Ron leaned closer. "So, what might be under the Trapdoor...?"
Harry quickly raised a finger and gently made a shushing gesture to his lips.
Despite the Silencing Charm around him, he remained cautious, afraid that he might accidentally be overheard by others.
Ron lowered his voice even further. "So, what's hidden down there is Philosopher's Stone? You know, the kind that... can turn stones into gold and grant immortality?"
"Do you want to live forever?" Draco asked.
"Of course!" Ron blurted out without thinking. "Who doesn't want to live a peaceful and long life? Don't you all want that?"
After he said that, there was a sudden silence in the area.
Harry slowly lowered his eyes; immortality had never been an enticing prospect for him.
He only hoped that his parents were still alive, and that those he had lost would return. As for living forever... it felt like a lonely torment.
He shook his head slightly without saying a word, but his expression said it all.
Hermione frowned slightly, her gaze fixed on the book, and said earnestly:
"I don't want to. Immortality is too lonely and goes against the laws of nature. Even the best things, when taken to extremes, become a scourge."
Finally, Ron looked at Draco expectantly, seeking some approval, but he was disappointed again.
"While the Philosopher's Stone can grant immortality, it also has drawbacks. The drawback is that people age. Nicolas Flamel now needs a cane to walk with difficulty and can't even stand on his own for long."
"Moreover, he spends most of his time in a drowsy state, rarely awake, and his energy is far less than it was in his youth."
He paused, looked at Hermione, and said frankly, "Of course, most importantly, my Hermione doesn't want to."
These words came so suddenly that Hermione's cheeks flushed red again.
Ron looked at this, then at that, slumped his shoulders, let out a long sigh, and looked resigned to his fate.
"Well, it seems I'm the only one at this table who wants to be a clown pursuing immortality."
Draco glanced at him and said bluntly, "It's no use thinking about it; it's not your turn."
Ron paused, pondered for a couple of seconds, and then actually nodded seriously, dejectedly replying, "... That's true."
Ron stroked his chin, his expression gradually becoming serious:
"Looking back, Hagrid really made the right decision to retrieve the Philosopher's Stone from Gringotts! There are people watching that thing outside, and they'll make their move sooner or later."
Hermione nodded in agreement. " Professor Dumbledore has always been farsighted. He placed the stone in the school and set up layers of protection because he knew things weren't going to be peaceful outside."
Ron suddenly leaned forward, lowered his voice, and his eyes held a hint of suspicion:
"Do you think... the person who wanted to steal the stone might have already sneaked into the school?"
Harry paused for a moment, then shook his head and said firmly:
"It's unlikely. There are so many professors at the school, the barrier is very tight, and so many professors are watching over things. Even if someone dared to come, they wouldn't be able to get the Philosopher's Stone."
Ron was still frowning, looking like he felt something was off, and muttered to himself:
"Hey, you can't say for sure... Maybe the one trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone isn't an outsider at all, but one of the professors at the school?"
Upon hearing this, Draco and Hermione's hearts skipped a beat simultaneously, and they exchanged a quick, almost instinctive glance.
This kid, he guessed so accurately despite being completely wrong.
The same thought popped into their minds at the same time.
Seeing that no one objected, Ron felt even more justified and lowered his voice to say firmly:
"If there really is a mole, then most likely... it's Snape!"
Snape, who was brewing Potions in the cellar, never expected that he would be framed and accused of stealing the Philosopher's Stone.
Draco couldn't help but speak first, saying with a mix of helplessness and amusement, " Ron, your prejudice against Professor Snape is just too great."
Hearing this, Hermione couldn't hold back any longer; the corners of her mouth subtly turned up, but she quickly suppressed it.
Ron defended himself. "It's not that I'm prejudiced! It's just... he's always been a bit strange..."
Seeing that Ron was going off on a tangent, Draco stopped him, saying, "Alright, stop bringing up Snape."
He then ended the conversation about the Philosopher's Stone.
Seeing this, Hermione had no choice but to follow his lead and look at the two people opposite her:
"Then... let's stop talking about this and focus on our studies. We still have final exams..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Harry and Ron exchanged a glance and hurriedly started making excuses.
"I suddenly remembered that I left something in my dorm room!"
"Me too, me too! I have to go help Harry look!"
Before they finished speaking, the two of them slipped out, their steps so fast it was as if they were being chased, and in the blink of an eye they were out of the library.
Hermione watched the two figures hurriedly disappear through the door, shaking her head slightly with a mix of helplessness and amusement.
Once the library had quieted down again, and only the two of them were left, she asked Draco:
"You know... if Harry and Ron really forget about this later, what excuse will we come up with to try those challenges again?"
Draco leaned back in his chair, looking quite relaxed. "It's nothing, this is Old Dumbledore's problem to worry about, it's none of our business."
Hermione glanced at him helplessly and said reproachfully, "You... Professor Dumbledore has now completely become your tool, hasn't he?"
Draco, seeing Hermione's smile, also grinned slyly.
"This was originally Old Dumbledore's job."
Days passed by, the winter winds of Hogwarts blew and dispersed, but the fire in the castle remained warm.
Professor Snape remained as stern as ever, and their Potions Class was a battle of wits.
Aside from Slytherin students, he always picked and chose the other three houses, his face as sullen as a ruined Wolfsbane Potion.
Every time Ron sat in the classroom and was given a few sarcastic remarks, his suspicions about Snape stealing the Philosopher's Stone would resurface.
During this semester's Quidditch tournament, Hermione voluntarily gave up her spot back to the first team.
The team won the trophy last time, and their names were engraved in the Trophy Room. They had tasted the limelight and glory, but they felt calm and at ease.
The other team members had no objections either. They had already held trophies and received honors, and their youthful ambitions were satisfied. The remaining wins and losses were not so important.
Perhaps because Gryffindor's selection method was so outstanding the previous year, all four houses in the university followed suit this year, holding their own competitions to select students.
Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin still played as the first team's main players.
However, the personnel have been quietly replaced, with many new faces, all eager to prove themselves on the field.
They secretly plotted for a long time, figuring out how to suppress Gryffindor and how to break Draco's speed.
But no one expected that the plan would be disrupted by an unexpected event as soon as it was put on the table.
Draco isn't playing!
The Slytherin players were stunned, and the other houses were dumbfounded as well.
Now he sits comfortably in the audience, and all the carefully prepared methods of restraint by his opponents have suddenly fallen flat.
Although Draco didn't play, he practiced with the first team every day. With the second team as their practice partner, Gryffindor's first team was even more formidable.
From the group stage to the finals, they had a smooth journey with almost no significant obstacles.
On the day of the final, the weather was calm and peaceful. When Harry caught the Golden Snitch, the entire Gryffindor stands erupted in cheers.
Unsurprisingly, the championship once again fell into the hands of the Lions.