Chapter 5: Nicholas Flamel
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Total Words: 18,267
Christmas at Hogwarts was a magical time. Hermione felt the holiday in the air and was very excited, even though she would be spending her Christmas back with her parents. It would be nice to see them after everything that had happened since September, and to get away from people like Malfoy, whose bad temper at Slytherin being beaten and Harry surviving his broomstick jinx had forced him to go back to making fun of Harry for having no family. Hermione thought this was completely uncalled for, but since Malfoy was mainly a jerk in Potions, she kept her mouth shut so Snape didn't have any reason to take points from Gryffindor.
After one Potions lesson where Malfoy was yet again being a nuisance, Harry, Ron, and Hermione left the dungeons only to find a large fir tree with feet puffing like it was out of breath.
"Hi, Hagrid, want any help?" Ron asked; Hermione couldn't help but hear the grin in his voice.
"Nah, I'm all right, thanks, Ron."
"Would you mind moving out of the way?" It was Malfoy. Hermione's heart sank; he seemed out to get them into trouble and she wondered what he was up to now. "Are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasley? Hoping to be gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose - that hut of Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what your family's used to."
Harry and Hermione didn't have time to stop Ron from lunging at Malfoy... just as Snape came up the stairs.
"WEASLEY!"
Ron let go of Malfoy. Hermione was going to explain, but Hagrid beat her to it.
"He was provoked, Professor Snape. Malfoy was insultin' his family." He poked his head around the giant tree.
"Be that as it may, fighting is still against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid. Five points from Gryffindor, Weasley, and be grateful it isn't more. Move along, all of you."
Hermione was glad it wasn't more and took it as a weird Christmas present from Snape. If Ron had actually hurt Malfoy, he probably not only would have landed himself in detention, but gotten fifty points taken away. She hurried along to catch up with Harry, Ron, and Hagrid, all of whom had already walked away.
"I'll get him. One of these days, I'll get him - " Ron was saying, gritting his teeth angrily.
"I hate them both; Malfoy and Snape." Harry said.
"Come on, cheer up, it's nearly Christmas. Tell yeh what, come with me an' see the Great Hall, looks a treat." Hagrid grinned at the three of them.
Hermione couldn't help but smile when she saw the Great Hall. The teachers were putting a lot of effort into it, and she had all ready seen Hagrid a few times, bringing in large trees and dragging them into the hall for the teachers to finish decorating. There was holly and mistletoe hanging on the walls and some of the trees already sparkled with tiny icicles or shining with candles. It was mostly Professors McGonagall and Flitwick working on the decorations, and they were indeed in the hall when the four of them walked in.
"Ah, Hagrid, the last tree - put it in the far corner, would you?"
"How many days you got left until yer holidays?" Hagrid asked the Hermione after putting the tree where he had been instructed. She was the only one of the trio that would be leaving Hogwarts for Christmas and spending it with family. Harry wasn't going to the Dursleys - not that she blamed him one bit, they really sounded awful - and Ron's parents were off visiting Charlie, one of his older brothers in Romania.
"Just one," Hermione answered. "And that reminds me - " she turned to Harry and Ron - "we've got half an hour before lunch, we should be in the library."
Ron looked at Hermione and away from Professor Flitwick, who was conjuring golden bubbles out of his wand to decorate the trees currently. "Oh yeah, you're right."
"The library? Just before the holidays? Bit keen, aren't yeh?" Hagrid said as he walked with them out of the hall.
"Oh, we're not working. Ever since you mentioned Nicholas Flamel we've been trying to find out who he is," Harry said casually. Hermione wished he hadn't, as Hagrid now looked upset again.
"You what?" Hagrid said loudly. He lowered his voice and continued, "Listen here - I've told yeh - drop it. It's nothin' to you what that dog's guardin'."
Well, the cat was out of the bag, at any rate. Hermione chimed in, "We just want to know who Nicholas Flamel is, that's all."
"Unless you'd like to tell us and save us the trouble? We must've been through hundreds of books already and we can't find him anywhere - just give us a hint - I know I've read his name somewhere." Harry was very careful with his words and tone.
"I'm sayin' nothin'." Hagrid answered stubbornly.
"Just have to find out for ourselves, then," Ron shrugged and the three of them left to hurry to the library and continue their search.
Once they had gotten to the book-filled room, Hermione brought out a list of subjects and titles that she had thought of trying and went down one of the many rows to begin to look. She had no luck, however. Maybe Flamel wasn't in the library... but it hadn't failed her yet and she wasn't ready to give up either. The only place she hadn't searched was the Restricted Section; you needed a specially signed note from a teacher to get in and Madam Pince wasn't a rule-breaker. She, Harry, and Ron had also already decided not to ask her about Flamel - they didn't want to raise any suspicions or let any teachers know that they knew.
"You'd better get out, then. Go on - out!" Hermione heard Madam Pince saying curtly. Either Harry or Ron must have been caught with no viable reason to be in her precious library. Hermione finished up the book she was looking in and left, running into Harry in the corridor. Ron joined soon after and the three went down to lunch, disappointed that their search had been useless.
"You will keep looking while I'm away, won't you? And send me an owl if you find anything." Hermione said, sitting down and piling food onto her plate. The day's searching had made her hungrier than she thought.
"And you could ask your parents if they know who Flamel is. It'd be safe to ask them." Ron said as he and Harry sat down as well.
"Very safe, as they're both dentists," Hermione said, smirking inwardly.
...
Hermione was enjoying her Christmas break; it was nice to see her parents again and to tell them about everything that had happened at Hogwarts since the beginning of the term. She told them about her classes, about Quidditch (explaining it as best she could,) and even about the troll that had been the catalyst for her, Ron, and Harry to become friends.
"Hermione," her mother called on Christmas morning, "come down here and open your presents before we have lunch."
It had been a tradition for her family to have Christmas lunch instead of dinner. She threw on a robe and ran downstairs, quite excited to celebrate one of her favorite holidays with her family. The tree that her parents had decorated was beautiful and reminded her of the Hogwarts Great Hall; she felt a pang as she thought about school. She missed it, but was glad to be away from the likes of Malfoy and the Slytherins - especially Snape.
"Mum, dad?" Hermione asked as she opened one of her presents - it was a rather large book on magical places. "Thank you for this, I've been wanting it since I saw it at Flourish and Blotts - but I have a question for you two."
"Yes, dear?" Her mother answered while her father sat on the couch and watched Hermione with careful eyes.
"Do you... know who Nicholas Flamel is?"
"No, I don't think I've ever heard that name before. Why? Is it for a school project?" Her father answered.
"Sort of... I came across the name in a book, but it didn't go into detail. I just wondered."
Hermione didn't bring up Flamel again. She'd known that they wouldn't have any idea who he was, but Ron had been right. It was safe to ask them.
...
When Hermione returned to Hogwarts, the day before term started, she was shocked to learn about the Invisibility Cloak that Harry had received as a Christmas present and asked to see the note that was attached. But it had only said:
"Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you.
Use it well.
A Very Merry Christmas to you."
She had been disappointed to know the sender hadn't put his or her name on it, and she was a mixture of shocked, disappointed, and upset that Harry had been wandering around the castle at night for three nights in a row but didn't find anything on Nicholas Flamel.
"If Filch had caught you!" She said to Harry after he had told her about his nighttime journeys. The three of them had almost given up on finding out who Flamel was and were reduced to looking in books during their breaks and any other free time they had - Hermione and Ron both had more time than Harry did too, as Quidditch practice had started up again and Wood seemed fanatical about winning the Quidditch Cup.
One afternoon, Hermione and Ron were sitting in the common room playing wizard's chess, which in and of itself aggravated Hermione slightly because she always lost, when Harry came through the portrait hole looking rather glum.
"Don't talk to me for a moment. I need to concen - " Ron began, but when he caught sight of Harry's face, he stopped. "What's the matter with you? You look terrible."
"Wood just told us that Snape is refereeing the next Quidditch match," Harry answered, sounding depressed and worried.
"Don't play," Hermione said immediately. This was bad news; Harry'd had enough trouble with Snape during the first Quidditch match.
"Say you're ill," suggested Ron.
"Pretend to break your leg."
"Really break your leg." Hermione thought Ron was going a little overboard with this suggestion.
"I can't," Harry answered glumly. "There isn't a reserve Seeker. If I back out, Gryffindor can't play at all."
This news was almost worse than hearing that Snape would be the referee. Hermione was about to say something to hopefully comfort Harry when Neville toppled through the portrait hole, distracting all three of them. Hermione realized at once that his legs had been stuck together by the Leg-Locker Curse. Poor Neville, he probably had to hop all the way up here, she thought, leaping up and performing the countercurse immediately while ignoring everyone else's laughter. Neville got to his feet, shaking.
"What happened?" Hermione asked him, helping him over to where Ron and Harry were sitting.
"Malfoy. I met him outside the library. He said he'd been looking for someone to practice that on."
"Go to Professor McGonagall! Report him!" Hermione couldn't believe Neville had come back to the common room instead of going straight to a teacher. Neville just shook his head.
"I don't want more trouble," he mumbled.
"You've got to stand up to him, Neville! He's used to walking all over people, but that's no reason to lie down in front of him and make it easier." Ron said, trying to sound encouraging. Hermione nodded in agreement, though she still thought going to Professor McGonagall would have been a good choice.
"There's no need to tell me I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor, Malfoy's already done that." Hermione didn't know what to say, but Harry took out one of the Chocolate Frogs that she had given him for Christmas and gave it to Neville, who was still looking like he might cry.
"You're worth twelve of Malfoy. The Sorting Hat chose you for Gryffindor, didn't it? And where's Malfoy? In stinking Slytherin." Neville looked slightly cheered up by this thought. Hermione smiled; Harry was right.
"Thanks, Harry... I think I'll go to bed... D'you want the card, you collect them, don't you?"
Hermione watched Neville walk away after giving the Chocolate Frog card to Harry. She hoped he felt better in the morning.
"Dumbledore again," Harry was saying. "He was the first one I ever - "
Hermione looked around at him, wondering why he stopped speaking. Harry was looking at the back of the card, his eyes wide. He looked back up at Ron and Hermione.
"I've found him! I've found Flamel! I told you I'd read the name somewhere before, I read it ont he train coming here - listen to this: 'Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicholas Flamel!"
All of a sudden, Hermione remembered reading his name too. She couldn't believe she had been so stupid to forget it! She jumped up, excitement tingling through her.
"Stay there!" She said, running up to the girls' dormitories and grabbing a large book out of her trunk. She made it back down to see Harry and Ron looking confusedly at each other. "I never thought to look in here! I got this out of the library weeks ago for a bit of light reading."
"Light?" Ron said incredulously, but Hermione just frowned and shushed him while she flipped the pages.
It's got to be here somewhere... she thought to herself. It took her a moment before she finally found the right page.
"I knew it! I knew it!"
"Are we allowed to speak yet?" Ron said grumpily, but Hermione just ignored him.
"Nicholas Flamel is the only known maker of the Philoshopher's Stone!" She was brimming with excitement, but was a little put out when neither Harry nor Ron seemed to understand what that meant.
"The what?" Harry and Ron said together. Hermione frowned again.
"Oh, honestly, don't you two read? Look - read that, there." She pushed the book towards the two of them and watched as they read the passage:
"The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal.
There have been many reports of the Philosopher's Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicholas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera lover. Mr. Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight.)"
"See?" Hermione said, the excitement coming back, "The dog must be guarding Flamel's Philosopher's Stone! I bet he asked Dumbledore to keep it safe for him, because they're friends and he knew someone was after it, that's why he wanted the Stone moved out of Gringotts!"
"A stone that makes gold and stops you from ever dying! No wonder Snape's after it! Anyone would want it!" Harry sounded in awe and excited about their discovery.
"And no wonder we couldn't find him in Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry. He's not exactly recent if he's six hundred and sixty-five, is he?" Ron said with a slight grin on his face.
...
Defense Against the Dark Arts the next morning was full of Harry, Ron, and Hermione discussing what they would do if they each had a Philosoper's Stone, quietly talking to each other between notes on different ways of treating werewolf bites. Once Ron said he would buy his own Quidditch team, they all remembered that Snape would be refereeing the next match.
"I'm going to play," Harry told Ron and Hermione. "If I don't all the Slytherins will think I'm just too scared to face Snape. I'll show them... it'll really wipe the smiles off their faces if we win."
Hermione admired Harry's courage, but couldn't help herself from saying, "Just as long as we're not wiping you off the field."
Although Harry put on the facade of being confident and ready for the match, Hermione had a sneaking suspicion that he was more anxious than any of his teammates. She was quite proud of how Harry was handling the extra stress, however; especially in Potions, which had gotten so horrible that Hermione almost went to Professor McGonagall a few times to try and put a stop to it. The fact that Snape was being so horrible was making both Ron and Hermione worry about what he might try to pull at the match... they hoped that he wouldn't do anything in front of all the teachers. They also had agreed to bring their wands to the match, just in case, and to practice some spells so they could come to Harry's aid if he needed them.
When the two of them bid Harry good luck before he went into the locker room, they hoped that his teammates might be able to sooth his anxiety and remind him of what a good Seeker he was before they kicked off. Ron and Hermione seated themselves next to Neville, who looked concerned at their grim faces, but didn't say anything to them, even when he noticed that both of them had their wands as well.
"Now, don't forget, it's Locomotor Mortis," Hermione whispered to Ron - the two of them had practiced the Leg-Locker Curse in case they needed to use it on Snape.
"I know, don't nag." Ron retorted as they hid their wands. "Look, Dumbledore came to watch the match!"
A wave of relief swept over Hermione. Maybe they wouldn't need their wands after all. Snape wouldn't be stupid enough to try and kill Harry in front of the headmaster! But Snape looked angrier than Hermione had ever seen him before.
"I've never seen Snape look so mean," Ron said to Hermione, a note of worry in his voice. "Look - they're off. Ouch!"
Malfoy had poked Ron in the back of the head.
"Oh, sorry, Weasley, didn't see you there." Malfoy grinned maliciously at Crabbe and Goyle. "Wonder how long Potter's going to stay on his broom this time? Anyone want a bet? What about you, Weasley?"
Hermione was ignoring Malfoy; her fingers were crossed in her lap and she was squinting at the speck that was Harry. Ron ignored him as well, his eyes fixed on Harry as well. George Weasley hit a Bludger at Snape, who in turn awarded Hufflepuff a penalty.
"You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team? It's people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents, then there's the Weasleys, who've got no money - you should be on the team, Longbottom, you've got no brains."
Snape awarded Hufflepuff another penalty for no reason. Hermione grunted and frowned in frustration. Why did Malfoy have to come try and bother them? She was rather glad when she heard Neville turn around and address Malfoy, even if his voice was rather shaky.
"I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy."
"You tell them, Neville," Ron said, his eyes still on the game. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle all roared with laughter.
"Longbottom, if brains were gold you'd be poorer than Weasley, and that's saying something."
"I'm warning you, Malfoy - one more word - " Ron began, but Hermione interrupted him, pointing at the field.
"Ron! Harry - !"
"What? Where?"
Harry had begun to dive; he must have seen the Snitch! Hermione stood up in her chair, her fingers still crossed but now in her mouth.
"You're in luck, Weasley, Potter's obviously spotted some money on the ground!" Malfoy taunted.
"Come on, Harry!" Hermione screamed, ignoring the fact that Ron had launched himself at Malfoy and wrestled him to the ground - Neville had joined in too, but had taken on both Crabbe and Goyle. Hermione watched as a scarlet blur raced past Snape; it was Harry, still in the dive; Hermione clutched at her face as Harry pulled out just before smashing into the ground - he raised his fist in the air. He had caught the Snitch. The whole stadium erupted in cheers; this had to be some sort of record!
"Ron! Ron! Where are you? The game's over! Harry's won! We've won! Gryffindor is in the lead!" Hermione screamed, dancing up and down on the seat and hugging Parvati in front of her. Maybe Quidditch was more fun than she thought after all. She was soon joined by an ecstatic Ron, yelling himself hoarse through a heavy nosebleed.
Ron and Hermione waited in the entrance hall for a long while after the game; Harry didn't come up with the rest of the Gryffindor team. It was dark outside by the time he did make it through the portrait hole, and he looked like he had seen a ghost.
"Harry, where have you been?" Hermione asked worriedly.
"We won! We won! We won!" Ron shouted, thumping Harry on the back. "And I gave Malfoy a black eye, and Neville tried to take on Crabbe and Goyle single-handed! He's still out cold but Madam Pomfrey says he'll be all right - talk about showing Slytherin! Everyone's waiting for you in the common room, we're having a party, Fred and George stole some cakes and stuff from the kitchens."
"Never mind that now. Let's find an empty room, you wait 'til you hear this..." Hermione allowed herself to be ushered by Harry into one of the empty classrooms along their way, where he went on to explain what he'd just seen with Professor Quirrell and Snape. "So we were right, it is the Philosopher's Stone, and Snape's trying to force Quirrell to help him get it. He asked if he knew how to get past Fluffy - and he said something about Quirrell's 'hocus pocus' - I reckon there are other things guarding the stone apart from Fluffy, loads of enchantments, probably, and Quirrell would have done some anti-Dark Arts spell that Snape needs to break through - "
Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing. Snape was threatening Quirrell now? Wouldn't he have known how to get past any Dark Arts spell, seeing how it was he who had been applying for the Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching post for years? What had Quirrell done that Snape couldn't get past?
"So you mean the Stone's only safe as long as Quirrell stands up to Snape?" She asked. She did not like the sound of this at all.
"It'll be gone by next Tuesday," Ron said, shaking his head.