After a heated discussion, Dumbledore clapped his hands again, signaling everyone to quiet down. "Well then, it's getting late, and our time is limited. I hope we can make some progress before next weekend. Until then, I'll keep the Philosopher's Stone with me at all times. You may all return to your duties."
As Dumbledore announced the end of the meeting, the professors left the office one by one.
Eventually, only Snape, Adrian, and Dumbledore remained in the office.
Dumbledore, noticing that Adrian and Snape were still lingering, blinked in confusion.
"Oh, I assume you two have something to tell me, or perhaps... there's an issue between you?" he said. "Would you like me to step out for a moment?"
At this, Snape gave a cold laugh.
"I believe you've chosen the wrong person to trust," He said as he turned toward the door, walking away without looking back. "Compared to our new professor, I would place more faith in the other one. Be careful, Professor Dumbledore."
Before Adrian could respond, Snape had already disappeared from view.
"Who was he telling you to be careful of?" Adrian looked at Dumbledore, then innocently pointed at himself. "Me?"
"Don't mind him, Adrian." Dumbledore shrugged, appearing completely unconcerned by Severus's words.
Then, while slowly pouring himself some tea, he continued, "So, Professor Westeros, do you already have some ideas, or is there something else on your mind?"
Adrian nodded.
"Please, do share," Dumbledore said with an amiable smile.
Adrian began, "Professor, I wonder if I could take another look at the Philosopher's Stone."
Hearing this request, Dumbledore paused for a moment, then broke into a smile and patted Adrian on the shoulder. "The Philosopher's Stone... No need to be nervous, Professor Westeros. Young people are always curious about these mysterious objects."
He then retrieved the Philosopher's Stone from his pocket again, placed it on his palm, and extended it toward Adrian. "Since you're so interested, take a closer look. But remember, though its power is great, it is also extremely dangerous."
Adrian carefully took the Philosopher's Stone.
The Stone felt no different from an ordinary pebble, with an irregular, rough texture.
"Eldra," Adrian mentally commanded, asking the Wisdom Tree to analyze the Philosopher's Stone in his hand.
[Analyzing...]
Adrian suddenly froze.
Until now, the Wisdom Tree had never needed time to analyze anything—it had always completed its analysis almost instantly.
But this time was different. Adrian waited for nearly ten seconds, and the Wisdom Tree still hadn't provided an answer.
By the look of it, it would take much longer.
But obviously, Dumbledore wouldn't let him hold the Philosopher's Stone indefinitely.
Indeed, since the Stone had been placed in his hands, Adrian noticed that Dumbledore's gaze hadn't left it for a moment.
Clearly, he wasn't completely at ease with Adrian.
"This reminds me of a long time ago," Dumbledore suddenly spoke, interrupting Adrian's thoughts. "I still remember when Nicolas Flamel first showed me this remarkable stone. I was just like you, trying to discern something from it. But evidently, my proficiency in alchemy wasn't as deep as I had imagined."
Adrian held the Philosopher's Stone up above his head. The light shone through it, casting an enchanting glow.
"It's beautiful," he said.
After looking at it for a while, this was all Adrian could say.
Although he had taken Alchemy as an elective during his time at Hogwarts, this...
Expecting him to discern anything significant from the Philosopher's Stone was too much to ask.
"I agree," Dumbledore nodded, his expression gradually becoming more serious. "While it is beautiful, it's not necessarily a wonderful thing. The Philosopher's Stone can transform any metal into pure gold and produce the Elixir of Life.
Wealth and longevity are what every human desires, but sadly, humans tend to choose the very things that do them the least good."
After listening to Dumbledore's words, Adrian returned the Philosopher's Stone to him with a thoughtful nod. "Actually, I'm more interested in how the Philosopher's Stone was created."
"As am I," Dumbledore said with a smile, taking back the Stone and casually slipping it into his pocket before sitting back down. He crossed his hands on the desk and continued, "The Philosopher's Stone is an incredibly complex and mysterious subject in alchemy. Even Nicolas Flamel, who spent hundreds of years studying it, has only mastered a small portion of its secrets."
"A portion?" Adrian asked, puzzled.
Dumbledore nodded, reflecting, "Yes, Adrian, the power of the Philosopher's Stone extends far beyond what we currently know. Although Nicolas Flamel is the creator of the Stone, even he admits that its potential remains largely undiscovered."
Indeed, this was highly plausible.
But what else the Philosopher's Stone might be capable of, probably only Nicolas Flamel had any real idea.
"Well then, Professor Westeros," Dumbledore stood up, "we've talked enough for now. I'm glad you're willing to help me better protect the Philosopher's Stone. We cannot allow anyone to approach it easily, especially those with ill intentions. From now on, I hope this Stone will not be touched by anyone!"
Dumbledore's tone was particularly firm as he spoke those final words.
"I understand," Adrian nodded.
After that, Adrian left the headmaster's office, recognizing that Dumbledore was effectively dismissing him.
Back in his own office, Adrian collapsed onto the sofa and communicated once more with the Wisdom Tree.
"Eldra, regarding the analysis of the Philosopher's Stone, what's the status?"
[Analyzing...]
[Want...]
"!"
Adrian, who had been planning to take a short rest, immediately became alert.
'Want?'
He had never received such a response from the Wisdom Tree before.
Since he had been able to communicate with the Wisdom Tree, its responses had always been cold and mechanical, never showing such humanlike expression.
Could it be that the Wisdom Tree had become a bit more intelligent?
This speculation was quickly dismissed, however. In several subsequent attempts, the Wisdom Tree reverted to its original state, responding to Adrian's questions in the same dry manner as before.
It showed no signs of true intelligence whatsoever.
From this, Adrian surmised that the Philosopher's Stone must be of great importance to the Wisdom Tree—perhaps it was even the key to its continued growth.
"It seems I'll need to find a way to borrow the Philosopher's Stone..." Adrian thought to himself.
However, although this was his intention, actually getting hold of the Philosopher's Stone would be tremendously difficult.
Just because Dumbledore was willing to show him the Stone didn't mean he would lend it to him for a long time.
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