The Restricted Section—what kind of place is that? It's a zone only professors are allowed to enter, where many incredible magical books are stored.
The two boys had thought about going in. From the moment they first heard the name "Nicolas Flamel," they were convinced he was a mysterious figure, and that the only place they could find answers was in the Restricted Section. They just hadn't found the opportunity yet.
All those dozens of library visits—they weren't for serious study. They were just looking for a chance to sneak into the Restricted Section. But since they couldn't find one, they had to search through other areas instead.
And now, with Hermione—the academic overachiever herself—also suggesting they search the Restricted Section, their confidence was only strengthened.
On the Hogwarts Express, Hermione was sharing a compartment with Regulus Black. Also traveling with them were Cho Chang and two other Ravenclaw girls: Marietta Edgecombe and Penelope Clearwater.
In fact, Regulus Black wasn't originally planning to take the train back to the old manor. But he happened to run into Hermione right outside the headmaster's office, and the two struck up a conversation. Hermione was very grateful to Black for helping her transfer houses. With time and space to reflect, she'd realized a lot—she had come to Hogwarts to learn, not to seek out danger. If she stayed in Gryffindor, she'd either get dragged down by Harry Potter or end up isolated by the whole house.
As the Ravenclaw girls put it, "Gryffindor is mostly filled with brave lions who don't have a brain."
And the Ravenclaw girls certainly didn't hold back in fueling that sentiment.
In short: Gryffindor is for those who rush to their deaths, Slytherin gets blamed for everything, Ravenclaw just watches gracefully from the sidelines, and as for Hufflepuff—they're great to buddy up with for food and drinks.
Speaking of Hufflepuff, they even have a private kitchen. While not every Hufflepuff is a great cook, most of them are no worse than house-elves.
"Mr. Black, I've already warned Harry Potter and his little followers, but I don't think the Restricted Section is that easy to get into!"
Hermione's cheeks were flushed red—whether from nervousness or embarrassment, she wasn't sure. At school, she had followed Regulus Black's advice and given the two boys a heads-up, telling them to check the Restricted Section for information. That was something she would never have done before. But then again, the one who made the suggestion was Regulus Black.
Though the enchantment cast on the Time Turner was faint—so subtle even the professors wouldn't notice unless they were specifically checking—it couldn't withstand prolonged close contact. The magic effect was cumulative, and by now, Hermione had fallen hopelessly in love. If she weren't still so young, she would've already made a move to establish a relationship with the assistant professor.
It had to be said—kids in the West really do mature too fast.
However, what Regulus Black hadn't anticipated was that, even though Hermione was the one wearing the enchanted Time Turner, the overwhelming yuri (girl-girl) atmosphere in Ravenclaw had also started affecting the other girls who casually wandered in and out of each other's rooms.
Hermione's upperclassman, Cho Chang, Cho's best friend Marietta Edgecombe, and Marietta's senior, Penelope Clearwater—all of them were now tangled in a spreading web of ambiguous relationships, passing like a virus.
Marietta Edgecombe was Cho Chang's good friend, and the daughter of Mrs. Edgecombe, who worked at the Floo Network Authority in the Department of Magical Transportation.
She had curly golden hair with a reddish tinge. In the future, Cho would force her to join Dumbledore's Army meetings and sign her name on the list. But in the end, Marietta would betray them to Umbridge, resulting in the word "traitor" being magically etched on her face—unable to be removed.
But none of that had happened yet, so it couldn't be held against her now.
Penelope Clearwater was the Ravenclaw prefect—intelligent, wise, and beautiful, with long, wavy brown hair.
She never appeared in the movie adaptations, but now that Regulus Black had seen her in person, he could confirm—she was definitely a beauty.
All of this passed through his mind in just a fleeting moment.
"The Restricted Section is indeed hard to access, and many of the magical books there aren't suitable for students. Honestly, the information they're looking for isn't even there," Regulus Black said with a faint smile, like a fox that had just gotten away with something. The message Hermione had passed on—turns out, it was a trap from the start.
"But I've searched the library myself and haven't found the name Nicolas Flamel either. If he's not even in the Restricted Section, then where else are we supposed to look?" Hermione was stunned. Why was it that even someone like Hagrid knew the name, yet someone as brilliant as herself didn't?
"Nicolas Flamel is a master of alchemy. His greatest achievement is the Philosopher's Stone. And he's still alive—over six hundred years old now," Regulus Black explained as he broke off a piece of chocolate to share with the girls, then pulled a card out of the wrapper box.
"Dumbledore, recipient of the Order of Merlin, is a friend of the alchemy master Nicolas Flamel, and has developed research on the twenty uses of dragon's blood…"
The card only mentioned Nicolas Flamel's name, but that was already enough for Hermione.
So Dumbledore was actually a friend of Nicolas Flamel. That must mean the thing Dumbledore was safeguarding in the chamber was the Philosopher's Stone.
Hermione suddenly understood. She nearly jumped up to announce her discovery but was immediately pushed back down into her seat by Regulus Black.
"Calm down, Hermione. I know what you're about to say. But you can't look at things from just one perspective. If you're truly clever, then try to predict what will happen next."
Regulus Black's words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly cooling Hermione's excitement.
"If Harry and Ron find out about this, then they'll probably be able to deduce what the treasure is. And then, because they suspect Snape is trying to steal it, they'll… they'll try to steal it first!"
Hermione's voice suddenly rose—she was shocked by her own deduction. The whole thing sounded like a joke. Did the Gryffindor lions really not understand? No matter what the treasure was, it would be safer in Dumbledore's hands than in the hands of two students!
And thinking about it now—if she hadn't left Gryffindor, maybe she would've impulsively gone along to help!
What a foolish mistake that would've been. Looking at the situation now from a bystander's perspective, Hermione found herself deeply unsettled.
"Looks like you've come to understand quite a bit. But try viewing the issue from another angle—for example, from Dumbledore's perspective."
Regulus Black continued to guide Hermione. She was an exceptionally intelligent and beautiful girl. He couldn't just watch her become Dumbledore's tool like in the original story. The role that suited her best was that of a calm, external observer.
"If we're talking about Dumbledore—no matter what the treasure is—he would've already known about Harry and Ron's investigations. Hagrid would've reported his own slip-ups too. So from the fact that Dumbledore hasn't taken any action so far…"
Hermione now transformed into a young detective with glasses—there is only one truth.
"Either Dumbledore already intended for Harry to get the treasure… or he's completely confident in its safety. But that still doesn't make sense! What if someone else wants the treasure? Like Professor Snape—though I already know it's not him—but wouldn't the treasure still be in danger of being stolen?"
Wait a minute—what happened to there's only one truth? How did she come up with two? Hermione's mind began spiraling again.
"Maybe try thinking this: what if Harry Potter is the one who stops the treasure from being stolen?"
This whole trial-for-the-treasure ordeal was designed from the start to train Harry Potter—and also to boost his popularity.
So no matter what, Harry Potter was destined to go through the trials. And Voldemort, who wanted the Philosopher's Stone, would also take the challenge.
When the two sides finally met, Dumbledore's only insurance was that if Voldemort couldn't kill Harry the first time, then he wouldn't be able to kill him the second time either.
"This is basically gambling with Harry Potter's life!"
Hermione was furious. Once she pieced everything together, she flared up like an angry cat, itching to jump on Dumbledore's old face and stomp on it.
"So, are you willing to help them? Just this once."
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