Why was vacation time running low again?
Eli didn't want to go back to school. What was wrong with studying on his own?
During that short Christmas break, Eli had founded the Dueling Club, made enormous strides in Transfiguration, and published three papers in Transfiguration Today!
Professor McGonagall was so excited that she said she would nominate Eli for the Most Promising Newcomer Award.
The editor-in-chief of Transfiguration Today had also contacted Eli to say he thought highly of him. In other words, the newcomer award was almost certainly his.
Eli: "I'm amazing."
As the saying went, fame brought trouble. Eli had begun to make a name for himself in Transfiguration circles, and given his absurdly young age, people had started approaching him.
They wanted to win over a future master. Invitations to all sorts of forums and lectures came pouring in, too.
Eli turned them all down.
You've got to be kidding me. If I spend my time chatting with you people, when am I supposed to get any work done?
Professor McGonagall admired his indifference to fame. Even Dumbledore wrote him a letter of praise.
Then the newcomer award was announced, and sure enough, Eli had won. There was some sort of award ceremony, which he was ready to skip.
But when he heard the prize was a thousand Galleons... Heh, it was only one trip!
That day, the Daily Prophet gave the news extensive coverage.
A first-year at Hogwarts had won a newcomer award from a prestigious academic journal!
That newcomer was awfully new!
The news spread across the entire Wizarding World. Some were amazed, others skeptical, but Eli's reaction was simple: Damn it.
He had wanted to keep a low profile. Now that he was in the paper, how was he supposed to do that?
He just hoped Voldemort wouldn't notice him ahead of time. Otherwise, he might die young.
His teachers, family, and friends were delighted for him, though.
With a grand wave of her hand, Professor McGonagall awarded Slytherin a hundred points!
She even began teaching Eli about Animagi.
Dumbledore quietly sent him a battered notebook. Eli nearly tossed the shabby thing aside.
But after flipping through a few pages, he almost wanted to seal it up and hang it around his neck.
Dumbledore's notes!
Notes from a legendary wizard were an absolute treasure!
Study guides like Three Years of Practice, Five Years of Transfiguration couldn't compare.
Snape sent him a small vial of potion. Eli barely managed to resist the urge to sell it.
Felix Felicis!
According to legend, drinking it made you lucky for a while, with everything going your way.
Hermione wrote him a letter several sheets of parchment long, expressing her astonishment and asking him to teach her.
Harry and Ron knew nothing about it. Neither of them paid any attention to that sort of thing.
Eli sent the good news home. Mrs. Hall nearly climbed out of the letter to smother him with kisses.
Mr. Hall said it was all thanks to their excellent parenting. Eli scoffed inwardly but didn't dare say so.
It had been an incredibly productive holiday, and Eli hated to see it end. Once school started, when would he find time for research?
Still, he had to go back. He wasn't the headmaster.
The students returned one after another, and Hermione came looking for Eli at the first opportunity.
In the Great Hall.
"I can hardly believe it..."
Eli clutched his head, wishing he could cast a Muffliato Charm on himself. Harry and Ron dug desperately into the food on their plates.
That little witch was terrifying!
"And I found Nicolas Flamel!"
Hermione's final words brought an instant silence. All three useless boys looked up together.
"You met him?"
Ron sounded surprised.
Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "Of course I didn't meet him. He's an incredibly famous master alchemist!"
"A master alchemist? So what does that tell us about what's hidden on the third floor?"
Unlike Ron, Harry had picked up on the important part.
He had spent the holiday studying with Eli or playing around. He'd long since forgotten all about Nicolas Flamel.
Hermione beckoned them closer.
"The Philosopher's Stone!"
"The what?" Harry and Ron blurted in unison, earning looks of disdain from Hermione and Eli.
Eli couldn't help marveling at them. Of the three, only Hermione had found the answer. The other two idiots didn't even know what the Philosopher's Stone was.
"The Philosopher's Stone is an incredibly precious treasure with immense magical power. It can turn stone into gold, and most importantly, it can grant immortality!"
"We have to tell a professor!"
"But a professor might not believe us."
"Then let's go to Hagrid!"
Harry was determined to stop Snape.
Eli felt sorry for his Head of House all over again.
That night, at the time they had agreed on, Eli deftly rolled out of bed.
His nightly expeditions into the Forbidden Forest had made him the new prince of nighttime wandering after the twins.
Every movement flowed smoothly into the next.
There was no way anyone would spot him.
"Where are you going this time?"
The sudden voice startled Eli so badly he jolted all over.
"Draco?"
Eli turned around. Who else could that slicked-back blond standing behind him be but Draco?
"Going out after hours again?"
Draco took a few steps forward.
Eli gave an awkward laugh. "No, I'm just going to the bathroom."
Draco wore the look of someone who had already seen through him. "You don't have to pretend. I noticed you going out every night and coming back really late!"
Eli was stunned. Wait, you stay awake at night just to watch me?
There's something off about you.
"Yeah, so what? I'm going out after hours."
He's caught me anyway. No point pretending.
A flicker of hesitation crossed Draco's face. Then he gathered his courage. "I'm coming too!"
"If you don't take me, I'll... I'll tell a professor!"
"Huh?" Eli was stunned again. This kid was willing to threaten him just to sneak out?
Eli thought it over. If he brought Draco along, Draco would learn about the Philosopher's Stone and the dragon egg.
That was right. Hagrid was hatching an egg.
Draco could be a brat, but he wasn't a Death Eater. There was no reason to think he'd have bad intentions toward the Philosopher's Stone.
As for the dragon egg, Eli remembered Draco was particularly fond of dragons. Wasn't his name even the Latin word for dragon?
"I can take you, but you have to promise to keep your mouth shut! Otherwise, heh..."
Draco went a little pale, but his curiosity won out over his fear.
"All right! I swear on my Pure-blood honor!"
Eli nodded. Judging by how fully dressed Draco was, he'd been planning this for a while.
"Let's go."
Draco rubbed his hands together excitedly.
Eli cast the Disillusionment Charm on both of them.
Draco's eyes widened. "Cool!"
The moment he spoke, the Disillusionment Charm wore off.
Eli smacked him on the forehead. "Quiet, or the effect will disappear!"
Great. Now I have to cast it again.
Eli cast the Disillusionment Charm once more.
Draco followed behind him, looking thoroughly aggrieved.
Before you continue