
Hagrid froze mid-sentence, his expression shifting to one of regret. He turned his back to them and mumbled to himself, "I shouldn't've told them, I shouldn't've told them..."
At that moment, the iron pot in the fireplace suddenly hissed and bubbled, drawing Hagrid's attention. He rushed over with enthusiasm. "Ah, it's ready!" he exclaimed, his mood instantly lightening.
Carefully, Hagrid reached into the pot and pulled out an egg. He cradled it with great care, his face lighting up like a child receiving a treasured gift.
His cautious appearance made the little wizards curious.
__________
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