Vacation Balance Running Low Again

Why was his vacation balance running low again?

Eli said he didn't want to go to school. Wasn't self-study great?

Over this short Christmas break, Eli had not only successfully founded the Dueling Club, but also raised his Transfiguration skills by a huge margin. He had even published three papers in Transfiguration Today!

Professor McGonagall had been so excited that she said she would recommend Eli for the Most Promising Newcomer Award.

The editor-in-chief of Transfiguration Today had also contacted Eli directly, saying he thought highly of him. In other words, the newcomer award was almost certainly Eli's.

Eli: "I'm freaking amazing."

As the saying went, people feared fame just as pigs feared growing fat. Eli had begun to gain some renown in Transfiguration academic circles, and combined with his absurdly young age, people started approaching him.

They were merely trying to recruit a future master. Invitations to all sorts of forums and lectures came flooding in as well.

Eli rejected every single one.

What a joke. If he spent his time chatting with these people, when would he have time to build his career?

This attitude of treating fame like dirt earned Professor McGonagall's praise. Even Dumbledore had specially written to commend him.

Sure enough, when the newcomer award was announced, it went to Eli. There was even some award ceremony, which Eli had immediately intended to decline.

But when he heard there was a reward of one thousand Galleons, heh, wasn't it just a trip?

That day, the Daily Prophet published the news with great fanfare.

A first-year student at Hogwarts had actually won a newcomer award from an authoritative academic journal!

This newcomer was far too new!

For a time, the news spread throughout the Wizarding World. Some were astonished, some skeptical, but Eli, the person at the center of it all, felt utterly miserable.

He had wanted to keep lying low. Now that he was in the papers, how the hell was he supposed to lie low?

Hopefully old Voldemort wouldn't notice him too early, or he might very well die young.

Still, his teachers, friends, and family were all delighted for him.

Professor McGonagall waved her hand grandly. Slytherin gained one hundred points!

She even began explaining Animagus transformation to Eli.

Old Dumbledore secretly sent over a shabby notebook, and Eli had nearly tossed it away in disgust.

But after flipping through a few pages, he practically wanted to seal the thing up and wear it around his neck.

Dumbledore's notes!

Notes from a legendary Wizard were absolutely a treasure!

No study guides like Three Years of Practice, Five Years of Transfiguration could compare.

Snape sent over a small vial of potion, and Eli barely managed to suppress the urge to sell it.

Felix Felicis!

Legend said that drinking it could make someone lucky for a period of time, letting everything go their way.

Hermione wrote a letter several sheets of parchment long, expressing her shock and asking to study with him.

Harry and Ron Weasley had no idea whatsoever, because neither of them paid attention to that kind of thing.

Eli told his family the good news, and Mrs. Hall nearly climbed out of the letter to give him several hard kisses.

Mr. Hall said it was all thanks to their excellent teaching. Eli was disdainful, but he didn't dare say so.

This had been an exceptionally fulfilling vacation, and Eli was quite reluctant to see it end. Once school started, where would he find so much time for research?

Still, he had to go to school. It wasn't as though he was the headmaster.

The students gradually returned to school, and Hermione came running to find Eli at the first opportunity.

In the Great Hall.

"I simply can't believe it... blah blah blah."

Eli clutched his head, wanting to cast a Muffliato Charm on himself, while Harry and Ron desperately poked at the food on their plates.

The little witch was terrifying!

"And I found Nicolas Flamel!"

The moment Hermione said those last words, the scene fell silent. The three useless men all looked up together.

"You met him?"

Ron said in surprise.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "Of course I didn't see him, because he's an extremely famous alchemy master!"

"An alchemy master? Then what does that tell us about what's hidden on the third floor?"

Unlike Ron, Harry could still grasp the key point.

During the holiday, aside from studying with Eli, he had only played around. He had long forgotten Nicolas Flamel.

Hermione beckoned for them to come closer.

"The Philosopher's Stone!"

"What?" Harry and Ron said in unison, immediately earning contemptuous looks from Hermione and Eli.

Eli couldn't help sighing. Of the three of them, only Hermione had found the truth. Those two idiots didn't even know what the Philosopher's Stone was.

"The Philosopher's Stone is an extremely precious treasure. It contains immensely powerful magic and can turn stone into gold. Most importantly, it can grant immortality!"

"We have to tell the professors!"

"But the professors might not believe us."

"Then let's find Hagrid!"

Harry was determined to stop Snape.

Eli felt sorry for his Head of House once again.

That night, when it was time for their appointment, Eli skillfully rolled out of bed.

His nightly adventures in the Forbidden Forest had made him the new little prince of nighttime wandering after the twins.

His movements were smooth and practiced.

No one would ever spot him.

"Where are you going now?"

The sudden voice startled Eli so badly that his entire body jerked.

"Draco Malfoy?"

Eli turned around. Who else could the flashy slicked-back blond standing behind him be but Draco Malfoy?

"You're sneaking out at night again?"

Draco took a few steps forward.

Eli gave an awkward smile. "What? No, I'm just going to the bathroom."

Draco wore an expression that said he had already seen through him. "Stop pretending. I noticed ages ago that you leave every night and don't come back until late!"

Eli was stunned. Damn, so you stayed up at night just to watch me?

Something was wrong with you.

"Yeah, so what? I'm sneaking out. What are you going to do about it?"

Since he had already been discovered, he stopped pretending. He was coming clean.

A flicker of struggle crossed Draco's face before he finally gathered his courage. "I want to go too!"

"If you don't take me, I... I'll tell the professors!"

"Hm?" Eli was stunned again. This kid had guts. He actually dared threaten him just to sneak out at night.

Eli thought it over. If he took Draco along, Draco would learn about the Philosopher's Stone and the dragon egg.

That was right, Hagrid was incubating an egg.

Still, although Draco could be a bit of a brat, he wasn't a Death Eater yet. Learning about the Philosopher's Stone wouldn't give him any malicious ideas.

As for the dragon egg, Eli remembered Draco seemed particularly fond of dragons. Otherwise, why would his name even mean dragon?

"I can take you, but you have to promise to keep your mouth shut! Otherwise, heh heh..."

Draco's face paled slightly, but his curiosity still overcame his fear.

"Fine! I swear on the honor of pure-bloods!"

Eli nodded. Judging by how fully dressed Draco was, he had clearly been plotting this for a long time.

"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 automatically broke.

Eli smacked him on the forehead. "Shut up, or the effect will disappear!"

This troublesome kid was making him cast it again.

Eli cast the Disillusionment Charm once more.

Draco followed behind him, looking utterly aggrieved.