Inside the Great Hall, the group of six made their way to their usual spot at the relatively empty Hufflepuff table. They kept their voices low, eagerly discussing their shocking new discovery.
Ron stabbed absentmindedly at the mashed potatoes on his plate.
"That voice... Professor Quirrell actually called him 'Master'? And did you guys hear that part about 'resurrection'? Merlin's beard, who exactly is the Professor working for?"
Hannah prepared a plate of fried fish for Tom and whispered, "Do you think Professor Quirrell might be under someone's control? Like... the Imperius Curse or something?"
Being a kind-hearted Badger, she couldn't bear the thought that her professor might actually be a Dark Wizard.
"I don't know. That's not for us to decide. Only the Ministry can determine if he's under the Imperius Curse."
Tom listened quietly while munching on his fried fish, trying to sift through his fuzzy memories for a clue.
Quirrell's master, the Philosopher's Stone, resurrection... Wait, isn't that the work of that no-nosed socket-face?
The moment he realized Voldemort might be the one stirring the pot, Tom relaxed.
Even setting aside the fact that his own abilities were a natural counter to souls, there was still Harry—the ultimate anti-Voldemort weapon—sitting right there.
If Voldemort stayed in hiding, fine. But if he dared to poke his head out, Tom would teach him a painful lesson!
You think you're worthy of the name 'Tom'? You aren't even in the same league as the Great Tom! How dare you share my name!
Despite these thoughts, Tom glanced at Ron and decided to keep this revelation to himself for now. He wasn't sure if the bond between Ron and Harry was strong enough yet. If the news of Voldemort's return scared them off—especially Ron—it would be a hassle.
Harry didn't join the debate. He just stared blankly at the pumpkin juice in front of him, his eyes unfocused as he murmured:
"Resurrection... is something like that actually possible?"
His voice was barely a whisper, as if he were only asking himself.
But since everyone was sitting close together, and the Hufflepuff table was quiet, his friends heard him.
Sensing that Harry's mood had shifted, Ron gulped.
"Resurrection isn't a good thing! I've never heard of it happening in real life, but in all the fairy tales, people who try to bring back the dead always pay a terrible price!"
Hermione nodded in agreement.
"Ron's right. Life and death are natural laws. Anyone who violates them must pay a huge price..."
She paused, her gaze drifting toward Arianna, and changed her tune.
"Then again, who knows? Magic is amazing—we have portraits that can talk and ghosts that remain in the world. Maybe there really is a kind of magic that can bring the dead back to life."
She wasn't saying this because of Arianna, nor just to comfort Harry, but out of a child's pure wonder for magic.
Seeing the wonder in Hermione's eyes and the longing in Harry's, Ron and Hannah chose to stay silent. Didn't they also yearn for that kind of magic—the power to make the impossible possible?
But everything they had been taught growing up said that bringing back the dead was impossible.
Arianna sat quietly to the side, her expression calm. She didn't know about anyone else, but she knew she could be resurrected. Tom had promised her, and she believed him. Still, listening to this conversation made her feel a bit conflicted.
Harry looked up, his eyes a mix of longing and confusion. He desperately wanted his parents back, wanted the family love he'd never known... but the concerned looks from his friends made him swallow his words.
"Don't worry. I won't do anything stupid."
That was the truth. No matter how much he wanted it, if the price was becoming a Dark Wizard like Voldemort, he would rather do nothing.
He believed that wasn't what his parents would have wanted.
As for why he was thinking of Voldemort? It was mostly because when he overheard Quirrell talking to that voice earlier, his scar had prickled with pain.
"Okay, isn't the main point right now the Philosopher's Stone? Whether it's resurrection or something else, that stone is the key."
Hermione steered the conversation back on track.
"So, does anyone know who Nicolas Flamel is, or what the Stone actually is? I feel like I've seen that name somewhere before."
Everyone exchanged blank looks. Harry obviously didn't know, and Ron and Hannah knew absolutely nothing about alchemy, so the name meant nothing to them.
Arianna felt the name was familiar, but the memory was too distant to recall immediately.
"Why overthink it?" Ron was getting impatient.
"Quirrell mentioned the three-headed dog, didn't he? That proves the Stone is hidden under the trapdoor on the fourth floor! We just need to protect it from being stolen."
"But we don't even know what it is!" Hermione insisted. "What is the Philosopher's Stone? Who is Nicolas Flamel? We need to figure these things out first!"
"Fine then, Miss Know-It-All," Ron snapped, annoyed by her strict attitude. "There are so many famous wizards in history. We only have one name and one term. Where do you suggest we start looking?"
Seeing Hermione about to retort, he cut in more aggressively:
"Besides, didn't we agree that knowing where it is is enough? Expecting us to find out who Nicolas is? You might as well write to your parents and ask if they know him!"
Hearing this, Tom's expression turned a bit odd. If he remembered correctly, there actually were records of Nicolas Flamel in the Muggle world. But Hermione didn't know that, and she certainly wouldn't ask her parents.
"Wait, I remember!"
Arianna's eyes lit up as she spoke softly, interrupting the brewing argument.
"Nicolas Flamel... he's A—er, he's Dumbledore's partner. A very great alchemist!"
"The Stone, an Alchemist... of course!"
With Arianna's hint, Hermione realized instantly.
"I saw his name in an old book not long ago! He's the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone!"
She took a deep breath, her voice trembling with excitement.
"As for the Stone, it can turn any metal into pure gold, and it produces the Elixir of Life! Whoever drinks it will never die! I remember the book said Flamel is over six hundred and sixty years old!"
"Turn stone into gold?!"
Ron automatically ignored the second half, his eyes going wide with excitement. Just that one ability was enough for him!
He immediately started daydreaming about himself lying in a pile of golden Galleons.
Harry, however, latched onto the phrase "Elixir of Life." The "resurrection" that the voice—likely Voldemort—mentioned must refer to this!
If the Elixir of Life can really bring people back... Mom and Dad...
He couldn't help but get lost in the fantasy.
Even Hermione and Hannah looked excited. Eternal life—it was something so many people dreamed of! Even someone as rational as Hermione couldn't help but get lost in the possibility.