Harry Potter and the Great Old Ones

Chapter 596 Harry's Thoughts

The first class the morning after the less-than-pleasant trip to Hogsmeade Village ended was Potions.

This Potions class was as tedious as ever, consisting mainly of asking questions to relieve boredom. Hermione Granger answered questions like crazy, earning praise from Slughorn. Then, during the potion-making session, Tyella was always the first to finish, followed closely by Harry, while the other students would always stop brewing when Horace Slughorn shouted "Stop!" and then look at the two who finished first with resentment and envy.

After Potions class ended, Tyrell stopped Harry and made him stay until all the students, including Ron and Hermione, had left the cold, damp Potions classroom—

“Professor Slughorn!” Tiera stepped forward and whispered to Horace Slughorn, “Do you have some free time? I have something I’d like to ask you to do.”

"Huh?" Horace Slughorn looked surprised at first, then glanced at Harry, who was still standing in front of his potions table, and said, "Oh, Harry, Tyella and I have something to discuss."

“It’s about Harry,” Tierra said with a smile.

"Huh? About Harry?" Horace Slughorn looked even more surprised. "About Harry? What about him?"

“I hope you can tutor Harry in Occlumency,” Tierra said.

"Tutor Harry in Occlumency?" Horace Slughorn first looked extremely troubled, as if he was hesitating about something. "Can't you teach Occlumency, Tyella? You should be proficient in all kinds of magic, right?"

“I know Occlumency, but I won’t teach it,” Tiera said calmly. “My talent lies in magic that can be learned through rational calculation. I’m not very good at magic that is more psychological.”

"And we all know that you are the most capable and highest-level wizard in the entire Hogwarts, no, in the entire European wizarding world," Tyella praised. "Even Dumbledore can't compare to you in terms of teaching alone."

“Oh, Tyella, you’ve gone too far,” Horace Slughorn said, embarrassed but pleased. “But, but Tyella, you, you know, I, I still need to brew, brew that thing.”

Horace Slughorn said it in a very cryptic way.

"Oh, don't worry, Professor Slughorn, this won't take up much of your time. I believe that with your superb teaching ability and Harry's talent, you will be able to help Harry grasp the basics of this magic in a very short time. As for the subsequent improvement and refinement, leave that to me."

“But what about our refining of Tiera?” Horace Slughorn said, still looking worried.

"Don't worry, Professor Slughorn," Tiera said in a tone that conveyed "you can rest assured," "I believe that with our combined efforts, the forging process won't be delayed for too long, and..."

Tierra suddenly lowered her voice and said mysteriously, "Moreover, I had Harry train in Occlumency because it plays a crucial role in the fight against Void."

"Alright, alright, alright!" Horace Slughorn said through gritted teeth, "Since you've put it that way, I'll agree."

Harry felt that Horace Slughorn's "agreement" was reluctant and seemed to be causing him a great deal of trouble.

This made Harry a little curious—

Clearly, Horace Slughorn's "that thing" refers to the Philosopher's Stone, and teaching him Occlumency would obviously delay his crafting of the Philosopher's Stone.

But according to Tierra, this Philosopher's Stone was meant to be returned to Nicholas Flamel. This means that Horace Slughorn's ability to refine the stone quickly or slowly is irrelevant; the stone will never belong to him—unless he gains some benefit from refining it sooner, such as using it to create a certain quantity of the Elixir of Immortality.

But why refine it in advance?
By this time, Tyella had already arranged with Horace Lugghorn for Harry's first private lesson in Defense of the Mind, which would take place this Saturday evening between 6 and 9 pm.

“Harry, would you like to go have lunch first?” Tierra said to Harry with a smile. “Please get me a smoked tuna sandwich, two salt and pepper egg dumplings, and a fruit salad, but without dressing.”

"Huh?" Harry snapped out of his aimless, random thoughts. "Aren't you coming to the restaurant with me?"

“I have some things to discuss with Professor Slughorn,” Tierra said. “Go quickly.”

With that, Tyella half-pushed, half-pulled Harry out of the Potions classroom, and then closed the door behind her.

This left Harry somewhat disappointed, so he headed towards the stairs to have his meal in the Great Hall on the first floor.

But why refine it in advance?
Harry walked alone in the basement corridor, feeling bored and lonely, his mind still filled with the random thoughts he had just been having.

Do they have a delivery time?

Does Nicholas Lemay have a delivery time?

Or perhaps Nicolas Flamel needs to use the Philosopher's Stone at specific times, and never take it out again afterward?
"Wait a minute," Harry thought. He had met Nicholas Flamel during the Ministry of Magic battle last semester. He was a very kind, warm, and generous elderly wizard. If Horace Slughorn wanted to borrow the Philosopher's Stone to brew an elixir of immortality, Nicholas Flamel certainly wouldn't refuse.

So why is that?

Harry had unknowingly arrived at the entrance to the Great Hall. He quickly glanced around the bustling hall, which was many times larger than before, and swiftly spotted Hermione and Ron—

It's easy. Harry just needs to look at the areas with the largest piles of roasted chicken wings, and he'll find Ron there.

Hermione was right next to Ron.

Harry lifted his foot and walked toward Hermione and Ron.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Harry's mind. Recalling how Nicholas Flamel's previous Philosopher's Stone had been hidden and broken, Harry seemed to instantly grasp a crucial point—

"Nicole Flamel is going to become a god!" Harry plopped down next to Hermione and whispered, "Nicole Flamel must be going to become a god soon!"

"Ah!" Hermione was startled, but she quickly demonstrated the excellent strategic skills she had developed during her time in Dumbledore's army. She cautiously looked around and, after confirming that no one was watching, breathed a sigh of relief and then asked in a low voice, "What? How can you be so sure?"

(End of this chapter)