Kapitel 19: Chapter 19 The Preordained Champion.

Chapter 19.

Soren looked at Nicolas Flamel with some displeasure and said, "Sir, I respect you as an outstanding alchemist with many brilliant achievements and contributions to the wizarding world. But I ask you not to defend our headmaster with sweet words; what reasonable justification could his actions possibly have?"

"Simply put, he worries that I might be a follower of the dark lord or that I might become the next Dark Lord. After all, in the headmaster's eyes, he has long forgotten that I am his student; more likely, he never trusted any student at Hogwarts—I dare say this is certainly not the first time he has used Legilimency on students!"

Soren unceremoniously ripped away the hypocritical veil, exposing the ugliness of the adult world that the original author, Rowling, subtly hinted at in this dialogue—Soren's words were not without basis; the original text had suggested more than once that Dumbledore used Legilimency on Harry.

A hint of apology appeared on Dumbledore's face: "Child, Soren, I mean you no harm... If my actions just now made you uncomfortable, I am willing to apologize for that."

Soren's expression softened slightly. To be honest, although he had already decided to rely on his own strength to face the impending chaos, he knew that getting on Dumbledore's bad side, the cornerstone of the British wizarding world, was not a wise idea.

He snorted coldly. Having lived two lives, Soren's mind was not that of a mere 12-year-old boy as he appeared; just because Dumbledore softened his tone so easily didn't mean he was an easy target.

Dumbledore was a schemer, fond of observing the development of all things from behind the scenes, then intervening at key moments to direct the plot toward his ideal outcome.

If Soren were to be merely a penniless, background-less Muggle wizard, he might have been easily crushed by Dumbledore at this moment. However, standing behind Soren was the Malfoy family, the foremost power in Great Britain, with his father, Lucius, being the chairman of the board of governors. As long as Soren did not step on Dumbledore's bottom line, he would not choose to confront the Malfoy family directly.

Apart from having a strong background, Soren's ability to obtain the Philosopher's Stone from the multiple challenges and the cursed Mirror of Erised set up by Dumbledore himself revealed his own strength. Of course, the regular evaluations from Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick about him also helped significantly—For a child who is talented, kind to classmates, comes from a healthy family environment, and shows no dark tendencies, there's no doubt that Dumbledore's choice would definitely lean towards being favorable, and it's even possible that he may seek to draw Soren in later.

Moreover, in this matter, Soren was certainly in the right.

Regarding the acquisition of the Philosopher's Stone, Soren did not steal it as a thief. Dumbledore announced in front of all the students on the opening day that there was something in the corner of the fourth floor, which was essentially a fishing tactic, and then set up numerous challenges. His attitude clearly indicated—

"I'll leave the object here; if you have the ability, come and take it."

The nature of the entire affair changed—this was no longer a theft carried out by a thief without the owner's knowledge, but rather a battle of wits and courage between the owner and the treasure seeker, where the treasure should rightfully belong to the victor. Therefore, at this moment, Soren felt no psychological burden. This treasure was obtained through his efforts in overcoming multiple challenges; even if discovered, he would not easily hand it over.

Soren said lightly, "I hope the professor takes past lessons to heart. I once heard some relatives in my family speak about the early stories of the Dark Lord, who was said to have been brought into Hogwarts by you, professor—you proclaim love yet forced him to repent with a burning wardrobe; the results were evident. When you were stronger than him, you could coerce him into submission; what happens when one day he's stronger than you? Does that mean you'll be met with the same treatment, an eye for an eye?"

Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel both appeared incredulous; these old stories were almost limited to a secret shared between just a few individuals of that time. For Soren to understand them so clearly indicated that his intelligence capabilities far exceeded Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel's expectations.

"Let's stop discussing such things and talk about the ownership of the Philosopher's Stone!" Soren had no intention of engaging in further trivial talk; he got straight to the point, "I am not a greedy person, and I have no desire for immortality or the ability to turn anything into gold that the Philosopher's Stone brings.

"I lack neither money nor wealth, nor do I wish to see my loved ones and friends die one by one. The Philosopher's Stone, to me, symbolizes a milestone in alchemy; therefore, I would like to temporarily borrow the Philosopher's Stone from you, Mr. Flamel, for three months for research purposes. I hope this research will elevate my alchemy to a new level…"

"If Mr. Flamel would be willing to guide me in the knowledge of alchemy, that would be even better—I've heard that Mr. Flamel's alchemy has yet to find a successor. If your wealth of knowledge were to be lost, it would be a tremendous loss for the entire wizarding world!"

Dumbledore seemed somewhat displeased that the initiative in the conversation was firmly in Soren's hands, and at this moment interjected, "Soren, you may not know, but alchemy emphasizes equivalent exchange. To gain something, one must offer an equivalent value in return…"

Soren scoffed, saying, "Dear Headmaster, it seems you have forgotten. I have already paid with a House Cup—don't refute just yet. Regardless of how much Slytherin was leading Gryffindor, you intended to award the House Cup to Gryffindor. The greater the lead, the more points you would give at the end of term feast. Am I not right?"

Dumbledore felt a bit awkward yet responded with a smile, "Perhaps the points I give—how should I put it—are somewhat too generous, but that is merely a reward for Harry and their excellent performance. You cannot deny the courage that Harry has shown in facing Voldemort as a first-year student, right?"

Soren disdainfully said, "What does that matter? The ownership of the House Cup was predetermined by you long ago. Don't be too quick to deny; when I discovered that the challenges set by the professors in the restricted corridor could be solved by first-year students, I had already confirmed my suspicions."

"What suspicions?" Dumbledore asked with intrigue.

"The hurdles you had the professors set were not meant to guard against the Dark Lord but rather against the students!" Soren spoke confidently. "To defend against the Dark Lord, a mere Mirror of Erised would suffice. The Dark Lord could not approach the Philosopher's Stone with desire; he could only rely on others to extract it from the mirror."

"So, Professor, you have to ensure that this person can get the Sorcerer's Stone and won't easily hand it over to the Dark Lord. The only one in all of Hogwarts capable of doing this is Harry. Because he possesses the 'protection of love' cast by his mother at the cost of her life, right?"

Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel exchanged a glance, finding themselves at a loss for words in response to the unusually sharp yet reasoned statements of this 11-year-old boy.

"Your plan revolves around this point; you need to ensure that only Harry can reach the Mirror of Erised. The three-headed dog is extremely powerful, and no one knows how to deal with it except Hagrid. And the only one who is close enough to Hagrid to learn how to subdue Fluffy from him is Harry."

"And, Hermione told me that Hagrid gave Harry a flute as a Christmas gift. Hagrid, being one of the people you trust most, has not made a mistake in over a decade, yet he was easily drawn into revealing the method to deal with Fluffy. This blatant fact, I could smell the scent of conspiracy from ten miles away."

"It does sound rather obvious," Dumbledore sighed, admitting that he was indeed impressed by Soren's tight and precise deductive reasoning.

"The Dark Lord probably knew this was a trap, but he couldn't resist the bait!" Soren continued confidently.

"The vast majority of students wouldn't enter that corridor. Even if someone wanted to explore, they wouldn't be able to get past Fluffy. The only ones who can make it through are Harry and his friends. Then, Professor, you arranged the challenges of the flying key, wizard's chess, and potions puzzle, specifically because of the strengths and characteristics of Harry, Ron, and Hermione—"

"If I'm not mistaken, Ron must have fainted at the chess challenge, and Hermione must have solved the potions challenge, bringing Ron to Professor McGonagall, leaving Harry to face the Dark Lord alone through the flames."

Dumbledore could only nod, "You're right; Ron and Hermione indeed returned back as you described."

"Then, esteemed headmaster, have I not proven that this year's House Cup was already predetermined to go to the legendary savior Harry Potter? No matter how hard or how excellently the students of the other three houses try, it is futile because the savior Harry Potter, under your special care, is destined to turn all their efforts, all their dedication, and all their hard work into nothing but a ridiculous talk!"

The three of them fell into an awkward silence. Nicolas Flamel pretended to look elsewhere—he didn't want to see his old friend's awkwardness. Dumbledore's face changed several times before he finally let out a quiet sigh and decided to break the silence.

"You remind me of someone," Dumbledore said softly. "Even more exceptional than he was." After speaking, Dumbledore seemed to be drained of energy, sitting down as if he had aged several years in an instant.

Seeing that he had sufficiently provoked the headmaster, Soren knew it was time to stop pushing. "To be fair, Professor, everything you do is to maintain stability and peace in the wizarding world—"

"In this regard, I can fully understand and even respect you, but while I can understand you, I cannot accept your methods. To maintain the stability of the world, to nip problems in the bud, to keep the situation firmly in your control, you invade others' privacy, strip students of their right to earn honors fairly, and I don't doubt that you would sacrifice anyone if necessary—all for—greater good!"

Nicolas Flamel smiled, satisfied. He said, "I now believe you are truly intent on taking the Sorcerer's Stone for the sake of studying alchemy—your current disposition, talent, and wisdom genuinely convince me that immortality and turning stone into gold no longer attract you. You surpass the young me by far, not only in talent but also in vision and wisdom. To be honest, I never intended to retrieve the Stone from you—"

"In fact, long ago, I had already told Dumbledore that I would destroy the Sorcerer's Stone. I have lived long enough; it is time to say goodbye to the world. I know that for someone as young as you, this might seem a bit unbelievable; however, for me and Perenelle (Nicolas Flamel's wife), death is actually like finally going to bed after a long day."

"You know, the Philosopher's Stone isn't really such a wonderful thing. With it, no matter how much wealth you want or how long a life you want to live, you can have it all! These are the two things that humanity desires the most— the problem is, people tend to choose what is least beneficial for them."

Nicolas Flamel pulled out a thick notebook with a phoenix cover from his pocket and handed it to Soren while saying, "Little Soren, perhaps you are right. What Dumbledore and I have done is no longer suitable for this era. To atone for our mistakes, and for the sake of so-called equivalent exchange, please accept this notebook—"

"I call it the Flamel Directory. It contains many of my alchemical notes and insights from my youth. The page in the middle has been enchanted with the protection Charm, which functions like a two-way mirror, allowing you to find me through this book at any time. If you have any questions about its contents, please don't hesitate to consult me. I would be very happy to share my knowledge and skills with such an outstanding young man like you."

[Flamel Directory obtained!]

"Well, gentlemen, I think I should be going. Perenelle is still waiting for me in Diagon Alley." Nicolas Flamel winked mischievously. "I've stocked up on two years' worth of Elixir of Life; I hope that will be enough for you to master my alchemy before I pass away." With that, Nicolas Flamel stood up, adjusted his robe, and walked into the flames.

The day of departure soon arrived, and the dormitory was cleared out, with everyone packing their luggage in various bags. The Hogwarts Express had already arrived at the platform.

Soren sat in a carriage with Daphne and Meredith, discussing various plans for the summer, but time was always limited. Soon, the train reached King's Cross Station, where the platform was bustling with parents coming to greet them.

Soren saw Lucius and Narcissa standing in the crowd, and after saying hello to the two girls, he was about to get up to find Draco in the next carriage when, unexpectedly, Daphne suddenly leaped at him, tightly hugging Soren and giving him a hard kiss on the right cheek. She then hurriedly exclaimed, "Remember to write during the summer!" and dashed away in a panic.

Soren stood there in a daze, awkwardly meeting Meredith's flushed gaze in the carriage. He stammered, "D-Daphne she..."

Before he could finish, Meredith unexpectedly acted even more boldly. She seemed to fall forward, and when Soren instinctively reached out to catch her, her heated body pressed against his. Her soft, white arms wrapped around Soren's neck, and he felt her delicate hand gripping the back of his head. Suddenly, her tender lips were on his, leaving Soren stunned, his mind going blank…

Time seemed to stretch for ages, yet it felt like only a moment had passed. The "bang bang" of two knocks on the door jolted the immersed pair awake like thunder. Meredith, startled, suddenly mustered strength from who knows where and pushed Soren away.

Soren could still see the flush on her face and the glimmer in her eyes. Meredith seemed to lose the courage to speak, stuttering, "R-Remember to write a letter during the summer…" then turned and pushed the carriage door open, fleeing.

Draco stood outside the carriage door, looking impatient. "Come on, Soren! I see Mom and Dad, don't keep them waiting."