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Holy shit!
Loot drop!
Ancient Magic!
She'd searched all semester for Ancient Magic. And here, by sheer coincidence, she'd found a leadâand successfully recorded one!
Sacrifice... Hermione read the Mysterious Magic Book's description. She could guess the gist.
She knew Harry carried his mother Lily's magicâcalled "Love"âand that Voldemort still hadn't figured it out. That's why she'd been so confident sending him packing.
Under the "Love" magic's protection, until Harry came of age, no harm originating from Voldemort could kill him. Instead, it would severely backfire on Voldemort himself.
Pure anti-Voldemort weapon.
But yeah, definitely Ancient Magic... Hermione mused.
She'd suspected for a while.
Dumbledore called it "Love" magic to help Harry understandâto comfort him emotionally. But in essence? It was a form of Ancient Magic.
The night Voldemort came to kill Harry, Lily's intense protective emotions triggered the "Sacrifice" magic. That's what reflected the Killing Curse.
Hermione was certain: Lily must have encountered Ancient Magic in her youth. Otherwise, the world was full of people willing to die for love. None of them triggered protective enchantments.
But this spell's effect... utterly useless to her!
Who'd willingly use this thing?!
She wanted Ancient Magic, not suicide spells!
Still. Today was a good start.
Glancing at the unconscious Harry, Hermione picked up the Philosopher's Stone.
As expected, the Mysterious Magic Book reacted.
[Rare Artifact]
[Philosopher's Stone: Alchemical Substance]
[Functions: Through alchemy, produces Elixir of Life. Transmutes any metal into pure gold. Can substitute for most alchemical materials.]
The Elixir of Life was self-explanatory. Nicolas Flamel had used it to live for centuries.
But it only granted longevityânot immortality. Flamel looked ancient as hell.
For Hermione's current needs? Irrelevant.
Turning metal to gold? Besides crashing gold prices, not particularly useful.
What, turn Cap's vibranium shield into a gold shield?
The third function, thoughâthat made her grin.
Material substitution.
The Stone was a universal substance. In alchemy, it could replace almost any material.
For example: Hermione knew how to craft an Invisibility Cloak. But she lacked the materials.
With the Stone, she could substitute for key or rare componentsâ
Sure, it'd consume a bit of the Stone's energy. But it massively streamlined production. No more material bottlenecks.
This thing was tailor-made for alchemists!
No wonder Flamel became the greatest alchemist after creating it. His talent mattered, yesâbut the Stone's support was critical.
Just as she stored the Stone in the Book and prepared to leave, a familiar voice spoke.
"Good evening, Miss Granger."
Calm. Steady. Laced with reassuring magic.
Hermione wasn't surprised to see Dumbledore appear.
She'd long suspected he knew everything about the Stone incident.
From the startâmoving it from Gringotts preemptivelyâhe must've known someone would try to steal it. Otherwise, it made no sense.
Then setting up that obviously childish obstacle course at Hogwarts? Pure bait.
Why not carry it himself? Or destroy it? Either would've been safer.
If he didn't know about Quirrell initially, Snape definitely told him after the troll incident.
And Hermione didn't believe Voldemortâin that stateâcould hide under Dumbledore's nose for long.
He didn't arrest Quirrell immediately because: (1) He wanted to provoke action. (2) He wanted to train Harry, the Chosen One.
Elaborate setup for one specific goal.
And it worked. Harry resisted the Stone's temptation. Wanted to find it, but not use it. Only wanted to stop Voldemort.
But... Harry resisted. She didn't!
If she could've retrieved it herselfâand if she hadn't needed Harry as a shield with anti-Voldemort buffsâshe'd have rolled up her sleeves and gone in solo.
"Good evening, Headmaster Dumbledore."
Hermione returned a polite nod, smiling faintly.
"I know we violated the rules by entering the forbidden corridor. But Harry uncovered Voldemort's plot... As his friend, I had to accompany him. To prevent any accidents."
Summary:Â Not my fault.
Smooth deflection.
And it was true. Before tonight, Hermione had never visited the third-floor corridor. Never investigated. Never shown unusual interest. Harry figured everything out himself and invited her. Anyone would see her as an unwilling participant.
As for the Stone? She didn't mention it.
Dumbledore chuckled, gave her a meaningful look. "No need to explain. As for the Stone..."
Here it comes!
Hermione's eyes flickered.
She'd prepared her defense: claim interest in alchemy, dream of becoming the next Flamel, wanted to study it. Play the sympathy card if needed.
After all, her thirst for knowledge was legendary at Hogwarts. She could admit taking the Stone for academic purposes. No big deal.
Plus, she'd risked her life tonight for Hogwarts' safety and magical peace! So noble! So righteous! After all that, how could they not grant one small request?
But Dumbledore's next words caught her off guard.
"The Stone was always meant for you."
"Huh?"
Hermione blinked, confused.
Dumbledore implied that even if she hadn't come tonight, he'd have given her the Stone anyway.
So I did all this for nothing?
I could've just stayed home and had treasure delivered?
But... why?
Are we that close?
Since enrollment, Hermione had actively avoided Dumbledore. He'd shown no special interest in her beyond the Sorting. They'd barely exchanged ten sentences.
If McGonagall said this, she'd understand. But Dumbledore...
If she didn't know his character, she'd think he was some suspicious stranger offering candy.
Little Hermione felt wary.
Ignoring her guarded expression, Dumbledore pulled a worn notebook from his pocket and handed it over.
"This is Nicolas Flamel's alchemy journal. He asked me to give it to you as well."
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