Because You Love Me

31. The Sorcerer's Stone

Hermione returned to Hogwarts a day before school was set to start back.  She could hardly wait to get up to her dormitory and unpack.  When she freshened up and headed back down the stairs, Harry and Ron were sitting in the Common Room.

"Hello, Harry," she chirped.  "Hey, Ron."

They looked up at her.  Harry smiled and got up to greet her.

"Hey, Hermione!"  He grinned.

Ron just waved silently.

"So, did you guys find anything out while I was gone?" she asked hopefully.

"Not a thing," Harry answered.  There was disappointment in his voice.  He stared to tell her about the mirror, but decided against it.  "I went to the library and looked.  I almost got caught by Filch, but I didn't find anything."

Hermione sighed.  "Oh well.  I didn't either.  I went through Mum and Dad's old books hoping I might get lucky.  I know I've seen the name somewhere before.  It sounds so familiar to me.  Nothing came up."

"We'll have to look again," Ron said.

"What about right now?" Hermione suggested.

Harry agreed.  "Yeah, we're not really doing anything.  We could go now."

Hermione' s face brightened and the three of them left the Common Room.  They made it to the library in minutes.  Surprisingly it was packed with other students despite the fact most students weren't supposed to be returning until the next day.  Hermione had been picked up by Dumbledore.  Of course no one knew but the two of them.  He asked her to keep it to herself because he didn't want to make a habit of it.

The three of them searched the shelves for anything pertaining to famous witches and wizards.  Finally, after a long twenty minutes of searching, Hermione found something.  Harry and Ron were already back at the table searching through books of their own.  She hoisted the book she found up on the table in front of them, creating a loud thud.  Harry and Ron both jumped back.  She opened it to the page she had been reading.

"Of course!" Hermione exclaimed.  "I told you I had heard the name from somewhere before!"  She pointed to a specific point on the page she had the book opened to.  "Nicholas Flamel is the only known maker of the Sorcerer's Stone!"

"The Sorcerer's Stone?" Ron repeated.  "What's that?"

Hermione rolled her eyes.  "Honestly, don't you read?"

He stared at her blankly.

"I read," Harry said proudly.

Hermione glared at him strangely for a second.  "Anyway, the Sorcerer's Stone produces the Elixir of Life.  It makes the drinker immortal and can turn any metal into gold."

"Immortal?" Ron echoed.

"Yeah, it means-"

"I know what it means!"  He frowned.  "So what do we do now?"

Hermione and Harry both shrugged.  Neither of them knew how to answer that question, but Harry took a stab at it.

"I think we should try to find out who's been trying to steal the stone and why."

Hermione grinned.  "That's an excellent suggestion, Harry."

"And how do we do that?" Ron inquired.

"We could go to Hagrid.  I know he knows more than he's been telling us."

"We could," Hermione agreed.  "He did let it slip about Nicholas Flamel.  He's gotten us this far."