58: Chapter 58 Nicolas Flamel's Breakthrough

After Christmas night, the lights in Gryffindor Tower were extinguished early, but Harry donned his invisibility cloak.

Ron turned over, clutching his blanket, and asked vaguely, "Are you still looking at that cloak?"

Harry stuffed the note into his pocket: "I want to try the Library; there must be clues about Nicolas Flamel there."

Ron sat up, his hair a mess: "You're crazy. Filch patrols more diligently during the holidays than usual."

Harry's body disappeared by the bedside: "He can't see me."

Ron touched the air: "Just because I can't see you doesn't mean the cat can't smell you."

Harry walked to the door: "I'll be careful."

Ron glanced at the fake Scabbers holding cookie crumbs in his pocket: "Even Scabbers is better behaved than you."

The wooden door opened and closed; only the fireplace remained in the Common Room.

Harry slipped past the portrait of The Fat Lady, hugging the wall.

The Fat Lady rubbed her forehead, muttering: "One shouldn't drink too much Christmas wine."

The staircase shifted halfway, and Filch's complaints could be heard in the distance.

Madam Norris stopped by a suit of armor, her nose pressed against the floor tiles.

Harry gripped the edge of the cloak, holding his breath.

Peeves' laughter came from behind the armor: "Filch, Merry Christmas! Here's an empty boot for you!"

Filch turned around to curse, and Harry took the opportunity to slip into the Library.

Chains barred the entrance to the Restricted Section, and the bookshelves blocked the moonlight.

Harry crawled underneath, his fingers scanning the spines, whispering: "Nicolas Flamel, Alchemy, immortality, Philosopher's Stone."

A thick, nameless book was pulled out; the cover opened, and a piercing scream erupted from the pages.

Harry let go, the book hit the floor, and the screaming echoed down the corridor.

"Who's in the Library!"

Filch's footsteps approached.

Harry shoved the book back onto the shelf and turned to flee the Restricted Section, but the invisibility cloak snagged on a table corner, and he nearly fell.

On the other side of the corridor, Snape's black robes swept across the stone floor.

Filch rushed over, holding up his lamp: "Professor, I heard a disturbance in the Restricted Section."

Snape looked toward the Library entrance: "Are you sure it wasn't Peeves?"

Filch said anxiously: "No, the books screamed. The books in the Restricted Section."

Snape stepped forward, his boot tips stopping not far from where Harry stood.

Harry pressed his back against the side door, his palms sweating.

Snape spoke: "Potter."

Filch asked immediately: "Harry Potter?"

Snape scanned the empty corridor: "He recently obtained something that shouldn't belong to a student."

Filch gritted his teeth: "An invisibility cloak?"

Snape said: "If he is here, he had better come out now."

Harry didn't move.

Snape continued: "If I catch him, Gryffindor will lose many points."

Madam Norris circled to Harry's feet, her tail brushing the edge of the cloak.

Peeves' shrill laughter came from upstairs.

Filch chased after him in a rage, while Snape remained, staring at the Library entrance.

"Potter, you had better pray I don't find out what you're investigating."

Harry backed away along the wall, fleeing all the way to the door of an empty classroom.

Silver light shone through the crack in the door.

He pushed the door open and saw a tall mirror.

The next morning, after hearing what happened, Ron nearly spat out his pumpkin juice.

"You went to the Restricted Section and ran into Snape?"

Harry shoved the cloak to the bottom of his trunk: "He almost discovered me."

Ron patted his chest: "Almost discovering you is the same as almost costing us a hundred and fifty points."

Harry sat on the edge of the bed: "I didn't find Nicolas Flamel."

Ron asked: "Then what did you find?"

Harry was silent for a moment: "A mirror."

Ron frowned: "In the Library?"

"In an empty classroom."

"Can a mirror tell you who Nicolas Flamel is?"

"No."

Ron picked up a pie: "Then it's useless."

Harry said softly: "It let me see my parents."

Ron's movements paused: "Really?"

Harry nodded: "I want to go again."

Ron pulled out the fake Scabbers; the grey rat curled into a ball.

"Take my advice, don't go tonight. Even Scabbers doesn't want to wander at night."

Harry didn't answer.

Ron stuffed the rat back into his pocket: "You're already thinking about it."

At the end of the holiday, after Hermione returned to school, she cornered Harry and Ron in a corner of the Common Room.

She placed a book on the table: "What exactly have you been investigating these past few days?"

Ron spread his hands: "The books in the Restricted Section scream."

Hermione looked at Harry: "You went to the Restricted Section?"

Harry whispered: "Wearing the invisibility cloak."

Hermione pressed down on the book spine: "You two really know how to turn simple things into disasters."

Ron was unconvinced: "Then did you find anything?"

Hermione took a stack of Chocolate Frog cards out of her schoolbag: "I bought a few more on the way back."

Ron's eyes lit up: "What about the chocolate?"

Hermione pushed the empty boxes aside: "Eaten. That's not important."

Ron said: "Not important to you."

Hermione pulled out the Dumbledore card and placed it in front of Harry: "Read the description."

Harry read: "Albus Dumbledore, famous for defeating the Dark Wizard Grindelwald in 1945, discovered the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and has achieved great success in Alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel."

Ron stared at the card: "Nicolas Flamel is on a Chocolate Frog card?"

Hermione opened the book: "Nicolas Flamel is the known creator of the Philosopher's Stone. The Philosopher's Stone can turn metal into gold and also create the Elixir of Life."

Harry looked up: "The Philosopher's Stone."

Hermione said: "The package Hagrid took from Gringotts that day might be it."

Ron looked toward the door: "So the Cerberus is guarding the Philosopher's Stone?"

Hermione nodded: "If someone wants to steal it, that person will go to the Third Floor."

Harry gripped the card: "Snape."

Hermione immediately refuted: "We don't have any evidence."

Ron scoffed: "His leg was bitten, and he's always staring at Harry."

Hermione looked at the two of them: "What about Quirrell?"

Harry frowned: "Quirrell?"

Hermione said: "On the day of the Troll, he said there was a Troll in the Dungeon, but the Troll went to the second floor, and Ron's spell was also blocked."

Ron's expression darkened: "You mean he lied?"

Hermione put the cards away: "I said we need to find out the truth."

Harry touched his trunk: "We have to keep an eye on the Third Floor. I have the invisibility cloak."

Hermione said: "You can't wander at night every day."

Ron added: "At least not get caught."

Hermione glared at him.

Ron changed his tune: "I mean, it's best not to go."

On the other side of the Library, Nott closed his book and left the rows of shelves.

Draco was waiting for him at the Slytherin table: "What are those Gryffindors making a fuss about again?"

Nott handed a piece of parchment to Allen: "They found Nicolas Flamel."

Draco sat up straight: "Who found it?"

"Granger."

Draco clicked his tongue: "Her again."

Allen scanned the parchment: "Source?"

Nott said: "A Chocolate Frog card, Dumbledore's description."

Crabbe looked up: "Can you research with cards too?"

Goyle said seriously: "Then we should buy more boxes."

Draco looked at them: "You just want to eat chocolate."

Crabbe nodded: "And research while we're at it."

Allen folded the parchment: "Do they know about the Philosopher's Stone?"

Nott said: "Yes, Granger connected the Elixir of Life and the Cerberus."

Draco frowned: "Will they go to the Third Floor?"

Allen said: "Yes."

Draco asked: "Should we stop them?"

Allen glanced at him: "Why stop them?"

Draco reined in his temper: "That's the Philosopher's Stone, Potter."

Allen said: "Precisely because it's the Philosopher's Stone, the Professors will be watching."

Draco whispered: "You want to let Harry test the way?"

Allen opened his book: "He already has the invisibility cloak."

Draco said: "You even know about that?"

Nott looked at Allen: "Is the thing about the invisibility cloak true?"

Allen said: "A Christmas present."

Draco sneered: "The gifts brought to The Chosen One are never bad."

Allen said: "The better the gift, the easier it is to tempt someone to wander at night."

Nott asked: "Are you going to keep letting them investigate?"

Allen nodded: "The busier they are, the more anxious Quirrell becomes."

Draco asked: "What about Snape?"

Allen said: "He will keep an eye on Quirrell, and he will also keep an eye on Harry."

Draco pushed his cup aside: "Then what do we do?"

Allen looked at him: "Nothing at all."

Draco frowned: "That's your plan?"

Allen said: "You are responsible for not writing letters and talking nonsense; Crabbe and Goyle are responsible for not mentioning Nicolas Flamel in the corridors; Nott will continue to listen to how far Granger has investigated."

Nott nodded: "Can do."

Crabbe asked: "Then can I still buy Chocolate Frogs?"

Allen said: "Yes, just don't buy them next to the Gryffindor table."

Goyle asked: "What if I open a Dumbledore card?"

Draco couldn't help but say: "Eat your chocolate, give the card to Nott."

Allen tucked the parchment into the pages of his book: "There are other things in the second half of the semester."

Draco looked at him: "What things?"

Allen said: "Hagrid."

Nott looked up: "The Gamekeeper?"

Allen said: "He likes dangerous animals, and he can't keep a secret."

Draco narrowed his eyes: "You suspect he will cause trouble?"

Allen closed his book: "Sooner or later, he will bring trouble back to his hut."

Crabbe asked: "What trouble?"

Allen stood up: "We'll see when the time comes."

Draco stood up as well: "Potter, every time you say 'when the time comes,' I know it's going to be something big."

Allen tucked the book under his arm: "Then learn to shut up in advance."

Draco looked at Nott: "Did you hear that? He's started ordering people around again."

Nott put away the parchment: "At least he's ordering correctly this time."

Goyle held up the Chocolate Frog box: "Then how many boxes should I buy?"

Allen walked toward the Dungeon exit: "Buy two more boxes."

Crabbe laughed immediately: "For information?"

Allen turned back to look at him: "To give you something to do."

Draco looked toward the Gryffindor table, where Harry was whispering with Hermione, and the fake Scabbers in Ron's pocket poked its head out to gnaw on a candy wrapper.

"Because he always calculates correctly."

In the Portable Space, the Void Disc hovered beside the ebony box, its tail tip tapping over the name Nicolas Flamel, then moving toward a small note with Hagrid written on it.

Peter in the cage pawed at the transparent wall, unable to make a sound.

The snow outside the Castle began to melt; the trio had already taken the bait, and Allen only needed to wait for the next wave of trouble to come to his door.