The girl with golden hair (Harry Potter fanfic)

Chapter 1.12 (The Philosopher's Stone)

"Thanks Ara, Harry..." He gave her a small smile. "I think I'll go to bed...D'you want the card, you collect them, don't you?"

"Dumbledore again." Harry said as Neville and Giselle walked away. "He was the first one I ever..." He gasped, staring at the back of the card. "I've found him!" Harry whispered. "I've found Flamel! I told you I'd read the name somewhere before, I read it on the train coming here...listen to this: 'Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the Dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicholas Flamel'!"

"The Philosopher's Stone!" Artemis gasped, excitedly.

"The what?" Harry, Ron and Hermione chorused.

"Nicholas Flamel is a well-known alchemist and the only known creator of the Philosopher's Stone."

"So?" They chorused again.

"The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers." She quoted from a book she once read. "The Stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which gives the drinker immortality as long as they consume it regularly. The only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicholas Flamel, a 665 year old wizard who lives in France with his wife Perenelle."

"How do you know all of this?" Hermione gasped.

"I have a photographic memory...well, when I think something is interesting at least. Anyway this must be what Fluffy is guarding, the Philosopher's Stone! I bet Flamel asked Professor Dumbledore to keep it safe for him, because they're friends and he knew someone was after it, that is why he wanted to move the Stone out of Gringotts! Think about it. It's small, powerful, very valuable and it connects both Dumbledore and Flamel."

"A stone that makes gold and stops you from ever dying!" Said Harry. "No wonder Snape's after it! Anyone would want it."

"And no wonder we couldn't find Flamel in that Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry." Said Ron. "He's not exactly recent if he's 665, is he?"

The Hogwarts castle
Scotland, Great Britain
January 7 1992

The next morning in Defence Against the Dark Arts, while Hermione and Artemis were copying down different ways to treat werewolf bites, Harry and Ron were still discussing what they'd do with a Philosopher's Stone if they had one.

When Ron said he'd buy his own Quidditch team, Harry's face drained from colour, thinking about the coming match. "I'm going to play." He told them. "If I don't, all the Slytherins will think I'm just too scared to face Snape. I'll show them...it'll really swipe the smiles off their faces if we win."

"Just as long as we're not wiping you off the field." Hermione said through gritted teeth.

The Hogwarts castle
Scotland, Great Britain
12 January 1992

The next Saturday morning, Artemis woke up to another nightmare. She groaned before falling back into the mattress. She didn't know how it was possible but the dreams had become worse since last Halloween. Like they were warning her for something happening.

The whole day she sulked, thinking about going back to sleep yet afraid to do so and she couldn't miss Harry's game later on.

"Ara, I'm sorry to tell you this but...you look horrible. You look like you have seen a...well...ghost." Victoria said worriedly as she was helping Artemis with Astronomy. Probably Victoria's best subject at Hogwarts. She said it was because the stars were so easily drawn yet so complicated at the same time. It fascinated her while it just confused Artemis even more.