Seeing that it was getting late and there wasn't much to talk about, Draco stood up and said, "Alright, let's put aside the small talk and go have dinner."
Ron rubbed his empty stomach, realizing he was indeed too hungry to have any strength left, and immediately nodded. "Let's go! Let's eat first! Even the most important things can't be discussed until we're full!"
Harry also got up, still thinking about the Trapdoor and the Invisibility Cloak, but this reminder also made him realize he was starving.
Hermione silently followed Draco towards the Great Hall.
The Great Hall was nearly empty; most people were on holiday and hadn't come back.
At the long table, Draco ate quietly, occasionally offering Hermione a small snack she liked.
After dinner, Hermione and Draco went to the library together.
The library was quiet, or rather, deserted.
After the museum closed, Draco returned to his Gryffindor dormitory. The moment he opened the door, Draco stopped in his tracks.
The dormitory was softly lit, and Harry and Ron were already sitting on the edge of the bed, both with an undisguised sense of ease and joy on their faces.
At Harry's bedside, a soft, smooth, black cloak with a faint silver sheen was quietly draped over his shoulders.
It is the Invisibility Cloak that disappears during the day.
As soon as Ron saw Draco enter, he looked up and exclaimed with delight, " Draco, you're finally back! Guess what? Harry's Invisibility Cloak is back!"
Harry reached out and gently touched the cloak he had found, feeling much more at ease.
"When we came back, it was on my bed. There was no note, no sound. It was as if it really grew legs and ran back safely."
Draco walked to the bedside, his face showing no surprise. "I told you, it wouldn't be lost."
Ron clicked his tongue in amazement. "This is incredible! You said during the day that the cloak would come back by itself, and I thought you were just talking nonsense, but it actually came true!"
Draco chuckled softly, offering no explanation, only casually straightening his cuffs. "I've said it before, things in this castle always have their own place."
Harry, clutching his Invisibility Cloak, looked at Draco, feeling that his companion seemed to know everything.
Draco met his gaze and changed the subject. "Alright, the stuff's back, so get some rest. You all have things to do tomorrow, right?"
Upon hearing this, Ron yawned. "You're right! We'll go find Hagrid first thing tomorrow morning!"
The dormitory lights shone softly, and the Invisibility Cloak lay quietly on the bedside table.
The day's emotions slowly settle down in the night.
The next day marked the students' return to school, and the castle suddenly became lively.
The library remained quiet in the afternoon, sunlight streaming through the high windows and falling on the open books.
Hermione was engrossed in copying notes from the History of Magic, her pen scratching across the paper, while Draco sat opposite her.
Just as the two were studying quietly, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from the library entrance.
After entering, the two became cautious and headed straight for the table where Draco and Hermione were sitting.
Ron plopped down, panting and barely able to speak; he was extremely excited.
"We succeeded! We got Hagrid to tell us something!"
Fortunately, Draco used Silencing Charm in this area.
Harry managed to steady his breathing a little, his voice still brimming with barely concealed excitement:
" Hagrid told us that the three-headed dog on the fourth floor would fall asleep peacefully whenever it heard music, just like a docile puppy! And... there's another name— Nicolas Flamel."
"We suspect this person is definitely connected to what's hidden under the Trapdoor."
Draco's expression remained calm, as if he had expected this. He simply asked:
"How did you manage to get that out of him? Hagrid may be outspoken, but when it comes to secrets, he won't give up easily."
Upon hearing this, Ron immediately perked up, straightened his back, and looked smug. He then began to stammer out what had happened that morning.
You wouldn't believe it if I told you, but the method is incredibly simple!
He recounted vividly, "We waited outside Hagrid's Hut early in the morning, pretending to be casual visitors. We chatted with him about his dog and the things in the Forbidden Forest, making him very happy."
"Later, he drank too much Butterbeer, his face turned bright red, and once he started talking, he couldn't stop."
"We hadn't asked him many questions when he started muttering to himself, saying that those three big dogs were fierce, but they would collapse as soon as they heard music..."
Ron scratched his head and chuckled:
"As for Nicolas Flamel... he was drunk and just blurted out that name. When we pressed him for details, he refused to say anything more, only waving his hands and saying he couldn't talk about it."
Hermione scoffed and shook her head after hearing this.
He finally understood; these two weren't just giving him platitudes, they were clearly taking advantage of his drunkenness to snag a ready-made answer.
Hermione found it amusing too. "You guys are really bold, daring to get Hagrid drunk? What if Professor McGonagall finds out..."
Ron quickly waved his hand. "He wasn't forced to drink! He just drank it because he was happy!"
"Let's not talk about that," Harry asked eagerly. "Have you two... ever heard of the name Nicolas Flamel before?"
Hermione furrowed her thin eyebrows, as if searching through her memories for something dusty and old.
"I think... I vaguely remember seeing him somewhere before, but I can't quite place it right now."
"Think quickly! Think quickly!" Ron wrung his hands anxiously, his voice barely concealing his eagerness. "This name is definitely key!"
"Don't rush." Hermione's mind raced, but that vague impression was like a wisp of smoke, impossible to grasp.
She thought for a long time but couldn't come up with a solution, so she subconsciously looked up at Draco, who was sitting quietly opposite her.
Draco simply shrugged, looking completely innocent, his expression clearly saying, "I don't know either, don't ask me."
Hermione knew perfectly well that this guy was pretending to know nothing.
But there was nothing she could do about it right now, so she could only bite her lip and continue racking her brains in her memories.
Seeing that the others were stuck, Harry suggested softly, "How about... we look through the books? There are so many books in the library, we're bound to find some clues."
As soon as she finished speaking, Hermione's eyes suddenly lit up, as if something had suddenly struck her. "I remember now! Nicolas Flamel —it's him!"
Ron leaned closer. "Who is it? Who is it?"
Hermione glanced around, and despite Draco's Silencing Charm protecting her, she still spoke softly.
" Nicolas Flamel is the only person in the world today to have created the Philosopher's Stone."
Seeing that Harry and Ron's eyes widened, she continued, "This person has lived for hundreds of years and has long been a legend in the Wizarding World."
"He and his wife relied on the Philosopher's Stone to prolong their lives, living a quiet and low-key life, rarely appearing in public."
"The book says that his Philosopher's Stone can turn any ordinary metal into pure gold, and can also refine elixirs of immortality, making people immune to all diseases and slowing down the aging process."