The Philosopher's Stone

Chapter Fourteen

Search for Flamel

As December grew closer, the classes seemed to be getting easier for all the students. Ron and Hermione had stopped arguing as much to Yuery's relief, and Hermione had even begun helping Ron with his homework. She had offered Yuery help originally as well, but honestly, as he explained to her, most of the things they were currently covering he had learned in pre-magic training classes at Xerxes.

Wand work and spell casting were new to him, but magical theory was not. Hermione allowed Yuery to downplay his knowledge both in class and studying for the other students though without calling him out on it, so he was grateful for that. Ron and Neville had mostly also accepted that Draco was usually a member of their study groups. Yuery and Draco had been friends for far too long to pretend to hate each other now. Plus, Draco was acting as the best buffer Yuery could ask for without asking any questions himself. When he wasn't hiding in Snape's office, which he had been doing less when he noticed Yuery's stress.

Hermione, as it turned out, was determined to locate anything and everything she could find on a subject once it was brought to her attention. Ron was encouraging her in her search, and they wanted Yuery involved as well. He helped them, reading through all her suggested books because he knew it wouldn't hold the answers. They were looking in the wrong places.

Flamel wasn't modern, he wasn't a great wizard from a generation or two ago, he was ancient. Unless it occurred to Hermione to look in the history books, she simply wasn't going to find him because aside from a project he did with Dumbledore some fifty years ago he wasn't mentioned in this century. Yuery knew because he had already found what was said about him.

He had found it, the only dangerous mention of Flamel in an old book in the library the first night they had been searching. Then he put the book back and hadn't seen anything since. The book itself had been checked out of the library shortly after and though Yuery had no idea who had checked it out he had been relieved.

Yuery had learned early in the search that the best way to avoid the subject was to invite Draco or Neville along when they went to study in the Library. He couldn't do this every time or the other two would suspect he was avoiding their research, unfortunately. Draco realized that Yuery wanted to avoid something. What, Yuery had not explained, but to help his friend and to avoid his own dormmates, Draco often showed up in the evenings to study at a nearby table.

Inevitably, Hermione would eventually invite Draco to join them despite Ron's eyerolls and Yuery would be free of the pressure quickly enough and he would get to spend time with all his friends. Draco and Hermione got along rather well, especially compared to Ron and Draco. Hermione, in turn could make the other two boys behave in a way that Yuery couldn't so he was grateful to her presence most of the time, even if he was annoyed by her continued search.

Admittedly, had he not already known the answers he knew he would have been as invested in the mystery as the others. They were all sitting around one of the tables going over their History of Magic homework, when Hermione lit up in a way that scared Yuery as she announced, "I have it!" before running from the room. Ron was quick to follow her out of the room, barely stopping to gather his things.

"I suppose I should go with them then." Yuery said with a sigh as he packed up his own homework. "I forgot to ask, are you headed home for the winter break?"

"Yes, my mother already arranged it. Will you be heading home as well?" Draco asked as he gathered his own homework.

"Yes, I am. I can't wait." Yuery smiled as they left the library. "I miss mom and the others. Dad too now that he's been gone. We will have to arrange time to do our homework together."

"Agreed. See you tomorrow then." Draco waived as they parted at the stairs.

Yuery was part of the way up them when Ling came around the corner at the next landing. "Oh, Yuery! I was hoping to catch you before you returned to your dorm."

"Good Evening." Yuery smiled with a bow. Ling rolled his eyes as he laughed at the boy.

"Come on, I am hungry, and I know how to get into the kitchens." Ling said as he leads the boy further away from his dorm. Yuery had been to the kitchens several times now since he arrived at Hogwarts. The first time he had gone it was solely to check on the house elves.

The elves, as it turned out, seemed to really enjoy Yuery's company so he came whenever he wanted to avoid other children completely. It seemed most of the students had no idea how to get into the kitchens or at least had no interest in it. He had seen the Weasley twins a few times, along with their friend Lee Jordan.

As usual they were greeted warmly when they arrived and offered snacks. Ling took the tray of pastries happily while Yuery talked to a few of the elves then they were lead over to a far table. Ling sat before Yuery, who tried his best to follow protocol even when Ling waived it away. "I keep telling you Yu, I am on vacation here and I am here to watch over you now treat me as you would in your own house."

"We are not in my house, and everyone is always watching sir." Yuery replied. "I have spent years of training on proper manners, please allow me to demonstrate them."

"You sound like your mother when you say that. Fine, but I can and will be annoyed if you don't eat some of this." Ling said playfully. "Come on, tell me how you have been the last few days."

"They are still looking for Flamel, though I think Hermione might have thought of something tonight which is worrisome and I passed my history test." Yuery reported.

"Congratulations on the test." Ling smiled at the young boy, then sighed heavily. "What do you believe she discovered?"

"I do not know for sure, but the only mention of Flamel I myself found in the library mentioned the philosopher's stone. The book in question is currently checked out but I do not know who has it. It was a single passage in a larger history, practically a footnote. I still should have pulled it myself." Yuery sighed, gathering his things quickly where he had set them beside his chair. "I should go find out what they know."

"What will you say should they have learned about Flamel?" Ling asked. He trusted this child to think logically, as he trusted his own children.

"I will tell them the truth. The Stone is largely considered myth and attempts to find the formula is illegal." Yuery waved as he left Ling behind, the man nodded proudly at the boy.

Yuery made his way up to his dorm, prepared to apologize for his late arrival. As it turned out Hermione had decided it would be better to wait until the room cleared before revealing what she had learned, not that Yuery needed to know. In her arms was the book he had seen weeks ago. Once again, he wished he had thought to check the book out himself.

"I checked this out ages ago for a bit of light reading." Hermione began as she flipped through the large book.

"Light reading?" Ron asked with a shake of his head.

"Well, it does seem rather light." Yuery agreed even as his dread grew. It wasn't about the size of the book itself, but the subject matter. This one she would have taken just for fun, an overall history of the wizarding world in general.

"Here it is. Nicolas Flamel is best noted for being the only known creator of the philosopher's stone!" Hermione read off, and Yuery knew he was going to have to tell them about the stones now. He had never had to do this kind of thing before.

"He isn't the only one. They are forbidden for a reason." Yuery said dully.

"What do you mean?" Ron asked. "They can be used to make anything into gold, or heal any illness, or even stop death it says here." Ron had pulled the book over to read once Hermione had finished.

"Not exactly." Yuery sighed. "Well, I mean they could do any of that, a lot more as well. In alchemy, it is primarily used to enhance the array one is using, negating the cost of energy against the alchemist. Also, making gold is illegal. Just so you know."

"You know about alchemists? I thought they were kind of a rare talent?" Ron asked.

"My Dad, you met him, he's an alchemist." Yuery said with a shrug. "He's one of the best alchemists in the country. Probably the world."

"Your Dad probably knows a lot about Flamel then! We should have had you write him about it." Hermione said. "You still could, maybe he knows more about the stone and why there would be one here."

"That must be what Fluffy is guarding. Dumbledore worked with Flamel, it says so here on his card, I bet that Flamel asked him to watch after his stone and that's what Snape was trying to get to. It must be why he agreed to come back after he quit a couple of years ago." Ron said. "My Dad said he didn't think Snape would ever come back and wondered why he agreed. I bet he's trying to get it to fix his master."

Yuery and Hermione rolled their still couldn't think of a way to convince Ron that Snape was safe without admitting that he knew the man, but both agreed Ron was kind of obsessed with the idea that Snape was plotting something. "I'm going to bed. Do not cause anymore trouble Ronald." Hermione demanded as she picked up her book. "Yuery write your father and ask about Flamel and the philosopher's stone. We need to know more."

"We could just let it go and assume the adults are handling it?" Yuery said sadly. He had no intention of bringing any of it up to his father, especially in a letter.

"But Yuery, they don't seem to be worried about it at all!" Ron said as Yuery shook his head and stood to head to bed himself.

All he had wanted was to try a school where no one knew him, and he could just be a face in the crowd. This was not working out how he had hoped it would go at all, and he didn't want to be involved in a mystery. However, Ron was right about one thing, something was wrong here. Quirrell was up to something, and Snape seemed to be the only adult on staff that noticed. None of the other adults seemed to trust Snape, which was a problem, and Yuery found himself wishing his Dad was still here.

He should go to Emperor Ling in the morning and warn him of what the others had learned. He should also try to warn Snape that someone was after the Stone, and some of the students had worked out that it was what was being hidden in the school. Snape could then warn Dumbledore, who could remove it from the building and the problem would be solved.

Either that or he could warn his Dad and his Dad could take it. After all Dad didn't trust Dumbledore anymore than he trusted Voldemort and he wouldn't want the Stone floating around. Yuery knew the stories. He knew what they really were, Dad and Yeye made anything about them illegal for a very good reason. He would have to at least talk to his Dad about it during Winter Break.