8 Prodigies, Parents and Philosopher's Stones (Part Four)

Christmas had come to Hogwarts Castle. Harry hadn't originally cared too much about it since both Neville and Hermione had headed home to spend the holidays with their families but his opinion changed when he woke up to see actual real presents by his bed. It was the first time anyone had gotten him anything besides worn out socks or maybe a fifty pence piece if he had been very good and very quiet. It was a shame his new friends weren't here to share the experience with him...

Neville had given him a broom polishing kit while the twins had left him with a package of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans – along with a note that promised they were untampered with. Hermione had given him a new etching kit that had a lot finer tools than the one he had been using. Shiva had sent him a small box with a note describing it as a spell resistant, tamper-proof, lockbox that was designed to hold volatile rune clusters. Unfortunately, Harry's final two gifts had caused some problems in the dorm room.

"How am I supposed to know why your mother sent me a Weasley sweater, Ron?" Harry scowled. "I've never even met the woman!"

"Well obviously you did something! Those are family sweaters! You have no business wearing one!" the redhead yelled back snarling at Harry.

"Well it's not my fault that your mother sent me something!"

"Well it's certainly not mine!"

"You're both right, it's our fault Mum sent something," Fred said walking into the room with a frown.

"At least, we think it's our fault," George agreed coming in behind his twin.

"What the bloody hell did you two do?!" Ron yelled turning his rage on his brothers.

"We may have mentioned in a letter that Harry had said he wasn't expecting to get any presents." Fred winced. "Sorry, mate. We didn't think she'd end up making you a sweater because of it."

"Honestly, it's a little weird," Harry said looking at the sweater. "But I really do appreciate the thought and it was a nice gesture. She could've sent a note with it too though. That would've probably made it less awkward."

"Mum, can be a bit much sometimes," George sighed.

"How are you okay with this?" Ron growled. "He's not a Weasley!"

"Ron," Fred said his voice amazingly serious for the twin, "just because Harry isn't a Weasley doesn't mean he isn't a friend."

"Lee Jordan is a friend and he doesn't get sweaters!"

"Lee gets presents." Fred shook his head as Ron just growled incoherently. "Thanks for the gift by the way, Harry."

Harry nodded. He had sent them some Muggle fireworks with instructions on how to use them safely. "No problem guys. Just don't set them off inside or we'll have another Troll Incident. Thanks for the beans!"

"Enjoy them. So what's your last gift?"

Harry opened up his final package and as the silvery material slipped down to the floor Ron gave an incoherent yell. "You got a bloody Invisibility Cloak?! Funny how the guy who supposedly doesn't get any presents at all gets a bloody fortune right there!" he said scornfully.

"What's an Invisibility Cloak?" Harry asked the twins ignoring Ron. He picked up the Cloak and started examining it closer. Granted the name was pretty self-explanatory but if Ron wanted to get angry for no reason he might as well poke the boy a bit and satisfy his curiosity at the same time.

"Blimey mate, they are amazing," George breathed out. "Really expensive too. They make you invisible while you wear it. Darn useful for pranksters like us. Who's it from?"

"Don't know; all the note says is that it used to belong to my dad and that he left with whoever sent it when he died."

Fred's brow furrowed. "Well if they had it for 10 years you'd think they could have returned it before now."

"Agreed." Harry sighed. "At least they did give it back. I probably never would have known about it otherwise."

"How come you aren't jumping and down in joy?" Ron asked in disgust. "That thing is probably worth more than everything else combined."

The three others in the room glared at Ron. "It's nice to have a memento of my father, Ron, but it's not like I need it. I could probably make a rune cluster that would do the same thing as this but better and it would be smaller and more portable too."

"Well if you don't want it then just give it to me." Ron held out his hand for the Cloak. Harry snorted and before he could respond Fred and George moved to either side of Ron and grabbed an arm.

"Dear, Brother, I believe it is time for breakfast. Shall we be going?"

"We'll see you later, Harry. Merry Christmas!"

Despite planning his new Ninja rune cluster, Harry did end up wandering the castle after dark with his father's Cloak on during the break – more from curiosity than anything else. On one such nocturnal excursion he ended up finding an amazing mirror. A mirror that he had trouble walking away from. A mirror that showed him his family.

"Mirror of Erised?" Harry asked Professor Dumbledore. He didn't want to look away from the Mirror but he did eventually turn to glance at the Headmaster.

"Yes, Harry. The Mirror shows one their heart's deepest desire. It is quite the amazing artifact. It is also dangerous. Many have wasted away completely simply sitting and staring at it longing for that which they have never had instead of seeking to attain their desire in reality."

"Yeah well unless you happen to know how to bring back the dead, my necklace, my mum's notebooks my dad's Cloak and this Mirror are the closest I'm ever going to get to my family so excuse me for spending some time here. Sir." Harry twisted back around to the Mirror. He hadn't forgotten what McGonagall had said about why he was with the people his mother had hated.

"My boy, no magic can bring back the dead." Dumbledore sighed. He reached forward to lay a hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry scowled and threw it off.

"I know that, Professor. I'm not an idiot. Maybe I could come up with a cluster that would give a nice imitation of life but it wouldn't be real." Harry was still staring at the Mirror so he missed the flash of fear and desire that passed through Dumbledore's eyes. "Did you have my dad's Cloak?"

"I did."

Harry ground his teeth trying very hard not to lash out. "Why wait a decade to return it then? Sir."

"I knew your relatives would not appreciate such a treasure. I simply wished to ensure its safety until you rejoined us." Harry huffed, conceding the old man had a point there.

"Well thank you for making sure I got it back. I would have preferred it as soon as I got to Hogwarts but thanks for not just keeping it, Professor." Dumbledore gave a slight nod. "You're taking the Mirror away aren't you?"

"I am."

"Fine..." Harry slowly climbed to his feet and touched the Mirror's surface with a sad smile. "Bye, Mum. Bye Dad. Bye guys." He turned and walked past Dumbledore. "Thank you for giving me some time with them, Professor."

"Have a pleasant evening, Harry." Dumbledore watched Harry walk away and turned to the Mirror himself. An image of Harry – cloaked completely in black with yellow eyes wide open – stared lifelessly back at him from the phantom's position slumped on the floor. A phantom Dumbledore was standing over the boy holding a rune cluster that he held to Arianna's chest. Dumbledore started crying as the phantom version of his sister slowly started to breathe again.

When Neville and Hermione returned from their holidays Harry showed them the Invisibility Cloak as well as his initial plans for the Ninja cluster that would be an improved version of it incorporating sound dampening effects as well. Both were extremely impressed.

"Did you have any luck in the Restricted Section searching for Flamel?" Hermione asked after correctly guessing he'd have checked the book out from under the Cloak.

"No, none of them had anything." Harry shook his head. He knew he remembered the name from somewhere but it just kept eluding him.

"My Gran said it didn't ring any bells," Neville said. "She said he might be from out of the country."

"Well that would certainly make a bit more sense I suppose," Hermione said. She sighed. "That would also make this far more difficult."

"It's a shame he didn't do anything famous. Then he would've been in more books even if he was – " Neville cut off as Harry slapped his forehead. "Harry?"

"I am such an idiot!"

Hermione shook her head and snorted. "Harry, you are not an idiot. You are a savant. It's pretty much the exact opposite of idiot in the magical world."

"Exactly, Hermione!" Harry yelled looking between the two of them. "A savant!"

"Um, Harry," Neville said, "you're going to have to explain it better than that."

"Nicolas Flamel. Is. A. Savant! An alchemical savant!"

"He's what?" Neville asked frowning. Hermione's eyes widened and she nearly jumped out of her seat murmuring how she'd be right back.

"He's an alchemical savant, Nev! After my first talk with Shiva I got a book out from the library on previous magical savants and he was in there as one from the 1300s." Hermione came flying back down the stairs with a giant tome in her arms. "I think he's on a chocolate frog card too. He was a French savant who specialized in alchemy though he also may have helped found one of the schools there or at least make it into more a world renowned one."

"Beauxbatons, yes," Hermione said as she dropped the giant book onto the table in front of the two boys. "I checked this out for a bit of light reading – "

Neville gaped. "That's light?" Harry just laughed. Hermione glared.

"Yes. Anyway look! 'Nicolas Flamel – along with his wife Perenelle – is famous for being the only known inventor of the Philosopher's Stone.' Do you know what this means?"

"Philosopher's Stone?" Harry asked.

"Honestly, Harry!" Hermione huffed. "You remember that he helped with Beauxbatons but not that he created the Philosopher's Stone? It's an incredibly complex alchemical creation that can supposedly turn lead into gold as well as create the Elixir of Life!"

"Oh."

"Bit of understatement there, Harry," Neville chuckled. "I don't suppose you could make a rune cluster to do that huh."

"Well, the lead to gold thing, probably." The other two stared at Harry while he was lost in the intertwining rune structures testing and discarding possible combinations. "Yeah. I could do that. Not the Elixir thing though. I'd need at least four different prime runes that I don't think even exist to do that. Direct manipulation of a Soul or variant rune most likely."

Hermione's mouth closed with a snap. "Yes, well. Impossible things and eternal riches aside, at least now we know what – and most likely why – Professor Snape is looking to steal it."

"Yeah," Harry nodded. "Now we just need proof."