I've Seen Him Too!

Creating a magical mark was no easy task.

Harry spent half the day experimenting in the Room of Requirement, but still couldn't figure out how to do it.

Meanwhile, Hermione and Ron were taking turns tormenting the training dummy with Disarming Charms, looking like they were having a wonderful time.

But Harry had noticed something: Ron was actually quite talented, yet because his wand didn't suit him, learning spells took twice the effort for half the result.

Harry only agreed with half of what Ollivanders had said—weren't wizards and wands choosing each other both ways?

It was time to think of a way to get Ron a new wand. Harry thought of Ron's family circumstances; if they had enough money, Ron wouldn't have been using Charlie's old wand.

Maybe he could give him one. Harry made up his mind, but he worried that directly giving Ron a wand would hurt his friend's pride.

He needed to find a suitable way, he thought.

When they left the Room of Requirement, Ron and Hermione were still reluctant to stop.

Children all liked novel things, and they had an instinctive desire for destruction. The two of them were no exception.

How could they not become fascinated by being able to cast spells freely and to their hearts' content?

"Excellent! Very well done! Two points to Gryffindor!"

During Charms Class, Professor Flitwick clapped happily as he praised Ron's spellcasting.

Ron was the first classmate to use the Levitation Charm to make something other than a feather fly. The desk in front of Professor Flitwick was proof enough.

Though the desk had only stayed aloft for a brief moment before falling, that did nothing to stop Professor Flitwick from offering encouragement.

"Harry! Harry! I did it!" Ron said excitedly, shaking Harry by the arm.

Hermione shook her head helplessly and applauded Ron.

She had already been capable of that level of magic long ago.

It was just that Harry had privately told her to give Ron a chance to shine and not steal all the glory of earning points, so she had not been eager to show herself off in Charms Class.

The surrounding students merely assumed Ron was celebrating with his friends. No one realized that Ron's rapid improvement in spellcasting owed much to Harry's careful guidance.

Every Friday, the three of them visited Hagrid's Hut. Under the accusing gazes of his two friends, Harry still accepted a Rock Cake without hesitation.

"Try soaking it until it's soft before eating it," Harry told them. "I tried it once when I had a toothache, and it really was quite good. Hagrid, could you break them into small pieces for us?"

"Of course, Harry." Hagrid smiled as he picked up the Rock Cakes and carefully broke them into tiny pieces for the three children.

He had also realized that normal human children's teeth simply couldn't chew Rock Cakes properly. Grateful for Harry's thoughtfulness, he smiled at him and made honey water for him and his two friends as well.

"Whew..." Harry took a sip and said to Hagrid with the air of someone who had narrowly escaped disaster, "You know, Hagrid, this is what lemonade should be. The stuff I drank in the Headmaster's Office a few days ago... that should have been called lemon syrup."

"You went to the Headmaster's Office?" Hagrid patted his beard. "Dumbledore's a good man, isn't he? He likes sweets, everyone knows that. Professor McGonagall is always taking away his candy, but it never seems to help. Most of the tooth-strengthening potion Professor Snape brews gets used on him."

At that, Hagrid put a hand beside his mouth and leaned closer to the three children in a low voice.

Seeing that Hagrid was about to share a secret, the three of them leaned in as well.

"Professor Snape suggested that the tooth-strengthening potion should be charged to the Board of Governors, but Professor Dumbledore refused."

Hermione's brows drew together as she said helplessly, "Hagrid, you didn't realize Professor Snape was being sarcastic, did you?"

Only then did Hagrid let out an enlightened "Ah," raising one finger as he asked uncertainly, "That was sarcasm?"

"Yes," all three of them nodded together.

"Oh, oh!" Hagrid scratched his head. "So that's why Professor Snape said it, hahaha..."

"By the way, Hagrid," Harry suddenly asked, "since we mentioned Professor Snape, I just remembered that after Halloween, I saw him with an injured leg. Filch was treating it at the time, and I heard him saying that some three-headed animal had bitten him. I know you're an expert on magical creatures, so I wanted to ask you about it."

"Oh, how could I call myself an expert on magical creatures?" Hagrid scratched his head shyly, then told Harry, "Perhaps Professor Snape was bitten by Fluffy."

"Fluffy?" the three asked in unison.

"Yes, Fluffy is a three-headed dog I bought from a Greek fellow." Hagrid continued topping up their lemonade. "There seems to be something wrong with that dog. The moment it hears music, it falls asleep. But Professor Dumbledore borrowed it and placed it on the fourth floor. I really doubt it can guard Nicolas Flamel's..."

At that point, Hagrid suddenly realized he had misspoken and covered his mouth with one hand.

"Nicolas Flamel?" The three exchanged looks.

The name alone was enough. Harry sat back in his chair, his posture relaxed.

Hermione asked, "Who is Nicolas Flamel?"

"Oh no, young girl, that's Professor Dumbledore's secret." Hagrid stood and began ushering them out. "Sorry, I've said far too much today. You have classes tomorrow, don't you? It's getting late. You should head back and rest."

The three had no choice but to leave Hagrid's Hut.

"Nicolas Flamel?" Ron muttered. "Why does that name sound so familiar? I feel like I've heard it somewhere."

"Yeah." Hermione was frowning too. "I recognize the name as well, but I can't remember where I heard it."

"Harry, do you have any idea?" Ron turned to ask Harry.

"You saw him today." Harry pulled a Chocolate Frog Card from inside his robes. "Here, I happened to have it on me—"

Ron took the card and read the words on it. "Albus Dumbledore, current Headmaster of Hogwarts, widely recognized as the greatest wizard of the modern age."

"Dumbledore's widely known achievements include: defeating the Dark Wizard Grindelwald in 1945, discovering the twelve uses of Fire Dragon blood, and work in Alchemy with his partner Nicolas Flamel... That's it! I knew this person from a Chocolate Frog Card! What does he do?"

"Doesn't it say? Nicolas Flamel should be an Alchemist," Hermione said.

"I read it in a book," Harry said without the slightest change in expression. "Nicolas Flamel is over six hundred years old. He has lived from the fourteenth century until now. It is said that he possesses a Philosopher's Stone, a stone with miraculous powers that can turn stone into gold and grant immortality."

Hearing Harry's description, Hermione and Ron exchanged a glance and sucked in a sharp breath.

Ron gasped because of the Philosopher's Stone's miraculous effects.

Hermione gasped because of Harry's vast knowledge.

"You really know so much, Harry," Hermione said with some admiration.

Harry merely smiled gently, but inwardly he thought, I don't just know Nicolas Flamel. I've even met him...