Lynn reluctantly withdrew his Forbidden Demon Fire with a hint of regret.
But at that moment, another brilliant flame flared up.
"Who?!"
Lynn immediately tensed. This flame wasn't one he had summoned.
However, both Lynn and Irina relaxed as soon as they saw the figure emerging from the flames.
"Professor Dumbledore!"
Lynn and Irina bowed simultaneously.
A phoenix perched on Professor Dumbledore's shoulder, and the professor looked at the two with a faint smile.
"If I'm not mistaken, it was you who defended the Philosopher's Stone from Quirrell or Voldemort, correct?"
Professor Dumbledore waved his wand gently, and Quirrell's lifeless body disappeared. The Mirror of Erised transformed into a small compact mirror under a powerful Shrinking Charm and was pocketed by Dumbledore.
Lynn nodded slightly and said, "Yes, though unfortunately, our level of magic wasn't enough to stop Voldemort from escaping."
"Don't belittle yourself, young man," said Professor Dumbledore as he approached Lynn and patted him on the shoulder. "I suspect even I would struggle to keep two-thirds of Voldemort's soul contained."
Lynn wasn't surprised by Dumbledore's assessment. He stared at the professor calmly. "So, it seems you've been observing this for a while now, haven't you?"
Dumbledore chuckled and shook his head. "No, I only arrived as Quirrell passed away."
Lynn didn't believe him but chose to nod politely as if convinced.
At that moment, Dumbledore turned to Irina. "Miss Lowell, you also performed admirably, protecting your friends from Voldemort. You, too, deserve recognition."
Irina bowed slightly. "Thank you, Professor, for your kind words."
She also doubted Dumbledore's claim of arriving late. She was certain he had been watching since they entered the chamber.
"Well then," said Dumbledore, "take your companions and return to the castle with me. Come, take my hand!"
Without hesitation, Lynn placed his right hand on Dumbledore's shoulder.
Irina first hoisted the unconscious Hermione onto her back, then grabbed Harry with one hand and finally reached out with the other to grasp Dumbledore's left hand.
Whoosh!
Dumbledore smiled, Fawkes let out a melodic cry, and a flame ignited around them.
In the next moment, they were back in the familiar halls of Hogwarts Castle.
Ron had been waiting for them there for some time.
Seeing Harry and Hermione unconscious, Ron gasped and quickly attempted to wake them, but Dumbledore stopped him with a raised hand.
"Miss Lowell, Mr. Weasley, I believe your friends need to be taken to the hospital wing immediately, don't you agree?"
Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled behind his half-moon glasses as he addressed Irina and Ron.
Hearing this, Irina and Ron exchanged glances. Irina carried Hermione, while Ron lifted Harry onto his back. Together, they hurried toward the hospital wing.
"Mr. Rohr, a word with you, please?"
As Irina and the others disappeared down the hall, Dumbledore turned to Lynn with a smile.
Lynn didn't know what the headmaster intended but nodded. "Of course."
He followed Dumbledore to the Headmaster's office, located at the top of a tower.
"Acid Pops!"
The stone gargoyle guarding the entrance leapt aside at Dumbledore's password, revealing a spiraling staircase that moved upward like a magical escalator.
At the top was a polished oak door with a brass griffin-shaped knocker.
The spacious circular office beyond was filled with portraits of previous headmasters, most of whom were snoozing in their frames. Occasionally, one of them would shuffle off to visit another portrait. On the desk, Lynn noticed the familiar Sorting Hat.
Whoosh!
Fawkes chirped happily and flew to his perch as they entered the office.
"Would you like tea or coffee?" Dumbledore asked with a kind smile as he took his seat.
"Black tea," replied Lynn softly.
With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore summoned a teapot, which floated over to pour steaming tea into a cup. The cup of black tea hovered across the desk and stopped before Lynn.
Lynn took the cup, sipped from it, and then seemed to remember something. Reaching into his pocket, he retrieved a blood-red stone.
"Professor, your Philosopher's Stone," Lynn said, placing the gleaming artifact on the desk before Dumbledore.
Though the Philosopher's Stone had granted him incredible power, Lynn understood it was only a temporary boon. True strength would have to come from his own growth and abilities. He had no desire to rely on the stone's might.
Dumbledore's face softened as he saw this act of integrity.
But to Lynn's surprise, Dumbledore didn't take the stone. Instead, he gently pushed it back toward him.
"Professor, what are you doing?"
Lynn looked at Dumbledore in confusion, unsure of his intentions.
If this was some kind of test, hadn't he already passed by voluntarily returning the stone? Why push it back to him?
Seeing the doubt in Lynn's eyes, Dumbledore's blue eyes sparkled as he explained, "I believe this Philosopher's Stone rightfully belongs to you."
Lynn blinked in surprise.
According to the original story, the Philosopher's Stone was supposed to be destroyed after Voldemort was thwarted.
"What do you mean by that, Professor?"
Before Lynn could voice his question, Dumbledore elaborated in his calm tone.
"Originally, Nicolas Flamel entrusted me with the task of destroying the Philosopher's Stone once it had fulfilled its purpose. After all, he and his wife have lived for over six centuries and are ready to embrace the next great adventure: death."
Lynn nodded slowly. This much aligned with what he knew from the story.
"However," Dumbledore continued, "last summer, Nicolas asked Wallison to inform me of a change in his wishes. After these events, he decided that the Philosopher's Stone should be passed to you as a gift from one generation to the next."
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