Chapter 16: Philosopher Stone

Christmas is coming and the weather at Hogwarts School is cold with several feet of snow on the ground and the lake frozen over. Weasley's twin brothers were punished for enchanting snowballs to chase and hit Professor Quirrell on the head with them.

Draco was surprised when he heard about it and made a joke that it was similar to offending Lord Voldemort, who is known for punishing those who do not submit to him or stand in the way of his goals.

Professor Snape is an example of this, as he was killed by Voldemort not because his undercover identity was revealed, but because he refused to give up his Elder Wand.

As Drack looks out the window, he sees several owls struggling to fly through the blizzard to deliver mail.

It is a busy time for the owls as they must also rest and recover under Hagrid's care before continuing with their deliveries, as Christmas approaches and there are many greeting letters to deliver.

Draco received a letter from his family, in which Narcissa asked him to go home for Christmas. However, Draco found the school's library collection more appealing than returning home. He had a plan in mind, and thought to himself, "But let's go back, there is still a place to go."

While sitting in a corner and flipping through an old book with yellowed pages that seemed as if they would turn to powder when touched, Draco came across a section on the history of Dark Arts in the district. He gently closed the book, noting that the gold stamped title on the cover had already peeled off, revealing some visible characters of Dark Arts history.

As he silently absorbed the information in the book, Draco was interrupted by the voice of a middle-aged woman, Mrs. Pince, who manages the area.

She asked him, "What are you looking for, kid?"

"Nothing," replied a boy's voice. Draco peered through the gap between the bookshelves and saw Harry being questioned by Mrs. Pince.

"Then you'd better get out," Mrs. Pince ordered. Harry glanced at Draco through the gap between the bookshelves and realized that the two of them had different permissions and were being treated differently.

Harry wished he was smarter and had come up with a better excuse for being in the library, such as looking for a classmate, but he knew that his relationship with Draco was not good and that if he was caught, he might get into trouble at school.

As he left the library, Harry was thinking about what to do next. He expected Ron or Hermione to find some new clues, but he didn't expect much.

The group had been trying to gather information about Snape's actions, starting from the end of the Quidditch game, when Hermione claimed to have seen Snape chanting Dark Arts at Harry's broom and Harry said he saw Snape's leg hurt.

After consulting with Hagrid's three-headed dog, they concluded that Snape was not acting kindly towards Harry and seemed to be trying to steal something important, which was why they were bitten.

Hagrid mentioned while he slipped his mouth a few times while they trying to gather information. They learned that these events were connected to a man named Nicolas Flame. However, it seemed that all clues stopped there.

In the Gryffindor lounge, Hermione had her head buried on the dining table in frustration and Ron was bored playing with his old shamanic chess. It was clear that they still had not made any progress.

"I was kicked out by Mrs. Pince," Harry said in frustration.

"I suspect that he may not be a Muggle at all," Hermione moaned weakly.

"Otherwise, how could he not be found anywhere?"

"He's not listed among the great wizards of the 20th century or the famous contemporary magicians. His name doesn't appear in the major discoveries of modern magic or the development of modern witchcraft," Hermione counted off the information she had checked.

"I'm going crazy trying to find out about him," Hermione said, frustration showing on her face as she grabbed her shaggy hair.

"I think Mrs. Pinc e must know," Harry suggested.

"But we can't ask," Ron interjected. "We asked Mrs. Pince and it was very unsafe. You have to keep searching while I'm away, okay?"

Hermione instructed. "Once something is found, you send an owl to tell me."

"You could also ask your parents if they know about Nicolas Flame ," Ron added. "It should be safe to ask them."

"It's very safe because they are both dentists," Hermione said.

"I have a suggestion. Why don't we go and ask Malfoy for his input? He's knowledgeable about the district," Harry said hesitantly.

"Harry, are you crazy? He's a Slytherin! Snape is their dean," Ron slammed his hand on the table and stood up.

"And I don't think he'll tell us anything, right Hermione?"

"I don't know," Hermione looked a little uncomfortable. It seemed that she hadn't told her friends about her good relationship with Malfoy.

"I don't think he seems like a bad guy. We might have done something wrong in the compartment," Harry said.

"If you want to go, go. I don't want to see him and beg for information," Ron slammed the chess piece on the board, making a loud noise.

Hermione and Harry glanced at each other, apparently deciding not to continue the topic.

----

"So you came to ask me?" Draco looked up from his book at Hermione.

"You must know who this person is, right?" Hermione asked with a look of expectation.

"Is this person important to you?" Draco asked knowingly.

"Very important," Hermione nodded.

"But I don't think I have an obligation to tell you," Draco said coolly.

"If you had asked me as a friend in private, I might have been happy to help you, but your two friends clearly would not be willing to accept my kindness. Don't you think that's unfair to me?"

"It's not like that, Harry suggested asking you," Hermione explained.

"What about the others?"

"Ron doesn't agree, he seems to have a disagreement with you, and Harry can't stick to it," Hermione's voice faltered.

"Then I don't think I need to tell you, but maybe they will know later what I told you and I expected that they might not believe it," Draco stared at Hermione quietly.

"No, it's not like that," Hermione shook her head and tried to deny it.

"Well, I will tell you now. Nicole Flame is the only known maker of the Philosopher stone, the greatest alchemist, and a friend of Dumbledore's. Is that enough information for you? Are you satisfied?" Draco said.

"Then, Miss Granger, this district is not allowed more than one. I think you can leave as soon as possible."

---

"Why did this happen?"

Hermione's heart was sour as she looked at Draco's indifferent eyes. The clues she had just heard did not make her happy.

She walked out of the library, feeling cold despite the slightly cold wind because her heart was even colder. She began to question the friendship between her and the other three people, but it seemed like a mess.

As he watched Hermione's back, Draco took a breath. He realized that this friendship should not have existed. When he first met Hermione on the train, he had wanted to try to change history, but that had failed.

He had then decided to stay out of it, but was moved by Hermione's courage to apologize. When they met again in the library, he couldn't bear to see her sad and had comforted her, taking her to Hogsmeade secretly. However, the conflicts between House and friends still existed and no one was spared when they erupted.

"Let's face it sooner or later and get this over with," Draco knew that even if he didn't initiate this confrontation, similar situations would inevitably arise in the future. If the friendship was to last, they would have to face these challenges.

"It's up to you to decide if the friendship is over or if it can start anew," Draco thought to himself.

"I will take the blame this time."

--------------------

Hermione returned blankly to the Gryffindor lounge, the warmth from the fireplace making her feel better.

She saw Ron and Harry happily playing wizard's chess.

"I know who Nicole May is," Hermione said quietly.

"Oh, Harry, your horse was eaten by me," Ron said as he was about to take Harry's horse.

The two people who were playing chess suddenly reacted. "What did you say? Do you know who he is?"

Harry asked in surprise. "Hermione, you're so cool,"

Ron praised.

Hermione maintained her calm tone from before.

"He is the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone, the greatest alchemist, and a friend of Dumbledore's."

"The Philosopher's Stone!" Ron exclaimed.

"No wonder Snape wanted to get his hands on it. Everyone wants it."

"What's that?" Harry asked Ron.

"My twin brothers used to talk about this stone. They said that if they got Philosopher Stone they would use it for gold-making, and othey wouldn't come to class again. They also said that this stone can make an elixir that will allow the person who drinks it to never die," Hermione explained.

"That all makes sense," Harry said.

"Professor Nicole May and Professor Dumbledore are friends. Professor Dumbledore asked Professor Flame to store the magic stone here for a while. The three-headed dog must be one of the guards. Snape tried to steal it but failed, which is why he got bitten."

"Hermione, you're a hero," Ron praised Hermione again.

Hermione smiled awkwardly.