Principles Behind Creating the Philosopher's Stone

In fact, Bell had this suspicion the moment he first saw Nicolas.

Nicolas's current state, it's hard for Bell to say whether he or Voldemort is in better shape.

Putting aside the question of who could endure such a half-dead state, lingering on for 600 years, the fact remains that the Philosopher's Stone can be used to create Elixir of Life. Immortality is attainable, but what about eternal youth?

Upon hearing Nicolas's explanation, Bell nodded in understanding.

"Teacher, could you give me a general explanation of how the Philosopher's Stone is made?"

Bell decided to start a conversation. Who knew how long it would take for his Shimu to return?

Judging from their conversation, it's been more than two months since they said goodbye and the lawsuit is still not over. So, it's quite normal for them to talk for two or three hours to say hello, isn't it?

Today was Bell and Nicolas's first meeting. Bell thought for a moment, and aside from the Philosopher's Stone, he really didn't know what else they could talk about.

Bell wasn't a good conversationalist to begin with. Except when she was with her sister, others would usually start the conversation, and Bell would then pick up where she wanted.

"The principle behind the creation of the Philosopher's Stone is actually very simple."

Nicolas took out his Wand, cast a Lumos, and then pulled out... from his pocket.

"Huh? That's strange, I remember putting it in my pocket before. Wait a minute, let me look for it."

After searching his pockets to no avail, Nicolas shakily stood up and went to a nearby cabinet, where he rummaged around for a while before returning with a Deluminator.

"Um... if you need Deluminator, I have one here."

Watching Nicolas search for something, Bell wanted to speak up and stop him several times. He was really worried that the teacher he had just found might accidentally fall apart and die at any moment. However, considering that it was only his first day here, he shouldn't rummage through the teacher's things, so he ultimately held back and kept quiet.

"Really!? As far as I know, very few people use Deluminator these days. Has something changed recently that I'm unaware of?" Nicolas asked, somewhat surprised.

"No, it's just that I often research and create magical items, so I usually carry one or two common magical items with me," Bell explained.

"That's a really good habit."

Nicolas smiled, then nodded at the Deluminator. The light emitted by the Lumos at the tip of the Wand was immediately drawn into the Deluminator.

Nicolas handed the Deluminator to Bell, pointing to the light inside, and said, "This is Lumos I cast, converting magic into light. Now, can you convert that light back into magic?"

Bell placed the Deluminator in front of him and began to think. He recalled all the magical knowledge he possessed, but all of it was about how to convert magic power, and none of it was about how to convert magic power into magic.

"Could it be that the so-called Philosopher's Stone is a device that converts other forms of energy into magic?"

Bell looked at Nicolas with curiosity.

"Hehe~ I'm glad you understood so quickly. That's right, magic exists in nature, and many magical items operate by drawing on magic from nature. So, where does magic in nature come from? Nobody knows, and I don't know either. But I speculate that magic is transformed from other forms of energy in nature. Since we can transform magic into various forms of energy such as fire, ice, and light, the reverse should also be possible. And after a long period of research, the finished product I obtained is the Philosopher's Stone."

"So, teacher, does this mean the Philosopher's Stone possesses endless magical power?"

"Theoretically yes, but in reality, there are limits to how Philosopher's Stone work. First, while the materials used to make Philosopher's Stone are all very precious, even the most precious magical materials cannot withstand the erosion of time, so Philosopher's Stone have a limited lifespan. Second, there is a limit to the total amount of magic power Philosopher's Stone can store, and there is also a limit to the speed at which it can convert magic power. Therefore, the total amount of magic power we can extract from a Philosopher's Stone is actually limited."

Bell lowered his head in thought again. Nicolas's words sounded reasonable, but Bell still felt something was off. What was it?

"Nicolas, even if there's a limit to the amount of magic Philosopher's Stone can store, the amount of magic it contains should still be enormous for a wizard, right?"

Bell grabbed the string and looked up at Nicolas. Seeing Nicolas nod, he continued, "So, won't the Philosopher's Stone have a short lifespan?"

In Bell's view, magic is an omnipotent power. With enough magic, one could even create a planet.

For a Philosopher's Stone with immense power, a mere 600 years should be a very short time.

It's worth noting that even the magical artifacts left behind by the Four Founders have survived for nearly a thousand years. Only Diadem of Ravenclaw, because it was stolen by Helena and hidden in a tree hollow, was corroded and damaged due to a lack of careful maintenance.

"Bell, you have a keen sense of smell, that's excellent!"

Nicolas first praised Bell, then continued to explain, "Yes, I don't know how long the Philosopher's Stone can be used, but it will definitely be far more than 600 years. Even if it reaches 6,000 years, or even 60,000 years, I wouldn't be surprised. The reason why my previous Philosopher's Stone reached its limit so quickly was because I used it to make too many Elixir of Life."

"Life is truly amazing! Life is the most precious thing in the world, but at the same time it is also the cheapest. Countless lives are born and countless lives are lost every day."

"For us wizards, magic is an easy tool to heal wounds, save lives, and even create life. Life is so easily obtained, yet extending it becomes extremely difficult. Each time, I have to use the Philosopher's Stone to its limit, pushing its magical conversion rate to the extreme, consuming countless amounts of magic to create even a small vial of the Elixir of Life. This greatly reduces the lifespan of the Philosopher's Stone. If you also want to use Philosopher's Stone Philosopher's Stone to extend your life in the future, you'd better prepare several."

"I hope that day will never come."

A cryptic smile appeared on Bell's face.

Nicolas didn't quite understand Bell's words. He looked at Bell strangely but didn't press the matter.

Everyone has their own path to walk. As elders, what we should do is not to choose the right path for our children, but to share our life experiences with them when they feel lost, so that they can cheer up and keep going.