As soon as Christmas was over, Ryan devoted most of his time to studying the Defence Against the Dark Arts class notebook.
In the final days of the holiday, he finally mastered the Stunning Spell, thanks to his relentless practice in the Tim Hortans Grocery Store. However, his magic power was still too weak for the spell to have a significant effect—it could be cast, but it wasn't strong enough to knock someone out completely.
Ryan was becoming increasingly desperate to find a way to enhance his magic power. No matter how much knowledge he acquired, he wouldn't be able to translate it into real strength without sufficient magical reserves.
On the last day of the holiday, Ryan bid farewell to his reluctant parents and boarded the Hogwarts Express with Hermione, returning to school.
The Mirror of Erised
No sooner had they arrived at Hogwarts than Ryan learned from Ron that Harry had been sneaking out for three consecutive nights to look at a mysterious mirror.
Hermione was the first to scold him for his reckless behavior. "What if Filch had caught you?" she snapped.
Ryan, however, was more concerned about the mirror's effect. "Getting caught by the night watch is the least of your problems. The real danger is that illusions like these can make you lose touch with reality. If you keep staring at it, you might eventually lose your mind."
Ron and Hermione nodded in agreement, and under their combined pressure, Harry finally swore not to go looking for the mirror again.
Unexpected Gains in Potions
The following days passed in routine study. Surprisingly, a book Ryan had thought would be of little use—The Basic British Herbal Medicine Handbook, Telford Edition—turned out to be extremely helpful.
During Potions class, he realized that his ability to process ingredients and control temperatures had improved significantly. This sudden leap in skill led to a surprising result—Snape actually gave him an E (Exceeds Expectations) on a potion!
It wasn't until later that Ryan understood why. Traditional herbal medicine preparation had a lot in common with potion brewing. The Telford family, known for their general medical skills, often prepared and administered medicines. Through his inherited knowledge, Ryan had unknowingly gained practical experience, which now gave him an unexpected advantage in Potions.
This was a welcome development. As a Gryffindor, Ryan had always been wary of losing points in Snape's class. Doing well in Potions might prevent his professor from deducting too many points in the future.
The Pressure of Quidditch
While things were going well for Ryan, the same couldn't be said for Harry.
With the next Quidditch match approaching, Wood was pushing the team harder than ever. Even after the snow turned to constant rain, he insisted on holding practice sessions.
Every evening, as Ryan sat reading in the common room after dinner, he would see exhausted Quidditch players stumbling in, their robes soaked and muddy.
One evening, while Ryan and his friends were working on their Potions homework, Harry suddenly burst into the common room and slumped beside Ron.
"Just a minute, let me finish this. Then we can talk," Ron said without looking up. But when he finally turned to Harry, he froze. "What's wrong? You look terrible. Don't tell me Snape is joining the Slytherin team as their Seeker—hahaha."
Harry's expression darkened, and Ron's laughter died instantly.
"Almost," Harry muttered, looking sick. "Snape is going to referee our next match."
"Why? Isn't Madam Hooch the official referee?" Ryan asked.
"She took leave," Hermione answered before Ron could.
"Just pretend to be sick," Ron suggested.
"Or say you broke a leg," Hermione added.
"Yeah, just break your leg," Ron agreed. "Madam Pomfrey can fix it overnight anyway."
"You guys are overreacting," Ryan said. "The whole school will be watching the match. Even if Snape wanted to hurt Harry, he wouldn't do it in front of everyone. If he really wanted him dead, he could have done it in Potions class by now."
Harry sighed. He had no choice but to play—there were no substitutes for the Seeker position.
Neville's Encounter with Malfoy
As they were discussing the upcoming match, Neville suddenly tumbled into the common room. His legs were locked together, making it obvious that someone had used the Leg-Locker Curse on him.
He must have hopped all the way up the stairs like a rabbit.
The Gryffindor students burst into laughter, but Ryan and Hermione didn't find it funny. Hermione quickly cast the counter-curse, and Neville's legs snapped apart.
Ryan helped him up and noticed that he was trembling.
"What happened?" Hermione asked gently.
"Malfoy," Neville mumbled, still shaken. "I ran into him outside the library. He said he needed someone to practice a new spell on."
Neville paused and then added, "But thanks to Ryan's warning that Slytherins might attack Gryffindor students, I was prepared. The moment Malfoy leaned in to taunt me, I sprayed his face with the chili spray Ryan gave me. Then I ran while he was busy washing it off."
"You should report him!" Hermione urged.
Neville shook his head. "I don't want any more trouble. Besides, I wasn't really hurt this time."
"But what if he does it again?" Ron said. "You need to tell Professor McGonagall."
Neville looked down. "I know I'm not brave enough. Malfoy said it too..."
With their encouragement, Neville eventually managed a weak smile before heading to bed.
The Philosopher's Stone
The days continued with training and studying as usual. One evening, Hermione pulled out an old book, excitedly gathering the group together.
"I found something about Nicolas Flamel!" she announced.
They leaned in as she opened the book to a page that read:
"Nicolas Flamel, the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone. Ancient alchemy focused on the creation of this miraculous object, which possesses extraordinary powers. The Philosopher's Stone can turn any metal into pure gold and can also produce an Elixir of Life, granting immortality to those who drink it."
"There have been many claims about the Philosopher's Stone throughout history, but the only confirmed one belongs to the renowned alchemist and opera enthusiast, Nicolas Flamel. Last year, he celebrated his 665th birthday and currently lives in seclusion in Devon with his wife, Perenelle, who is 658 years old."
Ryan nodded. "It's not much different from what we suspected, but this confirms it—the Philosopher's Stone is hidden somewhere in the school."
"No wonder Snape wants it!" Harry said. "A stone that turns metal into gold and grants immortality? Anyone would want that!"
"You can't assume it's Snape just because he dislikes you," Ryan reasoned. "For all we know, Quirrell might want it to cure his stutter."
But Harry was still preoccupied with the more immediate danger. "Snape refereeing my match is a much bigger problem right now."
Ryan had no doubt that Snape would make things difficult, but he still believed Harry would make it off the field alive—one way or another.
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