The Philosopher's Stone's Fate

Sagreles returned to the library to continue studying the manuscript. This time, no one came to disturb him, and before he knew it, he had remained in the Restricted Section until the following afternoon.

Only when he finally felt somewhat exhausted did he take out his wand and cast two spells on himself in succession—Wakeful Soul's Rest and Sleepiness Evaporation.

Over the years, these two spells had squeezed out quite a bit of extra time for him. They were his "secret weapons" for studying magic "day and night."

Wakeful Soul's Rest was like a brief "mental repose." It could replace physical sleep, allowing the caster's mind and body to enter a state of recuperation similar to sleep without actually needing to close their eyes or stop moving.

Sleepiness Evaporation, on the other hand, could dispel the need for sleep, temporarily suppressing physical fatigue, improving the recovery efficiency of magic and stamina, and allowing the caster to stay alert and act efficiently.

He had dug these two spells out of the Greengrass family's library. They had originally been designed to create an "unceasing army of slaves," but with the fall of the Greengrass family, they had long since been forgotten.

At first, Sagreles had thought they were of little use, but after trying them by chance one time, he had been pleasantly surprised to find that they worked remarkably well for keeping himself awake.

Overusing the two spells could make a person manic and prone to emotional breakdowns. But as long as he made sure to sleep once every ten days, the side effects could almost be ignored.

Especially after he created Mechanical Mind, the side effects of these spells became even less of an issue for him.

As Sagreles left the library and prepared to head to the Great Hall for something to eat, Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes, found him.

"Please come to the Headmaster's office. Password: Toffee."

That was what the note in Fawkes's beak said.

Sagreles pursed his lips, first found a house-elf to get himself some pie, then headed toward the Headmaster's office on the eighth floor while eating.

The stone gargoyle slowly swung aside, and Sagreles's black robes swept through the flickering candlelight on the spiral staircase. Dumbledore sat beside the phoenix perch, his fingertips brushing the flowing blood-red patterns on the Philosopher's Stone.

"Good afternoon, Sagreles..." Beneath the old Headmaster's moon-shaped spectacles, pleased light glimmered in his eyes. "Do you think I ought to add a few more awards for special services to Hogwarts?"

Sagreles picked up a drink from the tea tray, examined it carefully, then tapped the rim of the cup and turned the mead inside into coffee.

"For Potter and the other two?" He took a sip of coffee and asked casually, "Looks like you don't blame them for acting on their own."

"Sagreles, I may be an old man, but I was young once too." Dumbledore smiled. "The three of them were indeed a little reckless, but their natures aren't bad, and they have tremendous potential."

"Whatever you say. You're the Headmaster..." Sagreles said indifferently. "Is that why you called me here?"

The Philosopher's Stone in Dumbledore's hand suddenly floated into the air, casting a brilliant glow between them. "Of course not. There's another matter..."

The old Headmaster looked at the glowing Philosopher's Stone and said wistfully, "A miracle of immortality lasting more than six hundred years is finally about to return to dust."

He sighed. "After discussing it, Nicolas and I both agreed that destroying the Philosopher's Stone would be the best choice."

"Destroy it?" Sagreles's expression finally turned serious. "Nicolas Flamel agreed too?"

Dumbledore nodded.

"Then wouldn't he and his wife both die?"

"Everyone dies, Sagreles..." Dumbledore smiled. "To young lives like yours, death may seem unfamiliar and terrifying. But Nicolas and Perenelle have long seen through it—death is merely a peaceful rest after a long journey. And for a true wise person, it is an entirely new and magnificent adventure."

"But..."

"But it isn't what you imagined, is it?" The amusement in the old Headmaster's eyes deepened. "You thought no one could resist the temptation of immortality, especially after they had already tasted it."

Sagreles said nothing, because that was indeed what he had thought.

"You're very clever, Sagreles..." the old Headmaster said with a sigh. "Among all the young people I've known, none has been more intelligent than you."

The old man was utterly serious, without the slightest hint of a joke.

"But by the same token, you're far too proud... Deep down, you look down on every one of us. You hide that superior attitude very well, but I can still see it..."

"I think you may have misunderstood. I never—"

Dumbledore raised a hand to stop Sagreles from arguing and said gravely, "Perhaps you haven't even noticed it yourself, but I can see it—not through magic, but through something unrelated to magic that I have gained over these hundred-odd years. Something Muggles call 'life experience.'"

Sagreles suddenly fell silent. He couldn't say a single word.

For a moment, he had even thought the old Headmaster had used Legilimency on him again, but reason told him otherwise—after all, since his third year, no one had been able to breach his Occlumency without his noticing.

But just as Dumbledore had said, he had never noticed this problem before. Over these past twenty-odd years, he had believed himself humble, studious, courteous...

But what was the truth?

The truth was that he had always carried himself with the mindset of a transmigrator, looking down from on high. He had always been smug because he possessed a cheat.

And everyone in this world, in his eyes, had been nothing more than "natives."

Though he had never shown it, it was still the truth, deeply rooted in his heart.

The old Headmaster looked at the silent Sagreles and spoke gently. "I don't know what sort of experiences you've had, Sagreles... Perhaps you've seen marvelous sights no one else has ever seen, or perhaps you've mastered mysterious magic that no one else knows... But I must tell you that none of these are reasons for arrogance. If you keep underestimating others, then one day, you will stumble because of it..."

The old Headmaster said earnestly, "Just as you believe no one can resist the temptation of the Philosopher's Stone. But in truth, Nicolas and his wife made their preparations long ago. In spirit, they are no lesser than you. In action, they may even be braver..."

"I understand..." Sagreles nodded. "Thank you, Professor Dumbledore."

"Ha~ That gratitude came from the heart. I could hear it..." The old Headmaster laughed heartily, looking quite pleased.

"However, Headmaster, there's one thing... I don't think destroying the Philosopher's Stone is a good choice."

The old Headmaster looked somewhat surprised. "Oh? Why? Have you become interested in immortality as well?"

Sagreles shook his head. "That's not my path! I simply think it would be far too regrettable if the Philosopher's Stone, the pinnacle of alchemical craftsmanship, were destroyed like this. After all, it is the only Philosopher's Stone in the wizarding world. Perhaps it could guide later generations in certain areas."

"But every fragment of it could give rise to a new Tom Riddle." Dumbledore sighed. "And you understand how it corrupts the heart. After all, it creates the Elixir of Immortality—what seductive words those are..."

"Then put it somewhere safer than Gringotts, and place the secret inside a mind that even any master of Legilimency couldn't find."

"You mean..."

"I mean, carry it with you." Sagreles said seriously. "Just put it in your pocket... Trust me, it won't take up much space at all, and no one in this world will dare set their sights on it again."

The old professor fell silent for a moment, then gently placed the scarlet Philosopher's Stone on the desk.

"But I think that would be troublesome. After all, I'm already very old..." Dumbledore sighed, a trace of helplessness in his voice. "How many more years do you think I can keep it safe?"

"It's only a suggestion..." Sagreles avoided the old man's question, his tone calm. "I won't stop you. I simply believe that destroying it would be a loss to the wizarding world."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. It truly was an angle he had never considered before. "Nicolas and I will seriously consider your suggestion."

Sagreles nodded and was just about to stand and leave when a thought suddenly flashed through his mind, making him stop. "I forgot to ask. Who is this Tom Riddle you mentioned?"

"Ah, you met him just last night..." This time, Dumbledore wore an enigmatic smile and didn't answer directly.

"You mean... Voldemort?" A powerful curiosity surged within Sagreles.

The old Headmaster smiled and nodded.

"You know him well?" Sagreles sat back down. He was full of doubts about Voldemort's condition.

The old man behind the desk fell into brief thought before slowly answering, "I wouldn't say I know him well... Though I have always tried to understand him."

"So that state he's in..."

Dumbledore shook his head. "I don't know either. I don't understand why he can still be alive... Of course, perhaps that no longer counts as 'alive.'"

The old man behind the desk sank into memory. Behind his half-moon spectacles, those deep blue eyes seemed to cross time itself, seeing events that had once been unfolding.

"Tom, Voldemort... He yearned desperately for eternal life, and he paid many prices for it." Dumbledore's voice was low and distant, as though it came from a faraway past. "But because of that, he walked farther down the road to immortality than anyone else."

Countless thoughts ran through Sagreles's mind. He had always believed true immortality did not exist in this world, at least not in any history he knew.

Otherwise, how could he never have heard of anyone truly achieving immortality?

Nicolas Flamel?

A lifespan of more than six hundred years was long, but it was nowhere near immortality.

Moreover, that life had only been prolonged through a potion made with the Philosopher's Stone. It had not come from powerful magic.

He had met Nicolas Flamel himself. He was a frail old man in the twilight of his years. The Elixir of Immortality had delayed his death, but it had not stopped his body from aging.

It had merely granted him a state of undying.

"By the way..." Sagreles suddenly spoke, a trace of solemnity in his voice. "Could you give me a small vial of the Elixir of Immortality? Just a small vial."

He wasn't planning to drink it himself. He had said clearly that it wasn't the path he pursued.

"Only Nicolas has that..." Dumbledore's gaze refocused on him, carrying a probing look. "Of course, I can ask him for you, but first you must tell me your purpose."

A scrutinizing gaze came from behind Dumbledore's spectacles.

"Mm, I can say that I won't drink it..." Sagreles pondered for a moment before ultimately deciding to be honest. "I need it to exchange for something."

The old Headmaster remained silent, merely watching him quietly as he waited for an explanation.

"Uh... a Time-Turner. An unregistered Time-Turner, because it's already broken."

Sagreles sounded unconcerned. It was merely a small selfish desire of his; even if he were refused, it wouldn't matter much.

At his words, the old Headmaster's brows creased almost imperceptibly.

"I'll ask Nicolas for you."

"Thank you."

"Mm, I don't think he'll refuse you. After all, you protected the Philosopher's Stone this time..." Dumbledore's words carried certainty.

Sagreles was just about to speak when Dumbledore continued sternly, "But I must warn you, Sagreles..."

The old man's tone was grave and solemn. "All magic related to time is extremely dangerous. I don't want Hogwarts to lose an outstanding professor because of it."

Sagreles nodded, indicating that he understood the other's concerns.

Dumbledore gave a soft sigh.

"Besides, abusing a Time-Turner can make its user obsessed with 'correcting mistakes,' while neglecting the need to accept reality..."

"I understand." Sagreles smiled. "I have no intention of changing anything. I simply want to preserve a... possible choice."