The Philosopher's Stone is in hand!

"I'd like to ask, Professor Fawley, when can I also have a lesson from you?"

Tewell looked helplessly up at Dumbledore standing above.

The headmaster lacked his usual kindly demeanor, instead gazing at him with indifference, his hands naturally hanging down, his wand tapping against his thigh, emitting a smoky scent.

Despite his seemingly effortless posture, it exuded immense pressure.

Yet, Tewell felt a hint of pride—this esteemed First White Wizard valued him to such an extent that he was almost ready to engage in battle directly.

He calmly stowed away his wand.

Not to mention he couldn't defeat Dumbledore right now, even if he could, he shouldn't!

With the same ease as when he was studying Transfiguration before, Tewell casually waved at the old man.

"Good evening, Headmaster Dumbledore."

Then, step by step, he ascended until he stood before him.

Dumbledore was less indifferent now, a hint of curiosity present, but his deep blue eyes remained locked onto Tewell's, sizing each other up.

"If it were elsewhere, I wouldn't mind chatting with you all night, but here, I think you owe me an explanation."

"Explanation?" Tewell's eyes flickered. "If I said I came to save Harry, to stop Quirrell and Voldemort, would you believe me?"

Dumbledore chuckled wryly, "Believe? Of course. Harry and his friends are fine, and you killed Quirrell, drove away Voldemort, you did indeed do a great deed."

"Had your pocket not held the Philosopher's Stone, I would've recommended you for a Merlin Order of the Phoenix."

He restrained his smile, taking a step forward, tilting his head slightly, scrutinizing Tewell with a mix of curiosity and slight disappointment.

"From the first day you entered the school, I've been observing you."

"I have high hopes for you, Tewell. As Voldemort said, your grandfather was the most talented young man I've ever seen, even more so than myself.

With just ten years, you could succeed me and become the most powerful wizard in the world!"

"But please, don't end up like me," Dumbledore paused, "taking the wrong path."

"That kind of mistake, you can't afford to make in your lifetime."

Finally, he said with great seriousness, "Give me the Philosopher's Stone, and I can pretend none of this ever happened. You'll still be the most popular teacher in the school, can you do that?"

But to his great disappointment, Tewell gently shook his head.

"I must obtain the Stone—"

He didn't finish his sentence as Dumbledore interrupted him sternly.

"For immortality? You're still young. You'll find eternal life is the most painful thing when you're old!"

"Or for gold? Your family's wealth is enough for a lifetime, and with your abilities, you can earn even more!"

To be honest, after hearing Dumbledore's words, Tewell was quite touched.

He gained another elder who cared for him.

But he couldn't say it was to resurrect Voldemort's soul in the Horcrux, thankfully, he had another secret weapon.

"You said I could succeed you in ten years, but what if I don't live past ten years?"

With that, he raised his right hand, his robe slowly falling with gravity, revealing the black mark on his wrist.

It was small, but Dumbledore instantly caught sight of it.

He deftly reached out his left hand, tightly gripping Tewell's forearm, bringing the mark before his eyes.

Close enough that only a few fingers' distance separated them, Tewell could even feel the heat in Dumbledore's eyes from his intense focus.

With a gentle touch, a wisp of black smoke emanated from the mark, dissipating into the air as Dumbledore's fingers moved, but the mark showed no sign of weakening, instead roiling even more fiercely from Dumbledore's touch.

Tewell stirred his magic slightly, suppressing the mark once again.

"Don't you cause trouble, my fifty-year lifespan just got a day shorter!" he grumbled inwardly, though his face maintained a polite smile.

"This is a curse, an almost certain death curse."

"How did you survive then?" Dumbledore asked with regret.

"Studying dark magic, suppressing it, of course, with the help of my teacher primarily."

Tewell's mouth curved up; he couldn't wait to see Dumbledore's expression later.

Dumbledore nodded understandingly.

"The curse is suppressed, but it continually erodes your life. Only magical artifacts like the Philosopher's Stone can sustain such a vast lifespan."

"However, I can't recall how many wizards can employ such potent dark magic. Can you tell me who your teacher is? It couldn't be Voldemort, could it?"

Tewell couldn't help but grin, his eyes crinkling.

"You're quite familiar with this person," he said softly, "Gellert Grindelwald."

Dumbledore's face visibly stiffened, but only for a moment, his tone merely becoming more rigid.

"Wasn't he imprisoned in Nurmengard?"

"Staying in Nurmengard doesn't prevent a teacher from teaching me some magic or helping me deal with curses, does it?"

"So, was it his suggestion for you to come and steal the Philosopher's Stone?"

This wasn't the teacher's fault, though Grindelwald knew about Nicolas Flamel having the Stone, how could he possibly know it had been transferred to Dumbledore?

But the teacher did suggest Tewell to go find Nicolas Flamel, which inspired him to come to Hogwarts and carry out this series of plans.

"Of course not," Tewell firmly shifted the blame onto himself, defending the teacher's image, "The idea of sneaking around was my own decision."

Dumbledore chuckled, "Kind? That word never belonged to Grindelwald!"

"It's true," Tewell looked earnestly at Dumbledore, "You can go talk to him if you don't believe me. He has really changed a lot."

He didn't believe Dumbledore would go to verify. According to the occasional remarks made by the teacher, they hadn't seen each other since he was imprisoned there.

Dumbledore ignored Tewell's subsequent words, glanced at him, then began to pace, contemplating for a moment.

"Since the Philosopher's Stone can save your life, I can decide to give it to you."

"But since you are Grindelwald's student, I must ensure you haven't been influenced by dark magic or any inappropriate thoughts!"

"Are you going to kick me out of Hogwarts?" Tewell said in surprise.

"Quite the opposite, even if you wanted to leave, you couldn't. Until I'm completely sure, you'll come to see me every week!"

But he didn't mention any specific restrictions for Tewell, and turned to leave.

Tewell was momentarily stunned.

Was this going to be ideological education? He hurriedly asked, "What about the holidays? Do I have to spend them with you too?"

"Holidays are meant to be holidays!" Dumbledore's voice echoed from afar.