Chapter 45: The Egg Might Just Cook
After exchanging their rudimentary knowledge about dragon taming and rearing, Evan shifted the conversation and boldly speculated that increasing the temperature might expedite the hatching process of the dragon egg.
No sooner had Evan finished speaking than he attempted to stoke the stove with more firewood and fan the flames, but Hagrid quickly put a stop to this reckless idea.
Turn up the heat any more, and they might just cook the egg...
"Evan, we're not here to discuss dragon-rearing techniques..." Harry interjected, seeing that the conversation between the two was getting increasingly animated.
I'm here precisely for that... Evan mused silently, catching Hermione's peculiar glance and swiftly turning to Hagrid to steer the conversation elsewhere.
"Hagrid, how did you come by this dragon egg?"
"Through a bet, won it I did, just the other day in the pub playing cards with a stranger. Truth be told, the fellow seemed all too eager to get rid of it." Hagrid's face beamed with pride. How many could claim to have won a dragon egg at a card table?
"What did this person look like? Did they show a particular interest in your three-headed dog, Fluffy?" Hermione sensed something amiss.
"Yeah, seems like it... but wouldn't anyone be interested? It's not every day you see a dog with three heads," Hagrid recalled with effort.
"I may have had a bit to drink and told him that Fluffy falls asleep to music. Just play a tune, and he's out like a light," Hagrid boasted.
However, as soon as he finished speaking, Hagrid realized his blunder; he had revealed something he shouldn't have.
"Who was this person!" Harry asked urgently.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Hagrid strained his memory. "I don't know. The fellow wore a black cloak, his face obscured. And with the drink I had, I only remember his voice being raspy, not quite normal."
"It has to be Snape, or maybe Quirrell, they must be up to no good," Ron was now more convinced than ever of their earlier guess in the corridor, his passion reignited.
"Could it be the Nicolas Flamel you mentioned last time?" Harry pondered before asking, "Hagrid, can you tell us what's really hidden beneath the trapdoor?"
Hermione, too, watched Hagrid intently. She had scoured the Hogwarts library in the past few days and had checked every notable figure from the last two hundred years, finding no mention of Nicolas Flamel.
This time, Hagrid was adamant about not divulging anything, insisting it was none of their business. He would report his mistake to Dumbledore, even if it meant punishment.
"It's the Philosopher's Stone!" Evan suddenly spoke up after a long silence.
"How do you know it's the Philosopher's Stone?" Hagrid asked in shock, as he hadn't revealed anything yet.
But unbeknownst to Hagrid, his reaction confirmed the veracity of Evan's statement.
"The Philosopher's Stone? What is that? What does it do? And how do you know about it?" Harry asked eagerly.
"I stumbled upon it while making the wizard cards and researching the professors.
Remember the card you got about Professor Dumbledore, Harry? The last line mentioned his work with his partner Nicolas Flamel in alchemy. The Philosopher's Stone was created by the renowned alchemist Nicolas Flamel," Evan explained one by one.
Since Harry and the others had already extracted the method to get past Fluffy from Hagrid, Evan felt there was no need to hide the truth about the Philosopher's Stone. They would find out soon enough anyway.
"As for its uses, the Philosopher's Stone can turn any metal into pure gold and produce the Elixir of Life, granting immortality to anyone who drinks it. Its creator, Nicolas Flamel, is over six hundred years old."
Evan felt a pang of envy at this point. The Philosopher's Stone was an artifact that could grant eternal life. He wondered what could compel Nicolas Flamel to destroy such a thing.
If Evan wasn't aware that the Philosopher's Stone was a decoy set by Dumbledore and under his constant supervision, he might have been tempted to try and steal it himself.
If Evan felt this way, then Harry and the others, hearing of the Stone's power for the first time, were even more affected.
The ability to turn anything into gold represented endless wealth, while the Elixir of Life promised immortality. Possession of the Philosopher's Stone meant having everything one could desire!
"No wonder Snape or Professor Quirrell would take the risk for it. A stone that can create gold—who could resist such temptation?" Ron couldn't help but remark.
Fortunately, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were only eleven or twelve years old, and immortality did not hold the same allure for them. Aside from Ron, who briefly fantasized about how he might use the Stone to amass wealth, Harry and Hermione had little interest in it.
"Listen, the Philosopher's Stone is none of your concern. Dumbledore will handle it," Hagrid felt compelled to interrupt their discussion, reminding them solemnly.
Evan nodded in agreement. Despite the obstacles set by the professors in the original story looking like child's play to him—sufficient to deter Hogwarts students but useless against powerful adult wizards—the enchantment Dumbledore placed on the Mirror of Erised was formidable. Only those who did not desire the Stone and could resist their deepest temptations could retrieve the treasure hidden within the mirror.
In other words, if it weren't for Harry walking into the trap himself, Quirrell and Voldemort could have stayed there for days, even blowing up the mirror, and still not obtain what they sought.
Regrettably, Evan knew that Harry and Ron were unaware of this, feeling that the Philosopher's Stone under the trapdoor could be stolen at any moment, and they had to do something.
In the end, it was the sensible Hermione who suggested they go to Professor Dumbledore and explain the situation, letting him make the decision.
Evan initially wanted to just listen to their discussion quietly, but the more he heard, the more he felt something was off...
Go to the headmaster's office to find Dumbledore?
No, no, no... he didn't want to go!
"I think there was something wrong with the cake I ate at lunch..." Evan's complexion suddenly changed, and he clutched his stomach.
Unfortunately, before Evan could showcase his acting skills, he was dragged away by the impassioned Harry and Ron.
This was about the Philosopher's Stone, a matter that could affect the entire school. A stomach upset from a bad cake could wait...
Tips:
For some reason, some special episodes cannot be uploaded here.
I uploaded the whole thing on Patreon, plus 20 new chapters.
If you're interested, check out Patreon
Copy to browser open:
patreon.com/user?u=111514881
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone