Chapter 34

Certainly! Here is the translation with some improvements:

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Once Christmas had passed, Albert dedicated most of his time to mastering the Penetrating Charm. He hoped to finish his first year at school having completed two levels of this spell. In the days leading up to the end of the Christmas holiday, he officially completed the first level of the charm. This spell was closely related to his future plans, such as breaching the Ageing Charm that Dumbledore would use on the Goblet of Fire. Additionally, if Voldemort were to be resurrected, he would use a powerful barrier around a room in the Ministry of Magic that no one could breach. This would be where Voldemort and Dumbledore would battle. Albert was now extremely eager to advance his learning of this charm quickly.

On the last day of the holiday, Albert said goodbye to the reluctant Kreacher and returned to school with Hermione aboard the Hogwarts Express.

Hermione said, "Thank you for the gifts you gave me. They're wonderful, and I've really benefited from them."

Albert replied, "And thank you for the gift as well."

Upon arriving at school, Albert learned from Ron that Harry had been gazing into a magical mirror that caused hallucinations for three consecutive days. After Hermione complained about Harry's reckless behavior ("What if Filch catches you?"), Albert told Harry, "Actually, getting caught by the night watchman is a minor problem. The real issue is that those hallucinations can gradually make you unable to distinguish between reality and illusion, which will definitely drive you mad in the end."

Ron and Hermione both nodded in agreement, and Harry had to swear once again that he would never seek out the mirror again.

The days that followed passed slowly with regular studies until Potion class. In Potions, Albert suddenly realized he had made significant progress in handling raw ingredients, controlling heat, and brewing potions. Since Snape had given him an A on his potion, Albert realized that brewing ordinary medicine in his previous life had many similarities to making magical potions. Given his modest medical skills, Albert had often relied on his uncle, the doctor, to help him prepare medicines. This skill, honed through long practice, had also become perfected for Albert.

It must be said that this was advantageous. After all, Gryffindor students always received a discount in Snape's classes, and Albert was always worried about Snape's grading on his final exam.

This period was good for Ron and Hermione, but worse for Harry and Albert. With Quidditch about to start again, Wood's demands on the players became stricter than ever. Even on the continuously rainy days following heavy snowfall, training did not stop. Hermione, who read in the common room after dinner each day, frequently encountered exhausted Quidditch players. Sometimes they were drenched, with mud caking off their clothes.

One day, as others were doing their homework in the common room, Harry suddenly dashed over and sat next to Ron. Albert followed and took a seat in front of both Harry and Ron.

"Wait a moment; I'll finish my homework soon and then I can join in the fun," Ron said. He then turned his head and saw Harry's face. "What's wrong with you? You look awful."

Harry's face darkened, and Ron's smile suddenly froze. "It can't be that Snape is really the referee, can it?"

Harry replied, "Snape will be the referee for the next match."

"What? Why? Why isn't Madam Hooch the referee?"

Albert immediately said, "She's on leave."

Ron added, "Just say you're sick and can't play."

"It doesn't matter, if it's a broken leg," Hermione said. "Just break the leg. Madam Pomfrey can fix it overnight anyway."

Albert said, "I don't think you need to be this stressed. I'm with you in the competition, so don't worry. Also, the competition is under the watchful eyes of all the teachers and students at the school. Even if Snape wanted to kill you, he wouldn't be able to do it under such circumstances."

Harry also said he would definitely go to the match, as there was no alternative Seeker, and he wouldn't be able to compete if he didn't join the Gryffindor team.

Albert smiled as Harry changed his mind. While they were discussing, Neville stumbled into the common room. No one could guess how he had emerged from the portrait hole, as his legs were stuck together. Harry and the others could immediately tell from a glance that Neville was under the effects of the Leg-Locker Curse. He must have jumped like a rabbit all the way up the stairs to Gryffindor Tower.

Everyone laughed except Albert and Hermione. Albert stepped forward and lifted the curse from Neville, and Neville's legs moved again. Hermione helped him stand, noticing he was shaking.

"What happened?" Hermione asked, guiding him to sit with Harry.

Neville said, his voice trembling, "I ran into Malfoy outside the library. He said he was looking for someone to practice this curse on. But thanks to Albert reminding me that Slytherin has a grudge against Gryffindor and attacks Gryffindor students, I sprayed Malfoy's face with the perfume he gave me when he came to mock me. Then I ran away while he was washing it off."

Hermione told Neville, "You can report him!"

Neville shook his head. "I don't want to get into more trouble."

He mumbled vaguely, "Anyway, I didn't suffer this time."

"But Malfoy might target you again," Hermione said. "You need the courage to tell Professor McGonagall about this."

Finally, to everyone's relief, Neville left with a weak smile. In the following days, everyone continued with their training and studies. However, one day, Hermione pulled out a large, old book and told the others that she had found Nicholas Flamel's wizarding journal. The three of them gathered around and saw the open page with the following text:

"Nicholas Flamel, the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone, which was an ancient alchemical substance with amazing powers. The Philosopher's Stone can turn any metal into pure gold and also create the Elixir of Life, which grants immortality to those who drink it. Over the centuries, there have been many reports about the Philosopher's Stone, but the only remaining Stone belongs to the famous alchemist and opera enthusiast Nicholas Flamel. He celebrated his 665th birthday last year and now lives in seclusion in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (658 years old)."

"It doesn't differ much from what I found myself; it essentially confirms our guess. It is now certain that the hidden object in the school is the Sorcerer's Stone," Albert said to Hermione after reading it.

Harry interjected, "No wonder Snape wants to steal it. The Stone can turn metal into gold and make you immortal! Who wouldn't want that?"

"You can't suspect Snape just because he's biased against you. Maybe Quirrell wants it," Albert said. "Use this to make a potion to cure stuttering."

"But now Snape poses a more immediate threat to us, Harry. Think about our game this week," Hermione said.

Harry suddenly looked distressed. It was really hard to deal with matches with Snape as the referee. He even thought it might be difficult for him to come off the pitch alive if he didn't join the Gryffindor team.