The Gifted One

Chapter 8 - Detention

Maxine's P.O.V.

Christmas was over and many students had started returning to Hogwarts as Harry and Ron along with me hung out in the library. While I was reading a book about dragons and Hermione walked in , "I had you looking in the wrong section. How could I be so stupid?" She slams a big book on the table as she sits next to me before sitting down again, "I checked this out weeks ago for a bit of light reading."
"This is light?" Ron says as he looks at the large book on the table that was brought by Hermione.

"Of course! Here it is! Nicholas Flamel is the only known maker of the sorcerer stone."

"The what?" Harry and Ron say in sync as it draws my full attention towards them.
"Honestly, don't you two read? The sorcerer's stone is a legendary substance with astonishing powers. It will transform any metal into pure gold and produce an elixir of life which will make the drinker immortal." Says Hermione but all I hear is gold. I rub my hands together," ooooo just let me get my hand on that stone and I'll turn every metal in Hogwarts into gold." I say as they shook their heads "you wish." Says Ron only to earn a glare from me.

"Anyway, immortal?" Ron continues as Hermione answers him.
"It means you'll never die." Is it even possible to stay immortal but I guess anything is when there is magic here. Death itself is terrifying but to even think that you can be immortal sounds like a long and boring life filled with the same things. I ended up lost in my thoughts before I could even understand what they were talking about. Although I soon left as I saw Regulus nearby but I only spoke to him when it was later in the day with not many people wandering the halls.

"Where have you been?" I asked after I had checked that there wasn't a single person in sight. "I went wandering about and I was trying to see if I could catch a glimpse of the demon we had seen." I nodded although felt rather fearful of even recalling what happened with the encounter of the demon. "Did you... did you end up finding that thing?" "Afraid not. I checked in every corner and forbidden room and there was absolutely nothing." Regulus says as he puts his hand on his chin lost in thought. "I can't tell if that's good or bad. But I hope I never see that thing again. But it could cause a lot  of trouble in the future." My head begins to feel heavier and the more I stress the worse it gets. "What I fear most is how to defeat it." Says Regulus as I nod in agreement. "Maybe there is information back in the muggle world?" I say but before we continue conversing as Nicholas appears from the wall.

"Ah, Miss Potter I was looking everywhere for you."
"Oh, it's only you Sir Nicholas. Why were you looking for me?" I sighed in relief that it wasn't some other ghost and only Nicholas. "Well, I would like to converse more with especially with how intriguing your abilities are." He says as we start walking down the halls with almost no one in sight especially with how late it had become. "That's fine with me as long as I could ask a few questions." Nicholas nods as he floats. "Well, I've been wondering how you can't really see other ghosts except for ghosts like yourselves," I say as I look at Regulus who has a curious look on his face as Nicholas was in deep thought before answering. "That's a good question. I think it would be because we wizards can leave an imprint of ourselves on this earth. In a way, we would be on another level compared to other ghosts." He says as he floats away. "So the ones I see would be in the between while you would on earth almost like any human," I say as he nods although it seems like he also doesn't fully understand the very concept of my abilities. "What about how you died? Is there a reason why you choose not to move on?"

Nicholas's face almost looked offended as if I said something that had angered him. "It's quite rude to ask a spirit such a question, Miss Potter." He says as he looks away. "I'm sorry-" Before I could even apologize he ignores me as he floats into the wall. "Wait! I'm sorry I didn't think that would offend you, Sir Nicholas!" I say facing the wall he went through "I didn't think that was a sensitive topic. What did you think-" As I turn to face Regulus I am confronted with McGonagall which made me jump. "Miss Potter. You should know very well that students aren't allowed to wander this late at night." She says in a strict voice as I look behind her to see the trio along with Draco next to them. "I'm afraid you'll have to be punished for your actions as well." "Wait but you can't possibly do that I was actually with Sir Nicholas. He wanted us to converse, so can't you let this pass."  "Even so that is no excuse to be wandering the halls this late. Fifty points from Slytherin."