In the Great Hall.
"You should have woken me up! I wanted to see your parents," Ron complained angrily. He was upset that Harry had discovered the Mirror of Erised alone without telling him.
Harry replied, "You can go tonight. I'm going back there, and I want you to see the mirror."
The two of them were eagerly discussing the Mirror of Erised, nearly forgetting about Nicolas Flamel.
John was making a sandwich with turkey meat and toast. Just as he was about to take a bite, Harry said, "John was there too, but I didn't see his family."
John put down his sandwich, speaking seriously, "Harry, that mirror doesn't show family. It reflects what you desire most in your heart. You shouldn't become too obsessed with it."
Curious, Ron asked, "John, what did you see?"
"Me?" Recalling what he had seen the previous day, John smacked his lips and said, "I saw a table full of food."
"Uh..."
Ron and Harry were speechless. They had thought John would see something else; given his love for studying, shouldn't he have seen books?
However, Harry didn't take John's words to heart. Instead, he became even more eager to return to the mirror.
He was starved for love.
The strongest magic created from a mother's love couldn't fill the void in his heart. More than being a savior, he longed for his parents to be by his side.
John didn't care whether Harry listened or not. He had given his warning.
With Dumbledore around, even Voldemort couldn't harm Harry and his friends.
Unconcerned, John remembered Nicolas Flamel after finishing his meal. He pulled a Chocolate Frog wizard card from his pocket and handed it to Harry.
"What's this?" Harry asked, puzzled by John's action.
John smiled mysteriously, "The answer might not be as profound as you think. You need to learn to observe the things around you."
His cryptic words left Ron and Harry confused, but Harry still took the card.
Focused entirely on the Mirror of Erised, Harry quickly shoved the card into his pocket, likely to forget about it for some time.
This didn't concern John. He headed to the library.
Under Madam Pince's watchful eyes, he piled books on alchemy onto a table.
His diligence was heartening even to Professor McGonagall, who happened to pass by. The only downside was that he wasn't a Gryffindor student.
With the aid of his two-hour "scholar mode," John barely managed to compile alchemy theories.
When the time was up, he put down the stack of books and rubbed his sore eyes.
"Relying on these theories alone is still too difficult."
Before him lay Simple Runes and Basic Alchemy.
Even the most basic materials could make one's head spin.
However, thanks to these, John could begin practical alchemy.
According to Goblin Forging, rune magic combined with alchemy equaled goblin forging.
The formula might be simple, but success required countless trials.
Heading to the Room of Requirement on the eighth floor, John requested a new location.
"I need a place to craft things."
After pacing three times in front of the large tapestry, a wooden door appeared in the blank wall.
Entering, he found a room filled with numerous cauldrons.
The shelves on the walls held many empty bottles, some containing materials from magical creatures.
John flexed his fingers, realizing he needed to replenish his materials.
Like wand crafting, materials from magical creatures were valuable to wizards.
John couldn't afford to buy them, but he had a source rich in materials nearby he could borrow from.
…
The next day.
"Here you go, John. Why do you need Blast-Ended Skrewt tails?"
In Hagrid's hut, Hagrid, the gamekeeper, dealt with magical creatures daily, accumulating a treasure trove of valuable materials over the years.
However, Hagrid seemed unaware of their value, sitting on a goldmine without realizing it.
John was one of the few students who got along well with Hagrid, sharing the bond of their adventure in Aragog's lair.
Upon hearing John's request for materials, Hagrid immediately gathered a large pile.
Taking the materials, John nearly stumbled.
Though Hagrid handled them easily, the pile was incredibly heavy.
The Blast-Ended Skrewt, a magical creature bred at Hogwarts, might be a hybrid of a Manticore and a Fire Crab.
Only Hagrid could produce a whole basket of tails at once, which John intended to use for his first alchemy experiment.
"I'm studying alchemy, Hagrid. After all, who knows these things better than you?"
Hagrid beamed with pride at John's words. John politely declined Hagrid's offer of a rock cake.
Carrying the basket of Skrewt tails, John returned to the Room of Requirement to begin his crafting.
He worked tirelessly, even missing dinner.
When he finally emerged from the Room of Requirement, his nose was smudged with soot.
As he was about to return, he passed the fifth floor.
Pausing, he saw the door to the room with the mirror ajar.
He knew Harry was inside.
"Still obsessed," John sighed, changing his mind about going back to the dormitory. He headed left instead.
Approaching the door, he heard voices inside.
Could it be Ron? Harry had shown Ron the mirror the previous night.
Casting a Disillusionment Charm on himself, John vanished into the darkness.
Inside, an elderly yet gentle voice could be heard.
"Like many before you, you've discovered the joys of the Mirror of Erised."
"I didn't know it was called that, sir."
"But I suppose you know its magic by now?"
"It… it showed me my family."
...
Harry was talking with Dumbledore, who had appeared there. Harry learned that the mirror showed what one desired most in their heart, just as John had said.
Using this opportunity to teach Harry, Dumbledore also informed him that the mirror would be moved to a new location.
Harry was reluctant but obediently put on his Invisibility Cloak and returned to bed.
"Professor Dumbledore, what did you see when you looked in the mirror?" Harry asked curiously before leaving.
Dumbledore smiled mysteriously, with a touch of playfulness, "I see myself holding a pair of thick woolen socks."
"You can never have enough socks."
Harry found the answer a bit perfunctory but sensible. After all, John had seen a table full of food. Perhaps John, like Dumbledore, was a person full of wisdom.
Watching Harry leave, Dumbledore didn't leave the room but instead, with a kind smile, spoke to the air, "Perhaps I should address you directly, Mr. Wick."
Well, John realized it was too naive to think he could hide from the greatest wizard of the century.
Emerging from the darkness, he terminated his Disillusionment Charm.
His form gradually appeared, as if he had materialized out of thin air.
"Excellent Disillusionment Charm. It seems you've learned a lot from the Restricted Section," Dumbledore praised.
John felt a bit embarrassed, being caught breaking school rules, especially by the headmaster of Hogwarts.
Dumbledore laughed heartily, "No need to worry. I believe Professor Quirrell signed the note for you."
He winked, mischievously youthful despite his age.
John knew Dumbledore wouldn't stop him for no reason. He had been about to leave, but Dumbledore had called him back.
Sure enough, Dumbledore looked at John, his kind eyes twinkling with an all-seeing insight, and asked, "Mr. Wick, what did you see in the mirror?"
John's body tensed, instinctively employing Occlumency, and he answered honestly, "Food, lots of food… and me becoming powerful."
After a moment's hesitation, John decided not to hide the truth.
Dumbledore seemed pleased with his answer, clapping his hands and laughing, "Applause for honesty. John, did you know Professor McGonagall has been muttering in my ear that the Sorting Hat might be faulty?"
Under the half-moon spectacles, Dumbledore's eyes were profound, his voice rich with an almost magical quality, "She's wrong. The Sorting Hat wasn't mistaken. You indeed belong in Slytherin, beyond a doubt."
"Promise me, John, not to meddle with irrevocable magic."
"I promise, Professor."
John didn't know why Dumbledore brought this up, perhaps because he knew John had been studying dark magic in the Restricted Section.
John nodded without hesitation. Though he knew the old man wouldn't harm a student, John was still a bit scared of being found out.
"You have the self-discipline to overcome your desires. I trust you, John. As a reward for finding the answer, you might have the chance to encounter the real Philosopher's Stone."
Switching from his serious demeanor, Dumbledore winked, seemingly hinting at something.
John was stunned. The answer?
He thought of the Chocolate Frog wizard card. It seemed this old man knew everything.
Whether it was the Restricted Section or the Chocolate Frog wizard card.