Chapter 195 – Conversation in Hagrid's Hut
Phineas sighed and said to Harry,
"Alright, Harry, Hagrid's right. This really has nothing to do with you. The thing Fluffy is guarding is actually the Philosopher's Stone."
Hermione gasped, slapping her forehead.
"I knew I'd heard of Nicolas Flamel before! I just couldn't remember where. Of course—it's the Philosopher's Stone!"
Ron looked puzzled.
"The Philosopher's Stone? What's that?"
Phineas explained calmly,
"It's an alchemical artifact. It can turn any metal into pure gold, and it can also produce the Elixir of Life. But of course, it has side effects."
Hearing this, Hagrid stopped worrying about how Phineas knew all this and looked at him in surprise.
Hermione asked quickly,
"Side effects? How do you know that?"
Phineas reached into his robe and pulled out the soul stone he'd crafted during the vampire ambush earlier that year. Holding it up for them to see, he said,
"This was made using similar principles to the Philosopher's Stone. It's not quite the same, but close enough."
Everyone stared at the red gem in shock.
Hagrid, having seen the real Philosopher's Stone himself at Gringotts, was stunned. The stone in Phineas' hand was clearly the same type, albeit with some differences.
"You... how do you have that?" Harry asked, eyes wide.
Phineas shrugged.
"That's why I'm telling you not to overthink this. The Philosopher's Stone seems rare, but for most wizards, it's practically useless. That's why I've adapted it and improved its functions."
Still unconvinced, Ron said,
"But what if Snape wants to live forever?"
Phineas gave him a tired look.
Compared to Fred and George, Ron was honestly disappointing. His talent wasn't bad, but he never applied himself. He wasted time, dragged Harry into his reckless ideas, and lacked any real purpose. The twins might be mischievous, but they still studied hard, especially in areas like alchemy, herbology, and potions. Ron? He just played around.
"Snape is one of the top potioneers in the wizarding world. He may not be able to create a Philosopher's Stone, but he has plenty of ways to extend his life. And as I already said, the Elixir of Life has flaws."
Hermione, ever the quick thinker, caught something in his explanation.
"Phineas, why do you keep talking about life extension rather than immortality itself?"
Phineas looked at her approvingly.
"Because that is the flaw. The Philosopher's Stone doesn't make you immortal. At its core, it's still based on the alchemical principle of equivalent exchange. It extends life, yes, but you continue to age. Picture someone living for five hundred years—still aging like anyone else. What do you think they'd look like?"
Even Ron could imagine how terrifying that would be.
Harry stared at Phineas, unsure whether to believe him.
Phineas caught his gaze, nodded, and continued,
"That's what's happened to Nicolas Flamel. His bones are brittle, his body is frail. The Elixir of Life stops him from dying, but not from suffering. Every fracture, every painful movement—he feels it all, endlessly."
Still unconvinced, Ron said,
"Even if he doesn't want to live forever, what about all the gold? Who wouldn't want more Galleons?"
Phineas shook his head, exasperated.
"Don't use your logic to judge Snape. He's a renowned potion master. His brews are so rare and effective that even when he does sell them, they fetch incredibly high prices. If he ever needed gold, he'd just sell a few potions—no need to risk crossing Dumbledore to steal the Philosopher's Stone."
Neville looked thoughtful.
"Then… who is trying to steal it?"
Phineas smiled.
"Let's say this—do you remember the break-in at Gringotts not long ago?"
Everyone nodded. Harry chimed in,
"Yeah, that happened the same day Hagrid and I went there."
Phineas continued,
"Exactly. That proves someone is after the Stone. But then—why would Dumbledore bring it here? Hogwarts is full of students, most of whom can't defend themselves. If it's that dangerous, why hide it here?"
Hermione objected,
"I read that Hogwarts is the safest place in the wizarding world—"
Phineas cut in,
"If Hogwarts is so safe, then why didn't Harry's parents take refuge here?"
At that, Harry looked down, the words clearly hitting him.
But Phineas pressed on,
"There are countless ways to hide something powerful in the wizarding world. I could name several that no one would ever uncover. And even if Hogwarts were that safe, why announce something is hidden here during the Start-of-Term Feast? Dumbledore didn't say it outright, but anyone paying attention could guess. I did. So have any of you thought about why he'd let that information slip?"
The three Gryffindors were confused, but Hermione's face slowly changed as she began piecing things together—though she could barely believe what she was starting to suspect.